typeface
large
in
Small
Turn off the lights
Previous bookshelf directory Bookmark Next

Chapter 1400: The Army Dissatisfied

In the Army of the Tang Dynasty, the basic tactical unit of cavalry was not a cavalry regiment or a cavalry division, but a cavalry unit. Therefore, when counting the number of cavalry, it is difficult to get an accurate cavalry figure by counting cavalry divisions, cavalry regiments, etc.

Numerically, you have to count the cavalry.

Because the cavalry team and even the most basic cavalry organization in the Tang Army, regardless of whether it is light cavalry or heavy cavalry, whether it is divisional cavalry or independent cavalry, all follow the most basic principle, that is, each cavalry team

It has two hundred cavalry under its jurisdiction.

Well, the Guards are not included. The various units of the Guards have always been larger than those of the army. Therefore, the number of cavalry teams in the Guards has reached 250.

A team of two hundred cavalry is a number that the Tang Dynasty Army obtained after many years of using cavalry and many changes.

The army's cavalry generals believe that each team of two hundred cavalry, no more and no less, just meets the needs of basic tactics. Any more than this number is a waste, and less than this number is not enough!

At present, in the Tang Dynasty Army, the number of cavalry teams in the independent cavalry units has reached more than 500, and the number of independent cavalry exceeds 100,000.

The number of divisional cavalry has reached 150 teams, and the number of divisional cavalry has reached 30,000.

A total of 130,000 cavalry!

These are all the cavalry of the Tang Army!

It's just that not all of these cavalry will go to the battlefield, and not all of them have the ability to fight independently.

The cavalry units of the Tang Dynasty Army have always been divided into two types. Divisional cavalry and independent cavalry units are two different things.

Division-affiliated cavalry, regardless of whether it is a cavalry regiment assigned to the main infantry division or a cavalry battalion assigned to a reserve division, most of these cavalry units, except for a few special units, are equipped with a single horse and a single rider, and they are basically

They are all light cavalry.

The positioning of these light cavalry divisions in the Tang Army was to cooperate more with infantry and artillery units, but they did not have the ability to fight independently.

However, independent cavalry units specifically refer to cavalry units with independent combat capabilities. Such cavalry units are mainly assigned to the northwest and northern regions.

In terms of organization, there are cavalry divisions and independent cavalry regiments. These cavalry divisions and independent cavalry regiments are often assigned to various armies and then participate in battles.

But later in the Battle of Hetao and the Northeast Campaign, the Tang Army often used these independent cavalry as independent armies, and organized large-scale cavalry units for use. This was because the enemy the Tang Army faced was the Tatars.

For nomadic tribes such as the Tartars, their armies are often dominated by cavalry and are large in scale.

Therefore, correspondingly, the Tang Army also organized a large-scale cavalry unit for combat.

And after the Battle of Hetao, the Battle of Northeast China, and later the Battle of Tubo, the Tang Army finally determined the large-scale cavalry organization and formally established the cavalry army.

According to regulations, a standard cavalry corps should have three cavalry divisions. Each cavalry division, in addition to the cavalry artillery battalion and the transport battalion, has four cavalry regiments. Each cavalry regiment has four cavalry teams. The above three cavalry divisions have jurisdiction over

A cavalry division with a total of forty-eight cavalry regiments.

It is worth noting that the cavalry under the jurisdiction of each cavalry division of the Tang Army varies depending on the cavalry division. There may be light cavalry, cuirassiers, or light armored lancers.

But even the musketeers and hussars among the light cavalry are equipped with armor!

In the Tang Army, even the musketeers were equipped with light plate armor, let alone the cavalry!

Even the light cavalry is equipped with light breastplates and helmets specially designed for light cavalry. It is naturally unreliable to protect against bullets, but it is enough to protect against bows and arrows and other cold weapons.

Therefore, the light cavalry of the Tang Dynasty Army had light breastplates and helmets for protection. Their weapons included sabers, lances, and pistols. However, in most cases, the cavalry of the Tang Dynasty Army preferred to use sabers and rarely used muskets.

.

In addition, the light cavalry of the independent cavalry unit is usually equipped with two horses, because the independent cavalry unit needs to be responsible for long-distance raids and the ability to fight independently. If it is not equipped with two horses, it is impossible. Some heavy cavalry regiments are even equipped with three horses.

.

In order to enable the cavalry army to travel long distances, fight independently, and have the ability to attack difficult areas, this cavalry army will also be equipped with a cavalry baggage regiment and a cavalry artillery regiment. In addition, the military headquarters will also have an additional heavy cavalry regiment and a cavalry regiment.

A reconnaissance cavalry battalion.

Many of these heavy cavalry regiments are adapted from the previous independent heavy cavalry regiments. All heavy cavalry regiments have independent numbers and are also organized into four teams. However, they are often equipped with auxiliary cavalry and are equipped with three

Horses, so in wartime, the auxiliary cavalry actually mounted their spare horses directly and acted as light cavalry and went into battle. Therefore, when calculating, this kind of heavy cavalry regiment is often calculated as eight teams, not just

Four teams.

These heavy cavalry regiments wear full-body heavy armor and ride tall horses. Once they charge, they will kill gods if they are blocked, and Buddhas will be killed if Buddha blocks them. At least for so many years, no enemy has been able to stop the heavy cavalry of the Tang Dynasty.

Even the elite Tatar cavalry couldn't stop him from charging on the wall!

A cavalry corps has three cavalry divisions, one heavy cavalry regiment, and a reconnaissance cavalry battalion, with a total of fifty-eight cavalry teams. When full, the total number of cavalry is 11,600!

In addition to the approximately 2,000 cavalry and artillery auxiliary troops and the approximately 3,000 heavy cavalry troops, the total strength is approximately 16,600.

However, the number of horses is far more than 16,000, but more than 40,000. On a per capita basis, it even exceeds the configuration of a single rider with two horses. Naturally, a pure cavalry unit cannot use so many horses.

, mainly the cavalry and artillery troops and the baggage troops occupied a large number of horses.

So far, the Tang Army has a total of seven cavalry corps. The First Cavalry Army is deployed in the northwest Gansu region, the Second Cavalry Army is also deployed in Gansu, the Third Cavalry Army is deployed in Shaanxi, and the Fourth Cavalry Army is deployed in Henan.

Fenghe Province and the area west of the Hetao; the Fifth Cavalry Army is deployed in Hebei and Hefeng Provinces, the Sixth Cavalry Army is deployed in the Northeast and the Seventh Cavalry is deployed in Henan and Shandong.

The above-mentioned seven cavalry corps have a total of 406 cavalry teams and 81,200 cavalry.

The remaining nearly one hundred cavalry teams were turned into several independent cavalry divisions, brigades, and regiments, and were deployed in other areas.

Five hundred independent cavalry teams, plus one hundred and fifty divisional cavalry teams, total about 130,000 cavalry. This is the current total combat cavalry force of the Tang Army.

However, this number is nothing compared to the Tatars. During this year's Western Expedition, the Tatars deployed a total of more than 150,000 cavalry!

Then they still have a large number of troops in the Western Regions to defend against the Tang Empire!

There is no way, even though they are a nomadic tribe living on horseback, any person they pick out will be a natural cavalry!

It is unreliable to compare the number of cavalry with the Tatars. Therefore, although the Tang Army worked hard to develop cavalry, it never thought of completely overwhelming the Tatars in terms of numbers. The weapons of the Tang Army against the Tatars were

We never rely solely on cavalry. On the one hand, we rely on more advanced equipment, and on the other hand, we rely on more scientific and reasonable tactics.

And the innovations in equipment and tactics also bring about organizational innovations!

In fact, the establishment of the cavalry army was also influenced by this innovation in equipment and tactics. The establishment of the cavalry army by the Tang Army was actually purely to use the cavalry army as a strategic mobile force. Otherwise, it would not emphasize the ability to run long distances.

At the same time, it also needs strong firepower and the ability to ensure the ability to attack difficult situations.

Similarly, the innovation of the infantry army was also put on the agenda after the Northeast Campaign!

The previous military-level establishment has long been out of date. Li Xuan has always wanted to change it, but he never had any good ideas, so he postponed it until after the Northeast Campaign.

After the Northeast Campaign ended, Li Xuan began to make changes to the army's high-level command system. First, he abolished the military defense zone system. In other words, an army was no longer responsible for the defense of a certain area, and it also had no authority.

Directly command local garrison troops.

The troops under each army's jurisdiction are fixed, instead of changing at will as in the past!

Basically, the units under each army's jurisdiction are usually two or three divisions, plus a number of army-affiliated units.

Of course, the armies deployed in different directions have different strengths, and the attached units are also different. For example, the First Army deployed in Zhili Seventh Army, and the Fifteenth Army deployed in Liaodong, the difference is huge.

Go big.

At the same time, because the number of main infantry divisions has never been large enough, but too many main infantry divisions have been established, military expenditures cannot support it. Therefore, in the wave of military-level restructuring, the Army has simply included some reserve divisions with relatively good combat effectiveness.

Each army is organized and given the official designation of a certain infantry division of the Army.

The designation of the Army Infantry Division was expanded to the Army's 54th Infantry Division.

However, the infantry divisions after the 21st Infantry Division of the Army were adapted from reserve divisions. In peacetime, these units only retain key personnel and part of their combat effectiveness, and many personnel without many special needs.

For example, logistics personnel and ordinary soldiers will remain vacant and will be filled during the war. Basically, the average strength of each infantry division after the 21st Infantry Division is only about 8,000.

As for the infantry divisions that maintain combat readiness all year round and are fully staffed, there are actually only twenty infantry divisions in total, one not more and one less, exactly twenty. And the Datang Army now has eighteen divisions.

, except for the First Army, which is special and has three fully-equipped divisions, the other armies basically have only one fully-equipped division per corps.

The remaining divisions in each army are all understaffed and are in better condition. For example, the divisions stationed in the northwest region have 70% to 80% of the manpower and equipment.

However, many divisions deployed in ordinary areas, even in border areas, only have half of them at most. One division only has seven or eight thousand people. And you have to know that when a full division of the Tang Army is fully established, its total strength can reach ten thousand.

Six thousand people.

This is also to control the number of troops. After all, the eighteen armies have a total of fifty-four infantry divisions. If they are all full, the number of troops will be too much.

The combat readiness force remains fully staffed all year round and is deployed as soon as war breaks out.

The second-line troops retain their backbone and basic combat capabilities in peacetime. In peacetime, after the outbreak of war, they assist the main forces in participating in the war, while accepting reserve troops from the rear, and quickly expand them to full strength and go into combat.

A large number of local reserve divisions only retain the most basic framework and very few combat forces in peacetime. Often a reserve division carries out large-scale mobilization in the rear during peacetime, and then mobilizes into an army and rushes to the front line to participate in the war!

This is also a compromise made by the Tang Army in response to insufficient military expenditures and manpower over the years. It retains some combat readiness forces, some second-line troops, and then retains a large number of local reserve divisions. During wartime, a large number of

Recall reserve soldiers and recruit a large number of new recruits to replenish the army.

For this reason, the Tang Army also established a very complete mobilization system and militia system, in order to quickly recruit enough reserve soldiers during wartime and then fight on the front line.

The Tang Army established fixed establishments at the military level, including combat readiness divisions, ordinary divisions and reserve divisions, etc. This was actually because of limited military spending. However, the territory of the Tang Empire was getting larger and larger, and there were more and more areas to control, so it had to

compromises made.

However, even so, the current active strength of the Tang Army is already close to one million!

This also had to make it easier for the Tang Army. They always chanted the slogan of gritting their teeth and getting through the difficulties together. The generals took the lead in lowering their salaries. The salaries of officers and non-commissioned officers generally dropped, and the salaries of soldiers were replaced by subsidies.

.

While reducing personnel expenses, the army has also been trying to be as self-reliant as possible, especially food. A considerable part of the Tang Army's rations is now obtained by the military from its own cultivation, let alone stationed in the hinterland of the Central Plains.

Even if they are combat-ready troops stationed in the border areas, they still have to farm, grow vegetables, raise pigs, chickens, ducks, etc. Otherwise, there would be so many people to support with this little military expenditure.

Even so, the military expenditures of the Tang Dynasty Army were not enough. Basically, Li Xuan had to pay an extra sum of money to the Army every year. Otherwise, the Army would not even expand the army and buy new equipment, but would even feed the current people.

It's all quite annoying.

Relatively speaking, the Navy's life is relatively smooth, because although the Navy's warships are very expensive, they do not have as many personnel as the Army. On average, the Navy's military expenditures can still support the Navy's officers.

Interestingly, this is also the reason why the Army has become more and more dissatisfied with the Navy in recent years.

Why are my army officers fighting with the Tatar barbarians in the cold frontier land, and in the end they can't even have enough to eat, while those navy thugs just go out to sea for a while, and can enjoy spicy food every day without even fighting a pirate!

1 second:.m.


This chapter has been completed!
Previous Bookshelf directory Bookmark Next