Chapter 500 Appointment of Commander

Conference room at Century Hotel Antwerp Centre.

Amidst warm applause, "Saint-Etienne" Arsenal and FN Arsenal officially signed a package cooperation agreement.

Representatives of both parties, Dominic and Boyata, held hands tightly and smiled for a while while facing the flash, allowing reporters ample time to take photos.

Albert I clapped his hands and looked at Charles sitting next to him with satisfaction. The more interests he had in Belgium, the more reassured Albert I would be. Therefore, he spared no effort to promote cooperation between the two parties, and even provided state funds to FN. subsidy.

Browning seemed to be impatient. He clapped his hands and lowered his head and asked Charles: "So, what is the answer?"

Charles smiled and replied calmly: "It's very simple, Mr. Browning, think about your shotgun, I mean 'Browning A5'."

Browning was stunned for a moment, and then he half-opened his mouth and realized: It's a semi-automatic, a semi-automatic like the "Browning A5", why didn't I think of that!

The answer is indeed semi-automatic.

Fully automatic based on full-power bullets should be machine guns. If the machine gun is forced to be used as an individual rifle, its shortcomings are unavoidable.

And there is a serious problem with this. It is held in the hand and fired continuously. Due to the large recoil and violent beating, its bullets will fly randomly and have basically no accuracy. It is almost a "blind shot".

Semi-automatic is different.

It is not much heavier than a bolt-action rifle, and has the same ammunition capacity of more than a hundred rounds, and because the bullets are fired intermittently, it has high accuracy.

The most important thing is: every soldier can use a semi-automatic rifle, unlike the BAR, which requires a selection of soldiers with good physical fitness to control it.

Therefore, it is semi-automatic rifles, not BARs, that can completely eliminate bolt-action rifles.

As for the assault rifles that will eliminate semi-automatic rifles in the future, they must be based on intermediate-power bullets.

Boyata couldn't help but sigh when he heard about this plan: "The answer is only three words 'semi-automatic', but we almost paid the price of a branch for this."

"No, no," Browning replied, "It's not as simple as it seems, Jonathan, this is where it's going. If we didn't know this and went full-scale production of the BAR, or even tried to replace the bolt-action rifle with it, what would happen? What?"

Boyata nodded in understanding.

This is the era when creativity is king. A successful design can bring a company on the verge of collapse back to life. Similarly, a wrong idea can make a thriving company close down.

Ciel's advantage is that his ideas are always correct, whether in the military or military industry.

…

Charles received two pieces of good news when he returned to his headquarters.

The telegram was sent by Matthew. Since he learned engine technology from the aircraft factory, Charles put him in charge of the research and development of the tractor factory, while Dejoka was in charge of commercial operations.

"After several months of hard work, our engine has finally reached 250 horsepower, and there is still room for further improvement. I think the development of new tanks can be put on the agenda."

Charles sighed in his heart. The "Holt 75" used at the beginning only had 83 horses, and the more advanced "Holt 120" only had 120 horses. Now it has climbed to 250 horses, more than doubled.

"The 'echo sounder' developed by Professor Fossenden has been successful. After secret testing, it can currently accurately detect submarines at 500 meters."

Fossenden?

"Echo sounder"?

Charles almost forgot about it. When he saw the word "submarine", he suddenly remembered that it was sonar, a sonar used to detect submarines!

Charles didn't think much and asked his staff to call Matthew back: "Let Professor Fossenden continue to work hard to extend its detection range."

At this time, Tijani came forward with a telegram, his face serious.

Ciel asked: "Bad news?"

Tijani did not answer. He first handed a telegram to Charles: "Congratulations, you are now a major general. The new uniforms issued to you are on the way and are expected to arrive tonight."

This could be considered a good thing, although Ciel didn't care.

Ciel's eyes turned to another telegram in Tijani's hand, which must be bad news.

Tijani nodded slightly, shook the telegram and put it in front of Charles: "The appointment and transfer of the commander can be said to be the sequelae of you kicking Jiafei away."

Charles glanced at the telegram:

"Nivelle was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed commander-in-chief of the French and allied forces."

This is no secret, many people know it, and they know that Nivel relies on British connections.

"Galieni serves as Minister of War and Commander of the Reserve Army Group."

This is also well known.

"The 9th Army of Army Group North was transferred to Verdun to fight, and Lieutenant General Ives led the 1st Army of the British Expeditionary Force to take over the defense line of Antwerp!"

…

Charles looked at Tijani in astonishment: "The First Army of the British Expeditionary Force? They transferred the 9th Army and replaced it with the British Expeditionary Force?"

"Yes!" Tijani nodded helplessly.

Charles' troops are on the Antwerp defense line, but they are aviation, armored and mechanized troops. The infantry stationed here need to cooperate with Charles.

Now, they have transferred away the French 9th Army and brought in the British Expeditionary Force.

"I don't know what they think." Tijani frowned and said, "Let us cooperate with the British Expeditionary Force? The soldiers don't even understand the language, and the equipment and ammunition are different, not to mention the differences in each other's tactics. "

Then he complained endlessly:

"I'll be very busy in the future."

"After they come up, the first thing they need to learn is how to read the flag language."

"And the way to communicate with the aircraft, the coordination with the armored forces."

…

Charles was silent for a while, then interrupted Tijani: "That's all you worry about?"

"Then what else?" Tijani asked.

Charles smiled softly: "Think about it, General. What do the British hope to gain most by replacing their mouthpiece Nivel with the position of commander-in-chief at the expense of supplies?"

Tijani was stunned for a moment, then opened his mouth half-open and widened his eyes: "Military glory? You mean, the British are here to steal military glory?"

Charles nodded slightly: "So, what you said does not exist. The commander is not me, but this..."

Charles glanced at the telegram:

"Lieutenant General Ives."

"He is a lieutenant general, and I am a major general, and you are also a major general. Of course we must obey his command."

Tijani was astonished: "Then, under his command, we will rush to the enemy's fortress and win after suffering heavy casualties, but the victory is his?"

"That's pretty much what it means." Charles said, "Maybe there are other means."

The British are always invincible when it comes to being shameless, and they are also very "gentlemanly" in finding high-sounding excuses!