Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 130 Test Shots and the King of Scrolls

After the assault battalion's inspection ceremony, Morin disbanded the troops, sending each company back to continue training.

He then led Crown Prince George and his entourage to the training ground where the attack procedure had just been demonstrated.

The area has been quickly rearranged by the soldiers of the battalion headquarters.

Three brand-new human-shaped paper targets were set up at three different distances: near, middle, and far from the venue.

In the center of the field, beside a long table covered with green velvet, Helga, dressed in simple work clothes, stood with extreme tension in front of her 'child'—the air-cooled light machine gun.

It wasn't until Kleist sent someone to inform her that the people who came to observe the test firing today were actually the Crown Prince of the Saxon Empire, as well as many other important figures in the army whom she had only heard of in the newspapers.

This news was like a dream for Helga, who had never met the most important person in her life—the esteemed Lady Cecilia of Falkenstein Manor.

She never imagined that the weapons she designed and manufactured would one day be watched by so many legendary figures.

Her palms were sweaty, her heart was pounding uncontrollably, and she even felt her legs were going weak.

Once everyone had arrived, Morin smiled and gave Helga an encouraging look, then nodded gently.

Seeing her boss's familiar and reassuring expression, Helga miraculously calmed down quickly.

She took a deep breath, suppressing all her tension and unease, and then, in a slightly trembling but clear tone, began to quickly introduce the weapon in front of her, which embodied her hard work.

"Your Highness, esteemed officers, this is the latest air-cooled light machine gun developed by our Schmeisser Weapons Manufacturing Corporation."

"Like the Imperial Army's current MG08 heavy machine gun, it fires the standard 7.92×57mm Mauser rifle cartridge, employs a short-recoil automatic principle, and is closed-bolt fired."

Herjay's introduction was brief and clear, without going into too much detail, focusing instead on some key points.

When I heard that this machine gun, which also fires full-power rifle rounds, weighs only 12.9 kilograms when equipped with a bipod, and less than 15 kilograms even with a 100-round ammunition belt, I was amazed.

Crown Prince George and Falkenhayn, among others, all showed expressions of surprise.

What concept is this?
The MG08 heavy machine gun currently in service with the Imperial Army weighs as much as 26.5 kilograms, even if only the gun body is considered.

Not to mention, once it's in position, including the heavy tripod and the cooling sleeve filled with water, its total combat weight is close to 69 kilograms!

That weapon was not something a single soldier could carry; every time they moved positions, it required a whole machine gun team working together to complete the task.

The gun in front of us weighs less than a quarter of the MG08!

Everyone present knew perfectly well what this meant.

Moltke, who had been somewhat absent-minded these past few days, preoccupied with the border situation, was now deeply attracted by the new machine gun and focused all his attention on it.

Helga quickly finished her introduction.

Next up was the much-anticipated live-fire demonstration.

The Crown Prince and others originally thought that this young female weapons designer was only responsible for the introduction of firearms.

The actual shooting demonstrations should be conducted by the strong and capable soldiers in the training battalion.

However, what happened next made their expressions quite interesting.

After Helga finished her introduction, she did not leave. Instead, she deftly picked up a 100-round ammunition belt box full of bullets from the table and skillfully hung it on the rack on the side of the receiver.

Loading and chambering the round were done in one smooth motion.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, she picked up the nearly 15-kilogram light machine gun, turned around, and rushed towards the pre-set firing point.

Meanwhile, Kleist, Manstein, and others who were watching from the sidelines were so surprised that their mouths were agape, almost big enough to fit an egg.

"Valkyrie!"

They had only just learned about Helga and initially thought she was just a rare female gun designer, a shy and soft-spoken girl who was always a little timid in front of Morin.

But is the 'Valkyrie' in front of us, carrying a machine gun and moving with incredible speed, really the same person?
Helga had not learned any tactical maneuvers, and her actions appeared simple, even somewhat clumsy.

She simply carried the machine gun, quickly walked to the first firing point about 100 meters away from the group, then neatly lay down, set up the bipod, and rested the butt of the gun on her shoulder.

"Da-da-da! Da-da-da-da!"

Accompanied by a series of rhythmic gunshots, a cloud of smoke instantly billowed from the first human-shaped target in the distance.

One short burst, then one long burst.

Helga precisely controlled the rhythm of her shots, the flames spitting from the muzzle like an angry venomous snake.

After firing at the first target, she didn't pause for a moment. She immediately packed up the bipod, picked up the machine gun again, and ran to the second firing point, which was 200 meters away.

Lie down, aim your gun, and fire!

The movements were as fluid as ever.

Next, there was the third firing point, 300 meters away.

When Helga finished suppressing all three targets, he ran back to the group, carrying the light machine gun whose barrel was already red-hot.

The only sounds on the training field, besides the whistling wind, were her somewhat rapid breathing.

Everyone present was stunned by this incredibly impactful scene.

Kleist and Manstein quickly understood why Maureen had made such an ingenious arrangement.

The subtext here is all too obvious.

If even a seemingly frail woman can single-handedly carry this machine gun, quickly move between different firing positions, and effectively fire it.

Therefore, there is no reason why the strong and capable soldiers in the Imperial Army cannot use this weapon like she does!

This is no longer a simple weapons demonstration.

This is a concrete manifestation of a completely new tactical concept!

"Good! Great!"

Crown Prince Georg clapped excitedly and strode over to Helga. He looked at the light machine gun as if it were a rare treasure.

He turned his head with delight to look at War Secretary Falkingham, who was equally shocked.

"General Falkenham, what do you think? Is this kind of light weapon, which can significantly improve the firepower of infantry squads, worth equipping the troops with?"

Falkinhan, who also recognized the immense value of this weapon, abandoned his usual seriousness at this moment.

He nodded solemnly.

"Your Highness, this is indeed a revolutionary weapon of great value."

"If it can pass the more rigorous inspections and tests conducted by the Army's Weaponry and Equipment Department, I personally believe there is no reason not to equip it with the troops!"

Falkinhan pointed to the slightly reddened gun barrel and continued:

"Although it's clear that this weapon's sustained firing capability is lacking, the MG08 can compensate for this deficiency. What this weapon is meant to do is closely follow the infantry's advance and provide real-time fire support."

At this point, the matter is basically settled.

With the approval of both the Crown Prince and the Minister of War, it was only a matter of time before this light machine gun, which Morin had high hopes for, entered mass production and was equipped by the troops.

With the successful conclusion of the light machine gun demonstration, the inspection also came to an end.

Before leaving, Crown Prince Georg specifically pulled Morin aside, his face beaming with approval. "Captain Morin, you did a fantastic job!"

He patted Morin's shoulder forcefully, his eyes filled with admiration and expectation.

"Both your troops and your new weapons have given me a huge surprise."

"We must continue to intensify training. I hope to see your training assault battalion truly become combat-ready in the shortest possible time."

"At the same time, if you encounter any difficulties in training and troop building, whether from the Army Department, the General Staff Department, or any other source of resistance, you can tell me directly, and I will help you solve them!"

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness! I will never let you down!"

What could Morin say? He could only give a solemn military salute.

Having received Morin's assurance, Crown Prince Georg was finally satisfied and boarded the vehicle with the others, leaving the camp in high spirits.

Watching the convoy disappear into the distance, Morin and the other officers in the camp finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

Especially for Kleist and Manstein, their feelings were like they had been on a roller coaster.

From initial concerns about Morin's unique method of troop demonstration, to being awestruck by this unprecedented tactical display, and finally to being astonished when Helga ran around the field carrying a machine gun.

They were constantly worried that Morin's unconventional style might cause problems at some point and anger the conservative senior army officers.

Fortunately, the final result was perfect, and everything ended smoothly.

"Alright, stop standing there like idiots."

Morin looked at the group of relieved officers around him and waved with a smile.

"Let the troops disband and rest; they'll have an extra meal for dinner!"

"Yes, sir!"

The officers responded with a resounding ovation, relaxed smiles on their faces, and dispersed to make arrangements for the follow-up matters.

Morin then turned and walked to the other side, to the little girl who was still somewhat caught up in the tension and excitement from before.

Helga stood there, stunned, her cheeks flushed with a healthy blush from the intense exercise and excitement.

A few strands of hair on his forehead were soaked with sweat and stuck to his smooth forehead.

"Helja, you did a good job today."

Morin walked up to her and praised her sincerely.

"I'll give you an extra generous bonus at the end of the year."

Hearing Morin's voice, Helga looked up as if waking from a dream, her beautiful eyes still filled with a hint of unreal confusion.

"boss"

She stared blankly at Morin, her voice trembling slightly.

"Does this mean that the gun I designed can now enter mass production?"

"It's not a big problem."

Morin smiled and nodded, giving her an affirmative answer.

"When I get back, I'll send this prototype gun, along with your revised final version of the blueprints, to the Army Weapons and Equipment Department. After they complete the final testing and type approval, we should be able to get the license for mass production soon."

He paused and added.

"So when you get back, remember to make the necessary preparations."

"Once the production license is approved, we will immediately organize manpower and make the first batch as soon as possible. I need it here."

"Ok!"

Helga nodded vigorously, and a bright smile finally appeared on her face.

That smile was pure and bright, dispelling all the tension and fatigue on her face.

She smiled and said to Maureen, "Boss, I'm so tired today. I'm going to take a good nap this afternoon when I get back!"

"Sleeping is fine."

Morin laughed along with her.

"However, starting tomorrow, you will need to begin preparing for the design of the new weapon."

"what?"

Helga's mouth instantly opened into an adorable "O" shape, and the smile on her face froze.

Seeing her like this, Morin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“I know it’s really tough, but you can’t rest right now, Helga.”

Morin's smile faded, and his expression turned serious.

Then, he told Helga in detail about his idea for a brand new type of automated weapon for individual soldiers.

"I need a fully automatic weapon that can be carried by a single soldier, provides intense and sustained suppressive fire in close combat, and fires pistol rounds."

As Morin spoke, he recalled in his mind some key parameters of the weapon that ushered in a new era in another time and space.

"It should be as lightweight as possible, with a simple structure, and easy to manufacture and maintain."

"The rate of fire doesn't need to be too fast, about 400 rounds per minute is enough."

"Regarding the ammunition supply, I hope there can be a high-capacity magazine that can hold at least thirty rounds."

Helga was initially a little confused, but as Morin's description became more and more detailed, her eyes widened and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.

She was all too familiar with the weapon that Morin had described.

"boss"

After listening, Helga spoke cautiously in an uncertain tone.

“Before my brother passed away, he left behind a design draft of ‘a fully automatic shooting weapon that fires 9mm pistol rounds.’ Many of the details in it are the same as what you described.”

"Fully automatic firing weapon, what a coincidence!"

"Seriously, boss, I even doubt if you've seen this design, but I know it's impossible."

Morin clenched his fist without making a sound; he knew this thing was most likely real.

"Helja, then you will start tomorrow and, based on your brother's design, complete the design of this weapon as soon as possible!"

"Once this weapon is finished, I'll definitely give you a long vacation!"

Helga, with her simple mind, had no doubts whatsoever about the "pie in the sky" that Morin had promised.

My work enthusiasm was reignited by the 'long holiday'.

(End of this chapter)