Munitions Empire

Chapter 496 478 is saving up for a big move

Tang Mo was "charging a powerful move." He was preparing to, before other powers were ready, take full advantage of wireless communications to gain a comprehensive advantage in both tanks and airplanes.

With such an advantage, he could be proactive in expansion, using fewer troops to achieve greater military results.

However, installing wireless radio equipment on airplanes required more efficient engines and more mature designs! Only larger and more powerful engines could give airplanes greater carrying capacity, supply more electricity, and allow the use of wireless radios!

The existing airplanes obviously wouldn't suffice, so Tang Mo could only develop brand new, more powerful monoplanes as quickly as possible to modernize his air force into the "World War II" era.

The same was true for tanks. If one wanted to install wireless radio equipment in a tank, it required larger engines and a larger chassis, so the previously used Type 2 tanks were clearly insufficient.

Tang Mo had no choice but to upgrade the tanks once more, allowing them to be equipped with higher-power wireless radio equipment while also housing more powerful weapons.

With each nation already having their industrial foundations and production capacities, Tang Mo had to start considering certain contingencies when designing his troops.

He couldn't pin his hopes on the enemy never developing anti-tank cannons, so enhanced protection for the tanks became a necessity.

After much consideration, Tang Mo still decided to choose the German tank development strategy for his troops, primarily because he was unwilling to risk the precious lives of tank crew members.

Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

Clearly, under the same conditions, German tanks could provide a better combat environment and protection for the crew.

Compared to these tanks, Tang Mo cared more about people—the ones operating these tanks! When training personnel couldn't meet the demands in numbers, minimizing losses and maintaining quantity was a better choice.

Soviet-style tanks were practically a nightmare for tank crews; early tanks had no place to install wireless radio equipment, which was very detrimental to subsequent development.

Tang Mo found it hard to imagine his meticulously trained crew members continuously fighting in cramped spaces; such a scenario was nothing short of murder.

He also wasn't willing to allow his crew members to drive thinly armored Soviet tanks into enemy defenses regardless of the cost; he couldn't afford such horrific losses.

As for American tanks, Tang Mo chose not to use them mainly because their technology was not mature. Early American tanks were too peculiar, and their subsequent development lacked distinctive features, also suffering from insufficient defense.

So, after weighing his options, Tang Mo decided to faithfully follow in Germany's footsteps to prosper, and as for later development, that would have to wait until the technology matured!

Who says you can't use M1s after adopting Tigers and Panthers? And who said you have to use M1s, anyway? Once you've developed, can't you use the Type 99A? It's no joke—the Type 99A is extremely capable!

In fact, the Great Tang Group had already started producing larger and more versatile Type 4 tanks on Dragon Island—skipping the Type 3 because it was far inferior to the Type 4 in terms of versatility.

Such combat training occurred daily. All pilots, including squadron commanders, had to personally take to the skies to participate in similar drills and training.

Every Air Force Commander had to understand what kind of force they were commanding, then embrace new technology, acquire enough skills, and only then could they be promoted and stand out among their colleagues to become senior officers of the new branch, the Air Force.

They were familiar with radio equipment and had even started learning how to use more advanced communications for coordinating and commanding, overwhelming their opponents.

"I heard there's a new exercise today," a pilot who had just managed to climb out of the cockpit with the help of ground staff said to his comrade.

"Yes! I heard they formed a new company, quite interesting," another pilot replied as he handed his goggles to a ground crew lad, nodding in confirmation.

The troop's ground staff was nearly five times the standard number! It included ground personnel apprentices and pilots who hadn't completed their training; the unit size was astonishingly large.

"Let's see if these guys dare to jump out of the planes, hahaha!" Watching the distant sky, two pilots seemed to recall something amusing.

Their parachute training was a truly bittersweet memory. Leaping out of an airplane from a kilometer high was not for the faint-hearted.

In a place out of their sight, a large bi-wing airplane, buffeted by the air currents, carried a new recruit who pulled his head back from the door.

At that moment, he felt he must have been mad to come to such a forsaken place for flight pay and the highest level of rations.

"Officer! Are you sure this thing will open?" Pointing at the massive parachute pack behind him, the new recruit involuntarily took a step back.

The lead officer, irritated, checked the parachute release hook tethered to the steel cable for the new recruit, gave a nod, and shouted over the windy gale, "I'm absolutely sure! All you have to remember is your landing technique, you idiot!"

Remembering the landing technique that had almost become muscle memory, the soldier still didn't dare to approach the cabin door again.

Reaching out his hand, the officer pulled the timid recruit back to the door and, before the new recruit could react, kicked him out of the airplane.

Then, the officer looked at the next new recruit, who was pale, and asked loudly, "Do you need my help too?"

The soldier hurriedly shook his head and then tremulously moved closer to the cabin door, facing the wind.

Unfortunately, as he looked down at the ground below, the soldier involuntarily began to shrink back.

But before he could retreat, someone kicked him in the backside. He tumbled out of the airplane...

"Ahh..." A faint scream drifted away from the outside of the cabin; in truth, the people inside could hardly hear the agonizing sound. The roar of the engine mixed with the noise of the wind and the tense atmosphere, no one had the inclination to care about any screams.@@@@