Chapter 418
After the final design, the field kitchen wagon was divided into two pans and had a square shape. It can be pulled by one horse or pushed or pulled by two people. It is somewhat similar to the Prussian kitchen cart, but quite different.
(Photo: Prussian version of World War I)
This type of field kitchen cart has been modified by Ernst and its counterweight has been significantly reduced. At the same time, because it only has two wheels, it is more suitable for the roads or fields of East Africa. However, because it only has two wheels, when attached, it requires two removable wheels. Unscrew and retract the bracket.
There is no special oven or coffee stove. In fact, the current Prussian kitchen pickup truck prototype cannot be equipped with an oven. After all, it's useless to burn. The battlefield needs to pay attention to efficiency, the process of making barbeque is complicated, and drinking clean wine can also be problematic. Due to lack of water, dough products must be kneaded with water.
As for looking at the food rations of World War I troops in a previous life, just consider it a joke. These complex things cannot be used by the military as daily food, and they can be used in emergencies.
Hot food is an effective guarantee for improving the military's combat effectiveness. Who can hide in the trenches and chew cold bread continuously?
The two stoves designed by Ernst can be equipped with different cooking utensils, one is a cylindrical bucket for cooking rice, the other is a curved iron pot, two frying plates and two large kettles.
It can basically meet the needs of the military. Of course, the disadvantage of this rural kitchen truck is also very obvious, that is, it cannot solve the problem of smoke and the location may be exposed.
However, the main application of the field kitchen truck was to facilitate the march of East African troops. For example, this time the 111th Division and 123rd Division stretched more than 2,000 km from East Africa to South Africa. Just like in East Africa itself, there is no need to fight in the middle so the above problems do not exist.
Furthermore, the chimney problem is not unsolvable, it is just that it cannot be solved at present and there is a lot of room for improvement in the future.
Ernst examined the field kitchen wagon he designed and was generally satisfied. It was thanks to the roadside food trucks from his previous life that brought him abundant inspiration. Ernst: "For the military, they say that details determine success or failure. In addition to considering combat needs, we must also consider issues related to the living standards of soldiers. Sometimes the non-combat costs of a war can be much greater. rather than war. »
This is especially evident in the East African Army. The East African army has not yet encountered a strong enemy, and the war intensity is not high. On the contrary, losses due to non-combat attrition are greater than losses due to war. "Of course, I do not promote hedonism. The army is there to fight and protect the country, not to enjoy happiness. Therefore, we must not neglect training and often simulate the environment." The battlefield is difficult. Improving the living environment of soldiers is also necessary and there is no conflict between the two sides.
…
January 17, 1873
As Ernst worked to improve the army's logistical support, the East African armory also received new equipment. For this reason, the Mauser brothers made a special trip from Germany to East Africa to guide the installation of the Mauser rifle production line.
William Mauser: "The Mauser 1873 rifle, which is the 1871 rifle now fielded in Germany, has a huge improvement in range and accuracy over the Dreiser rifle. The German army also applied our plan, but the Ministry of Defense mainly ordered some old arsenals for production, we could not supply large quantities to the German army due to production capacity problems. export.
The Mauser 1871 rifle is known as the 1873 rifle in East Africa due to the difference in the timing of its equipment with Germany.
Ernst: "I understand this problem. Our arsenal in Germany is only a small factory which Prussia is about to eliminate. It was never the main customer for the Prussian army's weapons supplies. Personally, I think we can get orders from the German army. Enough." As one of the German army's suppliers, Hechingen Consortium focuses more on the fields of food, clothing and daily necessities. Regarding weapons, not to mention Krupp, a company that carries The symbolism of the German army, even some medium sized companies are better than the companies in East Africa, it's much better. It's all due to human nature. It would be better if they could allow the Hechingen Group to enter the German army's supply system, and the Hechingen Group could not break the rules.
At this time, Constantine was still serving in the Prussian army and under the name Hohenzollern, which was one of the reasons the Hechingen Group was able to join.
Ernst: "This time you come to East Africa, I have something to ask. I hope you won't refuse."
Brother Mauser did not dare to apologize in front of the boss, so he quickly said: "Your Highness, you are too polite." Without your kindness, we would not be where we are today. As for requests, all are due and we will accommodate them naturally to the best of our ability. »
"No problem," Ernst said, "I just hope you can attract more new people." Of course, I do not mean the company's internal employees but the students whom I have specially trained in the Hechingen area so that they can help you further.
So that's all it is, isn't it just hiring an apprentice! The Mauser brothers came here in a similar way, but they mainly learned the trade from their father over a longer period of time. Isn't it just a matter of your words? William Mauser said: "As long as you say it, Your Highness, we will never hide a secret.
Ernst nodded and said, "That's good. They are all young children and some don't even know German very well so you have to be more patient. »
The apprentices that Ernst arranged for the Mauser brothers at the Hechingen school were not many, only five, but Ernst thought that five would be enough, and two of them were from the Far East.
Currently, only a few students trained by Ernst enter German universities. They are all talented geniuses. Not to mention universities, these are colleges in Germany. Nowadays it's very difficult for people to get in unless they spend money. Well, Ernst shouldn't take advantage, it's not a small amount of money. The current quality of education at the college founded by Ernst himself in Hechingen cannot be compared with the quality of education of other colleges in Germany, because the current colleges also belong to elite education .
Outside of college, the only way to gain high-level knowledge was to apprentice with weapons research and development experts like the Mauser brothers. Apprenticeships are now very popular in Europe, so Ernst's demand is not too high. The most important thing is that students can learn something. The Mauser brothers also had a high school education, but that was not the main reason why they became experts in weapons research and development. This is further influenced by their family background.
Thus, the assistants that Ernst assigned to the Mauser brothers were also students at Hechingen University, so their studies would not face many obstacles. The main thing is to accumulate experience and learn design ideas.
It's hard to say whether this will succeed, but if it does, East Africa will make a lot of money. In addition, you can also work as a professional technician at the East African armory.
Ernst continued: "In the field of work, the environment in Germany is definitely better, but East Africa is not bad, especially the East African Army, which is a solid support for you. Some data about guns and weapons can also give you rich initial insights. -manual information. According to data, Germany is located in the middle of the cold temperate zone, while East Africa is located between Asia and the tropics, with rich application scenarios, very beneficial for weapons research and development, so you can go to East Africa is more and more walking. around."
William Mauser: "Your Highness, don't worry, we will certainly take more into account East African factors in firearms research and development. »
The two sides maintained a tacit understanding and did not discuss the parking issue in East Africa. The environment in East Africa is a big problem and does not attract high-level talent. This environment refers more to a global environment. East Africa is not very developed, especially in the more habitable areas. The internal areas have not been effectively developed. Ernst did not dare to leave them on the coast. Although Dar es Salaam is one of the most prosperous cities in the tropics, the climate is somewhat warmer than Germany. There is a big difference. The indoor climate in East Africa is stronger than in Germany but the infrastructure cannot keep up.
(End of this chapter)