Teeny-Tiny HFQ Snippet #2

laz wrote:I agree that it would offer incredible strategic and tactical advantages. But i question being able to hold it. And it only offers those advantages if captured intact (unless the ICN uses a lot of dynamite to expand/remove the need for locks). Not intact it is still a worth while target, but not for keeping...

If the ICN did capture it intact Dohlar would have to do everything it could to disable it. and it is LONG. a couple of sunk boats in the canal and the canal turns into a big anchor on the ICN. The AoG has approved the percussion caps, so how long before they have mines? then under water mines?

the Salthar canal could become a huge boat anchor to man and machine

How is Dohlar supposed to attack Silkiah? It appears that the Salthar Mountains run along the Silkiah-Dohlar border from about 20-30 miles West of Lake Somyr all the way into Salthar Bay. Even if they wanted to, how would the RDA get into Silkiah if the ICN controls the Gulf of Dohlar, Port Salthar, Silk Town and the Gulf of Jahras?

Of course keeping Silkiah can turn out to be resource sink. The odds of that happening are very long given the obstacles facing Dohlar and Desnair. The longer the allies hold Silkiah, the easier it will be to find personnel to garrison the country.

Taking Silkiah is easy enough, taking Silkiah with the Silk Town-Salthar canal intact is a tad more difficult. Even if they try to take the canal intact but fail, what is lost? Construction and engineering assets used to rebuild the canal are an investment in not only military capability but also in future shipping reach. Eventually, Cayleb and Sharley envision peace. That canal will turn out to be a very valuable access route for trade.

I had this wild idea, that if they ever get command of the orbital bombarment system, they could destroy the land bridge using it, so easier for ships to travel through it. If there is not need to build a canal, but easy water acces, far easier to claim and hold the region by water power.

[quote="lyonheart"]Hi Laz,

The Salthar-Silk Town canal is the most strategic objective for the ICN at the moment, ie cutting Sharpfield's communications and supply line from over a hundred days to less than 50 from Tellesburg.

I can't think of a higher priority for the ICN east of Haven and Howard.

I find it interesting that the Church hasn't addressed this strategic problem. Still thinking tactically. As I proposed in another post - the BLAME game is going to be big in the next book.

Why not, the nuclear reactor that I work at has a key.

Of course, driving it around the car park is a little tricky.....

at least you don't have to turn the lights on - you get to see by the green glow!

PeterZ wrote:Taking Silkiah is easy enough, taking Silkiah with the Silk Town-Salthar canal intact is a tad more difficult. Even if they try to take the canal intact but fail, what is lost? Construction and engineering assets used to rebuild the canal are an investment in not only military capability but also in future shipping reach. Eventually, Cayleb and Sharley envision peace. That canal will turn out to be a very valuable access route for trade.

Given the Church's and Inquisition's behavior so far, I'd expect any attempt by Charis (especially if it looks like it might succeed) to take Silkiah would result in the Inquisition ordering whatever Army of God units are present to burn the entire city down with its people still in it. There might even be standing orders from the Grand Inquisitor to that effect.

If one of Charis' objective is to liberate Silkiah and free its people from Inquisition tyranny, that could pose a problem.

evilauthor wrote:

PeterZ wrote:Taking Silkiah is easy enough, taking Silkiah with the Silk Town-Salthar canal intact is a tad more difficult. Even if they try to take the canal intact but fail, what is lost? Construction and engineering assets used to rebuild the canal are an investment in not only military capability but also in future shipping reach. Eventually, Cayleb and Sharley envision peace. That canal will turn out to be a very valuable access route for trade.

Given the Church's and Inquisition's behavior so far, I'd expect any attempt by Charis (especially if it looks like it might succeed) to take Silkiah would result in the Inquisition ordering whatever Army of God units are present to burn the entire city down with its people still in it. There might even be standing orders from the Grand Inquisitor to that effect.

If one of Charis' objective is to liberate Silkiah and free its people from Inquisition tyranny, that could pose a problem.

Hi evilauthor,

You have a valid point. No doubt they would if they could. However Silkiah has never been occupied by the Army of God. Prior to the defeat of their own armies in Siddarmark, and the ruin of the Desnairians, there has been no reason for them to worry about Silkiah.

Just guessing at what is going to happen, I would think that Silkiah's liberation will come at the hands of Alliance armies in hot pursuit of retreating Dohlarians with the possibility of the ICN taking Silk Town from the sea at about the time Sharpfield takes Port Salthar to secure the other end of the canal.

There are inquisitors in Silk Town, of course. But I suspect they will be far more interested in vacating the premises to stay out of the reach of Alliance custody than playing arsonist even if they had the time and manpower to do that.

Don

n7axw wrote:There are inquisitors in Silk Town, of course. But I suspect they will be far more interested in vacating the premises to stay out of the reach of Alliance custody than playing arsonist even if they had the time and manpower to do that.

Don

Don't underestimate fanatics. Depending on the Inquisitor in question, they just might decide on their own initiative to try and deprive the "Heretics" of anything that might be useful... like the town itself.

Of course, if they screw up the execution, they might wind up with a popular uprising in the middle of Silk Town itself. Because at that point, what do the Silkiahans have to lose?

evilauthor wrote:

n7axw wrote:There are inquisitors in Silk Town, of course. But I suspect they will be far more interested in vacating the premises to stay out of the reach of Alliance custody than playing arsonist even if they had the time and manpower to do that.

Don

Don't underestimate fanatics. Depending on the Inquisitor in question, they just might decide on their own initiative to try and deprive the "Heretics" of anything that might be useful... like the town itself.

Of course, if they screw up the execution, they might wind up with a popular uprising in the middle of Silk Town itself. Because at that point, what do the Silkiahans have to lose?

Building upon your point, fanactics don't react to failure well which could make them even worse than normal... I have no doubt they would if they could.

But my point is that I doubt that they can which will make getting out of town before the posse look pretty attractive...

Don

Hi Don,

Securing the Salthar canal is the alliance military priority, and the locks are apparently a third of the way inland on both sides, around 150-60 miles or so; while the first could be reached by scout snipers quietly in 2-3 days if lucky, though securing the semaphore stations would be an additional problem, though given a battalion or regiment of scout snipers from the September contingent, perhaps not.

The western locks are probably more vulnerable from teams coming from the south, ie North Watch Province, along the likely first and main high road skirting the eastern edge of the mountain range blocking the isthmus, from the north west tip of Jahras Bay, slightly south east of where the locks should be.

The teams might be landed and move north under cover of a raid [to grab Desnari cavalry horses etc] designed to cause the maximum confusion lasting days, possibly simulating a more permanent invasion etc, and mask the teams' movements, using 3+ horses each to move north as fast as possible at least initially.

Disguises might include appearing to be Desnar Army cavalry trying to keep their depot horses safe, or empire and or Army, and even CoGA messenger's with their armed escorts, or a merchant caravan; smuggler's routes, including hideouts or watering spots that OWL has created specially for them, with fresh horses might also be arranged with a seijin guide perhaps.

Once they're in position, the problem becomes initiating the operation if it isn't by some set date or astronomic sign.

If they've brought a heliograph or two though, messages might be sent far faster than most might suspect, since the record was 183 miles over 120 years ago.

If there are points or hills that are between the locks then the message distances would be only ~80 miles, a much easier distance to handle.

Signal rockets could also work over much longer distances than 10-20 miles, but the locals would know something was up.

What RFC has in mind for taking the canal will be fascinating to read.

L

n7axw wrote:

evilauthor wrote:*quote="n7axw"*
There are inquisitors in Silk Town, of course. But I suspect they will be far more interested in vacating the premises to stay out of the reach of Alliance custody than playing arsonist even if they had the time and manpower to do that.

Don8quote*

Don't underestimate fanatics. Depending on the Inquisitor in question, they just might decide on their own initiative to try and deprive the "Heretics" of anything that might be useful... like the town itself.

Of course, if they screw up the execution, they might wind up with a popular uprising in the middle of Silk Town itself. Because at that point, what do the Silkiahans have to lose?

Building upon your point, fanactics don't react to failure well which could make them even worse than normal... I have no doubt they would if they could.

But my point is that I doubt that they can which will make getting out of town before the posse look pretty attractive...

Don

How about this: View the Salthar-Silk Town canal not as an East-West pathway, but as a North-South travel barrier that must be spanned by bridges!
Perhaps the demolitions are for the purpose of destroying those bridges to interdict North-South communication between Desnair and Silkiah.
Comments?
Philip Stanley