Volume 1: The Rise of Elanhill Chapter 0040 Experiment
"Thump! thump!" In a secret valley, huge and continuous sounds startled countless birds flying in the forest.
A new type of automatic large-caliber artillery is undergoing intensive experiments. This 30mm caliber rapid-fire gun is a very simple anti-aircraft gun and is a very practical "anti-aircraft weapon".
In fact, this artillery also bears the heavy responsibility of ground defense for the future Irish Hill troops. Chris's idea is to use one weapon to meet the dual needs of the troops in air defense and ground defense.
The selection of caliber for the new weapon system went through a detailed discussion, and Chris even called Model back to hold a meeting.
At first, Wagron thought of using a modified version for ground combat, while developing a new anti-aircraft artillery to defend against possible targets in the sky.
However, this plan was later rejected because it would not only waste the production capacity of 75mm infantry guns, but also cause more logistical troubles. A simple calculation shows that this is equivalent to producing three different types of shells, which would make supply more complicated.
The next plan was proposed by Chris. He thought that the 88mm caliber cannon could solve both the air and ground problems. However, Des thought that this large-caliber cannon had a too slow firing rate and was not suitable for attacking a flexible dragon, so he was forced to give up.
Chris also felt that before the radio proximity fuze was developed, the effectiveness of large-caliber anti-aircraft artillery was too low - and the range advantage of large-caliber anti-aircraft artillery could not be reflected on the battlefield, which made the very useful 88mm caliber cannon useless.
After all, it would be a waste for an 88mm cannon with a firing height of 10,000 meters to fight a giant dragon that only flies at a height of a few thousand meters. Medium-caliber or small-caliber anti-aircraft guns seem to be more suitable.
So, another serious question was put on the table: What if a small-caliber machine gun is not powerful enough? After all, facing a giant dragon with scales and armor, Chris felt unsafe to use large-caliber machine guns and other weapons for air defense.
Therefore, the 12.7mm caliber heavy machine gun air defense plan was soon overturned. Des also believed that relying on such air defense weapons would not be able to stop both the Warcraft cavalry on the ground and the giant dragon in the sky.
Then, the choice of weapons began to focus on small and medium caliber anti-aircraft guns. Chris proposed many plans, and everyone had their own preferred plans.
For example, General Wilkes and General Model, who emphasized the mobility of troops, supported 20mm anti-aircraft guns because this caliber of anti-aircraft guns was the lightest, could be easily maneuvered with the troops, and was easy to deploy.
However, this caliber also has some shortcomings, which is the problem that Chris and Des have always been worried about, that it cannot pose a lethal threat to the dragon.
On the other hand, Wagron, Kolya and others supported the use of the 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun. They believed that this weapon had a very good destructive effect and a fast firing rate, and could be used as a multi-purpose weapon to equip the troops.
However, the Bofors anti-aircraft gun also has its own disadvantages, that is, its mobility is not very good. Generally speaking, this kind of weapon is towed by a tractor and cannot be put into battle immediately.
In addition, most of the barrels of the Bofors anti-aircraft guns are water-cooled, so that they can maintain continuous combat capability - the navy doesn't care, as the weight doesn't matter anyway, but the army really can't stand it, so they can only give up with pain.
Therefore, after careful selection, the 30mm caliber became a choice that everyone could tolerate. On the one hand, this caliber can be used as a reference for aircraft guns, and on the other hand, the rate of fire and weight are good, which can meet combat needs.
After the weapons were selected, the arsenal began to work overtime to start trial production. It was still the familiar taste and the familiar formula: Chris took the lead and led a group of craftsmen to make a trial model of the dual-purpose weapon in front of them by pure handwork.
This is a very interesting weapon: it uses a magazine feeding system, which can reach a theoretical rate of fire of more than 200 rounds per minute. It is also equipped with a steel plate shield for use as a flat-fire turret.
The entire 30mm caliber rapid-fire gun was mounted on a carriage with eight small-diameter wheels to provide a stable shooting environment and effectively reduce the height. The eight wheels of the carriage were all attached with iron on the sides to increase the load-bearing and support strength.
If necessary, the rapid-fire cannon itself can be removed from the carriage and reinforced to the ground as a firepower support point, or it can be directly produced and deployed in castles and important locations to serve as defensive artillery positions.
In short, this is a very versatile weapon. Chris knows that once this weapon starts mass production, he may have to use it for three years or even longer. Unfortunately, this relatively advanced rapid-fire gun cannot be equipped with rubber tires.
"There's not enough synthetic rubber..." Looking at those creepy old solid wooden wheels, Chris felt his aesthetic sense was breaking down. A 30mm rapid-fire cannon from World War II, plus a medieval carriage, was a combination that was hard to describe.
There was no way. His principality now only had territory in the north and was unable to grow any rubber. Even if he wanted to import a large amount of natural rubber, the Alante Empire, which already had a tense relationship with Elanhill, would probably not be willing to meet Elanhill's import needs.
Chris couldn't feel good at all when he thought about how he would be dragged down by rubber for quite a long time. Even though what he had in front of him might be the most powerful war machine of this era...
"If it doesn't work, we can start with the Higgs Kingdom... let them help us buy rubber from the Dosen Empire. I don't think Alante will interfere, right?" General Burjos suggested.
"We are already doing that." Chris smiled bitterly, shook his head and said, "But there is not much natural rubber... and the price is ridiculously high. Now the surrounding countries are almost reaching a tacit understanding that the price of anything we want to buy will skyrocket."
"The price increase is not so bad... The problem is that I can't even buy it with my gold coins..." Des shrugged and said helplessly, "The things we need are becoming more and more diverse, and the number of merchants who can supply us is decreasing."
With a sigh of regret, Modler exclaimed: "This weapon is really good. If two cannons are put together, the firing rate can be doubled!"
"Forget about the twin-mounted guns." Looking at the experimental artillery that was firing, Chris said to the generals around him, "Although I also want to increase the density of firepower, the load and recoil of the carriage must be considered..."
"Production capacity is also a problem! We can't produce so many 30mm caliber anti-aircraft guns in a short time..." Smith also shook his head and explained: "So, the design is one gun per vehicle."
For the factory, there is actually no production pressure for horse-drawn carriages that are not difficult to produce. What determines the number of anti-aircraft guns is the production quantity of the anti-aircraft guns themselves.
"Moreover, when this thing was designed, battle damage was taken into consideration..." Glancing at General Wageron and the others, Chris said helplessly, "This weapon could potentially become a powerful weapon for slaying dragons, so it will naturally be targeted by dragon knights... Dragon's breath is no joke."
"Once attacked by a dragon, these anti-aircraft guns and their shooters will be lost. So only by dispersing them can we achieve the greatest results." Chris said with an expression of reluctance.
Each of these anti-aircraft gunners will fight at risk in the future. They will become the dragon's priority targets and may sacrifice their lives at any time. Only after they are all eliminated will the infantry lose their barrier, and only after all these anti-aircraft guns are silenced can the dragon knights obtain a more ideal attack environment.
"Also, there are not enough artillery shells! We are under a lot of pressure to produce bullets . The arsenal has begun to expand, and we are adding four more at once, all for the production of ammunition." Smith felt a little annoyed when he mentioned this.
Modern wars are fought with real money. Those shells and bullets are produced in large quantities and used up in one battle. The poor can't afford it. Seeing the emergence of automatic weapons, Smith knew that the consumption of ammunition in the future might be even higher.
What he couldn't imagine was that in another distant world, in the 21st century, the US military needed to fire 250,000 bullets to kill one enemy... What kind of concept is this? The concept is that the ammunition provided by a 10,000-ton cargo ship fully loaded with bullets is only enough to kill 800 enemies...
Of course, the current Ailan Hill is far from being so extravagant. They are even short of anti-aircraft guns. However, it is precisely this anti-aircraft gun in front of them that is firing and testing various performances that provides a possibility for mortals for the first time, a possibility of facing the dragon directly.
"That's right. If we use twin-mounted rifles, the ammunition consumption will double, and we don't have that much ammunition." General Wagron, who was well aware of the shortage of ammunition, nodded in agreement with Smith.
However, he immediately warned the other party: "However, Minister Smith... your production capacity should indeed be improved. We are now forming more troops..."
"Don't worry! By this time next year, the scale of our arsenal will be at least ten times what it is now!" Minister Smith of the Ministry of Industry replied confidently.
