Chapter 135: Difficult to write, and even harder to solve the problem
However, as the first medium-sized tank of the Anti-Japanese War, although the reception of this tank was completed in the shortest time, the reception is only the first step in forming combat effectiveness. In order for this tank to truly play its expected role, it still needs Further training and training in tactics.
The two Soviet-made tanks in the two tank regiments of the 1st Armored Division also need to adapt to a corresponding tactic based on their different performances. The performance of the two tanks is so different that they are almost a whole generation apart and cannot be integrated into the same armored organization. After a bit of running-in, it will be difficult to exert the corresponding power.
But after Yang Zhen arrived at the Luobei training ground and observed the tactics currently formulated and used by the 1st Armored Division during training, his brows became more and more frowned. As the first unit in the army to be equipped with medium tanks, , the 1st Armored Division actually used this tank equipped with a 76mm gun as a cover for the T-26 light tank assault, suppressing enemy artillery and infantry self-propelled artillery.
As for the main assault force, it is still dominated by the T 26 tank battalion belonging to each regiment. In other words, when breaking through the defenders' positions, the tanks with the thickest armor of the two tank regiments will use tank guns behind them for long-range suppression. The artillery provided fire support and cover, and the thin-skinned T-26 light tank was charging forward.
In the tank confrontation drill, the T-34 tanks, which have the largest artillery caliber, the longest effective range, and the most powerful force, were put into long-distance interception, and were only used against groups of enemy charging tanks five hundred meters away. Long-range fire interception, once the enemy breaks through to within 500 meters, these T 34 tanks will immediately retreat, always maintaining a distance of 500 meters from the enemy tank group, continue to carry out long-distance precision strikes, and confront the enemy tanks head-on. The main force is actually the T-26 tank.
Putting down the telescope in his hand, Yang Zhen turned his head and looked at Chen Hanzhang and the cadres at all levels of the 1st Armored Division. His expression was quite bad. If it wasn't Chen Hanzhang in front of him, Yang Zhen would have gotten angry on the spot. Okay, try your best to give them The new tanks they acquired were regarded as self-propelled artillery or self-propelled anti-tank guns, and they stayed behind to use fire suppression tactics.
Barely suppressing his anger, Yang Zhen pointed to the troops who were undergoing a rapid breakthrough drill and said: "You are going to use this tactic in the next phase of the battle. I have worked hard to get these one hundred vehicles. The most advanced tanks with the strongest firepower and the best protection in the world are meant for use as the main means of breakthrough, not for you to use as mobile artillery."
"Tanks like the T-26 that have no room for upgrade. Tanks that move slowly, have weak firepower, and have low armor protection are destined to be eliminated. You must develop new tactics and tactics based on the upgrade of equipment. The equipment has changed, we can’t still use the old methods.”
"We need to think about how to maximize the power of this new tank, instead of carrying it in our arms like a treasure and not being willing to take it out for use. The equipment is meant to be used on the battlefield. If it is only used on the training ground, , why did I go to such great lengths to get so much of the latest equipment for you, when I might as well continue to use the old equipment."
"Don't you think that the tactic you formulated, which puts the old tanks in the front to charge into the battle, and the new tanks at the back to provide fire cover, is a waste of the performance of the new tanks? According to your tactics, I might as well just put them The new cannon exchanged with the Soviets can be installed on the chassis of the T-26 tank and directly converted into a self-propelled anti-tank gun and distributed to you. Wouldn't it be even more powerful that way?"
In response to Yang Zhen's criticism, Chen Hanzhang hesitated and said: "No. 1, the tactics we are adopting now are based on our existing equipment. T-34 tanks have large artillery calibers, whether they are armor-piercing or high-explosive. The power of the grenades is far greater than the 45mm gun of the T-26 tank, and the effective range is also much higher than the 45mm gun."
"This kind of tank gun is the most powerful tank gun we have at present. Its cross-country capability and traveling speed far exceed that of the T-26 tank. As for the armor thickness and protection, it is one of several tanks we currently equip. , including the newly arrived British tanks, second only to the Matilda II tank."
"But during the training, we found that this kind of tank has several shortcomings that are difficult to overcome. One is the lack of a dedicated loader. The loader is the commander. The commander not only directs operations during battle, but also has to bear responsibilities. The responsibilities of the loader have resulted in the actual shooting efficiency of the artillery being not very ideal, and the turret is too narrow, making it impossible for us to add a loader."
"Another thing is that it uses a diesel engine, which not only vibrates a lot, but also stops and starts slower than a gasoline engine. This shortcoming is not noticeable in normal training, but once it fights with the Japanese tank troops, the Japanese army will Judging from the level of training of tank troops and our current combat mode of mainly stopping, shooting, and restarting quickly during combat, it is almost a fatal shortcoming in close combat."
"The Japanese tanks have thin armor and weak firepower, but they have strong maneuverability. The Japanese tank crews are also well-trained. If the first shot misses in close combat, once it is bypassed to the side and behind, Then it is a fatal threat to this new type of tank. Although the power of the artillery on the Japanese tanks may not be able to destroy the armor on the back, there is still no problem in destroying the engine at close range."
"Moreover, the commander and loader can fire artillery from a long distance in a battle without being in a hurry. However, in a close combat situation, it is easy to distract the energy. We have tried using BT tanks to sneak attack from the flank at close range. As a result, the T three and four tanks did not detect the sneak attack opponent at all."
"Under such circumstances, if the T-34 tank is put into close combat, it will not be able to take advantage of all its advantages except for its protective power. Its advantages of large gun caliber, long range and power will basically not be able to be used. You can’t expect the commander to observe the enemy’s situation and direct operations while also loading artillery shells in a hurry.”
"Compared with the Type 97 tanks and Type 95 tanks currently used by the Japanese army as the main force, the power of the 45mm artillery of our T-26 tanks and BT tanks is enough to be used in close combat. Five hundred Within meters, the two main tanks of the Japanese army are simply unable to withstand the power of the 45mm tank gun."
"If in the battle to cover the infantry to break through the Japanese position, facing the crazy Japanese infantry, the shortcomings of the tank's poor observation ability will be even more exposed. The Japanese infantry is not the kind of army that faces the impact of tanks and is defeated in a battle. The crazy energy of the Japanese soldiers, if they use cluster grenades and Molotov cocktails, and carry out body bomb attacks from the side and rear, it will pose a considerable threat to this kind of tank."
"In addition to the T-34 tanks, we have just taken over and have not yet fully understood the performance of this tank. Therefore, based on the long-range power of the T-3-4 tanks, the power of the T-3-4 tanks exceeds that of the T-26 tanks, but the necessary close range This tactic has been specially developed for situations where mobility is poor."
"That is, using the T-34 tanks as the backbone of firepower, using their advantages in range and power to intercept Japanese tank groups at long distances, covering the T-26 light tanks, and taking advantage of their relative mobility and flexibility to fight with the Japanese Fight at close range."
Regarding Chen Hanzhang's answer, Yang Zhen shook his head slightly and said: "You formulate corresponding tactics based on the actual situation of the existing equipment. As the commander, I cannot say that you are wrong, but are you so short-sighted? It is normal for this kind of tank to have shortcomings. No weapon and equipment in this world is perfect."
"But if you do this, you are giving up food because of choking. We have to consider how to use this tank to a greater extent on the battlefield. We cannot avoid fighting because of some inherent shortcomings of this weapon that cannot be changed for the time being. Tactics, Lao Chen, don’t blame me for speaking harshly. I can only call your tactics to avoid fighting."
"This kind of tank has strong maneuverability, strong adaptability to complex ground, good armor and protection, and strong firepower. It should be used as the main means of assault, whether it is covering infantry breakthrough operations or fighting enemy tanks. This kind of tank Tanks should be used as the main force."
"Furthermore, the tactics you adopted for T-34 tanks to aim and fire from a long distance are actually not very suitable for this kind of tank. The sighting equipment of the Soviet-made tanks is backward, and there is still a certain gap in the training of our tank crews. Although Now we use guns instead of cannons for training, but it is obvious that your long-distance shooting accuracy is not high."
"Once the Japanese tanks rush through your low-precision fire interception line at high speed and engage in close combat with your light tanks, then how far will your medium tanks have to retreat? And according to the long-range ejaculation that this tank has shown so far, Judging from the speed, when the enemy and our tanks are fighting in a chaotic situation, how can you ensure that your own people are not accidentally injured? Especially when the sighting equipment of the T34 tanks themselves is not satisfactory, how can you ensure that long-range shots are accurate? Hit one of your own."
"Of course, the shortcomings of low long-range shooting accuracy you showed today are related to the fact that you are not completely familiar with this kind of tank, but this also shows from the side that the tactics you adopted are not successful, and from another perspective From a side perspective, we have not yet fully grasped the advantages and disadvantages of Soviet-made equipment.”
"Old Chen, you are the commander of the armored forces. I know that most of the senior commanders of your armored forces are former infantrymen. Many of them didn't even know what a tank looked like before they were transferred to the armored forces. , almost everything has to be started from scratch.”
"In the past, we only had more than a hundred Polish-made tanks transferred from Jiangbei, and a batch of legal tanks transferred later. Although it was also a new unit, the number and scale were there after all. The tank force at that time , in fact, it plays more of a school role.”
"The organization is simple, and the command is easy to acquire, but now the quantity and scale of equipment have expanded, and the organization of the troops has become more complicated. Now there are not only two armored divisions, but also two independent brigades, and several independent tank battalions. The regiment's equipment has also changed from a single light tank to a certain number of medium tanks."
"Facing the changes in the situation, we need to make a thorough adjustment in tactics and command, and even get familiar with the equipment again. We must fully consider the advantages and disadvantages of our existing equipment system, but we must not give up eating because of choking. From one extreme to another."
"All the new tactics and equipment applications in the world are created from scratch. We develop tactics that meet our current conditions. It is just like writing an article. It is difficult to write. In fact, I think solving the problem is even more difficult. No matter how courageous it is, The more you think about it, the more you think about it, the more you can write a good article on a piece of white paper."