Chapter 674 Preparations Before the Expedition

The meeting in the lord's palace made the decision to send troops to assist Princess Catherine in blocking the orc army.

But in actual execution, Paul found that his army could not set off immediately.

Arda's army has never been prepared for combat missions outside the northwest bay. The purpose of this army was originally established only to protect the people and assets in the territory and to guard against the surrounding lords with malicious intentions.

After the Pretender War, the Army had already established a deterrent and suppression system for the territories within the Northwest Gulf, but there were no new demands to prompt the Army to make changes to support its further range of activities.

The situation of the Navy is better. After all, they are responsible for an important task - maintaining the stability of the long waterway from the Northwest Bay to the Cape Bay.

Years of training have given the Arda Navy a certain degree of ocean combat capabilities, and it can still perform missions far away from the mainland of the Northwest Gulf.

This kind of ocean-going combat capability does not mean just launching the fleet into the sea and relying on the sailing skills and combat capabilities that the officers and soldiers are familiar with to fight the war, but it covers all aspects.

For example, collecting hydrology, climate and other data along the route can provide the fleet with conveniences in estimating sailing time, selecting battlefields, and avoiding extreme weather.

Another example is the friendship between major cities and ports along the route, which allows the fleet to easily repair, obtain supplies, treat sick or wounded in time, or replenish sailors.

For that matter, the Arda navy even maintained a degree of friendship with the ports under the control of Lord Giles - after Giles had made peace with the Crown, of course.

The Navy has been working hard over the years to improve its capabilities in various aspects, so that it can gain a firm foothold on the vast ocean, become a formidable force, and continue to expand its scope of activities bit by bit.

But it is a pity that the orcs came from the interior, and the navy was unable to carry out the task of blocking the orcs, and could only leave it to the army.

Compared to the navy, Arda's army was lame.

Thanks to the fact that countries in this era have not generally established a true awareness of sea power, the Arda navy can operate unimpeded on the ocean.

But on land it's a different story.

The land covered by civilization has been divided up by humans. In other words, civilization was established because humans had territorial awareness.

In addition to natural factors such as mountains and rivers, countless fortresses and checkpoints have also become obstacles to each other's passage.

Arda's army could not adapt to the topography and customs of the areas outside the northwest bay like the navy.

Troops can only be sent to support when there is local need. For example, Blackstone Plains is currently facing the threat of orcs. If the local lords cannot defeat the orcs, they will naturally welcome a foreign friendly force to come for support.

But sending troops there when there are no foreign enemies is a very sensitive matter.

There is also the issue of supplies. The Arda army can use the royal banner to ask local lords to provide all the army's needs, but Paul doubts their ability to supply an army that is beyond this era.

Similarly, if it is peacetime, it is still a very sensitive issue for the local lords to go to other territories in advance to establish material warehouses clearly prepared for war.

They could tolerate and even welcome Alda's warships as guests in their ports. After all, the warships could not drive to land, and the spending power of Alda's navy officers and soldiers was considerable.

But they would never welcome an Arda army as a guest in their territory.

After the meeting between department heads at the Lord's Mansion, Paul came to the staff headquarters and held a separate military meeting with the officers to discuss the details of sending troops.

"How soon can we send troops?"

Paul asked Chief of Staff Schroeder with some concern.

Schroeder's answer confirmed his concerns.

"Half a month, Mr. Grayman, at least half a month, about two weeks."

Paul was a little frustrated, "Can't it be faster?"

The other person's answer made him feel a little frustrated.

Half a month? This speed is a bit far from the "quick response" force he has always wanted to build!

In addition, will this make the royal family or Catherine think that he is deliberately delaying?

Schroeder replied helplessly: "Although we are going to fight in friendly areas, you know, the goods we carry-cannons, shells, gunpowder, etc.-are very heavy things. We can only take the path that others can take." You may not be able to leave. You need to send scouts to explore and select. In addition, you must prepare enough carriages to carry the goods, as well as a corresponding number of livestock to pull the carriages. You must also consider the feed of these livestock and their own consumption. An epidemic may destroy them. They were all scrapped.”

"Two weeks is already a quite bold plan, because the goods I just mentioned are only weapons and ammunition - the advantage of our troops depends largely on this, and it cannot be obtained in other territories, so we must focus on ensuring ammunition. As for the rations for the soldiers, we can only raise them for one month immediately. If the war continues, we hope that the local economy and crop output will be enough to support the battle in one month. May God bless us."

There is no mistake. One post, one content, one 6 one, one book, one book, take a look!

"Sounds reasonable!" Paul was still frowning.

Schroeder seemed to see Paul's worries and persuaded him, "Your Highness will understand us. In fact, compared with other territories, we can send more than 2,000 troops within two weeks, and we also bring one month's supplies. This is already very fast."

"Okay, my dear Schroeder, I will do it according to your schedule."

Paul nodded, "Just tell me if you need anything!"

Don't fight an unprepared battle. This is the military principle he advocates. He must not let the soldiers die just because he might lose face in front of his fiancée.

The old knight said solemnly: "I will speak, Lord Graman!"

Paul said: "I have a new decision - after you set off, I will immediately prepare another expeditionary force and personally lead the team to support you. Of course, the preparation will be more thorough."

"I will establish a solid and efficient supply line between where you and your troops are and Alda to supply you with all kinds of materials needed for the war."

The old knight's face flushed, "Thank you, Lord Graman, you will become a hero in the history of Aldo!"

Paul smiled calmly, "Everything is to keep the enemy out of the country. Promise me Schroeder that you will never let the orcs enter the Northwest Bay!"

"I will do my best!"

Schroeder raised his voice.