Chapter 535 He Really Wants Me to Become the Commander-in-Chief
This is one of the benefits of vehicle-mounted rocket launchers.
A rocket artillery regiment has only 36 vehicles, and it is clean and has no extra personnel. All logistics and excess vehicles can be hidden in tunnel fortifications and do not need to go to the battlefield with the rocket launchers.
These 36 vehicles could instantly unleash the firepower of 10 artillery regiments, or to be exact, the firepower of 12 artillery regiments (each rocket launcher has 12 launch tubes), and then evacuate quickly and easily, even though the well-trained German army only gave them 10 minutes.
It seems that there are only two ways for the German artillery to counterattack: one is to shorten the reaction time, and the other is to predict the retreat route of the rocket launcher and intercept it.
However, neither is likely.
Tijani even has an excellent launching position.
He found an east-west high ground on the north bank of the Meuse River, only 6 kilometers away from the German artillery in the "river bend area".
There is a road at the foot of the high ground to the north, which is within the blind spot of the German artillery fire. Rocket launchers can safely use the road to maneuver, hide, replenish ammunition, and rest.
There is an open grassland to the north of the highway. As long as the vehicle-mounted rocket launcher penetrates one mile into the grassland, the rockets it launches can cross the high ground and hit the "river bay area."
Tijani moved the command center to the front line, which was located in a tunnel facing north on the high ground, only more than 200 meters away from the rocket artillery supply base.
In addition to making it easier to command the rocket artillery regiment in combat, more importantly, Tijani hopes to witness the miracle of the rocket artillery.
He even prepared a camera in advance, and when the rocket launcher was fired for the first time, he followed with a sidecar.
Tijani calls it "close-up photography."
Although he was mentally prepared, the spectacular sight of the rocket launcher still shocked him.
Flashes of fire lit up from behind the launch tube, and the rocket soared into the sky with a "whoosh" sound. The surroundings were instantly covered by thick smoke. The grass behind the launch tube was burned, and the grassless ground was burned into a charred circle.
Everything happened within a few minutes, and soon all the rockets were fired and everything returned to calm.
Tijani was stunned for a moment, and after being reminded by his staff officer, he suddenly remembered that rocket launchers should be "fired quickly and withdrawn quickly."
"Retreat!" Tijani shouted the order and jumped onto the sidecar to evacuate.
Because the grassland was open and spacious and several retreat routes were prepared in advance, the rocket artillery regiment retreated to a safe area in just five minutes.
It was not until Tijani returned to the road and raised his camera again that the German artillery shells came in overwhelming numbers, one after another, blasting craters in the empty grassland.
Tijani quickly pressed the shutter to capture these "precious" shots, sighing as he took the photos, saying sarcastically: "You shot very accurately, but they are innocent!"
All the rocket artillery regiment has to do is to repeat the same operation at another artillery position.
They can fire 432 rockets each time, which means 8,640 rockets if they fire 20 times a day.
Moreover, rocket launches do not rely on chamber pressure and do not have rifling, and their lifespan is much longer than traditional artillery. Although their accuracy is insufficient, if tens of thousands of rockets are fired at the "River Bay Area" in two days, one may get a lot of "results" by chance.
Strictly speaking, the launch of a rocket launcher is not just a matter of "luck".
Charles deployed artillery observers on the high ground, and when the German artillery fired back, the flashes and smoke from the muzzles would expose the exact location of their artillery positions.
(Note: For the convenience of command, artillery is usually deployed in battalions, and sometimes even in regiments. This is due to the backward communication equipment. The more dispersed, the more difficult it is to unify the elements and respond quickly.)
Then, the next batch of rockets is targeted at this "precise location".
Tijani, who witnessed the miracle, excitedly sent a telegram to Charles:
"You are right, Major General. Everything is just as you expected."
"We don't need to worry about range, and we don't need to worry about accuracy."
"The enemy is completely in a passive state. I believe they must be in despair at this moment!"
…
Charles was still in Paris and he was in no hurry to return to the front.
He didn't need to rush. The army had not yet launched a general offensive. Now was the stage to use rockets to consume the German artillery. When they were consumed to a certain extent or even collapsed, that would be the best time to attack.
If the armored units were ordered to advance now, the German artillery could completely ignore the suppression of the "lack of accuracy" of the rocket launchers and choose to aim their guns at the tank group.
Charles sat in the conference room of the Ritz Hotel, holding a cup of hot water in front of the fire, warming himself by the fire and waiting quietly.
Traveling around on an open-top plane in winter is not a pleasant experience. Even though Charles had put on a lot of clothes, he was still shivering from the cold and hasn't recovered yet.
Hot water is a good thing. It can quickly bring temperature to the body and then flow throughout the body through the blood.
Not long after, there were several knocks on the door, and then Foch, looking lonely, appeared at the door.
"Hey, Major General." Foch stepped forward and shook hands with Charles, with a hint of envy in his eyes.
"General!" Charles stood up respectfully to greet him, and only sat down opposite Foch when he sat down on the sofa.
"What do you want from me?" Foch asked jokingly. "You don't want me to be your advisor?"
Charles did not need an advisor, and no one could serve as Charles's advisor, especially since Foch was the founder of the "offensive theory".
However, Ciel responded with a sincere look: "Any time if you like, General."
Foch's eyes lit up and his heart was moved.
Foch was not a vain person. Although he also wanted to save face, he could give up everything if he could stay in the army and continue to command the troops in battle.
However, Ciel responded, "But I don't think you should be more than just an advisor, General."
Foch laughed at himself: "After not seeing you for a month, you are more talkative than before."
Foch implied that Charles was being hypocritical, and Charles clearly did not want him to be an advisor, but he insisted that "he should not be just an advisor."
"I'm serious, General." Charles pushed the hot coffee he had prepared in front of Foch and answered calmly, "I think you are more suitable to be the commander-in-chief. Commander-in-chief of the French army and commander-in-chief of the coalition forces."
Foch was stunned for a moment, then laughed and took a sip of the coffee.
This is impossible, as I have been assigned the position of "Director of the Military Research Center".
However, Charles did not mean to joke at all, and there was no mockery in his eyes. He just sat quietly looking at Foch, waiting for Foch's reply.
Foch's smile gradually disappeared, and then turned into shock and confusion.
This little guy is serious, he really wants me to be the commander-in-chief!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
