Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 795

795. A Bloody Battle in the Jungle (1)

Imperial Calendar Year 19 (1466).

As the year turned, the expeditionary forces finally completed their preparations to depart south.

“If things had gone according to plan, we could have departed in late autumn last year, but…”

At the send-off ceremony for the fully prepared expeditionary forces, Hyang murmured softly, her voice filled with regret.

* * *

It was around early autumn when the last of the expeditionary forces arrived, thanks to the efforts of the Imperial Navy transport fleet.

Moreover, the troops who arrived in the later stages were so well-trained that they didn’t require any additional finishing drills.

This was because Yi Jingok, enraged by the condition of the initial vanguard and the subsequent second wave of troops, had issued a recall order.

It was called an order, but it was essentially a brutal threat.

-If you send soldiers trained this poorly, I’ll strip you naked and send you as food for those crazy natives!

Upon seeing an order with such content, the training instructors at the headquarters desperately drilled the soldiers.

They, too, were to participate in the expedition alongside this expeditionary force.

Yi Jingok was famous for always keeping his word. If the soldiers’ training condition was even slightly unsatisfactory, he was the type to strip them naked and throw them out.

Furthermore, Wan’s order to gradually expand the size of the Imperial Navy’s transport fleet was also a significant factor.

Wan issued this order at the request of Kim Jongseo and the Ministry of Finance.

-The longer they stay at the headquarters, the more unnecessary expenses occur! It’s more profitable to send them away as quickly as possible!

-Increasing the number of transport ships is cheaper!

Wan found these opinions reasonable, so he ordered the navy to increase the size of the transport fleet.

The navy initially expressed difficulties but soon found a solution.

After all, the expeditionary forces heading to Shinji were only bringing their uniforms and personal gear—ammunition pouches and backpacks—on board. All metal items, such as rifles, machetes, military daggers, and canteens, were to be supplied from Area 52.

Thanks to this, the training instructors at the headquarters, who had lost their leeway, had to increase the intensity of their training once again.

It was to avoid Yi Jingok’s reprimands.

Due to these various reasons, the training condition of the soldiers who came later gradually improved. They were in such good shape that they could enter combat immediately after recovering from their journey.

However, the execution of the operation was decided to begin in the spring, after the new year.

This was because the winter in Shinji, especially in the northern part of Shinji where the Shinji Haenggung [a detached palace] and the expeditionary force training camp were located, was as harsh as that of the mainland.

“The cold isn’t a big problem, but the problem is the unnecessary baggage that takes up space.”

At Yi Jingok’s remark, all the subordinate commanders nodded.

What Yi Jingok pointed out were the cold-weather supplies that the expeditionary forces were using.

According to reports and explanations written by the Shinji-based navy, the southern region where the war would be fought was a hot, even sweltering, area year-round.

If they were to depart now, they would have to discard their cold-weather gear as soon as they arrived at the beachhead.

However, if they departed after this winter, there would be no need to bring unnecessary cold-weather gear. The cold-weather supplies used by the expeditionary forces could be used by other soldiers or sold to the residents of Shinji for additional income.

The items used by the Imperial Army were sturdy and of excellent quality, making them popular among the residents.

Of course, they could also load the cold-weather supplies back onto the transport ships that carried the expeditionary forces. However, it would cost more, and there were other issues.

-It’s better to load more gunpowder, ammunition, and medicine in the space for cold-weather supplies! Especially medicine! Anti-malarial drugs!

* * *

As the Shinji-based navy’s exploration moved further south, more and more people were contracting malaria.

Even in the northern part of Shinji, not just the south, quite a few people contracted malaria in the summer, so the doctors stationed in Shinji searched through medical texts or sought the help of native shamans to find medicinal herbs to make into pills for treatment.

In particular, after the soldiers who had fought in the previous battle with the Aztecs returned, many of them contracted malaria, making anti-malarial drugs very important.

“It’s not just a matter of occasionally getting it; we have to assume that everyone will get it!”

Following the decision of Hyang and Yi Jingok, among other superiors, a large quantity of anti-malarial drugs was added to the expeditionary force’s supply list.

In addition, another order was added to the surrendered natives, including ‘Ssyang’.

-Find and secure herbs or trees used to treat malaria!

It was an order based on the conviction that the Aztecs and the surrounding natives were not immune to malaria, and that the tribes’ shamans would know related knowledge through thousands of years of tradition.

This was not just a conviction based on speculation but because there were experienced individuals.

“I have suffered from a disease similar to the malaria you mentioned. At that time, I boiled and drank the bark of a tree given to me by a shaman, and I got better. The taste? It was terribly bitter.”

‘Quinine is terribly bitter, isn’t it? This is it!’

Hyang immediately added the order to the report submitted by ‘Ssyang’ and other natives.

* * *

At Hyang’s grumbling, Yi Jingok chuckled and responded.

“There are good things too, aren’t there? First of all, the soldiers are more relaxed and less likely to get hurt, and secondly, we received quite a few Gyeonghwa machine guns.”

“Only 200, I’m sorry.”

At Hyang’s apology, Yi Jingok wore an expression that said it was absurd.

“Ah, no! Even though it was a sudden request, you still made 200 of them for us, didn’t you? The lieutenant and the soldiers of the expeditionary force are sincerely grateful to His Majesty and the in-laws. Especially, we know how much the in-laws have suffered, so it would be wrong to blame them for being insufficient.”

“I’m grateful that you think so. To be honest, the Gapsik Gyeonghwa machine gun wasn’t easy to make. Hooo~.”

Hyang’s sigh was sincere.

* * *

The design for the Gyeonghwa machine gun existed, but materializing it was not an easy task.

The biggest problem was the mechanism, especially the body.

The firing pin, gas piston, and recoil spring had already accumulated a lot of experience from the artisans, so there were no problems.

However, the body was the bottleneck. Hyang and the artisans pondered over and over again.

“The Byeongsik Hwacha [multiple rocket launcher] was easy because it was bulky….”

“That’s right… the Gapsik is not easy.”

The Byeongsik Hwacha was easy to make the body because it was bulky.

Well-made iron plates were cut to fit the frame, then inserted into a fixed frame and firmly fixed by hammering in rivets.

Very strong iron plates and rivets were used to withstand the recoil of hundreds of rounds per minute, and of course, it was heavy. However, it was not a big problem because it used a dedicated gun carriage and was carried by two people.

However, the problem with the Gyeonghwa machine gun was that one person had to do everything.

Of course, it had to be light, so if it was made in the same way as the Byeongsik Hwacha’s body, it would definitely break down immediately.

‘It was possible in the 21st century. No, they would just press it and then weld it. But now, the level of steel and welding technology are far behind, so I can’t use it.’

Hyang sighed as he pondered the solution.

“Hooo~. The conclusion is that I have no choice but to use the most traditional but most expensive method….”

What Hyang was thinking of was ‘cutting’.

A solid steel ingot was placed in a mold and hammered with a steam hammer to create the outer shape, and then the inside was carved out with a cutting machine to complete it.

Thanks to adopting this production method, the Gapsik Gyeonghwa machine gun was able to secure durability, but it had to sacrifice manufacturing cost and production time.

In addition, the magazine to be used for the Gapsik Gyeonghwa machine gun was also a problem.

The semi-circular magazine that held 30 rounds of ammunition would break down immediately if it deviated even slightly from the dimensions specified in the design. Therefore, the artisans had to pay even more attention to the production of the magazine.

Thanks to this, as soon as a satisfactory prototype came out in the middle of summer, full-scale production began, and even though they worked overtime throughout the fall and winter, only 200 units were produced.

However, it was not all loss.

Through the process of producing the Gapsik Gyeonghwa machine gun, the artisans in Area 52 were able to greatly accumulate experience in parts standardization, specification, and quality maintenance.

And the mass production method established through the accumulated experience became the foundation for playing the role of the ‘Arsenal of the Empire’ in several major wars that would occur later.

* * *

The expeditionary soldiers who finished the send-off ceremony were divided into several groups again and boarded the iron horses [trains].

They were to take the iron horses to the naval base built furthest south, and then move south on the navy’s warships from there.

“Thanks to that, Jinpyeong had a great time….”

The main transit points for the railroads laid in Shinji were the Shinji Haenggung, Area 52, and the army and navy’s garrison bases.

This was for the rapid transport of supplies and troops.

This was because the transport capacity of iron horses and railroads far surpassed the transport capacity of sailing ships at this time.

“Perhaps the day when the transport capacity using sea routes surpasses land routes again will be when large iron transport ships come out.”

Hyang, watching the soldiers boarding the iron horse, muttered while looking into the distance. However, Hyang smiled slightly and continued.

“Then I’ll have to put my spoon on it again [get involved]. These days, there’s been talk in the navy about the need for steam-powered armored ships that can go out to the open sea and secure naval supremacy, and Hyeon is said to be moving… You have to step on growing sprouts to make them grow well, right?” [Encouraging growth by providing support].

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the iron horse heading to the starting point, Yi Jingok and his subordinate commanders were putting their heads together and re-examining the work ahead.

A three-dimensional map made of wood and soil was placed on a large desk in the middle of the passenger car, and Yi Jingok and the commanders were surrounding the map and talking.

“The landing point has gone further inside the bay, wouldn’t it be better to use the place we used as a beachhead last time?”

At Yi Jingok’s remark, a subordinate officer replied.

“According to the explanation of Ssyang Chogwan [tribal leader] and his subordinates, the place we have now designated as the landing point has a wider beach, making it more advantageous for a large number of troops to land and stay.”

“The problem is that the distance to those bastards, whether they’re called Aztecs or Meshika, could be longer, right?”

“That part is also a bit longer in distance, but it’s said to be an easier path.”

“Hmm… It would be a big problem if there were problems maintaining the supply line….”

Yi Jingok stroked his chin and worried. Yi Jingok, who had lived and fought on the battlefield for a long time, knew the importance of supply very well.

At Yi Jingok’s concern, one of the subordinate officers stepped forward and answered.

“Ssyang Chogwan recommended this route even more because of that problem. The tribes from which Ssyang Chogwan and his subordinates come from live around this route. If we receive their cooperation, there will be no major problems with our army’s supply.”

“If that’s the case….”

At the subordinate officer’s words, Yi Jingok hid his anxiety. The hatred that Ssyang Chogwan and the natives who came with him had for the Aztecs was beyond imagination.

Due to that hatred, Ssyang Chogwan and the natives were more enthusiastic about training than anyone else, learned the Imperial language, and cooperated with the Empire more enthusiastically than anyone else.