On the morning of the start of the exercise, Zhu Yourong's convoy arrived at the Central Command Hall of the Purple Mountain Fortress at eight o'clock sharp.
This has become the general headquarters of the red side of the fortress exercise. According to the original arrangement, the commander-in-chief of the red side Tang Yunsheng and Zhang Zhaoxian, as well as a group of red side commanders and generals, bowed to Her Majesty the Queen and then asked her to announce the start of the exercise. But now it is obvious that
Not any more.
When Zhu Yourong entered the hall, the Red Army Headquarters was already in a panic. Phones were ringing everywhere, and junior officers were running around nervously with documents, telegrams, and orders. There were giant giants on the wall.
Next to the map, several female officers climbed up and down the scaffolding, constantly using long poles to move the red and blue marks on the map. The senior officers were like ants on a hot pot, grabbing the phone and shouting to the other end
I kept asking questions one after another and got contradictory answers one after another.
The Red Army had a limited number of aircraft, and one airport was originally enough. However, out of caution, Tang Yunsheng decided to divide the few aircraft into one more and build an additional airport. Because the Ming and Qing wars had just ceased fire, the Ming generals
They all still have fresh memories of the "New Year's greeting" air raid on the Qing army's airport on the first day of the new year. That air raid only paid a small price and wiped out a large number of Qing army's aircraft on the ground, causing the Ming army to take away its air superiority at once.
come over.
In the current exercise, the number of aircraft of the Blue Army is already greatly superior, and the Blue Army's big boss behind the scenes, Xiang Xiaoqiang, strongly advocates "air supremacy". In the words of many people, he is a "Duheist". Therefore, under Tang Yunsheng
It seems that the Blue Army is definitely capable, motivated, and interested in launching such an air strike at the beginning of the exercise.
Tang Yunsheng has ordered the air defense units at the two airports to be more vigilant and have the aircraft at the two airports prepare to take off one hour before the start of the exercise. At eight o'clock, as soon as the Queen announces the start of the exercise, the staff below will immediately call
Give the airport, and the planes from the two airports will take off in an emergency. Fighters will escort the bombers to attack the blue army's airport. On the one hand, they strive to defeat the strong and gain air superiority, and on the other hand, they also prevent them from being blown up on the ground.
But now, everything is in front of us. The Blue Army actually launched a sneak attack on two airports at dawn, when the Red Army thought the exercise had not started yet. At first, Tang Yunsheng felt it was very unfair, thinking that the Blue Army took advantage of the loopholes.
But when you calm down and think about it, the opponent is the attacker and you are the defender. Does it mean that the defender knows exactly the attack time of the attacker, down to what time it is? Is this fair?
It’s easier to say for the ground troops. Even if they don’t know what time the opponent’s attack will be, it’s right to keep them alert at all times. But for the airport, if they don’t know the exact time of the opponent’s attack, they can be kept alert at all times.
Staying in the sky and not coming down? It is possible to let the plane take off in advance, that is, to know the opponent's accurate attack time in advance. But in a real war, is it possible to accurately know the opponent's attack time?
…
In any case, in the few hours since he received the news of the Blue Army's attack at dawn, Tang Yunsheng can really be called "worried." His eyes were bloodshot with anxiety, and he just stared up at the huge map.
Watching the clumsy little female officers, based on conflicting reports, they put the little blue figures up and took them down again.
At eight o'clock exactly, twenty Guards soldiers filed into the entrance of the hall and stood very low-key at key positions in the hall. Then an officer came in to check and nodded towards the door.
A "female officer" walked in slowly. She looked around for a few times, then quietly found a chair in the corner and sat down. Several male and female attendants following her also sat quietly.
beside.
This female officer is wearing a dark green marshal's uniform. The epaulettes that represent her military rank are neither copper plum blossoms nor the bronze swords of the People's Guard, but three gold Suzakus. The service symbols on her chest are neither the Army's crossed guns.
, not a naval anchor, but a cross between a rifle and an anchor, with a red bird spreading its wings standing on top.
There was only one person in the entire Ming army whose military uniform had this mark. That was the Emperor of Ming Dynasty who was also the Grand Marshal of the Army and Navy.
Zhu Yourong sat quietly on the chair, put her right leg on her left leg, put her military cap on her knee, then gently took off her gloves and looked at the noisy hall quietly. She usually appeared in front of outsiders wearing nothing but clothes.
Wearing a dress. She was going to inspect the exercise today. In order not to look too out of the ordinary and to blend in better with the army, she followed Zheng Yucong's suggestion and wore this military uniform that is not usually worn. It was because of this military uniform that she didn't cause any fuss even after she came in for a long time.
Attention. If you were wearing your usual clothes, I'm afraid the hall would have become quiet as soon as you entered.
Now two or three officers passing by saw her, and they all stopped in surprise, not knowing what etiquette to do. But Zhu Yourong smiled and put his index finger on his lips, meaning to keep quiet. These officers looked excited.
Either red or white, salute or nod, and then continue working.
Zhu Yourong felt the panic and anxiety in the hall. His excitement gradually calmed down, and he couldn't help but think about Xiang Xiaoqiang.
She recalled the military class that Xiang Xiaoqiang taught her and the "blitzkrieg" that he had talked about many times. Xiang Xiaoqiang said personally at that time: The so-called blitzkrieg focuses on the word "fast". Make sure that your attack speed is faster than the opponent's.
The defense speed is two beats faster, so that the opponent's "plan cannot keep up with the changes", so that their rigorous combat plan becomes a piece of waste paper in the face of the fierce and fast offensive, and the opponent will lose before they can even react to what is going on.
The first round.
Xiang Xiaoqiang once described to her with relish how the traditional army command system was in chaos and panic when it was suddenly hit by a "blitz war." Now sitting here, Zhu Yourong really felt what it was like for the attacked party to face a blitz war.
Reaction.
Really, it’s the same as what Xiang Xiaoqiang said.
...what he said is absolutely correct.
Zhu Yourong was sitting in the corner of the noisy hall, but his thoughts could not help but return to Xiang Xiaoqiang's class.
…
Tang Yunsheng suddenly felt that everything around him had become quiet. He looked away from the huge map and saw all the officers around him, as well as the few female officers next to the big map, looking at him in surprise.
He turned around and found Zhu Yourong standing behind him, also looking at the huge map.
"Ah, Your Majesty."
Tang Yunsheng quickly bent down and bowed gently. The staff officer next to him quickly brought a chair to Her Majesty the Queen.
Zhu Yourong did not sit down, but just stared at the big map and asked:
"Where did the Blue Army attack?"
Tang Yunsheng waved and asked the staff officer to spread a smaller map on the table, and then said:
"Your Majesty, we can now confirm that the Blue Army has broken through the Red Army's defense line here. This section of the defense line is garrisoned by the Second and Third Red Divisions. How wide is the front of the Blue Army's attack and how wide is the gap in the defense line?
It’s not clear yet.”
Zhu Yourong looked down at the map and asked:
"How's the battle going now?"
Tang Yunsheng pondered, hesitated, and said:
"The specific battle situation is still unclear. But there is still news about the Third Red Division. It can be sure that the Third Red Division fought very hard. As for the Second Red Division..."
He looked at the big clock on the wall and said slowly:
"We lost communication with the Second Red Division after five o'clock. It has been four hours since the Blue Army attacked. Judging from the speed and intensity of their attack, the Second Red Division... is probably in danger."
At this time, an officer hurried over and handed Tang Yunsheng a telegram. After reading it, Tang Yunsheng calmly handed it to Zhu Yourong. Zhu Yourong took it and read it, and saw that the telegram was from the Blue Army Headquarters: 8:05,
The commander of the Second Red Division and 8,000 officers and soldiers surrendered to the Blue Army. The Second Red Division was wiped out during the exercise.
Almost at the same time, a broadcast sounded over the command hall, and a dignified and calm female voice announced:
"Please pay attention to all units in the exercise. Please pay attention to all units in the exercise... This is the president's sentence for the fortress exercise... This is the president's sentence for the fortress exercise... The Blue Army Headquarters just announced that at 8:05 this morning, the Second Division of the Red Army went to
The Blue Army surrendered... The Second Division of the Red Army was wiped out during the fortress exercise..."
Suddenly, the whole hall was in an uproar. All the Red Army officers stopped what they were doing and subconsciously looked at the high dome of the hall, dumbfounded. In a blink of an eye, the hall was boiling. Everyone was talking loudly.
Suddenly, everyone remembered that Her Majesty the Queen was still watching here, and the hall gradually became quiet again. The officers all looked towards Zhu Yourong and Tang Yunsheng.
…
Tang Yunsheng was extremely busy, so Zhu Yourong asked him to continue commanding. Now Zhang Zhaoxian, chief of the general staff of the headquarters, accompanied Zhu Yourong to continue the inspection.
"Zhang Aiqing," Zhu Yourong said while walking in the noisy hall, "you, like me, are people who are aloof from the red and blue sides. In your opinion, on the first day of the exercise, the blue army only used four
Two divisions of the Red Army were almost wiped out in just a few hours. Why?... To be honest, I was very surprised."
Zhang Zhaoxian and Zhu Yourong walked slowly side by side, smiling and gesturing to both sides with her, and said softly:
"Your Majesty, I am also very surprised. I never thought that the Blue Army would attack like this and attack so fast... But I think there are several reasons: First, the Blue Army gained air superiority from the beginning. Or
In other words, even if the Blue Army does not destroy the Red Army's airport from the beginning, judging from the air power ratio between the two sides, the Blue Army still has air superiority. It will only be a matter of time before the Blue Army gains air supremacy.
"The Blue Army has air superiority, which brings several results. First, the Blue Army can observe the Red Army's every move at any time through aerial observation, but the Red Army has a blind eye to the Blue Army's position and movements. Secondly, the Blue Army
It has the advantage of rapid maneuverability. And air superiority can bomb and straf the Red Army's marching column from the air, seriously slowing down the Red Army's movement speed and making the Blue Army's speed advantage more obvious. Moreover, this kind of air attack itself
It can kill a large number of Red Army officers and soldiers, causing the Red Army to be in chaos at critical moments, making it difficult to resist the Blue Army's attack on the ground.
"In addition to the air superiority of the Blue Army, the second reason, in Wei Chen's opinion, is that the attack speed was too fast, catching the Red Army off guard. Although there is no complete report on the scale of the Blue Army's attack, I am afraid that I can guess
, Commander Rommel of the Blue Army, just like during the Nanjing Defense War, concentrated the use of armored forces and carried out a rapid and violent attack at a point on the defense line. This is obviously a new attack method. Such an offensive should not be used by any country's army at present.
Can bear it.”
Zhu Yourong suddenly stood up, looked at Zhang Zhaoxian, and asked with a smile:
"Zhang Aiqing, let me ask you, from the bottom of your heart, which side do you want to win?"
Zhang Zhao was startled for a moment and said with a smile:
"Your Majesty, both the red and blue sides are my Ming army. I will be happy whichever side wins... Isn't that what your Majesty thinks?"
Zhu Yourong laughed, lowered his head again, and continued walking slowly.
Zhang Zhao followed first, and after a moment he laughed softly:
"Your Majesty, would you like to come to the exercise site and observe it in person?"
Zhu Yourong raised his head:
"today?"
Zhang Zhao smiled and nodded.
Zhu Yourong stared into his eyes and asked slowly:
"Zhang Aiqing...do you think that after today, the overall situation of the exercise will be decided?"
Zhang Zhaoxian did not answer directly, but just smiled and said:
"I noticed that Your Majesty is wearing military uniform. Could it be that... His Majesty doesn't want to go to the battlefield in person today?"
Zhu Yourong also smiled and nodded:
"Yes, I really want to go ahead and have a look today. Zhang Aiqing can arrange it."
"Your Majesty," Zhang Zhao said with a smile, "Commander Li has already made arrangements."
"Commander Li? Which one?"
…
At nine o'clock in the morning, Zhu Yourong's motorcade drove out of Nanjing and entered the People's Guard barracks in the eastern suburbs. Li Gensheng, commander of the People's Guard Mobile Team, led all the generals of the People's Guard to greet the holy driver at the gate.
After Zhu Yourong briefly inspected the People's Guard, she boarded an armored command vehicle specially prepared for her.
This armored command vehicle is the most luxurious one in the entire Ming Dynasty Army. It has luxurious interior decoration, spacious and comfortable. It is not from the People's Guard, but was specially ordered by the General Headquarters and "Taipingji" just to serve as the Chief of General Staff.
It is used by big shots like the Minister of War. Today, Zhang Zhao took it out of the garage of the headquarters.
But in addition to this vehicle, the convoy accompanying the Queen to the "front line" also included three taels of ordinary armored command vehicles, two light armored reconnaissance vehicles, two transport vehicles, and ten armored personnel carriers. These vehicles and guards were all from
People's Guard.
At 11 o'clock at noon, the Queen inspected the convoy on the front line of the exercise. A total of eighteen armored vehicles drove out of the east gate of the People's Guard Barracks. Along the Shanghai-Nanjing Highway, they drove eastward at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour.
Dozens of kilometers to the east, the First Blue Division and the Sixth Red Division were fighting in Xinmenzhuang, fighting fiercely.