After ordering the acting commanders to handle the battle themselves, Hu Hao returned to his writing.
Meanwhile, the staff officers had moved the large screens out of the command center. The command center itself only occupied a small section of the air raid shelter, so they set up the screens in a much larger, open area of the bunker.
The officers from the training battalions filed in and were directed to their seats by the staff. They were instructed to unroll their bedding right there; their seats would also serve as their sleeping quarters.
None of the soldiers complained. They were all combat veterans. Some had been mere Second Lieutenants just days ago. Just having access to such a secure air raid shelter was a luxury, and with the numerous air conditioners installed, it wasn’t hot at all.
“Why did the Commander call us here? He didn’t come to teach us yesterday, and he didn’t come today either. He didn’t just call us here for a lecture, did he?” a Second Lieutenant asked a nearby Captain.
“It’s understandable. We have so much going on right now; the Commander is incredibly busy. So, having class here is fine. As long as the Commander is teaching us, I’ll learn anywhere!” the Captain reasoned.
“Exactly. As long as we can learn something, it doesn’t matter where,” several nearby officers nodded in agreement.
Soon, the large screens at the front and around the room flickered to life, displaying a live feed of Yonghe City.
“Are our troops fighting right now?” one officer asked.
“Looks like it. Look, those are our troops. The formations look a bit messy, though. I wonder which unit that is,” another officer remarked.
“I bet the Commander wants to use a live battle to teach us and analyze the situation in real-time!” an officer said after a moment of thought.
“I think so too. The Commander has taught us a lot of theory; what we lack now is practical application. We’ve all fought before, but we haven’t commanded large forces.
“Besides, back then, we were just defending. It didn’t require much complex command—just stopping the Allied forces from crossing the river. This looks like urban combat! I think the Commander mentioned urban combat before!” another officer nodded.
“The Commander has arrived!” a staff officer announced just as Hu Hao stepped out of the command room. The seated officers instantly snapped to attention, standing ramrod straight.
“Hello everyone. Please, sit down. Don’t stand up; the people in the back won’t be able to see me. Take a seat.
“I called you here today because I want to use the live battle at Yonghe City to teach you how to fight urban warfare. I will teach you how to command infantry and artillery, how to coordinate infantry and artillery strikes in a city environment, and how to execute combined arms operations with infantry, armored vehicles, and tanks.
“This battle will last a relatively long time, likely one to two months. The reason we aren’t quickly wiping out our opponent is specifically to use them to train you!
“Now, let me introduce our opponent. They are the 1st Corps of the Mara Empire. Hearing that name alone should tell you about their combat effectiveness and equipment!
“Their commander is Kelly, the younger brother of the Mara Emperor. Word is he’s an exceptionally capable fighter. The 1st Corps also serves as the Imperial Guard of the Mara Empire, meaning they possess the best equipment. Their Chief of Staff is Jasman, reputed to be the mastermind of the new generation within the Mara military.
“Therefore, our opponent is incredibly strong. I intend to use this force as a whetstone to sharpen our troops. Once our forces are fully trained, we will devour this corps completely,” Hu Hao addressed the officers.
“Moving forward, you will eat and sleep here. If you have any questions, have the company commanders of each training battalion collect them and hand them to my staff. I will provide answers the following day. I cannot answer your questions individually right now; there are simply too many of you, and I am too busy. For now, you must listen and think.
“Also, whenever I have free time, I will hold theory classes here, combining the theory with our live battle!” Hu Hao concluded. The officers burst into smiles.
They desperately wanted Hu Hao to teach them. They fully believed in his combat prowess. Every time he led, they annihilated the enemy forces. Now, he was intentionally using the Mara Empire’s 1st Corps for training. If he didn’t need them for training, Hu Hao would likely wipe them out entirely.
“For now, review your manuals and the materials I previously gave you. In your free time, form small groups and devise your own defensive plans for Yonghe City.
“You can simulate commanding a force. Assign someone as division commander, someone else as regimental commander, or even coordinate between several divisions. You can pick a specific sector, deploy your hypothetical troops, and run your own war games!
“The battle hasn’t officially started yet. Once it does, we can discuss it. Later, the staff officers will brief you on the current deployments within Yonghe City so you can familiarize yourselves with the setup!” Hu Hao instructed.
“Yes, Commander!” the officers shouted.
“Alright, get to it. I have other matters to attend to!” Hu Hao smiled and returned to the command room.
…
Meanwhile, outside Yonghe City, the Allied vanguard had immediately retreated and set up defensive positions after being shelled by the city’s artillery. They had no idea there were Eastern Spirit Empire troops stationed in Yonghe City.
They had assumed the Eastern Spirit forces were only concentrated around Late City. To encounter them over 300 kilometers away was entirely unexpected. Their vanguard had no choice but to halt and wait for the main force.
“Damn it, why are they here? Was the Limaguo 11th Corps really wiped out?”
Sheryl, commander of the 4th Regiment (a tank regiment) of the 1st Division, 1st Corps, stood gazing at Yonghe City through his binoculars. He couldn’t see a thing; the city was completely dark.
Their own camp was equally dark. They didn’t dare turn on any lights; the moment they did, the Eastern Spirit artillery would rain fire down on them. Thus, they remained shrouded in darkness.
“Regimental Commander Sheryl, look to the southeast. Are those headlights? There are quite a few!” Olaca, commander of the accompanying infantry regiment, pointed toward the southeast of Yonghe City.
“You’re right. They have reinforcements arriving. It seems there’s a substantial force inside the city!” Sheryl noted upon seeing the headlights.
“I think we need to wait for our main force to arrive. This enemy is formidable. They’ve annihilated two of our corps back-to-back.
“Even though the 43rd Corps wasn’t at full strength, they were battle-hardened veterans. They had solid combat capabilities. Yet, they couldn’t even mount a defense when the Eastern Spirit troops ambushed them. The Chief of Staff explicitly ordered us to march cautiously and avoid underestimating the enemy!
“It seems the Chief of Staff was right. He knew our opponent wouldn’t just let us occupy Late City, so they deployed troops in an outlying city to block our advance!” Olaca analyzed, staring into the distance.
“Hmph, block our advance? Once our main force gets here, they’ll learn the meaning of overestimating their own strength! Our main force will arrive in two hours. It looks like we’ll have to launch a probing attack tonight. What do you say we initiate the probe?
“We are the vanguard. Since we’re the vanguard, we should strike first!” Sheryl suggested, looking at Olaca.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. If we attack, we need the Corps Commander’s approval first. After all, our opponent is not to be underestimated; their combat effectiveness is undoubtedly extremely high!” Olaca disagreed.
“What are you afraid of? We have my tanks and your infantry. They just shelled us, causing hundreds of casualties. We can’t let that go unavenged. Besides, they clearly don’t know how to fight. If they had waited until we were closer to open fire, our casualties would have been much worse!” Sheryl scoffed, clearly looking down on the commanders inside Yonghe City. He believed their premature artillery strike proved their incompetence.
“I still think we should request orders from the Corps Commander. Yes, we are the vanguard, but launching an attack before the main force arrives when we don’t even know the enemy’s numbers is risky. If they have a large force and wipe us out, it will be a disgrace to the 1st Corps. If you want to fight, request permission from the Corps Commander!” Olaca insisted.
“Fine, I’ll request permission!” Sheryl nodded. He was eager for battle. Ever since the 1st Corps landed in the Eastern Spirit Empire, they hadn’t faced a true challenge.
During their westward advance, they had routed the Eastern Spirit forces at every turn, which fostered a sense of contempt toward the enemy.
Olaca, however, preferred caution. Internal bulletins claimed this specific enemy force had wiped out two Allied corps. Even if they couldn’t confirm the enemy’s previous exploits, annihilating two corps in such a short time meant they were not to be trifled with.
“Corps Commander, this is Sheryl. I request permission to launch a probing attack against the Eastern Spirit forces in Yonghe City to test their firepower. If the probe goes well, we might be able to wipe them out tonight!” Sheryl immediately proposed his plan upon connecting to Corps Commander Kelly. Vanguard commanders had the privilege of contacting the Corps Commander directly.
(End of Chapter)