I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 192

Chapter 192: Coordinated Operations

The train slowly pulled into the tank base with several carriages. It stopped with a screeching sound of brakes, and with a hiss, steam was released, enveloping the area in a white mist, resembling a fairyland.

The arrival of the train at the tank base was ordered by Gallieni. The purpose was to transport tanks to any battlefield in the shortest time possible when needed.

At the same time, the train also brought essential supplies and provisions for the tank base.

However, this time, the train brought not these, but mortars, shells, and a batch of instructors.

...

Browning surveyed the assembled mortar on the ground and asked in confusion, "Is this the new weapon you invented?"

Charles nodded. "I believe it can solve the problem you just mentioned, Colonel!"

Colonel Browning looked at Charles in surprise and then laughed. "Are you joking? A small cannon like this, dealing with the German field artillery..."

But seeing Charles's serious expression, he stopped laughing. "Alright, tell me how we should proceed!"

Browning was the one who trusted Charles the most, ever since the victory at the Battle of the Marne with the use of tanks.

Whenever something seemed unbelievable to him, he would immediately think: It must be something wrong with me!

Charles walked into the rain shelter with the training map, and Browning followed right behind.

"Perhaps we should change our tactics, Colonel!" Charles picked up the pen on the table and began drawing on the training map. "We can’t always have the tanks go in front, blocking everything for the infantry. The result of that will only be watching as tanks get blown up one by one!"

Colonel Browning suddenly felt lost.

During this time, all the tactics, including those devised by Colonel Estigny, had been centered around the idea of tanks covering the infantry.

But now...

Charles was telling him not to rely on tank cover?

"But," Colonel Browning said, still confused, "we've always done it this way."

"That’s only because the enemy didn’t know we had tanks," Charles responded softly. "Or we could say, they didn’t know how to deal with tanks and weren’t prepared!"

After a pause, Charles added, "If the enemy is prepared, like you said, they just need to hide the field artillery behind the defensive lines, and our tanks will become their targets!"

Browning thought about it and agreed.

In the Battle of the Marne, it was the first time the Germans saw tanks, and of course, they weren’t prepared.

In the Battle of Lafox, the Germans deployed all their artillery on the front, and Charles attacked precisely from the vulnerable flanks.

If they had attacked head-on, even the "Mark I" tanks would have been shattered, along with the infantry behind them.

But now, Browning was even more puzzled. He looked at Charles with disbelief, uncertain, "Major, if we don’t use tanks to cover the infantry, are we using the infantry to cover the tanks?"

"Yes, that's right!" Charles nodded. "In fact, they should cover each other: tanks cover the infantry, and the infantry also cover the tanks. If the tanks are in danger, the infantry should step in. Otherwise, the infantry will collapse quickly without the tanks’ protection!"

"You're right!" Browning nodded reluctantly. "But how can the infantry cover the tanks?"

To Browning, infantry were just flesh and blood. Could they really stand in front of a tank and block incoming shells?

Charles drew a line on the training map, calmly explaining, "Let’s divide the offensive line here, about 700 meters from the enemy’s defensive line. Beyond this line, the enemy will find it hard to detect and hit the infantry, but they can easily spot and destroy the tanks!"

Browning nodded.

This was obvious. The tall tank body, along with the "rumbling" noise, made it hard not to draw the enemy’s attention.

When visibility was good, the enemy’s artillery didn’t even need binoculars to target the tanks with field guns.

But with infantry, as long as they advanced dispersed under cover or crawled on the ground, it would be hard for the enemy to inflict effective damage at that range.

(Note: This is the reason modern assault rifles typically have an effective range of around 400 meters. At longer distances, unless it’s a trained sniper, it’s very difficult to hit a target. The range of bolt-action rifles in World War I and II was 700-800 meters, which was unreasonable and a significant waste.)

Charles concluded, "So, in this range, the infantry should provide cover for the tanks."

Colonel Browning finally understood. "So, before the tanks move out, the infantry goes onto the battlefield to prepare the way for the tanks’ assault?"

"Yes!" Charles replied. "The infantry clears obstacles for the tanks, such as mines, barricades, barbed wire, and sometimes even helps plan the tanks’ routes to avoid potential muddy traps."

Colonel Browning slowly nodded. "And then, it’s the tanks’ turn to come in..."

"No!" Charles interrupted Browning. "Then, it should be the mortars' turn!"

Charles gestured toward the mortars placed outside.

Colonel Browning paused, then nodded repeatedly. "You’re right, with a range of 700 meters, it’s already within range."

But then he shook his head. "But, it still can’t suppress the enemy’s field artillery; they might be deployed outside its range!"

The Germans' field artillery had a range of five kilometers, while the mortar only had a range of 700 meters. If the field artillery was placed a bit further back, it would be out of the mortar's range.

Charles smiled lightly. "We don’t need to suppress it, Colonel. We can fire smoke shells!"

Colonel Browning said, "Oh," and nodded. "That’s right, the mortar can fire smoke shells to obscure the view of the enemy’s artillery!"

"And then there’s the bombardment!" Charles pointed to the enemy's defensive line on the map. "By then, the area will be filled with dust and smoke, with our field artillery and howitzers suppressing the enemy, even aircraft joining in... Only then will the tanks move in!"

Browning stood there, stunned. Such a battle...

Charles said, "Before this, it was just infantry and tanks working together. Now..."

Browning nodded. "Now it’s infantry, artillery, tanks, and even aircraft working together. It’s hard to achieve, but if we succeed, even partially, it means the enemy will have no way to retaliate!"

Charles was satisfied with Browning's words, knowing that he had understood the concept of coordinated operations.

Colonel Estigny was more suited for strategic command, but Browning, with his sensitivity to tactical coordination, was invaluable.

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