Wearing British clothes as a second-generation aristocrat

18. You call this an encirclement?

The next morning, the loud reveille and assembly drumbeats rang out.

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 94th Infantry Regiment, were already lined up, their flags fluttering in the scorching wind.

Dugan also mounted his horse and set off with the officers of the infantry regiment headquarters.

Tom, the orderly, still carried the rifle for Dugan.

Colonel Stevenson rode a group of pure white Andalusian horses, making a grand entrance and running back and forth at the front of the procession as a kind of inspection.

"Move out." With Colonel Stevenson's order, the soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the 94th Infantry Regiment began to leave the camp and march north toward Kanur.

Heading north, the Deccan Plateau remains harsh, with red dust flying and hot winds howling. However, as we get closer to Kanur, the terrain gradually changes.

The low hills have increased, and the tributaries of the Tungabadra River are faintly visible. Occasionally, patches of farmland and villages can be seen along the banks, making the desert less desolate and more lively.

Tom pointed to the winding river in the distance and said to Dugan, "Major, that's the lower reaches of the Tongabadra River. Kanur is located on the south bank. This is a major transportation route between Hyderabad and Bangalore. Controlling Kanur is equivalent to controlling this area."

Dugan examined the map several times, turning it over and over, then nodded, gazing at the distant river and the faint outline of a town. He thought to himself, "Traffic routes have always been strategic locations fought over by military strategists... Both sides will undoubtedly exert their utmost efforts."

After four days of marching, the First Battalion finally arrived at the Kanur front.

But when Dugan stepped onto the front line and saw the so-called "encirclement" situation, he couldn't help but feel a sense of astonishment!

"You call this an encirclement?"

This is hardly a tight encirclement; it's utterly ridiculous.

According to the map that Duggan saw at the British command post at the front, the British army had indeed occupied several important cities near Kanur, establishing strongholds in the east, west, and north, seemingly encircling Kanur.

However, these towns were separated by vast rural and township areas, with no British troops stationed there, creating large blank areas.

"This is what they call an encirclement?" Dugan frowned, his tone incredulous. He turned to a frontline soldier beside him. "Soldier, we've only occupied the surrounding towns. This entire central area—isn't there any troops stationed here?"

The soldier's face showed a hint of helplessness, and he gave a wry smile: "Major, you're right. We have indeed only controlled a few surrounding towns, forming a so-called strategic encirclement, but we simply don't have enough troops to garrison the vast areas between the towns. The Andhra Royal Palace's army and the Maratha guerrillas are hiding in the villages and forests of these areas, coming and going freely, and we have no way to control them."

"Okay, strategic encirclement, it's still encirclement!"

Although Dugen is not from a military background, he is a military enthusiast and knows a little about military matters.

After listening to the soldier's description, Dugan finally understood why the British army had been unable to break through Kanur after a three-month siege.

Such an encirclement is practically useless.

Without troops to block the gaps between towns, the army of Andhra Palace could move freely to obtain supplies and reinforce Kanur.

The Maratha guerrillas could use these open areas to frequently harass British troops and supply lines, keeping the British forces constantly on the move.

At this time, Colonel Stevenson met with Colonel Liscart of the 56th Infantry Regiment and Colonel Joseph of the 63rd Infantry Regiment.

Dugen, a major staff officer directly under the regimental headquarters, also attended the meeting.

The temporary command post on the Kanur front was a simple tent with faded military maps hanging around it. The air was filled with the stench of human and animal excrement and the pungent smell of lime used for disinfection.

Colonel Stevenson and two other colonels sat around a makeshift conference table made of stacked wooden ammunition boxes.

Sitting to Colonel Stevenson's left is Colonel Liscat of the 56th Infantry Regiment, who was a classmate of Colonel Stevenson at military academy; to his right, with a full beard, is Colonel Joseph of the 63rd Infantry Regiment.

Dugan, dressed in his major's uniform, stood behind Colonel Stevenson, ordered to attend the meeting and take notes.

"Alright, gentlemen, everyone's here. Let's begin," Colonel Stevenson spoke first, breaking the silence in the tent. His tone was serious. "As you all know, the Marata guerrillas are constantly harassing our supply lines, the Andhra Palace's troops are freely moving between our strongholds, and the garrison in Kanur is emboldened. If this continues, we will not only fail to capture Kanur, but we will also fall into an even more passive position due to continuous attrition."

Before the words were even finished, Colonel Liscart spoke first, showing no respect whatsoever to Colonel Stevenson, who was also a fellow alumnus of the same school.

His tone carried a hint of disdain: "This is no news. As everyone knows, my 56th Infantry Regiment is stationed at the eastern stronghold and has been harassed by guerrillas many times in recent days, suffering considerable casualties. We no longer have enough troops to support other directions."

"Colonel Liskart, you're wrong about that," Colonel Joseph immediately retorted, raising his head and saying, "My 63rd Infantry Regiment is stationed at the northern stronghold, facing the garrison of Kanul City directly, and also has to guard against their breakout. The pressure is greater than yours."

Dugen understood. As colonels, they had no subordinate relationship and each wanted to protect their own troops. They were unwilling to easily withdraw their forces, so they could not form a united force. This was another important reason why the front line was in a passive position.

Colonel Stevenson said, "I called you here in the hope that we can put aside our differences, coordinate our efforts, and develop an effective operational plan to break the current deadlock."

Colonel Liscart snorted and turned his face away: "Coordinated deployment is fine, but my 56th Infantry Regiment cannot afford any more casualties, and its forces must not be redeployed."

Colonel Joseph echoed, "That's right. If we want to cooperate, we must first ensure the safety of my unit; otherwise, there's no point in discussing anything else."

The two men remained adamant, and the meeting reached a stalemate. Colonel Stevenson's expression grew increasingly grave, yet he was helpless.

As a colonel, he had no authority to command the other two corps, and could only try to persuade them, but could never reach a consensus.

Standing to the side, Dugen was already recalling the anti-guerrilla warfare tactics he had learned before his transmigration. Those tactics had been repeatedly successful in actual combat in later generations, and perhaps they could help him break through the current predicament.

After a moment's hesitation, Du Genshen stepped forward and said, "Colonels, I have a suggestion that might break the current deadlock."

All eyes in the tent instantly focused on Dugan. Colonel Stevenson glanced at Dugan, then nodded: "Major Dugan, you speak."

Dugan said, "Our biggest problems right now are twofold: first, the gaps between our strongholds cannot be sealed off, allowing the enemy to move freely; second, the Marata guerrillas are elusive, and our supply lines are frequently attacked. So we can adopt a tactic of 'regional joint defense and mobile mopping-up operations'—integrating the forces of the three corps, dividing the defense areas by region, with each region garrisoned by a main force, while also drawing elite soldiers to form mobile squads specifically responsible for mopping up the surrounding guerrillas."

Dugen paused for a moment, then continued, "Furthermore, given the guerrillas' expertise in ambushes and hit-and-run tactics, we can set up concealed outposts near the supply lines to provide early warnings. At the same time, we should work with the local villagers to gather intelligence on the guerrillas' movements. As long as we can hold the supply lines, gradually blockade the undefended areas, cut off Kanur's supplies and reinforcements, and then concentrate our forces to launch an attack, we will surely be able to capture Kanur."

But as soon as he finished speaking, a mocking laugh came from inside the tent.

Colonel Liskart scoffed, his tone full of disdain: "Major Dugan? Is that it? How long have you been in India?"

Dugan answered truthfully, "One month."

Colonel Joseph burst out laughing. "Districted joint defense, mobile mopping-up operations? That's easier said than done. Do you know how stretched our forces are? Forming mobile squads will further weaken the forces stationed at the strongholds. If the enemy breaks through, can you take responsibility?"

Colonel Liskat continued, "Exactly, they even try to gather intelligence from the villagers. Those native villagers might have already been bribed by the Marathas. In the end, they won't get any intelligence and might even leak our plans. It's utterly ridiculous."

The two men made no attempt to hide their sarcasm, their tone filled with arrogance and disdain.

If it were the old Dugan, he would have already smashed the notebook and charcoal pencil in the faces of the two old men.

But Dugan wasn't so impetuous anymore. He smiled slightly and quietly retreated.