Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 547: Change of Plan

The sudden bombardment came quickly and ended just as swiftly, lasting just over an hour and leaving behind a scene of devastation.

Once it was confirmed to be safe, Major General Özgür stepped out of the command center, gazing at the thick smoke rising throughout the city. He hurriedly ordered, “Quickly gather people to put out the fires. We must save the grain and ammunition warehouses.”

The young officer accompanying him responded, “Yes, General!” He then immediately ran off to relay the order. Unfortunately, during the bombardment, the telegraph and telephone lines above ground had been damaged and hadn’t yet been restored.

At this point, Major General Özgür no longer harbored any illusions about repelling the enemy at the nation’s borders.

Relying on artillery to stop the enemy from landing was one thing, but what about the enemies in the sky? If they didn’t deal with the threat above, they would only continue to take a beating.

Even the most tightly defended positions would crumble under an assault from above. While casualty numbers were still being counted, Major General Özgür already didn’t have the courage to face them.

Holding his beloved binoculars, he briefly surveyed the battlefield and already knew that the losses were disastrous.

In just over an hour, the enemy airship squadron had dropped over a hundred tons of bombs on them, and if the naval shells were included, the number would be even higher.

For a small port like Ağva, this amount of ordnance was enough to cause a massive explosion. Not only were the port facilities heavily damaged, but the key defensive fortifications were also destroyed.

As time ticked by, by evening, the casualty report was placed in Major General Özgür’s hands. Though it was just a thin piece of paper, it felt as heavy as a boulder at that moment.

Suppressing the unease in his heart, Major General Özgür quickly scanned through the list of losses.

More than half the artillery was lost. There were 686 soldiers dead, over 1,468 wounded, and 315 missing. Most of the gun emplacements had been destroyed, one-fifth of the supplies were lost, and one-third of the buildings in the city suffered varying degrees of damage. Civilian casualties were numerous...

An entire regiment’s worth of troops had been wiped out just like that. Don’t be fooled by the high number of wounded, thinking they might recover in the future. In reality, given the medical conditions of the Ottoman army, the mortality rate for the wounded generally wouldn’t be lower than 40%.

In simple terms, they had to rely on their own bodies to recover. If they were lucky and the wounds didn’t get infected or fester, they might survive. Otherwise, it was up to fate.

“Battlefield medical care”—where could the Ottoman government possibly find enough medical personnel? Even if there were medical staff, they wouldn’t have enough medicine.

In this era, medicine was far more valuable than human life. For example, penicillin, which could only be produced in laboratories, cost dozens of times more than gold of the same weight on the market.

Due to limitations in chemical technology, it was impossible to produce it on an industrial scale, so it had to be made in small quantities by hand, with an annual output of less than 20,000 doses.

This small production wasn’t even enough for Austria itself. Once it entered the international market, it naturally became exorbitantly expensive. On the black market, it was being sold for 1,000 guilders per dose, but even at that price, it was hard to come by. How could the Ottoman government possibly provide it to soldiers?

If you were wounded on the battlefield, you could only pray for divine protection! Most soldiers could only manage simple bandaging, and even that depended on luck. It basically involved grabbing whatever cloth was available.

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If you were unlucky and there wasn’t any sterile gauze, tearing off a piece of your clothing would have to do. These grunts didn’t know much about medical expertise.

After reading the report, Major General Özgür let the papers slip from his hands and slumped into his seat as if his soul had been drained.

After a long moment, Major General Özgür slowly gathered himself and let out a deep sigh: “Sigh…”

Shaking his head, he said, “Send someone immediately to report our situation to the higher-ups and request reinforcements from the homeland. Remind them to be wary of the enemy’s airships.”

Airships had been around for many years, but because of their poor cost-efficiency, they weren’t considered very practical and were rarely seen in everyday life.

If it weren't for his love of reading newspapers, Major General Özgür might not even have known such a thing existed, let alone that it could be used in warfare.

But that was in the past. After this battle, airships would soon be adopted by armies around the world. In this regard, everyone’s learning ability was quite strong.

As for countermeasures—sorry, that was beyond Major General Özgür’s expertise. Maybe after being bombed a few more times, they would be able to figure out some lessons.

...

Compared to the somber mood of the Ağva defenders, the atmosphere at the joint command center in Constantinople was much more lively. The airship squadron had just made its move and already achieved great achievements.

Originally, they thought that destroying Ağva’s coastal artillery fortifications would come at a high cost, with the Russian forces even preparing to land in nearby areas and advance overland.

Although landing in the surrounding areas seemed simple, the geographical limitations made it impossible for ships to dock without a proper port, so the Russians were even prepared to use rafts.

Undoubtedly, this was a highly dangerous move, requiring many lives to be sacrificed. Austria had landing boats, but unfortunately, due to inadequate preparations, they weren’t delivered to the Black Sea in time. If they were landing along the Mediterranean coast, there would be no problem.

Whether this was intentional or not is another question. In any case, the landing boats wouldn’t arrive in time, and if the Russians could wait a bit longer, they would eventually get them.

These small boats could be produced at shipyards along the Danube. Without worrying about their lifespan, low-quality boats could be produced in 2-3 months, and they’d be good enough for at least 2-3 landings.

But now, things were looking better—since the enemy’s coastal artillery had been severely damaged, a direct assault was feasible. Even the previously planned feint attack had been scrapped.

The Russian government was eager to seize the Black Sea Strait to ensure the security of this vital trade route. To present a satisfactory report to the homeland, General Ivanov decided to strike swiftly.

Before the Ottoman Empire could react, they would rush to land at Ağva. The earlier battle plan wasn’t completely scrapped, but its intensity was greatly reduced.

Allied commander-in-chief Aleister was highly displeased with this unauthorized alteration of the battle plan, which disregarded the prior agreement between the two nations.

Although Aleister wasn’t from an army background, the staff assigned to him by the Austrian government were all professionals.

They immediately recognized the risks of changing the battle plan. According to the original plan, they would land in areas where the Ottoman forces were weak, implement a scorched-earth strategy, and drive the civilians inland, thus wearing down the enemy.

There was no need for a hard-fought battle. Simply by carrying out continuous sabotage, they could win the war. But with the change in plans, the Russian army now had to face the Ottomans in a direct confrontation.

While the Russians were brimming with confidence, the Austrian military didn’t share their optimism. A mere 150,000 Russian troops would be facing hundreds of thousands of Ottoman forces. Without the advantage of sheer numbers, the true combat effectiveness of the Russian cannon fodder was highly questionable.

It must be said that first impressions are important. From the beginning, Aleister had believed that this Russian army’s combat effectiveness was limited. By Austrian standards, the Russian troops’ training was inadequate in almost every respect.

...

Aleister sternly rebuked, “General Ivanov, this battle plan was mutually approved by both of our governments.

Before this, we both went through careful evaluation, selecting the most suitable strategy from among many options.

According to this battle plan, we can minimize losses on both sides and win this war with the least cost. I believe that’s a shared goal for all of us.”

Ivanov shook his head, “No, Commander. This plan is too conservative. It requires us to strike on multiple fronts to force the enemy to divide their forces, and then attack Ağva. That could take at least three to five months.

But that was based on the assumption that Ağva’s defensive firepower would cause significant trouble for the landing. Now that we’ve destroyed most of the enemy’s coastal artillery, we can launch an attack immediately.

Right now, the Ottomans haven’t had time to react. We can take advantage of this window. Even if they gather more troops, we still have air superiority.

Trust me, no army can maintain its fighting capacity under airship bombardment. The decaying Ottoman Empire will crumble with just one push.

There’s no need to argue about these trivial concerns. Victory is ours. Admiral Aleister, let’s forge a glorious future together!”

Aleister furrowed his brow and said earnestly, “General Ivanov, you’re being overly optimistic. Airships are not invincible. In many special terrains, like forests, airships struggle to perform effectively.

If a major battle does break out, even if we win, your forces will suffer heavy losses. The young men following us into battle deserve to be brought back safely, as much as possible.”

After a brief moment of silence, Ivanov still shook his head. He, too, wanted to follow the original battle plan to minimize casualties.

But the problem was that the situation at home couldn’t hold on much longer. With the closure of the Black Sea Strait, the Russian Empire’s foreign trade had been hit hard. If they couldn’t clear the route soon, the damage would be even worse after the autumn harvest.

Since the war broke out, the Russian government had repeatedly ordered him to speed things up. War must serve political needs, and the military has to consider the nation’s interests.

Austria could afford to drag the war out because the longer it lasted, the more profits Austria could gain from its trade monopoly with Russia. The profits from dominating half of the Russian Empire’s trade could almost offset the losses caused by the war. Naturally, the Austrian government wasn’t in a rush.

“Commander, I still insist on changing the battle plan. This is the will of Mother Russia. The economic damage caused by the war is too great, and the Russian Empire can no longer afford to drag it out.”

Aleister wanted to say something but stopped. At this point, unless he forcefully resisted—for example, by not cooperating with Austrian transport ships and warships—he could only try to persuade Russia.

After a moment of contemplation, he finally said, “Alright, I will report this to my country. If the General Staff agrees, we will cooperate with you.”

...

At the Vienna Palace, Franz had just received the news of the airship bombing squad’s success when he was immediately informed of a “strategic dispute” breaking out at the front.

He knew that the Russians wanted to open the Black Sea Straits, but he didn’t expect the Russian government to lose its patience so quickly, disregarding even the lives of its soldiers.

Well, it seemed the Russian government had never really cared about soldier casualties. That had never been a concern from the start.

Franz rubbed his forehead and asked, “What do you think? Should we agree to the Russians’ push for an offensive, or should we refuse?”

Prime Minister Felix responded, “Your Majesty, it makes little difference which choice we make, but personally, I lean toward agreeing with the Russians.

This war is only a strategic deception so the outcome isn’t that important. According to the original plan, we are guaranteed victory, and it’s uncertain whether the Ottomans would even continue to exist afterward.

Now that the Russians are willing to change their strategy, we should let them. If the Russian army suffers heavy losses at the front, we can use that as an opportunity to end the war.”

Indeed, from a military standpoint, it hardly seemed worth thinking about—the outcome didn’t really matter. If this passive strategy leaked out, no one would believe it.

Perhaps when historians study this period and connect all the dots, they’ll uncover the truth. Of course, there’s also a higher chance they’ll be misled.

Franz turned his gaze to the military, he needed the military to give an answer, fully weighing the pros and cons, to make a decision.

Noticing Franz’s look, Minister of War Albrecht said, “Your Majesty, by changing the battle plan, the Russians’ chances of success on the Anatolian Peninsula are greatly reduced. Even if they win the war, they will suffer heavy losses.

However, the outcome of the Anatolian Peninsula campaign doesn’t affect our Middle Eastern strategy.

Right now, the Ottoman government doesn’t dare risk sending more troops to the Middle East, as no one can guarantee we won’t increase our forces in the Anatolian Peninsula.

If the Russians are defeated or suffer heavy losses, we can easily send troops for a feint, and the Ottoman government wouldn’t dare act recklessly.”

Franz replied, “Then tell Aleister not to worry about what the Russians want to do. Let them fight however they like.”

As long as the Middle Eastern strategy wasn’t affected, Franz had nothing to fear. At worst, they could send troops to clean up after the Russians. It was just a matter of money, and compared to Middle Eastern oil, that wasn’t a problem at all.

...

In Constantinople, after receiving Franz’s orders, Aleister gave up trying to argue further and solemnly warned, “General Ivanov, if you insist on landing in Ağva first, we will agree to it. However, all the consequences that follow will be your responsibility.

If the main force of the Ottoman Empire is drawn there, and our subsequent strategic plans are hindered, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

This wasn’t about shirking responsibility but a reasonable way to pass the burden. Since the Russian army had unilaterally changed the pre-agreed battle plan, they would naturally have to bear the consequences.

By making things clear now, it would save a lot of trouble in the future. Even if the Russian army suffered heavy losses, they would just have to swallow the bitter pill in silence.

Ivanov, delighted, replied, “Don’t worry, Commander. We’ve been long-time adversaries with the Ottomans. We know exactly what they’re capable of. There won’t be any problems.”