Chapter 491 Landmine

Charles gave Pétain more than just these.

Charles thought, since directional mines have come out, ordinary mines should also be available, right?

Isn't Pétain good at defensive warfare?

How can defensive warfare be without mines!

The reverse slope plus mines plus directional mines is simply a plan for the Battle of Verdun. No matter how Pétain plays, he can't escape my shadow. No matter how he fights, people will think that he is fighting according to my tactics, and they are sure of it.

Thinking about it, Charles took out his notebook and drew the oblate mine used in modern times on it. He also drew the internal structure next to it, and said as he drew: "The structure is not complicated. When the target steps on the pressure plate, the fuse opens, and the internal spring device pushes the firing pin forward, hitting the primer and exploding."

Steed stood next to Charles and watched. He didn't react at first, but after listening to Charles' explanation, he understood: "This is, a mine?"

He stared at the picture drawn by Charles in a daze.

There were already mines in this era, but they were large and inconvenient to carry. In addition, they were not taken seriously due to a series of shortcomings such as unreasonable shape, complex structure, and difficulty in detonation. They appeared like a flash in the pan during the Russo-Japanese War ten years ago and then disappeared. They were rarely used in the European battlefield.

The mine plan proposed by Charles directly solved all these problems and reached the final form.

He thought it was not a complicated thing, so he just did it in one step.

(The picture above shows a mine during the Russo-Japanese War. It was aimed at killing people, so it had a large amount of explosives, large size, and heavy weight. The wide bottom was not conducive to burial. The biggest defect was that it was detonated with an electric ignition device. The wooden box next to it was the battery box, which required temporary wiring and was easily affected by moisture and failed in actual combat)

It took a long time for Steed to react: "This is, stuffing everything into the mine body? And using a fuse to detonate it?"

Steed has been engaged in military industry for many years and realized that doing so can simplify many operations and is easier to prevent moisture, which is a major improvement in modern mines.

Dominic came up and looked at the size of the mine. He frowned and reminded: "Commodore, it is difficult to kill the target with a mine of this size. After all, it is buried underground, and a considerable part of the shrapnel and power will be absorbed by the soil..."

"I didn't intend to kill the target." Charles interrupted Dominic.

"What?" Dominic looked at Charles puzzledly: "Isn't the goal of war to kill the enemy?"

Charles replied calmly: "No, Dominic, the goal of war has never been to kill the enemy, but to win."

Dominic was stunned, and seemed to understand something. There was a hint of sadness on his face. For the sake of victory, humans can really do everything.

Sted still didn't understand: "I don't think there is any difference between killing the enemy and winning, Brigadier General!"

Steed is a businessman after all, even if he is a businessman selling arms, he is still a businessman, so his understanding of arms is always superficial. Like many people, he believes that as long as he kills the enemy, he can win.

"Father," Dominic explained, "blowing off an enemy's leg on the battlefield will be much more useful than blowing him to death."

"Much more useful?" Steed looked at Dominic half-doubtfully, and then turned his gaze to Charles.

Charles nodded at Dominic, motioning him to continue.

Dominic sighed lightly: "Broken legs, the enemy is actually unable to fight and will not pose a threat to us. But he still needs a few soldiers to carry him down for treatment, and he will need military doctors, medicines, supplies, and nursing in the future. If he survives by chance, it will be difficult for him to create value, and he will only continue to consume the already tight supplies of the Germans."

Steed listened in amazement, and then suddenly laughed: "You're right, Dominic, that's how it should be, that's how it should be, causing trouble to the enemy, a little bit of explosives can drag them down, why not?!"

Then he took the blueprint as if he had found a treasure, and said to Charles confidently: "I will produce it soon, Brigadier General, it will only take a few days."

After that, he glanced at Dominic.

He was used to Charles' genius, so he was not surprised by Charles' performance.

But today he found that Dominic also had talent. It would be better if he could change his unnecessary "feminine kindness".

Charles continued: "In addition, we can produce larger mines and use them to deal with tanks."

"Of course, Brigadier General." Steed said: "Of course there must be mines to deal with tanks."

At this point, his expression froze: "But how can we make it blow up tanks? I mean, the enemy's infantry will also trigger it."

"Pressure, Mr. Steed." Charles replied: "People weigh at most more than 200 pounds, but tanks are different."

Steed said "Oh" and understood, and his face was surprised in an instant: "Yes, as long as we do some pressure control, it will only explode when the tank runs over it. God, what a genius idea!"

Dominic looked at Charles in shock. Although this idea is simple, it is not easy for Charles to say it casually in a moment, as if he had known it for a long time.

However, this is not the end.

Charles wrote and drew in his notebook under the surprised eyes of the two people, and said as he drew:

"We can also produce a smaller mine."

"It can be divided into two parts, the mine shell and the mine body."

"When it is triggered, the charge in the mine shell can throw the mine body to a height of one meter, and then the delayed fuse will detonate the mine body..."

(The above picture shows the S-type mine developed by Germany in 1930. It will bounce to a height of 1 to 2 meters and explode. It is nicknamed "Bouncing Betty".)

After finishing, Charles put the notebook in front of the two people: "Of course, in addition to explosives, there must be steel balls in the mine body, just like directional mines."

Steed and Dominic were stunned on the spot. There are such mines?

Jump to a height of one meter and explode, and there are steel balls inside? !

The two of them looked at their lower bodies at the same time. Just imagining the scene made them feel terrified.

Then Steed became excited. What he saw was countless orders, rolling wealth, and the revitalization of the "Saint Etienne" arsenal.

He once again affirmed his strategy of following Charles closely, how wise he was back then.

If Charles was a competitor now, "Saint Etienne" would have been pressed to the ground and rubbed and spit a few times.

Dominic swallowed hard and said to Charles hesitantly: "Is this too cruel, Brigadier General?"

"This is war, Dominic." Charles' voice was cold: "There is a saying that goes, 'Kindness to the enemy is cruelty to yourself', do you agree?"

Dominic was silent for a while and nodded gently.

The battlefield is a place where it is either you or me. If you are soft-hearted when you can kill the enemy, you will be killed by these enemies in turn.

If you have to choose between the two, of course you choose to kill the enemy.

Dominic sighed:

"You are right, General, I apologize to you."

"I am not a soldier, I have not faced the enemy on the battlefield, and I do not need to face this life-or-death environment, so I have no right to judge."

Charle developed these just to save his own life and the lives of his subordinates, Dominic thought.

What choice would I make if I were in such an environment?

Let the enemy kill me?

Maybe this is the only way!