Gunka no Baltzar

I honestly feel for the main character: being judged by people that have never seen the elephant.

Feels bad man.

It makes me wander about how fit for duty that stubborn general was. He might look like some whining Patton but he sure didn't have any of his gal between differentiating the tree from the forest. From Balter's consistent character, we all know he cares for that small band of misfits under his wing. 

What a great end to the 4th book, he's right. You have to be cold at times, but to think that way doesn't always have to be for a "lack" of healthy emotion. In understanding of the critical situation, he was thinking far more about the significance of an ally in a neighbour's  war? In a situation where mercy was going to cost them destruction or capture (They got V.I.Ps) and not to mention the rather "green" army. A few good officer and a foreign general can make a hell of difference, but you can't whisk that one army against an invader who has succeeded a landing? It would would rather be unfair to drag them into hell for the past dead. Don't let your actions be for nothing.

I like how Major Balzer analysed the situation carefully.  next few chapters should be very interesting indeed.

While the sitting position is definitely more stable than a standing one, the most accurate position would be from the prone position, as your entire body is flat against the ground, preventing any wobbling that might occur from a sitting position with your knee acting as a prop.

Not questioning that, using the ground is indefinitely a better anchor compared to a joint on the body, but rather the post previous to the one I replied to. Apparently the kneeling position is bad for your body? I'm assuming in a similar vein as to how crouching around for long period of time places severe strain on your back. 

It was really great to see some real combat. What do you think there'll be a siege for the village, or they'll be pursued?

Wouldn't be much of siege since they are retreating and the villagers not fighting so its going to be a pursue and destroy

War has finally come.  Get ready, boys.  Playtime's over.  :|

While the sitting position is definitely more stable than a standing one, the most accurate position would be from the prone position, as your entire body is flat against the ground, preventing any wobbling that might occur from a sitting position with your knee acting as a prop.

The position? why?

It was really great to see some real combat. What do you think there'll be a siege for the village, or they'll be pursued?

THAT CLIFFHANGER...FUUUUUUUUUU

knee on elbow bad for your body btw

The position? why?

knee on elbow bad for your body btw

So the young ones will finally experience real fighting with a well trained enemies that will fight back.  Let see if all those months of mind numbing studying and hard training will bear fruits. 

New chapter !

while what your saying about all weapons prior to the cartridge can be true in the matter of practice those examples seem like theyre still better off than the mitraileuse

since cannons were used for indirect bombardment from longer distances, and the reaim time for a musket is about the same as an gun

speaking of which, they are using cartridge based rifles already in the manga so comparing the volley gun to pre cartridge weapons or how effective it is in precartridge tactics is moot

The reaim time for a musket is about the same as a gun, but its nowhere near the same reload time. Additionally, the range and 'accuracy' (considering the shotgun effect) of the mitraileuse outranged rifles. So when used as the tactical manual dictated (not necessarily reflecting reality), the mitraileuse would be placed out of range of infantry rifles.

The development/deployment of weapons isn't even across countries/branches of military. Assuming that the enemy always has the best gear isn't a bad decision, but its not a wise one. Theres also the question of whether or not (or to what extent, if at all) they've changed their tactics to fit the equipment. It took decades for militaries to invent/adopt new tactics around the machine gun and Germany only pioneered it because of their plans for WWII.

You bring up good points, but its not exactly right. Early versions of the French mitraileuse weren't designed to be easily rotated side-to-side, but that didn't mean it wasn't effective. (Like everything else at the time) The basic strategy for volley gun usage basically called for massing the number in large numbers and firing all at once. Even if the angle of a single volley gun was narrow; when massed and fired in conjunction, the long range and shotgun-like density of bullets was devestating.

 

What you're talking about is the effective use of a volley gun by itself, singular. Thats absurd and could be said about any weapon prior to the cartridge. You could say the same thing about a singular cannon or a singular musket. Inaccurate, slow, must be reaimed/readjusted after each shot, etc.

while what your saying about all weapons prior to the cartridge can be true in the matter of practice those examples seem like theyre still better off than the mitraileuse

since cannons were used for indirect bombardment from longer distances, and the reaim time for a musket is about the same as an gun

speaking of which, they are using cartridge based rifles already in the manga so comparing the volley gun to pre cartridge weapons or how effective it is in precartridge tactics is moot

A bit of a correction, though. Volley guns were originally designed as artillery pieces and thought to be improved versions (because the individual rounds could actually fly straight) of a cannon firing grapeshot. In that sense, they're basically giant shotguns rather than sniper rifles. The weapon shown in the manga is basically a French mitraileuse, which did have the weaknesses pointed out by Balzer. The weapon was meant to function as a machine gun, like you said, instead of a shotgun like previous volley guns. However, the way the weapon itself was designed prevented effective usage as a machine gun unless enough of the weapons could be packed together in a battery and fired at an angle to an advancing infantry line. This is because a mitraileuse was locked to its carriage in the pan axis. It could not easily be rotated side to side the way a real machine gun should be. The target actually had to move into its line of fire. The other problem was that it had a fixed elevation when firing, so that accurate distance and elevation estimation before the first volley was necessary in order for the volley to be effective. Unfortunately, by the time the mitraileuse came into service, the line infantry formations were being replaced by irregular skirmish lines, such that - unlike in a rigid line formation - soldiers could simply duck to avoid a volley before the gunner readjusted his elevation. The first volley had to succeed or the weapon could be rendered useless before it could be readjusted. In a funny way, Balzer pointed out the WRONG weaknesses of the weapon.

You bring up good points, but its not exactly right. Early versions of the French mitraileuse weren't designed to be easily rotated side-to-side, but that didn't mean it wasn't effective. (Like everything else at the time) The basic strategy for volley gun usage basically called for massing the number in large numbers and firing all at once. Even if the angle of a single volley gun was narrow; when massed and fired in conjunction, the long range and shotgun-like density of bullets was devestating.

What you're talking about is the effective use of a volley gun by itself, singular. Thats absurd and could be said about any weapon prior to the cartridge. You could say the same thing about a singular cannon or a singular musket. Inaccurate, slow, must be reaimed/readjusted after each shot, etc.

The volley gun was designed for long range fire, 3000+ meters. This wasn't designed to be a machine gun, it was designed to be a machine sniper rifle. As long as you didn't miss (kinda hard to snipe without a sniper scope), you were guaranteed a (or multiple) kill with every shot.

 

I told you, militaries tried to use it as an ARTILLERY piece. Placed up on a hill, a half/full mile away, bombarding the enemy far behind the infantry lines in (relative) safety.

A bit of a correction, though. Volley guns were originally designed as artillery pieces and thought to be improved versions (because the individual rounds could actually fly straight) of a cannon firing grapeshot. In that sense, they're basically giant shotguns rather than sniper rifles. The weapon shown in the manga is basically a French mitraileuse, which did have the weaknesses pointed out by Balzer. The weapon was meant to function as a machine gun, like you said, instead of a shotgun like previous volley guns. However, the way the weapon itself was designed prevented effective usage as a machine gun unless enough of the weapons could be packed together in a battery and fired at an angle to an advancing infantry line. This is because a mitraileuse was locked to its carriage in the pan axis. It could not easily be rotated side to side the way a real machine gun should be. The target actually had to move into its line of fire. The other problem was that it had a fixed elevation when firing, so that accurate distance and elevation estimation before the first volley was necessary in order for the volley to be effective. Unfortunately, by the time the mitraileuse came into service, the line infantry formations were being replaced by irregular skirmish lines, such that - unlike in a rigid line formation - soldiers could simply duck to avoid a volley before the gunner readjusted his elevation. The first volley had to succeed or the weapon could be rendered useless before it could be readjusted. In a funny way, Balzer pointed out the WRONG weaknesses of the weapon.

imo a lesser version of a machine gun that needs to be pulled by horses and aimed in the same fashion as a cannon seems like its still relatively useless too me

The volley gun was designed for long range fire, 3000+ meters. This wasn't designed to be a machine gun, it was designed to be a machine sniper rifle. As long as you didn't miss (kinda hard to snipe without a sniper scope), you were guaranteed a (or multiple) kill with every shot.

I told you, militaries tried to use it as an ARTILLERY piece. Placed up on a hill, a half/full mile away, bombarding the enemy far behind the infantry lines in (relative) safety.

good chapter, i need moarrrrrrr

imo a lesser version of a machine gun that needs to be pulled by horses and aimed in the same fashion as a cannon seems like its still relatively useless too me

It may be fairly inefficient in its current form, but wait until some guy figures out the kinks and tweaks its mechanisms and its battlefield role.  The Major's going to end up eating his words then...

Ah the volley gun, the precursor to the gatling gun.

 

That said, Balzar's summary of the volley gun is wrong. The range of volley guns were quite long, but the (then) lack of telescopic sights made long range targeting impossible. Militaries actually needed (and lacked) a mid-range offensive weapon (until the development of the machine gun). Adjusting the angle and topography usage difficulties were caused by militaries trying to use the weapon to be an ARTILLERY piece. (Imagine trying to use a machine gun (with no scope) from 1000+ meters away. THATS what volley gun crew were basically told to do)

imo a lesser version of a machine gun that needs to be pulled by horses and aimed in the same fashion as a cannon seems like its still relatively useless too me

Ah the volley gun, the precursor to the gatling gun.

That said, Balzar's summary of the volley gun is wrong. The range of volley guns were quite long, but the (then) lack of telescopic sights made long range targeting impossible. Militaries actually needed (and lacked) a mid-range offensive weapon (until the development of the machine gun). Adjusting the angle and topography usage difficulties were caused by militaries trying to use the weapon to be an ARTILLERY piece. (Imagine trying to use a machine gun (with no scope) from 1000+ meters away. THATS what volley gun crew were basically told to do)