Chapter 151: Gone! All Gone! The Despair Of The Recon Battalion
There is no perfect thing in the world, and Combined Arms Tactics cannot be an exception either.
The lack of infantry and reinforcements is indeed the biggest flaw, but this is not a very fatal problem; at most, it’s just a bit troublesome.
After all, a blemish does not obscure the jade!
Combined Arms Tactics possess too many advantages, which predestines it to become the mainstream establishment of armies around the world in the next twenty-first century.
The Division Commander does have some real skills; just by roughly looking over Combined Arms Theory once, he spotted the biggest shortcoming of the Combined Arms Company in the configuration system of Combined Arms Tactics—
No infantry to assault positions!
The establishment scale of a Combined Arms Company is really too small; being able to pull out multiple branches for integrated operations is already the limit, making it hard to fully realize Combined Arms Tactics.
Especially the lack of main battle tank branch, which prevents the tactics from being effectively executed and producing a complete qualitative change.
At least it needs to reach the scale of above Combined Arms Battalion to fully unfold Combined Arms Tactics, with troop and equipment numbers sufficient to trigger the qualitative change.
Because at Combined Arms Battalion level, there is a Tank Company, and assault can be handed over to tanks to charge into battle.
Steel Seventh Company, as the smallest Combined Arms Tactics establishment, has no spare establishment to configure a tank platoon for use as the main force in assault battles.
It’s equivalent to common games where there is only damage output but no front line.
Not the optimal lineup!
To change Steel Seventh Company’s current situation, unless expanding Steel Seventh Company, a company with four platoons or five platoons is not impossible.
But if really adding a tank platoon, then Steel Seventh Company’s nature would completely change.
From Reconnaissance Combined Arms Company to Heavy Combined Arms Battalion, adding tanks would drastically reduce mobility and concealment, which does not fit 702 Regiment’s actual needs.
702 Regiment does not lack assault Tank Companies; what it needs is a competent Reconnaissance Company.
Chen Jun was able to systematically write out Combined Arms Theory, so he naturally knows the advantages and shortcomings of Reconnaissance Combined Arms Company better than anyone.
When he chose to engage in a head-on battle with the Blue Army that had positions to defend and occupied advantageous terrain, he had already thought of the problem of lacking assault infantry.
Steel Seventh Company now only has Firepower Platoon and Tactics Platoon left, besides Reconnaissance Squad and Support Squad.
It can’t be that they use Reconnaissance Squad to charge positions.
Chen Jun thought of the flaw but still dared to proceed because he had an alternative method to solve it.
Although not a permanent solution, at least it could serve as an emergency measure.
To give Steel Seventh Company decent assault capability even without infantry and tanks, Chen Jun specially tailored a complete set of tactics.
Take out the enemy’s scouts and sentries, use artillery to knock out the enemy’s armored units.
This is just one link in this set of tactics.
…
The leaders at all levels in Division Headquarters discussed very enthusiastically, each expressing their own views and insights, making the Confrontation Command Center bustle with voices.
On the training ground, the Red and Blue sides’ head-on confrontation saw the Red Army launch their third wave of battle.
Also the final battle before charging the position.
After destroying the Blue Army’s armored units, Chen Jun once again relied on intelligence provided by Vanguard Reconnaissance Squad to find all Blue Army configured with 40-fire Blue Army.
Still using the Combined Arms Company’s strongest heavy firepower advantage to conduct targeted elimination on these Blue Army.
From point strikes on Blue Army armored units to now clearing Blue Army heavy firepower individual soldiers, every link relies on Vanguard Reconnaissance Squad’s intelligence.
It shows how huge the boost an outstanding reconnaissance unit provides to troops in combat.
Firepower Platoon kept conducting point artillery fire here, and Directing Staff referees communicated via walkie-talkie, constantly popping up to announce combat losses to Blue Army.
Like judges pronouncing death sentences!
Blue Army at first didn’t react, thinking Red Army was purely using artillery to consume them.
Blue Army, besides cursing Red Army for not playing fair and bullying with firepower advantage, could only try to dodge and wait for Directing Staff referees to name them.
Very helpless, but no choice.
Although everyone is armored reconnaissance establishment, Reconnaissance Battalion does not have such perverted heavy firepower as Steel Seventh Company, so under artillery strike, they could only watch helplessly.
“Reconnaissance Company equipped with so much heavy artillery, who plays like this?”
Reconnaissance Battalion Commander was almost in tears!
On the training ground, artillery shells falling from the sky couldn’t be seen, and artillery strike casualties could only be judged through Directing Staff data.
However, every time Directing Staff referees announced combat losses, the casualties weren’t many because Blue Army dispersed personnel to guard against artillery strikes.
Even precise point artillery strikes basically hit only two or three per shell.
But every group of casualties from explosions had a shocking common point: all hit positions were the anti-tank groups of each squad.
“Oh no!!”
Reconnaissance Battalion Commander wasn’t just eating idle; discovering this, he finally reacted.
Realizing Red Army wasn’t doing artillery strikes for consumption, but under scouts’ help and guidance, specifically clearing their anti-tank groups.
Though he didn’t know the purpose, his sixth sense made his heart clench hard.
Strong unease!!
He wanted to order warriors and rocket launchers to separate, and use rapid successive transfers to prevent Red Army scouts from reporting positions in time.
Unfortunately.
Reacting now was already too late.
Anti-tank groups were already mostly wiped out; rocket launcher gunners were gone, rocket launchers were also declared scrapped, destroyed along with people in the artillery strikes.
In the end, only First Company First Squad protecting Battalion Headquarters had their rocket launcher survive.
At the same time.
Under Steel Seventh Company’s third wave artillery strike offensive, Reconnaissance Battalion also suffered considerable troop losses, with 15 warriors announced killed in action by the referee.
The original advantage of more troops than Steel Seventh Company was directly wiped out in this wave of artillery strikes.
Reconnaissance Battalion from start to finish never imagined fighting a confrontation exercise with a Reconnaissance Company, and with their own three-fold advantage.
Yet ending up in this situation, forced to shrink back and fight a position defense.
Even less expected that Red Army Reconnaissance Company had so much heavy artillery.
So when Reconnaissance Battalion arrived at this intersection, they didn’t build any anti-air fortifications at all, just using ditches and ridges for a quick fortification as position.
Now under Red Army mortar bombardment, digging fortifications was already too late.
Being killed over a dozen was already considered few.
If not for Blue Army using distance separation, plus Red Army Steel Seventh Company mortar shells already running low, killed in action numbers might have multiplied several times.
The explosive power of 100mm howitzer shells is beyond ordinary imagination.
A three-story rural villa, one shell’s job.
Red Army used the remaining few mortar shells all on striking Blue Army rocket launchers; Reconnaissance Battalion didn’t understand this operation.
The Division Commander and others in the Command Center also didn’t understand this operation.
Steel Seventh Company didn’t even have an assault Tank Company; specifically taking out Blue Army’s anti-tank forces was less efficient than using precious shells to find Battalion Headquarters position and bomb it.
Paralyzing the enemy’s command system is clearly more advantageous than taking out a few gunners.
Division Commander and others thinking this way was reasonable, but when Chen Jun next pulled out his fourth wave offensive, they realized their imagination was too lacking.
Chen Jun’s brainpower truly broke through the sky!
Steel Seventh Company without assault tanks actually pulled out armored vehicles to charge the position.
Three infantry fighting vehicles plus three armored personnel carriers formed a six-vehicle “armored convoy,” charging straight at Blue Army position from the front.
Seeing six armored vehicles appear in front of the position, Reconnaissance Battalion Commander finally reacted.
The next moment.
His face turned ashen!
Armored vehicles’ main role is for maneuver transfer; their original intention in design was not for assault battles, and using them to impact positions is extremely dangerous.
Because armored vehicles’ armor thickness is insufficient to withstand anti-tank rocket launcher damage.
Even 7mm heavy machine guns can penetrate armored vehicles’ side armor, causing fatal harm to those inside.
Basically can only defend against rifle bullets!
But armored vehicles completely unsuitable for charging positions, when facing a group of infantry without anti-tank means, suddenly became formidable.
No tigers in the mountains, the monkey can call itself king.
Type 89 armored personnel carriers have firing ports on both left and right sides for shooting.
Above, heavy machine guns can be mounted for fire suppression.
Infantry fighting vehicles, on top of firing ports, are also equipped with a 30mm autocannon turret, smoke grenades, and various defensive and offensive weapons.
Blue Army’s means to counter Red Army armored vehicles had been eliminated by Red Army with artillery shells.
Blue Army’s anti-tank rocket launchers left only one pitiful one, unable to change the battle situation against the incoming armored flood.
As long as this rocket launcher dared to pop up and fire, the next second it would be sent to the “Western Paradise.”
Sniper Squad wasn’t idle!
Blue Army troops left with only rifles had no way to deal with armored vehicles.
In game terms.
That is, they couldn’t even break defense.
Reconnaissance Battalion Commander knew this reason deeply, so upon seeing Red Army pull out the armored assault convoy, his mood plummeted to rock bottom, face ashen.
“First neutralize the opponent’s threats, then form an armored assault convoy; ‘armored infantry’ has been truly mastered by Red Army.”
The suddenly enlightened Division Commander praised with smacking lips, then shook his head: “This Blue Army is done for.”
“Playing so many tricks with reconnaissance troops—no, not tricks, but more flexibility; indeed worth other units learning and adopting the essence. I suggest promoting this flexible tactic throughout the division.”
Chief of Staff Shi was thrilled, full of mocking excitement in high praise.
The other leaders in the division present, seeing Steel Seventh Company instantly turn into a “Tank Company” and resolve its biggest flaw.
Were all stunned by this operation.
All kinds of praise poured out without reservation, and Regiment Commander Wang, the real focus all along, heard so many good words his ears went soft.
Regiment Commander Wang, who had never felt such status, had a smile on his face brighter than flowers.
Compared to the fiery atmosphere in Confrontation Command Center, the Blue Army position currently under attack was in dire straits for the Blue Army warriors.
Seeing enemy armored vehicles charging the position, every squad’s first thought was to bring rocket launchers over to teach them a lesson.
But anti-tank groups didn’t come; instead, they received terrible news.
Rocket launchers had long been taken out by the opponent.
Their own squad’s were gone, other squads’ too.
Huh??
Blue Army Squad Leaders and Platoon Leaders were collectively dumbfounded, then stunned.
Without rockets to hit armored vehicles, these thick-skinned armored vehicles couldn’t be chewed down by rifles; what the hell was there to defend?
No anti-tank trenches on the position; armored vehicles coming up would rampage freely?
Thinking this through.
The entire Blue Army position was overcast, morale directly plummeted to the bottom.
Blue Army warriors one by one were scared stiff, while Red Army side was imposing momentum; the six-vehicle armored convoy rumbled forward.
And even with huge advantage, they didn’t act recklessly or fire randomly.
Instead, they unfolded the assault offensive in the most standard mode.
When distance to position reached 200 meters, entering Blue Army rifle firepower’s optimal shooting area.
“Smoke grenades ready, fire!”
With Third Platoon Leader’s order, eighteen smoke grenade launchers on three infantry fighting vehicles fired eighteen smoke grenades toward Blue Army position.
“Puff puff puff puff puff…”
Dense white smoke quickly spread, forming a smoke screen wall between both sides.
Blue Army couldn’t see Red Army, Red Army couldn’t see Blue Army.
By the time Blue Army on the position saw again, the armored convoy had rushed through the smoke into view, less than 100 meters from the position.
“Pop pop pop pop pop…”
Blue Army launched attack on armored vehicles, dozens of guns sounding like firecrackers during New Year.
But rifle bullets couldn’t penetrate defense at all; armored vehicles’ exercise simulators weren’t triggered, unable to block the rolling steel flood.
And the hillsides, earth banks, ditches in front of the position also couldn’t block the tracked wheels’ crushing.
Armored vehicles quickly rushed onto the position; Steel Seventh Company warriors hiding inside opened firing ports one after another, poking muzzles out from within.
“Pop pop pop pop pop…”
Red Army’s gunshots rang out.
Blue Army position was completely exposed; Blue Army warriors without armored vehicles for protection immediately suffered casualties under Red Army attack.
One by one Blue Army warriors emitted white smoke, helplessly accepting elimination.
Blue Army warriors desperately wanted to counterattack, but lacking any counterattack means; couldn’t possibly like World War II, hug a bundle of grenades to stuff under vehicles.
Come on!
This is just an exercise, not real war.
Blue Army now had no choice but to hurry and flee.
While Blue Army warriors fled on foot everywhere, Red Army drove chasing behind everywhere.
Two legs ultimately can’t outrun engines.
Standing on the position looking around, white smoke was rising everywhere from Blue Army warriors.
At this time, Red Army’s armored vehicles had rushed onto the position, completely mixed with Blue Army, very close distances, sometimes right by the wheels.
To prevent exercise accidents like warriors accidentally being crushed by armored vehicles.
Plus Red Army’s tactical play had already taken effect; the remaining battle outcome could be calculated via data, no need to execute the whole process.
Directing Staff timely halted the confrontation exercise.
And announced Blue Army Reconnaissance Battalion full battalion killed in action, Red Army Steel Seventh Company achieved victory in this confrontation.
“Oh, we won, we won.”
“Haha, Reconnaissance Battalion is just that; our Steel Seventh Company is the best.”
“So awesome, our one company actually really beat a battalion, and it’s the badass division direct Reconnaissance Battalion; fucking awesome.”
“Unbelievable, like a dream.”
…
Steel Seventh Company warriors received victory news, one by one excitedly climbing out of armored vehicles, fully releasing irrepressible excitement.
While Reconnaissance Battalion warriors announced killed in action on the position saw Steel Seventh Company warriors wildly celebrating.
Their hearts were filled with mixed feelings.
Blue Army from top to bottom was completely convinced, admitting Steel Seventh Company’s combat effectiveness was truly perverted, but this defeat result was still hard for them to accept.
