Chapter 32 Current Status of the Munitions Factory
"How are our steel factory and munitions factory doing?" Arthur asked, voicing another matter that concerned him deeply.
The steel factory was one thing—thanks to the existing equipment, Australia could build as many steel factories as needed. The only challenge was getting the workers trained to a proficient level, which would take some time.
But the munitions factory was different. In this era, when military technology had not yet taken off, the most advanced weapons were still machine guns and artillery.
As the former Commander-in-Chief of Ireland, Duke Arthur had developed a strong interest in weapons and equipment. It was under his direction that the Connaught Integrated Munitions Factory was founded.
What is an integrated munitions factory? It is a large-scale military manufacturing plant that combines the research and production of both light and heavy weaponry, including artillery.
In fact, most of the workers at this factory had been recruited directly from the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield by Duke Arthur himself.
The Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield was famous throughout Britain. Its most well-known product, the Lee-Enfield rifle, became the standard-issue firearm for the entire British Empire.
The performance and power of the Lee-Enfield rifle even surpassed another world-famous firearm—the Kar98k rifle.
It's worth noting that the Kar98k was Germany's standard rifle during both World Wars and remains one of the most well-known sniper rifles in the world.
Interestingly, both rifles were developed around the same time. The prototype of the Lee-Enfield rifle—the Lee-Metford magazine rifle—appeared in 1888 and was officially renamed the Lee-Enfield magazine rifle five years later.
The Kar98k's predecessor, the Gewehr 88, also originated in 1888. However, due to design flaws, Mauser developed a new rifle in 1898: the Mauser 98.
During World War II, Germany focused heavily on the development of tanks and aircraft, paying far less attention to small arms.
This led to the shortened Mauser 98—known as the Kar98k—taking center stage in military service.
The reason the Lee-Enfield rifle never reached the fame of the Kar98k is that the British military never prioritized sniping tactics in WWII, despite the Lee-Enfield having a slight advantage in that area. Without a scope, the rifle never gained the iconic sniper status of the scoped Kar98k or Mosin-Nagant.
But at this point in history, no one could deny that the Lee-Enfield was among the most powerful rifles of its time, and its dominance would likely last another fifty years.
As a factory in which Duke Arthur placed great hopes, the Connaught Munitions Factory had, under his powerful influence, imported the full Lee-Enfield production line and technology. It could independently produce the Lee-Enfield rifle, along with all supporting parts and ammunition.
In terms of heavy weapons, the Connaught Munitions Factory also achieved significant success. After the Maxim heavy machine gun gained worldwide fame, the factory quickly adopted the technology and developed its own replica: the MA-96 Maxim machine gun.
Additionally, the factory ventured into artillery production. While it had yet to master the manufacture of large-caliber cannons, it had already fully grasped the technology for small-caliber artillery.
Examples include the 37mm autocannon, 65mm cannon, 88mm howitzer, and 105mm cannon.
Notably, in the 37mm caliber—the smallest of the group—the Connaught Munitions Factory achieved significant breakthroughs. In the area of artillery automation, it made considerable progress and independently developed the 37mm autocannon, named the CA-1 autocannon.
How powerful was the CA-1? Thanks to early semi-automation, even though its caliber was small, it could fire more than 70 rounds per minute, offering a rate of fire that outclassed many larger-caliber weapons.
Why was semi-automation only used for the 37mm artillery? Because the recoil generated by large-caliber artillery was strong enough to destroy automated systems. Current technology could not yet support semi-automation for large-caliber guns.
Still, achieving semi-automation in small-caliber artillery was an accomplishment worth boasting about. Other countries wouldn't produce their first semi-automated artillery until 1902—Connaught was two years ahead.
"The steel factory will only be built after the government finalizes the industrial zone plan. But until then, we'll continue paying wages to the staff," Butler Hunter explained. "As for the munitions factory, its location has not yet been determined—we're waiting for you, Your Highness, to make the final decision."
For Arthur, what made the steel, munitions, and shipbuilding factories truly valuable—beyond the equipment—were the workers who had followed him all the way to Australia.
These workers enjoyed benefits far above the average British standard, let alone by Australian standards.
That's why Arthur had so little difficulty convincing them to emigrate. No one wanted to give up a secure, high-paying job—even if it meant moving overseas.
These factories, as expected, had not been profitable. Back in Britain, the monthly losses weren't too high. But now, the combined monthly deficit of all four factories exceeded 200,000 pounds—totaling 2.4 million pounds per year.
But the value of those losses was well worth it. The steel factory aside, both the munitions and shipbuilding plants were technologically advanced even by European standards.
The knowledge, experience, equipment, and technical capacity of these workers and factories were irreplaceable—even a billion pounds couldn't buy that level of expertise.
Duke Arthur had built these factories over decades through the power and influence he wielded.
"How are the workers? Are any of them unhappy with their current situation?" Arthur asked.
After all, they had moved to a new country. Even though wages were being paid despite the factories not yet being operational, it was normal for emotions to fluctuate.
"They're doing fine, Your Highness," Butler Hunter said with a smile. "We've continued paying their wages and provided housing and citizenship for every employee. So far, no one has expressed any dissatisfaction—they're simply adjusting to life in their new country."
And that made sense. Though they'd changed countries, they were able to bring their families with them. Housing was provided, and they continued receiving paychecks even without work.
Such treatment was far better than that of the greedy capitalists in Europe—and rare anywhere in the world.
"That's good to hear, Butler Hunter. The munitions factory's site selection will begin shortly. The industrial zone is expected to be built in the western mining region, so let's place the munitions factory in Western Australia," Arthur instructed. "The steel factory should begin construction quickly. Before the munitions factory is completed, we must at least ensure we have some steel production capacity."
Munitions factories are massive consumers of steel. If Australia lacked steel production by the time the munitions factory was completed, they would be stuck with nothing but blueprints for weapons—and no materials to build them.
(End of Chapter)
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