Arc of Gunfire

Just as Wang Zhong was about to continue asking, Olga said, "Isn't there already such an excellent Rokosov I heavy tank? Wouldn't it be great if we just concentrate on building this?"

"My Majesty, due to its own tonnage, heavy tanks have a higher failure rate of running mechanisms and require more support." Wang Zhong explained patiently, "Our heavy tanks are generally used in groups of 21 vehicles, which are used individually. We only reinforce the frontline troops when necessary because there are too many support forces needed.”

The support of the Ant Army is very poor and cannot support a larger heavy tank force.

Olga: "What you mean is that we can't support such a heavy tank, so we need to build a lighter one."

Wang Zhong: "Yes, tanks that are lighter, more reliable, and more productive are our main force. Not every Proson division is equipped with sufficient anti-tank firepower. Medium tanks can't deal with them. Enough.

"Just like in the past six months, the enemy is equipped with PAK40 anti-tank guns that can easily deal with the frontal armor of T34, as well as long-barreled Panzer IV tanks. But our T34 still made breakthroughs in many places, especially the attacks carried out by the 51st Tank Army war."

Although the 51st Tank Corps suffered all losses, they wiped out a large number of enemy artillery units and supply depots, delaying the enemy's attack.

Olga: "Got it! Then let's finish the ceremony of the Rokosov Type 1 tank, and let's go see that new medium tank!"

Wang Zhong: "Okay... eh? Do you want to go too?"

Olga: "Of course, as the Tsar, I am concerned about what happened to the next generation tank that will replace the T34?"

That’s true…

Wang Zhong could only acquiesce. After all, logically speaking, he, a general, was not qualified to order the tsar.

————

When Wang Zhong rushed into the research institute with a large group of people, Ke Jing's apprentice was busy in front of the drawing board and said without raising his head: "Teacher, you came back later than expected. What happened?"

As he spoke, 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."

These words seemed to stimulate the young designer, causing him to stand up suddenly and scramble to salute Olga.

Olga: "Don't be so formal. I 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 amazing. So, tell me about what you are designing. General Rokossov has high hopes!"

Wang Zhong frowned, instinctively feeling that Olga's words could not be carefully considered.

So he simply ignored this sentence.

Patriarch Belinsky seemed to have chosen to ignore it.

The designer didn't realize there was anything wrong with the Tsar's words, and happily began to introduce: "Look! The basic idea is to simplify the design of the teacher's heavy tank..."

Kejing reminded: "My design has been named the Rokosov Type 1 heavy breakthrough tank."

"Ah?" The young designer glanced at Wang Zhong, "Oh, that's right. I simplified it based on the Rokosov Type 1 heavy tank to improve productivity."

He took a step back, pulled the drawing table with the design drawings over, pointed to the drawings above and continued to explain: "First of all, the teacher designed a wedge-shaped armor area on the front of the car body. In fact, there is no such need. Although this wedge-shaped area is improved Improved frontal defense, but the degree of improvement is limited.

“I think there is a diminishing marginal effect on defense capabilities. When the defense is high to a certain level, the weight and other costs required to increase it are too high.

"So my design is like this. I turn the front directly into a plane with a large inclination, put the driver's position back, and the corresponding turret also moves back a little.

“As for the highly inclined protective zones designed by the teacher on both sides of the tank body, I studied it and thought it was actually not as good as compressing the height of the tank body.

"If most of the cross-sectional area on the side of the vehicle body is blocked by the road wheels, it actually improves the protection in disguise. Because although the road wheels are not specialized armored steel, their thickness and strength are quite high in order to bear the weight of the tank.

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

"As a result, the overall vehicle height is 40 centimeters lower than the teacher's design, which just eliminates 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. If nothing else, the five pairs of large road wheels were enough to remind Wang Zhong of a series of hot memes among military fans.

I really designed the T54.

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

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

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

"No, how is that possible? The weight is almost fifteen tons less. Your Majesty, the frontal defense is definitely not as good as the Rokosov Type 1, but it is much stronger than the T34."

Wang Zhong interrupted: "Our medium tanks do not need to gain a defensive advantage in the confrontation with the heavy tanks of the Prosons. There is no need for that. It only needs to be able to effectively face the best PAK40 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 performance of this enemy anti-tank gun is very good. If it is within 500 meters, it is still possible to be penetrated. If the enemy is aiming at the weak point of the defense, the possibility of penetration is even greater.

"But the other anti-tank guns of the Prosons, such as the PAK38, basically don't think about penetrating the front of our new medium tank."

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

Anti-tank guns like PAK40 are excellent, but there are not so many of them. After all, in Plosson's organization system, PAK40 is already a heavy anti-tank gun.

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

In general, as a medium tank that is to be widely used on the entire front of the battle, it does not need to be too demanding on protection. What is more important is the compromise between protection, mobility and firepower, as well as the improvement of productivity.

It is the task of the breakthrough tank regiment equipped with Rokosov I heavy tanks to attack the area with strong fortifications of the enemy's heavy anti-tank firepower.

Wang Zhong is 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 it's invested on a small scale... it doesn't make sense. After all, this is a medium tank with comprehensive performance as the main feature. Only large-scale investment can trigger a quantitative change."

Wang Zhong: "Advance as soon as possible, and strive to invest in brigade-level units for battlefield testing during the winter offensive, and then invest on a large scale next summer."

"Yes." Ke Jing nodded repeatedly.

————

After a day's work, Wang Zhong finally returned to Rokossov Manor.

When the car passed through the garden, he saw a group of children playing games under the leadership of 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 stood firmly 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 for 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 making eye contact, 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."

This is true.

Reznov: "See, the general is very humble, children. You should learn from the general!"

Wang Zhong could only smile and change the subject: "Reznov, I don't really want the children to learn these. 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."

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

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

He sighed: "Okay, you convinced me. However, I have a request, each of you must learn a musical instrument. "

The children looked at each other.

"Why?" The child who just said "Let others enjoy happiness" asked loudly.

Wang Zhong: "Maybe the 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 created many popular songs. You should be able to sing it too!"

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

Wang Zhong: "That's right. In our country, music and art have always been good! This is our tradition! As the loyal descendants of the motherland, you should naturally know a little music, just like me.

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

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