Chapter 757 We also have channels to buy gasoline
Erwin understood what Manstein meant:
What he said was that if you want to defeat Charles, you must find another way and cannot simply learn Charles' tactics, otherwise you will always be one step behind.
Manstein's next words also prove this point:
"You should know something, General."
"The tactics you learned from Ciel were invented by Ciel. He is more familiar with them than you are, and of course he has strategies to crack them."
"But if we use a different play, something that's completely foreign to him, that's another story."
Erwin had no way of refutation.
This may be the case of "those involved are confused, while those who are not involved can see clearly". Erwin was the one deeply involved in the situation, while Manstein was a bystander.
Erwin stared at the sketch of the anti-tank gun on the document, thought for a while and asked, "How many of these guns can we produce?"
"The initial estimate is that 1,000 guns will be produced," Manstein replied.
This is a mass-produced artillery piece, especially designed to equip infantry to improve overall anti-tank capabilities.
The cost was indeed great, but once it was achieved, the infantry trenches would not be something that Charles' troops could easily cross.
"Do we have that much production capacity?" Erwin expressed doubt.
Producing 1,000 guns in a short period of time, even though it was a small 37MM caliber gun, was not an easy task for Germany, which was short of supplies at the time.
"We have a more convenient method." Manstein handed over another picture: "You should know this kind of cannon, General."
Manstein knew at a glance that it was the French revolving gun.
(The picture above shows the Hotchkiss 37MM rotary cannon, which has 5 barrels and can rotate the barrels to fire in turn like a Maxim machine gun. It was widely used in the navy and army of Germany and France during World War I)
"Our tank gun is modified from this gun." Manstein explained: "We captured many of these guns during the war. Each of them can be disassembled into five anti-tank guns, equipped with special armor-piercing shells and slightly modified. The modification can be completed in a week."
Then Manstein added: "We have produced more than 600!"
Erwin suddenly realized.
The main body of a gun is the barrel. If the barrel can be used without being produced, it will naturally be easy to produce.
He did not comment, but quietly moved the coffee away, took the map and spread it out in front of him. After looking at it for a while, he asked, "What are you going to do? Do you have a plan?"
"The most important thing for us now is training, General." Manstein replied: "First we need to replenish tanks and reorganize the 1st Tank Division and the mobile forces, and then..."
Erwin interrupted Manstein: "And wait for Charles to attack?"
"Yes." Manstein replied: "Our mobile forces have a higher speed than Charles' armored forces, and are perfect for intercepting Charles' armored forces."
Erwin objected, "But have you considered that the Charr has air superiority and also has mechanized divisions."
"What do you mean?" Manstein was puzzled.
Erwin stared at the map and asked without looking up, "What if Charles used mechanized divisions instead of armored units against us? Can you still win as expected?"
Manstein was stunned. This was something he had not considered.
A mechanized division is completely different from an armored division. It is more equipped with armored vehicles, and the infantry can jump off the armor to fight at any time.
Anti-tank guns may be a powerful weapon against tanks and can easily destroy armored vehicles, but they are unlikely to threaten infantry who jump out of the vehicle to fight.
If the mobile forces were to face Charles' mechanized division, they would likely suffer a devastating blow, and even the anti-tank guns would become enemy trophies.
Erwin continued his analysis:
"Let me think about what Ciel will do. He will first send fighter planes and bombers to track and bomb our mobile forces."
"After all, no matter how fast our mobile forces are, they can't be faster than airplanes, right?"
"However, Charles is very clear about the location of our mobile forces. He can avoid the heavy forces and use mechanized divisions, armored divisions, and even infantry to encircle and suppress them."
"If that's the case, do you still think you can stop his armored division?"
Manstein was speechless.
Charles was able to do this because in addition to building armored and mechanized divisions, he also built motorized divisions in the 6th Army.
This is information provided by Military Intelligence.
In fact, the motorized troops of the Charles have always existed. Ever since the Charles invented the sidecar, it has always been active in every corner of the battlefield.
However, Charles is now organizing it into a division and incorporating it into the 1st Armored Army as a rapid reinforcement infantry.
This type of motorized infantry will be a greater threat to Manstein's mobile forces.
Because the anti-tank gun is not completely useless against the small and fast-moving sidecar, it can only be said that it is not as good as a rifle.
"Do you know what the biggest lesson I learned from the defeat at the Somme is?" Erwin asked in a low, slightly sad voice.
"What?" Manstein was puzzled. Wasn't it the 1st Tank Division that was destroyed?
Erwin gave the answer:
"It's not the First Tank Division that was destroyed, Colonel."
"More than 600,000 soldiers in the Meuse River area were unable to stop Charles' 20,000 troops. Many troops failed before they even saw Charles' tanks and could only wait to surrender."
“Why did this happen?”
Manstein understood what Erwin meant. In addition to establishing anti-tank mobile forces, it was also necessary to establish mechanized and motorized forces like Charles. Neither was dispensable.
Because they are interconnected and suppress each other, the absence of any one of the military branches may become a gap, which will then be expanded by the enemy and eventually cause a major collapse.
The pride of the nobility made Manstein unwilling to bow down to Erwin, but he had to admit that Erwin was right.
"No problem, General," Manstein said, "We can also form mechanized and motorized divisions."
However, this raises another issue.
Erwin looked up at Manstein and said, "You should know that this is not just a problem of tanks, cars, and motorcycles, it is also a problem of fuel."
This was one of the reasons why Erwin felt desperate.
As the war progressed, Erwin found that the army's demand for fuel was increasing.
Otherwise, no matter how many troops there are, they will not be able to fight against the elite soldiers of the Shire because they are not fast enough to reach the battlefield and engage in the battle.
However, Charles is the one who controls the fuel, and he has an escort fleet that can buy fuel from the United States continuously.
Germany, however, was struggling under the blockade of the Allied Powers.
Manstein groaned and replied, "Don't worry, General. We also have, I mean, channels to buy gasoline."
Manstein was not in a position to say as it was currently top secret.
(End of this chapter)
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