I want to be emperor

Chapter 198

In the rural protection army system, Zhang Malin is not only the commander of the First Artillery Brigade, but also the director of artillery.

As the director of artillery, Zhang Malin is responsible for guiding the development of all artillery units of the Township Protection Army. He can naturally speak for the development and finalization of new artillery.

After Zhang Malin noticed Luo Zhixue's eyes, he immediately stepped forward and said, "The five-pound cannon is fine. Although the total weight is more than twice that of the two-pound cannon, it can still be used."

"However, the total weight of the nine-jin cannon is more than 3000 catties. It will be more troublesome when marching. A gun crew may require more than ten horses for daily needs. When encountering difficult terrain or going up a mountain to mount a cannon If not, I’m afraid it will be more troublesome.”

"But as long as it's powerful enough, our artillery unit needs it too. At worst, add more horses, and send more people to push and maneuver during battle!"

"Anyway, whether it is a five-pound gun or a nine-pound gun, they are used as field support firepower for multiple brigades or more, and they don't need to run around on the battlefield like the two-pound gun. The slower the action, the slower it will be."

Hearing what Zhang Malin said, Ding Gangyi heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Don't worry, the power is definitely great!"

Luo Zhixue also nodded slightly after hearing Zhang Malin's words: "Yes, field guns weighing more than five catties are expected to be used as support artillery for divisions and brigades, and what they are after is longer range and greater power. As long as they can guarantee normal Marching ability, when you go to the battlefield, it will be more troublesome."

As Luo Zhixue, who personally proposed the development of the five-pound cannon and the nine-pound cannon, he knew better than Zhang Malin the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of artillery, and how to use the power of these field artillery on the battlefield.

According to Luo Zhixue's strategic plan for the artillery unit of the Baoxiang Army, light artillery such as the two-jin long cannon will be directly distributed to the brigades in the future.

In peacetime, it is under the jurisdiction of the brigade-level artillery post, and in wartime it is directly delegated to the infantry battalion to support the infantry battalion in a timely and nearby manner, serving as an infantry direct support firepower.

This also means that the two-pound long cannon will be fully used to replace the existing two-hundred-pound short-barreled cannon.

In the future, the larger-level organization, that is, the support artillery at the division and army levels, will be composed of five-pound artillery and nine-pound artillery, and will undertake the support firepower of the entire battlefield, and at the same time act as long-range suppression artillery. Launched shelling on the enemy even kilometers away.

Under such circumstances, there is actually no need for the five-pound artillery and the nine-pound artillery to have the same mobility as the two-pound artillery, which is unrealistic.

After looking at these field guns, Ding Gangyi showed Luo Zhixue another new type of artillery that was still under design and had only molds.

That is, the large short-barreled siege artillery required by Luo Zhixue. This thing is nothing to look at, it is short and thick, just one cannon.

This newly designed mortar is expected to fire an [-]-jin matchlock grenade.

This matchlock grenade is actually very simple, with no technical content.

It is a hollow prefabricated fragmented round iron shell, which contains gunpowder and some iron beads, and then leaves a small opening at the top to install the matchlock.

This thing is especially dangerous when it is launched, because the fuse of the shell must be ignited in advance. If this is not done properly, for example, if the fuse of the shell is lit early, it will explode on the spot every minute for you to see...

It is precisely because the firing method of this thing is troublesome and dangerous, so it can only be fired by ultra-short-barreled mortars, and long-barreled field guns cannot fire this thing.

But even though it looks very stupid and simple, and it is also very dangerous when used in actual combat, Luo Zhixue still instructed Xiangyang Arsenal to speed up trial production and mass production as soon as possible. Door.

Today's Rural Protection Army urgently needs a kind of artillery for siege to strengthen the Rural Protection Army's attacking ability.

Otherwise, if you go back south, you might not even be able to defeat Yicheng... let alone a big city like Wuchang.

For the time being, compared with the new type of field artillery, Luo Zhixue should pay more attention to the mortars with little technical content, and set the number on the spot: [-] catties mortars.

It's just that time is running out, and I don't know if I can equip this kind of eighteen or nineteen mortars before going south.

After Luo Zhixue saw the situation of the artillery factory, he went to several core sub-factories such as the gun factory, armor factory, sword factory, spear factory, and ammunition factory to inspect.

The situation in these factories is relatively simple. The weapons and equipment produced are fixed, and there are basically no innovations and breakthroughs, even in the gun factories.

The [-]mm matchlock gun used by the Baoxiang Army was developed from the bird gun of the Ming Army, and Luo Zhixue made many targeted improvements.

Up to now, basically everything that should be there is available, and the follow-up so-called improvements are more of small troubles.

If you want to continue to make substantial improvements, then you can only improve in terms of raw materials and processing techniques, and the time required for this will be exhausted, and there will be no results in a short period of time.

Now some of the senior technicians at the Baoxiang Army Gun Factory have been transferred to study flintlock guns.

It's just that there is no sample gun for reference, so it is still difficult to make it. This is not to say that the principle is unknown.

The principle is still very simple, even Ding Gangyi can give a general idea.

However, it is not easy to manufacture flintlock guns that can meet Luo Zhixue's requirements and be used in large-scale equipment.

For example, there is a very important part in the bolt action of the flintlock, and it is considered a relatively high-tech component for the craftsmen of the current rural protection army: the spring!
It is not easy to make a spring that meets the conditions of use of the flintlock.

It is not easy to come up with a spring that can maintain its elasticity after repeated use for a long time, and can also be mass-produced.

Luo Zhixue didn't expect these craftsmen to make it within a few days, he didn't even expect it to be done within a few months, but as long as it goes on, it can be done slowly.

Now, let's start first!

The other few factories are even less interesting. The spear factory, knife factory, and armor factory are all focused on mass production, as for improvement or not.

There is nothing to change the spear and knife. The current waist knife and [-] meter spear are quite easy to use.

As for better quality steel knives and the like, the amount of equipment for these things is actually very small. As long as the heavy armored knives, shield soldiers and cavalry need this stuff, the sabers used by ordinary soldiers are all ordinary steel blades. Knife.

This kind of knife has mature technology, simple process and low cost, so it is the first choice for large-scale equipment.

The same is true for armor. Luo Zhixue was interested in some plate armor earlier, but now he has no interest in plate armor. With such a small amount of steel output, how can it be used to manufacture plate armor on a large scale.

The cost is too high and the output is too low to be worthwhile.

Now the armor of the Xiangbao Army uses the same cloth face armor as the Ming Army and Dongyao, but in the cloth face armor, it also distinguishes full-body heavy armor, ordinary armor, and half-body light armor.

Continuing to use this thing is definitely not because of the good performance of the cloth mask!
It is purely more cost-effective, and can achieve barely adequate protection in a relatively low price range.

Moreover, the technology is simple, the process is simple, and mass production is easy.

You see, in the main force of the Rural Protectorate Army, even the musketeers are armed with half-body light armor, so you can know how easy it is for the Rural Protectorate Army to produce this thing...

If steel plate armor is popularized in the entire army, then Luo Zhixue has to win Daye first, and then build a super large-scale steel factory...

After finishing his inspection of the Xiangyang Arsenal, Luo Zhixue stopped by in the afternoon to inspect the Xiangyang Machinery Factory next door to the Xiangyang Arsenal.

Although there is also a machinery factory in the Xiangyang Arsenal, the machinery factories in the Xiangyang Armory are all engaged in small machinery and repairs, specially supporting the production of weapons within the Arsenal.

The Xiangyang Machinery Factory mainly manufactures medium and large machinery, such as those large hydraulic machinery and ironmaking equipment.

After all the inspections were over, Luo Zhixue returned to the General's Mansion in the city in the evening.

After a busy day, when he returned to the backyard to freshen up, the maid serving him in the shower was Hou Yunmeng.

The only difference from before was that this time Luo Zhixue didn't start his hands in the middle of washing, but went out to eat after washing.

This made Hou Yunmeng a little apprehensive, thinking that he had done something wrong.

But Luo Zhixue felt relieved when he called her in again at night.

In fact, Luo Zhixue had a good feeling for Hou Yunmeng, otherwise he wouldn't have let her stay by his side all the time.

In the past two days, Wang Qiaoer, who talked a lot and thought a lot, didn't stay in the inner courtyard much anymore.

After the matter was over, Luo Zhixue, who was lying down, thought that at that time, she would be more or less named, but how to arrange it will be discussed later.

Now, he won't even give her the title of concubine.

Strictly speaking, Luo Zhixue was still a single dog, and he took a concubine before he married a wife. A fatuous and lustful evaluation probably won't get away.

Therefore, we still have to wait until he formally marries his wife to discuss the affairs of the harem.

As for what title Hou Yunmeng will be given in the future, let his wife, future concubine, and empress have a headache.

After all, the status and treatment given to Luo Zhixue's other women are the rights of his future wife, and Luo Zhixue does not intend to interfere.

The man is outside, the woman is inside!

The division of labor is clear.

Early the next morning, Luo Zhixue was as busy as ever. After a brief morning meeting with ministers to deal with government affairs, Luo Zhixue went out again with a group of guards and generals.

He is still inspecting today!
But unlike inspecting the factory yesterday, what he was going to inspect today was the [-]th Infantry Brigade.

After the Battle of Xiangyang, Luo Zhixue officially finalized the establishment of two main infantry brigades, the Seventh Infantry Brigade and the Eighth Infantry Brigade. The Seventh Infantry Brigade was organized in Nanyang Prefecture, and the Eighth Infantry Brigade was organized in Xiangyang Prefecture.

The Seventh Infantry Brigade is now about to become an army, and the Eighth Infantry Brigade is a little slower, but not much slower.

But recruits destined for the brigade have completed basic recruit training, and junior officers below post are in place.

Under such circumstances, Luo Zhixue would naturally go to inspect one or two, and at the same time finalize the main officers of the Eighth Infantry Brigade, including the brigade commander, deputy brigade commander, and three battalion commanders, so that the subsequent Eighth Infantry Brigade can better Do adaptive training.

Luo Zhixue was also counting on the Seventh Infantry Brigade and the Eighth Infantry Brigade to serve as strategic reserves when he turned back to the south.

If the battle on the front line goes well, then let them defend the logistics line behind and suppress strategic places such as Nanyang City, while allowing them more time to continue training.

If the battle going south does not go well, then these two brigades will also go to the front line.

(End of this chapter)