Munitions Empire

It was the single-winged all-metal skinned fighter that the ingenious craftsmen of the Dahua Empire eventually developed first... Sadly, compared to the Great Tang Kingdom's Butcher Fighter, it was far from being on par.

After ranting about the Tang Army's Lion-style armored reconnaissance vehicle, General Feng Kezhi finally remembered the new enemy tanks that had just appeared in his battle zone. He looked at the officer who had come to deliver the message and continued to ask, "The new tanks... The new tanks... What other characteristics do they have?"

The officer immediately answered the Great General's question: "According to the testimonies of our surviving tank crews, and the infantry, the most distinctive feature of the enemy's new tanks is an inclined armored steel plate at the very front of the vehicle..."

"You've already mentioned that," General Feng Kezhi waved his hand impatiently.

That officer glanced awkwardly at the notes in his hand, then added, "Uh, also, the enemy's new tanks feature interlaced double-row road wheels, one pressed against the other, very complex. Our engineers have not yet analyzed what the purpose of this design truly is."

By the same token, Shireck's engineers, still contemplating the subtle relationship between tracks and ground pressure, were unlikely to understand the ingenuity of the double-row road wheels.

Moreover, the precision required to manufacture such a structure was high, and it was much more complex than the suspension systems of road wheels from other tanks of the Second World War era. This was also a major reason for its obsolescence: the smooth ride it provided was not as clearly beneficial as the logistical nightmares it caused.

However, for the tank crew, these complicated road wheels were truly fantastic: while traveling through the countryside, the stability of the Panther Tank was exceptional, which, in a way, guaranteed a higher continuous combat capability for the tank crews.

Of course, Shireck's engineers could not immediately grasp the subtle relationship between the number of road wheels, their diameter, and the entire suspension system.

In the past two years, they had barely managed to transplant and improve automotive suspension systems onto tanks, to ensure that tanks could endure combat in rough terrains.

This was a completely different approach from that of the Tang Country engineers, who focused on making tanks more comfortable and user-friendly, while Shireck's engineers aimed to make tanks functional enough for strained combat conditions...

General Feng Kezhi looked at the Shireck engineer standing beside him, already somewhat embarrassed, and considerately abbreviated the explanation, "Continue!"

He had already realized that the technical consultant from Shireck likely knew no more about the Tang Army's cutting-edge military equipment than he himself did, General Feng Kezhi.

Even more likely, this consultant knew less than the Dahua military forces at the front lines: at least Dahua's troops were the first to encounter the Tang Army's Panther Tanks. If they hadn't, Shireck might not even be aware of their existence.

This was similar to how the Qi Country's military was the first to realize just how terrifying the Tang Country's Air Force was, and how the soldiers of the Shen Country were the first to employ steel helmets, hand grenades, and mines.

The Soldiers at the forefront, risking their lives, were always the first to seek solutions: If they didn't find ways to save themselves, they could only die at their posts.

And the engineers in the rear, seemingly without the same urgency, treated weapons and equipment development as more leisurely: A slow pace merely meant a smaller bonus.

However, front-line troops, often limited in cultural knowledge, could easily overlook certain details: for example, in their description of the Panther Tank's characteristics, they neglected a crucial aspect regarding the tank's body.

The Tang Army had already begun using wider tracks to reduce the ground pressure of the tanks, an improvement that seemed subtle but was extremely significant intelligence!

If it had been examined by a professional, one could at least deduce that the weight of the Panther Tank significantly exceeded that of the Tank No. 4, which would suggest the Panther's level of protection had substantially improved.

The report in that officer's hands made no mention of the tracks because the front-line Dahua troops didn't think the width of the tracks posed any threat to them. What mattered more to them was the new tank's cannon!

So, when the officer spoke again, his words focused on the cannon, "The third characteristic is that the enemy's new tanks are equipped with longer-barreled cannons... somewhat resembling the long-range guns on warships, they look more imposing."

He also couldn't assess the cannon's firepower because the armor of Dahua's tanks was already thin; the Tang Army's short-barreled 75 mm guns could pierce them just the same, only the penetration distance was shorter.

Hence, his description of the new cannons was vague, employing an unprofessional-sounding adjective: "imposing"...

General Feng Kezhi himself had some knowledge in this area, being a military man well-versed in artillery performance.

So he glanced again at the embarrassed Shireck engineer beside him and said, "A more powerful cannon! I don't need an engineer to tell me that, a longer barrel means a more powerful weapon!"

"Yes, General! Indeed, the power is greater... The enemy now prefers to open fire from beyond 1000 meters, destroying our tanks that try to get close." The officer nodded as he looked at the data on the report.

The report stated that units equipped with the new Tang tanks tended to engage at longer ranges, with the furthest confirmed kills recorded at an unbelievable 1500 meters.