Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 325 All-out preparation for battle, a cover-up (Two chapters combined, 11k)

It took the group a while to react to Chen Mo's bold words.

Wang Songhe shook his head, but remained silent.

He did indeed praise the strength of the Blue Army battalion, but that doesn't mean he believed that the Blue Army battalion could wipe out a main battle brigade of the Red Army within four hours of the start of the battle.

To know.

The Red Army had more than just a brigade-level firepower.

The units under the 27th Army have achieved far greater success in the third phase of mechanization reforms than the 63rd Army, demonstrating considerable proficiency in the application of drones and radar.

In terms of organization, it's almost become a semi-informationized brigade.

Furthermore, other units cannot simply watch the Blue Army's main force advance without taking any action. Four hours is enough time for the Red Army's main force to encircle them, and even if they have to drag them down, they can wear down the Blue Army battalion.

Moreover, how much ammunition can a battalion-level main logistics unit carry?
With so many units in the Red Army, even if they lined up and let him fight them, they would still be able to win.

Having penetrated deep into enemy territory, how many rounds of firepower could they possibly unleash?
But Lao Wang didn't argue; he knew that Chen was not the kind of reckless person.

Since they dare to say that, they must have some degree of confidence.

Or perhaps this kid never intended to fight the 80th Brigade at all, and was just making things up to mislead them.
In reality, he might be eyeing someone else entirely.

Wang Songhe knew all too well that this rascal was full of bad intentions. If he believed everything he bragged about, he might be completely fooled.

As for Wei Jinan and Tang Haodong, they were originally from the 63rd Army and were truly from the same root as Xiucai, so naturally they wouldn't sabotage him.

Only Li Jie stared wide-eyed, nearly catching his breath.

This guy is bragging like crazy.

Four hours into the battle, with the entire Blue Army pressing forward, it's still uncertain whether they can completely wipe out the 80th Brigade. You, a battalion commander, dare to claim that you've eliminated one of the enemy's main forces?

The 80th Brigade and the 235th Brigade have basically the same organization and similar combat capabilities. Can you wipe us out in four hours?

Li Jie said very seriously, "Battalion Commander Chen, your suggestion is too radical."

"That's too simplistic."

"Leaving aside how many people the Blue Army camp has, do you know what it means to have tens of thousands of troops in such a small area of ​​over a thousand square kilometers, even if the enemy's logistics are deployed on the outskirts?"

"The Blue Army has mobilized its entire force. I'm asking you, how will you ensure logistical support? How will you supply ammunition?"

"Are we going to deploy all our air units?"

"Furthermore, what about the other Red Army units? The 80th Brigade is a motorized infantry brigade. Within a radius of 20 kilometers, there must be manpower from other mechanized infantry and armored brigades. If they come to our aid, what will we use to stop them?"

"Excuse me, the Blue Army battalion is deep in enemy territory. Can you hold out for two hours?"

A barrage of sharp questions followed, leaving no room for leniency.

After all, the occasion is different now. This is the Blue Team command post, which is definitely not as good as the old one-man show where Chen Mo was in charge.

He didn't care about other people's doubts, but he wasn't very polite either.

Chen Mo glanced at Li Jie and held up one finger: "First, the main force of the mechanized infantry brigade and armored brigade cannot all be placed around the 80th Brigade. They also have artillery brigades and anti-aircraft artillery brigades that need in-depth protection."

"Secondly, the Blue Army is weak. If you were the commander of the Red Army, would you choose an extremely aggressive approach and deploy all your main forces to the front lines?"

"The key to war is seizing the initiative. In the precious first moment, the Red side will not engage in an intense war with us, nor will it waste its forces to fight us head-on."

“By taking advantage of the river, we only need to attack the three vertical lines in the north and south to protect Pingcheng. Since the enemy is not attacking with their main force, the 15th Air Division base east of Pingcheng will become the first tactical stronghold that the Red Army covets.”

"As you just mentioned, the 15th Air Division base is one of the best landing points for the Army Aviation, offering both offensive and defensive advantages, making it a crucial location for our unit to contest with the enemy."

"I agree with one point of this statement, which is that it is a must-win situation. From the overall perspective, the 15th Air Division is one of the air assault points, but for our Blue Army, it is the only one. If we lose this place, we will not only lose 10 tactical points, but also cripple the air force in one fell swoop."

"Given such an advantage, if you were the commander of the Red Army, where would you choose to focus your efforts?"

“Then, that’s naturally the 15th Air Division.” Li Jie replied somewhat awkwardly.

Our side has rivers as a natural barrier, while the rivers in other areas all surround Pingcheng, with only the north and south extending to the Red Army's side.

However, the air force poses too great a threat, so the Red Army will almost certainly not focus its efforts on the main battlefield, but rather on the Blue Army's airfields on the eastern front.

Because, as long as the Red Army takes this place...

This would cause the Blue Team to lose both air superiority and their only opportunity to attack or defend.

They could only cower in Pingcheng, where they were gradually swallowed up by the Red Army.

“Yes, the Red Army will focus its offensive on the air force bases.” Chen Mo nodded: “The 15th Air Division is an air force division in northern Shanxi. It has a good track record, but its equipment is the worst among all the main combat air force divisions in the Kyoto Military Region.”

"The Red Army's 7th Air Division was stationed in northern Hebei. I won't go into details about where it was stationed, but it was the strongest and most powerful air force unit in the Northern Air Force."

"If our K-15s were still around, we could still hold them back a little, but without our air force, there's no point in continuing this battle."

As Chen Mo spoke, he picked up a baton from the side and pointed to the air force base east of Pingcheng on the map: "We can't lose this position, but the Red Army is about to launch a large-scale offensive. What will happen if the garrison can't hold it?"

“Draw main forces from the north and south to support the air force base,” Wang Songhe casually replied from the side.

"Yes."

Chen Mo remained noncommittal: "At that time, when our troops are drawn from the north and south, the main force of the Red Army will be immediately deployed to the main battlefield, crossing the bridges on the other side and pushing straight into our heartland."

"At this point, the Blue Army is in danger because it lacks sufficient troops on the main battlefield and is facing the loss of its air base. It is caught in a pincer attack."

"We are caught between two forces and have lost air superiority. Even if we have the spirit to take risks, besides waiting to die and being gradually devoured by the Red Army, who among you has any other options?"

A question from a major.

The four senior colonels present looked at each other in bewilderment, and none of them responded.

It's not that they lack ability, but rather that the higher-ups never intended for the Blue Army to win this red-blue confrontation. In large-scale battles, with such a disparity in troop strength and terrain, no matter how they deploy, they are destined to lose.

It's simply a matter of whether you can hold out for one day or three days.

Seeing that his point of view had prevailed, Chen Mo relaxed and laughed, "Of course, the Red Army had the golden first moment to start the battle, and so do we."

"If they want to attack our main forces in the north and south, then the main forces of the Red Army at the regimental level will be deployed to the eastern front to attack our airfields, while brigade-level units such as motorized infantry, mechanized infantry, and armored infantry will wait for us to support the eastern front."

"If we can take down the main force of the Red Army during the golden period of war, even if it's only a third of them, we can be the first to do so."

"The crisis on the eastern front was naturally resolved. They dared not launch a fierce attack because they were not prepared. On the northern and southern fronts, they would also be hesitant to act because the Red Army had lost a brigade."

"In this way, the golden time for both sides to start the war is consumed. We can then make targeted arrangements based on the opponent's next move. Only in this way can we have a chance to win."

"Otherwise, if we lose the initiative, we will lose every step of the way, and in the end, we will only be putting up a stubborn resistance."

Li Jie was speechless. Indeed, this was a matter of common sense.

"Battalion Commander Chen, I agree with your analysis, but the question is, will withdrawing the Blue Army battalion really turn the tide?"

"If we take the initiative, besides disrupting some of the Red Army's plans, once the Blue Army battalion is wiped out deep into enemy territory, the Red Army's offensive will remain unchanged, right?"

Li Jie shrugged and asked the final question.

But as soon as he said that, not only was Li Jie waiting for an answer, but even Chen Mo himself was taken aback.

He then chuckled and said, "Li Brigade Commander, I never said we needed to go deep into the heart of the Red Army's territory."

"To wipe out the 80th Brigade, we don't necessarily have to fight an encounter battle with them. I suggest leaving the air force base defense to the armored regiment, and at the same time, we can transfer two army-direct rocket artillery battalions, an air defense battalion, and a tank battalion over."

"In that case, the Red Army's offensive tomorrow will inevitably be thwarted."

Have to admit.

Chen Mo's analysis impressed Li Jie. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to Wei Jinan, Tang Haodong, and Wang Songhe to ask for their opinions.

These three were suspected of just being there to make up the numbers; as long as there were no obvious flaws in the tactical arrangements, they wouldn't offer any opinions.

Now, after Chen Mo's adjustments, the entire Blue Team's deployment has not only not weakened, but is actually more stable than before. What else can they say?

The three nodded in unison, indicating that they had no objections.

"Alright, I'll go and draft the deployment plan. After handing it over to Commander Yan, I'll immediately mobilize the 235th Brigade and other main forces of the Blue Army to come over and begin setting up the defense line."

Li Jie is a man of action; he does what he says he will do.

He turned and walked to the conference table, took out a pen and paper, and began to write down the Blue Team's deployment for future archiving.

Seeing that there was nothing more for him to do, Chen Mo said goodbye to the others and turned to leave the meeting room.

This was a strategic planning meeting, and he didn't mention many details.

When he went to fight the 80th Brigade, he wasn't afraid that the Red Army's mechanized infantry and armored vehicles would provide support. If you want to provide support, first of all, your tanks have to be able to move, right?

Or rather, the battle situation is constantly changing. Chen Mo only said he would fight the 80th Brigade, but he might not actually fight it. Other main forces could also fight it.

As for support
Chen Mo hadn't thought that far ahead; he was still unaware of the Red Army's deployment.

He couldn't guess what lineup the other side would field.

Therefore, there's no rush; we'll decide based on the actual situation.

Watching Chen Mo leave, Wei Jin'an was stunned for a while before clicking his tongue: "That kid is really talented. He hasn't even been to military academy for long, and he already knows how to fight?"

"I never realized it before."

"You're from the Seventh Brigade, who are you asking about?" Tang Haodong walked to the side with a smile, poured himself a cup of tea, sat on the sofa, and sipped it slowly as he said, "But it's not surprising that you don't know."

"When the informationized battalion was being built, a young cadre suddenly appeared, which startled everyone above. The Discipline Department even sent people down to investigate him in person, but Commander-in-Chief Fu of the Kyoto Military Region stopped them."

"They made it clear that they would only conduct background checks. Many people were still hesitant and the review was postponed, but this guy got more and more excited and the supervision period was shortened and then withdrawn. I estimate that he will be reviewed again during the training period."

"But it's pointless now."

"Just like the commander at headquarters said, many of our predecessors didn't have any systematic training, but they still managed to lead troops into battle. I had only heard of this kid before."

"Looking at it today, it seems there really are some people who are born to be soldiers."

The two were chatting casually.

Wang Songhe sat silently to the side, a freshly lit cigarette between his fingers.

I only took one puff when I ordered, and the rest of the time I just sat there blankly.

Old Wang wasn't interested in Chen Mo's abilities; he was mainly thinking about his own child. The military was trying to adapt to informatization and improve the educational level of its recruits.

Some time ago, the four headquarters, together with the education department, issued the "Notice on Carrying Out Pilot Work for the Selection and Training of Military Cadres in Regular Institutions of Higher Learning," which established the framework for national defense students.

Currently, this policy is only intended to be tested on a select few universities first. If the results are satisfactory after four years, the policy of training national defense students in universities will be widely implemented.

Originally.

This matter has little to do with Lao Wang, and it's not something he can interfere with in terms of policy.

However, policies to strengthen the military through science and technology and encourage college students to join the army have been introduced.

Wang Luyi had called him several times recently, mentioning that he wanted to respond to the national call, but Jinyang Medical College certainly didn't have a pilot program for national defense students.

But this year, anyone who is a college student can enlist.

There will be all sorts of conveniences, especially for medical students. Even if they only learn basic knowledge in their first year, they are still rare talents for the grassroots level of the military.

As a father, Wang Songhe was not in a good mood about his daughter joining the army.

Because Wang Luyi is somewhat timid, they were afraid she would suffer if she stayed in the army.

He himself was affected by the policies at the time. When Wang Lu was born, it coincided with the one-child policy. In the 1980s, the policy of having children later in life was promoted, and each couple was only allowed to have one child.

As a cadre, Lao Wang must set an example.

Therefore, he only has one daughter.

If it were a son, even if he didn't want to join the army at this age, he would probably be forced to enlist by kicking him in the butt.

Seeing Chen Xiaozi talking so eloquently just now made Wang Songhe sigh with regret; he wished he had a son.

This thought popped into my head, and naturally I thought of my daughter's problem again, which gave me a headache.

As a soldier, he couldn't stop them, nor could he allow it, but he was really worried. He couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, so he could only sit there and drown his sorrows in cigarettes.

While listening absentmindedly to Wei Jin'an, Tang Haodong chatted idly.

. . . . . . . . .

the other side.

Chen Mo came out of the building and looked up at the tent area in the distance. He saw that the people in the camp had been basically assigned, and some soldiers were even chasing after small lizards with shovels.

Some people squatted together in groups of three or five, studying the hedgehogs they had caught, while others, more aggressive, began chasing and intercepting wild rabbits.

As he passed by, many soldiers stood up to greet him, and Chen Mo nodded slightly in response.

Seeing that most of the people in the Blue Army camp were able to adapt to the new environment quickly, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The political commissar was actually right.

When troops are redeployed, the most important thing is morale and habits. If we hadn't encountered an exercise right away, we would have organized a big feast for the whole battalion tonight.

Let's boost morale and make arrangements for the follow-up work.

Since there's already a drill, it has to be postponed.

Upon arriving at the tent area, we encountered Wang Jianbin again, carrying a gray rabbit in each hand and humming a tune contentedly as he walked in from outside.

"You wear glasses and always look so frail, yet you can catch a rabbit?" Chen Mo asked jokingly.

"Go to hell."

Wang Jianbin, holding a rabbit, pushed up his glasses and sneered, "Scholar, don't be envious. These two rabbits were chased by Zhang Chuan and his friends, and they gave them all to me."

“Go check it out there, Cheng Dong, and your guards, the reconnaissance company, Zhang Chuan and the others are chasing them over there. Several rabbits have been chased until they were foaming at the mouth.”

"Okay, you should come over as soon as possible, there's a combat mission."

Chen Mo responded and turned to walk out of the camp.

When it comes to serious matters, Wang Jianbin doesn't procrastinate.

Upon hearing about the combat mission, he immediately crawled into a nearby tent, found a rope, tied up the unconscious rabbit, threw it at the door, straightened his uniform, and quickly followed.

It's really lively outside.

Many soldiers from the mainland had never seen the vast grasslands before. They had Cheng Dong keeping them in check before, but now that they were finally able to relax, they ran around freely.

See Chen Mo coming over.

The surrounding cadres all knew that an exercise was probably planned, so they put down what they were doing and jogged over.

Among them was Zhang Chuan, who came from Xiangjian. He was a captain, slender but gave off an extremely strong impression, and his whole body exuded a powerful aura.

"Hello, battalion commander!"

As Chen Mo sized up Zhang Chuan, the other man was also sizing him up, and at the same time, he stood at attention and saluted.

"Captain Zhang, on behalf of the entire battalion, I welcome you to the team."

With a smile on his face, Chen Mo returned the greeting and took the initiative to shake hands with the other party.

Back at camp.

Xu Dong and the others no longer had any missions; in this place, they didn't need to be followed around all the time.

Chen Mo thought for a moment and figured that the higher-ups probably wouldn't transfer these people back to the regiment's direct guard unit for the time being. It seemed like it was time to put that on the agenda.

Zhang Chuan's arrival will also fill this position.

When the exercise ends, some veterans will be selected from the battalion and led by Xu Dong and Zhang Chuan. The guard battalion is usually responsible for patrols and perimeter duty.

In wartime, they would be the perfect decapitation squad.

Wow, this configuration is amazing.

With guards and a special operations team, the Ironclad Regiment's benefits are really not bad.

This time, let's try it out with the main combat brigade of the Red Army.

The group exchanged a few pleasantries.

Cheng Dong led all the cadres to one of the large tents, which had been set up to serve as a meeting room.

After all the cadres were seated.

Chen Mo didn't keep them in suspense. He had someone bring over a conference board, took out the map that had been marked during the maneuver, and pasted it onto the board.

Then his gaze swept over the cadres in front of him.

"Comrades, let's get to the point."

"We are going to participate in the 1999 Northern Sword A military exercise and we have been assigned to the Blue Team."

"Ninety percent of the units marked on this map are Red Army soldiers."

"In other words, apart from the 235th Motorized Infantry Brigade and some battalion-level units directly under the 27th Army, which were assigned to the Blue Army, all the regimental-level units directly under the 27th Army, except for the engineer regiment which was the Blue Army, were all the Red Army."

After Chen Mo introduced the organizational structures of both parties, he finished speaking.

The cadres who had been listening attentively below finally reacted, exchanging bewildered glances, just as Chen Mo had done when he first learned the news.

Be nice!

The Red Army has an entire army group, while the Blue Army has only a handful of troops. Is this what you call an exercise?
"Battalion Commander, is it the same old rule: Red will always win, and Blue will always lose?" He Hui, the company commander of the long-range rocket artillery company, asked with a frown.

Because apart from this, they really couldn't think of any other purpose for this exercise.

Besides giving the Red Army a good time, what other purpose could it have?

"Does that mean we don't need to fight much at all? We can just set up a position, put up a token resistance, and let the Red Army win?"

Tank Company Commander Qin Xiaojun then spoke.

It's not that they lack confidence, but rather that they lack confidence in this tactic. Even if you equip a tank with three cannons at once, you can't overcome this organizational gap.

Of course, the two company commanders said this because they did not understand the tactics for large-scale battles, and were even less aware of the orders from above.

Initially, in Li Jie's eyes, Chen Mo was simply a commander who played this role.

However, there are some things you can think in your heart but cannot say out loud; this is a pre-war meeting.

It could undermine morale, and even if it wasn't intentional, it wouldn't be acceptable.

Chen Mo listened to the two men's hesitant remarks before the battle even began, their once calm gazes now fading.

In an instant, a cold glint appeared.

The atmosphere in the entire conference room changed.

All the cadres sat up straight immediately, and Qin Xiaojun's face turned pale as he realized that he had said the wrong thing.

"Reporting to the battalion commander, I apologize. My statement just now was inappropriate. I was wrong." Qin Xiaojun stood up abruptly, his expression serious.

“Report, me too,” He Hui followed up.

Chen Mo's gaze was sharp as a knife as he swept over the two men and said coldly, "You usually pride yourselves on being model soldiers and the pride of the army, but is this the kind of trash you are?"

"Disappointed before the battle even begins? When did our Blue Army battalion develop this kind of mentality?"

"Is it because they've had too much rest and have forgotten how to fight, or are they getting cocky after just two battles?"

“Since the Blue Army Battalion appeared, we have lost more than we have won, but those were losses to the 61st Division and the 188th Division. Even when we lost, they didn’t fare much better.”

"Our spines have never bent!"

"A mere tens of thousands of Red Army soldiers have scared you like this?"

"This time, even if it's just an army group, or even if it's the US aircraft carrier fleet plus air force, we'll still crush the enemy on the battlefield."

"If you don't have this much confidence, what kind of soldier are you?"

They swore.

Faced with the battalion commander's angry scolding, Qin Xiaojun and He Hui lowered their heads and remained silent, feeling guilty.

"Company Commander Qin."

"Present!!" "As the company commander of the main combat company, you've been neglecting your duties. Get out here and stand at the door to wake up."

I heard that I'm going to be punished by standing in the corner again.

Qin Xiaojun's face flushed red as he stammered, "Battalion, Battalion Commander, the entire battalion is nearby right now. Could we wait until we're all alone before you punish me by making me stand like this?"

Company Commander Qin pleaded earnestly, but his voice was so soft that Chen Mo couldn't hear a word he was saying.

However, there's no need to hear any of that.

Negotiating terms?
Hoo~tui!

No need to think about it.

Since the Blue Army Battalion experienced the experimental system half a month ago, too many officers have come to the battalion to recruit people. For half a month, people have come to learn every day, and it is inevitable that some of the officers and soldiers have become spoiled.

Even if Qin Xiaojun hadn't barged in, he planned to find an excuse to give him a dressing down at the meeting.

To boost morale.

If it just happens to run into me, that's perfect.

Seeing the battalion commander's increasingly grim expression, Qin Xiaojun had no choice but to hesitantly step out of the tent and stand guard outside.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw soldiers craning their necks to look at him, and soldiers passing by were also staring at him.

Company Commander Qin was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He wanted nothing more than to slap himself in the face. Those few words of his were truly unreliable.

He felt like everyone in the world was pointing fingers at him, and he was so ashamed that he wished he could disappear into the ground.

But soon, Lao Qin felt a little more relaxed.

Because He Hui, the company commander of the rocket artillery company, also came out and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

Half of the firepower has been diverted, I'm so happy!!!
But you thought it was over?

Chen Mo never beats his subordinates, but his punishments are often more painful than being beaten.

He glanced around and saw Man Xuexi sitting upright. He casually tapped the conference table and said, "Deputy Company Commander Man, go to the door and have them start singing the March of the Volunteers."

"When we sing our backbone and spirit back, that's when we'll stop."

"Go."

"Yes!"

Man Xuexi slipped out of the tent with a whoosh, glanced at the two men being publicly executed, and said in a low voice, "Sorry, Company Commander Qin, Company Commander He, it was the battalion commander's request, I had no choice."

"I will try to keep a low profile so as not to make things difficult for the two company commanders."

Man Xuexi speaks eloquently, but when he opens his mouth, his voice is full of energy, no less powerful than a thunderclap from a clear sky.

"Arise!!! — Ready, sing!!!"

Both of them had prepared their voices, but then they heard that this son of a bitch, Man Xuexi, was leading the way with all his might.

Qin Xiaojun and He Hui stared wide-eyed, wishing they could devour him.

You son of a bitch, do you dare to raise the pitch of the beginning even higher?
You start this whole thing with your eyes blazing and your roaring, you idiot, you little devil! Are you trying to embarrass us enough? Damn it, you heartless bastard, go to hell! I'll remember you.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through their minds, but no amount of anger would help, so they just sang.

"Get up, you don't want to do it."

Since they had already embarrassed themselves, they weren't afraid of losing face again, and the two of them shouted at the top of their lungs.

Like thousands of landmines exploding, the sound spread throughout the entire base in an instant.

The soldiers in the distance were startled and shuddered. The soldiers who had been wandering around just moments before quickly gathered back in their barracks to await orders.

The fact that the company commander was punished only sends one signal.

The battalion commander got angry.

Man looked around, seemingly quite satisfied with his masterpiece, before turning and walking into the tent.

But at this point, the atmosphere in the entire conference room had completely changed.

All the core cadres attending the meeting stood up straight as javelins, their backs ramrod straight.

Chen Mo nodded slightly; this was the pre-battle state he needed.

"Comrades, you are all clear about the red and blue formations. Tonight, our battalion will be relocated to a simulated air force base 17 kilometers east of the camp."

"At that time, comrades from the army's directly subordinate battalion will also come."

"But that's a story for later. Now that we've come to the Zhuri River, we should fight a battle to show the Red Army what we're made of, or they'll think our armored regiment is easy to bully."

"This place will be our territory from now on. No matter who comes, we'll teach them what it means to fight a war first."

"The exercise will begin at 10:00 AM tomorrow. The first objective is to eliminate the Red Army's 80th Motorized Infantry Brigade."

"Reconnaissance Company!"

"To!"

"Special forces unit."

"To!"

"Your task tonight is to find out the exact location of the 80th Brigade of the Red Army."

Chen Mo pointed to the map: "They will also move tonight, but the Red Army has more troops, more people, and more tactical points, so it will be easier for them to infiltrate."

"We must do everything we can to find out all the firepower distribution points of the Red Army's 80th Motorized Infantry Brigade, as well as the surrounding supporting firepower, before dawn tomorrow."

"If I'm not mistaken, the enemy will move from their original base to the north or south of our camp."

"Chief of Staff Cheng."

"Here. Notify our makeup team that the battle will begin tomorrow, and the Red Army's reaction speed will certainly be fast, but our Blue Army's main force is too small and cannot be mobilized at will."

"The firepower surrounding the 80th Motorized Infantry Brigade will need the sheep to help us hold it off for a while. It won't take too long. As long as their reinforcements are delayed by twenty minutes, the 80th Brigade can be withdrawn from the Red Army's ranks after tomorrow."

"clear!!"

"Okay, all companies, after the meeting is adjourned, immediately begin pre-battle preparations. Let the soldiers rest when they need to, and let them eat when they need to."

"The next few days are probably not going to be easy."

"But I still maintain that Zhurihe is our territory, and whoever comes here will have to think twice."

"Do you understand?"

"clear!!!"

"Okay, dismissal."

Chen Mo waved his hand and gave the order to disband.

He didn't mention the specific plans at the meeting, nor was it necessary to.

If we don't eliminate one of the main forces of the Red Army first, the battlefield will remain stagnant, and we'll at best be left barely surviving, watching helplessly as the Red Army advances.

But if the surprise attack works tomorrow, the Red Army will inevitably have to change its plans, so there's no point in talking about it now.

This was accompanied by the submission of a detailed tactical report on the Blue Team's deployment.

Around 4 p.m., the 235th Motorized Infantry Brigade, the Engineer Regiment, and the main force all moved into the Zhurihe Barracks.

Although Chen Mo was nominally the commander-in-chief, Li Jie was in charge of the detailed planning work.

He himself went to the engineer regiment and the 235th Brigade to find the officers there and learn about the characteristics of the 80th Motorized Infantry Brigade.

This is no futile effort. As a commander, I have to plan to confront the Red Army's 80th Motorized Infantry Brigade tomorrow. Fighting a war requires more than just understanding the enemy's organization and numbers.

These are all rather superficial.

All three elements of war should be analyzed as thoroughly as possible: understanding the enemy commander's personality, morale, fighting style, key points, and importance.

Anyway, Chen Mo's philosophy is that there are no limits to fighting, and one should be imaginative and unconventional.

They'd rather ambush someone from a side path than engage in a direct gunfight.

The 80th Brigade was downsized from the 80th Division last year. Their designation is the same as the 7th Tank Division. They are publicly claimed to be downsized, but in reality, the division-level designation has been completely abolished.

It's not as simple as a downgrade.

In this situation, the entire unit is probably holding its breath and needs honor to prove itself.

With this intelligence, Chen Mo can at least prepare more contingency plans in case of unforeseen circumstances.

He knew that fighting like this was very risky, since there was no script this time and he didn't know which tactics the Red Army would use.

All preparations are based on deduction.

Our forces are still at a significant disadvantage, and we cannot deploy troops at most of the designated locations, such as bridges, which can only be destroyed.

There simply weren't enough key players available for defense.

Chen Mo himself didn't know how the battle would unfold, but then again...

Exercises are essentially war, and in any war, nothing is 100% accurate. Even a 70% probability is enough to justify the effort.

Six p.m.

As darkness fell, a strong smell of diesel fuel permeated the entire Zhurihe Grassland, and the earth trembled with a rumbling sound.

This is the movement of the Red Army's troop redeployment.

The massive war machine began to turn slowly.

In the evenings, Chen Mo basically had no time for himself.

Cheng Dong was ordered to lead a team to set up camp 17 kilometers east of the camp. The soldiers of the engineering regiment surrounding the camp were divided into two groups, one of whom went to the airport.

Some stayed on-site to dig the river channel. Even if it's a simulation, it has to look decent. Not only the Blue Team had to dig, but the Red Team had to do it too.

Each person is responsible for the work within their designated area.

One by one, transport vehicles brought back supplies and ammunition to the temporary buildings marked as field hospitals and forward command posts.

It rose up from the ground.

Nearly 10,000 people were busy in the vicinity of Pingcheng alone, and the crowds were dense and overwhelming.

Not only soldiers, but also officers have work to do.

As the war plan was put into action, rows of large searchlights were erected on the open ground in front of the camp.

The Blue Army mobilized nearly a hundred cadres from various units, with Chen Mo, Li Jie, and Wang Songhe taking turns to give lectures and analyses to staff members of various types, including those in communications, reconnaissance, army aviation, airborne, and air force, and produced a detailed joint combat readiness outline overnight.

The specific details of the process can be detailed down to each position, the firepower deployed by the mobile teams, their area of ​​responsibility, and emergency response.

The company, platoon, and squad tactics must be formulated, including the construction sites for machine gun positions, mortar positions, reinforcement points, evacuation routes, attack routes, backup routes, air force bombing losses, and a series of tactical positions and backgrounds surrounding military subject confrontations.

This is only the front line.

Important tactical points, such as military airfields, fuel depots, and urban buildings, should be repeatedly explained in terms of how to respond to them and how to evacuate in an emergency.

In short, never fight a battle unprepared.

Only by thoroughly understanding this training ground of over 1,000 square kilometers can we support the scale of a campaign.

Otherwise, without any preparation, if the artillery fire were to start and everyone were fighting their own battles, they probably wouldn't last a day before the Red Army made a complete breakthrough.

In addition to how to attack and how to defend.

All rules regarding combat damage, adjudication discipline, and wartime regulations agreed upon by both the Red and Blue sides must be communicated to the relevant parties.

Without the support of the directing department, these units are the ones that are most tested.

This is also thanks to the fact that the 27th Army's exercise had just ended, so many things didn't need to be re-formulated; they could be put back into use after just a brief explanation.

Otherwise, a campaign of this scale would not be able to be resolved in a single night, let alone three days.

The workload of formal preparations is astronomical, no joke.

There is no doubt about this. War, as the most intense form of confrontation between human organization and discipline, has been present in military and war history since the industrialization period.

Normally, it wouldn't happen suddenly.

One side has to be fully prepared.

We must not fight unprepared battles. Large-scale wars always require advance mobilization, assembly, and logistical preparation.

If some special equipment is to be added, then it will require temporary overtime production. Furthermore, the analysis of the opponent, terrain analysis, and tactical application will need to be adapted several months to half a year in advance.

In an unprepared war, one might not even know how they died.

For example, when Hans attacked the Russians, he suffered countless casualties from frostbite shortly after entering the battlefield, which was a typical example of being too hasty.

Chen Mo's deliberate provocation during the meeting was, to some extent, a form of mobilization.

The battalion should be made aware in advance of the difficulty of this operation and that it must be taken seriously.

. . . . . . .

6:00 AM on October 29th.

As dawn broke, the conference, which had lasted all night, finally came to an end.

All the cadres and staff members from all units hurriedly packed up their notebooks and left.

Chen Mo stood on the stage. He only went up occasionally to add some details to the plan. After listening all night, he felt weak and dizzy, and his vision was blurry.

Even so, he was still relatively young and felt he couldn't handle it.

Commanding large-scale battles is not just mentally taxing, it shortens one's lifespan.

After watching the attending officials leave, Chen Mo sat down on a small stool to rest.

Li Jie handed over a few steamed buns and said with a smile, "Not bad, you can handle a whole night of this kind of meeting, that's impressive."

"No way, my brain is about to explode right now." Chen Mo smiled wryly, took the bun, took a bite, and then looked at Wang Songhe and the others: "Even I, who am still relatively young, can't handle it, you guys are really tough."

“It’s not something we can handle.” Tang Haodong tossed over a bottle of mineral water and said, “We started as battalion commanders, deputy regimental commanders, regimental commanders, deputy division commanders, and division commanders, and it took us more than ten years to get used to it.”

"You've already done a great job of enduring the day and offering different insights on various tactical points."

"Alright, the exercise is about to begin. The Red Army is probably ready too."

"You should also be prepared that Commander Yan may leak the news of the Blue Army's surprise attack on the 80th Brigade to the other side in advance."

Whether or not you can defeat them depends on how you fight them.

"Okay, I understand."

Chen Mo nodded, quickly swallowed the bun, drank the mineral water in one gulp, waved, and left the camp.

He simply didn't have the energy to be polite with these old men.

Upon reaching the tent area, they woke up Wang Jianyong, who was fast asleep, and the two hurriedly took a car to the East Line Airport.

That's where their armored regiment is stationed.

As for the claim that the Red Army already knew the Blue Army's plan, that's not surprising. War games before an exercise usually involve exchanging tactical arrangements and corresponding moves between the two sides.

Although there is no script this time, there will still be some tactical communication between each other.

If they want to defend against a surprise attack on the 80th Brigade, then so be it.

The prerequisite is that you have to be able to defend against it!
The Air Force 15 base, located 17 kilometers east of the camp, is merely a simulated tactical point. There are no fighter jets parked there; it is simply a temporary shelter set up by ground crew.

The fighter jets' takeoff point was still at their own base, but the destruction of the tactical point meant that their own air force was out of the battlefield.

When Chen Mo returned.

All the soldiers stationed at the air force base have assembled. The armored regiment's blue force battalion, the army's directly subordinate tank battalion, two rocket artillery battalions, and one air defense battalion are all ready.

Although the exercise was scheduled to start at 10:00 AM, by then we could already enter combat mode and maintain it until the battle began, in order to prevent a surprise attack by the Red Army.

"Have the reconnaissance company and special operations detachment returned?"

The first thing Chen Mo said to Cheng Dong was to inquire about the reconnaissance situation.

"I'm back. I got back around 4 a.m. Here are the coordinates of all the 80th Brigade's outposts."

"Just as you guessed, the enemy has deployed its main force to the north and south of the barracks, more than forty kilometers away from us."

"It's beyond our maximum attack range."

Chen Mo picked up the reconnaissance map, glanced at it briefly, and tossed it to Cheng Dong without looking at it carefully at all.

"You're not going to look?" Cheng Dong was somewhat surprised. This was the result of a night's reconnaissance by the battalion's reconnaissance company and special forces team.

Why should I watch it?

Chen Mo smiled and explained, "Now the armored regiment knows that we are going to fight the Red Army's 80th Brigade. Even at last night's meeting, the entire Blue Army knew about it."

"Look at the map. It's obvious that even the enemy knows. There are armored brigades, armored regiments, artillery brigades, and artillery regiments near the 80th Brigade. Are we going to go there to our deaths?"

"Then what's the point of having them do reconnaissance?" Cheng Dong chuckled dryly.

When he saw the map, he really thought the Blue Army was going to attack. He spent an hour or two worrying about tactics, but couldn't come up with a solution.

So, this scholar doesn't mean he's going to fight?

"Since we were conducting reconnaissance, the initial idea was definitely to fight, but the Red Army was prepared and had deployed its main forces to the north and south flanks, so there was no point in fighting them."

"It doesn't matter who we fight, so we might as well attack the mechanized infantry brigades on the eastern front. Both are brigades, and taking down either one will weaken the main force of the Red Army."

Holy crap?!
Cheng Dong was startled when he heard Chen Mo's target.

The mechanized infantry brigade on the eastern front was also formidable, but the main forces surrounding it were clearly not as numerous as the 80th Brigade.

But what does that matter?

A feint, a tactical deception, a cover-up?
Chen Mo did not explain Cheng Dong's doubts. He had arranged for a large number of reconnaissance soldiers, including special forces, to be under the supervision of the 27th Army's semi-informationized units, which inevitably led to some leaks.

Let it leak, I was just doing reconnaissance, I didn't say I had to attack.

Go ahead and take precautions, but as I said before, you have to be able to defend yourself first.

Of course, it's not that we won't fight, but the troops we used to fight were not our main force.

Chen Mo glanced at the troops gathering in the distance and immediately ordered, "Order! All participating troops at the airport, deploy into mixed mobile formations and be ready to deploy at any time."

"Order! Air Force bases shall immediately commence 24-hour combat readiness. Missile units and radar reconnaissance units shall be on high alert and shall not let a single enemy aircraft attacking the airfield escape."

"Order! Electronic warfare unit, develop long-range reconnaissance, activate satellite access. From now on, I need to know the movements of all Red Army units."

"Order! Half an hour before the exercise begins, contact the 15th Air Division to prepare for air strike coordination."

"This first battle must strike so hard that the Red Army will be terrified."

"Yes!"

Cheng Dong straightened his chest, strode away, and relayed the combat orders.

The scale of the battle was enormous, and the armored regiment was to be the vanguard, which greatly excited Cheng Dong.

And this moment.

From the Blue Army to the Red Army, and even those observing remotely from the seven military regions, everyone wanted to see how this Blue Army battalion would launch a surprise attack on the 80th Motorized Infantry Brigade.

But Chen Mo had already secretly hidden in the command tent, studying the Red Army's mechanized infantry brigade and artillery brigade.

After all, you guys are all on guard; only a fool would use their main force to fight head-on.

It's not that we won't fight.

Instead, another "force" should be used to surround the 80th Brigade, preventing them from providing support in a short time and thus tying down the enemy's main force.

Just in preparation for this surprise attack, a portion of the Red Army's forces had already been concentrated near the 80th Brigade.

The timing was perfect!!!
(End of this chapter)