Chapter 214: The Concept of Spring Gun Cavalry
Learning cavalry tactics was Jeanne's own idea, though the opinion of His Majesty Horn of the Pope is also very important.
According to Horn's thoughts, it was highly likely that Jeanne would lead the three cavalry divisions of 150 cavalry in the Salvation Army.
Because Jeanne herself has a considerable understanding of cavalry warfare and has studied individual cavalry combat tactics systematically under Danji's tutelage.
In terms of understanding cavalry, probably no one in Horn's upper echelon of the Salvation Army could surpass Jeanne.
To counter the knights, especially the heavy-armored cavalry in the attack, it's not something Horn can solve just by opening and closing his mouth with Holy Gunman infantry.
Before Maxim's invention, warhorses were undoubtedly important tools of warfare, and even after Horn pointed out the technology of the spring gun, their tactical status did not decline significantly.
The knights are the enemy, but that doesn't mean all knights are the enemy, nor does it mean cavalry or warhorses are the enemy.
No matter what, we must still respect objective facts.
Horn insisted on clearing out Joan of Arc Castle's horse farm and bringing back nearly two hundred small and large warhorses, hoping Jeanne would form a Holy Gun Cavalry Corps.
In Horn's hometown, new cavalry types like pistol cavalry or firearm cavalry emerged soon after the invention of firearms.
In the East, the Guanning Iron Cavalry uses three-barrel guns; in the West, the German Mercenary Black Knights use wheellock pistols.
However, the semi-rotary tactics of pistol cavalry were much criticized because, in semi-rotary tactics, cavalry often turn their backward moves into apparent retreats, and the rotary gaps easily expose them to counterattacks by infantry.
So later on, those cuirassier cavalry using pistols adopted tactics of firing two shots at the formation front before brandishing cavalry sabers to charge into enemy formations.
Based on the battle examples observed in this world, in Horn's personal view, the failure of semi-rotary tactics is due to a misunderstanding of firearm tactics, treating firearm cavalry as projection cavalry.
Based on tactical functions, cavalry and infantry can be classified into two uses: charge and projection.
Simply put, charge involves close combat infiltration into enemy formations, playing a role in assault and breaking formations, while projection involves long-range attacks with arrows or javelins, serving to harass and lure the enemy.
The Mongolian strategy of Mangu Tactic involves projection cavalry luring the enemy, charge cavalry breaking formations, and projection cavalry pursuing and luring further, followed by charge cavalry once more breaking formations, and so on, with infantry cleaning up the battlefield afterward.
Although firearms or spring-loaded guns appear to be projection weapons, they are essentially charge weapons.
In Horn's eyes, the spring-loaded gun isn't a bow and arrow, but a fifty-meter or near hundred-meter telescopic lance.
For cavalry, due to the bumps in mounted combat, it's like a lance of about twenty meters.
Whether it's infantry or cavalry wielding a spring-loaded gun, they play a charge role because the main function of the spring-loaded gun is still to break formations.
For those horsemen led by Jeanne, they are familiar with horseback riding but unfamiliar with cavalry techniques.
But that's okay; if tactics and techniques are lacking, they can be compensated with length. Can't they charge against infantry, let alone cavalry?
Each has two short guns, equivalent to two twenty-meter disposable lances.
Amongst the Empire Knights with extraordinary power, even the longest Imperial Hollow Lance is only nine and a half meters long.
Friends who've frequently engaged understand the pleasure of a long reach over a short one.
"Compile all these materials; will you write a cavalry manual?" Horn asked as he took time out to meet with Jeanne, looking at the messy notes in his hand.
"I can do it, but I need to learn a few more words first."
"Alright, then don't fall asleep during the literacy class next time."
Jeanne's cheeks flushed slightly as she snatched back the notebook. "You don't have to say it. I just chatted with Hilov a bit longer that day and went to bed late, so I was tired."
In just a few days, Jeanne and Hilov were already sleeping in the same bed; how a top student and a student athlete got together so harmoniously remains a mystery.
After arranging Jeanne's matters, Horn took a nap before heading towards the Saint Father's Association's outpost per prior agreement.
Although referred to as an outpost, it's actually just a Doms Courtyard, a base Horn specially allocated for the Saint Father's Association.
Turning a corner from the semicircular theater, after these days of rest, though the roads remain pockmarked, the garbage, boulders, and weeds are gone.
This site, silent for centuries, has once again welcomed the presence of humanity. Looking ahead along the avenue, everywhere people were building houses and cleaning up debris.
Young children were either helping their parents carry building materials and stones or running wildly through the streets, occasionally picking up some ancient El Empire utensils.
Horn decreed that everyone should build their own houses, so in the currently divided eighteen districts, they are basically being constructed by those respective eighteen groups of hundreds.
However, after the first three districts were barely repaired, the young and strong from the Pope Country whom Horn wouldn't let idle continued to help build houses for the newcomers.
Thus, the construction speed of the Autumn Dusk Island town would increase rapidly. There's still more than half a month before the snow, it should be timely.
However, looking at the chaotic children running everywhere, Horn rubbed his chin.
Should they be gathered together to form a preschool class? After all, those registrars have nothing to do after registering the population, and can't let them waste their wages.
Contemplating the preschool class, Horn stepped into the small courtyard of the Saint Father Order.
The small courtyard was not large, with visible signs of cleaning on the walls and ground. In the center of the courtyard sat about thirty people, who stood up awkwardly to greet Horn upon his arrival.
"Sit down, sit down, all of you sit down." Horn motioned for them to sit while smiling, then walked towards a velvet-cushioned chair prepared especially for him.
But Horn didn't sit in the velvet-cushioned chair; instead, he pulled over a hard wooden stool from the side and sat on it.
The members of the Saint Father Order present felt both excited and revered, for in the collapse of faith, the Thousand River Valley hero before them was the savior filling their spiritual world.
They had witnessed firsthand this Pope himself, carrying the Holy Gun, defeating knights.
Horn glanced around the room at the monks of the Saint Father Order, quite a few were from the lower levels of the Church or monastery monks.
They were also people of the Thousand River Valley, but as low-level intellectuals, they suffered from the oppression of the upper nobility as well.
"Papa, did you come here to accept our allegiance?" Thirty-year-old Thomas eagerly asked Horn, who was eighteen.
The Saint Father Order had been devoted to developing members and maintaining order among them, uniting the citizens of the Pope Country from a moral standpoint to confront external threats.
However, to a certain extent, what they were doing seemed like a secret society, and historically, secret societies have always been targets of official suppression.
They believed they were doing good, but having to operate clandestinely felt very uncomfortable.
If the Saint Father Order became an official organization, that would be ideal.
"No." Horn briefly scanned the room's occupants, addressing their bemused and astonished expressions, and said aloud, "You should pledge allegiance to the truth as I do, not to me.
If you represent the truth, I will naturally join you; if you do not represent the truth, then I will abolish you!"