Struggle in the Steam Age

Before the medical team set off, Lawrence gathered everyone in one place for intensive training. Especially for those medical staff and logistics staff.

Although everyone has learned some knowledge about shooting because of the martial traditions on the island and the encouragement of Lawrence's policy, knowing how to shoot and knowing how to actually fight are two completely different things.

For example, these medical staff basically only fired a few shots on the shooting range, so Lawrence specially organized them to train some simple tactical actions and asked some veterans to teach them some combat experience.

Of course, this kind of training does not expect to train them into fighters, but just hopes that they will not be dragged down as much as possible on the battlefield.

In addition, the core of another batch of training is those logistics personnel, although they have mastered good combat skills as militiamen before and participated in actual combat. But because these people were recruited from various settlements, Lawrence naturally needed to train them on group combat.

"Our situation can be said to be better than most of the islands in the Sea of ​​Stars." When Lawrence watched the group of logistical militiamen practice digging trenches and building simple field fortifications, Safiel escorted a batch of supplies to the training On the field, and then walked to Lawrence and said, looking at the militiamen who were training in full swing.

Of course, Safir did not say this out of flattery to her fiancé. As a person who has been busy communicating with the surrounding friendly forces these days, she also roughly understood the level of the surrounding forces from the surrounding telegrams.

And the army on those islands is extremely inferior to the army under Lawrence's command, and there is no comparison at all.

To give the simplest example, for example, the Governor-General of Vieques Island, the only colony of the White Eagle Federation in the Sea of ​​Stars, is considered the best of these small forces, but only the small standing army on the island has standard military traps. Rifle, and in general condition.

At the same time, due to financial problems, this standing army did not equip every regular army soldier with a pistol as luxuriously as Lawrence.

The only good thing is that because smugglers and various disgusting wild creatures often invade around the island, the actual combat level of these standing troops is not bad.

In terms of heavy firepower, if you don't count the coastal artillery units that originally belonged to the White Eagle Federation Navy, there are only two 76mm front-loading rifled guns that can be used as field guns, and the number of artillery and shells is also insufficient. There is a serious lack of similar Ammunition such as blasting rounds or shotguns. As for the level of training, it is even more appalling.

The only cause for celebration was the launch of the mortar at Lawrence's factory. This force procured six 120mm heavy mortars and eighteen 82mm mortars.

Although mortars are not very effective against enemies with certain defenses or strong mobility, this can be regarded as greatly enhancing their firepower.

Considering that the island has just experienced a brutal defensive war not long ago, Vieques Island will only draw out an army of 500 people with 100 regular troops as the backbone and another 400 militiamen in this civilization expedition. In addition, it also took 300 people as logistics. And these people are completely incomparable with the armed forces of Lawrence's medical team.

For example, their regular army lacked grenades and pistols, and only a small number of troops purchased pistols at their own expense. Although those militiamen obtained the same rifles as the regular army, they did not equip them with bayonets, nor did they undergo training for new guns.

And worst of all are their support staff. Compared with Lawrence's completely militia-like logistics team, these logistics personnel hired from all over the island are down-to-earth civilians.

Although they also realized that bare hands like this on the front line would definitely not work, the changes they made were only to distribute a sailor knife that they did not know where to collect.

"We must surpass most of the islands in the Sea of ​​Stars. After all, New Sol Island has invested far more in this area than other islands."

After hearing Safir's words, Lawrence, who knew the situation of the surrounding islands well, said it as a matter of course. "Although it is said that the investment may not be rewarded, if there is no investment, there is definitely no way to get any return."

Lawrence also knew in his heart that this gap was actually all-round. From the perspective of material foundation, compared with those islands that rely on single tropical cash crop cultivation or entrepot trade, a relatively complete basic economic system on New Sauer Island can enable the island to obtain a stable source of income.

And compared with the production of raw materials whose prices are artificially lowered, whether it is tea, fishery products, hardware or medicines on New Sauer Island, they are all industrial products. In this era, even simple industrial products can earn far more profits than simple raw material exports.

More importantly, Lawrence developed the grain planting industry and the production of various daily necessities on the island, and at the same time obtained cheap textiles from Elysion.

Under such circumstances, New Sauer Island naturally does not need to endure low-priced purchases of the island's products like some islands, and at the same time need to spend high prices to buy those necessary supplies.

In this case, even if New Shaw Island has been in operation for less than a year now. However, the output value of the entire island has exceeded that of many islands that have been operating for dozens or even hundreds of years. With the support of sufficient wealth and the support of Lawrence's own weapons factory, the armed forces of New Sauer Island can naturally obtain sufficient weapons and ammunition for training and combat.

Of course, Lawrence also knew that the current situation was directly related to the size of the island. Even if this world has extraordinary power, it is not much different from the world in Lawrence's previous life in terms of economic principles.

For example, for those small islands with an area of ​​several hundred or more than a thousand square kilometers, monoculture of cash crops is indeed much better than full-scale plantation, or to be precise, this should be slightly less bad among those series of bad options one of. Therefore, it can be said that they have no choice but to choose this path.

In addition to these innate objective factors, the subjective will of some island leaders can also play a definite role in this regard.

For example, officials on islands like Vieques Island that are directly under the jurisdiction of various countries are basically sent by the locals, so they seldom think about the long-term like Lawrence.

So naturally, they would not make long-term plans for the island like Lawrence, let alone fully arm their own troops like Lawrence.

"As the only two islands in the southeast sea area of ​​the Star Sea that belong to the White Eagle Federation theater, the people on Vieques Island will set off with us in two days." A telegram was read to Lawrence.

"According to the plan, we will take our own boat to meet them off the coast of Vieques Island, and then land in Huguang City by boat through river-sea transport."

"It seems that the White Eagle Federal Theater Command is really good at logistics planning." Lawrence, who was thinking about the situation of the islands in this area, immediately reacted from his thoughts after being told by Safir, and then nodded. From the other party's arrangement, Lawrence realized that the headquarters had indeed taken great pains in this regard.

After all, Lawrence and his medical team need to carry a lot of materials, and many of these materials are flammable or fragile, so it is necessary to reduce the transfer as much as possible during the transportation process.

Now this line obviously takes this into consideration. Although the time required for the whole journey by water is much slower than going north by train directly after logging in at Port Manson, the southernmost port of the Federation, it is obviously more important for this medical team. Perfect for them when they're on the road with a lot of stuff.