Holy Roman Empire

The reinforcements arrive in a week, which is ideal.The nearest unit to the Fourth Army is indeed only more than 100 kilometers away, and the cavalry can also arrive overnight, but there are still hundreds of kilometers away.

If you want to rescue them, you can't do it with a small number of troops. You must mobilize a large army, or you will be beaten by meat buns.

It will take time to assemble the troops and to intercept the enemy's halfway, and what the Fourth Army lacks most is time.

"Order the troops to stand by and wait for help. From now on, send a telegram for help to the headquarters every day. Remember to pay attention to the wording to highlight the seriousness of the problem."

After much hesitation, Opodo decided to give it a go.A dead fellow Daoist is not dead, so he had to use the 10,000+ soldiers of the Fourth Army as bargaining chips in order to survive.

It would be better to lose a bet and die in battle than to be executed. The Tsarist government was very tolerant towards the dead.

The debt of death is eliminated, as long as one dies on the battlefield, the previous things can be overturned.

If you win the bet, you will make a lot of money.The winner is not to be blamed, and the previous self-assessment has also become adaptable and seizing opportunities on the battlefield.

The "halo of a famous general" will automatically fall on his head, becoming another miracle in Russian military history for future generations to look up to.

……

Chapter 268 Abandoned Son

After receiving the telegram for help from the Fourth Army, Ivanov was in a bad mood.

It's very obvious. Anyone with a little military common sense knows that if a lone army goes deep and finds something wrong, it should retreat immediately.

The Fourth Army did not operate with combat missions, so it was completely free to play.After discovering a large number of enemies, it is not good to immediately adjust the marching speed, keep a safe distance from the enemy, and wait for reinforcements to arrive?

Even with hindsight, the Fourth Army can choose to break out of the encirclement and join the Russian army in the rear before the enemy's encirclement is completed.

The Fourth Army has cavalry troops, so it is impossible not to find the enemy's traces. The mobilization of hundreds of thousands of troops cannot be kept secret at all.

Ivanov received news of the transfer of the Prussian army in the rear, but it was a little late, and before he had time to respond, a telegram from the Fourth Army came.

There was no radio these days, so the Fourth Army's request for help was still sent to the [-]th Division in the rear through the airship unit, and then forwarded to the headquarters.

He obviously had enough time, but he didn't take action in time. Ivanov has always hated generals like Opodo who have no overall view.

Ivanov was also very clear about the reason. The Fourth Army acted privately. If they did not have enough military exploits, they would come back in despair, and the future of commanders such as Opodo would be gone.

To wait for the opportunity and grasp the opportunity, the precondition is to succeed, if you fail, it is not to seize the opportunity.

The competition within the Russian army is also very fierce. Once a stain appears, it is almost impossible to go further.

Coupled with the fact that he acted privately without asking for instructions, he was lucky to be able to retire early.

For the sake of their personal future, the commanders of the Fourth Army took a chance to get to the present.

This telegram for help seemed plain, but in fact it was not without the meaning of dumping the blame. It is estimated that the Fourth Army was looking forward to Ivanov's order for them to retreat.

Anyone who knows the deployment of the Russian army knows that the Fourth Army is very important to the upcoming Warsaw battle, and the Vistula River is even more related to the logistics transportation of the Russian army.

"boom!"

Ivanov slammed the table and cursed, "Ёбтвоюмать!"

"Пошёлнахуй!"

……

Listening to Ivanov's roar, everyone in the headquarters was on tenterhooks, for fear of getting burned.

After scolding for a full quarter of an hour, the dry-mouthed Marshal Ivanov stopped.He was really angry, and he had never seen such a trick to his boss.

The Fourth Army is finished, and it will be difficult for the Russian army to win the Battle of Warsaw.From a military point of view, the current situation on the front line is unclear, and the risk of sending troops to rescue is very high, and it is very likely that they will be surrounded by the enemy.

Ordering the Fourth Army to break through and preserve its strength as much as possible is the best strategic choice.

In reality, however, this cannot be done.In Ivanov's position, soldiers must also consider politics.

He ordered the Fourth Army to retreat. In case the troops suffered heavy losses, he would be responsible for this.

Looking at Opodo's coquettish operation, one knows that there must be someone behind. When such an opportunity arises, it is inevitable for these people to make trouble and pin the blame on Ivanov.

Politics is not about right and wrong, only about pros and cons.Don't expect the opponent to be kind. The bottom line of a politician has never been the lowest, only lower.

After calming down, Ivanov frowned even tighter.Looking at the map, thinking about the real purpose of the enemy.

The Fourth Army was of great importance to the Battle of Warsaw, but it was the same for the entire Prussian War.When the battle was fierce, the Russian army lost more than 10,000+ a month.

If the war can be won, the sacrifice of Ivanov of the Fourth Army will not blink an eye.

After contemplating for a while, Ivanov walked up to the combat staff officer and asked, "Where has our unit closest to the Fourth Army gone?"

The combat staff officer replied anxiously: "The closest is the [-]th Division of the Ninth Army, which is now staying in the Radom area; the second is the Fifth Army and the Seventh Army, but they are north of Warsaw, and there is no way to go there. reinforce."

Ivanov's brows frowned even tighter. A division of troops was dispatched for reinforcements, and it was estimated that they were eaten by the enemy halfway.

To break the siege of the Fourth Army, at least one army needs to be invested. Unless the troops that are implementing the southern line strategy are transferred, other troops will not be able to catch up in a short time.

After looking at the distribution of the Russian army on the map, Ivanov shook his head. Giving up the battle on the southern front in order to rescue the Fourth Army was not worth the loss strategically.

The battle on the southern front could obtain supplies from Austria with minimal logistical pressure.As long as the enemy's defense line is broken, it is very tempting to attack Berlin to the west or capture Poznan to the north.

If Berlin is captured, the Prussian Federation will be over; if Poznan is captured, the enemy's connection with the rear will be cut off, and the Prussian army in the Warsaw area will become a lone army.

After contemplating for a moment, Ivanov said slowly: "Order the Eighth Army, Ninth Army, and Tenth Army to immediately form the Southern Front Army.

General Matilde, commander of the Eighth Army, concurrently serves as commander, General Mettler, commander of the Ninth Army, concurrently serves as deputy commander, and commander of the Tenth Army concurrently serves as General Mourinho as chief of staff.

Order them to complete the organizational structure as soon as possible in the shortest possible time, and within a week I will receive news of the outbreak of the battle on the southern front. "

Very informal personnel appointment, but special treatment in special periods.There is no such level as the front army in the Russian military establishment. The army is already the largest unit, and the front army is only temporarily established during the war.

The main force of the enemy is in the Warsaw battlefield, and most of the troops on the southern front are second and third-line troops. It is said that the southern front troops actually have to fight separately.

If we really want to set up a headquarters for the airborne troops, it will take at least a month for them to sort out the situation of the troops.

On the battlefield, soldiers are expensive and fast, wasting a month's time is simply fatal.

Before that, the Russian army also had the Southwest Front Army, but it was disabled by Moltke in the winter battle last year, and then it was disbanded.

With the passage of time, the strength of the Russian army has continued to expand. The strength of an army ranges from 10,000+ to as many as [-]. It is fully capable of fighting alone, and the need for establishing a front army is not so great.

The Russian army in the front is mainly defensive. Most of the time, Marshal Ivanov is directly commanding the large corps to fight. Just after the delegation of power, the Fourth Army appeared to act without authorization.

It directly dispelled Ivanov's idea of ​​forming a front army. If it was not forced by the situation, he would not establish a southern front army.

You must know that the losses caused by the chaos of one army can be much more serious than that of one army.

The freshly baked southern front army has very serious internal checks and balances. The three army commanders are also the commanders of the front army, so no one can act recklessly.

When fighting, they are directly separated and commanded. The old troops are very familiar with it, and there is no need for running-in, and they can explode to the maximum combat effectiveness in a short period of time.

As for the side effects, Ivanov couldn't care less.Big problems are small as long as the war is won.

After a pause, Ivanov added: "Order the Fifth Army and the Seventh Army to attack the Warsaw area, let them control their own rhythm, and don't repeat the old things of the Fourth Army. I don't have so many troops to wipe them off." butt.

Hautev drafted a telegram to St. Petersburg, reporting our combat plan and the appointment of personnel just now. "

There was no mention of the Fourth Army, obviously Marshal Ivanov was going to ignore them.Anyway, the Fourth Army was greedy for merit and acted without asking for instructions. Even if the entire army was wiped out, he would not be responsible.

A middle-aged officer bit the bullet and asked, "Marshal, what about the Fourth Army?"

Ivanov gave him a hard look, and replied very dissatisfied: "What to do? What to do, what to do!

Didn't that idiot Obodo boast of using soldiers like a god?Now is the chance to perform, as long as he can command the Fourth Army to defeat the Prussian Army, all problems will be solved! "

Defeat the Prussians?

Everyone has already begun to mourn for the Fourth Army in their hearts.There is no doubt that this is an impossible task.

As if realizing that he had lost his composure, Ivanov sighed: "Order the Third Army and Sixth Army in the rear to rescue, I hope there is still time.

Send an order to the Fourth Army to make their own combat plan, and the reinforcements will arrive as soon as possible.

Order the airship troops to airdrop supplies to them, generate electricity for St. Petersburg, and ask them to get a batch of transport airships as soon as possible, preferably the Austrian Flying Eagle 4. "

Do your best, listen to destiny.

This sentence properly summed up Ivanov's order. The Third Army and the Sixth Army were repairing and supplementing in the rear. When they assembled and rushed to the front line, it would be impossible to get it done in less than ten days and a half months.

If there were some changes in the middle, such as encountering resistance from the Prussian army halfway, it might not be possible to make it in a month.

There is only one way to go fast, and that is to send cavalry up.It's a pity that the cavalry of the Russian army has been dispersed to various units, otherwise a dozen or 20 cavalry can be assembled to try to rescue.

Of course, this only exists in an ideal state.More than a dozen or 20 cavalry are assembled together, and logistics alone can be devastating.

Now the Fourth Army can only rely on itself, and the empty supplies of the airship are more like a kind of comfort.The Russian army has a total of dozens of transport airships. In theory, all of them are in operation, and they can deliver up to forty or fifty tons of materials every day.

In fact, being able to put in seven or eight tons of supplies every day on average is considered God's blessing.

The airship also requires maintenance, and an inspection is required after each flight, which consumes a lot of time.

In addition, the transport airships of the Russian army are also scattered in various places, and the number that can be assembled in the short term is limited.Also consider the bad weather. On average, seven or eight tons of supplies can be put in every day, which is really not easy.

With such a small amount of supplies, it is completely a drop in the bucket to supply the consumption of 10,000+ troops.However, if all high-calorie foods are transported, it can satisfy the soldiers' rations.

Chapter 269 The Fading Halo

The changes on the Russian-Prussian battlefield have aroused Franz's close attention.Although I don't believe that the Pubo Federation can come back, no one is sure about war.

If you read history books, you will know that records are created by people.Classic cases of using less to win more in ancient and modern China and abroad:

Battle of Julu, Battle of Weishui, Battle of Guandu, Battle of Chibi, Battle of Yiling, Battle of Feishui, Battle of Salamis, Battle of Issus, Battle of Agincourt, Battle of Crecy... …

There are too many, and the victors in these classic battles all have a common characteristic-"famous generals".

Although the Prussian army is at a disadvantage, it is not without the power to fight. With Moltke, a genius commander, it is really possible to win.

Franz's worries didn't last long before he was convinced by himself.The reason is very simple: "Moltke only has one, but Ivanov can mass-produce it."

In the army "fools and geniuses" are a minority, and most of the officers are ordinary people.As long as the coaches above don't mess around and let them fight step by step, it's really no problem.

Moltke was able to count the Fourth Army, but could he also count every division and every regiment below?

Most of the battle lines stretching thousands of miles were commanded by officers at the division and regiment level below. The officers of the Prussian army were of slightly higher quality, which was overshadowed by the superiority of the Russian army.

The coach can only dispatch and command major battles in the middle, and the small battles inside still have to be conducted by these ordinary officers. It is not only the command that determines the outcome, but also the quality and quantity of soldiers.

Accumulating small victories can also be a big victory. When playing steadily, the test is more about strength.

The Russians launched three major battles at the same time, and no matter how powerful Moltke was, he could only take care of one battlefield.It is a "myth" that those who have a half-knowledge of the situation on the front line and command from the rear can win.

Without the ability to pinch and count, and without understanding the real situation on the front line, how can we accurately arrange troops?

Some people may say that knowing the situation on the front line through the information reported by the "telegram" is actually not realistic at all, and many things can only be understood by seeing it in person.

The army is made up of people. Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes, and where there are rivers and lakes, there are disputes. Telegrams mixed with the interests of all parties have actually covered up many things.

Franz asked: "Albrecht, are the Russians going to abandon the Fourth Army?"

It's not that Franz can't see it, the problem is that the 10,000+ army just gave up, which is really unbelievable.

Let's put it this way, the Fourth Army alone can rank among the top ten armies in the world, and there are only four countries in Europe with a standing army of more than 20.

Albrecht shook his head and replied: "Yes, and no! It can only be said that Ivanov made the most correct choice.

From a strategic point of view, the most important thing for the Russian army right now is to launch an offensive on the southern front, leaving no time for the Prussian army to prepare.

If in order to rescue the Fourth Army and abandon the offensive on the southern front, the key to determining the outcome of this war will be the Warsaw battlefield, which is exactly what Moltke wants to see most. "

After a pause, he picked up his baton and clicked on the map: "Your Majesty, look, this is Warsaw, which happens to be in the center of the battlefield.

Prior to this, the Russians were not prepared for a decisive battle here, and they did not hoard supplies around Warsaw in advance. Once the main force of the Russian army gathered, logistics became a big problem. "

Franz nodded. Warsaw's location at the center of the battlefield is of great strategic significance. The Popo Federation has long managed this place as a fortress city.

The defense is perfect, the key is that the Russian logistics line has become longer.The Baltic Sea is in the north, and Austria is in the south. Resupply is very easy, but the Warsaw area needs to be transported by land.

That's all in normal times, the key is that winter is coming soon, no matter how much the Russians scramble to transport supplies, it is impossible to support the consumption of millions of troops.

There is no way, the Fourth Army has been besieged by the Vistula River and has fallen into the hands of the Prussian army, and the only water channel can no longer be counted on.

Even if it is taken back, it will not work. It is easier to destroy than to build. It is too easy to cause some damage in the river to make ships impassable.

Albrecht: "In addition to the strategic needs, the Prussian army may also use the Fourth Army as a bait to lure the surrounding Russian troops to come to encircle and fight for reinforcements.

Ivanov is very cautious in using troops, and has always liked to fight steadily. He has always avoided such high-risk battles on purpose.

Now it seems that he has given up the Fourth Army, but in fact he has already started to rescue, but it is just a roundabout way.

The Russian army sent troops to attack Warsaw from the east and north, which would inevitably contain a large number of Prussian troops. In a short time, Moltke did not have more troops to encircle and wipe out the Fourth Army.

While maintaining the encirclement network, the Prussian Army can really devote no more troops to the front line than the Fourth Army.