When the new compilation opinions were issued, the commanders at the grassroots level discussed it one after another.

Liu Huai saw it, and said to Wang Liang, the artillery envoy beside him: "In this way, there are many more levels in the army, isn't there many more officers?" ”

Wang Liang said: "That's natural. However, there are already many generals in our two armies, and the most troublesome thing to do is the infantry. ”

Liu Huai nodded again and again. In the cavalry and artillery, most of them are envoys, and there are enough personnel at multiple levels, but there are more command and management levels, and the personnel do not need major changes. Officers are scarce in the infantry, so when they join the command hierarchy, the number of personnel can only be reduced and reduced.

Yang Wenguang looked at the new establishment table and said to Zhao Zi beside him: "If we follow the new method, we will have insufficient generals in our army, and we will either be transferred from artillery and cavalry, or we can only reduce our personnel." There are nearly 200,000 households in the camp and field, and I don't know how many military horses are lifted. ”

Zhao Zi said: "The number of artillery and cavalry in the army is not large, and in addition to the officers, most of them are envoys and utility, and they will not be abolished." In this way, there are not many of our infantry left. Lifting repeatedly said that the infantry is the backbone and there are not enough personnel, just to say what is the use? ”

Yang Wenguang nodded again and again, feeling that this was very inappropriate. took Yang Ji out, stepped forward and bowed his hand to Du Zhongxiao: "Lift, there will be something unclear in the end, please give advice." ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Okay, sit down and say." There's an unused teacup over there, so you pick one up and drink it slowly. ”

Sitting down at the table, Liu Ji poured tea for Yang Wenguang, and Du Zhongxiao motioned for him to say whatever he wanted.

Yang Wenguang said: "For promotion, there is already a shortage of officers in the infantry army, and if it is according to the new establishment, the shortage of personnel will be even worse. There are a total of more than 100,000 troops who come to Jingxi Road, so they must be dissatisfied? ”

Du Zhongxiao said with a smile: "The Sect Reading Chambers Army is a soldier, of course it will not be full. Most of the box troops in the field used to be made up of fibers, how many people can really go to the battlefield? After so many years of training, officers at all levels should have a clear idea of which soldiers can be used and which ones are not. A few days ago, this is what it means to let the army classify those who are suitable for joining the army as first, second, and third class soldiers. In principle, those who join the army to fight are first-class soldiers, second-class soldiers can use one unit, and third-class soldiers can all stay in their hometowns to farm, and when necessary, they can be used as local township soldiers and strong men. - By the way, let Zhao Zi come along. ”

Zhao Zi sat down at the table, and Du Zhongxiao said: "Yang Du is the right person to supervise, according to the new establishment of the army, the infantry will inevitably be dissatisfied. I told him that it was normal to be dissatisfied with the troops, and that in this round of army reorganization, in addition to reorganizing the organization, it is also necessary to set the number of each army. ”

Zhao Zi listened, although it was expected, but he was still a little disappointed, and arched his hand: "Dare to ask for promotion, how to make up the infantry army?" ”

Du Zhongxiao looked at Liu Ji and said, "We have discussed it appropriately, in principle, all armies are the same, but the number of people has changed. Specifically, because the previous levels were insufficient, the army wanted to make up for several levels below the battalion and above. The battalion below was changed to one battalion and three capitals, and none of them moved, but the number of people who needed to be added was about 350 people. All of them imitate the three Ya classes and set up classes, with about 100 people in each class. There is a team under the class, and the number of people is 30 people. The team is set up under the team, and the number of people is ten people. In principle, a team is a column or two examples, and this is the case. ”

Yang Wenguang was taken aback and said, "Lift, in this way, the change will be big." A battalion of 1,000 people can be alone. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "It's to let the battalion be alone." Now there are 500 people in a battalion, and they can't go up or down, which is extremely embarrassing. After replenishing the number of 1,000 men, the battalion will be lined up with baggage, cavalry and artillery teams. The cavalry was the main light cavalry, and the artillerymen thought that the tiger was squatting and other shotguns. In the battalion were then brought into the baggage officers, artillery officers, intelligence officers, counselors, and so on. When marching and fighting, the battalion is the basic unit. Usually managed, but also according to the battalion deployment. ”

Zhao Zi groaned: "The three hundred and fifty people are—"

Du Zhongxiao said: "Judging from the training in the past few years, it is too wasteful for each team in the army to work alone, and it is not conducive to training and combat. In the future, food, grass, paperwork, training, and so on, all of them will be divided into classes. There is a separate grain and grass officer in the class, leading a few people, and serving as a man and a horseman. Unless the squad is stationed alone, they will not fire in the future. In addition, in principle, the squad level is not in charge of money and grain, and receives it from the battalion level. ”

Yang Wenguang and Zhao Zi didn't speak for a while, and each muttered. This kind of arrangement is very different from what they thought before, and the battalion level has supplemented the intelligence, baggage, and counselors, and it is completely a force that is in charge of itself, and it can arrange the battle by itself.

Liu Jidao: "This arrangement is based on Fan Xianggong's presence in Yanzhou a few years ago, and he acted as one general with several battalions. It's just that there are no generals in the army, but the battalion has been expanded. No matter where there is a war, an army of a thousand people, fully equipped, can be on its own. With our guns, a battalion of troops can meet the enemy in two formations, and one strike is enough for most situations. ”

Zhao Zi pondered for a while and said: "In this way, the military system has changed greatly, and the position of the battalion commander is extremely important. And the heads—"

Liu Jidao: "If you have something to say, just say it, you don't have to spit out." Stuck between the battalion commander and the general, regardless of money and food, grass and straw, or baggage, it is naturally not as important as before. In case of war, it can be used as a battalion-level officer, allotted troops and artillery cavalry, and completed the task alone. In the same way, the same is true for teams between squads. ”

With such an establishment, Du Zhongxiao referred to the appearance in his memory, the battalion is actually equivalent to the regiment of later generations, and the squad is equivalent to the company. Because of the habits of this era, those names are difficult to be recognized by others, so they can only be changed in this way. The battalion level is fully equipped and is equivalent to a separate tactical unit, which can act alone on the battlefield. This is the most basic level, the battlefield has the most combat orders, the most complex changes, so there is a fictitious unit in the middle, which is not only conducive to peacetime management, but also more flexible to supplement to the next level in wartime, which is conducive to the upload and issuance of orders.

At the top of the battalion, there is basically no need to set up virtual levels, and it is good to set them up one level at a time. Different subordinate personnel correspond to different combat operations, which can be called campaign, strategy, road level, and commander level, and there is no essential difference.

Du Zhongxiao said again: "Above the battalion, we discussed it here, according to the system of ancient times, set up a brigade and govern five battalions. In principle, the brigade can take charge of its own affairs, and in principle, it is composed of personnel drawn from the battalion level, except for a few generals. In addition to the three infantry battalions, the brigade also has an artillery battalion and a cavalry battalion. In the event of a small battle, you can go out alone. Every five brigades formed a division, with a total of about 15,000 men, and the jurisdiction ranged from heavy cavalry and heavy artillery, as well as separate baggage. Generally, when going out to fight, the division level is all the way. The three divisions are an army, with a total of more than 30,000 people, and in addition to the command staff, they are also equipped with heavy artillery, heavy cavalry, naval forces, and so on, which is the total strength of the First World War. Beyond this number, that is, when there is a commander-in-chief or all are deployed, they are all wartime divisions. ”

Liu Jidao: "Our battalion Tianxiang Army is set up according to this number, and it is organized into an army, and the rest of the personnel are not needed." After calculation, the entire camp is about one out of five. If the artillery and cavalry are basically permanent, and the rest of the personnel are more relaxed, you will know what to do with your subordinates. ”

In this way, the artillery and cavalry alone accounted for a small half, and the number of infantry was greatly reduced. After thinking for a long time, Yang Wenguang said: "Promotion, jurisdiction, such an infantry army is only about half, is it too little?" ”

Liu Ji smiled: "How can it be less?" Now the soldiers in the forbidden army, bows and crossbows account for about sixty percent, plus cavalry, how many infantry? We are only following the example of the forbidden army. The cannon replaced the bow and crossbow, and the swordsmen and gunners were replaced by musketeers, and the number of strong soldiers was increased. At present, there is not enough cavalry in the army, and even if it is transferred from the battalion and field, it is not enough to carry heavy loads. After a few days, we will write together and ask the court to send some horses down. I heard that horses are breeding on Hedong Road, and there is no shortage of horses as before. ”