Chapter 418: Chapter 417
Chapter 417: Kitchen cart
What else can the military improve? Ernst's first thought was the problem of food for soldiers in East Africa. While fighting in South Africa, Ernst noticed that the East African army still applied the method of burying pots for cooking and that carrying pots on marches with the army was quite common.
Of course, this method cannot be considered bad, but it has significant limitations. After all, relying on a single military pot is very convenient, but compromises have to be made on dishes. When war breaks out, food quality can affect morale at any time. The ancients all knew the principle of raising an army before war and defeating the enemy. Giving soldiers a good meal before war could greatly ease their fear of war and boost their morale.
After discussing some details with Archduke Ferdinand, Ernst began conducting research on military kitchens in East Africa. He contacted senior military officials and the head of the military logistics department to discuss this issue. Ernst said bluntly: "I want to know what problems our army has encountered in providing food and cooking for soldiers in previous wars. I can highlight some of the problems your soldiers complain about in daily life.
"Your Majesty, when it comes to military food, our entire East African Army will not have many problems! We are not only the world leader in raw material supplies, but we are also certainly the best among them. I don't have other countries." 'I don't know much about it. At least we are better than Austria and Prussia,' said the Minister of Logistics. Ernst: "Of course I know that. After all, I am the one who presides over the development of standards, but nothing can be perfect, especially when facing emergency situations, like this one on the battlefield in South Africa. I'm also on the front lines. line, our supplies are abundant but due to transportation problems, they may not be distributed to each unit in time, which shows that our work has not been done better. This problem exists like other problems so we cannot turn a blind eye. »
The food standards of the East African Kingdom's army were comparable to those of Prussia, better than Prussia, equal to France and lower than England. Of course, this is only true in terms of food finances. According to the development situation of different countries, East Africa is completely beyond the standard.
For example, in former Prussia, the monthly salary of Prussian soldiers was about forty-eight Groschen (two thalers). However, it should be noted that Prussian soldiers did not receive free meals, but had to pay for food and housing, and they also had to pay taxes when buying supplies.
Of course, the army had its own characteristics, so Prussian soldiers would enjoy tax-free privileges when buying bread, but only for bread. In addition, essential meat, vegetables, salt, and tobacco must be provided by the soldiers themselves, and drinks are also used. Consider coffee mixed with water, cold milk, light beer and alternatives. As for hot drinks like tea and chocolate, it's just a fantasy.
Today, the level of the Prussian army has improved significantly, but given the huge size of the Prussian army, this improvement is still limited.
Furthermore, Ernst has put a lot of effort into improving this. Among them, Ernst lowered cigarette prices in Germany. Currently, the German army cannot do without cigarettes. With large-scale tobacco cultivation in East Africa, large quantities of cheap tobacco were also introduced. The German sector broke the foreign monopoly. At the same time, as the Hechingen group actively developed maritime trade, many things that were rarely seen in Germany or were not produced at all became increasingly popular.
For example, after the luxury food banana went into production in East Africa, a shipment was sent free of charge by high-speed train to the Prussian and Austrian armies. This has always been the working tradition of the Hechingen Association. The military is not only a good customer but also the best propaganda tool. Soldiers around the world deserve the strong support of the Hechingen Association.
In our time, there is no television, radio or Internet, and population movements are infrequent. The military and the press are the best platforms for people to learn new things. Take the example of the Prussian army. The Prussian army numbered about 600,000 men. If everyone gets one, 600,000 people will know about the Somali banana, a high-quality product, and these 600,000 people will definitely recommend it to the people of their city when they return. Showcasing the delicacies you loved in the military is a rare source of conversation, and Somali bananas may be well known to many civilians.
Talk about military meals. Compared to the armies of major powers, the salaries of East African Army soldiers are not high, but their food, clothing, housing and transportation are all free.
At the same time, because East Africa is located in the tropics, the East African army will not lack vegetables and fruits. In fact, following the development of the livestock industry in East Africa, meat, milk and eggs also developed. And East Africa is a major tobacco producer, so cigarettes are almost standard equipment of the East African Army, so the food of the East African Army is not bad at all.
However, this is only theoretical and not applicable in practice. First of all, East Africa's area is too large, the transportation routes are extremely long and transportation conditions are very backward. In addition, the first areas of development of the East African Kingdom were concentrated in the east. This meant that only the troops of the Central Military District and the Northern Military District could meet the food standards of the East African Army set by Ernst in peacetime. The remaining three military regions cannot benefit from this type of treatment. . There was certainly no way to reverse this situation in the short term, so Ernst had to apply his mind to other aspects.
Ernst: "Let's not talk about anything else. Take the example of hot dishes. Our military still has a lot of work to do. When I went to the front lines in South Africa, soldiers still used large pots to cook many dishes. dough, and they had to cook it every time. It would waste a lot of time to build a temporary kitchen. I know the Prussian army now has a special kitchen cart. I think this is very good and we should apply it. This gives the army a great advantage when marching on the battlefield. »
In 1853, Canter Lambford in Bavaria, Germany, installed a boiler and other equipment on a four-wheeled wagon. From then on, military equipment included kitchen carts. However, current kitchen carts can only be considered novel and not yet popular. Around the 20th century, countries began to develop special kitchen carts and issue them to the military.
Felix said: "Your Majesty, we have never seen the kitchen cart you mentioned. I served in the Prussian army for many years and always used a large pot for cooking.
Ernst: "It's normal. The principle is very simple. The stove is installed on a cart and can be moved at any time. However, I think there is still a lot of room for improvement in this regard. »
While speaking, Ernst suddenly became interested in teaching. He just asked someone to find him some paper and pen and started designing it himself.
"First of all, this type of military food truck must be practical, so it must be equipped with two wheels. Considering the road conditions in East Africa, the wheels had to be larger but not too bulky. The frame must also be light, so using a wooden frame will be suitable, and of course, to increase impact resistance, reinforce it with iron plates and screws.
"Ahem... Your Majesty, is there any problem with using a wooden frame? It's a trick to light a fire."
"Haha, did you think I would make such a stupid mistake! The frame is made of wood, but that does not mean that the parts in contact with the stove are also made of wood. Earthen mortar can be used as insulation material." ."
When Ernst started designing (plagiarizing) the stove, when the designs took shape, people suddenly discovered that Ernst's designs had been plagiarized from a simple, popular Far Eastern stove from In the past, it was often made of iron barrels.
(image)
"Your Highness, why do you want to design the middle part as a circle?"
According to Felix's idea, the stove is of course square, because the main fuel now is wood and shredded coal. After burning, the ash must be removed.
Ernst: "It was specially designed by me to place so-called briquettes. It can greatly improve the burning efficiency of coal and can continue to burn for half a day. When using, open the decompressible vent below. , you can increase the flame above and use it to reheat your meal. When not in use, place a hot water kettle on top to create continuous hot water and you can also use other types of fuel..."
Ernst did not specify what briquettes are. After all, many of his subordinates were former soldiers who did not do well in elementary school. They will not be able to understand scientific principles when spoken to them. As long as the finished product is completed. , just let them try.
(End of this chapter)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone