In contrast, Zhang Hanqing attaches great importance to the towability of heavy artillery.
In modern warfare, the caliber of artillery is getting larger and larger, and the tonnage is getting larger and larger. Artillery cannot provide effective support at all by manpower, and it will also drag down the progress of the army. Historically, a 75mm field gun in the Japanese artillery formation would be assigned 12 horses for hauling related artillery equipment, and the artillery was assigned 6 horses.
This kind of towing force was still usable before and after World War I, but the towing force of 6 horses was determined to be unbearable in the test of the improved Type 38 field gun. Later, the newer and heavier Type 90 field gun was unable to bear the load. The request cannot be met.
This is the 75mm caliber!
Although the artillery force once proposed increasing the number of military horses to adapt to the development of heavier artillery in the future, the level involved was too broad and was rejected by senior officials - Japan, including Manchuria and Korea, could not obtain so many horses.
The logistical pressure is also obvious. In addition to people eating, there are also horses chewing, which is a large number comparable to human heads. In addition, managing these animals is much more difficult than training a few people. It also requires more manpower, so that the already strenuous logistics needs to take care of these redundant soldiers
??This is a big expense.
The artillery units cannot be replaced by the Type 90 due to unsupportable logistics. Although mechanization can effectively cure the root cause, Japan's poor vehicle industry prevents large-scale distribution of tractors.
As a result of this lack of logistics, the Japanese artillery force was not very willing to use the non-mechanized Type 90 field gun. In the end, only a small amount of more than 100 pieces were purchased. It was not until the simplified Type 95 field gun and the mechanized towing method appeared that the Japanese artillery force began to carry out the project. Purchase in small quantities.
This is a typical outcome of military violence. It is true that modern wars are fought on industry.
Therefore, Zhang Hanqing pays great attention to synchronizing the production of weapons with the industrial level, and tilts it towards dual-use industries as much as possible. Simply towed, an artillery regiment requires about a hundred vehicles, because the downsized artillery regiment only has a quota of 1,434 people. In this way, the army's provision of 15,000 trucks is barely enough.
The current annual output of Tianjin Dodge Automobile Factory has reached 200,000 vehicles. With just a few purchases, you can maintain this minimum demand.
??¡ªThis is already an amazing miracle!
Therefore, the standard Chinese army is compared with that of European and American powers. China's military modernization pace also has bright spots: while the army artillery is transforming to motorization, even Western countries did not start to evolve the howitzer from horse towing to truck or to 1930. Half-track towing.
In terms of industrial blood oil, Yumen Oilfield has been producing oil for two years, and its output jumped from the initial 8,000 tons to the current 100,000 tons in only two years.
This production capacity is not enough to consume the tractors produced in Northeast China, but it is of great significance considering that it is the first oil well in the Republic of China and has trained a large number of oil exploration talents for New China.
The China National Petroleum Corporation, invested and established by several major banks, is working hard in the northwest. In addition to increasing the production capacity of Yumen, it has now explored the first well in the Karamay Oil Field. It will not be long before it can meet the demand for oil that is far from being popularized in China's modern industry. question.
Because the military industry is money-burning from any perspective. In the very stingy consciousness of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, in the process of rapid modern military development, building redundant firepower is a huge waste. Therefore, after the entire army equipped all artillery regiments in mid-1925, it immediately stopped the production of 75mm mountain guns and put part of its production capacity on field guns of the same caliber that were more focused on attacking tough tasks.
Because the infantry regiments of the People's Army are all equipped with one such field artillery company, except for the field artillery originally equipped in the divisional artillery regiments that were all transferred to the regiments, the number is still partially insufficient.
Even the 105mm howitzer was quickly discontinued because the internationally mainstream 125mm howitzer production line was introduced from Germany. In Zhang Hanqing's mind, it has not yet reached the stage of large-scale war. It is enough to maintain a certain number of superior artillery and ensure its production capacity.
The People's Army takes small steps and runs quickly, striving to keep pace with the world in a small amount of military industry while tapping the potential of existing equipment to train officers and soldiers. With the current strength of the army, as long as the military literacy of the officers and soldiers is tempered, there is no need to fear the Japanese.
¡° Moreover, with China¡¯s current design capabilities and manufacturing levels, it is really not appropriate to develop artillery everywhere. The correct answer is to select artillery that meets future needs and strive to continuously improve it in practice.
For example, in World War I, France had 13 types of mortars alone, which is not the goal of China's military industry development. Comparing it, there are three heavy models: 370, 270, and 240mm, four medium models: 150, 120, 86, and 81mm, and six light models: 75, 70, 65, 60, 58, and 50mm. It can be seen that weapons with such different specifications are very difficult for logistics. The pressure is so great
The events of World War IIThe destructive power of the 152mm gun is different. Take the British Navy's artillery shells in the 1930s as an example. The weight ratio between the two is 113.4 kilograms vs. 45.4 kilograms, which is quite a difference.
When the automatic loader fails, the 152mm shells can be loaded manually, but not the 203mm shells. Given the mechanical level of this era, it is highly likely that the automatic loader will malfunction and be damaged during wartime. Is it possible that a main gun will be scrapped because of this?
In addition, although the 203mm gun has a power advantage, its rate of fire is relatively low, only 2.5 rounds per minute, while the 152mm gun has 6 rounds per minute. In terms of ammunition projection weight, a warship equipped with eight 203mm cannons has a launch weight of 2,268 kilograms in one minute, while a warship equipped with 12 152mm cannons has a launch weight of 3,269 kilograms in one minute. The 152mm cannon has an advantage.
The higher rate of fire can make up for the lack of range power, especially in bad weather conditions or at night, this advantage is even more obvious. Not only that, the 152mm gun at the time had a longer range than the 203mm gun.
In terms of protection, heavily protected cruisers can withstand 203 mm and 152 mm artillery shells, but no one can stop cruisers with weakened protection. The 25.4mm armor of the Kent class was as thin as a layer of paper in front of heavy artillery. Therefore, the 152mm gun is not at a disadvantage compared to the 203mm gun. After all, everyone is finished with one shot.
In fact, during World War II, most artillery battles between cruisers were close combats at night. Considering the level of fire control in this era, the hit rate of firing beyond 30 kilometers is very low, and the hit rate of long-range artillery battles is basically zero. It is more effective to increase the firing rate at the main engagement distance. Long-distance naval battles in this era were more of a matter of luck.
Naturally, the more shells sent at the same time, the greater the probability of hitting the opponent. Therefore, the comparison of the range of the two caliber artillery has only theoretical significance, and the ammunition projection capability is the key.
The most important point is that Zhang Hanqing¡¯s focus for the development of the navy will be on aircraft carriers. Cruisers equipped with a certain amount of firepower are only intended to effectively protect the safety of the aircraft carrier fleet in small-scale naval battles.
The cannons that can threaten cruisers with thin armor are the same, 203mm and 152mm. When facing a battleship or heavy cruiser equipped with large-caliber guns, even a cruiser equipped with a 203mm gun cannot effectively threaten it. Is it possible that this is the reason? The backward path of "giant ships and artillery"?
no! Since it has been decided that the future of the Navy will be a major change centered on aircraft carriers, we must unswervingly eliminate noise and not be changed by temporary troubles. Labor pains are bound to exist, but the general trend is not dependent on human will. In the era when you have the greatest opportunity to draw the most gorgeous pictures on this white paper, you must strengthen your confidence!
¡° In this way, the 203mm naval gun will be useless, and in terms of development difficulty and manufacturing cost, it is far larger and more expensive than the 152mm. Therefore, the caliber of the naval gun to be developed by the People's Navy in the near future has been roughly determined. As for whether to use this large-caliber naval gun as naval support for landing operations in the future, is it too far-fetched?
Of course, based on the same principle of land and sea use, Zhang Hanqing will not choose a 152mm caliber naval gun, but will directly use a 155mm land gun on the ship.
This advantage is that the navy can directly enjoy the existing achievements of the army, and it can also lay the foundation for future ammunition sharing among the three services. It¡¯s not that other countries can¡¯t do it, but when various models of stuff develop into series, it¡¯s not that easy to change them.
On the contrary, in China, a blank piece of paper is easy to draw on, and systematic integration can be carried out from the beginning. Zhang Hanqing was not willing to play with them. The huge China can form its own system in this magnificent era.
The reason for the emergence of two cannons with almost the same caliber is only due to historical reasons: the change from the poundage system to the inch system, the contribution of the United Kingdom. This means whoever builds an industrial society first will have the right to set standards. ?(Remember the website address: www.hlnovel.com