Quoted By:
“Give my compliments to the gunnery crew,” you say to Witter. Crossing your arms, you look over at the Krupp gun, still smoking from the barrel and open breech. Witter nods enthusiastically, then speaks to the men in German. They all salute you sharply, the absolute model of professional artillerists.
“Well, Herr General?” Witter raises an eyebrow, hands in his pockets, as he looks back to you.
Sato leans in, whispering in Japanese. “These weapons are exactly what our army needs. Artillery is the undisputed master of a modern battlefield. I suggest we buy them.”
You nod slightly, turning to Witter. “I’ll take all the units you have.”
The German smiles graciously. “Very good, sir. I shall add them to your bill. Shall we negotiate the rest of your purchase as well?”
You think, rubbing your chin. What you’ve seen so far is a plethora of things that could give the Shogun’s army an advantage. The Dreyse rifles, as well as the machines to build them, are of highest priority to you right now. Still, buying machine tooling will be expansive, and you still have other nations to visit. Additionally, the army will need good uniforms and equipment, both of which the Arsenal has in spades. If you were to make a major purchase of uniforms, equipment, rifles, and the Krupp guns, that would leave you with only enough money for a small purchase of tooling. Of course, you could buy more tooling as well, but such a large expense this early on in the mission might draw the Shogun’s ire. You’ll have to be careful about what exactly you buy here today. The Arsenal has three thousand of the Dreyse rifles, as well as a plethora of older small arms in varying condition and obsolescence, as well as a smattering of pistols for use by officers. There are enough uniforms in stock, you estimate, to equip your entire force and have some to spare; the same goes for the associated kit, boots, hats, and ammunition carrying equipment. Then there comes the matter of the machine tooling for the Dreyse Needle Rifles… You know that buying any of that equipment will be expensive, but if you can buy just enough to set up a small workshop, your resident gunsmith might be able to grow the operation into a proper factory with some time.
Turning to your cadre, you switch to Japanese. “Gentlemen, your thoughts?”
