Chapter 763: Sharp Weapon
"Back to Your Highness, during your Highness's expedition to Goryeo, I ordered the craftsmen to polish a broach specially used to cut the rifling of artillery. Ten days ago, they began to improve the artillery in the army. Wang Ying signaled Zhao Xu to go to the artillery workshop and introduced Get up, "Thirty-six cannons have been improved at the moment for His Highness' inspection. "
Zhao Xu nodded. A rifled gun is an enlarged version of a rifled gun.
In this era, guns and guns are indistinguishable.
The Bingzhan Division can rifling rifled guns. With slightly improved technology, it will naturally be possible to rifling rifled guns.
Therefore, it is natural and not surprising that Wang Ying successfully improved the smoothbore cannon into a rifled cannon.
As the two of them talked, they arrived at the warehouse of the artillery workshop.
Here, thirty-six field guns were arranged in sequence.
Zhao Xu walked over and stared at the barrel of the gun to inspect.
Regular rifling is etched inside.
Satisfied with this, Zhao Xu looked at Wang Ying and asked: "There is no problem with this rifled gun. However, in order for this rifled gun to exert its power on the battlefield, there is still one thing that needs to be solved. Do you know this?"
He did not explain directly, but asked Wang Ying instead.
This is not to show off.
But to test whether Wang Ying has his own independent thinking when it comes to firearms.
After returning from Korea this time, he believed that it was necessary to build a firearms research and development institute in the Department of War and War, just like the research and development institute.
Then select some students from the Science and Technology School and give them to Wang Ying, asking him to independently develop firearms according to the tasks he gave.
After all, the structure of firearms will only become more and more complex in the future, and Wang Ying alone cannot do it.
Otherwise, this will slow down the speed of updating weapons.
"Your Highness, this is not a problem for me." Wang Ying heard the words and smiled softly.
He carried it to the box on the left side of the field gun and took out a cone-shaped shell.
Coming to Zhao Xu, Wang Ying said: "Like rifled guns, round bullets are not easy to load. Inspired by rifled guns, I also improved the cannonballs, so I got this conical cannonball."
Zhao Xu showed a satisfied look and asked, "But round cannonballs can roll on the ground and bounce to kill enemies, but conical cannonballs don't seem to be able to do this, right?"
"Hehe..." Wang Ying smiled proudly, knowing that King Yan was testing him.
So, he said: "So, these conical shells are explosive shells and can be exploded. Your Highness, please take a look."
While talking, Wang Ying twisted the bottle cap-like structure on the front of the cannonball, and soon he unscrewed a long screw.
Wang Ying showed Zhao Xu the screws and the top of the cannonball.
"I replaced the wooden plug of the round shell with a bolt. There is a small hole in the middle of the bolt, which can be inserted into the wire. The mouth of the shell is threaded. You can control the time when the shell explodes by rotating the screw." Wang Ying explained.
"Well, that's very good. You've got the right idea for the development of rifled cannons." Zhao Xu patted Wang Ying on the shoulder.
In fact, when Wang Ying came up with this kind of cone-shaped artillery shell, he actually changed the shape of the previous round shell, and changed the wooden plug into a metal bolt, so as to ensure that the yellow gunpowder exploded the projectile body instead of just like fireworks. The shell ejected from the top and turned into a dud.
But this improvement is very remarkable, just like the change in the shape of rifle bullets, it is enough to cause a military revolution.
Just like the current Western countries, they have the ability to make rifled guns, but hundreds of years of habits have prevented them from thinking that bullets can also be tapered.
But once they understand it, they quickly apply it.
In modern times, the changes in rifled gun bullets have also gone through this process.
One side first used a rifled gun with conical bullets on the battlefield, and the other side immediately followed suit.
Therefore, Zhao Xu has been worried that the two wars in Nanxia and Goryeo may expose the secret of the conical bullet.
The other party will definitely study the secret of Yanzhou rifled gun.
But he wasn't worried about that.
From research to comprehensive follow-up, the other party needs at least two or three years.
This period of time is enough for the royal army to equip the next generation of rifled guns.
It was precisely this consideration that made him decide to restructure and formalize the Department of War and War, and create a modern military industry research and development system.
"Your Highness is so complimentary. It sounds like he was just inspired by the tapered bullet." Wang Ying said politely.
Zhao Xu took the cone-shaped cannonball and looked at it again, becoming more and more satisfied.
With the conical shells, the rifled field artillery will have the same accuracy as a rifled gun. It can hit wherever you point it, and it will exert terrible power on the battlefield.
Not only can it kill enemies through straight-line impact, but it can also kill enemies through explosions.
But the biggest change in the combination of rifled guns and conical shells is actually not the army, but the navy.
First, the navy will install rifled guns, and the range and accuracy of naval guns will be greatly improved again.
Secondly, tapered shells are more likely to pierce the hull than round shells.
Just imagine what a terrifying scene it would be for a cone-shaped cannonball to explode inside a wooden battleship.
In modern history, it was precisely because of the emergence of conical bombs that wooden sail warships declined rapidly, and ironclad ships covered with thick iron armor appeared.
At the same time, so many gun positions are no longer needed on the battleship.
Because it only takes a few hits and the opponent is basically finished.
Thinking of this, he said to Wang Ying: "Send a team of people to Jinghai County, transport the steam engines and artillery broaches, improve the navy's naval guns, and manufacture a batch of conical shells needed for the naval guns."
"Yes, Your Highness." Wang Ying answered simply.
Then, Zhao Xu told Wang Ying about the firearms research and development institute.
Wang Ying was naturally very happy about this.
His son is in charge of a research institute, and he, as a father, is not as good as his son.
Now when he eats at home, he doesn't have the confidence to teach Wang Chong a lesson.
With this important task, he suddenly felt his back straightened.
After staying in the Arms Department for a while, Zhao Xu returned to the palace.
All the arrangements for the past few days have been arranged.
Next, he just needs to wait for the fruits to ripen.
In addition to these, Chen Shou promised him that the steamship would be launched in November.
It is now mid-September, and there should be good news in just over a month.
Thinking of the Ship Department, Zhao Xu thought that a batch of shipyards should be built to make dumplings.
After all, in the future, the British fleet in the East is just the tip of the iceberg of the British fleet.
Britain currently has more than 500 warships all over the world.
This does not include the warships of other Western countries.
Moreover, Western countries now have the ability to build steamships.
It cannot be reflected in peacetime, but once a large-scale war breaks out, their production capacity will explode.
At that time, more steamships will be put into service.
Therefore, the shipbuilding capability must not lag behind.
Of course, there is one more point.
Steamships can be used not only for military purposes, but also for civilian purposes.
He hopes that some steamships will be used for water transportation.
In this way, with the developed water network of Dasong, the coal of Jinzhou, the soda ash of Yuzhou, the graphite of Qizhou, and the iron ore of Yanzhou can be circulated in Jiangbei to promote the development of industry.
…
At the same time, Lincheng.
A steamship slowly docked at the dock.
The British envoys entered the palace under the guidance of Prince Liang Feng.