Chapter 231: Command from the Sky

Countless unit tokens representing both enemy and friendly forces flashed and moved clearly on the map. Every unit’s designation, troop strength, and casualty status were presented to him in data form.

Morin’s gaze quickly found the position of his Imperial Guards First Instruction Assault Battalion on the map. He saw that Steiner’s 4th Company and the Battalion Headquarters unit were still holding the South Bank bridgehead of the railway bridge, establishing a secure evacuation route based on their position. Stretcher bearers from various units continuously delivered wounded from the front line here, where they waited to be loaded onto Military Trucks via the railway bridge and transported to the Army Group Field Hospital further back.

Meanwhile, Klaus’s 1st Company, Wolff’s 2nd Company, and Jonas’s 3rd Company had already penetrated deep into the South City, coordinating with other friendly forces to constantly tear at the Britannian defense line.

However, the casualty figures for his own unit on the map tightened his heart. 4th Company and the Battalion Headquarters unit, due to their static defense, had suffered no fatalities, only a few unfortunate men wounded. But the three companies fighting deep in the urban area had significantly higher casualty numbers. Klaus’s 1st Company had the fewest casualties, with a rate of about 4%. Wolff’s 2nd Company, although the fastest in its thrust, had reached an alarming 8% casualty rate!

“That Wolff fellow, he truly is a reckless maniac!” Morin couldn’t help but curse under his breath when looking at the number: “I’ll have to deal with him properly when I get back!”

Meanwhile, Morin’s attention was drawn to a peculiar marker on the map. In the ruins of the street where he had detonated the trap that morning, four enemy special unit tokens, now colored gray, lay silently. Above the tokens, a small line of text was annotated: [Lootable].

Morin’s eyes instantly lit up. “Heh, I knew it!” A wave of euphoria washed over him. Those were four Highland Mages! They must have been carrying a lot of valuable items! Magic Scrolls, Magical Materials, spell journals, and various Magic Equipment… “Excellent, excellent, excellent.”

Captain Schneider also noticed Morin staring intently downward and assumed he was engrossed in the spectacle. “How is it, Captain? Quite a sight, isn’t it?” Captain Schneider walked over to Morin.

“More than just a sight, it’s magnificent.” Morin’s gaze still hadn’t left the battlefield below. After the air battle and the massive explosion that morning, no Britannian Spellcasters had ascended to fight. Thus, the L29 Armored Airship was completely unrestrained. It cruised slowly over South Amiens like a leisurely aerial overlord. With the Mages’ threat neutralized, the scattered Britannian Magic Crystal Cannons were either being individually targeted by the airship’s 203mm main guns or were too scared to fire, posing no threat whatsoever.

“Captain Schneider, I’ve always felt that an aerial behemoth like the L29 is a waste if only used for suppressive ground attack,” Morin said, looking at the fierce Street Fighting below.

“Oh? Then what do you think it should be used for?” Schneider asked with interest.

“An airborne command platform, providing close-range, precise aerial support based on the needs of ground troops!” Morin stated unequivocally: “Imagine, when our infantry is pinned down by a sturdy enemy fire point, all you need is one 203mm high-explosive shell to solve all their problems!”

“Or, when they need to break through a complex, enemy-held terrain, you can use the aerial perspective to guide them to the weak points!”

Schneider’s eyes lit up. He excitedly slapped his thigh: “Exactly! That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking! Captain Morin, you’ve spoken my mind entirely!” He felt like he had found a kindred spirit, immediately launching into a passionate monologue about his own ideas. “I’ve told those bureaucrats in the Air Force command before: the future of our Armored Airships is absolutely not as clumsy ‘aerial artillery platforms,’ but as a comprehensive, forward air fortress!”

“But we have always faced one major problem.” Schneider sighed. “Communication. We lack a means to transmit information to the ground forces in real-time and efficiently! Flares can only convey limited information and are easily misinterpreted in complex combat environments. We need a more advanced solution.”

“Radio,” Morin interjected.

“Yes! Radio!” Schneider’s eyes were even more excited, his respect for Morin growing further. “But current radio equipment is too large. Just one transceiver requires a whole Military Truck to haul it! We can’t expect our frontline assaulting infantry to carry such a cumbersome machine, can we?”

Morin smiled. He understood the predicament Schneider faced; it was the same one he was trying to solve. The Captain’s thinking was undoubtedly far ahead of its time; he was already touching the threshold of future ‘air-ground integrated warfare.’ Unfortunately, he was limited by the technological level of this era.

“Don’t worry, Captain,” Morin said seriously to the Armored Airship Captain: “We will have bread, and we will have milk… Technology is always progressing. Perhaps soon, we will be using radios that fit in our pockets.”

The two exchanged smiles. A mutual appreciation between heroes quietly blossomed.

“By the way, Captain Morin, you are badly wounded. You should return to the medical cabin to rest first. We will send you to the ground hospital once we fly the airship back to the North City later this evening,” Schneider said with concern.

“Rest?” Morin shook his head. “I have nothing to do anyway. I’m not the type to sit still.” He looked at the map below, where his three companies were fighting independently in the city, feeling an urge to act. It would be a huge waste not to utilize this omniscient perspective.

A bold idea sparked in his mind. He turned back to Schneider, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face.

“Uh, Captain, could I ask for a favor?”

“What is it? Speak up.”

“Could I borrow your airship’s Radio?”

Schneider was taken aback. He looked at Morin strangely. “You want to use the Radio? Contacting whom?”

“My Battalion Headquarters.”

“Hahahaha, you truly are restless!” Schneider laughed, shaking his head. He pointed to the radio: “Go ahead! Use it! In normal circumstances, only division-level commanders would contact an Armored Airship. Your Instruction Assault Battalion is completely the exception as a battalion-level unit.”

“And I’ve always wanted to see how you, the ‘lunatic who parachuted into Liège Fortress,’ actually command a battle!” He turned and shouted to the Signals Officer: “Help Captain Morin call the Imperial Guards First Instruction Assault Battalion!”

“Yes, Captain!” The Signals Officer replied loudly, his eyes filled with curiosity and excitement. Normally, only commanders at the division level or higher were authorized to contact the L29 Armored Airship directly. A battalion unit directly utilizing the communication equipment on the Empire’s most advanced strategic platform to command operations was absolutely unheard of.

Since the Armored Airship was relatively close to the ground, they could communicate directly with the ground using the 3.5 to 6 MHz working waveband. Morin picked up the microphone and took a deep breath.

“Calling Battalion Headquarters, this is Friedrich Morin. Reply if you hear me.”

A burst of static came from the other end of the radio, immediately followed by a familiar, excited voice.

“Battalion Commander?! Is that really you, Battalion Commander! My God! You’re awake!” It was Kleist’s voice, sounding so emotional he was nearly crying.

Morin’s lips curved upward. “It’s me. I’m fine. I’m currently on the L29 Armored Airship in the sky. Alright, no more talking. Listen to my commands.”

“Yes!” Kleist’s and Manstein’s voices rang out simultaneously.

“Manstein, immediately organize all Dispatch Riders at Battalion Headquarters to be on standby.”

“Kleist, coordinate with the Supply Train to immediately push the truck carrying the Radio into the city. Find a relatively safe location to establish a communication relay station.”

“Yes!”

“Good. Now, listen to my command.” Morin’s gaze returned to the giant ‘real-time sandbox’ at his feet. “Order Wolff’s 2nd Company to halt its advance immediately! They are pushing in the wrong direction! Furthermore, the friendly forces on their left flank are unable to keep up, and their flank is exposed. Order them to immediately switch to defense on the spot and guard the enemy’s left flank!”

“Order Jonas’s 3rd Company to converge on the four-story red brick building three hundred meters ahead and to their right! That is the highest point in that sector. Capture it, and they can control the surrounding streets!”

“Order…”

A series of clear and precise commands were transmitted from the sky to the Battalion Headquarters on the ground via radio. Manstein, Kleist, and all the staff officers and Dispatch Riders gathered around the radio apparatus listened with shocked expressions. They suddenly felt that their Battalion Commander must possess some sort of ‘divine revelation’ unavailable to others, otherwise how could he command the entire situation with such insight?

“Quick! Dispatch Riders! Immediately relay the Battalion Commander’s orders!” Manstein was the first to react, shouting to the Dispatch Riders around him.

The young Dispatch Riders, shouldering their rifles and clutching the handwritten command strips, rushed fearlessly into the chaotic and dangerous alleys of South Amiens. A Dispatch Rider breathlessly found Wolff, who was commanding his soldiers in a firefight against the enemy in a street.

“Lieutenant Wolff! Battalion Commander’s order! Halt the attack immediately! Your flank is exposed, and the enemy is moving toward you! You are to immediately switch to defense on the spot and guard the left flank!”

“What? The Battalion Commander?” Wolff snatched the command strip, still somewhat confused. “The Battalion Commander was wounded, wasn’t he? How did he give this order?”

“The order came from the sky!”

(End of this Chapter)