Chapter 536: Commander, Didn’t You Say "Armored Cavalry"? (Combined - )

For Major Maximilian von Weichs, the news that the 5th Guards Reserve Cavalry Regiment was finally being incorporated into the instruction unit and reorganized as the army's first "Armored Instruction Regiment" brought a long sigh of relief.

It wasn't for any other reason; purely that the heavy stone hanging in his heart had finally landed.

From the Western Front phase of this war, the ancient combat branch of the cavalry had been constantly taking hits. Although the 5th Guards Reserve Cavalry Regiment hadn't been committed to battle previously, the continuous frontline reports of massive cavalry casualties had kept Major Weichs quite anxious.

The sweep of machine guns, the blanket of artillery fire, the barrier of barbed wire...

Everything was telling the cavalry that their once-proud charges had become an expensive form of suicide.

Therefore, Major Weichs had constantly worried that one day, his unit too would suffer heavy casualties charging an enemy position in a now-ineffective, meaningless assault.

Back when the joint Austro-Saxon forces shattered the main force of the Serbian Royal Army at the border, the instruction unit was temporarily expanded into "Kampfgruppe Morin," and Major Weichs was incredibly fortunate to have his cavalry regiment attached to it.

That surprise deep-penetration maneuver behind enemy lines, the subsequent sudden change of direction to launch a lightning strike against the Kingdom of Romania, and the experience of fighting all the way to the gates of Bucharest—all of this completely changed the Major's perception of warfare.

Speed, firepower, surprise...

The chemical reaction produced by combining these three elements made Major Weichs realize for the first time that this was far more devastating than hundreds of warhorses forming lines and charging.

So, when the Kampfgruppe laid siege to Bucharest, Major Weichs took advantage of a brief rest period to seek out Morin and express his concerns about the future of the cavalry to this absurdly young Colonel.

He admitted there was an element of a gamble. Because he had constantly heard that Morin's research into Army tactics and techniques was extremely deep, and that he would listen to others' ideas, he made this somewhat brash move.

But looking back now, Major Weichs felt that was probably one of the most correct decisions he had made in his life.

If he hadn't taken the initiative to "pour out his grievances," when Morin was currently building the "Armored Instruction Regiment," he probably wouldn't have thought of him and the 5th Guards Reserve Cavalry Regiment at all...

After all, there were countless people in the Army desperate to get into the instruction unit.

"Commander, Mass is about to begin."

His adjutant's reminder from outside the tent interrupted Major Weichs's reminiscence. Because the instruction unit's garrison was still undergoing expansion, the newly incorporated units were temporarily camped out in the field.

"Coming."

Major Weichs straightened his uniform, lifted the tent flap, and stepped out.

Today was the day the personnel of the newly formed "Armored Instruction Regiment" would attend Mass in batches as members of the instruction unit. The location was the newly completed "Armed Chapel."

Leading them were several "Instruction Unit 1st Class" officers, their chests adorned with Iron Crosses and numerous other rare medals.

"Major Weichs, sir, please follow us."

The leading 1st Class captain nodded to him, then led the formation toward the northeast corner of the garrison.

When the brick-and-stone building came fully into view, Major Weichs paused.

From the outside, it was indeed a chapel, built in standard Gothic style. Yet, subtle decorations highlighted the characteristics of a "military building." Next to the cross on the roof hung the instruction unit's battle flag.

Solemn, majestic, yet without feeling out of place.

Pushing open the heavy oak doors, the interior space was far more expansive than Major Weichs had imagined.

At the front was a standard Catholic altar arrangement. Sunlight refracted through a massive circular rose window, casting a brilliant and vibrant patch of light in front of the altar.

On the colonnades lining both sides, every single pillar had a date and a place name carved into it.

Major Weichs's pupils contracted. If his guess was correct, these were all campaigns the instruction unit had participated in... He had seen them in various combat reports and military briefings previously.

During Mass, half of Major Weichs's attention drifted to the colonnades around him.

Only when Mass ended and the army chaplain delivered the final blessing did the 1st Class captain step to the front of the formation again.

"Mass has concluded. Next—"

He turned to face Major Weichs and the officers and NCO representatives of the Armored Instruction Regiment.

"Please follow me to the rear corridor. That is the instruction unit's 'Unit History and Honor Hall'."

"As you officially become a part of this unit, you need to know exactly what kind of unit you are joining."

Major Weichs nodded, following behind the captain into the entrance of the corridor behind the main hall.

On the walls flanking the corridor, bronze plaques stretched from the entrance to the very back, arranged chronologically.

Detailed information was engraved on every plaque: Campaign Name, Time, Location, Participating Forces, Main Course of Events, and Casualty Data.

In the spaces between the plaques, actual captured items were displayed—enemy uniforms, shrapnel-pierced helmets, blood-stained diaries, various enemy regimental flags, weapons, and more...

"This was the airborne assault on the Liège Fortress."

The 1st Class captain stopped before the first plaque and began narrating in a calm tone.

"At the time, the instruction unit was only a battalion in size. To take the fortress as quickly as possible, the Colonel decided to employ an aerial assault, leading us to jump from airships directly into the interior of the Liège Fortress... I was one of the 20 assault team members who participated in that operation..."

As this "eyewitness" gave his account, Major Weichs and the others felt their scalps tingle.

20 men, airborne assault, striking directly into the fortress.

Before this, he had only seen brief mentions of this in combat reports. But having an eyewitness stand before you and recount the entire process in the first person delivered an impact on a completely different level.

Especially since this eyewitness was a "veteran" who had survived on the front lines from the very beginning of the war; his entire presence was distinct.

None of the cavalry officers behind Major Weichs were whispering anymore; everyone followed quietly.

The plaques of campaign after campaign swept past them.

The encounter at Charleroi, the lightning strike on Arras, the street fighting in Amiens, the final offensive at Creil...

For every battle, the captain would briefly add a few details that only an eyewitness could provide.

As they reached the middle of the corridor, Major Weichs noticed a special area.

Display cases there held fragments of heavy armor and broken weapons, labeled "Supernatural Spoils."

Right in the center, a black longsword emitting an ominous aura was secured to a custom display stand.

Even from a distance, Major Weichs could feel the chilling aura radiating from the sword, making him instinctively want to stay away.

Major Weichs wasn't unfamiliar with this longsword.

When the Battle of Bucharest concluded completely, Colonel Morin had carried this supernatural weapon on his back while reviewing the Kampfgruppe soldiers alongside Lieutenant General Marwitz.

After finishing the tour and exiting the corridor, Major Weichs felt as if he had undergone a baptism. His understanding of the instruction unit had reached a new level.

But this level also instilled a deeper sense of awe toward the instruction unit and Morin himself...

"Commander..."

A regimental staff officer beside him leaned in, his voice very low.

"They're a little too good at fighting, aren't they?"

Major Weichs nodded heavily without replying and continued walking forward.

But his ears caught the whispers of the other staff officers behind him.

"Can we become this good at fighting in the future? It's simply unbelievable..."

"Did you see that sword? My legs went weak just standing near it..."

"It hasn't even been a year since the instruction unit expanded from a battalion to its current size, right? What kind of monsters are these guys...?"

Major Weichs stopped and turned to look at these officers with Imperial Guard cavalry backgrounds.

Their expressions held shock, awe... but mostly an eager excitement.

"Stow your sighs of amazement..."

Major Weichs finally spoke, and everyone looked at him intently.

"Starting today, we are men of the instruction unit... As long as we can truly integrate into this legendary unit, we can accomplish those miracles too!"

He paused, sweeping his gaze across everyone, especially the few cavalry officers closest to him.

"But before that, I want every single one of you to stow that 'superiority' complex you used to have."

Major Weichs spoke bluntly, but everyone present knew exactly what he meant.

This was a common malady among cavalry units in the transitional period to the modern era—the belief that they were the elite who struck the decisive blow, inherently nobler than the infantry.

This sense of superiority might have been maintained before the war broke out, but the machine guns and artillery in the current total war had long since shredded the knights' fantasies to pieces.

"You must understand, this is a hard-won opportunity... and there will never be a better one. I hope every one of you can grasp it!"

Major Weichs emphasized his words, continuing, "We will treat ourselves as recruits who know absolutely nothing! Learn, train, and give it everything you've got!"

The officers snapped to attention and nodded in agreement.

No one objected; after all, what they had just seen in the corridor was enough to shut up even the most arrogant person.

However, what Major Weichs and his cavalrymen didn't expect was that despite their thorough mental preparation, they were met with a harsh reality on the very first day of official training.

Major Weichs had carefully reviewed the training schedule issued by the brigade headquarters to the Armored Instruction Regiment the night before.

Vehicle driving, formation maneuvering, infantry-vehicle coordination, communication drills... he was mentally prepared for all of these.

But when he flipped to the physical training section at the back, his brow furrowed.

Long-distance armed cross-country running, 400-meter obstacle course, weighted marches, close-quarters combat...

These subjects were identical to the training content of the instruction unit's infantry regiment.

What caused an even bigger headache was that because the half-track armored vehicles hadn't officially been delivered to the instruction unit yet, vehicle-related training had to be conducted in batches by rotating through the three manufacturing plants.

For the vast majority of the remaining time, they had to conduct infantry combat training. Of course, this was also primarily because the troop strength of the Armored Instruction Regiment had increased significantly compared to the former cavalry regiment.

According to Morin's plan, Major Weichs's "Armored Instruction Regiment" operated in a combat mode closer to the "armored infantry" or the earlier "panzergrenadiers" of the era before his transmigration.

After all, tanks hadn't appeared in this world yet... Or rather, the armored vehicles developed by Demag's engineering team weren't much different from early tanks to ordinary infantry.

So in the short term, these armored infantrymen would primarily fight independently or in coordination with Armored Knights.

Currently, the total troop strength of the entire Armored Instruction Regiment was 3,220 men, comprising 2,280 combat personnel and 940 logistics personnel.

And this was after Morin had pulled some logistics units into the brigade to prevent the instruction regiment from becoming too bloated.

It was projected to be equipped with 200 various models of half-track armored vehicles, 190 trucks... and 60 staff cars temporarily serving as jeeps.

It commanded two armored infantry battalions (each comprising 3 companies + one heavy weapons company), one regimental engineer company, one regimental anti-armor company, plus communication, maintenance, and transport companies/battalions...

So in reality, this "Armored Instruction Regiment" was formed by merging Major Weichs's cavalry regiment with another transferred infantry unit, making daily training to build teamwork absolutely necessary.

To ensure the training went smoothly, Morin also "thoughtfully" dispatched over a dozen "1st Class veterans" in the name of the brigade headquarters.

When Major Weichs and the other regimental officers first saw these "auxiliary instructors," they knew the subsequent training likely wouldn't be a walk in the park.

Especially since Morin had repeatedly emphasized that all officers must participate in the training, and their training volume must equal that of the ordinary soldiers. If anyone couldn't hack it, they should pack up and leave immediately...

This also meant the "veterans" Morin sent were equally the "instructors" for Major Weichs and his fellow officers during this period.

Just like all soldiers who had just arrived at the instruction unit, the nightmare for Major Weichs and his men had begun.

The massive amount of physical training had the soldiers of the newly formed "Armored Instruction Regiment" groaning in misery, making them feel that their previous training under the "new syllabus" was actually quite cute.

Of course, the primary reason for this was that the "1st Class veterans" Morin sent were excessively strict.

These men acted as if they feared the "rookies'" performance would tarnish the instruction unit's reputation, showing absolutely no leniency during training.

Even when facing Major Weichs and the other officers, while they maintained the appropriate etiquette and respect for superiors, they showed no mercy when it came to training standards.

After training like this for almost a week, during another long-distance armed march projected to be over 30 kilometers, Major Weichs, marching with the troops, heard a soul-searching question from a regimental staff officer: "Commander, didn't they say we were going to be 'Armored Cavalry'? Why haven't we seen any armored vehicles? We're just running on our two legs every day..."

This question left Major Weichs momentarily speechless. He felt like he wanted to go find Morin and ask for clarification himself.

He thought for a moment and could only offer an answer that seemed somewhat perfunctory but was actually the only correct one.

"Don't overthink it. Since we've come to the instruction unit, we must do as Colonel Morin emphasized at the welcoming ceremony—obey all orders!"

"If the higher-ups tell you to run, you run... You'll naturally understand once you finish running."

The staff officers' faces fell. When had they ever suffered like this as cavalrymen...? But ultimately, they had nothing to say. After all, they were already here and had already put in the work. Backing out now would be a pure loss, wouldn't it?"

Just then, hurried footsteps approached from ahead.

The "head coach" leading the training, Captain Schuler, and two NCOs had actually doubled back from the very front of the column.

Although the three men were sweating profusely, they clearly maintained breath control. They didn't appear visibly winded, as if the distance they had covered was merely a warm-up.

"Major Weichs! Good work! Among all the officers who have come to the instruction unit, your performance is among the best~"

Captain Schuler ran alongside him, greeting him with a smile.

Major Weichs: "..."

After excusing themselves, these three "beasts" of veterans continued yelling and urging the men behind them to speed up.

"Hurry up, hurry up! Are you telling me you're done after only 15 fucking kilometers?"

"You think you can drive armored vehicles looking like this? Run! Don't stop!"

Such scenes played out all along the long marching column, and the young "Armored Cavalrymen" could only grit their teeth in silence and pick up the pace.

When Major Weichs heard the number "15 kilometers," his brain buzzed.

15 kilometers?

He glanced down at his pocket watch and the departure time he had recorded. Based on their current marching speed and the elapsed time, he did a quick calculation...

Then he scoffed in exasperation, because they had definitely covered at least 20 kilometers by now.

It was amazing these "veterans" could lie so brazenly without batting an eye.

But Major Weichs didn't say a word, and the other officers could only grit their teeth and keep moving forward. After all, the instructors sent to help train them hadn't rested either; they had genuinely run with them from start to finish.

Factoring in doubling back, they had run even more...

When this long-distance armed march training concluded and the final group finally returned to the garrison, the sun was directly overhead.

Major Weichs calculated the total distance: it was indeed just over thirty-five kilometers, exactly as Captain Schuler had stated at the beginning.

But those intermediate checks "corrected" to 15 kilometers... were pure deception.

And after experiencing these past few days of training, everyone in the Armored Instruction Regiment had learned an important lesson: never trust any numbers coming out of the mouths of "Instruction Unit 1st Class" veterans...

Upon returning to the garrison, according to the customs of the Saxon Imperial Army, the instruction unit's officers did enjoy certain privileges. They didn't have to stand in formation on the parade ground with the soldiers waiting for the next order.

This was also one of the few minor adjustments Morin had made based on "national conditions."

Major Weichs and several regimental officers returned to their tent, finally able to sit down and catch their breath.

"I don't think I've run this far in my entire life combined..."

"Are those instructors even human? They looked fine after the run..."

The staff officers plopped into their camp chairs, their legs splayed out like noodles, panting and complaining.

One lieutenant took off his heavily marinated boots and socks, discovering two blisters on the soles of his feet, and winced as he dealt with them.

Major Weichs, equally near collapse, had just brought his canteen to his lips when Captain Schuler's voice boomed from outside.

It wasn't directed at them, but at the soldiers on the parade ground who hadn't been dismissed yet.

"Look at yourselves! Imperial Guard Cavalry, Imperial Guard Infantry... straggling and slouching! What kind of display is this?!"

"You only just ran 35 kilometers! And it was broken up into sections! We even gave you a 10-minute rest break in the middle!"

Then came another NCO's voice, even fiercer than Captain Schuler's.

"Companies, take your men for rest and recovery. Assemble at the 400-meter obstacle course training ground this afternoon!"

A collective wail arose from the parade ground.

Inside the tent, the hands holding cups trembled—Major Weichs included.

A long silence followed.

The lieutenant with blisters on his feet broke the silence first, but his words were completely different from his earlier complaints.

"Commander... after these past few days, I'm slowly beginning to understand why the instruction unit's combat capability is so strong."

"Hmm?"

"Turns out their own training intensity is even higher than the standards set in the newly issued training syllabus..."

Hearing this, everyone in the tent nodded in silent agreement.

The new edition of the training syllabus issued by the Army Ministry late last year had already significantly raised training standards across the entire army.

Officers in many main force divisions were groaning in misery, feeling the standards were set too high.

But after training with the 1st Class personnel these past few days, they realized the issued syllabus was probably a watered-down version...

"We truly came to the right unit."

Major Weichs took a large gulp of water, set down his cup, and stood up.

"When you're done resting, go outside and watch. Just as Colonel Morin answered the question 'how to establish authority'—don't let the soldiers think becoming an officer means you can slack off."

With that, he lifted the tent flap and walked out.

In the days that followed, the training tempo of the Armored Instruction Regiment was completely dictated by the 1st Class veterans.

Reveille at 5:30 AM, assembly at 6:00 AM, followed by uncompromising physical training.

Armed cross-country, obstacle courses, close-quarters combat, marksmanship... by the end of the day, when the armored infantry returned to the barracks, they essentially collapsed onto their beds and fell asleep immediately.

By the end of the first week, whether they were former cavalry or Guard infantry, they began to adapt.

By the end of the second week, Major Weichs was gratified to notice fewer and fewer people falling behind, and the soldiers' morale was completely different from when they first arrived.

Clearly, the foundation of the Guard Cavalry and Guard Infantry wasn't bad; they simply lacked experience in weighted marches and adaptation to high-intensity training.

And these things could be made up for with time and sweat.

As training entered the third week, news finally arrived at the garrison that thrilled everyone in the Armored Instruction Regiment.

The first batch of accepted half-track armored vehicles had arrived.

After the transport trains arrived at the station and the half-track armored vehicles were unloaded, technicians sent by Demag drove them directly over.

Amidst a low, continuous rumble, the armored vehicles—still sporting their factory-original gray paint—entered the garrison in a single-file line under the morning sun.

The sloped armor plates were caked in dried mud. The blackout headlights on either side of the hood emitted a dim, restrained glow. The tracks splashed mud as they crushed the earth, and the radiant crystal engines delivered continuous power with a deep roar.

"Are these our half-track armored vehicles?"

Major Weichs walked up to the nearest one, reaching out to touch the front armor plate.

The steel plate was cold to the touch, visually estimated to be over 10mm thick.

The front half featured a traditional wheeled structure, while the rear half was a tracked running gear. The rear of the hull was an open troop compartment with a row of foldable seats on each side.

"Yes, Major, these will be your rides from now on... The first batch totals 80 vehicles, including several primary models, enough for you to commence related training!"

A chief technician responsible for delivery came over with a manifest for handover.

After Major Weichs and the others verified the delivery, he walked around a model designated "Sd.Kfz 101/2."

The troop compartment of this model was reduced in size. The freed-up space housed a PAK 15 50mm anti-armor gun. The remaining space was packed with essential tools and ammunition.

"Major, does that mean this gun can take out an Armored Knight?" a staff officer beside him leaned in and asked.

"Theoretically, yes."

Major Weichs recalled what Morin had previously mentioned during an Armored Instruction Regiment officers' meeting.

"But it has to be at the right distance and angle."

As they spoke, footsteps approached from a distance.

Major Weichs turned to see Morin, Kleist, and several other brigade officers walking toward them.

"Colonel, sir!"

Major Weichs snapped to attention and saluted.

Morin waved his hand, walking up to the row of armored vehicles and inspecting them.

"How many arrived in the first batch?"

"80 vehicles, sir! The 8 Sd.Kfz 101/2s allocated to the regimental anti-armor company all arrived directly!"

"Hmm... there should be one or two more batches later, but the ones here now are enough for you to begin daily training!"

Morin patted the armor plating, turned and gave a few instructions to Kleist, then looked at Major Weichs.

"Major Weichs... Starting today, your 1st Battalion can take the lead in vehicle driving and infantry-vehicle coordination training. But I must clarify one thing first..."

Morin paused, a smile appearing on his face that gave Weichs a bad feeling.

"Commencing new subject training doesn't mean you don't have to do physical training anymore. After completing specialized subject training, you still need to conduct physical training, though the intensity will be slightly reduced... I will have the instructors adjust it based on actual conditions!"

Major Weichs didn't hesitate: "Yes, sir!"

He had anticipated this answer long ago.

Morin nodded in satisfaction, then ordered the relevant brigade departments to complete the inventory registration and allocation of the equipment as quickly as possible.

Before Morin turned to leave, Major Weichs hesitated, then finally asked a question.

"Sir, there is something I've always wanted to ask... Why are the physical training standards for the Armored Instruction Regiment exactly the same as the Infantry Instruction Regiment?"

Morin stopped and turned around.

"What do you think?"

Major Weichs thought for a moment: "Because the vehicles are merely transport... ultimately, the infantry still needs to dismount and fight, just like dragoons..."

"You're not wrong, but not entirely right."

Morin took two steps back, stopping in front of Major Weichs.

"Armored vehicles on the battlefield break down, get destroyed, get stuck in mud pits and can't move... The engines can overheat, the tracks can snap, they can run out of fuel..."

"When these things happen, your soldiers need to engage in combat like traditional infantry. You can't just say that because your armored vehicles are gone, you can't fight the war anymore, right?"

Major Weichs fell silent for two seconds, then nodded forcefully.

"I understand, sir."

Morin smiled, saying no more. He merely took a few more laps around the half-track armored vehicles before turning and leaving with Kleist and the others.

After walking some distance, Kleist glanced back at Major Weichs, who was still standing by the armored vehicles, and remarked to Morin.

"Commander, this Major Weichs is pretty good. The fact that he dared to ask you these questions shows he's already thinking like an instruction unit officer..."

"Of course. I recognized that 'quality' in him back then, which is why I thought about bringing his cavalry regiment over~"

Morin's expression remained unchanged as he spoke brazenly.

The arrival of the half-track armored vehicles made the instruction unit's garrison lively for several days.

Morin arranged times for all companies to visit in sequence, telling all the soldiers that these were their "new friends" they would be coordinating with in future combat.

While the instruction unit soldiers—whether veterans or newly transferred troops—circled the steel contraptions, touching here and knocking there, Kleist and Manstein stood by the window on the second floor of the brigade headquarters, watching the scene below.

After watching for a while, Kleist suddenly spoke up: "Erich... don't you think the role of these armored vehicles seems a bit familiar?"

Hearing this, Manstein turned to look at him.

"Are you thinking of Arras?"

Kleist nodded.

Arras, the lightning strike that caused the Britannian Expeditionary Force to abandon their Gallic allies and flee in panic.

In that battle, Morin had people work through the night to build a batch of "horse-drawn machine guns"... placing heavy machine guns on horse-drawn carts, protected by sandbags and armor plates.

Relying on this crude but surprisingly effective contraption, the instruction unit smashed the Britannian outer blocking force to pieces.

Now, looking at the half-track armored vehicles before them, they had armor protection capable of stopping rifle bullets and shrapnel.

They had mobility, more enduring than horses and more adaptable to complex terrain than trucks.

They had fire support, including not just vehicular machine guns but even anti-armor guns.

They could transport infantry, allowing troops to maneuver alongside the vehicles directly to the front lines before dismounting to fight.

"I realize these half-track armored vehicles are essentially a comprehensive upgrade of those 'armored horse-drawn machine guns'...""

Manstein voiced the conclusion.

"And they place significant emphasis on the troop transport function, enhancing the mobility of accompanying infantry."

Kleist hummed in agreement, adding, "This indicates that the Colonel already had the concept for these armored vehicles, or the prototype of this armored assault tactic, in his mind during the Battle of Arras... or perhaps even earlier."

The two exchanged a look, seeing the same sense of awe mirrored in each other's expressions.

Kleist turned back to the window, his gaze landing on Morin and Ludwig talking together in the distance.

"Colonel, just how far ahead can those eyes of yours see?"

On the parade ground outside the window, the soldiers inspecting the armored vehicles were still animatedly discussing the new machines.

Some were studying the track mechanisms and, upon learning that the armored infantry had to learn how to change tracks, began laughing with a "better you than me" attitude.

Some were peering into the troop compartments, while others closely inspected the 50mm "door knocker" mounted on the anti-armor variant.

On the other side of the parade ground, Morin stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ludwig in the shade of a large tree.

Ludwig shaded his eyes with his hand, squinting at the armored vehicles drawing a crowd nearby.

"So these are the things you mentioned before, the ones you plan to use for a 'high-low mix' with the Armored Knights?"

Morin nodded.

"You know the mobility of Armored Knights. The overland march speed is too slow; they can't keep up with the instruction unit's advance tempo... Right now, we can only rely on armored airship airdrops for rapid deployment."

Ludwig nodded helplessly. The Siegfried Type 1 Armored Knight weighed nearly 20 tons. While their charging speed wasn't slow, they couldn't sustain a charge for long and required auxiliary transport vehicles to relocate.

"So these half-track armored vehicles can solve the mobility issue for infantry clusters while providing a degree of fire support, giving them considerable combat strength of their own. They can fight without Armored Knight support..."

Morin pointed to the Sd.Kfz 101/2s equipped with 50mm guns.

"If they encounter enemy infantry and light fortifications, they can handle it themselves. If they run into enemy Armored Knights... then they hide, set an ambush, and sneak in a few shots with the Pak 15~"

"If they hit, it's a massive win! Even a one-for-one trade isn't a loss. Trading an armored vehicle for an Armored Knight? I think any Knight Order would cry over that."

Ludwig couldn't help but laugh.

"And if they miss? Or encounter something with frontal armor that's too thick?"

"Then they run, and call you for support while running."

Morin turned to look at Ludwig.

"This way, you won't have to roam all over the battlefield like before. You can save your engine hours for situations that truly require an Armored Knight to fight head-on."

Ludwig sighed after hearing this.

"I understand the logic... but to be honest, I actually really want to charge the front alongside the main force."

Having spent so much time with the instruction unit, Ludwig and the other Teutonic Knights had eaten, slept, and fought alongside the instruction unit's soldiers.

In the critical moments in the Balkan Peninsula, the Armored Knights had dropped from the sky countless times when the infantry was on the verge of breaking.

"Sir Knights," "Guardians of the Infantry"... that was what the instruction unit soldiers called them.

Ludwig wasn't easily moved, but every time he heard those titles, something within him truly stirred.

This feeling had allowed him to rediscover the long-lost "chivalric spirit," making him realize that by doing this, he might truly be practicing the virtues of a knight.

"Don't worry, there will be opportunities," Morin patted his shoulder.

"I've already tasked Demag, Borgward, and Mercedes with jointly developing a new type of half-track heavy trailer."

"What specifications?"

"Aimed at hauling away your 20-ton iron lump."

Ludwig's expression changed.

"Are you saying... Armored Knights will be able to sit on trailers and maneuver with the main force?"

"Correct... While the speed certainly won't match the armored infantry's own march speed, it'll be much faster than the tractors you're using now. Once you reach the combat zone, you simply dismount and deploy."

Morin continued to explain.

"The scale of future battlefields will only grow larger, and the direction of attack will shift from a single point to multiple points. Relying solely on airships to airdrop Armored Knights definitely won't be enough... So we need a means to transport Armored Knights on the ground."

Ludwig digested this information and nodded.

"You always think three steps ahead of everyone else."

"Only three steps," Morin shrugged. "I can't see any further than that~"

The two stood in silence for a while, watching the lively scene on the parade ground.

Then Ludwig suddenly spoke up, his tone becoming slightly nuanced.

"By the way... Since you've been back home resting, have you contacted Patricia?"

Morin's movements paused.

"I have, actually... Wait, why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Oh?!"

Ludwig's eyes lit up instantly.

"What did you contact her about?"

"It's inconvenient to say."

This answer made Ludwig's eyes bug out.

"You've become quite something, Friedrich... Having little secrets with my sister now? Keeping things from your own brother?"

"Hey! Don't get the wrong idea!"

Morin hurriedly waved his hands to explain: "It's work-related... Recently, the General Staff asked the instruction unit to cooperate with the Imperial Magitech Research Institute on a test. Patricia is involved in that project, so we have some professional contact."

"Merely professional contact?" Ludwig raised an eyebrow, a look of complete disbelief on his face.

"It truly is just professional."

"Then let me ask you..." Ludwig stepped closer, lowering his voice, "Patricia is so outstanding, don't you have any thoughts at all?"

Morin laughed in exasperation at the question.

"I mean, as her brother, how can you be pushing your sister away like this?"

"If it were anyone else pursuing her, I wouldn't approve~"

Ludwig stated righteously. The thick skin he displayed at this moment rivaled Morin's own.

"But you're different... Hero of the Empire, Commander of the instruction unit, a Colonel at this age... Keep the wealth within the family, you know?"

"What, do you think Patricia isn't pretty enough? She doesn't catch your eye? Weren't you pursuing her before?"

"Stop, I said stop!"

Morin raised his hands in surrender.

"End of discussion... My head is completely full of expansion and training matters right now..."

Ludwig snorted but didn't press the issue, merely muttering under his breath.

"It's only a matter of time..."

After the first batch of armored vehicles arrived, Morin took some time to review the three half-track models named by the newly established Mechanized Forces Inspectorate under the Army Ministry: "Sd.Kfz 1," "Sd.Kfz 100," and "Sd.Kfz 101."

The "Sd.Kfz 1" actually utilized the same 9-ton D9 chassis as the "Sd.Kfz 101."

However, it lacked the armored design, minimizing its dead weight to become a half-track transport vehicle.

It could be used to load supplies or tow artillery, positioned as a type of special supply vehicle for the "Armored Instruction Regiment."

The "Sd.Kfz 100" and "Sd.Kfz 101" were armored half-track vehicles developed on the 7-ton D7 and 9-ton D9 chassis, respectively.

The "Sd.Kfz 101" was further divided into "Sd.Kfz 101/1" and "Sd.Kfz 101/2" variant models.

These corresponded to an armored personnel carrier capable of transporting 10 infantrymen, and the model equipped with the "PAK 15" 50mm anti-armor gun.

In fact, upon learning the official designations of the half-track armored vehicles, Morin had specifically researched the Mechanized Forces Inspectorate's naming conventions.

"Sd.Kfz," just like in the other world, was an abbreviation for "Special Motor Vehicle" in Saxon, representing half-track vehicles excluding wheeled vehicles in the current context.

Designations from 1–99 represented unarmored vehicles, while 100–199 represented armored combat vehicles.

As a side note, this department, established early because Morin had prematurely initiated the construction of armored forces, clearly recognized the trend of Army mechanization.

Therefore, they also assigned the "Kfz" prefix to various wheeled vehicles already in large-scale use.

As the Armored Instruction Regiment began normal training, Morin also shifted his focus to the test mission he had discussed with Ludwig.

This test required elite infantry, Thunder Warriors, and two Imperial Mages from the instruction unit to act as the "attacking force."

In Morin's view, this "attacking lineup" was already quite luxurious at this stage; whether other nations could even muster such a force was questionable...

And the purpose of the test was to verify a new magitech defense facility's "capability to intercept supernatural units."