CHAPTER 339: CHAPTER 237 VEHICLE FORT

The performance of the Wanjin Army engineers was so outstanding that Hosokawa Shigekatsu, a man of both intelligence and courage, became extremely interested, and observed the Wanjin Army cautiously all the way.

Looking at the Wanjin Army’s soldiers, he felt all of them were vaguely sturdier by a circle and taller by half a head compared to the Lang Faction maintained by ordinary daimyo nobles—their physiques far surpassed those ashigaru levied from the masses. Were these all carefully selected? Or were the commoners on the Chita Peninsula just naturally stronger?

He couldn’t say, couldn’t guess the reason, but just judging by the Wanjin Army’s average physique, he knew these people weren’t to be trifled with. Their individual combat abilities couldn’t possibly be poor.

This physical gap shouldn’t be underestimated. In an ordinary fight, just having more strength is enough to secure victory. All the more so on a battlefield, when packed together, with no room to maneuver—most of the time, the strong survive, the weak die.

The Wanjin Army’s weapons and equipment were also excellent: all wore black-lacquered, moisture-resistant, thick-laced armor (doumaru), with broad-brimmed Momonari-style iron helmets and thin iron cheek guards. Though not wrapped head to toe like contemporary full armor, making every man look like a lump of iron, all vital areas were nonetheless sufficiently protected, without sacrificing flexibility—thus battlefield mobility was assured.

Judging by just the armor, Harano really was a wealthy man. To equip a single soldier this completely would cost at least fifty or sixty kan, not counting the uniform, shoes, leg wraps, long spears, iron cannons, canteens, rice boxes, rain cloaks, and so on.

If all that was included, a single soldier would average a hundred or two hundred kan at least. An ordinary low-ranking samurai would own the same; at most, he might have a few more bows and arrows or blunt anti-armor weapons—not much stronger.

Hosokawa Shigekatsu watched for a while and felt there was nothing to criticize about the Wanjin Army’s equipment—they had definitely spent a fortune. And as for their spirit...

The Wanjin Army’s morale was extremely high. They marched to battle without a hint of fear, and their discipline was flawless. Marching meant marching—ranks neat, every soldier looking straight ahead, no chattering, no looking around. The long spears on their shoulders rose and fell in unison like waves, as if the only thought in these soldiers’ minds right now was "advance, advance, and advance" with nothing else intruding.

Hosokawa Shigekatsu couldn’t help but turn and glance at his own subordinates—their formation was ragged and uneven; though no one was making a racket, many still chatted quietly. There was a feeling like a flock of sheep heading home after grazing.

It’s not about not recognizing good goods, but fearing comparison. He’d never thought there was a problem before, but now, looking again—there really was a difference. Even though his 500-odd men included quite a few seasoned bandits, men with blood on their hands, absolutely willing to fight and kill, still, they lost out by a fair margin.

So, this is what it feels like to face an elite army?

The more Hosokawa Shigekatsu watched, the more he felt he’d lived in vain up to now, like a frog at the bottom of a well suddenly plucked out by a big bird and forced to see the world.

This feeling even left him a bit discouraged; his ambition to make a name for himself had faded somewhat.

If the armies outside the Kawamata region were all of this caliber, he might as well stay holed up in Honezuka Village, making a living from shipping—otherwise, venturing out would just mean dying for nothing.

But soon he shook his head, temporarily casting aside such thoughts. At least over in Minoh, things were different—their armies and his Kawamata Group weren’t so far apart. At most, they had more or better armor, but not enough to make them unbeatable.

It seemed the Wanjin Army was particularly special.

He grew all the more curious about the Wanjin Army. On closer inspection, he found himself now surrounded by a large formation of iron gunners. These iron gunners had even more simplified protective gear—their doumaru only had chest armor, but the craftsmanship was still excellent. Their marching rank was equally orderly. Unique was that each company of iron gunners moved with a large number of horses and wagons in tow.

The horses were all fine, mainly sturdy and young draft horses. Despite some differences in color, their teeth looked almost identical—matching the impression he’d just formed of Wanjin: everything neat and standardized, everyone the same, as if someone deliberately demanded it and drilled it endlessly, resulting in a strange and eerie uniformity.

These draft horses pulled very peculiar wagons—modeled after ancient war wagons, super heavy, with extra-thick wheels and sides. The carriage was also fitted with lots of iron-plated boards with holes that could be raised upright.

Some of these wagons were extremely long and carried something inside, covered with oiled paulownia-cloth tarps; without uncovering, you couldn’t tell what it was.

As transport vehicles, these wagons were overly heavy, loaded with too many useless things. But if they weren’t for transport, why did the Wanjin Army bring them along?

For charging the enemy lines?

Japan’s history had always been rather insular, with over 80% of the land covered by mountains and rivers—flats were rare and fragmented. There had never been war wagons rampaging across battlefields. Hosokawa Shigekatsu studied these "Wanjin war wagons" for a long time but couldn’t figure out what they were for. He could only speculate they were a kind of war chariot.

Harano was also leading Akiyo and several officers to observe these "vehicle forts."

This contraption was a new product, the result of the Wanjin Navy repaying the Wanjin Army. Or, put another way, it was a dividend to the Wanjin Army earned by sending iron gunners out on "commerce expeditions."

The main manifestation: draft horses.

The Chita Peninsula didn’t produce horses; Owari lacked horse farms as well. All were brought in by horse dealers—so even draught for production use was in short supply in Wanjin. It was impossible to outfit the Wanjin Army with horses on a large scale, which meant the Wanjin Army was a force of pure infantry. Sometimes even Harano had to lend his own horse to messengers, much less assign horses solely for pulling wagons.