Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 81 New Recruits Are Easy to Train

The veterans who had previously fought under Morin were completely unconditionally carrying out the high-intensity training that the 1st Company was currently undergoing.

Having personally experienced the brutality of heavy machine gun suppression and urban warfare, they know that these seemingly 'torturous' training sessions can be life-saving on the battlefield.

The sergeants in each platoon were even more strict with their soldiers during training.

They weren't as gentle as Morin; any misstep would result in a merciless scolding, or even a kick.

The newly recruited soldiers, including three platoon leaders, were not well-suited to this training method.

Every day after training, they were all exhausted, lying in bed with no strength to move.

Many new recruits even vomited from exhaustion during training.

But they dared not utter a single complaint.

Because the company commander appears on the training field every day, enduring the same or even higher training intensity as them.

With even their company commander working so hard, they really felt embarrassed to complain or whine.

Just do it.
As for the three new platoon leaders, they were Morin's military academy classmates.

They had originally hoped to use their classmate relationship to "bargain" with Morin and hopefully reduce the intensity of the training.

As a result, after the first day of training, they completely lost their temper.

Looking at Morin's seemingly tireless figure, they could only grit their teeth and persevere, unable to utter a single word of objection.

Could it be that I could be outdone by a 'playboy'?

This was a shared thought among the three of them.

However, during a break in training, Sergeant Klaus still approached Morin with some concern.

"Company commander, isn't this training intensity a bit too much? I'm worried that these new recruits' bodies won't be able to handle it."

Klaus handed Morin a water bottle, his brow furrowed as he looked at the new recruits sprawled on the ground, panting heavily.

"I understand your concerns, Klaus."

Morin took the water bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls—he knew, of course, that drinking like that was unhealthy, but he couldn't help himself.

"But we can only carry out this high-intensity training while the troops are resting in the rear, with sufficient logistical supplies and no reduction in daily meals."

Morin's decision to order this high-intensity training was not made on a whim.

Before the formal training began, he had already checked with the supply, logistics, and even the division's bread company.

As he just said, the troops currently resting in the rear are receiving the most supplies.

A soldier's daily staple food typically consists of rotating between three types: 750 grams of bread, 500 grams of field biscuits, and 400 grams of egg biscuits.

The meat portion consists of 375 grams of fresh meat or 200 grams of cured meat.

The side dishes are rotated among 1500 grams of potatoes, 125-250 grams of vegetables, and 60 grams of dried vegetables.

Also, 25 grams of coffee, 3 grams of tea leaves, 20 grams of beet sugar, and 25 grams of salt.

As for tobacco and beer, let's not go into that.
In short, when supplies were plentiful, the Saxon Empire's army's food, regardless of taste, was certainly not meager in quantity.

Soldiers consume over 4000 calories a day, which is the foundation for their ability to sustain high-intensity daily training.

Maureen returned the water bottle to Klaus and then continued:

"Only by pushing their physical and mental limits will these training sessions be effective, and only then will they have a greater chance of surviving the battlefield."

"Klaus, when we actually go into combat, supplies will never be as plentiful as they are now."

“Every day we ate black bread and drank thick soup, marching through the mud. I will never have the chance to train like this again.”

After listening, the sergeant remained silent. Then, he silently became even more rigorous in the training.

The training ground of the 1st Company quickly became the most eye-catching place in the entire camp.

Initially, it was just some officers from the 16th Brigade who had also participated in the Battle of Seville who would come over to visit during their spare time from training with their own units.

Most of them were also battalion or company commanders who witnessed firsthand the failure of traditional tactics in that hellish battle.

Seeing the new tactical maneuvers being practiced by the 1st Company, they began to ponder, and a new tactical mindset quietly took root in their hearts.

Whenever the whistle blew for a training break, several captains and lieutenants from other companies would gather around.

"Lieutenant Morin, is there a reason why you had your soldiers advance in small groups instead of charging in platoons?"

The speaker was a company commander from another battalion of the 32nd Regiment, a captain who had distinguished himself in urban warfare. "Captain, my idea is that this will reduce our exposure time in open areas."

Morin picked up a twig and drew a simple diagram on the ground, then continued:

"During this process, we use the firepower of one group to suppress the enemy and cover the movement of another group to a more advantageous position."

"Suppressive firepower to cover maneuvering"

The captain pondered the words, then nodded thoughtfully.

“Actually, we were forced to do this in the city, especially when crossing streets, but in practice it was a mess and there was no method at all.”

Morin: "That's why systematic training is necessary."

These words resonated with the other officers present, who joined the discussion, turning the scene into a tactical seminar.

These officers, who had crawled out of piles of corpses, quickly grasped the key points, and their questions became increasingly in-depth.

The news that "Lieutenant Friedrich Morin is presiding over a 'Seville Combat Veterans Tactical Seminar' at the training ground" quickly spread within the 16th Brigade.

Before long, the officers who had just been transferred from the reserve forces and had no combat experience began to get restless.

They may not yet grasp the concept of tactical changes, but they're not stupid.

Those officers who have already experienced brutal battles would run to the 1st Company's training ground every day when they had nothing to do, there must be something there!

The next day, the number of officers observing the training ground doubled.

A few days later, some officers from the 8th Infantry Division who had just arrived from China also rushed over upon hearing the news.
This put immense pressure on the three newly appointed platoon leaders, Kahn, Barak, and Ram.

The training intensity these days has already been high, and now there's a row of veteran lieutenants and even field officers standing by the training field watching.

Therefore, they had to concentrate on their utmost efforts, focusing on directing their platoons to complete those tactical maneuvers, for fear of making mistakes and embarrassing the unit.

Sergeant Klaus seemed to be enjoying himself. He straightened his back and shouted commands louder than ever before, as if to show everyone the spirit of the 1st Company.

"Get your act together! Haven't you eaten? Run faster! The whole division is watching us!"

During the days that the 16th Brigade was resting in the rear, the 12 infantry divisions brought over from Saxony by Lieutenant General Mackensen, together with the International Brigades and the National Army, completely stabilized the front line.

After suffering heavy losses in Seville, the Britannians also became somewhat conservative, no longer readily deploying mages and armored knights to the front lines.
Although Madrid is currently still in the hands of the Royal Army, the cautious Lieutenant General Mackensen is not in a hurry to retake this symbolic city.

After all, Seville was already under their control, and the Mediterranean Fleet was conducting combat patrols in the waters southwest of the Iberian Peninsula to prevent the Britannians from landing in the area.

This also means that the main objective of this military operation has been achieved, and the next step is more about responding to the Britannians' moves.

Meanwhile, a new message began to slowly spread throughout the base.

It is said that the Gallic Republic, which had remained silent until now, began to mediate the conflict between the Saxon Empire and the Holy Britannian Empire.

Diplomatic officials from both sides appear to have traveled to Paris, the capital of Gaul, to prepare for negotiations.

This localized war, which suddenly broke out due to the civil war in the Kingdom of Aragon, seems to have a chance for a peaceful resolution.

Although Morin didn't know why the Gauls had suddenly done this, the news still relieved everyone else.

After all, not everyone likes war, and not everyone wants to start a full-scale war with the world's strongest power.

In addition to that, there was another, more urgent message—

Crown Prince George of the Saxon Empire will personally visit the front lines of the Kingdom of Aragon in the next two days.

One of the purposes of his trip was to personally award medals to officers and soldiers who had displayed bravery in the war in the Kingdom of Aragon.

The 1st Battalion of the 32nd Tsvika Infantry Regiment was the unit that received the Crown Prince's inspection this time.

As is customary, the 1st Company, which is at the forefront of the entire regiment's attack sequence, will stand at the very front as a guard of honor.

This unexpected extra task gave Morin a real headache.

After all, he had never actually learned the procedures of a guard of honor. Although it seemed simple and easy, there were actually many details to pay attention to.

Fortunately, when it comes to 'receiving leaders,' almost all countries put on a good image, let alone when receiving an inspection from the crown prince.

The Eighth Division headquarters also sent an officer with considerable experience in this area to provide assistance and guidance.

So these days, besides patrolling the camp, handling the company's daily affairs, taking advantage of the quartermaster, participating in tactical physical training, and organizing daily training debriefing meetings, Morin...
Another task has been added: preparing to be inspected by the Crown Prince.

I'm so busy I'm practically screaming "Oh ho ho ho ho ho!"

Three days after receiving the news, the Crown Prince's special train arrived here.

(End of this chapter)