NABC Chapter 258 Armored Division
Chapter 258 Armored Division
Baotou, suburbs.
Soldiers from the former independent division, now the 1st Armored Division of the Eighth Route Army, set up a huge cordon around the exercise area.
Ten newly arrived Taihang Type 2 medium tanks were running freely in the wilderness.
"Damn it, they are all from the Armored Division. Why should we stand guard while they can drive tanks?"
An Eighth Route Army soldier holding a Taihang Type 1 semi-automatic rifle was drooling with envy at the rumbling tanks not far away.
"Hey.....who told us to rank last in the exams!"
His companion beside him said worriedly: "I heard that after the big exam in a few days, those who ranked last will only be able to accompany the tanks as infantrymen, and will not be able to drive tanks."
"What!"
The complaining Eighth Route Army soldier was shocked: "Didn't they say that those with poor grades would drive armored vehicles?"
"Armored vehicle?"
His companions looked at him like a fool: "An armored vehicle is a troop carrier. When you are on the battlefield, you can't just stay in the armored vehicle instead of getting off?"
"Ah this..."
The Eighth Route Army soldier was stunned: "Then if I serve as a machine gunner on an armored vehicle, I don't have to get off the vehicle, right?"
"just you?"
His companion gave him a disdainful look: "Your short shot is just as good as your long shot, I'm almost there!"
At this time, on a high platform in the distance, the armored division commander, a domineering man put down his observation telescope and asked Wang Huzi who was standing beside him.
"How is the discussion going on about the organization of our armored division?"
"The General Staff referred to the situation of the Soviet, American, British, and German armored forces."
"Finally, we decided to base our armored division organization on the German armored division."
Wang Huzi took a document from the guard and handed it to the domineering man.
"According to our plan, one armored division will be composed of three armored regiments, and one armored regiment will be composed of three armored battalions."
"An armored battalion, with three tank companies consisting of 10 Taihang II medium tanks."
"An air defense company consisting of six Taihang Type 1 short-range anti-aircraft guns and four Taihang Type 1 long-range anti-aircraft guns."
"A mobile company consisting of 10 Taihang Type armored vehicles."
"The entire armored division has a total of 270 Taihang Type 54 medium tanks and Taihang Type short-range anti-aircraft guns."
"36 Taihang Type II long-range anti-aircraft guns, 90 Taihang Type I armored vehicles, and spare vehicles of various types."
"The rest are the division's reconnaissance battalion, logistics regiment, artillery support regiment, and maintenance battalion, which consist of 90 Taihang Type 600 light tanks, 70 Taihang Type light trucks, and multiple rocket launcher armored vehicles,"
"There are 6160 people in the division. Although this organization is small in number, we all ride in vehicles, so our mobility is stronger."
After Wang Huzi finished speaking, he swallowed his saliva and continued, "In fact, according to the idea of the General Staff, we should equip an engineering regiment to transport tanks and open up roads for the armored division."
"Ah."
The domineering man nodded: "The Engineer Corps is indeed necessary."
"How about this, I'll go talk to Minister Zhao and see if we can build some trucks specifically for transporting tanks."
"As for the Taihang Type 1 long-range anti-aircraft gun, ask Minister Zhao to replace the chassis with a medium tank chassis."
Wang Huzi explained: "It turns out that when the light tank chassis started to fire, the entire anti-aircraft vehicle was floating!"
"Row."
The domineering man looked at the guard beside him and said, "Xiao Li, drive the assault vehicle over to me. I'm going back to Yan'an."
...........
"Trucks transporting tanks?"
Hearing the domineering man's request, Zhao Tianyang hesitated for a moment and said, "It's easy to change the chassis for the Taihang long-range anti-aircraft gun."
"But making heavy trucks to transport tanks is a bit more difficult."
"The engines we produce now are all used to make tanks, armored vehicles, airplanes, and airships."
"Even the light trucks that have just been produced were produced by trying to squeeze out production. Even now, the troops in Shanxi are still using tractors to transport goods!"
"That's it!"
After hearing this, the domineering man also realized that they were taking it for granted.
Although the arsenal can now produce a wide variety of weapons and equipment, the output is just barely enough to meet demand, and it is not yet possible to get whatever is needed.
"But... there are other ways!"
Zhao Tianyang touched his chin and said, "Compared to truck transportation, we can actually use airships for transportation."
"Airships can carry a lot of cargo and travel very fast, but there is a risk of being shot down by enemy aircraft."
"airship!"
The domineering man's eyes lit up: "This thing works! No matter what kind of transport tank is used, there is always the risk of being attacked by enemy aircraft!"
"At worst, when transporting tanks, we can just plan carefully and have fighter jets escort them."
"alright."
Zhao Tianyang nodded: "Since the commander is interested in airships, I will try my best to get some airships for your armored division!"
"Then please."
The domineering man stood up and prepared to go back to Baotou to set up an airship transport battalion, or even a regiment, to see how many airships they would have at their disposal.
Just when Zhao Tianyang was looking up the production output of the airship factory and thinking about how to distribute it, the elegant man came over again.
"Yeah, what's going on today? A bunch of leaders are coming to see me!"
Zhao Tianyang muttered something, quickly stood up, welcomed the elegant man in, and then poured him a cup of tea.
"What do you want to see me about, Chief?"
"Whoo~~~"
The elegant man blew on his tea, drank a sip, and said with a smile: "It's not a big deal. It's just that the motor vehicles we produce now are all serving the military."
"I want to ask if you can produce some steam-powered vehicles in the same way as you produce tractors, so that we can put them into the hands of the people and solve their problem of transporting goods."
"Our agricultural reclamation corps, in particular, is reclaiming wasteland and cultivating land in the Hexi Corridor in Xinjiang this year."
"We have to transport all the food and cotton we produce back home. We have to use carts to transport them. I don't know how long it will take!"
“For large-scale long-distance transportation, I think it’s more cost-effective to build railways!”
Zhao Tianyang thought for a moment and suggested: "Although it is simple to produce steam locomotives, their transportation speed and cargo volume cannot compare to trains."
"Well, that makes sense!"
The elegant man thought for a moment and said, "Well, you go and set up a steam engine factory to produce locomotives and steam engine cars."
"I will try to establish an engineering division to build a railway from Xinjiang to Yan'an."
"no problem!"