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Chapter 388 A fly in the ointment

At first I said it was foolproof, but I wasn't completely sure in my heart. I hardly slept soundly along the way. I wanted to send the scouting horse fifty miles away every day, and almost all the trees and grass were covered with soldiers.

When we arrived at the Daling River and successfully deployed our troops to surround the herdsmen's camp from the south and east, I was still feeling uneasy. They were afraid that muskets and artillery would not be able to effectively kill the Mongolian cavalry, and they were even more afraid that the soldiers had not experienced battle formations and would be frightened by the large-scale cavalry that was speeding at lightning speed.

But when the first wave of charging Mongolian herdsmen were beaten to pieces by muskets and artillery, and the rest of the herdsmen all stopped and panicked, he discovered that the Mongolian light cavalry, which had been extremely difficult to deal with before, was nothing more than this.

It's not that their riding and shooting skills have deteriorated, but that their own side's lethality is too strong, so that the scene that could have been fought back and forth for several hours without a clear winner was suddenly reduced to a face-to-face encounter that could determine life and death. Decide the outcome.

In addition to sincerely admiring the emperor, Li Ruzhang also felt quite uncomfortable. If this trend continues, the current border generals may soon be eliminated. Their proficiency in bowing, horsemanship, and military strategy, which they were proud of, were almost as useless in front of the cold barrels of guns and hot pellets and shells.

No matter how many layers of iron armor you wear, how fast your horse runs, how accurately you shoot your bow and arrow, or how unpredictable your formation is, even if you show off your swords and guns, you still can't withstand a small lead bullet that weighs several dollars.

The person who fired this projectile was probably a farmer six months ago, or even only joined the army for two or three months. He had just learned how to shoot and load a gun, and knew nothing else.

The era of traditional warriors is about to be replaced by the flames of guns and muzzles. What the future war will be like, even he, the on-site commander, cannot describe clearly, which makes him feel a little lonely and desolate.

"Except for firearms, can the utensils and food carried with you be used together?" Looking at Li Ruzhang's appearance, Hong Tao knew in his heart that he would not hear any constructive opinions on weapons. It's like someone who is used to using a BB machine suddenly gets a smartphone and can look at it everywhere.

This is called the crushing of the technological generation gap. According to the military development route, the firearms and artillery of the Marine Corps are more than one generation beyond the current mainstream army, and they are almost the same as in the Napoleonic era. It is unreasonable to be unable to crush the herdsmen who are inferior in numbers and equipment.

But it's not easy to have a large-scale practical example, and you can't find any shortcomings. Since you can't find it on the firearms, you can find it on the soldiers' equipment.

In addition to using different weapons from the Ming army, the soldiers of the Marine Guards also had some extra equipment. For example, everyone has a leather backpack, which is made of genuine leather. It is not deliberately luxurious. Before canvas was developed, it could only be replaced by pigskin.

The backpack contains food rations for up to three days. Currently, there are only biscuits and rice krispie treats to choose from, as well as cans sealed in porcelain bottles. There are still not many varieties, all of which are fruits. The other items are a first aid kit, socks, straps and leggings, a small bottle of fuel oil and some ammunition.

On top of the backpack was rolled up bedding, a marching shovel, a water bottle and a pair of cowhide boots. At present, tarpaulins have not been developed, and there are no down sleeping bags. We do have tents, one for five people.

"Well... I have to say that there is a flaw in the ointment... maybe the armor is a little in the way. Normally, when marching, it often collides with muskets. If thousands of people move together, the noise will be a bit loud. But I have already figured out a countermeasure. Just use The cloth wrapped the musket, and the sound was much quieter."

Seeing the eagerness for knowledge on the emperor's face, Li Ruzhang knew that he would not be able to pass the test without a few suggestions. In fact, Xu Guangqi and Wang Zheng asked this set of questions carefully when Marine Guards just returned to the Dagu camp. Those two went even worse. In addition to the officers, they also asked the soldiers if they had any questions. They demonstrated on the spot. They refused to let them sleep until they understood the problem. Before leaving, they also robbed dozens of sheep and two horses. They said they were hard work fees.

"Xu Guangqi has reported it and has a solution. The machinery factory is trial-producing a new type of armor, and it shouldn't take too long." The cylindrical half-body armor has no problem with its protective capabilities. It is also very convenient to make and has a moderate weight. The ergonomics are rather poor.

After experiments, Xu Guangqi and Wang Zheng suggested improving fish scale armor based on traditional cloth armor. Although the manufacturing cost and labor hours need to be increased, the wearing comfort can be improved a lot, and the defense power is basically the same.

The so-called cloth armor is not armor made of cloth, but a kind of composite armor. It is lined with several layers of cotton and linen, and the outside is sewn with densely packed fish-scale iron or steel sheets. The whole body is divided into several major parts, such as shoulders and upper arms, chest, abdomen and back, forearms, waist and hips, etc. You can adjust it at any time if you want to make a long or short step.

The combat method of the Marine Guards is not based on close combat with cold weapons, and they are not even equipped with close combat weapons. When they are anxious, they can only take turns to fight with their marching shovels. Therefore, the demand for armor is not very high, as long as it can defend against the bow and crossbow. Fish scale armor and a steel flying saucer cap are almost enough.

"But I have never seen the words "four-legged nails" in the reports from both of your families. Is it invalid or not used?" The reports from Xu Guangqi and Wang Zheng were sent in last month, but they were the same as those from Li Ruzhang. , all lack reports on the use of one weapon, the four-legged spike, or caltrop.

Hong Tao can't be said to be an expert on how to deal with cavalry, but he must be considered very knowledgeable. At that time, Xixia and Liao were both famous for their cavalry, and both suffered heavy losses at their own hands. In addition to the generation difference in weapons, there is another important factor, and that is caltrops.

Although this kind of weapon has appeared very early, it is also used in various countries, but the effect is far less obvious than if you modify it yourself. There are two main differences. The first is cost. Passive defensive weapons like caltrops, which are similar to landmines, rely mainly not on power, but on quantity.

The Yongding River Iron Works had long ago developed a special mold for casting caltrops, which was poured directly with molten steel. The production speed was very fast, the cost was extremely low, and the quality was much better than similar products at that time. After all, it is made of steel, which is lighter and sharper. Both humans and horses will be injured if they step on it.

Although Hong Tao cannot personally command the battle, he likes to design combat weapons for frontline soldiers according to his own ideas. Among them, caltrops are a very important link, and he hopes to hear about its results.

"...Those Mongolian herdsmen collapsed at the first touch. They dismounted and surrendered before I could use my special skills." Upon hearing the name of the four-legged nails, the smile on Li Ruzhang's face froze a little.

The majestic Ming Emperor, the incarnation of the benevolent sage, always seemed wretched in everything he did. Although victory is the highest pursuit on the battlefield, if you can win justly, why do you have to do those shady tricks in private?

(End of this chapter)