King of Song

Chapter 384 God Arm Crossbow

During the months of fighting in the Northwest, Lin Zhao had a deep understanding of some problems.

The Xixia army is elite, especially in field battles, and its combat effectiveness far exceeds that of the Song army.The main reason is that the riding and archery level of the Xixia people is higher than that of the Song army.

Riding and shooting are two parts, "riding" and "shooting". Party members live as nomads and are a nation on horseback.Since the Song Dynasty lost the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun and the horse breeding land in Hexi, there has been a serious shortage of horses.There are not many cavalry themselves, and they are even weaker in terms of cavalry.

This is not something that cannot be changed. Now that we find a way to buy horses from Tubo and Sichuan and Yunnan, form cavalry, and train them, the skill of controlling horses will definitely be greatly improved.In this regard, although it is difficult to completely surpass the Xixia people, it is not impossible to be on par with them.

Another important point is "shooting". Long-range attacks are very important for cavalry combat. The most important weapons are bows and crossbows, to be precise, bows and crossbows.

There is a big difference between a bow and a crossbow.

The bow is composed of elastic bow arms and flexible bowstrings. When the strength accumulated in the process of drawing the bowstrings is released in an instant, the arrows buckled on the bowstrings can be shot at distant targets.Bows and arrows, as long-range weapons, were widely used in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods.

It mainly relies on the strength of the arm, coupled with the elasticity of the bowstring to launch the feather arrow, and the attack distance is relatively long.Relatively speaking, in terms of accuracy and lethality, it is much worse than the crossbow.

Crossbow is also called "wo bow", "crossbow".A weapon used in ancient times for archery.It is a bow equipped with arms, mainly composed of crossbow arms, crossbow bows, bow strings and crossbow machines.In layman's terms, bows and arrows require people to pull the bowstring, grasp the direction and aim.On the other hand, the crossbow is placed directly after the arrow is placed, and the trigger is pulled, using mechanical power.

In ancient times, the elasticity of equipment materials was average, so bows using human power had a longer range than crossbows.Crossbow arrows have a loading process, which takes time, while bows have a faster rate of fire.But in terms of accuracy, it is impossible for all archers to be sharpshooters. The error in aiming itself is much larger, especially when the arm and body shake during the archery process, which will also affect the direction and accuracy of the arrowhead. .As a result, lethality is bound to be affected as well.

The arrows fired by the crossbow are short and thick, and the center of mass is in the front of the aerodynamic center. The arrow is easy to fall when flying in the air, so the lethality is stronger than that of the bow at close range. At the same time, because the crossbow is a stable shooting platform, after firing the bow There is no need for strong arm support.Furthermore, the three points and one line between the crossbow arrows and the crossbow machine, as well as the human eye, is the same as the guns of later generations, and it is easy to aim, so the hit rate of the crossbow is higher.

More importantly, a good bow and arrow must have good talent and practice hard, which requires relatively high quality users.But in ancient times, most soldiers were recruited from farmers, and they were often deployed in agriculture. The quality of soldiers was also uneven, and the effect of archery can be imagined.

Relatively speaking, the crossbow is easier to use and operate, and its lethality and accuracy are also good, so it has become a standard weapon commonly used in the army.

During the defense of Dashun City, crossbow arrows were the best weapon to suppress and prevent the Xixia army from attacking the city, but the crossbow used by the Song army seemed to have flaws.After the actual combat, Lin Zhao felt that some areas needed to be improved.

In his previous life, he had read some military books and related film and television documentaries, so he had some impressions of this and had some thoughts in his mind.Dashun City is not a place for research and experiments, and he has to face the threat from Xixia at any time, so he doesn't have the energy.

Therefore, Lin Zhao wrote down some of his ideas, or drew the blueprints and sent them to Yanzhou to hand over to Shen Kuo, asking Mr. Shen to help improve the design.

Lin Zhao didn't have much hope at first. In the thousands of years of ancient times, the progress of weapons was so slow.How easy is it to improve a weapon?Where can it be accomplished overnight in such a short time?
Of course, since he was passing through Yanzhou, Lin Zhao still wanted to come and find out, maybe there is progress.Unexpectedly, the result is amazing!

Shen Kuo led Lin Zhao into a room. As soon as he entered the door, Lin Zhao saw a crossbow placed on the table. Was it it?Lin Zhao's heart skipped a beat for no reason?Looking forward to it.

Shen Kuo explained: "According to Dongyang's suggestion, I studied for a period of time and made this crossbow. I used mulberry wood as the crossbow, and solid sandalwood as the body, and hemp as the string. It is light and strong. The bow is three feet three feet long. , the length of the string is two feet five."

Three feet three, that is, one meter, the most intuitive feeling is that the size of this crossbow is much smaller.In this way, it is more convenient to carry.

"How powerful is it?" This is what Lin Zhao cares most about. The intuitive response of a weapon's effectiveness is its power, which is also the most necessary meaning of its existence.

Shen Kuo hesitated for a moment, then said: "340 steps, half an arrow into the elm!"

"What?" Lin Zhao was startled, extremely surprised. 340 steps?What is this concept?In ancient times, the step was often used as the unit of measurement, and a step was roughly one meter away.If the range of this crossbow reaches 340 steps, that is about 400 meters. A range of 400 meters is nothing in later generations, but in the ancient society of the cold weapon era, it was amazing.

Engels said that the longbow used by British infantry in the 200th and [-]th centuries could shoot [-] yards and was "a very terrible weapon" at that time.Converted from [-] yards, it is less than [-] meters. Compared with the crossbow designed and manufactured by Shen Kuo, it is nothing compared to the big witch, not worth mentioning at all.May I ask, how terrifying should this crossbow be?
As for the power, it is even more astonishing, half an arrow into the elm, that is to say, half an arrow into the elm.Elm is a relatively hard wood, which shows the penetrating power of crossbow arrows.If it is shot at a soldier, even if it is protected by armor, it is estimated that it will not have much effect, and the lethality is very large, and it is obvious.

"Is that really the case?" Although Lin Zhao had read a lot of materials, he vaguely remembered such data.But when Shen Kuo said it, he was still shocked and seemed a little unbelievable.

Just imagine, three or four hundred meters away, arrowheads can penetrate armor and kill people. How terrible is that?Facing this weapon?Anyone else dare to approach, anyone else dare to charge?
"It's no lie, just try it and you'll know that this crossbow even surpasses the rhubarb bow!" Shen Kuo was full of confidence in this.

The so-called rhubarb bow originated from Li Guang, a parachutist in the Western Han Dynasty. It is said that the arrow used by Li Guang was called "rhubarb arrow".Later, Li Guang also used this arrow to shoot tigers. Since then, the rhubarb arrow has become famous all over the world and has been passed down for a long time, becoming a milestone representative of strong bow and strong arrow.Now that Shen Kuo is full of confidence, the crossbow in his hand can surpass the big yellow bow?It really makes people wait and see!
It has to be said that it is absolutely reasonable for Shen Kuo to build a mansion here.There is a huge field in the backyard, which seems to be a school field specially used for training, and of course it is also an excellent place to test weapons.

The elm plank in the distance has been set up, and the person responsible for measuring the distance is also ready. Everything is in order, and they are waiting to test the range and power of the crossbow.

Shen Kuo said: "Dongyang will shoot an arrow first, don't look at the power, just look at the distance, how about it?"

"Okay!" Under Shen Kuo's guidance, Lin Zhao installed the crossbow, walked to the front, and pulled the trigger towards the distance.The mechanism on the crossbow machine moved immediately, and a strong elastic force came into being. With a whoosh sound, the crossbow arrow flew out, and seemed to disappear in an instant.

Lin Zhao stared dumbfounded at the arrow flying towards the distance, and finally fell to the ground exhausted.You don't need to measure it, you only need to look at it to know that the range is definitely not close.

Soon, an attendant came forward to measure the distance, and the result was 320 three steps, and it was about 70 meters down.In the subsequent tests, the results were almost the same, all above 320 steps.It can be seen from this that Shen Kuo did not aim in vain, the range of this crossbow is really amazing!

"How is it? Dongyang!" Shen Kuo had a smile on his lips, obviously very satisfied with his results, and even a little proud.

"That's right, that's right, such a range is enough to make you look down on the world!" Lin Zhao waved the crossbow in his hand, observing carefully to see if he could discover the mystery.

"Try the power again!" Obviously, Shen Kuo was full of confidence, and this was the rhythm of wanting to speak with facts.

Later, attendants set up elm planks at different positions, and Lin Zhao shot crossbow arrows to test.The result is very obvious, within 250 paces, half an arrow penetrates into elm wood; within [-] paces, the arrowhead penetrates more than an inch; beyond [-] paces, it can also cause damage, and the arrowhead penetrates deeply.Judging from such power, it doesn't seem to be a problem to penetrate ordinary armor. If the distance is closer, it can cause fatal damage.At the same time, it also verified the problem of accuracy from one side, and it can be said that the arrow was never in vain.

Lin Zhao was shocked by such a result. He just informed Shen Kuo of some materials and ideas he had seen in later generations. He never expected to actually create such a magical weapon.

"Sir, is there anything special about this crossbow?" Lin Zhao asked nonsense, if not, how could it have such a range and power?At the same time, it is also a huge question, and it also involves a huge secret.

Shen Kuo said: "If it is an outsider, this is a secret, but the manufacture of this crossbow was inspired by Dongyang, so I will tell you the truth. The key point is the crossbow arm. A small mechanism is installed here to increase the strength and elasticity of the crossbow arm. The faster the shot, the greater the range and power!"

Only then did Lin Zhao lower his head, and saw that there was indeed a small pocket.He had seen it just now, but he wasn't quite sure.The mechanism looks very simple, but it is extremely troublesome to make, and its role is immeasurable.

"By the way, is there a name for this crossbow?" Lin Zhao played with the crossbow in his hand and observed it. It can be said that he couldn't put it down, so he curiously asked about its name.

Shen Kuo shook his head and said, "You came up with the idea. I wanted to name it Dongyang Nu, but I was afraid that something might be wrong. It's up to you to decide!"

Dongyang crossbow?There is no objection to naming Lin Zhao after his own character, but what if it slowly evolves into the "Oriental Crossbow"?In order to avoid this unnecessary embarrassment, it is better to name it differently from the beginning.

"Why don't you just call it the God Arm Crossbow? The small mechanism makes the arm of the crossbow extraordinary, like the help of God, the God Arm Crossbow? What do you think, sir?" Lin Zhao thought for a moment and gave an answer.

Divine arm crossbow, that's right!It is the god arm crossbow that appeared in the Shenzong period of the Northern Song Dynasty!

This crossbow has many advantages, such as long range. The "God Arm Crossbow" requires more force than a bow to open the string, so it has a longer range than the bow; in addition, it can aim at the target and has a high hit rate. The "God Arm Crossbow" is actually a strengthened bow and arrow, which can be aimed at the target and then fired when needed, which is conducive to capturing the shooting opportunity and has a higher hit rate than the bow.It can even shoot several or even dozens of arrows at the same time, which is more powerful in combat and more practical than a bow.

The magic of the divine arm crossbow lies in its mechanical parts. Its production method and its secrets are still recorded in the "Yongle Dadian".It's a pity that "Yongle Dadian" itself was destroyed in the flames of war, so the god arm crossbow was completely lost.Although Ji Xiaolan recorded it in "Yuewei Thatched Cottage Notes", it is only a few words, an incomplete part.

Lin Zhao had seen it in the film and television documentary of his previous life, so he had some ideas, and then told Shen Kuo.Unexpectedly, Shen Kuo was so good that he overcame this problem and completed the production of the god arm crossbow.This magical weapon will have an important impact on the Song Army's operations, and to some extent it will also affect or even change history.Lin Zhao once again flutters the wings of a butterfly, adding some variables to this era...

"Sir, you are really amazing!" Lin Zhao now admires Shen Kuo a lot.

However, Shen Kuo shook his head and said, "If it wasn't for your idea, how could it be designed? By the way, thanks to Li Ding, he was the one who figured out a way to solve the problem of Ji Kuo! Now he is rushing to work, in time for you to leave tomorrow." , can make a few god-armed crossbows, you may be able to use them in Suizhou if you take them with you!"

"Thank you very much!" Lin Zhao finally understood at this time that Shen Kuo was in a hurry to make it, and it turned out that he was helping himself.

Shen Kuo shook his head and said, "It's just a few trivial things, but the God Arm Crossbow is too heavy and suitable for infantry...Of course, it's best to use a car... One thing Dongyang must pay attention to, if it loses on the battlefield, the God Arm Crossbow can't carry it. It must be burned when you leave, this thing is miraculous, and it cannot be obtained by Xixia and Liao for the time being!"

"I can save it!" Lin Zhao knew in his heart that this is a first-class technology and military secret!The good thing is indeed, it is just to use the frame, it will inevitably be a bit troublesome, maybe it will be more convenient to use in offensive and defensive battles...

Offensive and defensive battles...chariots...crossbows...Lin Zhao suddenly seemed to think of something. After a moment of silence, he said in a deep voice, "Sir, let's study bed crossbows when you have nothing to do. For example, apply the god arm crossbow to bed crossbows? Is it because the crossbow of the bed crossbow has been improved... One bow is not enough, but two, or three... I don't know what you think?"

(End of this chapter)