Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 171 Tanks Unveiled
The celebratory banquet that evening concluded successfully amidst the joy of all the guests and hosts. Admiral Hipper and Minister Baden, having received advice and guidance from Lelouch, were both quite satisfied.

The Grand Duke of Baden discovered a new way to help his brother-in-law and win a more favorable diplomatic situation for the empire.

Admiral Hipper was given an opportunity to prove that "the strategic significance of annihilating the Russa Baltic Fleet far exceeded previous expectations."

The day after the victory celebration, Hipper ordered Vice Admiral Berdick to immediately lead his cruiser reconnaissance fleet north to the entrance of the Gulf of Bothnia to conduct minesweeping operations. Once a safe passage into the Gulf of Bothnia was cleared, the cruisers were to continue north to search for any possible enemy transport convoys.

In addition, they rehearsed in advance how to deal with enemy ships flying the Lusa flag, and how to handle ships flying the Swedish or even Norwegian flags. They devised a plan to gather intelligence on the enemy while minimizing alerting them.

Hipper asked Lelouch to roughly deduce these details, so that he could solidify his basic knowledge.

After giving instructions to Hipper, Lelouch calculated the days. There were less than 10 days left before the planned start of the war on the southern front. He then prepared to take the train south again to Odessa to report to Marshal Rupprecht.

But before he left, the Grand Duke of Baden tried to persuade him to stay a few more days.

He also said that if Admiral Hipper were to quickly find evidence that the Swedes had violated the Neutrality Act, he hoped that Lelouch would make a trip to Stockholm to contact Gustav V.

Lelouch was quite curious about this: "Lord Baden, what are you thinking? What are you talking about? It's too much of a coincidence. It would take Vice Admiral Berdick several days just to clear mines and create a passage into the Gulf of Bothnia. How could he possibly run into an enemy smuggling fleet as soon as he enters the Gulf of Bothnia?"
And even if you find evidence, couldn't you just go to Stockholm yourself? You yourself said His Majesty Gustav is your brother-in-law. You can go in your private capacity for this kind of thing.”

Grand Duke Baden shook his head slyly: "Although my brother-in-law and I are related by marriage, I am, after all, a minister of the Empire, and one of the ministers with high international prestige and name recognition. Such a high-level visit by me would be too ostentatious and easily attract attention."

I won't bother two people with the same thing. Since you came up with this plan, you can help me with the formalities. Don't worry about the paperwork; I'll apply to His Majesty, and he'll naturally speak to the relevant diplomatic departments. It certainly won't be considered that you acted on your own initiative.

That way, His Majesty will also realize the greater strategic significance of the Baltic Campaign, helping us to win over the generals on both the northern and southern fronts to counter Hindenburg and Rodendorff.

Lelouch almost rolled his eyes: "Wouldn't my going attract attention? Although I am of lower rank than you, I have a military position and no other cover identity. It would be good enough if a brigadier general chief of staff of the Imperial 6th Army went on a mission during wartime, if it wasn't interpreted as an exchange between the two armies."

Grand Duke Baden then revealed his true intentions: "You admit that your status is lower and your international reputation is not as great as mine, that's enough! As for a cover identity, I'll help you with that, then you won't need to travel as a military officer—"

How about this? As you know, I have two older sisters. The eldest is the Queen of Sweden, and the second is the Duchess of Anhalt. I'll take a small loss and help you get engaged to Lorinta through her second sister, or at least pretend to be dating her. That way, you can travel to and from Sweden discreetly, claiming it's as a nephew-in-law visiting his aunt and uncle.

You've met Lolinta several times, so you must have a good impression of her. She also has a good impression of you, especially after you collaborated with the people at Farben Chemicals to invent sulfonamides, saving so many wounded soldiers and greatly helping their work. She also manages the National Women Nurses Association with her mother; this position is respectable, prestigious, and easily wins favor with the military—isn't that good?

Holy crap! So this old guy was waiting here to poach my employees!

Previously, he had been in contact with the Grand Duke of Baden for a long time, and the other party had occasionally hinted that he wanted him to be his nephew-in-law.

But now it's no longer a hint, it's an explicit statement.

However, Lelouch would not sell himself out for his career, and he didn't particularly like Miss Lolinta's saintly professional persona, so he could wait and see.

So he immediately rejected the suggestion: "You should find someone else to do this. I haven't received any professional training in this area. I can't play the role of secret diplomacy well. You should find a professional to do it."

When the Grand Duke of Baden saw that his reason was so high-sounding, he immediately withdrew his probing: "That's true. Then let's not talk about the engagement for now. If there is a real need for work in the future, we can pretend to be engaged."

Also, could you stay a few more days on the northern route? If Hipper makes a breakthrough, we might need your help with specific strategies.

Lelouch calculated the time and finally proposed a compromise: "How about this, I'll take care of some things in Prague before I return. I'll leave you my phone number there, so call me if anything changes, but don't send telegrams to avoid them being intercepted. But I can only stay there until the 15th at the latest, after which I have to go back to Odessa."

When Lelouch came, he didn't take the train through Prague, but rather through Krakow and Poznan, before turning towards Danzig and Königsberg. On the return trip to Prague, he would have taken a slightly longer route, adding about 200 kilometers.

However, a trip to Prague would be worthwhile, because just two days ago, Duke Rupprecht of the southern route had informed him that he could visit Prague on his return to see how Porsche's tank project prototype was progressing.

According to the previous plan, when the offensive in the Kievan Rus' plains region resumed in late September, armored vehicles could be deployed in large units, while tanks would have to wait until November.

However, mass production of tanks will take time. The first batch of mass-produced combat vehicles can be produced in November, and the final prototype should be ready by mid-September. Lulu can check for any problems on his way back, which can also be considered as helping Dr. Porsche to identify and fill any gaps.

……

Lelouch didn't stay in Königsberg for the last night. After finishing his business that day, he took a sleeper train in the evening and embarked on his journey south.

I slept on the train and woke up the next day to find myself already in Prague.

Lelouch wasted no time and had Porsche send a car to pick him up, then headed straight to the company's research and development test track.

Porsche, a company registered under Dr. Porsche's personal name, was also established just a few months ago. Currently headquartered in Prague, it will gradually relocate to Munich in a few months once the initial tank project is fully completed.

The previous relocation was not feasible for several reasons. Firstly, it was easier to conduct business in Prague. Moving to Munich earlier would have resulted in increased oversight from Demand's domestic defense industry, with more conservative elements potentially interfering with the project. Increased oversight and evaluation also increased the risk of leaks. Therefore, it was better to allow the new weapons to achieve combat success and prove themselves on the battlefield before making a strong comeback.

Back in Prague, before Lelouch poached Dr. Porsche, he had already reached an understanding with the Austrian Deputy Foreign Minister in the name of the Barea royal family. Austria currently relies entirely on Demania for its military operations and is hesitant to oversee the military research projects that the Demanians are "fostering" in Bohemia.

On the other hand, Dr. Porsche was just starting out with tanks and had a lot of advanced technology, utilizing the technical reserves he had accumulated from building half-track tractors for Škoda. Dr. Porsche was only in charge of the overall operations; many of the technical staff below him were Austrian, especially Bohemians.

Lelouch needs to use this project to integrate the technical team and ensure that the Demandians who are gradually joining the project team, especially the engineers employed by Volkswagen and BMW, have a solid grasp of the experience and skills in researching, designing, and modifying tanks before considering relocating the company or setting up a new branch in Munich.

At 10 a.m., Dr. Porsche brought Lelouch to the test track, where Lelouch immediately saw two prototype cars parked very conspicuously in the center of the track.

The vehicle was slightly taller than Lelouch had anticipated, with a significant portion of the middle section suspended in the air, making it look less like a tank.

After taking a closer look, Lelouch discovered that the problem was with the suspension design—Dr. Porsche had clearly not figured out how to use torsion bar suspension efficiently, so he ultimately chose the leaf spring suspension that had been used for a long time and was borrowed from heavy trucks.

Historically, the most famous tanks with torsion bar suspension are the T-34 and similar models.

That thing, like leaf spring suspension, can only be used with non-independent suspensions, meaning the left and right wheels have to use the same suspension system. The ugly Christie suspension, more commonly used in later light tanks, has an advantage in agility and can be made for independent left and right wheels. However, the demand for independent left and right wheels isn't very obvious right now. Lelouch's only concern after seeing this first-generation leaf spring design was that the chassis's "crotch" was too high. If he encountered an enemy strapped with grenades and wanted to crawl under a tank, it would be very easy for them to do so.

Thinking of this, Lelouch immediately offered Dr. Porsche a minor, effortless suggestion for improvement:
"Still haven't solved the torsion bar suspension problem? Oh well, leaf springs are readily available; we can just copy them from the truck. Let's make do with leaf springs for a year or two, and then we'll definitely find a way to gradually modify them later."

Also, since the chassis is so high, let's attach an articulated add-on armor to the front, hanging down to protect the underside as much as possible. It just needs to be thin and lightweight. We don't need it to stop bullets, just make sure it's not too easy for someone to crawl under the car.

"Oh, right, I remembered the armored vehicle you built before. Compared to tanks, those things are more vulnerable to tire damage. You could add thin, articulated suspension armor side skirts to both sides to protect the upper part of the tires. Just enough to stop rifle bullets, and the kind that can be easily lifted up when you get close, without affecting maintenance."

Lelouch felt uneasy looking at these armored vehicles with too many security flaws, so he decided to reinforce their defenses with minimal cost.

Dr. Porsche, being an expert, quickly grasped the intricacies and said it could be completed in a few days. Those already produced didn't need modification; they just needed to produce more accessories, which could then be screwed onto the production line.

After addressing the obvious defensive vulnerabilities, Lelouch then examined the vehicle's power system and firepower.

There's not much that can be improved with the engine; the car is already built, and any adjustments would be radical. Besides, this is the best engine the Empire can currently offer; any upgrades would depend on advancements in engine technology.

In terms of firepower, Krupp eventually cooperated with Dr. Porsche in time to develop a 57mm short-barreled gun, a low-pressure, low-recoil version with a barrel length of only 0.9 meters, which is equivalent to only 16 calibers.

Previously, existing 57mm guns were at least 25 calibers or longer, with barrel lengths exceeding 1.5 meters. After Krupp developed this shorter barrel, the recoil was reduced by about half, which explains why even a small tank weighing only 10 tons can now carry a 57mm gun.

The new gun has a very short range, with the furthest trajectory being less than 3 kilometers, while the 57mm field guns currently in service with the troops have a range of at least 5 to 6 kilometers.

But since it's mounted on a tank, 3 kilometers doesn't matter. The tank can withstand all machine gun bullets anyway, so it's not too late to fire when it's within 3 kilometers of the machine gun bunker.

10吨型坦克，最终定型装备1门57毫米短管炮1挺重机枪。7吨型的就只装2挺轻机枪，都没有炮塔。一切都如原本的设计，落实得非常好。

"Commander Lelouch, do you think the outcome of this project will satisfy the Marshal?"

After a cursory glance, Dr. Porsche earnestly asked Lelouch for his opinion.

Beside Dr. Porsche was a group of technicians, all watching him intently. Among them were technical representatives from BMW, responsible for providing engines for the project; people from Krupp and DWM; and Hugo Schmeisser, who were responsible for providing the tank's weaponry.

At the beginning of the year, Hugo Schmeisser was still working for Bergmann, responsible for further refining the MP15 submachine gun project. But now that the submachine gun is finalized, Schmeisser has been seconded to Lelouch's own company.

After thinking for a moment, Lelouch shared his thoughts with the engineers: "I am already very satisfied with the current project, and I believe the Marshal will be satisfied as well."

However, we must look at the bigger picture. If we manage to build such a successful tank, and it plays a significant role on the Eastern Front, how long do you think it would take the Bretons to replicate it?

The engineers from Porsche to Schmeisser were all slightly surprised upon hearing this.

"It's not that easy to copy, is it? Unless the Britannians are also doing this kind of thing?"

Lelouch nodded, giving the engineers a heads-up: "That's right. I have intelligence sources indicating that the Britannians are also planning this kind of armored vehicle. They should have already made some preliminary preparations and know about tracked drive and armor protection. It's just that they still have many technical details they haven't figured out."

Everyone's expressions turned serious. Dr. Porsche, as the person in charge, pondered for a while before answering cautiously: "If that's the case, they have a certain technical foundation. Seeing our inspiration, they might be able to figure it out within three to five months, and at most, they could mass-produce it within six months."

If they don't aim to perfectly replicate our technology, but instead use it to address their existing designs and get the car built, the development cycle could potentially be shortened to two or three months. After all, wartime is so urgent; everything must be done expediently in times of crisis.

According to Dr. Porsche's calculations, this means that if the Demania tank is deployed in combat at the end of November, the Bretons should be able to complete the design of their own "Mark I" tank by the end of February next year. By the end of the first half of next year, they might even be able to replicate something similar to the "Demania I" tank in front of them.

This pace is reasonable. Historically, the "Mark 1" of the Burkina Faso was completed by mid-1916, and by August when it participated in the Battle of the Somme, a total of 60 vehicles had been produced, with an initial monthly output of 30 vehicles.

Now that the enemy has built tanks first, the people of Burkina Faso have been inspired and completed their research and development 3 to 4 months ahead of schedule, which is within the normal range.

Lelouch nodded, acknowledging the other's assessment: "Therefore, we cannot be blindly arrogant. That's why I asked you not to put three or five prototypes into battle to show off. We must at least assemble enough tanks to equip one or two armored regiments before deploying them in actual combat, so that we can maximize the surprise advantage of our new equipment."

Now, I ask you to work backwards from the timeline of "by the second quarter of next year, the enemy will be able to build their own crudely made tanks; by the third quarter of next year, the enemy will be able to build a tank similar to ours," and work out how we should improve our existing tanks to ensure "destroying another version of ourselves."

"You mean... use tanks to fight tanks?" The engineers immediately realized what was going on.

Lelouch: "That's right, it's about using tanks to fight tanks. Of course, you'll first need to come up with a weapon suitable for fighting tanks, and then make sure it can be mounted on tanks. But before you solve the mounting problem, you'd better make sure these weapons can also be used directly by infantry."

The engineers immediately fell into deep thought, then began whispering among themselves. The most common solution they came up with was to lighten the existing anti-tank guns and use them to attack tanks.

Lelouch didn't interfere with their train of thought, but let them brainstorm and explore all the possibilities, hoping for an unexpected breakthrough.

After they finished their discussion and took notes of their brainstorming session, Lelouch offered further guidance:
"What you just said about the direction of improving artillery weapons is all correct. However, I would like to add two points of my own thinking:"

I think the companies that previously supplied machine guns for tanks should consider developing a machine gun with a significantly larger caliber. Currently, the mainstream machine guns on the market are all only around 8mm in caliber, which are the most efficient calibers that have been repeatedly refined over many years for engaging personnel targets.

Our current tank armor design is based on immunity to existing machine gun rounds. You initially wanted to design 6-8 mm armor, but I insisted that you thicken it to 10 mm, with 20 mm for the frontal armor. This is so that if the enemy replaces the existing 7.7 mm machine guns with steel-core or even tungsten-core armor-piercing rounds in the future, our tank armor will still be able to ensure immunity.

If the enemy had not anticipated this, the armor thickness of their first-generation tanks might still have been less than 10 millimeters, or even as thin as 6 to 8 millimeters.

Therefore, we should design a machine gun that can penetrate armor up to 10mm thick without requiring special ammunition. I think a caliber of 12-13mm is reasonable for the new machine gun. Specialized steel-core bullets can also be researched gradually.

-

PS: I wrote over 9 words in 30 days in September, making sure to update 36 words every day. I finally achieved a small success.

I feel like my brain is too tense. I have some social engagements during the National Day holiday, so I'll be taking two days off and reducing my updates to 5,000 words per day (when others take leave, they stop updating altogether, but I have to ask for leave even for 5,000 words).
(End of this chapter)