Chapter 2671: 2 Frenchmen Doing Business One

In fact, if you want to complete such a complicated improvement on a battleship that has already been built, it is absolutely impossible within half a year. First, you have to remove the middle turret, and then remove most of the superstructure, so that Rearrange the flue and power compartment. and various steam pipes. This also includes the time for redesign. Although the underwater protrusions at the bottom of the ship can be produced elsewhere and then shipped to the shipyard for installation, this is not a small amount of work. Maybe some of the bottom of the hull will also need to be dismantled. Get it again. The amount of work involved is no less than the re-outfitting of a new ship, and it would be hell if it can be improved within half a year!

Facing the French who were eager to sell the warship, Colonel Leahy was very impatient, but he was too embarrassed to directly refuse, and could only say that it was left to the top government officials to make a decision. Of course, in his report to Roosevelt Sr., Colonel Leahy hardly had a good word for the French, describing the Brestani-class battleship as a battleship that was outdated, obsolete, expensive, and barely able to keep up with the service time ! At the same time he also wrote a letter to Sims, requesting that he also refuse to buy warships from France. Then, after another round in Paris, Colonel Lech and his team returned to the port of Kiel again, staring at the refitting work of the German battleship.

So, in the end, the plan to accommodate the Americans is to temporarily purchase 4 Helgoland-class fast battleships, and then add the fleet sent by Germany to the Pacific to form a fast fleet. As for whether to buy other warships, it will be left for later observation. So far, the US Navy's first wave of ship purchases has come to an end!

What the Americans didn't expect was that when they were discussing the warship business with the French Navy here in the French. The French Army is actually talking about business with the Japanese! Unlike the Americans who dismissed it, the French navy begged the United States to buy warships. In terms of army equipment, Japan took the initiative to come to buy French equipment. The difference is that the French are preparing to jointly develop a multi-purpose armored combat vehicle with Japan!

Although the reputation of French warships was not high before World War I, the French artillery is really good! Not to mention the 75 rapid-fire guns. After World War I, the artillery of the U.S. Army also used a lot of references to the French to explain the problem, and not only the Americans, but also the Japanese military. Historically, the Japanese military also favored French heavy artillery. The 240mm cannon with the longest range in the front is an example! This artillery can shoot more than 160 kilograms of shells for more than 50 kilometers, which was quite powerful at the time!

As for this plane, after Japan purchased the famous French gpf194mm self-propelled cannon and 220mm St. King Kong cannon, they were very satisfied with the performance of the French artillery. The gap between the product and the genuine product is too large, which has led to the fact that most of the cannons of the Japanese Army above 150mm are imported from France. And what makes the Japanese feel even more embarrassed is that the French artillery and shells are still cheap! This is completely contrary to the reputation of French weapons!

In fact, if you think about it carefully, it is also unexpected and reasonable. After all, the French are clearing out second-hand goods.

Some light artillery and ammunition were originally sold by the French with the idea of ​​half selling and half giving away. Only those Japanese weapons that are not well-made are really sharpened and slaughtered fiercely! And with the tendency of the war to be long-term, after the French cleared a batch of stocks, they also began to increase the price of newly-made weapons!

As for why the French are now preparing to develop new armored units with the Japanese, the reason is very simple. On the one hand, the Japanese have this need. To be honest, Japan currently has no good way to deal with Wolf tanks. Only the rare and very expensive 105mm cannon can be used. Using the infantry's explosives and Molotov cocktails can indeed make the wolf tank withdraw from the battle or injure it, but it can be repaired for two days. This kind of attack that treats the symptoms but not the root cause is not a big deal for the US military that is gradually mastering the battlefield.

Now it is only in New Ireland. Relying on the terrain advantages and preset positions, the losses of the Japanese army are at least twice that of the US military. If it goes to New Guinea or Kalimantan, a large-scale army battle will be launched in a relatively open place. If so, how will the Japanese Army fight? Therefore, the Japanese Army desperately needs a more reliable anti-armored combat vehicle.

Well, the Japanese will naturally compare various armored vehicles imported from Britain and France, the French ft10 tanks, Renault tanks, and Saint Moncha. The British mk series tanks are all within the comparison range of the Japanese. After some comparisons, the Japanese believed that the 6-pound guns of the mk series tanks were too powerful. The 75mm rapid-fire gun of the French ft10 tank is not powerful enough. San Mengsha is good, but after all, this kind of tank is launched in a hurry and has many problems. Therefore, the Japanese hope to provide funds for the French to engage in research and development, and then come up with a tank suitable for dealing with the American Wolf tank. .

And just as it happens, the French are actually developing the next generation of armored vehicles. Although the French have realized that in future wars, the French army will not be able to compete with the Germans, but as a traditional European army power, it is impossible not to develop the army, and the pride in the bones of the French also makes it impossible for them Buy German weapons directly as your main equipment. But now that the Japanese are suddenly willing to contribute money to help France develop a tank, the French are naturally willing to use the Japanese as guinea pigs to test whether the French tank can take on the important task of fighting against world-class armored units in the future.

Although it is called joint development, it is actually only a part of the Japanese request, and almost all the technicians are from France. Therefore, except for the final selection of the plan, the French are almost responsible for the rest of the time. The person in charge of the research and development of this chariot was the French general Joffre of World War I. At this time, he was discussing the bidding plan with Major General Emond, the famous French armored commander during the war.

"This is the FT20 tank proposed by Renault." Major General Emond sent the first document to Joffre. Seeing Xiafei only frowned.

"How is this different from the German Wolf tank?" Joffre asked.

"Uh, how should I put it, it can be understood that this is a wolf tank with all the parts made from France." Major General Emond said with some embarrassment.

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