Chapter 714 Army Reform

After temporarily settling the population issue, the Ministry of War quickly reported a new issue, which was about the reform of the current army establishment.

Speaking of Australasia's army establishment, it was initially decided more than 20 years ago when relations with Germany were relatively close.

The army organization at that time was developed together with German experts. There were certain changes in the German organization, but overall it was relatively similar to the German organization.

This kind of army organization has evolved over more than 20 years and is no longer suitable for the current situation.

First of all, the emergence of tanks has changed the way war is fought, and mobility is becoming more and more important to the army.

Part of the purpose of Australasia's military reform is to mechanize the army, at least to greatly improve the mobility of the army.

The second is the evolution of aircraft, which now have strong combat effectiveness. The current air force can pose a huge threat to ground forces, just as the Australasian air force previously bombed American troops.

An army unit with strong combat effectiveness must have sufficiently excellent air defense capabilities, at least to have a certain degree of resistance when facing enemy aircraft.

In the recommendations of the Ministry of War, each division should add at least one anti-aircraft battalion, and each battalion should be equipped with at least 12 27mm anti-aircraft guns and 8 improved MA-107 Maxim heavy machine guns.

In order to properly transport these anti-aircraft weapons, the air defense battalion alone requires at least 27 military transport vehicles, 20 of which are used to transport artillery and machine guns, and the remaining seven are used to transport soldiers and other equipment of the anti-aircraft battalion.

Fortunately, the army generals did not go crazy enough to arrange the air defense organization below the regiment level. Otherwise, the huge changes in organizational reform and the large amount of weapons and equipment that need to be purchased will be enough to give Arthur a headache.

Of course, if there is an anti-aircraft battalion, there must be an anti-tank battalion. The anti-tank battalion will be equipped with 22 50mm Type II anti-tank guns, and the number of military transport vehicles required has increased to 40.

For division artillery regiments, all artillery with a caliber of less than 75 mm is delegated to infantry units, and the artillery regiment only retains large artillery with a caliber of 75 mm or more.

In the reorganization plan, the artillery regiment's firepower equipment will become 24 75mm semi-automatic artillery, 12 105mm semi-automatic artillery, 8 127mm howitzers and 5 155mm howitzers.

The highest firepower of the division's artillery regiment is five 155mm howitzers. As for larger-caliber artillery, the logistics and transportation capabilities it requires cannot be afforded by the divisional artillery regiment.

In addition to the artillery regiment, the divisional troops also include the cavalry regiment. Of course, if according to the changes in the organizational reform plan, the new cavalry regiment should be called a division-affiliated mobile regiment.

The mobile regiment will be transformed from a complete cavalry organization to a hybrid organization of cavalry and mechanized troops.

The cavalry organization was reduced to a cavalry company, and the mobile regiment also had a mechanized transport company and a tank company.

This is enough to see the Army's ambitions. If such armaments reform is realized, all ordinary conventional divisions will become hybrid divisions, and the combat firepower of each division will be greatly improved.

Of course, this will also extremely test Australasia's logistics capabilities, as well as its reserve capabilities of various strategic materials.

As a large number of tanks, transport vehicles and other machinery are equipped to the army, the consumption of fuel alone is an astronomical figure.

If Australasia did not control the Persian Gulf territory, and other regions also had abundant oil reserves, such a preparation would be a burden for Australasia.

In addition to reforming the division's directly affiliated units, this armament reform also made certain changes to each infantry regiment.

According to the previous establishment of Australasia, each infantry division had three infantry regiments, one artillery regiment and one cavalry regiment.

This organizational system will not change, but there are still considerable changes to the internal organization of the infantry regiment.

The artillery company under the regiment was improved into a mixed artillery battalion. Because the artillery regiment directly under the division transferred all small-caliber artillery to the infantry units, the artillery company of the infantry regiment also had more artillery to expand its establishment.

Although it is an artillery battalion, the artillery battalion of the infantry regiment has more small-caliber artillery. The most famous of them is the CA-1-37mm cannon, which is one of the most outstanding designs in Australasian artillery research and development. There is currently no small-caliber artillery that can replace it.

The terrifying rate of fire alone, which is close to 80 rounds per minute, determines that such a machine gun can play a huge role on the battlefield.

Even if the lethality is not as strong as that of large-caliber artillery, the sky-blocking artillery coverage is enough to scare any army team.

Compared to artillery companies, cavalry companies have not changed much. After all, cavalry is still more important than tanks and trucks in some areas.

After all, it will take a long time for mechanized equipment to completely replace the cavalry.

The combat capability of cavalry in many mountainous areas is still better than that of tanks. After all, tanks are not omnipotent in this era, and tanks have a high failure rate.

Moreover, the number of tanks and trucks has been increased in division-level combat units, and the cavalry companies of regiment-level combat units will naturally not change.

Regarding the more basic army organization, it has been modified as follows:

The squad leader, a machine gun crew of 3 to 4 people, the deputy squad leader and five ordinary soldiers form an infantry squad of 10 to 11 people.

The number of people in the machine gun team will change to a certain extent. The number of people in the heavy machine gun team will be a little more, and the number of people in the medium and light machine gun teams will be a little less.

The infantry platoon has a total of 50 people: four infantry squads (based on the full strength of 11 people), 2 platoon leaders and deputy platoon leaders, 2 communications soldiers, and 2 platoon headquarters soldiers.

The infantry company has a total of 1 signal trooper, 12 company headquarters, and 11 fire support squad members.

The infantry battalion has a total of 775 people: three infantry companies, 52 people in the battalion headquarters (officers, communications, and logistics are included), 80 people in the fire support reinforcement platoon, and 55 people in the mixed transportation platoon directly under the battalion.

Thanks to such a large organization, each infantry regiment has more than 3,000 men, with three infantry battalions, a mixed artillery battalion and a cavalry company.

The mixed division, which has three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, a mixed mobile regiment, an anti-tank battalion and an anti-aircraft battalion, has a total strength of nearly 17,000 people.

This total number of people has increased by about 1,000 compared to before the adaptation, but the firepower of each division is definitely not as simple as increasing by 1,000 people.

According to the expected results given by the military, the combat effectiveness of the same division before and after the reorganization will differ by at least 30%.

However, looking at the budget proposed in the arms reform, Arthur smiled bitterly, and then he understood why the military people looked so worried when they presented this report.

According to military reports, the reorganization budget of each division is at least 1. West Asia has a total of 12 infantry divisions, and the reorganization cost of these 12 infantry divisions is at least 22 million Australian dollars.

This is not over yet. How come the Army's reorganization only targets infantry divisions? There are certain changes to cavalry divisions, artillery divisions and even tank divisions.

The establishment of the cavalry division basically increases the number of artillery, machine guns, etc. This also increases the firepower.

The changes in artillery are relatively large. The artillery also reduced the number of small-caliber artillery, and greatly increased the number of artillery of 75 mm and above caliber.

After all, the infantry units are already equipped with small-caliber artillery, so there is no need for artillery divisions specializing in artillery to waste firepower.

The biggest change in the artillery division must be the M1-105mm self-propelled artillery that even Arthur was amazed by.

Self-propelled artillery and automatic artillery are different. Automatic artillery is the way the artillery fires, and self-propelled artillery is the way the artillery moves.

The simplest concept of the so-called self-propelled artillery is to add a tank base to the artillery, so that the artillery has the ability to move autonomously.

And this so-called M1 artillery is naturally the result of long-term research by the Royal Ordnance Factory.

Why is the caliber of the M1 artillery set at 105 mm? Naturally, it is because the 105 mm artillery has its unique role.

First of all, the larger the caliber of the artillery, the larger the volume and weight of the shells. This also determines that larger artillery caliber is often not a good thing, because too large shells are very troublesome to transport.

But the smaller the caliber of the artillery, the less destructive and lethal it can cause. How to find a balance among the artillery calibers, which can not only cause a large amount of damage to the enemy, but also satisfy the logistics department, is a major problem for the improvement of the military factory.

The lethality of the 105 mm caliber artillery is far greater than that of the 75 mm artillery, but the weight of the artillery is not as heavy as the 155 mm artillery.

To put it bluntly, the 105mm artillery is to find a balance between 75mm and 155mm to meet the two requirements of lethality and logistics.

Of course, after a long period of development, there is no doubt about the lethality of the 105mm artillery.

One of the major functions of self-propelled artillery is its mobility. The 105mm artillery is already the most lethal choice as long as it meets the mobility.

If the caliber is larger, there will also be some problems in the transportation and firing process of the artillery. Besides, if it is really a fortress attack, artillery with larger caliber will naturally be deployed.

The biggest role of the M1 artillery is to use mobility to catch the enemy by surprise. The current caliber is completely sufficient.

Fortunately, the number of cavalry divisions, artillery divisions and tank divisions is not too large. The cost of adapting these armies is expected to be around 8 million Australian dollars, which is sufficient.

This also means that this military reform will cost at least 30 million Australian dollars, and the maintenance costs of the army will also increase significantly in the future.

After much thought, Arthur decided to carry out this military reform.

First of all, there is no doubt that the increase in military firepower is a good thing.

Secondly, Australasia's economic situation is quite good, and it is not a problem to bear additional millions of Australian dollars in military expenditures every year.

Secondly, although the United States has been defeated, this does not mean that the world situation will usher in peace.

If the United States falls, Britain will eventually face a new challenger. This cannot be changed by any country, and there will always be new changes in the world situation.

There are currently many countries that can threaten the UK, including France in Europe and island countries in Asia.

Of course, to be cautious in times of peace, the British may also regard Australasia as a potential competitor.

But for the time being, the British should not give up their alliance with Australasia. After all, Australasia is geographically far away from Europe and does not have that great influence on European countries.

As long as the naval control of Australasia is within a range acceptable to the British, the relationship between Britain and Australia should not deteriorate in the short term.

It is worth noting that after the fall of the Americans, the only remaining naval powers are Britain, Australia, and France.

Australasia's research on battleships has basically stopped, and its aircraft carriers are still at about the same level as the British.

Because of this, for the British, the biggest threat currently is not Australasia, but the island nation that once built the most powerful battleships.

Yes, this is no joke.

The islanders have different ambitions, and their number of warships definitely exceeds what is stipulated in the naval limitation treaty.

However, at that time, the British were entirely focused on fighting the United States, and turned a blind eye to the island nation's occasional behavior that exceeded the provisions of the naval limitation treaty.

But now, after the Americans have been dealt with, the British naturally have no worries.

For Britain, it can tolerate anything except someone who wants to threaten itself in the navy.

It is foreseeable that after thoroughly dealing with the carving up of the United States, the British should return their attention to the world situation.

Of course, judging from the nature of the British balancing policy, there is a greater probability that it will damage the relationship between Australasia and the island countries, forcing Australasia to compete with the island countries.

There is even a high probability of this happening. For the British, two potential threats could be resolved by fighting each other between the island nations and Australasia.

In this way, the British only need to focus on the situation in Europe to completely secure their throne as world hegemon.

As for countries in other regions, none can pose a threat to the UK for the time being.

After all, apart from Europe, Asia and Oceania, the only country with great powers is North America.

Of course, in a few months, maybe North America won’t count.

Arthur did not believe that the British would give up the opportunity to carve up the United States, not to mention that the United States had been independent from Britain before.

Even if it is impossible to occupy all the territory of the United States, according to the British balancing policy, several American countries must be supported.

But this was a good thing for Arthur. At least Arthur's plan to support the new United States can be implemented, and he can eat an extra bite of meat in Central America.

In fact, according to the new army establishment, the number of troops in Australasia will increase again.

Previously, each infantry division had only increased to about 70,000 people.

The numbers of other artillery divisions and cavalry divisions have also been changed to some extent, which also makes it possible for the total number of Australasian troops after the organizational reform to exceed 270,000.

The army establishment of 270,000 people is sufficient for Australasia. After all, in the absence of war, too many army establishments are a huge burden on finances.

However, while maintaining an army strength of 270,000 people, we must also pay attention to the training of reserve soldiers.

Military training is necessary for college students and some male citizens of working age, and this will become an unavoidable topic for all male citizens in Australasia.

Of course, even William, the heir to the throne, is no exception.

Arthur is already selecting the army for William to serve in. He will conceal his identity and serve in the army selected by Arthur, and spend at least two years in the army based on his ability.

This can also be regarded as a test for the future heir to the throne. After all, if you can't even handle the relationship with the soldiers, how can you handle the relationship with those cunning officials?

These officials seemed honest when Arthur was still around. After the country changes to a new owner, various faces will gradually emerge.

A qualified heir to the throne must not only have outstanding political abilities, but also win the trust of the soldiers. At least the soldiers must be well-liked and willing to be loyal to the royal family.

In fact, according to the tradition of a country that values ​​​​the navy, there is a high probability that the crown prince will choose to serve in the navy.

Just like the United Kingdom, if the British crown prince serves in the military, there is a high probability that he will choose to serve in the Royal Navy.

After all, it is the Royal Navy that maintains Britain's dominance, and the British Army's combat effectiveness can only be said to be barely adequate.

But for Arthur, what Arthur hoped most was that William could serve in the army.

At least in the short term, Australasia's navy will not develop much. Except for the construction of a few aircraft carriers, the main battleships will not change much.

After all, it was necessary to maintain relations with the British, at least before the outbreak of World War II.

Arthur didn't want to be the protagonist in World War II, he was too much of a villain.

Of course, to be more sinister, Arthur definitely hopes that the war will break out like history.

Because the current situation has changed dramatically compared to history, at least there will not be a complete United States to help Europe win the war.

This also means that if Germany triggers World War II, the only three powers that will resist Germany in the early stage are Britain, France, and Russia.

These three powers all have more or less huge problems, which also means that if they want to resist the German attack, Britain, France, and Russia must save more blood.

This situation is a good thing for Australasia because Arthur can take advantage of such opportunities to gain more benefits.

For example, the Straits of Malacca, which Arthur was obsessed with, the British would definitely not give up if there was no special crisis.

Of course, if India is threatened in the future, the British will definitely be willing to give up any territory except the mainland and India.

After all, India is the brightest jewel in the crown of the British Empire. If this pearl is gone, the crown of the British Empire will be gone too.

Well, this is really no joke.

The throne of the British Empire comes from the Indian Empire. If India disappears, the British monarch will only be a king.

Of course, it can be seen from the fact that all British monarchs are called kings or queens that not many countries are willing to accept this crown except the British.

Europe values ​​jurisprudence far more than other regions. Without orthodox legal succession, even if you are the first great power, the throne will not be recognized by other countries.

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