"Our steel mill and munitions factory—how are they doing?" As asked the question he was equally concerned about.
The steel mill was one thing. With those pieces of equipment, Australia could build more and more steel mills at any time. It would just take the employees another period of training to reach that level of proficiency.
But the munitions factory was different. In this era, when military technology had yet to take off, the most advanced weapons were machine guns and artillery.
As the former Commander-in-Chief of Ireland, Duke Arthur naturally took a keen interest in weapons and equipment. He had also personally established the Connaught Integrated Munitions Factory.
What was an integrated munitions factory? It was a large military-industrial plant that combined the research, development, and manufacture of light and heavy weapons and artillery.
In fact, most of the employees at this munitions factory had been recruited by Duke Arthur from the Enfield Royal Small Arms Factory.
The Enfield Royal Small Arms Factory was famous throughout the United Kingdom, and the Lee-Enfield Rifle it developed and manufactured was the standard army weapon throughout the British Empire's sphere of influence.
The Lee-Enfield Rifle's performance and power even surpassed those of another world-famous rifle, the Kar98k Rifle.
One had to know that the Kar98k Rifle was Germany's standard rifle throughout World War I and World War II, as well as one of the world's most renowned sniper rifles.
As it happened, the two rifles had been born around the same time. The Lee-Enfield Rifle had a prototype as early as 1888—the Lee-Metford Magazine Rifle—and had officially been renamed the Lee-Enfield Magazine Rifle five years ago.
The predecessor of the Kar98k Rifle, the Model 1888 Rifle, had likewise been born in 1888. However, because its design had many shortcomings, the Mauser Company developed a new rifle in 1898: the Mauser 98 Rifle.
During World War II, Germany was engrossed in developing tanks and aircraft and did not devote much attention to developing small arms.
Thus, the shortened Mauser 98 Rifle—the Kar98k Rifle—formally stepped onto the stage of history.
The reason the Lee-Enfield Rifle was not as famous as the Kar98k Rifle in history was that the British people had not placed enough importance on the sniper tactics that had become crucial during World War II. As a result, the Lee-Enfield Rifle, which originally held a slight advantage in sniping, was far less famous than the Kar98k Rifle and the Mosin-Nagant Rifle after they were fitted with four-power scopes.
But at this point in time, no one could deny that the Lee-Enfield Rifle was one of the most powerful rifles available, and its lead could be maintained for at least another fifty years.
As the integrated munitions factory on which Duke Arthur placed great hopes, the Connaught Munitions Factory had used Duke Arthur's formidable influence to introduce Lee-Enfield's production lines and technology. It could independently produce the Lee-Enfield Rifle, along with its supporting parts and ammunition.
In heavy weapons, the Connaught Integrated Munitions Factory had also achieved impressive results. After the Maxim Heavy Machine Gun became famous throughout the world, the Connaught Munitions Factory quickly introduced the technology and researched and produced the copied MA-96 Maxim Machine Gun.
In addition, the Connaught Munitions Factory had also ventured into artillery. Although it had not mastered the research and production of heavy guns, it had essentially mastered small-caliber artillery technology.
Examples included the 37mm Autocannon, 65mm Cannon, 88mm Howitzer, and 105mm Cannon.
It was worth mentioning that the factory had achieved particularly impressive results with the 37mm—the smallest caliber of artillery. It had made some progress in artillery automation and independently developed the 37mm Autocannon, also known as the CA-1 Autocannon.
How powerful was the CA-1 Autocannon's firepower? Because it had initially achieved semi-automation, this gun's caliber was small, but its rate of fire reached more than seventy rounds per minute. In terms of firepower output, it was enough to crush artillery of other calibers.
As for why semi-automated artillery technology had only been applied to 37mm guns, it was because the tremendous recoil produced when large-caliber artillery fired was enough to destroy automated mechanisms. With current technology, it was still impossible to make large-caliber artillery semi-automatic as well.
But the semi-automation of small-caliber artillery was already something to be proud of. Other countries' semi-automatic artillery would not appear until two years later, in 1902, while the Connaught Munitions Factory was a full two years ahead of them.
"The steel mill will not be built until the government finishes planning the industrial district, but before then, we will continue paying the employees their wages as usual." Butler Hunter explained, "The munitions factory's location has not yet been decided. We will still have to wait for Your Highness to make the final decision."
Whether it was the steel mill, the munitions factory, or the shipyard, to Arthur, the most precious things besides the equipment were the employees who had followed him all the way to Australia from countless miles away.
The welfare benefits at these factories were extremely generous, far above the average level in the United Kingdom, let alone Australia.
That was why Arthur had been able to persuade these employees to come to Australia so easily. No one was willing to give up such stable, high-paying jobs, even if it meant emigrating overseas.
These factories had indeed lived up to expectations—by remaining in a constant state of losses. Back when they were still in the United Kingdom, things had been manageable, and the monthly losses had not been large. But now, the four factories together were costing Arthur more than two hundred thousand pounds a month, amounting to a full two million four hundred thousand pounds in losses a year.
But the results bought with those losses were absolutely worthwhile. The steel mill aside, even in Europe, the munitions factory and shipyard could unquestionably be considered technologically advanced factories.
The technology possessed by these employees and pieces of equipment, as well as by the munitions factory and shipyard, was a fortune that could not be bought even with hundreds of millions of pounds.
Duke Arthur had also relied on his own formidable authority and spent decades creating these factories.
"How are the workers doing? Is anyone dissatisfied with their current lives?" Arthur asked.
After all, they had come to a new country. Even though Arthur continued paying them before the factories began operating, it was perfectly normal for their emotions to fluctuate.
"They are basically doing well, Your Highness. We have continued paying their wages as usual, and we have arranged housing and nationality for all the employees. At least for now, no one has shown any dissatisfaction. They are merely adapting to life in their new country." Butler Hunter explained with a smile.
Indeed, although they had moved to another country, they had been able to bring their entire families with them. Housing had also been provided for their families, and their wages continued to be paid even while they had no work.
Such treatment was far better than what those greedy capitalists in Europe offered. In fact, such treatment was rare throughout the entire world.
"Good. Butler Hunter, the munitions factory's site selection will begin soon as well. The industrial district is expected to be in the western mining region, so put the munitions factory in Western Australia. Construction of the steel mill must begin quickly. Before the munitions factory is completed, we must at least ensure a certain level of steel production capacity." Arthur gave his orders.
A munitions factory was also a great iron-devouring beast. If Australia lacked a certain level of steel production capacity before the munitions factory was completed, then all they could do later would be to stare at the blueprints of various weapons and shed useless tears.
This chapter mainly introduced Arthur's munitions factory, which was the protagonist's only cheat ability. This was the second update—please show your support!
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