Wild North America 1846

Chapter 92 The Grasshopper on a Rope
"Very well, George, you successfully diverted our focus, so let's talk about it... How can the Western Expeditionary Force bring back the victory we need?"

President Polk's statement showed that he approved of George Levinson's explanation.

He then emphasized: "This time I only look at the results and ignore the process. There is also the need to replace that stupid Colonel Stephen Carney. He has shamed the entire American Federation. This is the only requirement. "

Returning to the real military issue, Secretary of the Army George Levinson shrugged regretfully and replied;

"As you wish, Mr. President.

The War Department can issue a document to replace Colonel Stephen Carney. He will return to the warm southern Florida to recuperate in the name of physical discomfort, and serve as the National Guard officer of this southern state.

As for the specific question of reinforcements to the West Route Army, I think General Arthur's answer is more authoritative. "

The ball was kicked back to the feet of Major General Arthur Temple, Chief of Staff of the Federal Army. As the No. 1 in the military, he is duty-bound to answer the president's question.

Considering that the difficulties faced by the West Route Army were far greater than imagined, Major General Arthur Temple changed his mind and temporarily changed his idea of ​​reinforcements;

From the original plan of 3600 reinforcements, it almost doubled to 7000.

The more soldiers Han Xin has, the better. This idea is also very popular in the West. If possible, gather stronger troops. Isn't it good to fight the battle of prosperity?
"Considering the long-distance expedition of the army, the combat effectiveness of the Datang Kingdom is not impressive, and with the support of European countries headed by Britain and Germany, the total number of troops assembled has reached 2500 to 3000, and there is a possibility of further increase.

According to the Federal Army Staff Headquarters;

向西部前线增援应不少于7千人，含2000人的骑兵部队，并且配备含40门12磅和20磅陆军重炮的炮兵部队，炮兵团编制约680余人。

On the more than 1400-kilometer road from Kansas City to Denver and from Denver to Rio Rancho, a logistics station should be set up every 100 kilometers, and enough migrant workers should be dispatched to build a flat road 6 meters wide, which can accommodate two heavy-duty four-wheeled carriages Intersection driving without interfering with each other.

Only by meeting such basic conditions can we supply the corresponding combat materials for the 7000-strong army and heavy artillery troops on the western front, crush the enemy with absolute strength, and completely destroy the resistance of the Tang Kingdom.

In order to ensure the western frontline operations, in addition to 1.4 road construction workers, we also need an equal number of coachmen, grooms, leather craftsmen and handicraftsmen, totaling about 3 people.In order to ensure a continuous supply of materials on the long front of more than 2700 kilometers to Los Angeles.

Only in this way
Only the western battlefield can keep up with the steady progress of the southern main battlefield, bringing the Federation one victory after another.

Mr. President, this is the safest option.

I swear to God, given enough support, the EFF has the confidence to bring back the victory you need.

If you can approve this plan, then the Ministry of the Army will mobilize manpower and material resources from across the country, and the troops can be sent to the front line as soon as mid-to-late July.

And sometime in September at the latest, the Union Army's Western Expeditionary Force is confident of advancing to Los Angeles.

That is to say;

This long western supply line only needs to be maintained for three months at most. As long as the Western Expeditionary Force advances to Los Angeles, all military supplies can be recruited on the spot, instead of being transported from Kansas all the way.

As long as Los Angeles can be captured, the victory will be firmly in the hands of the federal army. We are confident that we will end our western journey before the end of the year and bring back a hearty victory.

Mr. President, the military needs your valuable support, which is a prerequisite for victory. "

The Chief of Staff of the Federal Army, Major General Arthur Temple, opened his mouth wide and asked for 7600 troops and almost [-] laborers to support the western operations.

roughly calculate;
Starting from Kansas City, the closest material gathering place to the west, through Denver, Rio Rancho, and Las Vegas to Los Angeles, the terminal on the west coast, this tortuous westward route is more than 2800 kilometers long.

To set up a logistics station every 100 kilometers, then 28 should be set up, and each logistics station is calculated with 180 to 200 people, which requires more than 5600 people to maintain the daily delivery of a large number of materials.

Coupled with the 1.4-person road construction army and the horse convoy running on this long logistics line, 3 people may not be enough.

The truth is simple

It is a huge burden to maintain the daily needs of 3000 cavalry troops (2000 reinforcement cavalry and the existing western expeditionary force of nearly [-]; including the wounded).

Each horse needs to consume 8-10 pounds of oats, black beans and other concentrates every day, and at the same time, it needs to consume 50 pounds of forage and no less than 15 pounds of water every day to maintain the daily combat effectiveness of the horse.

How can war horses fight if they don't have enough to eat?

Clear water can be taken from the nearby Shenghuang River, but the concentrate and forage must be transported from the rear for thousands of miles. In addition, the people in the mule and horse transport team eat horse chews, which is an astonishing amount of transport every day.

For the 3 cavalry on the western front, only the horses needed 15 pounds of concentrate and 4 pounds of fodder per day. If the people who transported the mules and horses ate horse chews, this figure would be multiplied by 72, that is, no less than [-] lbs shipped.

Calculated on the basis that each heavy wagon can carry 2500 pounds of weight, this requires 300 heavy wagons (with a little margin).

The distance from Kansas City to Rio Rancho is more than 1300 kilometers. If it takes 13 days for a heavy-duty horse-drawn carriage to complete the journey, then the 300 heavy-duty horse-drawn carriages will need to be multiplied by 13, which means 4000 horse-drawn carriages (with a little allowance) The left and right heavy-loaded horse-drawn carts can meet the daily needs of the front line.

That is, no less than 18 pounds of supplies are supplied every day, and this is only the daily needs of war horses for 3000 cavalry. If 7600 soldiers are added, this number will be multiplied by 1.5, which means that more than 6000 heavy-duty vehicles are required. Carriage, maintain a long logistics line.

Each heavy-duty carriage is equipped with two horses and two drivers. It takes 13 days to reach the front line, and one round trip takes 26 days. People eat horse chews along the way. Thank God if there are only 2000 pounds of 500 pounds of supplies left.

More than 6000 heavy-duty horse-drawn carriages are running day and night on the transportation line, and each logistics station requires at least 30 carpenters and 30 leatherworkers, as well as varying numbers of blacksmiths, grooms, cooks and other logistics personnel.

It is the carpenter's job to repair a wagon or a broken axle.

Wagon leather ropes and saddles are damaged and need to be repaired. This is the business of the leather craftsman.

The horseshoe needs to be replaced frequently, and the horseshoe needs to be repaired frequently, so as not to be unable to withstand long-distance travel. This is the job of the blacksmith.

The tens of thousands of people who rush to the logistics line every day need to eat and drink, which is the job of the cook.

The logistics station also needs to feed some spare mules and horses to replace those who are sick, those with broken legs, or broken hooves, and the horses used to send urgent reports. This is the groom's business.

The war is all about logistics and money. The Americans have to work hard to send supplies to the west. They must cross the desolate western Kansas, and cross the thousands of miles of Gobi desert and desert in New Mexico. It can be said that it takes a lot of time and resources.

The Datang Kingdom is not the case, sitting on a huge home field advantage.

Starting from Los Angeles, head eastward for more than 400 kilometers to Las Vegas, which belongs to the edge of the Colorado Canyon.

Continuing to the east, you will enter the Grand Canyon of Colorado, where mountains are everywhere, streams are everywhere, and water and grass are abundant. There are millions of bison and 10 wild horses, stretching for hundreds of kilometers from west to east.

Starting from Las Vegas, heading east through Milan to Flagstaff, all belong to the Grand Canyon region of Colorado.

Continuing eastward from Flagstaff, you will enter the arid Gobi area, about 191 kilometers away, to Gallup Town, which is a large oasis located by the Shenghuang River.

Datang Kingdom transported materials to the front line for more than 190 kilometers. Milan Town in the Grand Canyon area of ​​Colorado has abundant fodder, oats, black beans and other resources, and it is not a problem to transport them to Gallup Town.

In Rio Rancho Town, the front line, the defenders of the Tang Kingdom only kept a few war horses, and the supplies they needed were negligible. This was the huge gap between the two sides.

The soldiers of the Tang Kingdom guarding the town had two sheets of dry biscuits and a few bowls of broth to meet their needs every day, and the logistical pressure was not too great. This was the advantage of a huge home field battle.

It was precisely because of logistical issues that Old Kahn evacuated most of the residents in Rio Rancho Town, and all the personnel, mules and horses were evacuated to Gallup Town to reduce the pressure on the supply of supplies ahead.

From this point of view, it is enough to prove that the old Lieutenant Colonel Kahn has rich combat experience and has chosen a plan that is conducive to long-term persistence.

inside the oval office

President Polk stared fixedly at General Arthur, silently calculating what he needed, even with his high position, he couldn't help but gasp.

This bastard lion opened his mouth wide, and he really dared to ask for a price!

The main force of the U.S. invasion of the south and the follow-up reinforcements have brought the total number of troops to 2.3.

With the help of the springboard in Texas and the well-developed railway transportation channel in the state, after the main force of the southern invasion led by General Taylor of the United States crossed the border between the two countries and invaded Mexico, the relative logistical pressure was not great.

This is because Texas is rich in products, and all the materials needed for the war can be transported from the state to the front.

Moreover, the Mexican region adjacent to Texas is a traditionally densely populated area in Mexico, with thousands of years of farming culture and relatively dense villages and towns. There is no shortage of food at all. Materials such as oats, black beans and hay can be used for food. to collect.

Therefore, the main force of the U.S. invasion of the south can invest more troops in a head-to-head battle with the government forces commanded by Mexican President Santa Ana in the heavily defended Buenavista area of ​​Mexico.

The West Road Expeditionary Army does not have such conditions. Every time an additional 1000 soldiers are invested, it is necessary to consider whether the logistics can be supplied.

"Well, the government can support the military's terms, but let me be clear; the victory must be brought back to me, and there will be no more reinforcements." President Polk, as a visionary statesman, will not act like a street vendor Bargain with the military.

After careful consideration for a long time, he finally made a decision.

But President Polk's last warning was not a joke. If the War Department and the Federal Chief of Staff, General Arthur, could not bring victory back, they would have to bear serious political consequences.

the implication

Not only is his political future ruined, but he must resign as soon as possible and take corresponding responsibilities. Members of Congress are not vegetarians. They will swarm up and tear these two people to pieces...

Secretary of the Army George Levinson glanced solemnly at Major General Arthur Temple, Chief of Staff of the Federal Army. From the eyes of the other party, he could see the heavy pressure.

Now the two are grasshoppers on the same rope, everyone is happy if they win, and they must be American heroes whose name will go down in history.

Don't talk about it if you lose, it's all fucked up!

(End of this chapter)