The French tank group maintained a period of about fifteen kilometers and advanced in the direction of the road.

The tank could also reach cross-country speeds of up to thirty-two kilometers, and Valier really wanted to order his troops to assault at full speed, as he had done on the outskirts of Kruid. The lieutenant was well aware of the psychological pressure that a high-speed assault tank group would cause to conventional infantry, and few people could maintain their usual composure in the face of these oncoming steel monsters weighing more than a dozen tons.

But Vaeli now had to slow down, and he needed to cooperate with the French infantry following the tank. Yes, the French not only learned how to peel potatoes with the Germans, they also learned the infantry coordination of the German Army.

In European battles, French tanks are usually scattered and assigned to all infantry units, used as an auxiliary firepower of infantry, or as a separate mobile unit, leaving the infantry to act alone in the theater of operations, so on the French battlefield, it is rare to see French infantry and tanks attacking together.

In the early days of the war, French armoured units were fond of using platoon-sized units, i.e., two or three tanks as small groups, and then launching a sweeping offensive against areas on the map that their superiors had identified as having enemy troops. If they were lucky, they would run into German infantry units with no anti-tank equipment, or German light tanks with weak armor, and the result would often be a one-sided massacre battle, with French Army tanks once boasting a smashing of German infantry and light armoured units.

But when the Germans got used to the brainless tactics of the French army, it was the turn of the French to flee in disarray.

The German infantry would use a small amount of firepower to attract the attention of the French tanks, and then send another unit to outflank the French in depth, dispersing the small number of French infantry following the tanks, and destroying or capturing the defenseless baggage forces.

When the French tanks ran out of ammunition, the German infantry would surround them like wolves, using grenades, cocktails or clever hammers to knock out the elite of the French army. If the French tanks wanted to assemble for defense, it was often ten minutes later that Stuka would appear overhead with bombs.

The generals of the French Army began to seriously consider how to improve the armored tactics of the French army in the prisoner of war camps, and De Gaulle's set of words was obviously flashy on paper, and now the best model is placed in front of them, it is better to learn directly from the German Army.

Vaeli had really suffered this kind of loss, and of course he raised his hands in favor of the improvement ideas of his superiors. This is the first time that the French Army has tested German armored tactics in actual combat, and of course some French adjustments have been added in the middle, after all, they are the French Army, and they have their own glory and traditions.

Vaeli's armored squadron was accompanied by two rifle companies, and in order to keep them following the tank units on the off-road march, the Saigon division transferred all tracked transports.

Speaking of which, many people don't know that the French Army also has a half-track transporter, which is a half-track transporter with the model ACG5 manufactured by the famous Soma company, which has been used as an artillery towing vehicle in the French army. It is usually used to tow heavy artillery of more than 100 mm, and can carry eight artillery men in the rear compartment, and has excellent cross-country ability at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour on the road.

The French Army was armed with more than 400 of these half-tracks, most of which were captured by the Germans along with the artillery they towed. This time the Germans were not so generous to exchange all for the French, and Germany itself lacked half-track vehicles of this type. So only a part of it was returned, about one hundred and twenty or so.

Considering that there was a pile of heavy equipment in the arms trade in Asia that needed to be towed by vehicles, Pétain specially transferred forty vehicles to Saigon in addition to the usual Renault tractors, but was taken by the logistics officer of the Saigon Division on the dock, and finally all forty ACG5s were secretly towed away by the Saigon Division.

In addition to being used as artillery tractors, the Saigon division also transferred several models with a winch in the front to use as a rescue vehicle for tank troops, and the results were really good, two such half-track trucks, even a freak like the Karl B1 could be towed.

This time, Lieutenant General Lyon won the jackpot, and no one expected, or everyone thought of it, but couldn't believe that Siam would actually launch a ground attack on the Federation of French Indochina.

The response of the Saigon Motorized Rifle Division can be said to have been quite rapid, mainly because of their relative proximity to the site of the incident, when the railway from Battambang to Sisophon was only 70 kilometers.

Lieutenant General Lyon didn't get the latest information, but he keenly felt that Route 5 would be the key to the battle. If the Siamese Army's goal was Sisophon, there would be only one high-grade road leading from the border to the city, and the other roads would not be able to carry the heavy logistics required by the army.

The infantry units of the Saigon Division are still gathering at an accelerated pace, and now only the armored units can set off immediately, and the armored vehicles and ammunition baggage are all stored on the flatbed trucks, and there is no time to unload the train.

Leon was well aware of the speed of his soldiers, and he also knew that the warplanes were fleeting in war, and he believed that if he judged correctly, he might be able to deal a blow to the Siamese army moving on Highway 5.

If this plan succeeds, it will be a brilliant raid that can be included in textbooks.

Leon sprang into action immediately, and he ordered the train to be regrouped, allowing the armored regiment and a part of the assembled infantry to set off in advance and unload at Pavel, a small station twenty kilometers northwest of Battambang. The unit would then abandon the road and head off-road in the direction of Route 5, about 50 kilometers long, which would not be too difficult for the armored troops.

The judgment of General Lyon turned out to be accurate, and the tactics he used were a great success. The 35th Infantry Battalion of the Siamese Army was attacked by French armoured units from the flank, and within five minutes of the battle, the infantry battalion had already suffered heavy casualties.

The AMC35 was a two-man turret design that was rare in the French army at the time, which was the main reason why Vaeli was able to stand on the turret and shout.

The AMC35's 47-mm gun has a straight trajectory and an extremely high rate of fire, making it well suited to today's medium-range combat. The problem with this tank is that all the weapons are placed on the turret, and when the turret is turned to one side, the hull has no positive self-defense, and this is when it needs to be protected by the infantry.

All the French infantry of the Saigon Division were dressed in tropical khaki uniforms specially made for them. The upper body is short-sleeved with an open collar, and a shirt of the same color as the uniform was originally distributed, but the place was too hot and humid, and most people chose to go shirtless or wear only a vest.

The soldiers carried a full set of canvas gear, while the officers and non-commissioned officers were still in the original cowhide products. The French H-strap was hung with a cowhide ammunition box and an aluminium kettle lunch box with a canvas case, as well as gas masks and infantry shovels, some of which were equipped with pickaxes and sapper axes to open the way because they were mechanized infantry.

The marching backpack was a must-carry for everyone, but they were all left on the transports before the battle, and the soldiers carried only a canvas satchel containing the knick-knacks they thought they might need in battle, such as weapon parts, backup ammunition, and emergency rations.

Each French soldier was also given a German-style first-aid kit, which contained the exact same contents as those used by the German Army, except that the items were labeled with instructions in French. The French soldiers were very fond of this kind of packet, they had all participated in bloody battles, and knew that what was in it was really useful and could save their lives when it mattered. Because of the confusion in management, the French army soldiers were more miserable than the Germans most of the time, and the German infantry still had at least two triangular scarves in their medical kits, and the French infantry usually received only a roll of gauze bandages.

As a motorized unit, all infantry were given a brand new MAS36 rifle, and the non-commissioned officer was given a MAS38 submachine gun, both of which are classic weapons of the French Army, and will not be detailed here.

The French infantry showed great courage in the attack, roaring loudly like wild beasts, and while charging with tanks, they opened fire on the Siamese troops on the road with their weapons in their hands.

At first, the Siamese army was able to return fire from vehicles and road shoulders, and the Vickers water-cooled machine guns they carried inflicted some casualties on the French infantry, but then those firing points and shelters became targets for the French tanks' 47mm guns.

When the advance of the French army approached less than 200 meters from the road, the defense line of the 35th Battalion of the Siamese Army suddenly collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, the wilderness on both sides of the road was full of Siamese officers and soldiers fleeing in panic.

The French infantry didn't understand what was going on at first, and when some people looked back, they found that in front of the bush, the majestic figure of the Karl B1 tank had appeared, and the follow-up armored units had finally caught up.

PS: Asking for a monthly pass, the author needs everyone's monthly pass support, the ranking has fallen too low, and it also needs some motivation to work hard to write. (To be continued.) )