Armoured train

War can sometimes give rise to a more brilliant civilization. Wisdom enables people to learn from the wars of the past, preventing the repetition of old mistakes in future conflicts. To achieve victory in war, humanity often applies the most advanced science and technology to create incredible weapons that define their era. When technology transforms weaponry, new tactics emerge on the battlefield, leading to brilliant victories. It can be said that the thousands of years of history to which human civilization can trace back are filled with memories shaped by war.

When breakthroughs in metallurgical technology occurred, the Han civilization was able to militarily suppress the nomadic tribes. Tactics involving infantry phalanxes and light cavalry were developed to combat the cavalry of the steppes, leading to significant Han victories in their expansionist wars. The invention of the stirrup later allowed cavalry to effectively attack infantry formations. This innovation marked the rise of heavy cavalry, increasingly sidelining the infantry and causing the agrarian civilizations to lose their military edge over the nomads—until advances in Tang Dynasty metallurgy revived the effectiveness of elite infantry, once again turning them into a nightmare for the nomadic peoples.

The rise of the Mongols marked the zenith of cavalry tactics. They combined advanced metallurgical technology with a mix of light and heavy cavalry tactics. The Mongolian cavalry learned and adapted through constant battle, eventually evolving into the undisputed masters of the age of cold weapons. They decimated numerous civilizations, but as time passed, they too were eventually lost to the sands of history.

Within a mere century, humanity entered the era of gunpowder weapons. Guns and cannons began to be widely used, and skilled craftsmen propelled the wheels of history forward, enabling humans to kill each other more efficiently. Around the world, including in the declining Ming dynasty, it became evident that cavalry was no longer the sole key to victory. Innovations such as flintlocks, rifled guns, fixed ammunition, and breech-loading artillery transformed warfare in just a few decades, replacing millennia-old combat methods with the grim ballet of line infantry and artillery.

Bravery became less significant; wars now hinged on the collective courage of entire nations. Later, the introduction of barbed wire and trenches made warfare synonymous with mud and cold. Machine guns and heavy artillery rendered infantry assaults disastrously inefficient. Both sides entrenched themselves, waiting for the enemy to bleed themselves dry in futile assaults. Such brutal warfare had never been seen before, with millions of lives altered by its outcomes. It was no longer just the armies at the front that mattered but also the industrial and material might amassed in the rear.

Despite this being a well-known history, it's often overlooked that the adversaries who stood on opposite sides can serve as the greatest teachers for various civilizations. For instance, who would have thought that the artillery used by the Ming Dynasty at the front lines of Jiliao City would provide the Manchu Eight Banners with valuable war experience? This experience, after more than two hundred years, led to the Western powers imposing humiliating treaties on China.

In France, victorious in the previous war, there was a firm belief that their military theories were the most advanced and capable of securing future victories. Thus, even during economic downturns, France invested heavily in constructing the extensive Maginot Line. This defensive barrier was intended to drag Germany into a prolonged trench warfare in any future conflict, with Britain's naval blockade wearing down the Germans.

Poland, reborn after World War I, found itself squeezed between the powers of East and West from day one. Every capitalist country saw Poland as the first line of defense against the Soviet East, a bulwark against the spread of communism to the West; France hoped Poland would help contain a resurgent Germany. As a new and not particularly wealthy nation, Poland could not afford extensive fortifications or large standing armies on both fronts. Thus, Poland was particularly interested in weapons that could be rapidly deployed to the warfront, serve as mobile strongholds, and be equipped with heavy artillery. The solution was the armored train.

Before the maturity of tank technology, the armored train was a veritable king of land warfare. It could carry several large-calibre artillery pieces and hundreds of fully-armed soldiers to the battlefield at high speed, all while being protected by armored plating. These trains could stop anywhere along the tracks and transform into fortified steel strongholds.

Now, such a weapon stood before German infantry, resembling a colossal steel beast obstructing the German advance. Its artillery fired in salvoes, and within half an hour, the Germans had made no progress. The infantry's 75mm anti-tank guns were ineffective against this steel colossus. The thick armor of the main carriage could deflect long-range shots from the 75mm projectiles, and any close-range approach was met with devastating fire from the train's own 75mm cannons, produced by the Krupp factory.

A German Panzer III tank attempted to close in on the behemoth but was struck by fire from two rotating turrets on the armored train. Thick smoke billowed from the stricken German tank, and the bodies of several German soldiers lay scattered around. This failure led the subsequent assault guns to completely abandon their attack plans. Then, German engineers attempted to approach the formidable Polish behemoth with explosives, but due to heavy Polish infantry protection behind the train, this plan also ended in failure.

"Call in the Air Force," the German commander, observing from a concealed post on a nearby hill, instructed his adjutant. "General Rommel is not far behind, and if he arrives, he will criticize our slow progress."

"Commander, our attack speed is already the fastest in human history. More than 90% of other units don't advance as swiftly as we do," the adjutant replied, frustration evident as he grasped the field telephone.

"There is no fastest, only faster! Now that we've made history, why not set a record that others can't surpass?" a charismatic voice said from outside the observation post. Along with the voice, a young general entered, followed by a large entourage including staff officers and an adjutant guard. This general, Erwin Rommel, bore the marks of experience on his face, which added not age but a mature charm. A slight, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips, enough to captivate the free-spirited German girls. His appearance was strikingly handsome, more so than many younger officers.

Dressed in a dusty gray-green military uniform, a freshly awarded Iron Cross medal hung on his chest—a recent commendation from the head of state for the 7th Army's exemplary performance in the initial phase of the attack. Besides the medal, the most notable items he carried were a miniature camera and binoculars hanging around his neck. Rommel, unlike others, chose not to wear a helmet but instead sported his signature broad-brimmed hat adorned with the national emblem, topped with stylish pilot's goggles.

As commander of the 7th Armored Army and a famed proponent of armored warfare, Rommel immediately took charge. "Let the infantry and the tanks make a feint attack, use smoke bombs at maximum range to obscure the enemy's view! See that hill up front? Set up 88mm cannons to bombard the target directly! Must I teach you everything?" he said, barely glancing around before beginning to issue orders.

"Yes, General! I will have the position taken within half an hour," replied the field commander responsible for the area, saluting sharply.

"Next time, consider using the 88mm anti-aircraft gun... This is something I picked up in Spain," Rommel added, lifting the binoculars to his eyes to survey the Polish defenses. "If that fails, call in air support immediately! Look at the time you've wasted and the lives of fine soldiers squandered!"

"I'm very sorry, General," the commander, a recent transfer from the police force to the army due to an expansion of the forces, responded, standing at attention. "Understood."

Soon, four 88mm cannons were in position. Under cover of the smoke bombs, they unleashed a barrage that devastated the Polish armored train, rendering it a bullet-riddled hulk. The Polish forces eventually abandoned the train and retreated eastward on foot. A dozen German tanks, along with infantry, quickly overran the position. The battle was over swiftly.

Afterward, a group of German infantrymen curiously climbed aboard the disabled Polish armored train to inspect this peculiar weapon. Rommel also approached, touching the outdated superweapon, then picked up his camera to photograph the officers and men of the 1st battalion, 1st company, posing triumphantly in front of the captured train.