From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

Chapter 421 A formidable foe! A brigade organized by the motorized infantry division
The 7th Steel Brigade has basically unified its core tactics. The rest is to plan around this core and design the most suitable tactics.

After parting ways with Wang Kezheng, Chu Zhangang made a special trip to the war zone headquarters and wandered around for quite a while.

After visiting several old comrades-in-arms and former superiors, he gained a better understanding of his superiors' intentions and the reasons behind them, which truly sent a chill down his spine.

It turns out that the leaders didn't care at all about who would win between the 909th Brigade and the 7th Steel Brigade.

Instead, greater emphasis is placed on how to fight, what tactics to use, what attitude to adopt, whether to bring about innovation, and whether to keep up with the reform path.

This made Chu Zhangang realize that he absolutely could not afford to relax in this battle.

The only way is to focus on winning this battle!
Moreover, the 909th Brigade not only absolutely cannot lose, but must also win with a surprising and impressive fighting style.

Since the 909th Brigade already held an absolute advantage, it would have been normal for them to have defeated the 7th Steel Brigade; if they had lost, it would have been a problem with Chu Zhangang's abilities.

Chu Zhangang could only satisfy his superiors by winning decisively.

His journey to becoming a full division commander and then a deputy chief of staff.

Only then can we move forward steadily.

Not only do they have to win, but they have to win spectacularly, which is inherently difficult. Not to mention that Chu Zhangang is well aware that the 909th Brigade has become the focus of the entire theater.

As the most dazzling star in the spotlight, the pressure on Chu Zhangang can be imagined.

Victory brings dazzling glory.

If he is defeated, his fate could be even worse than that of Wang Kezheng.

Chu Zhangang had already confirmed that this was his fate. On his way back from the war zone, Chu Zhangang had to call Xu Xiaocun in advance to discuss the matter.

"Hey, Lao Chu, are you getting ready to come back?" Xu Xiaocun asked as soon as he received the call.

"Old Xu, I'm on my way back. I've already booked a plane ticket for 8 p.m., so I probably won't get home until 11 p.m. I'm so worried," Chu Zhangang said anxiously.

"It's alright. The preparations at home are going smoothly. All units are preparing for battle in an orderly manner. We're just waiting for you to come back and lead us into battle."

After speaking casually, Xu Xiaocun asked curiously, "Old Chu, how's your investigation going? Any results?"

The formulation of offensive tactics and marching routes still had to be led by Chu Zhangang.

"The situation is basically clear, and the gains have been substantial," Chu Zhangang replied with a smile.

He really gained a lot from this trip. He learned about the Seventh Steel Brigade's attack methods from Wang Kezheng and the commanders' intentions from the war zone.

That means he has successfully obtained all the key information he wanted.

"That's great!"

Xu Xiaocun stood up with great joy and reported, "The preliminary plan is to hold a pre-battle rally tomorrow morning, have a good lunch, and then set off in the afternoon."

"No, Lao Xu, this won't do, it's too hasty," Chu Zhangang immediately objected.

"Old Chu, we don't have much time left. If we don't leave by tomorrow, we'll only have seven days left. Do we have enough time?" Xu Xiaocun expressed his doubts, not understanding what Chu Zhangang was up to.

"Wait for me to come back tonight. I have some new ideas. We'll have a meeting tonight to discuss them. By the way, could you remind me that the 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion will not participate in this exercise and will be responsible for staying at home to guard the area?" Chu Zhangang instructed.

This arrangement was clearly targeted, to prevent a repeat of the 708th Brigade's situation and to deny the Steel Seventh Battalion any opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the headquarters.

The 909th Brigade's base is more than 1500 kilometers away from Langshan, so the 7th Steel Brigade cannot send troops on a large scale.

Leaving behind a motorized infantry battalion is enough to handle everything.

"Keep the 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion? They are the main force. If they are kept, our offensive capabilities will be weakened. Are you sure you want to make this arrangement?"

Xu Xiaocun was unaware of the 708th Brigade's exercise situation, so he could not understand Chu Zhangang's arrangements.

"It's hard to explain in a short time. You make the arrangements first, and I'll tell you the details when I get back," Chu Zhangang insisted.

"alright."

In military operations, the brigade commander had the final say, and Xu Xiaocun could only follow orders.

……

11:10 p.m.

All the battalion-level and above commanding officers of the 909th Brigade, as well as all the officers of the brigade command post, gathered in the conference room without exception.

Xu Xiaocun was sitting in the head seat, and the empty seat next to him was for Chu Zhangang.

soon.

Chu Zhangang, who had just returned by plane, went straight to the head of the table upon entering the conference room, intending to signal the duty officer next to him to give the order to start the meeting.

As a result, Xu Xiaocun acted even faster. Upon seeing him enter, he immediately got up to greet him and pulled him to the window next to him.

He said with a less-than-pleasant expression, "Hey, Lao Chu, you were right. The new organizational structure for the 909th Brigade came through, right before the exercise."

Our artillery regiment was disbanded, nearly half of it was cut, and reorganized into three regular battalions.

Done.

Xu Xiaocun handed over the folder, which contained newly compiled documents.

"Although I had a premonition, I was still shocked when it actually happened."

Chu Zhangang glanced at the document and closed it, complaining with dissatisfaction: "Why did the new staffing have to be announced at this crucial moment? Isn't this just trying to sabotage us?"
The artillery regiment, which consisted of five battalions, was reduced to three battalions, all of which were of conventional composition. This would reduce the overall firepower intensity by at least two-fifths.

This is because they're afraid we'll win too easily, so they're deliberately making things more difficult for us.

Just as Wang Kezheng said, Chief of Staff Shen highly values ​​the 7th Steel Brigade, practically raising it like his own son; we've all become his godson.

Chu Zhangang vented so much in one breath, which shows how dissatisfied he was with the disbandment of the artillery regiment.

Xu Xiaocun didn't know what to say, after all, it was an order from his superiors, and no matter how dissatisfied he was, he could only obey.

If someone were to disobey orders like Wang Kezheng, the final outcome would definitely be even worse than Wang Kezheng's.

Chu Zhangang himself knew perfectly well that the order had been given and nothing could be changed. He could only suppress his anxiety and ask worriedly, "The artillery regiment has been disbanded. What about the fate of the regimental commander and political commissar?"

"The notice didn't mention that there aren't many vacancies left in the brigade headquarters. The political commissar will probably be assigned to another unit, while the regimental commander might be transferred to the position of deputy brigade commander," Xu Xiaocun guessed.

"This matter is very detrimental to morale. With the expedition imminent, I don't want to create any unnecessary complications, so let's not announce it for now and wait until after the exercise."

After thinking it over for a long time, Chu Zhangang finally came up with a compromise.

The order from above has indeed been issued to the brigade headquarters, but it did not explicitly state that it must be carried out immediately. This exercise is indeed the best way to achieve this.

This way.

This ensured that orders from superiors were not disobeyed, while also minimizing the impact on existing combat capabilities.

"Okay, let's do it."

Xu Xiaocun thought this method was indeed feasible, so the two reached a consensus and stopped talking, returning to their seats at the head of the table.

"Chief of Staff, let's begin," Chu Zhangang instructed.

The chief of staff sitting next to him stood up, walked to the large map in front, and said to the map, "Let me first explain the preliminary plan. We can discuss any issues later. The marching route is divided into three routes. Apart from the 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion staying behind to guard the camp, the 2nd and 3rd Motorized Infantry Battalions, the directly subordinate air defense battalion, the communications battalion, the electronic warfare battalion, and the brigade headquarters will take the central route and head north via the highway."

The armored battalion, engineer battalion, logistics department, and field hospital headed north by train from the left flank.

The artillery regiment and reconnaissance battalion headed north along the national highway from the right.

The above is the marching sequence for each unit. Departure time is set for 2:00 AM the day after tomorrow. Now, please give us your instructions, Brigade Commander.

It is not difficult to discern from the words of Ding Kai, the chief of staff of the 909th Brigade, that the predecessor of this unit was a motorized infantry division.

The change from division to brigade was only a change in organizational structure; there was no additional update or replacement of equipment. In other words, the 909th Brigade is a standard motorized infantry brigade.

If they were facing the 7th Steel Brigade, which had completed its full training and was already capable of integrated combat operations.

A standard "mechanized heavy armored combined arms brigade"!!

A mere motorized infantry brigade is no match for the Steel Seventh Brigade, and doesn't even qualify as one; it can only stand by and look up at them.

And while we're at it, let me call out: Big brother! Take me with you!

Unfortunately, the Seventh Steel Brigade is still just a newborn tiger. Even if it has the potential and strength to become an unparalleled tiger, it is currently powerless to do so.

Even a tiger fallen into the plains can be bullied by dogs.

An undeveloped heavy combined arms brigade is no match for a motorized infantry brigade in direct combat.

and.

Given the need to trek 3,000 li (approximately 1,500 kilometers) long distances, the lighter motorized infantry brigade, compared to the fully mechanized and "cumbersome" heavy-duty brigade, was faster and posed a greater threat to the 7th Steel Brigade.

The shorter the time spent on the march, the more disadvantageous it would be for the 7th Steel Brigade.

The 909th Brigade only has one armored battalion; all other units are mobile using wheeled vehicles, which are transported by trucks or towed by tractors.

Therefore, when conducting long-distance marches, the 909th Brigade not only has greater mobility, but can also make use of national highways with poor road conditions.

Even their marching speed is at least a level faster than that of the 708th Brigade.

If all the soldiers from the motorized infantry battalion of the 909th Brigade were allowed to drive on the highway without any restrictions, they could cover 1500 kilometers in half a day.

The veteran drivers in the military are very skilled; they can step on the accelerator and start the engine anytime, anywhere.

after all.

The cabbage was overcooked, so the cooks stir-fried chili peppers with chili peppers.

The comrades were thrown off the vehicle, but they climbed back on by themselves.

Chief of Staff Ding Kai's marching plan divided the troops into three different categories, each using the most suitable method for their respective groups.

Not only can it maximize marching speed, but it can also effectively avoid troubles along the way.

of course.

It refers to the usual troubles.

If it's a specially designed, unique problem, then that's a different story.

"You all know the marching routes of each unit, right?"

Chu Zhangang sat in the main seat and looked at everyone, his brigade commander's authority being truly displayed.

After waiting for about five seconds and no one below raised any objections, Chu Zhangang continued, "This time, the theater commander specifically selected our 909th Brigade to replace the 708th Brigade and complete the second phase of the Decisive Battle 2001 live-fire confrontation exercise. I want to ask, does anyone know why?"

Chu Zhangang's question was too obscure, and even if everyone knew the answer, they would find it difficult to answer, so no one spoke up.

Chu Zhangang seemed to have anticipated this situation, so he only waited two or three seconds before continuing, "This shows the high importance and trust that the theater commanders place on our 909th Brigade."

However, it is also a comprehensive assessment of the military skills of our 909th Brigade.

Our mission is clear: from now on, do everything in our power to capture the 535 defense line at the Wolf Training Base in seven days.

Dear regimental commanders, battalion commanders, and company commanders, you have been studying the enemy's information for so many days, and you must be quite familiar with the Wolf Training Base by now.

Therefore, I have no worries whatsoever about the deployment, coordination, and offensive operations of the troops after they arrive at Nanshan.

My concern is... whether problems will arise during the long march.

Why did I schedule the departure for the early morning of the day after tomorrow? The purpose is to give each of your units as much time as possible to prepare and make arrangements.

We must fully consider all possible problems and enemy situations that may arise during the march, and be prepared for any eventuality.

There was another important reason for the 708th Brigade's defeat, do you all know it?

Chu Zhangang paused again, his gaze sweeping over the officers, but less than two seconds later, he gave no one else time to think or answer.

He then added, "It's better to punish than to repeat the action."

Chu Zhangang's way of speaking has a very strong bureaucratic flavor.

Many leaders like to speak like this.

"Should we repeat the punishment, or repeat the action?"

The officers present looked at each other, none of them understanding what he meant.

"The 708th Brigade only focused on attacking the 535 defense line, and its attention was on troop deployment, tactical maneuvers, firepower configuration, and command and coordination."

However, it neglected to address potential enemy situations during the march and delivery process.

Ultimately, the 708th Brigade was wiped out by the Red Army during the march. The two commanding officers were also captured alive by the Red Army in a trap along the way. As a result, all their efforts were in vain.

How can we not learn from this painful lesson?

Chu Zhangang raised his voice as he spoke, tapping his fingers heavily on the table, the clanging sound clearly echoing throughout the conference room.

The reason he attaches so much importance to this step is that Chu Zhangang has already realized it.

Once the troops reached Langshan and launched a frontal attack, the outcome was practically certain; the only possibility of failure lay on this marching route.

The 7th Steel Brigade was well aware of this, which is why they specifically set up the 708th Brigade on the road.

therefore.

Chu Zhangang is now firmly convinced that he is willing to waste a day preparing for the "decisive battle" on the march.

The officers of battalion level and above from the 909th Brigade present were unaware of the specifics of the exercise.

Because the exercise process is confidential and not disclosed to the public.

But now that Chu Zhangang has explained the reasons for the 708th Brigade's failure, everyone knows how the 708th Brigade lost and immediately realizes the "danger" of the march.

If the 7th Steel Brigade likes to cause trouble on the road, then they really need to make more preparations.

Otherwise, if you suffer a loss later, you'll have nowhere to turn for help.

(End of this chapter)