Chapter 565: Chapter 565

"Buy whatever you want." Shire said, "They wouldn’t mind."

Shire felt guilty. He had always taken Dejoka and Camille’s care for granted, but never reciprocated.

Lucia seemed to understand something and didn’t ask further. Instead, she stole a glance at Shire and asked, "One last question, is this household chores or a mission?"

Shire hesitated for a moment, then answered, "You can consider it a mission!"

In order not to raise suspicion, it had to be considered a mission, Shire thought. It made sense.

What Shire didn’t notice was a flash of loneliness and disappointment in Lucia’s eyes.

She hoped Shire would say it was "household chores." After all, she had met the female family members before, now it was time to meet the male ones.

Shire was very busy during this vacation.

He hadn’t visited the factory in a long time, so early the next morning, after a quick breakfast, Shire rushed to the tractor factory with Dejoka.

Shire headed to the R&D department. As soon as he entered the door, he spotted Matthew discussing with the technicians.

Matthew had a prosthetic limb, making him look like a one-legged pirate. He also had a bushy beard, looking much more mature. His hair was a messy bird’s nest, and he wore glasses on his nose.

Matthew also saw Shire, took off his glasses, limped over, and gave Shire a big hug with a hearty laugh.

"Look at you." Matthew jumped back a step and looked Shire up and down. "A General, defeating the Germans time and again, it’s incredible! People everywhere are talking about your exploits. I can’t believe they’re talking about you."

Shire jerked his head toward the glasses in Matthew’s hand. "When did you get nearsighted?"

Matthew shrugged indifferently. "It’s the price of developing tanks."

Later Shire learned, Matthew studied engine technology day and night, sometimes staying at the factory overnight, almost forgetting to eat and sleep.

It was hard to imagine. The guy who got a headache every time he saw a book in school had now turned into a research talent.

"You came at the right time." Matthew beckoned Shire to a desk with spread-out blueprints and said, "This is my concept for the new tank. See if it satisfies you." Orıginal content can be found at NovelHub(.)net

Shire leaned over and saw it was the "Char 2C" tank.

(Above is the "Char 2C" super heavy tank developed by France in 1921, driven by two 250-horsepower engines, measuring 10.27 meters long, with twin turrets.)

Shire frowned and asked Matthew, "Why did you think of designing such a tank?"

Matthew answered, "I want to produce an invincible tank that can destroy everything on the battlefield and nothing can pierce its armor."

Then he began gesturing enthusiastically as he talked about the tank’s specifications, "I plan to equip it with a 75MM gun, front armor 45MM; we’ve tested it. This thickness can block the Germans’ 77MM infantry gun..."

"Matthew," Shire interrupted, "it’s not suitable."

"Why?" Matthew asked, disappointed, not believing Shire dismissed his efforts at a glance.

"There’s no such thing as an invincible tank; it doesn’t exist," Shire replied.

"How do you know without trying?" Matthew was unwilling to give up.

"Let me put it this way," Shire said, "its weight is one issue."

"The calculated result is 40 tons." Matthew rummaged on the desk, pulled out a paper filled with data, and handed it to Shire, "Two engines can definitely drive it and ensure a speed similar to the Char A1."

With powerful firepower, thick armor, and speed, Matthew didn’t understand why it was unsuitable.

However, Shire knew such a super heavy tank was an idealized concept.

Imagination is always beautiful, but reality is cruel.

The "Char 2C" evolved from 40 tons to 70 tons with continuous improvements.

The "Tiger Pose" in World War II weighed only 56 tons, driven by a 650-horsepower engine, and still became a logistical nightmare.

The "Char 2C" used World War I engine technology, weighing 70 tons, driven by two 250-horsepower engines totaling 500 horsepower; this wasn’t a nightmare but a fantasy.

"Or we can think of it this way," Shire said, "use two 250-horsepower engines to carry a 40-ton load and see how long it can run normally."

Matthew seemed to understand, "You’re worried about its reliability?"

"You could say that." Shire nodded, "Two engines mean the failure rate will be doubled, Matthew."

It’s different from a plane: dual engines on a plane enhance safety; one fails, the other can still ensure flight, just with a loss of speed and performance.

Tanks are totally different: if either engine fails, the tank cannot move forward.

Matthew thought for a moment and slowly nodded, "For such a large piece of equipment, it’s almost impossible to repair it on the battlefield. A breakdown would almost certainly mean it’s scrapped."

Shire hummed in agreement.

This was the fate of the "Char 2C" in real combat. They weren’t destroyed by the enemy but were too cumbersome or broken down to be moved, and the French Army had to destroy them to prevent enemy use.

Then Shire provided a feasible plan. He picked up a pencil and began modifying the sketch, saying as he drew, "Single turret, single engine, reduce overall dimensions and weight."

(Above is the "Char B1" heavy tank equipped by the French Army in 1931, with a single 250-horsepower engine, weighing 31.5 tons, known as the "Battlefield Giant" for its outstanding performance in World War II.)

Matthew’s eyes widened at the tank design, "It actually has two guns? You added two guns to this small tank?"

But he also questioned, "Is the freedom of motion of the 75MM gun in the hull too low? Its angle of fire is very limited."

"That’s not a problem," Shire replied, "We can use it to attack enemy bunkers or the front armor of tanks."

For face-to-face attacks, a large degree of freedom is not needed.

Matthew thoughtfully studied the sketch.

Installing a small caliber gun in the turret meant it could be miniaturized, while a larger caliber gun in the hull could enhance firepower. The two could supplement each other, ultimately improving overall firepower.

Then he compared it to his own design, exclaiming, "My God, its firepower isn’t much less than mine, but its weight and size are much smaller, and with a single engine, the cost and failure rate are predictably lower."

Matthew looked at Shire in disbelief, "I’m starting to get jealous, Shire. You sketched this casually and it’s better than all my efforts."

Shire smiled slightly. This was far from a casual sketch; it was the result of the French Army’s improvements in tank development over the next decade or so.