Strategy and Hope

[bluntpencil2001]

My esteemed and not-so-esteemed friends and colleagues, as you well know, our current position against the Kusari Naval Forces looks like it is something akin to being up sh*t creek without a paddle, I'm afraid.

We've lost my home, Glasgow Outpost. Stokes Smelter has fallen. The Battleships Derby and York have been forced to retreat to more defensive positions. Thousands have died or been captured.

Also of note, the Kusari, contrary to some opinions, appear to be planning on one of the first ground assaults in the history of Sirius. This appears to be the case, due to the spear-like nature of their attack strategy. It is aimed directly at Planet Leeds. Our foe has never stalled to consolidate their gains. Their siege of Harris is replaced by a siege of Leeds. Tau 23 has not been attacked, and they do not pause to defend their flanks from the Dundee Fleet.

They do not use Stokes Smelter as it was originally intended (for mining and smelting), but use it as a staging post, gaining no economic benefit from their territorial gains. They haven't even bothered to prevent brave BMM pilots from using mobile ore extraction vessels from continuing to work the Stokes field, delivering much needed war supplies to New London.

This all indicates that they are attempting a blitzkrieg strategy, placing more emphasis on a quick strike at our hearts, taking out Planet Leeds as quick as possible, instead of slowly, more reliably building upon their previous victories.

Therein lies our hopes of salvation.

We don't need to push them out of Stokes or Glasgow at present, we just need to hold on. A strong defence in Leeds is our best offence there. Let them smash against our defences, like mere waves on the shore. We don't need to last for a long time, since they can only keep it up for a short period, and I know just how to make sure this is the case.

The Dundee Fleet and the Harris Defence Force are full of veteran pilots now, having fought in the Taus for quite some time. Tau 23 also has ex-BMM volunteers and my own Privateers stationed there, ready to strike at the weak flanks of the Kusari war machine.

The enemy is overextended, her spear-like attack driving deep into our home territory, but leaving her rear wide open to our perfectly positioned flanking forces. If we keep up our defences in Leeds, but concentrate our actual attacks on cutting off the KNF's lines of communication, fuel and supplies, her assault forces that are preparing to land on Planet Leeds will wither and weaken, lacking the necessary equipment to be of any threat.

My troops and I have already shown the value of striking at the economic lifeblood of the enemy, and now, it looks like we should continue to do so. We should defend Planet Leeds as if she were a fortress, drawing the attention of our foe to this point, whilst our roving pirates-with-license and reavers, cut them off from their home, reversing the position of besieged and besiegers.

For Bretonia as always,

Knight-Admiral Andrew Stuart

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