Lin Gao Qiming

Chapter 244 Bopu Fortress Area

Lin Shenhe raised his binoculars and looked at the floating boat in the distance.When the shooting angle was increased to 10 degrees, the splash point of the shell was not far from the farthest five-kilometer range-finding ship.This is still black gunpowder. If the propellant mixed with nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin can be used, the distance may be even greater.

"It's a pity that the level of fire control is too poor." Li Yunxing sighed regretfully.Relying on visual aiming and gun meter calculations to hit moving sea point targets, a 5% hit rate at this distance is considered a good RP.The biggest contradiction encountered by the Weapons Research Institute in terms of artillery is that the range of the artillery that can be built greatly exceeds the level of fire control.

"Add a scope to the cannon." Bai Yu said jokingly.

"I would like to, but there are no suitable mirrors, right. When the industrial sector can produce optical glass, it will be good to make direct sight mirrors."

"It's always been impossible in the past few years. It still depends on calculations. It will always be useful to make the shooting table and solve the equation. It will always be useful for the gunner to memorize."

"But this cannon is really exciting!" Wang Ruixiang affectionately caressed the polished blue cast steel cannon, "It's thick enough!"

"The Planning Commission only allows us to cast two such 2mm cannons." Lin Shenhe somewhat regretted, "To defend the entire Bopu, two are really not enough. We have to cast more smoothbore cannons."

"I think it's better to cast a few fewer cannons. Casting too many miscellaneous cannons is too wasteful. It can't satisfy this elementary level." Bai Yu said.He had formally studied weapon making, and lacked enthusiasm for these old-fashioned artillery.

"That's right, but it's a pity that there are still too few guns. Bopu is going to be a fortress, and these few guns are not enough." Ying Yu shook his head. As an artillery commander, he is a cross-arms officer. Gunners from both the navy and army are under him He is in charge of the firepower arrangement for the Bopu fortification project. "Including these two, there are only six cannons that can be installed in the fortress area. What's the use of this?"

"It's not difficult to cast new guns, but we should standardize the guns. It's too random now, and the standards are a bit chaotic: there are standard calibers and standard bomb weights. It's too difficult to store ammunition." Li Yunxing suggested.

"Of course, all staff must be equipped with rifled guns." Ying Yu looked down on smoothbore guns, "The army can use imitated Japanese 92 infantry guns and mortars. The navy uses 70mm or 100mm rear-loading rifled guns."

Lin Shenhe found a clean stone and sat down: "According to our current industrial capabilities, let's do it step by step. The artillery used by the new army, the army is still a smoothbore gun for the time being - the army needs a large number of artillery, and the frequency of use is high. Our existing materials are poor, and the ability to manufacture ammunition is weak. Smoothbore guns do not have high requirements for these things, and they are easy to manufacture. If you lose them, you will not feel sad. The division is based on the traditional weight of ammunition. I think 6 pounds, 12 pounds Four pounds of cannons, 12-pound mountain howitzers, and 24-pound howitzers are enough."

"You don't need a mortar?"

"The 24-pound howitzer almost means this." Lin Shenhe said, "As for the cannons used in the siege, they are special types and are not included in the regular equipment."

Wang Ruixiang thought of the infantry weapon: "When it comes to mortars, I think of mortars."

Lin Shenhe said: "The technology is not difficult, the problem is mainly on the ammunition - the fuze, the fuze. If you don't have a reliable fuze, don't play this."

Lin Shenhe continued, "As for the navy, it is a trend to install rifled guns in the rear, at least rifled guns - the number of warships that the industrial sector can provide is small, and it is not easy to train qualified sailors. Ships and people are expensive, so try to use them as much as possible. Rifled guns with long range and high damage can at least protect themselves when encountering powerful enemies."

"I agree with this point. The equipment still depends on our industrial capabilities and the level of the enemy. There is no need to be too far ahead. If we go too far, it will take up more resources and have an impact on industrial upgrading." Li Yunxing said.

"Let's go back to the headquarters."

Everyone got down from the artillery positions and returned to the fortress headquarters. The newly completed fortress headquarters was located on the top of the Pujiao Beacon Tower, at the same place as the heavy artillery emplacements.This artificial hill with a height of more than 25 meters and a slope of 45 degrees has been transformed into the main support point of the entire Bopu fortress area. In addition to the original lookout posts and searchlights, the fortress headquarters, soldier dormitories, ammunition library and many other buildings.

In order to transport a large number of building materials and heavy cannons to the beacon tower, the construction company dug a winch taxiway on the hillside, and used an electric winch to pull the cargo bucket to the top of the beacon tower, which completely solved the transportation problem.Finally, the winch lane was expanded into a covered tunnel. In addition to transporting people and materials, the telephone wires and power lines that were easily damaged in the open air were also moved inside the tunnel.

Barbed wire fences were erected along the perimeter of the top platform, and trenches were dug.The Navy maintains a platoon here.Includes one gunner squad and two infantry squads.

The Bopu Camp at the foot of the Beacon Tower has been reinforced accordingly, including the upgrade of the original crude wooden watchtower to a masonry gun tower.The mechanical department cast a batch of 12-pound howitzers in batches for these turrets. They were installed on old-fashioned naval gun mounts and used pulley blocks to buffer the recoil.The shells fired are mainly shotguns, which are mainly used as machine guns.

Next to the trestle leading to the Fengcheng wheel, a four-story fort with a masonry and cement structure was added. A 32-pound cannon and a 12-pound mountain howitzer were installed on the fort.A platoon is usually stationed on the fort.

Finally, the Fengcheng wheel itself.Its tall body can also play a role similar to Bopu Beacon Tower in the port, and the ship itself has multiple sets of searchlights.Very useful as a cannon.Moreover, the Fengcheng wheel itself is extremely valuable, and adding artillery to it is a double-winner.Another 150mm cannon was installed on the front deck of the Fengcheng ship-they all used the anti-recoil device newly developed by Lin Shenhe, and the cannon could be turned by manpower.

In order to strengthen the protection of MV Fengcheng itself, the executive committee specially issued the "Management Regulations of MV Fengcheng", all unused cabins must be locked, and all portholes must be closed and locked except those that need to be opened regularly for ventilation.All movable tools, furniture, accessories and other items on board shall be registered and recorded, and shall not be used at will.The gangway for getting on and off the boat must be put away before dark every day.

In addition to these support points, a fort and beacon lights were built on Lingaojiao-a fort was built here during the Westernization Movement in the Qing Dynasty.

"It is also possible to create a batch of sea mines to block all dead spots. Basically, the port area is impenetrable." Li Yunxing said: "For safety reasons, it is best to use visual electric sea mines."

"Wires, wires." Lin Shenhe said, "Wires are first-class materials. If you want to use them in making mines, the governor must eat you alive."

"No way, isn't the wire already being trial-produced?" Li Yunxing was in Lingao Telecom, and he had already seen this news from the internal communication sent by the Industrial Energy Commission.

"Are you assured that the enameled wire will be soaked in sea water?"

"Enameled wire?" Li Yunxing was disappointed.But it’s also true after a second thought. The insulating materials of modern telecommunications are either plastic or rubber. Neither of these two things exist here and now, and people can’t make them out of thin air.

Lin Shenhe said: "It should be possible to build fixed anchor mines."

The anchor mine itself does not have much technical content. From the perspective of the time-traveling industry: the mine body is made by casting and filled with black powder——30KG black powder is powerful enough to destroy any ship in this time and space.A certain gap is reserved in the mine body as a buoyancy reserve, and the anchor chain used for mooring the mine body can be made of iron.

The slightly more difficult one is the fuze.In order to ensure that the impact is effective on the anchor mine, multiple fuzes need to be set up, that is, it must be cheap and easy to obtain, and it must be sure to fire.The weapons team decided to start researching the manufacture of anchor mines after finishing the artillery manufacturing work.

"To be honest, if the situation is not critical, it is better not to deploy the anchor mine. There will be endless troubles." Chen Haiyang, who watched the deployment map with them in the headquarters, said, "This thing will disappear after it is deployed. It will disappear." There is nowhere to find it, and it is troublesome and laborious to remove, and the effect is not good."

He sighed: "However, this sea mine is very durable. A mine ship hit by it 60 or [-] years ago can also explode. The Yangtze River Estuary Channel is still being cleared continuously—the remaining mines laid by GMD during the Anti-Japanese War are still there."

"I guarantee that the sea mines we make will never last for five or sixty years, and will definitely fail after a few years at most." Lin Shenhe said jokingly.

While discussing the plan of fortification, only listening to the report of the sentinel, Li Haiping came.

Chen Haiyang frowned as he looked at the application sent by Li Haiping.Although it was almost certain that the Executive Committee would meet Li Huamei, the wishes made by the lower-level military officers made it impossible for him to reply.

"Guns, absolutely not." Chen Haiyang said, "Don't say that I don't have the right to do so. The executive committee has to discuss collectively the matter of giving guns to the aborigines. Your wish is beyond the scope."

Li Haiping said anxiously: "When people train sailors for us, they must give benefits."

"There are many benefits. Why do you have to make up your mind on guns?" Chen Haiyang said, "I can't make a decision on this matter. I will report it to you during the meeting. The decision depends on the executive committee."

"Isn't this too bureaucratic? We are in desperate need of friends now! It's okay to visit the Fengcheng ship, right? Don't go into the cabin, just walk around on the deck."

"Friends or not is not something that our navy should manage. Also, your application to take her on a tour of the Fengcheng ship has to be approved by the executive committee."

"Damn, what is this—"

At this time the phone rang, Chen Haiyang answered the phone, said a few words "yes", and then said Li Haiping's application again:

"That's right, that Li Huamei's attitude seems to have changed, so—hmm? Yes, yes, yes. I understand!" He hung up the phone and said to Li Haiping:

"You're lucky, the executive committee agrees to take her on board for a visit, and you can't enter the cabin! The executive committee has a task that requires her cooperation."

(End of this chapter)