Chapter 455: Bopod
Dominique arrived by train, despite Steed repeatedly instructing him, "I hope to get the answer quickly; this is very important for 'Saint-Étienne'!" However, after much hesitation, Dominique ultimately chose to take the train.
This wasn't just because Dominique hadn't yet mentally accepted the idea of airplanes as a mode of transport, but also because he disliked the unstable sensation of being in the sky. He felt safer only when his feet were on solid ground, his handgun securely tucked in his side.
The distance from Paris to Antwerp was about 350 kilometers. Due to military trains requiring him to wait at times, the journey took a full 13 hours, and he spent the entire night on the train. When his car finally arrived in front of Charles' headquarters, Dominique was still yawning as he stepped out.
After being granted entry, he felt suddenly nervous, holding the case containing the submachine gun. The weapon hadn't been entirely developed according to Charles' ideas, so he was unsure if there would be any issues.
"Hey, Colonel," Charles greeted him warmly at the door, shaking Dominique's hand. "Have you had breakfast?"
Not the most articulate, Dominique was taken aback by the question. "No, General. But it's fine, I'm not hungry, actually. I don't have an appetite."
"That's not acceptable," Charles immediately instructed his orderly to prepare food and then turned back to Dominique. "Although it's not the gourmet food you might expect, there's certainly something to eat here."
Charles led Dominique into the conference room, where it was best that as few people as possible knew about the new equipment—its impact on future battles would be significant.
The room in the airport was a bit disheveled, with the wall by the runway still charred from a recent battle and not yet repainted, carrying a faint smell of burnt wood.
"Apologies," Charles said as he sat down, his gaze resting on Dominique, who was sipping hot milk while eating his bread. "We recently had quite a large battle here."
"I heard," Dominique nodded, speaking while chewing, his voice muffled with a hint of admiration in his eyes. "You launched a night raid and recaptured Antwerp in just a few hours. That was an incredible battle, General. Everyone is talking about it, even the newspapers. It's still being discussed after all these days."
Charles gave a slight smile, acknowledging the praise. This battle, from Cambrai to Antwerp, had been considered a textbook example, and it had been compiled into a manual sent to the Saint-Cyr Military Academy, where every cadet was required to read it and discuss its strategies.
"Is that the new submachine gun?" Charles turned his gaze to the case Dominique had brought.
"Yes, yes, General," Dominique hurriedly finished his remaining bread and pulled the case toward Charles, hesitating for a few seconds.
At Charles' questioning glance, Dominique finally mustered the courage to open the case.
Upon seeing the submachine gun, Charles made an intrigued sound, his face full of surprise. He had expected to see the MP18, but instead, the gun in front of him was a Soviet-designed PPD, which had been developed around 1934. Charles didn't expect to see it nearly 20 years ahead of schedule.
"I... I know, General," Dominique nervously looked at Charles and stammered, "You mentioned that you wanted to move the magazine to the side, but with such a large drum magazine, there would be issues..."
"You said the magazine capacity was important, so I did my best to increase it," he continued. "But when loaded with 71 rounds, the drum weighs 3.6 pounds, which makes it not quite suitable for the side placement."
"So I..."
Dominique's words were disjointed, but Charles understood.
With 71 rounds, the drum was too heavy, and placing it on the side would cause the gun to be unbalanced. As a result, it had to be positioned underneath.
Charles picked up the drum, weighing it in his hand. It was indeed quite heavy.
"This is good, Colonel," Charles praised him. "Better than I expected."
This was the truth. The PPD was comparable to the German MP38, which was certainly more advanced than the MP18.
"Really?" Dominique relaxed, a satisfied expression on his face. "I was worried that the gun would have problems on the battlefield because of its high rifling twist rate, which might force the magazine to be placed on the side."
"Although that's a concern, the 71-round capacity makes it manageable," Charles said, inspecting the gun without firing it and without asking for further specifics. He gave the order directly, "Start mass production immediately. I'll need 200 by next month."
"Yes, General," Dominique responded, his tone more confident.
After a brief pause, Dominique hesitated before asking, "General, there's something I probably shouldn't ask, but my father is quite concerned about it."
"Steed?" Charles looked at Dominique, puzzled. "Concerned?"
"Yes," Dominique nodded. "We know this is your decision, General, but Steed is worried because FN is also a manufacturer of small arms and is quite powerful."
Steed was concerned that if Charles worked with FN, would that mean 'Saint-Étienne' would no longer be needed?
Charles laughed heartily. "Tell him not to worry. When it comes to military industry, the most trustworthy partners are always local companies."
Military manufacturing is strongly tied to national interests. Even if it's a private company, like FN, there's always some level of government control, just like Albert I easily controls FN. One day, if France and Belgium go to war, Charles and FN would undoubtedly become adversaries, and there's no changing that.
Dominique also understood this: "He thinks that too, but he still wanted confirmation. Now that you've said it, he'll be at ease."
It was an expression of care that led to concern.
Charles didn't elaborate further on this matter. He instructed the attendant outside to bring in the shotguns, and soon two shotguns were delivered to the conference room.
"These are two shotguns made by FN," Charles nodded toward them. "The longer-barreled one is the 'Browning A5,' and the shorter-barreled one is the 'Winchester 1897.'"
"I know," Dominique casually picked one up and tried it out. "Our company has studied this type of gun, but..."
Dominique looked up at Charles, confused. "We all agree that this type of gun has too short a range to be useful in combat. It's more suited for hunting. What's your intention, General?"
"To combine the best of both weapons," Charles said. "Shorten the barrel of the 'Browning A5' and add a bayonet mount."
Dominique didn't respond immediately.
The two modifications weren't difficult and could be done easily. However, modifying the guns into military versions meant they would be issued to the army—was that really appropriate for military use?
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