Chapter 3011
The three places Roger pointed out are all located near the coast of the Malay Peninsula on the north side of the Strait of Malacca. To be precise, they are three islands.
Qian Tiandun was no stranger to these three islands, because in the action plan proposed by Roger before, these three islands had been the scheduled targets of the Star Island authorities.
When military generals met at Cam Ranh Port before, Roger had provided him with detailed relevant information in order to persuade Qian Tiandun to accept the action plan.
However, the plan proposed at that time was for the Haihan Army to directly send troops to attack these places, without mobilizing mercenary groups to participate. Qian Tiandun believes that the scale of the war that this move may cause is difficult to control, and the plan still needs to be further improved.
Penang Island is located at the north entrance of the Strait of Malacca, only a few miles away from the Malay Peninsula. Its area is less than half of Star Island. It is just a small speck on the map. It can be easily ignored if you are not paying attention.
This place originally belonged to the Kingdom of Kedah, and this small country has historically surrendered to Sri Lanka, Malacca, Portugal, Aceh and other countries. It currently belongs to Aceh in name, but as Aceh's national power weakens, the Kingdom of Kedah also Attempts are underway to gain independent status from Aceh.
Langkawi Island is located two hundred miles north of Penang, also close to the Malay Peninsula, and also belongs to the territory of Kedah. However, its area is nearly twice as large as Penang Island, and there is a natural harbor for building a port. The natural conditions are slightly better than Penang Island.
The third place is located four hundred miles north of Langkawi Island, on Phuket Island, which belongs to the Kingdom of Siam. This island is about the same size as Langkawi, and is separated from the mainland by only a hundred-foot-wide strait.
Phuket is a very famous international tourist destination in the time and space where the Traveling Universe is located. It is famous for its beautiful scenery. Although Qian Tiandun has never been there, he is no stranger to the name of this place.
From a military perspective, these three islands are all located on the north side of the Strait of Malacca, lined up along the coastline of the Malay Peninsula. As long as sufficient resources are invested in development, they can indeed become an important location like Sing Tao to guard the entrance and exit of the strait.
Of course, this is based on Haihan's development capabilities, but in this era there are very few countries with the same capabilities. In addition, the Malacca Strait area has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. There are constant wars, large and small, making it difficult to concentrate. resources to carry out large-scale construction on these coastal islands.
Therefore, to this day, let alone large ports, the size of the settled population on these islands is extremely limited, and they are basically still in a relatively primitive state.
The purpose of Roger's attempt to occupy these islands is also very clear. One is to strengthen control of the Malacca Strait and bring both ends of the strait under Haihan's control.
Secondly, the ownership of these islands is not as sensitive as the land, and once the occupation is completed, the straits between them and the land will become a natural line of defense, which can effectively prevent the original owners from launching a counterattack to seize the islands. Compared with directly occupying land, the military pressure on Haihan will be relatively smaller.
"Do you choose one of these three places, or do you plan to occupy them all?" Qian Tiandun asked.
Roger said solemnly: "It would be best if we could capture them all. Once these places are occupied, they will definitely be beneficial to our country, and they can also provide us with a base for our next move into the Indian Ocean."
Qian Tiandun said: "How do you plan to use the mercenary group and let them play pirates?"
Roger said: "Practice has proven that this method is the simplest and most effective."
Qian Tiandun continued to ask: "Will other countries believe that there are pirates in that area?"
Roger smiled and said: "I don't know whether others believe it or not, but I believe it anyway!"
The two looked at each other and smiled, knowing that this was Haihan's usual style. In the early years, Haihan sent troops to capture Amborna Island under the control of the Dutch. He also used a similar excuse to occupy the local area in the name of exterminating pirates, and then claimed Amborna Island as his own.
As Roger said, this is just a high-sounding statement to the outside world, and we do not expect other countries to believe it. Whether we can securely occupy these places ultimately depends on our strength.
If the strength is not good enough, it will be like Portugal and Aceh. Even if it is eaten in the mouth, it will eventually be spit out again.
Although the regular army of Xingdao is not yet fully ready for the expedition, if the plan drawn up by Roger is adopted and the mercenaries carry out operations in the target area and send troops to Xingdao, there will still be a certain buffer time in between, which is just right. It can be used by the troops currently assembled on Star Island to continue preparing for war.
Qian Tiandun said: "But there is still one thing I haven't figured out. Since this is a feasible plan, why didn't you take the initiative to use a mercenary group before?"
Roger responded: "The reason is actually very simple. The mercenary group has been unable to get out before this. I need to wait for the mercenary group to complete the task at hand before I can mobilize them to implement this plan."
Qian Tiandun said: "But based on the military discipline of the mercenary group, I think the operation may leak. No matter which party receives the news in advance, it is not a good thing for us."
Roger said: "I have also thought of this, so the transfer order will not clearly inform the mercenary group of the specific content of this operation. After they arrive at the target area, they will directly issue combat orders. Even if the news leaks, it will be after the completion of the operation. By then, the wood is in the boat and the meat is in the belly. It doesn’t matter how it is spread outside.”
Regarding the lax military discipline of the mercenary group, Roger had no better way to solve it for a while, so he could only try to avoid the aspects that would cause problems.
In fact, in his planning, he may not inform the mercenary group of the true purpose of the operation. It is likely that these mercenaries will slowly know how much impact the operation they participated in had on the international situation long after the operation is over.
Qian Tiandun said: "If we start implementing the action plan according to your arrangement, then we should have at least one to two months to prepare for war."
Roger said: "This time is actually very flexible. The mercenary group can take its actions slowly, or it can take the initiative to speed up the pace, depending on the progress of war preparations."
Qian Tiandun said: "Then it depends on whether your mercenary group can carry out military orders without compromise."
Roger said: "Old Qian, if you still feel uneasy, you can send someone to supervise the battle and join the mercenary group to act together."
Qian Tiandun smiled and said: "That's not necessary. You have the final say on your troops."
Roger smiled and did not debate the issue any further. Qian Tiandun repeatedly mentioned the issue of military discipline, which made Roger hold his breath, hoping that the mercenary group could prove its strength through actual actions.
As long as the mercenary regiment can successfully complete its mission and achieve its intended goals, what if the special operations division is not as disciplined as Qian Tiandun?
He wanted to prove to Qian Tiandun that there was no weak force under his command, and even a non-staff armed organization such as a mercenary group could complete complex combat missions.
(End of chapter)