In fact, the current situation was possible because the Japanese army was caught off guard by the new combat mode adopted by the Anti-Japanese Alliance. Another point was that Chen Hanzhang himself did not expect that his first kick would go so smoothly. What he did not expect was that he The offensive immediately penetrated the Japanese defense line, which was also related to his previous actions at the request of the headquarters.
On the battlefield, there are many times when what is true and what is false is false, and what is false is true. On the contrary, it is better to conceal one's true strategic intentions than to simply take false actions and cover up actions. False and true will often make you more confused. Opponents are confused and often make a big show of their efforts, which can lead to unexpected results.
Although Chen Hanzhang's actions in front of Qianguo also aroused the alert of the Kwantung Army, it made the Japanese army, which had suffered heavy losses from the Anti-Japanese Alliance in last summer's battle, think that the movements made by the Anti-Japanese Alliance in the Qiqihar area were intentional. To provide cover for the Eastern Front, which had been silent until now.
As for the southern Xing'an line on the western front, the Kwantung Army Headquarters did not think about it at all. The reason is very simple. The southern Xing'an area, which has always been a Mongolian pastureland, including the two provinces of Xing'an West and Xing'an South in the south, has no anti-Japanese resistance alliance. It urgently needs human resources and does not have all the strategic resources needed for an army to survive. The terrain there is mainly shallow mountains, hills and the Daxinganling Mountains.
Seizing that area, except for the timber and cattle and sheep all over the mountains and plains, is basically worth the loss. The Japanese army itself would not use that direction as the main direction of attack. No army would expend a large amount of effective forces to capture a place that is basically to them. There are no areas in the world where resources are urgently needed.
After synthesizing all kinds of intelligence, the Kwantung Army Headquarters has always believed that in the next step of the Anti-Japanese War, the Kwantung Army's heavy troop cluster deployed in front of Xinjing and Xinjing, including the major grain-producing counties in central Jilin, will be the most effective The next step for the Anti-League is to focus on attacking targets.
Jilin is one of the major grain-producing areas in Manchuria, with a huge grain output. Changchun, the original name of Xinjing, once had an elegant name, called Bean City. Before the September 18th Incident, it was the main grain exporter in Northeast China, exporting soybeans. , once sold well all over the world, one of the original main sources of funds for Fengjun's foreign arms purchase was the huge amount of soybeans exported here.
Not only Xingjing, but also the surrounding Fuyu, Dehui, Huaide, Shulan, Jiutai, and Nong'an are all quite famous grain-producing areas in Manchuria. Although Jilin Province is divided into Jiandao and other provinces, many counties are also included in Fengtian. , Andong and Hung Annan provinces, but it is still the most populous province in the Northeast after Liaoning. It has extremely rich human resources. If the Anti-Japanese Alliance captures this place, it will obtain a stable troop base.
Not to mention, there is Xinjing, the symbol of the Kwantung Army's rule in Manchuria. If Jilin Province is captured, the human resources urgently needed by the Anti-Japanese Alliance can be greatly supplemented. Therefore, the Kwantung Army Intelligence Department believes that the next operational goal of the Anti-Japanese Alliance is , Jilin and Xinjing are still the main targets.
For the Japanese, who have always been known for their meticulousness, they know very well what is the most fatal weakness of the current Anti-Japanese Alliance. In Northern Manchuria, which is vast and sparsely populated, not only the industrial resources are unable to support a huge army, but the population resources are also unable to support it. Supporting the expansion of an army with only a few million people, trying to expand an army that will change the pattern of Manchuria is tantamount to asking for fish in a tree. After all, in the eyes of almost everyone at the moment, the essence of Manchuria is in southern Manchuria, not in Manchuria. In northern Manchuria.
As long as the essence of Manchuria south of Jilin is preserved, even if the strength of the Kwantung Army cannot completely eliminate this resistance army that has become a climate, it can still exhaust them with no support. And now the Germans In the Soviet Union, the situation was overwhelming and the battle situation was almost one-sided, which gave the Kwantung Army great confidence.
In the view of the Kwantung Army, without the assistance of the Russians, what could the Anti-Japanese Alliance have to fight them with only the textile, papermaking, cement and light industrial resources of North Manchuria and a population of several million? Without modern industry, This means that without the equipment and weapons necessary for combat, without the source of supplies, and without the source of supplementary troops, the Kwantung Army can bring down the Anti-Japanese Alliance even if it drags them hard.
Therefore, for the next step of the Anti-Japanese War, the Kwantung Army judged that Jilin, the largest grain producing area and the second most populous province in Manchuria, should be the main target. Chen Hanzhang's bluffing actions in Qiqihar actually made the Kwantung Army more convinced of this judge.
When adjusting the force, not only the troops and heavy weapons on the front of Xinjing were strengthened, but the alert on the Wuchang side of Xinjing's eastern front was also strengthened. For the Kwantung Army, in addition to the front line of Xinjing, the most worrying thing now is The next move of the Anti-Japanese Alliance is to cut off the direct contact between the Kwantung Army and the Korean Army.
As for Chen Hanzhang's front line from Qianguo to Fuyu, he just ordered to prepare for battle. Almost all the Japanese culture was inherited from China, and they were no strangers to Sun Tzu's Art of War. The bluff and concealment in Sun Tzu's Art of War were not only very familiar to them. I am familiar with it and have used it many times on the battlefield of the invasion of China.
In the Battle of Songhu on August 13, when the two sides were in a stalemate, it was the Japanese landing at Jinshanwei on the flank of the entire battlefield that turned the tide of the battle. Therefore, in their view, the so-called troublesome Yuehuan place is often not necessarily the best place. Dangerous places, on the contrary, some places that seem peaceful at the moment are becoming more dangerous.
In last year's summer operations, the Kwantung Army suffered a big loss in judging the main direction of the Anti-Japanese Alliance's attack. Since the beginning of this year, the Kwantung Army has been trying to figure out the next step of the Anti-Japanese Alliance's combat trends. However, last year's experience and lessons have also allowed The Kwantung Army was more cautious in judging the offensive of the Anti-Japanese Alliance.
This judgment of the Kwantung Army made Du Kaishan, who attacked Shuangcheng frontally, and Wang Xiaoming, who attacked Shulan front line from Wuchang, fight extremely hard in the subsequent battles, but it created an opportunity for Chen Hanzhang, because the Kwantung Army not only The main mobile power was placed on the Shulan front line, and 70% of the heavy equipment was also tilted towards the Yushu and Shulan front lines.
Moreover, although the line from Qianguo to Xinjing is a flat plain, the front of Qianguo is covered with large and small lakes and wetlands, as well as many swamps. The attacking terrain is extremely narrow, and the overall terrain is conducive to defense but not offensive. In addition, The Songhua River between Shangqianguo and Fuyu was blocked. The senior officials of the Kwantung Army generally believed that the terrain on this line was not traditionally suitable for tank cluster breakthrough operations.
Therefore, the Kwantung Army placed its main force to prepare for the Anti-Alliance offensive on the front and the line from Wuchang to Jilin. Even the 28th Division itself placed its main effective force on the Qian'an, Da'an, and Zhendong lines. The troops deployed on the front line of Guo were also relatively limited.
Moreover, although Chen Hanzhang consciously exposed his strategic intentions when the troops moved into the combat launch area in accordance with the requirements of the headquarters, he still kept the most advantageous trump card in his hand, that is, the armored brigade. Exposed, it has been carefully hidden.
Although Chen Hanzhang initially did not understand the order that the headquarters had repeatedly asked the troops to move in before changing the order, and the order must be concealed and the true strategic intention must not be exposed, Chen Hanzhang, who is very principled, still followed this new order. The headquarters’ request was implemented.
However, although Chen Hanzhang carried out the order issued by the headquarters to attract the attention of the Japanese army, Chen Hanzhang consciously retained his hand when executing it. The infantry, ordinary artillery, and cavalry under his command did make a lot of noise, but he would The whereabouts of the armored brigade and the attached 1, 2 and 2 rocket artillery regiments assigned to him as the main attacking force were concealed as much as possible.
All vehicles and personnel of the armored brigade, whether trucks or tanks, were mobilized at night. When moving forward, artillery was used to launch firepower attacks deep into the Japanese army, and the sound of artillery was used to cover the engines of a large number of tanks as they moved in. With the roar of the enemy, among all the troops under his command, the armored troops did not enter the final attack position until four hours before the attack was launched.
It was this armored brigade that Chen Hanzhang had always held tightly in his hands and was the last to be exposed. It played a decisive role in breaking through the Japanese positions after the battle started. In addition, the terrain chosen by Chen Hanzhang to break through was even more traditional. Terrain suitable for tank operations.
The Japanese army's errors in judgment, coupled with the fact that the Japanese army still clung to the tanks and the noise they made when maneuvering could be monitored, could accurately judge the movement of the Anti-Allied armored forces, and the Anti-Alliance adopted a large-scale armored assault. There is no psychological preparation at all.
By three o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Hanzhang's armored brigade and the armored cavalry group composed of the cavalry brigade had advanced nearly 20 kilometers into the Japanese army. The forwards had already reached Maodu Station and the Xinmiao Paozi line, cutting off Yaonan. Railway, and cooperating with the Second Division to forcefully cross the Songhua River in front of Fuyu, they formed a pincer attack on Qianguo County.
Once Qianguo County is lost, for the 28th Division, the entire 28th Division will be divided into two sections before one and a half regiments stationed in Qian'an and Da'an shrink back to Fuyu. If this happens The situation and the entire battlefield shape will undoubtedly be extremely detrimental to the 28th Division.
After receiving Chen Hanzhang's telegram, which could be said to be a victory, the combat staff of the headquarters quickly marked the progress of Chen Hanzhang's department on the map. Looking at the progress of each department on the map, Yang Zhen's brows did not relax, but tightened. Tangled together, Yang Zhen's worry was not because the progress was not going smoothly, but because it happened to be going too smoothly.
The real combat effectiveness of the Japanese army, Yang Zhen, who has been fighting fiercely with the Japanese army for three years since returning to this era, is very clear in his heart. Except for the fourth division, which is a special case, the real combat effectiveness of most Japanese divisions has absolutely no It is so fragile that even if the front-line position is breached, its defense in depth will never fall apart easily. Considering the current situation on the battlefield, it is definitely not a manifestation of the true combat effectiveness of the Japanese army.
Even if they are unable to adapt to their new tactics for a while and the first-line position is broken through, when the Japanese army reacts, the intensity of its counterattack will probably be unprecedented. The Japanese army is not the kind to retreat without a fight as soon as it encounters a setback or gets a bad start. The army, but the character of the islanders, can only make them more courageous and frustrated.