Chapter 97: Flag Signal Drill
TL: Etude
Count Grayman, I have preliminarily drafted a set of flag signal plans for your review, said Miss Dias, the female consultant, to Paul the day after a meeting was held to decide on military preparations.
Paul was delighted: Oh? This is just what I needed.
Eileen was a bit puzzled: Why do you say that, Count Grayman?
Well to be frank, we have a bit of a minor friction with our southern neighbors and might need some special means of communication.
Eileen understood and felt a surge of disdain: Men are such barbaric creatures, always resorting to force to solve problems. Cant they just sit down and talk it out?
Recalling the rebellion in the south of the kingdom that nearly ruined her life, she lamented the unfairness of the creator: How wonderful it would be if women ruled the world; there would surely be no wars then.
She wasnt too worried about Paul. Unless there was a deep-seated feud between two families, local lords wars usually werent lethal. Even if one side was captured, the victors would treat their prisoners well, releasing them after a ransom was paid by their families.
The real victims were the conscripted soldiers and plundered civilians. Few lords cared about their lives; they were mere expendables in the eyes of the nobility.
Paul flipped through the thick album Miss Dias handed him, filled with drawings of various figures holding flags in different poses, each annotated with its meaning. Some complex messages required a combination of poses to convey.
Have the staff officers seen this? he asked.
Yes, Count Grayman. This was finalized after thorough communication with them.
Eileen recalled her initial days on the job, feeling irked. The officers even made her sign a confidentiality agreement and memorize it thoroughly before starting work. The agreement essentially forbade her from disclosing any military-related work or anything she saw in the army.
The most absurd part was the regular security exams she had to take.
I, Eileen Rodney the second princess of the Kingdom of Ordo, am a woman of my word. How can they not trust me? she thought.
Complaining to Paul about the armys secrecy, he consoled her: Rules are rules. Not just you, but even the staff officers are subjected to regular scrutiny.
That made Eileen feel somewhat better.
The Alda army was quite different from what she knew of military life. Her elder sister, a military commander, often shared army stories, and Eileen had visited the barracks. The lords army differed greatly from the kingdoms army, not only in its strict secrecy but also in the lesser gap between officers and soldiers and their frequent interactions.
In the kingdoms army, officers and soldiers lived like two separate species, officers from noble families and soldiers from commoners or serfs. The barracks mirrored society, with its stratification reflected within.
Eileen guessed this might be because the members of this army came from the lower classes.
Aside from the chief of staff, Schroeder, who could be considered a quasi-noble, everyone else originated from civilians or serfs.
After thoroughly reviewing the album, Paul found it covered most of the battlefield commands he envisioned.
Miss Dias, shall we schedule a drill to test this out?
During the development of this system, the staff department allocated a platoon and an artillery unit to learn it. They are already very proficient with the flag signals.
Paul was satisfied: Ill inform the staff department to arrange the drill immediately.
On the southern shore of Lake Weiss, a vast expanse was temporarily designated as a drill area, off-limits to unauthorized personnel.
The troops stationed in Lakeheart Town gathered here to witness a demonstration of flag signal operations.
Paul and the officers stood on a high ground, with two trained signalmen positioned in front of them. Miss Dias, the female consultant, was also present with them.
To their southwest, a platoon of musketeers and an artillery unit were deployed at a great distance, visible only through telescopes.
To their southeast and due south, several large circles were distinctly marked with lime powder as targets for the artillery. Numerous straw dummies were erected within these circles for the musketeers to shoot or spear after the artillery bombardment.
Once everything was ready, the drill began.
Paul started with the command: Order the artillery to fire at the enemy due south.
A signalman immediately relayed the command to the artillery unit to the southwest using flag signals.
There were also four signalmen at the artillery position: two for artillery communication and two for infantry communication.
One, with a telescope trained on Pauls position, anxiously announced, Command incoming! For the artillery.
Through his telescope, he watched a signalman beside Count Grayman start waving a flag. He observed every movement intently and, after the first set of signals, accurately deciphered the message.
Reply with confirmation! he instructed his comrade.
His comrade nodded and sent a confirmation signal back to the officers on the high ground.
The signalman with the telescope quickly relayed the command to the artillery: Target due south of command post, continuous fire.
Lets get to it, boys! the artillery chief commanded. The gunners turned their cannons towards the target area to their southeast, loaded and ready. After slight angle adjustments, they began firing.
After five consecutive shots, a signalman observing for the infantry platoon shouted, Infantry platoon, advance towards the target due south of the command post!
Drums rolled, and to their rhythm and the platoon leaders orders, the musketeers in horizontal formations advanced southeastward.
As they advanced, artillery shells whistled over their heads, not stopping unless a new command was issued or there was a risk of friendly fire.
From the high ground to the north, Paul and the others watched with satisfaction as the infantry platoon neared the target, fired a volley, and then charged.
Excellent! Paul exclaimed sincerely, a Chinese phrase coming to mind: Like an extension of ones own limbs.
He bowed to Miss Dias, expressing gratitude: Thank you for your contribution; this is exactly what I wanted.
Eileen, pleased, responded modestly, Its my job, Count.
Lets test some other commands! Paul said excitedly, rubbing his hands together and addressing the group.
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