Alien Arms Empire.

Chapter 935 936 Insufficient Cannonballs
Liu Guozhu's First Armored Division is currently undergoing a large-scale refit of new tanks. The appearance of this tank is completely different from the previous tanks, with a curved head like a pot lid.

This curved turret is said to have a better bulletproof shape, allowing enemy shells to be bounced off, and the protection capability is stronger than the previous Leopard tank turret.

At the same time, the new tank abandoned the huge artillery shield design of the Leopard tank, but opened in the middle of the front of the turret, and installed a smaller inner defense shield, which increased the flexibility of the artillery itself.

This design reduces the weight of the huge anti-shield, and makes it possible to install a stabilizer for the artillery, allowing the artillery to complete part of the aiming action while traveling, greatly shortening the reaction time of the artillery.

Strictly speaking, this device was prototyped on the M4 Sherman tank in the United States, and later developed into an artillery stabilization system, which gave the tank the ability to fire on the move.

Now Tang Jun has installed this device on the famous Type 59 tank, making it also have the capability similar to the Sherman tank.

However, due to technical limitations, the 59 tank is only equipped with artillery stabilizers in the vertical direction, and there is no similar equipment in the horizontal direction.

The brand-new 59 has actually modified many things, and the biggest improvement may be the unique and powerful 105mm tank gun.

The original 59 tank uses a 100mm caliber gun, which is very special and powerful.

But Tang Mo didn't use this caliber directly, instead he pulled the tank gun directly to 105 caliber.Because in Tang Mo's blueprint, this star cannon born in England is more powerful and has better performance.

Once the technology tree of this artillery is completed, it can be installed on a series of subsequent models, allowing many light armored vehicles to obtain enough powerful firepower.

For example, the follow-up eight-wheeled armored vehicle, the follow-up model of the Tang Empire Lion armored reconnaissance vehicle, can be used on wheeled assault guns.

The new artillery is also equipped with a smoke extraction system, which can greatly improve the working environment inside the vehicle, so that the occupants in the tank will no longer be troubled by smoke and dust.

The original 59 tank smoke system is at the front end of the barrel, and the effect is slightly worse.After refitting the main gun with a caliber of 105 mm, the smoke extraction system is placed in the middle of the barrel, and the performance is better.

The most important thing is that this kind of artillery has a muzzle velocity of 1600 meters per second, and its armor-piercing ability is very good. Because it is a rifled gun, it has high accuracy and can fire at the target at a long distance.

There is another reason for adopting this rifled gun design. Tang Mo does not intend to use the smoothbore gun technology.The use of rifled guns is equivalent to the same line, and there is no sense of disobedience in this world.

After Tang Mo took out the Type 96 main battle tank, the 125mm smoothbore tank gun would immediately surpass the tanks from all over the world in terms of power, thus gaining a greater advantage in armored warfare.

The new type 59 main battle tank has a coaxial machine gun, replaces the heading machine gun with an anti-aircraft machine gun, and cancels the opening in the front of the hull.

Doing so increases protection, while also allowing the new tanks to do away with electromechanical operators.The crew was reduced to four, but new, more reliable radio equipment made up for the operational problems caused by one less man.

While obtaining a comprehensive performance improvement, the Type 59 main battle tank did not fail to pay a corresponding price.The number of shells carried by it has been reduced in an all-round way, from about 80 rounds in the Leopard tank to only 34 rounds.

Yes, the brand-new Type 59 main battle tank has only 34 rounds of ammunition—it should have 38 rounds, but the volume of 4 rounds of shells was sacrificed for the installation of infrared night vision devices.

Like the No. 4 tank, the Tang Empire's 59 tank has also undergone a series of "adaptive modifications". There are many sundry compartments installed outside the round turret, so it looks like a later improved model with external armor .

But in fact, the brand new 59 tank is not equipped with additional armor at all. The surrounding boxes that look like reactive armor are actually storage boxes.

In order to increase the stroke of this tank, two external fuel tanks are added at the rear like traditional Soviet tanks.

These two fuel tanks will be discarded before entering the battlefield to avoid being hit and burning in combat conditions.This usage is similar to the external fuel tank of a fighter jet, which means that you have brought two extra barrels of oil.

Looking at these new equipment, Liu Guozhu himself felt scary: he thought that the Panther tanks equipped by the armored forces of the Tang Empire were already powerful enough, but he didn't expect that more powerful tanks began to be deployed in the troops after just over two years.

From the appearance point of view, this brand new tank can be described as science fiction: it has installed so many grids around the turret, which is convenient no matter how you look at it.

Except that it is more dangerous when the commander goes out to use the anti-aircraft machine gun, there may be no other shortcomings of this tank.

Stronger armor, better mobility, more powerful main gun... It's almost perfect except for a slightly worse sustained combat capability.

The Panther tank, which he thought was quite good after using it before, is actually going to be thrown as second-line equipment to those newly formed armored units, and within the next two years, all No. 4 tanks will be eliminated...

It's scary to think about it: the Leopard tank, which other countries can't beat, has actually stopped production in the Tang Empire, and it will be gradually handed over to the second-line troops for use.

Even, one day in the future, these Leopard tanks may be used as unnecessary junk aid to other countries, or sold "cheaply" to countries that want them.

"How is it? A new tank." Walking to Liu Guozhu's side, his company commander patted Liu Guozhu's shoulder and asked.

"It's good, but my tank ammunition is really too low." Liu Guozhu felt helpless when he mentioned this matter.

His tank is not the same as other people's tanks. He is now the platoon leader of the first tank platoon, so he has to command the other four tanks. The sad thing is that his radio is bigger and takes up two extra shells...

Coupled with the need to reserve a place for activities, it turned out that there were only 30 pitiful shells on his command tank, which was a frighteningly small number.

"Is my car not the same?" The company commander laughed directly when he heard Liu Guozhu's complaint: "You can be content, the worst is to withdraw it and replenish it."

"It's a fatal shortcoming." Liu Guozhu sighed depressingly.

This is impossible, because in his combat experience, the number of shells is actually a very important performance indicator.

The armored forces of the Tang Empire have always followed the route of De San, which is also the route favored by elite tank crews.

Tang's tanks have always been heavily armored, powerful artillery, and enough shells-this style allows tank crews to continue to fight on the front line without any supplements in a short period of time.

But the Soviet tanks took a completely different path, because in World War II, the combat experience of the Soviet armored forces was completely opposite: their tanks were easier to be destroyed, and they often had to risk their lives with the enemy.

Based on this experience, the tanks of the Soviet system did not pay attention to continuous combat capability except for the maximum range: the firepower must be strong, the armor must be thick, and the power must be sufficient, so the number of shells that are discarded is the number of shells.

德国二战的豹式坦克载弹量80发，与之对应的苏联坦克T-34只有56发，德国的虎式坦克备弹87发，苏联的类似坦克IS-2只有可怜的28发炮弹。

There are historical reasons for this: German tankers are used to standing up and outputting passive defense, and Soviet tankers are used to rushing up to fight for their lives.Therefore, German tankers need a lot of ammunition to support them in combat, while Soviet tankers often die without running out of ammunition.

Of course, this does not mean that the Soviet tank designers did not consider the tank crews at all, because the experience provided by the surviving tank crews is: they have not fired their shells yet, and the Germans have collapsed and retreated Or surrendered.

Now the armored forces of the Tang Empire, especially the elite armored forces, have combat experience similar to that of the German armored forces of World War II.They are used to the German style of play, so they are dissatisfied with the Soviet tanks with 30 rounds.

Because in their concept, there are too many battles to shoot out 30 shells. When they use the Leopard tank, they often shoot fifty or even sixty shells to fight the enemy continuously.

"I also know that it may not be enough, but you are also a platoon leader now, don't always think about getting results by yourself every day, and think more about how to mobilize the tank platoon to cooperate with each other." The company commander said earnestly, he is very optimistic about himself of this young man.

"Yeah, now we have to get used to the retreat after firing twenty shells." Liu Guozhu shrugged his shoulders and joked, "I hope the battalion commander won't blame us for being more and more timid."

"Get out!" The company commander patted Liu Guozhu on the back of the head, and cursed with a smile: "Who gave you the courage to tease the battalion commander! Besides, you can destroy the opponent from a farther place, and you can retreat to the Replenish shells in a safe place, what does it mean to be less and less courageous?"

"Isn't this a joke, company commander!" Liu Guozhu said with a smile, scratching the back of his head.

(End of this chapter)