Chapter 192 Coordinated Operations
The train dragged several carriages and slowly drove into the tank base. It stopped with a harsh brake sound and released steam with a "hiss". The surroundings were instantly shrouded in white, like a fairyland.
It was Gallieni's order to move the railway into the tank base so that when needed on the battlefield, tanks could be transported by train to every place where they were needed in the shortest time possible.
At the same time, trains can also bring necessary materials and supplies to tank bases.
But this time, the train did not bring these, but mortars, artillery shells, and a group of instructors.
…
Brownie looked at an assembled mortar on the ground and asked in confusion, "Is this the new weapon you invented?"
Charles nodded: "I think it can solve the problem you just mentioned, Colonel!"
Colonel Brownie looked at Charles in surprise, then laughed: "Are you kidding? Such a small cannon, against the German field artillery..."
But when he saw Charles' serious face, he put away his smile and said, "Okay, tell me what we should do!"
Browne was the man who believed in Charles most, and had always believed in him since the victory of the Battle of the Marne with the use of tanks.
If he finds something unbelievable, he will immediately turn it around and think: There must be something wrong with me!
Charles walked into the awning with the training map, and Brownie followed immediately.
"Perhaps we should change our tactics, Colonel!" Charles picked up the pen that was thrown on the table and wrote on the training map: "We can't always let the tanks go in front to block everything for the infantry. The result of doing so is to watch the tanks being blown up into the sky one by one!"
Colonel Browne was instantly stunned.
During this period, all his ideas, including those of Colonel Estiny, were not completely different. The tactics they summed up were all centered around tanks covering the infantry.
But now...
But Charles told him that he couldn't rely on the tanks' cover?
"But." Colonel Brownie looked confused: "We have always done this."
"That's just because the enemy doesn't know we have tanks." Charles replied softly, "Or, in other words, they don't know how to deal with tanks and aren't even prepared!"
After a pause, Charles added, "If the enemy is prepared, as you just said, they only need to deploy field artillery behind the defense line, and our tanks will become their targets!"
Brownie thought about it and felt that it was right.
The Battle of the Marne was the first time the Germans saw tanks, and of course they were not prepared.
In the Battle of La Faux, the Germans deployed all their artillery on the front, while Charles launched the attack from its empty wings.
If attacked from the front, even the Mark I would be blown to pieces, as would the infantry behind the tanks.
But this made Brownie even more confused. He looked puzzled and hesitant: "Major, if we don't use tanks to cover the infantry, do we use infantry to cover the tanks?"
"You can say that!" Charles nodded. "In fact, they should cover each other: tanks cover infantry, and infantry also cover tanks. If tanks are in danger, infantry should go up without a doubt. Otherwise, the infantry will quickly collapse because they lose the cover of tanks!"
"You're right!" Brownie nodded with difficulty: "But how can infantry cover tanks?"
In Brownie's opinion, infantrymen are just flesh and blood. Can they stand in front of tanks to block their shells?
Charles Pencil drew a line on the training map and explained calmly, "We might as well divide the offensive line here, about 700 meters away from the enemy's defense line. Beyond this line, it is difficult for the enemy to find infantry and hit infantry, but it is easy to find tanks and destroy them!"
Brownie nodded.
This is obvious. The tank's tall body and the "rumbling" noise make it difficult not to attract the enemy's attention.
When visibility is good, enemy artillery does not even need a telescope and can directly aim field artillery at the tank.
But if they are infantry, they will advance in dispersed ways under cover, or crawl on the ground, making it difficult for the enemy to cause effective casualties at this distance.
(Note: This is the reason why the range of modern assault rifles is generally around 400 meters. At longer distances, it is difficult to hit the target unless it is a professionally trained sniper. The range of bolt-action rifles in World War I and World War II was 700 to 800 meters, which was unreasonable and even a serious waste.)
At this time, Charles came to the conclusion: "So, at this distance, it should be the infantry that provides cover for the tanks."
Colonel Browne suddenly realized: "That is to say, before the tanks set out, the infantry will go to the battlefield to prepare for the tank attack?"
"Yes!" Charles answered, "Infantrymen clear obstacles for tanks, such as mines, roadblocks, and barbed wire. Sometimes they also plan the tanks' attack routes to help them avoid muddy areas where they might get stuck."
Colonel Brownie nodded slowly: "Then it's the tank's turn..."
"No!" Charles interrupted Colonel Brownie: "Then the mortars should come into play!"
Charles raised his head towards the mortars placed outside.
Colonel Browne was stunned for a moment, then nodded repeatedly: "That's right, it has a range of 700 meters, and it is now within range."
But after thinking about it, he shook his head again: "But it still can't suppress the enemy's field artillery, they may be set up out of range!"
The range of the German field artillery was five kilometers, while the range of the mortar was only 700 meters. As long as the field artillery was deployed a little further back, it would be out of the range of the mortar.
Ciel smiled softly: "We don't need to suppress it, Colonel, we can use smoke bombs!"
Colonel Browne said, "Oh!" "That's right, the mortar fires smoke bombs, which can block the enemy's infantry artillery's sight!"
"There will also be mortar bombardments!" Charles pointed at the enemy's defense line on the training map. "This place will be covered with dust and smoke, and there will be suppression from our field artillery and howitzers, and even fighter planes in the sky... Then it will be time for the tanks to take the field!"
Brownie was stunned. This kind of battle...
Charles said: "Before this, it was just the coordination between infantry and tanks. Now..."
Brownie nodded: "Now, it is the coordination of infantry, artillery, tanks, and aircraft. It is difficult to achieve. But as long as we do it, even if we only do part of it, it means that the enemy will have no power to fight back!"
Charles was satisfied with Colonel Brownie's words, which showed that he had understood the concept of coordinated operations.
Colonel Estiny is more suitable for command in strategic direction, while Browne has a higher sensitivity to tactical coordination.
(The picture above is a vintage steam train)
(End of this chapter)
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