Farmers are still working hard in the spring fields, but due to the impact of the war, there are now many fewer young and middle-aged men in the fields.
A train passed by on the railway extending through the wilderness. On this train from Vienna to Bucharest, two people wearing Romanian military uniforms were chatting.
"Major Hoffman, the war has had a great impact on this country. Many farm work has to be done by these old and weak women and children."
An officer wearing a Romanian military uniform looked out the window at the pastoral scenery of Austria-Hungary and said to the officer next to him who was obviously a few years older than him.
This officer named Hoffman was Heines von Hoffman, the founder of the Romanian Armored Battalion. He observed the British and French use of armored vehicles on the French front, and found that it was different from what he had imagined, because the Western Front had entered the trenches.
In the war, wheeled armored vehicles had little room to play on the front line. He could only observe more about the mobilization and maintenance of armored vehicles by Britain and France.
This time I went back because news came from Constanta that the tracked armored vehicle had been completed, and he, the head of the armored battalion, needed to see if it met the requirements. Hoffman, who had already had a thorough understanding of the use of armored vehicles by Britain and France, of course immediately put down his hand.
I rushed back to check the weapons and equipment I needed.
The Major Irascu next to him was much more prosperous. When he was a military observer, he not only personally flew a plane into the sky to compete with the Germans, but also shot down a German fighter jet. He also relied on himself to almost look like a man in a big ship.
The protagonist's charming appearance made many French girls fascinated by him. According to the gossip that Hoffman learned, there were even several girls who got pregnant for him, and even caused trouble in the military camp. This caused the military of the two countries to do this.
He also had a headache, so he was also recalled to the country.
Two returning Romanian officers took a train from France to Italy, and then from Italy to Austria-Hungary. Now this was the last leg of their return journey. On the train, Hoffman, an armor theory officer with a scholarly air, also
Major Irascu was a playboy-like pilot. It took a lot of time for the two of them to gradually understand each other from being mutually exclusive. What they had in common was talking about military theories for the future.
In the consensus reached by the two, they both believed that emerging weapons such as aircraft and armored combat vehicles will be the main direction of future military development. As for whether to focus on armored combat vehicles or aircraft, this is where their small differences lie, and both need
They discussed further to eliminate it. Now the two of them have in common to obtain more funds for their own arms and accelerate their own development.
In fact, when they were arguing, the Romanian military had already made a decision based on the situation of the European War. It planned to split Romania's current flying force into the third flying force based in Iasi (54 aircraft + 4 spares)
, the Second Flying Group based in Pitesti (54 aircraft + 4 spares), the Fourth Flying Group based in Constanta (48 aircraft + 4 spares), and the First Flying Group based in Bucharest (58 aircraft
+6 spare) complete Romanian air defense system.
Of course, this is only the plan prepared by Romania this year. In the future, each flying team can be expanded according to the development of the situation. Major Irascu, who seduced girls in France, will be assigned to the third flying team to protect the border, which is considered a right
He was punished abroad for restraining himself. Of course he will be appointed as the deputy captain of the flight team to command the air combat, but I don’t know whether this is a punishment or a reward for him?
As for Hoffman's armored battalion, there is nothing that can be done. The cost of armored fighting vehicles is too high, and it has not performed well in this European war so far. If it weren't for King Edel's insistence, the General Staff
Even the expansion of the establishment could not be approved. In the end, relying on the authority of the king, the armored battalion formed by Hoffman was approved to be expanded into two companies of wheeled armored fighting vehicles (14 vehicles per company), and two companies of tracked armored fighting vehicles.
A large-scale battalion (12 vehicles per company). Including the maintenance company, accompanying infantry company medical personnel, etc., the entire battalion has a strength of 821 officers and soldiers.
The two men, who did not know the details yet, continued to look at the scenery along the railway. It was completely different from the smoke-filled scenes they had seen on the battlefield before. This made the two officers who had just returned from the battlefield still linger on the peaceful scene. However,
Even when the scenery along the American railway came to an end, they passed through Austria-Hungary and entered Romania within two days. After another half-day's journey, they arrived at the terminal, Bucharest.
Of course, it was impossible for the General Staff to hire someone to pick up the two mid-level officers when they returned home, unless they could reach the level of generals. After getting off the car, the two immediately called a taxi and rushed to the General Staff Headquarters. They were still waiting for the General Staff Officer
The Ministry’s arrangements for the two of them.
The two rushed to the busy General Staff Headquarters. If they followed normal procedures, they would first go to the Organization Department to report and tell the military that they were back, and then wait for the Organization Department's job arrangements. However, because these two officers are both Chiefs of General Staff
Because of the direct involvement of the king, Colonel Borquez, the director of the Organization Department, was quite polite when he received the two people. He also arranged their whereabouts in a matter of minutes.
Major Irascu was arranged to go to Iasi to serve as the deputy captain of the 3rd Flying Group, and something else happened to Hoffman. After sending Major Irascu away, Colonel Borquez faced Hoffman in front of him.
The major said. "Major Hoffman, you are still appointed as the battalion commander of the Armored Experimental Battalion. Your Majesty and His Excellency Pleshan both see your efforts, so we have prepared a new military rank for you.
Let you better command the troops."
After saying that, he took out the two-star shoulder straps and badge representing the lieutenant colonel from the drawer. Colonel Borquez told Major Hoffman. "Originally, it was Lord Preshan who was supposed to promote you to the military rank, but now you see
As of now, the situation at the General Staff Headquarters. Moreover, the General Staff Officer is inspecting the situation of each unit. He is really too busy, so you need to rush to Constanta immediately. So this time, your promotion will be done by me."
Looking at the military rank representing lieutenant colonel, it was impossible for Hoffman not to be excited. He said quickly, "It doesn't matter, this is really an unexpected surprise for me."
Hoffman's promotion was actually due to the expansion of the armored experimental battalion. In the process of expanding the armored battalion at Eder's insistence, the cost was already equivalent to the cost of two infantry regiments. Again
It was no longer appropriate for his commander to hold the rank of major, so that was why Hoffman was promoted immediately upon his return to the country.
And Major Hoffman, who had no idea what was going on, was a lieutenant colonel now, so he took advantage. When Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman walked out of Colonel Borquez's office, of course he immediately found his new friend Major Irascu.
Congratulations. The two went their separate ways after staying in Bucharest for one night. Lieutenant Colonel Hoffman is now eager to see the tracked armored combat vehicle successfully developed by the Volkswagen factory.