Chapter 1423 Flying Thunder Cannon and Palm Thunder
"Maybe gunpowder is produced here?"
Han Yu asked.
"There is saltpeter and sulfur in the mountains, and charcoal can be cut down and burned. It can be made."
Mu Tianbo nodded.
"Could it be that His Highness wants to make a three-eyed gun? The range of this thing is no better than that of a strong bow, and it is very expensive. The only advantage is that the training time is relatively short. However, it seems to be different from His Highness's plan."
"Who wants to do that?" Han Yu shook his head decisively.
He really doesn't like the muskets of this era.
Today's muskets are still in the age of muzzleloader matchlocks, with an effective range of only 50 meters. In order to ensure power and accuracy, the famous lobster soldiers even have to advance to a distance of 20 meters and shoot at the enemy's nose.
Two rounds of musketry were followed by a direct bayonet charge.
The power is strong, but it requires high-intensity training and supply. Moreover, if there are not a large number of skilled soldiers in the early stage, casualties will be huge, which is not the optimal solution for him now.
If he had a breech-loading gun, custom-loaded bullets, and a skirmisher line, he might still consider it, but now, whoever plays with muskets is crazy.
"Then your Highness is planning to make artillery? However, the artillery craftsmen are in both capitals and have fallen into the hands of the enemy. If you want to make them, you can only start from scratch." Mu Tianbo said.
"Bronze cannons are too heavy to haul and cannot be used."
Han Yu still shook his head.
"Then what is your highness' intention?"
Mu Tianbo really couldn't guess what Han Yu was going to do.
"I'll draw a blueprint, and you go find a craftsman and make it for me according to this."
Han Yu picked up his pen and ink and drew several schematic diagrams.
Mu Tianbo took it and took a look. The top was a huge iron cylinder, as thick as a water tank. There was a simple height-adjustable bracket underneath. It was very light and could be carried by one person.
This thing is more like a large water tank than an artillery piece.
The cannonballs inside are also strange. They are not iron balls or lead balls, but squares wrapped in linen.
"Your Highness, what is this?"
Mu Tianbo has been fighting for half his life and has never seen anything like this.
"Hey, last night I was dreaming, and I happened to meet an immortal teaching me a magic weapon. Here is a magic weapon taught by an immortal. It's called the Flying Thunder Cannon. It has a range of up to 500 steps. One cannon is like thunder from the sky. The person who was bombed is not injured on the surface, but The internal organs were completely ulcerated.”
"You said, if our army were equipped with hundreds of these artillery pieces, would we still be afraid of that thief Wu Sangui?"
Han Yu asked with a smile.
"hiss--"
Hearing Han Yu's words, Mu Tianbo couldn't help but take a breath of air.
Today's ordinary bows and arrows have a shooting range of about 100 to 150 steps. Elite archers can shoot about 200 to 250 steps with a strong bow.
However, there are very few such archers. They are the elite among the elite and their number is very small.
Moreover, the requirements for bows and arrows are very high, they are not easy to make, and the production cycle usually takes several years.
Difficult to mass produce.
But the flying thunder cannon is different. Iron barrels, gunpowder and linen can be mass-produced casually.
The shooting range is twice that of an archer.
The most terrifying thing is that this thing is a range attack, using violent explosions to cause vibrations and directly kill people nearby.
In modern warfare, this thing can even be used against reinforced concrete bunkers. Those Eight Banners soldiers don't wear double layers of armor, even if they wear ten layers of armor, it's useless.
If the opponent dares to charge into the formation, with two rounds of coverage, the entire opponent's army can be wiped out.
Mu Tianbo looked at the drawings with doubts, but after all, it was the prince who took it out, so even if he didn't believe it, he had to do it as required.
Soon, the iron bucket was ready according to Han Yu's requirements.
In order to make the iron tube stronger, the craftsman used very solid materials and even put iron rings on it for reinforcement, and the wall of the barrel was also much thicker.
Han Yu was very satisfied when he saw this, and asked people to make explosive packages and propellants as required.
"let's start."
Han Yu ordered.
"Start." Mu Tianbo signaled to the gunner.
The gunner lit the match.
Boom!
With a loud noise, the pile of stones that was used as a target was blown to pieces. The broken stones flew around, and some even flew to Mu Tianbo's feet.
When the smoke cleared, everyone was surprised to find that the pile of stones had been bulldozed.
"Mr. Qian, how about this flying thunder cannon?"
Han Yu asked with a smile.
"This is indeed a magic gift from the gods. With the help of such magical soldiers, we, the Ming Dynasty, can hope to conquer our homeland!"
Mu Tianbo's beard trembled with excitement.
Having been on the battlefield for half his life, he naturally knows what effect this weapon will have once it appears on the field.
It will be a crushing blow to the enemy.
At that time, if there were such magical soldiers to help at Cursed Water Beach, the Ming Dynasty would not have been besieged by the army of the Burmese King.
Thinking of those soldiers who died in battle, Mu Tianbo couldn't help but shed tears in his eyes.
"There is still room for improvement in this thunder cannon. The weight can be reduced. The barrel wall can be made a little thinner. It can also be directly used to make a two-wheeled cart, on which the thunder cannon and shells are placed. One person can push it from behind, and the other People pull from the front, so that the transportation problem can be solved.”
Han Yu thought for a while and decided to promote the stroller as well.
This can greatly speed up the march of the troops.
Of course, these are all unsophisticated methods now that there are no horses.
If you have horses, you still have to use a carriage.
After seizing the seaport, it is even more necessary to build sea-going ships.
It would be cool to just use naval guns to wash the ground.
"By the way, the thunder cannons alone are not enough. We also need to urgently make a batch of clay pots. They don't need to be too big and are easy to throw. Fill them with nails, caltrops, and gunpowder. Leave a match rope outside. When the enemy gets close, If it is lit and thrown out, the clay pot will break and the fragments can hurt people. The iron caltrops and nails inside can also hurt people. The shock caused by the explosion of gunpowder can also hurt people. It is a small flying thunder cannon. "
"By the way, iron nails and caltrops must be soaked in salt water, golden soup or something before they are stuffed in. It is best if they are rusty. This is called tetanus enchantment."
The more Han Yu talked, the more excited he became.
"Your Highness, what is tetanus?" Mu Tianbo's face was full of questions.
He understood every word His Highness said, but he didn't understand them all together.
"Tetanus, how do you explain this?" Han Yu felt that he also needed to popularize disinfection and simple first aid, which could reduce a large number of injuries and fatalities.
By the way, hygiene standards and boiling water should also be promoted. This can reduce the spread of epidemics, which is also very important.
"Let's do this. You take the time to organize the doctors in the village, and I will train them at night."
Han Yu said.
Although he does not have a medical background, he was a doomsday survival enthusiast in the past. He has read part of the Barefoot Doctor Manual, and he still understands simple first-aid bandaging and hygienic treatment.
"By the way, what is the name of this little flying thunder cannon? Your Highness, please give me a name." Mu Tianbo asked from the side.
"This, let's call it Palm Thunder."
Han Yu said.