Chapter 412 Mobile Defense

The German 1st Tank Division rushed to the town of Vallo at full speed on the road.

The normal cruising speed of the "Upper Silesia" tank is 12 kilometers per hour. Although it is designed to reach a top speed of 16 kilometers, it can only be used as a last resort in battle.

Otherwise, in fifteen minutes at most, it will explode due to engine overheating and even cause an accident.

But even if it was traveling normally, 11 tanks had to be abandoned due to malfunctions along the way.

The 30-kilometer journey took more than two hours, and the driver didn't rest for a moment. They were so tired that they almost fell down before they reached the town of Valo.

The tanks of this period did not have power assist. Driving a tank was purely physical work, and you had to endure the noise and suffocating air in the tank cabin.

Erwin was in Major General Nicholas's car all the way, and they were drawing up a battle plan on the map while slowly following the tank.

"The highway bridge is erected on a ravine more than seven meters deep and more than ten meters wide." Erwin said: "I used it as a target when I was the battalion commander of the mountain camp, so I am familiar with the terrain in that area."

Major General Nicholas stared at the map, seeming to find the end of the ravine.

"It's actually not long." Erwin drew a rough line on the map with his finger and explained: "It's only more than two hundred meters. It's not marked on the map. Its two ends are connected to mountains that tanks can't pass. If you don't start from here, To pass, you have to go around more than 100 kilometers in the direction of Charleroi.”

Major General Nicholas felt relieved: "This is a good opportunity. Our tanks can hide on the other side of the bridge and wait for the enemy to cross the bridge before firing..."

"General." Erwin interrupted Major General Nicholas: "I think fighting like this may be useless against Charles's troops."

Major General Nicholas looked at Erwin in confusion: "The road bridge can only accommodate one tank, Captain. No matter how powerful the 'Shire A1' is, it cannot face the swarm attack of dozens of our tanks at the same time. . In addition, once a tank is destroyed on the bridge, their path forward will be blocked. "

Major General Nicholas felt that this was an almost perfect battle plan.

Erwin still shook his head.

"I thought so too before this." Erwin said in a calm and helpless tone: "This is what I did on the defensive line."

Major General Nicholas suddenly realized that the wide trenches dug by Erwin were equivalent to trenches. The enemy's sandbags filled the trenches and passed through them like road bridges. They would also be attacked by Erwin's tank battalion in groups.

However, Erwin was defeated in disgrace.

Major General Nicholas asked curiously: "How did they do it?"

Erwin's answer was simple and clear: "Artillery, their artillery seems to have eyes. They can accurately know the location of our tanks even from several kilometers away. I think they have achieved this by deploying a large number of artillery observers on the front line." Infantry and artillery coordination.”

Erwin's major is artillery. He served in the 49th Field Artillery Regiment before becoming the commander of the mountain battalion, and has a deep understanding of this.

Major General Nicholas was silent for a while and said thoughtfully: "So, our tanks will be blown up by their artillery one after another, and then their tanks will cross the bridge."

"Yes." Erwin sighed softly: "Before, I always thought that the gap between us and the Shire was in equipment, but now I discovered that this is not the case."

"What do you mean?" Major General Nicholas asked.

"They are a whole, general." Erwin replied: "The aviation team cooperates with the artillery to suppress our 105 howitzers, the artillery cooperates with the tanks to suppress our tanks, and the infantry cooperates with the tanks to attack. Each arm is exerting its own strengths to complement the other arms. Weaknesses. And we..."

"But everyone fights his own way?" Major General Nicholas completed Erwin's words.

Erwin said "Yeah", and a feeling of powerlessness arose spontaneously.

What really made him despair was not the Charles bombers or the Charles tanks, nor the defeat just now, but the coordination between the various arms of the French army.

How did Charles know these tactics and train his troops as a unit?

Such an army is invincible!

Where there is one division there will be two divisions, and then more and more.

The German army, which only knows how to dig trenches, is vulnerable in front of them. This war is doomed to fail!

Major General Nicholas seemed to see through Erwin's thoughts. He said expressionlessly: "You are thinking too far, Captain. Fighting the battle in front of us is what we need to do."

Then his tone turned serious: "If this is the case, we have only one option to blow up the bridge!"

However, blowing up the bridge was not the best option. The Germans had a large number of cars, tricycles, and artillery. Blowing up the bridge meant that only soldiers could pass through, leaving everything else on the other side of the ravine.

Erwin thought for a moment and replied: "We may have another option."

As he said that, Erwin pointed to the town of Valo, one mile away on the map: "Maybe we can hide the tank here."

Nicholas immediately understood Erwin's intention. The tanks were hidden in the town of Vallo. Not only were the French troops unable to see them, they would also use rat weapons to avoid bombing them at will, because there were many Belgian civilians living there.

However……

"What's the use of this?" Nicholas asked back: "We can't penetrate the 'Shire A1' at this distance. We can only watch them cross the bridge."

"No, General." Erwin replied: "When a dozen 'Shire A1's cross the bridge, we will suddenly launch a counterattack!"

Major General Nicholas looked at Erwin blankly, is this guy crazy?

Counterattack? Close combat with "Charr A1"?

But thinking about it, Major General Nicolas felt that this might be the only feasible tactic.

Once the "Upper Silesia" tanks and "Charr A1" are mixed together, the enemy's artillery will not be able to play a role.

At this time, the German tanks will fight with more people and even go around the rear of "Charr A1" at a speed of 16 kilometers. At that time, whether it is a tank gun or a K bullet, it can penetrate "Charr A1".

As long as a battle is won, the wreckage of the "Charr A1" tank will block the highway bridge and make the enemy unable to move.

Thinking about it, Major General Nicolas chose to accept this bold combat plan.

"I will incorporate other tanks into your tank battalion." Major General Nicolas said: "You command the tanks to fight, and I command the infantry. If possible, it is better to find a few artillery support!"

"Yes, General." Erwin replied.

He realized that he had made a mistake before. When he was on the defense line, he should have used this kind of mobile defense instead of placing the tank in the bunker.

Tanks have tracks and engines. They are used for mobility, not turrets!

However, what Erwin did not expect was that he had no chance to verify this tactic at all.