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

Chapter 217 | Seminar
"...This is a chain-like overall concept that will qualitatively improve the combat efficiency of the troops."

In late March, Shank wrote a short article, which was published in the internal publication of the Federal Armed Forces. The article mainly elaborated on his views and prospects of system warfare, combined with his personal experience in Hungary.

During his trip to the capital to report on his work, the General Staff invited him to a seminar.

Shang Ke thought this was not an important meeting and made no preparations beforehand. By the time he saw the generals shining inside, it was too late. Even the Chief of the General Staff, Cheng Yun, was present.

There was no other way; he had to bite the bullet and improvise.

One lieutenant general said with slight dissatisfaction, "It's a bit rough. Let me elaborate."

Seeing that Cheng Yun seemed to be frowning slightly, Shang Ke steeled himself, took a deep breath, and continued to talk eloquently.

"When I was in Hunria, the objective conditions were rather poor. The royal guard was not highly valued, and much of the funding and equipment was obtained through my own begging. I apologize for the poor quality of the equipment. Some of my ideas could not be perfectly implemented, but I still gained a lot of experience..."

"My idea is mainly limited to tactical units (divisions), focusing on improving the efficiency of command, control, communication, and intelligence interaction, especially artillery. Based on my experience, the reaction speed can be increased by more than two times, which is quite obvious..."

"To summarize, the main idea is to establish dedicated forward observation units, relay communication units, and rear coordination units, and to fully implement map gridding to provide comprehensive support for artillery, using fast, accurate, and powerful long-range artillery fire to suppress or kill the enemy..."

The so-called "information-fire integration" in later generations simply means the combination of information technology and firepower. It involves efficiently transmitting intelligence (information) through advanced communication equipment, rapidly formulating firepower strike plans with the assistance of fire control computer systems, and calling upon long-range weapons to carry out rapid strikes, thereby maximizing lethality.

In this day and age, without electronic computers, we are destined to fall short of the 21st-century level. However, we can accelerate the calculation of firing parameters as much as possible by concentrating staff and mechanical relay computers.

In addition, the first and second types of soldiers can convey battlefield intelligence directly and quickly, resulting in a significant overall improvement.

The person is on the way back.

Shank believes that there is hope to elevate the military to the level of NATO forces in the early Cold War, which would be enough to dominate the battlefield in the 1940s.

A major general said, "It sounds alright, but it takes up a lot of manpower and resources."

The lieutenant general who had previously criticized Mr. Shang for his rough explanation asked, "In very good weather, elite European armies can probably formulate an artillery plan and fire the first shot within half an hour of spotting a target. Our army is probably at the same level. How fast do you think it can be done according to your concept?"

Shank answered with absolute certainty without hesitation: "With sufficient training, it can take about ten minutes. The guards artillery I trained in Hungary achieved a time of nine minutes and forty-something seconds. Anyway, sirs, I can only say that it can be at least twice as fast as it is now."

Some generals who advocated using artillery to defeat the enemy showed great enthusiasm for the blueprint drawn up by Shang.

To be honest, this improvement is really tempting.

How much tactical advantage can such a rapid reaction speed gain?

Once our whereabouts are exposed, a barrage of artillery fire will come immediately!
To exaggerate a bit, if our side were to defend, the enemy probably wouldn't even be able to mount an effective attack; they would be overwhelmed by artillery fire as soon as they entered the attack launch position.

Cheng Yun, the Chief of the General Staff, remained silent throughout, listening attentively. Finally, he calmly said, "Hmm, it's worth studying."

Shang Ke was overjoyed and hurriedly added, "Your Excellency, I think it would be perfect to design a command vehicle to complement the self-propelled artillery project. This way, it can accommodate a larger mechanical (relay) computer and more staff officers." Cheng Yun nodded and said, "That's a good idea."

The seminar was not a solo performance by Mr. Shang; in addition to him, several other officers also took the stage to give reports.

Next, an Air Force lieutenant colonel shared his views on air combat tactics and improvements to fighter formations.

Currently, traditional dogfighting seems to be less popular, with energy tactics becoming increasingly common on European battlefields. It remains to be seen whether this trend is becoming more widespread.
Then it was a naval captain's turn to give a report, mainly discussing the latest intelligence on the Royal Navy's Lion-class battleships and Illustrious-class armored aircraft carriers, as well as the changes in future naval warfare.

The colonel cited five past exercises by the Federal Navy, pointing out that carrier-based aircraft are still unable to dominate the battlefield.

Because carrier-based aircraft can only carry light aerial bombs and torpedoes while ensuring their combat radius, and their flight speed is slow, they will lose some aircraft every time they go out. Therefore, it is difficult for aircraft carriers alone to annihilate the enemy fleet in a decisive battle. The colonel estimated that this situation would be reversed in five to ten years with the development of aviation technology.

Shang Ke, sitting in the audience, felt that the colonel was being a bit conservative. In reality, it didn't take that many years at all. The war had driven the development of military technology at an alarming speed, making it truly a case of rapid advancement.

Modern carrier-based aircraft—such as the American-made SB2U Defender dive bomber, which uses an 850-horsepower engine and typically carries a 500-pound (227-kilogram) aerial bomb—are indeed somewhat weak.

However, just three years later, the SB2C Helldiver entered service, equipped with a 1900-horsepower engine and capable of easily carrying two 1000-pound (454 kg x 2) aerial bombs.

It can only be said that humanity has spent a considerable amount of wisdom and energy researching how to kill more efficiently.

After the officers finished their reports, Shank thought the seminar was over, but it wasn't.

The General Staff's Military Intelligence Department brought the latest report on the European war situation, with over a hundred labels clearly marked on a huge map.

The major general was the first to ask: "After seven or eight days of fighting, there has been no progress. What is the exchange ratio between the two sides?"

The lieutenant colonel from the Military Intelligence Bureau pointed to the map and replied, "The overall troop losses are probably one to three. In some local battles, the losses may be even higher. In the first few days, Ivanros's army clearly underestimated the enemy."

The atmosphere at the scene gradually became much more relaxed.

Everyone was happy to see the arrogant Ivan Rus's army suffer a crushing defeat.

Someone gloated first, saying, "The Russians have suffered a setback. Their three tricks for dealing with the Varlanders are no longer effective. They've run out of ideas."

"The troop and firepower density is too high. Millions of troops are facing off along a front of more than 200 kilometers. Even if we break through, we can't expand our gains. It's very tricky." The lieutenant general commented rather objectively, "If we can't open up the situation in other directions, the two sides will remain deadlocked."

Other directions? Do the Russian tank forces have the courage to cross the Ardennes Forest?

Shang Ke closed his eyes and pondered.

(End of this chapter)