Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 357 The Blue Army Battalion Suffers a Setback, So We'll Just Steal a Few Vehicles
Inside the regimental headquarters meeting room, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Division Commander Qin Hui had mentioned this more than once at previous division headquarters meetings.

Times have changed, and the operational thinking of all units must also change accordingly.

Don't always rely on past experiences to deal with your current enemies.

As mentioned above, the pilot program for the national defense student policy at headquarters has been implemented, and in the future, more and more young people with knowledge and ability will enter the field army.

Without changing one's mindset, it will be difficult to establish a foothold in the future.

These kinds of words are said every day in the major military regions, spoken daily in the military, and constantly emphasized at the division level.

The problem is that no one knows exactly how people stuck in old ways of thinking can change their mindset.

Now, after listening to Chen Mo's advice...

The group from the 182nd Regiment has finally gained some insights.

They dared to launch an attack before the main force even arrived, turning what seemed like a hopeless battle into a stalemate.

If we could really take the attack helicopter battalion and replace the Blue Army battalion's communications vehicle, then what would be the point of fighting on two fronts?

Once the main force arrives, three infantry battalions plus one artillery battalion will advance together on the Zhuri River.

Without its communications vehicle, the Blue Army battalion is unable to coordinate operations and will be powerless to resist the advance of its own main force.

The two-front war strategy is no longer needed.

now.

The members of the 182nd Regiment had to admit it.

Chen Mo's suggestion resonated with everyone present.

Peng Jiawei turned to look at Jia Guoqiang, trying to get the regimental commander's opinion. After all, Chen Mo was not one of their 61st Division members, and it would be a bit embarrassing if they listened to him after just a few words.

But Jia Guoqiang was too embarrassed to express his opinion directly.

He looked down on the scholar from the bottom of his heart, but he was unwilling to give up this opportunity.

Old Jia had no choice but to look at Lin Yifeng, the chief of staff of the 61st Division.

The plan is to have Chief of Staff Lin give the order.

Lin Yifeng, who had listened to Chen Mo's advice throughout, felt no guilt and waved his hand, saying, "Then let's do as Xiao Chen says."

“You should all learn from this. The Blue Army is not invincible. You need to use your brains and keep up with the times.”

"Yes!"

With the division chief of staff providing support.

Jia Guoqiang froze instantly. He walked to the sand table and said in a deep voice, "Order!"

"The attack helicopter squadron was dispatched in three batches, along with members of the electronic warfare squadron, and advanced along Highway 203."

"No matter what, we must destroy the Blue Army's communications vehicle. Once we pinpoint its location, we must destroy it at all costs."

"Yes!"

The communications officer responded loudly, and then, just as he was about to issue combat orders via radio...

Chen Mo suddenly picked up the baton and walked to the map.

He circled six areas on the map and laughed, "Comrades of the electronic warfare brigade, there's no need for unnecessary sacrifices. The communications vehicles are all concentrated in these areas."

"The information battalion places the greatest emphasis on information protection. In peacetime, the communication frequency will be reduced to the minimum. At this time, it is difficult for the electronic battalion to pinpoint the location."

"Keep them alive and let them fight alongside the main force."

"Yes!"

The communications staff officer, also a major in the 182nd Regiment, gave Chen Mo a deep look. Seeing that none of the regimental leaders had any objections, he then relayed the regimental commander's order.

Rumble!
Upon receiving the order, the attack helicopter squadron, which had been conducting low-altitude patrol experiments outside the regimental headquarters, immediately set off.

Three armed helicopters, still arranged in a triangular formation, patrolled northward at extremely low altitude along Highway 203, the eastern section of the Zhuri River.

Watching the helicopters of the 182nd Regiment fly further and further away, heading to launch a surprise attack on the Blue Army camp.

As a member of the Blue Army camp, Wang Jianyong felt an inexplicable unease.

After all, it was their own unit, and their own battalion commander was giving them advice and directing the enemy to attack.

Not everyone can take winning and losing so lightly.

Seeing Chen Mo staring at the direction of Highway 203 without saying a word.

Wang Jianyong finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Battalion Commander, even if it's combat training, we don't have to side with outsiders, do we?"

"Giving advice to the 182nd Regiment? What if the Blue Army battalion is defeated?"

"So be it."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo smiled and looked away, glancing around the 182nd Regiment's encampment before finding two small stools and handing them to Wang Jianyong.

The two of them, looking so fresh and pretty, sat at the entrance of the regimental command room.

"You don't really think our Blue Army is invincible, that we can only allow others to lose, but not us, do you?" Chen Mo looked at Wang Jianyong with a half-smile.

"Not really, it just feels a bit awkward."

Da Yong chuckled dryly. The Blue Army battalion had suffered defeats in military exercises before, but those defeats were considered glorious.

Even if all the positions are filled, it's not shameful.

However, if they were to fail in combat training against an infantry regiment, many officers in the battalion would probably find it hard to accept.

Chen Mo naturally understood his thoughts, took out cigarettes from his pocket, and each of them lit one, puffing away as if no one else was around.

Watching the wisps of smoke rise and then be dispersed by the breeze, disappearing without a trace.

Chen Mo finished a cigarette before speaking, "The Blue Army camp still has many problems."

"Let's not talk about the distant future, let's just talk about development. At present, apart from the combined arms unit, there is nothing else we can train with."

"With so many military regions watching, the pressure is already immense for a new unit. If I don't go to Zhongpei, we can develop slowly, and that's fine."

"But the problem is that the order has already been given from above."

Chen Mo sighed and continued, "The military can only give me a delay until the end of March at most. What will happen to the Blue Army Battalion if I leave?"

"Company Commander Cheng is more than qualified to be a battalion commander in terms of personality, ability, and seniority, but he is too conservative and lacks innovation."

"It's okay in the short term, but if it goes on for a long time, the company's development will stagnate."

In this respect, Wang Jianyong really couldn't argue.

No one knows Cheng Dong's abilities better than the old Third Company soldiers. They are all veterans and wouldn't blindly worship him.

If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, and you have to accept it!
If the company commander were truly capable, he wouldn't have spent seven years as the company commander of the Third Reconnaissance Company in Kuchi without any chance of promotion.

This has nothing to do with social networks.

Cheng Dong and the former political commissar of the 7th Brigade were both from Xiangtan County and had a good personal relationship.

If they were capable enough, they would have been promoted long ago.

For example, Liu Hongyun, the battalion commander of the 2nd main battalion under the 7th Armored Brigade, has less seniority than Cheng Dong.

He's truly capable to be a battalion commander.

When the Blue Army battalion needed an armored commander, Cheng Dong and Lao Pao recommended Liu Hongyun without hesitation.

As it turns out, Battalion Commander Liu was indeed very capable.

Even when a detachment is hastily assembled, whether for training or combat, the enemy can still coordinate the entire armored formation using just a few walkie-talkies.

That's all the skill he has.

Chen Mo once envied such a talent and tried every means to win him over to the camp.

Wang Jianyong was aware of all these things.

"So, Battalion Commander, you keep transferring Xiaoman around because he's innovative?"

"more or less."

Chen Mo nodded: "Man Xuexi is quick-witted and good at accepting new things, but he is too quick-witted and too good at accepting new things. If he were to serve as a battalion commander, he would be too conservative."

"He has little grassroots experience. If we let him keep pushing himself, the Blue Army battalion will fall apart."

"Therefore, with Cheng Lian as battalion commander and Lao Man as deputy battalion commander and chief of staff, the entire Blue Army battalion can be kept free of problems for at least a year."

"The problem now is that Lao Man is not qualified. He rarely did anything serious in the battalion. Before I came out, I transferred him to the forward command post so that he could show off."

"He has the opportunity to showcase his talents; it all depends on whether he can seize this opportunity."

"Through combat training, I've established myself firmly in the battalion."

After listening to the battalion commander's analysis, Wang Jianyong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He sighed to himself, no wonder he could only ever be a communications soldier, and yet he seemed to enjoy it.

I never thought of taking advantage of the armored regiment to become a lieutenant.

There's a lot of intricacies involved here.

In fact, he also met the requirements for promotion. He used to be the squad leader of the 14th squad of the reconnaissance company. He had won a third-class merit once and then won another third-class merit by following the scholar to catch spies.

He is a party member and meets all the requirements for promotion.

The reason he wasn't promoted, and even gave up his position as squad leader, was that he was chosen by the scholar to serve as a messenger.

I guess he realized he didn't have much ability, only that he was good at physical combat, and he didn't have any great ambitions.

Following the scholar is good; you can eventually become a third-level sergeant.

Even reaching level four or five shouldn't be a problem.

As for becoming an officer, that has little to do with him; the officers of the armored regiment will all be in office sooner or later.

It's so much more comfortable being a communications officer.

. . . . . . . . . .

Wang Jianyong was envisioning his future at the entrance of the 182nd Regiment's headquarters.

The attack helicopter squadron has already penetrated deep into the heart of the Zhuri River region.

The actual cruising speed will certainly not exceed 300 kilometers per hour as the regiment headquarters expected. Such a high speed could easily lead to an accident if one is not careful.

In reality, the speed is maintained at most around 150 km/h, and communication between sorties is maintained at all times.

It flew at low altitude for only twenty-five minutes.

The helicopter pilot's flight suit was soaked with sweat, and he was on high alert the entire time.

Fortunately, they were only 20 kilometers away from the nearest detachment's area.

Highway 203 does not lead directly to the detachment's location; it is a roundabout route, and the Blue Army camp is exactly as Chen Mo predicted.

At this point, none of the detachments had established long-distance defenses.

No one expected that the enemy would dare to launch an attack before the main force of the 182nd Regiment had even arrived.

They were getting closer and closer to the Blue Army battalion's base.

Victory is at hand.

The commander of the first helicopter immediately issued the order: "Form up and gain altitude!"

"Free scattering in mid-air!"

"Target: Communications vehicle!"

The armed helicopter squadron major issued tactical orders.

next second.

The three Sky Knights quickly climbed into the air.

Once they get within 20 kilometers, it becomes pointless to continue low-altitude cruising to conceal their tracks.

Even without radar systems, ground infantry reconnaissance of the Blue Army camp can detect their offensive intentions.

as predicted.

The moment the 61st Division pulled up its formation.

The reconnaissance soldiers, hidden beneath the sands of the Zhuri River, were the first to spot the helicopters in the distance.

"Report to the command post, report to the command post."

"Enemy helicopters spotted on the north side of Highway 203, heading towards our 7th Squad's base."

"repeat!"

"Enemy helicopter spotted north of Highway 203. Target: 7th Squad's base!!"

Drop drop! ! !
After the scouts finished reporting the enemy situation.

The Zhurihe Blue Army Camp's joint communication system relayed information to more than twenty detachments immediately.

At this time, Man Xuexi had just arrived at the forward command post from the battalion headquarters.

Upon hearing that the 7th detachment had been locked on, Lao Man's first reaction was to be stunned. No, how come the 182nd Regiment's combat methods have become so aggressive?

This style... it feels so familiar.
"what happened?"

"What are the exact coordinates of the Seventh Squad?"

After a moment of stunned silence, Lao Man quickly realized what was happening and rushed to the electronic map at the forward command post.

Inside the command post, the combat intelligence officer was about to request information from the seventh detachment.

Man Xuexi seemed to suddenly realize something, and shouted anxiously, "Not good! Quick! Order the seventh squad to protect the core equipment!"

"The individual anti-air defense line will be uniformly pushed outwards, with all units advancing five kilometers!"

"All units, prepare for battle!!"

Full of learning, he shouted and gave orders.

But, to no avail.

Because the Blue Army battalion did not activate its early warning radar or reconnaissance jamming vehicle, its intelligence was severely delayed.

It is impossible for a missile controlled by a single soldier anti-aircraft defense line to shoot down three armed helicopters within a few dozen seconds.

The attack helicopter squadron approached from a roundabout angle, flying at extremely low altitudes. They had no early warning radar, and other radars could not detect them. It was also impossible for manpower to be deployed to remote highways for reconnaissance.

In terms of tactical impact, it has completely shattered the Blue Army's air defense emergency mechanism and air defense network.

To put it simply...

That is, after the WZ-9 helicopter was pulled up, it suddenly appeared and devoured everything in its path.

The armed helicopters' artillery shell range in the exercise was up to 14 kilometers. After the three helicopters of the 7th detachment climbed to a higher altitude, they were only 6 kilometers away from the target. This 6-kilometer advance, along with the destruction of the ground-based individual anti-aircraft defense line, would take no more than two minutes.

Everything happened so suddenly.

The entire Blue Army battalion's radar shared a split-screen reconnaissance system, leaving them no time to react before the tactical missile unit could even lock on.

The location of the seventh detachment had already become a sea of ​​fire.

At this moment, in mid-air.

The WZ-9 attack helicopter was launched in tandem.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
The surface-to-air missile, trailing a white tail vortex, fiercely bombarded the main force of the Blue Army's armored detachment.

"Hold!"

A sergeant major commanding the seventh detachment of the Blue Army battalion nearly burst out of his eyes; he was the individual air defense commander near the detachment.

Seeing that the 182nd Regiment had launched the first attack on his unit, he was even more furious.

What does this mean? Does it mean they look down on our Seventh Squad?

Do you think you can bully someone who's easy to pick?

The enraged veteran used a high-powered telescope to measure the distance and roared out orders.

"QW3, target, right wing ground aircraft, distance 12 km, altitude 276 m, elevation angle 27°, speed 56 m/s, missile launch, fire!"

Whoosh!
Outside the 7th detachment, an anti-aircraft gunner's position launched a missile.

At this point.

The sergeant no longer cared whether he was confident of hitting the enemy plane, nor did he care whether he would reveal his coordinates.

The command post had already issued an order to protect the core equipment, and he was trying to buy the main force a chance to evacuate and disguise the core equipment.

At the same time, two other groups around the base were also launching missiles in an attempt to delay the approach of enemy aircraft.

However, the Vanguard III's hasty launch was too far away and too rushed.

As expected, all the shells missed their targets.

Only one missile grazed past the helicopter, but unfortunately, it was interfered with by the high-heat flares released by the WZ-9, causing it to stall and crash.

Boom boom boom! ! !
The propellers roared as they evaded surface-to-air missiles.

Three WZ-9 attack helicopters, employing rapid S-shaped maneuvers, continued to approach, like aerial pythons, closing in on the 7th Squadron's base.

One of the helicopters had its six-barreled cannons whirring as they rotated.

Instantly, a barrage of heavy firepower erupted.

Da da da da da.
Da da da da da.
The 35mm machine gun fire was deafening.

Beams of light, stretching across an arc of several kilometers, as dazzling as daylight flames, crashed into the air defense positions surrounding the 7th detachment.

next second.

The anti-aircraft missile squad was wiped out!

Three seconds later.

The second group is wiped out!
Five seconds later.

The third group is wiped out!
Army aviation strikes individual soldiers from the air with overwhelming ferocity.

Approaching within two kilometers at equal distances.

As the Z-9 helicopter ascended to a height beyond the reach of the vehicle-mounted machine gun, it began to fly missiles in a maneuver, unleashing a barrage of missiles.

boom!
The core equipment of the seventh detachment was not adequately protected.

One of the communications vehicles was damaged in the battle, with thick white smoke billowing out.

It's not just the seventh squad.

The second and third attacks by the 61st Division were equally effective.

boom!
The communications vehicle of the Ninth Squadron was damaged in battle.

In just a moment, the vehicle-mounted radios of various vehicles, including armored vehicles, tanks, troop carriers, radar vehicles, and tactical missile vehicles, across several areas of the Blue Army camp were cut off from communication.

The impact of the communication disruption was undoubtedly enormous.

It's easy to imagine that a tank driver inside the vehicle wouldn't even receive commands, let alone fight a war.

With a tank's field of vision being 70% blind spot, how can you even shoot an egg?
An entire squad's coordinated movement—assault, full speed, acceleration, maneuvering, turning, formation changes, firing, maneuvering and circling, fire support, and fire replenishment—all require communication channels to ensure its operation.

Without communication, even a tiger is worse than a dog!
The reality is so cruel.

In modern warfare, especially in the Blue Army, there is a wide variety of equipment, a large number of military branches, and the size of the units is characterized by multiple branches.

It is communications that bring different combat units together.

Without communication, it's like a tiger with its teeth pulled; it's still fierce, but far less powerful than in its prime.

"Hold!!"

Inside the Blue Army's forward command post.

He was so angry that he was trembling and his eyes were about to burst.

Air combat comes and goes quickly.

Enemy armed helicopters prioritize targeting communications vehicles, and the entire process from warning to termination takes only five minutes.

The communication vehicles of the 7th, 9th, 12th, and 21st detachments were all destroyed.

By the time the Blue Army's tactical missile unit reacted and launched Red Flag tactical missiles to stop the enemy's kite-flying tactics, it was too late.

Although the enemy's helicopters that came over were almost all destroyed, only one helicopter suddenly turned and escaped while it was turning from the Ninth Squadron to the area of ​​the Twenty-first Squadron.

All remaining helicopters were lost in battle.

But what good are their losses? According to the Blue Army battalion's statistics, four out of six communication vehicles were lost, and one radar vehicle was also destroyed.

Seven logistics vehicles and four tanks were damaged, and more than a dozen surface-to-air teams were lost.

The total number of casualties was as high as 110.

It was extremely tragic.

The battalion commander had just transferred him to the forward command post, and such a big mistake had already occurred. How was he going to explain this to the battalion commander?
Man Xuexi's face was ashen; this was the first time he had been so angry since arriving at the Blue Army camp.

It's just too fast.

The enemy seemed to know them very well, and their tactical arrangements were utterly absurd; they dared to launch an attack before their main force even arrived.

Who the hell would have thought of this?
"Deputy Chief of Staff Man, what should we do next?"

"Those bastards from the 182nd Regiment destroyed our communications."

Inside the forward command post, an officer frowned and asked, the atmosphere was extremely tense. When had the Blue Army ever suffered such a crushing defeat?
We have never suffered such a loss since we were founded.

Hearing the question, Man Xuexi was also stunned. His mind was a complete mess at the moment, and he tried hard to remind himself to calm down as soon as possible.

Thinking back to how the battalion commander used to give orders.

With so many communication vehicles destroyed, the overall strength of the Blue Army battalion has decreased by at least 50%. Cheng Dong in the rear should have received the news by now, as the other side has not called.

There's only one possibility: Chief of Staff Cheng is on his way.

The scholar had just handed over the combat training to them that afternoon.

Man Xue raised his hand to rub his temples. He knew the situation in the camp was terrible, but he also knew he had to be strong.

This is the fate of an officer; one must never lose one's composure.

He saw a group of cadres gathered around him.

Old Man glared and, mimicking the scholar's tone, said, "Shut up, all of you! What's the panic about?!"

A roar.

The noisy scene fell silent.

Man Xuexi glanced around and said sternly, "Go, order each squad to collect walkie-talkies."

"We can still fight even without vehicle-mounted radios."

"Use walkie-talkies to coordinate the equipment."

"Collect all the walkie-talkies and prioritize their use by the armored detachments. I'll figure out a way for the other detachments."

Man Xuexi waved his hand, dismissing the cadres who had gathered around him.

The Blue Army battalion has quite a few walkie-talkies, probably two or three hundred, which are usually concentrated in the guard battalion for communication between infantrymen.

Armored units require a high degree of coordination.

The other teams fared slightly better.

Just like artillery units, engineer units, grenade launcher units, and so on.

Even though these units have tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, they are relatively easy to coordinate.

But armored units are different; they rely entirely on communications to fight. Even if walkie-talkies are less efficient than vehicle-mounted radios, they are still much more effective than having no communications at all and being unable to organize their combat capabilities.

During the mobilization of walkie-talkies.

Manxue stood next to the map, subconsciously adopting Chen Mo's habit of looking at the map before battle.

I watched it for half an hour.

It wasn't until Cheng Dong arrived from the camp that this happened.

"Xiaoman, what exactly happened?" Cheng Dong walked into the forward command post, casually took off his hat and threw it on the table: "Why did the 182nd Regiment's attack come so suddenly?"

“I don’t know either.” Man Xuexi shook his head, looking bewildered. “I feel like this attack is familiar. Also, the 182nd Regiment seems to know our firepower distribution all too well.”

"How did they know the location of our communications vehicle without conducting reconnaissance?"

"It must have been Chief of Staff Lin who revealed it. Sharing intelligence during combat training isn't against the rules." Cheng Dong knew there was no point in dwelling on this now, so he waved his hand decisively: "I heard you ordered the mobilization of all the walkie-talkies in the battalion."

"But walkie-talkies can't compensate for the loss of four communication vehicles. We're probably going to suffer a loss in this engagement."

"If the 182nd Regiment wins, we'll probably have to hand over their regimental flag to them. That would be so embarrassing."

Cheng Dong's personality was already quite evident at this point.

With the camp's communications vehicle destroyed, he thought about the consequences and impact of defeat.

But learning is not so easy to give up on.

As he listened to Chief of Staff Cheng say that he would deliver the regimental flag to their door, a sudden idea flashed through his mind.

Delivered to your door!!

Yup!

The Night Tigers are still in the camp, and the 182nd Regiment's flag is also in the camp.

It is true that the Blue Army's communications vehicle was destroyed.

But by using the Night Tiger's clothes and carrying the regimental flag of the 182nd Regiment, is it possible to seize a few communication vehicles from the enemy's main mobile force?
Or, we could steal a few!

"Ha ha!!"

After Man Xuexi came up with this idea, he immediately put his hands on his hips and burst into laughter.

"Chief of Staff, don't worry, we might not lose!"

"It's just a few communication vehicles. I'll make a plan and steal a few for you."

steal?
How many more will you steal?

Cheng Dong looked at the invigorated Lao Man with a puzzled expression.

Damn, why does this idea sound so familiar?
. . . . . . . . .

the other side.

182th Regiment Headquarters.

Upon learning that the raid had gone extremely smoothly, Jia Guoqiang, Peng Jiawei, and other officers from the regiment couldn't help but smile.

Ah, that feels so good, it's fucking comfortable.

This is the first time in all my years of dealing with the Blue Army that I have gained a decisive advantage.

Overjoyed, Jia Guoqiang, who had always disliked Chen Mo, couldn't help but run outside the regimental headquarters.

Looking at the scholar sitting outside leisurely basking in the sun.

He couldn't help but boast, "Battalion Commander Chen, you really have a good strategy. This raid was a great success. Your unit has lost four communication vehicles, and most of your detachments are now without vehicle-mounted communications."

"The next battle should not require fighting on two fronts; we can just advance directly to the Zhuri River."

"Yes, we don't need to fight on two fronts anymore."

Chen Mo smiled and nodded. At first, he didn't think much of it, since it was just combat training.

It's not a bad thing to let the Blue Army learn from their mistakes.

But seeing Jia Guoqiang grinning from ear to ear, having just achieved a small victory, he came over to show off.

He smoked by himself and didn't even think to offer one to others.

Chen Mo's hidden petty nature was immediately activated.

He turned his head and glanced at the distant headquarters, where all the tasks were already in place.

During combat training, they usually do not attack the command post, especially since the 182nd Regiment has come from afar to assist, they will not attack the enemy's command post.

But not attacking the command post doesn't mean they won't use it.

Today, the regimental flag of the 182nd Regiment is still in the Blue Army Camp, and so is the Night Tiger.

Cheng Dong probably never imagined such a terrible idea as stealing the enemy's communications vehicle.

But it's hard to say about Manxue. That guy is full of bad intentions and will most likely use the Youth League flag to do this.

Chen Mo originally wanted to remind Commander Jia, but seeing how smug the other party was, he hesitated.

He just smiled and said, "Commander, your main force needs to speed up. The Blue Army battalion is most familiar with the terrain."

"You must not stop along the way, even if it means ruining the engine, you must arrive at the battlefield ahead of schedule."

"Don't stop no matter what you encounter along the way, otherwise, the outcome of this training exercise is still uncertain."

"No problem, I know what to do."

Jia Guoqiang smiled confidently, not taking Chen Mo's words seriously.

They even broke the engine. Do you think the 182nd Regiment is an armored regiment, so rich?
Who will fix the engine if it breaks down?

(End of this chapter)