Chapter 49: Time

Yang Zhi had never doubted that the armored troops could break out of the gap on the French defense line. Unexpectedly, the armored troops' assault speed was too fast. When other fronts were still competing with the French troops hiding in the trenches, the four armored divisions had completed the established combat mission 48 hours in advance. According to the original estimate, the judgement of the staff under Yang Zhi was that it would take at least 72 hours before the armored assault cluster could complete the task of occupying Blaichur to cut off Verdun's French army.

The result of insufficient preparations was that the Chinese infantry division closest to Bulaikur was still 40 kilometers away. The armored assault group lost the protection of the infantry. The most fatal thing was that the fuel it carried had been exhausted and the troops had not much ammunition left. There was no possibility of retreat, so you can't leave the tank and run away, right?

Yang Zhi could only order the armored assault cluster to try to stick to it on the spot and wait for the follow-up infantry to follow up.

Chen Yiyang is very troubled now. The power of the tank has brought him too many surprises before, but now it has brought him too many troubles. The existing fuel can allow all tanks to travel up to ten kilometers, and there is not much ammunition. Without fuel and ammunition, tanks are just a pile of scrap iron. The Chinese army still has too many problems in the combat effectiveness prediction and logistics supply work of armored troops. Of course, facing new things, it is inevitable that one kind of problems will occur. Chen Yiyang has no time to think about what to do in the future. To solve these exposed problems, what Chen Yiyang has to face now is how to defend Bulaikur. Originally, the information showed that Bulaikur was a French logistics base. Chen Yiyang felt that there would be no trouble with ammunition supply after shooting here. As a result, the troops below reported that most of the warehouses found in the warehouse are food, medicine, clothing and other supplies. Although some ammunition was found, they were rifles and machine gun bullets, and no 75mm caliber shells were found.

It is obvious that Chen Yiyang will take time. If the French army does not respond in time, the subsequent infantry will be able to reinforce in time at most 12 hours. Chen Yiyang quickly sent a telegram to the subsequent infantry, allowing them to arrive at Blaichur as fast as possible. At the same time, Chen Yiyang ordered to occupy Blaichur's troops and form a defense line on the spot to prevent the French army from attacking.

"Battery Commander, I found several warehouses in front." A sergeant ran over with a submachine gun and panted. Chen Liyao, who was having a headache on the side of the command vehicle, was also in a headache after receiving the order from his superiors. If the fuel and ammunition were sufficient, the French would come to fight back and there was nothing to worry about.

Chen Liyao and Clawson were discussing how to arrange a defense line of about one kilometer wide for him to defend the sergeant. Hearing the sergeant's shout, he put down the pencil in his hand and looked over and said, "Did you find any good things?"

"There are shells of all kinds of calibers."

Chen Liyao hurriedly followed him and looked. The lucky one was that the three newly discovered warehouses were all filled with shells, among which the tanks could use more than 10,000 75mm caliber shells. This was undoubtedly good news. Chen Liyao threw the matter of laying out the defense line to Clawson, and he found a bicycle to come with the command center of Chen Yiyang.

"Did you say your subordinates find shells? Did you find fuel? The French have equipped a large number of cars? Didn't we seize more than 30 cars? There won't be a fuel depot here, right?" Chen Yiyang was obviously surprised, and even had a little greedy idea. The reason for this idea was that he got bad news half an hour ago. After learning that the left wing front was attacked by the Chinese armored group, the French commander of Verdun immediately ordered six infantry divisions of the reserve team to go for reinforcements. As a result, he did not block the armored cluster that was too fast, but blocked the four infantry divisions that followed. The assault cluster led by Chen Yiyang completely became an isolated army. After learning the news, Chen Yiyang got angry and hurriedly sent a telegram to Yang Zhi, asking him to reinforce the troops as fast as possible and open the temporary defense line formed by the French reserve team.

At this time, what Chen Yiyang most hopes is of course sufficient fuel and ammunition for the assault cluster, so that he can kill him and attack the French reserve team forward and backward.

"There is no fuel, only shells, and a total of more than 10,000 75mm caliber was found." Chen Liyao's answer disappointed Chen Yiyang. It seemed that the armored assault cluster had to hold on to the rescue now.

"I have an idea, what do you think?" Chen Liyao thought of this idea on the way to report the news. Chen Yiyang would not refuse to listen to any suggestions in the face of the current situation.

"Well, if you have any ideas, please tell me."

"I took the seat. Before Bulaikur, there was an infantry division stationed, but we defeated them with an assault. I thought that the problem of our shells has been basically solved now. It is not a solution for us to be passively beaten. Isn't this giving up all our advantages of strong mobility? So I think, it's better to concentrate all the fuel that can be found and add all to a regiment of tanks. As long as it can be driven for two hours. This unit can be hidden as a general reserve. After the French army discovered the gap in Bulaikur, they must counterattack. At that time, we will defend first. At the critical moment, let the unit suddenly come out and give the French army a ruthless person. Maybe it will be a daze to the French army."

"Concentrate the fuel in a group, and use other tanks as fixed turrets?" Chen Yiyang thought for a while, punched the table hard and said, "Okay, just do it this way. We can't give up our advantages of strong mobility and strong assault ability."

Seeing that Chen Yiyang accepted the opinion, Chen Liyao was going to say goodbye and go back to continue preparing for defense. As a result, Chen Yiyang called him and said, "Wait a minute, since the idea was yours, please stay and help advise on how to use this reserve team. At the same time, I decided to let you lead this reserve team."

Chen Liyao smiled bitterly, and knew in his heart that this time he was a little bit like shooting himself in the foot. Chen Yiyang has always been worried about Chen Liyao leading the team to charge forward. Now Shen Liyao came out to make an idea, and Chen Yiyang just went with the flow to solve the problem. How to say it? Since it is a reserve team, it will naturally not fight on the battlefield at the first time, and it will always be left to go to battle until the last critical moment. In this way, the possibility of Chen Liyao being injured or sacrificed in the battle is much late. When it is necessary to break through at a critical moment, Chen Yiyang can also use military orders to force Chen Liyao to lead the reserve team that can still be activated in the tank to fight out.

Chen Yiyang has taken great pains to grow up in the Presidential Palace since he was a child. How could Chen Liyao, who was influenced by his eyes and eyes, not understand Chen Yiyang's thoughts?

Chen Liyao knew even more that he could not resist this order because the military order was like a mountain, and Chen Yiyang had sufficient reasons. Furthermore, Chen Liyao knew that since Chen Yiyang knew his identity, the battle had reached this level, and it was already very good for Chen Yiyang to do this.

"I was promoted from a second lieutenant three months ago. You asked me to command a regiment now? It's a very excessive thing for me to command a battalion now. My battalion commander seems to be an agent, right? You are nepotism!" Chen Liyao thought about it, and it seemed that this only way could resist Chen Yiyang.

"Now it is on the battlefield. If you have the ability, go up and if you don't, go down. How can there be so much nonsense? Now I order you to use your battalion as the foundation, draw tanks and soldiers with good crafts from each unit to form a temporary reinforcement regiment. You are the temporary acting leader of this regiment. Time is urgent and you will be in urgent need of power. I have no place to find a suitable candidate for a while. It is you, obey the order."

Chen Yiyang gave Chen Liyao no room for resistance, and immediately wrote the order and asked his subordinates to drive and cooperate with Chen Liyao.

On the entire battlefield of the Western Front, the defense line of the British and French forces is like a flood control embankment. Once a gap appears, if it is not blocked in time, a situation of breaking a thousand miles will soon be formed.

The French top leaders were of course very clear about the seriousness of this point, but like the Chinese military, they did not expect that the armored cluster was so powerful that it occupied Bulaikur in more than a day. When Bedain, who was in Paris, learned the news, it was already six hours after Bulaikur's loss. After Bedain was shocked for ten minutes, he hurriedly searched the map for the French troops closest to Bulaikur.

Within an hour, Betton ordered an infantry army and a cavalry division stationed in Baledik to issue a gathering order, and must be prepared within 12 hours to launch the battle to recapture Bulaikur. Next, Betton found that his luck was really good. He entered the Chinese assault cluster in Bulaikur, but did not mean to move to the right wing, but stopped in place. After learning that this Chinese army was a brand new force equipped with a large number of new tanks, Betton was puzzled for a while and judged that there was a possible problem with the logistics of the unit. An hour later, Betton found that his luck was a little too good. The subsequent infantry of the Chinese army was blocked by a French reserve between Argonna and Bulaikur.

A Chinese assault cluster with problems with logistics supply, after completing the incredible assault feat, became a completely lonely army. Betton seemed to have seen the mistake that happened to the German army in the early stages of World War I repeat, and the luck that fell on Xia Fei would fall on his head.

Beden immediately ordered that the Second Army gather all the cars they could find, transport the troops to the periphery of Bulaikur as fast as possible, and eat the overly thrust Chinese army at the fastest speed.
Chapter completed!