My soldiers are all Fourth Calamities!

21. Comrade Rochester, I apologize to you.

The night was thick, and the sound of military boots crunching on dry branches filled the air. In the distance, the occasional low groans of wounded soldiers could be heard. Rochester stretched his stiff back and walked with heavy steps on the uneven dirt road.

After passing through several sleeping troops, he finally arrived at the temporary command post—a brick building that had long been deserted.

This place used to be a temporary rest area for the village's lumberjacks, but it has now been completely forgotten with the changes. According to the villagers, since the outbreak of World War I, countless pillars of their families were conscripted into the army and never returned.

He raised his hand and knocked a few dull thuds on the rough wooden door—"thump—thump—thump—"

The door was opened, and the smell of tobacco wafted out. A dim, yellowish oil lamp hung on the wall next to the window, its light illuminating several excited faces, their joy barely concealed.

This battle not only resulted in the capture of a considerable number of weapons, but also the unexpected seizure of a number of horses.

The only regret was that the enemy cavalry unit that was supposed to come here for supplies probably sensed something was wrong and fled after seeing that no one had reported it.

Although the number of horses and supplies captured was not large, they were invaluable assets for this army that was short of food and clothing.

The atmosphere inside became even more heated when Rochester, the hero of this battle, walked in.

"Company Commander Rochester, please have a seat!" One of the men pointed to the empty seat that had been reserved in advance and gestured enthusiastically.

After Rochester took his seat, he exchanged a few pleasantries with those present and discussed the results of the victory before getting to the evening's main topic—supporting his brother units.

"We just received instructions from Regiment Commander Sokolov," a company commander said, pointing to the map, his expression turning serious. "The follow-up troops that were supposed to support us haven't arrived in time for unknown reasons. But time is of the essence; the higher-ups have ordered us to continue our march towards 'Korosten' tonight."

The follow-up troops that the company commander was referring to were teams led by other company commanders—they were also camped here to wait for trucks to bring the rest of the troops.

But it's clear they've already far exceeded the expected time, yet the mission still needs to continue—so they plan to reserve a few platoons here to wait.

"We are currently about 40 to 50 kilometers away from 'Korosten,' and we should be able to reach it by early this morning. Therefore, the troops will be on a forced march. However... we need a team to conduct reconnaissance in the area ahead of us."

"As for the follow-up troops, several platoons of soldiers will be left behind to wait after we advance."

"But right now, the most important thing is that we need a team to continue reconnaissance."

After saying this, the company commander looked at Rochester.

Rochester finally understood: those who are capable should be given more work; if someone is useful, keep using them. Even an ox can't be pulled so slowly...

"Company Commander Rochester, your unit's performance, judgment, and combat capabilities today prove that you are the most suitable and only person in our entire regiment to complete this mission."

"I believe that with your help, we will have no obstacles in our journey."

Although Rochester had some complaints in his mind, he couldn't put aside his complaints and focus on the bigger picture.

One thing at a time.

As things stand, there are many things that are beyond his control.

Furthermore, he now needs to become stronger and hone his troops in order to cope with wars he cannot currently foresee.

"We guarantee to complete the mission."

"Excellent! Very spirited! Company Commander Rochester! Our unit needs soldiers like you! You are truly a pillar of the Party and the nation!"

So the company commander pointed to a spot on the map for Rochester. "Next, you'll head north along this road. I'll assign you a mounted messenger, and if things go smoothly, we'll get there as quickly as possible."

Rochester nearly fainted when he saw the circled area on the map. It turned out that none of the company commanders in their entire unit had received any systematic military training.

With such a large area and quite complex terrain along the way, this trip would be nearly forty kilometers round trip.

Although there were mounted messengers, the reconnaissance area was far too wide...

Rochester sighed and pointed to the map. "I think we should be objective-oriented and work backward from the objective to the friendly lines of control."

"The plan should be developed by working backward from the order in which units return to friendly lines of control. The plan should specify the main and backup routes, as well as command positions, contingency plans for approaching the enemy, assembly points, and the location of target assembly points."

"The previously scouted village and the scouted area are two different concepts. The former is smaller in scope and the terrain is not particularly complex."

Rochester rattled off a whole bunch of technical tactical terms, leaving the other company commanders completely bewildered. They wanted to say something, but remembering Rochester's proven track record in reconnaissance missions, including predicting enemy movements in advance, they patiently listened to his explanation.

"Company Commander Rochester, I'm a farmer and I've never been to school. Just tell me your plan, and the rest of us brothers will help as much as we can."

Rochester was slightly surprised by the changes in the company commanders, but he quickly recovered.

"We will move out immediately, the entire force will move, and the reconnaissance units will maintain a certain distance from the main force and provide mutual support," Rochester proposed his plan. "The reconnaissance units will return every ten kilometers to report back, and the main force will then advance again."

"However, for safety reasons, my two units will also advance together, the former being the reconnaissance unit and the latter the covering unit."

"My reconnaissance unit reached the new position, established cover, and the two units switched places, with the original cover group becoming the reconnaissance group, and continued to advance. This process was repeated continuously, allowing the troops to 'wriggle' forward in sections like inchworms, thereby minimizing the risk of exposure to enemy fire."

"In short, it means that during the movement, one group should always provide fire support while the other group moves forward maneuverably."

Although Rochester had talked a lot of tactical theories, which the company commanders didn't fully understand, they did understand Rochester's plan.

"Is there anything else you need, Company Commander Rochester?"

"Need not."

"be safe."

"You too."

"Comrade Rochester..." a company commander suddenly called out to Rochester, who froze for a moment. "Please forgive us for questioning your tactics this afternoon. I mean the charge tactic. I heard you and your troops doing a post-battle debriefing today. Your soldiers had a lot to say. If we had had firepower at the time... I... I apologize to you for what I said."

The company commander grinned, revealing teeth stained yellow from cheap tobacco, scratched his head, and continued, "I'm just a farmer, I speak bluntly. I was in a hurry at the time. I'm not using my farmer status to take responsibility for my mistakes... it's just what I meant... hey... that's it... just..."