Chapter 680 Individual Equipment

Franz's private soldiers were trained mainly in street fighting.

Franz was quite confident in the firepower of his army. After all, when the firepower gap formed, there would be no suspense in frontal combat.

No troop composed of flesh and blood could maintain formation under the bombardment of rockets. Under the dense explosions, they would run around or wait for death on the spot like the natives.

At the same time, the lever-action rifle also provided more intensive firepower. Coupled with the widespread use of rifled guns, even if they were lined up for shooting, Franz's troops had an absolute advantage. One person could hit the firepower of a traditional squad.

However, the most terrifying thing in the civil war was street fighting. No matter how elite your troops were, it was possible to achieve a situation that was infinitely close to one-for-one.

Compared with street fighting, massacres were much simpler. But this was a civil war, and that kind of massacre-style advancement was obviously inappropriate.

But if Franz was asked to exchange his loyal elite soldiers for the rebels one-for-one, he would not accept it.

So in addition to street fighting artifacts such as grenades, early warning mirrors and rapid rifles, Franz also developed a thing that is not quite in line with the times.

The reinforced shield is slightly larger than the commonly used military shields in modern times (0.45 square meters) at 0.5 square meters.

The traditional lead spherical projectile has average armor-piercing ability and can penetrate 4mm thick steel plates. It is definitely a killer for classical knights, but with the advancement of technology, it is no longer impossible to resist the shooting of such weapons.

According to research, a 6mm steel plate can 100% resist the shooting of this traditional rifle. It is not difficult to make such a shield with the technology at that time.

A 6mm, 0.5 square meter steel shield weighs about 25 kilograms, and it is not a big problem for a single soldier to carry it.

An important reason why bulletproof shields were not developed in history is the price of steel, because human life is obviously cheaper than shields.

However, the problem of high steel prices was not a problem in Austria at that time. Technology was advanced (mentioned in the previous article) and it was rich (Franz had more resources and more money).

However, considering the Minié bullet that has appeared at this time, a 6mm thick steel plate is not enough, because in order to defend against the shooting of the Minié bullet, at least a 10mm thick ordinary steel plate is needed.

If a 10mm thick shield is made of ordinary steel plate, the weight will be as high as 40 kilograms. This is a challenge for a single soldier, and the exaggerated weight will greatly affect the flexibility and reaction speed of the soldier, thus losing its value.

Fortunately, the special steel industry of the Austrian Empire developed relatively early, and even high manganese steel can obtain 2-3 times the strength of ordinary steel.

However, considering the weight and price issues, Franz used a composite steel with a strength of about twice that of ordinary steel. The total combat weight of the shield made of this steel is 25 kilograms.

Although it is twice as heavy as a modern military shield, it is the best choice in this era. With this shield, whether it is a narrow alley or a fatal corner, the infantry does not need to fill it completely with life.

Even in the face of emergencies, the shield can withstand a large number of bullets coming from the front.

However, hiding behind a shield is not completely safe. Due to the technical conditions of this period, it is inevitable that the bullet will ricochet after hitting the shield.

In addition, the complex terrain in street fighting makes it a matter of luck whether you will die in the end.

When a bullet hits a smooth hard object at a certain angle, it is easy to be rebounded and hit other objects. This is a ricochet.

Street fighting is the place where ricochets are most likely to occur, but relatively speaking, the probability of ricochets occurring in the opposite direction of the shield holder is higher, and even if they fly behind the shield holder, the power is less.

As for the power of ricochets, it is difficult to judge, because after the rebound, the angle, speed, and even the shape of the bullet may have changed.

But one thing is certain: ricochets can also kill people, so you still have to wear a helmet and hang a bulletproof plate on your chest.

A ten-kilogram bulletproof steel plate can protect your front torso. Although it will also cause ricochets, at least it is better to die than your friends.

Therefore, if you want to avoid this embarrassing situation, the best way is not to fight street battles, but to use your own advantages to eliminate the enemy on the front battlefield.

The weight of a single soldier during this period was usually around 25 kilograms. For example, the French Army was still trying to reduce the weight of soldiers, and some radical generals even advocated throwing away luggage and food.

However, the average weight of the army that Franz wanted to organize was more than 35 kilograms, so the physical fitness requirements were extremely high.

Although this requirement is not as good as that of modern armies, it is far higher than other armies of the same era.

It is normal for Franz's guards to have higher requirements, and as compensation, their supplies will be unmatched by other armies.

Although the mountain people are hardworking, due to the training conditions and nutrition problems of that era, the number of qualified people was far less than Franz expected.

But for the sake of a pure team, he did not want to mix sand in it, so he could only lower the standards and expand the team of qualified people through scientific training and nutritional supplements.

It was also a probation period for those who had passed before, and Franz was not sure how many would eventually pass. But one thing is certain: these men will be unlike any traditional army.

Of course, in order to maintain deep control over this team, "loyalty to the emperor and patriotism" education is naturally indispensable. In addition, the church will send full-time priests to supervise and guide them at all times.

Franz also compiled a street fighting manual, which contains some precautions about street fighting that he can remember.

Although it seems a bit advanced, I believe that after the cruel war, they will soon understand the importance of this booklet.

As for the problem that some officers reported that the lever rifle could not be fired while lying down, Franz felt that this was not a problem. As long as the gun body was turned sideways, the shooting action could be completed normally. For details, please refer to the use of box guns during World War II.

When they arrived in Tyrol, how could they do without mountain hunters. However, Franz prepared more advanced weapons for them, rifled guns with optical sights.

Although the sights at this time were still relatively primitive, in a sense, they were telescopes with two crosses drawn on the lens, but their improvement in the shooting accuracy of soldiers was obvious to all.

With the sights, these sharpshooters can increase their accurate shooting distance to 400 meters.

Without a scope, even a shooter who has been trained for many years can usually only hit a target two hundred meters away. There are people who can hit a target three hundred meters away, but very few because the technical conditions at that time were really limited.

In addition, Franz also planned to set up a hot air balloon team. After all, the importance of global vision to a commander is self-evident.

The early warning mirror of this period is actually a mirror stuck on a stick. Although it looks very simple, it plays an extremely important role in street fighting.

In addition to the rockets used in large quantities by the Austrian Empire at this time, this army will also be equipped with a cheap artifact-grenade launcher.

Although this thing has limited lethality, short range and low accuracy, it is cheap, fast (relative to this era), light and flexible, and is very suitable as a single-soldier weapon.