Chapter 68

"Your Highness, Dr. Oberth has arrived" informed Annie as she led Dr. Oberth into the office the day after Wilhelm returned from the UK.

Wilhelm warmly greeted him, "Dr. Oberth, it's been a while. I can see you've lost some weight. While your research work keeps you busy, remember to take care of your health. Your health is the foundation of our endeavors; the well-being of each scientist is the empire's wealth. Annie, establish an A-grade medical team stationed in District 51. Each scientist should undergo a comprehensive examination at least once a month."

Wilhelm was never stingy with his warmth and care for those who contributed to the empire, and the results were quite effective.

Dr. Oberth was deeply moved by Wilhelm's words, almost on the verge of tears. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your concern. We will not disappoint your expectations." After expressing his gratitude, Dr. Oberth proceeded to explain the purpose of his visit. "I'm here to report the research results."

"Oh? Have you completed the development of the large-scale rocket missile?" Wilhelm asked with anticipation.

"Yes, thankfully, we have not failed in our mission. We have successfully developed a large-scale rocket missile with a range of 320 kilometers. Additionally, we have developed another type of missile, though with a slightly shorter range compared to the large-scale rocket missile, its production cost is significantly lower, at only 5,000 German Marks, and it is also suitable for mass production. Here are the detailed documents, please take a look."

Glancing at the black and white photos in the folder, Wilhelm recognized the V1 missile from the original timeline. "You all have worked hard. Dr. Oberth, how accurate is the guidance of this missile?" Wilhelm inquired, hoping for a positive answer.

Dr. Oberth lowered his head in embarrassment. "Well, Your Highness, I must confess that we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this missile's guidance. During its flight, it will be affected by wind and atmospheric pressure, resulting in deviations of several kilometers. Therefore, it can only be used to attack targets the size of cities. The large-scale rocket missile also faces the same issue, and its accuracy cannot be ensured."

"....." As expected, they still have the same issues as in the original timeline. Wilhelm inwardly sighed at the similarity. Nonetheless, he smiled indifferently and reassured Dr. Oberth "Don't be disheartened, Dr. Oberth. After all, we are pioneers, and the path of pioneers is always full of obstacles. I believe that one day in the future, these missiles will be accurate enough to hit a window." His words were not empty boasts; with the advancement of microelectronics, small aircraft engines, satellites, and other high-tech developments, cruise missiles would become more intelligent. They could use inertial guidance combined with terrain matching or satellite global positioning correction guidance during the flight, allowing for automatic adjustments of height and speed for high-speed attacks and precise target strikes.

In the later Gulf War, the US used Tomahawk missiles to destroy Iraq's hydropower station, cutting off power supply to major cities. This mission was extremely challenging. If the missile deviated, it could hit the nearby dam, causing massive casualties among innocent civilians and putting enormous pressure on the US military. Moreover, the exterior walls of the power station were thick concrete defenses reinforced with steel plates, and a single Tomahawk missile couldn't penetrate it. Even if it did penetrate, its energy would be depleted, and it couldn't destroy the core facilities inside.

The US's ultimate solution was to launch two Tomahawk missiles at intervals. The first one would create a large hole in the outer wall of the power station, and the second one following would precisely pass through that hole and then explode inside the power station. This crazy plan was ultimately successful, a brilliant demonstration of the accuracy of Tomahawk missiles.

For now, as the first generation of cruise missiles, the V1 missile wasn't designed for precision strikes; instead, it relied on massive bombings. When deployed in large numbers, the issue of accuracy becomes less of a concern. The primary role of the V2 missile was still psychological deterrence because there were no warnings, and the attacks were sudden, instilling fear in people.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness," Dr. Oberth said with relief.

"Victory, then let's call the first type of missile V1 cruise missile. In the future, any missile that relies on jet engine thrust and aerodynamic lift from wings, primarily flying in cruise mode within the dense atmosphere, shall be collectively referred to as cruise missiles.

The second type of large rocket missile will be named V2 ballistic missile. Large rocket missiles that fly according to a predetermined trajectory under the action of rocket engine thrust and then follow a free parabolic path after shutdown will all be categorized as ballistic missiles. What do you think, Dr. Oberth?" Wilhelm suggested.

Dr. Oberth couldn't help but sigh "Such fitting names, Your Highness. You are indeed erudite."

Wilhelm was quite familiar with the performance data of the original timeline's V1 and V2, so he didn't need to look at the documents in his hand. Since these inventions were already feasible, it was time to move on to the next step. "We just talked about accuracy. If we let people control the missiles, wouldn't that improve their precision?" Wilhelm proposed.

Dr. Oberth looked puzzled "Let people control them? You mean putting people inside the missiles to control them?"

Wilhelm chuckled "No, that would be a suicide missile. What I mean is, for example, attaching a wire to the missile and having dedicated operators track the target through a guidance station on the ground. They can transmit commands through the wire to control the missile's flight trajectory and ensure it hits the target."

Dr. Oberth was hearing such a wild design for the first time and was left speechless for a while before finally recovering his composure. "Your Highness, how do we install the wire?"

Wilhelm explained casually "Dr. Oberth, it would be easy to understand if you've ever flown a kite or used a fishing rod. The wire is wound around the inside of the missile or around the missile's launch pad like winding a reel. Of course, you can also attach a wire to both ends and release them simultaneously upon launch. It's just a matter of winding techniques to ensure that the wire won't tangle or break when released at high speed. It should be easy to manage, not too tight or too loose. If you want to store them for an extended period, you may need to perform some dehydrating and reinforcement treatment."

Dr. Oberth quickly took notes of this explanation and then asked, "Your Highness, how do we avoid interference with the engine's jet flame when the wire is released? As you know, the engine's jet flame has a very high temperature. Won't the wire get burned?"

In response to his question, there were two solutions in the future. For example, anti-tank missiles like the Konkurs and HOT belonged to the rotating type. The rear engine nozzle had vector control surfaces that caused the missile to spin, and with each controlled rotation, it maintained a stable spin speed. The wire was placed on the periphery of the engine nozzle. In this way, the missile's engine exhaust was directed straight out from the center, while the wire on the outer part was flung away with the rotation of the missile, avoiding the engine's flame, just like how we used to jump rope when we were young.

The other type was the stable non-rotating missiles, such as the Toophan. "We can place the wire reel in the center of the missile's tail, and design the engine nozzle to be symmetrically inclined. That way, when launched, the wire will be released straight from the tail while the engine's flame jets backward at an angle, avoiding any interference."