Volume 16 Tower of Babel Chapter 962: The Army Gathers
Just as Leighton, Ivan and Ye Yan were chatting about things related to farming, their communication devices rang at the same time. They looked at each other and took out their cell phones at the same time.
"This is the message from Ke Lan." Ivan said.
"The negotiation was successful... Hey, why is the file attached to the email so large? It seems to be a lot of pictures..." Leighton muttered as he clicked on the pictures, and the next second, he was petrified on the spot.
Ivan and Ye Yan performed slightly better than him, but their expressions also changed drastically and it took them a long time to recover.
"The thing in the photo... is the Ark, right?" Ye Yan murmured.
"It should be." Leighton nodded, "It looks like we're in big trouble this time..."
"A war is inevitable. According to the message, General Maginot of the Mukach Fortress is gathering troops to prepare for a counterattack on the Ark. According to the agreement between Ke Lan and General Maginot, Yaguna Kotor will also participate in this battle." Ivan read on the screen.
"The good news is that at least we don't have to fight alone, but the bad news is that the situation inside the Ark is probably worse than we imagined." Ye Yan nodded and said, "Fortunately, I have already brought the rest of the tribesmen to Yaguna Kator before this, so we don't have to worry about anything when the war starts."
"This is shitty good news. With Mukach's limited military strength, even if we add the other military bases on Alpha, the combined combat power is just a fraction of Yaguna Tor... If I had to choose, I would rather not have these friendly forces than turn the Ark into this state." Layton complained.
"It has already happened. It's useless for you to say these things. Let's think about how to fight this battle." Ivan patted Layton's arm. "No matter what, it is always a good thing to have tens of thousands more friendly troops. Although combat power is important, it has never been the only factor that determines the outcome of a war."
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Mukah Fortress.
General Maginot handed the tablet to Ke Lan and said, "We have contacted four fortresses, 29 military bases, and 677 transit stations. Except for the Siberian Fortress in the Far North Frozen Plain, which is currently resisting the attacks of tundra creatures, all other troops are gathering towards Mukach. This is the rough number of troops we have counted."
Ke Lan took a look at the statistical table on the screen. Most of the troops sent out by these fortresses and military bases were motorized light infantry, and mechanized armored forces accounted for less than one-tenth of the number.
There is really no other way. These troops are basically garrison troops in various fortresses and bases. Even when facing attacks from indigenous creatures, they rely on fortifications and the equipment attached to the fortifications to fight. They have heavy weapons, but they are difficult to dismantle and take away. If you want to assemble the troops in such a short time, you can only go out lightly.
Another reason is that most of the armored units of the Field Corps had been destroyed in the battle of the Ancient Bronze City Ruins. After the war, the Ark focused on repairing the damage to the hull, and did not immediately replenish equipment and troops for these units - after all, the "heretic sect", the biggest threat to the Ark, had been completely destroyed in this battle, and the Field Corps only had to face those indigenous creatures wandering in the wilderness. The replenishment of military strength was no longer so urgent, so these matters were put on hold and have been delayed until now.
"You've seen that, although we can gather a force of 200,000 people, this is the number we got after all the bases made every effort, and all the logistical personnel, non-military personnel... in short, all those who can take up arms were urgently mobilized. The actual combat effectiveness is at least halved... What's more, we don't have reliable firepower support, and we have to fight a tough battle..." Maginot sighed, "I know this battle is not easy to fight, but now that the exact data has come out, I realize that it's not a question of whether it's easy to fight... It's impossible to fight at all. If you hadn't shown up, I would have given up by now."
"This is all thanks to the emergency compulsory mobilization law enacted by the Ark. Otherwise, let alone 200,000 people, we might not even be able to gather 50,000 people." The Hound said, sitting on the armrest of the sofa, crossing his legs.
"I want to know one thing." Major General Alexander rested his arms on his knees, crossed his fingers, and looked worried. "It's true that all bases have initiated emergency mobilization, but do those who have been mobilized know the current situation of the Ark? I'm worried that if the truth is announced after the troops have assembled, the morale of the army will be disrupted."
The emergency mobilization law was set by the Ark when it first landed on Alpha, and its content was very simple: "When an extremely urgent situation occurs, the commander of each military base has the authority to mobilize all people in the base."
This includes all the troops stationed at the base, friendly forces passing by temporarily, and even the consortium convoys, engineering troops, exploration teams, mercenaries, and relic hunters who temporarily use the base as a foothold. At the same time, in addition to combat troops, logistics personnel, from the commander's secretary and orderly to the cook and practitioners in outsourced commercial facilities, must all be dispatched.
As for this extremely urgent situation, it is up to the commanders of each base to make their own judgment. Afterwards, the Ark's United Council will conduct a second assessment of the entire incident. If unnecessary losses are caused by the commander's misjudgment, the United Council will hold all relevant personnel accountable and make high compensation to the loss-making party.
However, if it is found that the situation at the time meets the mobilization law and someone disobeys orders, the disobedient person will be treated as a deserter - regardless of whether the person is a soldier or not.
The judgment criteria for this secondary assessment are very strict, so the commanders of the bases generally do not initiate an emergency mobilization easily... and in fact, even if this emergency mobilization is launched, there are only a handful of situations in history that can change the situation - just think about it, the situation is so critical that non-combatants are needed to go to the battlefield. How can these people who rarely touch guns on weekdays turn the tide of the war with their own strength?
"We can only deal with this kind of thing after the troops have assembled." Maginot rubbed his forehead and said with a distressed look, "We have no way out. We can only go all out... But the biggest problem now is not the people, but the equipment."
According to the statistics in the table, the total number of vehicles of various troops added up to more than 18,000, of which more than 80% were off-road vehicles and transport trucks without fixed weapons. There were less than 2,000 lightly armed armored vehicles with dormitories, machine guns and rocket launchers. There were only more than 50 heavy tanks with thick armor and strong firepower that could serve as the main force on the battlefield.
The number of artillery and aircraft was even more worrying. For a force of 200,000 people, the intensity of heavy firepower support was not even as strong as that of a division during the Battle of Gutongcheng Ruins.
The number of powered exoskeletons is only over 30,000, with more than 800 light mechas. The number of heavy mechas is slightly more than tanks, but has not reached three digits.
"What's worse is... we don't have any airships, not even one." Maginot sighed.
In the wars of this era, airships play a very important role - a large airship is like a highly mobile air base, which can undertake a series of tasks such as fire strikes, cover support, and logistical supplies. The strength of ground forces without airship support will be reduced by at least 70%.
The importance of a fleet is self-evident.
"General, actually... we have an empty ship." Levi walked forward and said to Maginot hesitantly.
"We have airships? How come I don't know that?" Maginot asked after a moment's pause.
"Isn't the Air Force Fleet's No. 4 Shipyard next to Griffin Fortress? As far as I know, a 'Killer Whale' class heavy cruiser entered the final stage a month ago, and is expected to be delivered for use after the fleet's acceptance is completed at the end of the year... Even if it is not completely built now, it should be almost done. If we speed up the work a little, I think we can get the battleship into the sky before the battle begins... As for detailed inspection and debugging, I'm afraid there will be no time."
"There's actually another Orca-class ship that's almost finished... Now that you mention it, I remember that some time ago, a convoy transporting shipbuilding materials borrowed a passage from us." General Maginot fell into thought, "The combat power of a heavy cruiser... is enough to tip the balance of victory, even if it's just a little bit. But the problem is, we don't have anyone to drive it!"
The engineers, technicians and workers in the shipyard can build warships and understand the principles of their operation, but if they are asked to drive the warships into battle, it will definitely not work - building a warship and using it are two completely different things. People who have not received professional training, even if they know the functions and operating methods of various equipment on the warship, may not be able to use them in battle.
The warship's systematic tactical instructions and operating specifications cannot be mastered in a short period of time. Before officially boarding the ship, the officers and soldiers of the Air Force fleet need to stay in the simulated training ship at the airport for half a year before they are qualified to touch the real thing. As for the selection of the captain, it is extremely strict.
Originally, this "Orca-class" heavy cruiser was to be delivered to the First Cruise Fleet. The First Cruise Fleet would draw a group of experienced veterans from each ship, and add about one-third of recruits who had just come out of the training ships to form the crew of this battleship. In the process of the old and the new, they would continue to run in until everyone was extremely familiar with the battleship.
But now, the entire First Cruise Fleet has perished on the surface of the Ark. As for those simulated training ships built in the airport, there is probably no living people left inside.
There are warships, but no one to drive them... This made Maginot feel distressed.
"No, someone is driving it." The Hound suddenly laughed, "Fatty, are you suffering from Alzheimer's? Have you forgotten who this person is?"
Maginot raised his head and followed the hound's line of sight to look at Major General Alexander who was sitting opposite him on the sofa. Thinking of the other party's identity, he straightened his body and said happily, "How could I forget about this! Major General Alexander is with you. The survivors of Fleet Zero should also be on Yaguna Tor, right? I just don't know how many survivors of Fleet Zero there are. As far as I know, it takes at least four or five hundred people to operate such a heavy cruiser and those carrier-based aircraft and other equipment."
"There are nearly 30,000 surviving officers and soldiers of Fleet Zero," said Rear Admiral Alexander. "Excluding the wounded and those who have lost their will to fight, the number of people who can participate in the battle is about 10,000. We can operate ten heavy cruisers like this. In addition, I hope to be the captain of this Orca-class ship myself."
"The fleet commander personally serves as the captain? Isn't that a bit too dangerous?" Maginot blurted out subconsciously.
"What's the danger... Before I became the commander of Fleet Zero, I was the captain of a 'Yu-class' heavy cruiser of the First Cruise Fleet. If Fleet Zero had not been formed, this 'Orca-class' cruiser might have been deployed under my command. Besides, I'm no longer the commander of Fleet Zero. The battleship is the battlefield I'm most familiar with. You want me to hide inside Yaguna Kotor and watch my former subordinates charge into battle. I can't do it." Major General Alexander said solemnly, every word ringing loudly.
"General, you are so courageous!" Maginot immediately clapped his hands and praised, "I admire soldiers like you who are strong and resolute! If I were not old and unable to move, I would also like to go to the front line to command the battle..."
Before Maginot could finish his words, he was ruthlessly interrupted by the Hound: "I am about the same age as you. How can you say that I am older? If you are afraid of death, just say it directly. It is not shameful. I am also afraid of death, but there are some things that are more terrible than death... But the fact that you have difficulty in moving is quite true. If you ask me, you really should lose weight. With your big belly now, I am afraid that you can't even see that thing when you lower your head to go to the toilet, right?"
"Nick, you're still so annoying with your mouth." Maginot looked at the Hound helplessly. "To be honest, when you were in trouble, we wanted to protect you, but the people above were very determined, so we could only try to get you out of jail... If you weren't so foul-mouthed and said more good things to the people above, you might still be in the army now."
"Hmph, what's so regretful? The people above, are you talking about the United Parliament? Aren't they just a group of puppets controlled by the Undead Crew? Just let me suck up to them, okay? Besides, staying in the army may not be a good thing. Who knows when I will be sold as cannon fodder--"
