Tiger Owl

Chapter 165 Establishment of the Crossbow Academy
In mid-September, the Yuzhang Army's Crossbow Academy was established. This was an ordnance academy specializing in the research of large crossbows and catapults. Cao Cao was ahead of the curve in this field. He had established a crossbow research institution several years earlier, and the crossbows of Cao Cao's army played a huge role in the Battle of Guandu.

Gan Ning had actually started earlier as well. Li Zhuan was specifically researching catapults in the Ordnance Bureau. The medium-sized catapults used to attack Linxiang County and Xiling County were the result of Li Zhuan's research. They were simple, sturdy, and not easily damaged.

The establishment of the Crossbow Institute was an upgrade of the previous Crossbow Group of the Ordnance Bureau, with a larger scale, more craftsmen, and greater investment. This was one of the preparations for dealing with Cao Cao's southward advance.

There are actually three types of crossbows: shooting devices, throwing devices, and projectile devices. Shooting devices, as the name suggests, are the types and extensions of crossbows. For example, a large horizontal crossbow that is ten feet long, also known as a heavy bed crossbow, can shoot a four-foot-long iron arrow a mile away, with enough force to break metal and split stone.

Of course, they developed not only large crossbows, but also medium crossbows that could be operated by two people, such as the ten-stone yellow crossbow, which had a range of five hundred paces and was a powerful long-range weapon against cavalry.

Then came the catapult. The development of catapults was already quite mature, but their accuracy was not very good. This was the focus of research on crossbows: improving accuracy. This was of great significance for naval warfare. For example, from 200 paces away, a canister of burning oil could be accurately thrown at the enemy's deck, eliminating the need for two ships to get close and throw Molotov cocktails at each other.

The projectiles are relatively easy to understand; they are all large slingshots. Gan Ning plans to invent the fire kite, which is a projectile that is a powerful fire attack weapon against military camps. Imagine dozens of fire kites being shot from three miles away, heading straight for the military camp in the middle of the night, which could set the entire camp ablaze, or even shoot them into the city. Unlike rockets, which can only hit the edge of the city, fire kites can hit the center of the county town and cause a city-wide fire.

The crossbow and cannon compound was located in the southwest of Chaisang, covering an area of ​​500 mu. It was surrounded by high walls and had twelve sentry towers built. Soldiers were on guard day and night, and no outsiders could get close.

Inside the high walls were more than thirty buildings, including living quarters, research and development areas, testing areas and warehouses, with a total of more than three hundred craftsmen, and Li Zhuan served as the chief manager.

In addition to the newly established Crossbow and Cannon Academy, the Yuzhang Army also had an Ordnance Academy, a Petroleum Bureau, and a Shipyard. The Ordnance Academy mainly researched and developed weapons, armor, and shields, and included three stages: smelting, iron casting, and weapon manufacturing.

The Petroleum Bureau was newly established and was mainly responsible for developing various petroleum products and new petroleum weapons, among which the Firehawk was the latest achievement.

The oil bureau was not the exclusive domain of the Yuzhang army. Cao Cao's army also established an oil institute, Jiangdong also set up an oil workshop, and even Liu Biao and Sun Ben organized craftsmen to develop various oil bottles. Everyone was working hard to develop various firearms.

Gan Ning's use of Molotov cocktails on the battlefield opened up a completely new approach. Unlike before, when preparing flammable materials such as sulfur and firewood for ignition was too cumbersome and inconvenient, it was much easier and faster than simply launching Molotov cocktails directly.

Gan Ning and other high-ranking officials came to the Crossbow Academy to participate in the founding ceremony. Gan Ning led everyone in worshipping Lu Ban, who is not only the ancestor of carpenters but also the originator of various large-scale siege weapons.

Gan Ning then stepped onto the high platform and announced loudly, "I hereby declare that the Yuzhang Army Crossbow Academy is officially established today!"

Instantly, bells and drums resounded, and more than 300 craftsmen cheered.

Amidst a lively atmosphere, Gan Ning led everyone into the Crossbow Institute. In front of them was an administrative office, followed by eight large buildings, which were the research institute. Behind them was a test field covering hundreds of acres, with living quarters and warehouses on the east and west sides.

The living area covers 300 acres and is separated from the research and development area. More than 300 craftsmen and their families live here, totaling about 1,000 people.

However, the living area is only temporary, as it is inconvenient here. According to the plan, three villages will be established nearby within two years, and these three villages will be the real living area. Li Zhuan led Gan Ning and the other high-ranking officials to a catapult. This catapult appeared to be a medium-sized catapult, and its structure was quite complex, much more complex than the simple catapults used for sieges.

"This is the ship cannon that I am currently developing. It can launch a 30-pound oil canister two hundred paces away with great precision, with a deviation of no more than three feet. It must be guaranteed to hit the ship exactly two hundred paces away."

"What guarantees accuracy?" Gan Ning asked.

"Three things guarantee it: first, distance; second, weight; and third, force. Its principle is the crossbow. It's like when we launch a crossbow bolt, it hits the enemy precisely two hundred paces away. How is that done? We use a sight to measure the distance, use the crossbow mechanism to fix the force, and use a standard crossbow bolt to control the weight."

The same applies to this ship's cannon. It looks like a catapult, but it's actually a crossbow. However, instead of firing, it throws the ball. The difference lies in the oil canister, which acts as the bolt, requiring extremely precise weight control. The central trigger mechanism fires the ball, with the power controlled precisely. The distance is then controlled using a sight.

Gan Ning thought for a moment and said, "But if the enemy is 150 paces away, I can raise the crossbow and still hit them accurately. It doesn't have to be as rigid as 200 paces."

Li Zhuan nodded. "This is the direction we will continue to research: how to raise or lower the catapult to adapt to different distances."

Lu Su then asked, "What if the opponent is only fifty paces away?"

"If it's only fifty paces, then we won't use this kind of ship cannon. Instead, we'll use a large stone crossbow that fires in a straight line. This kind of stone crossbow has a range of fifty to one hundred paces and weighs ten pounds."

"When will this kind of ship cannon be successfully developed?" Gan Ning asked again.

"This ship's cannon has been under development for over a year, and it is expected to be completed next spring! I will do my best to finish the development."

Gan Ning nodded and said, "The water surface is unstable, and it is easy to cause sudden rises and falls during operation. I suggest you use gears, so that each rise is fixed."

Li Zhuan immediately understood and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your suggestion, General. I will certainly consider it carefully."

After leaving the crossbow institute, the group returned to Chaisang by carriage. On the carriage, Lu Su said to Gan Ning, "If the invention of the ship cannon is successful, Jiangdong will likely try every means to imitate it. We must formulate a strict system to prevent leaks, including the protection of people and equipment. For example, when on a ship, it must be covered with a cover. If a ship is captured, there must be special soldiers responsible for smashing it. We must also strictly prohibit craftsmen from leaking information. We must have a complete system."

Gan Ning nodded. "The strategist's suggestion is very timely. In fact, it's not just about ship cannons, but also our new firearms and so on. We need to prevent leaks. How about this? Let Pang Tong formulate a complete system. After everyone discusses and improves it repeatedly, I will approve its implementation. Pang Tong will be responsible for enforcing this secrecy system."

Lu Su readily agreed, saying, "Pang Tong is very suitable. He is in charge of intelligence, and preventing leaks is also a form of intelligence management."

(End of this chapter)