Chapter 315: Before The Great Battle Begins, The Shadow War Erupts!
Perhaps the directing staff knew full well that the Blue Army had too great a home field advantage at Zhu Rihe Base, and even if they won, it would leave the Blue Army unconvinced.
So they specifically made adjustments targeting this point in the confrontation mode.
Unlike conventional confrontation exercises, where a certain preparation time is given before entering the war zone, once the troops are pulled to the training ground, the confrontation will immediately unfold.
This confrontation was divided into two combat stages.
The first day was specifically used for pre-war warm-up, where both sides were not allowed to attack each other, but could only set up defenses in their respective positions, then dispatch reconnaissance units to enter.
The Red Army could use this day to make a fuss, trying to recover as much of the lost innate advantage as possible.
The Blue Army could use this day to find advantageous positions to build positions and defense lines to block and resist the Red Army’s attack.
Only after the warm-up work of the first stage ended would the formal start of the second stage begin.
Steel Seventh Battalion’s top leadership, including Chen Jun and Gao Cheng, all clearly understood the importance of the pre-war warm-up stage, unanimously recognizing that it determined whether they could win the confrontation.
Therefore.
When Steel Seventh Battalion was guided by the directing staff referee into the Red Army position in the heartland of Inner Mongolia, they immediately unfolded pre-war preparations without stopping.
The first thing for each company after arriving in place was to find a suitable location to deploy their troops themselves.
Steel Seventh Battalion’s eight companies were on a massive scale, and the combat needs of each branch of service were different, so it was impossible for them all to camp in one place.
By the time the eight companies selected positions and deployed according to their needs, they would at least be distributed over dozens of square kilometers.
And the deployment was also very particular.
Because the Red Army was the attacking side in the confrontation, Chen Jun’s troop deployment plan assigned by Gao Cheng leaned more toward rapid attack.
The two armored companies were not positioned one left and one right on the frontline, forming a pincer toward the Blue Army’s side.
Taking the two armored companies as benchmark points, in the middle position 500 meters back, a reverse slope on a high slope was selected to deploy Steel Seventh Battalion’s “energy center”—the support company.
The battalion headquarters hid within the support company, using the massive support company as the best shelter.
The support company not only had over three hundred personnel, but also used a lot of various equipment and gear, which were also very bulky, requiring the setup of numerous large tents.
The battalion headquarters command center’s large tent might be conspicuous in other companies, but in the support company, it was hardly noticeable.
Once the entire support company completed garrisoning, a three-to-four-hundred-meter area to the left, right, front, and back was all filled with various large tents at a glance.
Even if Blue Army scouts sneaked over, or drones from the sky came to reconnoiter.
Or if communication positioning caught it.
At a glance, it was all big steamed stuffed buns, making it impossible to precisely pick out the battalion headquarters from them, with no way to carry out decapitation strike actions.
After all.
Without pinpointing the exact location, the Blue Army had no way to launch actions.
As for how the Blue Army, as the defending side, would attack, don’t forget this was a no-preliminary-plan autonomous confrontation, where attack and defense sides were not absolutely fixed, and the Blue Army could also take the initiative to attack.
In plain words.
As long as there was a method to take down the opponent, using any means would not violate the rules.
The Blue Army, as a tradition-breaking combined arms battalion, might very well use unconventional tactics, such as proactively attacking to annihilate the entire attacking force, which would also be in compliance.
The best defense is offense.
This was a well-known saying.
…
The support company stationed in the center could protect the battalion headquarters—this was one of its values; the second was outputting to all sides, better ensuring the other companies.
500 meters to the left and right of the support company, the armored infantry company and special reconnaissance company were respectively deployed.
The two infantry companies were deployed on the left and right sides of the center line, both able to protect the central support company and battalion headquarters, and also quickly form an offensive with the frontline armored companies.
The remaining heavy artillery company, information company, and aviation company were all key core troops.
So these three companies were stationed at the very rear.
Among them, the heavy artillery company dispatched an anti-aircraft platoon, the information company sent a support squad and radar squad, forming a comprehensive combat unit.
They advanced forward and garrisoned in the middle position among the two tank companies and support company.
This way, they could warn against the Blue Army’s artillery and airplanes, and also detect and react quickly at the first moment of the Blue Army launching electronic warfare.
After the eight companies each selected their garrison locations and reported them to the battalion headquarters for compilation.
Chen Jun, acting as deputy battalion commander with command authority, formally took over the highest command of the entire battalion from this point, starting a series of micro-operation deployments.
Work such as logistics and troop management was handled by Gao Cheng leading Shi Jin and others.
Warrior thoughts and emotions, internal minor conflicts and frictions adjustments, etc., were led by the political instructor to handle.
Formulating preliminary tactical play and studying the Blue side, etc., were led by chief staff officer Man Guangzhi with the staff group.
Chen Jun mainly handled tactical deployment execution, deploying troops, and early reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance work; the most important thing on the first day was reconnaissance.
This exercise didn’t even provide a military map; Steel Seventh Battalion was completely in the dark about this place.
And maps were extremely important for a battle; to put it severely, without a map, Steel Seventh Battalion would be unable to move a single step here.
Therefore, the top priority was to “light up the map”!
In order to complete this task in the shortest time and leave more time for subsequent forward reconnaissance, Chen Jun really went all out.
From the special reconnaissance company, aside from the special operations platoon’s nine squads, Chen Jun dispatched six in one go.
To also have certain combat capability when encountering Blue Army reconnaissance units, and to maximize reconnaissance speed, each squad was divided into two five-man reconnaissance teams, each driving a vehicle for reconnaissance.
The special reconnaissance company’s armored vehicles were insufficient, so four were temporarily transferred from the armored infantry company.
The twelve reconnaissance teams radiated outward from the camp as the center, conducting diffusion reconnaissance in the forward area, drawing terrain maps of their respective reconnaissance areas along the way.
Once each squad completed the mapping work and returned, they could be combined at the battalion headquarters into a complete military map.
The reconnaissance squads were equivalent to the vanguard troops, beginning to explore this mysterious area of Zhu Rihe Base, and it would take at least three or four hours for results at the fastest.
Steel Seventh Battalion headquarters could use this time to complete all the troop garrisoning work.
Garrisoning work was not just pitching tents and setting up the barracks area; it also required deploying overt and covert sentries, and even laying minefields in certain positions.
Even though this was the Red Army’s rear area, the possibility of the Blue Army sneaking over for a sneak attack was very low.
But preventing it before it happens was always good.
…
The Red Army side’s garrisoning work was in full swing, with each unit proceeding methodically under the battalion headquarters’ command; the early pre-war work was carried out very proficiently.
With this orderly overall posture, even the most professional people coming to see would have to give a thumbs up.
On the other side, the Blue Army as the defending side had an even faster deployment rhythm than the Red Army, with each troop’s execution speed as smooth as silk.
With experience from the previous dozen or so confrontations, the Blue Army had already practiced to perfection.
The moment the confrontation exercise order began, each company received orders from the battalion headquarters and headed straight to their respective positions according to the orders.
That’s right.
There was no need for the companies below to find locations themselves; the battalion commander directly assigned specific positions, and each company just needed to go there as ordered.
Sun Dongping’s command style was as always, still the “dictatorship” school from his time in Steel Seventh Battalion.
Disadvantages aside, the advantages were quite obvious.
At least as the defending side, under Sun Dongping’s one-man rule command, each department didn’t need to do anything, just head straight to the assigned locations to garrison.
The speed was indeed very fast, allowing deployment to be completed in the shortest time.
In just less than two hours, the troops of the first defense line and second defense line were all in place, and the rest was building defensive fortifications.
In narrow passages suitable for tank charges, minefields were laid to block.
For vast terrain, the engineer company was sent up entirely, and with a few scoops from large excavators, a large pit could be dug in the ground.
Dozens or hundreds of such pits staggered around could turn a several-hundred-meter-wide road into a tank no-go zone.
Paired with the Blue Army deployed nearby, it was enough to make this first defense line and second defense line into a solid barrier.
Not to mention that Sun Dongping had many quirks, but his personal ability was still very good.
Especially skilled at using various stratagems.
If during the Red Army’s attack on the defense line, Sun Dongping took the opportunity to play some tricks, giving the attacking Red Army a few surprises.
If the Red Army didn’t have real kung fu, breaking through the two defense lines would be nothing short of a pipe dream.
The previous twelve Red Army units failing to win was enough proof that the two defense lines laid by the Blue Army were each extremely tough nuts to crack.
“Steel Seventh Battalion, you’ve finally come. I’ve waited so long for you, specially prepared several big dishes for you, held back on using them before, hehe, watch me not mess you up bad.
Chen Jun, pioneer of the combined arms battalion, pfft, bullshit pioneer, wait till I beat your Steel Seventh Battalion to pieces, then you’ll know, you little clown, what a real combined arms battalion is.”
Having won nearly thirty confrontations in a row, Sun Dongping’s confidence was now unprecedentedly inflated.
Even though the confrontation exercise had just begun, he was already certain of victory, as if he could already see ahead Chen Jun’s miserable appearance losing to him.
Thinking of Chen Jun having to grovel before him, the so-called military genius trampled under his foot.
Sun Dongping laughed.
He laughed very wildly, madly, smugly!
…
Three hours later.
The reconnaissance teams dispatched by Steel Seventh Battalion returned one after another, all excellently completing the grid mapping task, piecing together nearly two-thirds of the training ground’s terrain map.
The remaining one-third was the Blue Army’s actual control area, too close to that side and they’d be discovered by the Blue Army.
So it hadn’t been penetrated yet, and thus no mapping.
But this map was already sufficient; at least it was enough for Steel Seventh Battalion headquarters to adopt and formulate some early marching routes, the best attack routes, where to set vigilance, etc.
Especially for the armored companies and infantry companies as the main attack forces, company-level offensive drills could already unfold.
The overt and covert sentries for vigilance could also be deployed synchronously at this time, positioned at key locations to prevent Blue Army infiltration.
Next was the key frontline reconnaissance!
The areas not reconnoitered by the twelve reconnaissance teams could not be left unattended by the Red Army, because those areas were the most critical.
Only by infiltrating deep into the Blue Army position could they obtain the key intelligence the Red Army wanted.
The fastest reconnaissance method was definitely from the sky.
Unfortunately, Steel Seventh Battalion didn’t have unmanned reconnaissance aircraft yet, not even an application for large unmanned reconnaissance aircraft approved; the only air unit was helicopters.
The Blue Army’s anti-air firepower was unknown, and Chen Jun didn’t dare send the helicopter unit out.
If the Blue Army also had missile units, rashly sending helicopters for aerial reconnaissance would be like delivering meat to a tiger’s mouth.
So for the Red Army troops’ reconnaissance, they could only rely on ground troops.
And divided into two directions.
First, have the information company operate at full capacity to find the Blue Army’s communications and try to intercept and monitor them, engaging the Blue Army in electronic warfare.
Second, dispatch the vanguard reconnaissance squad to infiltrate to the Blue Army rear from the ground.
To ensure obtaining useful information, the vanguard reconnaissance squad could penetrate as deep as possible into the Blue Army to figure out the Blue Army’s specific troop configuration.
Chen Jun not only dispatched Seventh Company’s “old ace,” with Shi Jin returning personally to lead the vanguard squad action.
Having sergeant major Shi Jin return was really Chen Jun’s current helpless move; currently, Steel Seventh Battalion really didn’t have any backbone for deep enemy rear reconnaissance with command ability and who had successfully completed tasks.
Wu Liu Yi and Cheng Cai had talent in this area and combat experience in it.
But both were still at the military academy.
Bai Tie Jun and Gan Xiao Ning had good ability; Ma Xiao Shuai, who joined during the expansion a year ago, had also grown into an excellent platoon leader.
Xie Chong and other old vanguard squad members also had sufficient ability but lacked command.
Chen Jun valued this reconnaissance extremely highly and absolutely would not allow any failure; to maximize success rate, he could only have old commander Shi Jin personally take the field again.
Steel Seventh Battalion’s regular squad producing one vanguard squad, Chen Jun still didn’t feel secure enough.
Following the principle that eggs shouldn’t be put in one basket, Chen Jun specifically notified the special operations platoon to form an elite squad, to unfold infiltration reconnaissance together with the vanguard squad.
This way, even if one squad had an accident, the other could step up.
After all, there was only one day of pre-war preparation time, meaning Chen Jun had only one chance to dispatch reconnaissance; once it failed, there would be no more opportunities.
Sending troops for reconnaissance in the second stage would occupy Steel Seventh Battalion’s attack time.
That would make them extremely passive!
Shi Jin had no resistance to Chen Jun’s arrangement, not objecting because he was already working at battalion headquarters and didn’t want to do frontline work anymore.
On the contrary, he was very grateful for Chen Jun’s trust, gritting his teeth in his heart to definitely complete the mission.
The special operations platoon side was even more enthusiastic.
Enemy rear infiltration reconnaissance was originally a special operations function, one of the things special forces soldiers were best at.
Not to mention the entire special platoon warriors being actively eager, even deputy company commander Tuo Yonggang was anxious and sought out Chen Jun through back channels.
Wanting to personally lead the forward reconnaissance and establish the first merit for Steel Seventh Battalion.
Chen Jun originally didn’t want him to participate, after all, the special reconnaissance company was basically under Tuo Yonggang’s command now, and without him it would really be a bit troublesome.
But Tuo Yonggang’s attitude was very firm, and he stated that he must seize this opportunity to produce results.
Otherwise, this deputy company commander position, he wouldn’t sit comfortably.
Chen Jun considered that Tuo Yonggang cared about face, and indeed hadn’t made any contributions to the special reconnaissance company; the old platoon leaders below, even if they didn’t say it, actually felt somewhat unconvinced in their hearts.
If Tuo Yonggang could complete the reconnaissance mission and establish great merit for Steel Seventh Battalion’s victory.
Then him becoming deputy company commander, no one would dare say a word.
Thus, Chen Jun agreed to Tuo Yonggang’s request, having him responsible for leading a team of special forces soldiers to form an elite squad, and together with the vanguard squad led by Shi Jin, responsible for infiltration reconnaissance.
And specifically instructed the two before departure: “Your mission this time is extremely arduous; no matter what methods you use, you must figure out the Blue Army’s troop configuration before noon tomorrow at eleven o’clock.”
