The Sixth Army of Zhenjiang was established relatively late, and its tasks have always been support errands, which are both safe and leisurely. However, this does not prevent the soldiers of the Sixth Army from having a warlike ambition.
When the commander-in-chief's flag was flying in the Sixth Army camp, the fighting spirit of this light infantry army was completely awakened, and it was so manic that it could directly defeat the Golden Tribe's cavalry.
Since then, the Nulang Infantry has been proud and proud in the entire Zhenjiang Army system, and they walk with their heads held high.
"We, like the ghost-faced white-robed army, are the commander's personal soldiers!"
However, Li Jiangyao knew in his heart that a moment of bravery could not fully represent the true combat power of an army.
If you want to maintain an ever-victorious state, you must set higher and stricter standards and continuously improve in all aspects.
Equipment, training, discipline, combat ideas, and fighting habits are all indispensable.
Therefore, when he proposed to forge a heavy armored iron army for infantry combat, the first thing that came to mind was the Sixth Army.
You know, upgrading from light infantry to heavy infantry is by no means as simple as changing into a suit of armor.
It is no exaggeration to say that this is a profound and profound change that requires ruthlessness, heavy-handedness, and forcibly peeling off a few layers of skin.
For example, the simplest issue is personnel.
The weight of light infantry in combat, including armor and weapons, is about twenty-five to thirty kilograms. The weight of the heavy armored infantry was doubled. Not counting weapons, the two layers of armor alone weighed forty or fifty kilograms.
This requires soldiers to have excellent physical strength and be able to maintain a mobile and flexible combat status despite heavy loads.
Judging from the current physical conditions of the soldiers of the Sixth Army, it is obvious that many of them cannot meet the qualification standards.
What should I do if I can’t reach it? Either practice hard or be eliminated.
Another example is combat thoughts and playing habits. The light infantry's tactics focus on passive defense and carry out tasks such as patrolling, vigilance, public security and low-intensity combat. This is not the case with heavy infantry. They have to play the role of mobile fortresses on the plains. They can both attack and defend on the spot.
For officers at all levels of the army, these are two completely different command logics that must be fundamentally adjusted and changed. In the same way, soldiers must also undergo different training and have a more courageous and fearless mentality.
In addition, familiarity with equipment and weapons, as well as familiarity with tactical formations, must go through repeated training and tempering.
In addition to the human problem, there is also the equipment problem.
The helmet, mask, neck cape, arm guards, skirt cover, combat boots, as well as the inner chain armor and outer scale armor need to be redesigned.
Fine iron guns, machetes, mountain axes, tiger-head hammers, and special strong bows and crossbows weighing more than ten kilograms must also be prepared one by one.
Food and military pay also need to be fully considered.
In order to maintain the physical fitness of the heavy infantry, they had to eat four meals a day, and each meal should not be less than one pound of dry food and half a pound of meat. At the same time, the stipend and pay are also slightly higher than other troops.
All of the above are problems that the Zhenjiang Army Headquarters must face when building heavy armored infantry, and they are also problems that must be solved.
However, although the difficulty is not small, Li Jiangyao is very confident.
The source of his confidence is the capital accumulated by the Zhenjiang Army after so many years of fighting.
This capital refers to both things and people.
After the officers and soldiers of the Nulang Sixth Army learned the specific requirements of the heavy armor warriors, they did not complain at all and immediately began to make various preparations.
At the same time, the army commander Jigriz ran to Li Jiangyao and asked him to give him one month to ensure that the entire army's pass rate was 100%!
"Two months, I'll give you two months." Li Jiangyao said lightly.
With the approval of the Great Protector, Jigriz led the Sixth Army directly to leave the expedition camp and headed for the Gobi Desert northwest of Zijin Pass without saying a word.
There, more than 44,000 soldiers of the Sixth Army carried out almost crazy and ultra-high-intensity training.
Under the scorching sun, waves of heat are rising in the vast Gobi desert. If a raw egg falls to the ground, it will turn into a fried egg in the blink of an eye. All members of the Sixth Army were shirtless and carrying stone bags weighing 60 to 70 kilograms. They were chasing each other on the Gobi Desert and training hard.
Two months passed almost in a flash.
Li Jiangyao selected a hundred experienced examiners from the White Robe Army to select soldiers who met the standards of heavy armored infantry. Unexpectedly, in the first round of testing, more than 80% of the officers and soldiers in the army directly passed the rigorous assessment. In the second round of supplementary examination, all the remaining soldiers passed the test without exception.
Such results completely exceeded Li Jiangyao's expectations.
The will shown by the Raging Wave infantry is far stronger than their bodies like copper branches and iron trunks!
The Sixth Army is worthy of being a heavily armored soldier!
While selecting outstanding warriors, the problems of equipment and weapons are even more difficult to overcome by the powerful Zhenjiang Army.
Efentia heard that the Grand Protector wanted to form a heavy armored infantry corps, so through her father Emene, she transported a large number of brand-new iron armors from the Persian Empire for use by the Sixth Army. In addition, Situ Wushou also mobilized funds to purchase large quantities of fine iron from the private sector, all of which were delivered to Ma Mu's weapons workshop. Thousands of craftsmen worked day and night to build various weapons for the heavy infantry.
In three months, a brand new heavily armored army finally took shape.
Forty-four thousand one hundred and fifty-eight Furious Infantrymen, wearing heavy black armor and holding large swords and axes, hit the ground with a neat and dull pace. Their momentum was no less than that of galloping cavalry. . They formed huge phalanxes, like moving steel fortresses, and came steadily towards the expedition camp.
Xu Youchang and other Western Xinjiang generals all stood on the observation deck, looking at this formidable army from a distance, and couldn't help but admire it.
"How's it going?" Li Jiangyao smiled and said, "Does it look okay?"
Du Jian praised: "It's not bad, it's simply scary. After all, the heavy armored cavalry has horses to help bear the load. Those guys rely entirely on themselves, their physical strength is too exaggerated."
"I have always commanded the cavalry in combat," Xu Youchang sighed: "Normally, we cavalry have absolute confidence in attacking the infantry phalanx on the plains. But the appearance of the Sixth Army made me feel that we could not attack them at all. "
Horiyah also nodded: "Indeed. This large group of iron knots cannot be penetrated by bows and arrows, and cannot be pierced by spears. A knife cut on the body will probably only leave a white mark. Once they form a tight formation, it will be like It’s like a hard mountain, no matter how fast the horses are, they can’t break away.”
"I just don't know how flexible it is?" Xie Tanzhi said: "If mobility is sacrificed in order to improve defense, then the role it can play on the battlefield will still be compromised."
Li Jiangyao smiled confidently: "Can't we just let them show it?"
After that, he gave instructions to the messenger beside him. The messengers acted upon hearing the words. They first blew their horns to alert the Sixth Army to pay attention, and then continued to play flags for formation changes.
The advancing Nulang infantry suddenly stopped.
Immediately afterwards, the eight large square formations that were originally arranged one after another quickly dispersed, and in just a blink of an eye, a giant plum blossom formation was re-formed on the spot.
The Sixth Army's reactions and actions were very fast. Before the generals could open their mouths to praise, the defensive Plum Blossom Formation changed again. In less than a quarter of an hour, it was replaced by the Fish Scale Formation that was both offensive and defensive.
"Bang the drum! Let them charge three hundred steps!" Li Jiangyao shouted loudly.
Dong dong dong——
With the sound of war drums, more than 40,000 armored soldiers raised their weapons and shouted "Long live the emperor" with thunderous war horns, charging forward like a stormy sea.
Although their speed is not as fast as that of the cavalry, they appear to be more powerful in terms of momentum.
Within a distance of three hundred steps, a series of copper and iron walls surged forward, making it feel unstoppable.
"It's so fast!" Xu Youchang praised: "The formation changes and the charge are all done in one go. It is by no means slower than the reaction of the light infantry."
Xie Tanzhi also nodded repeatedly: "If this is put on the battlefield, the Turks will definitely feel desperate."
Du Jian said to Li Jiangyao: "Boss, you can't be partial. Our Second Army also needs such heavy armored infantry."
Li Jiangyao smiled: "Don't be greedy. What I want is not the attached troops, but a legion-level heavy armored group. Only if the scale is large enough can we withstand the enemy's cavalry in the plains and wilderness."
Horiyah asked curiously: "Are we going to set up a few more such troops?"
Li Jiangyao nodded slightly: "Yes, at least form one or two more pure heavy infantry regiments."
He turned around and introduced to everyone: "My idea is this. The First Army still follows the path of heavy armored cavalry, serving as the forward and assault mission of the entire army; the Second Army, the Third Army, and the Fifth Army Maintain the mixed infantry and cavalry model, emphasizing comprehensive combat capabilities; the Fourth Army and the Ninth Army, as light cavalry corps, are responsible for supporting and attacking; the Sixth Army, plus the Seventh Army and the Eighth Army, are all transformed and upgraded to heavy armor The infantry is specially used to deal with the Turkic cavalry and in future offensive operations."
After hearing this, all the generals nodded in agreement.
Li Jiangyao continued: "Du Jian, don't envy the Sixth Army. Your comprehensive combat force will also have new treasures. I decided to assign two divine machine battalions to each of the Second, Third, and Fifth Armies to strengthen their mobile strike capabilities. .”
"Shenji Camp?" Du Jian and Holia looked at each other and asked curiously, "What is that for?"
Xie Tanzhi explained: "Daduhu got inspiration from the eight-armed divine machine crossbow and personally designed a giant crossbow with wheels, which was towed by a carriage and accompanied the troops in combat. A divine machine battalion has 600 launchers. Equipped with one hundred crossbows, they can be used to attack enemies on the plains and can also be used in siege warfare. Currently, the craftsman's workshop is in the process of making crossbows and arrows, which will be distributed to your three armies soon."
Du Jian was suddenly surprised and delighted: "So powerful?! Two battalions means two hundred giant crossbows. If they fire continuously on the plains, the enemy on the opposite side will cry for father and mother!"
