Although the weather was very bad, and some soldiers fell ill due to drastic changes in weather or fatigue, there was no large-scale disease outbreak, which made Ding Chen really relieved!
On the seventh day of landing, although it rained and cleared for half the day, it rained moderately again in the afternoon. It was not until the eighth day of landing that the sky cleared again.
The Seventh Army has just resumed its march!
But at this time, after two days of heavy rain, the ground had become muddy, making artillery and material transportation tasks even more difficult!
Along the short straight-line distance of more than four kilometers from the landing site to the city of Malacca, there were muddy and dirty Datang soldiers everywhere. They were in groups, shouting, pulling with ropes in front and pushing hard from behind.
Push the heavy artillery pieces towards Malacca!
On the muddy road leading from the landing city to Malacca City, Ding Chenzhen rode a horse and slowly advanced with a group of officers and guards from the headquarters behind him. Ding Chenzhen had already moved the military headquarters from the beach of the landing site to
It is on a hill outside Malacca City, about 800 meters away from Malacca City.
Walking on the road, all Ding Chenzhen saw were officers and soldiers struggling to carry artillery and supplies!
Seeing the elite soldiers under his command, all of them covered in mud, shouting and pushing the artillery forward like coolies, he had an indescribable feeling.
So damn hard!
This is the majestic Seventh Army, and the 19th Infantry Division within it is the first-class elite unit in the country. When placed on the battlefield, these elite units are powerful enough to intimidate any enemy.
But now in Malacca, he is just like a coolie, doing things like building roads and transporting supplies.
In the eight days since we landed, we have not fought a single battle, no matter how big or small it is!
The Portuguese were determined to defend the city and hid outside the city of Malacca all day long. They did not even bother to send out reconnaissance troops and spies. They seemed to want to rely on Malacca's strong city defense to defend it.
This also leads to the fact that after the troops landed, until now, not a single shot has been fired!
Not to mention the Portuguese, even the local indigenous people did not know where they had gone, and they could not even be seen. This made the Seventh Army's attempt to recruit local indigenous people to build roads and transport operations all in vain.
Sighing, Ding Chenzhen continued to move forward. After passing through the muddy road, he arrived at the new army headquarters.
The conditions of this new military headquarters are much better than the tents on the beach. The troops cut down the surrounding trees in advance and temporarily built a simple wooden house.
Although the wooden house is extremely simple, it is still a house after all, and it is much better than a tent or something like that.
After entering the house, Ding Chenzhen once again summoned the officers for a small meeting. The main issues discussed at the meeting were artillery and material transportation.
As for the battle, who has the spare time to make any battle plan now? Even the artillery can't be transported, what the hell!
In order to speed up the transportation of artillery, artillery shells and other supplies to the rear, Ding Chenzhen ordered the 59th Infantry Regiment to free up its hands to help the artillery and baggage troops transport artillery and supplies.
The defense of this regiment is the responsibility of the Second Temporary Regiment of the Guards!
Ding Chen is so relieved that the Second Temporary Regiment of the Guards is responsible for the defense line of the 59th Infantry Regiment!
Although in the eyes of the army generals, these Guardsmen are all a group of big men, but although they are big men, their strength is not bad.
Now the Second Temporary Guards Regiment has also landed and arrived at the front line. Of course, like other troops, they are advancing lightly. The artillery battalion of this temporary regiment is also a heavy supply camp and is still on the muddy road behind.
Struggling.
It is worth noting that the temporary regiment formation of the Guards when participating in wars abroad has never been a regiment. In fact, it is a mixed regiment establishment. The temporary regiment also has an artillery battalion, a supply battalion and other auxiliary units. The establishment of the artillery battalion is
Also bigger.
This is not to say that the Ordinary Artillery Battalion of the Guards is larger than the Army Artillery Battalion. In fact, after so many years of imitating each other, the basic establishments of the Army and the Guards are basically the same. As for ordinary field artillery battalions,
, each has eighteen artillery pieces per battalion.
However, there are differences. For example, the Army's artillery regiment has only three battalions, but the Guards' artillery regiment has four battalions, and the extra battalion is a heavy artillery battalion.
Therefore, the army's divisional artillery regiment only has fifty-four five-pound and nine-pound field guns, but an artillery regiment of the Guards has a full seventy-two guns, and eighteen more ten-pound field guns.
Four pounds of artillery!
The artillery battalion under the jurisdiction of the second temporary regiment of the Guards is not an ordinary artillery battalion, but a temporary establishment. Its artillery teams are drawn from other artillery units of the Guards. One team is drawn here.
A team was transferred there and a temporary establishment was finally formed.
The battalion has a total of four teams, each with six artillery pieces, namely two five-pound field artillery battalions and two nine-pound field artillery battalions, with a total of twenty-four artillery pieces.
Even for infantry units, in addition to six ordinary infantry teams, their Guards infantry battalion also has an extra heavy musketeer team.
This heavy musketeer team not only means that their muskets are 18mm heavy muskets, but they also wear thicker half-body plate armor to enhance their protective capabilities.
In fact, 18mm heavy muskets have been widely equipped in various army departments. Basically every infantry battalion has an infantry team equipped with 18mm flintlock muskets.
However, this infantry team equipped with 18mm muskets still only wears light breastplates specially designed for musketeers!
The standard organization of an army infantry battalion is to have six infantry teams. Four of these six infantry teams are ordinary musketeers, equipped with 14mm muskets and light breastplates.
Then there was a musketry team equipped with 18mm muskets. Except for their muskets, which were different from the previous four musketry teams, everything else was the same. The main target of the battle was the enemy's heavy armored units. Under the attack of the 18mm muskets,
It won't work if you wear any kind of armor.
Then there is a grenadier team. Needless to say, this grenadier is one of the most elite infantry in the Tang Army!
The soldiers who can be selected as grenadiers are the most elite soldiers in this infantry battalion. They are not only veterans with rich combat experience, but also all of them are strong and strong. Their average height and weight are higher than ordinary soldiers.
A big chunk.
Today, the average height of ordinary soldiers in the Tang Army is about 1.63 meters, but the minimum selection standard for grenadiers is 1.7 meters. In fact, the average height of the Tang grenadiers is 1.75 meters.
, many grenadiers are even more than 1.8 meters tall!
What's interesting is that even the average height of ordinary soldiers in the Tang Dynasty was 1.63 meters, which was far higher than the average height of soldiers from other contemporary countries. Europeans these days, regardless of the Portuguese or Spanish or whatever.
In the eyes of the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, the Fusang people and the Annan people were all a bunch of dwarfs.
After more than ten years of restoration of people's livelihood in the Tang Empire, we dare not say that everyone is fed, but the strategic goal of feeding most people is still barely achieved. When the food is full, the nutritional level goes up, and the physical quality will be natural
It will also grow taller. Although in a short period of time, the average height of the people may not increase too much, there is still a small increase. At least if they can eat enough, many people who could have grown taller will
You will not be unable to grow taller due to lack of nutrition.
At the same time, when the Army of the Tang Dynasty selects soldiers, not everyone wants them. There are a lot of peasants who serve as soldiers these days. The military recruits the best of the best, and physical condition is naturally a very important reference target. If you want to
To join the army, minimum height is 1.58 meters.
In fact, more soldiers are recruited who are generally more than 1.6 meters or even around 1.7 meters. In addition, there is another key point!
Soldiers who join the army are generally under the age of eighteen, and many are actually only sixteen or seventeen years old. When recruiting soldiers in the Tang Dynasty, only those who are over sixteen years old are required, and in principle, soldiers over the age of twenty are not recruited. Basically, only soldiers who are sixteen are recruited.
Young people between the ages of 18 and 18.
Many soldiers of this age can continue to grow taller after receiving adequate nutritional supplements and physical training after joining the army. As time goes by, the average height of soldiers will become higher and higher.
So over the years, the average height of soldiers in the Tang Dynasty military has increased year by year. It used to be less than 1.6 meters, but now it has reached 1.63 meters.
Of course, it is inappropriate to use the average height of soldiers as the average height of ordinary people, because the treatment of soldiers in the Tang Dynasty is notoriously good, and the diet standards of ordinary people cannot be compared with those of soldiers in the Tang Dynasty.
The Spanish and Portuguese are typical southern Europeans, who are inherently short. In addition, the living standards of ordinary people or serfs in the European Middle Ages, especially southern and eastern Europe, were so poor that the average height was actually not as good as that of the Tang Empire.
Woolen cloth.
As for the indigenous people in Fusang, Annan, Myanmar, and India, let alone those places. They are all short, with an average height of 1.5 meters and can burn high incense.
This has nothing to do with race, it’s just a matter of inadequate nutrition and a healthy diet!
After the Industrial Revolution in later generations, the living standards of Europeans improved. Especially after entering the 20th century, their average height increased significantly, which made them as tall as later generations.
Even the Fuso people, after World War II, were determined to increase the average height of the nation and provide their children with nutritious food such as milk. In later generations, the average height has also gone up.
In later generations of China, because of better economic conditions and better food, the average height gradually increased.
So height really has nothing to do with race or geographical environment, it’s just a matter of nutrition!
If you eat well, you will grow taller; if you eat poorly, you will grow shorter. This is a general rule. If you drink the northwest wind every day and still grow into a two-meter tall man, God will have to say: You are awesome!