After taking a closer look at this tank, which was about to be world-famous for decades, Yang Zhen got into the driver's seat and carefully observed the driving structure. After a little guidance from the driver on the side, he started the tank, just driving After this Soviet medium-sized tank, the latest model, ran around the training ground and returned, Yang Zhen felt that he could not lift his arms.
When driving on complex terrain, he discovered that this kind of tank could only travel on ridges. If it traveled on an area with a slightly steep slope, the entire tank would be in danger of sliding down. This new discovery was something he had never known before. , and the maneuverability of this kind of tank on complex terrain is far from as good as I imagined, but according to the technical level of this era, it has done relatively well.
The design and structure of the four-speed gearbox requires a lot of energy to be shifted every time. Fortunately, it may be a new car, so there has not yet been a situation where you have to use a sledgehammer to change gears smoothly, but even so, ten After running a lap of several kilometers, Yang Zhen also felt a little sore in his back.
After jumping out of the cab, Yang Zhen shook his arms, which were a little sore from the difficulty in shifting gears, and slightly adjusted his body, which was numb due to the extremely poor shock absorption system. He turned around and smiled bitterly at Chen Hanzhang beside him: "Driving this thing is really a strenuous job. Maybe it's been too long since I haven't exercised. After driving this for a while, I feel a little unbearable."
"Although the protection, artillery, and mobility of this tank are much better than the T-26 tanks we originally used, its driving conditions have not improved, but have fallen even further behind. Driving such a thing onto the battlefield is a big deal. It’s a laborious matter.”
Regarding Yang Zhen's sigh, Chen Hanzhang next to him also said with deep emotion: "No. 1, this kind of tank is very maneuverable, especially the wide tracks, which are very suitable for driving on snow and have certain wading capabilities. , tanks like this can drive directly across shallow rivers without any preparation."
"Its gearbox and driving structure are really too backward. Shifting gears is definitely a test for the driver's physical strength. The vibration and noise in this car are also a torture to the human body and ears. Driving this thing , it takes a lot more effort than driving a T-26 tank, especially compared with a BT tank."
"However, the biggest advantage of this tank is that the fuel tank has a long loading capacity. Compared with a gasoline engine, a diesel engine consumes much less fuel. In other words, the maximum driving distance far exceeds all the tanks we currently use. Even the British-made tanks we just received are far inferior to them, and they are very suitable for long-distance raids when there is a lack of fuel supply stations along the way."
"It's just the vibration and noise that limits the travel distance to a certain extent. If we complete the maximum range at once, our driver and crew will have to be dragged out of the car, let alone fight. , Through our practice, when traveling up to 100 kilometers at a time, the crew must take one to two hours of rest to recover their physical strength and energy."
"No. 1, I just thought about it carefully. You are right. When this kind of tank shoots at a long range, the body vibration and the backward sighting system cause the shooting accuracy to be too poor. In our army, With one already entangled with it, it is difficult to avoid accidentally injuring our own people, and the tactics we adopted have actually limited the performance of this tank itself."
"Instead of doing this, it is better to take advantage of its strong skin and thick flesh to engage in close combat with the enemy. Not to mention the Japanese 37 tank gun, even the 57mm howitzer on the latest Type 97 tank is difficult to defeat. Penetrate our new tanks at close range."
Regarding Chen Hanzhang's reply, Yang Zhen did not answer him. He had already pointed out for them how to use this new tank, but how much they could understand had to be relied on by themselves. The growth of an army did not rely on the advice of superiors. They can control everything, but they should be too strict and strict. More importantly, they still have to rely on themselves to think and understand independently.
Yang Zhen did not give any comment to Chen Hanzhang's words, but pointed to the tank in front of him and said: "You should seize the time to get familiar with this tank. Xiong Dazhen has already started the production of artillery shells. It is estimated that it will be produced by the beginning of January. , we can replenish enough artillery shells. Now that we have a full set of drawings and sufficient raw materials, the production speed should not be slowed down much."
"However, it is too late to make major changes to this kind of tank, but I think some necessary small-scale improvements can still be made. Installing a command tower and anti-aircraft machine guns on the turret, and welding some small handrails on the body so that the infantry can Ride a tank while following the tank."
"The motorized infantry regiment of this division is mainly equipped with wheeled trucks. When passing through complex terrain, the traffic capacity is very poor. With these handrails, the infantry can ride on the tanks to attack together, at least they can keep up with the traveling speed of the tanks. , and at the same time, when facing infantry, you can cover the tank to clean up the enemy infantry at any time, and use the armor on the tank to protect yourself."
After that, Yang Zhen asked Chen Hanzhang to transfer an infantry squad from the base guard battalion over and let them sit at the engine position behind the tank. They conducted a small drill of coordinated infantry-tank impact with the tank. However, because there were no handrails on the tank, the tank It was driven very slowly, for fear of throwing off the infantry carried on top.
Looking at the situation in front of him, Chen Hanzhang thought about it for a while and then nodded and said: "No. 1, we don't need the military industry department to weld the handrails. We can do it ourselves. This base still has some remaining steel bars from the construction of the base. Give it to us." In two days, these 90 tanks can be modified."
"In this way, when maneuvering in a large area, the infantry rides in cars and follows the tanks. Once they enter the combat area, the infantry can use the tank's armor cover after getting off the car to reduce the casualty rate of the infantry under the enemy's intensive infantry firepower. At the same time, the infantry can also It can keep up with the speed of the tank's advance and protect the tank from the threat of enemy infantry."
Chen Hanzhang's ability to draw inferences from one instance did not exceed Yang Zhen's expectations. Chen Hanzhang's vision and ability may be a little narrow due to the limitations of the times and original conditions, but if you can give him a little help, it will help him. Open that layer of window paper, and he will definitely become a dragon that changes everything.
Such talents with both military and political skills, not to mention the Anti-Japanese Alliance, look at the entire army. Moreover, Chen Hanzhang’s long-term vision is beyond the comparison of ordinary cadres. His speed in accepting new tactics and new tactics, especially the new The acceptance of equipment far exceeds that of ordinary military cadres. Not only is he determined to study, consider and ponder, but more importantly, he has his own unique thinking ability and innovation ability.
Yang Zhen originally appointed him as the first commander of the Armored Forces of the Anti-Japanese War and was responsible for establishing the Armored Forces. It was not just based on his performance on the Korean battlefield. Moreover, when establishing the Armored Forces Headquarters, because the entire army was expanding, there was a shortage of personnel. As a political cadre, he shouldered all the military and administrative tasks.
But at least judging from the current situation, he has not let himself down and has done a very good job. For such a talent, there are many problems that he has not thought of. Just a few clicks are enough. Moreover, Yang has specialization in skills. Zhen only knew a general idea about the use of armored troops, but he was not very clear on some necessary details.
Therefore, Yang Zhen has always believed that he has too much control, which can only restrict the hands and feet of the subordinates and restrict their ability to think about problems. It is necessary to remind them when necessary, but it is also an appropriate reminder. Just once, no more is necessary.
Patting the heavy armor of the T-34 tank, Yang Zhen said: "When modifying, you must pay attention to it. Even if the troops can hold on to the armrests to prevent their bodies from being thrown off by the high-speed impact tank, they must also ensure that the soldiers on board can still shoot. , and the convenience of getting on and off the bus.”
"Also, all the Italian-made tanks transferred by the British this time are outdated junk goods. Not to mention thin skin, they are also quite unreliable. Even though the British have replaced their cannons, their performance is still very good. If we fall behind, once we go to the battlefield, we will either let our tank crews fight or let them die."
"The headquarters has selected some of them and sent them to the military factory to remove the turret, install a 75mm field gun, convert it into a self-propelled artillery, and install an anti-aircraft gun, and convert it into a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. The 1st Armored Division is the first unit to be equipped, etc. After the modification plan is completed, the artillery regiment of the 1st Armored Division will have two 12-vehicle self-propelled artillery battalions, a towed 100mm howitzer battalion, and a rocket launcher battalion."
"In this way, the 1st Armored Division will take the lead in realizing mechanization and motorization in the entire army, eliminating all mules and horses, and its mobility will be further enhanced. However, I am very worried about your mechanical maintenance capabilities and the commander's military capabilities. Can we support such a large mechanized force in combat?"
"In addition to some factors such as battlefield and soldier training, the first priority for mechanized force operations is logistical support and maintenance support capabilities. The headquarters has now brought you iron horses, equipped with saddles and all equipment, but how can you use these iron horses? If you can't really control it, the key depends on you yourself."
"Now that the equipment is available, your maintenance capabilities must keep up, especially the battlefield emergency repair capabilities, which must be strengthened. I don't want those tanks that suffered mechanical failures during the roundabout route in the previous stage of the battle to be destroyed during the battle. It’s all over, and it hasn’t been repaired yet. It’s a long-distance attack, and there are broken down tanks everywhere along the way.”
"You are all senior commanders and founders of the Armored Forces. The reason why I established the Armored Forces Command was to better mobilize manpower and material resources, and also to better complete our transformation from a single infantry and artillery force to a multi-service force. Transformation in joint operations.”
"You must have the corresponding vision and ability to meet the requirements of the headquarters, and this is not only your performance on the battlefield, but also the comprehensive qualities necessary for a comprehensive commander. Logistics and technology are also abilities that you must master. Of course, there are specialties in skills, and you don’t need to be proficient in everything, but you must understand them.”
"How powerful is the engine horsepower of a tank? What is the maximum driving distance? Once a fault occurs, how to troubleshoot it? Will it affect the continued fighting? You senior commanders must have a certain degree of control in your hearts. You can't just do it all at once. When something goes wrong, my eyes are blank and I don’t know anything.”
"For a technically complex service such as armored forces, you must not only consider how to use tactics, but more importantly, maximize your technical maintenance capabilities so that our iron horses can truly gallop on the battlefield. It is not necessary to control these iron horses well. An easy thing."