Chapter 454 Military Exercise
June 1875.
Central Province of the East African Kingdom, Mikumi Region.
Mikumi is a transitional area between the plateau and plains of Central Province, where mountains, hills, and plains intersect, 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 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 as a small team, keep the fighting distance, don't be defeated individually!"
"There is unusual movement in the bushes at 25 degrees to the left, and there may be potential enemies."
"Grenade ready!"
As a smoke bomb ignited, the Blue Army's third combat team was plunged into fog.
The referee following the third combat team judged: "It was hit by a Red Army attack object. The explosion point was in the center. It was judged that 40% of the personnel were injured or killed."
"This is unfair. How can grenades be so powerful in actual combat? Shady story!"
"The headquarters of this exercise stipulates that the damage range of small explosives will be expanded by two meters. It is not just 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! You can still fight even if you are injured. This is how our grenades did damage to the indigenous people in the western rainforest. Even if they explode at close range, the survival rate of the indigenous people is still very high. And Combat 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 tiny detail may become the key to the outcome of the war."
The Blue Army soldier was still a little unconvinced and said: "Then since we were killed in battle, are we lying here now?"
"Yes, give me the life token now. You can just wait until the exercise is over. The remaining survivors will continue to participate in the battle."
After the referee and others left, the sacrificed soldier of the Blue Army said unconvincedly: "The exposure of the position just now was a complete accident. We usually hide it well, but now that we have a referee accompanying the army, we are tied up and can't let go at all."
"Damn it, maybe it was the referee who exposed it just now. Was he a spy sent by the Red Army?"
"Impossible. The referee for this exercise is from another military region. There can be no cover-up. Take us as an example. Who among you would be convinced by the so-called Guards Division? So the exercise referee 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 talk about this. With so many people hiding in such a small bush, there will definitely be a big problem. I was the first one to hide. If you come 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. We must retreat separately next time..."
When the Blue Army soldiers were summing up their experience, the captain of the Red Army soldiers was also very dissatisfied: "Look what you look like! Fortunately, I discovered the enemy's movements just now. Otherwise, would I be waiting for someone to shoot me in the dark? I must line up my points next time I enter the jungle. , if we 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 kind of equipment do you have, what equipment do we have? If you ask me, this exercise, compared with your Guards Division, our troops are like stepmothers."
"Coriolis, don't be slanderous. Although the Guards Division is indeed a bit excessive in terms of weapons, the advantage we can gain is also the result of our efforts. Furthermore, our Guards Division is also subject to many restrictions. Various high-quality The terrain has been determined for you from the beginning, and you are still on the defensive side, so the gap between the two sides is not big."
"Not big yet? Your 12-pounder cannon is too shameless! It was originally a 6-pounder cannon, but it is still considered a 12-pounder cannon, and it can also be considered a 24-pounder cannon. Our 3-pounder cannon is still a 3-pounder cannon, and there are machine guns, and even more We are more than ten times stronger, I don’t care about this, the number of bullets and other basic parameters set by us are lower than yours, how can we fight this kind of battle!"
"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.”
Sweet, the commander-in-chief of the exercise headquarters, said: "Okay, stop arguing. This exercise is a rehearsal. It is about what mistakes will be made against the European powers at our East African level. Therefore, the gap in equipment is so outrageous. Our military You must hold yourself to the highest standards and be able to show your strength even in desperate situations.”
"General Staff, I know this, but I really can't figure out which European country has the ability to deploy such a large-scale army in East Africa and equip it with so many weapons. I'm afraid even the British can't do it, right?"
"Perhaps this 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. You can't underestimate your enemies, especially the great powers. Not to mention the overwhelming power of the country, some great powers can give us a headache if they give us only one-third of their strength. Maybe a million troops can't do it, but hundreds of thousands of troops can still do it. capabilities 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?"
Sweet 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 the problems we may encounter in East Africa. We are 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."
“Isn’t it inevitable that we are the size of East Africa?”
"It is inevitable! 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, we in East Africa will never be able to survive alone, so in order to prevent the fate of other backward countries from falling on us We must be more fierce and powerful than our enemies, and only the strong can be respected, so the purpose of the military exercise is to adapt our military to the pressure of potential enemies in East Africa during this major crisis."