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

Chapter 218 | Expensive things only have one flaw

Historically, the German army's crossing of the Ardennes Forest in just a few days was nothing short of a miracle, and it also involved an element of luck. How could it be so easy to replicate?
Moreover, Ivanros's army is now a newcomer and "guest army" without enough time to thoroughly survey the terrain. Even if they have seized a large number of maps and documents from Varland, are these enough to guarantee the operation of the troops?
Shank was skeptical of this.

"This is only a short-term battle, so don't let your guard down. Mariana's army could still be worn down," a brigadier general from the General Staff warned.

The lieutenant general stared at the map and said, "We need to put more effort into diplomacy. The Portuguese border, both north and south, is holding back more than a dozen (Marianne) divisions. We can't let that go to waste."

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already advised the Portuguese side to behave themselves."

"Actually, most of those ten or so divisions were colonial troops with mediocre combat capabilities. They were fine for guarding the border, but they would definitely be no match for the Russians if they were to go to the battlefield and fight them in real combat."

The seminar has ended.

This meeting focused primarily on military issues and did not delve much into diplomatic matters.

The Great Unified Federation naturally did not want to see the Ivan Rus Empire sweep across Western Europe, so it has been creating obstacles for it in every way.

In recent days, the Controlled Government has not only urged the Portuguese to stop border friction and ease tensions, but also proposed that the American side intervene in the war and not stand idly by while Marianne fights alone.

There were many cowards among the upper classes in Marianne, and the lower classes were unwilling to shed blood and sacrifice an entire generation of young people as they had twenty years ago.

If the war situation worsens and the morale of the military and civilians is shaken, Mariana's side might simply give up resistance.

The controlling government was very worried about such a terrible outcome.

America is currently the only foreign aid with a chance of joining the war; its army could cross the Atlantic by ship and directly participate in the battle, although this does not take combat capability into account.

So the officials on Capitol Hill in Washington were speechless in the face of the proposal for a unified government.

Please! This is ridiculous!
Our army expanded rapidly in a short period of time. Four-fifths of the soldiers were novices, three-quarters of the officers were recent graduates from military academies, and we didn't even have anti-tank guns. We had almost no combat capability.

Joining the war now? Why don't you join the war first?
Diplomats from both countries engaged in a heated debate in Washington, with the American Secretary of State expressing his displeasure at the United Federation's meddling and retorting sarcastically: "If you really want to limit Ivanrod's expansion, then just attack Ivanrod westward through Xianbeiria."

The two sides argued and shifted blame to each other, but the actual problem remained unresolved.

Neither country was prepared to go to war, and they would certainly not benefit from it now. The leaders of both countries only wanted to gain an advantage and did not want to suffer any losses.

Neither of the two major industrial powers in the Pacific was willing to take responsibility, allowing the war situation in Europe to worsen. Shank felt that the Republic of Mariana was doomed sooner or later.

The following morning, the Equipment Bureau invited him to observe the improved prototype of the "Project 175".

Upon arriving at the military base in the northern suburbs, while waiting in the stands, the officers present discussed the current diplomatic troubles, and Shank couldn't help but join in the discussion.

He worriedly said, "This wrangling can't go on. I think we can form a volunteer force. We don't need many, just a few tank divisions and mechanized infantry divisions to reinforce them. As long as we can hold back Ivan Ross's initial aggressive momentum, that will be enough."

“Who can argue with that?” someone said helplessly. “But it won’t help. It will take at least a month for the volunteer troops to assemble at the port and load onto the ship, and another month to cross the ocean. Even if everything goes smoothly, it will take two months. If Mariana can survive for two months on her own, what need is there for outside help?”

Two months is already an ideal scenario; in practice, it will definitely take three months. Shang Ke clicked his tongue and said in a deep voice, "It's really meaningless..."

The Ivanos Empire's productivity was nearing saturation. With a million-strong army engaged in continuous high-intensity warfare, the daily consumption of resources was astronomical. The weapons and ammunition produced by the Ivanos military industry were less than what the front lines consumed each day.

Every moment, the stockpiled military supplies are dwindling.

Even with an optimistic estimate, the large-scale offensive can only be sustained for a maximum of two months.

For example, the most critical explosives, such as artillery shells, grenades, and aerial bombs, all require explosives. To manufacture these explosives, at least 6000 tons of toluene are needed each month, while Ivanros Chemicals can only produce 3500 to 3600 tons of toluene on its own.

With the United Kingdom ceasing trade with the Ivanrod Empire, the only remaining import channels were also completely cut off.

Fortunately, the defeat of Varland and the capture of a large amount of supplies gave Ivanros's military industry a much-needed boost, and the Varland puppet government was ordered to prioritize the production of triacids and alkalis at all costs.

Despite our best efforts, this is still not a long-term solution.

A few minutes later, the sounds of discussion and the roar of engines brought Shang Kela back to reality.

Over the past month, the prototype vehicles from China Everbright Heavy Industry and China United Industrial Group have undergone intensive testing and comparative evaluation.

The prototype vehicle from Guangda Heavy Industry didn't have many new technologies and was quite conservative. The empty vehicle weighed 30.5 tons, and the running gear used the traditional balanced suspension. The price was also lower, with the first batch costing 44 yuan per vehicle.

Hualian Industrial's prototype vehicle is more up-to-date with the times. The empty vehicle weighs 29.8 tons, uses torsion bar suspension, the turret is welded, the body is mainly welded, and some parts are riveted. The first batch was priced at 52 yuan per vehicle.

The Army was very satisfied with Hualian Industrial's work, but the Equipment Bureau felt it was too expensive, costing one-fifth more than Guangda Heavy Industry's quote.

The Equipment Bureau believed that the combat effectiveness of the two designs was not much different, so naturally the cheaper the better. The Army, on the other hand, was determined to use the prototype vehicle from Hualian Industrial Co., Ltd.

The two sides have been arguing incessantly for almost half a month, and there is still no conclusion.

The Equipment Bureau shrugged and said that the military budget allocated by the Advisory Council was only so much. It's easier said than done to be thrifty. Adopting the cheap design from Guangda Heavy Industries can save a lot of money, enough to buy countless new pairs of shoes for all the officers and soldiers of the army.

The army, which has always been tolerant, surprisingly threw a tantrum this time and refused to budge.

Even today—when showcasing the improved prototype, the Army insists on only looking at the works of Hualian Industrial, so only one tank was brought here.

Shank was pleased with the Federal Army's persistence, and he naturally agreed with the choice.

After all, as the saying goes, expensive things have no flaws except for their price, while cheap things have flaws except for their price.

Compared to the No. 1 and No. 2 prototypes that underwent testing a month ago, the No. 3 prototype in front of everyone now has dozens of improvements in details, and a large area of ​​armored skirts has been added to the side.

Judging from its appearance alone, it's quite good.

(End of this chapter)