It's better to conquer them than to command the steel torrent

Chapter 197 | Tank Debate

As soon as the Chief of the General Staff spoke, the meeting immediately got on track.

Qian Changxuan began by stating his views as a front-line commander: that adding weight to tanks is unreasonable.

If a tank's protection is insufficient, thicker armor is added; thicker armor increases its weight, requiring a more powerful engine...

Add more flour to the water, add more water to the flour, and repeat this process endlessly.

Qian Changxuan's view is based on the lessons learned from European wars that the root of the tank's powerful breakthrough capability lies in its mobility, rather than its apparent firepower and armor.

Furthermore, the indicators that determine maneuverability are not only speed, but also handling experience and reliability.

In summary, medium tanks weighing around 20 tons and light tanks weighing around 10 tons are the most suitable for the combat environment of the national defense forces, and the development of light tanks should be in particular vigorously promoted.

There are actually light tank enthusiasts? Shank was immediately delighted.

Shang Ke had heard of Qian Changxuan long ago. He had heard of him when he was studying at the Armored Corps Academy. He was hailed as the founder of the country's armored tactics.

He was quite persistent in mobile warfare, considering both tactical and operational mobility as key, and in short, everything revolved around the principle of "speed is of the essence in war".

In asymmetric warfare, this theory is actually quite formidable, capable of quickly dividing and encircling the enemy like cutting melons and vegetables, achieving impressive exchange ratios.

The problem is that the Great Unified Federation can't possibly just keep dominating in Asia, can it?

Once you get to Europe, you'll have to go head-to-head in a fight, which will be very difficult to watch, just like a lightweight boxer facing a heavyweight boxer and getting completely overwhelmed.

Shang Ke was itching to speak.

At this point, the people from the Equipment Bureau retorted first—based on the experience of the European war, armor is also very important; it must at least be able to resist some anti-tank fire, otherwise it will be impossible to move an inch!

Furthermore, under current technological conditions, it is difficult to achieve a satisfactory level of protection for a tank weighing over twenty tons.

And so, the two sides began arguing back and forth.

"Can't do it technically? Then why can the Ivan Rosses do it? The Russians can make a tank with over twenty tons of protection and mobility, but we can't? If you don't have the ability, then just copy it... copying will at least teach you how, right?" Qian Changxuan bombarded the Equipment Bureau staff with his rant.

The head of the armored vehicle development team of the Equipment Bureau said with embarrassment, "Imitation may not be impossible, but it is the only way out."

"If you insist on making it heavier, then you can stop production of the Type 36 tractor and come up with an even more powerful one."

"Uh...this..."

"If this won't work, and that won't work, what use are you to the country?"

Qian Changxuan's concern was about logistical support. The Type 36 heavy tracked tractor currently in service with the National Defense Army has a maximum towing capacity of 25 tons, which is just enough to tow a medium tank weighing over 20 tons that has broken down.

If it is a medium tank weighing more than 30 tons, then two tow trucks will be needed to work together, doubling the demand.

This is extremely troublesome in actual combat. All sorts of unexpected problems arise on the battlefield, and it's not always possible to gather two tractor trucks at any time, making coordination very troublesome. In Shang's opinion, his reasoning was indeed correct. Historically, a large number of tanks had to be abandoned because they got stuck and couldn't get out. The convenience of logistical support is very important. It can even be said that the combat effectiveness of armored forces depends 30% on tanks and 70% on logistics.

The people from the Equipment Bureau were helpless and remained silent. Qian Changxuan didn't press the matter further and also kept quiet.

Seeing this, the dean coughed twice and said, "Now that we're in a meeting, be mindful of your words. Shang Ke, you just returned from Europe, so why don't you give your opinion on the tank issue? Speak freely about your thoughts."

The dean personally called out his name, and the chief of the general staff was also looking at him. Shang Ke, who had been holding back for a long time, immediately responded.

He stood up, cleared his throat, and got straight to the point: "Gentlemen, I think this is not just one thing. The construction of armored forces involves many aspects—the tanks themselves, air defense weapons, technical support, and so on."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "To ensure that the performance of the armored vehicle itself is acceptable, a weight of twenty-odd tons is definitely not enough; it must be at least thirty tons. Correspondingly, this will have a ripple effect, and a larger towing vehicle must also be developed to match it."

Looking back at history, the Panzer IV Ausf. H was the most representative of medium tanks weighing around 20 tons. Although its firepower was good, its mobility (at most 40 km/h) and protection (only 50 mm of vertical armor on the front of the turret) became inadequate in the later stages of the war.

The improved T-34/85 weighed 32 tons, but its drawback was that the 45mm sloped armor on the front of the hull was insufficient in later stages.

The Sherman M4A3(76)W weighs about 33 tons and has the best overall performance. Its disadvantage is that its height of 2.97 meters is too tall and its frontal projection area is too large.

Shang Ke felt that the Equipment Bureau really didn't need to be stingy. Given the abundant national strength of the Great Unified Federation, being a little extravagant was perfectly feasible.

It's just a medium tank weighing a mere thirty-odd tons. First, pair it with a thirty-ton heavy tractor, and then add a fifty-ton transport flatbed truck. Perfect!

He talked on and on for a long time, until his throat was dry.

However, the results were quite remarkable, and the head of the armored vehicle development team of the Equipment Bureau seemed to have found a way out and quickly expressed his approval.

Chief of the General Staff Cheng Yun asked with great interest: "You fought very well in Hurricane, and you made quite a splash. The Ivanos army suffered a lot at your hands. What do you think of their fighting capabilities?"

Shang Ke thought to himself, "Why are we suddenly talking about this? Could it be that we're really going to intervene in the European war?"
"Chief of Staff, are you referring to overall combat effectiveness, or the effectiveness of a specific branch of the armed forces?"

"Tank soldier, right? We're talking about tanks today, so let's clarify that now."

"Ivanros's army didn't use tanks for large-scale assaults in Hurricane many times, but I gathered a lot of firsthand intelligence when I passed through Varland. It was roughly like this: Ivanros's army usually used tank brigades combined with infantry for assaults, with an attack depth of about 1,000 meters and an attack front width of about 1,500 meters. They were divided into two or three echelons, with a distance of three or four hundred meters between each echelon..."

Shang Ke's explanation was detailed, clear, and very intuitive, and everyone listened attentively.

Speaking of tank crews composed of warriors with supernatural abilities, he said with a wry smile, "Such elite units are very strong and difficult to deal with. There have been instances where the Guards Tank Brigade defeated the Varland Armored Division with fewer troops."

"It's hard to sustain this for long, isn't it?" Qian Changxuan shook his head and said, "The damage rate of the chariots is not low. If we can finish this quickly, it will be fine, but if it drags on, we will run out of manpower in no time."

"Tactically speaking, if we want to hold our own against such elite armored forces, do we need to emulate them by concentrating female soldiers in our units?" Cheng Yun asked, then added, "When the forces are similar."

Relying on sheer numbers to suppress an opponent is certainly an option, but it depends on whether it's worthwhile.

Shang Ke hesitated for a moment, thought carefully for a few seconds, and said firmly: "If the vehicle has an advantage in performance, then it is entirely possible. No matter how strong a person is, there are limits."

(End of this chapter)