Beiyang 1917

() "Regimental Commander, I think we can get off early... The train of the 140th Regiment must have got off near the Lopan River Bridge and entered the battlefield as a whole. As for us, although our train followed them, we didn't have to Wait for them to vacate the space before catching up to get off. We put the drop off point three kilometers south of the Lopan River Bridge, and...we will deploy the artillery first...Of course, the advance team must be sent out, and I will take it The regiment's motorized reconnaissance company went to the front station, took the radio, and headed east along this road... We can't squeeze into the front line, but our cannons can fire before the artillery of the 140th regiment?!". .

Don't tell me, Captain von Witzleben's idea really made the eyes of the major's acting head brighten. Von Lib rested his chin and looked at the map, and then at the staff officer who was eager to try. The commander, pondering, said, "Chief of staff, you are the brains of the regiment commander, and you are inseparable from day to night. Why, just thinking about making meritorious service and getting medals to advance, leaving the main force of the regiment and the regiment leader behind?"

"Hey, head, head, where is this going? Why don't you lead the advance team, and the regiment headquarters and I will follow behind. This is the head office? Head, what I mean is that we can't just follow the 140th regiment to collect foreign land. , I have to find a unique way to go east...

I estimate that after the Muto Brigade crosses to the south to join the Yonezawa United Team, the main attack will be the Lopan River Bridge. Therefore, the 140th Regiment, as the vanguard of the counterattack, must fight all the way to the bridge before getting off. What about us? Going the other way, we got off the car 3 kilometers south of the Lopan River Bridge in advance. When the 140th regiment got off the car, our advance team was estimated to be able to meet the enemy first in the east... At that time, the artillery would also start... ...This lead is our regiment's..." ..

The chief of staff of the regiment, von Weitzler, was barely gearing up. Of course, the regiment leader needs to control the overall situation and the main force of the regiment. The task of leading the advance team's reconnaissance company cannot be allowed to take risks in person. Of course, von Weitzler It is true that Captain Leben was a little anxious. The 141st Reserve Infantry Regiment was originally a unit made up of reserve soldiers. In the 47th Reserve Infantry Division, it was the unit with the weakest combat effectiveness. The three battalion commanders were all lieutenant ranks. Most of the company commanders are second lieutenants. This team is energetic but lacks experienced backbones and officers...

This is both a defect and an advantage. It is not too much to describe it as a newborn calf not afraid of tigers. Everyone wants to get a medal and be promoted to a military rank after a battle. go?

"Report, Captain William Keitel, commander of the 141st Artillery Battalion, is here to report!" The voice of the loud report came from the entrance of the regiment, and the voice was quite loud.

"My dear Wilhelm, old friend, come in quickly!" Major von Lieb rushed forward to welcome the artillery battalion commander into his tent, and the chief of staff von Witzleben also enthusiastically stepped forward to talk to him. Captain Keitel shook hands. Of course, the three of them saluted each other in a serious manner before shaking hands and embracing each other.

Keitel was born in Helmscherode in Braunschweig, German Empire. His father was a middle-class landowner. Keitel completed his studies in Göttingen. He began his military career in 1901 as an officer student, and then served in the 6th Field Artillery of Lower Saxony in the German Army. In 1909, he married his wife Lisafontaine, who was a wealthy landowner, and had 6 children after marriage. During the First World War, he served in the 46th Field Artillery Regiment of the German Army on the West Front. In September 1914, he fought in Flanders. The right forearm was seriously injured by shell fragments.

After recovering from his injuries, Keitel was sent to the "Staff Headquarters" as a staff officer in early 1915. At the end of the First World War, he was retained in the "New German Army" and recruited to form a new unit numbered German Zi You Corps Border Guards The army was stationed on the Polish border, and also served as a staff officer of a divisional unit, and finally served as an instructor in the "Hannover Cavalry School" for two years.

All for Captain Keitel of Germany In this time and space in 1918, this captain who was born as an artillery company commander had already served as the battalion commander of the 47st Artillery Battalion of the 47th Artillery Regiment of the 141th Division of the Reserve Infantry. As I said before, the German Army on the Eastern Front was originally a second-line force. After more than four years in the European War, as reserve divisions in the second-line German army, there were not a few captains who served as battalion commanders and lieutenants who served as company commanders. Many reserve troops The company commander is even just a second lieutenant.

The 36-year-old Captain William Keitel, commander of the 141st Artillery Battalion, and Captain von Witzleben, chief of staff of the 141st Infantry Regiment, have a very good relationship. This is what Captain von Witzleben suggested. The reason why Major Bu brought Captain Keitel together to study the action plan of the 141st Infantry Regiment.

"William, with your artillery battalion to help out, just now Erwin suggested that our artillery should get off the train ahead of schedule, and try to attack the Allied Forces Muto Brigade at the same time as the 140th Infantry Regiment leading the battle. See if this plan is feasible. We plan to stop on the railway line 3 kilometers south of the Lopan River Bridge, and then the artillery battalion unloads the car, and deploys the artillery position near the intersection of the railway and this road. There is a forest nearby, which will help us hide our position... ..."

Although Major von Lieb is an acting regiment commander, he is definitely not an idiot. He cut straight to the point and pulled the artillery battalion commander named William, who was also called William, to the map, pointing to the location where he was scheduled to get off and explaining.

Captain William Keitel leaned forward to take a closer look, raised his head and said in wonder, "Major, don't we drive all the way across the Lopan River Bridge with the 140th regiment? It can save time, but the maximum range of our cannons is only more than 8 kilometers. In this way, our artillery fire can only cover the southern city area, and may not even be able to reach the east gate... If we cross the Lopan River If it enters the southern part of the city, then my artillery fire can cover the entire Kharkov old city fortress in all directions..."

Captain von Wetzleben and regimental commander von Lieb blushed when they heard the words. The chief of staff of the regiment here, von Wetzleben, rushed to explain, "William, don't we still have the 140th Artillery Battalion in front of us?" Is the 140th Regiment assigned to Lieutenant Colonel von Blomberg as the vanguard... If we can unload the vehicles after they unload and deploy, we are afraid of delaying time, and... we analyze that the reason why the division headquarters put the artillery regiment The three field artillery battalions are distributed to the infantry regiment, the purpose is not only to strengthen the support firepower of the regiment, but also to prevent the artillery positions from being too concentrated, so that the targets are too large and easy to be attacked by the coalition air force!"