I am an industrial worker during the War of Resistance

Chapter 73 I'm going to trap them.
"What did you say? Ningma's people really came."

Haha, that's great, that's fantastic!

Two or three thousand people is a lot, but not so many that I can't eat them all.

You all go and rest first; your reconnaissance squad has made a great contribution this time.

I will give you credit.

You guys managed to bring back so many warhorses, not bad, not bad, well done.

Hahaha~"

Upon hearing the report from the reconnaissance platoon, Commander Yang, as the commander of the cavalry regiment, was overjoyed.

Last time, Commander Chen led his reinforced cavalry battalion and special operations company to a great victory.

That made him so proud, every time I saw him, the cavalry regimental commander, at a meeting.

He would always smile and tell him how hard it had been to wipe out most of Ningma's regiment, but that little bit of merit was not worth mentioning.

But nobody mentioned any credit to you; you brought it all up yourself.

Because of this, Commander Yang of the cavalry regiment was extremely angry.

However, he could not lead his troops out to fight without authorization.

He would be courting death if he did that.

Do you really think military law doesn't exist?

However, after a detailed study of the battle in which Commander Chen annihilated half of Ningma's cavalry regiment, the headquarters concluded that...

On this vast grassland, eliminating a cavalry force is difficult, but after employing some new tactics...

It can also achieve very good results.

For example, the anti-cavalry mines produced by the Wujiabao Arsenal were a very good product.

That thing looks small, and its individual power isn't very great.

However, it is extremely damaging to warhorses.

When cavalrymen are separated from their horses, they are lambs to the slaughter when facing enemy cavalry.

Once the cavalrymen are off their horses, the role of the marksmen immediately becomes apparent.

Whether it's suppressing the enemy with light and heavy machine guns, or light artillery within the range of rifles.

A well-dispersed and agile precision shooter is practically a living devil.

Their presence will create irresistible psychological pressure on the enemy.

This deterred everyone from approaching those heavily armed units.

As for those submachine guns, they were invaluable weapons in cavalry battles, especially during cavalry charges and engagements.

On a jolted warhorse, aiming a rifle at the enemy is something only an extremely talented veteran cavalryman can do.

We want all cavalry to have this ability.

That's something that would never happen in a dream. Because when cavalry charge, both sides are in motion.

If you want to hit the enemy with a single bullet, you'd better pray to God.

The submachine gun solved this problem.

Cavalrymen shooting from horseback is inherently a matter of probability.

You can't hit me with one bullet.

Then I'll use the time it takes you to fire one bullet to fire ten bullets.

As long as my bullet density is sufficient, I will definitely be able to kill you.

Unless you're incredibly lucky and manage to kill me with a single shot.

The Type 1 submachine gun, with a maximum range of 250 meters, was perfectly capable of meeting the needs of cavalry warfare.

When the cavalrymen are crisscrossing each other at a distance of 200 meters, whoever fires the most bullets wins.

After summarizing these experiences, the headquarters...

The first unit to receive the official new uniforms was the cavalry regiment directly under the headquarters, which was stationed on the north bank of the Yellow River in the north to defend against the Ningma grassland cavalry.

Because they are under the most pressure.

Over the past few months.

Commander Chen was also relieved of his mission to escort copper ingots and molybdenum ore on the Chule River.

This task was assigned to the cavalry regiment directly under headquarters.

Commander Chen's regiment, as a main force reinforced mixed regiment, is currently conducting intensive training at its base to familiarize itself with the new equipment.

Preparing for larger wars in the future
While the cavalry regiment directly under headquarters is undergoing a re-equipment process, it is impossible for all its members to be re-equipped in a short period of time.

However, they have now completed the re-equipping of an enhanced cavalry battalion.

Their battalion was not simply re-equipped according to Commander Chen's reinforced cavalry battalion.

There was also some new equipment that Commander Chen didn't have back then.

That is the grenade launcher now called the Type 1 Grenade Launcher, and the sniper rifle, which has been fitted with a new scope and is now called the Type 1 Sniper Rifle.

Grenade launchers are small, lightweight, easy to use, and have a long range.

On a galloping warhorse, all you need to do is launch that small grenade in a parabolic trajectory into the enemy cavalry ranks.

No need for much.

During the entire staggered charge, firing two grenades is enough. Then, release the grenade launcher and let it hang on the horse.

You can pick up a submachine gun and start shooting at any time.

A cavalry battalion doesn't need much equipment.

If there are one hundred of these grenade launchers, each launcher can fire twice at the enemy.

Therefore, no charging cavalry unit could withstand the dense bombardment of two hundred grenades in a short period of time.

Even if a person could endure it.

Even the horse couldn't take it.

Even warhorses trained for explosives are not acceptable.

Once the enemy cavalry's formation is in disarray, that's when the cavalry's submachine guns will reign supreme.

And that was the Type 1 sniper rifle with a scope.

They were even more precious in their cavalry regiment.

No one is allowed to touch this gun unless they are the best sniper in their cavalry regiment.

Moreover, they can't just be given a gun and allowed to use it.

They were two students of that factory director, Mr. Chen.

After a month of intensive, hands-on instruction and rigorous testing, only those who passed the assessment were allowed to use it.

But those sniper rifles are really powerful.

Within 500 meters, it can hit any target.

Within 800 meters, every shot hit the half-body target.

Within 1,000 meters, nine out of ten shots hit the half-body target.

He also heard from the two students that the bullets for these sniper rifles were the best bullets selected from the ammunition factory.

The error between bullets is very small.

Therefore, it can only be used on these sniper rifles.

It would be a waste to use it on other guns.

Furthermore, in the future, new types of sniper rifles may be equipped with dedicated high-precision bullets, making them even more formidable.

After Commander Yang dismissed Shi Tou and Er Hu from the reconnaissance platoon, he shouted to his communications officer, "Quickly go and invite Political Commissar Yin and Chief of Staff Du to my place. I have something urgent to discuss with them."

"Yes"

After receiving the order, the communications officer quickly ran out of the regimental headquarters to find the person.

At this moment, Commander Yang went to his map table and kept looking at the map to confirm the enemy's possible route of movement and their distance from his side.

He is now thinking about what method he can use to minimize his losses.

It can also completely annihilate this enemy force.

A dozen minutes later, Political Commissar Yin and Chief of Staff Du arrived at the regimental headquarters almost simultaneously.

"Old Yang, what's the matter that's so urgent? I just asked Xiao Liu, and he said he didn't know either."

As soon as he entered, Political Commissar Yin asked Regiment Commander Yang a question.

"Haha, you've arrived."

I'm telling you, we're about to have a big job.

Two or three thousand people came from Ningma.

They looked aggressive, as if they wanted to take revenge on the previous group.

"I want to eat them all, what do you think?" Commander Yang said with a smile when he saw Political Commissar Yin and the others come in.

"Two or three thousand people, if we wanted to eat them all, it wouldn't be so easy."

Our entire group, all together, only has a little over 1,200 people.

"That's two or three thousand people!" Chief of Staff Du said in surprise.

Political Commissar Yin frowned and said to Regiment Commander Yang, "Old Yang, isn't your appetite a bit too big?"

With two or three thousand cavalrymen, plus their support troops, once they spread out, they could cover an area of ​​more than ten kilometers.

How can we, with over a thousand people, possibly eat them?

If that doesn't work, I think we should ask headquarters for help.

Commander Yang then said, "There's not enough time."

Look.

Commander Yang then led Political Commissar Yin and Chief of Staff Du to the map. Commander Yang pointed to a river on the map and said, "They were here twenty-three hours ago."

It's more than 180 kilometers away from us.

This is the distance our scouts covered, running back day and night, changing horses constantly.

If the Ningma cavalry march at a steady pace, they will only need three or four days to reach us.

But if we seek support from headquarters, even if headquarters sends Old Chen's cavalry battalion to our location...

It would take at least five days, which is too late for them.

If we can get support from the surrounding fraternal units.

What if this cavalry force is just a bunch of bait?

The other brother units each have their own defense zones.

If we act rashly and create a huge hole, it could lead to a major disaster.

So I've decided that we'll eat them ourselves.

However, reporting to headquarters is mandatory.

Let headquarters investigate and see which brother units can come over.

"It would be best if someone could come."

Political Commissar Yin and Chief of Staff Du were both looking at the map, each trying to come up with a solution.

After a while.

Political Commissar Yin asked, "Old Yang, what are your thoughts?"

Commander Yang then laughed.

He said, "Old Yin, Old Du, look here."

As he spoke, Commander Yang pointed to a place on the map that was more than 60 kilometers away from his location.

He said, "The terrain here is not a plain, but a hilly area with high and low elevations."

Although the hills here are not high, they are still about ten or twenty meters high.

Although the gentle slope at this height did not have a significant impact on the cavalry's ability to gallop at full speed.

But it still managed to get them to slow down a bit.

Moreover, this place was a necessary stop on their way here.

So I've decided to choose this place as the battlefield.

We are currently at a disadvantage in terms of troop strength compared to them.

Therefore, I will not engage in a direct confrontation with them.

This area of ​​low hills stretches for more than 30 kilometers from east to west.

It is more than 150 kilometers wide from north to south.

Here's what I'm thinking: let's set up a pocket trap here.

"Let them be trapped and die in this hilly region."

Political Commissar Yin and Chief of Staff Du exchanged a glance and then asked in unison, "Traps them? How do we trap them to death?"

There aren't any natural defenses here, are there?

Commander Yang then said in a deep voice, "If there is no natural barrier, then we will build one."

Look, this area of ​​low hills stretches on and on.

However, there are also wide valleys. Especially the western side of the valley, where the entrance to the entire valley is very wide for Ningma and his group.

However, after traveling ten or twenty kilometers, the valley becomes much narrower.

The widest part of the valley is only four or five kilometers wide.

I have a question for you.

If you are the cavalry commander of Ningma, when entering this terrain...

Are you traveling through a wide valley or a narrow valley?

Political Commissar Yin and Chief of Staff Du said almost without hesitation, "Of course we will head towards the wide valley."

The valley is wide and offers a wide view.

This allows the cavalry to unleash their maximum impact.

Moreover, if things go wrong, it can quickly turn around and charge towards the low slopes on either side.

Commander Yang nodded and said, "Yes, any cavalry commander who isn't out of their mind would basically make this choice."

Let's do the calculations.

Let's assume for now that Ningma's forces number three thousand.

If they were to proceed in a loose cavalry formation, along with their logistical supply wagons.

Then their line would be about ten kilometers long.

I'll give them a wider range, fifteen kilometers.

This length is enough to accommodate them all.

If they were in combat, their distance would only be shorter.

"But how can we, with over a thousand people, surround such a large area?"

It's impossible to surround a large area with a small one.

"Besides, this is in a terrain of low slopes and hills," Chief of Staff Du said with a puzzled look.

Commander Yang then laughed and said, "We don't need to send anyone to surround it."

We'll use the simplest method: surround it with horse traps.

Look at this valley.

It is the widest of all the valleys, with a distance of more than five kilometers between the low slopes on both sides.

It is also a major east-west transportation route.

Behind these two low slopes on the left and right are two low-slope valleys that are only a few hundred meters wide.

Then there were several more such narrow valleys.

The low slopes on both sides of this wide valley have two breaks on the left side, each about one kilometer wide, stretching for more than ten kilometers from east to west.

There is a break on the right, about 700 meters wide.

We don't need to dig horse traps on both sides of this wide valley; we'll give them these two high points.

That would be the operational range of their scout cavalry on the left and right flanks.

We dug horse traps on the back of the second low slope on both sides.

They can't see it when it's uphill.

However, when riding downhill, even a small ditch can be fatal for a cavalryman.

If we mobilize all the military and civilians we can now, we will have a day and a night to dig these small pits.

And have you noticed that this area has no water source? The nearest water source is 15 kilometers to the east.

Thirty kilometers away from the direction they came from.

There is a stretch of land nearly fifty kilometers long where there is no water source.

We only need to keep them trapped for three to five days.

Then, besides dying of thirst, their only options were to surrender.

After listening, Political Commissar Yin nodded and then said, "Then what should we do about its exit and entrance?"

"At this width, it's difficult to block their attack."

Commander Yang said, "Have you forgotten that we have plenty of anti-cavalry mines in our warehouse?"

These things were originally intended for cavalry.

We don't need to deploy too many troops on the left and right flanks; we just need to send half of our twenty-odd snipers over there.

Then, with our other skilled marksmen, along with snipers, and a few machine guns and grenade launchers, we should be able to stop them.

Their mission was not to completely stop the enemy; their mission was to buy time.

The longer the delay, the more advantageous it is for us.

This would give us more time to dig out more horse traps.

Digging a horse trap only takes a shovel or two.

They don't need to be so dense; just enough to make a running warhorse twist its ankle.

With the addition of a small number of anti-cavalry mines, it won't be easy for them to break through this defensive line.

As for exports and imports, that requires our main force.

Although we outnumbered them, we temporarily blocked them at the exit by using horse traps and anti-cavalry mines, along with a small number of cavalry.

Our main force, on the other hand, is focused on completely blocking their entrances.

We don't need to launch a full-scale attack; we just need to lay anti-cavalry mines at their entrances as quickly as possible.

Then came the work of trapping horses.

Our main tactics in this battle will be either offense or encirclement.

If we can trap them immediately, then they are doomed.

If we can't trap them, then we'll use the weapons in our hands to destroy them.

Do you have confidence?

At this point, what Commander Yang said was no longer a discussion, but a mobilization before issuing an order.

"We are confident that we can complete the plan to trap and kill the Ningma cavalry."

(End of this chapter)