Chapter 2878: Cavalry Seminar (1)

“Little Yang, the meeting’s about to start. Is your report ready?”

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ve been recording the training situation every day since we started. For the report itself, I’ve consulted quite a few books and archival materials, studied it with other comrades, and also questioned a number of former Ming military men, missionaries, and the like. I’m confident the report is solid.”

Listening to his ineloquent reply, Fu Sansi’s eyebrows twitched once more.

“That’s fine, then…” Fu Sansi checked his watch. “Cavalry training—you’re the greatest expert on this in the entire Senate. Little Yang, speaking frankly, how do you really think the current cavalry units are doing?”

“Though our cavalry may not be up to par in physique and turnout, falling well short of what we’d hoped, their basic training is solid. If we can get the weapons and equipment fully issued this time, combat effectiveness will definitely double. Add a few real engagements and it will be even better… You probably know that I studied history; I never served in the military. The cavalry training is all based on my own experience riding and raising horses back home, plus what I read in books, plus a bit of practical experience—just feeling my way along… a half-empty bucket, you might say, groping forward. And you know, I have quite a few old cavalrymen there, but they have little schooling—it’s all empiricism…” As he spoke, Yang Ning thought of his previous hard life tending horses and found himself sighing.

“It’s nothing. No one’s born knowing how to fight. Our current training manuals and such—weren’t they all figured out bit by bit over these past few years? And cavalry—out of all five hundred of us, there really isn’t a second person besides you. If you’re a half-empty bucket, then the rest of us are scraping the bottom. Besides, even if you didn’t know what you were doing at first, haven’t you trained them into shape by now?”

“Actually, I’m still a bit uneasy…” Yang Ning tugged at his collar. “I’d love a chance to test our units’ training level, but it seems there haven’t been any major operations lately…”

“After the Dengzhou Rebellion, the situation in Shandong has been unsettled. Bandits are quite numerous. Sun Yuanhua is a key united front target for us. You might try talking to him about another round of ‘borrowing troops to suppress bandits’—and use those petty thugs to blood your troops.”

“I’m not sure I should be making that call. Shandong is Chunzi’s jurisdiction—I shouldn’t really be inserting myself.” Yang Ning felt the idea was rather impractical. Quite apart from whether it would be approved, even if he went to Shandong and wiped out a few bandit gangs, it would not demonstrate much combat capability.

“Comrade Little Lu won’t have any objections. Rest assured.” Fu Sansi frowned again. “Submit a report. The General Staff will approve it.”

Though Yang Ning’s ambitions were grand, he understood that one does not swallow a war in a single bite. This was the only combat opportunity available, so after a moment’s thought he nodded. “All right. I’ll submit a report when I get back. You’ve got to support me on this.”

“Naturally.”

As they were speaking, an orderly approached. “Inspector Fu, Captain Yang, the report session on cavalry organization and training and the organizational and tactical planning meeting are about to begin. Please take your seats inside.”

“Understood.” The two removed their caps and marched in step into the conference room.

The army Senators in the room numbered only four: Dongmen Chuiyu, Wei Aiwen, Fu Sansi, and Yu Zhiqian, who was about to depart for Shandong to replace the commander of the Shandong Detachment.

In addition, there were about ten naturalized-citizen officers from the General Staff’s first advanced class—all graduates of the Jeju Island Army Military Academy and short-course training at the Military-Political School, with five or more years of service and ample combat experience. They were being cultivated as future senior officers.

“Um, boss—when I start rambling about Napoleon and such later, there won’t be any problem, right?” Seeing the naturalized-citizen officers present, Yang Ning grew nervous and quickly consulted Fu Sansi.

“No problem. You can cite specific battles and names freely—just don’t mention years. And don’t go past the Crimean War with your battle examples.” Fu Sansi said, “Even at the military academy, we can’t be that precise—just strip out the years and it’s fine. Be careful when you’re speaking.”

“Understood, understood.”

Fu Sansi glanced at Dongmen Chuiyu, then said, “Let’s begin.”

Yang Ning rose and approached the lectern, coughing several times from nervousness.

“Leaders, comrades, good afternoon. I will now report to you on the organization and training status of our army’s First Light Dragoon Battalion, as well as the equipment, planning, and tactical outline for our future dra… um… cavalry forces.”

This was followed by a round of crisp, uniform applause. The advanced class cadets really did have proper discipline, Yang Ning thought to himself.

“Comrades, by order of the General Staff, several years ago I was assigned to Jeju Island to organize and train our army’s first regularized cavalry unit—the Cavalry Training Team. Under the wise leadership of the Senate, the Executive Committee, the Ministry of Armed Forces, the Army Department, and the General Staff; with the strong support of all departments, units, and brother formations; and through the arduous struggle and tireless efforts of all Senators and naturalized-citizen comrades—after two full years of unremitting effort, this unit has successfully achieved the great transformation from nothing to something, from small to large, from weak to strong.

“This is a major milestone in our army’s development, another great stride toward a regularized, multi-branch combined-arms force. Here, on behalf of all officers and men of the dra… um… cavalry forces, I express sincere regard and heartfelt thanks to all who have given us support and assistance!”

This was essentially standard boilerplate and military bureaucratese. The Senator officers more or less automatically “went deaf” for a moment, while the naturalized-citizen officers, untroubled by it, remained seated bolt upright and applauded enthusiastically.

Then came the report on the cavalry force’s organization and training. Originally, he had not intended to go into great detail. In his view, these “bumpkins” had no understanding of cavalry training as an “aristocratic branch of service.” If he spoke too little, they would think he was being perfunctory; if he spoke too much, they would not be able to follow it—a waste of breath. But on second thought, if these fellows could not understand it, how could the importance and specialization of cavalry be demonstrated? After all, the Senator officers’ basic concept of cavalry was an ordinary soldier on horseback swinging a saber. They somewhat understood cavalry’s role in reconnaissance, pursuit, and harassment—but that was the extent of it. They had no idea what a properly trained cavalry force in the seventeenth century could accomplish.

Following Yang Ning’s prior discussions with Fu Sansi and He Ming, they had agreed that he should start from the beginning. Whether Senators or naturalized citizens, their knowledge of modern regular cavalry tactics was minimal. A little popular education would help them understand the branch.

“Comrades! I will first cover some basic knowledge about the new-style cavalry the Senate is about to establish—” Speaking on the subject of cavalry, the normally shy Yang Ning suddenly became voluble.

In general, the Fubo Army’s cavalry was modeled on the cavalry of the 1800s. It was not, however, a direct copy of Napoleonic War cavalry—first, the conditions did not permit it; second, the Senate’s infantry firearms were far more advanced; and third, the Senate’s enemies over the next two or three decades would not possess powerful regular cavalry. An expensive and complex cavalry force did not fit the Senate’s military requirements.

Precisely because they fully understood this objective reality, Yang Ning and his companions, who had originally adhered to a “big cavalry” military philosophy, had gradually revised their thinking on force structure year by year, ultimately producing a plan centered on light cavalry with a small number of heavy cavalry.

The emphasis on light cavalry came first because it was the most versatile—there was virtually nothing light cavalry could not do. Second, the primary warhorse the Senate’s horse administration could provide was the Mongolian horse. Though unremarkable as a warhorse, it was more than excellent enough as a mount for light cavalry. The Jeju Island horse farms could currently supply approximately six to seven hundred serviceable Mongolian horses per year. After deducting those used by the artillery and transport units, and through years of accumulation, the horses available for cavalry use now exceeded two thousand—sufficient to organize two cavalry regiments, with corresponding remounts.

Light cavalry equipment was also relatively simple. Besides basic horse furniture, sabers, and carbines, no special equipment was required. Equipment costs were low.

Next came the “dragoons.” Here Yang Ning had buried a trap. The Senators generally understood that the original meaning of “dragoon” was mounted infantry—equipped with rifles, able to dismount and fight at any time. However, Yang Ning’s so-called dragoons were English-style dragoons—and English-style dragoons were heavy cavalry equipped with breastplates. His key objective at this meeting was to persuade the General Staff to let him establish “dragoons.”

“Comrades, first we must clarify a concept: what is cavalry? Many comrades might simply think that cavalry is troops on horseback. That’s not wrong, as cavalry is indeed soldiers on horseback. But is it enough merely to put a soldier on a horse? Not necessarily. One soldier, or many soldiers, sitting on horseback and calling themselves cavalry—that’s only their own claim.

“Only when a soldier and his warhorse are tightly bound together, and when many such soldiers combine into a unit, can that collective truly be called cavalry! For cavalry, the warhorse is not merely a means of transportation—it is our best weapon and comrade!

“Everyone understands that a soldier can only achieve maximum lethality when well integrated with his weapon. Similarly, a cavalryman can only achieve maximum lethality when on horseback! And our task now is how to make this integration produce the greatest possible combat power.” Yang Ning’s voice rang with conviction.