General Military Office. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

Wang Chaoyong is reporting to Zhang Feng on the recruitment situation and the training of new recruits.

Wang Chaoyong said: "Lord Commander, according to your requirements, the first batch of recruits has recruited 5,000 people, and they are now training in the Xiaoqingshan Barracks. ”

Now it is a division, and it will eventually reach the scale of about 20,000 people, from 2,000 to 20,000 people, and they can only come step by step.

Of the four brigades, the Independent Brigade is undoubtedly the fastest developing, because it is supplemented by thousands of ready-made young men who have already undergone a month of military training and have been integrated into the regiments of the Independent Brigade.

The independent brigade is the largest, in addition to the three infantry regiments, there is also a cavalry regiment, because at the beginning of the defeat of the Tartars in Tianjin Wei captured a lot of war horses, many of these war horses remained in Tianjin Wei for the independent brigade to form a cavalry regiment.

Thinking of the Independent Brigade, Zhang Feng said: "Wang Shizhang, it seems that Brigade Commander Zong hasn't come over for more than a month." ”

Wang Chaoyong nodded and said: "Well, it's been more than thirty days, what has this kid been busy with lately, and he hasn't shown up for so long." ”

Although Zong Dechao is far away in Tianjin, because of the navigation between Tianjin Port and Shanghai Port, it is quite convenient to take a steam-powered ship to get from Tianjin Port to Shanghai Port in five or six days, and Zong Dechao will also come to the General Military Office once a month, mainly to report to Zhang Feng on the situation of the Independent Brigade.

Just as he was talking about Zong Dechao, there was a sound of footsteps outside, and a big black man walked in, stood upright, saluted, and said loudly: "Lord General Soldier, Zong Dechao of the Independent Brigade has come to report!" ”

Say Cao Cao, Cao Cao will arrive.

Zhang Feng smiled: "Brigade Commander Zong, it's a lot darker and stronger, what have you been busy with lately?" ”

Zong Dechao reported on the recent situation of the Independent Brigade, which has completed its last recruitment, has reached full strength in terms of numbers, and all regiments and battalions are already conducting training in full swing.

In addition to these, Zong Dechao also selected two places outside Tianjin Wei to build two large military camps, which are several kilometers away from Tianjin Wei, which are horns and echo each other, adding the strategic depth of Tianjin Wei.

In addition, Zong Dechao has also mobilized thousands of people and is expanding the port of Tianjin.

After listening to Zong Dechao's report, Zhang Feng said with satisfaction: "Good guy, Brigade Commander Zong is ready to do a big job." ”

Seeing that Zhang Feng was in a good mood, Zong Dechao said with a smile: "Lord General Soldier, I heard that our Shanghai Machinery Manufacturing Bureau is manufacturing a new cannon, and our independent brigade wants dozens of cannons, and I want to form an artillery regiment." ”

This new cannon, the performance is very good, it has begun to be cast, and it will soon enter the assembly and test firing, Wang Chaoyong has long liked this new cannon, and now seeing that Zong Dechao wants this kind of cannon, he will be the first to do it immediately.

Wang Chaoyong scolded with a smile: "You kid, a brigade wants to form an artillery regiment, then I want to form an artillery brigade with a division!" ”

Zong Dechao said with a smile: "Division commander, for your name, I think it is okay to form an artillery division." ”

Wang Chaoyong laughed and scolded: "you! ”

Seeing that the two began to fight, Zhang Feng laughed, this new cannon, Zhang Feng personally designed, Zhang Feng himself was more satisfied, although it cannot be compared with modern artillery, but I know that this is definitely the most advanced cannon in this era.

Zhang Feng said: "Don't fight, the independent brigade has formed an artillery battalion, equipped with twenty-four new cannons. ”

Twenty-four new cannons! Suddenly, Zong Dechao laughed happily, just now Zong Dechao opened his mouth to be an artillery regiment, in fact, he knew in his heart that there was not much hope, and the real plan was to form an artillery battalion, and now, the wish was implemented, so he was naturally very happy.

Zong Dechao said: "Lord Commander, when will we have this new cannon." ”

Seeing that Zong Dechao couldn't wait, Zhang Feng said: "Brigade Commander Zong, this time is just right, in two days, our first two prototype guns will be manufactured, and then we will go to see the test firing test and see the power of our new cannon." ”

"Ahh Zong Dechao was stunned for a moment, then looked surprised, and didn't think that the manufacturing progress of the new cannon was so fast that it would be able to enter the test firing test in two days.

Two days later, the artillery test range.

Early this morning, two new guns have been dragged here by horses, the caliber of the guns is 70 millimeters, the weight is about hundreds of kilograms, and the horses are relatively easy to drag forward.

Although the artillery regiment directly under the division is not yet full, the shelves have been erected, with more than 200 horses, more than 100 carriages, and 3 or 400 personnel.

If the new recruits are replenished, the artillery regiment will reach the size of more than 1,000 people, two new artillery battalions, each equipped with 24 new artillery pieces, and one conscienceless artillery battalion, equipped with 36 conscienceless guns.

Today, it was a dozen fighters of the artillery regiment who carried out the artillery test firing, and everyone was already making preparations, digging gun emplacements, erecting guns, fixing gun hoes, and so on.

These dozen or so fighters have experience, and they have fought that kind of old-fashioned cannon before, and this new cannon is the first time.

But this is not difficult for everyone, everyone has long been familiar with the performance and structure of this cannon, what is missing is live firing, today it is live firing.

Everyone was preparing and chatting.

One of the soldiers said: "Squad leader, this cannon looks good, it must be better than the previous cannon, wait a minute, I'll see it later." ”

The squad leader in the lead said: "According to my years of experience, this cannon must be very good, but don't take it lightly, show twelve points of spirit, wait a few people will come, at this time, no one can drop the chain." ”

"That definitely."

"Squad leader, don't worry, we definitely won't."

After a series of preparations, the two cannons were ready, the ammunition boxes next to them had also been opened, and the hillside in the distance had already been cleared bare.

On the bare hillside, several targets are very obvious, and large circles are drawn with lime, and numbers are written in each circle, such as "1, 2, 3......" and so on.

Obviously, the test firing that waits for a while is to shell these distant targets, some of which can be fired horizontally, and some of which need to be fired in a curved direction.

It's about nine o'clock in the morning.

A large group of people came to the artillery test firing range, the leader rode a high-headed horse, and dozens of people followed behind, this high-headed horse was naturally Zhang Feng, followed by Wang Chaoyong, Zong Dechao, and some brigade commanders, regiment commanders, battalion commanders, and so on.

The test firing of the new artillery is a big event for everyone, and everyone has come over, dozens of people together, in addition to Wang Chaoyong and other soldiers, there are also some people from the Shanghai Machinery Manufacturing Bureau, such as Zhao Zuolin, Song Yingxing and so on.

Test firing of new artillery is about to begin!

"Hello Chief Soldier!"

Everyone said hello or saluted, Zhang Feng dismounted, returned a military salute, and then asked with concern: "How is it?" Is it time to start test firing? ”

"Lord Commander, everything is ready, you can test fire the artillery!"

Hearing this, Zhang Feng was in a good mood for a while, this kind of new artillery, what Zhang Feng wanted to see most was the actual shooting effect, Zhang Feng's technical attainments are very profound, but he is not a military cattle, the design of this artillery is Zhang Feng's attempt.

If there is no deep technical foundation, it is estimated that it will not be able to be designed, fortunately, Zhang Feng's technical level is high, and this artillery is not complicated, as far as the front-loading artillery is concerned, it is estimated that the test launch can be successful.

The rest of the people have long admired Zhang Feng, everyone thinks that this is Zhang Feng's design, it must be very good, and the performance of the artillery must be very good.

This is not to blame everyone, everyone is used to seeing the kind of bulky, poor performance of the old cannon, there is no concept of modern artillery at all, seeing this kind of cannon, has been amazed and delighted.

Wang Chaoyong was even more pleasantly surprised: "Chief soldier, is it like an artillery test firing right away?" ”

Zhang Feng waved his hand happily and said, "Let's conduct a test firing right away, how about taking a look at our new artillery?" ”

With Zhang Feng's order, the test launch began immediately.

There are 6 people in each cannon, everyone has a clear division of labor, and they cooperate with each other, everything is carried out in an orderly manner, and at this moment, everyone's eyes are all focused on these two cannons.

"You see, the gunpowder doesn't seem to be the same."

There are fighters who are carrying out artillery charges, using black powder, or front-loading, but it is definitely different from the previous cannons.

Because black powder is modified, it is no longer in the form of black powder, but uniform in the form of fine granules. Moreover, these black powders were not poured into the muzzle of the cannon in an ancient way, but had been wrapped in black oiled paper in advance, and had been quantified, which belonged to a quantitative charge.

The black oiled paper wrapped the gunpowder in a cylindrical shape, slightly smaller than the caliber of the gun, was easily put in from the muzzle, and then gently fed with a strip until it reached the bottom of the barrel, and the gunpowder was loaded.

Then there are the shells, everyone has already noticed that the shells are not the same, the previous shells were spherical, but this time the shells are conical, similar to the warheads of modern artillery.

The old artillery uses spherical shells, mainly because the artillery is smoothbore, and the shells will roll in the air after being fired, while Zhang Feng's two guns are rifled guns, and after rifling, even the conical shells will not roll, but rotate and fly out of the muzzle at high speed, all the way to the target, with a relatively stable trajectory.

Fill the gunpowder, load the shells, pierce the oiled paper with a thin iron bar, put the fuse, aim at the distant target, everything will be done quickly, and the fire will be ready immediately.

"One is good!"

"Ermen is good!"

The gunner of each cannon shouted loudly and reported the situation, Zhang Feng nodded, this time Wang Chaoyong personally commanded, and said loudly: "Start the test firing!" ”