Chapter 178 Experiment

The minesweeper tank was actually invented by the British. It was also located on the Alamein battlefield in North Africa, but the British installed this device on the "Matilda" tank... The results can be imagined, very good The idea used a poor platform, which made it useless in actual combat.

Of course, if it is installed on the "Panzer 3" tank, it is another matter... The Panzer 3 tank is not as prone to malfunctions as the "Matilda".

"This thing...I mean the mine-sweeping tank, will it work?" Colonel Slaine asked hesitantly.

"It may be useful!" Colonel Olbridge became very interested in this picture: "This device is very simple. It only needs a motor to drive it. Our logistics troops may be able to make it in a few hours!"

"And the idea of ​​using chains on rollers to clear mines is very good!" General Strike said: "The explosive power of mines is not enough, and it is difficult to break the iron chains, so it can be used all the time, even if it breaks... we only need Hang up a few more!”

General Strike and others are veterans. They know that the simpler the structure is, the more reliable it is on the battlefield, so they were conquered by this thing immediately.

"And..." Colonel Slaine added: "It shouldn't be a problem to use it to clear mines. Of course, whipping with the chain will detonate the mines. If the force is strong enough, it may also detonate anti-tank mines!"

"Of course it must be able to detonate anti-tank mines!" Colonel Olbridge said: "Otherwise I would not let my tanks do this!"

"Why not try it?" said General Strike.

Then everyone turned their attention to Rommel, who had remained silent.

"Will it only take a few hours to do?" Rommel asked.

"Yes, General!" Colonel Olbridge pointed to the picture Qin Chuan drew and said, "We only need to make a frame like this to support a roller, and then remove a motor with three wheels on each side to drive it. That’s it.”

"Then what are you waiting for?" Rommel ordered: "Get one immediately... no, get three."

General Strike turned his attention to Colonel Olbridge. This task must be completed by the logistics force of the tank force. They have the tools and parts to repair the tank.

"Yes, General!" Colonel Olbridge took over the task without saying a word.

"Wait!" Colonel Olbridge was about to leave when Rommel called him back: "This thing is now our top secret, do you understand?"

"Understood, General!"

Of course, this can be said to be a new weapon, and if you want the new weapon to play a greater role on the battlefield and catch the enemy by surprise, it must be kept secret.

"Sergeant, forgive me for my previous recklessness!" After Colonel Olbridge left, Rommel handed Qin Chuan a cigarette and asked, "How did you come up with the idea of ​​this mine-sweeping tank?"

"Oh, General!" Qin Chuan was stunned for a moment, and then replied: "You know, I was clearing mines on the position last night, and I was also fighting in the enemy's mine array. The scene was so crazy. The enemy's artillery shells were directed at We flew here but we had nowhere to hide, and we didn’t even dare to hide, because you are not sure whether there are landmines around you... At that time, I was wondering if there could be something that could help us clear mines safely and quickly.”

"Then you thought of it?" Rommel held up the picture and raised it.

"Yes!" Qin Chuan replied: "I think it should have some effect!"

"More than a little effect!" Rommel said: "Although I am not sure, but... I believe it can play a big role, Sergeant. Yes, your idea will even change the situation of the war!"

Qinchuan knew what Rommel meant by "changing the situation."

At this time, all countries in the world were very concerned about landmines, and World War I was even more prominent... Trench warfare at that time was almost a combination of barbed wire, roadblocks, landmines, trenches, and machine guns. This made both warring parties almost useless to the other. approach and reached a stalemate.

But now, the emergence of mine-clearing tanks is likely to represent the end of the era of landmines... Of course, this is impossible. Landmines continue to play a role even in modern times, but their role has been weakened to a large extent. It's just that Rommel didn't know this.

Colonel Olbridge's estimate was correct. After more than three hours, several minesweeper tanks were whipped out, but it looked very rough... Several steel pipes welded together to form a roughly triangular shape supported a belt. A roller with a chain, and then a conveyor belt connected to an external motor behind the turret.

The drum was pretty cool, of medium size and rotated smoothly. After asking later, I found out that it was a drum that the logistics soldiers had brought from Matruh for threshing wheat by local people.

"The disadvantage is that the turret cannot rotate to the right!" Colonel Olbridge said: "Because the conveyor belt blocks the space for the turret to rotate. Doing so will destroy the device!"

"Whatever!" Rommel said: "If it can clear mines, it won't be a problem even if it can't fire!"

Then Rommel impatiently ordered: "Let's begin!"

"Yes, General!" At Albridge's signal, the orderly waved his flag and gave the order to start the experiment.

The first experiment was to clear anti-personnel mines. As the tank rumbled upward, the rotating drum slapped the chain forward, and then there was a burst of "booms". Several anti-personnel mines were successfully detonated.

The officers cheered, and Rommel nodded with shining eyes.

But the second experiment on anti-tank mines went wrong... No matter how the iron chain hit it, the anti-tank mine did not react at all, and it was useless to turn the motor to the maximum.

"What's the matter?" Rommel asked.

"General!" Colonel Olbrich replied: "It's because the force of the fall is not enough!"

The compressive force of anti-tank mines is generally around 200 kilograms, but the iron chain of the drum cannot provide such a large compressive force.

This puts the minesweeper tank into a dead end... Minesweeping is mainly for the tank to advance quickly. If the anti-tank mines cannot be cleared, then this "minesweeper tank" will not have much meaning.

After thinking for a while, Qin Chuan said, "Why don't we add some weights to the chain?"

"Weights?"

"Yes!" Qin Chuan said, "For example, weld a series of small iron balls on the chain, so that the force when it falls to the ground may be strong enough!"

"Good idea!" Olbrich praised.