Development of productivity started in 1981

Chapter 158: 155 Artillery's Battlefield Performance

On January 1983, 1, at 9 o'clock in the winter morning in the Middle East desert, the night had not yet completely faded, and the sky was a deep navy blue, as if a huge curtain was covering the vast desert.

At the distant horizon, a faint blush began to appear, like the blush on the face of a shy girl, looming. Gradually, the blush became brighter and brighter, and the color became more vivid, like a ball of blazing flame burning in the sky.

As time went by, a huge red sun slowly rose from the end of the desert. Its light was not dazzling, but with a warm and soft tone, sprinkled on the rolling sand dunes. The golden sunlight outlined the graceful curves of the sand dunes, making each sand dune look like a carefully carved work of art, shining with charming light.

The air in the desert seemed to be awakened at this moment, becoming slightly warmer. Wherever the sun shines, the sand in the desert seems to be given life, glittering with golden light, like countless tiny gems jumping on the sand.

In this silent desert, the rising of the sun seems like a grand ceremony, solemn and sacred. It dispels the cold and silence of the night, brings new vitality and hope to this ancient desert, and makes the entire Middle East desert glow with unique charm in the winter morning.

At this moment, Zhang Zhong and his team were making preparations for the war in the morning light. The four cannons they brought were about to fire in the Middle East desert.

"Zhang, good morning. The conditions here are very poor. You can only eat canned food and dry biscuits with us."

"Hashimi, good morning. We are all from the military, so it's okay to eat these. By the way, is there any news?"

"In one hour, General Suleiman will have one of our artillery squads launch a tentative attack. The front line will also launch a charge. The artillery on the opposite side of Babylon will definitely fire. It will be up to you then."

"Okay, but we only have four guns and 4 rounds of ammunition. If we run out of ammunition, we'll have to wait a long time."

"You don't have to worry about that. As long as we confirm that your guns can really hit that far and have the required accuracy, we will definitely purchase them."

"Okay, then I'll let them eat as soon as possible. They won't have time to eat when the fight starts."

In the artillery camp, the soldiers he brought with him and the soldiers brought by Hashemi sat together and enjoyed a simple but important breakfast.

Steaming canned food, fragrant wheat cakes, and fragrant milk tea, although not rich, can provide the soldiers with enough energy. The soldiers either sit or squat, eating breakfast while talking quietly, and occasionally a few hearty laughs can be heard. Although their faces are a little tired, their eyes are firm and resolute.

After finishing breakfast, the soldiers quickly stood up and began to clean up the dishes and organize their equipment in an orderly manner. Zhang Zhong stood aside, looking at everyone with a serious expression, and said loudly: "Brothers, the battle is about to begin. We must stay in the best condition and give the enemy a fatal blow!" The soldiers responded in unison: "Yes!"

Afterwards, the artillerymen walked towards their own guns and began the final inspection and debugging. The barrel of the 155mm gun shone with metallic luster in the sun, and the shells were neatly placed beside it. The soldiers operated it skillfully and checked every component to ensure that the gun could fire normally.

In the breeze of the desert, the artillery soldiers stood ready, their figures like a fortress made of steel, firm and unshakable. They were ready to welcome the battle at any time, and they would go all out for victory and mission.

At a quarter past 7, Zhang Zhong heard the rumbling sound of artillery coming from afar. This should be the Persian artillery firing shells at the opposite position.

"Attention, radar operator. The enemy's artillery is about to fire. Be sure to track the trajectory of the enemy's artillery shells as soon as possible, and then quickly calculate the coordinates of the enemy's artillery position. Do you understand?"

"Understood. The radar is tracking the aerial target and will definitely be able to capture the trajectory of the enemy's artillery shells as soon as possible."

After waiting for about 3 minutes, Zhang Zhong vaguely heard another rumbling sound. Before he could listen carefully, the radar operator began to report the situation.

"Captain, we have captured the trajectory of multiple enemy artillery shells and have calculated their coordinates: longitude ** east, latitude ** north, altitude **. Please give us your instructions."

"The data was sent immediately to the gun computer while keeping close track and following the previous exercise procedures."

"Hashimi, we have determined the exact coordinates of the enemy's artillery positions. Can we launch an attack?"

"Zhang, so fast? I just heard the report from the front line that the other side fired artillery. How did you calculate the enemy's specific coordinates so quickly?" I don't know why Hashimi was concerned about how they calculated the coordinates so quickly, and didn't think about asking them to fire quickly.

"Hashimi, I don't have time to tell you in detail. Do you want to fire? If the enemy moves their position later, we won't be able to hit them."

"Okay, fire first. I'll tell the frontline observers to keep an eye on the situation. You have to tell me more about it after the battle."

"Cannon No. 1 fires one round for calibration. Adjust the firing parameters according to the data calibrated by the artillery radar. Then all artillery fires rapidly for one minute. Execute immediately." Zhang Zhong gave the order to fire without paying attention to Hashemi's curious wait for explanation.
At this moment, on a tense and murderous battlefield, four 4mm cannons stood majestically.

Suddenly, the signalman gave the order to shoot.

The gunners of the four guns immediately took action, and they skillfully adjusted the direction and angle of the muzzles. Following an order, a gun first emitted a deafening roar, and the shell whizzed out like a flash of lightning, drawing a graceful arc in the air. This was a calibration shot.

After the calibration, the next step was a one-minute rapid fire that made people's blood boil. The four guns seemed to have transformed into angry gods of war, with dazzling flames flashing from the muzzles. Shells were fired one after another with overwhelming force. The sound was like rolling thunder, exploding in the air, and the whole earth was shaking violently. The shells intertwined in the air into a dense barrage, speeding towards the target area.

At the enemy's artillery position, when the first shell whizzed in, it exploded instantly on the position, and mud, rocks and smoke rose into the sky. Then, dense shells fell like raindrops, and the entire artillery position fell into a sea of ​​fire and chaos.

The artillery was blown to pieces, parts flew everywhere, and some enemy soldiers who had no time to dodge lost their lives in the explosion, with limbs flying everywhere. The originally neat positions became riddled with holes, filled with smoke, and full of big holes and burning flames, like a hell on earth. The enemy's artillery positions were almost completely destroyed under this fierce attack and lost their combat capability.

During this one minute, Hashemi kept his mouth wide open, looking in shock as the four cannons continuously spit out huge fireballs. This was a scene he had never seen before.

It was not like he had not been to observe artillery positions before. As General Suleiman's right-hand man, he often inspected artillery units on his behalf and had seen many artillery firings.

However, the previous artillerymen seemed to be using oxen to pull a mill, and they were very slow in firing artillery. It took at least 20 seconds to transport, load, and fire a shell, and some unskilled artillery crews took almost half a minute.

But the artillery pieces brought by the Nanjie formation fired like machine guns. In this short period of one minute, he roughly counted and it seemed that they fired 4 rounds each, almost one round every five seconds.

It seemed to him that the previous shell had just left the muzzle when the next shell had already been loaded into the barrel and fired.

The deafening sound of artillery fire lingered for a long time. Hashimi looked at Zhang Zhong speaking in front of him and it took him a while to hear clearly.

"Zhang, your artillery is so powerful and amazing. I must report to the general and ask him to buy more. It has such a fast shooting speed, it must be a very good artillery." Hashimi said excitedly.

"Hashimi, there's no rush for the order. Hurry up and ask if we should continue firing. We've already fired 20% of the shells just now."

"Okay, Zhang, I'll call to confirm right away, just wait." After saying that, he hurriedly ran to the Hummer to make a call.

From a distance, Hashimi was dancing with excitement while holding the phone, as if he was trying his best to talk about the power of the artillery. Then he waited quietly for a long time, and his expression became particularly surprised, as if he had heard some incredible news.

After the other party finished speaking, he repeatedly confirmed the accuracy of the other party's information, then hung up the phone with an incredible look on his face and slowly walked towards Zhang Zhong. "Zhang, your artillery is amazing. It actually destroyed a heavy artillery brigade on the Babylon side and hit an artillery shell storage point of the other side. Now the Babylon side is retreating. General Suleiman intends to expand the results of the battle and push the front forward. Zhang, please follow our troops and teach our personnel how to use these artillery." Hashimi said excitedly while hugging Zhang Zhong.

"Wait, Hasimi, do we still want to follow your army? We only provide weapons, but we won't help you fight. We did this for testing, but we can't continue to follow your army now."

"Zhang, we have bought these four cannons and the shells. We will send a delegation to you in a few days to sign the purchase contract. Now we will just help with the training. Can't your cannons fire very far? In this case, these four cannons will act independently and follow far behind us, and then teach our people how to use them."

"You've decided to buy it? That's great. We should teach your people how to use it. This type of artillery usually requires five people to form a gun crew. Send someone over as soon as possible to learn how to use it."

"Okay, Zhang, you two are really good friends. I will report it and ask the higher-ups to arrange for someone to come and learn. Zhang, are there any special conditions for artillery operators?"

"Just follow the regular requirements for your artillery personnel. Those who have experience in heavy artillery operation will be even better. By the way, didn't you ask me why we calculated the enemy's coordinates so quickly? Come, I'll show you." As he said that, he took Hashimi to the artillery radar vehicle far away from the artillery position.

"Hashimi, this is our secret weapon that allows us to quickly find the coordinates of the enemy's positions - the vehicle-mounted artillery radar. It can detect the target trajectory within 1 second of the enemy's artillery shells being launched, and then calculate the coordinates of the artillery that fired the shells. Then, based on complex algorithms, it gives our artillery the firing parameters that can maximize coverage of the enemy's positions."

Colonel Hashimi stared at the artillery radar vehicle with his eyes wide open, his eyes full of disbelief and shock, as if he had seen a mysterious object from the future.

He approached slowly, his steps were somewhat heavy, and it seemed that every step was filled with amazement. The body of the radar vehicle shone with a unique metallic luster in the sun, and every detail exuded the breath of advanced technology.

Colonel Hashimi's hands trembled slightly as he gently touched the outer shell of the radar vehicle, feeling the cold and solid material. His eyes followed the lines of the vehicle, and endless waves surged in his heart.

"What kind of equipment is this?" Colonel Hashimi muttered to himself, his voice trembling. Various thoughts flashed through his mind, imagining the great role that this advanced radar equipment could play on the battlefield.

He circled the radar vehicle again and again, unable to take his eyes off it, and exclaimed in amazement from time to time. He was deeply impressed by the complex instrument panel and the sophisticated antenna device. At this moment, he seemed to have forgotten everything around him, and was completely immersed in the shock and amazement of this advanced radar equipment.

"Zhang, can you sell this radar to us too?"

"Yes, of course. But it's more expensive. As you know, ordinary radars are already very expensive. This kind of radar that can quickly calculate the enemy's artillery positions uses a lot of advanced electronic components, and many people are involved in the design and development of the program, so~."

"Zhang, stop talking. How much do you want to sell it for?"

"Hashimi, we are old friends. This radar plus the special car costs a total of 1200 million US dollars."

"Zhang, 1200 million US dollars per unit is too expensive. It's almost worth a ton of gold. Can you make it cheaper?"

"Hashimi, this price is already very favorable. Don't underestimate such a small radar. With it, it is equivalent to having a pair of eyes that can directly see the enemy artillery on the battlefield. This radar is matched with this artillery that can fire rapidly. No enemy artillery can be intact after firing. Moreover, this radar can monitor the battle line within a range of 60 kilometers and command the battle of three artillery battalions or even an artillery brigade. It is definitely very cost-effective."

Hashimi thought about it and it made sense. One of the enemy's artillery pieces plus 60 shells that could fire up to 45 kilometers cost 100 million US dollars. A heavy artillery battalion with 12 guns would cost 1200 million US dollars. If you do the math and share it among three heavy artillery battalions, that means an increase of 3 US dollars per gun, which isn't a lot.

However, the artillery with this kind of radar is completely different from the artillery without it. In addition to not daring to engage in artillery battles without air force cover, it is also because they are too slow in detecting enemy targets. Although the soldiers have a high level of education, it is still too slow to calculate with paper, pen and simple calculator.

Although he had already agreed with Zhang Zhong's statement in his heart, he could not just accept this price. Although the country still had some foreign exchange surplus, it was unknown how long this war would last. Arms expenditure now accounted for the bulk of fiscal expenditure. When the time came, let those people negotiate the price when discussing the purchase contract.

"Zhang, I still think it's too expensive, but I will report the advanced nature of this radar to General Suleiman. Please follow my car to move to another position. The front line should have broken through Babylon's position."

"Okay, but when will your artillery trainees arrive? I can teach them how to use it as soon as possible."

"Soon, they were drawn from the artillery brigade on the front line and were waiting on our way. I will report to General Suleiman later and ask him to send someone to learn how to operate the artillery radar."

When Zhang Zhong heard Hashimi say this, he knew that he was already tempted. This artillery radar was almost successfully sold. He believed that these people would be unable to stop using it after using it.

After using this advanced radar that can be operated with fool-proof operation to quickly detect the enemy's artillery positions, their artillerymen will definitely not be able to adapt to using paper, pen and simple calculator to calculate the coordinates of the enemy's positions.

Hashimi returned to the Hummer and made another report in Persian, then returned and took Zhang Zhong to the Hummer and drove to the western front.

In front of them was an artillery position in Babylon that had been ravaged by ultra-long-range artillery shells. Hasimi was ordered to take Zhang Zhong and others to the scene to see the results of the battle so as to report the specific situation to General Suleiman.

The convoy drove on the bumpy road for about two hours. When they encountered a section that was really difficult to pass, they had to wait for engineers to help fill the potholes.

Fortunately, it is a desert area with relatively flat terrain, and the craters can be easily filled with sand and gravel.

It was almost noon when we arrived at the former Babylon artillery position. Looking from the edge of the position, the scene at that moment would definitely give most people nightmares.

The Babylonian side retreated in such a hurry that the bodies of many soldiers were not properly settled and transported away. Human tissue could be seen from time to time on the edges of some craters.

At noon in winter, the sun was hanging high in the sky, emitting a pale light, but it did not bring any warmth. The former desert artillery position had now become a miserable ruin.

The bombardment of the 155mm howitzer has completely changed the appearance of this land. The originally flat sand is now occupied by a huge crater, as if the earth has been severely torn apart, hideous and terrifying. Around the crater, the sand was blown everywhere, forming circles of irregular sand waves, as if silently telling the fierceness of the bombardment.

Some of the artillery guns on the artillery positions were twisted and deformed, with the gun barrels pointing crookedly towards the sky, as if they were waving desperately to the heavens; others were directly blown into pieces and scattered on the ground, the metal wreckage flashing a cold light in the sun.

The ammunition depot used to store artillery shells was also destroyed. The fragments of artillery shells and the remains of various weapons were mixed together, creating a mess. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and the smell of sand and dust, making it almost impossible to breathe.

The surrounding sandbag fortifications, originally used as a defensive barrier, have now been destroyed beyond recognition. The sandbags were blown away, and the sand flowed down, forming small sand dunes. Some of the soldiers who once defended here have lost their lives in the bombardment. Their bodies lie on the ground in all directions, and their blood dyes the sand red, which is particularly dazzling under the sunlight.

The cold wind blew, making a humming sound, as if playing a sad elegy for this tragic scene. The sun shone on the ruins, but it could not dispel the chill that surged from the bottom of the heart, making people feel cold in their hearts, as if they could feel the cruelty and ruthlessness of war. The entire artillery position was immersed in a dead silence and misery, becoming the most heartbreaking scene in winter.

This is the tragic scene that the 155 howitzer manufactured by Wang Jiankun left on this land. There will be many more terrifying things in the future.

However, the progress of civilization is always accompanied by war. Now it is just a battle between humans, but in the future it may be a battle with unknown existence.

Wang Jiankun didn't know all this at the moment. Although he had foreseen it when he was making these weapons, he still used his superpowers to make these deadly weapons without hesitation, because it was always better for his own side to have these deadly weapons than for the enemy to use them against him.

At this moment, he is in the mountains of northern Myanmar, witnessing his uncle Cen Yong, starting to build the world's first large-scale gas-cooled nuclear reactor, preparing to provide an endless supply of nuclear power for the development of productivity in northern Myanmar.

(End of this chapter)