Chapter 418 The Apprentice
After the final design, the field cooking cart was divided into two stoves and was approximately square. It could be pulled by one horse or pushed or pulled by two people, similar to the Prussian field cooking cart. The cars are somewhat similar but very different.
(Picture: Prussian version of World War I)
After Ernst’s magic modification, this kind of field cooking cart has a greatly reduced weight. At the same time, because it has only two wheels, it is not suitable for East African roads or wilderness. The adaptability is enhanced, but because it only has two wheels, two retractable brackets are needed when fixing it.
There is no dedicated oven or coffee stove. In fact, the current prototype Prussian field cooking vehicle cannot be equipped with an oven. After all, it is not used for cooking. The battlefield requires efficiency, and the process of making baked goods is complicated. There may also be a shortage of clean drinking water, as flour products need to be kneaded with water.
As for the World War I military ration review in the previous life, just take it as a joke. Those things that look flashy cannot be eaten by the army every day, and they can be used for emergencies.
Hot food is an effective guarantee to improve the combat effectiveness of the army. Who can bear to hide in the trenches and chew cold bread all the time.
The two stoves designed by Ernst can be equipped with different kitchen utensils, one is a cylindrical rice steaming bucket, the other is a curved iron pot, two frying plates, and two large kettles .
It can basically meet the needs of the Army. Of course, the shortcomings of this field cooking truck are also very obvious, that is, it cannot solve the problem of smoke and may expose its position.
However, the main application of field cooking trucks is to facilitate the march of the East African Army. For example, this time the 111th Division and the 123rd Division spanned more than 2,000 kilometers from East Africa to South Africa. As East Africans, there was no Combat needs, so the above problems do not exist.
Moreover, the problem of the chimney is not unsolvable, but it cannot be solved currently, and there is a lot of room for improvement in the future.
Ernst looked at the field cooking cart he designed, and overall he was quite satisfied. This was mostly thanks to the roadside food carts in his previous life that provided him with rich inspiration.
Ernst: "For the military, the so-called details determine success or failure. In addition to considering combat needs, we must also consider issues from the military life level. Sometimes the non-combat attrition of a war can be greater than that of a war. "
This is particularly evident in the East African Army. The East African Army has not encountered a strong enemy and the intensity of the war is not high. On the contrary, the non-combat attrition losses are higher than the war losses.
"Of course, I am not advocating hedonism. The army is used to fight and protect the country, not to enjoy happiness. Therefore, we must not relax our training and often simulate difficult war environments. As for It is also necessary to improve the living environment of soldiers, and there is no conflict between the two. ”
……
January 17, 1873.
While Ernst was working on improving the logistics support of the army, the East African arsenal also received new equipment. For this reason, the Mauser brothers made a special trip from Germany to East Africa to guide the installation of the production line of Mauser rifles.
William Mauser: "The 1873 Mauser rifle, which is the 1871 rifle currently equipped in Germany, has a huge improvement in range and accuracy compared to the Dreiser rifle. The German Army has also adopted us. plan, but the Ministry of National Defense mainly handed over orders to some old arsenals for production. We are unable to supply the German Army in large quantities due to production capacity issues. "
The 1871 Mauser rifle is in East Africa due to the equipment time and the presence of Germany. Difference, so it is called the 1873 rifle in East Africa.
Ernst: "I understand this matter. Our arsenal in Germany was just a small factory that Prussia was about to eliminate. It has never been the main customer of the Prussian army's arms. I personally think that we can get some orders from the German army. "Enough." As one of the suppliers of the German army, the Hechingen Consortium is even more They are more concentrated in the fields of food, clothing, and daily necessities. As for arms, not to mention Krupp, an iconic enterprise of the German Army, even some medium-sized enterprises are much better than those in East Africa. This is all due to human nature, and people can let the Hechingen Consortium enter. The German army's supply system is good, and the Hechingen Consortium cannot break its rules.
At that time, Constantine was still serving in the Prussian Army, and with the surname Hohenzollern, this was one of the reasons why the Hechingen Consortium was able to enter.
Ernst: "When you come to East Africa this time, I happen to have something to ask for. I hope you won't refuse."
The Mauser brothers didn't dare to show off in front of their boss, so they hurriedly said : "Your Highness, you are too polite. Without your grace, we would not be where we are today. As for the demands, they are all due and we will naturally do what we can."
Ernst said: "It's not a big deal, I just hope you can bring in more new people. Of course, I'm not talking about the company's internal staff, but the students I specially trained in the Hechingen area, so that they can help you more." Let’s start.”
So that’s what it’s about, isn’t it just about taking on an apprentice! The Mauser brothers came here the same way, but they mainly learned the craft from their father for a longer time. Isn't this just a matter of your words? Brother William Mauser said: "As long as you say it, Your Highness, we will never hide it secretly."
Ernst nodded and said: "That's good, they are all young. Children, some of them are not even very proficient in German, so you have to bear with me a little more.”
The apprentices Ernst arranged for the Mauser brothers were not many students at the Hechingen school, only five. personally, but Ernst thought five was enough, two of them from the Far East.
Currently, few of the students trained by Ernst have entered universities in Germany. They are all gifted geniuses. Not to mention universities, they are middle schools in Germany. It is difficult for people to enter these days. , Unless money is spent, Ernst should not be taken advantage of. It is not a small amount of money. The actual education quality of the middle school Ernst established in Hechingen cannot be compared with other middle schools in Germany, because the current middle schools are also elite. educate.
Regardless of university, the only way to learn top-level knowledge is to become an apprentice with weapons research and development experts like the Mauser brothers. Apprenticeships are now very common in Europe, so Ernst’s request is not too much. The most important thing is that students can learn something.
The Mauser brothers also have middle school education, but this is not the main reason why they became experts in weapons research and development. It is more influenced by their family background.
So the assistants Ernst assigned to the Mauser brothers were also students from Hechingen Middle School, so there would not be much obstacles in learning. The main thing was to accumulate experience and learn design ideas.
It’s hard to say whether it will succeed, but if it does, East Africa will make a lot of money. If not, you can also work as a professional technician in the East African Arsenal.
Ernst continued: "In the field of work, the environment in Germany is definitely better, but East Africa is not bad, especially the East African Army, which is your strong backing. Some firearms and weapon data can also be I will provide you with a wealth of first-hand information. Germany is located between the cold temperate zone, while East Africa is located between Asia and the tropics. It has rich application scenarios, which is of great benefit to weapons research and development, so you can come to East Africa more and move around. "< br>
William Mauser: "Your Highness, you can rest assured that we will definitely consider East African factors when it comes to firearms research and development."
Both parties maintained a tacit understanding and did not mention the matter of being stationed in East Africa. The environment in East Africa is a The big problem is that it cannot attract high-end talents to settle in. This environment refers more to the comprehensive environment. The level of development in East Africa is not high. High, especially the more livable inland areas, have not been effectively developed. Ernst did not dare to let them stay on the coast for too long. Although Dar es Salaam is one of the most prosperous cities in the tropics, its climate is somewhat It's a bit hot, much worse than Germany. The inland climate in East Africa is stronger than Germany, but the infrastructure can't keep up.
(End of this chapter)