Chapter 89 Klaus, Take Note…

This news energized the Company Commanders present.

They might not have paid much attention to heavy machine guns before, but now they all knew the lethality of the weapon.

Besides artillery, it was the most reliable source of fire support for infantry during both attack and defense.

Major Thomas’s gaze once again fell upon Morin:

“First Lieutenant Morin, you previously achieved quite good results by directing a heavy machine gun team to advance, and your 1st Company is responsible for the main assault mission this time.”

“Therefore, I have decided to attach both of the heavy machine guns allocated to our battalion to your 1st Company!”

This decision brought expressions of envy to the faces of the other three Company Commanders, but no one raised an objection.

The main assault force deserved the strongest fire support; there was nothing wrong with that logic.

“First Lieutenant Morin, I expect these two heavy machine guns to be used to their maximum effect in your hands.” Major Thomas’s tone was full of expectation.

Morin nodded: “They will be, Major!”

“Alright, you all go back and ensure the soldiers get some rest. You yourselves should also prepare for combat.”

Major Thomas paused, then continued:

“Before the official attack, I will summon you again to notify you of the exact time of the assault and the precise time the Division artillery unit will provide us with fire support.”

“Artillery fire support?” Morin keenly picked up on this point.

“Correct.”

Major Thomas nodded.

“Since San Lorenzo de la Parrilla is one of the key targets of our Division’s attack, the Division Headquarters has specifically reinforced us with one 77mm Field Artillery Battalion to provide direct fire support for our assault.”

This meant that twelve 77mm field guns would conduct artillery preparation on the enemy’s positions before the assault began.

Following this, the other three Company Commanders temporarily sought last-minute advice from Morin regarding the key points of earthwork construction.

Morin had no intention of withholding information now. After getting Major Thomas’s approval, he immediately picked up a pencil and began drawing diagrams on the map.

After completing the guidance on earthwork for the entire battalion and leaving the Headquarters tent, Morin’s thoughts turned elsewhere.

He hadn’t said much during today’s operational meeting; Major Thomas had mostly led the discussion.

The performance of the veteran Major and the other Company Commanders made him acutely aware that a new tactical way of thinking had begun to sprout within this battle-hardened unit.

The Saxon Army already had a strong tradition of ‘mission-type command,’ which generally meant that lower-ranking officers possessed good initiative and the ability to make on-the-spot decisions.

Such an environment was undoubtedly fertile ground for nurturing various infantry tactics that adapted to the new era of warfare…

And he, Morin, was fortunate to be a firsthand participant and catalyst in this transformation.

Returning to the 1st Company’s bivouac area, Morin immediately summoned his three Platoon Leaders and Company Sergeant Major Klaus, holding a tactical meeting in a hastily pitched tent.

In the bivouac, most soldiers had already eaten their first hot meal in days and were now resting, mentally and physically exhausted.

The tension of the impending battle, mixed with a hint of excitement for the unknown, permeated the air.

Inside the tent, an oil lamp was lit, its dim light illuminating their serious faces.

Morin spread a simplified map on the camp table, and Klaus timely handed him a pencil.

“Gather around and take a look.” Morin motioned for everyone to crowd closer.

“According to Battalion Headquarters’ orders, our 1st Company will be the main assault force, attacking the town of San Lorenzo de la Parrilla from the left flank.”

He used a small twig to draw the 1st Company’s direction of attack on the map.

“Klaus, and the three of you, take note. I am deploying as follows:”

“1st and 2nd Platoons, you are the first echelon, attacking deployed across the front. 3rd Platoon, you are the second echelon, and also the Company Reserve, ready to follow up at any time to exploit success or support the first echelon.”

The three new Platoon Leaders—Kahn, Barrack, and Lahm—stared intently at the map, afraid to miss any detail.

This was the first genuine battle of their lives, and their very first mission was the main assault. The pressure was immense.

Only after seeing the Company Sergeant Major pull out his notebook did they belatedly pull out their own.

“In the first echelon, Platoon Leader Kahn, your 1st Platoon will be the main spearhead of the entire company.”

Morin’s twig pointed to the 1st Platoon Leader.

“I will concentrate the majority of the company’s hand grenades, and both MG08 heavy machine guns reinforced to us by the Battalion, to your command, as your fire support package.”

Kahn’s breathing instantly quickened. He nodded forcefully, his expression a mix of excitement and tension.

The concentration of the main firepower in his hands made him acutely aware of the heavy burden on himself and the 1st Platoon.

“Our company’s deployed width will be approximately seven hundred meters.”

Morin continued to gesture on the map.

“1st Platoon in the center, 2nd Platoon on the right flank. Our right flank—which is the direction of the feint attack—will be covered by the 2nd Company. We must ensure contact with our adjacent unit.”

After establishing the basic formation, Morin took a deep breath and announced a decision that surprised everyone.

“Furthermore, I will personally select the soldiers with the best shooting, grenade-throwing, and tactical skills from each platoon to form a twenty-man assault team.”

His gaze swept over everyone present, his tone resolute.

“After the general assault begins, I will personally lead this assault team, utilizing the effect of the artillery preparation, to rapidly infiltrate the forward area and specifically attack the enemy’s machine gun positions and the weak points in their defensive line!”

“What?!”

The three new Platoon Leaders were all dumbfounded.

They stared at Morin with wide, disbelieving eyes.

On the journey here, they had imagined countless possibilities for their first battle.

But none of them had envisioned that their Company Commander would personally lead the assault team in the very front…

This completely overturned everything they had learned in military school.

Shouldn’t even a Company Commander be positioned in the rear, directing the battle?

Where had they ever heard of a Company Commander personally leading a charge with a rifle?

Company Sergeant Major Klaus was also anxious. If Morin had still been a Platoon Leader, leading the assault would be understandable.

But now he was a Company Commander. The entire company of over 280 men relied on him for command. How could he become a member of the assault team?

However, as a professional soldier, Klaus knew very well that no matter how many thoughts he had, he could not voice them now.

Voicing one’s opinion while a superior officer was laying out a deployment was, for a traditional Saxon soldier, a practice that severely undermined authority.

So Klaus said nothing, simply confirming Morin’s order.

The other three Platoon Leaders, seeing the Company Sergeant Major’s acceptance, dared not raise their own objections and merely nodded in assent.

After the general deployment was completed, Morin dismissed them to get some rest, as they would likely be up all night doing earthwork…

Once Kahn and the others left, Morin was just about to go rest himself when Klaus walked back into the tent.

“Company Commander, I’ve thought about it. How about you let me lead the assault team? You are the company commander; you should remain in the rear to command the overall situation. Charging the enemy should be left to us.”

Klaus offered his opinion sincerely. He genuinely did not want any harm to come to Morin now.

Morin naturally understood Klaus’s intent, but he knew that no one else could fill the role of assault team leader in this moment.

The reason was simple.

“Klaus, let me ask you, are you a spellcaster?”

“Uh, no…”

“So, you see, I am a spellcaster. I can use spells to protect myself, so when we charge, am I not safer than you are?”

“Company Commander…”

The Company Sergeant Major tried to argue further, but Morin lowered his voice and spoke:

“Klaus, your mission is actually more important than mine. If I charge forward, the rear of the company will be entirely left to you and the veteran NCOs like Bowman.”

Morin’s voice became serious.

“We have too many new recruits in the 1st Company, and even those three Platoon Leaders are facing combat for the first time.”

“They haven’t been under fire, haven’t seen real blood. I’m afraid they’ll panic and refuse to charge when the moment comes!”

“So you must remain at the rear as the company’s ‘ballast,’ understood?”

Klaus opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but he knew Morin was right.

The training ground, the exercise field, and the battlefield were three entirely different places.

Only when one had actually experienced the line of fire from a heavy machine gun sweeping over their head would they understand the immense courage required to charge forward under enemy fire.

The Company Sergeant Major ultimately swallowed his words, only heavily pounding his thigh once, then snapping to attention.

“Yes, sir!”

On the other side, the three new Platoon Leaders, having received their mission, sought out 1st Platoon Sergeant Bowman, who was checking his weapon and hadn’t yet gone to sleep.

“Sergeant Bowman.”

Kahn hesitated for a moment, then asked curiously:

“Does our Company Commander… has he always led the charge during combat?”

Bowman was meticulously cleaning his Gew.98 rifle with an oil cloth. Hearing Kahn’s question, he looked up at the three newly graduated Second Lieutenants, a matter-of-fact expression on his face.

He nodded.

“Yes, sir. Since the very first battle, the Company Commander has charged at the front in every engagement.”

Hearing Sergeant Bowman’s words, the trio was completely speechless.

They stood dumbfounded, watching Bowman lower his head and continue to focus on cleaning his rifle, as if he had just said something trivial.

But the impact of those words on the three of them was immense.

They had previously speculated privately on how Morin, the former playboy with a poor reputation at the military academy, could have been promoted from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant and become the commander of a main company in less than a month.

Some guessed he used connections, others guessed he fabricated his achievements in the combat report, exaggerating his merits.

After all, that kind of rapid promotion was simply unheard of in the strictly hierarchical Saxon Army.

But now, they seemed to have found the answer.

After leaving Bowman’s tent, Kahn suddenly muttered:

“I… I think I understand why the Company Commander was promoted so quickly.”

Barrack: “I understand too…”

Lahm: “Me too.”

(End of this Chapter)