Chapter 418 Apprentice

The final design of the field kitchen cart was divided into two stoves and was approximately square. It could be pulled by one horse or pushed or pulled by two people. It was somewhat similar to the Prussian field kitchen cart but very different.

(Picture: Prussian version of World War I)

After Ernst's magical modification, the weight of this field kitchen vehicle has been greatly reduced. At the same time, because it only has two wheels, its adaptability to East African roads or wilderness is enhanced. However, because it only has two wheels, two retractable brackets are needed for fixing it.

There are no special ovens and coffee cookers. In fact, the current Prussian prototype field kitchen car is unlikely to be equipped with an oven. After all, it is not useful for burning paste. Efficiency is required on the battlefield. The production process of baked goods is complicated, and there may be a shortage of clean drinking water. Noodle products need to be kneaded with water.

As for the evaluation of military rations for World War I in the previous life, just treat it as a joke. Those fancy-looking things are impossible for the army to eat as meals every day, but they can be used for emergencies.

Hot food is the effective guarantee for improving the combat effectiveness of the army. Who can bear hiding in the trenches and eating cold bread?

The two stoves designed by Ernst can be equipped with different kitchen utensils, one is a cylindrical rice steaming barrel, the other is a curved iron pot, two frying pans, and two large kettles.

It can basically meet the needs of the army. Of course, the shortcomings of this field kitchen vehicle are also very obvious, that is, it cannot solve the problem of smoke and may expose the position.

However, the main use of field kitchen vehicles is to facilitate the marching of the East African Army. For example, this time the 111th and 123rd Divisions crossed more than 2,000 kilometers from East Africa to South Africa, and there was no combat need in East Africa in the middle, so the above-mentioned problem did not exist.

Moreover, the chimney problem is not unsolvable, it is just that it cannot be solved at present, and there is a lot of room for improvement in the future.

Ernst looked at the field kitchen truck he designed and was quite satisfied with it overall. This was thanks to the roadside snack trucks in his previous life that provided him with rich inspiration.

Ernst: "For the military, details determine success or failure. In addition to considering combat needs, we must also consider issues from the perspective of military life. Sometimes the non-combat casualties of a war are much greater than the combat casualties of the war."

This is particularly evident in the East African Army. The East African Army has not encountered a strong enemy so far, and the intensity of the war is not high. Instead, non-combat casualties are higher than war losses.

"Of course, I am not advocating hedonism. The army is used to fight wars and defend the country, not to enjoy life. Therefore, we must not slack off in training and often simulate the harsh war environment. As for improving the living environment of soldiers, this is also necessary. There is no conflict between the two."

…

January 17, 1873.

While Ernst was working on improving the army's logistics support, the East African Arsenal also welcomed new equipment. For this reason, the Mauser brothers made a special trip from Germany to East Africa to guide the installation of the Mauser rifle production line.

William Mauser: "The 1873 Mauser rifle, which is the 1871 rifle currently equipped by Germany, has greatly improved the range and accuracy compared to the Dreiser rifle. The German Army has also adopted our solution, but the Ministry of Defense has mainly given the orders to some old arsenals for production. We are unable to supply the German Army in large quantities due to production capacity issues."

The Model 1871 Mauser rifle is called the Model 1873 rifle in East Africa because of the difference in equipment time between East Africa and Germany.

Ernst: "I understand this. Our arsenal in Germany was just a small factory that Prussia was going to eliminate. We have never been the main customer of the Prussian Army's weapons. I personally think that it is enough to get some orders from the German Army."

As one of the suppliers of the German army, the Hechingen Consortium is more concentrated in the fields of food, clothing, and daily necessities. As for arms, not to mention Krupp, a landmark enterprise of the German Army, even some medium-sized enterprises are much stronger than East Africa. This is all about human relations. It is good enough that people allow the Hechingen Consortium to enter the German army's supply system, and the Hechingen Consortium cannot break the rules.

At that time, Constantine was still serving in the Prussian Army, and the Hohenzollern surname was one of the reasons why the Hechingen Consortium was able to enter the market.

Ernst: "You are coming to East Africa this time, and I happen to have something to ask of you. I hope you won't refuse."

The Mauser brothers did not dare to be arrogant in front of their boss, and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, you are too polite. Without your kindness, we would not be where we are today. As for your request, it is what we should do, and we will naturally complete it to the best of our ability."

Ernst said, "It's not a big deal. I just hope you can train more new people. Of course, I'm not talking about the company's internal staff, but the students I specially trained in the Hechingen area. Let them give you more help."

So that's what it is. Isn't this just taking an apprentice? The Mauser brothers also went through this, but they spent more time learning the craft from their father. Isn't it just a matter of your words? The elder brother, William Mauser, said, "Your Highness, just say a word. We will never keep it privately."

Ernst nodded and said, "That's good. They are all young children, and some of them are not very fluent in German, so you have to be more patient."

The apprentices Ernst arranged for the Mauser brothers were students from the Hechingen school. There were not many of them, only five, but Ernst thought five were enough, and two of them were from the Far East.

At present, only a few of Ernst's students have entered universities in Germany, and they are all gifted geniuses. Not to mention universities, even middle schools in Germany are difficult to enter, unless you spend money. Ernst will not be a sucker, as that is not a small amount of money. The actual educational quality of the middle school established by Ernst himself in Hechingen cannot be compared with other middle schools in Germany, because middle schools are also elite education.

Apart from university, the only way to learn top knowledge is to be an apprentice to weapons research and development experts like the Mauser brothers. Apprenticeship is very common in Europe now, so Ernst’s request is not excessive. The most important thing is that students can learn something.

The Mauser brothers also had a high school education, but this was not the main reason why they became experts in weapons research and development. It was more due to the influence of their family background.

Therefore, the assistants Ernst assigned to the Mauser brothers were also students of Hechingen High School, so there would not be too many obstacles in learning. The main thing was to accumulate experience and learn design ideas.

It is hard to say whether it will succeed or not, but if it does, East Africa will make a lot of money. If it fails, he can work as a professional technician in the East African Arsenal.

Ernst went on to say: "In the field of work, the environment in Germany is definitely better, but East Africa is not bad either, especially the East African Army, which is your strong backing. Some data on firearms and weapons can also provide you with rich first-hand information. Germany is located between the cold temperate zone, while East Africa is located between the subtropical and tropical zones. There are rich application scenarios, which is of great benefit to weapons research and development, so you can come to East Africa more often."

William Mauser: "Your Highness, rest assured, we will definitely consider East African factors more in the development of firearms."

Both sides maintained a tacit understanding and did not mention the issue of permanent residence in East Africa. The environment in East Africa is a big problem and cannot attract high-end talents to settle in. This environment refers more to the comprehensive environment. East Africa is not highly developed, especially the more livable inland areas, which have not been effectively developed. Ernst dare not let them stay in the coastal areas for too long. Although Dar es Salaam is one of the most prosperous cities in the tropics, the climate is somewhat hot, which is much worse than that in Germany. The climate in the inland of East Africa is stronger than that in Germany, but the infrastructure cannot keep up.

(End of this chapter)