Colonel Perris is the section chief of the Yingjiang National Defense Science and Technology and Research Bureau. He is responsible for the research and development of air defense equipment... This is the characteristic of Yingjiang's military research and development. They have always believed that professional things must be done by professionals, so that they can be done well.
He is better than others, so Yingjiang's research subjects are divided into details.
Colonel Perris has always believed this, but today he felt that this was not the case.
Because an ordinary Chinese officer, who was said to be just a battalion commander, came up with a concept that was much more professional than professionals like them... the proximity fuze.
At this time, Colonel Perris's research institute was already busy, and its subordinate researchers were urgently collecting information and drafting a research and development team for a new anti-aircraft gun shell... Obviously, this kind of fuze requires the cooperation of talents in radar and shell design.
Assistant Davis hurried over and said: "Colonel, many people think this plan is unrealistic. We have not miniaturized the radar, but now we have to stuff it into the fuse of the artillery shell! What's more, the cost of radar is high, and it can be produced in this way.
The cost of cannonballs is likely to be several times or even more than ten times that of ordinary cannonballs..."
"I know it costs more, Major!" Perris interrupted Davis while quickly signing the document: "But it's just a matter of cost? Do you think it costs more than ten times that of ordinary artillery shells?
Meaning we can replace it with a dozen regular shells?"
Perris handed the signed document back to the adjutant, raised his head and said to Davis: "No, Davis! You also have to consider the time loss on the battlefield. The hit rate of ordinary artillery shells is only one in two thousand. If
This kind of shell can increase the hit rate to one in a thousand, which means we have succeeded. Because our warship is likely to be hit by the bomb of the enemy aircraft before firing two thousand shells, but we used this
Plant the fuse and then have time to fire a thousand shells and blow it to pieces!”
As he spoke, Perris took a step closer and looked directly into Davis's eyes: "Now, try to calculate the cost again and tell me the answer!"
(Note: The measured hit rate of proximity fuses has increased four times, that is, on average, one shot out of 500 rounds can hit)
The answer is obvious. Perris is right. Time on the battlefield is far more important than the cost of artillery shells, especially anti-aircraft shells. Because enemy aircraft often bomb valuable targets, time at this time properly represents
Life and wealth are worth much more than cannonballs.
Perris even believed that if Eagle had developed this kind of artillery shell earlier, the USS Arizona battleship would not have been sunk by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, and there would not have been more than 3,000 casualties.
However, just like all advanced equipment, some people will raise doubts about this innovative new artillery shell. They believe that artillery shells should be a quantitative thing. Rather than spending a lot of money to develop this kind of artillery shells,
Equip the air defense force with a few more cannons or train the quality of the gunners.
Perris shook his head slightly, secretly thinking that these short-sighted guys are not even as good as a battalion commander of the Chinese Eighth Route Army.
Davis seemed to be convinced by Peris's words, but he pushed up his glasses and asked: "So, the issue of radar miniaturization..."
"Tell me, Davis!" Perris interrupted Davis again: "How long does it take for a shell to reach its target?"
Davis was stunned for a moment and replied: "I'm not sure, Colonel! Half a minute, or a minute!"
Davis estimated based on the muzzle velocity and range of anti-aircraft guns. For example, the M1 anti-aircraft gun has a muzzle velocity of 823 meters/second with a range of 19 kilometers. It is easy to conclude that it only takes 23 seconds for the artillery shell to fly across the range.
But because this is the initial speed, it will gradually slow down due to the influence of air resistance when flying in the air, so it will take about half a minute.
Perris asked again: "So, what is the killing radius of the anti-aircraft gun?"
"About thirty meters!" Davis replied.
(Note: The damage radius of shrapnel to people is different from the damage radius to fighter planes. Shrapnel can kill people fifty meters away. The killing radius of large-caliber artillery shells can even reach 100 meters away, but not to fighter planes.
That's true. But it's not necessarily true. For example, if an anti-aircraft gun explodes in front of a fighter plane, the shrapnel will be much more powerful if it moves towards the fighter plane.)
Perris nodded: "In other words, the radar we need only needs to work for about one minute, and its power can detect about one hundred meters..."
"One hundred meters?" Davis asked in surprise: "Why one hundred meters?"
He can understand if it works for one minute, but if it can only detect a hundred meters...
"You fool!" Perris explained: "It does not need to capture the target the moment it exits the barrel. Our anti-aircraft guns will fire many shells at the target. Some of these shells can enter the range of 100 meters of the enemy aircraft and some cannot. Anything over 100 meters
Meter-sized ones are not an issue we need to consider, because whether they explode or not, they will not pose a threat to enemy aircraft, but once the artillery shell enters the range of 100 meters, the fuze radar will come into play, do you understand what I mean?"
Davis now completely understood that the detection distance of the fuze radar is indeed only one hundred meters, because after it is launched, it is actually searching for whether there is a target within a hundred meters of itself instead of locking the target more than ten kilometers away.
...If it is required to detect targets more than ten kilometers away like ordinary radar, it cannot be small enough to fit a fuze.
Therefore, this kind of radar only needs to work for one minute, and the detection range is only one hundred meters. Miniaturization is indeed not difficult.
"Of course!" Peris finally added: "It should have a self-destruct function!"
Davis nodded in understanding.
If no target ever enters its 100-meter range and the shell fails to detonate successfully, the shell may fall back to the ground and be acquired by the enemy. This is something the military does not want to see.
"So!" Perris finally concluded: "Don't waste any more time on this issue. What we need is to build this thing, the sooner the better!"
"Yes, Colonel!" Davis replied.
At this time, a communications soldier came forward with a telegram and reported: "Colonel, in the telegram from China, they requested to modify a Bofors mounted on a tank chassis! Captain Wilson wanted to know whether this equipment is meaningful to us.
!”
Perris took the telegram and glanced at it. While imagining this kind of equipment in his mind, he said to himself: "Bofors installed on a tank chassis? Interesting!"
Then it suddenly thought of something. It opened the map and compared it with the intelligence to mark the enemy's attack point. Then it raised its head and said: "God, this is also the equipment we need! He actually thought of being in front of us! Is this a coincidence? Or is it?