Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 210 Operation Thunderclap, isn't this style a bit off?
Not long after.

Upon arriving at the camp, the officers and key personnel of each battalion, company, and platoon were woken up one by one by Chen Mo, who mobilized the crowd.

They all gathered inside the auditorium.

After a busy day and no rest at night, the group was clearly exhausted, yawning constantly and looking listless.

Luo Yaowu, who stood at the very front of the auditorium with his hands behind his back, maintained a serious expression throughout, his gaze sharp as a hawk, sweeping over each cadre.

He then turned around and forcefully wrote the four characters "Operation Thunderclap" on the blackboard in the auditorium.

No need for deliberate reminders or slogans.

The cadres, who had initially looked displeased and were somewhat slack, straightened their backs and forced their eyes to widen upon seeing these four large characters, trying their best to regain their best state.

As a soldier, I am most sensitive to the word "action," and I can tell at a glance that there is a combat mission.

Luo Yaowu nodded slightly at the reactions of those present: "Comrades, this is a temporary notice."

"We will be fully prepared for combat by noon tomorrow and conduct an exercise codenamed 'Operation Thunderclap' with the 188th Division."

"But don't worry, according to the exercise regulations, the 188th Division can only deploy one-third of its firepower."

"This is both an opportunity and a challenge for us."

Luo Yaowu briefly outlined the exercise.

Upon learning the specific objective of the operation, the entire auditorium erupted in uproar.

Even Chen Mo, who was mentally prepared, was quite surprised to learn that the opponent was the 188th Division.

Currently, after the military reduction.

Almost every military region has some strategic strike units remaining. The 38th Army has the 6th Armored Division, the 21st Army has the 61st Division, and the 63rd Army has the 188th Division.

Even a third of the firepower of such a campaign-level unit would require the strength of a reinforced regiment. Leaving aside combat effectiveness, its sheer number of personnel would probably be equivalent to two and a half infantry regiments.

What's even more troublesome is...

A division-level unit has a systematic logistics system, but its combat effectiveness only accounts for one-third of the entire division. So what about its logistics?
Should we use them all?
That's even more terrifying. The reinforced regiment has over three thousand combat personnel, and the logistics support team also has over three thousand.

The enemy has far too many troops.

Even if one person is carrying a heavy machine gun and firing, there are three others standing behind them to help change bullets, and even feed and water them.

There was no time for the audience to discuss it.

Luo Yaowu paused for a moment and continued, "Comrades, I know what you're thinking."

"Indeed, the enemy is very strong this time. We already have units from the 188th Division here. This division is best at mobile warfare. Commander Tang's command ability is among the best in the entire Kyoto Military Region."

"But I want to tell you that this time the command is not commanded by Division Commander Tang, but by Division Commander Wang from the Jincheng Military Region."

"Changing commanders at the last minute still gives us a chance."

"Let me tell you something else: the Kyoto Military Region has guaranteed that as long as we can win this Thunderclap Operation and demonstrate the advantages of our system."

"All units present will be awarded a collective second-class merit."

Wow!
The battalion and company-level officers, who had just been frowning, immediately lost their worries upon hearing about the collective second-class merit.

Instead, there was excitement, an eager anticipation.

A collective second-class merit—no reward can compare to the allure of such merit.

"report!"

Chen Haitao, the company commander of the howitzer company, excitedly raised his left hand.

"speak!"

"Reporting to the commander, please give the order on how to fight this battle. We will start preparing now."

"Not urgent."

Luo Yaowu waved his hand: "You all go back and rest first, get plenty of rest, and we'll arrange the specific operations first thing tomorrow morning."

"Our combat zone has been set in the area where we are moving today, but the detailed division has not yet been completed. Moreover, the 188th Division is quite far from here, so they won't be able to get here so quickly."

"First, get plenty of rest. We'll arrive at the combat zone tomorrow, engage in a decisive battle, and annihilate the 188th Division!"

"Yes!"

All the officers present stood up and then left one by one with excited expressions.

There was the allure of a second-class merit award.

Let alone battalion-level battles, even battalion-level battles against divisions, you have to go up and fight to see who wins first.

The officers and key personnel of each battalion, company, and platoon left the meeting room with news of the impending battle.

Chen Mo didn't leave.

He knew that the reason Director Luo hadn't formulated a battle plan at this time was definitely not because the 188th Division was stationed far away and wouldn't be able to arrive so quickly.

Senior military officers are human too, and often they cannot be fully prepared when faced with suddenly issued orders.

The reason why the battle order is not being announced right now is probably because Luo Yaowu has not yet figured out exactly how to fight this battle.

After the officials attending the meeting left the meeting room.

Luo Yaowu, Zhang Jinnan, Feng Hongbing, and Wei Jinan quickly moved to a group and began to study the map.

Since no one paid any attention to Chen Mo, he went closer to watch by himself.

Upon discovering the map, he realized it was the very same terrain he had been sketching and writing about while sitting at the dormitory entrance. He decided to move a chair over and sit down to listen.

"The 188th Division is moving quite quickly. The convoys we encountered along the way must have been their advance units, conducting on-site reconnaissance."

After Luo Yaowu unfolded the map, he spoke first.

His words should have been ignored, but as soon as he said them, while others didn't react, Chen Mo was the first to be stunned.

Have the 188th Division arrived on the battlefield?
its not right.

The 188th Division was stationed in Xiaocheng, about 140 kilometers away from Taishan in Jinyang, in such a short time.

How did they transport troops from their garrison to the battlefield?
Chen Mo frowned. He really didn't know this news, while Director Luo and the others were still discussing it.

Chen Mo stood up and pulled Pei Shuaijun outside the auditorium, getting straight to the point: "Did you encounter the 188th Division on your way here?"

"probably."

Upon hearing this, Pei Shuaijun turned his head to look inside the auditorium, then lowered his voice and said, "Not only on the way here, but I also ran into them on my way back."

“Many people in military uniforms and carrying guns appeared nearby, and there were even quite a few military vehicles. At first, I didn’t know what was going on.”

"But when I came back just now, I heard the director mention it and realized that it must be someone from the 188th Division."

"Wow, that's incredibly fast!!"

Chen Mo took a deep breath, his heart starting to race uncontrollably.

Keep in mind that this is a division-level unit, and their speed of action is generally not that fast.

But this 188th Division was able to send people to the pre-arranged battlefield before the joint battalion had even returned.

Can we win against this kind of enemy by using conventional means?

Let alone battalion-level units, even division-to-division combat would be difficult.

Commander Tang. Commander Wang.
The images of Tang Haodong from the 188th Division and Wang Songhe from the 61st Division kept flashing through Chen Mo's mind.

Chen Mo knew that Commander Tang was good at mobile warfare, but this tactic of sending troops in advance was clearly not Tang Haodong's usual style.

Director Luo just mentioned that the commander of the 188th Division is Commander Wang. It seems that it should be Wang Songhe of the 61st Division.

As a representative of the Class A motorized infantry divisions in the north, the 61st Division was certainly not best at mobile warfare, but rather at delivering sufficient manpower to the battlefield.

When the commander changes, the entire operational unit's style and habits will change completely.

Can't wait any longer.

If we keep waiting, by the time Wang Songhe secretly transports all the troops to the battlefield tomorrow, it will be too late to say anything.

With that thought in mind, Chen Mo quickly returned to the auditorium.

Stand at attention and salute: "Commander!!"

"kindness?"

As Luo Yaowu was discussing combat arrangements with the two brigade commanders, he heard Chen Mo's voice. He patiently turned around and asked, "What's up?"

"Reporting to the commander, there's no need to formulate an operational plan. It's useless no matter how we formulate one."

"What do you mean?"

Brigade Commander Wei, Brigade Commander Feng, and Vice President Zhang all looked visibly displeased.

Think about it too.

A group of senior colonels were studying operational plans when a lieutenant suddenly appeared, saying the study was useless. The fact that these people didn't pat Chen Mo on the shoulder shows they have pretty high standards of conduct.

Faced with the angry glares from the group, Chen Mo swallowed hard and insisted, "Commander, please let me finish."

"I just heard that we encountered the 188th Division in the combat zone on our way back, which means that the enemy has already transported the first batch of troops to the battlefield through the Army Aviation Brigade."

"If I'm not mistaken, the 188th Division will rely on its strong logistical capabilities to transport all combat-capable troops to the combat zone tonight and hide them."

"If we take action tomorrow, we will become the target of the enemy's concentrated fire. No matter how we fight, we will lose. We cannot possibly defeat a reinforced regiment head-on."

Chen Mo spoke with conviction and exuded confidence.

This left everyone present stunned.

They only thought that the 188th Division was sending people over first simply to familiarize themselves with the battlefield and make it easier to plan subsequent actions.

They didn't even consider the possibility of transporting the main force of the troops.

After all, the Kyoto Military District is not close to the Kinjo Military District, and it is not possible to fully grasp the habits of many commanders.

Chen Mo didn't know how well Wang Songhe fought, but he had seen too many surprise attack tactics and couldn't afford to be careless.

"Tell me your thoughts."

Luo Yaowu simply turned around and looked at Chen Mo.

"Yes!"

Chen Mo puffed out his chest: "Commander, for this Thunderclap Operation, the higher-ups probably want to see a systemic showdown, right?"

Upon hearing the question, Luo Yaowu and the others exchanged glances, all reading shock in each other's eyes.

Because Commander-in-Chief Fu was in a meeting at the time, and this guy wasn't there.

Ignoring everyone's reactions, Chen Mo continued, "Since it's a battle of systems, it should begin the moment the meeting is adjourned."

"If the 188th Division can send people to the battlefield in advance, why can't we send people to observe all the enemy's actions up close?"

"206 drones, hand-cranked drones, and reconnaissance aircraft should be deployed now."

"Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle."

"It's better than us coming here to formulate so-called battle plans, which are subject to change at any time based on the battlefield situation."

Chen Mo's words completely persuaded the senior colonels present.

Yes, since it's a battle of systems, why be bound by old ideas?

Feng Hongbing, the commander of the anti-aircraft artillery brigade, raised his hands and rubbed them together with an interested expression. After a while, he smiled and said, "If you were in charge of commanding this battle, how would you arrange things?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo turned to look at Luo Yaowu.

His action was no longer an inquiry, but a demand for power, a demand for command.

"Say it!"

"Yes!"

"If I were in command, I would arrange for the entire reconnaissance company to immediately drive to the 188th Division's base in Xiaocheng, maintaining communication along the way and awaiting orders."

"At the same time, drones were immediately deployed to scout around the base. Once any unusual enemy activity was detected, hand-cranked drones were deployed by designated personnel for reconnaissance."

"Current radar detection is completely unable to detect the existence of small drones, so all the enemy's actions are under our control."

"Only by controlling the enemy's actions can we formulate subsequent plans."

"it is good!!"

"Haha, what a brilliant move to control the enemy's actions." Luo Yaowu stood up: "Go, issue the orders according to Chen Mo's plan."

"The reconnaissance company is ordered to move out immediately, and drones are to be deployed immediately. The Z-9 attack helicopters sent by the military region are also to be dispatched to transport the soldiers operating the small drones to within five kilometers of the 188th Division's garrison."

"All deployed units must maintain constant communication and report any unusual enemy movements immediately!"

"Yes!!"

Chen Mo's suggestion was adopted. The entire camp was suddenly alerted by a series of whistles.

Fortunately, it was just a notification to the reconnaissance company to assemble.

The camp's helipad.

With the rotors of twelve helicopters spinning, the manpower of an army aviation brigade began to set off with the drone operators.

The ground crew commander, the sergeant major, stood on the ground waving flags to communicate with the pilots using flag signals.

An army aviation staff officer, wearing an embedded headset, fills out a confirmation form.

"Sky Knight 01!!"

"Fuel shut-off valve, normal!"

"The tie rod is in contact with the main saw, which is normal!"

"Landing lights off, control stick neutral and normal!"

"Hydraulics! Avionics! Governor! Electrical systems! All functioning normally!"

"The engine speed is normal!"

"Air-to-ground weapon braking is normal!"

"Radar scan normal, fire control computer operating normally, communication channel test normal, flight monitoring normal."

"No abnormalities were found in the entire aircraft."

"Knight 1 is ready!!"

"Knight 2 is ready!!"

"."

The sounds of helicopter inspections and reports echoed through the night.

It whirred and spun.

Each WZ-9 helicopter undergoes more than forty inspections before each sortie.

"Clearance for takeoff. Best of luck!!"

On the ground, the crowd looking up saluted in unison.

"Roger that!!" the pilot replied.

The next moment, a squadron of helicopters lined up in a row took off.

Meanwhile, the more than ninety soldiers of the reconnaissance company, each carrying a shovel, hoe, rifle, and submachine gun, began to board the vehicles as required.

Look at the scale of their deployment of the Army Aviation Corps.

Cheng Dong looked at his hand again and saw that he only had an entrenching tool in his hand, and he still had to take a truck and endure a bumpy ride to Xiaocheng in the middle of the night.

He looked at Chen Mo, who had come to see him off, with displeasure: "Damn it, was it your idea again?"

"Damn it, can't you feel sorry for me and let me ride a plane and see what it's like?"

Cheng Dong then launched into that tirade.

The scouts passing by glared angrily at Chen Mo. Damn it, this scholar really never forgets the reconnaissance company when something happens.

They were the first people I thought of, even in the middle of the night.

Faced with the anger of a group of veterans, Chen Mo smiled mysteriously and said, "Company Commander, you really shouldn't be angry right now."

"Keep communications going, or the entire 188th Division might be grounded tonight because of our reconnaissance company."

"If we win the battle, we will be awarded a collective second-class merit. Our reconnaissance company must be ranked first, the unit that contributed the most and made the greatest contribution."

"Really?" Cheng Dong looked somewhat skeptical.

"More real than real gold, I guarantee it," Chen Mo replied, patting his chest.

"Damn it, your guarantee is just bullshit, it's completely unreliable."

Cheng Dong waved his hand dismissively, but he still got into the car quite quickly.

Actually, the company commander didn't need to lead the team at all for this operation, but he insisted on going, and Chen Mo couldn't stop him.

After the convoy departs.

Trucks carrying 206 drones also began to be deployed, accompanied and protected by a group of mechanized infantry.

After all, the camp here is too far from the 188th Division's base, more than 100 kilometers away, which is a bit beyond the limit for launching drones.

The launch site needs to be moved forward by fifty kilometers.

The advance troops have been dispatched.

All we can do now is wait for news from the front lines.

Chen Mo took over command, and he certainly wouldn't be able to rest. He accompanied Director Luo and the others, quietly waiting in the auditorium.

Their sudden action caused even the officers of the anti-aircraft artillery company and the long-range rocket artillery company to stop sleeping and sit in the auditorium to wait.

Time passed little by little.

Around 3 a.m.

Information finally came back from the front: the location of the 188th garrison was not a secret, and the army aviation brigade sent by the military region knew the exact coordinates.

Transmitted via radio.

It was learned that two convoys had been dispatched from the 188th garrison, and the two convoys were moving towards Jinyang from different locations.

Upon receiving the news, Chen Mo immediately arranged for the Army Aviation Brigade to coordinate with the hand-cranked drone team to launch drones at a distance of three kilometers from both convoys.

He specifically instructed them to stay as far away from the base as possible during reconnaissance.

Since the equipment inside the base is likely to be running, helicopters approaching would easily expose the target. However, when a convoy moves in the field, given the current radar capabilities, it is not so easy to detect large drones flying at high altitudes.

About twenty minutes have passed.

At 3:30, footage of one of the 188th Division's detachments maneuvering finally reached the camp.

Since there was no large screen receiving equipment set up in the auditorium, Chen Mo and the others could only watch the screen by huddling around the NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) military laptops.

At first, Chen Mo thought that the 188th Division's overnight maneuver must have been a full-scale attack to avoid being discovered by the public during the day and disturbing the residents.

But when Chen Mo actually saw the motorized convoy, he was surprised.

Because the enemy was not using armored vehicles, but rather hundreds of 141 and 142 transport vehicles, which were slowly moving along the dirt road.

The convoy stretched for nearly three kilometers, and when viewed from mid-air, it resembled a giant centipede in motion.

There were also artillery vehicles mixed in with the column, but there were very few of them, practically none.

This scale is completely unbecoming of a division-level unit's deployment.

"Is this logistics transportation?"

Luo Yaowu stared at the screen, frowning as he asked.

But no one responded on the scene. Many people couldn't adapt to this method of reconnaissance from hundreds of kilometers away, as it was beyond their usual command habits.

"It shouldn't be logistics."

After observing for a while, Chen Mo shook his head, then pointed to the screen and said, "Zoom in a little more."

"Sir, look at the load on these vehicles."

Chen Mo pointed out that several trucks in the convoy were clearly unable to move, with thick black smoke billowing from their exhaust pipes, which could be clearly seen through the night vision footage captured by the drone.

"Logistical supplies shouldn't be this heavy. Even transporting ammunition has strict quantity and specification limits, so it's impossible for it to be this heavy."

Follow the direction Chen Mo is pointing.

Luo Yaowu and his group also noticed that the Type 141 troop carriers with roofs in the convoy looked normal, while the Type 142 vehicles without roofs seemed to be carrying a heavy load.

The tires were all flattened, making it impossible to see what was being transported on the truck.

The roof of the vehicle was covered with military green tarpaulin.

"What is this?" Wei Jin'an, commander of the 7th Armored Brigade, asked in surprise.

Most of the people present had commanded troops and fought in battles, but they had never seen any equipment that could crush a 142 transport vehicle like that.

No one responded at the scene.

I can't figure out what the 188th Division is up to.

Chen Mo stared at the screen for a long time before saying uncertainly, "Commander, what's on the vehicle looks like a tank."

"What's the matter?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yaowu immediately shook his head and said, "It can't be tanks. The 188th Division has more than 200 tanks and is only a little over 100 kilometers away from the battlefield. They can just drive them over or use tractors."

"Who would use this kind of vehicle to transport tanks? Besides, how would they transport them? What would be their purpose?"

"Disassemble the tank into parts, remove all the tracks and smoothbore cannons, leaving only the main body to be placed on a truck."

Chen Mo was certain of his thoughts: "Commander, if we are asked to dismantle it, our logistics will definitely not be able to keep up, but the logistics of a division-level unit can definitely handle it."

"As for the purpose, I think that as the commander of the Northern Motorized Infantry Division, Commander Wang probably wants to give us a big surprise at an unexpected time."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yaowu fell silent.

The tactic of hiding troops is not new in mechanized warfare; it's all about who can hide them well.

However, he still found it hard to accept the situation of hiding a tank inside a truck.

If it's really as Chen Mo said...

So this seemingly mobile logistics convoy actually concealed half a division of heavy equipment.

If this hadn't been detected beforehand, a group of nearly a hundred tanks could have suddenly charged in from the flank once the battle began during the day.

Just thinking about that scene is thrilling!

"Wang Songhe is quite something, he really knows his stuff!"

Clearly, Luo Yaowu has gradually come to accept Chen Mo's judgment.

"Then what's the use of us finding out? It's not during the exercise period, so we can't launch an attack against them."

"We can only scout out their location first."

"No, no, no, now that we've discovered them, we should take some action. At least we should prevent them from making it more than ten kilometers before dawn."

Chen Mo smiled confidently.

What a joke.

Having discovered the enemy's deployment, how could we possibly allow them to advance smoothly?
We just sent the reconnaissance company over in a car, and they were all carrying tools. They weren't just brought along for nothing.

Under the watchful eyes of all the leaders.

After obtaining the route for the 188th Division convoy, Chen Mo immediately found a narrow section of road on the map with deep ditches on both sides.

The reconnaissance company was arranged to go ahead and dig a six-meter-wide trench on the road.

Not only that.

After the deep trenches were dug, the entire company was ordered to immediately retreat three kilometers, and then every hundred meters, two or three deep trenches with a diameter of one meter were dug on both sides of the road.

After digging, the trench should be covered with tarpaulin and loose soil to restore it to its original state as much as possible.

Didn't you want to secretly transport nearly a hundred tanks to the battlefield?
Let's experience what despair truly means.

A convoy that stretches for three kilometers and is heavily loaded is not a good vehicle to turn around and change routes.

As Chen Mo issued his order.

One of the 206 drones flew over the reconnaissance company.

Luo Yaowu and the others watched helplessly as more than 90 men from the reconnaissance company, wielding shovels, dug with all their might eight kilometers ahead of the enemy's movement route.

Soil flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.

Goodness, the reconnaissance company isn't even this enthusiastic when digging trenches normally, but now they're putting in all their effort.

Deep potholes are visibly visible on the dirt road.

Some soldiers, unable to get close enough, even threw the excavated soil more than 50 meters away.

Anyway, the 188th Division will figure out how to fill the hole themselves, so what's there to be afraid of?

What should have been a tense preparation for battle took a dramatic turn after Chen Mo's command.

Luo Yaowu and Zhang Jinnan exchanged a glance.

This is supposed to be a system-wide battle? That doesn't seem right.
(End of this chapter)