Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 950

950. Corsica Naval Battle (6)

Of course, the word ‘nearby’ didn’t refer to physical distance.

“Hmm? Will they really move like this?”

Any operation that Hyang showed even a little interest in—mostly negative—invariably faced unexpected enemy ambushes and unforeseen setbacks. This led to such sayings. It wasn’t just in actual combat. Hyang, considered a ‘crazy otaku’ [a person with obsessive interests, commonly in anime, manga, or video games], mobilized all his otaku knowledge to create a ‘war game.’ Named ‘Myosan (廟算)’ [a term referring to strategic planning in a temple, derived from Sun Tzu’s *Art of War*], this war game was immediately incorporated into the military officers’ curriculum.

Furthermore, Hyang issued commands, disguised as recommendations, to use it not only in the curriculum but also in the actual operation planning process to anticipate possibilities. The military’s response was not negative.

“There’s also the saying of ‘the silent guard of the Mo Di’….”

And, during peacetime, Hyang often participated directly in war games. From Hyang’s perspective, it was an ‘analog RTS game’ [Real-Time Strategy game] where people replaced computers. For Hyang, it was half entertainment, but for the others, it was a nightmare.

-Win or lose, it’s suffering!

If they won against Hyang, there would be whispers or slanders saying, ‘They took victory from the Emperor.’ Conversely, if they lost, they would be severely criticized, saying, ‘Are you lacking as a military officer?’

“You have to consider His Majesty’s military talent!”

Even if they protested like this, the response was criticism.

“Still, a military officer who spends all year studying military strategy can’t afford to lose! Don’t make excuses!”

The war games Hyang attended were diverse. There were many small-scale ones between the army and navy, and there were also large-scale ones that used neighboring countries as hypothetical enemies. And, Yang, who attended the large-scale war games, always played the role of the Empire’s enemy. And, in most cases, Hyang won.

Afterward, during the analysis and discussion of the results, Hyang always said this:

“Remember that the enemy also knows their strengths and weaknesses well! And don’t forget that the enemies are also getting stronger! Don’t assume that the enemy will always move as we expect!”

At Hyang’s words, the generals present all replied in unison.

“We will engrave it in our hearts!”

Watching them, Hyang muttered inwardly.

‘That general who was told not to assume got passed over for promotion, right?’

After World War I, Japan’s biggest enemy became the United States. At that time, the Japanese Navy often conducted war games against the United States. The Japanese Navy officer who played the role of the United States in the game won every time. His method of winning was simple.

He thoroughly exploited the ‘fleet decisive battle’ and ‘gradual attrition’ that the Japanese Navy blindly believed in—in other words, he properly understood and utilized the capabilities of the United States. The officer retorted to his colleagues, who criticized him for being cowardly at the time:

“Stop thinking that the U.S. military will move as we expect!”

Afterward, that officer couldn’t rise any higher. And the Japanese Navy, which couldn’t abandon ‘fleet decisive battle’ and ‘gradual attrition,’ accepted even more disastrous results.

* * *

Son Il-won, who had been defeated by Hyang several times, looked at the map and started thinking again from the beginning.

-The enemy’s fleet size is very large.

-Such a fleet needs a wide sea area to conduct proper maneuvering operations.

-The strength of our navy’s battleships is their superior performance compared to theirs. Firepower, defense, and mobility are all superior.

-Such a wide sea area is actually a situation we should welcome.

‘Wait! They must know this too, right?’

Son Il-won began to think in reverse, as he had learned from Hyang.

-If I were the enemy, I would try to neutralize at least one of the Empire’s strengths. That’s the only way to increase the chances of victory.

-Among firepower, defense, and mobility, the easiest to neutralize is mobility.

‘To tie up our fleet’s feet……’

Son Il-won’s gaze, which was scrutinizing the map with a devouring expression, stopped at Corsica.

‘If it’s there……’

Blocking the strait between Corsica and the Tuscan archipelago with a large-scale fleet could tie up the Imperial fleet. Of course, if it were Assault Turtle Ships, there would be no problem breaking through. Challenger-class battleships would also struggle, but they would be able to break through. The problem was the escort fleets of the transport ships going back and forth between Suez and Livorno, and the battleships of the Florence Navy. The qualitative main force of the current fleet was the Assault Turtle Ships and Challenger-class battleships sent from Shinji, but the quantitative main force was the escort fleet and the Florence Navy’s fleet.

In the case of the escort fleet, their mobility and defense, excluding firepower, were similar to those of European ships, and the Florence fleet was exactly the same. If the escort fleet and the Florence fleet were caught in a melee, tied up by the enemy fleet in the strait, they would certainly suffer serious damage. If the escort fleet and the Florence fleet suffered serious damage, there would be problems with the supply lines.

‘The powerful firepower, which is the pride of our Imperial Army, is only possible with proper supply maintenance. Then….’

“It’s not the Tyrrhenian Sea. The enemy’s destination is Corsica. The strait between Corsica and the Tuscan archipelago.”

Son Il-won’s conclusion made all the staff officers look puzzled.

“Corsica, you say?”

“That strait is too narrow for a large-scale fleet to conduct mobile warfare. All the battleships that enter will be tangled up and stuck.”

Son Il-won immediately replied to the staff officers’ criticism.

“Aren’t we going to be stuck as well?”

Even with Son Il-won’s explanation, the staff officers still looked doubtful.

“Can they really pull off that kind of trick?”

“They’re the kind of guys who stubbornly stick to ‘chivalry’ or whatever and only insist on head-on collisions to the point of being stupid. Are they smart enough for that?”

“Tsk!”

Son Il-won clicked his tongue without realizing it at the staff officers’ answers full of disbelief, and the staff officers became turtle-necked. Son Il-won asked the staff officers with a look of exasperation.

“What was the saying we always shouted before starting Myosan?”

“The enemy doesn’t move as we think…… Ah!”

The staff officers, who were answering reflexively, looked like they had been hit hard, and Son Il-won said to the staff officers with a sharp expression.

“The guys we’re dealing with aren’t landlubbers, they’re sailors. They’re guys who fight pirates every day, risking their lives, and don’t even know what chivalry is. Don’t forget this point and think again.”

At Son Il-won’s command, the staff officers once again rummaged through the data and analyzed the situation. After some time, the staff officers sighed deeply.

“Hoo~. The governor’s words are correct.”

“If it’s Corsica, there’s a high chance we’ll get hit.”

“Then let’s reorganize the operation accordingly. Ah! I heard that the Portuguese fleet is coming, so take this into account as well.”

“Yes, Governor.”

“Don’t forget that the enemy’s fleet is coming here at this very moment. Don’t disappoint me, got it?”

“We will do our best!”

At Son Il-won’s subtle threat, the staff officers planned the operation all night long. Two days later, Son Il-won, who reviewed the operation plan submitted by the exhausted staff officers, nodded.

“Not bad. I will request to proceed as is. And, are the scout ships and scouts being properly dispatched?”

“Yes, Governor.”

* * *

The operation report submitted by Son Il-won was immediately sent to Yu Eung-bu.

‘The most likely tactic that the enemies are expected to use is to drive a large fleet into that narrow strait?’

Yu Eung-bu looked puzzled and examined the report several times.

“No matter how I look at it, I can’t understand it. But, it could be my misjudgment. I’m from the army, after all.”

Yu Eung-bu, who knew his limitations well, immediately packed his documents and got up from his seat.

“It would be faster to ask His Majesty.”

Hyang, who received the navy’s operation plan submitted by Yu Eung-bu, continued to analyze it, alternating between the map and the plan.

“Hmm…. There is definitely a basis for the enemies to act like this.”

“But, if we look at military strategy, isn’t it a bad operation?”

Hyang shook his head at Yu Eung-bu’s words.

“No, I think it’s a good operation.”

Hyang’s explanation that followed was similar to Son Il-won’s.

“……Indeed, if you look at it that way, it can be said to be a good operation.”

When Yu Eung-bu also agreed, Hyang wrote an order on a blank sheet of paper and added.

“They’re probably not just thinking of tying up our fleet and beating us with numerical superiority. A very old tactic called ‘hammer and anvil’ will unfold, making it a perfect situation to use.”

At the same time as he finished speaking, Hyang handed the written order to Yu Eung-bu.

-Proceed as planned, but adjust the fleet deployment, keeping in mind the possibility of an enemy flanking attack.

-Also, keep in mind that the fleet is of greater value when it is out on the sea than when it is staying in the harbor.

* * *

The Imperial and Florentine allied fleets, which modified the operation based on the order sent by Hyang, moved busily. While countless scout ships patrolled the Ligurian Sea and the area around Corsica and Sardinia, the Imperial escort fleet, the Florentine fleet, and one Assault Turtle Ship left Livorno and moved to Genoa.

Meanwhile, the two remaining Defective Turtle Ships and Challenger-class battleships in Livorno rechecked the condition of gunpowder and shells and prepared for battle. In particular, the Assault Turtle Ships were the busiest. Smoke billowed day and night from the funnels of the Assault Turtle Ships, which had moved to the sea in front of the harbor so that they could set sail at any time.

While they were making all preparations and waiting for the enemy, the ships that had gone out to scout in the direction of Sardinia began to return to Livorno in a hurry.

-Enemy large fleet discovered!

-Enemy fleet continuing to move north! At least 120 ships or more!

-Correction! At least 150 ships or more!

-Flags of Spain, Venice, and Habsburg confirmed!

-Numerous unidentified battleships confirmed! Estimated to be pirates based on size and scale!

Son Il-won and the staff officers analyzed the reports brought by the scout ships and tried to understand the enemy’s intentions.

“More than 150 ships…. Then it would be impossible to connect Bastia and Koskana.”

“That’s right. It is more likely that they will take a bag-shaped formation connecting the south and Tuscany.”

Son Il-won nodded at the senior staff officer’s words. In order to tie up the Imperial fleet more securely, they had to draw the Imperial fleet further inward. When the Imperial fleet came in like that, they would tie up the entrance of the bag and beat them from all sides.

“…..If not, it would be to endure while playing the role of the anvil, as His Majesty said. Then, rather than a bag, a crane wing formation would be more suitable.”

“A crane wing formation, are there any guys among them who are that good?”

“The world is wide, and there are many skilled sailors.”

Even while talking with the staff officer, Son Il-won’s eyes were fixed on the map.

‘The problem is whether there is a flanking fleet. If there is a flanking fleet, it will be a crane wing formation, and if there isn’t, it will be a bag.’

Two days later, the scout ships that had advanced towards Corsica returned with urgent news.

-Another large-scale fleet moving west of Sardinia and Corsica confirmed!

At the report of the scout ships, Son Il-won smiled bitterly and muttered.

“I lost to His Majesty again……”