artillery arc

Chapter 606: Some Problems with the New Medium Tank

Wang Zhong was about to continue asking questions when Olga interrupted him, "Don't we already have such an excellent Rokossov Type 1 heavy tank? Wouldn't it be good if we just focus on building this?"

"Your Majesty, heavy tanks have a higher failure rate due to their tonnage and require more support forces." Wang Zhong explained patiently, "Our heavy tanks are usually grouped into a regiment of 21 tanks and used individually. They are only sent to the frontline troops when needed because the support forces required are too great."

The Ante Army's support is very poor and it is unable to support a larger-scale heavy tank force.

Olga: "You mean, we can't maintain such a heavy tank, so we have to build a lighter one."

Wang Zhong: "That's right. The lighter, more reliable and more productive tanks are our main force. Not every Plossen Division is equipped with sufficient anti-tank firepower, so medium tanks are enough to deal with them.

"Just like in the past six months, the enemy was equipped with PAK34 anti-tank guns that could easily deal with the frontal armor of the T40, as well as long-barreled Panzer IV tanks. However, our T34 still made breakthroughs in many places, especially the sabotage war conducted by the 51st Tank Army."

Although the 51st Tank Army suffered heavy losses, they wiped out a large number of enemy artillery units and supply stations like a whirlwind, delaying the enemy's attack.

Olga: "I see! Then let's finish the ceremony of the Rokossov Type 1 tank and go see that new medium tank!"

Wang Zhong: "Okay... um? Are you going too?"

Olga: "Of course, as the Tsar, I am concerned about the next generation of tanks that will replace the T34. What's wrong with that?"

That’s true…

Wang Zhong had no choice but to agree. After all, logically speaking, as a general, he had no right to command the Tsar.

----

When Wang Zhong led a large group of people into the research institute, Ke Jing's apprentice was busy in front of the drawing board. He said without raising his head, "Teacher, you came back later than expected. Did something happen?"

As he said this, he raised his head and then froze, his eyes moving back and forth between His Majesty the Tsar, His Majesty the Patriarch and Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong: "Don't be nervous."

This seemed to stimulate the young designer, who stood up suddenly and hurriedly tried to salute Olga.

Olga: "Don't be so reserved. I am sorry to have disturbed your work."

"No, no!" The designer shook his head like a rattle, "These are all my responsibilities!"

Olga: "Your loyalty to Ant's mother is admirable. So, tell me about what you are designing. General Rokossov has high hopes for you!"

Wang Zhong frowned, instinctively feeling that Olga's words should not be pondered over.

So he simply ignored this sentence.

Patriarch Belinsky also seemed to choose to ignore it.

The designer didn't notice anything wrong with what the Tsar said, and he started to introduce it happily: "Look! The basic idea is to simplify the design of the teacher's heavy tank..."

Ke Jing reminded, "My design has been named Rokossov Type 1 Heavy Breakthrough Tank."

"Ah?" The young designer glanced at Wang Zhong. "Oh, that's it. I simplified the Rokossov I heavy tank to improve productivity."

He took a step back, pulled over the drawing table with the design, pointed at the drawing and continued to explain: "First, the teacher designed a wedge-shaped armored area on the front of the vehicle body, but in fact there is no need for this. Although this wedge-shaped area improves the frontal defense, the degree of improvement is limited.

"I think there is a diminishing return on defense, and once the defense reaches a certain level, the weight and other costs of increasing it further become too high.

“So my design was to turn the front into a large-angle plane, put the driver’s seat back, and move the turret back a little bit.

“As for the high-angle protection area designed by the teacher on both sides of the tank body, I studied it and thought it would be better to compress the height of the body.

"If most of the cross-sectional area of ​​the side of the vehicle is blocked by the road wheels, then the protection is actually improved in disguise. Because although the road wheels are not made of special armored steel, in order to bear the weight of the tank, the thickness and strength are quite high.

“In order to lower the height, I redesigned the engine compartment, adjusted the position of the turret, and changed the design of the ammunition rack.

"This way, the overall height of the vehicle is 40 centimeters lower than the teacher's design, which just cancels the stepped armor on the side of the vehicle body in the design."

Wang Zhong looked at the thing on the drawing. He was very familiar with the shape. Apart from anything else, the five pairs of large road wheels were enough to remind Wang Zhong of a series of popular memes in the military fan circle.

The T54 was really designed.

At this time, Olga said: "I think I understand what you said. In short, you used a trick to cancel some of your teacher's designs?"

"Yes, removing these will certainly reduce the tank's protection, but the reduction is not as high as everyone imagines. But the saved weight can reduce the tank's failure rate and improve reliability."

Olga: "Then the frontal defense of the tank is the same as that of the Rokossov I, right?"

"No, how can it be possible? It weighs almost 34 tons less. Your Majesty, its frontal defense is definitely not as good as the Rokossov I, but it is much better than the T40." Wang Zhong interrupted, "Our medium tanks do not need to gain a defensive advantage in a duel with the Proson heavy tanks. There is no need for that. It only needs to be able to effectively face the best PAK anti-tank guns in the hands of the Proson infantry."

Young designer: "It is a bit difficult to completely exempt it from service, after all, the enemy's anti-tank gun has excellent performance. It is still possible to be penetrated within 500 meters, and if the enemy is aiming at the weak point of the defense, the possibility of penetration is even greater.

"But the Prosons' other anti-tank guns, such as the PAK38, basically have no chance of penetrating the front of our new medium tank."

Wang Zhong: "That's good, very good."

Anti-tank guns like PAK40 are indeed excellent, but the number of them is actually not that large. After all, in Plossen's organization system, PAK40 is already a heavy anti-tank gun.

In Plossen's infantry division, the more common anti-tank gun is the PAK38, which is classified as a light anti-tank gun. Even in some of the eighth and ninth wave infantry divisions, there are only a few PAK38s.

In short, as a medium tank that will be widely used on the entire front of the battle, it does not need to be overly demanding in terms of protection. What matters more is the compromise between protection, mobility and firepower, as well as the improvement of productivity.

To attack the area strongly defended by the enemy's heavy anti-tank firepower was the task of the breakthrough tank regiment equipped with Rokossov Type 1 heavy tanks.

Wang Zhong was very satisfied with the overall design: "Very good, make a prototype as soon as possible. But considering the testing and improvement of the prototype, it should be too late to participate in this year's summer campaign, right?"

Chief Engineer Ke Jing answered on behalf of his apprentice: "It's probably too late to invest on a large scale. If we invest on a small scale... it doesn't make sense. After all, this is a medium-sized tank that focuses on comprehensive performance. Only large-scale investment can trigger a quantitative change."

Wang Zhong: "We will move forward as soon as possible and try to deploy brigade-level units for battlefield testing during the winter offensive, and then deploy them on a large scale next summer."

"Yes." Ke Jing nodded repeatedly.

----

After finishing a day's work, Wang Zhong finally returned to the Rokossov Estate.

When the car passed through the garden, he saw a group of children playing games led by several disabled soldiers, so he raised his right hand decisively: "Stop, I want to go down and take a look."

Without waiting for the car to stop, Wang Zhong opened the door.

Before he had even set his feet on the ground, the children cheered: "It's Rokossov!"

"The general is back!"

Wang Zhong: "Hello, so what are you playing?"

"We are not playing. Captain Reznov is taking us through military training!"

Wang Zhong looked at the captain and found that the captain, whose left sleeve was completely empty, had a Gold Star Medal on his chest.

After their eyes met, the captain immediately saluted with one arm: "General! I am teaching the children how to conduct infantry attack and defense. This is the fortification I commanded them to dig. Please give me some advice!"

Wang Zhong: "I don't know as much about digging fortifications as you veterans do."

This is real.

Reznov: "See, kids, the general is very modest. You should learn from him!"

Wang Zhong could only smile and change the subject: "Reznov, I don't really want the children to learn these things. When they grow up, the war will be over. I hope they can live happily like ordinary people."

Reznov: "This war is over, but the next one will come. These children hope that they can defend the country like you did."

As soon as he finished speaking, a child shouted: "No one knows the horror of war better than us! So in the future, let us fight the wars! Let others enjoy happiness!"

Wang Zhong looked at these young faces and read in them a perseverance that did not belong to this age.

He sighed, "Okay, you've convinced me. However, I have one request. Each of you must learn to play a musical instrument."

The children looked at each other.

"Why?" The same child who just said "happiness should be enjoyed by others" asked loudly.

Wang Zhong: "Maybe war will always come back, but war will come and go, only music will last forever. You should know that with the help of my adjutant Vasily, I have composed many popular songs. You should be able to sing them too!"

Immediately, a child sang: "I still have one last grenade!"

Wang Zhong: "That's right. Our country has always had great music and art! This is our tradition! As the loyal descendants of our motherland, you should naturally know a little about music, just like me.

"So, Comrade Reznov, tell Butler Mikhail that if you want to offer courses related to war, you must also offer music courses!"

Reznov saluted Wang Zhong with pride and admiration: "Yes! Comrade General."

(End of this chapter)