Chapter 28 Be a Good Soldier
"The times create heroes, and the turbulent situation forges great men." This sentence was originally used to describe the special period when war comes. With the continuous evolution of the war situation, personal heroism has become very difficult or even impossible to appear "single-handedly disturbing three armies". War is gradually becoming more technological and professionalized, making it no longer rely on human power as the main force. In the past, with just a knife, a bow, a shield, and some other equipment, one could build a powerful army that dominated the battlefield, but now it's not that simple anymore.
When soldiers were equipped with rifles that had a terrifying rate of fire and killing power, the distance between battles grew further. When troops had machine guns and cannons, their range and killing power were no longer comparable to those of ancient crossbows, and the brutality of combat became more heart-wrenching. When troops needed not only food, medicine, but also diesel, bullets, shells, uniforms, medical supplies, etc., these became the focus of logistics in modern warfare. In short, all changes were due to the transformation of weapons, and in fact, most changes were tactical changes in combat, which is the key to victory and the best way to save oneself and destroy the enemy according to specific circumstances at the time.
"In ancient times, cavalry and infantry fought wars that didn't require the trenches, barbed wire, and ditches of today. The bows, arrows, and spears they used weren't the guns and cannons of this era either. So every era has its own tactics and best weapons, each with its own unique strategies. We can look back on our country's glorious ancient history, where countless wars were fought with old-fashioned weapons, but after entering the age of hot weapons, our land wars actually decreased. Now, Europe is witnessing various modern infantry tactics. How can we achieve the best results with minimal casualties in the face of machine guns, barbed wire, and artillery? How can we turn the enemy's barbed wire and trenches into useless objects? How can we reduce the casualties of our infantrymen?"
The military development of Guangxi is not commensurate with the speed of its actual strength development. The strong comprehensive national strength requires not only the prosperity of industry, agriculture, commerce and education, but also the natural development of military affairs cannot be ignored. In order to better develop military strength, there are only three things that need to be done: first, strengthen the awareness of national defense among all people; second, make efforts in military weapons; third, and most importantly, cultivate practical military talents of various types. The advancement or backwardness of weapons is often not the main reason for winning or losing a war, while the quality of personnel can largely make up for the inadequacy of equipment, and the high level of comprehensive quality of talents is an important guarantee for strong military strength.
On May 23, 1915, the Guangxi First Military Academy and People's Army Officer School was completed and handed over to the People's Army Military Commission. Shortly after, all majors of this school officially started classes. The reason why the Officer School became the first military academy of the People's Army is not only because the People's Army itself lacked suitable and sufficient commanding talents, but also because traditional infantry tactics had nothing to teach at that time.
"The establishment of our school is a major progress in the development history of our military. The current world's military dynamics are very clear, and we can see some future military development trends from the military struggles of the great powers."
In the military academy, Zhang Yu would regularly give a lecture every week, and this lecture was also one of the most popular courses in the military academy. The class was a mix of military technology, strategic command, and other content, which was deeply liked by many soldiers who had just taken off their peasant or worker uniforms. "Everyone has received a copy of the military dynamics that occurred on the European battlefield, including barbed wire, machine gun forts, trenches, poison gas bombs, aerial reconnaissance, and more. Traditional tactics are evolving into more and more new tricks, and various new weapons are being used on the battlefield."
"Faced with a prolonged defensive line, high barbed wire and trenches, combined with a certain number of machine guns and coordinated infantry, if sufficient firepower support can be obtained at the right time, this is truly a disaster for pure infantry. For such a rigid but very effective defensive tactic, the Germans first came up with a solution, that is, to target the personnel in defense, the main body of war is human, maximizing the killing of opponents and saving oneself is victory. Poison gas can be said to be an effective means of killing enemies, but this tactic is obviously wrong. And firepower destruction of enemy fortifications, to some extent, as long as logistics transportation and firepower strikes are strong enough, it also counts as a relatively effective means. But I want to ask, why are we trapped by barbed wire? Is such defense really invincible?"
Zhang Yu naturally refers to the tragic events that occurred in Europe, where imperialist powers used living people to test modern weapons and play with infantry groups, causing their own countries to lose a generation of young people. However, both sides had to attack each other, but neither side had a good solution, and breaking through a defensive line often required tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops. Zhang Yu did not want such a terrifying war to happen to his countrymen.
"I think that infantry, since they all have the character 'step', indicates that it's not just about rigid defense, but also requires movement. The infantry charges and stubborn firepower on the European battlefield are actually relying on their own strong firepower and morale to try to conquer the enemy, but both sides have similar strength and no suitable tactics, resulting in a large-scale war, a war where every battle requires tens of thousands of corpses as proof. My opinion is that we should focus on the 'step' character of infantry, a fully armed soldier's mobility is limited, and his ability to exert force is also quite limited. But why do we treat him like a person, why do we focus on his two feet when thinking about his combat mobility?"
"Does that mean the infantry tactics need to be changed in battles between armies?" Zhang Yu loved it when someone dared to stand up and speak in class, whether they raised their hand or not was secondary, what mattered most was having the guts to stand up and express their own opinions. And all along, many students who didn't know how to write the word "shy" were always eager to speak up, but every time, Tang Renhui would voluntarily take the lead, after all, he was always the first one to stand up and had the loudest voice, this time was no exception.
"Now that the traditional infantry's defense has become a painful thing, the infantry's group charge has also evolved into a suicidal behavior with no strategic or tactical significance. Why not make a bold change? Get each soldier moving, and in the movement, give play to the advantages of firepower strikes, annihilate the enemy in the movement. Moreover, once the infantry is mobile, the tactics of the troops will have a lot of autonomy..."
"Comrade, are you suggesting that our infantrymen run around the world with machine guns and rifles? I'd like to ask you, a soldier's physical strength is limited, how long can he withstand marching and high-intensity combat? The mobility of troops is indeed important, but what we're considering now is large-scale group warfare, not fighting bandits and local tyrants!" A fellow student with no less courage stood up to oppose Tang Renhui's tactics, and that was Song Zhiming. This guy had only been in school for a few days and could already confront Tang Renhui, a "veteran" of the People's Army, and indeed had some guts and level.
Tang Renhui, who had a thick skin, didn't blush at all when faced with the criticism from his old opponent. Instead, he turned around confidently and said to Song Ziming: "Song, don't you know that there are cars in this world? Can the mobility of infantry be compared to that of cars? Why can't our infantry use cars for strategic maneuvering? The necessary supplies and equipment for combat can also be transported through car convoys. This way, the combat and defensive capabilities of our troops will increase exponentially, and the mobility we can gain is unimaginable!"
"Tang, it seems like you're changing the subject? We are currently considering how to deal with the tenacious defense of the army group. Simply put, if you were a commander of an army, what would you do with those barbed wires, trenches and machine gun firepower points?"
"The importance of troop mobility doesn't need to be said, since you want to talk about dealing with barbed wire and trenches. Have you ever thought about why it developed into this? Why precious lives have to hide in cold and damp trenches, passively defending behind barbed wire? Is it because they're afraid of engaging in rifle fire with the enemy's infantry, or being bombarded by concentrated artillery fire? In fact, today's infantry tactics can only be like this. Do you want both sides to attack each other with guns and cannons, like a duel?"
These words entered the ears of everyone, and all expressed their agreement, including Song Ziming who had asked the question. For an army that is also a combination of infantry and artillery like themselves, once engaged in battle, they can only choose to defend passively while the other side launches a large-scale attack. The difference lies in how strong each side's firepower is. "Then tell me, how should we deal with such an outdated tactic?" Song Ziming asked Tang Renhui, who was known as a genius, after thinking for half a day.
"This is why I emphasized the mobility of infantry earlier. Since both sides are extremely unwilling to be passive in defense and launch an attack with huge casualties, if a traditional approach has been proven seriously wrong by blood and severed limbs, we must abandon the old way and actively change tactics. Use mobility to deal with passivity, use speed and efficiency to deal with stiffness and conservatism, and use quick battles to deal with slow and dragging ones. For example, after the outbreak of war, if one side has not yet repaired the necessary defensive fortifications, while the highly mobile side has already moved to their front, do you think that the opponent without barbed wire or trenches would still be difficult to break through?"
"This is just like the cavalry versus infantry in our ancient war history, the Mongolian iron cavalry relied on their ultra-high mobility to launch a powerful impact before the infantry could even set up their formation. Even if the infantry had made defensive preparations, the cavalry could still use their high mobility to roam around the infantry cluster and grasp the initiative. The side with better mobility would always be in control, they could launch an iron cavalry charge almost instantly based on the tiny flaws of the opposing infantry, once the infantry and cavalry engaged in close combat, the slaughter would officially begin!"
Zhang Yu heard Tang Renhui's words and couldn't help but nod in agreement, thinking that this young man indeed had some talent. However, he still wanted to test the mettle of this so-called genius. "I'm very curious, what kind of mobile tactics do you propose to counter the outdated infantry tactics of barbed wire and trench machine guns? How exactly would you achieve mobility?"
In response to Zhang Yu's question, Tang Renhui smiled and said: "Actually, the mobility of infantry I mentioned earlier is similar to that of cavalry. Cavalry relies on horses for mobility, which in turn gives them the initiative in combat. However, it is unrealistic to continue using horses as a means of mobility today. Horses eat fodder but are flesh and blood, and we have better alternatives - cars. Currently, cars are just trucks, sedans, engineering vehicles, etc., but we can modify them in various ways. Rubber tires cannot be used on muddy terrain, but tracked vehicles like engineering vehicles can move freely. Thin steel plates cannot withstand bullet penetration, but steel plates of a certain thickness can resist strong impacts."
"So you're saying that we should develop new cars for the sake of mobility? Even add some armor to them, wouldn't that make infantry not infantry anymore? It's almost like calling cavalry. " Zhang Yu said with a smile, but in his heart he was already overjoyed. "Then you can bring out a specific report on this idea next time we have class and we can discuss it."
It wasn't long before the idea of a battlefield tank emerged, with the British innovation of adding cannons and armor plating to tractors, which is what Tang Renhui had in mind for his new era cavalry mobility carrier. "Commander, can you give me your word? I think my idea is absolutely right, so I hope to get your support." As soon as class was over, Tang Renhui took the initiative to find Zhang Yu and express his thoughts.
"Do you think the new era's cavalry is the terminator of traditional infantry tactics? And absolutely! In the corridor, Zhang Yu heard Tang Renhui's request and turned around to look at him. "You have to know that when a new tactic appears, it also means the old one will perish. It's good to push out the old with the new, but this is also a huge risk investment!"
"I'm not sure if this tactic is absolutely feasible, different regions and environments must have their own best tactics at the time, but I think for things like barbed wire and trenches, it's time to change tactics and military equipment. Otherwise, such slaughter may be beneficial in terms of war strategy, but for a country's long-term development, losing a generation of young people is a huge disaster. Since it's a risky investment, let's do it big as we always do, bold investments can bring high returns!"
This remark was so shocking that Zhang Yu hurriedly took a few more glances at Tang Renhui, from head to toe, and still couldn't believe that this kid was a businessman, and a reckless speculator at that. "With such crazy investments like yours, what if there's no return on investment? All investments have risks, but military investments are not like engineering projects where you can learn from your mistakes and try again."
"I only need enough manpower, we need to start researching new types of weapons and tactics that match them. I believe the Entente and Allies who are facing huge casualties must also be thinking about these issues. Our automotive, metallurgy and chemical industries are relatively strong, with sufficient strength to develop equipment that can break through traditional infantry tactics, which will also indirectly enhance our military's comprehensive strength for future use."
"Alright, alright, don't drag me to the ends of the earth. If you have ideas, gather more students to discuss, we're originally poor and white, everything has to follow the imperialist powers' model, when can we be ourselves? In short, boldly think and imagine, let more people participate, within a week come up with a feasibility report, next week's class can still have a big discussion, if it works out, won't take long to implement."
"Then, thank you, Commander!" After finishing speaking, Tang Renhui gave Zhang Yu a salute and turned around to leave quickly, leaving Zhang Yu standing there in confusion. "If I had told him directly, it would have been fine, just be bold and do it. The armored infantry tactics are absolutely correct, and the effect is probably not even this good." After muttering to himself, Zhang Yu shook his head and slowly walked away.
The military academy, being a combination of a military school and a technical school, has the appearance of a university. The People's Military Officer Specialized School is actually equipped with university standards in terms of scale and hardware configuration, but students' classes and lives are managed in a militarized manner. The school covers various majors and technical categories similar to those of a technical school, but naturally includes more military-related aspects. These characteristics directly lead people to refer to this school as a Technical Officer Cultivation School.
The gradual technologization of war is not a change in the nature of war itself, but rather a drastic change in the people and equipment involved. The scientific and cultural literacy of soldiers has increased dramatically, while the weapons and equipment used have become increasingly advanced. In ancient times, craftsmen who followed the army might be called technical officers, but as we develop to this day and beyond, the name "craftsman" must be thoroughly changed to professional technical officer. Guns, artillery, vehicles, warships, and later aircraft, tanks, submarines, etc., all require professionals for maintenance and operation. Of course, it is also because more and more professional talents have entered the army that the army has become increasingly technologically advanced and specialized, making war even more cruel and ruthless.
Non-commissioned officers are not only technical non-commissioned officers, but also a kind of "nanny" non-commissioned officers. They are called nannies because they do not need to master the highest technology in their profession like technical non-commissioned officers. They are a group of old soldiers who have served in the army for a long time and made great contributions. In war, it is waiting for a large number of soldiers, and clearing out one by one rookie, so the role of old soldiers in the troops is extremely important. To ensure the quality and combat effectiveness of the troops, it is very necessary to retain some old soldiers.
But for the People's Army, a new-born force, the oldest soldiers can only refer to the original security team. Many of them have been promoted to officers and become leaders in charge of troops. However, at the grassroots level, there is still a lack of a complete military training system and combat effectiveness guarantee mechanism, which is the main reason for promoting the non-commissioned officer system.
A historically established unit, after implementing the non-commissioned officer system, can retain a large number of old soldiers. Then, let the old soldiers with the title of non-commissioned officers be paired with new recruits, which is equivalent to letting the old soldiers become the most intuitive and closest teachers for the new recruits. This has a very important role in ensuring the combat effectiveness of the troops. However, what the People's Army urgently needs now are not new recruits but old soldiers. The emergence of non-commissioned officer schools is to cultivate a group of non-commissioned officers similar to old soldiers, let them lead the army and become the backbone of the grassroots forces. Of course, doing so is also for better control over a unit.
"First squad, fall in!"
"Inspect your firearms and ammunition, prepare for firing!"
The loud slogans came from the shooting range of the military academy, some tactical elites were selected to serve as "veterans" and strictly trained, hoping to become a qualified veteran after completing their training, that is, an officer who can assist the squad leader.
"Our target is not a fixed target, the ones you are aiming at are targets that have been moved by some machines, they are constantly moving, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes only 50 meters away from you, and sometimes 100 meters away. Sometimes the bullseye is only one or two meters above the ground, and sometimes it may be very high. Cherish every bullet, seize every opportunity." A veteran soldier holding a megaphone walked back and forth, looking at each face full of confidence, before loudly shouting to the rows of reserve officers: "Quickly replace between teams, finish all your bullets within three minutes. Start now!"
As soon as the voice fell, the twelve reserve officers of the first team stood up from the standard military posture to the shooting position, checked their guns and ammunition, and someone started firing after ten seconds. The modified target moved very irregularly under the drive of the motor, sometimes high and sometimes low, just like what the old soldier said, sometimes it came towards us, and sometimes it quickly ran away with its tail between its legs.
The Lee-Enfield rifle, with its excellent shooting accuracy, was perfectly demonstrated at this time. The reserve officers who had undergone a lot of basic training and were not low in level fully played the accuracy of the rifle. Every shot and every pull of the bolt showed their high quality gained from long-term hard training.
"Bang, bang, bang!" As the last shot of the first team fell, the members of the first team immediately took a step to the left, making way for the shooting position, while the members of the second team rushed up and began to check their own firearms and ammunition. At the same time, the targets on the opposite target stand were quickly replaced. Then the sound of gunfire rang out again, and the target papers were pierced. Of course, after the rifle shooting was finished, there were still pistols and machine guns waiting for them.
"In the field of battle, I don't want anyone to have the special skill of drifting, but absolutely cannot afford to have the ability to flip over. Since you chose to become an automobile transportation officer, that means you will be the best among future automobile transportation soldiers. The next three days' rapid tire changing, troubleshooting and eliminating vehicle problems, small-radius turning and direction adjustment, rapid loading and unloading of goods, etc., are all tests to make you a qualified officer."
The usual artillery shooting range has been converted into a training ground for automobile transport officer cadets, of course this training ground is still used in conjunction with the artillery officers, it's just that today it's the turn of the automobile class to use the venue while the artillerymen are having theoretical classes. Having obtained a training ground with one pit after another, today's automobile transport reserve officers will probably be able to show off their skills in rapid road maintenance, that is, they will no longer be driving wheeled vehicles, perhaps tracked engineering vehicles will become a major force in the training.
However, the artillery officer candidates who were attending theoretical classes in the classroom could not hear the complaints of the automobile officer candidates about why there were large and small shell craters all over the training ground. Of course, their classes were also aimed at correcting these problems, how to shoot more accurately, faster and stronger, which has always been the main goal pursued by artillerymen.
"Our infantry guns have only three types. The first is the portable and flexible mortar, with two calibers of 60mm and 81mm. The second is the cannon, divided into small caliber 75mm and medium caliber 105mm. The third is the howitzer, currently we only have a caliber of 155mm. In other words, the big guns used by us have three styles and five calibers, with a range from hundreds of meters to nearly twenty kilometers, which can complete all firepower striking tasks for current troops."
"The performance of various large-caliber artillery pieces brought back from the European battlefield has received very good reviews. The howitzer was verified to be a very effective infantry support weapon, and its timely and effective firepower in frontline battles was affirmed and praised. In completing artillery cluster shooting and rolling barrage shooting, the firing speed and power of cannons and mortars were well demonstrated, perhaps our caliber is not the largest, but the firing speed, mobility, and accuracy have always been excellent."
The artillerymen who participated in the 'Liberation' battle across Guangxi have now become well-versed artillery instructors. Through their hard work and diligence, they have grasped a certain level of scientific and cultural knowledge and superb tactical skills, making them the most qualified to teach others. Of course, today's theoretical courses are not just about how powerful the military hardware exported from the People's Army factories in Europe is, but rather how well they themselves need to master these artillery pieces before truly unleashing their divine power in battle.
"Our shooting methods mainly include simple method, precise method, result method, supplementary method and ballistic measurement method. All the rules are established on the high quality of each soldier, and the artillery needs to do several things before striking the opponent. Mastering the accurate position and direction of the opponent, weather conditions and other information that can be obtained through reconnaissance and detection, calculating a reasonable trajectory, determining the shooting surface and depth, and completing all preparations before shooting are the manifestations of the gunner's control quality. If all the artillery information is correct, but due to operational errors, the shells fly randomly, this is not what we need. Many times, our shooting targets are not stationary, nor can they be fixed in one place, so it is necessary to adjust the shooting target constantly, and at that time, not only the charge needs to be changed, but also the shooting data needs to change with the target's changes. Artillery, it's not as easy as you think!!"
In the military academy, such voices would occasionally be heard, and the intimidating tone would sometimes have a great effect, because they were all soldiers with one shoulder carrying one head, equal in the face of any difficulty, as long as they studied hard and trained diligently, they could also become good soldiers.
