Munitions Empire

Adding steel plates to automobiles was almost a matter of course, as the form of warfare had changed, Front-line military urgently needed a powerful weapon that could accompany them in a charge and provide them with cover.

As the pace of war accelerated, cavalry began to return to the ranks of troops on a large scale, because they were the easiest to obtain and could move at high speeds over short periods.

However, modern cavalry resembled dragoons more, fighting dismounted with rifles and only employing traditional cavalry tactics when high-speed maneuvering or charging to rout enemy forces was required.

But this type of cavalry saw no technological advancement, People were simply desperate for a fast-moving force, so they had no choice but to make do with this ancient type of unit.

But Tang Mo had the strength to transform an automobile into an armored vehicle—he had all the technology required for an armored vehicle.

He could mass-produce cars, and specifically, the best-performing ones. He didn't need to worry about the lack of power in Model Ts, because he already had better engines in hand.

Even, like the United Kingdom during the First World War, he could directly use Rolls-Royce cars as armored vehicles, luxurious... and extravagant...

Therefore, a good car was the basis for converting into an armored vehicle, and Tang Mo had this base, which was beyond doubt.

At the same time, Tang Mo had suitable weapons for armored vehicles! He had Maxim machine guns, which other forces were still attempting to replicate and had not yet equipped in large numbers.

Therefore, only Tang Mo, or rather, only Great Tang Group naturally came up with the first practical armored vehicles, and only Tang Mo could afford such expensive weaponry.

The costliness of this weapon was not in its production cost, for a car, a pile of steel plates, and a machine gun theoretically wouldn't be too extravagant.

It was merely a combination, an immature prototype, a temporary solution devised for urgent problems.

The real expense of armored vehicles lay in the still immature logistics that had to be established around them.

First, these were not tanks, so their off-road capability was extremely limited, which meant they mainly had to rely on roads for maneuverability.

This limitation directly affected the proliferation and use of such weapons since there were not many areas with good roads or even railway support at that time.

Temporarily constructing railways and roads to use these weapons was an expensive infrastructure investment, and though these constructions had other benefits, undertaking massive infrastructure projects simply to use armored vehicles was clearly no cheap feat.

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Secondly, armored vehicles presented the military logistics, especially fuel logistics, with new challenges. They were gas guzzlers, at least for the current logistical systems, and they represented a colossal beast that devoured logistical resources.

At present, most military logistical supplies still relied on horse-drawn carriages, and to nourish armored corps with such outdated systems was naturally strenuous.

The production capacity for petroleum products, including gasoline and diesel, was also insufficient, and refineries had not yet expanded on a large scale; gasoline itself was a relatively scarce and important material.

On normal days, such materials also had to support the huge consumption of civilian cars, and only oil-producing powers or regions, like Tang Mo, who planned ahead, had the capital to use gasoline-powered armored vehicles.

At the same time, training a large number of drivers for the troops, increasing the number of maintenance workers who could perform battlefield repairs on armored vehicles, and ensuring ammunition supply for armored vehicles... these all represented a substantial additional expense.

Last, the technology for this weapon was not so mature; its wheels were a very apparent weak point, easily crippled on the battlefield. Compared to tanks, a shallow trench could become an insurmountable obstacle for them.

Wheeled systems, or vehicle wheels, had inherent flaws when facing trenches and mud, and these could only be compensated for by using tracks.

But if tracks were used now, the already overburdened engines would seem underpowered.

Increasing engine power would raise fuel consumption, and the increased fuel consumption would further exacerbate the logistical system that was already on the verge of collapse.

This was basically a foolish act of adding more water when there was too much flour and more flour when there was too much water, and the end result was nothing but Tang Mo using his own technology to come up with usable light tanks ahead of time, yet unable to deploy them due to logistical supply issues.

Another equally important point was that vehicular radios were nowhere to be seen, and Tang Mo did not even plan to produce them, which meant there were also issues with the communications and command of armored vehicles, limiting the use of such weapons.

So, Tang Mo wasn't foolish; he just followed historical trends to create a concept weapon to meet customer demands in this oil-deficient era.

Even then, he came up with this thing simply to satisfy Emperor Leines I's expectations of his own victory parade.

Speaking of Leines I's victory parade, we must start with his "achievements." King Leite VII had, in less than two years, expanded his territory almost to the border of the Empire of Nanla.

In terms of land area, although Laines was still slightly smaller, it was clear that both were now comparable in size.

What the Laines Empire needed to do was to assimilate their occupied territories and stabilize their rule over the newly seized areas, a process that often took several years or even decades.

After gaining control of so much territory, Leite VII decided to proclaim himself Emperor. He prepared for a long time in Laines, or to be precise, he built a grand avenue and erected a viewing stand alongside it.

As for other places in Laines, they had all been handed over to Great Tang Group for construction, so the future capital of Laines currently resembled a vast construction site.

However, this did not affect the scale of the upcoming victory parade in the slightest. According to the plan agreed upon in advance, Great Tang Group would send an armored battalion to participate in the parade.

This battalion would be equipped with ten of the latest armored vehicles, equipped with Rolls-Royce's newest engines, and they would pass the reviewing stand, displaying their elegance to all the guests.

Following them in front of the new Emperor would be a hundred cars carrying soldiers, provided by Great Tang Group with drivers; these soldiers would be from the Northern Ridge's First Infantry Regiment.

Then, passing the viewing stand would be a hundred trucks towing various types of artillery, showcasing to the people what the future mechanized troops would look like.

Of course, for an arms dealer, this event was essentially a massive advertisement for themselves, so Tang Mo would certainly not refuse such an opportunity.