I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 849 Brother San, do you want to fight?
Li Mingchun and Nie Qing also saw the power of the Type 05 rifle, their eyes shining.

Hearing Wu Dafei's question, they all turned around and looked at Yan Guofa.

Yes, when will the Ming Dynasty’s army and navy be equipped with such a powerful weapon?

Yan Guofa laughed and said, "Captain Wu, let's continue to demonstrate the Black Hawk Type 5 revolver. After the demonstration, I will tell you the details."

"it is good."

Wu Dafei waved his hand, called an officer over, and ordered, "Change to a new set of Tianzhu's fine steel armor, and place the wooden target at a distance of thirty meters."

After that, he said to Yan Guofa: "You don't need to shoot that far with a pistol. Fifty meters is enough with a rifle."

"That's right!"

Everyone agreed to change the armor and put up the target paper again.

The four of them moved forward and came to a position thirty meters away from the wooden target.

Under the gaze of everyone, Yan Guofa took out the revolver, opened the magazine, and loaded bullets into it one by one.

Wu Dafei saw it and muttered to himself.

Loading a revolver with custom ammunition looks so cool compared to this!
Yan Guofa pushed again and put the magazine back into the gun.

He raised the revolver in his right hand, pointed it at the wooden target, concentrated and held his breath, and pulled the trigger.

There were six gunshots. The sound was not as crisp as a rifle, but more muffled.

Yan Guofa threw away the magazine, leaned back, dumped the shells into the basket, and put the pistol aside.

So cool!
Wu Dafei stared at the revolver greedily.

Even ejecting a bullet shell is so handsome!
This is a perfect match for me!

After the whistle, the soldiers carried back the wooden targets covered with armor.

Four shots hit seven rings, one shot hit eight rings, and one shot hit ten rings.

Every spear pierced the front armor of the suit, but some got stuck in the wooden boards, while others penetrated the boards and got stuck in the back armor, deforming everything.

Great!

Within thirty meters, any heavily armored cavalry is useless, and the revolver is fast and accurate.

A thought suddenly came to Wu Dafei's mind. In the future, for the Ming Dynasty, no matter whether it was light or heavy armored cavalry, they would be like rotten wood and dead leaves, vulnerable to a single blow and posing no threat at all.

But the hundreds of thousands of Mongolian cavalry of the Ming Dynasty, equipped with such weapons, were extremely powerful and highly mobile, and were simply a nightmare for the armies of other countries!
Yan Guofa explained: "Revolver bullets have round heads and contain lead. They are softer than rifle bullets and have less penetrating power, but they have strong stopping power."

What blocking ability?
Wu Dafei didn't have time to ask this question. He was focusing on other things. "Engineer Yan, we have just fully adapted to the Longqing Type 2 smoothbore rifle, and you have developed a new rifle like this. It's too fast."

Yan Guo laughed, "Not fast, the gun has been developed and is being tested in various actual combat environments, but it is still too early to be equipped in the army."

Wu Dafei's face changed. "Hasn't it been tested in a real combat environment? Is it still not possible to mass produce it?"

Yan Guofa picked up the empty Type 05 rifle, pointed at the bolt and said to Wu Dafei: "You see, this bolt is not complicated. It can be cast or cut. The steel spring and barrel are also very simple. The only thing that is complicated is the rifling inside.

But we developed the rifle two years earlier, and the rifling machines are becoming more and more sophisticated, so it is not a problem."

Wu Difei took the Type 05 rifle, looked around at it lovingly, and reluctantly handed it to Li Mingchun and Nie Qing who were eagerly waiting for it.

"Yes, Mr. Yan, it is just as you said. So what's the problem?"

Li Mingchun and Nie Qing took the gun and looked around.

Men, there is no one who doesn't like guns.

"Yes, Engineer Yan, what is the reason why it cannot be put into service?"

"ammunition!"

Yan Guofa replied.

"ammunition!"

Wu Dafei suddenly realized, "Yes, the new guns, whether rifles or pistols, don't have thick smoke. Could it be that the gunpowder they use is different?"

"Yes, the new gun uses smokeless powder. And the bullet also uses primer technology."

That’s right, since the Ming Dynasty had three acids and one alkali, it was naturally easy to make smokeless gunpowder.

For example, when the Chemical Research Bureau of Shaofujian was studying the tar left after coking coal produced coal gas, they distilled the tar again to separate a new liquid.

It is benzene.

The Chemical Research Bureau then mixed benzene with sulfuric acid to obtain benzenesulfonic acid, which was then mixed with caustic soda to obtain phenol.

When phenol is heated and concentrated sulfuric acid is slowly added, a yellow crystal will be obtained, which is picric acid.

It is poisonous and extremely powerful, and is completely different from black gunpowder, so it is named yellow gunpowder.

Actually, this name is not correct either.

It should be called yellow explosive. No one dares to use it as gun propellant because it is too powerful.

During an experiment, a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry of the Imperial Observatory accidentally dropped a piece of cotton cloth into concentrated nitric acid, resulting in nitrocellulose, which is flammable and explosive, but not very stable.

Mixing nitrocellulose with ethanol or ether to make a powder is smokeless gunpowder, which is used as a propellant for bullets and artillery shells, doubling its power.

The mercuric nitrate used in the Institute of Chemistry reacts with ethanol in excess nitric acid to produce mercury fulminate, which is then combined with a copper cap to become the primer for bullets and artillery shells.

As soon as the firing pin hits, it ignites immediately.

Yan Guofa explained: "The propellant in the ammunition was developed by those crazy people in the Chemical Bureau. They mix three acids and one base every day, and even heat it and add some catalyst.

As long as you are not poisoned or blown to death, you will definitely get results.

Smokeless gunpowder and the ignition device in the bullet shell are all their achievements. Now the shell is stuck here. The production of these chemical raw materials cannot be increased. Now even the artillery shells are delayed."

Wu Dafei was anxious. "Engineer Yan, didn't you develop this smokeless gunpowder and this ignition device?"

Yan Guofa laughed and said, "Captain Wu, research and development is completely different from mass production.

The formula for this black gunpowder has existed since the Tang Dynasty, and the production process has become very mature after hundreds of years.

We only need to adjust the ingredients to the optimal proportion through experiments, and then improve the ingredient purification process. With sufficient raw materials, mass production is not a problem at all.

Smoothbore gun barrels used to be a problem, and initially they had to be rolled from steel plates and then welded. Later, Luanzhou Iron and Steel Plant developed a seamless tube rolling process, and high-quality steel gun barrels were produced faster than an old craftsman could make noodles.

Therefore, from the first to the fourth year of the Wanli reign, the Lulong Arsenal, Kaiping Arsenal, and Yongping Arsenal produced millions of Longqing Type II smoothbore rifles in one go. This year's production is said to reach 400,000.

Not to mention the army and navy, now even the farmers and herdsmen who are pioneering in the land reclamation bureau have one in their hands.”

Wu Dafei understood, "Engineer Yan, you mean that there is no problem with the manufacturing of the barrel and the gun body of this new long and short gun, the problem is only with the ammunition."

"Yes, I'm engaged in mechanical processing. Our Yongping Arsenal can produce 50,000 Type 05 rifle barrels, gun bodies and accessories every year.

But a gun without ammunition is just a firewood stick, useless."

Wu Dafei asked unwillingly, "Engineer Yan, when will this new gun be put into service?"

"Don't ask me about this, ask those guys at the Institute of Chemistry."

Seeing the deep disappointment on Wu Dafei's face, Yan Guofa comforted him, "When I left Beijing, I heard that the Chemistry Bureau of the Imperial Household Supervision Bureau and the Chemistry Institute of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau were merged into the Chemistry Research Institute, divided into the first, second, third and fourth bureaus.

One of the most important tasks is to solve the mass production of three acids and one base.

Captain Wu, as far as I know, as long as the three acids and one alkali start mass production, smokeless gunpowder will not be a problem, and this new gun can be equipped in the army soon. "

"I just don't know how long I have to wait?"

“Haha, ten years ago, the army that was suppressing the Japanese was still using three-barreled guns and bird guns, which had been used for dozens or even hundreds of years.

But in the Longqing period, within two years, the Longqing Type 2 smoothbore rifle was used. Now new rifles have also been developed, how fast!

We have waited for decades and even hundreds of years, so why can’t we wait for three to five years?”

Li Mingchun also laughed: "Yes, China used firearms. There are records of this since the Tang Dynasty, and it began to be used on a large scale during the Southern Song Dynasty. Hundreds of years later, there were three-barreled guns, raised guns and bird guns.

Hundreds of years have passed, so what does three to five years mean? As long as these new firearms are developed by our Ming Dynasty, it’s fine.”

"Yes! Director Li is really knowledgeable. What he said is really right."

Yan Guofa explained the task with a serious expression: "Captain Wu, this time I brought fifty Type 05 rifles, five thousand rounds of rifle bullets, fifty Black Hawk Type 05 revolvers, and one thousand rounds of pistol bullets.

Now I give it to you. Please arrange for personnel to conduct actual combat tests in the upcoming war and let these new guns see blood. The principle is that rifles and pistols can be damaged, but no parts can be missing.

You can use up all the bullets in your rifle or pistol, but you cannot throw away any of them at will."

Nie Qing also said seriously: "Captain Wu, you know the confidentiality regulations.

Now Mr. Yan is handing over fifty rifles to you. After the war, you must return fifty rifles and fifty revolvers. Even if they are in pieces, not a single part can be missing.

At the same time, 5,000 rifle bullet shells and 1,000 pistol bullet shells were returned.
If anything is lost, Captain Wu, you will be court-martialed!"

Wu Dafei stood up straight, straightened his chest, and said seriously: "Report to Engineer Yan and Supervisor Nie, Wu Dafei guarantees to complete the task.

I will give these fifty new rifles to the guard company and fifty revolvers to the cavalry of the reconnaissance company. I will emphasize discipline to them again and again, and ask the people in the regiment's political work department to keep an eye on them.

As long as the man is here and the gun is here, there will be no room for error!"

"it is good!"

This arrangement is appropriate.

Li Mingchun and Nie Qing looked at each other and nodded.

Yan Guofa took out a stack of documents and said, "Well, Captain Wu, please count them and sign them. Director Li, Major Nie, both of you should also sign them."

"it is good."

On October 19, the fifth year of the Wanli reign, the advance fleet of the Second Squadron of the Great White Tiger Fleet sailed into the Port of Surat. After more than an hour of shelling, the Gujarat Sultanate army occupying the port quickly fled.

The 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Indian Marine Division, boarded more than 20 armed transport ships and landed at Surat Port under the cover of the advance fleet.

Quickly capture Surat Castle and establish a defense line on the periphery.

Hundreds of armed transport ships sailed into Surat Port one after another. The 1st, 3rd, and 4th Infantry Regiments of the Task Force, the 1st Artillery Regiment, and the 1st Special Artillery Regiment, about 16,000 people, all landed within three days.

Then, the Second Squadron of the White Tiger Fleet drew 6,000 sailors from the armed merchant ships that provided logistical support and the armed transport ships belonging to the Marine Corps to form two special warfare regiments of naval sailors, equipped with smoothbore guns, and the battalions and companies were equipped with corresponding artillery, with the same configuration and organization as the Marine Corps.

This is the characteristic of the Ming Dynasty Navy. It is like a dragon on the sea and a tiger on land. It can attack and charge, has extremely high combat power, and is truly capable of fighting.

Of course, under normal circumstances, the work on land is given to the Marine Corps, and only in very rare and special circumstances will naval sailors go ashore.

In this military operation, the Anti-Ming Alliance had more than 100,000 troops, but the Marine Corps had only 16,000. In order to be prepared for any eventuality and strengthen his own forces, Chen Lin ordered the transfer of sailors to form a marine special operations regiment.

On October 24, the third batch of reinforcements of the anti-Ming alliance, led by Rajput leader Itimad Khan, arrived near the city of Daman with 200 war elephants and 50,000 troops.

At this point, the total strength of the anti-Ming coalition army reached 200,000.

Muzaffar Shah III, Sultan of Gujarat, Ali Adil Shah I, Sultan of Bijapur, Murtaza, Sultan of Ahmednagar, and Zamorin Surit VII of Calicut immediately felt more confident.

On October 26, the Ming army set out from Surat Port and marched southward along the coastline.

When the anti-Ming coalition forces in Daman City learned that the Ming army had attacked first, they were unwilling to be outdone and reorganized their troops and marched northward with great momentum.

Before setting off, after intense discussions, they finally elected Gujarat Sultan Muzaffar Shah III as the leader of the alliance to unify the command of this huge army with a thousand war elephants, a hundred cannons, and two hundred thousand soldiers.

Due to the large number of people, the anti-Ming coalition forces stretched for more than 40 kilometers horizontally and more than 60 kilometers front and back, and marched northward in a noisy manner, surrounded by four sultans and dozens of leaders.

On the 28th, the strikers of both teams met in Nausari, a seaside town mainly engaged in fishing.

On that day, the main forces of the Ming army all entered the designated positions.

However, it was not until the 30th that the first main force of the anti-Ming coalition, the 60,000 troops of the Sultan of Gujarat, slowly moved to ten miles south of Nausari, set up camp, and waited for the arrival of other main forces.

On the fourth day of November, other troops of the anti-Ming coalition, about 100,000 people, arrived one after another.

However, no one knew where the remaining 50,000 troops had gone, and there was no news yet.

What made Muzaffar Shah III depressed was that these 50,000 troops disappeared, carrying with them the heavy firepower of the anti-Ming coalition, including nearly a hundred cannons.

These cannons were either purchased from the Portuguese, the Ottomans, or cast by themselves, and were the mainstay of the anti-Ming coalition.

Now I don't know where it is.

Muzaffar Shah III sent people to search everywhere, and at the same time ordered all tribes to stay in their camps and not go out to fight without permission.

At about six o'clock in the morning on the fifth day of November, in the wasteland five miles south of Nausari, everything was quiet and everything between heaven and earth was shrouded in morning mist.

An adult gray rabbit crawled out of a burrow, poked its head out and looked around in the morning mist, its trembling whiskers covered with dew as it crept out of the burrow stealthily.

After taking only a dozen steps, it suddenly stopped, twitched its long ears a few times, and then ran back suddenly, and whooshed back into the cave.

(End of this chapter)