Chapter 333: Development of Weapons
As the time entered November 1912, the Royal Physical and Chemical Research Association of Australasia had been transformed into the Royal Academy of Sciences, with the transition now essentially complete.
Previously, the members of the research association had been highly regarded, but their status wasn't as elevated. Now, as members of the Royal Academy of Sciences, they had a guaranteed status equivalent to that of a city mayor, placing them within the upper-middle class of Australasia.
If these researchers could break through the barrier between Level 1 and Level 2 Academicians and successfully achieve the rank of Level 2 Academician, they would truly have entered the upper echelons of Australasian society, attaining extraordinary status.
With the Royal Academy of Sciences now established, it was time to begin large-scale research within the Academy. Arthur attended the first full meeting of the Royal Academy of Sciences, where he emphasized several key areas of research.
First on the agenda was the radio technology that Tesla had mastered. Radio technology was crucial for both civilian and military applications. It would also become one of the primary research directions for the Academy, with a focus on wireless telegraphy, which would be driven by Tesla and the Academy.
In addition to radio technology, Tesla would also focus on improving alternating current (AC) technology. Various types of power generation equipment, power generation systems, and current transport devices all needed further refinement.
In addition to serving as the Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Tesla was also appointed by Arthur as the Chief Designer of National Electrical Engineering for Australasia, responsible for advancing the country's electrical engineering projects.
As one of the best electrical engineers previously in the United States, Tesla was undoubtedly the perfect choice for this role.
It's worth noting that electricity had already become one of the most commonly used forms of energy in Australasia. Major cities like Sydney and Melbourne had electric streetlights everywhere. Electric lamps had entered households and had become the primary lighting source for urban residents.
Moreover, electricity and electrically powered devices were being widely used in industries.
Though Australasia had broken away from the British Empire, it now had a clear distinction from the UK: the innovation in the industrial equipment being used. Many of the UK's older factories still relied on steam-powered machinery. In Australasia, however, many new factories were using electricity as the primary energy source, with only a few small factories still relying on steam and coal power.
Thanks to the invention of air conditioning, some of Australasia's factories even had air conditioners running in workshops where the temperatures were high, further showcasing the advanced nature of their industrial operations.
At the meeting, several key research directions were confirmed, most of which were tied to Australasian national interests.
Aside from these projects, the academicians of the Royal Academy of Sciences could propose and apply for their own research projects, seeking funding for them from the Academy.
Apart from the Royal Academy of Sciences, Arthur also had high expectations for the technical experts working in the military factories and shipyards.
With the influx of European talent, the Royal Military Factory and Royal Shipyard were fully staffed and had enough personnel to conduct research on new weapons.
After the Academy's meeting, Arthur summoned Browning, who had already been at work for some time, to discuss the current research direction at the Royal Military Factory.
Browning was undoubtedly one of the foremost experts in light weapons of the era. He was capable of designing and improving virtually any weapon, from pistols and light machine guns to heavy machine guns, submachine guns, and automatic rifles.
Given Australasia's current weaponry lineup, Arthur tasked Browning with improving the country's pistols and submachine guns and developing a lightweight machine gun.
Currently, Australasia only had the AS-1898 pistol, which had been in development for over ten years and had clearly fallen behind the times.
Browning's expertise in pistol design made him the ideal person to improve this weapon.
As for submachine guns, while Australasia had the Casadin submachine gun, its design was based on Arthur's own proposal and could only be considered a submachine gun that barely met his expectations.
If Browning could improve the Casadin submachine gun by enhancing its firing rate and power, it would be very beneficial for the Australasian army, especially since many units, including the Royal Security Bureau's intelligence officers, Arthur's personal guards, and palace guards, were equipped with this submachine gun.
In terms of heavy machine guns, the need for improvement wasn't as pressing. Australasia's military already used the MA-107 Maxim heavy machine gun, which was an advanced weapon improved from the MA-99 Maxim heavy machine gun. It was now considered one of the best heavy machine guns in the world.
However, Australasia had not yet made much progress with light machine guns.
While heavy machine guns were powerful, they required several people to operate and were difficult to transport. Having a lightweight machine gun that could compensate for the drawbacks of the heavy machine gun would not only diversify the army's firepower but also ensure that enough firepower could be carried during long marches.
With the influx of European expertise, the technology for artillery was less in need of improvement.
From small 37mm autocannons to large 283mm Krupp giant artillery, Australasia's Royal Military Factory could produce them all, and the quality of the technology was trustworthy.
While the 283mm artillery seemed impressive, the artillery most commonly used in the Australasian military were still the CA-1 37mm autocannon, the M1897 75mm cannon, the GA1902 75mm rapid-fire cannon, the Krupp 105mm howitzer, the Krupp 155mm howitzer, and the GA1906 105mm semi-automatic cannon.
The M1897 cannon was the famous French "Miss" model, while the GA1902 cannon was an improved version of the Miss, co-developed by Australasia and Germany, offering more powerful firepower.
The Miss cannon had a firing rate of 15 rounds per minute, while the GA1902 cannon had increased its firing rate to 20 rounds per minute.
Currently, the Australasian army had fully transitioned to the GA1902 cannon, gradually phasing out the Miss model that had been highly trusted in the past.
Similarly, the GA1906 105mm rapid-fire cannon, also a joint project between Australasia and Germany, retained the Miss's design principles, and its firing rate could also reach 12 rounds per minute.
This, along with the 105mm caliber's destructive power, made the 37mm, 75mm, and 105mm rapid-fire cannons the most commonly used artillery in the Australasian army.
The faster-firing semi-automatic cannons and autocannons were used for mass casualties, while the large 155mm and 283mm artillery were used for bombarding enemy fortifications and delivering devastating strikes.
This allowed the Australasian military's firepower to theoretically reach perfection, as these calibers of artillery were already widely used. The army's firepower was on par with any other nation.
In addition to these powerful firepower weapons, Australasia's military ensured that various types of ammunition and artillery shells were used in training without restriction.
With extensive training and advanced equipment, how could the army's combat strength not be strong?
Speaking of artillery, the artillery experts at the Royal Military Factory had also received tasks and requests from Arthur.
Currently, the largest caliber artillery used by the Australasian army was the Krupp 283mm giant cannon.
However, in the navy, beyond the 283mm artillery, the Royal Military Factory and Shipyards also possessed 305mm and 343mm naval guns.
These calibers corresponded to the firepower of the current dreadnoughts and super-dreadnoughts and were a critical source of the navy's firepower.
The 305mm artillery was based on technology from Germany, and the 343mm artillery was based on technology from the British Empire.
Having gained artillery experts from the British Empire, France, Austria-Hungary, and other nations, Arthur was not content with the current caliber of artillery.
It's important to note that during World War I, the British Queen Elizabeth-class battleships used 15-inch (381mm) guns.
This caliber would far surpass that of other countries' naval guns and give the British Empire a significant advantage in firepower.
In fact, in response to the German naval race, and to solidify the UK's advantage in naval artillery, British Navy Minister Churchill strongly advocated for replacing the 13.5-inch guns on the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships with 15-inch guns.
In the historical timeline, the British successfully outfitted these ships with 15-inch guns by January 1915, just before the outbreak of the war, achieving excellent battle performance.
(End of Chapter)
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