Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 554

554. The Great War (2)

Though he said that, Hyang worked diligently to solve the problem.

“The issue of command can be resolved by clearly organizing the hierarchy, but the real problem is communication.”

‘Once bullets start flying overhead, any plans or preparations become useless. What determines victory or defeat is improvisation.’

This was a rule consistently applied in large-scale wars from World War I and World War II to the 21st century.

From airships to airplanes, and then to satellites and drones, even with the most advanced equipment used to scout enemy lines and the smartest minds devising strategies, the actual execution always came down to improvisation and educated guesswork.

“Even if there are ‘Plan B, Plan C,’ it always ends up being a chaotic mess, right?”

Hyang, twirling his pen and staring at the paper, came to a conclusion.

“Indeed, the most reliable way to solve this is communication. Faster communication than the enemy allows for quicker responses and secures victory.”

* * *

Until now, the best means of communication available on the battlefield was the messenger. Of course, various methods existed, including drums, trumpets, signal fires, and even colored smoke signals. However, the most reliable method remained the messenger.

The problem was that communication using messengers took a considerable amount of time. Errors occurred due to the time it took for messengers to travel on horseback or on foot, and the time consumed by senior commanders in making decisions after receiving reports.

Therefore, Hyang concluded that solving the communication problem would bring the greatest benefit.

* * *

To achieve faster communication, Hyang mobilized airships.

February 12th, Han River.

Although it was well past the start of spring, Hyang, along with officials and military generals, gathered at the Han River, where a chilly wind still blew.

While a group of soldiers prepared to launch the airships and conduct a mock battle, Hyang explained to the generals about the demonstration that was about to begin.

“This mock battle is to demonstrate the effectiveness of communication relay using airships. The Blue Army will use airships, while the Red Army will operate using traditional methods.”

-Three airships will be used.

-Two will relay the situation of the Blue Army’s left and right flanks and the field commander’s messages using light signals, while the one behind will relay communications from the front lines to the headquarters and vice versa.

After explaining the role of the airships in this demonstration, Hyang pointed to a military tent behind them and continued.

“That is the Blue Army’s command headquarters.”

Taking the people inside, Hyang pointed to a large desk in the center of the tent.

“As you can see, the terrain for the mock battle is marked on this desk. Trained soldiers will immediately mark the terrain based on the information received through the airships and report the situation. This will allow the commander to quickly assess the situation and make decisions.”

“Hmm?”

“Oh ho…”

The high-ranking commanders of the military showed great interest at Hyang’s explanation.

“I thought airships were only good for reconnaissance.”

Hyang smiled lightly at Choi Yun-duk’s words and replied.

“Of course, they are ideal for reconnaissance, but they are also very useful for communication.”

‘Was it the American Civil War that used airships for communication?’

In the ensuing mock battle, the Blue Army, using real-time communication via airships, was able to achieve victory.

“It’s not an overwhelming victory, but I think it’s due to the limited space. The Han River is not a large area. I believe they will perform their role properly when used in a larger space like Insanjin.”

The commanders all nodded at Hyang’s words. Even at that moment, they were imagining scenes of using airships on the battlefield.

Hyang, the officials, and the military commanders who returned to Sunghwadang [a government building] put their heads together.

“How many airships should we deploy to Insanjin?”

After a lengthy discussion to determine the optimal number, the final decision was 20.

Although only 5 were actually flown in the sky, 15 were needed to keep them in the air from sunrise to sunset, and including the reserve units, it became 20.

With the deployment of airships decided, it seemed that everything was over, but one thing remained.

“Your Highness, what about the typewriters deployed in the command headquarters? Can’t we just do it by hand?”

“If the handwriting is all different, we may not be able to read it properly.”

At Hyang’s words, the commanders, including Choi Yun-duk, all looked embarrassed.

“I didn’t notice it when there were only one or two, but the noise is considerable when there are so many.”

Hyang also looked embarrassed at those words.

“Of course, the noise is considerable, but we have no choice considering the efficiency. And you will soon get used to the noise.”

‘It’s from my experience!’

In the 21st century, Hyang was someone who only insisted on mechanical keyboards.

Meanwhile, the officials who were listening to Hyang and the commanders whispered in small voices.

“Didn’t you say that historians and scribes will also be using typewriters soon?”

“That’s right. This is a big problem. My hearing has been getting worse lately…”

“I need to find out what medicine is good for the neck and ears.”

* * *

After various commotions, Joseon [Korean dynasty] troops were additionally deployed around Insanjin, and defensive facilities began to be installed.

Trenches began to be dug long to the left and right, centered on the Insanjin Fortress, and pillars to support the barbed wire began to be erected one by one.

Lee Hwi-deok, leaning against the merlon [the solid part of a battlement] of the Insanjin Fortress, grumbled softly as he looked at the increasingly long trench lines.

“There will be more than a few who say that those huge ditches perfectly show the twisted personality of our Joseon people.”

The trench lines extending long from the left and right of Insanjin resembled saw teeth, zigzagging. And in front of them, pillars to erect the barbed wire were being planted along the trench lines.

Later, when the barbed wire was hung, they would see a barbed wire wall that drew the same sawtooth pattern along the trench lines.

This was not because the Joseon people had bad personalities or because of geological problems, as Lee Hwi-deok said.

The enemies who crossed the Yalu River would naturally gather in the concave part inside the saw teeth along the barbed wire and trench lines, and would be subjected to concentrated attacks by the Joseon troops waiting in the trenches.

To defend the most dangerous outer vertices of the saw teeth, small towers were built using iron-reinforced bamboo, and buckshot cannons were deployed.

In addition, a large number of Eulshik fire carts [rocket artillery] and buckshot cannons were deployed along the trench lines. Thanks to this, the ratio of soldiers deployed in the trenches to fire at the enemies and soldiers supplying ammunition to the buckshot cannons and fire carts was 6.5:3.5.

It was a deployment truly befitting the evaluation of being a ‘nation obsessed with cannons.’

* * *

Taaaah~.

Lee Hwi-deok, who was looking at the trench lines from the fortress wall, suddenly stiffened his expression when he heard a gunshot in the distance.

Ding ding ding!

“Emergency! Emergency!”

“All hands to battle stations!”

“Battle stations! Battle stations!”

Not long after the gunshot was heard, a loud bell rang, signaling an emergency, and soldiers rushed to the walls and trenches of Insanjin.

Lee Hwi-deok, who returned to the turret, immediately checked the situation.

“Where did the gunshot come from? It sounded quite far away?”

“We are currently checking!”

After a flurry of activity in Insanjin and the nearby units, a report came up that no one had fired a shot anywhere.

“So, it’s not in Insanjin, where we are holding out, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Lee Hwi-deok, receiving the report from his subordinate, gave an order with a relieved expression.

“Release the emergency and maintain a level 2 alert.”

“Yes!”

Lee Hwi-deok, after giving the order to his subordinate, looked beyond the Yalu River and muttered.

“Did the Sharpshooter Corps do something again?”

* * *

Already, unseen battles were taking place around the Yalu River.

First, Joseon cavalry units conducted intense patrols along the border between the Yalu River and the Northeast region.

The Joseon cavalry units knew all the information about the Jurchen [Manchu] tribes residing in the patrol areas they covered.

Thanks to this, if there was a tribe other than the ones they knew, they immediately entered combat readiness and charged.

In this case, the only option for the people in question was to raise both hands and surrender.

If they fled, they were considered enemies who had come for reconnaissance and were pursued and annihilated.

If they resisted, they were immediately annihilated.

As a result, everything except surrender meant death.

While the Joseon cavalry units patrolled on a large scale, the Tiger Hunter Sharpshooter Corps ambushed in the forests south of the Yalu River.

The Tiger Hunter Sharpshooter Corps, organized into squads of five, the smallest unit in the Joseon army, were deployed along the Yalu River.

Their target was foreigners who secretly crossed the Yalu River without using the designated gates.

If such people were discovered, the Sharpshooter Corps immediately turned them into fish food for the Yalu River.

Thanks to this, another butterfly effect occurred. Those who had engaged in illegal trading even in situations where war might break out disappeared.

* * *

February 22nd. Additional soldiers dispatched from Hanseong [Seoul] arrived in Insanjin.

Lee Hwi-deok, located at the entrance of Insanjin, greeted the newly arrived person with a tense expression.

“Chung! [Salute!]”

“Good work.”

The one who received Lee Hwi-deok’s salute, which was full of military discipline, was Lee Jing-ok.

Lee Hwi-deok became very nervous at the appearance of Lee Jing-ok, who had made a name for himself not only in the Northeast region, where he mainly operated, but also in the Yalu River area, and who was a much higher-ranking officer than himself.

Lee Jing-ok, seeing the condition of the soldiers lined up at the gate, praised Lee Hwi-deok.

“The military discipline is strict and their spirit is sharp, so you have trained them well. Good work.”

“Thank you!”

“You have already received the order, but I will be in overall command of the units deployed in Insanjin. I need you to help me a lot.”

“The front line is too dangerous. Wouldn’t it be better to set up a command headquarters in the rear?”

“Even if we use airships, there are times when seeing it myself is more accurate. And…”

Lee Jing-ok paused for a moment, looked around, and whispered to Lee Hwi-deok.

“Starting with General Choi Yun-duk, all the high-ranking officials are gathered at the line of attack. Do you think I should suffer from being under so many layers of superiors there?”

“Yes?”

“Hahaha! I look forward to working with you!”

Lee Jing-ok laughed heartily and moved forward, and the officers who came with him followed. Lee Hwi-deok frowned as he looked at Lee Jing-ok.

“I don’t like being under so many layers of superiors either…”

* * *

With the arrival of Lee Jing-ok, the Joseon army in Insanjin entered the final preparations.

Three layers of barbed wire walls were set up along the Yalu River, and two layers of barbed wire walls were built on the 40-jang (approximately 120m) front of the trench lines.

Following this, airships rose into the sky. The sentences decoded by the signalmen who deciphered the light signals sent from the airships were immediately typed and sent to Lee Jing-ok.

And the soldiers deployed in the Insanjin Fortress and trench lines steadily repeated training and rest.

And on March 15th, the Liaodong army under the command of Jo Byeong-deok appeared on the opposite side of the Yalu River.