Chapter 346: A Soldier's Life is Precious
"For the Prince!"
A soldier, a graduate from the first class of the Paris Police Academy with the rank of sergeant, looked at Joseph and saluted, loudly responding as if the Prince was conducting a routine inspection at the academy.
"For the Prince!"
"For His Majesty the King!"
"For glory and for France!"
The other wounded soldiers immediately joined in, ignoring their pain, and began shouting as well, their voices echoing throughout the field hospital.
In their minds, with the medical conditions of the time, being wounded almost certainly meant death. They expected to die from infection, likely succumbing to a fever within one to two weeks.
Though Doctor Perna had repeatedly assured them that only two out of ten might die from infection, the soldiers assumed she was merely trying to comfort them. Thus, they saw this visit from the Prince as possibly their last chance to see him alive, and they bravely bid him farewell.
Of course, some younger soldiers lay curled up in their beds, despondent, but they clenched their teeth and refrained from voicing any complaints. In the Guard Corps, the pursuit of honor had become a common practice, so much so that they were unwilling to show any sign of weakness.
Following Joseph was a staff officer who began reading aloud the list of those who had been honored and decorated, which instantly sparked another wave of cheers. It was as if death didn't mean much to these young men.
The Luxembourgers helping nearby couldn't help but glance over, baffled as to why these soldiers on the brink of death seemed so "crazy."
Each time Joseph entered a new tent or farmhouse, the same scene would unfold. Over half of the wounded were students from the Paris Police Academy, faces he often saw at the school, some even whose names he could recall. But seeing them now, with blood-soaked bandages where their limbs had been, filled him with a deep sorrow.
In reality, these soldiers had already undergone initial treatment. Just yesterday, many had been screaming in agony from amputations, with their blood-stained uniforms scattered everywhere—a far more harrowing sight than the one he faced today.
These unremarkable young men had poured out their blood and sacrificed their youth to uphold the prosperity and stability of France. And now, they were destined to spend the rest of their lives disabled.
After leaving the last tent, Joseph turned to his Chief of Staff, Berthier, and quietly instructed, "Increase the compensation for the wounded by 20%. Whenever possible, try to find positions for the injured soldiers within government departments. And also raise the level of support provided to the families of the fallen soldiers. Let it be known that making sacrifices for France is worth it; France will not forget them!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" Berthier nodded, noting it down without mentioning the strain on the military budget.
As Joseph left the field hospital, he was deep in thought. If he could find a way to create bulletproof vests like the ones used in modern times, he could significantly reduce the number of casualties among his soldiers.
In fact, even in this era, there were primitive forms of bulletproof vests—breastplates. However, these were made entirely of iron, and with the increasing power of flintlock guns, the breastplate had to be at least 2mm thick to offer any protection.
The problem with this was weight. A proper breastplate weighed between 20 to 25 pounds. While this might not sound overwhelming, it was extra weight on top of the firearms and gear soldiers already carried, making it nearly impossible for even the fittest soldiers to wear it for more than half a day.
Then there was the cost. A basic breastplate cost over 120 livres, and higher-quality ones could cost much more. This meant that only some cavalry, who were already heavily equipped and for whom the extra weight was borne by their horses, would opt to use breastplates. These were the famous cuirassiers. As for infantry, very few would wear a breastplate, and mostly as a psychological deterrent to the enemy.
So, could he improve the breastplate with modern technology?
Joseph quickly shook his head. Techniques like alloy smelting or Kevlar fiber were far beyond the capabilities of this era. And just using steel would not significantly reduce the weight.
Still pondering as he returned to his temporary office, Joseph considered whether improving medical care might be more practical. But then, glancing out of the window, he noticed the gray, blocky uniform of a Luxembourg soldier—a police officer maintaining order. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Of course! Why was I stuck in a mental block?"
Who said armor was the only way to stop bullets?
Joseph remembered that in the future, there were statistics showing that injuries to the torso accounted for 70% of all soldier casualties. In other words, simply protecting the torso could prevent most deaths. This was why breastplates had remained popular.
Joseph also knew of a much simpler piece of equipment that could protect the torso—bulletproof inserts.
In the future, platforms like eBay would sell millions of these life-saving items to soldiers worldwide, and they proved highly effective in battlefields from Africa to Eastern Europe.
Bulletproof inserts were roughly the size of a tablet and were designed to be placed inside a soldier's uniform, in pockets over the chest or abdomen. They were lightweight, effective at stopping bullets, and could be positioned only at the front of the body if needed. This could keep the total weight under 10 pounds.
Joseph recalled the structure of these inserts: a layer of metal, a layer of Kevlar, a layer of ceramic, and another layer of Kevlar, all bonded together. The manufacturing process was straightforward.
Of course, there was no Kevlar in this era, but silk could be used as a substitute. Historically, officers had worn multilayered silk garments to protect against arrows because of silk's excellent toughness.
While silk wasn't as strong as Kevlar, it only needed to stop lead bullets fired from black powder muskets, so it should be sufficient.
As for the special ceramics used in modern inserts, those couldn't be produced yet, but ordinary hard ceramics might do the trick. Again, the limited power of contemporary firearms made this feasible.
The only concern was the adhesive. Joseph wasn't certain about this part and figured he would need to ask Lavoisier for help.
If successful, this "youth version" of the bulletproof insert could be produced for under 5 livres each. Outfitting a soldier with five inserts would only cost 25 livres—a price well worth it.
Eager to move forward, Joseph hurried back to his office, quickly jotting down his ideas for the new equipment. He was about to write a letter to Lavoisier when Aymon knocked and entered. Bowing slightly, he said, "Your Highness, General Leo wishes to see you."
Leo? Joseph smiled. The commander had finally come around. He nodded and replied, "Let him in."
(End of Chapter)
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