At this point of Yang Zhen's words, Wang Guangyu already understood his thoughts and ideas. However, Wang Guangyu was still a little hesitant about using tanks to fight a tank battle with the Japanese tank regiment. The total number of tanks in the entire army was indeed Quite a few, including Soviet-made products purchased from the Soviet Union, trophies presented by the Soviets, and seized from the Japanese army, totaling hundreds of vehicles.
But now the Anti-Japanese Alliance does not have its own tank production capacity. If one of these tanks is knocked out, one of them will be permanently lost. Under the current situation where all channels for outsourcing and foreign aid have been blocked, one of these tanks will be lost. If there is one vehicle, the army will have one less vehicle and cannot be replenished at all.
What's more, the captured Japanese tanks were either converted into self-propelled artillery, or were kept in tank training bases for training and use. They were almost not directly equipped for troops to fight. When the troops were fighting, the overall number of tanks that could be used was still relatively small, and their own The armored brigade in hand, plus the Soviet tanks he had obtained, accounted for nearly one-third of the entire army. Once the losses were too large, it would have a great impact on the overall combat capability of the entire army.
And is it possible to use tanks to carry out anti-tank operations? The army has never practiced in this area. If it loses in the battle, the loss will not only be the tanks. For Yang Zhen, use tanks to fight back. Wang Guangyu didn't understand the Japanese army's idea of a tank offensive.
In Wang Guangyu's view, tanks are more suitable as mobile firepower fortresses to deal with infantry. They are not only more powerful, but also much safer. As for fighting against enemy tanks, forget it, especially the Japanese Type 97 tanks. The performance is still better than the Soviet-made tanks of the Anti-Japanese War. Wang Guangyu always feels that using tanks to fight tanks is a bit unreliable.
Looking at Wang Guangyu who was a little confused, Yang Zhen shook his head helplessly and said: "Old Wang, tanks are offensive weapons, not only for infantry and fortifications, but also for dealing with enemy tanks. It’s a combination of mobility, protection and firepower, so why can’t we carry out anti-tank combat?”
"In fact, the use of tanks is different from that of infantry in terms of tactics, but they also have something in common. They can engage in head-on confrontations, and can also use infantry tactics such as mobile ambush and outflanking. Moreover, when the firepower far exceeds that of infantry, The tactics of mobile ambush will also be more powerful."
"Since infantry can face-to-face duel, why can't tanks? Even if our tank performance is compared with the latest tanks of the Japanese army, its performance is not lagging behind. When looking at the performance of a tank, we don't just look at the armor thickness of the tank. Our army Compared with the Type 97 tank, the main force of the Soviet-made T-26 tank, the armor thickness is roughly the same and there is not much difference. The artillery power and mobility are even higher than the latest Japanese Type 97 tank."
"And among the Japanese army, the Type 97 tanks with the best performance are not the main force. Their tank wing is still dominated by Type 95 light tanks, and there are also some Type 94 armored vehicles. As long as the infantry cooperates well, we can I think there is no problem at all in a face-to-face tank battle with the Japanese army, and our tanks are all equipped with radio communication equipment, so our combat coordination is much better than that of the Japanese army."
"Our armored forces have practiced tank warfare tactics on the exercise ground before, but they have not really experienced it in actual combat. So I think since all the tank regiments of the 23rd Division are dispatched this time, then for It is also a rare opportunity to exercise our armored forces."
When Yang Zhen said this, Wang Guangyu already understood what he meant: "No. 1, you mean to gather together the tank troops currently in Linxi and fight a tank battle with the tank regiment of the 23rd Division. The battle is going on, but we don’t have many tank troops that can reinforce the 12-th line in a short period of time. Compared with the Japanese tank regiment, our strength is roughly the same at most, and we have almost no advantage.”
"Moreover, the Soviet-made tanks, which are the main force of our army, are still slightly behind the performance of the Japanese tanks, especially the latest tanks. The caliber of the artillery and the thickness of the armor are both slightly inferior to the Type 97 tanks, the main force of the Japanese army. , and our troops have not yet experienced face-to-face confrontations with large-scale Japanese armored forces. Once the losses are too large, it will have an impact on our next operations."
Regarding Wang Guangyu who was still hesitant, Yang Zhen waved his hand and said: "What are you afraid of some losses? Since the troops have to face them sooner or later, it is much better to face them early than later. We have cultivated a new type of army and have new troops." We should not be afraid of this or that, just put it in the palm of our hand and cover it to prevent them from going to the battlefield."
"We have spent so much money to establish the tank force just for actual combat and to play the role they should play. It is not to let them retire in the rear, let alone to complete tasks that ordinary infantry can complete. If Not to serve the war, we formed them to do nothing."
"Whether it is a new type of army, a new type of equipment, or even a new type of combat method, it must go through the test of actual combat. A sword that has not seen blood, no matter how well it is made, cannot be considered a precious sword. A sword that has not experienced actual combat cannot be considered a treasure." The troops who are put to the test will still have no combat effectiveness no matter how loud the whistle is."
"When we have new equipment, we must learn to use it in the shortest time. Our attack tactics cannot always let people say that we use human sea tactics. Previously, our firepower was weak, so there was no way to use human sea tactics. The method has poor firepower and can only be filled with people."
"But now that we have new equipment, we can't make any progress. When attacking and defending, we still use people. Remember my words, in the eyes of some people, human life is the most important thing in this troubled world. It’s worthless, but in my opinion, the most precious thing is people. No matter how advanced your equipment is or how powerful your weapons are, the ultimate user cannot do without people.”
"Especially as senior commanders, we must get rid of outdated concepts in tactics and dare to innovate. No army in the world can completely copy other people's tactics. Even if the equipment is the same, the national conditions it faces are different from those of others. The enemy situation, as well as the quality and composition of the army are still different."
"We need to form our own unique combat style. The root lies in those of us who are senior commanders. We cannot imitate Chongqing, buy weapons from any country, accept assistance from other countries, and just learn other people's combat styles. Yesterday We learn from Germany, today we learn from the Soviet Union, and the day after tomorrow we learn from the United States. We learn from many countries, but we still can't form our own combat system."
"Of course, the investment and use of every new equipment requires a long process of proficiency. Whether it is tanks or aircraft, they began to be used on a large scale on the European battlefield during World War I, but you can say that they have just been developed. When it comes out, European officers will be able to master it skillfully, just like when the heavy machine gun was first developed, many European countries equipped and used it as an artillery weapon."
"Whether it is the German army or the Soviet army, or the British army and the French army, they cannot be said to be proficient in the use of new weapons such as tanks until the full-scale war in Europe broke out. Even many old experiences are old and outdated. Yes, the reason why the German tank tactics were the most successful was because they had no baggage and dared to imagine."
"Gather the tanks together, take advantage of their mobility and firepower, and clench them into a fist to hit people, instead of sticking to the rules of assigning tanks to infantry like the British and French. It is for this reason that they are fighting on the battlefields of Western Europe. They quickly defeated the French army, which was stronger than themselves. The performance of French tanks was no worse than that of the Germans, but they lost because of their concepts and outdated concepts."
"So, I have been emphasizing that our senior commanders must dare to innovate in tactics, dare to use their brains, and don't be afraid of paying a certain price. Some prices are destined to be paid by our army as it matures. As long as we learn things Once you get it, you have to pay the price, and if you lose something, you don’t need it. The key is to learn the real thing. As long as you can keep up with the concepts, you will still have the equipment."
Having said this, Yang Zhen thought for a while and said: "Let me tell you something, but you must keep it strictly confidential. The Americans have passed the Lend-Lease Act specifically to provide equipment and supplies to anti-fascist countries. That means that the Americans According to your needs, we will first assist you with equipment and supplies, and after the war is over, these things will be repaid at a price."
"On this list of supplies, although our Northeast Anti-Resistance Alliance is only a local armed force and government, it is ranked fourth. That is, in addition to the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and Chongqing, we are ranked first Yes, although it is not clear why the Americans suddenly suspended military trade with us, in my opinion it is only for a short period of time. It will not take long before they themselves come to us under Japan's aggressive military pressure. of."
"So, don't worry about the equipment. As long as there are people here, as long as our commanders at all levels can master and use tanks proficiently, and can fully improve their abilities according to the changes and developments of the situation, the price will be worth it. , no one can get something for nothing, and no army can grow without paying a price."
"What we need to face now is only a tank regiment of the Japanese army. The number of tanks of our army in Linxi is almost the same. It is the best time for our army to test new tactics and new equipment. Today you are facing a tank regiment. The team is just shrinking its head and tail, and tomorrow it will face a tank division."
"Besides, you have a large number of tanks in your hands. The Japanese army knows this now. If your tanks don't move, how can you make the Japanese army believe that your reserves are dispatched? How can you take the bait? Remember, actual combat is to test the true combat effectiveness of the troops. The only way is for us to dare to make bold innovations in tactics and break all rules and regulations."
In response to Yang Zhen's last decisive words, Wang Guangyu thought for a short time and finally nodded: "No. 1, I understand what you mean. I will concentrate the tank troops on the front line of Dajing and the reserve team. Immediately transfer to the Twelve Tu front lines to join the battle."
"The number of tanks in these troops plus the tank troops on the front line of the Twelve Tanks, the number of undamaged tanks is about a hundred. If you add in the tanks that are slightly injured but do not affect the combat effectiveness, the number will be even more. In Coupled with the twelve anti-tank artillery units in the front line, our army has an absolute numerical advantage."
"We have an absolute advantage in terms of strength. We are not far behind the Japanese army in terms of equipment level. Coupled with the cooperation of anti-tank artillery, as long as the infantry cooperates properly, I think we will win this battle. But now I have some doubts. I'm worried, this will alert the enemy and beat the Japanese army so hard that their main force will not show up."