Reborn South Africa as a police officer

Chapter 957

Compared with the extravagant and wasteful Royal Navy, the Southern African Expeditionary Force was efficient and also focused on economic interests.

Modern warfare is all about comprehensive national strength. The performance of the army on the battlefield is a comprehensive reflection of national strength. The Russian Empire is a way for recruits to enter the army and put on military uniforms and send them to the battlefield. The strict training in southern Africa is another way. Another way, these two ways have their own advantages and disadvantages, if there are [-] million people in southern Africa, Roque will not be so careful.

While serving as the commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Roque was also the Minister of Defense and War Minister in Southern Africa, and was also a member of the War Council established at the beginning of the year.

The "War Council" here is the War Council established by the Federal Government of Southern Africa. It is not the same as the British War Council. After the British War Council was reorganized, Kitchener, the Minister of War, was excluded. Only the British can do it.

This winter has been particularly cold. Since the beginning of winter, all fronts have entered a state of truce. The Allies and Allies are accumulating strength to prepare for the decisive battle next year. Southern Africa is also accumulating strength. The United Kingdom has just implemented compulsory military service this year. In Africa, compulsory military service had been implemented five years ago. At the end of 1914, 20 recruits in southern Africa were being trained in boot camps.

The 20 does not include Africans.

"The Prime Minister's telegram, he doesn't want to send recruits to the battlefield." Sidney Milner sent Rock a telegram from Adelaide. Now the recruits in the training camp are all young people under the age of 20. They are The hopes of southern Africa cannot be wasted on the European battlefield.

Neither will Roque, who, like Adelaide, values ​​the future of southern Africa.

"This is the retirement list for this year. If there is no problem, they will return to southern Africa before Christmas." Sidney Milner's expression made it hard to describe.

Rock took the list, one of the top two names was Angie, and the other was Barton.

Heh, I don't know which idiot made the list. One is the son of the governor and the other is the son of a congressman. They are quite thoughtful.

The so-called compulsory military service system also has some unspoken rules. For example, in southern Africa, if a father does not want to send his son to the battlefield, he only needs to pay a special donation equivalent to about [-] rand. His children can be placed in relatively less dangerous positions.

Of course, there are hidden dangers in doing so. If it spreads to the society, it will easily become a proof of the collusion between government and businessmen in the darkness of the society. The proof of the certificate is also very easy, and it will not cost ten thousand rand, maybe not even a thousand.

Many people don't want to admit it, but the reality is like this. Less dangerous positions have completely different values ​​for different families. People who sit at home and criticize vested interests are unscrupulous. Once they become vested interests, I'm afraid they will Not even ten thousand rand.

Why spend [-] when there is a way to solve the problem with [-]?

It is this kind of thinking that prevents them from becoming a vested interest class.

For Anton and Buck, it was easy to keep their children in southern Africa, and it was not difficult even to evade military service, but Anton and Buck still handed Angie and Barton to Rock, and let Rock take them On the front line, Rock believed that Anton and Buck would not blame Rock even if Angie and Button died in battle.

Just like the direct heirs of the British nobles who died in France, their elders did not attribute the responsibility to the Ministry of War.

While enjoying the rights, we must also assume our due obligations.

Rock directly crossed off the names of An Qi and Patton from the list. If there were no accidents, Angie and Patton would never leave the army in this lifetime.

"Calculate the list of members of the officials and noble families who died in battle, and publish it in The Times, so that their death will be more valuable." Rock is not trying to extract the last remaining value, but to win more for the dead. Honor, they actually had the chance not to die on the battlefield.

"Locke, you will gain the gratitude of all officials and noble family members—" Sidney Milner was convinced, and Rocke was unparalleled in this era in the use of the media.

Rock smiled and said nothing. Dare to sacrifice for the country is a noble sentiment for both the Allied Powers and the Allied Powers.

History is a little girl who can be dressed up.

Unlike Rock's belief that there would be no large-scale war before Christmas, Haig, who had just served as the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force, organized an attack in the snowy sky before Christmas. The main force of this attack was all from southern Africa. .

From a strategic point of view, Haig's attack this time was completely unnecessary. He did not notify the French side, nor did he notify Roque. On December 12, he suddenly ordered the six African divisions rotated to the front line to attack the frontal German positions.

Haig's attack had been premeditated. He started to mobilize troops from the end of November. He first transferred the six African divisions in southern Africa to the second line to rest, and then sent all the six African divisions to the front line a week later. Then he ordered The troops attacked, and the two artillery divisions remaining on the Western Front and one French artillery division provided fire cover for the troops.

The fighting began at six o'clock in the morning, with three artillery divisions bombarding German positions for four hours before the ground forces began to advance.

The German army has adapted to the combat methods of the British and French allied forces. During the shelling, the German troops hid in safe bunkers and waited until the shelling was over before entering the combat position.

Like the previous attacks, the attacking troops suffered heavy casualties under heavy machine gun fire. Within three hours after the battle broke out, the casualties reached 5000.

Haig ordered the troops to continue the attack. He launched the attack very suddenly this time, trying to catch the Germans by surprise.

But the Germans reacted very quickly. The barbed wire fence in front of the position was [-] meters wide, and landmines were laid under the wire fence. The attacking troops only carried pliers, but no demining equipment. Four thousand African soldiers were killed in front of the fierce trenches, and the attack lasted only six hours, ending when the reserves refused to attack.

Haig then ordered the dismissal of Richard Brown, the commander of the 103rd Division, and Ford Lew, the commander of the 105th Division, and claimed that Richard Brown and Ford Lew would be court-martialed.

Rock also knew that Haig had planned this attack after the attack order was issued.

Haig chose this timing well. No one thought that Haig would attack in such bad weather.

However, Haig's ability is really hard to describe. Rock guessed that Haig wanted to replicate the great victory of the Southern African Expeditionary Force in "Operation Horn of Victory", but it was a mess when the troops executed it. , The casualties of the attacking troops were more than 5000, and all four divisions participating in the attack were disabled.

Haig finally learned the lesson and kept the 103rd and 105th Divisions as reserves, but when Haig was about to invest in the 103rd and 105th Divisions to attack, Richard Brown and Ford Lew believed that the attack was meaningless and could not Breaking through the German defense line, so the attack had to stop.

Richard Brown and Ford Lew's refusal to attack also became an excuse for Haig's failure. Haig believed that the German army was on the verge of collapse at that time. If the 103rd and 105th Divisions could attack resolutely, they would definitely be able to break through the German defense line.

The day after the offensive, Roque traveled to France on a ship of the Mediterranean Fleet to participate in the so-called trial of Richard Brown and Ford Lew by the Anglo-French forces.

The trial was held at the British Expeditionary Headquarters in Paris. The jury included Haig, Roque, Kitchener, General William Robertson, the Chief of the British Army General Staff, Joffre, the French Commander-in-Chief, and the French Minister of War. Joseph Gallieni.

When he saw Roque, William Robertson took the initiative to shake hands with Roque, and conveyed to Roque the gratitude of Lord Justice Halden.

Viscount Halden is the leader of the British House of Lords. The British House of Lords does not have a speaker. It is led by a justice. A few days ago, The Times published the list of noble members who died in the war since the outbreak of the World War. The politicians' attacks on the House of Lords, made up of nobles, contrasted sharply.

During the World War, a total of 20 nobles of the House of Lords and 49 heirs of the nobles of the House of Lords died in battle. Among them, all the heirs of the three nobles died in battle. This means that no one will inherit the titles of these three families. After the death of the head of the family, the titles will be directly cancelled. .

"You're welcome, this is what I should do." Rock is not proud, that's where he is.

"What do you think of Douglas' decision?" William Robertson asked Roque's opinion. The two generals who were tried were Roque's men.

"Ridiculous!" Rock said simply and directly. If no one gave Haig some restrictions, then today's Southern African Expeditionary Force would be tomorrow's British Expeditionary Force.

Hearing Rock's evaluation, William Robertson's expression was solemn.

An official of Rock's level would not easily express an opinion on something, let alone such a clear attitude.

When Haig saw Rock, he greeted him warmly.

Rock's gesture of saluting was very perfunctory, he nodded without speaking. He was never in a good mood for a general who was good at making small reports behind his back and commanding troops to fight with crowd tactics.

Haig didn't take it seriously. He attributed the failure of the attack to the disobedience of the two southern African generals, but he himself did not take any responsibility.

This is the level of dumping the pot!

(End of this chapter)