"Gunpowder may be produced here"
Han Yu asked.
"There are saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal in the mountains, which can be cut down and burned. They can be made completely."
Mu Tianbo nodded.
"Could His Highness want to make a three-eyed gun? The range of this thing is not as good as a strong bow, and it is very expensive. The only advantage is that the training time is relatively short, but it seems to be different from His Highness's plan."
"Who wants to do that?" Han Yu shook his head decisively.
He really doesn't like the muskets of this era.
Today's muskets are still in the era of muzzleloader matchlocks, with an effective range of only meters. In order to ensure power and accuracy, the famous lobster soldiers even have to advance to a distance of meters and shoot at the enemy's nose.
Two rounds of musketry followed by a direct bayonet charge.
The power is strong, but it requires high-intensity training and supply. Moreover, if there are not a large number of skilled soldiers in the early stage, casualties will be huge, which is not the optimal solution for him now.
If he had a breech-loading gun, fixed-loading bullets, and a skirmisher line, he might still consider it, but now, whoever plays with muskets is the one with the brain.
"Your Highness is preparing to make artillery. However, the artillery craftsmen are in the two capitals and have fallen into the hands of the enemy. If you want to make it, you can only start from scratch." Mu Tianbo said.
"The bronze cannon is too heavy and heavy to haul and cannot be used."
Han Yu still shook his head.
"What is your highness' intention?"
Mu Tianbo really couldn't guess what Han Yu was going to do.
"I'll draw a blueprint, you go find a craftsman and make it for me according to this."
Han Yu picked up his pen and ink and drew several schematic diagrams.
Mu Tianbo took it and took a look. It was a huge iron cylinder on top, as thick as a water tank, with a simple height-adjustable bracket underneath. It was very light and could be carried by one person.
】
This thing is more like a big water tank than an artillery piece.
The cannonballs inside are also strange. They are not iron balls or lead balls, but squares wrapped in linen.
"Your Highness, what is this?"
Mu Tianbo has been fighting for half his life and has never seen anything like this.
"Hey, last night I had a dream, and I happened to meet an immortal teaching me a magic weapon. Here is a magic weapon taught by an immortal. It's called a flying thunder cannon. It has a range of up to five feet. One cannon is like thunder from the sky. The person who was bombed is not injured on the surface, but his internal organs are.
Totally festering."
"You said that if our army were equipped with hundreds of these artillery pieces, we would still be afraid of that thief Wu Sangui."
Han Yu asked with a smile.
"Hiss——"
Hearing Han Yu's words, Mu Tianbo couldn't help but take a breath of air.
The range of ordinary bows and arrows today is about one step to one step. If an elite archer uses a strong bow, the range can be about one step to one step.
However, there are very few such archers. They are the elite among the elite, and their number is very small.
Moreover, bows and arrows have very high requirements and are not easy to make. The production cycle usually takes several years.
Difficult to mass produce.
But the flying thunder cannon is different. Iron barrels, gunpowder and linen can be mass-produced at will.
The shooting range is twice that of an archer.
The most terrifying thing is that this thing is a range attack, using violent explosions to cause vibrations and directly kill people nearby.
In modern warfare, this thing can even be used against reinforced concrete bunkers. Those Eight Banners soldiers don't even wear double layers of armor, even if they wear ten layers of armor, it's useless.
If the opponent dares to charge into the formation and cover it with two rounds, the entire opponent's army can be wiped out.
Mu Tianbo looked at the drawings with doubts, but after all, it was the prince who took it out. Even if he didn't believe it, he had to do it as required.
Soon, the iron bucket was ready according to Han Yu's requirements.
In order to make the iron tube stronger, the craftsman used very solid materials and even put iron rings on it for reinforcement, and the wall of the barrel was also much thicker.
Han Yu was very satisfied when he saw this, and asked people to make explosive packages and propellants as required.
"Let's get started."
Han Yu gave the order.
"Start." Mu Tianbo signaled to the gunner.
The gunner lit the match.
Boom!
With a loud bang, the pile of stones used as a target was blown to pieces. The broken stones flew around, and some even flew to Mu Tianbo's feet.
When the smoke cleared, everyone was surprised to find that the pile of stones had been bulldozed.
"Dong Guizhou, how about this flying thunder cannon?"
Han Yu asked with a smile.
"This is indeed a gift from the gods. With the help of such magical soldiers, we, the Ming Dynasty, can hope to conquer our homeland!"
Mu Tianbo's beard trembled with excitement.
Having been on the battlefield for half his life, he naturally knows what effect this weapon will have once it appears on the field.
It will be a crushing blow to the enemy.
At that time, if there were such magical soldiers to help at Cursed Water Beach, the Ming Dynasty would not have been besieged by the army of the Burmese King.
Thinking of those soldiers who died in battle, Mu Tianbo couldn't help but shed tears in his eyes.
"There is still room for improvement in this thunder cannon. The weight can be reduced. The barrel wall can be made thinner. It can also be directly used to make a two-wheeled cart, on which the thunder cannon and shells are placed. One person can push it from behind, and the other People pull in front, so the transportation problem can be solved."
Han Yu thought for a while and decided to promote the stroller as well.
This can greatly speed up the march of the troops.
Of course, these are all unorthodox methods without horses.
If you have horses, you still have to use a carriage.
After seizing the seaport, we will build sea ships.
It would be cool to just use naval guns to wash the ground.
"By the way, having thunder cannons alone is not enough. We also need to urgently make a batch of clay pots. They don't need to be too big, but they should be easy to throw. They should be filled with iron nails, iron calabash pears, and gunpowder. Leave a match rope outside and wait for the enemy to approach.
, light it and throw it out. If the clay pot breaks, the fragments can hurt people. The iron pears and nails inside can also hurt people. The shock caused by the explosion of gunpowder can also hurt people. It is a small flying thunder cannon."
"By the way, iron nails and iron pears must be soaked in salt water or gold soup before they are inserted. It is best to be rusty. This is called tetanus enchantment."
The more Han Yu talked, the more excited he became.
"Your Highness, what is tetanus?" Mu Tianbo's face was full of questions.
He understood every word His Highness said, but when they were put together, he didn't understand.
"Tetanus, how do you explain this?" Han Yu felt that he also needed to popularize disinfection and simple first aid, which could reduce a large number of injuries and fatalities.
By the way, hygiene standards and boiling water should also be promoted. This can reduce the spread of epidemics, which is also very important.
"Let's do this. You take the time to organize the doctors in the village, and I will train them at night."
Han Yu said.
Although he does not have a medical background, he was a doomsday survival enthusiast in the past. He has read part of the Barefoot Doctor Manual, and he still understands simple first aid bandaging and hygienic treatment.
"By the way, what is the name of this little flying thunder cannon? Your Highness, please give me a name." Mu Tianbo asked from the side.
"This, let's call it Palm Thunder."
Han Yu said.
.
This chapter has been completed!