Chapter 174 Tractor Factory

The two people crowded into a room and barely passed the night. The next morning, when Kemal and Hans were dining in the front room, Hans talked about reporting to the University of Athens.

The hotel owner next to him happened to hear it and said with surprise: "It turns out that Mr. Hans is an exchange scholar from Germany."

After saying that, he turned around and took a pot of hot coffee from the counter and placed it on the table for two people. Kemal said confusedly: "We don't seem to have ordered coffee."

"Ah, this pot of coffee is my treasure. It is the best quality coffee produced in Congo. I am giving it to you two," the hotel owner said with a smile on his face.

"Recently, many foreign exchange scholars have come to Greece. I heard from my son Deritmi that many of them ended up staying to teach in Greek universities. Mr. Hans, I hope you can also stay in the end."

Hans asked in surprise: "Who is your son?"

"Oh, Deritmi is a student at the University of Athens. Recently I heard him say that the government has decided to revitalize education and culture in Greece and needs to hire more high-quality foreign talents to teach in Greek universities. Now there is an urgent need in the country."

"Because our hotel is close to the Acropolis (the University of Athens is near the Acropolis), we have received several foreign visiting scholars before." After that, he turned and left.

After breakfast, Hans took his luggage in hand and officially headed to the Acropolis to report to the University of Athens.

I heard that an exchange scholar who had previously served as a lecturer at the University of Heidelberg in Germany was invited to come to the University of Athens. President Ikios of the University of Athens eagerly received Hans personally.

"Then, Mr. Hans, as stated in Crown Princess Sophie's invitation letter, please teach courses on internal combustion engines at our school," Ichios explained to Hans.

"As for scientific research, you don't have to worry at all. Recently, with the support and sponsorship of the Greek military, a research and development team will be set up to study high-horsepower internal combustion engines, such as gasoline engines or diesel engines," Ikios explained happily.

After finally inviting a doctor with a major in internal combustion engines, Principal Ikios naturally wanted to keep Hans here, so he first explained clearly the benefits that Professor Hans could gain from staying in Greece to teach.

When Hans heard about the internal combustion engine research and development project sponsored by the military, he was eager to try it. If this were in Germany, there would be countless scholars with profound qualifications and superb academic attainments. It would be completely unrealistic to lead such a key research and development project. of.

As the birthplace of compulsory education, Germany currently has one of the richest talent reserves in the world. In the past, the Nobel Prize in the early 20th century was almost monopolized by the Germans.

For a young lecturer like Hans, in such a key project, the best outcome would be to work as an assistant under a certain professor, and would be inconspicuous in the entire R&D team.

This is not the case in Greece. Education in Greece, especially higher education, has developed rapidly in recent years, and there is a serious shortage of talents. For talents in short supply like Hans, the research field is internal combustion engines. This technical field has been very popular in various countries recently. Naturally, Make the best use of everything.

"If you have no objection, Mr. Hans, after you visit the tractor factory, you can join the internal combustion engine R&D team," Ichios said.

The next day, in order to show his sincerity, Ichios personally took a carriage and went to the tractor factory with Hans to inspect.

Kemal pretended to be Hans's friend and went to visit with the two of them.

The tractor factory at the Piraeus factory started by imitating American tractors and receiving large subsidies from the government and the military. It established a factory in the Piraeus Industrial Zone and production is on track.

After the three people arrived at the factory, they went straight into the main factory building, a spacious workshop that was almost completely interconnected. Ikios guided the two of them to visit the tractor assembly workshop in person.

As professionals, Ichios and Hans used many professional terms in their speech. Kemal was confused and looked around in the busy workshop.

Under the curved dome of the factory building, workers were seen holding various parts, walking back and forth, and installing them on the main frame of the tractor.

"Currently, this factory can produce about 500 tractors per year," Ichios said proudly to Hans and the other two.

"Can you produce your own engines?" Hans asked.

"After setting up the factory, we can already produce some parts ourselves. However, because the technology is not up to standard, most of the engines still rely on imports. Recently, we plan to introduce the diesel engine production line invented by your country's famous engineers and Diesel" to lead the two companies ahead. Human Ichios said sideways.

In 1892, Diesel developed a practical diesel-powered compression ignition engine.

This kind of engine has high torque, low fuel consumption, and can use low-quality fuel. Once it was invented, it showed brilliant development prospects.

Angeles personally traveled to Western Europe to seek technical support from Diesel and its partners, hoping to obtain practical diesel engine production technology.

(Historically, Diesel became a millionaire by inventing the diesel engine. The reason why he was in trouble later was because his speculation failed and he had no business acumen)

In fact, Ikios's so-called development of high-horsepower engines is also to put money on its own face. To be more precise, it is to provide technical support as a team of engineers to help the factory imitate and produce qualified engines as soon as possible.

"But, you just said that this factory has received strong support from the military; and I heard that your country's army has purchased most of the products of this factory. Why is that?" Kemal asked casually.

Hearing Kemal, who had been silent since getting on the carriage, speak, Ikios was stunned for a moment. As an education practitioner, he did not have a keen sense of confidentiality. He said: "The tractor factory has received strong support from the military since its establishment. At first, it seemed to be related to the military's support for agricultural cooperatives. They have large tracts of land to cultivate, and tractors are efficient. However, I heard recently that the military asked the factory to produce a batch of special tractors, specifying that they should be powered by diesel engines, enter the army, replace military horses, and be used to tow heavy artillery."

Hearing about towing heavy artillery, Kemal was startled and asked subconsciously: "Tractors can also be used to tow artillery?"

"In theory, there is no problem with tractors towing artillery. After all, a tractor with 10 to 20 horsepower is fully sufficient to tow two to three tons of field artillery," Hans explained.

As a military academy student, Kemal naturally knew the importance of artillery mobility.

At present, the most common practice in various countries is to use heavy draft horses to tow artillery. One artillery piece requires about two to three draft horses.

In the field forces of various countries, most artillery is light field artillery. Compared with field artillery, heavy artillery has a long range and great power, but it is very heavy and difficult to keep up with the speed of the troops in the field, so it is generally used for fortress defense.

If the disadvantage of mobility difficulties can be solved, such as using tractors to tow artillery, then the advantages of heavy artillery will be greatly increased.