Chapter 27 Infantry, Tanks and Artillery Coordination

Major Browne didn't want to explain. He pushed Djorka away roughly and rushed in. He felt relieved when he saw Charles. He looked at both sides, then quickly walked to an old table aside and touched the dusty table with his fingers. While painting, he said in an anxious tone:

"This is a river, this is the Marne Bridge. The enemy has deployed ten heavy machine guns at the head of the bridge in a circular position. There is a circular trench in front of the position, and there may be artillery behind it!"

Major Browne raised his head and asked Charles, who was blocked by Camille behind him, with urgent eyes: "What should we do? Can the tank withstand such firepower?"

Djorka and Camille realized that Major Browne was only here to ask questions, and then they relaxed their vigilance.

Ciel walked around Camille and walked forward. Looking at the "dust map" under the light, he simply gave a negative answer: "No!"

Although the Maxim machine gun uses 7.92 rifle ammunition, its penetrating power is in principle the same as that of a rifle, but in a circular position, the side of the tank will also be hit, and it is still at close range, and the tank will be beaten into a sieve.

What's more serious is the artillery. In order to reduce weight, the top armor of the tank is made of 2MM steel plates, which is a layer of iron sheet. It is impossible to block the bombardment of the artillery. Not any artillery!

"Then what should we do?" Major Browne asked nervously: "How should we attack? Do you have any idea? Tell me quickly, I don't have time, and the next round of attack is about to start!"

He wished he could just take Ciel's thoughts out of his head and take them away!

Charles thought about it for a while, then pointed at the map and answered:

"Covering fire, Major!"

"Use artillery fire to blast the enemy's bridge head. The smoke and dust raised by the artillery shells will obscure the enemy's sight. The sound of the artillery will cover the sound of the tanks moving forward. The enemy will have no way of knowing the location of the tanks. They will not even know that the tanks have crossed the bridge!"

"This may be able to dodge enemy machine guns!" Major Browne objected: "But what about enemy artillery fire?"

Charles' expression was calm:

"When our artillery is bombarding, it is unlikely that enemy artillery fire will join in, and that would be a meaningless waste of artillery shells!"

Charles picked up a stone and placed it on the position to serve as a tank. He pushed forward and said:

"So our artillery fire cannot stop. When the tanks advance, the artillery fire extends, making the enemy mistakenly think that we are still bombing indiscriminately..."

Brownie pointed to the lines on the map and interrupted Charles: "Trenches, Charles, you forgot that there are trenches and trenches! Our tanks can only stay in front of the trenches. If they stop, eventually they will He will still be discovered and blown up to the sky..."

"Who said that?" Charles replied: "You can order the soldiers to carry sandbags forward, and when they encounter the trench, use the sandbags to fill a path for the tanks to pass!"

Major Browne's eyes widened, but he was just stunned for a moment before turning around and running out, leaving behind a sentence:

"You are a genius, Ciel! Thank you, you saved us again!"

Djoka and Camille looked at each other. Camille had a look of disbelief on his face and asked hesitantly:

"Char, you just...were you teaching them how to fight?"

A major in the regular army doesn't know how to fight this battle, but Charles does!

Not only did he know it, but he also thought of a countermeasure in a matter of seconds!

If Charles had previously trained French soldiers to fight with tanks because he was the inventor of tanks, this time it was incredible to Djoka and Camille.

Where did Ciel learn his military knowledge?

Has he fought in a war or is it in a book?

Is there any book that records methods of fighting that even the French army does not know?

Is it true that Charles is a genius as Major Browne said?

While Dejoka and Camille were waiting for Charles' explanation, Charles jumped up like a needle. His face was pale and his breathing was rapid, and he murmured: "Matthew, Matthew, he is driving a tank." !”

Charles was about to rush out but was stopped by Djoka, who had sharp eyesight and quick hands.

"Let me go, father!" Charles struggled: "I sent Matthew to the battlefield, and the battle plan I made..."

"No, Charles!" Djorka said: "No matter whether you make this battle plan or not, Matthew will go to the battlefield. If your plan is feasible, then Matthew will have a chance to come back alive, otherwise he will have to die on the battlefield. Go! So, you gave him a chance to come back alive!"

Charles slowly calmed down, and he realized that his father was right. This battle plan did not put Matthew in danger on the battlefield, but rather reduced his mortality rate.

"But!" Charles said: "He still went to the battlefield. This plan is very dangerous..."

It is indeed dangerous. This battle plan of Ciel is easier said than done.

It requires near-perfect coordination of infantry, tanks, and artillery. The tanks must move forward behind the artillery fire. If the artillery shells miss the mark or the tanks are too fast, or the infantry fails to fill the trenches in time, tragedies will occur.

It is not difficult to predict that French soldiers who have not received coordinated training will definitely make mistakes, and in the end only some tanks can successfully cross the Marne Bridge.

"You can't change anything, Charles!" Djorka asked, "Can you stop this war?"

Ciel was silent.

This was the reality, and as long as the Germans were on the other side of the Marne, this battle would have to be fought. As long as there is a war, "battlefield artifacts" such as tanks will definitely participate in the war, and Matthew, as an experienced driver, will also be sent to the battlefield.

Camille gently hugged Charles' shoulders and comforted: "Matthew will be fine, Charles, we will win this war, and he will come back alive!"

…

On the south bank of the Marne River, the fierce battle came to an end, and the surroundings fell into an eerie silence, like the darkness before dawn.

Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion of the 9th French Infantry Regiment were digging mud and filling sandbags in the trenches.

The tank crew was doing the final inspection of the tank... The tractor always broke down frequently after the steel plate was installed, and it had to be checked when there was time, otherwise it might not be able to drive.

"I heard that you are Master Charles' friend?" Machine gunner Yves loaded bullets on the bullet plate next to the tank.

Matthew under the tank chassis said "hmm", tightened the last screw for the tractor, and then "moved" out along the ground like a caterpillar, swaying from side to side. When he stood up, he took a rag and wiped his hands, and replied: "Yes, we grew up together!"

"He is very good!" Machine gunner Yves raised his head towards the tank: "He invented this thing, and we are alive until now because of him!"

Deputy shooter Naji added: "I heard that the major just went to see Master Charles, and we are now fighting according to his plan!"

"Really?" Matthew smiled, this guy, I never knew he had this ability.

Machine gunner Yves was a little surprised to hear what Matthew said: "You grew up with Master Charles, didn't you know he had this ability?"

"Of course I know!" Matthew started bragging mode: "I know everything he does, including that he is thinking about a woman!"

The soldiers who were busy nearby couldn't help but laugh.

Someone stopped what he was doing and shouted: "Hey, Matthew, do you think this battle plan will work?"

"Don't worry!" Matthew answered confidently: "I bet my life that we will win!"

"Sly guy!" Machine gunner Yves saw through Matthew's trick: "If we can't win, none of us will come back alive, and you bet the least valuable life!"

"Then bet a box of chewing tobacco!" Matthew didn't blush, he had excellent psychological quality in this regard.

Someone threw something at Matthew and said, "Here, you need this more than we do!"

Matthew picked it up and was overjoyed. It was a box of chewing tobacco he needed. He immediately opened it, stretched out his dirty hands, pinched out a small handful and put it in his mouth...

(Note: chewing tobacco is made from cigar shreds or finely cut tobacco with licorice, honey, etc., and is chewed in the mouth to refresh. Since it does not need to be ignited and does not produce smoke, it is very suitable for use in special periods. During World War I, European armies often issued it together with cigarettes)

At this time, there was a sudden burst of whistles, and an officer shouted: "Cheer up and get ready for battle!"