Chapter 72 Hale Rocket
Chapter 72 Hale Rocket
Shao Quanzhong sighed, "The Battle of Baliqiao was a touchstone for the foreigners' new firearms and artillery.
The rapid-fire guns used by the British Army are the same as the ones we use now. For artillery, they used the latest Armstrong breech-loading rifled cannon with conical shells.
The performance of this cannon is far superior to the traditional integrally cast iron cannon. It has steel as the lining, wrought iron as the surface, and an iron hoop as the outer shell. The craftsmanship is very complicated and it is not something we can learn hastily. We can only buy it for now.
But they also used large numbers of Hale rockets, an improved version of the so-called Congreve rocket launcher.
This kind of weapon is much simpler to make than artillery. Lord Ding, you have also imitated and improved it in Guangxi.
The Humen Fort of the Qing Dynasty was burned down by the British using this thing. Later, Zhenjiang, Baliqiao, and the Hale rocket all became famous.
This thing is disposable, so it doesn't matter if the workmanship is a little crude, we can equip it in large quantities now."
So you asked me to build the rocket, Ding Gongchen understood.
Logically speaking, Shao Quanzhong had told him the task, so he should just do it.
However, Ding Gongchen had a common problem among technicians. He was afraid that Shao Quanzhong didn't know the shortcomings of the Hale Rocket, so he quickly reminded him, "The Hale Rocket didn't work in Jintian. This thing is not accurate, and Lord Sai Shang'a doesn't like it very much."
Ding Gongchen's reminder may very likely cause him to lose his job, but he still has the ethics of a technician.
"Tsk, that's because he doesn't know how to use it. Do rocket launchers have to be aimed? What's the use of firing ten or twenty rounds?
This thing is used for fire coverage, so we need a lot of it.
When the British were in conflict with Denmark, they fired 5,000 Congreve rockets at Copenhagen, turning Copenhagen into a sea of fire and completely destroying it. That is the correct use of rockets.
So we need a lot of rockets. One hundred or two hundred is not enough. We need at least several thousand for a campaign. My first order is for 20,000 rockets."
"Ah? That much? This must be tens of thousands of silver coins?"
"You can't be afraid of spending money when you're fighting a war. If you win the war, you can get back all the money you saved. If you lose the war, all the money you saved will be taken away by others."
Ding Gongchen was old, but he was not confused at all and had a very good brain. "Master Shao, what did you just say? Order? Don't you plan to make it yourself?"
"The army is just fighting, why would I have the time to manage rocket manufacturing? Aren't the foreigners purchasing their own guns and cannons from arms companies?"
Shao Quanzhong stretched out his hand and pulled Wen Xiu in front of Ding Gongchen, "I plan to purchase arms from the Wen Group. Lord Ding, you are the technical instructor and military representative of our Huai Army stationed at the Wen Arsenal.
The experts you brought will first guide Wen in making rocket launchers. This thing will not be outdated within ten years. Ten years later, Prussia's new artillery steel will be produced, and cannons with faster firing rates will be made, and rocket launchers will be completely incomparable.
By then, we will probably have already started preparing to build cannons, and they will be responsible for learning the skills of the foreign technicians..."
Men and women should not touch each other, so Shao Quanzhong took Wenxiu's hand and introduced her to Ding Gongchen. Ding Gongchen, who had modern ideas but old-fashioned thinking, frowned.
However, Wenxiu's performance made Lao Ding's eyes light up.
When it came to business, Wenxiu immediately got rid of her docile attitude towards Shao Quanzhong and instructed, "Uncle Gui, arrange accommodation for Lord Ding and his men, and send maids and servants to take good care of the old man.
People were immediately sent to recruit skilled blacksmiths in the three states of Tongtai and Yangzhou to receive training and guidance from the technicians brought by the old man.
Make a list of what kind of tools and materials the old man needs. I will personally inquire about the quantity and purchase location later.
The factory building and equipment requirements for making rocket launchers were all proposed by the old man, and we must fully meet them.
Our Wen Group will offer a high salary to the old man and the people he brought with him."
The Hale rocket can be manufactured in Guangxi, and the conditions in Taizhou will only be better. With the guidance of Ding Gongchen, an expert, Shao Quanzhong is not worried at all that the Wen Arsenal will not be able to manufacture it. He took the old man's hand and said, "Master Ding, if you only supervise the manufacture of rocket launchers, I'm afraid you will have half of your body idle.
I will pay for it, and you can slowly research and imitate the foreigners' steam engines, and then we can try to imitate their ships and steam locomotives in the future."
Ding Gongchen's eyes lit up all of a sudden, "Your Excellency is really well versed in Western affairs, you are planning to do this?
As for making steam engines, ships and locomotives, I am a little overwhelmed by myself. It would be much better if Ding Shoucun and Zheng Fuguang were here. "
Ding Shoucun and Ding Gongchen were known as the two Dings of the north and the south. They were two of the top mechanical experts in the Qing Dynasty. They worked together in Jintian to develop the Hale rocket and howitzer.
Shao Quanzhong sighed, "Ding Shoucun is a Jinshi, and he holds the position of Military Secretary. We can invite him in the future. But I definitely cannot invite him now in this small temple.
Zheng Fuguang is just a student of the Imperial Academy. Sir Ding, please write a letter to invite him. I will send someone to invite him with a high salary.
You guys can work on it first, it's not urgent, first build up the technology to make samples, if you want to make a large scale, I can't afford it now."
The old man was an impatient person. He knew very well that the sun was setting, but he still worked hard without waiting for the whip and wrote the invitation letter at Shao's house on the spot.
Shao Quanzhong rolled his eyes and said, "Call Wu Ziyi over to me."
Wu Ziyi is a battalion commander and is just so-so in his job. His strength is that he has a wide network of friends, so he will be responsible for recruiting people for me on a part-time basis from now on.
Wu Ziyi got the task of recruiting people and set off happily. To him, this job was more interesting than being a battalion officer who followed the rules and worked diligently.
Lao Ding and his men were taken away by Guo Wengui to make arrangements. Wenxiu would be busy soon to build the Hale rocket, but she had no time to think about it now.
Shao Quanzhong took Wenxiu to the training ground, took out his revolver and handed it to her, "Come, I'll teach you how to shoot."
It was quite difficult for Wenxiu, a weak sixteen-year-old girl, to learn how to shoot a gun.
Fortunately, she was not asked to join the army. She only needed to learn how to shoot a gun, and even Shao Quanzhong helped her to prepare the bullets.
All she had to do was hold the gun with both hands in the correct position, cock the hammer, and pull the trigger.
Shao Quanzhong taught him step by step, but Wenxiu missed the target ten meters away with five consecutive shots.
Wenxiu couldn't shoot accurately, but Shao Quanzhong didn't care at all. It was enough for him to know how to shoot.
"Okay, come on, follow me to meet the foreigners!"
Shao Quanzhong first accompanied Ding Gongchen, and then took Wenxiu to the training ground. The three foreigners waited in the guest room of Shao's house for another hour.
Bo Daan was restless again, "Why hasn't that damn sixth-rank official come yet?"
Zhang Siwen smiled and comforted him, "Mr. Yang, you see it is quiet and elegant here, just enjoy your tea. You will never be able to enjoy such delicious tea again."
Bodaan agreed with this point. The tea brewed by Zhang Siwen was really delicious, but it was too watered down.
There were footsteps outside the door, the door curtain was lifted, and Shao Quanzhong walked in with a smile, "Sorry for the long wait, gentlemen."
Bo Da'an looked behind Shao Quanzhong and saw that the beauty was following the dog official and was staring at him as soon as he entered the room.
The Qing Dynasty did not have the habit of bringing wives to meet guests. This girl followed me, she must have been thinking about me, a handsome French guy.
Hehe, my good luck is coming.
(End of this chapter)