Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 575 The Warmaster’s Training Song

Regarding Li Xuanying's questions, Guo Kang himself really didn't have a good explanation.

His understanding of the war situation in this era is still relatively limited. Especially when it comes to fighting with large armies, I basically have no experience.

Regarding the choice of armaments, Li Xuanying was actually right. The military always likes unified and efficient equipment. The variety of weapons is basically a special case or a last resort. But it just so happened that the weapons of this era happened to be an era that was notoriously confusing for firearms.

Due to many problems with early firearms, everyone was not sure where the best route was. Therefore, for a long time, various gunpowder versions of "Qimen Weapons" emerged one after another. From the various "advanced ideas of scientific madmen" created by Italian craftsmen around the Renaissance to the piles of "black technologies at the end of the Ming Dynasty" created by various people in the late Ming Dynasty, they all basically fall into this category.

Although many of the designs seem to be very advanced in ideas and somewhat like modern weapons, they can easily receive praise from future generations. But under the conditions at the time, it was difficult for these weapons to meet the needs of the designers. When the flintlock gun matured, it quickly swept the world, replacing all kinds of weird firearms, becoming the spear of the firearm age, and making soldiers' weapons similar.

The technology of using bayonets is much later than this.

Flintlock guns began to spread in Europe roughly at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. The bayonet came a hundred years later, at the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century. However, the presence of bayonets does not mean that there is relevant training and teaching. It will be even later to get the "secret" they want to have sex.

For a long time after the bayonet was used, European officers did not think it was necessary to train soldiers in this area. If you need to use a bayonet, just rely on instinct and rush forward without anyone teaching you. On the other hand, there is indeed little room for application of bayonet fighting technology, because bayonet fighting basically does not occur on the battlefield.

At least in this era, bayonet charges and bayonet fighting are completely different things. The vast majority of European soldiers did not have the courage or skills to engage in close combat and could only shoot at each other from a distance. So as long as one side has enough morale and musters up the courage to rush forward, the other side will definitely run away. Until the time of Napoleon, bayonet fighting was extremely rare, and casualties in combat were not the deciding factor in victory or defeat. Some military scientists even claimed that they had never seen fighting in a battle in their lives.

The first famous figure who began to pay attention to bayonet training was probably the Russian military strategist Suvorov at the end of the 18th century. He made some special targets for soldiers to practice bayonet training. However, there are still no requirements for specific thrusting movements. They only gave instructions on some movements when dealing with cavalry. Others are left to everyone to think about and practice on their own.

And even this extremely simple training is not widely accepted. When Russia and Austria fought together, Austrian officers scorned Suvorov's approach. Of course, from the perspective of future generations, their ideas were correct. With the quality of the Austrian infantry, if shooting cannot intercept the cavalry, then there is no need to consider follow-up actions. How could anyone have the morale to fight against the cavalry within bayonet range and not run away...

The most important changes in the Napoleonic era were not military. After the French Revolution, the European military community finally realized that infantry can also have morale, and it is quite useful. In addition, Napoleon also began to promote the idea of ​​​​training soldiers. He believed that just bringing people together is not a soldier; only through training, guidance and skills can this be truly achieved. Therefore, he required the infantry to undergo at least three months of training, and the cavalry to undergo at least four to five months of training.

Although Napoleon's army was eventually wiped out by the "Syphilitic General", this idea still shocked other Europeans. Since then, mental stimulation, physical training and bayonet technique training for soldiers have become popular. The first batch of bayonet technique textbooks also appeared at this time.

But that time was four hundred years away from now. Whether the situation at that time is suitable for now is difficult to say. Therefore, even if you really remember the bayonet tutorials of later generations, they may not be suitable for the current situation.

What's more important is that the situation of the Purple Horde Khanate is also very different from other European countries.

Military is not a castle in the air, it is fundamentally based on politics. In the final analysis, the establishment and training of the army, as well as the self-positioning and enthusiasm of soldiers, are also determined by political factors. In fact, even Napoleon's infantrymen who had been trained for three months were still seriously unqualified cannon fodder in the eyes of the Purple Horde, not to mention the "junk soldiers" of other sects who were even less trained.

And this difference is also due to national systems and culture. To put it bluntly, the Purple Horde Khanate cannot learn from European countries and engage in "garbage sea" tactics. Similarly, it is difficult for Europeans to directly learn from the Purple Horde Khanate and organize citizen soldiers. Because European countries are still basically feudal systems, which are fundamentally different from systems like the Purple Horde Khanate... I don’t know what they are called. Everyone wants to learn, but there is no way.

Thinking of this, Guo Kang asked: "What do you think if we reduce the demand? For example, give these firearms to the new Russian soldiers. This thing should be simpler than a crossbow and does not require high physical strength."

"That's a bit of a waste." Li Xuanying said: "This thing is very easy to use as a long-range weapon. It should be used by veterans first. For those Russians, let them hold spears and help guard the baggage. There will be more training in the future. Now, let’s think about going to the front line.”

"I discussed it with Xiao Zhu and the craftsmen. The air leakage of this musket is too serious now, and the efficiency is actually very low." He explained: "However, these can be improved by improving the craftsmanship. In addition, the barrel There is also a lot of room for improvement in manufacturing. They said that they will find ways to conduct research in the future to see how to improve the quality.”

"This thing is already good now. If we continue to study it, it will definitely be better. I am still very optimistic about this thing." He seemed to really appreciate it, and he sighed again: "First of all, give it to those The Russians are a bit wasted..."

"Our mass-produced guns are definitely not of this level. After all, these are master craftsmen who have adjusted them bit by bit. How can we have the intention to provide all soldiers with such sophisticated products." Guo Kang said.

"It's not impossible." Li Xuanying shook his head: "Have you ever been to a bow-making workshop? It takes at least half a year to make a horn bow. A better one takes three years. It also costs money to make arrows. It’s expensive, and it often breaks after being used, so it may not be possible to recycle it.”

"And this musket, no matter how sophisticated it is, can't compare to a bow. Its projectiles are much cheaper than arrows. Compared with this thing, all bows are precision products." He patted the gun body. Said: "The vast majority of our soldiers can use bows and arrows, and I don't see anyone using bows because they think they are too expensive. It can be seen that the key is not the price issue, but that we have not developed a habit and do not have supporting industries. If it can be promoted and developed , then it will definitely be more advantageous.”

"It seems to be true..." Guo Kang felt that it made sense.

However, he thought about it and found that Li Xuanying seemed to be very tolerant towards this weapon. He neither lamented that "the times have changed" nor felt that this weapon posed any threat, so he asked: "You have been practicing bow and arrow for so many years since you were a child, don't you think this Will the weapons make everyone’s previous training in vain?”

"How is that possible?" Li Xuanying said with a smile: "It is you who can practice archery, not this bow. Now if you find a recruit who is not good at archery and uses a musket with me, he will definitely not be as accurate as me. Anything else. Not to mention, the stability of his eyes and arms alone are much worse.”

"Look at that helmeted target." He pointed to one of the grass targets: "I'll go over there and fire a shot. You all should get out of the way."

Guo Kang, Tuo Huan and others followed and moved further away. Li Xuanying went to the blacksmith shop, took out a pistol, loaded the bullets, and hung it on his waist in front of the arrow pot. Then, he walked to the center of the field, stood with his back to the target, signaled to Guo Kang, and then shot him in the back.

"Okay, let's take a look." He said.

Everyone ran to the target to take a look, and saw that the upper half of the straw target had been broken off, and the straw man's head and helmet fell to the ground. Guo Kang picked it up and looked at it, and found that his shot hit just under the helmet and on the breastplate. If it were a real person, his face would be smashed into pieces. "How did you do this?" Guo Kang was shocked.

"I haven't practiced much." Li Xuanying turned the pistol and inserted it back into his waist: "Don't tell me, this is much simpler than archery. You can shoot it a few times and become familiar with the characteristics of this thing. Then you can use it to its full potential. Very good.”

"It's okay..." Guo Kang compared his shooting level, feeling a little helpless.

But if you think about it carefully, there are different opinions on the accuracy of firearms. In the stereotype, the accuracy of muskets is at a random level, and a dense queue is needed to ensure the hit rate. But judging from some actual test records, it’s hard to say. Whether it is the tests of Europeans or the actual combat experience of the Ming Dynasty people, it is proved that the hit rate of the matchlock gun is not low. According to Qi Jiguang, the hit rate of muskets is five times that of bows and arrows. It can hit nine out of ten shots and is accurate enough to shoot down flying birds, so it is called "bird gun". Whether in Eurasia or East Asia, there are cases of using matchlock guns for sniping. Obviously, its accuracy is at least in line with the user's expectations.

The reason for such poor battlefield performance, to put it bluntly, is that people are not good enough.

For most of the time, European soldiers were appallingly poorly trained. This is not only true for bayonets, but also for firearms themselves.

During the Qianlong period, the Eight Banners musketeers could practice shooting 45 times a year; during the Jiaqing period, because the Eight Banners were no longer required to use bows and arrows, the number of musketry exercises within the system increased. In the 1814th year of Jiaqing (75), it was stipulated: "The commander of the infantry goes to the Yamen... to practice hunting rifles, fifteen times a month..." In addition, there are centralized drills, where rounds of live ammunition must be fired, and a reward of five coins will be awarded for each shot. money.

This number may not seem like much, but it is scary compared to its European counterparts. Prussia, the same period as Qianlong, was considered a place with relatively high-quality soldiers at that time, but the most elite soldiers under Frederick the Great could only practice shooting ten times a year, while ordinary privates had almost none. This was enough for them to fire the most ferocious rifle firepower at the time, because other countries were not as good as him. The armies of France and Russia can theoretically only launch six rounds a year at most. The actual situation depends on how greedy the officer is.

During the Napoleonic Wars, many countries began to try to increase the amount of training due to urgent military needs. The British Army is currently implementing a strategy of elite troops, and its training level is the highest. A light infantryman can fire 50 rounds of live ammunition and 60 rounds of blank ammunition a year, and a private soldier can fire 30 rounds. In theory, the Prussians should have the same training standards. However, in fact, after Frederick's death, the Prussian army quickly became corrupted and rigid. Not to mention 30 rounds for a private, only two rounds per person on paper. Coupled with the corruption of officers, it is normal not to practice at all.

In Austria next door, one person can theoretically practice ten rounds a year. The French still have six rounds in their training manual. However, Napoleon and others often provide additional training to the infantry according to the situation. It is normal for the main force to practice dozens of rounds a year. As for the Russians, even with elite training, they are only at the level of eight shots. For comparison, the Green Camp in the late Qing Dynasty, after heavy deductions, also had ten rounds given to soldiers for training. His lower limit is the upper limit of many places...

Therefore, from the perspective of the Purple Horde Khanate, the military situation in modern Europe is a special case. And it is too backward, with not much to learn.

The poor quality gave everyone the illusion that European countries had armed extremely large armies in this way, but the actual situation was not like this. In the era of Louis XIV, the total number of French troops was roughly between 15 and 26, and the population of France at this time was approximately 2100 million. This ratio is roughly 1:100, which is actually not much different from that in the Central Plains. Because during the Han Dynasty, the ratio of regular soldiers to the total population was also this number. France was already the country with the strongest organizational capabilities in Europe at that time.

It can be seen that the "garbage sea" in the firearm age simply had more people than in the Middle Ages. Compared with countries with real organizational capabilities, he has not become "sea".

For the Purple Horde Khanate, it is a matter of course for all people of appropriate age to receive military training. If there are more trained reserve soldiers than the garbage soldiers on the opposite side, then there will be nothing to discuss about the latter.

Thinking of this, Guo Kang no longer struggled.

"Then don't worry about it." He directly gave up other ideas and said, "Let's focus on the training situation first, and then talk about other things."

"The training went quite smoothly." Li Xuanying replied: "I have also sorted out the songs you mentioned last time."

"Ah? So fast?" Guo Kang showed an unexpected expression again.

Li Xuanying didn't bother to explain to him. She turned around and asked the guards outside the open space to call everyone over. After a while, Old Hans returned to the venue with a group of Russians.

Although everyone was disgraced, some people still fell badly and grinned. But everyone looked cheerful and full of energy. Driven by Old Hans, the team quickly formed a line.

"Do you still remember the song I taught you a few days ago?" Li Xuanying asked.

"Remember!" everyone replied.

"Okay, let's sing together now."

After he finished speaking, he took the lead. The recruits followed suit, singing—or rather shouting—in strange accents.

"The Qin Dynasty vowed to unify the four seas, and the war commander kept his instructions in mind:
The first court orders must be obeyed, disobedience is a crime, and fighting with strength is meritorious.

Second, don’t disturb the people and bring bad reputation. Our people will protect the barbarians and wipe them out.

......"

The song was not long. After they finished singing, Li Xuanying said to Guo Kang: "How about it, is it simple enough this time? I asked Shi Huizhen specifically. She could listen to it with gusto, so I taught everyone to sing it. "

"Let's call it "The Warmaster's Training Song", what do you think?"

(End of this chapter)