Chapter 367 T14 Tank and T14A Tank

Chapter 367 T-14 tanks and T-14A tanks

Sydney was chosen as the capital because it was the capital of the largest colony at the time, New South Wales, and it also had one of the largest ports at the time, which was more suitable for economic development and also suitable for attracting immigrants.

But now, Sydney's disadvantage of being close to the sea has also been exposed. Before the scale of the Australasian navy is improved, Sydney's security is not so reliable.

Coupled with the problems exposed by Sydney's crazy population expansion, the Australasian government has gradually increased the voices requesting the relocation of the capital.

Relocation of the capital is not unfamiliar to a country. When encountering problems including economic, political, military, and environmental issues, relocation of the capital has become an effective and inevitable solution.

Take the United States as an example. The capital of the United States is not in the most developed city, New York, but in Washington, which has a small population and is relatively underdeveloped.

For Australasia, there is another disadvantage of setting the capital in a southeastern coastal city such as Sydney, that is, the development of inland and western cities is ignored.

Australasia actually has plains, and the Murray River, the only river in Australia.

Theoretically, the development potential of the Murray River Delta is even higher than that of the southeastern Australasia, and it is relatively safe because it is located inland.

This area is also a barren land for Australasia, sparsely populated, and underdeveloped.

If the capital is moved, this area is the most suitable area, but it is also the most troublesome.

This is no different from building a new city, and it also means that the Australasia government will spend decades to build a new city in this area.

But the benefits are also very obvious. There is the largest river in Australia, and it is located in the central plains of Australia, with huge development potential.

If this area is well developed, the Murray River alone can accommodate tens of millions of people living here.

This also means that the Australian region alone can accommodate at least more than 100 million people. In addition to New Zealand, New Guinea and various colonies, Australasia can accommodate at least more than 200 million people, which is exactly the population demand to become a superpower.

Arthur from the future knows that although Australia has more than 7 million square kilometers of vast land, in the future, due to various reasons, there is very little land that can be used, and the population of Australia is generally distributed in the coastal area and the southeast.

You know, the vast central plains of Australia have been completely desertified in the future.

More than 100 years ago, this central plain, especially the Murray River Basin, is not impossible to save.

If this area can be developed into a plantable and habitable area, it will be a good thing for Australasia and for Arthur.

The Murray River Basin alone can support tens of millions of people, and if the Darling River Basin in the north is added, it can support tens of millions of people.

Coupled with the defensive island chain formed by the outer colonies and archipelagos of Australasia, the status of Australasia as a top power is basically established.

However, although the benefits of moving the capital outweigh the disadvantages, there are voices from time to time within the government requesting the relocation of the capital.

For Australasia now, it is not suitable to move the capital in a big way for the time being.

First, Sydney, with a population of more than one million, certainly does not want the government to move the capital. After all, there is still a big gap between the capital and non-capital cities. As the capital, Sydney's convenience in development is unquestionable, which is why Sydney can quickly surpass Melbourne and become the first city in Australasia with a population of over one million.

If it loses its status as a capital, Sydney may not be surpassed by Melbourne, but its status will definitely decline compared to its current status.

Secondly, the relocation of the capital is not something that can be implemented immediately after it is decided. The site selection and construction of the new city, including the construction of the future government seat and the construction of the new palace, etc., not only require a lot of time, but also a lot of money.

In addition, Arthur felt that the European war was not far away. Therefore, Australasia would not move the capital before the end of World War I, and Arthur had no plans to move the capital for the time being.

Instead of using government funds to change a capital, it is better to use them to produce more weapons and equipment to seek greater profits in the war.

When Australasia makes enough money in this war, and there is no threat of war and foreign enemies, it will not be too late to announce the relocation of the capital with great fanfare.

Taking advantage of the great reputation brought by the victory in the war, when the time comes to choose to move the capital, no one will jump out to directly oppose it even if the people are unwilling.

However, although there is no plan to move the capital for the time being, the investigation of the area near the Murray River can already begin.

Even if this area will not be the location of the capital in the future, it is a piece of land that is completely worth developing.

You know, the soil in the current Murray River basin has not suffered much damage. Except for a few areas that have been desertified, most areas are still lush grasslands and forests, with great development value.

As long as the problem of wild rabbits that have already flooded Australasia can be properly solved, this area will be the future granary of Australasia, and one of the most developed and populous areas in the future.

For a country, a geographical area such as a plain has the greatest development potential and is what a country needs most.

Plains can not only be used to build urban agglomerations, but also livestock areas, food production areas, industrial areas, etc.

Moreover, transportation construction in plain areas is easier, and the laying of roads and railways is relatively simple.

Like the mountains and hills in the southeast, when laying railways and roads, tunnels and bridges also need to be considered.

But plain roads only need to be laid with eyes closed, which can not only save a lot of manpower and materials, but also save a lot of time.

On January 17, 1914, Arthur, who had been looking at the geographical map of Australasia for a long time, finally issued his order to dispatch a geographical survey team to the Murray River Basin.

If it is determined that this area is suitable for development and has huge development potential, then Arthur would not mind moving the capital here to develop Australasia's own plains.

If the development potential is not so great, considering that this is one of the few plains in Australasia, some energy can be invested in developing this area after World War I.

Of course, if the development potential of this area is not too great, Arthur's desire to develop this area is not too high, except for promulgating some policies to hinder desertification and Gobiification in this area.

The survey of the geographical environment is a large project. It not only needs to explore the geographical environment of this area, but also explores the mineral resources and fresh water resources of this area, and whether it is suitable for the development of agriculture, animal husbandry and other economic industries.

No matter how fast the geographical survey team progresses, it will take at least two or three months to obtain a relatively complete report.

Of course, Arthur is not in a hurry about this. In addition to patiently waiting for news from the geographical survey team, Arthur currently has other important things, such as the Royal Agricultural Machinery Factory.

The Royal Agricultural Machinery Factory is ostensibly the largest tractor manufacturer in Australasia, but it is actually also engaged in research on tanks.

Since the first-generation tank was developed four years ago, after a long period of exploration and experimentation, Australasia's second-generation tank has also been successfully released.

The research on the first generation tank was very rudimentary. On the basis of the tractor, after adding weapons, steel plates, ammunition compartments and other designs, the first generation tank was born.

Although it has been modified many times since then, this tank design is still very crude. Not only does it look ugly, but it also often causes problems.

It is no exaggeration to say that the first-generation tanks will break down every tens of kilometers they travel, which is a great test of the ability of contemporary tank soldiers to repair tanks.

Although most of them are just minor problems and can be put on the road again after simple repairs, the frequency of problems with the first-generation tanks that cannot stand up is too high.

As for the second-generation tanks, Arthur had high hopes.

Because the second-generation tank is a newly designed tank. Not only is the shape very different from the first-generation tank, but even the performance data and so on are not even the slightest difference.

The first time Arthur saw the second-generation tank, he immediately abandoned the design of the first-generation tank.

There is no other reason. In Arthur's opinion, the second-generation tank is a truly more modern tank.

Even if you don't look at the performance data of the second-generation tank that is much ahead, from the appearance alone, the second-generation tank is enough to kill the first-generation tank in an instant.

The second-generation tank was named the 14-year-old Tank by Arthur, or T-14 tank for short.

According to the design of the Royal Agricultural Machinery Factory, the T-14 tank is divided into two models, namely the basic T-14 tank and the T-14A tank.

Let’s talk about the T-14 tank first, which is the basic version of the second-generation tank. Slightly larger than the first-generation tank, it accommodates five crew members, including a driver, a commander, a gunner, a machine gunner, and a loader.

The T-14 tank is equipped with a GA1902-75mm semi-automatic cannon and an MA-107 Maxim heavy machine gun, which is unmatched in terms of firepower.

The upper muzzle can rotate freely, and theoretically can freely attack enemies in 360 degrees.

Under the muzzle, a heavy machine gun is set up with a fixed direction and can only attack enemies in front of the tank.

In addition to the upgrade in firepower, the T-14 tank is also covered with 21 mm steel armor, which greatly improves the tank's protective capabilities.

The Royal Agricultural Machinery Factory also thoughtfully equipped the tank with an air conditioner, which allows tank soldiers to adjust the temperature inside the tank as they wish, without having to worry about the temperature problems encountered in summer and winter operations.

Of course, the enhanced firepower and armor have also increased the weight of this tank to a full 14.6 tons. Such a big guy is definitely a giant on the battlefield, and its weight alone is enough to crush all enemies.

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