Spring of 1923 dawns with unusually cold weather, with frosts and snow well into March. However, it doesn't seem to affect the plantings very much, so analysts simply note it as a curiosity and move on.
Meanwhile,
factory production kicks into high gear, with the first of the GPT trucks rolling off the assembly lines, as well as the first batch of AT guns and more LMGs for the Army. As well, the second Prometheus airship takes shape, and is soon put into use as an aerial scout by the Navy, with two more to follow by the end of the year. At the same time, a proper hanger to house our airships is constructed; this huge hanger is able to store 3 Prometheus class airships(or any class up to 200ft long). As well, the
Townsend cruiser we acquired from Ashland arrives, and our engineers spend two weeks refurbishing it. They remove the 47mm is place of our superior 40mms, and the virtually identical 102mms with our 100mms for logistical simplification. This ship is redubbed the
Parrish, and is send out to sea as the flagship for our new navy.
As summer rolls along, construction on another factory complex begins, though again by the end of the year warehouse space remains incomplete, though the factory buildings themselves are operational. Meanwhile, our shipyard is put into use building a new ship in the
Parrish class, which is completed and begins shakedown cruises at the end of the year.
On the design front, our team headed by the ballistics engineer completes the
carbine without any difficulty. This 7.62mm carbine has similar ballistic properties to our bolt action rifles, and comes with a 20 round clip. In tests, soldiers love the increased rate of fire with litlle loss in accuracy.
At the same time, at a small dock hastily temporarily requisitioned by the government, work begins on a
coastal defense submarine. This goes very well, with the only hitch being the lack of a 50mm torpedo design. One engineer hits upon the idea of using the 18 inch torpedoes from our cruisers(with only a slight modification needed), and even manages to find space to cram in the requisite tubes for only a 50t increase is tonnage, gaining enough experience to be a
Naval Engineer in the process. Our navy dubs this the Timberwolf class sub.
As for our first tank, the
LT-1, everything appears to go swimmingly until the drive-train is tested. It proves to be finicky and in need of near constant maintenance to work properly, prone to breakdowns, as well as being slower and less maneuverable than comparable systems. Other than that though, our engineers proclaim that this tank could take on any other tank in the world, especially with the lethal LA1 as it's main armament.
Some good news comes during the fall. The brother of the head of one of the largest automobile companies in the nation happens to be a corporal in the Logistics Corp, and his unit was one of the first to receive the new trucks. He was so impressed with it he sent a telegram to his brother, who came to the government with a surprising offer: In exchange for a license to build a civilian version, they will take over production of all GP Trucks, cranking out around 7500 a year on a new line to be completed in the spring. The government is more than happy to accept this offer, as this make producing enough trucks for the Army a simple task.
Some less good news is the increased aggression shown by West Kajikstan forces. During its shakedown cruise, our new cruiser is harassed by what appears to be a new, wooden mono-wing fighter, showcasing speed and a surprising maneuverability for a wood fighter. Protests to the West produce only shrugs and statements that "pilots will be pilots", and this combined with aggressive troop exercises near the border and 4 more frigates being completed leads analysts to believe war isn't far off now.
Small Administrative Building and Research Lab(40/50S) (160/200L)
Small shipyard and wharf capable of handling ships up to 5000 ton displacement(dockside facilities partially destroyed)
A small factory capable of producing up to 400pp, a Medium Factory capable of 800pp, and an Unfinished Medium Factory(can only store 400pp of products)
An Engineering and Labor Relations Center(Able to automatically recruit engineers)
A Test Range
A Chemical plant and lab
Airship Hanger
250m airstrip+3 Small Hangers(6 airplanes each)
38 Novice Engineers
1 Ballistics Engineer
1 Naval Engineer
160 laborers and workers
100,000 regular Infantrymen, armed with 7.62mm bolt-action rifles and 500 M-1920 LMGs
60 GPT-1 logistics trucks
5000 artillery using short-barreled 105mm howitzers, 75mm mortars, and 120 LA1 AT guns
Prototype 7.62mm carbine
4 Prometheus class 150ft scout Zeppelins(armed with 2 LMGs)
2 Parrish class 5k t Cruisers
1 prototype Timberwolf class 550t coastal Diesel Electric sub
1Prototype LT-1 tank
5 Villa class destroyers grossing about 1000t each
10 patrol craft and torpedo boats of around 100-550t
LMG-1-M1920(Light Machine Gun) .5pp
7.62x54mm hollowpoint(Flaw:fragile).01pp
General-Use Gasoline Engine(40 hp) 1pp
GPT-1 Truck(Reliable, Modular Bed)5 pp
LA-1-AT Light Artillery 2.5pp
Model 1921 High Performance Engine(120 hp) 1.5pp
Prometheus-class scout Airship (50pp for the first three built a year, x3 after)
shaped charge ammunition .01 pp
Hawk light fighter(flaw:troublesome carburetor) 7.5pp
Timberwolf Class Diesel Electric Sub 550t
7.62mm carbine .1pp
LT-1 tank(Flaw:Unreliable Transmission. Choose two traits:Face-Hardened Armor, Fast Turret, Vertical Stabilizer, Advanced Rangefinder) 15pp
Dispacement:4880t
Propulsion:Boiler-Fed Steam Turbine
Speed:26 knots
Armament:2 152mm guns, 10 100mm guns, 1 76mm AA gun, 4 40mm LA1 AA/AT guns, 4 7.7mm machine guns, 2 18 in.(457mm) torpedo tubes
Armor:51mm armor deck, 150mm conning tower
Displacement:1000t
Propulsion:Boiler-Fed Steam Turbine
Speed:33 knots
Armament:2 100mm guns, 4 20mm AA guns, 4 14.5mm machine guns
Armor:15mm armor deck, 50mm conning tower
Caliber:40mm
Weight:1500kg
Barrel length:L/60(2400mm)
Muzzle Velocity:900m/s
Penetration values:58mm@30 degrees at 1000m with APBC, 45mm@ any range with HEAT
Author
Topic: East Kajikstan Design Bureau, 1925 (Read 11723 times)