Facing Fang Yan's clear and serious starry eyes, Polscher had to temporarily suppress the strange emotions in his heart, and replied: "Germany has been bullied like a slave by the Entente for 15 years, and every German is eager to do his best for the rejuvenation of the motherland. If the army needs it, I am fully willing to contribute all my talents to the reconstruction of the armed forces. However, there is no chance of realizing this ideal now. At present, the competition for the 101st light tractor is over, and the Krupp military industry has won; Now there is no new tender plan for the Army Ordnance Bureau, and I am not able to carry out the corresponding design work. ”

As for the "101st light tractor" in Polscher's mouth, Fang Yan, who was in the bureau, understood its meaning: as early as 1932, the German Army launched its own tank development program, and this code name was a smoke grenade released abroad in order to hide its true use. In the end, the program of Krupp military industry was selected by the army; After the Treaty of Versailles became waste paper in Hitler's bold actions, this combat vehicle that was put into mass production was also given a well-known name: Tank No. 1.

A smile appeared at the corner of Fang Yan's mouth, and he said, "Doctor, although the Ordnance Bureau has not issued a new tender statement now, this does not mean that the development of German tanks will end here. According to what I know, the army is only preparing to use this Krupp tank as a training model: the firepower of its two machine guns is too weak compared to the same type of products of any other country, and it is simply not able to take on the corresponding combat mission. At the latest, in half a year, the Ordnance Bureau will issue a new tender to the major automobile manufacturers, and this time the tank will no longer be a training type similar to the size of a car, but a core weapon with sufficient combat effectiveness. ”

Hearing these words, Porscher's heart fluctuated slightly for the first time. In the senior position of technical director, Polscher knew that Rudolph, the president of the group, had a younger brother who had an astonishing position in the party; If it was the information he conveyed to Fang Yan, then there would really be seven or eight points of credibility. Porscher pondered for a moment. Then he asked, "Mr. Jonas, do you have any more detailed information on this?" For example, the weight of the new tank, the gun, the thickness of the armor, or the maximum speed? ”

"The tonnage of the new tank should be controlled at around 12 tons, and the simple manufacturing process and easy mass production are the first conditions that need to be met." Seeing that Polsher had already entered his own train of thought, Fang Yan immediately took the opportunity to reveal his private goods to Porsher. Fang Yan has been planning for a long time what kind of performance indicators the first generation of German tanks should have, and this time with the help of Bolscher, it is the ideal moment for him to turn his ideas into reality!

"According to General Guderian's proposal, the new tank should be armed with a 50-mm gun. Only in this way will the vehicle be able to compete and suppress the tanks of the same type in other countries a few years after its creation. Now there is a proper gun in the navy. The gun entered service in 1914. With a barrel length of 40 times the diameter, it can shoot a 1.75kg projectile at a speed of 656 m/s, and weighs 240 kg including the gun carriage. Since the gun is used on a production tank, it is entirely possible to sacrifice the life of the barrel in exchange for a further increase in the kinetic energy of the gun's ejection chamber. According to the estimates of artillery experts, even if the weight of the projectile is increased to 2.1 kg and the discharge speed is maintained, the barrel life will be maintained at more than 400 rounds. Fang Yan said.

Porscher's pupils constricted. Although he had not been engaged in tank design, his skills in the field of mechanics had long been perfected: now when he heard that Fang Yan was going to equip a 12-ton tank with a 50mm L40 gun, he felt a considerable degree of pressure. Before he could weigh it carefully, Fang Yan spoke again: "In terms of speed." The Ordnance Bureau hopes it will reach a maximum road speed of 40 km/h. Considering the complex and rugged terrain on the actual battlefield and the frequent need to climb over slopes, it is best to have a thrust-to-weight ratio of not less than 13 horsepower/ton. After refueling, the tank needs to have a road range of no less than 200 km. ”

Polscher frowned when he heard this, this firepower and speed had greatly exceeded his expectations. Even if the weight of sixteen or seventeen tons may not be able to be taken safely, but the weight proposed by the other party is only 12 tons! He was thinking to himself about how much the armor of this cargo should be reduced to meet the requirements, but he heard the young man in front of him say: "In addition, the defense of this type of tank should also be relatively well guaranteed. The turret and frontal armor of the hull need to be able to withstand anti-tank shells. Side and rear armor should be able to withstand anti-tank rifle attacks. ”

"Mr. Jonas, your demands are very difficult to fulfill." Porscher took a deep breath and said slowly. "These are at least the performance of a tank with a total combat weight of more than 18 tons, and I really can't imagine what it would be like to combine these indicators into a tank that weighs only 12 tons. If anyone can make this design, then I will be very eager to join his technical team and learn from it. ”

Fang Yan smiled and said, "Doctor, you may be able to draw conclusions without being in a hurry. The Ordnance Bureau's requirements are indeed very demanding, but we also have corresponding solutions to solve the problem. Placing the transmission behind the hull is an effective change that can significantly reduce the weight of the tank. Compared to the design of the front of the transmission, this rear layout eliminates the need for a propeller shaft across the hull to connect the engine to the transmission; This significantly reduces the height of the hull and thus reduces the area required for armor defense. ”

Fang Yan sorted out his thoughts, and then said again: "In addition to the transmission, we can also make certain improvements in the armor structure. In order to improve bullet resistance, naval designers have widely used inclined armor on warships; Now tanks on land are also facing confrontation between armor and ammunition, so it is obviously necessary to arrange the frontal armor of the hull with a large angle of camber. Although this will inevitably sacrifice some of the interior space of the hull, the increase in the angle of incidence of the shell will greatly reduce its penetration into the armor. In this way, we will be able to meet the Ordnance Bureau's requirements for the defense of the new tank at the lowest cost. At that moment, Fang Yan explained all the techniques he knew about the T-44 to compress the space of the car body to Bolsher in detail.

Polscher looked at the young man in front of him with a look of astonishment, and the shock in his heart became stronger and stronger; The captain of the Navy actually communicated with himself about mechanical design, but many of them turned out to be ingenious methods that even he, the top man in the industry, could not have imagined! In just ten minutes, the other party talked to him about 6 techniques, and according to Polscher's knowledge and experience, all of these can make a big difference in tank design!

"Mr. Jonas, how did you come to know so much about the intricate mechanics of tanks?" Finally, Polscher could no longer hold back the question in his heart, and couldn't help but ask. Fang Yan was stunned when he heard this, and then a bright smile appeared on his face, and he said, "Dr. Polsher, you must know that the tank was originally a weapon created by the Navy, and its name was Land Cruiser!" Since this is a naval invention, it is only reasonable that I know something about it. As long as you can complete the design I just mentioned in the range of 12 tons, I can guarantee that 100,000 marks will be paid to you and your team; And for every 1kg decreased, this figure will increase by 100 marks! However, if its combat weight exceeds 12 tons, you and your team will be paid a regrettable 50 DM for each additional 1kg. ”

Faced with the huge temptation thrown by Fang Yan, Polshe, who had been struggling for a moment in his heart, finally gritted his teeth and agreed without accident. 100,000 marks is enough for him to live on his salary for more than ten years, and even if he has to share a part of his subordinates, it is extremely considerable that can be attributed to him. Looking at Polshe, who had a fighting spirit burning in his eyes, Fang Yan couldn't help but sigh in his heart, the phrase that money can make ghosts grind is indeed a rule that is applicable everywhere.

"In addition to the tank, I hope that you will be able to use the chassis of this tank to design a low-profile vehicle with a fixed fighting compartment and no turret." Fang Yan paused, and explained his idea of assault guns to Polsher, "The purpose of this combat vehicle is to provide direct fire support for the attacking infantry, so the Ordnance Bureau hopes to equip him with a 105 mm howitzer." Due to the significant increase in the caliber of artillery, the upper limit on its tonnage was also relaxed to 16 tons. It was still designed to be simple and easy to mass-produce, and frontal armor defense needed to be stiffer than that of a tank; This is due to the fact that it will often face confrontation with enemy bunkers, and the heavy front armor is the only way to protect it from destruction. As for speed, it can cope with all the tasks that accompany infantry operations without having to switch to a more powerful engine due to the increase in its own weight, and maintaining a thrust-to-weight ratio of slightly more than 10 hp/ton. ”

"I will do my best to do what you want." Polsher's expression changed from his previous hesitation and solemnity, and he said energetically. Fang Yan smiled and nodded, without saying too much, he was already convinced that his actions today would definitely outline a new chapter for the future development of the German armored forces. (To be continued.) )