The train, dragging several carriages, slowly entered the tank base and stopped with a screeching brake sound. With a "hiss", it released steam, instantly enveloping the surroundings in a white mist, like an ethereal realm.
Gallieni had ordered the railway to advance into the tank base to ensure that tanks could be transported by train to any location where they were needed on the battlefield in the shortest possible time.
At the same time, the train could also bring necessary materials and supplies to the tank base.
However, this time, the train did not bring these; instead, it brought mortars, shells, and a group of instructors.
Brownie eyed a mortar assembled on the ground and asked curiously, "Is this your new invention?"
Shire nodded, "I believe it can solve the problem you just mentioned, Colonel!"
Colonel Brownie gazed at Shire in astonishment, then burst into laughter, "Are you kidding? Such a small gun, to deal with the Germans’ field artillery..."
But seeing Shire’s serious expression, he ceased laughing, "Alright, tell us, what should we do!"
Brownie was Shire’s biggest believer since the victory at the Battle of the Marne using tanks.
If he found something hard to believe, he would immediately think: the problem must be with me!
Shire walked into the shelter with the training chart in his hand, and Brownie immediately followed.
"We might need to change our tactics, Colonel!" Shire picked up a pen left on the table and sketched on the training chart, "We can’t always let tanks march in front and shield the infantry. The result of doing so would only be watching tanks get blown sky-high one by one!"
Colonel Brownie’s mind went blank.
All his thoughts, including those of Colonel Estiny, had been centered around the tactic of tanks covering infantry.
Shire was telling him not to rely on the tanks’ cover?
"But," Colonel Brownie was puzzled, "we’ve always done it this way."
"That was only because the enemy didn’t know we had tanks," Shire responded softly, "or to put it another way, they didn’t know how to deal with tanks and weren’t prepared at all!"
After a pause, Shire added, "If the enemy is prepared, as you just said, they only need to deploy their field artillery concealed behind the lines, and our tanks would become their targets!"
Brownie pondered and found it reasonable.
In the Battle of the Marne, it was the Germans’ first encounter with tanks, so they were unprepared.
In the Battle of Lafox, the Germans deployed all their artillery on the front line, whereas Shire launched attacks from the vulnerable flanks.
If they had attacked from the front, even the Mark I would have been blown to pieces, along with the infantry behind the tanks.
But now, Brownie was even more puzzled. He spoke with a tone of disbelief, "Major, if not using tanks to cover infantry, then should infantry cover tanks?"
"You could put it that way!" Shire nodded, "In fact, they should cover each other: tanks should cover infantry, and infantry should also cover tanks. If the tanks are in danger, undoubtedly, the infantry should step in. Otherwise, the infantry would quickly collapse without tank cover!"
"You’re right!" Brownie nodded with difficulty, "But how can the infantry cover the tanks?"
In Brownie’s view, the infantry, being mere flesh and blood, couldn’t possibly stand in front of tanks and shield them from shells.
Shire drew a line on the training chart and explained leisurely, "We might consider segmenting the attack line here, about 700 meters from the enemy’s defensive line. Beyond this line, it’s hard for the enemy to spot the infantry and hit them, but easy for them to spot tanks and destroy them!"
It was obvious; the tanks’ tall carriages and the rumbling noise were hard not to attract the enemy’s attention.
In good visibility, the enemy artillery didn’t even need binoculars; they could direct their field artillery at the tanks.
But if it were the infantry, using cover to advance in leaps or crawling on the ground to move forward, the enemy would find it difficult to inflict effective damage at this distance.
(Note: This is the reason the range of modern assault rifles is generally around 400 meters. Beyond this distance, it’s hard to hit the target without professional training, unless a sniper. Bolt-action rifles in WWI and WWII had ranges of 700-800 meters, which was unreasonable and a severe waste.)
Shire then concluded, "Therefore, at this distance, the infantry should provide cover for the tanks."
Colonel Brownie suddenly understood, "You mean, before the tanks advance, the infantry first enters the battlefield to prepare for the tank attack?"
"Yes!" Shire replied, "The infantry clears obstacles for the tanks, such as mines, barriers, and wire fences. Sometimes they even plan the attack routes to help tanks avoid potentially muddy areas."
Colonel Brownie slowly nodded, "Then it’s the tanks’ turn to step in..."
"No!" Shire interrupted Colonel Brownie, "Then the mortars come in!"
Shire gestured towards the mortars placed outside.
Colonel Brownie was stunned, then repeatedly nodded, "Right, it has a range of 700 meters, and by this time, it would have reached its range."
But after a thought, he shook his head, "But it still cannot suppress the enemy’s field artillery, which might be set beyond the range!"
The Germans’ field artillery had a range of five kilometers, while the mortars had only 700 meters. If the field artillery deployed a little further back, it would be out of the mortars’ range.
Shire smiled faintly, "We don’t need to suppress it, Colonel, we can use smoke bombs!"
Colonel Brownie uttered an "Oh," "Right, the mortars can launch smoke bombs, which can cover the enemy artillery’s sight!"
"And bombardment from the mortars!" Shire pointed to the enemy’s defensive line on the training chart, "At that time, this place will be filled with dust and smoke, along with our field artillery and howitzers’ suppression, even aerial fighters... that would be the time for the tanks to step in!"
Brownie listened, dumbfounded. This kind of battle...
Shire said, "Before this, it was simply coordination between infantry and tanks. Now..."
Brownie nodded, "Now, it’s coordination among infantry, artillery, tanks, and even planes. It’s hard to achieve, but once we do, even if only partially, it means the enemy will have no way to counter!"
Shire felt satisfied with Colonel Brownie’s remarks, indicating he had understood the concept of cooperative combat.
Colonel Estiny was more suited for strategic command, while Brownie had higher sensitivity for tactical cooperation.
(Picture above shows an old-fashioned steam train)