German Red Prince

Page 142

"It seems that the kingdom's focus is now on the new armored forces. New tanks and all kinds of weapons have been equipped to those forces, and we can only pick up what's left over."

Metz sighed. The requirements for joining the Storm Commando were very strict. It required going through several layers of investigation and testing. Metz's overall score was eighth in the entire battalion, which was how he got into the commando team.

I never imagined that my time in the commando unit would end so soon, less than three years later.

"Don't listen to those people's nonsense. The merits the commando team made during the war could fill a cathedral if their medals were hung on the wall. How could such a unit be disbanded just like that, unless the kingdom's high-ranking officials have gone mad?"

The Kingdom's Hunters, once the most formidable force in the Rhine, have been around for so many years, yet they're still around, haven't they?

Although their commando team cannot compare to the hunters, their achievements are all real and hard-earned. They can't just be disbanded like that, can they?

"I think the kingdom's higher-ups have all gone mad."

Metz smiled. Among the kingdom's army, those who harbored the most resentment were undoubtedly the soldiers.

Everyone is now praising Thorne to the skies, while the Storm Commandos are full of complaints. His Highness Thorne's military reforms have almost pushed them to the bottom of the military, and soon they will be on the same level as ordinary infantrymen.

As the group was grumbling, the company commander ordered them to assemble and began distributing weapons.

"These are the Kingdom's latest submachine guns, and they are now being issued to us for replacement."

Looking at these cheap weapons, everyone's mood was already low, and now they were even more disappointed. Although they were using the latest weapons, they just couldn't feel happy.

"See, I told you so. These submachine guns were just issued to other units a while ago; even the regular regiments received them before us. We're only getting them now. We're becoming increasingly neglected."

Metz spat on the ground while holding the new gun. Although it was much lighter than the guns they had now, it felt very heavy on his back. Submachine guns were their pride, and Metz felt ashamed to be carrying this one.

Walking with a belly full of resentment, it's natural to find fault with everyone. Metz was particularly irritable, and everyone seemed to be in his way.

"Hey! New recruit, don't you know how to salute when you see us?"

Metz pointed at a passing soldier and shouted, "Officers salute them, but this guy just walks away like that?"

In the past, a salute would have been fine, but this time it was different; Metz had called out to a troublemaker.

The man glanced at Metz, smiled inappropriately, and simply raised his hand towards Metz.

He's an armored soldier, and the status of armored soldiers in the kingdom is unmatched by these infantrymen.

When Metz saw him like this, his anger flared up instantly. He had been holding back his anger for a long time, and today he was going to vent it on this person.

He dropped his submachine gun and rushed up to fight the soldier. The two of them were fighting, but some people, not wanting to miss the fun, ran to both sides and called for reinforcements.

Of course, they would come to help when their own people were being attacked, and the armored soldiers and the assault team had always been at odds with each other.

Armored troops, aiming to replace assault teams as the new elite in the army, naturally dislike these old-timers who are unwilling to step down. In turn, the assault teams, of course, must also strike hard against this branch of the military that wants to replace them.

The situation quickly escalated into a melee between the two sides. Thorne, of course, had no idea what was happening until someone rushed over to report to him, and he learned that the assault team had actually started fighting with the armored forces.

274. Confucius of Shandong

What kind of armored grenadiers are these without armor? Thorne is building a first-class force for the Kingdom of Rhine. If elite armored grenadiers don't even have an armored vehicle, what's the point?

Hearing Thorne's words, Rommel also began to complain. The 1st Panzergrenadier Regiment was using leftovers from the 1st Panzer Division, which Rommel found unacceptable.

They're all number one, so why do they always pick up what others have left over? This armored grenadier regiment is full of excellent young men, not much worse than others. When will they be able to equip themselves with their own gear?

Rommel pointed at the young men standing ramrod straight and began to complain to Thorne.

“Your Highness, our First Armored Grenadier Regiment is severely lacking in armored vehicles. Although the regiment is equipped with enough trucks, these trucks can only serve as a means of mobility and increase marching speed. Our soldiers can't possibly fight all day sitting in trucks, can they?”

Trucks lack effective defensive weapons. On the battlefield, a truck full of soldiers is more appealing than canned meat. If it appears on the battlefield for no more than ten seconds, it will definitely become the target of all firepower.

Thorne was certainly aware of this problem. Looking at the determined young man, he realized that reducing casualties on the battlefield was the direction Thorne should strive for.

These people are not just cold, hard numbers; they also have fathers and mothers who are waiting for them to come home. How could Thorne just throw them onto the battlefield to die?

"My fellow soldiers, I have the utmost respect for you. To be able to enter the First Armored Grenadier Regiment, you are all the most elite warriors in the kingdom."

"Future wars will definitely not be trench warfare like the Great War, but rather the annihilation of the enemy in motion. I think your daily training has already made this clear."

"I believe that our 1st Armored Grenadier Regiment can create miracles. Our unit was born to win!"

"Armored grenadiers are born for victory, and what I need to do is help you march toward victory! Each of you has an unwavering fighting spirit, and what I need to do is give you an extra weapon in your hands! Defeat all enemies who dare to provoke the kingdom!"

Long live the kingdom!

The soldiers of the armored grenadier regiment shouted in unison, as Thorne had assured them that the armored grenadier regiment would definitely have its own tanks.

In terms of the nature of the army, Rommel's armored grenadier regiment should be called a mechanized infantry regiment, which operated in conjunction with armored divisions.

If tanks are the spearhead of the attack, then these people are the "shields" protecting the tanks' advance. They ride in motorized vehicles and fight in coordination with the tank corps.

The tanks broke through the enemy's lines, and the task of the cooperating armored grenadiers was to widen the opening on both flanks and break through the enemy's single-point defenses.

The tank's mission is to advance forward, tear open gaps in the enemy's lines, and then continue to attack the enemy's rear.

At this point, the grenadiers' mission was to continue expanding their gains. As mobile infantry, they could also protect the flanks of the tanks. Blitzkrieg required not only tanks but also highly mobile infantry, which is the significance of forming armored grenadier regiments.

As an elite branch of the army, the armored grenadiers have not been established for very long, but they are a key focus of the kingdom in terms of both training and equipment.

In addition to their standard weapons, their firepower is more powerful than that of other units. With the new submachine guns designed, each squad can be equipped with five of them. As for machine guns, once the MG42 machine gun is deployed, their firepower will be even more ferocious.

Thorne wasn't satisfied with this. Once he developed the STG44 and increased production, he would eventually phase out those heavy-duty bolts.

As mentioned before, since they are called armored grenadier units, they must be armored!

Although Thorne had already instructed Mercedes-Benz to begin development, and with the involvement of Ford Motor Company, upgrades to trucks and motorcycles had begun, it was still far from enough; the armored grenadier regiment needed much more equipment.

The 1920s were the most active period for military thought. During this time, many countries began to reform their military thinking. Whoever found the right direction during this period was able to become a leader in the following era.

As we all know, in any time and space, whoever wins a war will receive more negative buffs than positive ones.

Germany's victory in World War I went to its head, and its military thinking stagnated. In terms of military thought, Germany had begun to fall behind the French Commune.

Tanks are still a relatively new technology, having only been developed for about ten years. Various countries are still exploring and implementing research and applications for tanks.

The large-scale centralized deployment of tanks was already an unprecedented attempt; besides France, the second country to do so was the Kingdom of the Rhine.

However, the French Commune at that time had no idea that it could form a mechanized legion to support tank attacks.

The armored grenadier regiments have now largely become motorized, and trucks and motorcycles are in high demand in the barracks.

The next step is to begin mechanization, and Thorne will start designing infantry fighting vehicles.

Although the German Empire's army already had armored vehicles in Thorne's time, Thorne really didn't think much of that little gadget.

In Thorne's eyes, this was more like an armored car than an armored vehicle. Thorne thought that putting a layer of sheet metal on a car would have the same effect as these armored vehicles.

This vehicle has very thin armor and poor off-road capability. It is also picky about the terrain and can only travel on flat roads. Such performance is completely unsuitable for the needs of the battlefield.

There's no flat ground to be found on the battlefield; a few shells can leave behind a mess. The tanks Thorne needs must be capable of off-road driving and have sufficient speed to move quickly across the battlefield in conjunction with tanks.

Thorne's focus had always been on Guderian's armored corps, and he had been so busy rushing to meet the tank development deadline that he hadn't had time to pay attention to the research on armored vehicles.

However, Thorne wasn't completely clueless. The biggest advantage of time travelers is that they can avoid detours and save a lot of time.

During World War II, Germany had an outstanding armored vehicle that was standard equipment for armored grenadiers on the battlefield and a frequent feature in various World War II films and television shows.

This tank is the famous "Shandong Confucius" of German military equipment.

275. Tracked, half-tracked, wheeled

SdKfz is an abbreviation of the German word Sonderkraftfahrzeug, which means special motor vehicle.

Because of this abbreviation, he is also known as "Shandong Confucius" by Chinese military enthusiasts, referring to Confucius who persuaded people with virtue.

The SdKfz 251 half-track was designed and produced by Germany during World War II, taking into account the tactic of armored infantry coordinating with tanks in mobile warfare.

Taking these factors into account, Germany designed and produced this general-purpose half-track. From the start of World War II in 1939 to the end of the war in 1945, there were more than 20 variants of this half-track, with a total of approximately 15000 vehicles produced during those years.

The SdKfz 251 half-track made outstanding contributions during the war. As the core infantry combat vehicle used by the German army in World War II, it performed tactical tasks such as reconnaissance, fire support, and personnel transport very well, helping the army to expand the tactical effects of Blitzkrieg.

Although the SdKfz 251 did not have the power of a heavy tank, nor did it have the prestigious name of the Panzer IV, Panther, or Tiger, it participated in almost every German military operation, transporting large numbers of soldiers, weapons, and ammunition to the front lines.

Armored vehicles are the undisputed battlefield taxis for soldiers, traversing various complex terrains on the battlefield.

This vehicle adopted the then-popular half-track running gear to increase its passability in harsh terrain.

It uses the 3tHLKL6 half-track transport vehicle chassis from the German company BorgWard, specifically referencing the technical basis of the 3-ton SdKft 11 unarmored tractor, and improving and developing the SdKfz 250 model, expanding the body of the SdKfz 250 model.

This makes it a versatile half-track armored vehicle capable of carrying a squad of 10 infantrymen. If you include the driver and assistant, one vehicle can carry 12 people, which is just enough for a squad.

The design of the 251 is also full of the characteristics of the times. It has wheels in the front and tracks in the back. The front wheels help with steering when driving on the road, while the rear tracks increase off-road capability, allowing the vehicle to travel on various complex roads.

It uses a Maybach engine with a top speed of 55 kilometers per hour. The engine is located at the front of the vehicle body, a design that facilitates the opening of a tailgate at the rear of the vehicle.

To provide the driver with a good view, the design also features an increased slope on the top of the engine compartment, and the transmission has 8 forward gears and 2 reverse gears.

The rear track is a metal track with rubber pads, with a ground contact length of 1.8m and a track width of 280mm. The drive sprocket is in front, the idler sprocket is in the rear, and the road wheels are arranged alternately.

This armored vehicle was outstanding during World War II and can actually be used directly now, but Thorne does not intend to use it directly.

The tanks currently in service with Germany include both fully tracked and wheeled vehicles.

While fully tracked vehicles have good off-road performance and can travel in complex terrain like tanks, they are very expensive to produce and difficult to maintain.

Moreover, fully tracked armored vehicles move very slowly when carrying personnel. Due to the immaturity of the transmission mechanism, the tracks often have problems, resulting in short lifespans and low stability.

Wheeled vehicles use wheels and tires, which are relatively inexpensive to produce and easy to manufacture. They can travel quickly on regular roads, which seems like a very cost-effective option.

But as Thorne mentioned before, this kind of armored vehicle is just a car with metal plates on it. It doesn't have enough power and can't be used in places with poor road conditions. Its off-road performance is too poor. Once it gets to the battlefield, it won't be able to move. Everyone will have to get out and push the vehicle.

Both tracked and wheeled armored vehicles have their advantages, so using a combination of tracks and wheels to create a vehicle that takes the best of both worlds seems like an excellent choice.

Currently, armored vehicle research in various countries is not very mature. After the war, only Germany and France had the capability to conduct research, while other countries did not have the resources.

However, France focused its research on tanks, while Germany went straight to development, so if Thorne had actually developed the 251, it would have been a first in this timeline.

Based on wheeled vehicles, the rear wheels were changed to tracks. The half-track armored vehicle combines the advantages of both. Compared with wheeled armored vehicles, it has better off-road performance and can be used in places with poor terrain conditions. Compared with fully tracked vehicles, the half-track armored vehicle has a faster travel speed and is relatively easier to produce. It is also less expensive than fully tracked vehicles.

Although half-track vehicles were an excellent design and shone brightly during World War II, they quickly disappeared after the war.

As half-track vehicles gradually faded from view after the war, although on the surface they seemed to combine the advantages of two traditional vehicles, they also meant combining the disadvantages of both.

Vehicles with this hybrid transmission configuration have a very complex structure, making maintenance and repair extremely difficult and requiring a significant investment of manpower and resources.

Furthermore, there's another very awkward point: the power of a half-track armored vehicle relies on its two front wheels. If those two front wheels are damaged, the vehicle is essentially totaled.

The precision of German engineering puts logistical strain on the SdKfz 251 armored vehicle. Its half-track structure makes maintenance and repair complex, requiring a significant amount of time for each maintenance.

Furthermore, there is another very undesirable aspect: half-track armored vehicles are not as good as wheeled vehicles in terms of road mobility, and they are not as good as full-track armored vehicles in terms of driving on muddy or complex terrain.

In terms of future development philosophy, half-track vehicles have no future and will be quickly phased out after the end of World War II. Therefore, Thorne does not intend to invest funds in the design of such equipment that has no future.

The half-track design combines wheeled and full-track systems. One initial idea was that the designers believed such armored vehicles would have better off-road capabilities and would be cheaper than full-track armored vehicles.

This means that the complex steering design of fully tracked vehicles can be eliminated, and steering can be achieved simply by turning the two front wheels.

However, subsequent research revealed that they had oversimplified the situation. While the front wheels were fine on ordinary roads, they struggled on complex terrain.

In this situation, it is necessary to reinstall the removed track steering mechanism. On flat roads, the front wheels can be used, while on complex road conditions, the rear tracks can be used for steering.

This design actually makes the structure more complex, and the so-called cost advantage disappears. With the development of technology, it is destined to be phased out in the future.

Half-track vehicles are destined to be phased out, so Thorne might as well go and develop more promising wheeled and tracked armored vehicles.

Although both armored vehicles have some problems, Thorne has ways to simplify and upgrade the technology.

276. Rhine Horse

During World War II, Germany's fervor for half-track armored vehicles reached its peak, and they were always coming up with all sorts of new designs. Not only Germany, but most countries during World War II were also engaged in the research and development of half-track vehicles.

The Soviet Union had the NATI-GAZ-60 half-track vehicle, and the United States had the M2 half-track vehicle. Several major countries were improving and developing half-track vehicles. In the end, it can be said that they had been perfected to the extreme. All the advantages were there, and the disadvantages could not be changed.

Half-track armored vehicles were too lackluster, so Thorne decided to start with conventional full-track and wheeled armored vehicles. Half-track vehicles that combined the two types of vehicles were only mediocre, so it would be better to upgrade these two types of vehicles.

The mainstream armored vehicles now are still tracked towed armored vehicles. After all, the technology is not yet mature. Although wheeled armored vehicles are cheaper to manufacture, they cannot adapt to the complex environment on the battlefield.

The current wheeled armored vehicles have poor off-road performance and need a relatively long period of improvement and upgrading. However, Thorne had previously gone to the United States to introduce advanced experience and technology from other countries, so upgrading them is not a difficult task. It's just that the armored grenadiers urgently need a combat vehicle, and time is tight.

Compared to wheeled armored vehicles, the technology of fully tracked armored vehicles is more mature and more suitable at this stage. Thorne is not in a hurry for wheeled armored vehicles; this can be discussed and designed after the fully tracked armored vehicle is finalized.

During the Second Industrial Revolution, Germany rose rapidly, and its industrial level was outstanding in the world. This certainly included German automobile companies. The quality of German cars was among the best in the world. After all, they produced more than just cars during World War II.

Do you think Porsche's most famous product is the 911 sports car? Actually, Porsche's most impressive product during World War II was the Maus tank. Do you think Volkswagen only makes civilian cars? Actually, it was supported by Hitler. During World War II, it manufactured a large number of tanks and armored vehicles for the German army. Even the classic Beetle was modified into various military vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, these three most famous car brands, also played a huge role during World War II, supporting half of Germany's military industry.

BMW, do you think it only makes cars? No, BMW is most proud of its aircraft engine design. During World War II, BMW's engines enabled the German Air Force to dominate the skies, and the engines of most of the German fighter jets were produced by BMW.

Their main business is aircraft engines, and vehicle production is just a side business. The 275 heavy motorcycles they produced charged into battle on major battlefields and became a classic of their generation.