The Manoneran forces of 1912 comprises of these units:
Weapons:
Patriot Rifle: A 7x55mm rifle, bolt action, barrel length 110cm. Poor machining practices and a lack of machine tools means only paper cartridges are produced as dictated by the Army Chief, who was horribly burnt as a bystander in a jamming accident where brass cartridges were used. This restricts the gun to single shot only for the time being.
Modified Patriot Rifle: A 7x55mm rifle, bolt action, barrel length 110cm. Paper cartridges are now filled with complex imported smokeless powder, and a complex rudimentary sight is used. 1 Metal, complex
Patriot Bayonet: A knife which can fit under the rifle of the Patriot series of rifles.
Sabres: Weapons used by Officers and horsemen alike. 1 Metal.
6lb-er cannons: The more civilized way to dump metal around. Solid shot only. 2 metal, support.
"Breech" Field Cannon Downgrade: Instead of arguing on the supply of smokeless powder (which is not going to improve at this moment), your engineer actually tried to fix the breech. The upsized bolt action rifle design still exists, but is now of a design that leaks less. As a side effect, your armament officers can use a lighter powder load for the AP/solid penetrator shells, and with some judicious mixing of different gunpowder (and a dash of wheat-derived alcohol), they have succeeded to make it one step less complex.
2 Metal, 1 oil, Complex, support
Rotary Cannon: A 4-barrel gun using 7x55 mm metallic "catridges", capable of sustained fire at 240 rounds per minute, ideally. The design is to very loose tolerances, to use a simple metal cartridge, which is no more than a uniform tube packed with primer, propellant, and the bullet (in this order). Their simple design means that the cartridges don't work with the Patriots, and despite all efforts in procuring more smokeless powder, the new guns demanded so much of them.
2 Metal, 1 oil, complex, support weapon
Ships:
Rowboats: When everything fails.
Sloops: Speed is all that matters. A fast and agile vessel which can outrun junks when sailing into the wind. Have a tendency to flutter dangerously when sailing directly downwind, or even a broad reach (i.e. wind is blowing from 45 degrees either side from the aft). [2 Transport capacity]
Armed sloops: Sloops with a 6lber gun in a chaser configuration. 2 metal.
Land Vehicles:
Horses: A civilized way to move around.
Horse Carts: A civilized way to move more things around. [2 Transport capacity]
Technology:
Semaphores and telegraph wires - Perfectly good ways to relay things around.
Black Powder
Smokeless powder - imported, at least Complex
Rudimentary Sights - Complex
Cannons
Steel
Oil
Flintlocks
Large Breechloaders
Early AP shells
Most footsoldiers use the bayonet instead of a full-sized saber, except the cavalry and those operating the new Rotary cannons. Speaking of the cannon, its being shipped everywhere as long as its feasible to be carted around, and more are put around installations just in case.
Naval Battle: The fact that your positions are being hit by rockets more frequently don't help. There are now actually losses to your coastal batteries, and your control of these crucial points is no longer absolute.
Operational disadvantage.
Land Battle, Southwest island (Desert Island): Valorously, Your new guns caused many casualties. But making a landing operation, while being bombarded and without adequate fire support is a disaster, and your assault was repulsed back into the sea.
2/3 at Middle West island next turn.
Land Battle, Far East Island line (Rocks on the sea):The battle now degenerates into a gun duel. Both sides now simply fire their toys until some fortifications are silenced, before bringing in a boatfull of assault troops. Your new guns means you have a very easy time repulsing these assaults, and slowly you gained control of more points.
2/3 at Middle East island next turnLand Battle, West Mainland Line (Swamps)Your new gatling cannon is useless here - too heavy to be maneuverable, and blindly firing a shaking weapon into the swamps isn't effective. Snipers now find it hard to snipe targets - there are still some obvious tells, but your snipers will need some time to retrain themselves on what to aim at. Your charging men find it a bit harder to charge through, even the bayonets are a much welcome change from hacking with a sword.
Stalemate at 4/5.
Land Battle, East Mainland line (Plains)You still have no idea on the enemy's numbers, with a higher amount of small arms fire, and their men suddenly becoming harder to spot on field. The gatling gun is great at mowing down their Charging cavalry, and your foot soldiers used the bayonet to stop any horseman that goes through. Your lack of effective artillery means its hard for you to conduct assaults, and its not helped by the fact that they seemed to be firing from nowhere means your men are pinned down in safe positions.
You stayed in 0/5 position, because you can't organize an assault to push them back.
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Topic: Blind Arms Race - Manonera republic thread - 1913 (Read 14309 times)