Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1664 A Sudden Leap

It seems that because the Royal Army attached great importance to the use of rockets from the very beginning, and its research on rockets was quite in-depth, the Royal Army would choose rockets as weapons whenever possible in various situations.

However, now everyone is using the same weapon, the same [Prototype Shaoping Type 5 20mm Torch Bullet Storm Gun].

“Oh, this.” He glanced at the torch gun in his hand. “Actually, we had other equipment before. We had light and heavy weapons, and we even brought rocket launchers. But after we equipped ourselves with this torch gun, we discovered—it can do everything. It can fire in bursts to blow up people, wiping out a squad in one burst; it can also fire in bursts to destroy vehicles, blowing up an entire tank in one burst. It covers all the scenarios required for direct fire, except for the frontal penetration of heavy tanks. That’s simple, we just find a high place or the flank to shoot, because the original airborne weapons can’t hit the front either, so it doesn’t make much difference.”

This is true.

While the rocket-propelled grenades used by the imperial troops could penetrate armor, they primarily targeted the sides and rear of enemy tanks. True heavy tanks were very difficult to penetrate with infantry rockets.

On the contrary, the flare gun currently in use can destroy the entire observation and aiming system of a tank with a single burst of bullets to the front of the vehicle, and then the high-altitude attack can tear the structure of the tank apart like paper.

Even the toughest tank has a fragile scalp—

Engines aren't perpetual motion machines, and bridge foundations and road surfaces aren't made of stainless steel. If you piled up armor, including the scalp, to withstand 20mm tungsten armor-piercing rounds from the Torchfire Gun, then the vehicle wouldn't be worth driving; it would be more suitable as a turret.

In this context, the Torchfire Gun perfectly occupies a prime position in terms of practicality. It encompasses the functions of common infantry weapons such as machine guns, assault rifles, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, and grenade launchers. While it cannot replace close-range area-of-effect firepower like mortars, the Torchfire Gun can also be used as a grenade launcher in over-caliber mode, firing specialized grenades, which could potentially replace mortars in many situations.

Although not explicitly stated, the combat scenarios of the armed Jinyiwei were mostly urban warfare, which was determined by the command system.

Because the Imperial Guards usually went on campaigns to resolve political issues, and politics exists wherever there are people.

Considering that wherever there are people, there are usually cities in addition to politics, the problems that can attract the attention of the royal army usually occur in large cities.

Therefore, in the combat scenarios of the Armed Imperial Guards, there are very few scenes other than urban warfare.

This is why the royal army so quickly switched to this torch-blast storm gun—although it does have some problems in field combat. But in urban warfare, it can use the cover of stairwells to eliminate all possible enemies in the city.

Because the larger the bullet, the more options there are. The Torch Storm gun has a 20mm caliber, which can accommodate a wide variety of functional ammunition. In addition to over-caliber grenade launcher grenades and armor-piercing rounds, it can also use shotgun shells at close range. Considering its rate of fire, this will be a true "storm."

This effective weapon was immediately adopted by the armed Imperial Guards. The air assault troops that have now arrived here are all equipped with this versatile weapon.

"By the way, where's your rocket?"

“The torch itself is a small rocket,” the centurion replied. “Each one is propelled by torch element, so it’s no different from a rocket.”

Shangluo understood—the Imperial Guards hadn't abandoned rockets; they'd completely embraced them. That made sense. No wonder everyone's faces radiated a sense of harmonious life, because all the previous firearms had been simplified into this one gun.

"Speaking of which," Shangluo asked, "what are your next steps?"

“Inspect the landing site.” He looked around. “Based on previous assessments, this can serve as a field airfield for landings. The rest of the 1st Airborne Column will land by transport plane and then take military control of Cybernia. We will first protect our personnel inside the Great Lighthouse; they will be temporarily isolated in a safe place. Most operations will be suspended until the all-clear is lifted.”

The air assault column wasn't just comprised of assault troops armed with muskets; they also had other heavy equipment. These vehicles, specifically adapted for air assault, were equally suited for urban warfare.

Cybernia is a large city, making it the perfect time to launch an air assault.

This is an order issued by Zhu Xianxi.

Cybernenia could become the flashpoint of an impending war. If it does, the air assault column already on the front lines will be able to control the situation immediately.

Incidentally, they could also report firsthand intelligence from the front lines to Zhu Xianxi.

This is important. Considering the chain of command, the emperor is unlikely to gather information directly from the front lines, except for the air assault units of the armed Imperial Guards.

As everyone knows, the imperial army's command chain, like many other parts of the court, is a tangled mess of code. It functions primarily because the Celestial Empire is the world's dominant power, capable of overwhelming any authority. The emperor cannot wait for normal military intelligence to reach him; by then, it will be too late. Only the First Air Assault Column of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, personally dispatched by him to the front lines, can relay the information he needs immediately.

This isn't a matter of loyalty or disloyalty. The main issue is that there are countless facts in this world. Aside from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, no one else could know the Emperor's current "concerns." The Emperor couldn't possibly inquire about every little detail himself; he needed confidants to understand his concerns so he could efficiently gather intelligence from thousands of miles away.

He sent Shangluo here for this reason, and now that things have gotten bigger, he sent Kongtu here for the same reason.

"So, we won't encounter any obstacles in the city, will we?" the centurion asked. "Can we go directly into Cybernia?"

“Yes,” Shangluo nodded. “Cebernia is now completely phlogistonized. As long as you’re here, you can enter Cebernia directly without any equipment. However, we might encounter resistance from the city’s defense forces.”

"Haven't we been in contact?"

"We can't make prior contact—Sabriania has many passive defenses, such as a Roman legion that has been cut from history and usually stands guard at the docks. If we try to bring troops into Sabriania, they will inevitably intercept us."

(End of this chapter)