Patent 10: L’Artillerie Volante
An armed coach to support Cavalry in any action: allows the artillery to fire while moving at cavalry speed. The prototype can be demonstrated on the Gardes de l’Etrier parade ground on appointment.
Actually this innovative concept associates two independent components, which by their combining create a large family of variants:
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-the coach itself; total standardization of all parts makes field maintenance far easier;Actually this innovative concept associates two independent components, which by their combining create a large family of variants:
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-the weapon system set on the swivel mount; complementary ammo crates, tools sets, &c… are provided with the weapon and are of standardized size and mode of fastening to the coach. The crew can change the armament in very little time, to meet the requirements of the moment.
9 different weapon systems are currently planned to be adapted as ‘Flying Artillery’:
°a pair of twin-linked very light guns (as depicted –the current mounting of the prototype); the barrels have been shortened to allow easy and quick reloading;
°a light mortar;
°a light howitzer,
°a light version of the Canon Naval Raccourci Surpuissant (if Patent 05 is owned), again a short barrel piece for easy mouth loading;
°a light version of the Canon-Obusier Nettoyeur (if Patent 06 is owned), same remark;
°a light Canon-Obusier Carabine Culassier (if Patent 07 is owned): breech loading allows to mount a longer barrel;
°a quadruple mounting of the Ejacule-Mitraille Leger (if Patent 02 is owned);
°a double mounting of the Ejacule-Mitraille Moyen (if Patent 03 is owned);
°a single Ejacule-Mitraille Lourd (if Patent 04 is owned):
note that a specially devised mounting will allow to fire these 3 types of Ejacule-Mitraille at a very steep angle, making them perfectly suited to counter the increasing threat of Airboats (Patents 19 and 20).
Our Artillerie Volante arrives just at the right moment, when some military scholars toy with the idea of forming infantry in ‘squares’ to break cavalry charges: such a dense formation will be specially vulnerable to Flying Artillery –particularly in its 5 last variants– galloping in direct support of the horsemen.
These images allow to judge of the evolution from the earlier, primitive designs of this project.
Patent 11: Le Fardier a Vapeur
For some time now steam engines drive pumps removing water from mines. Here such an engine is used to power a heavy hauler. This tractor will be more efficient and reliable than any team of horses or oxen to tow heavy guns or pontoons on muddy roads and across difficult terrain.Note that the improved steam engine devised here by Mr. Ouatz is far more efficient than any previous model.
A demonstration prototype is under trials.
A lighter, earlier
experimental
prototyre
Public presentations were popular successes in Herrschaden and Byzantium.
Colored image d'Epinal of our prototype tested by French Royal-Artillerie
An armed version, with the steam engine at the rear, is under development, but not yet available for bidding. Owner of patent 11 will then benefit of a 50% discount.Important Note: would Patents 10 and 11 been acquired together, the set will include as a bonus a documentation describing the combination of the Artillerie Volante with the Fardier a Vapeur. in a Voiture de Guerre. Not betraying secrets, it can be said that the boiler will be in the form of an horizontal cylinder instead of apple-shaped, and the steam engine set at the rear of the vehicle. Without horses in front of him, the driver will be seated far lower: all in all the weapon system carried will have a full 360° arc of fire. Additionally the power of the steam engine will allow some plating, giving adequate protection against small arms and caseshot.
A *very fanciful* rendition of an armed, armored steam carriage
Da Vinci's self-propelled Char d'Assaut: Monte-Cristan engineers assure that
steam power makes this design, at last, a real possibility -Leonardo's original elliptic groundplan being more propitious than the fully circular one of some later renditions. But they judged this land leviathan of a war machine unsuitable for the modern battlefield, and ceased to develop it. Yet this terrific mobile blockhouse would be invaluable for armies having to conquer immense wastes of flat plain against innumerable hordes of primitive savages deprived of artillery. Our staff is ready to resume working on this project, would a governement with ambitions over such type of oversea lands contribute, for an amount to be discussed.Patent 12: La Taupe-Behemoth a Vapeur
Not fully illustrated; an artist’s impression and several technical drawings are on display in the 'Innovations' Room at the 'Physique Appliquee & Technologie' storey of the 'Physique, Astronomie et Enginierie' Building of the Musee des Sciences et des Arts, Grand Parc Recreatif, Monte-Cristo. The attached visionary drawing shows an undersea tunnel that our Chtonian Machine could digg. Steam engines will power a gigantic screw of adamantine steel with a coaxial pneumatic drill. A steam-driven conveyor belt will evacuate the rubble. Ventilation will be provided by steam-powered sets of four fans (two in high position to extract the used, hot athmosphere, two in low position to suck in fresh, cooler air), one set just behind the perforating head, then other at regular intervals. Pumps associated to the ventilation sets will evacuate any infiltrated water.
4 comments:
In the same vein as the Artillerie Volante, but lighter (& perhaps more of an infantry direct support system?) , still in trial at Monte-Cristo:
the horse-drawn Triumphipedes!
("Euréka!"). May receive scythes, Ancient chariots fashion:
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A DA VINCI CODE PIECE
From Louys of Monte-Cristo to his Brother Karl Frederick of Tradgarland
‘Man-powered’? Then Tradgarland has nothing to fear. Indeed «Wow ! That ‘thing’ is impressive!» (as foreign ladies touring Monte-Cristo are often heard to exclaim – but I digress…) and the apparition of such ‘moving fort’ on a battlefield would for sure have a dramatic morale effect – but at first and only once.
Only steam power could make this rolling oversized blockhouse to move steadily – even if entirely covered with (spiked to prevent boarding) steel plates à la Korean ‘turtle ship’): the whole would be then proof to musketry, but still hopeless against artillery. If astutely deployed and deplaced, this kind of contraption may be initially of some use against Turks, who keep their artillery behind earthworks. But such ‘land Leviathan’ would be useful (as an ‘mechanized’ version of the ‘gulai gorod’, the ‘running castle’) mainly against swarms of Tatars and other light horsemen of the steppe –if a *very flat* steppe with a *very firm* ground. Maybe also against hordes of primitive savages in some favourable areas oversea: indeed the Huguenots of Bonne-Esperance are rumoured to built mobile pillboxes of similar design (but oxen-powered) to escort their ‘treks’ inland (?).
Now, would any Enlightened Sovereign be interested (address of our Board for Lucrative Patents available on request), Monte-Cristan mechanists are current developping several projects of lighter, faster, realistic ‘war vehicles’.
One pattern is a steam-powered evolution of the proven Hussite ‘artillery’ war wagon, but with the protected gun at the front, the char d’assaut (‘assault wagon’) being intended to be used not as part of a laager but *offensively*, in direct support of advancing infantry. Musket loopholes on both sides for the embarked half-squad of heavily armoured ‘sturmpionere’ (the project is managed by one Herr Henschel, who disgruntled came here after his ideas were ridiculed in Berlin and Vienna) –they would disembark to clear any obstacle hindering the progression of the vehicle; a mini-organ (a brace of carbine barrels) on a swivel mount for point defense of the rear.
A ‘flute’ variant, with a drawbridge in front and armed only with an amusette ‘en barbette’ over the rear of the passengers compartment, would safely carry the infantry forward.
Such chars would be specially precious to cross the ‘killing ground’ when assaulting edges, lines of fieldworks, barricades, villages…
A lighter project corresponds to a ‘mechanized’ equivalent of the jingal elephant (as lately on display in the London War Room): a light steam-powered coach with a 2.5 pder ‘Rostaing’ in front and a giant jezzail / amusette on each side. Hopefully on good going the voiture de guerre (‘war car’) would be able to keep with the (heavy) cavalry.
Then, Brother Mine and between you and me, it must be confessed that, in their current stage of development, the effect of such steam-powered engines of war on a battlefield would be mainly psychological, and would not survive for long the initial surprise. For that matter, some equatorial savages are said to field fierce bodies of amazons: their apparition on one of our battlefields surely would have a more drastic (if of different nature) and longer-lasting unsteadying effect. But Monte-Cristo owns neither patent nor import licence for such.
I seize the opportunity of this message to deny with the most outraged indignation those malveolent rumours (seemingly from Waldreck: I’m every day more certain people there share a common, if illegitimate, ancestry with the Stagonians) suggesting we had this Da Vinci Code piece to appear *for free* in Saschen-Vindow: in order to entice customers (a sound, if disgusting, marketing practice) and start an ‘arms race’, with Monte-Cristo selling more and more advanced designs alternatively to both sides, keeping the momentum of the escalation. Nothing could be more abject and alien to the Monte-Cristan basic honesty and ‘peace and love’ ethos. Of course. Obviously. It goes without saying. Evidently . And all that kind of things.
Please accept my brotherly embrace.
Louys
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A specialized variant of the char d’assaut would be armed only with a swivel mini-organ on each side, at the rear of the passengers compartment, for covering fire. Instead of a gun it would carry a petard under a retractile crane / ‘goat’. Once the vehicle within 5 feet of the door / wall / barricade to be destroyed, the front mantlet would be raised and the pioniere would push the petard forward and set it from the inside of the char using ropes, chains and pulleys while remaining under cover. Any defenders stupid enough to stay once the petard set would be blown away…
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Discussion of "MUNCHAUSENIAN EXECUTIONS OF DA VINCI'S TORTOISE TANK" posted as comments on dec.28."10 to the 'Lace Wars SCi-Fi?' post.
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