On the second day, Liu Guozhu found that more troops were catching up. Various logistics support troops also began to deploy next to his camp, and then the security troops began to extend further forward.
The first ones to arrive here were the field dining trucks and drinking water trucks. Later, equipment capable of pumping water was installed, tents were supported one by one, and open-air bathhouses were also set up, with simple shower pipes in between. wooden planks.
This is a military camp, and few women come, so everyone stays away. Many people don't even wear clothes at all when they go to take a shower.
After all, bathing is timed. Every ordinary officer and soldier is only given five minutes to bathe. If it takes time to take off clothes, it will be too late.
On the fifth day after the armored forces stopped attacking, the logistics support modification team finally arrived. They brought raw materials to modify the No. 4 tank for the armored forces on the spot.
During the battle, too many problems were exposed. Weapons need better improvement solutions from actual users in order to become more reliable and perfect.
Take the No. 4 tank, for example. As the war continued to develop, it was not perfect and needed to be modified.
Being able to carry out modifications on the front line means that they are all minor repairs, and some even require the help of armored soldiers, so the whole camp became very lively.
A worker is scraping off the paint on the side of the tank. Where the paint has been scraped off, a welder is welding triangular iron-like parts to the side of the tank.
These triangular iron supports are used to hang the side skirts of the tank. The No. 4 tank produced before the war did not have this kind of thing to improve the side protection.
As the war progressed, the front armor of the No. 4 tank was adequate, but the thin side armor was obviously not suitable for the needs of future wars.
Therefore, Tang Mo immediately used the simplest method in World War II to give all No. 4 tanks a simple upgrade.
All Panzer IV tanks in service are equipped with side armor skirts. Such additional external steel plates can effectively strengthen the tank's side defense.
In addition, all No. 4 tanks currently operating on the front line must have a piece of armor welded on the front to increase defense capabilities, increasing the thickness of the front armor to 60 mm.
The overall weight of the No. 4 tank with these additions to the armor has increased, and the level of protection has also been greatly improved: this kind of welded steel plate with a gap between the main armor and the main armor can effectively resist impact fuse shells, reducing the risk of such shells penetrating the tank. risks of.
To be honest, it's not of much use, but it's better than nothing. Soldiers still like the feeling of being cared for all the time.
The loader, driver, gunner, and electromechanical crew were holding a large iron plate and hanging it on the side bracket that had been installed on the other side.
There is a lock on this bracket that can fix this heavy steel plate so that it will not fall due to vibration and scratches when the tank is moving.
Similarly, brackets need to be welded around the turret of the No. 4 tank, and then such steel plates are hung. This is also the main means of increasing turret protection.
The armor welded on the front of the turret is thicker than the armor welded on the front of the car body, which also causes the No. 4 tank turret speed to drop a little after the armor is added.
The improvement of the turret was welcomed by many armored soldiers, because the iron ring was slightly modified, which fully doubled the size of the trunk and could store many less important personal items.
Based on frontline combat experience, the subsequent production of the No. 4 tank added a commander's machine gun base, which can be equipped with a machine gun with a shield at any time.
This gives the commander a certain ability to attack infantry, but it also increases the commander's combat risks. Therefore, under normal circumstances, this machine gun is not equipped, but the base is reserved to add an option.
After clapping his hands, the loader was obviously very satisfied with the steel plate added to his side, which gave him a greater sense of security.
However, he didn't like the ring of steel plates installed on the side of the turret, because the ring of steel plates blocked the loader exit on the side of the turret, making it inconvenient for him to get in and out.
In the distance, the modified tanks of the 1st Armored Division are all being repainted. This is the most classic three-color camouflage paint that the Tang Army infantry has begun to use on a large scale. The top of the tank's turret is painted bright red. , as well as the eye-catching dragon emblem.
This is also an important part of improvement, in order to avoid accidental damage by the Air Force. The original method of stamping red flags on the car body was too casual, so this time it was all changed to paint.
In order to reduce the risk of being discovered by the enemy, the previous solid numbers were changed to hollow white and painted on the welded outer armor.
In short, this change made the Tang Army's armored forces look more foreign. Everyone likes the new look of their tanks, and Liu Guozhu is no exception.
"It's a pity that the smoking device has not been changed." As the commander of the car, Liu Guozhu is only responsible for helping to paint the roof of the car. While he was working, he complained to the workers in the logistics modification unit.
"I heard that the new batch of No. 4 tanks has increased the power of the smoke motor." The worker explained helplessly: "The ones equipped first cannot be modified. It is too troublesome."
"Every time I fire a gun, I feel like I am committing suicide. This matter still needs to be reported to the higher authorities." Liu Guozhu continued to complain without giving up.
This thing really affected his combat experience. The air in the car was not very good to begin with, and it started to choke after a few more shots.
"We will write a report. Your opinions are very valuable." Seeing the second-class Hussars Medal hanging on Liu Guozhu's chest, the worker attached great importance to his opinions: "But don't have too much hope. I guess it will be the best." The possible outcome is to directly replace you with a new batch of tanks."
At this time, those who can wear the second-class hussar medal on their chests are first-class ruthless people. I heard that they all have made great achievements, are brave and tenacious on the battlefield, and are fierce.
In fact, the modification of the Tang Army's old weapons was carried out at the same time as the distribution of their new weapons. While the front-line troops were tinkering, many second-line training troops were surprised to find that they began to equip some equipment that they had never heard of before. new weapons.
For example. Tang Mo began to use the No. 4 chassis to modify larger-caliber artillery, that is, a 155 mm caliber self-propelled howitzer.
As the war progressed, many troops reported that the 105 mm caliber howitzer modified on the chassis of the No. 2 tank was too weak and might suffer when encountering enemy large-caliber artillery.
The army urgently needs a larger-caliber self-propelled artillery to provide stronger and more powerful artillery support for the rapidly advancing tank and armored forces.
As a result, the overwhelmed No. 2 tank chassis began to cease production, and the No. 4 tank chassis began to have sufficient production capacity to carry a 155 mm caliber howitzer, becoming the Tang Army's latest self-propelled artillery.
After experiments, engineers from Datang Group replaced the 150mm caliber howitzer originally equipped by the Wild Bee with a 155mm caliber howitzer. The range was increased to 14 kilometers and it was more powerful.
The new Wild Bee is quite powerful in combat effectiveness. Compared with the 105 mm caliber self-propelled howitzer currently used by the Tang Army, it has a longer range, greater power, and is more versatile with the No. 4 tank.
Another new type of weapon is the No. 4 assault gun issued to infantry. This thing was proposed by the infantry. They hope to have their own position-breaking tank.
If you encounter enemy fortifications and have to wait for tanks to come for support, the infantry's combat efficiency will be greatly reduced.
Therefore, infantry commanders hope to obtain an armored combat vehicle attached to the infantry to provide more timely battlefield support for the infantry.
Later, many departments also expressed their hope that infantry can be given certain anti-tank capabilities so that infantry can face enemy armored tanks and vehicles alone.
The combination of these two needs gave rise to a brand new armored combat vehicle: the No. 4 assault gun.
Unlike the real 4 Baldy in history, this assault gun is actually equipped with the short-barreled 75mm caliber gun on the No. 4 tank, and its performance parameters and various indicators are exactly the same.
Because it uses the chassis of the No. 4 tank instead of the No. 3 tank, this new No. 4 Bald can carry more ammunition than the No. 3 Bald, and its sustained combat capability is also slightly stronger.
Like the assault guns that Tang Mo is familiar with, this brand new No. 4 assault gun also has no turret and adopts a lower shape, which also reduces production costs and construction costs.
What is different from history is that Tang Mo has no plans to produce tank destroyers, because his tanks are destined to crush his opponents in both quality and quantity. Instead of producing tank destroyers, it is better to produce armored divisions with more tanks and equipment. It's true.
However, he did not completely reject the temptation of destroyers, but was prepared to equip the infantry units with better-performing anti-tank destroyers at the right time. But at that time, the chassis of the No. 4 tank was not necessarily used.
Only 45 No. 4 assault guns have been produced and are expected to be equipped with three companies and belong to the armored company of the artillery regiment under the infantry division.
Subsequently, the No. 4 Assault Artillery Armored Battalion will be established under the infantry to support the troops and provide temporary anti-tank firepower for the infantry. In addition, it can also provide temporary suppressive firepower, making it truly an all-rounder on the battlefield.
Such a small output is due to the serious lack of production capacity of the No. 4 tank site. This thing has to be supplied to tanks and used to modify 155 mm caliber self-propelled howitzers. It is not possible to produce so many assault guns for a while.
Therefore, the assault gun is still in the experimental stage at this stage and is not considered to be installed in large quantities. Whether it can become a famous infantry friend depends on whether the production capacity of the No. 4 tank can be further improved.
