Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 123 What?! (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader)

The lieutenant colonel from the Army Department seemed to have other duties this time, so he didn't display the same talent for conversation as last time.

He asked everyone to get to know each other, and then tactfully left first, leaving the space to the command team of this new unit.

Since he had only briefly introduced the responsibilities and focused on Kleist as the battalion adjutant, Morin suggested that everyone get to know each other first.

"Richard von Albertthal! Before his transfer..."

"Florian von Schwarzenberg! Before his transfer..."

"Sebastian von Meissen! Before his transfer..."

"Erich von Manstein! Before his transfer, he was a junior staff officer in the Operations Department of the General Staff of the Army!"

They all belong to the Feng family.

When she heard the last name, Maureen felt a moment of disorientation.

"Manstein?"

"Yes, sir!"

The young operations staff officer answered loudly, and a moment later realized that Morin was still staring at him.

"Sir, do you recognize me?"

"Uh, no, I just think you look quite energetic."

Mo Lin naturally wouldn't say that she knew him very well; after all, who wouldn't know 'Man Buqun'?

After giving a casual reply, he looked at his adjutant.

Ewald von Kleist.
He suddenly realized that the name was somewhat familiar, and that he seemed to have had some 'cooperation' with Manstein in another time and space.

As a result, they have all come to join their respective units. It's truly wonderful.

When the five officers in the room received their transfer orders to leave their original Imperial Guard unit and join a newly formed unit, they initially had some reservations and resistance.

After all, no one wants to easily leave their comfort zone for a new job with an uncertain future.

Especially for Manstein from the General Staff, he even thought he had done something wrong and was demoted early.
However, when they discovered that this new unit was also under the Royal Guard, and that the battalion commander was none other than Friedrich Morin, the rising star in the army who had just been awarded the Iron Cross First Class and was making a name for himself on the Aragonese front.

Their initial reluctance vanished instantly.

When they finally saw the Iron Cross First Class on Morin's chest with their own eyes, all their doubts turned into heartfelt respect and admiration.

In this country that reveres martial prowess and honor, for these lieutenants, a First Class Iron Cross is the most useful and direct tool for persuasion.

It represents unparalleled courage, outstanding military achievements, and absolute recognition from the Supreme Command.

Being able to follow such a young, promising, and talented commander is not a bad thing for them; on the contrary, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As everyone got to know each other, the atmosphere in the room became increasingly harmonious.

The eyes of everyone looking at Morin were filled with anticipation.

They all wanted to see how the young assault battalion commander would forge this brand-new force.

Noticing the enthusiasm in the officers' eyes, it's hard to say that Maureen didn't feel a surge of pride.

This will be the future command team of the assault battalion.

A brand new force with limitless potential is about to be born in his hands.

After calming himself down, Morin cleared his throat and said:

"Gentlemen, from this day forward, we are comrades-in-arms."

"I have only one goal: to make this force the most elite and sharpest blade in the entire Imperial Army!"

“Yes, sir! We will become the Emperor’s sharpest blade!” Kleist shouted.

"The Emperor's Blade!" The other four lieutenants, including Manstein, repeated excitedly.

"Ah yes."

Morin opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he nodded.

It must be admitted that the adolescent angst of these Saxon soldiers is just like that of German officers in another timeline.

The assault battalions at the time were also keen on giving themselves all sorts of nicknames, such as 'hunter squad' and 'assault blade'.
Because it didn't take much effort, everyone's enthusiasm was quickly aroused, so Morin soon got to the point.

Their first task is to complete the initial organization and formation of the training assault battalion before Morin reports to the Saxon War Academy.

On this issue, Morin did not immediately implement sweeping reforms.

He knew very well that any hasty reforms would often backfire in an army composed of officers from the old era.

The best approach is to continue the tradition.

Once the troops' training level and cohesion have been improved, adjustments can be made gradually based on the actual situation.

Therefore, he prepared three versions of the compilation step by step.

The current proposal is the most basic first version of the organizational plan—which still follows the traditional 'four-company' infantry battalion structure of the Saxon Army.

A battalion headquarters comprised four infantry companies, plus a battalion-affiliated supply corps.

As expected, everyone nodded in agreement with the proposed solution.

Next, and most importantly, is the source of manpower.

“My plan is to directly transfer the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion of the 32nd Infantry Regiment, which I previously commanded in the Kingdom of Aragon, to serve as the backbone of our assault battalion.”

Morin was the first to express his thoughts.

"I hope that the remaining three infantry companies, as well as the reserve reinforcements, can be drawn from various Jaeger units of the Imperial Army."

"Jackal!" Upon hearing this term, the officers present all showed expressions of surprise.

In the Saxon Empire, the Jaegers were a very special unit.

They are typically composed of rangers, hunters, and mountain dwellers, and are skilled in skirmish tactics, wilderness survival, and precision shooting.

Compared to line infantrymen who were used to marching in formation on the parade ground, the guerrillas had a more flexible tactical approach.

However, in the eyes of traditional Saxon officers, discipline was relatively 'lax'.

But in Morin's eyes, the individual combat capabilities of the Jaegers were clearly superior to those of other units, and they were very well suited to the assault battalion's combat style.

Not to mention, in mobile warfare, the hunters can also carry out special operations missions such as infiltration, reconnaissance, and sabotage. They are simply perfect for it.

However, the battalion adjutant, Kleist, did offer his own opinion on this matter.

“Sir, I understand your thinking, but I must remind you that His Highness the Crown Prince’s expectations for this unit are not merely to make it a ‘special hunter unit’.”

"His Highness hopes it can become a 'training force' and 'model' for the entire Imperial Guard and even the entire Imperial Army in the future."

"Therefore, in terms of troop composition, perhaps we should draw at least one company from the Royal Guard. After all, our unit's designation is the 'Royal Guard'."

Kleist's words made Maureen frown.

To be honest, he had no intention of drawing men from the Imperial Guard at first.

It wasn't because the Imperial Guards were poorly trained.

On the contrary, it was because the Imperial Guard was so well-trained.

Those Imperial Guard soldiers, who were generally over 1.8 meters tall, strong, and in neat formation, were the kind of soldiers who could charge forward in tight formation without flinching even when subjected to a barrage of machine gun fire.

They are the most determined and disciplined soldiers.

But precisely because of this, dense formation tactics have become their instinct.

Therefore, in Morin's view, retraining these "finished products" into commandos adapted to future warfare might be even more difficult than training new recruits.

However, he felt that what Kleist said was also correct. Since this was the Crown Prince's intention, Morin could not directly reject it.

He glanced at Kleist beside him, the battalion adjutant who was clearly more familiar with the inner workings of the Imperial Guard.

“Alright, Captain Clyster, you have a point. Then we’ll draw a company from the Imperial Guard.”

Maureen made a compromise.

"However, I have a request."

"What are your requirements, sir?"

"Help me pick a company from the Imperial Guard that isn't too heavily trained, preferably a reserve battalion."

Morin's words elicited strange expressions from the officers present.

This was the first time they had ever heard of a commander actively requesting troops with "low training levels".

Kleist paused for a moment, then understood what Morin meant.

He nodded.

"I understand, sir! I will coordinate it."

The issue of manpower was thus tentatively settled.

One company was Morin's old unit, serving as the tactical core and backbone.

One company, from the Imperial Guard.

The remaining two companies were selected from various mercenary units.

Although this personnel composition is somewhat complex, it can be considered to take into account the needs of all parties.

Next, and more importantly, is the issue of training.

Morin was prepared for this; he took out a well-organized training outline from his briefcase, which he had brought with him.

"Gentlemen, this is a brand-new infantry training system that I have developed based on my combat experience in the Kingdom of Aragon."

He distributed the outline to everyone.

"I summarize it as the 'five major infantry technologies'."

"That is, shooting, grenade throwing, assassination, demolition, and earthwork operations."

These five words were familiar to the Saxon officers present.

But when they opened the outline and saw the specific contents, they were still somewhat surprised.

The training requirements for each technique in this outline are so detailed as to be outrageous.

In particular, blasting and earthmoving operations, which they thought should be carried out by specialized troops, became basic training programs for Morin.

Before the officers could say anything, Morin continued:
“I had already received orders that our base was located outside Dresden.”

As he spoke, he opened a topographic map.

"There are mountains and water there, making it ideal for high-intensity field training."

"At the same time, I have another idea."

Morin raised his head and looked at the crowd.

"I hope to build a dedicated '400-meter obstacle course' area in our camp training ground."

(End of this chapter)