Chapter 396： breech block and rifled gun

"What do you two think?"

Jérôme Bonaparte turned to look at the Director of Logistics, Niel, and the Director of the Ordnance Department. On such issues, Jerome Bonaparte did not want to impose his ideas on the Ministry of War.

In the eyes of Jerome Bonaparte, the effective (service) life of this large Napoleon cannon is only 7-8 years. It is entirely to meet the expedient measures of France's "insufficient firepower" during the Crimean War. The future development direction of France is not on the expensive bronze smoothbore guns.

But on the more durable large-caliber steel rifled gun, it is on the breech gun with qualified air tightness.

Jerome Bonaparte has decided that after the Crimea is over, the French army will carry out a step-by-step change plan, and the breech gun will gradually replace the front breech gun.

If the French logistics department has not developed a suitable breech gun, it is a big deal to imitate some Dreiser needle guns for the French army to use first.

Only if the French army used breech guns earlier, it could summarize the formation of breech guns earlier.

Otherwise, the formation of holding breech guns and using front-loading guns will make people laugh and be generous.

If the Ministry of War did not want to buy it because it was too expensive, Jérôme Bonaparte would naturally not ask for something because it was his factory.

The big deal is to secretly sell it to Sardinia and Naples, and it is also a good choice for the slave owners of the New World on the other side of the ocean.

Over time, the slave owners of the South were bound to discover that they had no chance of reconciliation with the North.

At that time, it is bound to seek outside assistance.

France will then be able to export their Napoleonic cannons to them.

As long as the southern slave owners are rich enough, they can play a more brilliant record than in history.

General Robert E. Lee's troops into Philadelphia would be possible.

Of course, all of this is just a rosy future imagined by Jerome Bonaparte.

The most important thing at the moment is whether the purchasing group of the War Department is willing to pay for the big Napoleon cannon.

After thinking for a moment, Niel subconsciously glanced at Jerome Bonaparte.

"Don't care about my opinion! If you think this will be helpful for the war, then buy it with confidence!" Jerome Bonaparte relieved Niel of his concerns with his words.

After pondering for a long time, Niel said, "Mr. Basilio, can you guarantee the delivery of 300 artillery pieces within three months?"

"This?" Basilio hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "If the War Department is willing to assist me in planning, I can deliver 300 artillery pieces in March!"

"Yes! However, your company may have to authorize a group of artillery manufacturers!" Niel nodded and agreed to Basilio's request.

"No problem!" Basilio resolutely agreed to Niel's condition.

Afterwards, several of the people present took their own hands to test the shooting before leaving the shooting test site.

Basilio and Niel, who returned to the headquarters of NORINCO, signed a contract to purchase NORINCO artillery under the witness of Jérôme Bonaparte.

The Ministry of War purchased a total of 1,200 12-pound field guns from the North Industries Group. The price of each field gun was 2,380 francs (Basilio lowered the price again), which is 2.856 million francs in total.

Moreover, the first batch of 300 artillery pieces must meet within a month, and there can be no continuation.

Next, Niel signed an order for artillery peripherals of 3 million francs with Basilio, including standard custom flames, solid shells, grape shells and so on.

This order of nearly 6 million francs is enough to feed the North Industries Group and all the arsenals in the upstream and downstream industrial chains of the industrial group.

"As soon as the cannon goes off, gold is worth 20,000 taels!" Jerome Bonaparte couldn't help but sighed as he watched 6 million francs complete under his nose.

The Crimean War has not yet begun, and the mobilization of the early work stations alone has cost tens of millions of francs.

Although it was said that these tens of millions of francs were the money of the state, Jerome Bonaparte still felt a little distressed.

However, the thought of securing employment made Jerome Bonaparte feel a little better.

"Your Majesty, all our efforts will be found in Russia!" Nierre comforted Jerome Bonaparte.

"Yeah!" Basilio also helped: "As long as the Empire defeats the Russian Empire, then all our losses can be made up!"

"I hope so!" said Jerome Bonaparte helplessly, shrugging his shoulders.

Niel, who signed the agreement, did not stop there too much. He said goodbye to Jerome Bonaparte in a hurry. He immediately returned to the War Department with the Director of the Ordnance Department and told the Minister of the procurement to Cuzan Montauban.

Jerome Bonaparte showed no signs of wanting to leave. He ordered Basilio to call all the staff responsible for the development of artillery here, and he wanted to hold a small meeting for them.

Basilio immediately began to act, and after a while, he found all the members of the artillery research and development team in the North Industries Group.

After seeing Jerome Bonaparte's first glance, these R&D team members showed different expressions. Some people's faces were filled with joy, as if they were waiting for Jerome Bonaparte's praise; The people were a little nervous, as if they had done something wrong.

Looking at the group of artillery "experts" in front of him, a smile appeared on Jerome Bonaparte's face, and he said kindly: "Everyone, I have no other intention of asking Basilio to call you here! First of all, Congratulations on the order from the Ministry of War you won with your excellent design!"

After speaking, Jérôme Bonaparte applauded everyone present, and Basilio quickly applauded upon seeing this.

Proud expressions appeared on the faces of the R&D team members present, and the emperor applauded them, which was something they could never imagine in their dreams.

After the applause ended, Jerome Bonaparte said again: "Although your design is very good this time, the capabilities of the field gun have been significantly improved compared to before, but you have overlooked a big problem..."

Jerome Bonaparte paused and continued: "You are ignoring the cost issue! It costs more than 2,500 francs to buy one gun, more than 25,000 francs for 10 guns, and 250,000 francs for 100 guns. Only a country as wealthy as France can use it! Your artillery is not only used in France, but also exported to all parts of the world! How many people are willing to spend 2,500 francs on this thing!"

Speaking of this, the members of the R&D team present lowered their heads and thought.

"Of course, I understand! Bronze itself is of high quality, and the cost of casting one is likely to be more than 2,000 francs!" Jerome Bonaparte did not criticize blindly, but said from their point of view: "So I I hope you can use other materials, such as steel, which has been reduced in price, as the material for the artillery!"

One of the developers immediately understood what Jerome Bonaparte meant, and he hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, do you want us to make artillery that can be fired from the breech?"

"That's right!" Jérôme Bonaparte nodded to the developers and said, "The shells fired from the breech are more time-saving than those fired from the front. The barrel made of steel can be added with rifling to make it more durable. stable ability."

"However, there is a certain airtightness problem with the shells fired from the breech!" The researcher replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

The breech guns and breech guns of this era have hidden dangers of air tightness. If these problems are not solved, there is no way to make a qualified artillery.

Jerome Bonaparte naturally had a strategy to deal with this problem of R&D personnel.

"Can we add a breech breech to the rear of the breech gun!" Jerome Bonaparte persuaded.

"The breech?" The R&D staff looked at Jerome Bonaparte suspiciously.

"That's right! The breech block makes the entire artillery form a closed environment when it is fired to reduce gas leakage!" Jerome Bonaparte said to the R&D staff present, and then asked Basili next to him. O found a blank sheet of paper and a pen for him.

Basilio quickly found paper and pen for Jerome Bonaparte.

Under everyone's attention, Jerome Bonaparte recalled the wedge-type breech block of the Krupp C73 artillery that he had seen on a forum in his previous life.

As an artillery enthusiast at the time, he also made a small model of the C73 Krupp gun according to the artillery's drawings.

It can be said that the first wedge breech block of the C73 artillery has been deeply imprinted in his soul.

While thinking about the appearance of the C73 breech when he assembled the model in his previous life, Jerome Bonaparte hung various structural diagrams of the C73 breech on the paper The surrounding R&D personnel are even more impressive. He didn't even dare to catch his breath, staring intently at Jerome Bonaparte's drawings.

Jerome Bonaparte thought while drawing, and after spending about an hour, he finally copied the most essential wedge-type breech block of the Krupp cannon from his mind.

"That's right! That's it!" Jerome Bonaparte looked at the draft-like cross-sectional view of the wedge-type breech block in his hand, as well as the composition diagram of each department and nodded with satisfaction. This is all he can do, and the rest needs to be handed over to They are professionals.

The R&D staff present looked at the diagram of the wedge-shaped breech block in Jerome Bonaparte's hands as if enchanted. They couldn't believe that a politician who governed a country knew more about artillery than them.

Their pride as artillery developers was ruthlessly defeated by Jérôme Bonaparte.

"How? Is it feasible?" Jerome Bonaparte asked the R&D staff present.

None of the researchers present said a word, and their eyes were still fixed on the wedge-type breech block, as if every structure of the wedge-type breech block was imprinted in their minds.