A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

In the afternoon, Song Hongfei returned to the battalion headquarters in Sanzhang Village with great ambition. He immediately summoned the two company commanders, Zhang Yi and Liao Jianchu, as well as the platoon leaders of the 2nd and 3rd companies, except those who were on the front line of combat readiness, and told them the combat plan formulated by the brigade.

Since the 1st Company was part of the follow-up echelon in this assault operation and did not directly coordinate with the tank formation for the assault, and at this moment the 1st Company was in a standoff with the Southeast Army's Qinglong Village position at the front of Yantou Village, Wang Jingxiong, as the commander of the 1st Company, naturally could not leave.

Liao Jianchu, Zhang Yi, and several platoon leaders were all overjoyed upon hearing this, especially Liao Jianchu, whose 2nd Company hadn't gotten to fight in the previous two battles. He had even had a verbal exchange with Wang Jingxiong, the commander of the 1st Company, and had been holding back his anger ever since, thinking that Old Wang next door was probably secretly gloating. Liao Jianchu had been looking forward to showing off his skills, and hearing that his 2nd Company would be forming the left flank formation this time, and would be coordinating with armored forces for an assault, he was even more ecstatic.

Song Hongfei reminded the excited company and platoon officers, "Everyone must pay attention! This is the first time our army has conducted combined arms operations. Infantry and armored forces have never trained together before. This time, we're going straight into actual combat! We can't afford to be careless at all!"

Song Hongfei spread out a map, marking it as he spoke, "Infantry-tank coordination and armored assault are entirely new topics, not only in our army but also worldwide. This is a rare opportunity to learn and grow in battle! We must fight this battle well!"

Liao Jianchu and Zhang Yi dared not be presumptuous any longer and replied solemnly, "Yes!"

Song Hongfei and the two company commanders were engrossed in studying the attack plan on the map.

"Infantry-tank coordination requires that infantry and tanks never be separated, whether attacking or retreating!" Song Hongfei repeatedly instructed his subordinates on key tactical points. "In an attack, tanks use their powerful armor and firepower as cover to guide the infantry in their assault, or provide fire support from behind. The infantry, on the other hand, either directs the tanks to their targets or uses firepower to eliminate the enemy's anti-tank firepower and forces, thus covering the tanks' operations. Infantry and armored forces complement each other and must coordinate closely; they cannot fight alone!"

Song Hongfei added, "This time, the 1st Tank Company and the Armored Reconnaissance Company will be cooperating with us in the attack. We have one tank per infantry squad, which is more than enough. Remember, you must specifically teach every soldier to maintain an appropriate distance from the tanks!"

He emphasized: "Whether it is a tank leading an infantry assault, providing alternating cover, or an infantry-tank joint attack, the infantry and the armored vehicles must maintain a distance of 20-50 meters! They must follow the left and right sides and rear of the tanks, spreading out in a fan-shaped skirmish formation, and pay attention to making up for the blind spots of the armored vehicles' observation and firepower! If they cannot keep up with the speed of the tank's assault, they must not fall behind by more than 100 meters! These points are especially important!"

"This distance needs to be adjusted according to the terrain, features, and ground undulations. In open areas, the distance should be increased appropriately, while in villages and street fighting, the distance should be reduced accordingly! In short, remember that tanks need our infantry protection!"

"Infantry should not be positioned within a 30-degree radius to the left or right of the tank's main gun, nor should they be positioned directly behind the tank! The area directly in front of the tank is within the firing range of its own cannon and machine gun, and is also a dangerous zone that could cause a run-over accident! Not being positioned directly behind is to prevent the tank from making a quick turn or reversing in a crisis and causing a run-over!"

"Every soldier in my sergeant battalion is incredibly valuable, none of them are any less than those armored soldiers with their eyes sticking up to the sky! If any idiot gets killed or crushed by our own tanks, it'll be a huge disgrace! I can't afford to lose face like that!"

In his excitement, Song Hongfei blurted out "father, father!" and started cursing. However, in the army, cursing also represents a kind of closeness, which warmed the hearts of those present.

Song Hongfei spoke eloquently, while Liao Jianchu and Zhang Yi listened attentively. Everyone in the battalion headquarters quickly took notes, nodding in admiration.

Liao Jianchu was increasingly impressed by Song Hongfei's expertise in mechanized warfare, thinking that the battalion commander's level was even better than his own, a graduate of the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in France, who had a formal mechanization major.

Song Hongfei turned to Liao Jianchu and said, "You complained that there were no battles to fight in the first two battles, now it's your turn!"

He drew a circle on the map and said, "From here to here, the left flank will attack from behind the main trench, flanking from the east and west, first taking Qinglong Village and Ganjiazhuang, the attack distance is about 1 kilometer. After that, they will coordinate with the right flank to attack south of the Longhai Railway and Xitong Highway. The key point for the left flank is Chishui Station! You have many trainees but little experience, this task is not easy!"

Liao Jianchu replied excitedly, "Yes! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Seeing Liao Jianchu's excited expression, Song Hongfei said, "You studied mechanization at the French military academy for several years. You're a professionally trained engineer, so now you can put your skills to good use and show your abilities! Do you have anything to add? Share your thoughts and opinions?"

Liao Jianchu scratched his head and exclaimed in admiration, "Battalion Commander, to be honest, I think what you say is even more profound than the textbooks I've studied. A few years ago, your book, 'Mobility, Firepower, Protection, and Communications—Mechanized Warfare,' was included in the teaching materials of the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in France!"

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this. Judging from his tone and expression, it did not seem like he was faking it or flattering anyone. Liao Jianchu's admiration was genuine, and everyone admired Song Hongfei even more.

Liao Jianchu then asked, "I have a question: how do the tanks and armored vehicles of several companies coordinate their communications?"

“Here comes the question, and that’s a good one!” Song Hongfei said. “The command vehicles of the tank company and the armored vehicles of the armored reconnaissance company are all equipped with vehicle-mounted radios. Each company in the assault formation will be equipped with a command vehicle, which can communicate with the rear headquarters, tank battalion headquarters, and artillery battalion via radio. There are no problems with communication and command.”

"No other problems!" Liao Jianchu said with obvious delight.

In fact, while Liao Jianchu and Zhang Yi were excited, they still felt a little unsure of themselves – after all, this was their first time conducting combined arms operations with artillery and tanks. This was different from theoretical discussions or exercises; this was a real battlefield with live ammunition and bloodshed!

In fact, it wasn't just the two of them; Song Hongfei himself was experiencing this for the first time. Although he, having transmigrated from the future, was superior to others in terms of military skills, theory, and knowledge, and his mind contained the condensed achievements of decades of military technology and theoretical knowledge development from the future, this was naturally a tremendous advantage that others could not match.

During his time at G Military Academy, especially when he was involved in the development of the X combat system, he had practical experience in the basic units of heavy armored infantry divisions and armored brigades, gaining exposure to and understanding of the theory and tactics of mechanized warfare. However, apart from the "mechanized assault" operation during the West Point exercise, he had never commanded an armored unit of battalion size.

In this respect, his biggest advantage is that he has seen pigs run even though he has never eaten pork, but of course he can't say it out loud.

Seeing the mixed feelings of surprise and uncertainty on Liao Jianchu and Zhang Yi's faces, Song Hongfei casually reprimanded his subordinates.

Song Hongfei laughed and scolded, "Why are you all so nervous? How can you succeed if you don't have confidence in yourselves?! This time, the 3rd Company's assault covers a relatively long distance, and I will be accompanying the 3rd Company's formation to command the entire operation. Everyone has a first time, including me. We need to learn through combat!"

Now Liao Jianchu and Zhang Yi felt more confident, and they stood at attention, chests puffed out: "Yes! We guarantee to win this battle!"

"Does anyone have any questions? If not, go back and prepare! First, organize each platoon, squad leader, and combat backbone to study and learn carefully, and finally, make sure it is implemented by every soldier! Every soldier must be familiar with every tactical point and every point of attention that was just mentioned! No one can be left behind, and it must be completed before dinner! I will check it personally! Tonight, the armored troops will send tanks and armored vehicles so that every soldier can personally experience the tactics!"

The company and platoon leaders stood at attention: "Yes, sir!"

Song Hongfei then said, "Clerk, distribute the compiled tactical and technical points and precautions to each company!"

Song Hongfei's consistent practice in the sergeant battalion was to first instill the knowledge in the company and platoon leaders, teach the company and platoon officers, and then have the officers instill it in the squad leaders, and so on down to the soldiers.

After all, it was the first time that infantry and tanks had cooperated, so Song Hongfei was very concerned about the training, especially about the 2nd Company, which was a training company. The 2nd Company had many recruits who were highly educated, had high morale, and had a fiery passion for training. They had the spirit of a newborn calf that was not afraid of tigers, but their blind optimism and lack of combat experience were also shortcomings of the company.

The 2nd Company was stationed in Sanzhang Village with the battalion headquarters. As Song Hongfei entered their training ground, he immediately felt a positive and enthusiastic training atmosphere. Seeing Song Hongfei arrive, Liao Jianchu ran over to report on the training content. Suddenly, something caught Song Hongfei's attention.

Song Hongfei saw a simulated war chariot made from a horse-drawn carriage and a few wooden frames. It was meticulously crafted to fit the width and length of a war chariot. Pointing to the wooden frame, he said to Liao Jianchu, "Who made this? You guys are quite resourceful!"

Liao Jianchu chuckled and said, "There are many students in the cadet company, and they are quick-witted. As soon as I explained the training content, a few clever guys came up with this idea. And it's actually quite effective. With the actual equipment in front of them, the soldiers have a much better grasp of the coordination of formations, directions, and distances!"

"Good job, these clever guys deserve praise! Add a meat dish tonight—don't look at me like that, it's from the commander-in-chief. All the troops participating in the Dawn attack tomorrow will have it!"

Song Hongfei nodded with satisfaction, a smile spreading across his face: "Our battalion is relatively close to the enemy's position, so the tanks will make a lot of noise when they come over, making it easier for the enemy to notice. We originally planned to conduct live-fire training after dark, but with this, we can do it earlier! However, we can't relax our live-fire training at night!"

"The 2nd Company should continue training!" Song Hongfei thought for a moment and then said, "We can get two more horse-drawn carriages to simulate the combat formation of a tank platoon. I'll go to the 1st and 3rd Companies in Yantou Village to take a look. This method is good, and we can promote it to them."

Seeing the satisfied look on Song Hongfei's face, the soldiers in the cadet company were even more enthusiastic on the training ground.