Chapter 454 Military Exercise
June 1875.
Central Province of the East African Kingdom, Mikumi Region.
Mikumi is a transition area from the plateau to the plain in the Central Province, where mountains, hills, and plain terrains meet, and forests and grasslands are connected.
The rainy season has just passed, the soil is still very wet, and a hazy mist permeates the mountains and forests. The Central Railway passes through this place, like a long steel dragon slowly disappearing from the coastal plain into the East African plateau.
There are East African villages and fertile fields on both sides of the railway, but this year the villagers watched a good show. The Royal Army held a massive military exercise in Mikumi. Starting at five o'clock in the morning, there were rumbling cannons and gunfire. The sound broke the peace of the area, and smoke rising from the mountainside could even be seen in the plain crop fields.
With the help of the railway, the East African Guards Division quickly delivered troops to the Mikumi area. The opponent was the Southern Military District that had fought with the Boers in the south. The two sides launched a big battle in the Mikumi area.
"The third combat team of the Blue Army, the enemy enters the jungle, don't act rashly, enter in small groups, keep the fighting distance, don't be defeated individually!"
"25 degrees to the left, There is unusual movement in the bushes, and there may be enemies.”
“Prepare grenades!”
As a smoke bomb ignited, the Blue Army's third combat team was plunged into fog.
The referee following the third combat team made a judgment: "Hit by a Red Army attack object, the explosion point was in the center, and the casualties were determined to be 40% of the personnel."
"This is not fair, grenade How can it be so powerful in actual combat? "
"The headquarters of this exercise stipulated that the damage range of small explosives should be expanded by two meters, not only It’s for you, but for all participating troops, so the penalty is valid!”
“That’s not right. Since they are casualties, they can’t all be killed! We can still fight even if we are injured. We used to do it in the western rainforest! The damage done by the grenade to the natives is like this. Even if it explodes at close range, the survival rate of the natives is still very high and they still have fighting ability.”
"Haha, this exercise is formulated according to the most cruel standards. If you are casualties, you will be killed in battle, regardless of the injury status, and if you are injured in a harsh environment, it is basically hopeless. The enemy will not give you a chance, so any Decisions must be made carefully, as any small detail may be the key to the victory or defeat of the war."
The blue soldier was still a little unconvinced and said: "Then since we were killed, are we lying here now?"
“Yes, now label life Leave it to me, you guys can just wait for the exercise to end, and the remaining survivors will continue to participate in the battle."
After the referee and others left, the sacrificed soldier of the Blue Army said unconvincingly: "The position was completely exposed just now. It was an accident. Originally, I They usually hide pretty well, but now they have a referee who is with the army, and they are so tied up that they can’t let go at all.”
“Damn it, maybe it was the referee who exposed it just now. Was he sent by the Red Army? Spy?”
"Impossible. The referees for this exercise are from other military regions. There is no possibility of cover-up. Take us as an example. Who among you would be convinced by the so-called Guards Division? So the exercise referees may favor us instead."
"Let's not talk about the referee issue. We did have a lot of problems with this tactical exercise. Bastard, I get angry when I say this. With so many people hidden in such a small bush, big problems are bound to happen. I'm the first one. If you hide here, won’t you hide somewhere else?”
“Isn’t this the only good place? So everyone has a tacit understanding to choose this spot, other places are too empty!” >
"So we didn't lose unjustly, and we must retreat separately next time..." When the Blue Army soldiers summed up their experience, the captain of the Red Army soldiers was also very dissatisfied: "Look what you look like! Fortunately, I just found out If you don't notice the enemy's movements, or are you waiting to be shot down by others? You must arrange your positions next time you enter the jungle. If you encounter a well-trained army, we will definitely suffer!"
...
The soldiers had different views on the exercise, and there was already a quarrel in the exercise headquarters.
"Leonard, are you so embarrassed? What equipment do you have and what equipment do we have? If you ask me about this exercise, compared to your Guards Division, our troops are like stepchildren. "
"Coriolis, don't spit on others. Although the Guards Division is indeed a bit excessive in terms of weapons, the advantage it can gain is also the result of our efforts. Furthermore, our Guards Division is subject to restrictions. It's not that small. All kinds of high-quality terrain have been awarded to you from the beginning. You are still the defender, so the gap between the two sides is not big."
"Isn't it big? Your 12-pounder is too shameless! Originally it was a 6-pounder gun, but it is also considered a 12-pounder gun, and it can also be considered a 24-pounder gun. Our 3-pounder gun is still a 3-pounder gun, and there are machine guns, which are more than ten times ours. I don’t care about these, the bullets are set Our numbers and other basic parameters are lower than yours, how can we fight this kind of war?”
"Haha, there is no way. This time our Red Army is simulating a European army power. The equipment gap between the East African army and the European army is so big. Besides, a lot of our heavy equipment is ineffective. The road conditions here are so bad. Heavy artillery is not as flexible as light artillery. "
Sweite, the commander-in-chief of the exercise headquarters, said: "Okay, stop arguing. This exercise is a rehearsal, which is to fight against the European powers at our East African level. There are some flaws, so the gap in equipment is so outrageous. Our army must hold itself to the highest standards and be able to show its strength even in desperate situations."
"General Staff, I know this. It's clear, but I really can't figure out which European country has the ability to deploy such a large army in East Africa and equip it with so many weapons. I'm afraid even the British can't do it?"
"Maybe this is the case? It is very difficult for the great powers, but there is no doubt about the strength of the great powers, especially the naval and army powers in Europe. If they really use all their strength to deal with East Africa, it will definitely be difficult for us. "
"That's right. We cannot underestimate the enemy, especially the great powers. Not to mention the overwhelming strength of the country, some great powers can give us a headache if they use one-third of their strength. Maybe a million troops can't do it, but hundreds of thousands of troops still can't do it. capable of being delivered to Africa," Ernst said as he walked into the headquarters.
"Your Highness!" Several people gave Ernst a military salute.
Ernst waved his hand and said: "Okay, everyone, sit down! I will take the time to inspect the exercise area this time. You continue to work. How is the current exercise situation?"
Sweite said: "Your Highness, the exercise is not over yet, but judging from the situation of the exercise, the Red Army has a greater advantage, and the Blue Army still has some difficulty in responding to the Red Army's attack."
"Well, after the exercise, the Red Army should learn more about its experience. The Red Army can better represent the true level of our East African army. The Guards Division is somewhat special after all, so the problems faced by the Red Army are also problems we may encounter in East Africa. We In Africa, we are on the defensive side, so we must be fully prepared.”
“Your Highness, is it really possible for Europe to invade Africa?”
"I can give you an accurate answer, yes. Now all countries are ready to take action. In the Far East, many big countries are launching aggression against the East. There are also conflicts in South America. Moreover, this economic crisis has far-reaching consequences. It is different from the one-country style of Britain in the past. Different from the economic crisis, almost all European industrial countries have been affected. In order to divert the crisis, they are bound to initiate more intense disputes than before. This time it is not just one place or one country, but the whole world."
"We in East Africa. Is it unavoidable in terms of size? ”
“It is unavoidable! It is only a matter of time before Africa is targeted, and Italy, Belgium, and France have already taken action. If other countries also enter the market, it is absolutely impossible for us in East Africa. We must be on our own, so in order to prevent the fate of other backward countries from falling on us, we must be more fierce and stronger than our enemies. Only the strong can be respected, so the purpose of military exercises is to adapt our military to this big crisis. , pressure from potential enemies in East Africa”
(End of this chapter)