Munitions Empire

While the Emperor of the Tang Empire was preparing for his wedding, in other corners of the world, war was destroying all happiness and beauty that stood in its way.

At the front lines of Shu Mountain, Qin Country's tanks were rolling over the body of a Shu Country soldier, tracer bullets were flying between the two armies, and shouts and the lights of exploding shells filled the air everywhere.

A Qin Country tank was pierced by an anti-tank shell while advancing, continuing to move forward engulfed in flames until it got stuck on a trench and stopped.

On both sides of the tank, Qin Country soldiers rushed into the trench with the flaming tank and were subsequently massacred by the densely packed troops of Shu Country.

Here, nearing the mountainous area, the defense lines of Shu Country were established amongst the rugged mountains, causing the offensive efforts of Qin Country to become increasingly feeble.

Once at its zenith, the Dahua Empire wanted to cross this transverse mountain range to venture into the heartland of Shu Country, to end the era of regional divisions on the Western Continent.

But ultimately, they were blocked by Shu Mountain, and due to marrying a troublesome Princess, the Emperor died of illness during a southern campaign, making the Dahua Empire lose forever the possibility of moving south.

Until today, this mountain range remains insurmountable, with Shu Country's troops backed by the mountain range, forming a defensive line that is easy to defend but hard to attack.

In most parts of this defensive line, Qin Army's tanks simply cannot go up. Therefore, the areas where attacks could be launched were few, and Zhang Xuan amassed heavy troops here to attack, but the effects were very limited.

No matter how skilled in battle Qin Army was, they were not a match for the Shu Country troops in mountainous regions; mountain warfare was precisely the strong suit of Shu Country and Chu Country, putting Qin Army at a disadvantage.

Qin Country's General Zhang Xuan, despite being immensely capable, couldn't utilize flanking maneuvers or achieve quick breakthroughs.

Apart from those damnable passes, the roads on Shu Mountain couldn't even facilitate driving, let alone swift breakouts.

The troops of the Tang Empire coming here could only, like those of Qin Country, slowly tackle these tough nuts, although the Tang Empire might be a bit quicker in cracking them than Qin's troops.

"Boom!" An artillery shell smashed into the middle of the mountainside in the distance, Zhang Xuan put down the binoculars he was holding and looked towards the Armored Corps Commander beside him who was reporting the situation.

"The assault failed again! General!" The Division Commander of the Armored Division looked pale, lowering his head in dejection. His troops had paid a heavy price in the uphill attack, with tanks lacking cover being destroyed in large numbers.

These tanks weren't the heavily armored ones which could hardly make it here. The light tanks that could maneuver up the mountain were inherently poorly defended, and their destruction was to be expected.

However, using precious tanks in attacking well-defended positions was truly heartbreaking for the tank commanders.

They had only just accumulated so many tanks, and now watching them being destroyed one after another was more painful than carving out their own flesh.

"Organize the next round of attack! 20 tanks! Second infantry battalion follow up!" Zhang Xuan gave the command to continue the assault with an expressionless face.

After giving the instructions, he ignored the even more distressed Armored Corps Commander, turning his attention to another officer beside him, identified by his uniform and insignia as the artillery commander: "Order the artillery to keep firing, another two volleys! Flatten every enemy position we can see!"

"Yes!" The artillery officer saluted and then turned and left the temporary headquarters.

This place was originally a defensive position of Shu Country's army, captured by Qin Army a few days ago, and later modified to serve as both a launch pad and headquarters.

"Don't fear casualties, what we need now is speed! We must swiftly breach the Shu Mountain defense line, otherwise wouldn't Your Majesty's and the Princess's maneuvers all be in vain?" Zhang Xuan handed his binoculars to his adjutant, casting a glance at the Armored Division Commander: "What's there to fear? Tang Country's support has never ceased, your tanks will be replenished soon."

The Tang Empire sold another new tank production line to Qin Country, which allowed Qin Country to double their tank production capacity in a short period.

Qin Country already had iron mines and had built a steel factory with Tang Country's aid, along with other industrial bases, drastically increasing Qin's war potential.

This was why Qin Country had the confidence to continue waging this war: they would soon get more tanks and more artillery shells.

With more tanks, artillery shells, and planes, Qin Country was sure to reap more benefits! Capitalizing on the alliance for as many advantages as possible while it lasted was Qin Country's current national policy.

"Keep attacking, we cannot allow the Shu Country to catch their breath. Rest assured, our soldiers will not be sacrificed in vain. Soon our secret weapon will be delivered to the frontline!" Zhang Xuan was brimming with confidence, knowing that Qin Country's super weapon would soon reach the battlefield.

Once the railways that were damaged due to the war are repaired, the weapon that Qin Country has prepared for this war—or rather, meticulously prepared to break through Shu Mountain's defenses—will be able to reach the frontline and join the fight!

This is a colossal cannon built by Qin Country itself, which can only be utilized by relying on railway lines, transformed from a train car into a firing base!

Previously widely used in the Eastern Continent, it combines the mobility of a railway train with the formidable power of a large-caliber cannon, truly a perfect war machine called a massive cannon!

The railway cannons in the Eastern Continent generally use calibers of 300mm, 350mm, and 400mm. To destroy the Shu Mountain defense line, Qin Country chose the largest caliber of 400mm as a reference.

This type of cannon, with a range of up to 20 kilometers, can launch shells heavier than a car onto the enemy's position, capable of brutally destroying defense works relying on mountainous terrain.

For a spectacular effect, Qin Country rapidly build 15 such colossal cannons! Each cannon has its corresponding code and name, and a single cannon weighs over 500 tons!

Such a massive cannon places huge stress on the railtracks, so it cannot fire directly on the railway. To ensure the safety of the railtracks, side tracks must be installed to support its firing structure once placed in position.

Because the shells are indeed very large, this type of cannon is also specially equipped with a crane cab for loading shells, supporting such a large cannon requires an enhanced battalion of soldiers, including a vigilance company, an anti-aircraft company, a mechanical support company, and a cannon operating company.

It's no exaggeration to say, such cannons have never been equipped or produced even by the Great Tang Empire, they are truly a marvel borne from the wild imagination of weapon engineers around the world.

Thanks to advances in material technology, allowing them to possess conditions to manufacture large-caliber cannons, without other mature design philosophies, cannon engineers from various countries began to eagerly produce increasingly larger and more extravagant cannons.

After all, compared to aerial bombs, cannons have an unmatched advantage in terms of firing accuracy, and they don't have to worry about issues like planes being intercepted and shot down.

Due to limited coordination means and poor communication environments, military commanders from various countries still prefer to use the weapons and equipment within their own jurisdiction: Army generals are unwilling to coordinate with the Air Force, and the Air Force would not usually consult with Army generals on combat plans either.

Therefore, cannons have become the only choice for these commanders. Instead of the troublesome task of coordinating with the Air Force, using cannons directly is more convenient and faster.

The Great Tang Empire is different, Tang Army has taken a completely different approach: they are more inclined towards artillery automation, preferring to focus on enhancing the mobility of cannons.

According to the artillery theory of the Great Tang Empire, a good cannon is one that can keep up with the advance of armored corps and provide fire support to other troops whenever needed.

If you can't keep up with allies and provide support when needed, then no matter how powerful the cannon is, it's useless. So, the Tang Army has never been equipped with heavy, super-large caliber cannons.

They went to the other extreme—by aiming to enhance troop mobility, Tang Army lacks the ability to break through strong fortifications. The troops of the Great Tang Empire have minimal means to destroy the enemy's solid and permanent defensive works, and most of the time, have to rely on less precise aerial bombs heavily.

In fact, up until today, the Tang Army has never truly encountered super-solid defensive fortifications like the Maginot Line; Tang Mo's opponents almost never dared to use large quantities of steel and concrete to construct steel defense lines.

However, as the world's total cement production increases, and with continuous deepening of military theory research, permanent fortified constructions made of reinforced concrete are starting to appear, making defenses of various countries increasingly stronger.

The Tang Army is also changing its strategy accordingly: they have started to equip themselves with heavy guided bombs that can penetrate thick concrete covers.

The new bombs, carried by Junker Bombers or Flying Fortress Bombers, are guided by radio commands, achieving very high accuracy without interference.

Overall, this is due to different internal strategies within the military. Communications in the Tang Army have always been smooth, and Army commanders are also accustomed to calling in the Air Force when suppression firepower is needed.

Moreover, with Tang Army's radio equipment always being in a world-leading condition, the coordination between the three military branches is seamless, naturally facilitating mutual contacts and support.

Zhang Xuan hopes his troops can continue the offensive before the heavy cannons arrive, not giving the Shu Country troops any time to rest.

He also understands that if they don't take advantage of this opportunity to create panic in Shu Country before the railway cannons reach the frontline and break through the Shu Mountain defenses, Qin Country's southern advance strategy might become passive.

The encrypted message from Ying Duo was very clear, emphasizing the rare opportunity afforded by the marital alliance between Qin and Tang countries, pressing the need to eradicate Shu Country to potentially create a balanced strategic position for Qin Country with Tang Country.