The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 462: Chapter 368: The Outstanding Merits of Browning

On January 27, 1914, two models of tanks were secretly tested in the suburbs of Sydney.

The test site was chosen to be the training ground of the First Guard Division. The advantage is that the division's training can serve as a pretext to mask the explosion sounds during the tank tests.

Fortunately, the performance of the two tanks in the actual tests was pretty much as predicted, with minor differences in speed, stability, etc.

Although the real testing will last a long time, testing the actual stability of the tanks under various environments is required.

But what can be assured is that based on the current experimental data, the second generation of tanks can now be deployed for actual combat. Once the testing is completed without any issues, they can be equipped on a small scale and become the secret weapon of the Australasian Army.

As for the large scale equipment of tanks, it would have to wait at least over a decade, until the third or even fourth generation tanks are developed.

If tanks are equipped on a large scale now, the logistical and repair problems it will bring will cause the entire military system to collapse.

Imagine hundreds of tanks breaking down collectively during warfare. It's likely the enemy could simply laugh themselves to death without a fight.

Although adding some comical elements to warfare is not necessarily bad, Arthur would certainly not be willing if it means losing his own soldiers.

The military upper echelons who participated in the secret tank test were only Defence Secretary Raul, and former Defence Secretary, current Prime Minister Kent, and Brigadier Thomas of the First Guard Division.

After all, the test was being conducted at the station of the First Guard Division, Brigadier Thomas could not possibly be kept uninformed.

Furthermore, as the Brigadier of the First Guard Division, Brigadier Thomas is undoubtedly a member of the upper echelons of the Australasian military and a strong contender for the next Defence Minister.

The promotion order of the Australasian Army is such that the Deputy Commander of the Guard Division is equivalent to the Brigadier of the Regular Division. The Brigadier of the Regular Division is then promoted to Brigadier of the Guard Division, and the Brigadier of the Guard Division is promoted to Defence Secretary or Deputy Defence Minister.

Although the rank and title of a Colonial Division Brigadier is equivalent to that of a Deputy Commander of a Guard Division, not one Deputy Commander of a Guard Division is willing to serve in a Colonial Division.

The difference in treatment between the Guard Division and the Colonial Division is far greater than the difference in treatment between a biological and adopted child.

Although the number of soldiers in the Guard Division and the Colonial Division are about the same, the difference in military expenditure between the two is at least ten times.

Although the matter of the tanks has momentarily come to a close, the inspection of military equipment has just begun.

The most important thing at the moment is the masterpiece of Browning, the chief light weapons expert at the Royal Military Factory.

Being a famous light weapons expert in history, Browning's expertise in light weapons is naturally unquestionable.

After spending exactly two years in Australasia, Browning finally completed the task assigned by Arthur, researching new pistols and submachine guns.

The standard pistol of Australasia has to be traced back to the AS-1898 semi-automatic pistol designed over a decade ago, which is significantly behind the world's mainstream automatic pistols.

The importance of pistols can't be overstated. Officers, tankmen, pilots, police, and even some intelligence personnel and Arthur's guards, are all equipped with pistols on a large scale.

Police and pilots are one thing, but officers and soldiers, intelligence personnel and guards, urgently need more advanced automatic pistols to enhance their combat power.

After two years of research, under the efforts of Browning, the AS-1914 automatic pistol was officially completed and possessed excellent combat capabilities.

The AS-1914 pistol was an improvement on the AS-1898 semi-automatic pistol, combining the advantages of the M1910 semi-automatic pistol and M1911 semi-automatic pistol developed by Browning. Browning proudly exclaimed that it was the most powerful pistol he had ever developed to date.

The M1911 semi-automatic pistol, in particular, was not only the standard pistol of the American army at the moment, but it also served through two world wars and retired only in 1986, setting the record for the longest service time of a pistol.

Recorded production of the M1911 semi-automatic pistol exceeded 2.5 million units, making it the best-selling pistol in history.

The reputation of a pistol may not prove its performance and popularity, but the sales of the pistol most certainly can.

The pistol that has the highest sales ever in history, its superior performance is beyond doubt.

The AS-1914 automatic pistol, which was designed combining the advantages of the M1911 semi-automatic pistol, not only increased its power and stability but also its safety and magazine capacity, etc.

The AS-1914 pistol has three safety features. One is a safety bolt, the other is a safety grip, and the last is an empty chamber lock.

The safety features ensure the safety of the gun user and those nearby, making the pistol suitable for various scenarios.

Because it uses .45 caliber bullets, the gun is slightly smaller in size, making it more suitable for use by intelligence personnel.

The AS-1914 pistol also does a good job in concealment. Its smaller size can be hidden in more places and is less likely to be exposed.

When Browning reported, this handgun had already undergone various tests and was confirmed to be ready for the market and war.

According to the data Browning reported, this handgun has undergone high and low temperature testing, dry and humid environment testing, long-term usage testing, different environment testing and so on, and the results are pretty good, showing a significant improvement compared to the previous generation handgun.

Arthur has a relatively high trust in Browning. What's more, Browning's organized tests invited the military to participate, therefore the data from the tests are undoubtedly reliable.

Upon Arthur's confirmation, the Australasian military began a comprehensive replacement with the AS-1914 Automatic Pistol, followed by the Royal Guards, intelligence personnel, police, etc.

The good news is that the production capacity of the AS-1914 pistol barely meets the demand for the Australasian military to complete the replacement within six months. After all, only officers and certain branches of the military carry the pistol, while ordinary soldiers are equipped with Lee-Enfield rifles.

Accompanying Browning's report was a request for an order of 30,000 AS-1914 pistols from the military.

Of these, more than half were ordered by the four Guard Divisions, approximately 18,000 pistol orders.

Regular Divisions, Colonial Guard Troops, Colonial Divisions and other units combined, have applied for orders of only 12,000 pistols.

The cost of producing a pistol is not expensive, at least compared to the Lee-Enfield rifle. Arthur nodded and agreed to the procurement of pistols by the Ministry of Defense and the Guard Divisions.

In addition to the pistol, Browning also reported on the progress of research on an important firearm, the submachine gun.

Just like the previous handguns, the Australasian military only had one series of submachine guns, which was the Cassadine Submachine Gun researched by submachine gun expert Cassadine.

But the Cassadine Submachine Gun can only be spoken of as the exploratory version in the field of submachine guns, and some problems arose with its actual use.

After two years of research, Browning finally made significant improvements based on the Cassadine Submachine Gun and designed a completely new submachine gun named the 1914 Submachine Gun.

Of course, the current name is just a code to distinguish the submachine guns, the real naming of the submachine gun will only be considered after Arthur confirms the design feasibility.

The importance of a submachine gun is no less than that of a pistol, playing an extremely crucial role in many aspects.

Whether it is to equip the military, intelligence agencies, Royal Guards, police, etc., this type of weapon, which is shorter and lighter than a rifle, can play a significant role.

Although the long-distance lethality of a submachine gun is far inferior to that of a rifle, within the effective shooting range, the power and lethality of any firearm are beyond doubt.

It is unlike the design in games where you lose some blood with one shot, in reality, being hit by any firearm can result in serious injury or even death, especially from an infection or it could be a direct fatality.

Especially when hit in the brain or heart, the mortality rate is almost 100%.

The advantage of a submachine gun is that its firing rate is much faster than that of a rifle. Although it's less powerful, this more portable weapon is obviously more suited for intelligence personnel and Royal Guards.

Since Browning's researched submachine gun performs much better than the Cassadine Submachine Gun, it is without doubt that the replacement of Browning's researched submachine gun is inevitable.

Concerning the naming of this submachine gun, Arthur fulfilled what he had promised Browning, allowing Browning to name his own developed weapon using his name.

Adopting the three initials of Browning's full name, this submachine gun born in 1914 was named JMB-1914 Submachine Gun by Arthur.

Browning's full name is John Moses Browning, naming the submachine gun series JMB not only directly highlights the designer of the submachine gun, but it is also a commendation to Browning.

After all, up until now, none of the various weapons developed by Browning have been officially named after him.

Moreover, some of the weapons developed by Browning are still being produced by foreign arms manufacturers.

For a small arms expert with not a little ambition, having a weapon named after oneself signifies leaving a mark in history.

Of course, to truly leave a mark in history, the practical performance of the JMB-1914 Submachine Gun is also critical.

But Browning is very confident about the performance of this submachine gun, even more so than the previous AS-1914 pistol, which shows Browning's confidence in the combat capabilities of a submachine gun and in his own research capabilities.

Like the pistol, the JMB-1914 Submachine Gun has undergone testing by the Royal Military Factory and the military, and the practical performance has been guaranteed.

Arthur quickly decided to change the new submachine guns in the military, including the police force, intelligence personnel, etc.

As for the eliminated old weapons, they don't have to be discarded, when World War I starts in the future, there will be countries that lack weapons.

Even if countries like Britain, France, and Russia don't need the outdated weapons phased out by Australasia, there will be other countries joining the Allies that will need them.

What's more, when the war really breaks out, no one will despise the outdated weapons. At that time, having weapons would be good enough, as for picking and choosing, not many countries would have that privilege.