Chapter 452 - Demonstration Of The 1422 Lightweight Mortar (1/2)

In the middle of the Kufstein Testing Grounds, an Austrian Soldier loaded a projectile down into the bore of the standing device; in the next moment, the 60mm shell flew through the air and towards the group of straw targets at the training ground. The moment it impacted, it blew up in a fiery explosion, sending shrapnel in all directions.

Despite their utter destruction, the weapon was quickly reloaded and fired a second shot on the targets' location. The shell whistled into the air and impacted once more only a few centimeters off its previous mark.

Berengar witnessed the display of the newest mortar design that Ludwig and his son Jakob had come up with. This lightweight, highly mobile mortar could be deployed either as a crew-served weapon or operated by a single individual.

Berengar was quite shocked to see that without his instruction, such a valuable weapon of war had been developed by his engineers. To an even greater shock, it was not Ludwig who was the lead designer but his eldest son Jakob.

After witnessing the demonstration performed by his soldiers, the young monarch began to clap repeatedly with a wide grin on his face. Initially, he had intended to create a mortar design of his own after returning from the war effort, but in reality, his engineers had developed an entirely functional lightweight mortar without his input. Thus he was delighted to see such a valuable weapons platform come to fruition.

”Wonderful! Wonderful! It would appear that Jakob has inherited his father's intellect!”

The young engineer had a bashful response as he heard the King's mighty praise.

”You flatter me too much, your majesty; if not for the efforts of my father, I don't believe that I alone would have come up with such a functional design.”

However, Berengar dismissed the boy's humble claims and placed his hand on his shoulder as he complimented him once more.

”You are too hard on yourself, Jakob, your father, has informed me of how much he contributed to this mortar, and I assure you that this weapon would not exist without your brilliant mind coming up with the basic design!

This weapon will revolutionize our Infantry and their tactics! I will award you with the Order of Civil Merit for your actions! You have done well, son!”

Though Berengar spoke as if he was substantially older than Jakob, the reality was that he was at most three years his elder. Thus it came off quite awkward as he said these words. Despite this, Jakob had a humble smile on his face as he nodded his head in agreement.

Berengar returned his gaze to the ongoing display; when he witnessed the baseplate easily removed and the weapon operated by a single user, he was genuinely shocked. Such a device would be considered exceptional even by modern standards. This was well beyond what he had in mind for a mortar.

He watched intensely as the man placed his foot on the bottom of the mortar and held it with one hand by the handle as he skillfully laid the projectile down into its bore before firing the device. However, the 60mm ammunition had decreased in effective range. It was still a sight to behold; immediately, the young King asked the question on his mind.

”Jakob, what is the weight of this weapon without its baseplate?”

The young engineer immediately smiled as he obediently answered his King's question.

”Approximately 20 lbs, your majesty!”

Berengar could not hide his awestricken state as he returned his gaze to the device. This was a genuinely lightweight mortar that could be lugged through any terrain and operated by a single soldier. The thought of such firepower in the hands of a soldier, while still capable of carrying a rifle, brought a sense of wonder to his eyes.

Berengar was aware that such weapons were scarce in his past life and primarily utilized by special operations units. Yet here in the 15th century, his engineers had come up with a design that was a close replica while not on par with the so-called commando mortars of his past life. He was genuinely astounded by the work of his engineers.

Perhaps only Berengar would recognize just how useful this weapon could prove to be in the hands of the correct units, thus when he made his following statement, all of the officers gathered stared in awe at their monarch.