Chapter 1174: Fake and inferior products of the Tang Dynasty: export-type plate armor
Li Xuan has long been accustomed to the people in the Navy who habitually brag, especially all kinds of exaggerated facts. As long as they don't conceal some key data, then Li Xuan will exaggerate the threat of the enemy and exaggerate the situation.
I am too lazy to deal with my nervousness and other matters.
This is not only true for the navy, but also for the army. Every now and then, they are preaching about the crisis in the north, saying that the Tatars are about to complete the unification of the northern grasslands. When the Tatars unify the grasslands, then the northern part of the empire will meet.
Against hundreds of thousands of cavalry troops.
But in fact, although Ada Khan is also a heroic figure, he is still far from unifying the grassland.
Since the success of the Northern Expedition of the Tang Dynasty, the army has been hoarding in the north. While training and preparing for war, it has also actively intervened in the situation on the northern grasslands.
During the Liaodong Campaign that year, the Tang Army, together with the army of Anda Khan, advanced simultaneously from the south to the north. The Tang Army severely damaged the troops of King Hui of Liaodong, and at the same time, together with their allies Duoyan Sanwei and Chahar tribe, they were located in the northeast.
The nomadic tribes in the area fought against each other and killed many of their cavalry.
However, after the Liaodong Campaign, the Tang Dynasty did not insist on annihilating these tribes that were once hostile to the Tang Dynasty. In addition to recapturing important areas such as Liaohetao, the Tang Dynasty had actually stopped
The war against the Duoyan Three Guards and the Chahar Tribe turned its direction to the Koryo Peninsula and the northern region of the Northeast, especially the Jurchen tribes.
This is because at that time, Anda Khan had already launched an eastern expedition against the Chahar tribe, and by the way, he also defeated the three guards of Duoyan.
Although the Chahar Tribe and the Three Duoyan Guards were annoying, Anda Khan was more of a threat, so the Tang Dynasty turned around and sold off its former ally, Anda Khan, and sat back and watched Anada Khan and the Chahar Tribe.
As well as Duoyan Sanwei and other nomads in the Northeast region were beaten to death.
Later, after seeing that the Chahar Tribe and the Three Doyan Guards could not withstand Anda Khan's attack, they secretly supported the Chahar Tribe and the Three Doyan Guards with a lot of supplies, such as cold weapons such as swords, spears, bows and arrows, and even export-type plate armor.
They were all open for sale, and two thousand matchlock guns and corresponding ammunition were even sold to them.
Relying on these weapons, the Chahar Tribe and the Three Guards of Duoyan barely managed to hold on, forcing Anda Khan to give up his intention of completely annexing them. He only retreated after occupying a large amount of grassland areas.
Of course, these things supported by the Tang Dynasty are not free. The Tang Dynasty will not do loss-making business. These things need to be exchanged for gold and silver war horses.
They don't have much gold and silver, but they still have a lot of war horses. In recent years, the Tang Dynasty has obtained a large number of war horses from the Chahar tribe and the Duoyan Sanwei tribe.
Coincidentally, the nomadic tribes that did arms trade with the Tang Dynasty were not only the Chahar tribe, the Duoyan Sanwei, but also the Oara people in the northwest region. They were almost at a dead end with the Tatars, and the conflict was even greater.
Moreover, although Anda Khan's eastern expedition against the Chahar Tribe failed to completely annex the Chahar Tribe and the Three Guards of Duoyan, it achieved greater military success. Anda Khan at least annihilated the Chahar Tribe's close enemies.
The semi-military force occupied a large amount of grassland, but later on, the further east, the longer the battle line was. More importantly, the large number of troops hoarded by the Tang Empire in the north were also watching eagerly, and they might directly send troops at any time, and then
Cut off their contact.
In addition, Anda Khan also knew that the Tang Empire was trying to protect the Chahar tribe. Otherwise, so many plate armors and matchlock guns would not have appeared in the hands of the Chahar tribe.
It is impossible to completely eliminate the Chahar tribe, but through a series of military operations, they have also been crippled. If nothing else, none of the Chahar tribe, Duoyan Sanwei and other tribes have survived for more than ten or twenty years.
It is impossible to slow down the time to cultivate one's health and recuperate. Why this time? Because it takes such a long time for a new generation of people and a new generation of soldiers to grow up!
After the threat from the east was reduced, he turned his attention to the Oara people.
As a result, the pressure on the Oara people was even greater, which also stimulated the Oara people to continuously strengthen their cooperation with the Tang Dynasty, exchanging a large number of horses and even cattle and sheep for weapons of the Tang Dynasty, especially plate armor and
Matchlock gun.
To be honest, there is no shortage of ordinary swords and spears, and there is no shortage of bows and arrows, but things like plate armor are in short supply.
Because plate armor, if it is made purely by hand, the cost is too high, and the output is also very low. It is impossible to popularize the equipment. However, the Tang Dynasty used mechanical equipment to industrialize mass production, with low cost and high selling price.
Although it is not low, the advantage is that the quantity is large and the quality is stable.
Although what is said is that they are all castrated versions, which are relatively thin and cannot stop bullets, but there is still no problem at all in resisting cold weapons.
The Oara people have a special liking for the plate armor of the Tang Dynasty!
In the past, the Chahar Tribe, the Three Guards of Duoyan, and even the Tatars were all taught a lesson by the guns of the Tang Dynasty. They knew how powerful the guns were, so they always tried their best to buy matchlock guns and even artillery.
But for the Oara people, they had never fought against the Tang Dynasty and had not really seen the power of guns. Although the Tatars also had a small number of guns, the number was too small to play a decisive role.
.
The fatal threat to the Oara people was not the guns, but the Tatar bows and arrows!
A variety of light plate armors from the Tang Dynasty were specially designed for export, which were used to fight cold weapons, especially bows and arrows!
Why, because the army of the Tang Dynasty no longer uses bows and arrows!
Among the many weapons produced by the Tang Dynasty, matchlocks are currently the most popular among foreigners. However, the export of matchlocks is subject to control. Every export order needs to be approved by the Export Committee. Sometimes, the export
Trading orders may even still be rejected.
Therefore, although the matchlock is currently the most popular weapon among the many weapons exported by the Tang Empire, no matter whether it is the nomads in the northern grasslands, the big names in Fuso, or even many natives in Southeast Asia, they all want it.
Looking to buy a matchlock gun.
But in fact, the export sales of matchlock guns are not large. In a year, they only sell 10,000 to 20,000 pieces at most. And this is the total export volume. When divided among all regions and countries, this number is really not that much.
!
However, the export volume of various cold weapons is relatively large, and the profits are actually higher!
Although the cost of a matchlock gun is not high, the cost of cold weapons is even lower. The export price of a matchlock gun depends on the region and the target. It usually ranges from ten taels of silver to thirty taels of silver. The specific price depends on
The formulation often carries a strong political attitude.
But the biggest cost of a long knife is the raw materials. The processing is all mechanical processing, and it can be processed in a few or two. At the same time, steel is also mass-produced, and the overall cost is quite low. Generally speaking, only those hand-made three-piece
A quarter, or even a quarter.
However, the cost is low, but the selling price is not low. The selling price of weapons is never based on cost, but on demand.
Therefore, the profits will naturally be higher!
And the shipment volume is still large!
If the price of swords and the like is not too high and the profit is not too high, then the profit of plate armor is in the super high range.
Because those natives can fight with rusty iron knives casually, their combat effectiveness will not be much worse than fighting with steel knives, but the impact of armor will be greater.
As for plate armor, currently only the Tang Dynasty in the entire world can produce and sell it in large quantities!
Plate armor in Western countries is still stuck in the era of small-scale hand-made production. Even the Portuguese are unable to produce plate armor on a large scale. Even the Portuguese currently stationed in Malacca are using other channels in a roundabout way.
A batch of export templates from the Tang Dynasty were purchased, but this was not to equip them themselves, but to equip the indigenous troops under their command.
After all, the Portuguese also know their stuff. The plate armor exported by the Tang Dynasty, whether full-body armor, half-body armor, or breastplate, seems to be made of the highest grade steel, and the surface is polished to a blinding degree.
Human eyes can tell that it is a high-end product at a glance, but the Portuguese know that these plate armors exported by the Tang Dynasty are actually just superficial things. The thickest part of the plate armor is
The thickness of the front part of the chest is only two millimeters.
Although the Tang Dynasty people boasted about this new type of alloy steel, and its defensive capabilities far exceeded traditional armor and the like, when the Portuguese directly carried out live ammunition tests with matchlock guns, they made holes every time...
The Portuguese were particularly speechless: These Tang people were so shameless. They had the nerve to sell such rotten plate armor, and they sold it so expensively. What's even more disgusting is that the natives actually bought it in large quantities as if they were treasures!
This kind of shiny-looking armor is definitely enough to protect against cold weapons, bows and arrows, but it is far from enough to protect against bullets.
Therefore, the plate armors from the Tang Dynasty that the Portuguese bought were also used to equip the indigenous troops. They themselves were equipped with high-priced handmade plate armors. Although they did not look so glamorous, they were at least thick enough and could
It has a certain ability to withstand bullets, but the output of this self-made plate armor is too low, and they don't have enough equipment themselves, so naturally it is impossible to equip the indigenous army.
You know, the plate armor currently in service in the Tang Dynasty Army, even the light breastplate equipped by musketeers, has the thickest part on the front, with a thickness of three millimeters!
As for the breastplate equipped by the musketeers in the cavalry unit, the thickness of the thickest part on the front reaches four millimeters.
As for the small number of heavy cavalry in the Tang Dynasty, because they ride Central Asian horses, they can also be equipped with heavy armor. These heavy cavalry wear heavy half-body armor, and the thickest part of the front chest reaches six
Millimeters, ordinary matchlock shots are useless against plate armor of this thickness.
However, this is only limited to resisting those small and medium-caliber muskets. As for those large-caliber heavy muskets, such as the Spanish heavy muskets, the caliber of that guy has reached 20 millimeters, and the heavy muskets recently equipped by the Tang Dynasty have a caliber of
It also reaches 18 mm. For a musket of this caliber, regardless of whether it is a matchlock or a flintlock gun, it is extremely powerful.
Even the heavy plate armor equipped by the Tang Dynasty heavy cavalry, whose defensive capabilities can be said to be the pinnacle of this era, is still unable to resist such heavy muskets!
In the competition between armor and muskets, muskets are already in the lead!
Therefore, the Tang Dynasty exported plate armor in large quantities, but restricted the export of matchlocks. As for flintlock guns, not a single one was sold!