afterglow

Chapter 669: Go or Stay; Attack Options
"That makes sense, that makes sense. It becomes much more intuitive with a reference," Qian Yuankai agreed.

"Let me think about it. The energy fully released by one kilogram of TNT seems to be more than four megajoules." Zhou Changfeng said uncertainly.

Due to urgent practical needs, people began the process of weaponizing nuclear fission without a clear understanding, so there are naturally many ambiguities.

The report submitted to the Emperor by the Special Crop Research and Development Commission claimed that the nuclear bomb would release approximately 3000 million megajoules of energy, equivalent to 0.75 tons of TNT.

Of course, this is just a vague estimate, and no one can say for sure how powerful it will be.

Members of the Jinwu Project team also have different opinions - conservative people think that it is only equivalent to the power of several thousand tons of TNT; optimistic people believe that the utilization rate will not be that low and should be able to reach tens of thousands of tons.

A large group of physicists and mathematicians are enthusiastically betting on who can make a more accurate estimate. The current biggest bet is 10,000 tons of TNT equivalent.

Zhu Lingjing nodded slightly and said calmly: "Just take the median figure. Even if it is calculated in tons, it is still quite considerable. The Halifax explosion basically razed the entire city to the ground."

"And the energy of the explosion was not released all at once," Zhou Changfeng added.

There was indeed a big bang in history as a reference case, and it happened not long ago.

During the European War, a terrible disaster occurred in the eastern Canadian port city of Halifax - the French freighter Montblanc, which was fully loaded with munitions, collided and caught fire and exploded.

What was loaded on that ship was not ordinary cargo, but something that sounded scary - 2300 tons of picric acid, 2000 tons of TNT, 35 tons of benzene, and 10 tons of smokeless gunpowder.

In an instant, many explosives were blown away before they had time to react, so only more than half of the energy was actually released - less than three thousand tons of TNT equivalent, equivalent to one-fifth of a little boy.

The explosion caused about two thousand people to be killed or missing, more than nine thousand people to be injured, hundreds of people to be blinded, more than three thousand houses to be destroyed, and more than twenty thousand people to be homeless.

This is the damage effect case that everyone can refer to.

Physicist Zhao Zhansheng was mainly responsible for the structural design. He couldn't help but ask: "How should such a powerful bomb be used? To attack the enemy's troops?"

Zhou Changfeng glanced at Zhu Lingjing who was sitting on a chair enjoying her meal, and then replied ambiguously: "It would probably be more appropriate to attack assembly points or key transportation hubs."

"Britain and the United States bombed enemy cities recklessly. If nuclear bombs are used in the same way in the future... It's too horrible. I really can't imagine it." Zhao Zhansheng said worriedly.

"It is to undermine the enemy's will to resist. In that case, it would be equivalent to having another weapon for indiscriminate massacre."

"Alas, this is truly a punishment from heaven. It has brought disaster to all living beings. It is truly an ominous weapon."

Zhou Changfeng had expected that several people would have such psychological burdens. He smiled slightly and said, "It may not be a bad thing. With such a huge threat, the world will be much more stable in the future, and it is unlikely that there will be another war between the great powers."

He glanced at Zhu Lingjing who remained silent, and then added: "Once both sides have mastered the energy between atomic nuclei, the wars for the interests of major powers, where the powerful and wealthy instigate the people to participate in the war, will be gone forever. They who are safely in the rear may also be killed. When their own safety is threatened, they will naturally have to make careful decisions."

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Zhansheng asked worriedly, "What about before that? It is estimated that other powers will master nuclear bombs much later than our country."

"It won't be abused." Zhou Changfeng waved his hand and said with a smile: "In other words, even if you want to use more, you can't. The total production is so small that you can't make more. It can't change the overall situation except to scare people."

"To be honest, I feel ashamed for turning the great power of nature into a weapon to kill people. I feel uneasy."

"Don't be so, sir. Just wait and see. This is undoubtedly a great achievement."

Qian Yuankai smiled bitterly and said, "When I was young, I really wanted fame and honor. Now... Alas, I just hope that the world will be peaceful and happy."

"There are many like-minded people like you." Zhou Changfeng changed the subject and joked, "Don't worry."

Zhu Lingjing, who had remained silent, said indifferently, "The court will carefully consider the matter, so don't worry too much."

Afterwards, several people discussed some technical and tactical indicators, as well as the general manufacturing plan.

After the three chief scientists left, Zhou Changfeng and Zhu Lingjing were the only ones left in the hall of the courtyard.

The latter said calmly: "Some things should be said in private, don't tell anyone."

Zhou Changfeng hesitated and said, "What happened just now is nothing, right? They can see through it."

"No, I'm just asking you to be more cautious." Zhu Lingjing's tone was somewhat helpless, "You pushed hard for the Golden Crow incident, but there are too many points of doubt."

"No way, Your Majesty." Zhou Changfeng was also helpless, "This thing must be done regardless of the cost, I have to get involved."

Similar to the situation faced by the Manhattan Project, the Golden Crow Project also has problems with the stance of scientific researchers.

More than half of the scientists are at least left-wing sympathizers, or have favorable feelings towards them, which causes great trouble for the highly confidential nuclear program.

If those with unsteady positions are eliminated, many outstanding talents will be excluded, and the complex nuclear program will inevitably not be carried out with maximum efficiency.

On the contrary, if strict screening is not carried out, there is definitely a possibility of confidential information being leaked.

Obviously Zhou Changfeng chose the second option without hesitation. No matter what, getting it first is the bottom line.

For this reason, he gave the green light to many scientific researchers who were suspected of being risky during investigation.

Zhu Lingjing realized that this was a huge hidden danger for Zhou personally, and that it might become a point of criticism, questioning, and incrimination in the future.

She tried to find someone else to take over similar special approval review powers, but found that it was not feasible at all, because Zhou Changfeng had been working hard to advance the progress since the day the Jinwu Project was launched.

Considering the great changes in the world situation after the war, she was worried that Zhou would end up with rumors and doubts flying around.

"What are your plans after the war?" Zhu Lingjing looked at him.

Zhou Changfeng didn't expect that the discussion about the nuclear plan would eventually evolve into what it is now, but he responded quickly.

He tentatively answered, "Uh... I want to spend time with my wife and children first."

Zhu Lingjing obviously didn't fall for this trick. She looked him up and down and whispered a few words, "Go, or stay?"

"I will obey your majesty's orders."

"I am the one asking the questions."

Zhou Changfeng knew that if he gave her another perfunctory answer, she would get angry, so he said in a deep voice: "I still want to stay in the army."

"What if I let you go home and be unemployed?"

The atmosphere at the scene inadvertently became a little tense. Zhu Lingjing sat on the chair without any other movements, just staring at Zhou Changfeng with an unchanged gaze.

The latter pretended to be indifferent and said: "Your Majesty would not do that."

"That's a confident statement." Zhu Lingjing smiled and leaned slightly to the side, resting her arm on the table, her hand on her cheek, and whispered softly, "But don't forget the saying - when the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden."

Zhou Changfeng responded sharply: "It's obviously not at that stage yet."

Zhu Lingjing smiled a few times and said leisurely: "Okay, let's not talk about this. Australia will be in trouble after the war, so you go." This was in line with expectations. Zhou Changfeng said bluntly: "I want to bring my family with me."

Zhu Lingjing, who looked calm, said reluctantly, "It's out of line, but it's not impossible."

After spending all these years together, she had a general understanding of Zhou's character and firmly believed that he would never give up his military power. Today, she was just confirming this through conversation.

False name and honor have no actual value. Whether it is a general or a duke, it is just a matter of a document and a set of clothes.

However, when it comes to actual power, it matters a lot.

What is also quite troublesome is that Zhou has a rather bad relationship with the imperial court and the Council of State Affairs, and his relationship with the nobles is also average.

The former doesn’t matter, but the latter is what Zhu Lingjing is worried about for him.

Most of the nobles have an ugly way of eating. They have made a lot of money since the war started, and recently they have been holding a banquet to divide up Australia's industries.

Compared with this group of guys, Zhou's moral integrity is so high that it is obvious that he can't really integrate into them, it's human nature.

Another problem is that his wife is not strong enough. If he were replaced by a smooth and cunning lady who can get along well with other noble ladies, the situation would be much better.

"It's not impossible?" Zhou Changfeng asked puzzledly: "What does this mean?"

"Besides, it's just a small favor to ask you when the time comes." Zhu Lingjing evaded the question in a mysterious way.

baffling!

It was quite rare for her to keep people in suspense like this. Zhou Changfeng was puzzled but didn't think too much about it.

It was noon now, and Zhu Lingjing planned to have dinner here. She also stopped Zhou who was about to leave.

So the two of them enjoyed a simple meal here.

Although they said it was a treat, the dishes themselves were not that delicious. It was just that the progress report on the near-successful nuclear program put them in a good mood.

Zhu Lingjing, who never drinks, also asked someone to bring her some wine and decided to have a few drinks to relax.

"Assuming the worst-case scenario, assuming the US nuclear program is in line with ours but is hindered by attacks, it will probably be delayed by two months, at the very least," she said.

Zhou Changfeng pondered and said, "In fact, it may be half a year later. That's what I think."

"In these days, we can make at least three bombs, and at most... five."

"Your Majesty, we also have to consider the first test, so we have to reduce one."

Zhu Lingjing took a sip of the soft, slightly astringent wine and said, "Canberra is the first choice, but we need to discuss other options carefully."

Zhou Changfeng picked up the chopsticks and looked for a target. "Canberra is indeed the first choice, and Panama is also suitable, but the risk is too high."

Although the atomic bomb was a groundbreaking and subversive product, the power of early atomic bombs was at a rather embarrassing level.

Although it is said that its power is small, it is not small either - it has a very good destructive effect on densely populated cities, and can easily kill or injure more than 100,000 people.

It's not that powerful - its killing radius for exposed personnel is less than two kilometers, and its killing radius for people hiding in field fortifications is only more than four hundred meters.

【Picture】

Operation Crossroads also showed that the early atomic bomb with a yield of 20,000 tons had a general killing effect on the fleet. Moreover, whether it was the Able or Baker nuclear test, the arrangement of the tested warships was quite dense, and such ideal conditions were unlikely to exist in actual combat.

The fact that early atomic bombs were too heavy was also a big problem. The mass of four or five tons meant that only heavy bombers could carry them, which greatly limited their practical applications.

Zhou Changfeng and the top naval officers of the Ming Dynasty both believed that a nuclear attack on the Panama Canal locks was a good strategic option, which would greatly hinder the strategic deployment of the US fleet.

But then a problem arises - this is too far away, and the only way is to send submarines carrying atomic bombs to carry out a surprise attack.

Putting aside the high probability of never returning, the biggest risk is that the submarine has a high risk of being sunk by the US military midway. Now the anti-submarine capabilities of both sides are much stronger than at the beginning of the war.

No one dared to take risks with the limited number of atomic bombs, so Australia was unanimously recognized as the first choice target.

First, it is within the combat radius of its own heavy bombers.

Second, it has basically lost air superiority, and the risk of its own bombers being shot down is low.

Third, it does not have the potential for retaliation.

Time passed slowly like the sand in an hourglass, and the last day of the second year of Jinghe passed.

A new year marks a new beginning. New Year's Day should have been a holiday, but the war is not over yet and no one can slack off.

After eating a big bowl of steaming wontons in the morning, Zhou Changfeng drove to the General Staff Office of the Grand Marshal's Office to listen to the report. At this moment, the sky was still gray.

When he entered the building, the lieutenant on duty saluted and said happily, "That's great. Commander Zhou looks so good. He must have recovered, right?"

"I'm fully recovered. I'm doing very well!"

Because it was still too early, the indoor heating equipment had just started up, and the duty room and meeting room were chilly.

A quarter of an hour later, the officers arrived one after another.

The better news is that the Maui troops are still holding their defenses firmly, and the four large-scale and eleven small-scale offensives launched by the U.S. military and its vassal forces have so far failed to make much progress.

In addition, the main force of the First Landing Army has been withdrawn piecemeal, and most of the heavy weapons have been left behind on Maui. Fortunately, Oahu has sufficient reserves of weapons and equipment, and only a small amount of technical equipment cannot be replenished immediately.

"The combination of the new aircraft and the new radar has an outstanding effect. Although the Type 2 fighter jet is not very attractive in appearance, its actual performance is quite good. The frontline officers and soldiers have given it high praise. A newcomer has already captured three enemy aircraft. He is a good candidate."

A lieutenant colonel from the Air Force Department highly praised the Type 2 fighter for its contribution in solving urgent problems.

"I've heard reports about that aircraft. It essentially focuses on strengthening a certain aspect of performance, like climbing? It's an emergency item that takes an unconventional approach after all." Zhou Changfeng then asked, "Can the thing you're pinning your hopes on actually work?"

"Reporting to the deputy, the company issued a military order last month saying that it would definitely work. They have already built dozens of aircraft and are waiting for the engine to be delivered."

"Why is the engine delayed?"

"There was a technical problem. The (turbo) charger tended to overheat and catch fire."

Zhou Changfeng was surprised. He frowned and said, "Then we should use a supercharger instead. This is not the first time that your Air Force has been so ambitious. Go, call your leader over."

(End of this chapter)