Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 127 I Did This in Aragorn

In the war game simulation room that day, the huge sand table had already been set up with mountains, rivers, towns, and roads according to the preset battlefield environment.

Morin and the other students in the same year at the War Academy were divided into red and blue teams to conduct a simulated battle at the division level.

The four cadets with the longest military service were appointed by their instructors as the commanders-in-chief of both sides, each commanding a division of troops.

Morin and the other trainees then took on the roles of other units under these 'division commanders'.

As the battalion commander, Morin was eventually assigned four wooden game pieces representing company-level combat units.

With a command from the simulation instructor, the competition officially began.

The two division commanders quickly formulated their respective battle plans based on maps and pre-existing intelligence.

On the sand table, the red and blue pieces representing the two armies began to slowly move towards the designated battlefield.

The reconnaissance, maneuvering, and engagement were all conducted in a very standard and orderly manner, following the standard procedures outlined in the war academy textbooks.

The vanguard of both sides encountered each other in a river valley in the center of the map, and a small-scale firefight broke out.

Just when everyone thought that what followed would be a traditional head-on confrontation between the two sides' main forces, with both sides lining up their formations and going head-to-head.

After holding back for so long, Morin finally began to act.

While his own division commander was still hesitating about whether to commit all the main forces to the frontal battlefield, Morin volunteered to lead his battalion in a bold flanking attack from the flank of the entire divisional front.

After receiving permission from the 'division commander', he commanded the four company-level war games representing his battalion to break away from the main battle line and disappear into a dense forest on the flank of the sand table.

Instead of rushing things, he patiently directed his company, carefully examining the enemy's defensive deployment with repeated confirmations from the instructors.

He quickly and astutely spotted a weak point located at the junction of the enemy's battle lines.

It was an area jointly defended by two enemy battalion-level units, but a tiny gap had appeared in the defensive line.

"What a great place!"

After confirming the terrain, Morin no longer hesitated and decisively divided the tasks among his four companies.

A company, acting as the forward assault force, launched a feint attack from the front to draw the enemy's attention.

A company, acting as a flanking attack force, took advantage of the enemy's attention being drawn in and plunged in through that gap.

One company, acting as a deep attack force, followed closely behind the flank attack force, and plunged deep into the enemy's territory along the opened gap.

The last company serves as a reserve force, ready to provide support at any time or to intercept any enemy reinforcements that may appear.

"Captain Morin, what are you doing?"

"The 'division commander' in charge of his area," a captain with a small mustache asked, frowning.

"According to the manual, battalion-level units should maintain their complete organizational structure during combat. Your dismantling of the troops will greatly weaken your combat effectiveness!"

Morin did not look up, but calmly replied, "Sir, please trust my judgment."

The next moment, the putter in his hand moved.

On the sand table, the wargaming pieces representing Morin's forces began to move rapidly and in a dazzling manner.

Some of his instructions were so surprising that even the instructors in charge of directing and judging were caught off guard.

The forward assault team had just made contact with the enemy when the flanking assault team silently breached the enemy's junction and launched an attack on the enemy battalion headquarters from the flank and rear.

Meanwhile, his deep assault team had already rushed deep into the enemy's position and quickly set up a simple blocking position, blocking the battalion's retreat route.

After a series of smooth and efficient maneuvers, the battalion targeted for attack was instantly plunged into chaos on the sand table, becoming divided, surrounded, and losing command.

However, at that moment, several cadets representing the enemy commander lodged a protest.

"Instructor, I object! His troops cannot possibly do this!"

One of the trainees, playing the role of the enemy battalion commander, stood up excitedly.

"It's simply unrealistic to complete such a complex infiltration and deployment in such a short time! His troops will collapse on their own due to command chaos!"

“That’s right!” another trainee chimed in. “Moreover, my troops will immediately launch a counterattack once they discover that their flank has been breached, instead of just sitting here and waiting to be killed like this!”

The instructor leading the simulation also frowned.

He also had to admit that Morin's tactics were indeed somewhat unconventional.

It completely departs from the scope of academic textbooks and is more like an idealized assault tactic existing in theory.

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Morin.

Despite the doubts raised by the crowd, Morin remained unusually calm.

He simply raised his head and looked around, then slowly began to speak in a statement of fact.

"Gentlemen, my command in this manner is not based on mere theoretical talk."

"Because in the Kingdom of Aragon not long ago, the company I led used similar infiltration tactics, in coordination with friendly forces, to repeatedly defeat several regimental units of the Kingdom's army and the Brittany Expeditionary Force."

"And ultimately pursued them all the way, capturing the Vallecas Heights, until they reached the gates of Madrid." Upon hearing this, the entire simulation room fell into a deathly silence.

Many of the trainees playing the role of enemy commanders wanted to refute this.
But what can we use to refute that?

They weren't talking about some vague theory, but rather fresh, firsthand practical experience.

The Iron Cross First Class, gleaming on his chest, is the most powerful proof.
Just as the atmosphere became awkward, an old but powerful voice suddenly rang out behind everyone.

"Let him continue."

When everyone turned around, they found that General Hohendorf, the vice-principal of the academy, had somehow appeared next to the sand table.

The old general's face was expressionless; he simply looked at Morin and said calmly.

"Captain Morin, continue the simulation based on your combat experience."

"At the same time, order your other units to fully cooperate with his operation."

With the vice dean's approval, the simulation continued.

What followed was a textbook example of a divide-and-conquer operation, orchestrated entirely by Morin.

Under his leadership, his battalion, like a sharp scalpel, precisely cut through the enemy's defenses.

The Red Army's friendly 'battalion commander' who was closest to him quickly recovered from his initial shock.

He no longer clung to the idea of ​​frontal defense and decisively ordered his troops to press forward, further widening the gap that Morin had torn open.

The opposing students on defense were caught off guard.

They hastily redeployed troops from other directions in an attempt to plug the ever-widening breach.

However, the result of robbing Peter to pay Paul is that more loopholes and gaps have appeared in other directions of defense.

These newly emerging gaps were quickly seized upon by the bolder Red Team members, who launched focused attacks.

In an instant, the blue team's lines on the sand table resembled a dam hollowed out by termites.

If you prepare in front, you will be weak in the rear; if you prepare on the left, you will be weak on the right; if you prepare for everything, you will be weak for everything.
Not long after, the Blue Team's first division was 'annihilated' in the chaos of being constantly infiltrated, divided, and surrounded, according to the simulation instructors.

As this division's forces were removed from the sand table, the balance of power on the battlefield was completely broken.

The remaining division of the Blue team was powerless to turn the tide against the Red team, which had superior numbers and high morale.

Especially after Morin once again used his old trick, leading several friendly forces to infiltrate and divide them from another unbelievable route, the outcome of this simulation was no longer in doubt.

When the simulation instructor announced that the Red team had won the final victory, the entire simulation room remained silent.

Whether they were the winning Red Team students, the losing Blue Team students, or the instructors leading the simulation, everyone was deep in thought.

The fighting style that Morin displayed was completely different from the kind of straightforward, head-on battles that they were used to.

It is more agile, more deadly, and less martial.

After the war game was over, Morin was taken alone by General Hohendorf to his office on the top floor of the academy's administration building.

The office has a calm and sophisticated style, and the huge floor-to-ceiling windows offer a panoramic view of the entire War Academy.

The old general didn't speak immediately, but after observing the room, Morin poured coffee with hot water in the cubicle.

General Horndorf chuckled as he watched Morin bring him the coffee, then shook his head and pointed to the sofa by the window, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Captain Morin, now I finally understand why His Highness the Crown Prince and the Ministry of War value you so much, even going so far as to break with convention to force you into the War Academy."

General Horndorf held his teacup, looking out the window at the cadets training on the parade ground, his tone tinged with emotion.

“What you’ve shown on the sand table may be beyond the comprehension of most Imperial Army officers.”

"And this is not just theoretical; it is valuable experience gained on the battlefield of Aragon with blood and lives."

Despite the old general's praise, Morin's expression remained unchanged.

He stood up a moment later, walked over to General Hohendorf, and solemnly expressed his concerns.

"General, if I may be so bold, it is precisely because of this that I am even more worried."

"Through this period of study, I have found that not only the War Academy, but also most of the officers in our Imperial Army seem to still be stuck in the glory of the Sagau War."

"If we encounter a more powerful enemy on the battlefield in the future, we may suffer a great loss with this rigid thinking."

Morin paused, then mustered his courage and spoke even more sharply.

"Just like those classic battles you championed in your 'Imperial Military Traditions' class, with all due respect, they are quite different from the battles I experienced in the Kingdom of Aragon."

The implication is already quite clear.

The methods you taught are somewhat outdated.

(End of this chapter)