Cai Yi nodded and said approvingly: "Anyway, the power of this tank is really powerful, plus the aerial bombardment, the assault power is amazing!" It's a pity that there were only three divisions in the early stage, and the number was a little less. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info”

"Songpo, with only these three divisions, I'm afraid I will spend all of Wen Qiang's family funds." Jiang Baili said with a smile: "I met him in Beijing, and he asked us to study the use of new tactics, and he is thinking of raising funds to increase investment in the army." ”

"I was briefed by a research team sent by the General Staff." Cai said: "This mechanized division costs a lot, not only fuel, weapons, and ammunition, but also mechanical repair and maintenance personnel, logistics support personnel, and specialized engineering units. In short, although it looks good, it is by no means possible to form a large number of people in a short period of time. ”

"When the secretary of state returns to Beijing, I'm afraid it's not just about fundraising, right?" Duan Qirui said in his words: "Besides, the government is unwilling to raise taxes, and if it wants to raise funds, it must take some troubles. If you want me to say that for the sake of long-term planning, as long as we maintain the status quo of ordinary people's lives. When the country is rich and strong, it is not necessary to give benefits to the people. ”

Although Cai Yi knew what Duan Qirui was referring to, and he didn't agree with his statement, he didn't say anything, just smiled faintly and said: "Deputy Chief Duan, in your opinion, the combat effectiveness of this mechanized division can be equal to how many ordinary army divisions?" ”

Duan Qirui pondered for a moment and said: "In terms of firepower, if there is no danger to defend, no fortifications to follow, and fighting in the field, this mechanized division can withstand three or four divisions; Even if there are fortifications, I am afraid that it will take two divisions to withstand the attack of this one mechanized division, and the casualties will inevitably be very large. ”

"Even if it's one to two!" Cai Yi nodded and said: "Today's exercise is not perfect, the coordination of infantry, tanks, aircraft, and artillery is still very rusty, but it has opened up a new horizon for us." From flat to three-dimensional, this was used during the Revolutionary War. However, a few airships are far less powerful than dozens, or even hundreds! In-depth research, rational deployment, and accurate use are the requirements of the government for us, and also the requirements of the state for our servicemen. ”

"Rational deployment, the government already has a plan." Duan Qirui wrenched his fingers and said: "Looking at the troops that have been transferred, and then looking at the commanders of the military regions who have been summoned, you can see that it must be a division in the northeast, a division in the northwest, and a division in Gyeonggi. ”

Cai Ye looked at Li Yuanhong, Yao Yuping and others who were gathering together not far away to talk hotly, this is an obvious conclusion, these three commanders of the military region are also extremely happy because their subordinates are about to have such a steel division, and their eyebrows are dancing.

"Japan and Russia are our most recent and most dangerous enemies, and it is also a matter of course to strengthen the military forces in the northeast and northwest." Jiang Baili said: "The important land of Gyeonggi, the center of the country, must not be relaxed. Although the navy has developed, its strength is still weak, and if the country goes to war, it still has to rely on the strength of the army. ”

Duan Qirui pursed the corners of his lips, feeling a little dissatisfied with the government in his heart. Wu Luzhen replaced Yuan Shikai, who was sick and resigned, and saw that the position of the chief was vacant, but the government appointment was not issued, but Chen Wenqiang was transferred to Beijing. Is it because he was an old Beiyang man that he has never been able to rise one step higher?

Although the chief and deputy chief are only one step apart, just like the major general and the colonel, it means two changes of different natures, and Duan Qirui is very concerned about this.

"Know yourself and know your opponent, and you will not lose a hundred battles. This is to help us understand the strength of our military and increase our self-confidence. Cai Ye said solemnly: "The world situation is turbulent, war is about to break out, and it may not be easy for China to be alone!" ”

"The army is the pillar of the country, and foreign policy is relied on, as long as the tone of our soldiers is hardened and the confidence is sufficient, the government can be justified." Jiang Baili said: "The establishment of this mechanized division is to cheer us up!" ”

"I have said that those who attempt to destroy the integrity of China will be rejected with dead force, and although China is weak, the people will be martyred en masse." Duan Qirui said: "The government is indeed preparing for war, and I heard from Chief Huang that China should fight but not seek war, and even if the government is defeated and exiled, or even collapses, there will never be another Manchu loss of power and humiliation of the country." For soldiers, donating their bodies on the battlefield and shrouding them in horse leather is also a deserved destination. ”

"Although the scale of the war against Russia is not large, the morale of the military is very encouraging." Cai Ye said: "The large-scale military training and large-scale competition have also achieved remarkable results. At present, Japan and Russia, with Russia posing the greatest threat to our country, ...... Japan."

"Brother Matsuha, I think that Japan poses the greatest threat to our country, and Russia is not to worry about it for the time being." Jiang Baili shook his head and said: "And to resist Japan, I am afraid that the army alone will be passive, but I have no confidence in the navy." ”

"Brother Zhiquan, what do you think?" Cai Ye asked with a smile.

"The government had always regarded Japan and Russia as imaginary enemies, and now that Russia was held back by Germany, it was unable to gather more forces in the Far East. Japan, on the other hand, has collapsed several cabinets due to financial problems, but its navy is still dominant in the Far East and has always had ambitions for China. Duan Qirui said: "China is very close to Germany, and Britain and France are enemies of Germany, and Britain and Japan have alliance treaties, so it is speculated that Japan poses a greater threat to China." ”

"Hehe, Brother Zhiquan and Brother Baili are really heroes!" Cai Ye complimented him disapprovingly, and turned his head to look at an officer who walked over.

Chief of the Army, when this title suddenly fell on Duan Qirui's head, he obviously couldn't believe it. It's not that he feels incompetent, it's that it's too different from what he thinks.

Cai Yi raised his eyebrows at Jiang Baili, and the telegram made it very clear that Duan Qirui was promoted to army chief and immediately returned to Beijing to preside over the work. Also recalled to Beijing was Cai Jie, because the German delegation was about to arrive, including several senior officers of the General Staff, and as a relative receptionist, Cai Jie, the chief of the General Staff, could not be absent.

After being stunned for a short time, Duan Qirui tried his best to maintain a little reserve, turned his head to Cai Yi and said, "Brother Songpo, when do you think we should leave?" The meaning of the telegram seems to be urgent. ”

Cai Yi thought for a moment and said, "The day after tomorrow, I will communicate with the staff team that has studied the new tactics in advance, and I will leave after mastering the situation." If Brother Shiba Quan is in a hurry—"

"I'm not in a hurry." Duan Qirui hurriedly waved his hand and said, "I should also know more about the situation, so that there will be more basis for arranging troops in the future." ”

"Shouldn't Zhiquan have a treat tonight?" Jiang Baili said with a smile.

"Yes, yes." Cai Yi echoed with a smile.

………………………

Resisting Japanese aggression against Qingdao at the outbreak of World War I was something Chen Wenqiang always feared. I'm afraid the army alone is not enough to reassure him. And the Navy can only count on the submarine forces that have been developed over the years.

And the purchase and preparation of submarines can be traced back to before the Revolutionary War. In recent years, no effort has been spared, and a total of 15 small submarines and 10 large submarines have been purchased from Germany. Coupled with Sino-German cooperation, more than 10 large and small submarines produced in China are still far behind according to the government's plan, but they can be regarded as doing their best.

And by March next year, according to the drawings secretly provided by China, all 10 submarines built by the United States will be completed. In this way, in terms of the number of submarines, China has a great advantage in Asia.

Not only that, but the snorkel technology jointly researched by China and Germany has finally come to fruition, which will greatly increase the submarine's submersible ability and make it more threatening.

The basic structure of the snorkel is very simple, it is an extendable snorkel that directs the outside air to the diesel engine, and the exhaust gas generated is also discharged through the snorkel, and there is a pipeline to prevent the entry of seawater and the removal of incoming seawater.

The use of a snorkel allows the submarine to use a diesel engine in the periscope depth situation, so that the submarine does not have to float to replenish the electricity. The use of snorkels dramatically changed the way submarines operated and were resilient at the time. Before using a snorkel, the submarine must surface for ventilation and recharging, and this operation time is limited to night. After the use of snorkels, submarines only need to extend the snorkel out of the sea to recharge, which not only reduces the probability of the submarine being discovered, but also expands the time when the submarine can be charged.

"The submarine dock in Yantai has been built." Navy Chief Huang Zhongying briefed President Song Jiaoren on the latest naval situation, "The first batch of six submarines has gone to the Bohai Sea to familiarize themselves with the water conditions, especially the ocean near Qingdao, which is the focus of the survey. ”

Huang Zhongying sees people more accurately and thoroughly. It's just that he wasn't in good health some time ago, and he was always in a state of semi-recuperation and half-work, and the daily affairs of the navy were basically taken care of by Li Zhun and Cheng Biguang. After surgery earlier this year, his condition improved so much that he was able to devote all his energy to naval affairs.

This was a small-scale national defense work conference convened by the president and chaired by Chen Wenqiang, and it was also a rehearsal for the government to set up a national defense committee. Duan Qirui, the new army commander-in-chief, Jiang Zuobin, vice minister of the army, and Huang Zhongying, chief of the navy, all attended the meeting.

Song Jiaoren nodded, he was not good at military affairs, and he really didn't know how useful the submarine was. Not only did he not know it, but a considerable number of naval officers also had doubts about it, which was related to the general understanding of submarines in the current world. At present, the navies of various countries generally do not have a good understanding of the role and status of submarines in warfare, and only use them as an auxiliary force for coastal defense, believing that submarines are nothing more than a sneak attack weapon for weak and small countries.

"According to the government's speculation, the main enemy of the navy in Asia is Japan." Chen Wenqiang said slowly: "If our navy conducts a decisive battle with the main force of the surface fleet with Japan, there is no hope of victory. As a means of remedying the situation and taking advantage of the tricks, China has vigorously developed its submarine forces, and a special submarine tactical research group has been set up by the Admiralty. So far, the research group has made a lot of progress. As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Li Zhun.

Li Zhun nodded and said, "It's true. After a number of simulation exercises, we came to a surprising conclusion. First of all, the biggest feature of the submarine is that it has good concealment, which is incomparable with any other weapon, and if an enemy ship is hit by a torpedo fired by our submarine, it may still not be able to judge the direction in which our submarine is located, let alone take the initiative to discover our submarine; Second, the submarine has a strong assault power, and the torpedo it carries is the most lethal weapon for warships. ”

After a pause, he continued: "If the torpedoes in the torpedo tubes on a submarine were fired at the same time, and both hit the target, then any large surface warship of any kind that had hitherto been sunk or destroyed; Third, it is not extremely difficult for a resource-poor country like Japan to destroy its transport ships with submarines and drag Japan down by means of blockade and economic warfare. In short, although our navy is not sure of victory in a battle with the Japanese navy, there are still ways to deal with it. ”

Chen Wenqiang was glad that Li Zhun and other naval officers had come up with an optimistic estimate and had made great progress in the thinking of submarine warfare. These circumstances made him even more confident in using submarines to contain the Japanese fleet and successfully defend Qingdao.

You must know that during the First World War, the power and role of submarines were fully demonstrated, and German submarines alone sank more than 5,800 transport ships of Britain and other Allied countries, about 14 million tons. In addition, the submarine sank more than 190 surface combat ships, including 12 battleships.

The countdown to the First World War has begun, and now it is no longer counted in years, but in months and days. Ignorant people are happy, Chen Wenqiang sometimes really envy them, but he has to count the days and look forward to it.

In October 1913, the German delegation arrived in Shanghai, and Chen Wenqiang personally rushed to greet him, showing enough courtesy and attention. After a short stay in Shanghai, Chen Wenqiang accompanied the Germans north along the Jinpu line, and everything seemed normal, but at this time there were a few fewer people in the German delegation, which was an extremely secret matter and was not known to outsiders.

As for whether Germany needs Chinese-made tanks and fighters, Chen Wenqiang is still very confident.

For the German Army, war in Europe meant fighting both France and Russia. France, which had survived the Napoleonic Wars, was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War and lost the iron-rich Alsace and Lorraine, but its army was unabated and in the leading position in Europe, and was the greatest enemy of the united German Empire on the European continent.

Russia, on the other hand, has several million conventional troops, but its equipment is backward, and its strategic thinking is still stuck in the era of cold weapons. Moreover, Russia's vast territory, backward railway network, and aging war mobilization mechanism have greatly reduced the speed of Russia's war response.

Therefore, it is likely that Germany will concentrate its superior forces on France at the beginning of the war, taking advantage of Germany's rapid mobilization of forces, defeating France first, and then turning back to concentrate on Russia.

In fact, Germany now has a Schlieffen plan, that is, to use Russia's backward military mobilization system to quickly complete the military build-up and defeat France, which can be summed up in three words, that is, "time difference", or it can also be called a blitzkrieg. Therefore, the tank is an assault weapon that is very suitable for the German Army, and it will play a great role in blitzkrieg.

Relations between countries are always measured by interests, and Germany's support for China is nothing more than an attempt to pull China into its chariot. But China does not want to rush into the war in the face of uncertainty, and if China does not show value for money, Germany's attitude will change.

Therefore, after discussion, the Chinese government will inform Germany of all the submarine snorkels, tanks, and airplanes that are classified as secret weapons. Of course, Chen Wenqiang also has his conspiracies. First of all, in line with the idea of borrowing a knife to kill people, let the great powers fight to the death and lose both; Secondly, it is to make Germany even more proud of its military power, because Germany greatly underestimates its own strength, and it is in fact completely capable of confronting France and Russia at the same time.

The Chinese Government ceremoniously received the visiting German delegation, which once again sounded the alarm bell for the Entente countries. The previous cooperation between China and Germany and China and the United States has made Britain and France and other countries feel threatened, but they still hold an arrogant attitude and do not want to relax too much in their toughness on China. However, as the danger of war in Europe deepened, the diplomatic moves of the Allies attracted more and more their attention and vigilance.

What would happen if China joined the Allies? The Entente finally began to study the possibilities in this direction and conducted a study of possible outcomes.

Although China is still very weak, no matter how weak it is, it will still play a certain role. First, China's accession to the Allies would pose a direct threat to Russia. Germany is fighting on two fronts, and Russia will face this situation. Then the outcome of the war is likely to be that Germany will take a defensive position on the Western Front to fend off the French attack, and join forces with China to launch a joint onslaught against Russia, forcing Russia, the weakest of the Entente powers, to make peace. Germany would then concentrate its forces against the French, and China and Russia would be able to attack their enemy, Japan, which they hated together. Yes, the disastrous defeat in the Russo-Japanese War made the Russians hate the Japanese more than the Chinese.

Anything can happen in the world, and while it's unlikely, it's not impossible. Especially at a time when the situation in Europe is becoming more and more tense, all countries must carefully study and judge various variables.

What's more, China also has a rather close ally, the United States, and the United States is taking a defensive and hostile attitude towards Japan. As a new capitalist country, will the United States not get involved in a war in order to seize the vast overseas colonies of Britain and France and dominate the Chinese market?

The more you deduce it, the more nervous and scared you become. In particular, since the founding of New China, the vast majority of funds have been used to develop the armed forces, and by virtue of its unique population advantage and with the support and help of the United States and Germany, it now has nearly one million regular army troops. Moreover, in terms of armament, it significantly surpassed the Russian garrisons in the Far East.

An alliance between China and Germany, especially a military alliance, must not be allowed. The German delegation, headed by the German Minister of War Falkingham, aroused the suspicion of the Entente even more, and the British and French governments issued instructions to the ministers in China almost simultaneously, telling them to pay close attention and do everything in their power to prevent such actions that might further complicate the international situation. (To be continued.) )