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"Thank you for your hard work. How was it? What are your thoughts on this exercise?"

After all the military attachés from various countries returned, Mainz summoned the officers who participated in this military exercise and held an internal group meeting.

Guderian, who had been promoted to major, said excitedly:"General, I think that we have The idea is right!

Mainz looked at him, smiled and encouraged:"Tell me about it!""

"Although the scale of our exercise is not particularly large and cannot simulate an all-out war between countries, major battles are composed of battles one after another. I think our experience in this battle is It can be used as a standard for future actions!"

Guderian was still immersed in excitement. In this military exercise, they fully implemented the combat plan formulated by Major General Mainz, which included using cavalry to simulate future armored forces and allowing the cavalry to attack the enemy's defense lines..

Use field artillery to simulate future heavy artillery, tear open the enemy's defense line before the war, and clear the way for the armored troops to attack.

The reason why the Allied military attachés felt that the German army was inexplicable was entirely because they only saw the appearance but did not see it. To the inside.

The First World War has proven the consequences of using cavalry on a large scale to attack enemy positions. Facing a strangulation net composed of barbed wire, heavy machine guns and artillery of various calibers, it is simply impossible for cavalry to rush forward without any protection. It is a method that has been proven to be unworkable, so the German army will naturally not try it.

Therefore, the German cavalry attack during the day is not a real cavalry attack, but a simulated armored force offensive.

In terms of speed, the tanks and armored vehicles of this era.

Now, it may not be as fast as cavalry horses, but in the next few decades, with the development of engine technology, tanks and armored vehicles in various countries will become more and more powerful, and their designs will become more and more reasonable, which makes The speed of tanks and armored vehicles is getting faster and faster, far exceeding the marching speed of infantry, giving tanks the ability to form separate armies, form armored corps, and fight independently.

If the tanks and armored vehicles of the future are still the same as the tanks of World War I, they will be as bulky as before.

If it is like a snail, it will not have the ability to form an army alone.

After all, if a thing that moves slower than infantry is expected to use its speed to break through the enemy's defense line, isn't it a joke? What a pity

, countries? The military attaches' inherent impression of tanks is that they are heavy, sturdy, and durable. So when they saw the flexible cavalry, they never thought that the German army used cavalry to simulate armored forces. Since they did not expect it at all, they naturally looked at it. The tactics of the German army cannot be revealed.

And the quality of the German artillery was criticized by military attachés from various countries. This is of course also their misunderstanding.

The performance of the German field artillery is indeed inferior to the French Miss 75, but other Krupp 75mm artillery. The advantage is also not possessed by Miss 75!

Krupp's 75mm field gun has a range of 12.3 kilometers. This distance can already carry out tactical support strikes and can attack enemies beyond visual range. The French Miss 75 But it can't do it. The maximum range of the latter is only 8600 meters, which is 3.7 kilometers shorter than the Krupp 75 gun.

In addition, the Krupp 75mm field gun has a wider range of fire, from -9 to +4. This wide shooting range allows this field gun to carry out long-distance shooting. The shooting range of the French Miss 5 is only -8 to +11. This kind of artillery is more suitable for direct shooting, and cannot be used for curved shooting! , can simulate the function of heavy artillery, provide tactical support, and attack fixed targets of the enemy.

Due to the caliber ratio, the firing speed of heavy artillery is very slow. In Mainz's vision, it will provide firepower to armored forces in the future. The supporting weapons include self-propelled artillery that can move on its own, and heavy artillery towed by vehicles.

The former has a very successful example in history, and that is the No. 3 assault gun nicknamed Sanbalzi.

As one of the most important accompanying firepowers of the German armored forces during World War II, the No. 3 assault gun was produced during the entire war. A total of more than 10,000 vehicles were produced. It accompanied the German armored forces in the north and south and made great achievements!

Mainz does not intend to change this result. The No. 3 assault gun has been very successful in history, especially using the chassis of an active tank, only changing the upper structure and simplifying the design as much as possible, thus making the difference between the assault gun and the tank The main components can be used universally, which reduces the difficulty of maintenance on the battlefield, reduces the failure rate, and improves reliability. This is what he needs to focus on.

In the future, once the German army lifts the ban and begins to develop its own tanks, after the tank is finalized, Mainz will definitely design corresponding self-propelled artillery and battlefield repair vehicles and other combat and non-combat vehicles based on the territory of this type of tank. vehicle.

Historically, the reason why the German army was defeated was partly due to mistakes in the German army's strategy. Without completely solving the Empire on which the sun never sets and ending the war on the Western Front, it went to open up the Eastern Front battlefield, causing itself to fall into a two-front war. unfavorable situation.

On the other hand, the German army's equipment system is too complex and difficult to maintain, so that the logistics burden on the frontline troops is too heavy, causing the German army's equipment failure rate to remain high!

Take the Tiger tank as an example. This tank has strong firepower, thick armor, and good protection performance. In particular, its dual gearbox design gives this tank incredible handling performance.

It stands to reason that such an advanced tank should be very popular among armored troops. However, after this tank was put into combat, it received mixed reviews from frontline troops. The reasons lie in two aspects:

First, it is too heavy, 56 tons. Except for those areas with very good infrastructure, other areas may fall into a mud pit and be unable to climb out as soon as you drive out!

Second, the failure rate of Tiger tanks is too high. Whether on the Eastern Front or the Western Front, at least 30% of Tiger tanks lie dormant all year round. Moreover, the disadvantages brought about by advanced technology are also obvious, so The repair is not only complicated and time-consuming, but also requires workers with strong technical skills to repair it. Ordinary workers really can't repair it!

There is an example in later generations. The Soviet army captured a relatively complete Tiger tank. After some postures in person, they all gave a thumbs up. However, after the Tiger tank lay down, a group of Soviet soldiers began to curse again, because the Tiger tank The tank looks fierce on the outside, but in fact it is as delicate as a flower girl. It can be broken accidentally, and once it is broken, repairing it will cost your life.

For the Soviet armored soldiers who are used to the durability, roughness and solidity of Soviet tanks, the Tiger tank is really not something they can control!

In addition to self-propelled artillery, additional support firepower for armored forces comes from heavy artillery towed by trucks.

This kind of artillery must meet the following conditions:

First: the weight cannot exceed 2.5 tons. Ordinary trucks cannot tow more than this tonnage. Heavy trucks or special tractor trucks need to be used, which will make the armored force's establishment bloated. , complex, but will also weaken the combat effectiveness of the armored forces.

Therefore, the weight of the artillery needs to be strictly controlled!

Second: The caliber of the artillery must not be less than 120 mm. For armored forces, the enemy's fixed fortifications pose the greatest threat. Flat-fire guns hidden in fixed fortifications will pose a huge threat to tanks, so heavy artillery must be used before the war begins. Destroy it and clear the way for the armored forces!

The experience of World War I showed that only heavy artillery with a caliber exceeding 120 mm could threaten these fortifications.

In Mainz's mind, there is actually no suspense about this artillery. It is the 150mm towed howitzer of the German army in history.

The weight of 2.2, the caliber of 15 mm, and the range of 15 kilometers, these parameters meet his requirements.

Of course, the range of the German SF18 heavy howitzer is somewhat problematic. The 30-caliber range is only 13.2 kilometers. On the contrary, the artillery sold to China uses 32-caliber guns with a range increased to 15 kilometers. Mainz prefers the latter. , after all, caliber is justice, and the farther the range, the more justice!