Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology-Chapter 1184: WWI: Siege of the Americas (8)

14th October 1700.

Across much of the western coast of the Americas, the Bharatiya Empire had already established strongholds that would serve as firm and lasting footholds. While this was not true in every single case, given the sheer size of the two continents, with some brigades still being stuck in the process of locating ideal positions and constructing their bases, it remained largely accurate overall.

Now that the strongholds had been established and the updates had reached Agni, he no longer hesitated and officially greenlit the operation.

"Go for it," he said, stationed at the port of Acapulco, the most developed port city along the western coast of the Americas.

To ensure the mission proceeded smoothly, he even conducted a puja in the presence of the generals who were available, seeking divine favour before the campaign began.

Seated inside a large building repurposed as the headquarters for military operations, Agni stared intently at a map marked with multiple targets and the positions of their own forces.

"Let everything go according to plan," he muttered under his breath.

After all, this operation was unlike anything the Bharatiya Empire had ever attempted. It was the first campaign in which each unit had to operate independently, relying entirely on its own resources and judgment to complete its mission, without depending on headquarters for constant intelligence or battle orders. But it could not be helped. The Americas were vast, and the empire’s ambitions even larger. With operations spanning two massive continents at once, communication lines were inevitably stretched thin, even with the use of the military’s long-distance firework signalling system.

Thankfully, he had little to worry about. Each battlefield was commanded by a major general, supported by several brigadier generals. These five-star officers, along with a six-star commander, had undergone rigorous training both at the academy and within the organisation through countless combat exercises focused on isolated operations and independent command.

Because of this, Agni felt confident in their ability to handle the situation on their own. On top of that, native allies were providing the empire’s army with crucial intelligence, further strengthening their chances of success.

Across both North and South America, army divisions began their advance on foot and by basic transport. Since this was an unconventional, isolated mission, war tractors were not used; they were too slow, difficult to deploy, and impossible to transport efficiently to the battlefield. Even riding animals were avoided, as the terrain along their route was too rough and unreliable.

In the end, it came down to a long, old-fashioned, and exhausting march, a slow and gruelling trek through unforgiving land.

Some units reached their targets within a few weeks, while others took a month or more. The fastest among them, however, was the unit that had occupied Nootka Sound(Vancouver Island).

They reached the vicinity of their target(Seattle), in just twelve days, two days short of two full weeks, and they had the Nuu Chah Nulth people to thank for that remarkable speed.

They guided the Bharatiya military through the inhospitable snowy desert of North America (Whistler) and took the army right behind the target (Seattle).

Atop a snowy mountain peak a few kilometres from the French-built city of Fort Laurentia(Seattle), a faint shimmer appeared for a split second before vanishing as if it had never existed.

A European soldier guarding the walls frowned when he caught the fleeting glimmer, but since it lasted only for an instant, he dismissed it as a trick of his eyes.

What he did not know was that, at the exact spot where the shimmer had appeared, a small mound of snow shifted on its own before quietly settling again.

Moments later, a man in a white military ghillie suit emerged from beneath the snow. He brushed the powdery frost off his uniform, took out a notebook, and quickly recorded his observations.

His mission was complete.

Major General Arun Gadhvar was the highest-ranking officer of the unit, commanding a division supported by several brigadier generals.

After receiving intelligence from the scouts, he immediately ordered the research and analysis wing to compile an attack plan as quickly as possible. It was not winter yet; it was still in the transitional period. Even so, the weather was already cold and harsh enough to make him dread what the true winter would bring, so he was in a hurry to get the job done as quickly as possible.

Although his division had been trained for snow operations, and some of his officers had even served along the Tibetan and Himalayan borders, the situation in the Americas was entirely different. The environment was unfamiliar, the conditions unpredictable, and the weather was harsher.

Arun Gadhvar folded his hands and waited inside the barracks, alongside the other brigadier generals and lieutenant colonels, all of them anticipating the analysis from the research and analysis wing with bated breath.

Thankfully, it did not take long. Within an hour of the data being delivered, the compiled results were placed before him. As he reviewed the various proposed plans, Arun Gadhvar fell into deep thought.

In truth, they were in a highly advantageous strategic position. Most of the enemy’s firepower and military presence was concentrated toward the west, leaving the eastern approach far less defended. They could, in theory, launch a direct assault and overrun the enemy base. However, despite this advantage, acting too recklessly could cause the enemy to retreat and shift into guerrilla warfare, a scenario he wanted to avoid at all costs, especially in winter, even if the fighting took place in urban terrain.

"We’ll proceed with the third plan," he decided calmly. "But remain flexible, we’ll adapt as the situation changes. Enemy reinforcements and resupplies are still a possibility."

The Brigadier Generals quickly read through the plan and nodded in acknowledgment while the lieutenant colonels carefully studied the plan so that they could go back and brief their battalions about the operation

"How’s logistics looking?"

"There should be no problem with ordinance for at least a week, sir. If the bullets are used sparingly, it could last longer"

"What about medical supplies and food?"

"The medical supplies should last for a month, as for the food, there should not be any problem in two weeks, and even if the battle takes longer, the natives are willing to share their reserves they have stocked up for the winter with us"

"Well, that won’t be necessary; the battle should end by then, but anyway, convey my personal gratitude to the tribal chief and the boys participating in the battle"

"Alright, let’s set off"

It was 4:50 PM, and the daylight had begun to fade. The lookouts at Fort Laurentia were exhausted and fatigued, desperately waiting for the next shift to arrive and relieve them, but there were still forty minutes to go.

Lost in their weariness, they failed to notice the black dot on the horizon as it slowly grew larger and larger. It was only when that dot turned into a massive approaching army that some of them finally realised the Bharatiya forces were upon them and began to react.

"Ring the bell, ring the bell, we are under attack, we are under attack." The ones who noticed screamed in terror and alerted the others. Unfortunately, most of them were unable to escape death.

Since the advance had been made through mountainous terrain, the Bharatiya Empire did not bring along its largest artillery pieces. However, smaller modular artillery, five-kilogram, six-kilogram, and the heavier ten-kilogram units, were still deployed.

At a distance of only a few hundred metres, once the bombardment began, the Europeans offered almost no resistance. Many of them were caught in shock and disbelief, remaining frozen in a sense of unreality until their final moments.

"Quickly widen the breach," Arun ordered.

With a few explosions, the flimsy wall turned into rubble, and a large opening opened up.

The first principle for this battle was to stay fast, stay unpredictable, and never get stuck.

So as soon as the breach was opened, the infantry quickly rushed into the city and cleared out all the stragglers on the outer edge.

The second principle for the battle was to hit them where it hurts most with everything you’ve got.

"Aim directly for the enemy granary, let’s cut off their logistical supplies."

They began to move once again, and thanks to the Europeans not imagining the enemy would come from the rear, their granary was located at the rear, so the granary was actually only a few km from the place where they breached.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Gunshots rang out for several hours straight, with thousands of European soldiers and people suspected of being European soldiers dying; they might have been civilians, but the situation is urgent now, and Arjun had no time to be soft-hearted.

Reaching the granaries, the commandos took over the task and quickly completed it by throwing smokebombs throughout the enemy perimeter, infiltrating from behind, climbing on top of the granary itself, and taking down the enemy soldiers from the higher ground.

The third principle for the battle was to wrap around them like a trap and squeeze.

"A brigade will stay guard at the granary, and the rest will encircle the European stronghold."

With their logistics cut off, the Europeans gathered inside their barracks, preparing for a counterattack. However, they were caught completely off guard when the Bharatiya military appeared right at their doorstep.

The battle turned brutally bloody, with hundreds of casualties falling in mere moments. Yet the Bharatiya forces were acting according to the fourth principle decided before the war:

Let them strike empty space, then hit them from the sides.

The frontal assault was nothing more than a feint, a carefully crafted bluff. The true attack came from both flanks, catching the Europeans unprepared. Gunfire tore through their ranks, and the battlefield was soaked in blood, their own lives becoming the price for their misjudgment.

"Surrender, we surrender."

Nearly two weeks of travel and millions of Varha spent had all culminated in this single moment. The enemy surrendered, and the empire won.

But this was not the end of the war, only the end of one battle, a victorious one, and the first of many more to come for the Bharatiya military. Now it was time for Major General Arun Gadhvar to consolidate his forces, allow them to recuperate, and wait for the next mission.