latelenovela Chapter 583 Shrapnel
Chapter 583 Shrapnel
After listening to Shi Ying's words, Xu Yifan offered his own opinion: "I just pulled out the Tartar's heavy arrow and examined it. The arrowhead has armor-piercing spikes and has been soaked in poison or filth. Ordinary light armor would have little chance of withstanding it, and those hit would be difficult to save. However, thicker armor would be heavier and would affect the soldiers' ability to fire. Instead of thinking about how to block such heavy arrows, it would be better to simply make light armor that can defend against light arrows."
The Qionghai Army also experimented with armor. They had previously tried rattan armor in Qiongzhou Prefecture and used it when attacking Changhua.
Liang Xiaoming pondered for a moment and said, "Speaking of lightweight armor, our rattan armor is quite good. However, rattan armor is not a big problem in the hot south and has the advantage of being breathable, but it is very impractical in the cold north. Moreover, the biggest problem with rattan armor is that it is difficult to repair once damaged. It is all hand-woven by craftsmen, and the damaged rattan cannot be replaced. It is not so bad in Guangdong, but far from Lingao, there are no raw materials, and the production process is relatively complicated and time-consuming. As a result, rattan armor cannot be repaired, nor can the armor plates be replaced like chainmail, which is a big problem."
Liu Ye asked, "Didn't you once say you wanted to make helmets or something? It seems we even discussed whether to use cast iron or steel. Why did nothing happen after that? Also, I remember you once said you wanted to line the inside with steel plates, similar to the Tartars' padded armor, but we haven't seen any finished products yet."
"We've discussed the helmet material. Cast iron is impossible, and a one-piece steel helmet is beyond our technological capabilities," Liang Xiaoming said. "As for why it was temporarily shelved, it's because there wasn't such an urgent need at the time! You have to understand, before the emergence of the Tartars and bandits, whether it was government troops or pirates, none of our opponents could not be dealt with by a single volley of gunfire. If there was, then two volleys would suffice. Basically, we wouldn't let the enemy get close. Wearing rattan armor was enough; what use was there for iron armor? As for armor like cotton armor, I'll try it when we get back to Lingao. We'll see if it should be installed inside the lining or made into external wear such as arm guards, shoulder guards, and breastplates. We'll weigh the factors from multiple aspects, including defensive power, lightness, and ease of maintenance and replacement."
"General, I also have an idea, but I don't know if I should say it." Zuo Wuwei asked respectfully.
Liu Ye remembered him; after all, he was a mid-to-high-ranking officer who had defected from the ranks of soldiers, and a rare professional artillery talent. He encouraged him, saying, "The purpose of convening officers at the battalion level and above for discussion is to gather wisdom from all sides! You are the frontline artillery commander and have participated in the entire battle, so you definitely have the right to speak. Speak up boldly if you have any ideas."
Zuo Wuwei said, "At that time, the Tartars used shield wagons as cover, their archers approached, and their cavalry dismounted to fight on foot, engaging us in a war of attrition. It was the most critical moment. The regimental commander ordered me to bring up the mountain guns and fire them right at the Tartars' heads. I even argued with him about it. It turned out that direct-fire grapeshot was very useful, with great destructive power against densely packed groups. However, this brought us back to the old problem: if the artillery was placed at the rear, it couldn't use the grapeshot because of its own men; if it was placed at the front, it was too dangerous for the artillery, and the range was too short, so it couldn't fire many shots. If only we could fire the grapeshot further."
Liu Ye shook his head: "You'll have to ask General Liang about this; there's nothing I can do about it."
A sudden thought struck Liang Xiaoming, and he said, "That reminds me, shotguns aren't incapable of long-range attacks; we can use shrapnel rounds!"
"Shrapnel?" Everyone was completely baffled; Liang Xiaoming had never mentioned this term before.
Although Liu Ye was also a time traveler, this was the first time he had heard such professional terminology. He subconsciously said, "Literally speaking, is it a combination of grenade and shotgun shell?"
Liang Xiaoming snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "That's right, that's exactly it. Grenade launchers rely on shrapnel from the explosion to injure the enemy. Against unprotected infantry, they are less lethal than shotgun shells, but their advantage is that they can hit targets farther. Shotgun shells are extremely lethal at around 200 to 300 meters, but their disadvantage is that they have a very short range. If we combine the characteristics of both, take some of the explosives out of the grenade launcher and replace them with small shotgun pellets, we can make a shrapnel grenade."
Liu Ye asked excitedly, "How does its range compare to that of a grenade? What is the specific principle behind its ability to kill targets?"
"Imagine this: when a grenade lands and explodes, it only breaks into a few fragments, while a shrapnel grenade explodes in the air, scattering dozens or even hundreds of projectiles, densely packed like a rainstorm. That's the principle. As for the range, theoretically, a shrapnel grenade can go as far as a grenade can."
Zuo Wuwei couldn't help but say, "If we had such shells, we wouldn't be afraid to place the artillery at the very front; it would be very difficult for the enemy to get close."
Liu Ye's eyes lit up, "Then why bother with grenades? Let's replace them all with shrapnel shells!"
Liang Xiaoming shook his head: "It's not that simple. Just as grenades can't replace solid shot, shrapnel can't completely replace both grenades and solid shot either. The key lies in the fuse and reliability. Even if a grenade explodes after landing, it still has considerable killing power. However, the most powerful shrapnel explodes in mid-air. If it explodes after landing, it loses its effectiveness. This timing is very difficult to control—if the fuse is too short, it will explode before reaching the enemy's position, rendering it ineffective, and there's even a risk of it exploding inside the gun barrel; if the fuse is too long, it will explode after landing, greatly reducing its killing power. In addition, both grenades and shrapnel have a detonation rate issue, making them far less reliable than solid shot. Ultimately, shrapnel can only serve as an auxiliary ammunition type, playing a role in specific situations. Solid shot is still the simplest and most practical."
Liu Ye was a little disappointed: "So that's how it is. What a pity."
Zuo Wuwei didn't show any disappointment, but seemed thoughtful: "If that's the case, then these shrapnel shells can be launched like projectiles? Then we can deploy artillery in square formations and fire them like projectiles, which can ensure the safety of the artillery and also suppress the enemy cavalry's offensive—solid shot is ineffective against cavalry, and shrapnel is too short-range; long-range shrapnel attacks can prevent the Tatar cavalry from assembling and launching an attack..."
Shi Ying said, "That makes sense. If cavalry can't fight in groups and each fight independently, they are no match for well-organized infantry. If Master Liang could develop those hand grenades and those shrapnel shells, then our Qionghai Navy would be flawless. We can use 10-jin cannons to fire solid shot at a distance, and 6-jin cannons to fire shrapnel shells at closer range. If the shield wagons get close, we can throw hand grenades. At that time, I guarantee the Tartars won't have any trouble."
Upon hearing this, everyone agreed that it made sense and laughed happily.