Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 623 Exercise
"The siege drill will be held in a while. There are always a few people injured in each drill. The head of the East Gate will tell the health workers to enter the venue to participate."

"There's a drill I want to see."

"Follow me." Xie Shu said, taking He Ping to the mountain where the bandaging station was located, and brought him a telescope.It's just a small mound.There are already many officers standing on it.He Ping saw that He Ming was also there, looking at something with a telescope.A group of army officers stood behind him. He Ping saw that Wei Aiwen, Ying Yu, Zhang Bolin and others were all there, wearing gray uniforms and leggings, with binoculars hanging on their chests and leather map bags. Holding A Map Clip And Pencil.Several staff members were busy laying out maps on folding tables.

Behind them stood a dozen orderlies and guards, armed with short-barreled Minie rifles or high-end revolvers.One by one stood with bated breath, waiting for orders.

Incongruously in this typical nineteenth-century war scene, there is also a radio station, and several female operators are calling by code names.

Seeing He Ping approaching, He Ming slightly nodded to him, but did not speak.

He Ping stood silently in a place out of the way, and looked in the direction they were looking.

About two or three kilometers away from the mountain bag, there is a temporary earthen city.The scale of this earthen city is extremely small, and the distance between two opposing city gates is no more than 150 meters.Although the sparrow is small and complete, there are cross streets in the city, with shops and houses on both sides of the street, and a bell and drum tower in the center of the cross street.The common fortification measures of Ming Dynasty cities are all available.Surrounded by moats.There is also a deer village outside the trench, which is very tightly defended.

"It took the third battalion three days to build it with the cooperation of the engineering company," Xie Shu said. "The outside of the city wall was not covered with bricks and tiles, and the gate was made of tree branches." Xie Shu said.

About one kilometer away from Tucheng, through the mist, He Ping could see the queues already lined up.Looking at the size, there is about the number of an infantry battalion.There were a dozen guns lined up behind the battery, and the artillerymen were hurrying back and forth.

He knew that this was an exercise to launch a siege.He looked through the binoculars and could vaguely see figures moving on the city wall, probably soldiers playing the defensive side.A flag was flying on the Bell and Drum Tower in the center of the city, but it was unclear what was written on it.

Suddenly, a green rocket flew up from the sky, and 5 minutes later, three red signal rockets took off. The 12 artillery guns arranged at the front opened fire one by one, and thick white smoke sprayed out from the muzzle. He Ping It was the first time to see such intensive artillery fire. The trajectory of the shells from the 12-pounder cannon and the 24-pounder howitzer drew streaks of white smoke in the air, and the spherical shells hit the earthen city, and mud and tree trunks flew in the air. He Ping was stunned by the power of the 12-pound solid bullets, and some shells directly blasted away the masonry battlements and parapets.A fake gun used as a target was hit by a shell, and it was directly broken into two pieces and flew out. The 24-pound grenade was cleaning the humanoid target on the city wall as a substitute for the defenders. Black smoke filled the city and debris flew around.

A watchtower on a city wall was shot by a 12-pound cannon, and soon fell apart

A red signal rocket flew up in the air, and amidst the rapid sound of military drums, the attacking troops began to attack in a company-column formation.In front of the columns were the grenadiers in skirmish line.The soldiers rushed forward, many carrying bundles of firewood, and some carrying light ladders.

The artillery began to extend its fire, suppressing the reinforcements of the defenders towards the gate of the city.The grenade flew over the city wall and fell on the streets and houses near the city gate in the city, and debris and wood flew randomly.

At this time, the war drums were beating together, shaking the sky and the earth, and the soldiers roared loudly, "Kill", and the soldiers who attacked were all bayoneted, and the white light was shining.At this time, the cannons on the city wall continued to be fired, and gunpowder smoke billowed in circles.

The grenadiers rushed under the city wall and fired at the top of the city to suppress the firepower on the top of the city. Some of the infantry quickly hacked open the deer stockade with axes, and some used poles with hooks to pull away the deer stockade, opening up a gap for advancement.When they destroyed the deer village and opened a gap, the others shouted and kept shooting fiercely at the top of the city.Above and below the city, the sound of killing was deafening, the sound of guns was deafening, and the smoke of gunpowder enveloped everything.A gust of wind blew, and the smoke dissipated slightly. In a blink of an eye, the three company columns opened gaps, bundles of firewood were thrown into the trench, and the ladder was quickly erected.The grenadiers who were originally in charge of suppressing the shooting began to ascend the city, and at the same time kept throwing grenades on the top of the city.

In a blink of an eye, the grenadiers had cleared the "enemies" at the top of the city. Some riflemen continued to climb the city to expand the breakthrough, and some began to attack the tower, preparing to open the city gate.The "enemy" defending the city relied on the condescending advantage of the city tower to release firearms to resist fiercely.The grenadiers shot and dropped bombs, and quickly advanced to the bottom of the tower to clear the defenders.After a while, the city gate opened wide, the drawbridge was lowered, and all the infantry who were suppressing and shooting outside the city rushed in.An official and army flag flying on the Bell and Drum Tower was pulled down.Three red signal rockets soared into the sky, announcing the end of the attack.

"Awesome!" He Ping couldn't help sighing. He looked at his watch, and the whole process from firing the first shot to ending the battle only took 34 minutes.Not only was the firepower swift and fierce, but the soldiers' offensive actions were coordinated very tacitly.It is indeed a well-trained army.

The officers around He Ming are commenting:

"At the beginning, the artillery fire should be concentrated on the towers, so that the enemy cannot rely on the towers to suppress the gate-robbing troops."

"The grenadiers still have fewer grenades. Some of them are gone when they attack the tower."

"The artillery should accompany the infantry. We have a light 12-pound mountain howitzer that can completely advance with the shock column. If the enemy has assembled a large number of reserves near the gate of the city, as soon as we open the gate, the enemy counterattacks, and it is likely to crowd the siege troops. go out."

"With howitzers suppressing fire, it is impossible for the enemy to gather forces behind the walls."

"If we have cavalry, we can wait for the city gate to open before charging out of the enemy's range, instead of braving artillery fire to gather near the city gate."

……

He Ming didn't express his opinion. He waited for everyone's comments to come to an end before saying: "The third battalion fought well. The various departments cooperated very well." He asked again: "Who commanded the grenadiers?"

"Huang Ande, leader of the 1st platoon of the Grenadier Company of the [-]rd Battalion."

"It's good to be able to command a whole battalion of grenadiers for the first time," he said. "When the assault gate is blocked, it is very decisive."

"This Huang Ande seems to be from the Ming army."

"Yes," Wei Aiwen said hastily, "he was born as a battalion soldier in Shandong, and he is also of the same family as the yellow bear. The two are cousins ​​who have not made five uniforms."

"Yellow bear," He Ming quickly thought of this person. This person was the earliest army member and was an officer of the Ming army, so he had a little impression. "This man is very brave. He seems to be the first batch of second lieutenants. Where is he now?"

"In the Jiazi Coal Mine with the mine protection row."

He Ming nodded.He recalled the safety issues of several outposted strongholds besides Lingao.

The safety of Jiazi Coal Mine will not be a problem for a while.There are mine guard platoons and hundreds of miners who have received military training, and the place is remote.

As for the sugar factory in Leizhou, although its combat power is weaker, there are at least a few hundred workers. The sky in Leizhou is far away from the emperor, and the ruling power of the government is not strong. The strength of the sugar factory is enough to protect itself.In case of any accident, Xu Wen was on the opposite side of Lingao, so it was very convenient to rescue him. He didn't even need to send out the army, just the navy would suffice.

However, it is not enough to just issue an order to them to "pay attention to precautions". They will definitely be picked on during the post-war review meeting.At least one label of "disregarding the safety of the elders" must be put on.

Everyone didn't know that he was thinking about this, and thought he wanted to see Huang Ande, but he just said:
"What do you think about this exercise?"

Panda said: "The artillery fire is very powerful, and my assault engineers are useless at all." In the battle plan, if the operation to seize the city gate fails, Panda's engineers will drop explosives to blast the city gate.

"The scale of this city is not large. If you want to attack a big city, you will need your assault engineers." He Ming said, "After all, it is an act. It can only partially test the combat effectiveness. If we want to attack a big city, our firepower is not enough. Not enough to look at."

Lin Shenhe said: "If you want to attack a heavily fortified city and the enemy is determined to fight, then follow the regular siege battle, dig a zigzag trench to approach, and then use siege cannons to approach the city gate and direct bombardment. , directly broke into the door."

"Armstrong's rifled gun is not a large-caliber smoothbore gun, so there is no need for zigzag trenches to approach and bombard. Even if it is not accurate at a distance, it is enough to fire from a distance of one kilometer." Ying Yu said, "Use zigzag trenches to approach the enemy city to let the infantry Shocking is still a good tactic. Cover with mortars."

The city wall is a major task of the Fubo army.The Ming Dynasty was a dynasty that focused on city building. Even the walls of the county towns were built very solidly. Not to mention the level of artillery in the 19th century, even the Anti-Japanese War and the Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in the 20th century. There is nothing the city walls can do.Sometimes the artillery has punched the city wall to be riddled with holes, but rarely can the entire section of the city wall be knocked down.

"If the rockets can be released on a large scale, it will further disrupt the mobilization of troops in the city and reduce the morale of the enemy. It will cause too much damage to the buildings and people in the city."

...He Ping was not interested in listening any more. He saw another team heading towards Tucheng, carrying carts, various tools and building materials.Xie Shu told him that he was going to repair the city.After the restoration, the earthen city will continue to be used as a facility for exercises.
"Take me to the dressing room."

"Yes, Chief." Xie Shu led him down the hillside.

"What did you remember during the exercise?"

He Ping saw that he was concentrating on watching the exercise and wrote something in his notebook.

Xie Shu said: "I am recording the process of the exercise, and I have my own opinions."

"Really? Are you very attentive to tactics and art of war?" He Ping said, "Why do you work as a logistics staff officer? Not as a combat or training staff officer?"

"Because you are fighting logistics. The Fubo Army has a system, not to mention that the officers and soldiers are far behind, and no one has written it even in the military books of the past dynasties." This is just a general statement. The Fubo Army is different. Everything must be counted to ten."

"This is modern warfare."

"What did you say? Chief."

"It's nothing," He Ping said, "Being a logistics staff officer is very trivial, and you don't mind the trouble."

"It's not too troublesome. Although it's really trivial to be a 'food and grass officer'. But everything is organized, and there is a set of rules and regulations. There are special rules." Xie Shu said, "I heard that there are certain rules for handling food, pay, clothing, and weapons in the army. And all kinds of thresholds, but the masters who handle it regard it as a family secret, the secret is not revealed to others, and there is no detailed record in the military book."

He Ping felt more and more strange that this person's eyes glowed when he talked about these things, a bit like a military enthusiast in old time and space.I wonder if this person is reliable?How did the army accept such a character!
"Why do you want to be a soldier? I think you look very passable. And Daming has always valued civility over martial arts."

Xie Shu was a little embarrassed, he nodded: "Our family actually has a little money in Lingao, and my father did well in Lingao. I joined the army because I saw the Fubo Army's drills, and I think Australians have nothing but firearms. In addition, the art of war is also infinitely mysterious, thinking that I have read countless Chinese military books, but the Australians don’t understand the art of war, so I joined the army just when I was recruited.”

"That's it?" He Ping felt incredible.

"That's it." Xie Shu nodded solemnly.

"What is your father doing in Lingao?"

Xie Shu gave him a strange look: "He works as a doctor under the Ministry of Health..."

He Ping suddenly remembered that the Ministry of Health has indeed recruited many doctors of traditional Chinese medicine from immigrants and local aborigines.There are about [-] people, good and bad, among them there is indeed one surnamed Xie.

"Are you Xie Yao's son?"

"It's my father."

He Ping laughed.Xie Yao is a very interesting person. His family indeed defected to Lingao on their own initiative and settled in the Calais Commune.In fact, he is not a doctor, he has only read a lot of medical books, so that he can be a doctor.In fact, medical skills are not very good.When the Ministry of Health was looking for doctors among immigrants, he also insisted on applying, saying that the Australians' medical skills are mysterious, and we should take a look at them.Not only insisted on becoming a doctor, but also insisted on studying surgery.

The father and son are very similar, both have a strong thirst for knowledge, and they can practice it.

He Ping went to the bandaging station and walked around. A dozen or so wounded have been sent here. They were all injured in the exercise just now. Most of them were not seriously injured. The most serious one was sent away by shells during the exercise. The wood was smashed, and it seemed to be a broken bone.A doctor in the trauma department is setting bones for him, and the others are mostly contusions or burns, and the hygienists will just apply a bandage and treat them.

He Ping looked at the dressing room, including the instruments and equipment inside - all kinds of medicines and equipment were well prepared.This dressing room is at the battalion level and is mainly responsible for containment and initial treatment. Apart from two or three Chinese medicine practitioners, they are health workers.He Ping looked at the registration book of the wounded, and saw that the military registration number, name, and unit of each wounded were clearly registered.Everyone also has their own medical records.The management is very standardized, and he couldn't help but nodded in approval.

He Ping looked at other sanitation and epidemic prevention measures and pointed out many deficiencies, and Xie Shu took notes one by one.

After the inspection, it was already evening.Dongmen Chuuyu sent a messenger to invite him to dinner.He Ping happily went.On the way, they met Wu Shimang and Yanghe.The three of them went to the officers' mess together.

He Ping had already visited the officer's canteen once in the afternoon when he checked the sanitation. It was a shed built with bamboo poles and reed mats.Meals are provided for officers above the second lieutenant. In fact, the officers of each unit eat in their own companies. Only the headquarters and directly subordinate team officers eat here.It was empty.

According to the policy of the General Office, He Ping and others received food tickets before going out.These are several specific measures of Yifan regarding the construction of a clean government, which completely cut off the expenditure on official entertainment.Travelers receive food tickets on a daily basis before the business trip.You can receive a standard meal in each unit with the ticket, and you can also have a meal in the village office of the village along the line. Afterwards, the hospitality unit will settle the bill with the Ministry of Finance, which is convenient for review at any time.

"It's amazing, there's luncheon meat today." Dongmen Chuyu raised his brows after returning from shopping for vegetables, "This stuff is getting rarer and rarer now."

On the dinner plate was fried luncheon meat with bitter gourd.The luncheon meat is cut into the size of a domino. Although it is small, there is a lot of portion in the dish, at least one-third of which is luncheon meat.

"Of course, if you don't eat it, it will expire." He Ping remembered that the last time he went to check the food in the warehouse directly under the jurisdiction of the Planning Institute, there were still a lot of unused canned food, and the expiration date was approaching.At the beginning, it was all reserved for the most critical moment, but this time it was probably all taken out.

The meals served in the officer's canteen are simple but nutritious.Because of the war, even kvass containing a small amount of alcohol is not served, and everyone uses tea instead of wine.

"After the prisoner-of-war camp is built, our church will build a small chapel to guide these lost lambs." Wu Shimang ate bitter gourd fried luncheon meat with big mouthfuls.

"The army doesn't like you training future soldiers to be religious."

"Soldiers of the future?" Wu Shimang shook his head. "How can this kind of professional soldier of Ming Dynasty be a soldier! They are all soldiers and bastards. The army is not interested in absorbing a large number of them. At least they have to be labor reformers for a few years." Let’s talk about changing your temper and habits. At most, the army will not recruit believers. I think nine out of ten will be sent to Sanya or Vietnam.”

"It would be great if Taiwan was developed and sent to Taiwan."

"I think it's good to send it to Southeast Asia. It's good to set up a colony to mine and grow rubber. Since we are going south, these bastards don't have to be very capable. It's a first-rate effort to harm the people. Let them go to the Southeast Asian army. .”

(End of this chapter)