Chapter 189: Wave of Mortars

Then, instead of talking directly about the cannon, Charles asked the officer a question: "Gentlemen, what do you think of the grenade? Give me some feedback!"

The officers answered one after another:

"That's a great invention, Major!"

“This invention fills a void for us!”

"Quite a few of my soldiers no longer trust their rifles and choose to focus on practicing throwing grenades."

…

The words brought another round of laughter, and many officers agreed.

At this time, the front line was turning into trench warfare. Rifles were no threat to the enemies hiding in the trenches, but this was not the case with hand grenades.

Therefore, many soldiers prefer hand grenades to rifles. They believe that as long as they have enough grenades, they can blow up the enemy's entire trench.

"But there are undoubtedly some problems with the grenade," Charles took over, looking like he was reflecting on his invention.

"For example, if the enemy's trenches are too far away, we have to climb out of the trenches at the risk of being exposed to the enemy's gunfire. Only in this way can we throw grenades into the enemy's trenches."

The officers felt the same way:

"Yes!"

"That's right!"

"So we often do it at night, when it's safer."

…

Charles stepped aside and waved his hand towards the mortar on the podium and said: "Gentlemen, if you don't think of it as a cannon, but as a tool for throwing grenades, you will understand what will happen." Use it!”

The officers suddenly understood. After they exclaimed in amazement, a round of applause suddenly erupted in the conference room, and someone shouted during the applause:

"Does this mean we can hit the Germans without climbing out of the trenches?"

"Yes, the Germans can't bomb us, but we can shoot artillery shells into their trenches!"

"This is something the 75-gun can't do. It can't 'throw' the shells into the enemy's trenches."

…

Colonel Christian seemed to have thought of the use of this cannon. After the applause stopped, he asked calmly: "Major, can you tell me its maximum range?"

"Seven hundred meters!" Charles replied.

The officers once again exclaimed that this range allowed them to hit almost all enemy trenches.

Charles added: "It can fire 25 shells in one minute at the fastest!"

The officers were stunned when they heard this, especially the artillerymen.

They know that the maximum rate of fire of the 75 gun is 30 rounds.

However, the 75mm gun can usually only fire at a rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute, otherwise the barrel will overheat and have to stop soon.

And this thing in front of me looks like nothing more than a bamboo tube. It has nothing but 25 rounds per minute?

What is the concept of 25 rounds per minute?

It means that 25 grenades can be thrown at the enemy's trenches in one minute, but the enemy does not have such equipment, which almost means suppressing the enemy throughout the whole process!

No one would dislike this feeling, especially the officers and soldiers on the front line who have to face life and death all the time.

Colonel Christine sat quietly in his seat, his face uncertain.

He is here with a special mission.

The day before departure, Deputy Commander Kanais found Colonel Christine. He said to Christine meaningfully:

"We heard that Charles convened all the troops for training this time to learn how to use a cannon."

"No artillery can exceed 75 guns, do you understand? If there is, it was not developed by Shire!"

Colonel Christian responded simply: "Understood, General!"

He did understand what was going on. Joffre maintained a certain tacit understanding with Schneider, and Schneider was a capitalist who produced artillery. It would not allow anyone to get involved in the artillery industry. This was a naked provocation to it.

Colonel Christian had no intention of getting involved in this overt and covert struggle between capitalists or power, but he strongly agreed with General Kanais's words: "No artillery can exceed 75 guns."

Just now, before Charles moved the mortar to the podium, Colonel Christian thought that Charles was overestimating his capabilities.

The artillery was not as simple as he thought. The patent for the hydraulic retractor was in Schneider's hands. What else could Charles do?

I never thought that Ciel could really do something...

The moment the mortar moved into the conference room, Colonel Christian saw its role. It was an artillery piece that competed with the 75-gun on a different level.

Colonel Christian looked at Colonel Denis, who was sitting not far to his left. He was talking quietly with several officers.

Christine knew that they had also been attacked by Ciel.

Unlike Christine, Colonel Denis was a staunch defender of the "offensive theory."

Before coming here, they believed that there were only 75 artillery pieces in the world that could provide a basis for their offensive theory, so they also had no hope in Charles' new artillery. They even came with resistance.

There is also Colonel Honoré sitting in the rear. He is Pétain's subordinate. They are supporters of the "defense theory". They believe that the French army should completely replace the 75mm artillery with 105MM artillery with a longer range.

Before the meeting, he even made a bold statement: "Unless the Shire can move out the 'Big Bertha', we will throw it into the trash without hesitation!"

But Colonel Honoré also fell silent at this time.

Colonel Christian felt a little ironic. In this small conference room, there were only 88 officers, but they could be divided into several groups with different views and opinions. They didn't care about each other and had their own ideas.

If there was anything in common, it was that they all disdained Charles' new artillery.

This was also the real reason why the officers made a fuss about the instructor.

However, when Charles put the mortar on the podium and listed the data like a casual chat, the combat concept hidden in it rushed over like a wave and covered all the differences and different ideas.

The officers all thought the same thing in their hearts: This gun can save many people, and they may be among them!

Insist on not using it?

That would be a joke with the lives of themselves and their subordinates!

What's more, this wave is unstoppable.

One day, mortars will be popularized throughout the army and become as popular equipment as grenades.

If anyone insists on not using it, he will be hated and hated by his subordinates in the near future, and even find an opportunity to "get rid of" him.

There are too many such things on the front line. If you block the way for your subordinates to survive, they will certainly take risks to remove you as a stumbling block.

Thinking of this, Colonel Christian no longer hesitated. He stood up and said to Charles: "Major, I hope we can go to the shooting range to test the gun. What do you think?"

"Of course!" Charles raised his head to the instructor on the podium.

The instructor understood and waved his hand excitedly and shouted: "Follow me, gentlemen! But pay attention, every step must be carried out according to my instructions!"