Wild North America 1846

"That's very well said, George. You have successfully diverted our attention. So let's talk...how can the Western Expeditionary Force bring back the victory we need?"

President Polk's statement showed his approval of George Levinson's explanation.

He then emphasized again: "This time I only look at the results and ignore the process. The stupid Colonel Stephen Carney must be replaced. He has brought shame to the entire American Federation. This is the only request."

"

When the topic returned to real military issues, Army Secretary George Levinson shrugged his shoulders regretfully and replied;

"As you wish, Mr. President.

The Army Department can issue a document to remove Colonel Stephen Carney, who will return to the south to recuperate in the warm Florida on the grounds of physical discomfort and serve as the National Guard commander of this southern state.

As for the specific question of reinforcements to the Western Route Army, I think General Arthur’s answer is more authoritative.”

The ball returned to the feet of Major General Arthur Temple, Chief of Staff of the Federal Army. As the first person in the military, it was his duty to answer the president's question.

Considering that the difficulties faced by the Western Route Army were far greater than imagined, Major General Arthur Temple had a change of heart and temporarily changed his mind about reinforcements;

From the original plan of 3,600 reinforcements, the number has nearly doubled to 7,000.

Han Xin's idea of ​​having more troops is better. This idea is also very popular in the West. If possible, wouldn't it be good to assemble stronger troops and fight a war of wealth?

"Considering the long-distance expedition of the army, the Tang Kingdom has demonstrated considerable combat effectiveness, and has received support from European countries led by Britain and Germany. The total strength of the army has reached 2,500 to 3,000, and may be further increased.

The Federal Army General Staff Headquarters believes that;

Reinforcements to the western front should be no less than 7,000 men, including 2,000 cavalry troops, and an artillery unit including 40 12-pound and 20-pound army heavy artillery. The artillery regiment should have about 680 people.

On the more than 1,400 kilometers of roads from Kansas City to Denver and Denver to Rio Rancho, a logistics station should be set up every 100 kilometers, and enough migrant workers should be dispatched to build a 6-meter-wide flat road that can accommodate two heavy-duty four-wheel carriages.

Driving interchangeably without interfering with each other.

Only when such basic conditions are met can the more than 7,000 troops and heavy artillery troops on the western front be supplied with the necessary materials for corresponding operations, crushing the enemy with absolute strength, and completely destroying the resistance of the Tang Kingdom.

In order to support operations on the western front, in addition to 14,000 road construction workers, we also need an equal number of coachmen, horsemen, leatherworkers and craftsmen, a total of about 30,000 people. To ensure that the long front of more than 2,700 kilometers to Los Angeles,

Continuous supply of materials.

Only in this way

Only in this way can the western battlefield keep up with the steady advancement of the main battlefield in the south and bring victory after victory to the federation.

Mr. President, this is the safest plan.

I swear to God, as long as enough support is given, the Federal Army's Western Expeditionary Force is confident that it can bring back the victory you need.

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

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 locally instead of having to be transported thousands of miles from Kansas.

As long as Los Angeles can be captured, victory will be firmly in the hands of the Federal Army. We are confident that we will end the 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."

Major General Arthur Temple, the chief of staff of the Union Army, opened his mouth and asked for 7,600 troops and almost 30,000 laborers to support the western war.

Do some rough calculations;

Starting from Kansas City, the nearest material gathering place in the west, through Denver, Rio Rancho, Las Vegas and ending in Los Angeles on the west coast, this tortuous westward route is more than 2,800 kilometers long.

If a logistics station is set up every 100 kilometers, then 28 logistics stations will be set up. Each logistics station has 180 to 200 people, which requires more than 5,600 people to maintain the daily transportation of large quantities of materials.

Coupled with the 14,000 road construction army and the horse-drawn carriage fleet running along this long logistics line, 30,000 people are not necessarily enough.

The reason is very simple

To maintain the daily needs of a cavalry team of 3,000 people (2,000 reinforcement cavalry and nearly a thousand existing Western Expedition troops, including the wounded) is a huge burden.

Each war horse needs to consume 8 to 10 pounds of oats, black beans and other concentrates every day. 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 war horse.

How can a war horse fight if his stomach is not full?

Clean water can be obtained from the Shenghuang River nearby, but fine materials and fodder must be transported thousands of miles from the rear. In addition, the people in the mule and horse transport teams eat and chew, and the amount of transportation is staggering every day.

The three thousand cavalrymen on the western front only need 30,000 pounds of fine feed and 150,000 pounds of forage per day for the war horses. If you add the horse chews for the people transporting the mule and horse teams, this number will be multiplied by 4, that is, no less than 100,000 pounds per day.

720,000 pounds shipped.

Assuming that each heavy-duty carriage can transport 2,500 pounds, this requires 300 heavy-duty carriages (with a slight allowance).

The distance from Kansas City to Rio Rancho is more than 1,300 kilometers. If it takes 13 days for a heavy-duty carriage to complete the journey, then 13 more of these 300 heavy-duty carriages will be needed, which means 4,000 are needed (leave a slight margin)

Only by carrying heavy-loaded carriages left and right can we meet the daily needs of the front line.

That is to say, no less than 180,000 pounds of supplies are supplied every day, and this is only the daily need for horses to supply 3,000 cavalry. If 7,600 soldiers are added, this number will be multiplied by 1.5, which means more than 6,000 heavy loads are needed.

Horse-drawn carriages, maintaining long logistics lines.

Each heavy-duty carriage is equipped with two horses and two drivers. It takes 13 days to reach the front line, and a round trip takes 26 days. People eat horses and chew on them along the way. It is lucky to have 500 pounds of supplies left out of 2,000 pounds.

More than 6,000 heavy-duty horse-drawn carriages rush on the transportation line day and night. Each logistics station requires at least 30 carpenters and 30 leatherworkers, as well as varying numbers of blacksmiths, grooms, cooks and other support staff.

If the carriage or axle is damaged, it needs to be repaired. This is the carpenter's job.

The leather straps and saddles of the carriage are damaged and need to be repaired. This is the job of the tanner.

Horseshoes need to be replaced frequently, and horseshoes need to be repaired frequently to prevent them from being unable to withstand long distances. This is the job of the blacksmith.

Tens of thousands of people rushing around the logistics line every day need to eat and drink. This is the chef's business.

The logistics post also needs to feed some spare mules and horses to replace some sick mules, those with broken legs or broken hoofs, and to replace the horses used to deliver emergency reports. This is the groom's business.

The war was all about logistics and money. The Americans had to go on an expedition to transport supplies to the west across the desolate western Kansas and across the thousands of miles of Gobi Desert and desert in New Mexico. It was a huge effort and an astonishing amount of resources.

On the other hand, the Kingdom of the Tang Dynasty had huge geographical advantages for home battles.

Starting from Los Angeles, we travel more than 400 kilometers east to Las Vegas, which belongs to the rim of the Colorado Canyon.

Continuing eastward, you enter the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, a place with crisscrossed mountains, streams, abundant water and grass, and home to millions of bison and 100,000 wild horses, stretching for hundreds of kilometers from west to east.

Starting from Las Vegas and heading east through Milan to Flagstaff, they all belong to the Grand Canyon area.

Continuing eastward from Flagstaff, you enter the arid Gobi region and reach the town of Gallup about 191 kilometers away. This is a large oasis located on the banks of the Holy Emperor River.

The Tang Kingdom transported supplies to the front line for more than 190 kilometers. The town of Milan in the Grand Canyon region of Colorado had abundant forage, oats, black beans and other resources, so transporting them to the town of Gallup was not a problem.

In the town of Rio Rancho at the forefront, the Tang Kingdom defenders only retained 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 can meet their needs with two dry biscuits and a few bowls of broth every day. The logistical pressure is not great. This is the huge advantage of fighting at home.

It was precisely because of logistical issues that Sr. Kahn evacuated most of the residents of Rio Rancho Town, and all personnel, mules and horses were evacuated to Gallup Town to reduce the pressure on material 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 looked at General Arthur steadily, silently calculating what he needed in his heart. Even with his high position, he couldn't help but take a breath of air.

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

The main force of the US military's southern invasion, plus subsequent reinforcements, now totals 23,000 troops.

With the help of Texas as a springboard and the state's well-developed railway transportation channels, 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 with relatively little logistical pressure.

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

Moreover, the Mexican region adjacent to Texas is a traditional densely populated area in Mexico. It has 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 completely used.

Land collection.

Therefore, the main force of the US military's southern invasion can devote more troops to fight a head-on battle with the government troops commanded by Mexican President Santa Anna in the heavily defended Buena Vista area of ​​Mexico.

The Western Expeditionary Force does not have such conditions. Every time an additional 1,000 soldiers are invested, we must consider whether the logistics can be supplied.

"Okay, the government can support the military's conditions, but I want to be clear; the victory must be brought back to me, and there will be no more reinforcements." President Polk, as a far-sighted politician, will not act like a street vendor.

Bargain with the military.

He thought carefully for a long time and finally made a decision.

But President Polk's final warning was no joke. If the War Department and Federal Chief of Staff General Arthur could not bring victory back, they would surely bear the serious political consequences.

The implication

Not only will their political future be ruined, but they 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 with their skin and bones...

Secretary of War George Levinson glanced solemnly at Major General Arthur Temple, Chief of Staff of the Federal Army, and saw heavy pressure in his eyes.

Now the two of them are like grasshoppers on the same rope. Everyone is happy when they win. They will definitely be remembered as American heroes in history.

If you lose, stop talking, it’s all over!