A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Red-Blue Confrontation Operation Map

Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi immediately ran over.

Principal Smith asked, "Can you withstand the recoil?"

Song Hongfei replied, "Sir, no problem. We conducted a live-fire test with the largest propellant charge beforehand, and it can withstand the load perfectly."

Principal Smith nodded.

He turned his gaze to the distant, rolling mountains and forests and said, "You have already scouted the route beforehand."

Song Hongfei replied, "Yes, sir!"

At this point, Brigadier General Edward asked, "If the enemy is prepared and sets up an ambush during your march, and the attacking Red Army returns in time to counter-encircle you, how will you respond?"

Song Hongfei replied firmly, “First, we have pre-planned two routes for both our advance and retreat: one main and one backup. We have also dispatched multiple reconnaissance teams to constantly monitor the Red Army's movements. Every move they make is under our control. If Red Army Companies A and B immediately return to reinforce, their attack on the Blue Army's base will naturally collapse, thus achieving our objective. Second, my mobile assault detachment can use its strong mobility and attack capabilities to annihilate the returning Red Army forces en route, where they have no strong defensive positions.”

Song Hongfei continued, "Concentrate superior forces to attack the enemy's weak flanks, then maneuver and contain the enemy, and annihilate them quickly!"

"An ancient Chinese military strategy, 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao'!" Principal Smith said with a slight smile. "And another strategy, 'besieging a point to attack reinforcements'!"

“Yes, sir!” Song Hongfei replied.

Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi were also secretly surprised. It seemed that Principal Smith had a considerable understanding of Sun Tzu's Art of War from ancient China.

"You've also devised special communication signals?" Brigadier General Edward asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

“Yes, sir!” Song Hongfei replied, “Since there are no radio devices at the company level, we have prepared various signals in advance, such as signal flares of different colors and directional lights, and combined them with the communication soldiers on horseback to indicate and transmit different situations.”

He then smiled and added, "Since the operation went smoothly, the directional lights weren't needed."

"What considerations led to the timing of the assault team's attack?" Principal Smith asked.

"We chose to attack when the Red Army was locked in a stalemate with the Blue Army's front-line positions and unable to break free." Song Hongfei paused for a moment, then continued, "To use a common Chinese saying, it's like when a person is pushing a cart uphill, a wolf seizes the opportunity and bites the person's butt. The person can neither move forward nor stop, and has no choice but to let the wolf eat a piece of flesh from their butt!"

Principal Smith and Brigadier General Edward both burst into laughter.

Old Cat couldn't help but chuckle when he recalled Song Hongfei's bold slogan of "going to kick the British in the butt."

Major General Smith then asked, "What do you think is the key to this modified 'mechanized' assault operation?"

Song Hongfei thought seriously for a moment, then answered loudly, "Strong mobility, firepower, protection, and communication and command capabilities are the key to mechanized warfare!"

Firepower, mobility, protection, and information capabilities are the four key indicators of tanks and armored vehicles in later generations. As a doctor of the G Military Academy in later generations, Song Hongfei was naturally familiar with them, and undeniably, he had a significant advantage in this regard. However, at that time, the concept of "information" had not yet been invented, so he thought for a moment and changed the term to communication and command.

Principal Smith, Brigadier General Edward, and all the staff officers and instructors present were stunned, falling into shock and deep thought. At that time, the U.S. military had not yet fully emerged from the mindset of trench warfare in World War I, let alone the novel concept of armored forces.

None of them could imagine that this young student from the backward country of China in the East would have such unique and insightful research and understanding of the brand-new concepts of armored forces and mechanized warfare.

Principal Smith walked back to the front of the red and blue lines. His serious and resolute face was expressionless, but his eyes flashed with a cold light. The two lines, which were still glaring at each other, immediately fell silent.

Principal Smith's authoritative voice rang out: "Having completed your career at West Point, you are destined to become a group of people who will shine on the battlefield. As an excellent commander, always remember: Warfare is based on deception! Does anyone understand this ancient Chinese military maxim?"

Principal Smith declared sternly, "This is war! War is about defeating the enemy at all costs! Victory is justice!"

Principal Smith's piercing gaze slowly swept over the ranks of both sides: "On the battlefield, there is only blood and steel. A moment of carelessness or negligence will cost you your life and the shame of defeat! War does not believe in the tears and corpses of the defeated! The victors are beyond reproach!"

Principal Smith's powerful words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer, echoing for a long time.

Brigadier General Edward solemnly wrote Song Hongfei's name in the memorandum and presented Song Hongfei with a fine officer's sword bearing the insignia of Sandhurst Military Academy.

Brigadier General Edward formally proposed to Superintendent Smith that the two military academies should hold a military skills competition between their cadets at an appropriate time in the future, named the West Point "Sandhurst Competition."

Song Hongfei was momentarily stunned: The Sandhurst Competition? The Sandhurst Competition that started in 1967 in later generations? As a student at the G Military Academy in later generations, I participated twice. How could history have changed now? In a daze, Song Hongfei felt as if his memory and history had deviated.

This exercise, like a powerful earthquake, sent shockwaves through West Point and the U.S. military, with aftershocks lingering for a long time.

In the days that followed, the numerous staff officers and instructors at West Point conducted debriefings and simulations day after day.

Song Hongfei's "armored force" flanking attack and infantry detachments' multi-pronged attack were also used as teaching materials for combat examples and tactics, and were carefully analyzed and discussed in West Point classes, group discussions, and assignments.

From then on, the military exercises of West Point cadets changed, becoming more and more realistic and authentic.

Major American media outlets rushed to report on the incident, and reporters from various newspapers flocked to West Point Military Academy, determined to expose Song Hongfei and the other Chinese cadets thoroughly with their relentless paparazzi spirit. This greatly alarmed Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi, who, overwhelmed by the reporters' presence, hastily fled.

In the end, the school had to intervene, using the excuse of "protecting young students and avoiding overpraising them" to exclude these uncrowned kings.

Before the Sandhurst Military Academy contingent had even returned, the news had already reached Britain, and soon European media outlets followed suit, creating a stir across the continent.

This caused a sensation in the German Wehrmacht, which was suffering greatly from the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles. The Prussian officers, who were full of exploration, regarded it as a classic example of successful battles and tactics for armored forces and mechanized infantry, and studied it diligently.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government, which was then engaged in military cooperation with Germany, also benefited greatly. It is said that the German military advisory group specified that Song Hongfei's detailed combat report on this "armored assault" should be used as a bargaining chip. As a result, some issues that the Chinese government was originally struggling to resolve with Germany were suddenly resolved.

It is said that during those days, even the usually rigid and serious Chiang Kai-shek was unusually amiable. Many people took advantage of his good mood to resubmit their previously rejected requests and reports, and Chiang, in high spirits, accepted them all without hesitation, approving them with a flourish. For a time, many figures, both high and low, from the National Military Council and the National Government, praised Song Hongfei as a truly lucky star.

This was something Song Hongfei hadn't anticipated.