I, transformed into a vampire girl, sparked the Industrial Revolution.

Chapter 68 Rapid Preparation in 1 Hour

The train roared along the tracks, its steam locomotive belching out thick smoke that blotted out the sky. Alice leaned against the window, gazing at the scenery outside.

Thick wooden poles stood beside the railway tracks, and thin wires divided the sky from the earth. This carriage was full of officials and soldiers of all kinds. The 72-hour rapid preparation for war left most people somewhat at a loss, but fortunately, there were still some structures. The gradually popularizing telegraph system connected cities that were previously too far away, and the railway system shortened the distance between industrial and military centers. Everything was getting faster and faster.

The General Logistics Department of the military system, as a new department, played a crucial role in mobilizing troops and gathering supplies. Upon receiving the order, the General Logistics Department immediately began to mobilize supplies from various warehouses. All sorts of complicated reports came into play. Alice's standardization plan, which had initially drawn complaints from many, proved to be quite useful and effective under the scale of military mobilization. From the standardization of units to the standardization of transported goods, even a standard box had detailed design drawings. A box containing rifles had its size and the standard for the rifles it could hold.

This is what is called standardization. If computers and punched cassettes weren't still in the laboratory, Alice would have already implemented a computer system for logistics. However, Alice is currently using a "national equipment numbering" system for logistics. Every item, from small water cups to large artillery and ships, has its own file. Each file has a unique number composed of letters and numbers. These numbers are used as a basis for classification and retrieval. This system is used in several storage centers established in Sheila. There are paper labels on the shelves and boxes where items are stored, and these labels have these numbers written on them. The items are then classified by number. While Alice was traveling to Sheila by train, the logistics personnel were pulling two-wheeled handcarts and quickly moving through those huge cement warehouses to transport supplies for the operation.

"4000 A0, 75mm Dahlgren gun armor-piercing rounds are needed!"

"Yes!"

The massive warehousing center is located relatively close to the inland area, but not in the city of Hilla. The naval infantry training base, Hilla Fort, is built nearby and connected by paved roads and railways, providing good security. At the same time, there are also many secret intelligence agents, and even the secret intelligence agency's directly subordinate special forces - the "Special Operations Strategic Force" and the naval special forces - the "Poster Commando" - are trained here.

That's right, it's the Poster Commando Team, not the Navy SEALs. Alice fully indulged her wicked sense of humor, since the main job of the Poster Commando Team in the future would be to post recruitment advertisements for the Shanghai Navy.

It was thanks to the protection of various units that the Hilla storage center was able to store all kinds of artillery shells and munitions, as well as military equipment. The huge storage center also unusually used electric power, with a huge warehouse door installed above the warehouse to facilitate the transport of goods in boxes by steam crane.

When Alice arrived at the port of Hilla by train, war preparations were in full swing. Roaring small steam locomotives transported goods back and forth between the port and the storage center, and naval infantry were occasionally sent to the port for amphibious landing drills.

Princess Alice has arrived!

"salute!"

"At ease, gentlemen!"

Alice strode into the Naval Operations Command's readiness room, where various officers were gathered. Inside the enormous readiness room was a huge map, and a sand table made by the finest craftsmen was displayed on the table for the Navy's use.

Alice nodded, and Yog Lat began to describe the current situation. He was wearing a white naval uniform with stars on the deck and was holding a pointer for sand table simulations. Several female orcs stood to the side, holding levers.

"The intelligence agency's agents reported on the church's current situation. They are almost ready to set sail on Sunday afternoon, March 20, which is their prayer day."

"Two days later."

Alice thought that the straight-line distance between the two sides was actually about the same, but the church's fleet was mainly composed of sailing ships and galleys, which were slower than motor-driven ships, which were around 8 knots. Her ocean fleet, on the other hand, generally had a speed of 10 to 13 knots, and could reach 14 to 15 knots if it had a tailwind and was running at full speed.

The two sides will engage in an encounter battle. The Church has one first-class battleship, "Glory Goddess", as well as fifteen second-class battleships and twenty third-class battleships. The second-class battleships have about 85 guns and are the absolute capital ships, while the third-class capital ships have about 60 guns and are the mainstay of the warships.

The agents also provided more intelligence: the church is currently mainly forging 18-pound cannons. After capturing the cannon technology, the church has changed its previous focus on close combat and is now using cannons and muskets more often. Several church Holy Cross legions have begun to use large square formations, and the armor coverage of soldiers is decreasing.

This analysis is based on the market prices of goods in the church-controlled areas. The prices of pig iron, copper, hemp rope, timber, magic crystals, charcoal, and tung oil are all rising across the board. Goods are being transported to foundries and shipyards by the cartload, and a large number of cannons and guns are being transported out by horse-drawn carriages every day. The medieval administrative system of the church has done nothing to maintain secrecy, so that agents can easily obtain intelligence from the church, some of which is even public information.

"The church has summoned a new hero, who appears to be a female hero."

As Alice listened to Smedley's introduction, she learned that many of the Church's heroes were summoned from other worlds. However, most of the heroes summoned before him were just greenhorns, but this hero was not a greenhorn at all, and had even innovated the Church's weapons.

"We are facing an enemy that also uses firearms, but the naval infantry has been equipped with breech-loading rifles. We have changed our training manuals according to the weapons and no longer use the line formation."

"Scout line?"

"Yes, Your Highness, our naval infantry have been trained in skirmish tactics and are ready to be deployed in battle at any time."

"very good."

Alice nodded. She hadn't expected the battle to break out at this time, but thanks to the system, the Navy was prepared.

"However, land battles are not important. The important thing is to destroy the Church's fleet. We expect the Church to deploy most of its Holy Fleet, including that first-class battleship and the remaining battleships of all classes. We will be facing a main fleet of about 30 ships. We are going to fight a tough battle."

"The entire Western Ocean Fleet must deploy 95 percent of its ships. Two Type 90 escort ships can be left to defend the coast, and the remaining ships can be deployed as a task force."

With the Hiun as its flagship, the First Task Force consisted of three Hiun-class iron-ribbed, wooden-hulled clipper battlecruisers: Hiun, Advance, and Era; 11 Type 90 escort ships: Industry, Combat, Steam, Red Tea, Unification, Northern, Mystery, Vanguard, Flame, Flying, and Deep Sea; and several naval auxiliary warships.

The Second Task Force, with the newly fitted cruiser HMS Sword as its flagship, was accompanied by five Type 90 escort ships: Hotblood, Snowflake, White Dew, Dawn, and Midnight, as well as all the galleon transport ships, carrying naval infantry for landing.

"The operational objective of the First Task Force is to destroy or rout the Church fleet and prevent the Church army from landing to the greatest extent possible. The Second Task Force is centered on landing transport."

"The specific operational plan is as follows..."

Today is a busy day.