The sun never sets in America

Chapter 344 Comprehensive Reorganization of the Army

At the Instructor Division Headquarters, Dong Ziqin is compiling a plan for the rectification of the Han Army.

For being able to get such a "difficult and great" task. Dong Ziqin was actually very nervous, unlike what people outside said, "The spring breeze is triumphant but the horse's hooves are anxious."

It's a very complicated mentality. Although when he was asked to create the teaching room, it was possible. At that time, he still had the idea of ​​​​just doing it and fearing who. But when he was really asked to do it, Dong Ziqin He was a little bit flinched again. After all, if you do this kind of thing well, you can be called "Master Dong". If you don't do it well, you will be called "Dong Moren", and you may have to take off this military uniform in advance.

Looking at the lychee tree outside the window, it was covered with red fruits because of the summer. Dong Ziqin was itching to see it, so he called the guard, picked the pot and brought it over, without washing it, he just opened it and ate it.

Chewing lychees in my mouth, my eyes have been focused on the documents I have compiled in the past few months. Whenever I see something that I think is suitable, I use a red pen to circle it.

After painting until the pot of lychees was finished, Dong Ziqin slowly put down the pen and reorganized the documents related to "adaptation".

A few days later, a document about changes in the Army caused an uproar within the Army because of the "plan to restructure the division and regiment system" proposed by Dong Ziqin.

You must know that a few years ago, the current Army Minister Tao Wang changed the division system to a military brigade system, which is the current military region system, because it was not suitable for the needs of war.

But now Dong Ziqin's division system has been completely reversed, causing great controversy within the Han Army, and Dong Ziqin has become a little angry.

However, in the eyes of most people, Dong Ziqin will definitely hit a wall in the end. Some people who dislike Dong Ziqin have even begun to look forward to Dong Ziqin's misfortune and the selection of the head general of the training room after he is captured.

But it is a pity that after Tao Wang summoned Dong Ziqin, he announced that "the entire army will seriously study the division system."

Without this, no matter how good the army is, no matter how good the firepower ratio is, it will be a castle in the air and meaningless.

Although the 85mm mortar is also capable of this job, in a fast offensive and defensive battle where every second counts, speed and time are the biggest factors that determine the direction of the war, not even one of them.

It is mainly composed of two communication groups, responsible for maintaining contact with the various units below, and finally summarizing the intelligence to the general decision-making and staff departments.

Although the words were brief, it could be seen how great Dong Ziqin's "expectations" were for this regiment-level headquarters.

The main task is actually to blow up firepower points in the front. For slightly larger fortifications, you have to call for fire support from the rear, so that some people mocked this kind of gun as a flying version of a hand grenade, something that even a dog would not use.

After all, in an era when communications were inconvenient, a commander or a general, even if he had 10,000 people, could only command the regiment. As for the battalion, that had to rely on the regimental commander below.

In the earliest days, the Army's idea of ​​using wireless telegraphy was to equip it to regiments, or even to battalions, which was a waste. In the eyes of these people, soldiers at the lowest level often had no chance to accept command. , or in other words, their biggest role is to obey the orders that have been prepared. This is also the "habit" of the army in this era, or it is inevitable.

Regarding the construction of regiment-level departments, Dong Ziqin once wrote in a report to Tao Wang:

In addition to these basic units, the most important thing for a regiment is the regiment headquarters.

A regiment-level artillery battalion, equipped with a total of nine such 75mm artillery, is the mainstay of the Han Army.

If the decentralization of grenades and machine guns is Dong Ziqin's improvement in fire tactics, then equipping each team with a telegraph squad is a huge "change."

Although these people are a bit outdated, it is undeniable that they are the best commanders in the age of artillery, and they can even use artillery fire. Even if Napoleon is resurrected, it is impossible to compare with them. This is not a "boast", but a fact. After all, There is almost an era difference between the two sides.

If communications and machine guns are Dong Ziqin's specialty, then the construction of regiment-level artillery is the exclusive domain of those veterans.

This long-term command experience has also led to some commanders in the Han Dynasty being out of touch with the application of the latest technology. As Dong Ziqin said when reporting to Tao Wang:

"We have some generals and colonels. Although they are senior officers, they are like armored generals in the medieval times. They are full of ideas of leading the army to charge."

But in Liu Peng's mind, it is an indispensable part of the entire infantry combat system, just like the machine gun.

The Han's Class A Division had a total of six regiments, four of which were the main infantry regiments, one cavalry regiment, and the remaining one was the artillery regiment.

Compared with the 85mm mortar that requires setting up an artillery array and aiming half the sky, this 40mm grenade called a "hand cannon" is simply the best weapon for infantry to encounter machine guns in mobile warfare. s method".

The infantry battalion is divided into four infantry teams and an artillery team. Compared with the original infantry team, which ranged from 100 to 120 people, an infantry team of the Class A Division has a maximum number of 120 people. Ten people, increased to one hundred and fifty.

And June 9, the 20th year of Longwu, is destined to be a day recorded in the military history of the Han Dynasty.

The regiment-level firepower of the Han Dynasty, in addition to the mortar grenades of each battalion, the most important thing is to replace the original 55-mm cannon with a 75-mm mountain cannon.

The entire regiment is divided into four departments. The first is the decision-making department headed by the regiment leader and two deputy regiment leaders.

The third one is logistics. Initially, logistics was listed separately, but after the military reform, logistics was integrated into the rear. Therefore, this logistics mainly counts the consumption of the troops and casualties, and even receives supplies and ammunition.

The second is the staff department responsible for formulating combat plans. This part is the most important. Even the staff is divided into drawing staff, planning staff, and execution staff.

The main additions were machine gunners and communications troops. Yes, according to Dong Ziqin's request, machine guns were reissued. Although each team currently only has one Type 20 water-cooled machine gun, for the grassroots firepower of the Han Army, It's already a huge improvement.

Although it still cannot reach the terrifying rate of fire of the later "Miss Seventy-Five", the level of seven rounds per minute still breaks the highest artillery record in this time and space.

As for the artillery team, it is actually a mortar team. The entire team has four 85mm mortars, twenty gunners, and ten people's equipment.

The infantry regiment also has four infantry battalions, an artillery battalion and division headquarters.

As for the noisy mortar, there is no one underneath. Instead, what is waiting is the newly developed 40mm grenade.

The fourth one is actually the "communication" that Dong Ziqin has been thinking about.

This kind of grenade is simple to make and has a short range. It is much simpler than a heavy mortar. It can be operated by basically two people, and every squad basically has one.

This kind of mountain gun belongs to the third generation of the 75mm series, and is considered an evergreen tree among the many artillery guns of the Han Dynasty.

"The regiment is the backbone and the soul of an army. It is no small matter!!"

According to a notice issued by the Han Army Ministry, the entire Han Army will be reorganized and expanded into ten A-class divisions, twenty B-class divisions, and thirty shelf divisions, also called C-class divisions.

After all, according to the industrial strength of the United States, machine guns can still play a big role in the early stages of the war, but in the later stages, that is not necessarily the case, so it is very necessary to take precautions in advance.

What does it mean? It couldn't be simpler.

Among them, the Class A division is the core and medium core, and is praised as the "spear" by Dong Ziqin.

(At the same time, the United States had five rounds)

Tao Wang basically agreed with the idea of ​​delegating the telegraph machine to the team level. After all, he came from the team level in the first place, and he deeply understood the principle that "artillery fire must be arranged according to the requirements of the front."

Since it is a spear, there must be a lot of people. After all, although wars have reached an era where numbers no longer win, when weapons are about the same, numbers are often an important factor in determining the success or failure of a war.

A few days later, news from the palace also showed that the emperor was very satisfied with Dong Ziqin's adaptation plan, and even praised him as a "go-getter".

The entire regiment-level organization is interconnected, and both in terms of command and firepower, it has achieved the balance Dong Ziqin said.

Although some old-school officers believed that there were only nine regiment-level artillery pieces and insufficient firepower, and they believed that Dong Ziqin's "power" was lacking.

But in Dong Ziqin's view, in a battle, the most important thing is the artillery of more than 100 mm, and the rest are "auxiliary".

Especially in the future North American war, it will be difficult to have a separate confrontation between regiment-level artillery, so reducing the regiment level and increasing the division level has become the main goal.

Reducing the firepower allocation at the regiment level and increasing flexibility will also be more conducive to marching and mobile warfare.

The artillery regiment of a Category A division in the Han Dynasty had a total of three artillery battalions and a supply battalion.

Two of the three artillery battalions are rapid-fire grenade battalions composed of 105mm artillery, and the remaining one is a 155mm heavy hammer.

Each battalion has twelve artillery pieces, and a regiment has a total of thirty-six artillery pieces of over 100 mm. In terms of quality and quantity, it is even higher than the current twenty-four artillery pieces of the US military. (The U.S. military will increase the number of artillery pieces during wartime)

The baggage battalion is a mixed battalion with self-defense and counterattack capabilities. Although its firepower is smaller than that of an ordinary infantry battalion, it has the most important protection of artillery.

After all, once enemy infantry approaches or penetrates, an artilleryman without defense and the ability to fight back will be a living target for the opponent's infantry.

This is also the reason why it is necessary to strengthen the heavy baggage troops, and another advantage is that these heavy baggage troops, which strengthen the ability of infantry combat, can also fill the battle line and supplement consumption when necessary. In Dong Ziqin's words, "kill two birds with one stone."

In addition to artillery, there is cavalry. In fact, the Han Army attaches great importance to cavalry. After all, even though "cavalry nemesis" such as machine guns have appeared, the status of cavalry has not been discounted in any way. The reason is still the terrain of North America. .

The entire North America basically shows the geographical characteristics of high in the west and low in the east.

The central part is an endless plain. With such a geographical environment, once you pass the valleys and isthmus on the west coast, it will be a flat plain. This means that the cavalry's charging "ability" will reach its peak.

In a wilderness, the most terrifying thing is not the infantry with machine guns. After all, no matter how many infantry there are, how many places can be defended. Once a war breaks out, the defenders are often deployed.

Once the rear is weak, it is an opportunity for cavalry. Both the Han Army and the US Army understand this very well.

Therefore, the construction of cavalry has become the primary goal that both sides should pay attention to.

A division's cavalry regiment has a total of 1,500 cavalry and 4,500 horses, adhering to the marching principle of three horses and one man.

Dong Ziqin's modifications to the cavalry this time were actually not too big, the main one being the addition of machine guns.

When Dong Ziqin came to the racecourse and looked at the cavalrymen carrying guns and practicing chopping, the scene of all beings being equal under the machine gun suddenly appeared in his mind.

If in a cavalry war, one side has machine guns and the other side does not, then the outcome of this war can be imagined.

Each cavalry regiment has added four towed machine gun carriages, which are responsible for fighting mobile warfare in wartime.

For this machine gun carriage, Dong Ziqin, who knew the "Chariot Development Plan", called it a "flesh and blood chariot".

In addition to the cavalry, there is the first-level combat command system in the entire war, the "division headquarters".

Regarding the division, Dong Ziqin’s evaluation was: “Teachers are the pillars of the country. The ancients used divisions and brigades to build an army, so they must be valued!!”

The division headquarters is also divided into several departments. The decision-making is actually the same as that at the regiment level. The biggest difference occurs in the staff headquarters.

The entire division has dozens of staff officers at different levels. The highest chief of staff is even a brigadier general, which shows how important it is.

The entire staff has the power to command the overall situation and dispatch troops. The only difference is that it requires the signature of the division commander or deputy division commander. In fact, it is just a formality.

In addition, there are more communications headquarters than at the regimental level.

It is said that at least thirty optical radio stations are required to receive telegrams from any direction at any time, even directly to the battalion level.

Although it was denounced by some as "over-the-level command", it was widely welcomed by grassroots troops. The most important reason was "firepower."

As we all know, the firepower at the regiment level of the Han Dynasty has been weakened. Therefore, in some places, the firepower at the regiment level may not be enough, or it may be impossible to win if it is enough.

Under such circumstances, soliciting division-level fire support has become a top priority.

And what kind of troops can obtain fire support? ?

Dong Ziqin believes that it should be a battalion, not a team as some "micro-management masters" say.

Because according to the actual situation on the battlefield, the battalion level is often the worst killed, but not the team, because the team follows the battalion. In a large-scale war, it is difficult for one team to add fuel to the fire, unless the tactics are That commander was mentally ill, otherwise he wouldn't have made such a low-level mistake.

Therefore, allowing the battalion level to allocate firepower to the division level was Dong Ziqin's biggest move on the Han artillery command system.

Although he was scolded by some artillerymen as "a dog trying to meddle in other people's business," he was supported by many infantry officers.

Because everyone comes from below and knows the hardships on the front line. In many wars, if you have a little strength in your hands, you can win, but you don’t have it. If you want to call, you have to ask for instructions level by level. When the instructions arrive, the fighter planes also Delayed.

This may not be a big deal for the entire war, but for a certain battlefield or a certain battalion, it is a disaster.

Although Dong Ziqin's behavior was bold, it received support from many people.

A first-class division of the Han Dynasty had an infantry regiment of 3,000 men, four of which equaled 12,000 men, a cavalry regiment of 1,500 men, and an artillery regiment with baggage of more than 2,000. Counting the division's four More than a hundred people.

The total number of people in an A-class division exceeds 16,000, and it is considered the real ballast stone and strategic pillar of the Han Army.

The second-class division is different from the first-class division. A second-class division is divided into an infantry division and a cavalry division.

Among them, the infantry division has a total of 9,000 people, divided into three regiments and an artillery regiment, the division headquarters.

Compared with the 3,000 people of the first-class regiment, it was reduced to 2,500 people.

The cavalry division has four thousand cavalry, which is considered a high-end version of the cavalry regiment.

Compared with the cavalry regiment of the Class A Division, the cavalry of the Cavalry Division only has two horses, which is one less horse.

The number of machine guns is not that high, and they are mainly used for assistance.

Although there is a big difference in strength, the numbers are overwhelming. Among the thirty second-class divisions of the Han Dynasty, there is such a cavalry division, with a total of 40,000 professional cavalry, which is a real mobile force.

The remainder were twenty second-class infantry divisions.

As for the remaining thirty shelf divisions, that is, the C-class divisions, they are really "empty shelf".

Dong Ziqin only had one requirement for the Class C division, which was "lightweight and suitable."

This can be seen from the structure of the division. The entire C Division has a division headquarters, three regiment headquarters, and a communications team.

Otherwise, there is nothing left.

No, there are still some people. There are probably more than 300 people in a regiment, which means that the total number of people in such a division can be more than 1,000 people.

Thirty of them add up to only 30,000 people, which is equivalent to two first-class divisions.

As for the main purpose of this kind of division, it is actually very simple, that is, wartime expansion.

Before the war, the basic structure should be retained to facilitate the recruitment of new soldiers, so that it can be put into operation quickly without being in a hurry.

The entire Han army has ten first-class divisions with a total of 160,000 people. Among the thirty second-class divisions, there are 180,000 infantry divisions, 40,000 cavalry divisions, and 30 shelf divisions with 30,000 troops.

If you include the command staff at the rear and the civilian personnel at the rear, the total number will exceed 420,000.

This number is actually not too much, but it costs a lot. This is why after the initial reorganization was completed, the Army began to ask for funds everywhere, which was really too expensive.

And this is on the surface. Once mobilized during the war, in Tao Wang's words:

“Doubled within a month, exceeded a million within a month and a half!!”

(End of this chapter)