CHAPTER 404: ORIGINAL TEXT: CHAPTER 404 ARMORED DIVISION AND MECHANIZED DIVISION MODIFIED:

"The steel factories I bought are all in the direction of the Eastern Army Group’s offensive," Shire said, "Introducing Schneider and the steel factory workers, and training them, is actually a hint."

Fuxu said, "Oh."

This was the first time he heard about it. Intelligence personnel would not report such "trivial matters" to Fuxu, the deputy chief commander.

"I went to Lagden two weeks ago," Shire said.

Fuxu instantly understood, "Did you go to see Xia Fei?"

Xia Fei’s headquarters is currently set in Lagden, a small town in the northeast.

"No," Shire shook his head and denied, "I just took a look around."

In principle, Shire was supposed to go, but he really didn’t want to socialize with Xia Fei.

Fuxu was taken aback, then nodded, "Yes, you don’t need to see Xia Fei."

Standing nearby, Tijani looked utterly confused. What does this have to do with the current battle?

But the colonel Fuxu brought along appeared enlightened, "You want to imply that you met Xia Fei to discuss cooperation with the Eastern Army Group!"

"Yes." Shire looked at the colonel with some surprise, his reaction was quite sharp.

Fuxu introduced, "This is my chief of staff, Wei Gang."

Shire was stunned—it was Wei Gang, the future French Army Chief of Staff, and the Defense Minister after France’s surrender in World War II.

Wei Gang noticed Shire’s expression and asked curiously, "Have we met, Brigadier General?"

"No," Shire quickly replied, "I just heard you and General Fuxu planned the ’Run to the Sea’ campaign together."

Shire wanted to find a battle case to compliment Wei Gang, but realizing he had not yet been on the battlefield and was working as a staff officer, he had to make up this excuse.

Wei Gang felt embarrassed; the ’Run to the Sea’ campaign was not a victory, it could even be considered a failure, as it did not achieve the desired results.

Fuxu broke the awkward atmosphere, took the briefcase from Wei Gang, and took out a document, raising it to Shire:

"This is the equipment list for your troops, Brigadier General."

"There are some things I don’t quite understand."

"The First Tank Brigade and the 105th Infantry Regiment are both equipped with tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery. What’s the difference between them?"

Fuxu suspected it was a mistake by Shire, mixing up the tank brigade and infantry regiment. At least Fuxu couldn’t see the difference.

Battlefield experience told Fuxu that each arm of service should have its strengths and weaknesses, such as artillery focusing on cannons, rather than dabbling in everything.

"Of course there is a difference, General." Shire responded, "In fact, I think they should be renamed because they can no longer simply be called ’Tank Brigade’ and ’Infantry Regiment.’"

Fuxu agreed, particularly since the 105th Infantry Regiment was armed to the teeth, continuing to call it ’Infantry Regiment’ seemed excessive.

"What do you think they should be called?" Fuxu asked.

Shire did not hesitate, and answered straightforwardly, "The First Armored Division and the First Mechanized Division."

All along, Shire had been forming them according to the standards of armored and mechanized units.

"The armored units have more tanks, mainly used to deal with enemy tank units or to break through the enemy lines in the direction of the attack."

"The mechanized division has fewer tanks but more artillery, still infantry-centric, quick to transport, and can deploy infantry to needed positions in the shortest time."

Fuxu nodded slightly.

Although he still couldn’t understand the practical use of such assembled units, he found Shire’s approach quite innovative.

Wei Gang couldn’t help but step forward, staring directly at Shire, "Brigadier General, I noticed each of your two units has over five hundred vehicles of various types. Aren’t you worried they will suffer heavy losses under enemy artillery fire?"

Even tanks can’t withstand the German 105MM artillery, right? Therefore, on the battlefield, these two units would be swept away like autumn leaves by the enemy.

Shire raised his eyebrows and answered, "We will crush the enemy’s artillery beforehand."

"What?" Wei Gang laughed, "But our artillery is only 75mm, our cannons have always been at a disadvantage compared to the enemy’s, their artillery has a much longer range. We’d already suffer heavy casualties before reaching them!"

The Northern Army Group knew this all too well, stubbornly adhering to the "offensive theory," often encountering such situations during attacks.

"That’s why I need the ’Saint Chamond.’" Shire took the document from Fuxu, pointing to ’Saint Chamond’ on the list, "It can do it."

"That’s impossible, you’re oversimplifying the battlefield." Wei Gang shook his head, a look of disbelief on his face, with a hint of mockery at the corners of his mouth.

This guy had fought too many favorable battles, Wei Gang thought, he simplified everything.

Just then, the radio operator on duty came to Shire with a telegram, "General, our troops have crushed the enemy’s artillery. Colonel Brownie requests further instructions."

"Breakthrough decisively." Shire took the telegram and ordered firmly, "Advance into the enemy depths."

"Yes, sir!"

Shire passed the telegram to Fuxu, "As I said, the armored division tore through the enemy lines, and they’ve done it."

Fuxu glanced at the telegram and then handed it to the shocked Wei Gang.

Wei Gang read the telegram over and over, disbelief still in his eyes. He looked at Shire, half believing, half doubting, and asked with difficulty, "You, how did you do it?"

That’s what Fuxu wanted to ask, too.

Artillery inferiority had always been a sore point for the French Army.

Fuxu and Wei Gang even believed that the "offensive theory" became bogged down not because the theory was wrong, but because of the artillery’s development direction.

If Shire could solve this problem and use the 75mm guns to suppress the Germans’ 105mm guns, it would pave a wide road for the nearly collapsing "offensive theory."

"It’s simple." Shire answered easily, "Intelligence, aviation units, and the ’Saint Chamond’!"

"Lady in White" was responsible for intelligence collection, knowing the German artillery positions or suspected artillery positions in advance.

Then, the "Caproni" bombers, under the cover and guidance of "Camel" fighters, bombed the German artillery positions first.

Taking advantage of the German artillery being overwhelmed, the First Armored Division launched an attack.

Leading with tanks, followed by armored vehicles full of infantry, and then fifty improved "Saint Chamonds."

Before the German artillery could react, the "Saint Chamond" had already entered an 8-kilometer range, where they could strike back.

They advanced while firing, cooperating with fighters and bombers, successfully suppressing two German 105MM artillery regiments.

Fuxu and Wei Gang stared at each other, what seemed to be an unsolvable problem to them was effortlessly handled by Shire!