Capítulo 23: Planning 4
I went to my uncle's house on Thursday and only returned on Friday night. I arrived home tired, but I wanted to translate at least one chapter. Moreover, I translated a bit hastily because I'm sleepy, so if there are any errors, please let me know so I can correct them.
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After wandering around all day, Wilhelm discovered that the Soviet industry was even more backward than he had imagined. Most processes were done manually, and there was very little use of mechanized equipment. If he had known this earlier, he would have demanded more food from the Soviets. Even if he asked for an additional one million tons, the Soviets would have obediently provided it.
After dinner, Tukhachevsky came to Wilhelm's room again, holding a document. "Your Highness Wilhelm, Comrade Stalin has agreed to allocate an area for your country to train soldiers. The location is in the Kazan region."
Kazan?
When Kazan was mentioned in the Russian military history community, it sparked a debate focused on two questions: whether there was a secret school for training armored troops for Nazi Germany before World War II, and whether Heinz Guderian, later known as the "Blitz Hero" of the Nazi army, had actually received training at that school.
According to some declassified documents, this Kazan tank school did exist. For a long time, the school was coded as "KaMa" - KaMa is the name of a river in Siberia, and there is also a city called KaMa nearby. The cooperation between the Soviet Union and Germany at this school continued until the end of the summer of 1933.
As for Guderian, he was already the Chief of Staff of the German Motorized Troops when the Kazan tank school was established. However, he did visit Kazan, inspecting the work there as a general. The Kazan Museum still holds a comprehensive report by the OGPU (one of the predecessors of the KGB) documenting Guderian's entire trip to Kazan. The report reveals that in addition to visiting the Kazan school, Guderian also visited the famous landmarks in Kazan, including the Peter and Paul Cathedral. He attended a service and expressed his dismay at the dilapidated state of the church.
After discussing official matters, Tukhachevsky couldn't wait to have his men place the battlefield topographic maps and military markers on the meeting table. "Please, Lieutenant Colonel Guderian."
"..." Even Wilhelm didn't expect Tukhachevsky to be so eager to test Guderian. Could it be that he wanted to explore Germany's armored warfare tactics?
Unfortunately, Guderian's theory of "Blitzkrieg" wouldn't emerge for several more years, giving Wilhelm a chance to see how capable this "Red Napoleon" really was. "Since you're so eager, Lieutenant Colonel Guderian, you can't embarrass Germany."
Although Wilhelm said that, he already had a feeling that Guderian was no match for this "Red Napoleon."
"..." Guderian was even more frustrated. Germany didn't even have a tank at the moment, so where did he have any experience in armored warfare? But fortunately, he had been a cavalry officer in the previous war and felt that he only needed to replace horses with armored vehicles.
With this in mind, he reluctantly stood opposite Tukhachevsky and began placing military markers.
As the two men kept moving the markers, Wilhelm realized that Guderian's tactics still reflected the characteristics of an old cavalry officer: leading a cavalry unit to swiftly break through enemy defenses, then penetrating deep into the enemy rear, encircling and annihilating the enemy's main forces.
When the simulation was halfway through, Guderian's face was already covered in fine sweat. He shook his head in frustration. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I've lost."
"..." Wilhelm looked at Tukhachevsky, who obviously wanted to continue but held himself back, and spoke to Rommel, who was watching on the side. "Captain Rommel, you will face General Tukhachevsky in the next round."
"Haha, Your Highness Wilhelm, you really think highly of me. It's one against two, and I don't have much confidence." Despite his words, Tukhachevsky calmly set up his military markers.
In this round, Rommel suffered the same decisive defeat as Guderian.
Even Wilhelm felt a bit frustrated. "Lieutenant Colonel Manstein, it's your turn." Manstein had gained a lot of experience and information from visiting armored units in some European countries.
The result of this round was that Guderian and Rommel's forces were completely defeated, while Tukhachevsky and Manstein's remaining forces were at a stalemate and couldn't overcome each other. It was a draw.
Although Wilhelm appeared calm on the surface, there were already stormy waves in his heart.
Tukhachevsky truly deserved the title of the "Red Army's Napoleon," even the war god Zhukov regarded him as the "military thought genius, the brightest star among our country's military figures."
He couldn't possibly have shown his full strength in these three rounds, right?
This guy had to be eliminated, otherwise, who would be his opponent on the real battlefield?!
Watching Guderian, who lost three rounds in a row, and Rommel, who lost two rounds, looking downcast, Wilhelm couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and amusement. He clapped his hands and praised, "Absolutely brilliant! Your Excellency General truly possesses godlike military skills. Even if Napoleon were alive, he would probably have to step aside." Damn it, if flattery could kill, he could flatter Tukhachevsky for three days and three nights without even taking a sip of water.
Tukhachevsky showed a humble smile. "Your Highness Wilhelm, you overestimate me. These gentlemen are also quite capable. Given time, they can become outstanding commanders in their own right."
Wilhelm coldly snorted inwardly. Of course, he didn't need Tukhachevsky to tell him that. They were all future shining stars of the Empire. "However, I have noticed a few issues and would like to seek your advice, Your Excellency."
"Your Highness Wilhelm, please go ahead," Tukhachevsky, a traditional military man, was also eager to hear Wilhelm's insights on the strategic exercises.
"From the simulations we just conducted, I noticed that Your Excellency excels in utilizing combined arms tactics. My question is, there is a difference in speed between tanks and infantry. How do you ensure that the infantry arrives on the battlefield at the same time as the tanks? Is it intentional for the tanks to slow down to accommodate the infantry?"
Tukhachevsky was taken aback. He had already significantly reduced the use of combined arms tactics in the simulations. Yet this Highness not only keenly observed it but also asked such a professional question, making him once again appreciate Wilhelm's astuteness.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Tukhachevsky gave a concise answer. "Our plan is to transport the infantry behind the tanks to ensure their coordination. How many infantry can be carried on a tank? His true idea was to have a large number of armored transport vehicles to guarantee the coordination between tanks and infantry. However, he couldn't reveal this idea to Germany, a potential future enemy.
Regrettably, the Soviet Union's domestic production capacity had not yet met his requirements, and his dream could not be realized for the time being. But he firmly believed that with the arrival of industrial equipment from Germany, the Soviet Union's production capacity would make a leap forward. In ten years, they would be able to achieve effective coordination between tanks and infantry on the battlefield, right?
Wilhelm chuckled inwardly. Trying to deceive him? It seemed that this General was also wary of Germany. Unfortunately, you don't know my background. I am familiar with all the tactics of World War II. However, he didn't give it away, put on a look of sudden realization, and continued, "Oh, so you're planning to place these infantry and tanks in the same unit, General?"
Tukhachevsky nodded. "Yes."
Wilhelm casually picked up a few military markers and placed them on the map. "If we were to engage in a battle, would there be other units, such as infantry divisions, behind this combined unit of infantry and tanks?"
Tukhachevsky replied, "Yes, after all, infantry divisions are the main force, and armored units are only used for breakthroughs."
Wilhelm adjusted the markers he had placed. "According to your vision, what would this armored unit do after breaking through the enemy's defenses? Would it advance deeply or turn around to form an encirclement, assisting the infantry in eliminating the enemies within the encirclement?"
Tukhachevsky remained silent. He felt his eyelid twitching slightly. The Crown Prince's questions were becoming sharper and hitting the mark. The first question could be explained as a lucky guess, but the subsequent series of questions couldn't possibly be coincidental.
This Crown Prince had a far better understanding of armored troops than anyone else!
"If it were up to me, once the armored units break through the enemy's defenses, they should continue advancing into the depth to disrupt the enemy's rear." Tukhachevsky's response became even more cautious, with each word carefully considered.
Wilhelm continued to fiddle with the military markers in his hand. "Even if we break through the enemy's defenses and prepare to advance into the depth, it's one thing if it's just a few tens of kilometers, but what if the depth reaches several hundred kilometers? The supplies carried by the armored units themselves are simply not enough. How do you plan to ensure the safety of logistics? If the supply lines are cut off and the armored units run out of fuel, they will become sitting ducks for the enemy, won't they?"
Tukhachevsky also picked up a few military markers and placed them next to Wilhelm. "Behind the armored units, I will arrange a mechanized infantry unit to safeguard the flanks and rear of the armored units. If necessary, they will also provide additional infantry support to the armored units."
Wilhelm couldn't help but marvel at Tukhachevsky. He truly deserved to be called the founder of the Deep Battle theory. It was only 1928, yet Tukhachevsky seemed to have developed a complete theory of Deep Battle.
This theory was based on the lessons learned by the Soviet Army from the First World War and was formulated to adapt to the development of weapons and equipment. It served as an important guiding principle for conducting offensive campaigns. It emphasized using lethal weapons to simultaneously suppress the enemy's entire defensive depth, breaking through the enemy's tactical defensive lines in the selected direction. Afterwards, rapidly deploying concentrated forces to exploit the operational success, and if possible, using paratroopers for airborne operations to quickly turn tactical victories into operational victories in order to achieve the desired objectives as soon as possible.
To illustrate his point, Wilhelm provided a few examples. "Suppose we are facing three to five enemy army groups, with a defensive zone spanning 30 kilometers in width and 20 kilometers in depth. According to the tactics used in the First World War, we would concentrate firepower on the enemy's first line of defense and gradually advance after consolidating our gains. However, according to the theory of Deep Battle, the focus of the attack should not be on width but on depth. We should concentrate firepower and engage the enemy's entire defensive depth within a frontal area of 3 to 5 kilometers, quickly piercing through the entire defensive zone, and then deploying reserve units to expand the gains. The theory of Deep Battle requires a significant number of forces. In general, an Army Group conducting a Deep Battle campaign would consist of 3-4 Shock Armies, 1-2 Regular Armies, 1-2 Infantry Corps forming the reserve, a Rapid Deployment Airborne Army, and reinforced Corps. That's why the Soviet Union had massive battles with millions of troops in World War II."
That wasn't exactly good news.
"But what if the enemy establishes strong fortifications and supply points at key transportation hubs along the path of the armored units? What if these areas have ample anti-tank firepower and sufficient supplies? If we launch a frontal assault, we would suffer heavy losses and slow down the advance of the armored units. If we detour around, our logistics forces would be harassed by the enemy garrisons in these areas. What would you do in such a situation?"
As Wilhelm tried to come up with ways to disrupt Tukhachevsky's envisioned Deep Battle theory, Guderian and Manstein were also amazed. The intense debate-like discussion lasted for over half an hour. Seeing Tukhachevsky's displeased expression, Wilhelm got up and bid farewell. He didn't know what Tukhachevsky was thinking, but he hoped he wouldn't dwell too much on these matters.
After seeing off Tukhachevsky, Wilhelm instructed the others, "I will be heading to Daming tomorrow. The rest of you, stay here and take this opportunity to explore."
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