Rebirth of Wu Ba Spring and Autumn

Chapter 838 Phasing Out Chariots
Eliminate chariots?

This made Qingji fall into deep thought for a while.

"inappropriate!"

Before Qingji could speak, Prince Heng, who was sitting at the bottom, retorted: "Although cavalry are powerful, they may not be better than military chariots if they charge head-on."

"My country of Wu should develop military chariots and cavalry in parallel, instead of focusing on cavalry and eliminate military chariots."

Hearing this, Wu Zixu said indifferently: "Prince, you should have heard about the battle of Weishui."

"The final decisive battle with the Qin people can be regarded as a frontal battle in the wilderness. The Qin army with more than [-] military chariots and [-] soldiers, was not defeated by the [-] elite soldiers and cavalry of our Wu Kingdom in the end?"

"In terms of mobility, military chariots are inferior to cavalry."

Prince Heng shook his head and said, "Sima, with all due respect, you are absurd! At that time, it was not only the [-] cavalry that defeated the main force of the Qin army, but also hundreds of chariots."

"Chariots and cavalry, which one is better or worse, is still unknown. How can Da Sima advise the king to eliminate chariots?"

Hearing this, Wu Zixu did not answer Prince Heng directly, but stood up and saluted Qingji on the majesty's platform: "Your Majesty, the way of battle is like the way of governing a country. Follow the old rules blindly."

"Compared to cavalry, the disadvantages of chariots are already obvious. I concluded that there are four shortcomings of chariots."

"First, the tank is limited by the terrain."

"The use of chariots requires plains and open areas, and mountains and rivers cannot be used."

"If the enemy sets up some roadblocks, such as burying antlers deeply, and blocking them with horses, the chariot can only look at it and sigh."

"Especially when the world sees Lord Wu'an's method of leading troops in battle, and has won the essence of his "Sun Tzu's Art of War", they will learn to avoid the sharp edge and make full use of the advantages of the terrain. It is difficult for the chariot to play its role..."

What Wu Zixu said made Sun Wu couldn't help showing embarrassment.

The influence of "Sun Tzu's Art of War" is very great.

Sun Wu can be said to be the originator of military strategists. It is inevitable that he will write books and say that some methods of marching and fighting will be leaked.

In today's world, when it comes to running an army and fighting a war, everyone dares to say that he is better than Sun Wu.

So all the generals in the world learned Sun Wu's art of war one after another, and began to fight without emphasizing martial ethics...

In the past, the various vassal states might still follow the ancient system of courtesy first and soldiers later.

That is to say, make a war letter first, make an appointment, and then the two armies will fight in formation.

However, since Sun Wu was born and became famous, famous generals from all over the world have followed suit and paid attention to "soldiers never tire of deceit, and generals value knowledge".

Who will follow the old tactics?

That's pure death!

"Secondly, the mobility of chariots is poor, not as good as that of cavalry."

Wu Zixu continued: "Now, all the northern countries have begun to imitate my country of Wu, forming a large number of cavalry, equipped with stirrups, saddles, and horseshoes, and their military strength is extremely strong."

"In war, once the enemy cavalry approaches and shoots, the chariot will be passively beaten, and retreating and fleeing will easily overwhelm the own soldiers."

"Third, the investment in the chariot is extremely high."

"To build a huge team of chariots, we need not only chariots, soldiers, and archers, but also carpenters and auxiliary soldiers. There are many people who are not fighting, and the food consumption is high."

"Furthermore, the road conditions are not good. At critical times, it is difficult for the chariot to reach the designated position and it is easy to be damaged. The later maintenance costs are high."

After a pause, Wu Zixu said again: "Fourth, the practicality of the chariot is poor."

"Except for frontal large-scale battles, chariots are almost unusable at other times, such as siege battles, surprise battles, and fierce battles. In the end, they can only be used as soldiers' rides, or like a guard of honor."

Qing Ji nodded slightly, expressing his agreement.

Wu Zixu's analysis of the disadvantages of chariots can be said to be penetrating and hit the nail on the head.

You know, the chariot was originally the big killer of this era.

In the era of infantry fighting, it can easily tear through the enemy's defense line, break through the enemy's formation, and cause huge casualties to the enemy. It can be called an "ancient tank".

Such a powerful weapon is naturally highly valued by the princes of all countries. Therefore, in this world of great controversy, chariot battles have always been the main theme of war.

To judge whether a country is strong, it does not depend on the country's land and population, nor the number of famous generals, but the number of chariots in the opposing country.

If a country has a hundred chariots, it can be regarded as a relatively strong small vassal state.

If there are thousands of chariots, it can be called a powerful middle-level vassal state.

If there are thousands of chariots, it is enough to dominate one side, and it can be called a superpower!
Of course, the so-called "thousand chariots" is just a way of saying.

Like Wu State, there are more than 600 chariots, and it can still be called "the country of ten thousand chariots", a well-deserved superpower.

Just like what Wu Zixu said, chariots cannot be built easily.

Although the chariot is powerful, it is bought with its expensive cost and configuration.

Like the chariots of Wu State, each chariot is equipped with two or four well-trained horses.

The structure of the chariot is mostly made of willow wood, with bronze armor on the outside, which is strong enough to withstand the blows of arrows and weapons.

Considering that chariots are mostly made of wood and are extremely afraid of fire, chariots are sometimes covered with mud to prevent the enemy from launching fire attacks...

In addition, in terms of soldier configuration, there are seven soldiers under the chariot and fifteen infantry to guard a chariot.

The car is equipped with three soldiers, and the left side is mainly archery, responsible for long-range attack and killing.

With a short sword in the middle, it is mainly responsible for driving the car.

The right side is for melee combat. There are many kinds of weapons on the car, which can be equipped with spears for thrusting or spears for hooking.

Generally speaking, Wu Jun forms a group of six vehicles and a team of eighteen vehicles.

The horses of each chariot are equipped with leather vests for protection, and the soldiers on board are even armed to the teeth!
A large part of Wu's military expenditure was actually spent on chariots.

"Da Sima, it's true that chariots have certain flaws, but how can you guarantee that cavalry will definitely be stronger than chariots?"

Prince Heng asked back.

"Prince, the cavalry advances when they are victorious, and retreats when they are defeated. Not only are they flexible, but they also become stronger in charge, so the disadvantages of chariots are gradually becoming more prominent."

Wu Zixu said meaningfully: "The most important thing is that the cost of the chariot is too expensive. It is better to spend the money for building the chariot on the cavalry."

"..."

Prince Heng finally did not continue to refute.

Chariots are not useless.

However, in terms of various factors, cavalry is indeed better than chariots.

Compared with chariots, cavalry has lower cost, relatively simpler training, and better adaptability to terrain.

For example, cavalry can be used on river beaches and mountainous areas with not too steep slopes, but chariots cannot...

The trend of future warfare also proves that the mainstay status of chariots is bound to be replaced by cavalry.

As a time traveler, how could Qingji not know?
(End of this chapter)