Chapter 123: Visiting the Military Factory

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Visiting the Military Factory

In fact, as those military industry experts expected, Arthur’s rewards were very generous, and each of them received a check for 2000 pounds.

Although this included outstanding talents and researchers like the German experts, their salaries were also very generous, with annual incomes reaching several hundred or even thousands of pounds.

But that doesn’t mean they didn’t like money, especially when it was several years’ salary for nothing.

For the Australian military experts, it goes without saying that despite many of them coming from the United Kingdom to Australia, their salaries were not very high, with an average income of just over 300 pounds. For them, the 2000-pound check was equivalent to six or seven years’ worth of income.

In fact, Arthur didn’t have to give so much. He could have given different bonuses to the German experts and the Australian military experts.

However, Arthur did not do so. For one, a 2000-pound cheque for each person was not too much; even with all the Australian military experts, the cost of the rewards would not exceed 100,000 pounds.

Secondly, both the German experts and the Australian experts had put in a great deal of effort and hard work in imitating the M1897 automatic cannon. Arthur could not possibly distinguish between them.

Moreover, these German military experts would return to Germany once the aid treaty’s stipulated time had passed. Only a handful would continue to work in Australia, or perhaps none at all.

But these Australian experts were different. After coming to Australia from the United Kingdom, they could be considered true Australians.

They served Arthur and Australia, and were the future hope for the rise of the Australian military industry.

Making them satisfied and winning their loyalty were what Arthur really wanted to get. After the departure of the German military experts, these Australian experts would become the true pillars of the Australian military industry.

The French were at the forefront of the world in automatic artillery technology. Even with many of the military experts in Arthur’s arms factory coming from Britain, the most advanced automatic artillery technology they had was the 37mm CA-i machine gun.

Although this small-caliber automatic artillery had a very fast firing rate, with a terrifying maximum of sixty rounds per minute or one shell per second,

it also had a significant drawback, which was that it was only suitable for attacking facilities and troops with simple protection and was not suitable for capturing fortress cities and fortresses.

This type of machine gun usually served two important purposes: in addition to being used for defensive trench warfare, it was also used to be mounted on as- yet-unborn aircraft to enhance aerial firepower.

Arthur’s intention was just that, to mount small-caliber machine guns on bombers to become the nightmare of ground troops.

The real battlefield weapons that could be equipped with troops were medium and large-caliber firearms.

Large-caliber firearms were not only suitable for defensive trench warfare but also for capture and plunder.

Perhaps only large-caliber howitzers could deal with solid shields like fortresses.

If automatic firearm technology could be applied to medium and even large- caliber firearms, it would be a huge improvement for their firepower and could be used to build more powerful artillery units with fewer firearms.

Just imagine if large-caliber firearms could use automatic firearm technology, ten giant firearms firing ten rounds a minute would be enough to have the power of dozens of large-caliber firearms firing together.

Not only could they use fewer artillery units to exert more powerful firepower suppression, but they would also wreak havoc on the enemy’s morale and faith.

Now, with the high cost of every firearm, using fewer firearms to exert more powerful firepower would also be a relief for the finance department.

The saved military spending could be used in other areas, and the purchase of more equipment could further enhance the combat effectiveness and morale of the troops.