When Zhao Gang introduced the various equipment of the 1st Marine Regiment to the deputy commander and his party, the brigade commander sitting in the middle of the auditorium hit Huang He's arm with his elbow.
"By the way, how to solve the maintenance problem of the tank."
"Don't let someone drive it and leave it broken and no one can repair it. We in the Eighth Route Army have just lived a prosperous life, but we are not so luxurious that we just throw away the equipment when it breaks."
The brigade commander had never driven a tank and had no experience in commanding armored troops. But as a well-informed commander, he pointed out the most critical issues very keenly.
The more modern the equipment, the higher the requirements for logistics personnel. Equipment like tanks, which combine mobility, protection and firepower, are simply incapable of ordinary soldiers and maintenance workers.
Fortunately, the Awakening Brave Tiger system provides detailed user manuals and technical manuals with the vehicle. The comrades of the 1st Marine Regiment are elites from all levels of the army, and their cultural foundation and learning ability are astonishingly strong.
Coupled with the patient guidance of the teachers at the Border Motorcycle School, the above problems have naturally been solved long ago.
"Don't worry about maintenance. The mobile combat company of the 1st Marine Regiment has completed the first phase of training. They can now independently perform basic repairs and maintenance."
"Look at the house in front of us on the left. There is a maintenance workshop specially built by their regiment. It contains hoisting and other equipment for tank maintenance."
"This is a pilot project. After the training is completed, the instructors' level will be improved to a higher level, and then it can be promoted to the entire army."
After hearing Huang He's answer, the brigade commander nodded with satisfaction.
The current number of Cicadas is insufficient, and priority can only be given to meeting the training needs of the 1st Marine Regiment.
But sooner or later in the future, the three main forces will be equipped with various types of tanks, so he asked about logistics as a way to prepare for a rainy day.
According to the current development momentum, after the border areas completely push the Japanese into the sea, there may be many "armor experts" emerging in the army. It is even very likely that a certain commander on Fourth Master's side will be upgraded to an "Armored Wizard."
Li Yunlong's growth experience will also change. As the first commander of the Eighth Route Army's airborne troops, he is likely to become an "airborne combat expert" before the end of the war.
As for carrying a few stars on the shoulders, whether it can become a master level like Stuart depends on what size the Marine Regiment can eventually expand into.
While the brigade commander and Huang He were chatting, the portable communicator around Zhao Gang's waist started to move. He first stopped explaining and signaled the bosses to wait a moment, then turned the communicator's volume to the maximum.
Soon, Lao Li's rough voice echoed over the audience.
"Report to the commander! The 1st Marine Regiment of the Eighth Route Army has made all preparations for the exercise! Please give instructions!"
Hearing this, the deputy commander took over the communicator and ordered with a serious face:
"Okay! The exercise officially begins!"
"Li Yunlong, most of the commanders above the brigade level of the three main forces are here today. Perform well and let everyone see the true strength of your regiment!"
"Yes! Promise to complete the mission!"
······
After the conversation ended, Commander Li signaled the soldiers in front of him to start boarding the plane.
In order to ensure the authenticity and safety of the exercise, everyone wore full equipment and underwent inspections in advance. After receiving the order from their regiment leader, the comrades quickly boarded the plane according to their usual training groups.
The ground handling team also completed troubleshooting ahead of schedule, and Principal Chang's voice soon sounded in the cabin.
"Attention all crews! Attention all crews! The exercise has officially begun! Everyone takes off in order!"
A minute later, Li Yunlong's air overlord began to advance slowly, heading towards the runway from the apron.
After arriving at the starting point, the entire transport aircraft paused for a moment and then began to increase its power. The four propellers of the engines on both sides also rotated faster and faster. Even the distant auditorium could hear a huge noise.
Since the weight of the transport aircraft and glider is very large, a special runway is required for acceleration to take off smoothly. The entire flight process is full of violent aesthetics, and it feels like a flying brick.
When the six transport planes formed a formation over Wusu Airport, they took the soldiers and flew south.
Seeing the plane disappear from sight, Zhao Gang first put down the telescope in his hand, and then explained to the big guys behind him:
"To simulate real airborne operations, the transport will fly with the troops for a period of time."
"In about ten minutes, the soldiers participating in the exercise will begin parachuting or landing in the sky above the base training ground."
After hearing Zhao Gang's explanation, the deputy commander nodded to express his understanding.
Then he turned his head and looked behind him, and asked the commanders who had not recovered from the shock:
"Everyone, how did it feel to watch the 1st Marine Regiment exercise for the first time? Did you find it eye-opening?"
"Haha, my condition in May this year is not much better than yours. I'm afraid that boy Li Yunlong will fall from the sky with my elite troops."
"Lao Xu, Xiao Liu, you two can express your opinions. The transport plane won't come back in ten minutes, so there's no point in us hanging around here."
Suddenly being called upon by the deputy commander, 103 quickly wiped the tears from his eyes.
If all the commanders who watched the exercise were ranked according to age, his ranking would definitely be at the bottom. Looking at the entire audience, the only one younger than him was Commander Yang from the Jizhong Division 1.
Being young means being relatively emotional.
Seeing that the Eighth Route Army had such advanced arms and high-tech products, he felt happy for the troops from the bottom of his heart.
As a commander who has climbed snow-capped mountains and walked through grasslands, he also thought of those comrades who fell on the transfer road, and felt sorry that the comrades could not witness this day with their own eyes.
If the Red Army had had its current strength at that time, it might not have needed to walk those 25,000 miles at all.
"I think that in the field of airborne troops, we have already reached the front of the major military powers. I have been studying in the north for more than two years, and I have never heard of the possibility of tanks being airborne."
"Today is the first time I have seen the 1st Marine Regiment perform a mission. I feel very honored to be able to fight side by side with this unit."
"If possible, I hope to have the opportunity to participate in airborne operations in the future and experience first-hand what it's like to be a paratrooper."
As soon as these words came out, the big guys smiled one after another.
Obviously, there are not a few people who want to try falling from the sky. However, due to their physical condition and the lack of troops, there is a high probability that the ideas in their minds will not be realized.
Seemingly sensing the sadness of his subordinates, the tiger in the forest made an exception and joked:
"You still want to experience what it's like to be a paratrooper? I remember you felt dizzy as soon as you got on the plane? What's the difference between jumping in that state and committing suicide?"
"What's more, the 1st Marine Regiment is a technical arm. What you learned at the Frunze Military Academy were all infantry tactics, which is not suitable from a professional perspective."
"What are you going to do? Teach Li Yunlong how to shine leather shoes?"
A barrage of complaints made 103 temporarily forget his sadness. He scratched the back of his head and smiled slightly sheepishly.
I was just looking forward to the sky, but I forgot the fact that I was airsick.
The First Marine Regiment is not only a special force directly under the headquarters, but also a subordinate unit of the Air Force. As a person who gets dizzy when getting on an airplane, I probably will never have anything to do with the Air Force in my life.
After 103 expressed his opinion, everyone present looked at the infantry expert.
Basically, everyone was an old comrade who had been reorganized into the Eighth Route Army with the army, and they knew more or less about each other's teacher-student relationship with Li Yunlong.
"Although it was the first time for me to see a Marine Regiment take off with my own eyes, I usually discussed the possibilities of various tactics when I gave Li Yunlong a briefing."
"Including the subsequent use of airborne tanks, part of my hard work is also involved."
"If you ask me what I think of our Eighth Route Army's only airborne force, I can only say that I have nothing but pride and pride."
The above answer did not exceed everyone's expectations. It is normal for master and apprentice to communicate in private. Perhaps dissatisfied with everyone's response, the infantry expert decided to add a little more excitement.
"Comrades, please don't look down upon the 1st Marine Regiment just because it has only been exposed to tanks for a short time."
"If the current Li Yunlong were placed in the Kunlun Pass back then, his performance would definitely not be inferior to that of Guo Preserved Armored Commander. That kid is like a sponge now, and his learning ability is far beyond your imagination."
"Everyone must observe carefully, the next exercise will definitely not disappoint you!"
After the revelations from infantry experts, the bosses once again raised their expectations for the exercise.
Even Huang He was a little excited. After all, after delivering the Cicada to Li Yunlong, he had been busy working on communication networks and armored trains.
He also had to question in his mind what tricks the airborne tank could play in the opponent's hands.
······
After ten minutes of flight, six Air Overlords pulled the Hamilka glider back to the sky above Wusu Airport.
After gradually approaching the target area, the transport formation began to descend slowly and orderly in preparation for parachute and airborne operations.
In the cabin, the soldiers of the 1st Marine Regiment also began the final inspection work. The pilots were highly focused and only waited for Principal Chang's order to separate the glider.
"Attention all crews! Next, the gliders will be released in order of numbers! No. 1, start the release!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the steel cable at the tail of the first transport aircraft was decoupled. Hamilka, loaded with Cicada tanks and soldiers, began to glide, gradually descending towards the destination.
After the separation was successfully completed, the hatch of the transport aircraft opened with the indicator light.
After listening to his captain's instructions as usual, Wei Dayong, who was at the front of the queue, jumped out of the hatch with familiarity. Whether it is daily training or combat missions, the monk is always the first person in the regiment to parachute.
In just a few minutes, the sky above Wusu Airport was filled with huge white umbrella canopies. The whole process was extremely smooth and there were no accidents.
After successfully completing the mission, the transport aircraft began to adjust its angle in the air. As long as it landed safely, the pilots could end all today's exercises.
Under the watchful eyes of the bosses, the first Hamilcar glider landed successfully.
Perhaps because of the large load capacity, the moment the pulley touched the ground, it actually bounced up to a certain height with the body.
Fortunately, it had a 34-meter-long wing and a strong fuselage. Although the process seemed thrilling, it finally completed the landing smoothly.
After landing, the first thing to come out was not a tank, but a dozen soldiers rushing out from the side hatch. They held weapons and rushed to a defensive position, immediately entering a state of high alert.
At the same time, the glider's nose was opened from the inside, and a passage for tanks to enter and exit appeared in front of everyone.
Based on the skilled operation procedures of the soldiers, the bosses watching the exercise from a distance can conclude that the training intensity of the 1st Marine Regiment is definitely not low on weekdays.
To be able to achieve this level in less than a month must be the result of talent and hard work.
After a while, the paratroopers took care of their parachutes and began to move closer to the position of the airborne troops.
"Zhang Dabiao! Count non-combat attrition!"
"Xing Zhiguo! I will take the soldiers to follow the tanks 1 to 3! You take the people to follow the tanks 4 to 6!"
"Start immediately in five minutes. The troops must quickly move towards the planned attack area. Time is of the essence!"
Seeing hundreds of soldiers moving quickly under the command of his regiment leader, Zhao Gang, who was in the audience, cleared his throat and began to explain by heart.
"Any parachute operation requires suddenness. Our regiment will try to appear in an unexpected position every time to catch the Japanese by surprise."
"The location of this exercise is set in the hinterland of the Mongolian army. Considering the opponent's mobility and the large number of puppet spy agents, the troops need to move faster than in the past."
As soon as he finished speaking, the deputy commander saw a small number of soldiers jumping onto the tank.
Among them, Li Yunlong sat on the right side of the tank numbered No. 1, while Xing Zhiguo sat on the right side of the tank numbered No. 4. The soldiers who had no position could only run forward behind.
After advancing about one kilometer, the team stopped, and all the soldiers in the tanks got off the left side.
Without waiting for any of the leaders to ask questions, Zhao Gang, who was responsible for explaining the tactics, took the initiative to explain:
"Tanks only carry soldiers during movements where no firefight is expected. Li Yunlong and Xing Zhiguo, as the chief and deputy regimental commanders, should form the lead vehicles of the two tank platoon leaders according to combat regulations."
"The reason why I sit on the right side is to be close to the tank commander's hatch, so that I can communicate with the other party at any time. On the opposite side of the two is the fire team leader who is responsible for commanding the infantrymen on the same ride. His task is to guide a light tank Machine gun and two rifle fire."
"Everyone disembarks from the left side so that the driver can see every infantry member leaving the tank to prevent accidental damage to friendly forces. If the battle is urgent, the soldiers will disembark from both sides, and the commander will tell the vehicle Long report.”
The big guys in the audience were all exposed to their own tanks for the first time, and they were all amazed when they heard that there were so many ways to get on and off the vehicle.
After all, the previous research was all about how to kill the Japanese tanks, and I never thought about the details.
In front of everyone's sight, the infantrymen gathered behind the tank again. But something strange is that the soldiers did not disperse but gathered very densely.
The doubts did not last long, and soon they discovered that the comrades of the 1st Marine Regiment were adjusting their formation as they advanced, and finally launched a charge with the tanks.
"Our regiment divided the offensive process into four areas according to regions. These areas are the attack starting area, the impact starting area, the formation deployment area and the firefighting area."
"The starting area for an attack is generally far away from the enemy's front-line positions. It is not suitable for infantry to start charging. After all, flesh and blood cannot keep charging all the time."
"So between the attack starting area and the enemy's position, there needs to be an area specifically for the infantry to prepare for the charge, which is the attack starting area I just mentioned."
"The infantry responsible for attacking with the tanks do not set up a fixed battle formation from the moment the attack begins. They need to make real-time changes based on the enemy's fire distribution. In the process, they can get a little closer to maintain contact and rescue. .”
"After the adjustment is completed, the tank troops will arrive in the firefighting area, and then it will be time for the official attack."
Zhao Gang's meticulous and step-by-step explanation made it easy for the bosses to understand the tactical details of the 1st Marine Regiment. In fact, all the steps mentioned above are, to put it bluntly, the most basic cooperative combat between infantry and tank.
The purpose of this tactic is to give full play to the advantages of the two arms, compensate for each other's shortcomings, and ultimately achieve the effect of 1+1>2.
For example, tanks have powerful firepower, armor that can withstand most Japanese infantry fire, and observation equipment that is stronger than the naked eye.
Although the infantry's firepower is relatively weak, it is smaller in size and more flexible in movement, and the veteran's field of vision is definitely much better than in a tank.
If each takes advantage of their strengths, tanks can take advantage of their firepower to easily destroy Japanese fortifications and bunkers, and can suppress the Japanese at any time.
In this way, the infantry can approach the enemy with no or slight injuries and engage in close combat with the enemy.
The infantry is responsible for observation and instructions, and provides close range and blind area warning for the tanks.
After all, armored vehicles can never be allowed to move independently, otherwise the enemy may use blind spots to get close to the tank. If the airborne tanks of the 1st Marine Regiment let the Japanese develop thorn mines in advance, wouldn't they be hit by a Taijun happy stick?
In addition to providing warning, infantry can also enter buildings, woods and other locations that are inconvenient for tanks to clean up enemies, eliminating the possibility of sneak attacks by Lao Yinbi as much as possible.
In fact, infantry-tank coordination is not a particularly high-end existence in army tactics, but the premise is that the troops have advanced communication devices.
Take the German Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks as an example. Their performance in the early stages of the war was not outstanding. It is precisely because every tank has a radio that the two brothers are invincible in the war.
In a coordinated operation, if there are sufficient communication tools between tanks and tanks and between tanks and infantry, then even if the team is very large, the difficulty of organization will not be too high.
The 1st Marine Regiment happened to have the above conditions.
As the most elite unit of the Eighth Route Army, soldiers can even use portable communicators down to the squad level, focusing on luxury resources.
······
During Zhao Gang's explanation, the six tanks of the First Marine Regiment had been divided into two platoons and transformed into a rear triangle formation, with each platoon led by two tanks.
Since tanks have blind spots for observation and weapons, and the combat environment may be complex and narrow terrain, the advantage of this formation is that each tank has a certain azimuth inspection circle.
At this time, the infantry can follow at a very close distance, but it cannot exceed a distance of 200 meters.
When the opponent does not have anti-tank weapons, this method of attack can give full play to the greatest advantages of the two arms.
The tank will first call out the enemy's machine gun fire points to help the infantry reduce losses during the attack. When they got close to the Japs' position, the infantry rushed forward to harvest the enemy.
We have a very simple and easy-to-understand professional term for the above tactics: Mixed Gold Shield.
Zhao Gang did not give any unnecessary explanation during this exercise. The deputy commander-in-chief and his team were all commanders who had been fighting for many years, and they could see the advantages of such a battle at a glance.
After a while, the 1st Marine Regiment changed its formation again, with infantry in front and tanks behind.
"The tactics just applied are applicable when the Japanese do not have anti-tank weapons. The assumption at this stage is that the enemy has certain anti-tank capabilities. At this time, the infantry need to take the initiative to attack and try to kill all anti-tank means in sight."
"This formation is relatively difficult because the comrades are in front of the tank and need to communicate in real time not to be crushed by the tank, and to prevent being accidentally injured by the weapons on the tank."
"In the future, when field troops have larger-caliber tanks, they will also have to consider whether the accompanying infantry will be shocked when the main gun fires."
As soon as he finished speaking, the tanks of the 1st Marine Regiment made their final formation change.
The three tanks in one row formed a triangular formation, and the tanks in the second row adjusted their angles slightly and followed closely behind. There were infantry mixed in between the two, and the entire army turned into an arrow moving forward in an instant.
If it were really on the battlefield, the number of enemy casualties would definitely increase explosively.
"The current formation of tanks in the back row is called a horizontal formation, which is suitable for terrains with good visibility or wide attack channels. The tanks can also change into left and right echelon formations through changes in speed, which not only gives full play to the tanks' The firepower advantage can also reduce the risk of being wiped out in one go.”
"Paired with infantry, it's a mixed charge of infantry and tanks. It is said to be one of the favorite tactics in the north."
"The tanks in the front row suppress the enemy's firepower in a stable triangular formation. The tanks are followed by the infantry, and the infantry is followed by the tanks, so that our offensive forces can achieve seamless connection."
"The tank at the head of the team attracts a fire resistance line near the tank, and cooperates with the infantry behind it to gain more output time for the tanks in the second row."
After the entire exercise, the 1st Marine Regiment, led by Li Yunlong, began to move closer to the auditorium.
At this moment, the sharp-eyed deputy commander noticed that the soldiers participating in the operation seemed to have sufficient physical strength. After just over half an hour of high-intensity fighting, I still have energy left to run forward.
"In addition to normal physical training, our team also practices the 400-meter obstacle course every day."
"All this is so that the infantry can still advance with the tanks despite the lack of motorized equipment."
6K chapters, even if it is two chapters, the agreement is completed
(End of chapter)
