Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 254 The Regiment on the Cliff
When Morin uttered those two words, Mackensen and Leonia breathed a sigh of relief almost simultaneously.

It felt like a drowning person finally grabbing a straw to save them.

"Morin, tell me quickly what the plan is?" General Mackensen seemed impatient.

He took a step forward, placed his hands on the folding table, leaned forward, and stared intently at Morin.

Although Leonia didn't speak, the sudden brightness in her eyes said it all.

"General, Commander, please don't be anxious."

Morin gestured for them to calm down, then continued:
"To counter 'shaped charge armor-piercing projectiles,' we can approach it from two angles: a temporary emergency plan and a long-term solution."

“Tell me the contingency plan first!” Mackensen said immediately.

The situation is urgent. Long-term solutions can be studied gradually, but we must have a method that can produce immediate results.

“Okay.” Morin nodded, walked to the table, picked up a pencil, and began to draw on a blank sheet of paper.

He first drew a thick line to represent the armor plate, and then drew a thin line a certain distance in front of it.

"The power of a shaped charge projectile largely depends on the distance between it and the target armor when it explodes; we call this the 'explosion height'."

As Maureen drew, she explained:

"This is why our current 'armor-piercing warhammer' and 'armor-piercing spear' have a hollow tube at the front end. In addition to guiding the flow, the most important function of this tube is to fix the optimal detonation distance."

"If the explosion is too close or too far away, the metal jet cannot be effectively formed and concentrated, and the armor-piercing power will be greatly reduced, possibly even by more than 40%."

Mackensen and Leonia listened very attentively; this knowledge was a completely new field for them.

"Therefore, our short-term emergency measure is to add an extra layer of armor to the torso of our armored knight, especially outside the main armor on the front of the cockpit. I call it 'spaced armor'."

Morin pointed with his pencil to the thin line he had drawn.

"This extra layer of armor doesn't need to be very thick; even ordinary steel plates will suffice. Its most important function is not to withstand the impact directly, but to leave a gap between it and the main armor below."

“I recommend that this gap be at least 30 millimeters or more. If conditions permit, you can even add another layer.”

"In this way, when the enemy's 'shaped charge projectile' comes at you, it will detonate on this layer of 'spaced armor' first."

"By the time the metal jet it forms passes through the gap and hits the armored knight's main armor, the jet's shape has already been destroyed and its energy has already dissipated, greatly reducing its armor-piercing effect."

"It's that simple?" Leonia asked in disbelief after hearing this.

In her view, the terrifying weapon that can easily penetrate tens of millimeters of special armor can be countered simply by adding another thin layer of iron on the outside.

That sounds a bit too frivolous.

"The principle is that simple, but the effect is absolutely immediate."

Morin said definitively:
"Of course, considering the size and power of our 'Siegfried 1', if the entire body were covered with this kind of spaced armor, it would definitely seriously affect the aircraft's mobility."

"Therefore, I suggest prioritizing the installation on the most critical and vulnerable parts, such as the main frontal armor of the cockpit and the shoulder armor."

"After all, judging from the current battle situation, both our knights and the enemy knights are aiming for the opponent's cockpit with deadly intent."

Morin's statement was very convincing, and both General Mackensen and Leonia nodded in agreement.

In the battle between armored knights, attacks on the hands and feet are indeed rare; everyone's target is very clear—the cockpit in the middle.

Because as long as the pilot is safe, even if the aircraft's limbs are damaged, there is still a possibility of repair.

Once the pilots of the Armored Knights are gone, it will take more than a day or two to train new ones.

General Mackensen nodded after hearing this, then looked at Leonia:
"We can immediately have the technicians at the front get to work, using spare armor plates or other steel, and weld this layer onto all the 'Siegfried Type 1's overnight! As for the effect, Your Excellency Fortis, your Knights can conduct a live-fire test immediately."

"No problem, General."

Leonia immediately agreed.

With the emergency plan in place, although the specific effects were still unclear, the atmosphere in the command center was much more relaxed.

"What about the long-term plan?" Leonia looked at Morin again, her eyes full of curiosity.

If 'spaced armor' is a temporary emergency measure, then what Morin calls a 'long-term solution' must be something much deeper.

"A long-term solution would require a complete overhaul of the armor structure of our Armored Knight."

Maureen put away the paper, her expression turning serious:

“I call it ‘composite armor’.”

“Composite armor?” Leonia chewed on this brand-new term.

"Yes."

Maureen patiently explained:

"'Composite armor,' as the name suggests, is a heterogeneous armor made of two or more protective materials with different physical properties, combined in a certain layer and proportion."

"Its basic idea is to use the differences in physical properties between different materials to weaken and interfere with the incoming metal jet layer by layer, so as to achieve the purpose of protection."

For example~

Maureen picked up the pencil again, and then took out a blank sheet of paper.

"The main armor of the Britannians and our armored knights is about 40 millimeters thick. It is a single piece of armor incorporating magical techniques, providing an effective protection of approximately 70-80 millimeters."

“We can break it down into two 20mm armor plates and then sandwich a special material, such as ceramic, in between.”

"ceramics?"

This time, even General Mackensen couldn't help but frown.

In his and Leonia's understanding, ceramics is an extremely fragile material. Let alone artillery shells, it would shatter with a single tap of a hammer. How could it possibly be used to make armor?
Seeing the identical expressions of confusion on their faces, Morin smiled.

"I know what you're thinking."

He shrugged and continued:

"General, Commander, these all fall under the professional scope of materials science, and they are very complicated to explain. It's normal that you don't understand them."

"."

Mackensen and Leonia were both speechless, unable to refute each other.

Indeed, they were military commanders and top knights, but when it came to such profound scientific theories, they were complete novices.

General Mackensen coughed twice to cover his embarrassment, then looked at Morin with a scrutinizing gaze:

"Captain Morin, where did you learn all this from?" This is a crucial question.

The knowledge that Morin demonstrated far exceeded what a military academy graduate should possess.

"Reporting to the general, it's all just my own random research."

Without batting an eye, Morin began to spout nonsense.

"Ever since I accidentally created the 'shaped charge armor-piercing projectile,' I've been thinking about how to defend against it if the enemy also possesses such a weapon. Spear and shield are always developed together, aren't they?"

The rationale for this research and development is impeccable.

Morin was also very clear in his mind that, apart from himself, no one else in the world knew about this knowledge that was ahead of its time.

As long as he insists that he invented it himself, no one can do anything about it.
"On the other hand, as for the specific formula and structure of the composite armor, that requires a lot of experiments and research from specialized institutions and factories in the rear."

Morin abruptly changed the subject, revealing his true intentions:

"However, I personally do have a relatively mature formula that I've 'researched' that can greatly shorten this research and development cycle, but..."

He flashed a shrewd, businessman-like smile: "I hope to apply for a patent for this formula."

"You brat!" Mackensen was amused and annoyed, and scolded him, "Wasn't that twenty million Imperial Marks enough for you last time?"

"General, as you know, my weapons company has been spending a lot of money lately. Scientific research is very expensive. Twenty million seems like a lot, but once it's invested, we won't even see a ripple." Morin began to complain about being poor.

Leonia, standing to the side, laughed, looking at Morin with admiration in her eyes.

"Captain Morin, money is not a problem."

The Grand Master of the Golden Lion spoke, his tone carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"As long as your proposed solution is truly effective, the Teutonic Knights and I personally will definitely give you a 'reward' that will satisfy you."

"Then thank you very much, Commander." Morin immediately knew when to stop.

At the same time, a thought flashed through his mind—

"Good heavens, I've personally started the path of armor-piercing missile warfare in this world today. I just don't know how it will develop in the future."

The crisis of the 'shaped charge armor-piercing projectile' has been temporarily resolved—although it has not yet been verified, what Morin said has more or less served as a 'reassurance'.

General Mackensen was about to have the liaison officer take Morin back to rest, but Morin stopped him.

"Wait, General, there is actually another, more important matter I have come to see you about today."

"Oh?" Mackensen was somewhat surprised. "What is it?"

Maureen's expression turned serious.

"It's about the upcoming attack on the Kree defense."

"Regarding the attack?"

General Mackensen frowned again and gestured for Morin to continue.

Morin walked to the table, pointed to the Kree region marked with a red highlight on the map, and said in a deep voice:
"General, this morning I led a company from the training assault battalion in a probing attack on the Gauls' positions."

He briefly described to Mackensen and Leonia what he had seen and heard on the battlefield, including the Gauls' three deep and complex trenches, and their tenacious, almost fanatical, will to resist.

"The Gauls are determined to keep us out of Paris this time; they've invested heavily in Creil! Our soldiers are brave, but the casualties are too high!"

"Based on my observation, if we continue with this piecemeal tactic, with each division taking turns to advance, even if we eventually manage to wear down the Crey Line with lives lost, our First Army will likely be severely weakened and will no longer have the strength to launch an offensive into the city of Paris."

Leonia listened quietly. Although she was the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, the Knights were also a combat unit under the army, so what Morin said made her realize the problem.

General Mackensen remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

Finally, he let out a long sigh, his face showing an weariness and solemnity he had never shown since the start of the war.

He neither shied away from Morin's sharp observations nor denied the difficulties at the front.

He glanced at Leonia, then said to Morin, "You're right, Morin. The First Army is under a lot of pressure right now."

"The outside world all thought that our First Army Group was strong and well-equipped, with 400,000 troops advancing triumphantly and unstoppable."

"But what they don't know is that our 400,000 men, starting from crossing the border, swept across the United Kingdom of Flanders, invaded Gaul, broke through Amiens, and marched all the way to the outskirts of Paris. In these two months, the combined combat and non-combat casualties have approached 70,000."

This number surprised even Morin.

Seventy thousand men is no small number for the First Army Group.

"Although the country has been replenishing our reserve forces, as you know, those newly recruited and untrained soldiers cannot compare with our veterans in terms of fighting spirit or combat experience. Throwing them directly into a meat grinder like Kree is no different from sending them to their deaths."

General Mackensen's tone was full of helplessness.

"What's worse is the latest battle report from the General Staff: on another front—the battle we are fighting against the main force of the Gallic Republic in the border region—we have so far fallen into a disadvantageous position."

This news was like a bolt from the blue.

Since the intelligence reports haven't been updated on the battles in these areas that he can't reach, Morin's understanding of the battle situation in these areas is purely based on his own speculation.

He had always thought that the other Saxon army groups should be fighting the Gauls on the border.

That's why the First Army was able to execute the "right hook" plan, which aimed straight for Paris, so smoothly.

Now it seems that things are not as he thought.
"So, while we may appear to be at the gates of Paris, the First Army is actually teetering on the edge of a precipice."

Mackensen's voice became hoarse, and he seemed to have aged suddenly.

At his age, commanding an army of 40 men and charging all the way here was a test for him as well.

“If we are held up here for too long, or if we are worn down by the Gauls, then the whole war could be lost.”

"Chief of the General Staff, Mr. Moltke the Younger, has personally sent me a telegram, and the wording is very stern."

Mackensen pointed to another document on the table.

"He demanded that we take Paris as soon as possible, at all costs! Taking the Gauls' capital would fundamentally break their will to resist and relieve pressure on the main battle on the border."

After listening to General Mackensen's words, Morin understood.

The First Army is now a Damocles' sword hanging over Paris.

But at the same time, they themselves were standing on the edge of a cliff.

There is no escape route.

(End of this chapter)