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Compared to the armored reconnaissance vehicle factory in Anpu, the M113 armored vehicle factory in Tongcheng was set up more smoothly.
So, when Lu Ming and his wife boarded the northbound train, holding a bunch of luggage and standing in the narrow aisle, smelling the stench of feet filling the carriage, the first batch of M113 armored vehicles had already been produced.
There wasn’t much technology involved with these things, they were essentially just a bunch of steel plates welded together, and even the engines were mature models produced by the Tongcheng engine factory.
All of the technology used in the M113 armored transport vehicles was very basic, including the gearbox and engine, which were basically existing models with no modifications.
Such trade-offs made all of the specifications of these armored vehicles very mediocre, or rather, it made them perform exceptionally balanced in all respects.
It could traverse mountains and rivers with a very low breakdown rate, and due to the vehicle itself not being heavy, it was even relatively fuel-efficient compared to others.
These armored vehicles only had steel plate protection, and their bulletproof capabilities were not strong; but compared to cars, they were definitely much better. Therefore, for motorized infantry, their introduction indeed enhanced their chances of survival.
Sometimes, things are that simple: having something is always better than nothing. Previously, the infantry had no armored vehicles, but now they did, and even if the performance was not great, at least they had something.
It could tow 155mm caliber artillery, carry ammunition for various cannons, transport the wounded, transport infantry, and haul various pieces of junk like tents and equipment.
This thing was truly a jack-of-all-trades on the battlefield; if conditions allowed, it could even tow a damaged No. 4 tank out of a dangerous combat zone.
The vehicle’s body, which could withstand bullets from rifles and machine guns, could provide quite good protection for the grenadiers, transport infantry to follow tanks into an attack, and reduce grenadier casualties.
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A MG42 machine gun mounted on top of the vehicle could also provide continuous covering fire, and there was a steel shield in front of the machine gun to protect the shooter.
The original plan was to install a 12.7mm caliber machine gun, but considering the supply of ammunition, they ultimately went with the same MG-42 machine gun as the infantry, which certainly made supply much more convenient.
However, the MG-42 machine gun was definitely not as effective in terms of suppressing firepower as the 12.7mm caliber machine gun, so this arrangement would surely need to be revised in the future.
The Great Tang Kingdom’s first regular armored grenadier corps received this batch of mass-produced M113 armored transport vehicles.
They loved this brand new weaponry, because with these armored vehicles, they found it much more convenient to carry ammunition and place miscellaneous items, giving them more options during combat.
In addition, the corps was equipped with No. 4 assault guns, a weapon proven to be a very effective assault weapon in the positional battles near Beiyuan City.
With this weapon, the infantry’s casualties had dropped to an unbelievably low level. Under the cover of the No. 4 assault guns, the Tang Army would suffer on average less than one casualty when capturing an enemy fire point.
The enemy had almost no way to deal with this low-profile armored combat vehicle, except for the pre-laid landmines. The 75mm caliber short-barrel cannon mounted on it could destroy a bunker with a single shell, making it a perfect killing machine.
The Tang Army’s newly organized armored grenadier division, equipped with these modern weapons, could definitely be described as formidable.
The entire division was fully equipped with Type 56 assault rifles, artillery equipped with Wild Bee Automatic Cannons, No. 4 assault guns, and M113 armored vehicles, as well as trucks and motorcycles to supplement transport capabilities.
Such a force, apart from the massive consumption of gasoline, had virtually no downsides; they could follow behind armored corps, quickly expand the breakthrough, and keep up with armored corps tearing through the enemy’s depth defenses.
Tang Mo was trying to organize similar troops to supplement the armored divisions, mix them into more combat-effective corps for easier logistical management and planning.
The current scale of the Tang Army had more than doubled since before the war, now boasting a force of 600,000 men, a total of 32 divisions! Tang Mo did not plan to disband these troops and even intended to expand further.
For him, although this war had ended, the next one was imminent! The Tang Army needed more troops to ensure the security of the Great Tang Kingdom.
Among them were at least seven armored divisions and two newly formed armored grenadier divisions, in addition to eight motorized grenadier divisions, with the rest being standard infantry divisions.
Due to insufficient production capacity, almost all of the units were under-strength. The number of more than 300 tanks that were supposed to be in an armored division had in fact never been correct.
Most armored divisions were only equipped with slightly over 200 tanks, some were under repair, some were damaged waiting for replenishment, and others were understrength, always waiting for new personnel and equipment.
Most of the infantry divisions were also waiting for more weaponry, including artillery and rifles, and the various command equipment was also in short supply.
Organizing units was actually very easy; just gather some soldiers for training, then issue weapons to everyone and that was it.
At the same time, forming a troop was extremely difficult. To ensure this troop had sufficient combat effectiveness, it required rigorous training, providing the soldiers with plenty of salaries and rewards, as well as equipping them with more weapons and gear to support their efficient combat operations on the battlefield.
In the combat operations against Qi Country, the Tang Army had already reaped the benefits of communication equipment. The coordination of frontline command had become more convenient and quicker than before, which greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness of the Tang Army.
To maintain this flexible and efficient command, the Tang Army commanders even went as far as distributing tanks and vehicles equipped with radios among the troops to act as communication relays.
Armored divisions with a plethora of radio-equipped tanks and the Air Force’s formidable combat power drew even greater attention from the Tang Army’s commanders at all levels, who treasured these new types of weapons and equipment like precious jewels.
Soon, the call to equip the infantry with more radios soared. Wireless communication equipment was popularized to the battalion level and even pushed down to the company level.
Unfortunately, due to the massive demand, wireless communication equipment originally planned to be available at the company level, like tanks and scout planes with automatic cannons, became "scarce resources" fiercely competed for by various troops.
In short, as the Tang Army expanded, the troops were severely lacking in everything.
...
In the distant Ice Cold Empire, inside a huge factory previously established with the assistance of the Great Tang Group, a brand-new tank had been produced amid the noisy workshop, looking quite impressive.
This brand-new tank was designed by the engineers of the Ice Cold Empire, referencing the images of the No. 4 tank.
Although it did not look the same, the overall layout was indeed identical: one turret atop the hull, using a main gun, with the engine located at the rear of the hull.
This tank, named the Ice Cold Type 1, was equipped with a 90mm caliber short-barreled gun, and the front armor of the hull reached an astonishing thickness of 50 millimeters, completely outclassing the Shireck Type 1 tank.
"Other than being a bit slower, it is very close to the Great Tang Group’s No. 4 tank," an engineer from the Ice Cold Empire, who now knew the correct name for the No. 4 tank, said with a full voice to several people nearby.
"The downside is that it doesn’t have a radio communication device. All of Tang Army’s tanks have that kind of equipment!" an engineer from Shireck remarked with some regret as he looked at the piece in front of him.
"We don’t have such equipment; there’s nothing we can do about it." The Dwarf engineer spread his hands, expressing the same regret.
However, he quickly added, "But it doesn’t matter, we’ve reserved space for installing subsequent devices!"
The Tang Army’s communication system was no longer a secret. Some unburned components from destroyed Tang Army tanks and assault guns allowed others who had seen these wrecks to speculate some things.
Furthermore, the quick response of the Tang Army exceeded that of other countries’ militaries. If one were to say that the Tang Army didn’t possess a new type of command and communication equipment, it would be unbelievable to everyone.
Comparing the two, knowing that the Tang Army possessed some new equipment wasn’t difficult. The real challenge was... how to replicate this equipment!
Over the years, many engineers from various countries had conducted some basic research on radio technology. They had also developed some of their own gadgets based on the technologies of the Great Tang Group.
It’s just that these devices were not yet mature and could not be used in tanks or airplanes like the Great Tang Group’s wireless communication equipment.
"It’s a pity we can’t catch up with this war." As the leading engineer watched his newly created Ice Cold Type 1 tank unable to be immediately deployed into battle, he sighed with regret.
"Don’t worry! The next war won’t be too far away! This time we let Tang Country take advantage of the new weapons. Next time, we won’t give them the chance!" an engineer from Shireck consoled.
He had been involved in the design and manufacturing of the Ice Cold tank, and similar designs had already been sent back to Flame Castle... In short, soon Shireck would have new tanks emerging, and very soon newer tanks would appear all over the world!
With advances in airplane technology... before the next war arrives, the technological advantage of the Tang Army will no longer exist, and by then, it would be the time for the countries supported by Shireck to showcase their dazzling strengths!
These people certainly didn’t know that what their leaders had spent a great deal of money to acquire was merely some outdated technology, and the tanks they were copying were actually far from the real No. 4 tanks.
However, these things were indeed sufficient to deal with other neighboring countries. After successfully replicating the Ice Cold Type 1 tank, the Emperor Binghan the First’s ambitions began to stir once again.
This Dwarf Emperor felt that he once again possessed the strength to move southward, to unite all Dwarves under his banner!
Only because the war between Qi and Tang had not formally concluded did he exercise more caution towards Tang Country. Thus, he rested his impetuous spirit, waiting for a better opportunity.