Chapter 687 The Situation of the Guards Division
Compared with ten years ago, the changes in the East African Army are still relatively large, but the 1885-type defense military helmets are more conspicuous, which immediately raises the temperament of East African soldiers to a higher level, at least in Ernst's view, after all, a thousand There are a thousand Hamlets in my personal eyes, and there is nothing I can do about it even if some people's aesthetics are different from Ernst's.
Apart from this helmet, there is something worth mentioning in other places, especially the quality of the clothing fabrics and shoe materials of the National Defense Forces have been greatly improved.
"The appearance of the overall military uniforms has not changed much from before. However, due to technological advancements in textile factories such as Nairobi and Mombasa, the adoption of new machines, and the expansion of East African fabric raw materials, we have more choices. For example, the selection of socks is The high-quality long-staple cotton from Somali cotton-producing areas is sweat-absorbent and breathable, which greatly enhances the experience. The development of the leather industry in East Africa also provides sufficient raw materials for military boots."
When it comes to the raw materials of military boots, leather is naturally the main one. The great development of animal husbandry in East Africa has provided East Africa with a sufficient amount of cowhide. At the same time, East Africa is also very rich in other animal leathers. The most famous one is the crocodile skin industry, but crocodile leather It is mainly exported. Furthermore, East Africa is rich in rubber, so the rubber soles of military boots can also be fully supplied.
In addition, the production of canvas desert boots supplied in desert areas is not small in East Africa. After all, East Africa itself is a high-quality linen and cotton production area, with sisal, jute, and various types of cotton varieties being grown.
"Military boots replace the previous cloth military shoes. They can better cope with bad road conditions, are easier to clean and take care of, are hygienic and clean, and are very suitable for use in humid and rainy areas."
Although East Africa has undergone major infrastructure construction and the road conditions have been greatly improved, the previous road construction was still mainly based on dirt roads and gravel roads.
Most areas in East Africa have rainy seasons, so military boots can better adapt to muddy roads. Of course, the disadvantages are also obvious, that is, they are prone to sweating, but this cannot be avoided. Even in previous lives, many military boots also had various disadvantages. , there is no perfect existence.
"At present, military boots are mainly divided into three categories, one is desert boots, the other is mountaineering boots, and the last one is the most widely used conventional military boots. Because of the special jurisdiction of our Guards Division, we basically do not equip the first two types of military boots. ."
After all, long military boots are heavy, clumsy and stuffy, so they are not suitable for daily use, so they are popular among soldiers.
"In addition to military boots, the Guards Division is also equipped with conventional military shoes, which are mainly used in the dry season. Due to the two rainy seasons in the east, they are rotated twice a year. They are also casual shoes for daily use. They are used when training is not required and when going out. During missions, they are more popular."
"Your Highness, I said before that conventional military boots are still the mainstay in daily training. The training intensity of our Guards Division is very intense and we are in combat mode at all times, so we still mainly use conventional military boots during training."
Ernst asked: "Isn't it still the dry season? Why are you wearing boots?"
The Guards Division's jurisdiction is mainly the eastern coastal plain, so there are no application scenarios for the first two. Other military regions have to choose based on actual conditions. For example, the Northern Military Region and Southern Military Region purchase a large number of desert boots, while mountaineering boots are very common in the Northwest Military Region. .
After listening to Lederis' explanation, Ernst was very satisfied. He said: "This is the right thing to do. Since you have joined the Wehrmacht, you must learn to endure hardship. After all, the battlefield environment is a hundred or a thousand times worse than reality, and the Guards As an important part of the East African Army, the division should play a leading role."
There are some differences between the Guards Division and the National Defense Force, but they still belong to the National Defense Force sequence, which is closely related to the national conditions of East Africa.
The mission of the East African National Defense Force is to protect national security, defend territorial integrity, and safeguard national security and interests. This flag must be set up. After all, East Africa is an autocratic monarchy, and the fact that East Africa is now a "domestic country" cannot allow East African citizens to mistakenly think that the National Defense Force is the army of the emperor like in Europe.
If we become fighting for the emperor or king, how to mobilize the enthusiasm of the army to defend the country and maintain the combat effectiveness of the East African army?
Therefore, the Guards Division was nominally affiliated with the National Defense Forces, which was a useful measure to cope with the changes in the international society in the 19th century.
As for loyalty to the royal family, there is no need to worry too much. After all, the king and the royal family themselves are also part of the East African nationals.
Ernst continued: "Of course, as a country, we must not only rely on the dedication of soldiers, but we must also actively improve the living conditions of soldiers and improve the treatment of the military. This does not conflict with the mission of the Wehrmacht. The so-called profession has specialization, and the military must Professionalization is an inevitable trend, just as the conditions of the troops are being improved every year, new equipment, and new weapon applications are all for our important task of building and defending the 'new homeland' of the East African people."
In fact, the improvement in the treatment of the East African army over the years is related to Ernst's suppression of army expansion. The army is not expanding, but the funds of the East African Army are increasing. In this case, it is necessary to spend more money on weapons and equipment.
Another point is that with the development of agriculture and industry, the price level in East Africa has also been further reduced, and many items that need to be imported have been domestically produced. This is typically reflected in the fact that the growth rate of export volume is greater than the growth rate of import volume.
The major items imported from East Africa are basically products that cannot be produced in tropical areas or are relatively lacking in East Africa. The most typical one is the import of medicines from East Africa.
East African pharmaceutical exports mainly spread to other surrounding African regions, but the import quantity is much greater than the export quantity, because many medicinal materials are produced in the Far Eastern Empire, and the penetration rate of traditional Chinese medicine in East Africa is relatively high.
At the same time, East Africa will also import a small amount of foreign fruits and vegetables. Typical cold temperate crops such as apples are not grown and produced in East Africa. Wheat is also imported into East Africa. Although East Africa itself is a major wheat producer, the main reason is that the quality is not as good as that of other countries. Compared with the temperate zone, this is for the current wheat-producing areas in East Africa. In fact, the quality of wheat in the southern production areas is still good, but the southern production areas are in their infancy and the output is limited.
However, these imported products are obviously not too many. At most, they can enrich the East African people's dining tables or the types of goods.
Especially for fruits and vegetables, there are too many products that can be substituted in East Africa. After all, tropical areas have advantages over tropical areas where rain and heat conditions are better for cultivation. East Africa also has advantages in temperature difference and sunlight.
Ernst then visited the daily drills of the Guards Division. The training subjects were very different from those of other countries. However, the world's military training methods are now based on European standards, and they are all learning from Europe. However, when it comes to implementation, the performance of the East African Guards Division is very different. Not bad, this is the conclusion Ernst came to through the overall mental outlook of the army.
In fact, the Guards Division is also the local force most susceptible to government supervision. It is related to the security of the capital, and no one dares to take it lightly.
"Although the Guards Division is not on the border, the situation it faces is not much better than that in the south, because you are also facing maritime threats, especially Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo, two important coastal cities in East Africa. , the city of Bagamoyo has a strong navy, which may be a little better, but the city of Dar es Salaam cannot afford to be hit. One city of Dar es Salaam is more important to the economy than three new Hamburg ports, and The first town, Soga City and other central provincial cities are not far from the coastline, so the army must be on standby at all times and the mission must be achieved," Ernst emphasized.
(End of this chapter)