Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 895

895. Overture (10)

The Hungarian generals insisted on using the Imperial bullets, citing hard-won lessons from real combat experience.

* * *

The long rifles smuggled from the Ottoman Empire into Hungary were primarily of two types.

One was the Type A long rifle, which used percussion caps. The other was the Type B long rifle, a breech-loading single-shot rifle.

The Hungarian army deployed the Type A long rifles, available in greater numbers, to the front-line units. The Type B long rifles, being fewer, were assigned to the main forces following behind.

In the initial phase of the war, up to the occupation of Austrian territories along the border, the Type A long rifles proved surprisingly effective.

This was largely because the armies defending the Austrian provincial territories were mostly armed with flintlock rifles at best, and some units even still carried spears and swords.

These swift advances fostered an optimistic mood throughout the Hungarian army, from the rank and file to the generals.

“At this rate, we might end the war with just the Type A long rifles!”

However, this optimism was shattered when they encountered the main Habsburg forces at Pottendorf.

As trench warfare, characterized by advances and retreats, developed, the Type A long rifles, which were slow to reload, were quickly relegated to the rear.

The Imperial bullet, used in the Type B long rifles, proved most effective in the ongoing trench warfare.

The Habsburg long rifles, modeled after French breech-loading designs, used a similar caliber to French rifles: 0.5 Pouce (approximately 0.5 inches).

The Imperial bullet, however, was about half that size but delivered nearly the same power. This meant soldiers using Imperial bullets could carry roughly twice as many rounds as those armed with French or Habsburg long rifles.

These new battles hinged on intense gunfights, where concentrating more bullets faster was crucial for gaining an advantage.

In this regard, double the carrying capacity was a significant advantage.

Another benefit was the minimal smoke produced upon firing.

French and Habsburg bullets created substantial smoke clouds after each shot.

The resulting smog could briefly obscure the view when a unit of considerable size fired simultaneously.

In contrast, the Imperial bullet, producing little smoke, was ideal for breech-loading long rifles, enabling rapid reloading, aiming, and firing.

Later in the conflict, Habsburg soldiers even sought to capture Type B long rifles.

Habsburg commanders, witnessing these incidents, openly voiced their discontent to their superiors.

“We need superior bullets like the Imperial bullets! Why don’t we have them?”

“Ours are just big and bulky… They offer nothing except raw power!”

Friedrich III, hearing these complaints, pressed the ordnance officers for solutions.

The ordnance officers, under pressure from above, had no choice but to harass the gunpowder artisans or dispatch spies to France and other countries to uncover their secrets.

The information gathered by spies revealed that other countries faced similar challenges.

-Reducing the size to improve portability and reduce smoke diminished the power.

Everyone was grappling with similar trade-offs.

“This is just…”

While the ordnance officers were perplexed by the spies’ reports, the gunpowder and bullet artisans wore helpless expressions.

“The current bullet caliber and gunpowder load were initially developed to match the power of that damned Imperial bullet…”

As they explained, the current specifications were designed to equal the power of the Imperial bullets used in the Type B and Type C long rifles.

Given the current state of steelmaking, alloy technology, and gunpowder manufacturing in Europe, this was the best they could achieve.

The same held true for Ming and Japan.

Consequently, the struggle between spies attempting to steal gunpowder manufacturing secrets and Imperial counterintelligence and secret guards continued fiercely within the Empire’s mainland.

And across mainland Europe and the Middle East, chemists and alchemists were once again engrossed in experiments.

“Falkenhayn was discovered by someone else first, but I’ll be the first to create new gunpowder!”

They were highly motivated by rumors that the French who had successfully developed Falkenhayn were now extremely wealthy.

* * *

“Although this war concluded through negotiations, it is essentially a victory for us. However, the Habsburgs will not remain idle. Therefore, we must prepare thoroughly. We need to introduce the Florentine long rifles that use Imperial bullets and develop Hwachas [multiple rocket launchers].”

When the general who had fought on the front lines mentioned ‘Hwacha,’ the surrounding generals simultaneously cursed.

“Damn Hwacha…”

The Hwacha was responsible for the most Hungarian soldier deaths in the war.

The Habsburg cannons were powerful, but they fired simple iron balls and stones, making their killing power less impressive than their size.

The Hwacha was different. A single Hwacha possessed the firepower of dozens of riflemen.

By employing tactics to mitigate the Hwacha’s slow rate of fire and suppressing the operators with sniper fire, the Hungarian army managed to capture Habsburg trenches.

However, as the Habsburg army began attaching gun shields to the Hwachas to protect the operators and deployed more of them, trench occupation became difficult, and the Hungarians were forced to defend against Habsburg attacks.

The Hwachas captured during these defensive battles proved valuable in their own defense.

Ultimately, the Hwacha became an object of both love and hate for the Hungarian army.

* * *

King Matthias I, listening to the generals, nodded and replied.

“We have already begun producing Hwachas by mobilizing artisans. Soon, our Hungarian army will have Hwachas of our own making, not just captured ones. And Florentine long rifles… I will send people to Florence.”

“That is a wise decision!”

The generals praised Matthias I with bright faces. However, the finance managers and nobles drank wine and Imperial polychrome liquor with strained expressions.

“Easy to say… but what about the budget!”

* * *

Meanwhile, the Habsburgs also claimed victory.

“We stopped the Hungarian invasion and reclaimed the lost territories!”

“It is our victory!”

“Praise the heroes!”

The army, returning from the war, marched proudly through the streets of Vienna, as citizens showered them with confetti and flowers.

Following the distribution of honors and banquets, the generals and nobles discussed the future.

“First, the effectiveness of the new long rifles and Hwachas has been proven.”

The commander’s analysis was met with nods from all present.

As demonstrated by the territories captured early in the war, spears and swords were no longer decisive on the battlefield. Firearms, especially breech-loading long rifles and Hwachas, were now the key.

The commander continued.

“However, the disadvantages of the new long rifles and Hwachas have also been identified.”

-Relatively small number of bullets carried due to size.

-Large amount of smoke produced when firing.

These were common issues for both the new long rifles and Hwachas, with the Hwachas having additional drawbacks.

-Slow rate of fire.

-Difficulty in supplying ammunition.

-Increased size and weight due to the addition of gun shields, causing operational inconvenience.

“…Considering the inevitable Italian war, these issues must be addressed. We must not forget that the Great Han Federal Empire [Chinese Empire] will likely intervene.”

The mention of the Empire caused the faces of everyone, including Friedrich III, to darken.

“I forgot about the ‘Land of Flowers’… [a poetic name for China]”

“Damn it…”

While most participants were troubled by the prospect of facing the powerful Empire, some held different views.

Maximilian I was one of them.

“Everyone, are we overestimating the ‘Land of Flowers’?”

Maximilian I’s remark prompted surprised looks from the others.

“Overestimating the ‘Land of Flowers’? What do you mean?”

Friedrich III asked, and Maximilian I elaborated.

“Everyone here claims the army of the ‘Land of Flowers’ is incredibly powerful.”

“Because it’s true.”

“Is it really? Has anyone here actually witnessed the battles fought by the ‘Land of Flowers’?”

No one spoke up. Maximilian I raised his voice.

“Of course, the weapons and army of the ‘Land of Flowers’ are powerful. Otherwise, they wouldn’t rule the East or have gained notoriety in Suez. But the armaments of the bandits in the Suez region are extremely poor. There is likely considerable exaggeration.”

Maximilian I’s subsequent points included:

-The bullets our army uses are inferior to those of the Empire, but the power is nearly the same. This means whoever sees and shoots first wins.

-To reiterate, we can defeat the Empire if we effectively utilize the art of command.

-The Empire has the weakness of being far from Italy, limiting troop and armament supply.

-We have the advantage of a short supply line.

-They might send troops and supplies from that new land in the west [the Americas], but they must cross a vast sea.

-This presents ongoing supply line challenges.

“…Again, the ‘Land of Flowers’ is powerful, but we shouldn’t be intimidated from the start. If we carefully examine their weaknesses and our strengths and develop a strategy, we can win.”

Maximilian I’s words prompted the generals to reconsider with serious expressions.

“Hmm…”

“Indeed…”

After a moment, the generals began to nod.

In the war with Hungary, the Hungarian army used the Empire’s bullets and long rifles.

However, the distance at which the Hungarian army began firing was similar to that of the Habsburg army. As Maximilian I pointed out, it often came down to who saw and shot first.

While the Hungarian army’s snipers were troublesome, they could be suppressed by concentrated Habsburg fire.

The Empire also had a significant weakness.

-It is too far from Italy.

This meant supply issues.

The commanders, who had struggled with supply, especially ammunition and gunpowder, during the war with Hungary, understood the magnitude of this weakness.

Ultimately, the Habsburg army commanders reported to Friedrich III:

“The ‘Land of Flowers’ is powerful but has serious weaknesses. If we prepare thoroughly, we can seize Italy.”

In time, this conversation reached the ears of a Millwi [secret intelligence organization] operative in Vienna, disguised as a businessman.

The Millwi executive, summarizing the information and writing the report, chuckled and muttered.

“It’s not wrong. It’s not wrong, but… these guys have forgotten something. Or haven’t experienced it? The Empire doesn’t fire bullets first; it fires cannonballs first.”