How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony

Chapter 240: Industrial Monastic Order (1)

If you look at one of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches, there is a so-called circular tank with cannons attached on all sides and wooden panels covering it to protect the occupants. It moves by human power.

Similarly, among the weapons designed by Conrad Kyeser, a medieval European engineer, there is a vehicle moved by horses, which is also surrounded by walls and equipped with hand cannons and blades.

Unlike the two examples above, the Wagenburg (war wagon) was a weapon that was actually used, employed to form defensive formations to protect friendly forces.

In any case, there has been a constant demand for “moving fortresses” that protect allies from enemies while maintaining mobility.

Since the most advantageous battle is a defensive one, the idea was that if that “fortress” could move, one could fight advantageously against enemies anywhere.

Of course, none of them ended up being widely used… according to the catalog of “Immortal Order.” I wondered why this was in there—perhaps they were trying to add tanks as weapons for the secret society.

The reason is clear.

How would you move it?

Whether made of wood or metal, how could such heavy equipment be moved on land? It’s obvious. By human or animal power, probably horses.

The heavy armor plates sitting on top.

The blades and gunpowder weapons piled inside.

But, a vehicle with just 1-2 horsepower.

It simply cannot move quickly.

These are not equipment with actual mobility, just significant for the fact that they “move” at all.

However, this power problem is eventually overcome as engine technology continues to develop.

During World War I, as the demand for “moving bunkers” capable of breaking through trenches increased, modern tanks and armored vehicles emerged.