African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 467: Chapter 145 Military Exercise

June 1875.

East Africa Kingdom, Central Province, Mikumi area.

Mikumi is a transitional area between plateau and plains in the Central Province, where mountains, hills, and plains meet, and forest and savannah intersect.

The rainy season just ended, leaving the soil still moist, with a hazy mist lingering among the mountains and forests. The Central Railway passes through here, resembling a steel dragon slowly disappearing from the coastal plains into the East African highlands.

On both sides of the railway are East African villages and fertile fields. However, this year the villagers witnessed quite a spectacle: the Kingdom’s army conducted a grand military exercise in Mikumi. From five in the morning, the rumble of guns and artillery broke the region’s peace, and even smoke from gunfire could be seen rising halfway up the hills from the fields on the plains.

With the help of the railway, the East African Guard Division rapidly deployed troops to the Mikumi region. Their opponent was the Southern Military District, which had fought against the Boers in the south. Both sides engaged in a major battle in the Mikumi region.

”Blue Army Third Combat Team, the enemy has entered the jungle. Do not act recklessly; enter in small groups, maintain combat distance, and avoid being taken down one by one!”

”On the left at a 25-degree angle, there’s unusual movement in the bushes. Possible enemy presence.”

”Prepare grenades!”

With the ignition of a smoke grenade, the Blue Army’s third combat team found themselves enveloped in fog.

The judge accompanying the third combat team ruled: ”Hit by Red Army attack, impact point dead center, assessed casualty loss of forty percent personnel.”

”This isn’t fair; grenades aren’t this powerful in real combat! Rigged!”

”The exercise command stipulates that the damage radius of small explosives is extended by two meters, not just for you but for all participating units, so the ruling stands!”

”Even so, if it’s casualties, not everyone should be dead, right? Wounded soldiers can still fight. In the western rainforests, our grenades were like this to the natives, and even in close explosions, the natives had a high survival rate and combat ability.”

”Haha, this exercise is set according to the harshest standards. If you’re said to be casualties, it means dead, with no consideration for wounded states. In harsh environments, being injured is basically the same as being doomed; the enemy won’t give you a chance. So every decision must be careful, as any minor detail could be critical in determining the outcome of the war.”

The Blue Army soldier, still a bit disgruntled, said, ”So since we are ’dead,’ should we just lie here now?”

”Yes, now hand over your life markers to me, and you can wait until the exercise is over. The remaining survivors continue to participate in the battle.”

After the judge and others left, the fallen Blue Army soldiers, still somewhat indignant, said, ”The exposure of our position just now was purely an accident. Normally, we’re well hidden, but with a judge tagging along, we’re so restrained, we can’t act freely.”

”Damn, maybe it was the judge who gave us away, might be a Red Army spy?”

”Impossible, this exercise’s judges are from other military districts, there shouldn’t be any favoritism. Just like with us, who among you would respect the so-called Guard Division? So the exercise judges may even lean towards us.”

”Let’s not talk about the judges for now; we did have a lot of issues in this tactical exercise. Damn it, it pisses me off to talk about it. So many people hiding in such a small grove was bound to be a problem. I was the first to hide here; couldn’t you guys find somewhere else?”

”Isn’t this the only good spot? That’s why everyone tacitly chose this point. Other places are too exposed!”

”So it’s no shame that we lost, next time we must retreat separately...”

While the Blue Army soldiers summed up their experiences, the Red Army team’s leader was also dissatisfied: ”Look at yourselves! It’s a good thing I noticed the enemy’s movement; otherwise, are we waiting to be ambushed? Next time, entering the jungle must have a structure. If we encounter a well-trained army, we’ll definitely be at a disadvantage!”

...

Soldiers held varying views about the exercise, while inside the exercise command hub, chaos erupted.

”Leonard, how can you be so smug? Compare your equipment with ours; I’d say this exercise, our troops compared to your Guard Division, are like the children of a stepmother.”

”Coriolis, don’t slander us. While it’s true the Guard Division has some extravagant weapons, achieving an advantage is also a result of our efforts. Besides, our Guard Division is also under various restrictions, with prime terrains initially assigned to you, and you’re on the defensive side, so the gap isn’t that wide.”

”Not wide? Your 12-pound cannons are outrageous! They used to be 6-pound, yet now all counted as 12-pound, even 24-pound cannons. Our 3-pounders are still 3-pounders, and machine guns, ours are outnumbered by dozens. I won’t even discuss the set bullet count and other basic parameters we have lower than yours; how are we supposed to fight this?”

”Haha, there’s no help for it. We Red Army simulate European military powers, and the gap in equipment between East African troops and European armies is just this wide. Besides, much of our heavy equipment can’t be utilized effectively. With such poor road conditions here, heavy artillery is less flexible than light artillery.”

Exercise command chief Sivert said, ”Alright, that’s enough arguing. This exercise is a rehearsal; it’s based on what flaws might occur if we face European powers with our East African standards. Therefore, the disparity in equipment is indeed absurd, and our army must demand the highest standards of themselves, drawing out their strength even in dire situations.”

”Chief of Staff, I understand this point, but I can’t grasp which European country could deploy such a large-scale army to East Africa, equipped with so many weapons. Even the British might not manage that.”

”Perhaps it’s difficult for the great powers, but their capabilities are undeniable, particularly those few strong army and navy nations in Europe. If they truly marshal all their power against East Africa, we would certainly suffer.”

”Very true, one must never underestimate the enemy, especially the great powers. Without exerting full force, some powers could cause us headaches with just a third of their potential. Maybe deploying millions is impossible, but hundreds of thousands of troops could still be a threat in Africa,” Ernst said, entering the command center.

”Your Highness!” Several saluted Ernst.

Ernst waved his hand and said, ”Alright, everyone, sit down! I took the time to inspect the exercise area this time; continue your work. What’s the current condition of the exercise?”

Sivert reported, ”Your Highness, the exercise is not yet over; however, judging from the situation, the Red Army has a greater advantage. The Blue Army is struggling to cope with the Red Army’s assault.”

”Hmm, after the exercise ends, the Red Army must take more lessons. They represent the real level of our East African forces more closely. The Guard Division, after all, is somewhat special. So the issues the Red Army faces are potentially ours in East Africa. In Africa, we are on the defensive side, so we must make full preparations.”

”Your Highness, is it really possible for Europe to invade Africa?”

”I can give you a precise answer: it’s definite. Now all countries are raring to go. In the Far East, multiple nations are expanding their invasions eastward, and South America is in constant conflict. Additionally, this economic crisis has far-reaching impacts, differing from previous British single-country crises. Almost all European industrial nations are affected. To divert the crisis, they will inevitably initiate more intense disputes than before. This time it’s not in one location or one country, but worldwide.”

”Can our East African capacity not avoid it?”

”Unavoidable! Africa being targeted is only a matter of time. Italy, Belgium, and France have already taken action. If other countries join in, East Africa certainly won’t be able to stay out of it. Therefore, to prevent the fate of other backward nations from falling upon us, we must be more fierce and stronger than our enemies. Only the strong earn respect, and the purpose of the military exercise is for our forces to adapt to the pressures of potential East African adversaries amid this great crisis.”