Chapter 123: Successful Development of the Cannon
Hearing Arthur's words, Benz and Diesel finally breathed a sigh of relief, no longer burdened with the worries they had before.
The issue of funding was not a concern to them; they simply hoped that the cars they invented together would reach the global market. At the very least, they wanted to leave their mark in automotive history. This was the goal of their research careers.
A pure scientist, after all, only wishes to contribute to humanity and the world while ensuring they are remembered by future generations.
Benz and Diesel were just like that. They didn't care about their personal profits or funds. What mattered to them was whether they could achieve results in their research and whether their scientific careers could be free of regrets.
Furthermore, Arthur held the largest stake in the automobile factory. After relinquishing some of the factory's profits, the one who would bear the greatest loss was naturally Arthur.
Since Arthur didn't care about the loss of his profits, what did Benz have to worry about?
As long as Arthur continued to provide the necessary research funds, Benz, whose wealth had already reached hundreds of thousands of pounds with a monthly income of over a hundred pounds, had nothing to worry about.
Although they would have to share their technology, the invention and ownership of the technology still remained with Benz and Diesel. As long as the core technology of the automobile remained in their hands, Benz had no problem with the arrangement.
After returning from the Benz factory, Arthur was planning when to send people to the UK and Germany to finalize the establishment of joint automobile factories with local nobility and possibly the royal families.
Unexpectedly, another matter arose: The experts from the military factory, together with German military experts, had spent over six months and finally perfected the M1897 automatic cannon technology. They had already replicated two cannons and were now waiting for Arthur's inspection.
The M1897 automatic cannon was one of the most powerful artillery pieces of this era and was one of the main cannons equipped by the Australian military.
Being able to master the M1897 automatic cannon's technology and successfully replicate it was great news for both the German Empire and Australia. After all, it was a product of France and a major piece of artillery for them. For Germany to master its performance and data would be helpful in future wars.
As for Australia, this would become their second type of artillery with automatic technology, and it would be far more powerful than the CA-1 machine cannon. The CA-1 machine cannon was more focused on inflicting damage on soldiers and armies, with its capabilities being limited to threatening weakly protected positions and facilities.
Against reinforced concrete bunkers, the CA-1 machine cannon's power was laughably small. Even hundreds of cannons firing in succession wouldn't shake a solid fortress.
The M1897 automatic cannon could compensate for this weakness by causing much wider and more powerful damage.
Of course, the true counter to solid fortresses would be the large-caliber howitzers and giant cannons produced by Germany. While these cannons didn't have high accuracy, their actual power was extremely effective, and as long as the fortifications weren't excessively fortified, they could cause significant destruction.
After receiving the news, Arthur immediately went to the military factory to personally inspect the replicated cannon's power.
At the entrance of the military factory, Australian and German experts lined up, waiting for a while.
The Australian experts were excited, and the German experts wore smiles on their faces. It was clear they were pleased with the success of the cannon replication.
After a brief chat, Arthur, along with everyone else, headed to the military factory's rear, where the test site was located.
This large area of mountainous land had been designated as the testing range for the weapons produced by the factory. To ensure no accidents, each time an experiment took place, the area was carefully patrolled to ensure no Australians had snuck in. As for the local wildlife, that wasn't a concern. Australia was vast and sparsely populated, and wild animals were abundant.
At the temporary cannon emplacement, three cannons stood quietly in position. The central one was the original M1897 automatic cannon, and the two on either side were the replicated versions.
An Australian expert introduced, "Your Grace, the two cannons we have replicated are identical to the original M1897 in appearance and design. We even replicated the two types of ammunition it uses: the 5.3-kilogram high-explosive shell and the 7.24-kilogram shrapnel shell. Currently, the power of both the replicated shells is identical to the original. As long as we confirm that our replicated cannons are working properly, we can proceed with mass production."
Arthur nodded and asked, "Is the experiment ready? If so, let's begin!"
"Yes, Your Grace."
The gunners stepped forward and began operating the cannons with practiced precision. From their skill, it was clear they had already become familiar with operating the cannon before the test, which helped prevent any accidents.
With a command, all three cannons fired simultaneously. Despite being replicas, the rate at which the cannons were loaded and fired was identical, maintaining a perfect balance.
This was remarkable for a replicated weapon, especially since it was the first generation of the replicas.
The fact that these two cannons were able to match the original M1897's output rate demonstrated the success of the replication process.
Arthur didn't allow himself to be arrogant and think that it was solely the work of the Australian experts. While Australian experts had participated, at least half of the credit belonged to the German experts.
"Unbelievable! The replicated cannons are almost identical to the originals. Well done!" Arthur said to all the military research staff.
"Whether from Australia or Germany, your contributions to Australia are immense. The royal family will certainly not neglect your hard work. After this, each of you will receive a check from the Australian Royal Bank. It's a reward for your hard work over the past six months," Arthur said with a smile.
Using a sum of money to win the goodwill of all the experts and gain the complete M1897 automatic cannon technology was a good deal. Furthermore, Australia would directly control the production of this cannon, which was far quicker than developing the production methods independently.
Hearing Arthur's words, smiles appeared on everyone's faces once again.
Although everyone was a researcher, no one would turn down free money. Furthermore, as the Duke of Australia, Arthur's rewards were definitely generous.
(End of Chapter)
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