Chapter 793

Episode 793: Noblemen go to Shinji. (5)

The transport fleet organized by the Imperial Navy diligently transported the conquering forces back and forth between the new territory and the mainland.

This was because the Northern Sea Route had been frozen and blocked since early winter.

-More troops faster.

This was the task undertaken by the Imperial Navy.

‘Assault return ship’ emerged as a hot topic among Navy executives who were considering all kinds of ways to solve this problem.

“How about using assault return?”

“A sudden return trip? Don’t you know that the biggest drawback of assault return ship is the short range? “You’re going to stop before you even get halfway through?”

“It’s about reducing weight.”

“Losing weight?”

“There are no pirates on the Northern Sea Route anyway, right? Even the Ming Dynasty guys and the Japanese guys can’t do it. So, we unloaded all the artillery and gunpowder, and instead loaded extra coal, troops to transport water, and food.”

“Hmm... I hope you’ll be okay?”

In this way, a plan on ‘Using Assault Return Ships as Transport Ships’ was drawn up.

The upper echelons of the Imperial Navy received the plan and looked perplexed.

“This is... should I say it’s creative or absurd?”

“Well, let’s come... In some ways, it’s a novel idea, but...”

While I was pondering this, there were some people who responded positively.

“Don’t you think it would be a good idea to give it a try? In any case, as time passes, fronts and transport ships equipped with steam engines will become common. Rather than worrying about it right away, wouldn’t you be able to check the possibilities in advance and know what to pay attention to in order to use them properly?”

“Hmm?”

In the end, the upper echelons of the Imperial Navy believed that there would be more benefits than losses, so they revised the plan and submitted it to Wan.

“Hmm... what do you think?”

After reading the plan, Wan asked the ministers. Hwang Bo-in stepped forward and answered Wan’s question.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea to give it a try. Of course, since the uses of fronts and transport ships are different, it is understandable that the results obtained from this experiment cannot satisfy both. However, it is believed to be sufficient to provide a glimpse into the potential of iron ships equipped with steam engines.”

“Hmm... I see. “Let’s give it a try.”

According to Wan’s decision, one of the three assault ships that had just been deployed to the Inland Sea Fleet was selected.

“You’re going to have to suffer.”

“...yes.”

The captain, who came out after hearing the imperial order from the commander of the Inland Sea, kicked the stones at his feet and burst out in anger.

“My proud assault ship has to become a barge!”

Since this was an order approved by the emperor, the work of unloading artillery and gunpowder from the assault return ship proceeded quickly.

“Are you going to get off all the freight cars?”

“Get everything down.”

“There must be a minimum amount of armament...”

“What are you worried about when it’s not just one assault ship moving? And if the assault ship decides to run away, is there a ship to chase after?”

“...All right. “Everyone will get off.”

However, everything did not end with the unloading of artillery and bombs.

First, the weight of the unloaded artillery and bombs was carefully measured one by one.

“Based on the average weight of the soldiers and the weight of the commander...”

“If it’s the distance from here to Shinji’s Chosi, how much coal do you need?”

“The weight of the food the soldiers eat in a day...”

After careful calculations by the executives in charge of supply, the expected figure came out, and the superiors who received it looked perplexed once again.

“800 people? “Isn’t that too little?”

“Right. Considering the size of the assault return line, isn’t it too small?”

“you! you! you! you! and you! stay! It’s special training! “I will definitely turn people like you into proper soldiers!”

As if pushing the soldiers to their limits wasn’t enough, the instructors even gathered soldiers who were underperforming separately and gave them special training.

“Isn’t this too harsh?”

Lee Jing-ok shook his head resolutely at Hyang’s point.

“It’s light at that level. Sooner or later, you will be deployed to the battlefield, and if you are even the slightest bit lax, not only yourself but your colleagues will die as well. According to the report, they are worse than the Jurchen tribe. “We must prepare well.”

Hyang muttered to herself at Lee Jing-ok’s words.

‘Well, it’s time... And, starting with Lee Jing-ok, most of the seniors have been against the Jurchen people since their youth...’

In the 21st century, there was a time when things that would be called ‘war crimes’ were common, and it was the period between the Jurchen people and the Joseon Dynasty in the early Joseon Dynasty. It was a time of conflict. This was despite the fact that the military power of the Joseon army was strengthened due to the intervention of Hyang at that time, and the number of Jurchen tribes that returned to Joseon greatly increased through King Sejong’s active intervention.

‘If you think about the Aztecs, I can’t tell you to apply 21st century standards. No, it is unreasonable to ask for the level of the last lighting war....’

Hyang had no choice but to acknowledge the problem of time and place.

* * *

While the final hardening of the soldiers was in full swing, Lee Jing-ok looked for incense.

“You said you needed a new freight car?”

“yes. “That’s right.”

“I think the side-by-side boxcar is pretty good now, right?”

Lee Jing-ok immediately responded to Hyang’s point.

“The fire wagon is a good weapon. But it doesn’t suit the place. “It’s too heavy.”

“Is it too heavy?”

“That’s right.”

Lee Jing-ok explained the reason.

-The parallel boxcar is a very excellent weapon. But it’s too heavy.

-It is difficult to operate fire trucks and artillery in a place that will become a battlefield.

-Of course, we cannot give up freight cars and artillery for victory. However, if you consider the number of horses that will pull the artillery, the amount of hay and feed that the horses will eat, and the number of carts and horses that will transport the hay and feed, the vicious cycle continues.

-To solve this problem, we need to reduce as much as possible.

-Then the only answer is freight cars. Because we cannot give up artillery.

“...For this reason, we need new freight cars, to be precise, light freight cars.”

“Don’t the fire trucks have wheels so soldiers can pull them and move them?”

“I’ll buy it back. However, to operate it properly, one freight car requires five. They say that it is difficult for even a person to move in the jungle in the south, but it is difficult to move a boxcar.”

“Hmm...”

Lee Jing-ok continued as Hyang fell into thought with a serious expression on his face.

“I am not asking to change the freight cars of the entire conquest army. If the battle takes place in an open area, a double box wagon is better. But if the battle takes place in the jungle, light freight cars are needed.”

“Hmm... Now that I think about it, the general wants a freight car that can be carried and moved by individual soldiers. Is that correct?”

“That’s right.”

“There is yin and yang in all things in the world. If there are advantages, there are also disadvantages. In my opinion, we wouldn’t be able to pour in as many bullets over a long period of time as in a boxcar. “Do you think that’s a problem too?”

“You can replace that part with numbers and feet.”

“Soo and Val?”

“It makes sense to pay more soldiers, and since the soldiers can move quickly, it will tie up the enemy’s feet, so this is a good idea.”

“Hmm... I roughly know what the general wants. “I acknowledge the necessity, but I think it will be difficult to find the right time.”

Lee Jing-ok smiled and responded to Hyang’s words.

“There was Jang Yeong-sil in Shinji’s Area 52. And since it has been several years since your Majesty stayed here in Shinji, is there really nothing similar?”

“....”

Hyang was speechless at Lee Jing-ok’s words.

‘You know me too well!’