The battle on Hill 13 lasted for less than half an hour, and ultimately became the battlefield with the highest battle loss rate for the 231st Infantry Regiment.
According to the battle report of the 231st Infantry Regiment captured after the war, Major Yoshizo Sano personally commanded the Imperial officers and soldiers on Hill 13 with as many as 860 infantrymen. If the heavy machine gun squadron and artillery are included, the total strength reached 1,280.
The battle losses counted that night, on Highland 13 alone, included more than 640 infantry soldiers killed by Sano Yoshizo, and more than 60 artillery and machine gunners killed in the civil war. Not only did 700 soldiers die in battle, but there were nearly 300 seriously wounded soldiers.
That means that by attacking Hill 13 alone, the 231st Infantry Regiment suffered battle losses of thousands of people.
This is not a battle loss that the 231st Infantry Regiment has never suffered since it entered China. In the Battle of Zaoyi, the 231st Infantry Regiment suffered nearly 1,500 casualties. It was considered a heavy loss. But who was their opponent at that time? It was 33
An infantry division of the army group plus a guard battalion of the army headquarters.
But what about now? It’s just a small highland on the Chinese defense line with no more than a hundred troops stationed there. How do you think Yamada Masakichi felt when he saw this number of casualties?
If he were told that there were only 37 Chinese officers and soldiers on Highland 13 that day, including a second lieutenant and deputy platoon leader, and after a day of fierce fighting, only 4 people were sacrificed and 8 were injured. If we had to talk about the battle loss ratio
If so, the ratio between China and Japan is 1:80, how could it make the Japanese army commander so angry that he vomited blood on the spot?
In fact, Yamada Masakichi had already vomited blood.
Because on this day, the total casualties of the 231st Infantry Regiment were as high as more than 2,800, accounting for almost one-third of the main force of the division he led.
At any other time, Yamada Masakichi would have had to run away after vomiting blood, and would have lost more than 30% in one day. Does that mean that after two days of fighting, only his main army of seven to eight thousand people would be left?
How about dismissing him as a polished commander?
But the Japanese Army Colonel, who was so depressed that he vomited blood, not only could not run away, he even had to risk becoming a mere commander to continue participating in tomorrow's attack.
"Yamada-kun, the characteristics of this army you mentioned are most likely the so-called German weapon masters trained by the German idiots for the Chinese before the war. What does that mean? It means that the Chinese have given everything they have, as long as they can
After killing this Chinese elite in this mountain, the Chinese no longer have an army that can compete with the imperial army.
You have to cheer up. Even if you spend all your energy to drag it in this mountain and prevent it from supporting the already precarious frontal defense area, our division will still have done a great job.
In addition, the intelligence empire you want is doing its best to investigate, and there will definitely be news within the next two days." Murakami tried his best to encourage his close subordinates in the telegram.
Although Yamada Masakichi suffered unprecedented casualties, the 9,000-strong army led by him personally achieved a breakthrough on the central battlefield of Shipai and completely broke through the first line of defense of the 11th Division. In addition, on the right-wing battlefield, the navy also passed
The aviation forces worked together to completely defeat an elite infantry regiment of the 18th Division of the 18th Army of the Chinese side.
In other words, in the several battlefields currently being fought in Shipai, except for the heavy casualties on the left wing, there has been no progress, but from the other two directions, there have been achievements. From the overall perspective, the flaws cannot be concealed.
What Yamada Masaichi's department now wants to do is to hold back the Chinese elite troops on the left-wing battlefield and prevent them from supporting the central position.
This is what is said about waiting for the flowers to bloom.
Of course, if you want to hold back these Chinese elites who have beaten the 231st Infantry Regiment to a pulp, it doesn't mean that you can just stay on the side of Chen Bing's defense line. You still have to attack and continue to attack violently.
Drag with your life!
Yamada Masakichi really wants to cry!
He didn't know how long he had been studying the topographic map of Shipai. The so-called breakthroughs from the central position and the right wing mentioned by the division commander were actually several mountains away from the core of the Chinese position. Obviously, it was not possible to achieve it in a day or two.
The one who attacked, especially the defenders, was the 18th Army of China's five elite infantry corps.
Murakami's cliffhanger is drawing a pie for him! It depends on whether he has the life to eat this pie.
In fact, Lieutenant General Murakami was helpless because Lieutenant General Yokoyama Isamu, the commander of the 11th Army who visited Yiling in person, was also giving him a thumbs up and strictly ordered him not to order anyone to retreat.
Standing in the small courtyard of the temporary headquarters, the short-legged Japanese Army Lieutenant General with a sinewy face looked up at the stars with a cold expression on his face, because he knew very well the importance of this battle to the entire empire.
The empire's strategic focus has shifted, and the Army is gearing up to head towards Southeast Asia. In less than half a year, a large number of elite divisions will be transferred from the Chinese theater to the Southeast Asian battlefield. Those who will replace them will be B and C divisions that have been trained for less than half a year.
group.
The navy is even more daring. It is no longer satisfied with dominating inland seas such as the East China Sea and the South China Sea. They have set their sights on the vast Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The eyes of the empire's top officials are no longer limited to the land of East Asia, but are overlooking the entire Asia.
Once this grand strategic goal is achieved, the island nation will take off completely, and their descendants will no longer live in a corner, but will suddenly become the rulers of the largest continent in the world.
The glorious Chinese civilization and the resource-rich Southeast Asian countries will all become a thing of the past, and all history will be written by the island nation. Hundreds of years later, those slaves will only know that their masters are the Yamato nation.
Before these grand strategic goals can be achieved, what these generals have to do is to first resolve the Chinese resistance.
Once the stone plate is broken, the door to Sichuan Province, the most important logistics base for the Chinese at present, will be completely opened.
With such a wonderful prospect, what's so big about tens of thousands of people dying? Their deaths in battle will create a better and happier life for tens of millions of future generations.
To a certain extent, the notorious Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama was actually an idealist, willing to go through fire and water for the imagined beauty of the future.
Of course, it was the grassroots officers and soldiers under his command who jumped into the boiling water and the volcano, not him.
From another level, Yokoyama Isamu also has his own little ninety-nine. The former commander of the 11th Army, Okamura Koji, has been transferred to the commander of the North China Front and promoted to general. However, his successor launched two Tanzhou battles in the past year, all of which failed.
, although the opponent is tyrannical, even he admires the Chinese general named Xue, but there are many people in the base camp who criticize his commanding ability, even if it is not for the future, just to maintain his position as the commander of the 11th Army.
Heel, he also has to make some achievements in the Shipai battle.
Even if the 39th Division, the 13th Division, the Nogou Detachment, etc. are all defeated, Shipai must be conquered in this battle. These are the original words of Yokoyama Isamu's message to Murakami Keisaku.
As everyone knows, the Chinese Ministry of Military Affairs also sent similar telegrams to the general commanders of China's two theaters.
Even if the 70,000 troops in the deep mountains are exhausted, they still have to hold on to the stone plaque.
For this reason, the headquarters of the two lieutenant generals and division commanders of the 18th Army are basically less than 3 kilometers away from the front line.
The will of the top commanders on the front lines of both sides has determined that no matter success or failure, soldiers from both China and Japan must shed the last drop of blood in this mountain!
The battlefield known as Shipai No. 2 Meat Grinder was not Zhujiaping, where nearly 3,000 Japanese troops were lost in one day.
It is Sifang Bay, which is garrisoned by the First Battalion.
On the third day, the Japanese army captured several local villagers in a cave through reconnaissance. Under threat of life, they finally found out that there was a mountain road 4 kilometers on the flank of Zhujiaping, which could bypass Zhujiaping and reach Shipai.
This is one of the reasons why Murakami insists that the main force of his 39th Division remains on the front line.
The 231st Regiment was fighting fiercely in Zhujiaping. The Yegou Detachment was blocked by the Chinese position on Niuchangpo. The 40th Division was fighting hard with the 18th Division on the right wing. The only one who could complete this task was the Zhengu Detachment.
The so-called detachment is composed of an infantry brigade, cavalry, artillery, engineering, and supplies. Although a detachment is only a brigade-level organization, it actually has a complete set of arms and its overall combat capability is stronger than many infantry brigades.
For example, the Needle Valley Detachment is composed of the main force drawn from the 34th Division. It has 3 infantry brigades, 1 independent infantry brigade, 2 mountain artillery brigades, 3 baggage squadrons, 2 cavalry squadrons, 2 engineer squadrons, plus field medical
With a total strength of more than 7,000 troops, they are fully qualified to compete with two Chinese Class B divisions.
Hengshan Yong had high hopes for the Zhengu detachment. He took advantage of the fierce battle between Zhujiaping and Niuchangpo to quietly gather in the mountainous area. The Zhengu detachment quietly bypassed Zhujiaping and penetrated into the main position of Shipai.
It stands to reason that Tang Dao had known for a long time that there was such a road on the flank of Zhujiaping. It was from here that the Japanese army almost defeated the Sifangwan position and approached Shipai. How could he make the same mistake again?
But this time Tang Dao seemed to have done nothing. He allowed 7,000 Japanese troops to spend a day marching and arrived at Sifang Bay. There was no ambush or any landmine attack, allowing the Japanese troops who had been guarding them all the way to reach the position intact.
That's because Tang Dao's appetite is much greater than the top commanders of both China and Japan imagined.
The strategic level of Hengshan Yong's launch of the Battle of Shipai was to capture the east gate of the Chinese capital, and the tactical level was to kill the Chinese elite in this mountain as much as possible, paving the way for him to conquer Tanzhou in the future.
The Chinese Ministry of Military Affairs is even simpler. For the security of the southwest, it will do whatever it takes!
Tang Dao's plan was to bury more Japanese troops in the pit on the left wing of Shipai on the Z-shaped battlefield.
Tang Dao didn't take the thousands of people in the 39th Division seriously, and they alone were not enough to satisfy Tang Tuanzuo's appetite.
Of the two infantry regiments 231 and 232, one was killed and the other was severely injured. In Tang Dao's eyes, even though the 231 infantry regiment still had four to five thousand people, most of the elite infantry had been consumed, and the rest was just for use.
When the second-line soldiers came to replenish their numbers, their combat effectiveness was no longer half of what it was before, and they were almost the same as those who were about to die.
After three days of fierce fighting, the Yegou detachment relied on their so-called steel army background. They rushed up and beat them hard. They were also beaten with blood on their faces. They were also like toothless tigers. It was okay to roar twice, but if they really wanted to fight, then
The Temporary 6th Division of the 18th Army, which has been eyeing them for a long time, will probably be able to beat them until they are called daddy.
Tang Dao had already set his sights on the Zhengu detachment, which was the last to arrive on the battlefield.
This detachment is not a good thing. In 1943 in time and space, it was this detachment that took the lead in creating the factory cellar tragedy that shocked China and the world.
In North China, due to the presence of the 80th Army, the Japanese army did not dare to enter the countryside unless they carried out mopping up at the brigade or division level. Large-scale massacres were very rare.
However, in the battlefields of Central and South China, facing the vigorous resistance of the Chinese military and civilians, the Japanese army still attempted to destroy the will of the Chinese military and civilians with massacres, and large-scale massacres occurred frequently.
The factory cellar massacre was another large-scale massacre by the Japanese army that shocked China and the world after the Jinling Massacre.
The total number of Chinese soldiers and civilians massacred exceeded 30,000. In Dian'anya River, the place with the most massacres and the worst massacre, corpses piled up like a mountain because the Japanese army threw more than 4,000 people they had massacred into the river. This section of the river is 5 kilometers long and 200 meters wide.
If it doesn't move, it will be blocked and become a "dead man river".
As long as you are Chinese, it is difficult to see the details of this massacre, and it was under the leadership of its detachment leader Zhitani Yihara that the Acupuncture Detachment became such a group of beasts.
You tell me, with such an army of beasts, how could Tang Dao let them leave this place alive? They must not even keep any dogs.
In order not to disturb the 7,000-strong Japanese army and prevent them from getting into this big pocket, Tang Dao withdrew the two infantry companies that were originally ambushed on the two highlands, and put the Needle Valley detachment into the mountains in an almost 'welcoming' manner.
.
The Needle Valley detachment was so arrogant that when it arrived at 4 p.m., it didn't even dig field trenches. When it was almost dusk, it launched an attack on the high ground of the 1st Battalion under the cover of bombing by 12 Japanese planes.
This may not be because he is impatient to conquer the position, but mainly to test the strength of the troops stationed on the high ground and the distribution of various firepower points. However, it can also be seen that Major General Zhengu is eager to perform his duties and wants to launch a general offensive in the early morning of the next day and win it in one fell swoop.
The intention of the Sifang Bay position.
But he obviously thought too much.
In the two positions of Niuchangpo and Zhujiaping, the Japanese army has basically figured out the Chinese trump card. There are roughly a dozen light tanks, less than ten large-caliber heavy guns, and some anti-aircraft anti-aircraft guns. The rest is solid fortifications and firepower.
Fierce small arms.
But that was only the heavy firepower of the battalion that Tang Tuanzuo showed them. The 8 Type 41 mountain cannons and 4 Bofors mountain cannons belonging to the artillery battalion of the Sixing Regiment had not fired a single shot since the beginning of the war.
The Needle Valley detachment was so awesome that they didn't even dig simple trenches in the field, but attacked the high ground aggressively. It was really like a tiger doing somersaults on its back - seeking death!
"Let me target the Japs' baggage troops first, and let the idiots chew the bark of the trees for me first!" Pang Panghai reported the coordinates of various Japanese army units from the reconnaissance company, and selected a baggage troop with the least combat effectiveness but an extremely important one.
Pang Panghai’s move can be called vicious!
The ammunition of the Japanese army, rice for people, fodder for horses, etc. were all in the hands of the No. 1800 baggage soldier of the three baggage squadrons.
Before entering the mountains, the Japanese army prepared ten days of military rations. According to the Japanese army's single-day ration standard for individual soldiers, 640 grams of rice, 200 grams of noodles, and 150 grams of canned meat. This alone is 1 kilogram. Ten days for 7,000 people is a full 70
Ton.
Excluding some carried by individual Japanese soldiers, there were still 60 tons of food supplies carried by 1,800 baggage soldiers and about 900 pack horses.
The food was blown up. It would be strange if the Japanese army didn't blow up the pot every day just to eat.
The 12 mountain cannons were pulled out from their respective concealed gun emplacements, with their muzzles glowing blue in the setting sun raised high.
The shells fired by the 4 Bofors were incendiary bombs, and the shells fired by the 8 Type 41 mountain guns were explosive grenades. Pang Dahai planned to blow up the food packages, but it was not perfect, in case the Japanese army picked up the rice from the dust.
What? Just put some more fire on it and burn it.
If the Japanese chewed and swallowed the coke in order to fill their bellies, then Pang Dahai could only call them "ruthless people"!
The shelling of the 12 mountain guns was like shaking the earth, directly blinding the entire Needle Valley detachment that was still attacking the high ground.
Why didn't the Chinese artillery hit them, but instead hit the mountain behind them?
Perhaps only the high-ranking commanders such as Itsuhara Tsutani looked frightened. The Chinese were trying to draw money from under the cauldron!
The Japanese army still has 12 fighter planes in the sky, but in order to help the infantry, they have already dropped all the bombs. If they drop any more bombs, they will only turn themselves into a pile of flesh and blood.
As for asking them to lower their altitude and use their onboard machine guns to help the Army's land forces, that's unless they're just fooling around.
Their colleagues reminded them with their lives that there could be anti-aircraft guns of various calibers hidden in these broken ravines. The fact that they were not firing at this moment did not mean that they would lower their altitude and not fire.
The 12 Japanese planes that completed their combat mission did not even circle, but flew straight into the sky.
Only a group of officers from the Needle Valley detachment looked gloomy as they looked at the smoke and fire-filled mountain col 3 kilometers away.
Hopefully, the Chinese artillery hit the baggage squadron station just by luck.
But as time went by, the Chinese artillery fire continued, and at least 15 rounds of artillery shells were fired. Tsuruya Yihara knew that this was the work of the Chinese on purpose.
His current wish is that the baggage squadron is smart enough to move its position as soon as the bombardment begins, and the loss of food and ammunition will not be too much, even if it is left for him for three days.
All Major General Needle Valley's prayers were in vain.
When night fell, the Lieutenant Colonel and Chief of Staff reported to him with a bitter look on his face, Itsutani looked dull.
The Chinese artillery is not only ferocious, but also terrifyingly accurate.
Three baggage squadrons lost 308 personnel and 489 horses. These are nothing. The most important thing is that the loss of military rations is as high as 70%. Because of the incendiary bombs, less than 10% can be salvaged after being spilled on the ground.
This means that after three days, his Acupuncture detachment will have to rely on the northwest wind.
"Order the baggage squadron to collect horse carcasses. The Chinese want to use this trick to lower the morale of our troops. It is simply ridiculous. Tomorrow we will make them pay for their short-sightedness!" Isutani Yihara is worthy of being a general in the army.
He quickly calmed down his emotions and said with a fierce look in his eyes.
Since we can only eat for three days, let's capture this place in one day and the stone in two days to end the battle.
What's more, there are nearly 500 packhorse carcasses and hundreds of thousands of kilograms of horse meat, which will not rot even in the cold winter, enough to feed 7,000 people for a week.
However, in the early morning of the next day, when the Needle Valley detachment was finishing cooking pots, a new blow came.
This will turn poor Major General Zhitani into self-isolation.
