Is this cheat code from Bika? Just do it!

Hannah knew that this was to achieve better tube wall quality during casting. As molten steel flows, the higher it goes, the more slag and air bubbles it contains. If the propellant chamber faces upwards, these impurities will remain in critical parts of the gun barrel, severely affecting the gun's performance and service life.

The dimensions of all the caves were carefully calculated by Hannah using cannonballs.

Historically, the so-called six-pound and eight-pound cannons were named after the weight of their shells. Hannah decided to cast several twelve-pound iron balls first. She found a crude iron ruler and carefully measured the diameter of the balls. With somewhat imprecise measurements, she determined that a twelve-pound iron ball would be approximately twelve centimeters in diameter.

Next, she set the thinnest part of the tube wall thickness to four centimeters, while the rear chamber wall thickness was increased to seven centimeters to prevent explosion.

Using this data, she finally calculated the inner diameter of the mold.

As for the length, although Hannah knew that artillery could be measured in multiples of caliber, she didn't really know the detailed specifications.

After all, she wasn't a weapon manufacturer; much of her knowledge came from her own exploration and practice.

Considering that a shorter tube would result in a lighter weight and save on materials, Hannah decisively chose a length of 1.5 meters.

She figured if the test shot didn't turn out well, she could just adjust it later. Lacking precise measuring tools, Hannah simply created her own standard. She cut a piece of iron about the width of her ring fingernail as the base unit, named it one centimeter, and then made iron bars of other sizes using this as a reference, engraving segment lines on them.

This gave her a relatively accurate reference during the production process.

When cannons were first invented, their manufacturing process was very primitive. Iron strips were wrapped around a wooden core, iron powder was used to seal the joints, and then iron hoops were used to reinforce it. Finally, the core material in the barrel was burned off, much like making a storage barrel.

Hannah was well aware of the risk that this cannon was prone to leaks and bursting, so she decided to use an advanced process of integral casting and boring.

For steam boring machines, there is no essential difference in difficulty whether drilling a six-pound or a twelve-pound bore.

Based on the idea that "caliber equals justice", Hannah naturally chose the twelve-pounder cannon with a larger muzzle and thicker barrel.

Further up the range, the weight and size of the cannon would become too large, making it unsuitable for use as a field gun.

As for whether the weight of the shell was calculated as a lead ball or an iron ball, Hannah didn't think it mattered, as long as it could be launched. After all, she was drawing inspiration from history, not creating a replica; she was more concerned with the weapon's actual performance and effectiveness.

“Let’s begin,” Hannah said, taking a deep breath and looking firmly at the blacksmiths beside her.

The blacksmiths nodded and skillfully opened the boilers behind them. The molten steel churning inside resembled giant golden dragons, radiating intense heat.

Soon, molten steel gushed out, filling the two molds through specially designed channels. Hannah stared intently at the molds, her eyes filled with anticipation and tension. She knew that every step from here on out was crucial.

For the next few days, Hannah was completely absorbed in the workshop, as if she were under a spell.

In addition to the cannon barrel, she also needed to make a sufficient number of boring tools.

The tool used for drilling is made in a similar way to a cannon barrel, and its diameter is exactly the same as that of a cannonball.

After removing it from the mold, Hannah heated it again, the intense flames turning the iron bar red-hot. Leaning against the hammer, she shaped it, stroke by stroke.

This boring bar differs greatly in appearance from ordinary spiral cutters; at first glance, it looks like a blunt iron rod. The only difference is that a notch is hammered into the top to remove metal shavings. Finally, in the quenching process, Hannah quickly plunged the red-hot boring bar into cold water. With a hiss, a puff of white smoke rose, indicating that the hardness of the boring bar had been increased.

Unlike the high-precision drill bits of modern boring machines, Hannah only needed an iron rod to drill holes.

Considering the high wear rate, Hannah made five simple boring tools in one week. Each tool embodied her hard work and dedication; she carefully inspected each one to ensure its quality met the requirements.

Once everything was ready, the blacksmiths carefully dug the cannon blank out of the pit.

At this time, the surface of the cannon blank was still covered with a layer of slag. After the blacksmiths carefully cleaned off the slag, they loaded the cannon blank onto a horse-drawn cart and transported it to the blacksmith shop.

These two cannon blanks almost completely consumed all of Hannah's accumulated steel, making them invaluable.

During the transport, Link ordered Lina's city guards and Asagi and the other two demon ninjas to guard the entire journey.

Lina thought it was a bit unnecessary and muttered, "Who would steal something so heavy?"

But Link looked serious; he knew the importance of these two cannon blanks and that they could not be lost.

The blacksmiths then smoothed and polished the surface of the cannon blank according to Hannah's request.

They took whetstones and polished the surface of the cannon blank again and again until it became as smooth as a mirror.

After being polished with a whetstone, the cannon blank exuded a thick metallic luster, as if telling of the glorious birth to come.

Then, the blacksmiths hurriedly delivered the cannon blanks to the backyard. At this moment, two round, solid steel rods lay quietly on the ground, their exterior dark gray, resembling two sleeping dragons.

Hannah eagerly switched to the boring bar and, together with Asagi, secured the cannon blank in place. They carefully adjusted its position so that the tip of the boring bar was precisely positioned against the center of the steel rod.

Faced with this historic moment, Hannah took a deep breath and slowly turned down the valve on the steam engine.

With a slight vibration, the boring bar began to move slowly. Hannah stared intently at the boring bar, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Before long, the boring bar reached a stable speed and made a "buzzing" sound.

"Advance!" Hannah shouted. Asagi quickly pushed the sliding base to control the contact depth between the gun blank and the boring bar.

When the blade touched the cannon barrel, the piercing noise immediately drowned out the roar of the steam engine.

The sound was like a clarion call of history, announcing the birth of a new weapon. Lard, acting as a lubricant, was squeezed into the drill hole, and what emerged were black foams and curled metal wires.

Hannah and Asagi were completely absorbed in their work, their clothes soaked with sweat, but they were oblivious to it.

As time went on, the borehole went deeper and deeper, and the inner wall of the gun barrel became smoother and smoother.

Hannah would stop every now and then to check on the drilling progress, making sure everything was going as she expected.

During this process, some minor problems were encountered, such as the boring tool wearing out too quickly and the drilling deviation, but Hannah solved them one by one with her experience and wisdom.

Finally, after several days and nights of hard work, the two cannon barrels were initially formed.

Hannah looked at the results before her, exhausted but excited. She knew this was only the first step, and there was still much more work to be done, such as installing the gun mount and testing the cannon.

In the days that followed, Hannah and the blacksmiths threw themselves back into their demanding work.

They meticulously crafted the gun carriage, installed the gun barrel on it, and conducted a series of adjustments.

Hannah personally attended each test firing, carefully observing the artillery's performance and firing results. Based on the test firing results, they continuously improved and optimized the artillery.

I believe that it won't be long before the various data of the artillery are successfully determined.

110. Artillery test firing

Then a few more days passed by leisurely.

Life in Winterhold continued smoothly, while new developments emerged from Hannah's side.

Early in the morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the area outside Winterfell became bustling with activity.

The group set off in a grand procession, and it took them a full half-day to carefully drag the first cannon that Hannah had meticulously crafted to the wasteland outside Winterfell.

The cannon was enormous and incredibly heavy; the people pushing it were panting heavily, their clothes soaked with sweat.

"What strange thing is it this time?"

The city guards around, who were pushing the cannons with all their might, were panting heavily and couldn't help but mutter to themselves.

They've gotten used to Hannah's constant stream of new gadgets.

After all, this genius inventor always manages to bring something unexpected.

"It looks like an enlarged musket?" a city guard squinted, examining the cannon closely, and guessed.

"More or less," another city guard echoed, his face also full of curiosity.

Hearing their discussion, Hannah's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile.

She directed the city guards to carefully remove the hooks.

Then, she personally stepped forward and skillfully adjusted the angle of the gun mount, allowing the gun barrel to be slowly lowered and the support pole to be firmly pressed into the mud.

In fact, cannons and muskets operate on the same principle, so it is quite accurate to say that it is an enlarged version of a musket.

This cannon is not to be underestimated; it can fire twelve-pound solid iron balls. The shells and gunpowder are loaded into the barrel from the front of the muzzle and then ignited by a fuse.

When Hannah was building this cannon, she referenced established designs from history. She instructed carpenters to build a wooden carriage for it, and to improve durability, the parts that rubbed against the ground more and were subjected to greater stress during firing were edged with sheet metal.

It took a considerable amount of time to manufacture the cannon carriage and wheels. Three carpenters worked for a whole week to complete the task.

The wheels, in particular, were over half a person's height in diameter, and their production process was especially complex. The carpenter first planed four equal-length square strips of wood, soaked them, and then heated them over a fire until they bent. Next, he carved grooves at the ends and joined them together using mortise and tenon joints. Finally, he covered the outer edge of the wheel hub with sheet metal and hammered it in place, ensuring a tight fit.

This whole process took several days.

When the cannon was dragged out for a test firing, the accompanying entourage was enormous.

Lina, Agnes, and the other key generals naturally arrived at the scene early on.

Even Cecilia and Bernice came, their eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity.

A large number of city guards surrounded the wasteland and carried out a strict clearance operation to ensure the safety of the test firing process.

"Let's follow the procedure. First, clean the cannon barrel."

Hannah excitedly pulled out a mop-like cleaning handle from under the gun carriage. The handle was thick and the head was covered with a thick layer of cotton cloth.

She skillfully inserted the cleaning rod into the muzzle and vigorously stirred it a few times.

The mop didn't bring out any debris, but according to the procedure, a second cleaning is still required.

Hannah then switched to another mop, pumped it a few more times, and the cleaning of the cannon barrel was complete.

"Did you understand everything?"

Link spoke to the generals and soldiers watching from the side.

His eyes revealed seriousness and focus; this test firing was also a rehearsal.

With the production of firearms increasing dramatically, armies will inevitably evolve into regular infantry, and their spears and swords will eventually be replaced by firearms and artillery.

However, this requires extensive shooting training to become proficient in operating these two firearms on the battlefield.

Linke was well aware of this, so he hoped that this test firing would give everyone a clear understanding of the artillery's operating procedures.

Seeing everyone nod, Link allowed Hannah to proceed to the next step.

Hannah took a deep breath and then took out a bag of gunpowder wrapped in paper. The paper was wrapped tightly, as if afraid that not a single drop of gunpowder would leak out.

She carefully loaded the gunpowder into the cannon barrel, then used a wooden stick to push it all the way in.

Then, she called over several city guards to help her put the cannonball in. The cannonball was heavy and had a metallic sheen.

The group pushed the cannonball and gunpowder firmly into the barrel again to ensure they were secure.

Hannah then took out the drill rod, inserted it into the fuse hole at the rear of the barrel, gently punctured the propellant charge, and then inserted the fuse.

In this way, the launch preparations are complete.

To prevent any accidents, everyone, under Link's command, quickly retreated thirty paces and then took cover behind cover.

Link himself was responsible for lighting the torch. He was focused and slowly brought the torch close to the fuse.

Sparks flew from the tip, and in the blink of an eye, it had penetrated the cannon barrel.

Then came a deafening roar, like a thunderclap in the sky, which shook the earth slightly.

The high-speed airflow from the cannon's muzzle stirred up the surrounding dust, raising a layer of sand and ash on the ground, as if a small sandstorm had broken out.

The theoretical effective range of the 12-pounder cannon can reach over a kilometer, and even without rifling, the trajectory of the initial projectile is still like a straight line.

The armored target, placed about 100 meters away, made a clang as it was hit head-on by the twelve-pound iron ball and flew into the air.

The iron ball continued its trajectory, bouncing repeatedly after landing on the muddy ground, creating one crater after another, as if the earth itself was groaning in pain.

As soon as the smoke cleared, the people around rushed to the target.

The front of the armor was completely dented, with the foredeck pressed tightly against the aft deck. A palm-sized hole was located in the center of the armor, indicating that the shell had traveled about 100 meters forward after penetrating the target.

Even when it lands and rolls on the ground, it contains astonishing power, like an angry beast wantonly destroying everything around it.

"What terrifying penetrating power!"

Bernice exclaimed, her eyes filled with shock and awe.

She could already imagine the horrific scene when the enemy gathered together and their ranks were pierced by several shells; it would surely be a bloody massacre.

"By the gods..."

Lina was even starting to believe that Link was a messenger sent by the gods.

Her gaze was fixed on Link, her heart filled with doubt and admiration.

He was constantly surrounded by powerful followers such as Agnes, Bernice, and Cecilia, and even an army of unknown origin.

Who but a divine messenger could do this?

Now that such terrifying weapons have been developed, how could we possibly fail if we use them on the battlefields of the future?

She began to feel an urge to worship Link, as if Link were a god in her heart.

Link wasn't surprised by the result. The twelve-pounder cannon was a classic, especially the Napoleon cannon, which shone brightly in the American Civil War, proving that larger caliber was the key to victory.

He secretly calculated that this cannon would play a huge role in future wars.