Chapter 336: Will this battle be fought or not?
Wesson’s army’s food standards were adjusted and determined. Eugene from the Kingdom of Gaul once said that “everyone is treated like a knight, except onions.”
The daily rations for ordinary soldiers here include 1,000 grams of staple food such as bread, steamed buns or noodles, 350 grams of fresh meat such as chicken, pig, and beef or meat such as sausage, jerky, canned meat, and 60 grams of animal fat. , 200 grams of beans, 350 grams of fresh vegetables or 70 grams of dehydrated vegetables, and the rest include salt, maltose, tea, beer, etc. Seasonal fruits and milk are also provided every five days.
Starting from the platoon leader, the officers also provide additional cheese, milk powder, preserves, jam, refreshing tea and wine, which can be exchanged for happy water upon request.
However, the entire army eats a "battlefield adaptation meal" all day long on the day before Sunday every ten days, which is a stew of oats, beans, wild vegetables, fat and salt and other messy ingredients in one pot, so as not to eat them later. The conditions on the battlefield are not so good and I can't adapt to them.
Tomorrow is Sunday, but today the pot in the kitchen is not a mess of stew, but golden beans stewed with pork and steamed vegetable buns, and there is twice as much meat as usual.
After receiving his share of lunch, Metzger found a place to sit down. This was a temporary military camp and there was no officers' area. It would be the same wherever he sat.
The lunch was delicious, but his expression was very solemn, as if he was thinking about something very important.
A few young soldiers sat down opposite, and Metzger raised his head. They were the recruits from his platoon who had just joined the army this year.
In the Wesson Army, and even throughout the Wesson State and surrounding areas, Metzger's name is well known.
He killed a count in the first battle, and even killed the emperor in the battle to regain Constantinople last year. The reputation of the "Emperor Killer" spread across the continent with the footsteps of businessmen and wandering singers.
Metzger achieved good results in the assessment at Wesson Military Academy at the beginning of the year. Now he is serving as a trainee platoon leader in the army to help command a reconnaissance platoon and act as the squad leader. When he thinks about the lives of dozens of people, he On his hands, he suddenly felt great pressure.
As soon as the recruits sat down, a young man who was a little more than two meters tall and slightly stronger than the others and less than twenty years old asked Metzger: "Platoon commander, can we still fight this battle?" Get up?”
Since Frederick expressed his willingness to negotiate with the Archduke of Franken, this issue has become a hot topic in the military camp. Some people think that the fight will not happen, and some think that the negotiation will eventually break down. beat.
Metzger took a bite of the vegetable buns and complained in his mind that the cooks in the kitchen actually mixed lard and shredded vegetables to make the stuffing. At the same time, he took the opportunity to organize his words, and finally raised his head and said to the famous person. The one named Spike said: "What shall we eat today?"
Spike immediately replied: "This morning it's bread and cheese, lunch is stewed pork with golden beans and vegetable buns, dinner is stewed chicken with pumpkin and steam bread, and midnight snack is jam and cookies."
Metzger again. Asked him: "How does the portion compare to before?"
Spike replied: "The portion is larger than before, especially there is a lot more meat."
Metzger clicked. The head said: "If there is no war, why should I feed you so well?"
Spike and the soldier next to him thought about it and thought it made sense.
Metzger continued: "I think this battle will definitely be fought."
At this time, a fearful voice suddenly sounded next to him:
"It's over, this battle will definitely be fought. I couldn’t attend my sister’s wedding.”
“It’s okay for you. I can’t go home to take care of the baby who is about to be born.”
“Oh, I still have it at home. He said he introduced me to a good girl and was thinking of going on a blind date.”
"The responsibility for this war lies entirely with Metzger."
"Yes, yes!"
Several non-commissioned officers who became squad leaders and even acting platoon leaders complained while talking to Metzger Sitting next to Ge, they were all veterans who enlisted together when the Wesson Army was formed. However, except for Metzger, none of them had passed the entrance exam for the military school. It was just that the non-commissioned officers were not officers.
Spike and the other recruits looked at these veterans with questions in their heads, wondering what they meant.
A veteran said to them: "You must be careful, whatever he says while eating will come true."
Metzger said helplessly: "Don't keep spreading such rumors, otherwise I will tell you that your blind date will not go well when you go home, and you will scare yourself to death."
"Be merciful!" The veteran became extremely nervous, "I'm almost thirty years old and haven't gotten married yet, can't you say something nice to me?"
Metzger sneered and continued eating lunch. Another veteran asked him: "Do you have any inside information?"
After eating a bun, Metzger asked them: "Do you know that the largest development in Wesson State is now What’s the problem? ”
Spike jumped up as if he had been pricked by a needle and said incredulously: "We have been developing rapidly since the principal took charge. Everyone's life is getting better and better. How can there be a problem!"
Metzger He raised his head and glanced at the big guy, and said expressionlessly: "Sit down."
Spike had no choice but to sit down and continue eating because the officer opposite him was older than him, but he still looked unconvinced.
Metzger ignored him and recalled the discussion at the military academy. While eating, he said to the old comrades next to him: "The current permanent population of Wesson is about 450,000, including those under the age of 14. There are about 160,000 children, about 50,000 people over 60 years old, and about 240,000 young adults, about half men and women. These are the official statistics. "
"Now the main force of our army is. There are about 20,000 people, and there are 10,000 city defense troops in various places, a total of 30,000 people, which means that one in four young and middle-aged men is serving as a soldier. The ratio is too high."
"What we are most lacking now is population. The expansion of the army has slowed down because of this, and factories and farms are short of people. My pig farm and Fuqiang flour factory cannot recruit enough people to expand their scale."
< br>The veterans next to him looked at him with envy. This guy had many meritorious deeds and bonuses, and he had a high loan limit from the bank due to his merits. He now has a pig farm and a food factory under his name, as well as in Weissenburg City and I bought several properties to rent out in Oak City, and my annual income amounted to hundreds of gold florins to repay the loan.
Metzger continued to eat and said: "There are about 800,000 people in the Principality of Franconia and about 600,000 people in the Confederation of Regans. Once we have such a large population, both factories and the army can expand. "
"And the geographical location of these two places is very important. After taking over the Regens Alliance, we will be bordering the Bohemia region, cutting off the Osmaga Empire's connection to the north of Elbe. Road access in the area east of the river. "
"After taking over the Franconian Principality, we occupied the upper reaches of the Elbe River. From then on, the trade route was unobstructed, and there was no force that could resist us from the north to the sea. "
"So this battle must be fought. The question is how to win so many cities and lands."
The veterans nodded at the same time. Metzger, who had attended the military academy, in their view With all the connections, this analysis should have spread from the top, and this battle will definitely be fought.
Metzger participated in many deductions when he was in the military academy, mainly helping to plant and remove flags. He knew very well that this argument of northward expansion was very popular among the top brass in the military.
Before the snow fell last winter, he and Eugene followed Staff Officer Helmut and others on an on-site inspection as businessmen of Marienberg Fortress, the capital of the Principality of Franconia, and Regen, the capital of the Regens Alliance. Fort.
The Black Cat Troops also conducted on-site surveys of the two places and recorded important information such as roads, water sources, towns, etc. The map in Wesson's hands may be better than that of the Archduke of Franken and the Archduke of Regens. detailed.
Therefore, Metzger can be sure that this battle will begin sooner or later, and the commander will not give up the opportunity to gather the enemy.
He said to his old comrades: "I will quietly reveal some news to you. If this battle is over, the army will definitely be expanded. Both the main force and the city defense army will expand in size. Then there will be a shortage of officers."
"You should seize the opportunity. Maybe you can enter the military academy like me and become a platoon leader."
Several veterans kept nodding. Such an opportunity is not easy to find.
Metzger said to Spike: "Be smart, survive first, set up the function and get the bonus, then you can buy some gifts and go find the girl."
Spike's face suddenly turned as red as a tomato, and he didn't know what to say amid the laughter around him.
The lunch time ended quickly, and the horn for the officers to gather sounded in the military camp.
Metzger immediately arrived at the designated location and waited for his superiors to arrange the task.
The task came soon. In the afternoon, each company came to the canteen one after another, and each person received a dry ration for five days.
The officers communicated with each other with their eyes and had a common answer in their minds.
(End of this chapter)