gnovel 25. Anti-guerrilla warfare
25. Anti-guerrilla warfare
After several days of integration and joint training, the 2nd Battalion of the 94th Infantry Regiment, after being reorganized, has completely shed its label as a "remnant force".
The more than 1,000 soldiers have become like brothers. The camaraderie among fellow Scotsmen has brought them together without any barriers. The soldiers train side by side, their formations are neat and their slogans are loud. From basic marching to live-fire shooting, close combat, and small-scale tactical coordination, every movement is becoming more and more skillful and tacit.
Especially after Dugan obtained a lot of bullets from Lieutenant Colonel Smith, every soldier in the 2nd Battalion of the 94th Infantry Regiment conducted live-fire training with at least 30 rounds of ammunition in less than a month, greatly improving their proficiency with firearms.
Originally, the average soldier in this era fired 3 shots per minute, but more than 200 soldiers in the 2nd Battalion could fire 4 shots per minute.
So Dugan organized these soldiers into the 1st and 2nd Companies, the elite of the entire battalion, under the command of Horn and Joffrey.
Early that morning, as training was in full swing, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar. A messenger in a major's uniform rode swiftly to the camp, dismounted, and walked straight to Dugan, standing at attention and saluting: "Major Dugan, Lord Congriffin personally orders that your 2nd Battalion, 94th Infantry Regiment, be immediately dispatched to the towns of Omarachi, Kapur, and Bandawar, and be fully responsible for carrying out counter-guerrilla warfare tactics to eliminate the surrounding Marata guerrilla forces."
Tom took the order and handed it to Dugan. Dugan opened the envelope, quickly glanced through it, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, then he understood. He had long expected that his anti-guerrilla warfare plan of "regional joint defense and mobile clearing" would be implemented sooner or later, but he hadn't expected that the order would come from Lord Congriffin, and that he would be personally led to carry it out.
Seeing Dugan's calm expression, the messenger added, "Major, the Lord specifically instructed that if your tactics prove effective, officers from various regiments will come to observe and learn, and the Lord may even personally come to supervise."
Dugan was unaware that Lord Congriffin had actually appropriated his report, intending to curry favor with Major General Wellesley, but he hadn't realized that he hadn't actually studied the plan in depth.
When Dugan submitted his report, he only introduced a series of new terms such as "guerrilla warfare," "guerrilla force," "counter-guerrilla tactics," and "regional joint defense," as well as some estimated data on the battlefield situation, but he did not specify the specific execution details, tactical breakdown, and operational methods.
Lord Congriffin, holding Dugan's report, boasted to Major General Wellesley that it was a brilliant plan he had devised over many days, taking into account the situation at the front, and that it could completely solve the problem of the Maratha guerrillas.
When Major General Wellesley pressed for details, asking how to specifically deploy zoned defenses, how to deal with guerrilla ambushes, and how to allocate troops for mobile clearing operations, Lord Congriffin was speechless, unable to answer any questions, and could not even clearly explain what his so-called "anti-guerrilla tactics" were.
Major General Wellesley was already dissatisfied with Lord Congriffin's three-month siege of Canul, which had yielded no progress. Seeing Wellesley's eagerness for quick success and his deception, he became even more furious and gave him a good scolding on the spot.
Lord Congriffin was both ashamed and angry, but there was nothing he could do.
He knew that if he could not prove the feasibility of the plan, he would not only lose Major General Wellesley's trust, but might even be stripped of his command.
With no other options, he could only think of having Dugan personally lead the team to actually implement the counter-guerrilla tactics and prove the feasibility of the plan.
Moreover, if Dugan successfully wipes out the guerrillas, then as the superior of the 94th Infantry Regiment, he will naturally also have a share of the credit, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.
"I understand." Dugan tossed the warrant to Tom.
The messenger bowed and replied, "Yes, Major! I will report back to the Lord immediately!" With that, he mounted his horse and quickly rode away.
Tom strode over to Dugan, his face beaming with excitement: "Major, we can finally go to the battlefield ourselves and use your tactics against the Marathas! This time, we'll definitely wash away our previous humiliation!"
Dugan was also full of confidence, "That's right, it's time to let the Marathas taste our power."
Subsequently, Dugan immediately convened an emergency military meeting with Lieutenant Joffrey, Lieutenant Baker Hammie, Captain Horn, Lieutenant Cook, and others to plan the deployment.
"Lieutenant Bekhami, take your cavalry and go scout there first."
"Joffrey, you will lead the first company to Omarachi town."
"Horn, you will lead the Second Company to Kapur and Bandawar."
"Silva, you will lead the Third Company to Kapoor Town."
"Cook, you are in charge of logistics support. Lead the logistics team, follow the main force, and ensure that there is a sufficient supply of military rations, weapons, medicines, and other supplies, especially live ammunition, bring plenty."
"Arsenal, you will lead the Fourth Company and Lieutenant Cook's support team on their way."
"Tom, take the men from the battalion headquarters with you."
"Yes, Major!" the men replied in unison.
After the meeting, the entire battalion immediately sprang into action. The soldiers quickly packed their belongings and organized their weapons. Lieutenant Cook led the logistics squad to count supplies and load them onto wagons, while Lieutenant Joffrey and Captain Horn each led their companies to line up and prepare to depart.
The entire camp was bustling with activity, yet everything was in perfect order, without the slightest sign of panic.
Before long, the troops were assembled. More than a thousand soldiers, dressed in neat uniforms, with flintlock rifles on their shoulders, stood in formation in front of the camp, their posture upright and their fighting spirit high.
Dugan mounted his horse, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers before him. He shouted, "Soldiers, the order has been given! We will set off immediately. The Marathas are cunning and ruthless, having brought us shame before. But this time, we have ample supplies, seamless teamwork, and the tactics to defeat them! Believe me, I can restore your lost dignity!"
Then, Dugan raised his right hand high, shouting, "Victory and honor!"
"Victory and honor!" the soldiers cheered in unison, their voices booming.
"Let's go!" Dugan jerked the reins, and the warhorse neighed loudly, galloping ahead towards the town of Omarachi.
*****
For the locals in the towns of Omarachi, Kapoor, and Bandawar, the return of British troops was no surprise.
Several waves of British soldiers came, but weren't they all driven away by the people in the mountains?
The retreating British army often abandoned a lot of supplies, most of which were taken by people in the mountains, and a small portion became daily necessities for people in the town.
For example, when Dugan first entered the town of Omarachi, he found several dark-skinned Indian children using a British army top cap as a chamber pot.
Some people even took out tattered British military uniforms and smelly, dirty lower bodies.
This is a huge disgrace to the British Empire.
So Dugan’s first order was to collect these British remnants in the town.
Subsequently, Dugan issued a second order to completely destroy the towns of Kapur and Bandawar. All people and property that could be moved were relocated to Omarazi. Houses that could not be moved were burned, and wells were filled in.
What? What about the people?
Is it hard to leave one's homeland? Are you unwilling to go?
No problem, then bury yourself deep in the soil of your beloved hometown!
Dugan ordered his soldiers to treat any villagers who refused to relocate or resisted as guerrillas, executing them on the spot and burying them alive.
Because the soldiers and officers had suffered in these towns, they had no pity for the villagers.
Lieutenant Horn's company alone executed more than 1000 people from three villages in a single day, using their corpses to fill all the wells they saw along the way.
Other companies reported similar situations, all saying they encountered resistance and had no choice but to order their troops to open fire.
Dugan ignored all of this and recorded it all as merit for killing guerrillas.
Dugan's approach was actually inspired by the U.S. military's infamous "strategic village" plan during the Vietnam War. He wanted to establish a series of safe villages in his own defense zone, implement a policy of appeasement in the mountainous rural areas, completely isolate the rampant guerrillas from the villagers, and effectively control the flow of materials and personnel between the two sides.
According to Dugan's idea, the three towns would be merged into one.
Then, within a 10-kilometer radius of the base centered on Omarachi town, at least 10 safe villages were built, each with a capacity of 1000 to 2000 people.
The safe village was surrounded by watchtowers and enclosed by fences, earthen walls, and moats.
The daily affairs of the safe village are handled by a local maintenance committee. Each company deploys a small detachment of troops within the safe village to conduct identity checks upon entry and exit and to arrest suspects.
A curfew was imposed in the safe village, and the British Army made a wooden identification tag for each villager.
The identification tag consists of a series of Arabic numerals and English letters, detailing the villager's age, gender, physical characteristics, and occupation.
Every villager who left the safe village had to be strictly registered, and upon returning to the village, they would be inspected by the British army to verify that their identity card matched their identity.
Finally, Dugan ordered that a 5-kilometer radius outside the safe village was a no-go zone, and no villages were allowed to appear there. Each company was required to send patrol teams to conduct regular clearing operations, search for fleeing villagers, and cut off any attempt to exchange personnel and supplies.
Beyond a 5-kilometer radius, it is considered a danger zone, and troops smaller than a company are not allowed to cross the border to pursue enemy forces.