prosperous age

It is said that the Tiger Crouching Cannon was invented by Qi Jiguang during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, but in fact, the Tiger Crouching Cannon was a modification of an old type of cannon by Qi Jiguang.

Before the Tiger Crouching Cannon, the border troops widely used cannons such as the Three Generals' Tassel Cannon and the Tiger Poison Cannon, which can be regarded as the predecessors of the Tiger Crouching Cannon.

These cannons were all indirect-fire cannons, similar in principle to the mortars widely used by armies of various countries in later generations.

Back in Jiujiang, in order to replace the bronze cannons issued in the early Ming Dynasty, Wei Guangde's father and uncle had created small iron cannons. In fact, Wei Guangde designed them according to the style of the Tiger Crouching Cannon, which was already a relatively mature artillery weapon.

In fact, these cannon names are not multiple names for the same cannon. They are not a single type of cannon at all, but rather something that the artisans in the border towns figured out on their own. They made cannons however they were easy to cast, and it was a spontaneous creation.

Qi Jiguang led his troops to fight against Japanese pirates, and through continuous improvement in actual combat, the tiger-squatting cannon, which was used in the Ming Dynasty, was finally developed.

The biggest problem with the Tiger Crouching Cannon is its range and rate of fire; in the past, craftsmen considered range and power more.

With the breech-loading cannon in hand, the craftsmen didn't really give much thought to increasing the rate of fire.

Wei Guangde combined the propellant cartridge of the breech-loading cannon with that of the tiger crouching cannon, which actually already had the flavor of the later breech-loading mortar.

Light mortars are typically loaded from the muzzle and allowed to slide naturally to the bottom of the barrel, where the primer of the shell strikes the firing pin and launches it out.

Vehicle-mounted mortars are generally reloaded and fired in the same way as ordinary artillery.

Wei Guangde abandoned the range and only emphasized the rate of fire and the power of the shot, which naturally saved the craftsmen a lot of trouble.

That afternoon, when Wei Guangde returned to the cabinet to handle government affairs, the chief craftsmen of the Ministry of Works, summoned by Jiang Zhi, had already fully understood his requirements.

As for manufacturing, it's not complicated. It must be noted that the Ming Dynasty's Ordnance Bureau did not cast tiger-squatting cannons. These simple weapons were cast by craftsmen in the garrisons. At most, the Ministry of War would ask the Ministry of Works for iron materials.

After all, the garrison needs to repair weapons, so there is a certain demand for materials such as iron and copper.

The Ministry of Works can allocate the materials from the warehouse based on the quantity of materials compiled by the Ministry of War.

So, although it looks simple, they didn't have any readily available cannon barrels to study.

So they quickly got to work, and in just over an hour they had produced a crude cannon barrel.

It is two feet long and weighs about 36 jin (approximately 18 catties), and was cast entirely according to the shape of the Tiger Crouching Cannon.

In fact, this was Qi Jiguang's achievement. The design of the Tiger Crouching Cannon that he established was directly promoted by the Ministry of War to various garrisons and outposts in the border towns.

Because of its simple manufacturing process, craftsmen from various garrisons were able to cast it, thus unifying the tiger-squatting cannons of the Ming Dynasty.

Meanwhile, the various types of small cannons cast by the garrisons themselves also disappeared from the historical stage.

With the Ministry of Works providing the parameters, the master craftsmen could easily produce several cannon barrels.

Actually, it was modified from a breech-loading cannon barrel, which is readily available.

Next, the cartridge cases were manufactured according to the caliber, which were also modified from the cartridge cases of the breech-loading cannon.

The bullet casing wall was thinned, but the thickness of the tail and base of the projectile was maintained.

The cartridge case was made of copper, not iron, because although the barrel provided pressure, the cartridge case directly received the force of the gunpowder explosion. If the cartridge case was damaged, problems would also occur.

The cartridge case, made of copper, has a certain degree of elasticity, which can solve this problem.

"How about we make a bolt on the iron hoop, so it can fall down and hold the bottom of the cartridge case?"

After the propellant cartridge is loaded into the breech from the rear, stability must be considered; otherwise, if the cartridge flies backward after the shot is fired, it will cause chaos.

"It would be better to just modify it according to the design of the Franz van der Lac.

Several craftsmen gathered together to discuss whether it was a good idea to build a breechblock on an iron hoop to secure the propellant cartridge.

"If you use an iron bolt, it will be lighter than the breech-loading cannon. The advantage of this cannon is its portability."

Each battalion of the border troops was equipped with four tiger-squatting cannons, and the garrison troops in Jiangnan were said to be equipped with three cannons per thousand-household unit, with the requirement that they could be used in the river network and swamps.

If the Tiger Crouching Cannon were made according to the style of the Frankish Cannon, it would be three feet long and weigh over forty pounds.

"Use a breechblock. It's just a matter of adding two iron hoops, but it will still save more than ten pounds of material."

So, a few craftsmen quickly made several more iron hoops and welded them onto the iron hoops on the cannon barrel.

They manufactured it overnight because the Jizhou garrison army was about to depart, and the Ministry of War had ordered them to assemble in Tianjin, while also mobilizing transport ships from nearby water fortresses.

Within a few days, they had to produce the tested new Tiger Crouching Cannon and hand it over to them to take to Japan.

The process of making a prototype cannon, conducting test firings, and finally customizing it was all done within a very tight timeframe.

Of course, Jiang Zhi also offered a very high reward.

For timely completion, each master craftsman will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver, and each ordinary craftsman with ten taels of silver.

So, just the next morning, Wei Guangde received a note from Jiang Zhi that the new Tiger Crouching Cannon already had a prototype.

Anyway, it was the same in ancient times, all in one volume.

The Ministry of War could delay the army's departure, but the Ministry of Works should never be responsible.

Jiang Zhi knew the emperor valued the eastern expedition, so he could only incentivize the artisans with rewards.

"I understand. Tell the people in the Ministry of Works that I will go to the Ordnance Bureau after lunch, and also ask the people from the Ministry of War to come along."

After giving instructions to Lu Bu, Wei Guangde continued to peruse the memorials in his hands, but he quickened his pace.

Lu Bu was also clever. A little later, another batch of memorials was sent to the cabinet. While the secretaries were still distributing them, he went over and greeted them. After looking at the list of memorials, he immediately told them to distribute the memorials to Grand Secretary Zhang and Grand Secretary Shen, and not to distribute them to Grand Secretary Wei's office.

It can be said that as long as the memorials are unimportant, it doesn't matter whether you read them or not; it's just a mechanical repetition of drafting them.

Wei Guangde also frequently had Lu Bu distribute these memorials to the side rooms, arranging for the Secretariat to review and draft them.

He personally reviewed mostly reports from local authorities, containing various data and eulogies, and he couldn't be bothered to look at them.

After having lunch in the cabinet, Wei Guangde rested for a while, then left the cabinet and got into a sedan chair in front of the palace gate to go to the Ordnance Bureau.

"Shunqing, Jinqing, you've both arrived."

When Wei Guangde arrived, Zhang Ke and Jiang Zhi had already arrived and were waiting for him outside the yamen.

"I didn't expect Minister Jiang to act so quickly. We talked about it yesterday, and this morning he said he had made a prototype cannon."

Zhang Ke laughed.

"Major national affairs cannot be delayed. Give the craftsmen a reward, as long as they can finish the work on time."

Jiang Zhi said with a smile.

"Indeed, the front line waits for no one, and it's better to finish it as soon as possible."

If feasible, send a squad of Shenji Battalion soldiers to familiarize themselves with the new cannons, and then send them directly to Japan.

Wei Guangde spoke first.

Experimenting with firearms usually started with the craftsmen; this was a testament to their loyalty. If they didn't do a good job, they wouldn't dare to test the cannons themselves.

Only after the initial test went smoothly could the officers and soldiers of the Shenji Battalion conduct subsequent test firings.

Soon, they entered the government office and arrived at the cannon testing ground in the backyard, which was still the same long and narrow courtyard.

At this moment, besides the soldiers guarding the area, there were more than a dozen craftsmen gathered there talking about something. In front of them were three new-style tiger-squatting cannons.

Wei Guangde went over to inspect the cannon first, and it was pretty much as he had imagined.

When the craftsman came over, Wei Guangde only asked, "After this modification, is there a possibility of the barrel exploding?"

"Reporting to you, sir, the cannon walls are very thick, and there is an iron band added to the breech, so it should not be easy for it to explode."

The craftsman replied.

The cannons of the Ming Dynasty look like they are made up of sections, which is actually due to the presence of iron hoops.

Iron hoops played a significant role in protecting the cannon barrel, surpassing the practices of contemporary European cannons. Although their integral cannon barrels looked more perfect and beautiful, this came at the cost of thickening the cannon walls, meaning they increased the weight of the cannon to improve safety.

"Can the breech hold the cartridge case steady? Won't it fly off?"

Wei Guangde then asked another question, seemingly jokingly.

"Don't worry, sir, it won't happen."

The craftsman replied tremblingly, thinking that the master was questioning their abilities, so how could he not be extra careful? "Then let's test the cannon."

Upon seeing this, Wei Guangde hurriedly said...

Besides, I'm afraid more than a dozen craftsmen would have knelt down.

Wei Guangde led Zhang Ke and Jiang Zhirang to the side. He dared not stand behind the new cannon; if the cartridge case hadn't been held in place by the breech, it would have been disastrous.

It's a new device after all, and there are many imperfections.

Standing to one side, I watched as two craftsmen, one skillfully pulling up the breechblock while the other picked up the propellant cartridge, loaded it into the cannon barrel, and then lowered the breechblock to secure the propellant cartridge.

"Sir, we plan to leave the charging handle when casting the cartridge case, and use the breechblock to fix the charging handle. After firing, it will be easy to remove the cartridge case through the charging handle."

A master craftsman spoke up.

"Ah."

Wei Guangde nodded slightly. He couldn't offer his opinion on these matters; he didn't have as much experience as the craftsmen.

The tiger-squatting cannon had already been secured with iron nails, the cartridge case had been loaded with ammunition, and the target in front was ready, consisting of more than thirty wooden rakes.

Wei Guangde reached out and struggled to pick up a cartridge case. The craftsman hurriedly stepped forward to explain, "According to the usage of the Tiger Crouching Cannon, the cartridge case contains gunpowder and shot, and the outermost one is the live ammunition that is sealed."

"Ah."

Wei Guangde nodded again, and Zhang Ke then reached out and took it, weighing it in his hand and saying, "It's quite heavy."

"This contains fifty lead pellets, the same as the explosive charge of the Tiger Crouching Cannon."

Soon, one cannon was loaded and ready to fire. Wei Guangde said, "Let's fire one shot first and see. We'll try the other two cannons later."

"Alright, let's test the cannon first."

Jiang Zhi also spoke up.

So the crowd retreated more than ten steps, feeling safe, but the craftsmen were still gathered behind the new cannon.

Wei Guangde waved and shouted, "Just leave one gunner to light the fire, everyone else retreat to the back."

"Come over here, don't crowd together during the test firing."

Jiang Zhi hurriedly followed suit.

The craftsmen then came to the side, leaving only one craftsman to fire the cannon.

"let's start."

After the person stepped back, Jiang Zhi said.

Soon, the craftsman lit the fire, "bang."

With a loud bang, the Tiger Crouching Cannon fired. After the cannon fired, Wei Guangde saw that the new cannon was unharmed and immediately looked at the target in the distance.

Of the thirty-odd wooden rakes in a row, more than a dozen were hit instantly. One of them seemed to be unlucky and was directly hit in two by a stone.

"Okay, load the second one."

Upon seeing the results, Wei Guangde immediately clapped and cheered.

Several craftsmen went over, two of them unloaded the shells, while the other two cannons began loading at the same time.

"Jinqing, you've witnessed the power of the Tiger Crouching Cannon. What do you think?"

Wei Guangde looked at Zhang Ke and asked.

"Pretty much. If the test firing goes well, we can cast a batch and send it to the front lines for trial use."

Zhang Ke nodded and said.

The loading was completed quickly, and this time all three new guns fired at the same time, so three craftsmen were left at the gun positions.

Jiang Zhi gave the order, shouting, "Release!"

"Bang bang bang."

Three shots rang out. The new cannon was undamaged, but almost all the targets in front of it were hit. Under the barrage of more than a hundred projectiles, none were spared.

"Reload immediately, then fire again."

Wei Guangde shouted hurriedly.

There were ready-made cartridges, so another round of cannon fire soon followed.

"bang bang bang"

This time, under Wei Guangde's orders, all the cartridges were emptied.

Eighteen cannon cartridges were prepared. In accordance with the Ming army's rule of six cannon cartridges per cannon, six cannon cartridges were also prepared for the three new cannons. After all the cannon cartridges were fired, the craftsmen began to check the condition of the cannon cartridges, while the master craftsman carefully inspected the three new cannons.

"Sir, there's nothing wrong with this cannon. We've inspected it carefully and found no cracks. It can still be used."

A master craftsman came over, bowed, and said to them.

"Reload ammunition and fire another round."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

Since the cannon is fine, let's fire another round and check the condition of the cartridge cases.

A dozen craftsmen were assigned to fill one cartridge each. Wei Guangde also summoned several soldiers from the Shenji Battalion and assigned them to fill one cartridge as well.

After the second round of testing was completed, Wei Guangde and his team went over to inspect the three new cannons and check several cartridge cases, which were indeed in perfect condition.

In the second round of testing, each of the three cannon positions was assisted by an officer or soldier from the Shenji Battalion, which also served as a way to familiarize them with the use of the new cannons.

"Shunqing, I think the Ministry of Works should hurry up and make a batch of new cannons, transport them to Tianjin and give them to Dong Yiyuan, so that they can take them to the front line."

Wei Guangde was naturally pleased with the successful trial production of the cannon and said to Jiang Zhi.

"Alright, these next few days the workshop will work with all its might to forge this new type of tiger squat cannon, and try to make as many as a few dozen to send to Japan to fight the Japanese pirates."

Jiang Zhi smiled and agreed.

This type of cannon is simple to cast. As for modifying it into a breech-loading cannon, mass production would be impossible, as it would be too expensive.

Therefore, he dared not say too much, only that he would forge dozens of doors in a few days. This was to insure himself, lest he say too much and end up not being able to make them.

"Tomorrow, have the Shenji Battalion move these three cannons to the Jingying Garrison outside the city for further testing and to determine their range."

Zhang Ke continued.

"Yes, as long as twenty feet are usable, at the current reloading speed, we can fire at least three rounds."

Wei Guangde laughed.

After three rounds of artillery fire, there probably won't be many left on the other side who would dare to charge.

"Yes, in the past, we would fight and then run away, and then retrieve the cannons after the battle was over."

With this rate of fire, it feels like we could suppress an enemy cavalry charge even if we were to engage them directly.

Zhang Ke had already estimated the time; against infantry, this rate of fire would definitely suppress the opponent.

Facing cavalry is a bit more troublesome; the outcome is uncertain.

After all, shotgun shells are inherently unreliable and depend on luck.

"After mass production, these new cannons will be prioritized for the Eastern Expeditionary Army. The Ministry of War must promptly allocate warships for their transport and must not delay them."

Sixty thousand against four hundred thousand, just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle.

"Send some of the breech-loading cannons from the inventory over there as well."

Wei Guangde said, "By the way, with the transformation of the Beijing Garrison, these powerful weapons can also be equipped, especially the Fifth Army Battalion."

Zhang Ke looked at Wei Guangde and nodded slightly. (End of Chapter)