Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 839 - 68: The Tank

Although Perfikot felt it was unnecessary to provide the Army with super-caliber weapons like electromagnetic cannons, under Ely’s persuasion, she decided to give the Army a chance to upgrade their equipment.

And this equipment... was the tank.

Although in the original world, tanks were an invention of the World War I era, in various fantasy works, this thing can really be driven by steam.

Even in the history of the original world, there were indeed large-tonnage vehicles pulled by steam engines, a little modification, and they could indeed create tanks.

The reason that restricted Perfikot from doing so was simple; she simply felt that such actions were wasteful and unnecessary.

Previously, resources and strength needed to be focused on dealing with the apocalypse winter, and now they needed to be piled up to deal with the impending attack from the gods.

Compared to tanks, Floating Cities, Floating Battleships, and electromagnetic cannons are undoubtedly more cost-effective.

Unless Perfikot was able to mount an electromagnetic cannon on a tank, creating a tank with defensive capabilities to withstand godly attacks and offensive capabilities to kill gods.

Is it possible to create such a tank? If Perfikot were willing, she could certainly create it.

However, the cost would soar to an unacceptable level.

After all, if one tank equates to one Flying Airship, not to mention the Navy Department, even the Cabinet and National Assembly would not agree.

Because this would be too expensive.

Yet, many times, things are like this; if you want better performance, you need to increase costs.

It’s not that cheap, robust, simple, and powerful equipment doesn’t exist, but they are quite rare. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

And tanks obviously do not fall into this category.

"If that’s the case, why do you still want to make tanks for them?" Sanderion looked at Perfikot in bewilderment while discussing Floating City construction matters, only to find Perfikot designing new equipment.

"The Army Department guys block my door every day, and I get annoyed too." Perfikot sighed helplessly; the Army Department sent four generals to plead and lament at her door daily, causing Perfikot too much trouble, forcing her to promise them a decent piece of new equipment.

"You could ignore them, right? Can those guys really force you to work?" Sanderion looked at Perfikot, questioning whether she had forgotten she was the Regent of the Empire.

However, Perfikot shook her head and said: "It’s not that; it’s just that I feel the Army is not having it easy. Seeing the Navy constantly rolling out new equipment, they indeed need some new things to enhance their combat capability.

Otherwise, in future wars, it will all be the Navy bombing from the sky, and after they’re done, the Army goes up to occupy the ruins, then they will quickly degrade into a police force incapable of waging war."

"That reasoning is indeed solid..." Sanderion couldn’t argue since the matter was indeed as stated.

She was persuaded by Perfikot and started browsing through the design drawings on the table, which broadened her horizons.

"Why is this thing designed this way? It looks... kind of like a flattened pancake." Sanderion felt she was being a bit rude, but she couldn’t find a suitable description.

"A low vehicle body and a flattened turret effectively reduce frontal projection, lowering the target area, thereby decreasing the chance and impact of being hit." Perfikot casually explained.

These are mature designs from the original world, proven through countless actual battles, which she naturally adopted straight away.

"Then what about this track? Why not use faster wheels?" Although Sanderion was a Demigod-level Alchemist, her knowledge base and common sense were established at least more than a century ago, making many concepts difficult for her to imagine.

It’s not that she couldn’t think of it, but she lacked the concept.

Moreover, the difference between tracks and wheels requires physics to progress and the relationship between pressure and stress to be understood before being thoroughly explained; until then, it’s hard to use simple words to clearly explain which is superior, tracks or wheels.

However, for alchemists of Perfikot and Sanderion’s caliber, this question is still easily explained.

"Tracks can reduce a vehicle’s weight’s destruction on the ground, and they offer better performance than wheels in terms of slope-climbing or passing through ditches and trenches; places wheels can’t cross, tracks can." Perfikot explained the advantages of tracks then turned to Sanderion and asked: "Anything else you want to know?"

"What’s your purpose in creating this? It can’t just be for giving the Army new equipment, can it?" Sanderion still asked this question.

"What else then? Surely it’s not that I’m bored and want to design new stuff for fun?" Perfikot casually replied but added: "The main reason is indeed this, but on the other hand, it’s also to enhance the Army’s combat power; after all, if there’s a war against the gods, I can’t possibly use Floating Battleships to defend cities, right?"

"So you created these... tanks? Equip them with electromagnetic cannons for city defense?" Looking at Perfikot’s design, Sanderion instinctively drew this connection from her explanation.

Perfikot shook her head in response and explained: "Tanks are offensive gear; although they don’t move very fast, they can basically keep pace with a cavalry charge, supported by Steam Knights, they can play a powerful role on the battlefield.

A cannon that grows legs and runs alongside a steam knight charge can provide strong firepower support, effectively raising the army’s combat power."

Although tanks can be used for defensive engagements, influenced by military concepts from the original world, Perfikot decided to let tanks do their intended work.

After all, Steam Knights coordinating with a tank charge is historically known as infantry-tank cooperation, right?

"Then what about defense?" Sanderion seemed more concerned about this, arguing that humans would probably be unable to launch any charges on the battlefield against the gods; defense and counterattack might be the best choices.

"For defense, use this..." Perfikot pulled out another drawing, showing a design similar but noticeably equipped with a larger electromagnetic cannon than the tank.

Sanderion received the drawing, after studying it she asked: "What is this?"

"Self-propelled electromagnetic cannon, simply put, it’s putting wheels on a big cannon so it can move by itself." Perfikot simplified the explanation, then said: "In defensive battle scenarios deployed at key artillery positions, it can provide effective fire support, and if necessary, be relocated strategically."