German Red Prince

Page 136

Listening to Thorne's suggestions, Folmer wrote them down one by one. Some of the suggestions were very constructive and worth studying. However, as he listened, Folmer wondered why Thorne's requirements for submachine guns were so low.

Thorne's entire explanation boils down to him continuing to reduce costs, improve processes, and simplify production. In the end, it seems like all he could do is come up with a water pipe that can fire bullets.

This idea is completely different from the current mainstream view. In the German army today, who are those submachine guns used by? They are used by the most elite soldiers in the entire army. For these people, the quality must be excellent.

This is one reason why the cost of manufacturing has remained high, and it's also one of the reasons why Vollmer's submachine gun was not selected.

His submachine gun was so cheap compared to the others that the army looked down on it. Thorne had never heard of it being rejected because it was too cheap. No wonder, why would they give such a gun to the army's old men? Who do they think they are?

Thorne's suggestion effectively demystified the submachine gun, suggesting it shouldn't be so precious; as long as it could fire bullets, that was enough. If it weren't for its damned failure rate, Thorne would have preferred to equip the army with the Sten rifle immediately.

258. Not just weapons, but also tactical upgrades.

“Your Highness Thorne, according to you, submachine guns need to be cheap enough to manufacture and simple enough to produce.”

"Your statement doesn't seem to care much about the reliability of submachine guns. If development really begins, would the military accept such a submachine gun?"

Vollmer raised his own questions, arguing that the MP28 submachine gun they had designed was simple enough.

Compared to the original submachine guns, it was practically dirt cheap, yet the army still refused to accept his submachine guns.

If we really do what Thorne says and produce the submachine gun he mentioned, will the military really accept it?

Because Prussia unified Germany, other kingdoms were also influenced by Prussia to some extent, not only in terms of culture but also in terms of military affairs.

Unlike Britain, Prussia, as a kingdom in the traditional sense, had a strong military tradition and placed great emphasis on the army in its military development.

In a traditional militaristic country, the army is naturally quite formidable.

Even though Germany won the war and enjoyed more than a decade of peace during this period, the quality and combat effectiveness of German soldiers remained world-class.

Good equipment was given priority to the elite army, which was a German tradition. During the war, soldiers often hid behind barbed wire and huddled in trenches for months at a time.

The situation improved slightly after the advent of the revolutionary submachine gun. As the elite of the German army, the Stormtroopers were the spearhead of the German offensive, and their appearance meant that the German army was about to win another victory.

The Stormtroopers, which emerged during the war, were created out of necessity, but after joining the German army, they quickly became stars of the military.

During the war, due to the slow development of firearms, soldiers were equipped with bolt-action rifles. Trench warfare was the main mode of combat, and soldiers often remained stationary in one place for extended periods, which made the war extremely fierce. Every step forward for the attacking side came at a huge cost.

A positional battle often results in countless deaths and rivers of blood, and most engagements become protracted wars, with the conflict frequently reaching a stalemate that is difficult to break. In the Battle of the Somme, advancing just a few kilometers required leaving behind hundreds of thousands of corpses.

In this situation, the German army came up with a novel idea: in order to quickly break through the enemy's positions, they needed a mobile firepower unit, so they launched the Storm Commando.

The Storm Commando is essentially a tactic: selecting elite soldiers, equipping them with the best weapons, and using their firepower and speed advantage to attack a point on the enemy's position, achieve a breakthrough, penetrate deep behind enemy lines to attack enemy firing points, fortifications, and command posts, expand the gains, and clear obstacles for the main force's advance.

This tactic of shifting from a broad offensive to a point-based breakthrough increases offensive efficiency and infiltrates the enemy's ranks, much like a sharp knife plunged into the enemy's heart, often yielding unexpected results.

These commando members were mostly elite veterans, and their battlefield casualty rate was extremely high. Over time, these Storm Commando soldiers carrying submachine guns became objects of respect for all German troops.

In the German army, the strong are respected. These fiercest commando soldiers are the strongest in the German army. Even if you have the rank of captain, you must salute an ordinary commando soldier.

BMWs are for heroes, and these brave soldiers naturally need to be equipped with the best weapons. Submachine guns were only recently invented, and this powerful weapon was far superior to bolt-action rifles.

With its excellent performance and high cost, such weapons are naturally assigned to assault team soldiers. For some elite assault team soldiers, their submachine guns are even specially engraved as a sign of recognition.

Submachine guns should be expensive and special; this is a consensus in the military. Thorne's words just now completely overturned this theory.

Undeniably, the Stormtroopers made outstanding contributions during the war, and it can be said that they played an indelible role in Germany's victory.

Thorne naturally acknowledged this point as well. The Storm Commando was a hero of the Great War, and in the Kingdom of Rhine, retired commando veterans could still enjoy special allowances from the kingdom.

However, just like the cavalry, the Storm Commando will eventually fade into history.

Surely we can't expect to see a paper decades from now titled "On the Storm Assault Team's Charge in Nuclear Warfare"? Submachine guns certainly shouldn't be the exclusive domain of assault teams.

Submachine guns must be made more accessible to civilians and distributed to other units. Currently, the average infantry squad in the Kingdom of the Rhine doesn't even have one submachine gun, so they haven't gained any firepower advantage. Wouldn't it be ridiculous to fight World War II like this?

Another point is that while the Stormtroopers were indeed an elite German force, it was wishful thinking to expect to win with such tactics during World War II.

One of the main reasons for Germany's victory in the war was that it was always able to discover new tactics before its enemies and was ahead of its opponents in military theory. If Germany had used tactics from World War I to fight in World War II, it would have become the object of ridicule back then.

The Storm Commando can only play a certain role in local battles. During major battles, the fighting is mostly positional warfare, which does not require movement. Therefore, the mobility of the Storm Commando is crucial.

But World War II was definitely large-scale warfare. Who would fight positional battles with you? When planes and tanks came, no matter how mobile the Stormtroopers were, could they be as mobile as tanks and planes?

Therefore, in the future, commando teams can only play a supporting role and will not be able to play a decisive role on the battlefield.

"Our new submachine gun is not specifically issued to the Storm Commando Team. Every ordinary combat squad should have at least one submachine gun."

Thorne's words were like a bombshell. For a long time, submachine guns had been the privilege of the Storm Commandos. The submachine gun that Folmer designed was also intended to participate in the commandos' bidding process and was more suitable for the future combat of the commandos.

What does Thorne mean by this? Isn't it specifically for the assault team? If regular combat squads are also equipped with a certain number of submachine guns, then the assault team's role becomes less significant. Does Thorne mean to phase out the Storm Assault Team?

Now the problem is no longer just about weapons; it involves the military branches, which brings a lot of trouble. Since it involves internal military matters, Vollmer is hesitant to investigate further.

Weapons are one aspect, but what Thorne needs to do more is upgrade the military tactics of the Kingdom of Rhine.

The role of the Storm Commando in future warfare will certainly not be the same as during major wars. The future belongs to tanks and aircraft, and armored forces will take on the responsibilities of the Storm Commando. Such a branch of the military is no longer suitable for the needs of the future battlefield.

Hearing Thorne's words, the officer next to him felt a chill. He was an officer of the Storm Assault Force of the Kingdom of Rhine. Thorne's words just now clearly indicated that he wanted to reform the assault force.

The most crucial point is that every instruction from Prince Thorne is correct. Is it possible that such an honorable legion cannot escape the fate of disbanding?

“Mr. Folmer, you don’t need to worry about anything. I will handle the rest.”

Thorne also saw what Vollmer was thinking. One move could have far-reaching consequences. Although it was just a weapon upgrade, it could still cause a huge upheaval in the German army.

After this is over, Thorne will definitely be summoned again, as he will once again upgrade the military thinking of the Kingdom of Rhine.

“Mr. Folmer, I just pointed out some problems with your MP28 design. I also have some ideas that I hope will be helpful to you.”

Thorne pulled out his design drawings. Since he had taken weapons from another country, he was unsure if they would be suitable for use in Germany, so he gave them to this gunsmith for careful study.

259. New type of submachine gun

"Mr. Folmer, I would like to ask you to take a look at this gun."

Thorne took out the design sketches for the submachine gun.

In terms of overall performance, the best submachine gun of World War II should be this one designed by the Soviets during the Siege of Leningrad in 1942.

"This submachine gun also uses the blowback automatic principle, with a cylindrical bolt and a spring-loaded ejector that can push out empty cartridge cases and eject them outside the gun."

"The ejection port of the gun is located in front of the recoil spring guide rod, which passes through an opening on the bolt. The charging handle and bolt are integrated and located on the right side of the receiver, and return together with the bolt during firing."

"The barrel is installed inside a perforated barrel heat shield made of thin steel sheet, which contains four right-hand rifling grooves."

"A simple muzzle brake is installed on the heat shield at the muzzle. Above the muzzle is the front sight, which is surrounded by two metal plates. The foldable rear sight is located above the barrel, and the firing distance can be adjusted to 100 meters or 200 meters."

The PPS-43 submachine gun, while not as well-known as the PPSH41, is far superior in performance.

During the Siege of Leningrad, this submachine gun could be produced even in places lacking various production materials, which shows how simple it was. The German troops at the time also liked this submachine gun, and after modifying the caliber, it was named MP791(r).

Thorne wants simplicity now, the simpler the better. Besides, the current production conditions are much better than during the Siege of Leningrad. With Germany's precision industry, the performance of the products should be even better.

However, the PPS-43 uses Tokarev 7.62mm pistol ammunition, and redesigning the ammunition would be troublesome. Therefore, Thorne brought out the KP44 submachine gun, which was a Finnish copy from back then. This gun also uses 9mm ammunition, so there is no need to redesign the ammunition. Based on current technology, it should be possible to copy this gun.

As a professional, Folmer began to study the blueprints after Thorne produced them.

Judging from the blueprints, this submachine gun is indeed much simpler than the MP28 he is currently designing. It doesn't have as many complicated processes; it's just a "steel pipe that fires bullets" that comes off the assembly line.

"The manufacturing process of this submachine gun is indeed very simple, and the gun body is also made of steel, which saves a lot of additional processing time."

Compared to Vollmer's MP28, this new submachine gun has a simpler manufacturing process. Most of its parts are made by stamping, welding, and riveting steel plates. The structure is very simple and easy to process, making it seem like it was made for assembly line production.

In the aftermath of World War II, when Germany is mentioned, most people will mention "precise German craftsmanship." Besides the much-discussed cutting-edge technologies, the superior weapons Germany used in the war are the most widely mentioned.

Panther tanks, Tiger tanks, Black Panther tanks, and so on—every time these sophisticated tanks are mentioned, there is always a legendary story that a single Tiger tank could scare seven or eight Sherman tanks into not daring to show their faces. However, excellent manufacturing also comes at a price: production volume.

Germany is not a resource-rich country, and its war potential is certainly not as great as that of the United States and Russia. The pursuit of perfection has resulted in serious waste of resources and production shortages. One Tiger tank can destroy ten Sherman tanks, but at this time they have already produced twenty new tanks.

The Blitzkrieg was all about speed because Germany couldn't sustain a prolonged war of attrition. The later the war went, the less stamina Germany had. In the early stages, Germany dominated the Soviet Union, but in the later stages, it was ultimately crushed by the awakened Soviet giant.

Thorne didn't value the accuracy of weapons. He found it hard to understand why people were so picky about them and wanted them to be perfect. He believed that the battlefield was about time and speed, and the speed of weapon supply was absolutely crucial for the front line. What use were the best weapons if production efficiency was low and the front line didn't get many?

Simplify the process, simplify the process, and simplify the process again. It's not just about submachine guns. From now on, the Kingdom of the Rhine must begin to simplify the production process. We must improve efficiency, follow the Soviet path, and leave the Soviet Union with no way to go. This is Thorne's current creed.

Looking at the submachine gun on the blueprint, the officer next to him frowned, his expression as if he had swallowed a fly. Was it really necessary to produce this submachine gun, which exuded an air of poverty from its appearance?

The simple manufacturing process and easy processing mean that this submachine gun can be mass-produced. Mass production means it can be widely deployed in the military. And mass deployment in the military means that the Storm Commando Team can be disbanded, right?

Suddenly, the officer regretted his decision. Seeing that Prince Thorne was getting more and more engrossed in the conversation, it meant that Prince Thorne had come for the gun he had brought from the very beginning.

I should have chosen the MP28 designed by Vollmer before I came. Compared to this submachine gun, the MP28 can be called "perfect".

"This submachine gun is indeed not difficult to produce. We already have the blueprints. If we can provide more details, we can start production today. Moreover, the production process of this submachine gun is very simple. I estimate that the output in the first month will exceed 10,000."

This is a conservative estimate. The Soviet Union was already in the later stages of the war and had already equipped itself with a large number of PPSh submachine guns. If the production line were to be changed suddenly, it would be a loss. Therefore, the annual output was maintained at 100,000 guns, and only about 200,000 guns were produced by the end of the war.

In fact, due to increased production efficiency, the theoretical monthly output of PPS-43 could have exceeded 100,000 units. It was just bad luck that production ceased completely in 1946.

Based on its later reputation, the PPSh-45 is obviously more famous, but Thorne did not choose the more famous PPSh-45. Instead, he chose this model as a sample gun because it was cheap and convenient.

Although the PPSh-41 submachine gun has a large drum magazine capacity, is sturdy and durable, reliable and powerful, it is too bulky and inconvenient to carry, and its rate of fire is too fast, making long bursts difficult to control.

This submachine gun is more portable, compact and lightweight, easier to manufacture, and has a lower production cost. Moreover, its main components are made of stamped steel plates, minimizing the number of machined parts.

Production time has been reduced by more than 50%, requiring only 2.7 man-hours, compared to 7.3 man-hours required to produce one PPSh-41. The amount of steel needed for manufacturing has also decreased from 13.9 kg to 6.2 kg. This significantly reduces production costs and complexity.

Hearing Folmer's affirmation, Thorne nodded, completely unaware of the officer beside him whose face was contorted like a bitter gourd. Since production volume wasn't a problem, they could start building them and try it out; there was plenty of time to improve them anyway.

"Did Your Highness design this submachine gun? I never knew Your Highness was so knowledgeable about weapons."

Folmer was filled with admiration; he had never imagined that the prince was so skilled in weapon design.

Aside from its relatively "cheap" appearance, there's nothing wrong with this gun. On the battlefield, the daily weapon damage rate is extremely high, and it must be replenished as soon as possible. This submachine gun is low-cost and high-volume, so isn't it just right?

"This gun also has some shortcomings. After all, I am not an expert, and there may be some design issues that I need you to resolve."

Thorne scratched his head. After all, he had "plagiarized" the design of this gun, and he felt a little guilty when he took it out. Hearing what Folmer said, he became even more embarrassed.

"Leave it to him to handle?" Folmer noticed this sentence. Did that mean that the design and production rights for the gun had been handed over to their company?

“Mr. Folmer, I have some ideas for this submachine gun and some suggestions for improvement. I’m not a professional, so I’ll have to ask you for help.”

Folmer is a genius in weapons manufacturing, and Thorne certainly can't ignore such a person. Since his company is on the verge of collapse, he might as well do him a favor and go over there.

"Regarding the magazine, 32 rounds is still too few. I hope it can have more, such as a double magazine that combines two standard magazines into one. Another option is to use a drum magazine, so that this submachine gun can use both magazines and drum magazines. I wonder if Mr. Folmer can solve this problem?"

"No problem at all!"

Vollmer immediately agreed. The design drawings were already provided, and the directions for improvement were also proposed. It was practically like giving him the gun for free. How could he not agree?

"That would be best. I'll leave this gun to you. I hope the army can be equipped with it soon."

“Sure, Your Highness Thorne, give me a week, and I guarantee this gun will be produced very quickly.”

Volmer had completely shed his initial dejection and now looked energetic and invigorated. The Rhine Kingdom's latest submachine gun would probably be unveiled soon.

260. Infantry Squad Adjustment

After successfully resolving the submachine gun issue with Vollmer, they didn't rush to leave. It was 1928, a time of historical juncture.

It can be said that the entire decade of the 1920s was a period of war preparation for various countries. If they had made sufficient preparations during this decade, they could have maintained a sufficient advantage at least until the eve of World War II.

Before World War II, France was known as the best army in Europe, and this was not an exaggeration. Before the war even started, no one knew that it would surrender in just over a month.

With an army of several million men, the impregnable Maginot Line, and the largest army in Europe, France has the confidence to claim this.

Why was Europe's top army defeated by the German army in just one month?

After its defeat in World War I, Germany only retained 100,000 troops. When World War II broke out, Germany had only expanded its army a few years earlier. Logically speaking, the quality of its army should not have been as good as that of France. Why was it defeated so quickly?

Germany was still heavily restricted by the Treaty of Versailles at the time, which severely hampered its weapons development. Yet, just a few years later, this very force defeated the best army in Europe.

On the one hand, from Germany's perspective, the defeat in World War I nearly brought Germany to its knees. But on the other hand, the defeat led to strict restrictions imposed on Germany by various countries, which could just overturn previous theories and allow Germany to start afresh.

Whether in terms of weaponry or ideology, Germany was moving forward from a new starting point. Freed from the constraints of traditional ideas, it was able to stride forward, which is why they were armed into a powerful army in a very short time.

In contrast, France, despite having the largest army in Europe, has a rather high water content.

For a period after the end of World War I, France lost its sense of crisis. Having defeated Germany, they assumed there would be no more wars in Europe, so their research on weapons and military thought began to lag behind.

In the later stages, the French army's equipment upgrades lagged far behind those of Germany. Although restricted by the Treaty of Versailles, the pace of equipment upgrades did not slow down at all, and they explored various loopholes to conduct research.

Therefore, at the start of World War II, the German army was able to quickly equip itself with a large amount of new equipment, while the French army at this time...

The French army was slow to upgrade its equipment; while other countries had already equipped themselves with new equipment, they were still in the process of transitioning between old and new equipment.

At this point, the French army faced an awkward situation: they had too few new equipment to carry, and their old equipment was too outdated, falling behind by a generation. This was just the case with light weapons; the situation was even worse with heavy weapons.

Regarding the upgrade of light weapons, Thorne certainly didn't just want to equip the entire army with new submachine guns around the 1930s; he must have needed other equipment as well.