From cannon fodder to sweeping across thousands of stars.

Chapter 528: The Perfect Raid Exists Only in Theory

Murat and Jacob could not help but stand in awe when they heard Randall, who usually did not look like a man of blood, speak so resolutely at this moment, ready to die.

The crew members who were closer to the bridge raised their chests with pride after seeing their captain so bravely, as if they had won some honor.

However, the next second after Randall finished speaking, he sighed in a voice that only Murat and Jacob could hear:

“But I really don’t know how to win this battle.”

Murat, Jacob: "."

Seeing the two people's expressions of being unable to hold back, Randall said nonchalantly:
"You two can laugh if you want to. But when the fight starts, I don't think you will have time to laugh or will be able to laugh."

"Colonel Randall, your eloquence level is not much worse than the Boss's." Murat forced himself to hold back his smile and then spoke.

He naturally knew that it was not appropriate to laugh at this moment. After all, the captain's seat was in the most conspicuous place on the bridge, and everyone on the bridge could see him if he laughed.

Jacob also spoke up and made a rare comment: "The first sentence has a sense of sacrificing one's life for justice. I was still moved and even shed a few tears. But your second sentence ruined the whole paragraph."

Hearing Jacob's words, Randall immediately shook his head:
"No, I mean what I said. First of all, you must have a correct attitude and not be afraid before the battle. But you must also think rationally afterwards, because a fleet battle cannot be won by just being passionate and using 'magic blessings'."

"So you think we have no chance of winning this battle?" Murat asked.

"I can't just say there's no chance of winning. I can only objectively say that there is indeed a certain gap between our combat power and the enemy's."

Randall replied, raising his hand to summon a holographic screen.

"You have just seen the number of fleets we have in the organization table. One Infinity, six battleships, ten heavy cruisers, twenty-two light cruisers, and seventy-five destroyers and frigates. That's it. I can't conjure up more ships.

Although the garrison fleet of the Rubion Galaxy Autonomous Government lost many warships after the armed rebellion broke out in the galaxy, they still have at least a force close to that of a standard fleet under their control.

The gap between us and the garrison fleet is also mainly reflected in the battleships. We have 24 fewer battleships and 30 fewer heavy cruisers than them. Not to mention the light cruisers and destroyer formations. Although there is still a gap, it is still acceptable."

After hearing Randall's words, Murat and the others also turned their eyes to the 'Enemy Ship Intelligence' on the holographic screen, and the former continued to speak:
"Do you two know the historical 'Taffy3'?"

Murat: “What the hell?”

Randall rolled his eyes helplessly, then looked at Jacob with hope, but the driver of the heavy armored combat boat did not give him the answer he wanted. Instead, he smiled foolishly and scratched his head embarrassedly.

"Hey, Colonel, I don't know either."

"Tsk, don't military schools now teach even the History of Human Warfare?"

Murat: "There is indeed no such course at the Mobile Armored Academy. I only learned how to fly an HCP after I graduated." Jacob: "You don't even need to go to school to fly a high-speed reconnaissance aircraft. You just need to be brave enough and receive a few months of training to fly it."

The answers from the two made Randall not know what to say for a moment, but he quickly adjusted himself and started to explain the science to these two "peasants".

"This is a story that happened during a world war on Blue Star. The official name of 'Taffy 3' should be TF77.4.3 - the third squadron of the fourth group of the 77th Task Force.

The experience of this team at that time was somewhat similar to ours. A small fleet with overall not very strong strength and ranked third-rate in the battle sequence met head-on with the enemy's main fleet, which was one of the strongest on paper at that time.

In this situation where the gap in strength between the two sides was so huge, 'Taffy3', who had nowhere to retreat, chose to charge at the opposing 'Giant'."

If they had heard this story before, Murat and Jacob might not have felt much. After all, this ancient battle happened too long ago, and they were not like naval officers who had an obsession with the navies of every era in human history.

But after discovering that their own situation was quite similar to that of this small fleet in history, the two couldn't help but put themselves in its shoes.

Murat couldn't help but ask, "Colonel, what was the final outcome of this battle?"

"'Taffy 3' was severely damaged, and the escort destroyer suffered heavy casualties. However, they persisted until the arrival of reinforcements and eventually forced the enemy fleet to retreat, which indirectly affected the outcome of the entire battle."

"It doesn't sound like a bad ending." Murat said with some relief, and Jacob nodded in agreement.

"You're right. It's not a bad ending. It can even be said to be a classic battle of 'winning with fewer troops' and 'making the most of a small effort'."

Randall did not comment on the two people's opinions, but then he added with a sly smile:
"However, the 'carrier-based aircraft' in this fleet, whose functions and duties are similar to those of HCPs and heavy armored combat boats, suffered a lot of losses in the battle."

Murat, Jacob: "."

"Hahahaha~" Looking at the two people's expressions as if they had eaten something wonderful, Randall finally laughed out loud.

Murat was somewhat speechless and ignored Randall's joke, turned his attention back to the 'Enemy Ship Intelligence' on the holographic screen, and quickly spoke:
"Colonel, I think that although there is indeed a gap in strength between us and the garrison fleet, it is not that big if you think about it carefully. The combat capability of the Infinity is definitely not to be underestimated, and we also have heavy armored combat boats that can make up for part of the anti-ship force.
If we fight the garrison fleet like this, we are not without a chance of winning. If you command properly and we have a little more luck, I think we might even be able to win this battle."

Randall was not surprised by Murat's words. Although he was not from the navy, he had been in the Atlas combat unit for so long that he had learned a lot and knew how to assess the power gap between the two sides.

"You're right. With the Infinity and the good fighters you brought with you, we are not without any chance of winning in a direct confrontation. Our chances of winning are not small."

Randall nodded in agreement with Murat's point of view, and then continued:

"But what we need to do is not to simply hold on until reinforcements arrive or win the battle, but to launch a perfect raid that only exists in theory."

(End of this chapter)