<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://i.imgur.com/SFZDpCY.png?1">[ img ]</a><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-size: 85%; line-height: 116%;">Credit: "Polish horse artillery in enemy's fire. Battle of Raszyn 1809"--Wojciech Kossak</span></span></span><br/><br/><br/> <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 200%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #404000">"There is nothing impossible to him who will try."  --Alexander (the Great)</span></span></span></span></div><br/><br/><span style="color: #808080"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">15 April 1801<br/>Rosemont Hall, War Department, Windovar</span></span></span><br/><br/>Field Marshall Sir Lawrence Weatherby, Duke of Cornwall held his Commanders' meeting at Rosemont Hall, the war department for the Anglo-Serpican Empire in the nation's capital at Windovar. The ancient city rested on the banks of the Anglia River which flowed east from the Bomar Mountains through Upper and Lower Anglia Provinces and then into Serpica. It turns south at Baja Mare and flows into Krystanople, then turns east at the border flowing into the Urumundan Empire.<br/><br/>Rosemont Hall is a rose-colored building made of marble and stone constructed in the early 13th century to house the Parliament. When the newer Parliament building was constructed, the War Department took over Rosemont Hall as it expanded. The Duke of Cornwall maintains an office in a back corner of the first floor. Along the same corridor as his office, there is a large conference room with a very heavy long Oaken table as its centerpiece. Two oversized forest green-padded walnut chairs sit at both ends of the table and ten similar designed smaller chairs rest on either side of the elegant thirty foot table. Along the walls surrounding the conference room are another fifty chairs of this same design. Between every ten chairs or near the doors are small tables containing a kerosene lamp. At one end of the room is a very large box window allowing sunlight to illuminate the room. Paintings of former Kings of the Stewart clan adorn the dark ash paneled walls as well as naval and army officers who provided great military victories to the empire. Scarlet colored curtains hang bowed from the majestic ceiling along the tops of the walls.<br/><br/>At the head of the table stood the 71" Commander of the Anglo-Serpican Army, Sir Lawrence Weatherby. Also known as the Duke of Cornwall, his right hand holding a scabbard. Due to a birth defect, the duke always held some object in his right hand. The Duke waited for a very important guest, soon to arrive.<br/><br/>When the doors opened, Brigadier General Sir Edmund Lathbury announced, "Gentlemen, attention! Announcing in these chambers, his Excellency, King of the Anglican and Serpican provinces, William Stewart the third." The king entered the room, walking immediately to the head of the room. He did not stop to shake hands with any of the officers assembled.<br/><br/>The King smiled and took the Duke's left hand in his own, "Uncle Lawrence, so very nice to see you this fine day. I only wish it could be under more pleasant conditions."<br/><br/>"My pleasure your highness. It is times like these that define the characters of men like us. Today, we are fortunate to be in the company of the finest this nation will ever know."<br/><br/>"So right you are, Uncle." The king released the duke's hand and turned to the assembled officers surrounding the table. Each of the seven corps commanders, plus one additional foreign dressed general sat at the large table.  The Duke's staff officers also sat at the far end of the staff table. One brigadier general, three colonels, two lieutenant colonels and one Major made up Marshal Watherby's staff. At the remaining chairs around the room stood two staff officers from each of the seven corps. These were the corps adjutant, a Colonel and the Corps Commander's Aide d' Camp. The adjutant was responsible for taking notes on the operational plan. The Aide d' camp assisted the corps commander with everything including taking notes on personal matters. The Adjutant held the rank of Colonel, while the Aide d' camp could be any rank between Captain and Lieutenant Colonel.<br/><br/>King William turned to face the crowd, still standing. "Gentlemen, as you know, the Dervish Empire has declared war upon us. Their army is assembling as we speak. I have received reports that Dervish cavalry are patrolling the borders north of Upper Anglia and north and west of Kent. We need to move cavalry to the border as soon as possible, but I will leave the operational plan to Lord Weatherby. Make haste, gentlemen. Now is the time for action!"<br/><br/>"Before I turn this meeting over to him, I have two promotions to announce. May I have Lieutenant General Bain and Lieutenant General Monash to the front of the room, please!" The king commanded rather than asked a question expecting the two generals to step up to where he waited on them.<br/><br/>"Room Attention!" Brigadier General Lathbury, Adjutant to the Army announced bringing all military personnel in the room to the rigid position of attention.<br/><br/>"It gives me great privilege to promote Sir Jackson Monash, Viscount Newerth, to the rank of Field Marshal." The king pinned the appropriate rank badge upon his brother-in-law, shook his hand and quietly spoke, "Congratulations, Marshal Monash."<br/><br/>Next the king stood in front the giant of a man, "I take great pride in promoting Viktor Bain to the rank of Field Marshal, the highest rank in the nation." The king stretched onto tip-toes as he attempted to pin the rank badge on the newly promoted officer. Again, he quietly shook his hand and spoke, "Congratulations, Marshal Bain."<br/><br/>Field Marshal Weatherby called out, "Stewards! Brandy!" With those words spoken, an army of white jacketed waiters burst through the doors carrying trays of light brown liqueur. The servants provided refreshments for all assembled. Once the<span style="font-style: italic">Karlsburg Brandy</span>was issued to everyone, the stewards left the room. Lord Cornwall raised his glass, "To the King!"<br/><br/>The assembled group yelled, "Here here!" and sipped the brandy.<br/><br/>Brigadier General Lathbury raised his glass and yelled, "To the Anglo-Serpican Army. May it teach those Dervish bastards a thing or two about fighting a war!"<br/><br/>"Here here!"<br/><br/>After the glasses were empty, King William left the room to Lord Cornwall. With the doors closed the 48-year old army commander spoke, "take your seats, gentlemen. Before we begin, there is one among us, I would like to introduce. The Ruthenian Emperor has seen fit to provide us with a division of 15,000 soldiers and 36 cannons lead by Lieutenant General Lev Kovalevsky. General Kovalevsky, could you tell us a little about yourself?"<br/><br/><dl class="codebox"><dt>"LTG Lev Kovalevsky" | <a href="javascript: void(0);" onclick="var spoiler = this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('dd')[0]; if ( spoiler.style.display == 'none' ) { spoiler.style.display = 'block'; this.innerHTML = '-'; } else { spoiler.style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '+'; };">+</a></dt><dd style="display: none;"><a class="postlink" href="http://i.imgur.com/tCgDnbb.png">[ img ]</a></dd></dl><br/><br/>The Ruthenian General stood 74" in height with a very thick handlebar mustache. His pale blue uniform with gold braid, best described as immaculately ornamental. In a thick Ruthenian (Russian) accent, the General addressed the room, "It is both my pleasure and honor to accompany you on this journey. I have come a long way to fight Dervish. My men are battle-hardened veterans. To prevent friendly fire, you will be able to identify my soldiers by the red flag of Ruthenia and the gray uniforms my infantry formations wear. Ruthenian Cossacks are attired in dark burgundy accented in green, tan trousers and their traditional black Colpak headgear. Every one of them sport the traditional mustache like my own. My Cossacks are tenacious fighters. They will rip a hole right through the Dervish ranks." General Kovalevsky returned to his seat.<br/><br/>"Thank you very much for joining us, General Kovalevsky," Lord Cornwall extended his  greeting, making a toast to the Ruthenian empire; an excuse to recharge their glasses. The Ruthenian general nodded then Cornwall turned to his fifth corps Commander, "General Markanovich, General Kovalevsky's Division will be attached to your Corps for this operation. After this meeting introduce yourselves."<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #808080">[NOTE: Kovalevsky Division is posted with V Corps in the 2nd OOC post.]</span></span></span><br/><br/>"Marshal Bain, choose a division commander to take command of your corps. Submit a recommendation to me before you leave the city. I want you to take First and Third Corps (I & III Corps) north to Sharpton and Wallenburg. General Abernathy, take your Second Corps (II Corps) west to Saltville and patrol along the Upper Anglia border. Marshal Monash, choose a division commander to take command of your corps. Submit a recommendation to me before you leave the city. Take IV, V and VI Corps north. Patrol  as far east as Wallenburg and as far south as the Upper Anglia. Your army is henceforth referred to as the<span style="font-style: italic">Army of the Anglia</span>. Marshal Bain, you command the<span style="font-style: italic">Army of the Boar.</span>" The Boar river forms the northern border with York and the Dervish Empire.<br/><br/>"I urge you gentlemen to post your cavalry out to the borders with great haste. We have no idea what the Dervish intentions are. They could strike at any moment from either direction along our shared border. Communicate urgently to your cavalry commanders not to engage the Dervish cavalry until your infantry is within range to support. It will take several days of hard marching for each of your corps to arrive in your Areas of Responsibility. Once we know the location of the main Dervish Army, send word to me. I will ride with the Guards Corps to Ford City. If your corps makes contact with the Dervish Army, fight a delaying action, giving up terrain for time in order to assemble the army at a location of our choosing. General Abernathy, draw them into York and away from the capital if at all possible. If the Dervish is not in your Area of Operations, make all due haste to move to support your fellow Corps Commander, wherever they should be. Leave a squadron of cavalry in your AO upon your departure. Allow them to observe the  borders for any additional intrusion. I do not want to be taken in by a ruse. One last thing, with secrecy and covertness, deploy your dragoons across the border in troop-sized formations. Allow them to locate the enemy and send word as to their locations. Your dragoons must avoid contact if possible. If their location and identity is at jeopardy, have them make for the border with great haste. Are there any questions?"