The Rise Of Australasia-Chapter 1056 - 787: Tanks Great Development

Chapter 1056: Chapter 787: Tanks Great Development

If the successful development of various domestic infrastructures represents the smooth progress on the civilian side, then the breakthroughs in military technology at Military Factories symbolize the rapid advancement of Australasia’s military might.

Despite significant achievements in military technology across the army, navy, and air force, Arthur had never been complacent.

Arthur understood that no military technology would ever remain strong indefinitely; only through continuous research and development of more advanced military technologies could Australasia ensure its military strength remained at the forefront of the world.

Wasn’t the atomic bomb dropped on the Island Nation enough to be considered powerful at the time? It was touted as the most powerful weapon in the world, capable of easily destroying an Urban City.

But to later generations, the earliest atomic bombs had become mere units of measurement; the explosive power of the most advanced Nuclear Weapons was hundreds or even thousands of times greater than the first atomic bombs.

The first breakthroughs were made in tank technology, where Australasia had continuously led the way.

Since the T-22 Tank was developed in 1922, almost ten years passed without the birth of a new tank in Australasia.

One reason was the period of peace during that time; the T-22 Tank was also basically able to meet the needs of the Ministry of Defence.

Secondly, there were limitations in the related technologies. Even though Australasia’s tank technology was at the forefront of the world, it was still impossible to overcome time constraints and develop a more advanced tank.

After all, breakthroughs in tank technology involved devoting efforts to firepower, protection, and speed.

After more than nine years, the Royal Military Factory finally handed over new tank designs to the Ministry of Defence, which ultimately attracted Arthur’s attention.

Due to the secrecy of tank design, the new tank designs were entirely participated in by Australasians, and all participants signed confidentiality agreements.

The latest tanks featured two designs, the first being the new series tank, Cromwell-I.

The Cromwell-I tank, designed by a British Military Industry Expert named Cromwell who had immigrated to Australasia, was a light tank.

Unlike the previous heavy and powerful tank philosophy of Australasia, Cromwell’s light tank emphasized small size and high speed.

The Cromwell-I tank was 5.1 meters in length, 2.2 meters in width, and could seat a maximum of three people. By significantly reducing the size of the tank and weakening its protective capabilities, the tank’s weight was reduced to 7.5 tons, making it a true light tank.

In terms of firepower, the 32-mm machine guns equipped on medium tanks were replaced with 20-mm machine guns, and a machine gun that used 7.92-mm bullets was mounted.

The three crew members of the tank included a scout, a driver, and a gunner; a leaner version of the traditional tank crew.

With the adoption of a smaller engine, the Cromwell-I tank’s power could just reach 148 horsepower, with a top speed of 48 kilometers per hour, an average speed of 36 kilometers per hour, and a maximum range of 170 kilometers.

While light tanks did not possess the overwhelming battlefield power of medium or heavy tanks, they too had their own roles to play.

After all, with a smaller stature, light tanks had more versatility. They could be used for reconnaissance, amphibious operations, and rapid maneuver strategies.

Considering the functions of light tanks, and the results that would follow from their transformation into specialized tanks, Arthur decided to establish a Light Tank Company to specifically design and produce light tanks.

The head of the new enterprise was naturally the designer of the Cromwell light tank—Cromwell Perry.

In Arthur’s vision, not only light tanks, but also the main battle tank production lines were to be separated from the Military Factories to establish specialized Tank Factories.

The future designs and production of tanks would likely be divided into three types: light specialized tanks, medium and heavy main battle tanks, and tracked infantry war chariots.

Depending on the specific needs of the Ministry of Defense and the Military for various tanks, orders could be placed with different Tank Factories, thus ensuring the maximum production efficiency of each Military Factory.

After all, if all weapon series were concentrated in a single Military Factory, no matter how vast, production efficiency would be affected by various reasons.

Actually, the prospects for the development of specialized tanks, which had been mentioned earlier, had already been partially realized in the current light tanks.

Based on the current stable travel speed of the tank at 34 kilometers per hour, it would take at least over 8 hours of continuous operation to run the fuel tank dry.

Ensuring that the tank remains problem-free during an uninterrupted 8-hour journey is still somewhat challenging with current technology.

It must be noted that there are still many flaws in tanks during operation, such as the bumps and noise during travel, and the stability of various components.

At present, Australasian tanks can only maintain stable operation for about four hours. Beyond that time, it is inevitable that issues will arise, which is why every tank in the armored units is accompanied by a maintenance technician.

In the Australasian tank unit organization, platoon-level tank units must be equipped with a specialized tank maintenance technician.

Below that, at the tank squad level, there must be at least one crew member with good tank maintenance skills, and the other crew members must have a general understanding of tank maintenance as well.

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However, on the actual battlefield, it is impossible for tanks to advance at their designed stable travel speeds.

After all, there is the hindrance of the enemy on the battlefield, and in order to advance smoothly, all obstacles, including the enemy, must be cleared.

The Cromwell-I tank was also equipped with smoke launchers, air filtration systems, and a small air conditioner to ensure its operational capability in diverse regions.

Arthur was quite optimistic about Cromwell’s development of the light tank. He decided to have the Royal financial group invest 5 million Australian dollars as startup capital for the Cromwell Tank Factory, with the Royal financial group holding a 98% stake.

The remaining 2% of the shares would be a reward for Cromwell, also serving to increase his motivation for tank development; this was one of Arthur’s customary ways of rewarding talent.

Following the establishment of the Cromwell Light Tank Factory, all light tank blueprints and building technology previously held by the Royal Military Factory would be transferred to the Cromwell Tank Factory.

By divesting business units, the Royal Military Factory would have more energy to design other weapons, strengthening all of Australasia’s weapon series.

After reviewing the light tank design, Arthur became even more curious about the new medium-heavy tank design.

As the true main battle tank of the current era, the design of the medium-heavy tank determines the strength and combat effectiveness of Australasia’s armored troops.

According to the tank proposal submitted to Arthur by the Ministry of Defence, there were two different designs for this medium-heavy tank as well.

Since the design was completed in 1931, this new series of tanks was named the T-31 tank.

Like the previous T-22 tank, the T-31 also came in two versions, the T-31 medium tank and the T-31A heavy main battle tank.

Compared to the previous generation, the T-31 medium tank had a reduced weight.

The weight of the T-22 tank reached 23.7 tons, which was certainly on the heavier side among medium tanks.

The latest version of the T-31 medium tank lightened the weight appropriately, bringing it down to around 22.3 tons.

The entire tank measured 6.63 meters in length and 2.88 meters in width, covered with layers of special steel armor of varying thickness.

The thickest part of the armor protection reached 55 millimeters, and there were also 25-millimeter steel plates on the sides to ensure the safety of the crew inside the tank during bombings.

As a refined medium tank, the T-31 medium tank also had significant differences in firepower from its predecessors.

This class of medium tank remained the lead character among tanks and was the most purchased by the Ministry of Defence among the three types of tanks.

Therefore, the T-31 medium tank was tasked with carrying the most excellent firepower, and its main weapon was changed to a 32-millimeter rapid-fire machine cannon.

The aim of the T-31 medium tank design was to inflict effective casualties on the enemy’s military, becoming the nightmare of enemy troops.

The secondary armament consisted of two BLN-3 gas-operated medium machine guns developed by Browning, which could also be detached for individual use.

In terms of ammunition reserves, the tank carried 62 shells and 3550 bullets, ensuring its potency in warfare.

Of course, another important factor was the tank’s speed and operative range.

Although there was no exact figure yet, according to the tank designers’ estimates, the top speed of the T-31 medium tank could reach 42 kilometers per hour, with an average stable speed of at least 34 kilometers per hour.

Such speeds represented a certain improvement over the previous generation and was extremely helpful for the tank’s actual combat capabilities.

However, the new tank did take a step back regarding its maximum operative range compared to the previous generation.

The previous generation of medium tanks had a fuel capacity that allowed them to travel over 320 kilometers continuously, but the new generation’s fuel capacity was only 280 kilometers.

These specifications were calculated precisely. According to feedback from armored troops, a 320-kilometer fuel capacity was somewhat wasteful for most situations, as current tanks were simply unable to travel 320 kilometers continuously.

For this reason, in the new generation tank design, the Royal Military Factory directly reduced the fuel capacity to 280 kilometers.

Even so, current tanks could hardly maintain a steady speed for over 280 kilometers without issues.

Because of all these factors, for Australasia at present, such tank designs are already completely adequate and are based on real battlefield data, resulting in a quite sensible tank design.