Wild Wolf Valley, in front of two small counterweight trebuchets in the training ground outside the grenadier company's barracks.

Five government officials who came all the way from the valley were teaching the grenade trebuchet operations to officers above the grenadier company leader.

These five people include an official from the Government Affairs Office, two professors and apprentices from the Government Affairs Academy, and the other two are craftsmen from the Workshop Department. These people are also the designers and manufacturers of small counterweight trebuchets specially used for grenadiers.

A middle-aged man with sparse hair, a bloated body, wearing a fine linen robe, and an owl brooch symbolizing knowledge and wisdom on his chest pointed at a wooden board with drawings next to the trebuchet, and patiently explained.

"...the counterweight trebuchets operated by your grenadiers are not bows and arrows. The weight of the projectiles thrown are basically the same. As long as the specifications of the components of each trebuchet are consistent, the grenadiers only need to control the counterweight iron

The weight of the block and the length of the launcher arm can accurately control the range."

"You remember two key points."

"First, the heavier the counterweight stone, the farther the projectile will travel."

"Secondly, the launch-end lever arm of the trebuchet we manufactured can be divided into three sections to adjust the length. Under the premise of a certain counterweight, the longer the lever arm, the farther the range."

After the bald professor finished speaking, he gestured to his apprentice, who immediately took out another piece of straw paper from the cowhide bag he was carrying and handed it over.

The bald professor took the paper and raised it, saying: "This is the data I came up with after repeated trials with the apprentices from the School of Government Affairs and some craftsmen in the workshop."

"We used the weight of the projectile, the weight of the counterweight stone and the length of the rod arm as simple quantities to calculate the distance that the projectile can be projected at different values."

"For example, under the premise that the minimum counterweight is 250 pounds and the projectile is a ten-pound iron bullet, the first-stage lever arm can throw 393 feet, and the second-stage lever arm can throw 598 feet.

The third-stage lever arm can only throw five hundred and thirty feet. This is because the counterweight is too light, and the too-long lever arm reduces the range. There are some profound mathematical principles in this, and you don’t need to delve into it."

............

"When we add the counterweight stone to the limit of 600 pounds, the three-stage lever arm can throw the ten-pound iron bullet to a distance of 1,200 feet. Of course, the different ranges and the length of the fuse on the iron bullet

It is also different, otherwise it will explode before it reaches the target position."

The people sitting on the grass couldn't help but exclaimed that such a long range was really shocking. In their understanding, the trebuchet can basically throw heavy rocks to a distance of 350 to 500 feet. Now they heard that

The ultimate range of the trebuchet operated by himself is up to thousands of feet, which is shocking enough.

"Don't be shocked, there is nothing amazing about our trebuchet itself. The reason why it has such a range is just because the projectiles we fire are not rocks weighing hundreds of pounds, but iron bullets that are only ten pounds.

God, I have to praise the Earl, it was the Holy Lord who gave him such a wise and amazing mind."

The bald professor's mouth was a little dry while he was speaking. He stopped and said to the stunned grenadiers: "I will send you some parameter tables later. You can go back and copy them again, and read them to the grenadiers again and again."

Listen to the soldiers and let them remember it firmly."

"In addition, dear friends, I have to remind you again that what you will face in the future is something that can blow a war horse into powder. In other words, you will always be with the god of death, so remember to be cautious. You should slowly get used to the absence of fireworks.

It’s the day…”

............

In April, the earth returns to spring and everything revives.

Art, who had been dormant for a winter in the Wells Valley, took Ron and ten earl guards with a camel team from the government to visit his "neighbors" in the mountains.

When the team passed through the wilderness, he ordered the camel team to go ahead, and he led the guard into the Wild Wolf Valley. He wanted to see the current situation of the grenadier company.

After passing through layers of open posts and hidden sentries, the team quickly arrived at the army station in Wild Wolf Valley.

After briefly listening to the introductions of several chief officers and adjutants, he inspected the grenadier companies one by one.

After nearly two months of training, the grenadier company finally has some appearance.

They practiced the operating procedures of the new trebuchet, simulated marching, rushed to the battlefield, set up formations according to orders, removed the trebuchet parts, assembled them and a series of other actions.

Before arriving at the battlefield, all the components of each trebuchet were dismantled and loaded on an iron-lined four-wheeled carriage. The components of the trebuchet plus the counterweight stones basically reached the vehicle load limit of 1,500 pounds.

.

Of course, each trebuchet will also be loaded with ten iron bombs during wartime, and the remaining ammunition will be transported by special iron carriages.

After arriving at the battlefield, the six grenadier crew members will assemble the trebuchet as quickly as possible with the help of on-board tools. This process is not too difficult for them who are trained as heavy duty soldiers.

After the assembly is completed, the grenadier team leader will give the calculated enemy position and distance to each grenade team based on the company deputy commander Smith. The grenade team will adjust the direction of the trebuchet and set up counterweight stones and lever arms based on the distance and orientation.

length, then four grenadiers operate the winch, and the other two are responsible for loading the projectiles into the magazine, lighting the fuse, breaking the buckle, and throwing them to the enemy...

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A set of movements is not very skilled, and it takes almost three minutes to complete a projectile. However, this kind of thing requires long-term training to project quickly, and there is no need to rush.

"...The grenadier company must set up a separate bomb weapons depot. This arsenal not only requires dedicated management and heavy guarding, but also blocks all sources of supply. Not to mention candles and torches, even fire sickles and flints cannot be brought in.

"While inspecting the grenadier company's weapons warehouse, Art saw them storing wooden boxes containing projectiles in the same warehouse as ordinary weapons and armor, and he immediately pointed it out.

In fact, these projectiles did not pose much danger before being launched. The cast iron shell was indeed filled with granular gunpowder, but the small holes where the projectiles were inserted into the lead wires had been blocked with beeswax, and the lead wires were placed separately next to them.

The wooden box is also sealed with beeswax. The lead is inserted into the projectile only before the battle.

However, a killing weapon is a killing weapon after all. It can kill the enemy or commit suicide. Once an accident occurs in the warehouse where the projectiles are stored, the consequences are unimaginable.

Rogge, Smith and others responded one after another and said they would immediately build a separate warehouse specifically to store projectiles.

Art nodded and continued: "I watched your drill just now, and there were no obvious problems in other aspects. However, one of the grenade groups actually let the fire go out at a critical moment. This would be a fatal mistake on the battlefield.

"

"So from now on, the leader of the grenade team will be personally responsible for igniting the fire, and the projectile fuse must also be lit by him personally."

"Yes! Yes!" Rogge nodded repeatedly.

"By the way, you have reported that many soldiers are still unable to adapt to the loud noise. I have ordered Dennis to bring people to guide the soldiers. If they still cannot overcome their fear, I will kick them out of the grenadier company and send them back to the original team and demote them.

However, before I declare the grenadier company officially into action, those who are removed from the grenadier company must submit to the strictest supervision of the Ombudsman."

"Also, do you have some idea of ​​the grenadier company tactics that have made you think about it?"

"Sir, we have just reported our preliminary ideas to Lord Kazak of the Operations Department. The grenadier company is a long-range unit like the crossbow unit..."

............

At the southern end of Andermatt Castle in the eastern border of Tyniec, at the junction of the wilderness and the mountains, a huge camel caravan is slowly marching towards the mountains.

The camel team consisted of sixty horses, twenty green mules, and more than thirty laborers and guards.

The cargo carried by the camel team was mainly wheat, in addition to some cloth, bacon, dried meat and a small amount of luxury goods.

In addition to Art and his twenty-man count's guard, traveling with the camel caravan were also accompanied by several escorts led by Baron Antayas and the mountain mercenaries who came down from the mountain to join the Welsh Army last winter.

This small mercenary successfully passed the test of the Welsh Army after more than a month.

They are very hard-working and have a very brave and resolute character. The mountains are bitterly cold, and in recent years there have been constant wars between the Mountain Confederation and the Habsburgs in the east. These mercenaries are not weak in combat effectiveness. After obtaining the "excellent" weapons and armor of the Welsh Army

After that, the combat power of these mercenaries was close to that of the Welsh Legion soldiers.

This time the government brought a large amount of food supplies to visit the Mountain Confederation, so naturally it had to bring these "locals" with it.

The team traveled through the winding roads in the mountains of the Mountain Confederacy. The so-called roads were just some narrow mountain trails. In some places, they were even single-horse paths carved out of the cliffs.

"I used to think that Andermatt Castle was the most remote mountainous area, but compared with here, our place is simply a plain." Antayas has already got off the horse, and the steep mountain road makes riding a horse difficult.

I was so tired that I was foaming at the mouth.

"Oops~" Art straightened his waist slightly, letting his sore back from climbing uphill stretch for a moment.

"Antyas, I have seen terrain similar to this one. In the Earl of Longchard, the terrain there is also rugged enough, but in comparison, the mountain road of Earl of Longchard is not difficult."

Just as the two honorable nobles stopped to rest, the "locals" rushed up from the rear team. While saluting Yate and saying hello, they loudly reminded the forwards of the camel team that they needed to pay attention to the falling rocks ahead.

and the landslide on the other side.

Antayas handed the mead he carried with him to Art and said with a smile: "Look, sir, on the same mountain road, these mountain barbarians are as if they are on the plains~ I have to admire them."

Art took the wine bag and took a big sip, "Last year I went to Paris for an audience, and a noble once asked me if there were still many uncivilized savages in the mountainous areas of Burgundy."

"In their eyes, we are just apes that have just become humans~" Art said and started laughing.

"I heard that there are rivers, lakes and pastures in the mountains. Maybe the top of the mountains is a different kind of scenery." Looking at the increasingly white snow-capped mountains, Art felt a little yearning in his heart.
Chapter completed!