Battle of the Third Reich

The French tank group maintained a period of about fifteen kilometers, advancing toward the highway.

The off-road speed of this tank can also reach 32 kilometers, and Valier really wanted to order the troops to assault at full speed, just like he had done in the suburbs of Cluj. This lieutenant is very aware of the psychological pressure that the high-speed assault tanks will cause to conventional infantry. Few people can still maintain the usual calmness when facing these on-going ten-ton steel monsters. .

But Vaelli must slow down the car now, and he needs to cooperate with the French infantry who follow the tank. Yes, the French didn't know how to cut potatoes with the Germans. They also learned the German Army's synergy.

In European campaigns, French tanks are usually dispersed to all infantry units, used as an auxiliary firepower for infantry, or as a separate mobile unit, leaving infantry alone to operate in the theater, so on the French battlefield, It is rare to see French infantry and tanks attack together.

In the early days of the war, the French armored forces liked to use platoon units, that is, two to three tanks as a small group, and then launched a sweeping offensive against the area that the superiors marked on the map and believed to have enemy forces. If they are lucky, they will collide with German infantry units without anti-tank equipment, or German light tanks with weak armor. As a result, a one-sided battle like a massacre will often break out. French army tanks have also been quite proud The man's record has beaten the German infantry and light armored forces into a panic.

But after the Germans adapted to the French brainless play, it was the French's turn to escape.

The German infantry will use a small amount of firepower to attract the attention of the French tanks, and then send another force to go round and round the French army, disperse a small number of French infantry following the tanks, and destroy or capture the undefended heavy troops.

When the French tanks had run out of fuel, the German infantry would be surrounded like a pack of wolves, using grenades, cocktails, or ingenious ambush hammers to knock out the elite of the French army. If French tanks want to gather together for defense, often ten minutes later, the studded bombs will appear above their heads.

The generals of the French Army began to seriously consider how to improve the French armored tactics in the prisoner of war camp. De Gaulle’s set of obvious papers talked about the brilliance of the war, and now the best model is in front of it. It is better to go directly to Germany. army.

Vaeli really suffered from this loss, and of course raised his hands in favor of the superior's improvement ideas. This is the first time the French Army has tested German armor tactics in actual combat. Of course, some French-style adjustments have also been added in the middle. After all, they are French Army and have their own glory and tradition.

The two armored squadrons of Vaeli were accompanied by a full two rifle companies. In order to allow them to follow the tank troops of the off-road march, the Saigon Division called out all tracked vehicles.

Many people do not know that the French Army also has semi-tracked transport vehicles. This type of ACG5 manufactured by the famous Soma company has been used as a towing vehicle for artillery in the French army. Usually used to tow heavy artillery of more than 100 millimeters, eight artillery can be loaded in the rear compartment, the road speed is 40 kilometers per hour, and it has excellent off-road capabilities.

The French Army is equipped with more than 400 of these half-tracked vehicles, most of which were captured by the Germans along with the artillery they pulled. This time, the Germans did not exchange all of them for the French generously, and Germany itself also lacked such semi-tracked vehicles. So only part of it was returned, about 120.

In consideration of the arms trade in Asia, Beitang considered that there were a bunch of heavy equipment that needed towing by vehicles. In addition to the conventional Renault tractors, forty vehicles were deliberately transported to Saigon. In the end, all forty ACG5s were secretly dragged away by the Saigon division.

In addition to being an artillery tractor, the Saigon Division also deployed several models with a winch in the front for use as a rescue vehicle for tank troops. The results were really good. Two such semi-tracked trucks, even The freaks like Carl B1 can drag.

This time, Lieutenant General Lyon was considered a jackpot. No one thought of it, or everyone thought of it but couldn’t believe that Siam would actually launch a ground attack against the French Indochina Federation.

The reaction of the Saigon Motorized Infantry Division can be said to be quite rapid, mainly because they are relatively close to the location of the incident. At that time, the railway from Battambang to Shishufeng was only 70 kilometers.

Lieutenant General Lyon did not get the latest information, but he was keenly aware that Highway 5 would be the key to the entire battle. If the goal of the Siamese army is to conquer the wind, there is only this high-grade road from the border to the city, and the other roads simply cannot carry the heavy logistics transportation required by the army.

The infantry units of the Saigon Division are still accelerating. Only armored units can be set off immediately. The armored vehicles and ammunition are all stored on the flatbed, and it has not been time to unload the train.

Lyon is well aware of the speed and speed of the soldiers and knows that the warplanes are fleeting in the war. He believes that if he judges correctly, he may be able to hit the Siamese Army moving on the fifth road.

If this plan succeeds, it will be a wonderful raid that can be included in the textbook.

Lyon immediately took action, and he ordered the train to be regrouped to allow the armored regiment and some of the assembled infantry units to depart early and unload at the small station Bavill, 20 kilometers northwest of Battambang. This unit will then abandon the road and go off-road in the direction of Highway 5. The whole journey will be about 50 kilometers, which is not too difficult for the armored forces.

Facts have proved that General Lyon's judgment is accurate, and the tactics he used have been a huge success. The 35th Infantry Battalion of the Siamese Army was attacked by the French armored forces from the flanks. The infantry battalion had suffered heavy casualties within five minutes of the war.

The AMC35 used the design of the double turret that was rare in the French army at the time. This was the main reason why Vaeli was able to stand on the turret and yelled. Instead of the usual single turret, he was only busy with reloading shells.

The AMC35's 47mm artillery has a straight trajectory and a very high rate of fire, which is very suitable for the middle distance combat. The problem with this type of tank is that all weapons are placed on the turret. When the turret turns to one side, the car body does not have the ability to defend itself forward. At this time, it needs to be accompanied by infantry protection.

All the French infantry of the Saigon Division were replaced with tropical khaki uniforms specially made for them. The upper body is a short-sleeved shirt with open collars. Originally, uniform shirts of the same color were also distributed, but this place is too hot and humid. Most people choose to be shirtless or wear only a vest.

Soldiers carry a full set of canvas equipment, while officers and non-commissioned officers are still the original leather products. The French H-shaped strap hangs a leather ammunition box and an aluminum kettle lunch box with a canvas cover. Of course, gas masks and infantry shovel are also indispensable. Because they are mechanized infantry, some people are also equipped with pickaxe picks and engineers ax.

The marching backpack is a must-have for everyone, but it was left on the transport vehicle before the war. The soldiers only carried a canvas satchel with small gadgets they thought might be needed in the battle, such as weapon parts, backup ammunition and emergency. Rations.

Each French soldier also received a German-made first aid kit. The contents were exactly the same as those used by the German Army, except that the items were affixed with French instructions. French soldiers like this kind of bag very much. They have all participated in **** combat, knowing that the things inside are really useful, and they can save their lives at the critical time. Due to chaos in management, the French Army soldiers are more miserable than the Germans most of the time. There are at least two triangles in the German infantry's medical bag. The French infantry usually only receive a roll of gauze bandage.

As a motorized force, all infantry received a brand-new MAS36 rifle, and non-commissioned officers also received a MAS38 submachine gun, both of which are classic weapons of the French Army, which will not be detailed here.

The French infantry performed very bravely during the attack. They roared loudly like a beast, firing at the Siamese army on the road with the weapon in their hand while accompanying the tank charge.

At the beginning, the Siamese army could also rely on vehicles and road shoulders to fight back. The Vickers water-cooled machine guns they carried caused some casualties to the French infantry, but then the firepower points and shelters became the French tank’s 47mm artillery. Shoot the target.

When the French forward approached to a position less than two hundred meters away from the highway, the defense line of the 35th Battalion of the Siamese Army suddenly collapsed. In a blink of an eye, the wilderness on both sides of the highway was full of panic-stricken Siam. The figure of Luo Guanbing.

The French infantry hadn't figured out what was happening at the beginning. When some people looked back, they found that the majestic figure of the Carl B1 tank appeared in front of the bush, and the subsequent armored forces finally caught up.

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