TO Admiral E. Rice-Burroughs, MSS 'Odin'
TO Admiral Hogan Stipes, ESS 'NO PLAN SURVIVES'
TO Venerian Admiral, c/o Oith
COPY Admiral of the White Sir George Tryon KCBE, ESS Shaka
DATE 3198.061 < by which time Burwasher should be at Potomax. This is in reply to Admiral E. Rice-Burroughs' ( Martian ) message of 3198.050 >
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1. DEPLOYMENT CLARIFICATION
I stated that 'the ships of the JAC will be organised into fleets of comparable size, and sufficient force to defeat one Exterminator super-battleship, code name "Viking"'. When the Venerian fleet arrives there will be 5 such fleets, and this gives maximum flexibility. It is not my intention that any 1 fleet should voluntarily engage 2 Vikings, but a fleet admiral may judge that necessary if the circumstances warrent it. (It is the course of action that the late, and much lamented, Admiral Kim Stanley-Robinson chose, and I can but agree with her decision. ) If 2 Vikings are co-located, the two nearest fleets should engage if practicable, without waiting for orders from JACHQ.
2. Heavy ships ( BBI, CAI & CVI ) should remain concentrated outside system M25. Light ships ( CLI & DDI ) may be used as sentry ships or reconnaissance patrols at the admirals discretion. Note 1st Allied Fleet has deployed: 4 DDI as sentry ships, 2 each at Evian and Dyme; 5 DDI & 1 ALSI are scouting in 3 pairs, OP WILD GOOSE.
3. STRATEGY
The initial deployments of fleets, at Baldar, Matanzas, L'Fayet and Gryme might be styled "3 Up, 1 (then 2) Back" and weighted toward the Martian flank. This corresponds to the activities of 1 or 2 (presumed) Exterminator(s) at Gander. However, we need reliable reports of Exterminator locations before we can strike.
4. RECONNAISSANCE PATROLS
JACHQ recommend that patrols are by pairs of ships. At a target location, 1st ship would act as a Hyper-Space Transmission Station ( HSTS ) whilst 2nd would make 'silent running' observation flight. ROE are to run and hide;
MISSION priorities are to report enemy sightings, and to remain undiscovered whilst so doing.
5. 1st ALLIED FLEET DEPLOYMENT
At Gryme: Earther BBI Shaka (Admiral Tryon), CVI: Lenin, Livingstone, Washington, DiGriz, Sadahori, LSSI Ohre, Orwell, Paraguay, Penobscot; Centauran BBI Haig, CAI Alexander, Hindenburg, CVI Musashi, LSSI Sagami; Sirian 3 DDI + 1 LSSI. 2IC is Sirian Admiral Gorickal. LSSI and ALSI are based on Gryt and Roopy. There are 8 ships being repaired (2BBI, 2 CAI, 2 CVI & 2 CLI) at Marque and Gryt. 2 ALSI at Potomax as mobile JACHQ.
message ends.