Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 36 BMW and Volkswagen were both created by us.

After reaching an agreement with Bergmann on the development of light machine guns and submachine guns, Lelouch's mission in Thuringia was essentially complete.

Over the next three or four days, he personally helped Hugo Schmeisser outline the general technical roadmap, plan the timeline, and complete the formalities for establishing the new Bergman subsidiary.

The new company is temporarily named "Bergmann Salzburg Industrial Co., Ltd." Anyway, this is just a company name, not a brand name, so there's no need to be too particular about it. It's just like those subsidiaries of a certain company in a certain place.

Bergman also asked him why he chose such an Oreo-like name as Salzburg. Lelouch simply explained that Salzburg was his hometown, and Bergman did not object further.

As for the new company's product brands, there could be more than one in the future. Lelouch's first thought was the "Volkswagen" brand, because he knew that in this censored world, he had in fact intercepted the fortunes of many people who didn't even exist.

Without Lelouch creating the "Volkswagen" brand, it would surely have disappeared into the annals of history.

Of course, Lelouch also considered that the "Volkswagen" brand seemed more suitable for vehicles, giving it a civilian feel. For light weapons used purely for killing, it would be better to have a different brand in the future.

After the new company was established, Hugo Schmeisser quickly came up with a concrete design plan. He indicated that a light machine gun prototype could be produced within half a month and a submachine gun prototype within a month. Then, he began to arrange for small-scale trial production.

If the delivery date is mid-December, Schmeisser guarantees to provide 100 new light machine guns and 300-500 submachine guns.

When refining the specific technical solutions, Schmeisser also mentioned that the key difficulty of submachine guns should be the fine-tuning of the bolt weight. In such a short time, it is impossible to design a bolt that is not completely locked and relies entirely on the inertia of the spring to return to its original position.

This requires a lot of slow and meticulous testing. If it is rushed into implementation, the bolt will inevitably be either too light or too heavy.

If the bolt is too light, it will recoil too easily, exacerbating gas and spark leakage when the bullet ignites. If it is too heavy, it will be difficult to recoil in time, causing the cartridge to jam when ejecting the spent cartridge case.

Regarding this issue, Lelouch reassured the other party by offering a way to absolve them of responsibility: since they couldn't achieve perfect fine-tuning, they would rather design the bolt action to be lighter in the initial version.

As a military enthusiast, Lelouch was all too aware of the dangers of a gun's bolt being too heavy and stiff, causing it to jam. The main reason why the Chauchat light machine gun used by the French army in World War I was later regarded as the worst gun of all time was that the recoil was too stiff and heavy.

When the Chaussa rifle recoils, the barrel moves rigidly backward along with the bolt, much like a recoil-operated cannon.

The advantage of this is that the recoil felt by the shooter is indeed less, because an entire barrel moves backward to help absorb the recoil. However, the backward movement is too large and heavy, which often makes it easy to misjudge the action and then get stuck when ejecting the spent cartridge.

Before his transmigration, Lelouch had watched a test video of the Chaussa light machine gun on Bilibili. It jammed four times after firing 20 rounds, which explains why the French soldiers in World War I all said that their light machine gun was the worst in the world.

Lelouch naturally wanted to avoid this pitfall. He'd rather have a shorter range and leak more than have the shot jam.

Only after receiving this reassurance did Schmeisser fully unleash his potential and accelerate research and development.

With the end user's low demands and leniency, his efficiency is off the charts.

……

On November 12, after completing their mission in Thuringia, Lelouch and Immelmann embarked on another flight to their next destination, Munich.

It was the capital of the Kingdom of Balia, the stronghold of Duke Rupprecht, and also the headquarters of Siemens.

On his trip to Munich, Lelouch still had a bunch of small, miscellaneous things to work on with contractors, and finally, he needed to get Siemens to help with the lightweighting and portability of the radios—for the Storm Commando, a radio that was light enough to be carried by the assault platoon was the true essence of the commando tactics, even more important than light machine guns and submachine guns.

Only a lightweight and portable radio can enable frontline troops to accurately report positions and call for artillery support, making the use of the army's long-range heavy artillery more flexible and efficient.

On the plane, Captain Immelmann, who had been living comfortably in the guesthouse for the past few days without having to do anything, still seemed somewhat resentful:
"Thuringia is so boring, there's nowhere to visit in this small industrial city. You, on the other hand, always have something to do, getting so many good things for your army."

Lelouch, sitting in the back, couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this: "I just got back home and you let me sleep in for a few more days, and you're acting all innocent. Once we get to Munich, you'll have to find time to teach me how to drive and fly planes. Besides, my time in Thuringia isn't just for the benefit of the army; your air force will also find it useful."

The experimental light machine guns and submachine guns I had Bergman manufacture this time all had problems with their heat dissipation structures and will need to be modified later. However, using these 'defective products' as air force variants, to equip your reconnaissance aircraft in the future, or to hand-fire them directly in the air, would be perfect..."

Immelmann immediately objected upon hearing this: "So, our air force is supposed to use defective products?!"

Lelouch: "What do you know! There's no such thing as trash, only resources in the wrong place. These two guns have poor environmental compatibility in land warfare, and can only be used in environments with lots of water or cold conditions. But it doesn't matter in aerial combat—think about how strong the wind is when an airplane is flying! Air cooling is many times more efficient than ground cooling!"
Therefore, even the most flawed machine gun with a substandard cooling system will be perfectly adequate for heat dissipation in the air! In my opinion, if you've decided to engage in air combat, you should specifically design machine guns that minimize the weight of the cooling system and are sufficiently compact and lightweight! Especially since an aircraft's payload is precious, you should strive for perfection in this regard.”

Lelouch's words finally cheered Yin Maiman up for once. He thought about it and realized that it really made sense.

Historically, during World War I, the vast majority of aircraft machine guns used by the military were not specifically designed. The air force at the time was not professional and simply used the ground machine guns directly, without considering the need for redundant heat dissipation.

Someone like Lelouch, who can accurately grasp the technical requirement of "flying fast and in strong winds, so there's no need for good heat dissipation" and propose a specialized direction, can definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort with just a little targeted modification!
For example, aircraft of the same takeoff weight in other countries might only be able to carry one machine gun. Using a lightweight, aviation-specific machine gun, it might be possible to carry two! This represents a significant improvement in firepower.

Immelmann, being knowledgeable in the field, grew increasingly excited as she thought about it, and her admiration for Lelouch intensified.

Yin Maiman said sincerely, "You're something else, kid. I'm completely impressed. Sigh, I used to think you were wasting your talent seeing how quickly you rose from sergeant to captain. Now it seems you absolutely deserve it! In a few months, you might even be a field officer. I'll need your guidance more on the future development of the air force."

Lelouch: "We're all brothers, no need to be so polite. In a couple of months, your air force might be needed for actual combat. Did you report that you shot down that enemy reconnaissance plane? The enemy probably still doesn't know we've attempted air combat?"

Immelmann: "I didn't report it. I knew the priorities. Before we were fully prepared, rashly exposing ourselves would only increase the enemy's vigilance. For the sake of the battle, I preferred to delay reporting my personal achievements. After that day, within a week, I found another opportunity to kill a French reconnaissance pilot with a C96 Mauser pistol."

His plane also crashed, but it was over our controlled area, so the enemy won't find the body or wreckage; they'll definitely still think it was a plane crash. I've been strictly following your instructions, not provoking or engaging in combat over enemy-occupied territory.”

Lelouch was quite satisfied with this and was also somewhat impressed: "You're quite composed, with two kill records already, and you're still willing to be an unsung hero. But don't worry, once the Ypres campaign starts, I'll definitely let you make a name for yourself and get promoted with interest all at once. I'm the kind of person who never lets my brothers suffer losses."

Immelmann: "Stop with the nonsense. Since you're willing to come up with ideas for the air force, I won't rip you off—I previously said I'd teach you to fly a plane and drive a car for 3,000 marks, but now I'll lower the price to 1,000 marks. However, once your light machine gun and submachine gun samples are ready, you have to send me one of each so I can take them into the air and try them out."

Lelouch: "Deal."

A light machine gun and a submachine gun wouldn't cost more than two thousand marks. Besides, it's for his own brothers, to get a feel for aerial combat tactics and techniques in advance; it's official business, and the Duke would definitely approve it.

The two men reached an agreement on the use of automatic weapons in air combat, and the plane flew to Munich.

Immelmann landed smoothly. The conditions in Munich were much better than in Thuringia. A BMW was already waiting at the airport—the company used to be called BFW, which mainly produced aircraft engines.

But after Lelouch spoke with the Duke that time, he casually suggested that since the company was expected to expand its business beyond just manufacturing aircraft engines, it should change its name.

The Duke thought it made sense and hinted at it to the company's founders, Mark Fritz and Karl Rapp. The two founders accepted it, so a few days ago they officially changed the company's name to BMW, which stands for Baria Engine Plant.

From this perspective, Lelouch can be considered to have contributed to the birth of the BMW brand.

After seeing the new car, Yin Maiman walked around it several times with great interest. The exterior workmanship was decent, and the decorations were quite luxurious, but he didn't know about the engine's power; he would have to drive it to find out.

"How much does this car cost?" Yin Maiman has always enjoyed operating all kinds of machinery, and he was naturally eager to try out the new car he had never seen before.

The royal steward from the Bariah family, who came to greet them, calmly replied, "This vehicle is not yet for sale to the public; it is currently in trial production and is intended for use by the royal family and high-ranking officers of the army group."

However, the Archduke of Württemberg in the neighboring 4th Army uses local Stuttgart brands, Mercedes-Benz, which, similar in specifications to ours, cost over 20,000 marks.

Mercedes-Benz has been manufacturing cars for over 30 years, while BMW is still a startup; their experience and foundation are naturally incomparable.

Immelmann clicked his tongue in amazement: "Twenty thousand marks? At a captain's salary of 400 marks, it would take 50 months to afford one!"

Lelouch also felt a bit emotional, but it wasn't because he thought it was too expensive: "The Empire's industrial products are indeed exquisite, but industrial efficiency is no longer up to par. Mark, you may not know, but just before the war started, on the other side of the ocean in the United States, Henry Ford had already reduced the price of his sedan, which had similar power and load capacity, to a little over a thousand Ukrainian dollars, which is about five thousand marks."

In other words, the cost for us to build one car is enough for the Americans to build four. And the Americans are constantly improving their production line efficiency. If we do nothing, the productivity gap will only widen further in the future.

The royal butler, clearly unfamiliar with the outside world's industrial landscape, was astonished upon hearing this: "The Ugly people can sell that kind of industrial waste for such a low price? Can a car that costs five thousand marks even run? It's not just an engine with a shell attached, is it?"

Lelouch didn't want to argue about this issue right now, and simply shook his head helplessly.

On the other side, Immelmann had already gotten into the car. After a brief introduction, he drove Lelouch to the royal estate of Baria to settle in, and then to Siemens the next day.

During his subsequent stay in Baria, Lelouch's living conditions improved significantly.

He no longer needs to travel by plane; wherever he goes, Immelmann drives the BMW prototype.

They lived a life of luxury, with fine clothes, delicious food, and expensive cars.

His Highness the Duke was very generous. He must have learned that Lelouch had done a good job in Thuringia, so he called back and bestowed the BMW upon Lelouch.

A gift worth 20,000 marks was given away without hesitation.

Feeling grateful for the opportunity to be recognized, Lelouch has been working even harder lately to push for the lightweighting of radios at Siemens.

Because Lelouch was representing the Duke in making the request, he was personally received by Hermann von Siemens, the head of Siemens Munich. However, the subsequent technical discussions mainly took place with his subordinate project managers and engineers; the specific details need not be elaborated upon.

After all, Siemens is much larger than Bergman and has a huge civilian industry, so the big boss is also very busy.

Hermann von Siemens is the third generation of the company. His grandfather, Werner von Siemens, was the first founder, and his father, Arnold, is the second generation, now elderly and residing in Berlin. The Munich operations are managed by the third generation of the family, making it a typical family business.

When Siemens engineers first received Captain Lelouch's request, they found it quite incredible—in their view, the current FU08 low-power radio weighed only 70 kilograms, which was quite good and could be carried by a pack animal.

Nowadays, communication corps are still highly dependent on mules and horses, so there are enough pack animals to meet the demand.

But Lelouch had more to consider; he needed a radio that could be carried by infantrymen and used for rapid maneuvering in complex terrain.

He also knew that it was impossible to make electronic components or batteries lighter in a short period of time.

Therefore, his improvement idea was very simple and straightforward - the original radios were all integrated, without considering individual carrying, so the structure was very compact, and the battery was installed inside the machine - in that case, Lelouch asked Siemens to quickly develop a model where the battery pack and the radio itself were separate.

Siemens engineers did the math and then gave him some bad news: "If we want to make it a split type, we'll need additional insulation components and connecting cables, which will complicate the structure and actually increase the total weight by a few kilograms."

Lelouch's attitude was straightforward and clear: "I don't care about the total weight increase, I just want the unit weight to decrease! If the total weight increases, I can just have a few soldiers carry it separately and carry less weapons and ammunition, but who can carry a 70-kilogram machine?"

Siemens engineers responded quickly to the request and, after working overtime, finally came up with a solution: the total weight was increased from 70 kg to 75 kg, but it could be divided into three parts: the radio itself weighed 25 kg, and the battery pack was divided into two parts, each weighing 25 kg.

The radio's battery life has been reduced by another half, but when the power runs out, you can simply plug in a spare battery pack.

In addition, the extra 5 kg of weight is not for nothing. It includes not only the weight of the extra cables, but also some waterproof structural components and shock-absorbing pads, making the whole machine less prone to damage in harsh outdoor environments.

Lelouch was fairly satisfied with the result. At worst, he could add another communications sergeant to each platoon, and then the platoon leader, deputy platoon leader, and communications sergeant would be responsible for carrying the radio and battery pack.
The other four squads consisted of 60 ordinary soldiers carrying combat weapons.

The officers who carried radios and batteries only carried a Mauser 20-shot pistol and two grenades for self-defense, saving the rest of their load for communication equipment.

Upon seeing the final solution, Lelouch couldn't help but internally rant:

Damn, the energy density of lead-acid batteries in 1914 was really low!
For a radio with a power output of a few tens of watts, two 25-kilogram battery packs are needed!

Later mobile phones used tens of watts of power when playing games, but a mobile phone battery only weighs a few pounds.

……

The Siemens issue cannot be resolved overnight.

Lelouch roughly calculated the schedule; he would have to stay in Munich for at least half a month, and during that time he might also have to make a trip to Nuremberg, which is also in the Baria region.

So while the Siemens engineers were working, he wasn't idle either. He first had Immelmann teach him how to drive a car and fly a plane.

Lelouch knew how to drive before he traveled through time; he had a regular C1 driver's license, so he could even drive a manual transmission.

However, the manual transmission car of 1914 was completely different from that of later generations. Even under Immelmann's intensive training, it still took him three to five days to learn how to fly, and another ten days to master the basics of flying an airplane.

During this time, Lelouch also took advantage of the opportunity to use the budget approved by His Highness the Duke, along with some stewards from the Barea royal family, to inspect suppliers and acquire some equipment with relatively low technical content.

For example, he wanted to produce steel helmets a few months earlier than the French army, or get a batch of camouflage uniforms with better camouflage, as well as the first generation of gas masks that could protect against tear gas.

Even the tall military boots originally used by the German army were not very suitable for the environment of the future Ypres salient battlefield - the area around Ypres was too muddy, and in many places the water was waist-deep. The tall boots could not keep out the water at all. Instead, the water would keep getting in and would cause the feet to rot into "trench foot", which is a kind of athlete's foot.

Lelouch thought it best to procure a batch of high-durability, thick-soled athletic shoes with short uppers for the soldiers, along with leather leggings; these would be more practical than tall boots. Ideally, they should be like the work boots and safety shoes of later generations—sturdy and durable.

Of these items, only the helmet is a little difficult to obtain; the rest can be made at any garment factory in Munich, so there's not much to elaborate on.

(End of this chapter)