Chapter 94 Joint Research Between Australia and Germany
Following the principle that demonstration is better than explanation, Arthur directly ordered the experts to organize a live firing test of the M1897 cannon.
Since there were ten crates of ammunition available, Arthur generously offered two for the demonstration—perfect for testing the true power of the famous "French Lady."
The test site was selected in the mountains outside of Sydney, a remote and secluded area safe enough for live fire.
Under expert instructions, the natives quickly prepared the target, placing it on a hillside one kilometer away—all within an hour.
The gunner was a veteran artilleryman from the Australian army. Though he had never operated the M1897, he was very familiar with Australia's CA-1 autocannon and understood the principles of automatic artillery.
The German experts stood still, eyes locked on the lone M1897 cannon, afraid to miss a single detail.
Once everything was set, the pristine "French Lady" finally roared to life.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With a command, the cannon began pouring shells onto the hillside target, hitting it precisely on the third round.
What shocked the German experts wasn't the accuracy—but the M1897's astonishing rate of fire.
A standard German-made 75mm field gun averaged about 4–6 rounds per minute. Even with a skilled crew, it never exceeded seven.
Yet the M1897, despite being handled by Australians unfamiliar with it, fired at a sustained rate of over eleven rounds per minute.
That meant, once the gunners became proficient, the M1897 could match the firepower of two German field guns of the same caliber—giving its operators a decisive advantage in battle.
In other words, France could achieve firepower parity with Germany using only half the artillery.
What did that imply? Massive savings in military spending and the ability to reassign soldiers to other duties.
Realizing the strategic value, the German experts immediately grew concerned. One of them spoke up earnestly, "Your Grace, this cannon is extremely important to Germany. Might you consider selling it to us?"
Could Arthur sell it? Absolutely not.
This cannon was just as crucial to Australia's military development. Arthur had no intention of parting with it.
Seeing their request denied, the German experts made another proposal: to jointly study the M1897 with Australia.
Technically speaking, Germany still possessed world-class artillery expertise. If not for their arrogance and refusal to learn from other nations, they might have avoided some of their past blunders.
Collaborating with Germany also benefited Australia by dramatically lowering the difficulty of reverse engineering the cannon.
With German help, Australia could likely master its production within half a year.
"I'm open to joint research, but I have two conditions," Arthur said with a nod.
"Of course, Your Grace. Please name them—we'll do whatever we can," the German experts replied, fearful Arthur might change his mind.
"First, all research findings and technical knowledge acquired by Germany must be unconditionally shared with Australia. Second, any future modifications to the M1897 developed by Germany must be made available to Australia at market price," Arthur stated with a smile.
Given Germany's advanced artillery research, it wouldn't take long for them to fully understand the French Lady's design.
Using German brainpower to rapidly accelerate Australia's mastery of the M1897 was a win-win.
And if the Germans moved away from their obsession with large-caliber superweapons and took an interest in fast-firing artillery, they might take the M1897 concept even further.
Germany's R&D capabilities far exceeded Australia's. If this collaboration gave Arthur access to Germany's future breakthroughs in rapid-fire artillery, it would be far more efficient than researching it independently.
"Hmm…" The German experts hesitated, but after a moment of deliberation, one of them replied, "Agreed, Your Grace. I hope we can begin research as soon as possible. I'll report to His Majesty and request the delivery of research equipment and additional specialists. We'll crack this technology as quickly as possible."
Germany's existing cooperation with Australia, including artillery tech transfers, made the experts more willing to agree.
Given the solid relationship, Arthur's demands weren't seen as excessive.
Arthur nodded, pleased.
The Germans' response was exactly what he had hoped for. When it came to experts and equipment, the more, the better.
As long as the research was based in Australia, Arthur didn't mind hosting hundreds of foreign experts—he was willing to cover the costs.
And the German experts were indeed worth the investment. Though each one cost several hundred pounds annually,
they brought enormous value—bridging Australia's talent gap and laying the foundation for future scientific development.
Under Arthur's orders, each German expert was assigned several Australian assistants.
Officially, these assistants were just aides for simple and repetitive tasks.
But in reality, they gained valuable opportunities to learn from their German counterparts and absorb knowledge previously out of reach.
Arthur greatly appreciated the Germans' disciplined and serious work ethic. Their meticulous teaching style accelerated the learning curve for Australia's own experts.
To facilitate their work, Arthur allocated a significant portion of the munitions factory's lab facilities to the German experts—since there were no other pressing weapons experiments in progress.
He also invested £500,000 to fund the research project.
The "French Lady" had remained in service through World War II. Its superior performance spoke for itself.
If Australia could fully master and improve upon the M1897's design, it would be reasonable to make it the country's main field artillery for the next thirty years.
Once the research facility was prepared, the only existing M1897 and its remaining eight crates of shells were carefully transferred to the lab.
Even though there was enough ammunition, the German experts strictly forbade any further test firing.
The cannon would now undergo a complete study and disassembly. Any damage to it would be a serious setback to the research process.
(End of Chapter)
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