Chapter 161: Regiment Commander Wang Glares Protectively: Who’s Not Convinced?!!
Chen Jun finished explaining how to protect the command post, and the whole audience fell into nearly ten seconds of silence.
“Such a complex arrangement, just to prevent him from disrupting the entire regiment headquarters and making it restless. Isn’t this being too overly cautious?”
The Second Battalion Commander broke the silence, with some affirmation but mostly feeling it was making a fuss over nothing.
“I think Old Li makes sense. We haven’t even engaged the Blue Army Unit yet, and nothing is certain. There’s no need for us to disrupt our own formation.”
The Third Battalion Commander echoed.
There was skepticism.
Naturally, there was also approval.
“I think Deputy Company Commander Chen’s analysis is very spot on.”
Chief of Staff Old Xu had been very optimistic about Chen Jun since the mid-year competition. He had even wanted to poach him to the staff department back then, and now he chose to stand with Chen Jun.
He then continued solemnly: “Deputy Company Commander Chen cleverly uses role reversal. Relying solely on his own power, he can overturn our regiment command post.
What is the Blue Army Unit? It’s a troublemaking unit that the Group Army spent a great deal of effort to assemble.
They not only have advanced equipment far superior to ours, but also a complete professional think tank that conducts top-to-bottom analysis targeting our regiment.
How to defeat us the fastest—can Deputy Company Commander Chen think of it, but the Blue Army Unit can’t?”
The chief of staff’s words were resounding and forceful, each word like an iron hammer heavily striking the heart of every officer present.
That heavy sense of powerlessness from the bottom of their hearts made them, even if unwilling, have to accept reality.
The facts laid out by Chen Jun—
If the 702 Regiment made no changes, it really wouldn’t stand a chance against the Blue Army Unit.
“Chen Jun, continue.”
Regiment Commander Wang’s serious short words already represented his current attitude and stance.
“Understood, Regiment Commander.”
Chen Jun nodded and continued eloquently: “Modern warfare, supported by informatization and high technology, is quietly undergoing earth-shattering changes.
Efficiency will become one of the key attributes. War is about constant changes and micro-operations.
According to the rules of this confrontation exercise, don’t be fooled by the two-choice project. In reality, the Blue Army Unit has no choice if they want to win against us.
Taking out the Red Army’s command post is a must, and next they will definitely choose to break through via combat loss ratio, because the other path is simply unfeasible…”
“Why is it unfeasible?”
The First Battalion Commander interrupted Chen Jun: “According to you, the Blue Army Unit is much stronger than us with more advanced equipment. Taking positions shouldn’t be difficult.”
Those with this idea weren’t just the First Battalion Commander; others just didn’t show emotion and thus didn’t ask.
“The Blue Army Unit is strong in certain specific aspects, not absolutely strong across the board in every way. No such unit exists.”
Chen Jun first refuted the First Battalion Commander’s core point, then continued explaining: “The reason the Group Army chose the confrontation area in this mountainous jungle hundreds of kilometers away proves that only here can the Blue Army Unit’s advantages be brought into play.
What troops excel in mountainous terrain? I think everyone present knows clearly.
Next, regardless of the Blue Army Unit’s scale, since it’s agreed to be a regimental unit confrontation, their scale and establishment absolutely cannot exceed a regiment.
If they also had personnel superiority and equipment superiority, winning against us would mean nothing.
Combining these two essential key pieces of information, we can’t precisely state the Blue Army Unit’s advantages, but their weaknesses are obvious.
Just one sentence: compare to ourselves and reason in reverse.
Mountains extremely restrict mechanized heavy armored units, so the Blue Army Unit cannot possibly be a mechanized unit or motorized infantry unit.
In such dense mountain forest areas, the most suitable are Army Aviation Force and mountain infantry. These two are the most probable branches of service for the Blue Army Unit.
Our 702 Regiment is a heavy equipment regiment, with not only a large number of armored vehicles but also tank units holding the positions.
To occupy more than half of our positions with the Blue Army Unit’s bunch of two-legged mountain monkeys—even giving them double the troops is impossible.
So I conclude that the Blue Army Unit’s chosen attack direction is most likely the combat loss ratio.”
What Chen Jun said was logical and well-founded; no one was unconvinced, not even the First Battalion Commander.
“Haha, mountain monkeys—this name works. I personally like it a lot.”
Regiment Commander Wang was amused by Chen Jun’s term, and all the officers present laughed along. Then Regiment Commander Wang raised his hand signaling Chen Jun to continue.
“Since we know the Blue Army Unit’s weaknesses, then our confrontation with them should revolve around those weaknesses.”
Chen Jun picked up the command pointer beside him, pointed at the sand table in front of him, and spoke eloquently: “Targeting the Blue Army Unit’s weaknesses, we can split our forces into two routes.
First, dispatch all tank units to charge the Blue Army forward position, pressing step by step without ascending the highland.
The purpose is to use the tank units as bait, precisely locating the Blue Army position and their frontline through the Blue Army’s counterattacks from the positions.
Then use heavy artillery units to conduct sustained heavy fire suppression strikes on these areas.
Repeat attacks multiple times to completely suppress the Blue Army Unit’s morale. Finally, armored infantry abandons vehicles and mounts an assault on the Blue Army forward position.
By leveraging our advantages, take over more than 50% of the Blue Army positions.
As long as we complete this objective, we’ve won half the exercise. The rest is just finding the Blue Army command post.
Leave that to our Steel Seventh Company; it’s work we’re good at.
As long as we tear a gap in the Blue Army forward position, Steel Seventh Company can infiltrate through the gap, enter the enemy rear, and search for the command post.
The Blue Army Unit can come for our command post; we can do the same to theirs.
During the period when both sides search for each other’s command posts, our forces continue seizing Blue Army positions using our advantages.
The Blue Army Unit will inevitably use their advantages to try every means to eliminate and strike our personnel as much as possible; we must strengthen defense work.
This is something both sides will inevitably do simultaneously and is one of the key points to victory.
Going back to what I said at the beginning, our command post follows my camouflage plan—not absolutely safe, but at least it buys time.
Giving Steel Seventh Company more time to destroy the Blue Army command post first.
This way, we achieve the objective point first, and victory naturally belongs to us.”
“Clap clap…”
As soon as Chen Jun finished speaking, applause rang out.
“Good, well said.”
Regiment Commander Wang, after hearing Chen Jun’s complete combat plan, was not only amazed but thoroughly convinced. He was the first to applaud and cheer.
Compared to his own formulated combat plan, Chen Jun’s was clearly several levels superior.
Regiment Commander Wang had no choice but to be convinced.
The others present weren’t rookies fresh out of the oven. They could tell whose plan was better and whose combat plan had issues just by listening.
Chen Jun had completely calculated the Blue Army Unit to death through his logical reasoning.
Not to mention anything else.
Just this reasoning ability alone surpassed everyone present.
No one was unconvinced.
Even the First Battalion Commander, who had always been unconvinced, was now thoroughly convinced by Chen Jun and voluntarily applauded along with the regiment commander.
“Heroes come from the young since ancient times. Deputy Company Commander Chen, every move you make always amazes me so much.”
The chief of staff applauded while praising Chen Jun, then humbly asked for advice: “You just said the Blue Army Unit will take the path of eliminating our living forces. So, how do you think they will attack us?”
Chen Jun was naturally very clear: the Blue Army Unit’s scale was indeed one regiment.
But in terms of warrior numbers, it was less than one battalion.
Because the Blue Army Unit had no conventional Army Forces; they played an extreme flanking sword style, a route biased to the extreme.
It was one old A squadron plus an Army Aviation Brigade equipped with an electronic reconnaissance detachment.
One old A squadron was equivalent to one company; even including the squadron headquarters and logistics support, it wouldn’t exceed a hundred warriors.
The Army Aviation Brigade had about ten helicopters, but including pilots, ground crew, information support personnel, and a nine-person airborne command post.
All in, just one or two hundred people!
Compared to the 702 Regiment’s nearly two thousand people, this was not even a fraction. With traditional tactics, the Blue Army Unit couldn’t even fill the Red Army’s teeth gaps.
Therefore, in the 《Soldiers Sortie》 original drama, old A always used various “tricks.”
That is, the “extremely unethical” as the regiment commander said!
They never engaged opponents in direct confrontation, always using the natural cover of mountain forests plus various bizarre tactics to eliminate the Red Army.
Just like the two confrontation exercises Steel Seventh Company previously conducted using combined arms tactics.
For example, in the original drama, the reason Shi Jin was killed in action was because Steel Seventh Company thought they had caught the Blue Army and, excited by their escape, all chased after.
Unexpectedly, it was the Blue Army’s lure the enemy deeper; Steel Seventh Company plunged headfirst into the ambush circle.
Over a hundred people lost dozens in the blink of an eye.
If not for Steel Seventh Company’s strong individual soldier qualities, running fast even at night and withdrawing in time, they probably all would have been wiped out.
Compared to the whole regiment’s overall 1:25, Steel Seventh Company’s final combat loss ratio was 1:
Just because they ran fast; otherwise, it would have been equally ugly.
Old A, a mere squadron of about a hundred people, dared to arm wrestle with the 702 Regiment of over a thousand. This combat loss ratio was the source of their confidence.
The huge disparity of 1:25 combat loss ratio.
Converted, it meant one old A squadron could exchange for one and a half conventional infantry regiments.
Even excluding the helicopter squadron’s kills, one old A squadron could take out at least a thousand people, enough to easily cripple a standard infantry regiment.
This was old A’s confidence!!
Chen Jun knew the Blue Army Unit’s information like the back of his hand, but he couldn’t say it all at the meeting because he couldn’t explain the source of the intelligence.
But this didn’t affect him from saving the country in a curve, converting this intelligence into combat effectiveness in other ways.
When the chief of staff actively asked about the Blue Army Unit’s attack methods, Chen Jun naturally used logical reasoning as an excuse to state the possibilities he had inferred.
“How the Blue Army Unit will attack—given their situation, I think there are only two methods…”
Chen Jun paused here, grinned showing a mouthful of white teeth, and said: “First, definitely the Army Aviation Force, striking from the air via helicopters.
Especially attack helicopters, which have long been called tank killers in the military.
Our regiment as a heavy equipment regiment has tanks as the main force; attack helicopters are natural enemies. Without prior prevention, it can easily cause heavy losses.
My suggestion is to concentrate the whole regiment’s anti-air defense forces. As soon as the tank units launch their attack, the anti-air defense follows closely.
Ensure that when the enemy deploys attack helicopters, we can organize defense in the shortest time, making the enemy attack helicopters fear and be restrained.
The second is ground attacks.
I think all you leaders present should still remember not long ago, the confrontation exercise between Steel Seventh Company and the Division Direct Reconnaissance Battalion, where the troop disparity was huge.
How we won that one—the Blue Army Unit’s tactics are most likely no different.”
The Blue Army Unit’s tactics were actually combined arms tactics, just not yet fully standardized and unified, with various names.
The Blue Army Unit’s model was also primary synthesis, having some parts but lacking others.
Bluntly speaking.
If with the Blue Army Unit’s current branch configuration, plus the 702 Regiment’s current branch configuration, combined and correspondingly expanded, it would be the most standard heavy combined arms brigade.
Chen Jun clearly pointed out specific examples, and Regiment Commander Wang immediately had a picture in his mind.
He said in surprise: “You mean… the Blue Army Unit will also use the combined arms tactics you mentioned? Using tactics combined with guerrilla warfare to consume our troops?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Chen Jun nodded affirmatively and suggested: “So, once the exercise officially begins, please have each company be extremely cautious. Never pursue easily, and absolutely do not venture into the mountain forest, attempting jungle combat with the Blue Army Unit.
We armored infantry lack mountain warfare experience; it’s like fish out of water, how can we beat the cats on shore that eat fish.
The best way is steady and firm, relying on coordinated tank and heavy artillery firepower to steadily occupy Blue Army positions.
Once on the positions, build fortifications. All infantry abandoning vehicles must hold the positions to the death. Without tanks leading the way, infantry resolutely does not enter the jungle. The Blue Army Unit has no way to deal with us.”
Chen Jun had turned the exam into open-book; everyone now knew exactly how to play.
But some still felt uneasy and voiced their concerns.
“Deputy Company Commander Chen, the tactics and playing style you described are indeed very wonderful; I have nothing to say, but…”
The operations staff officer with one mao three first agreed, then changed tone: “The foundation of all this is based on your personal guesses and reasoning, with no actual intelligence sources as basis.
Are you really sure the Blue Army Unit has no heavy armored units or heavy artillery?
What if your deductions are wrong, and we deploy according to your thinking, and something goes wrong in the end—can you take responsibility?”
From a conventional perspective, a mere one mao two first lieutenant deputy company commander eloquently discussing the regiment combat plan at the regiment pre-war meeting.
At first listen, it did seem a bit strange.
Normally, it wouldn’t be realistic!
However, Chen Jun was no ordinary first lieutenant, nor an ordinary deputy company commander; he was a special case, not to be viewed conventionally.
Chen Jun’s status in the minds of the regiment leaders, even division leaders, had long surpassed his military rank and position.
If not limited by troops’ rules and systems, Chen Jun could sit in the regiment chief of staff position now, and Regiment Commander Wang Qing Rui wouldn’t say a word against it.
So facing the operations staff officer’s skepticism, Chen Jun didn’t even need to speak.
The regiment commander personally backed him up, frowning at the operations staff officer and asking: “Staff Officer Lu, do you have a better combat plan than Deputy Company Commander Chen? Let’s hear it.”
“…”
Staff Officer Lu was the one raising doubts, with his mind blank. Now directly shut down by the regiment commander, stuck to the wall and unable to budge.
He could only smile fawningly in embarrassment: “Regiment Commander, I… I’m still thinking.”
“Since you’re still thinking, keep thinking and speak when you’ve figured it out.”
Regiment Commander Wang bluntly shut down Staff Officer Lu without mercy, then swept his gaze over the whole audience again and asked loudly: “Does anyone else have better suggestions?”
Regiment Commander Wang’s stance of supporting Chen Jun was obvious even to a fool.
Plus, Chen Jun’s tactics and war methods were already the best possible under the current extremely limited intelligence resources.
So naturally, no hothead would pop up now to stir trouble.
Seeing no one else spoke, Regiment Commander Wang raised his tone and made the decision: “Since there are no objections, execute according to Deputy Company Commander Chen’s combat plan.
Now I’ll assign tasks to each unit…”
Regiment Commander Wang, with Chen Jun’s combat plan as the core, began assigning detailed tasks to the companies and battalions under him, so they could execute immediately when the battle started tomorrow.
Meanwhile, deep in the Blue Army position on the other side, the pre-war meeting had also reached its climax.
