It's not that the Japanese army didn't want to destroy these equipment, it was just that they were chased and bombed all the way by the Anti-Japanese Alliance aircraft, and even if they wanted to destroy them, they couldn't have time. Especially since the Anti-Union aircraft seemed to have received orders, as long as the retreating Japanese army attempted to destroy technical equipment. , the aircraft on duty in the sky will immediately engage in repeated strafing, so that even if you want to destroy it, you will not have time.
After all, a tank is not easy to build, nor is it easy to destroy. Even if you throw a grenade into the fort, it may not be able to completely destroy it. Ignition of the engine is one way, but the embarrassed 23rd Division arrived Later, there was no oil left to burn the engine.
If there is relatively sufficient fuel, a large number of vehicles will not be abandoned because there is no gasoline. As for using grenades to blow up the engines, unless you want to commit suicide, all the Japanese tank crews will know where the planes in the sky are watching. After the fuel is depleted or the tank is damaged, you must leave your steel mount as soon as possible. Otherwise, if a bomb falls from the sky, the tank underneath you may be reduced to parts together.
Of course, if you really don't even need the crew, you may not be able to destroy it with a decisive blow. Without gasoline, the number of grenades and explosives is still sufficient. As long as you want to destroy it, you can still destroy it. But for Kanji Nishihara, who was almost forced to jump off the building at that time, he no longer had the confidence or time to destroy the equipment that he had abandoned.
Although the senior commanders of the Japanese army have never taken the lives of lower-level officers and soldiers seriously. No matter how elite the soldier is, they are just a victim in their eyes. However, there is always an exception in everything. At least the current division of the 23rd Division The leader of the group, Kanji Nishihara, is one of the very few exceptions among this minority.
Between choosing to ensure the safety of those well-trained tank crews or not letting his equipment fall into the hands of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, this guy obviously chose the former. Of course, it is not ruled out that this guy is worried about destroying tanks. Incurring greater retaliation from the Anti-Japanese Alliance, those whose tracks were blown off due to mine strikes, or whose fuel was exhausted but were intact equipment were abandoned.
It turned out that after the Battle of Nomonhan, the tank regiment that was strengthened and transformed into a mechanized division by the 23rd Division was completely lost in what was called the most tragic retreat in the history of the Japanese army. , although the tank crews and artillery of the large army were preserved, neither the Kwantung Army nor the Japanese base camp were able to rebuild them in a short period of time.
Not only is it difficult to replenish well-trained tank crews, but also with Japan's current domestic production capacity, the lost tanks cannot be replenished in a short time. The two super battleships that Japan is seizing up to build are like two gold-swallowing battleships. Like a giant beast, it is desperately devouring Japan's domestic steel production.
The United States has begun to impose an embargo on Japan, and Japan's channels for importing steel have been cut off. The Japanese's limited domestic steel production is simply unable to manufacture a large number of tanks and artillery for the Japanese army while meeting the needs of the navy. Although it is The replenishment of equipment for the 23rd Division has long been on the agenda, but the physical items have been delayed.
With the coordination of the Japanese base camp and the use of part of the old tanks in stock, the 23rd Division added a Type 94 armored vehicle squadron and a squadron of Type 94 armored vehicles to the rebuilt search wing and a tank that had begun to be phased out. * Type medium tank squadron, as for other equipment, it is still a far-off pie.
The artillery is easy to say. The Kwantung Army still has some second-hand goods obtained from the Germans. However, the various tanks lost are too real to be replenished in a short time. Although the number that needs to be replenished is less than one One hundred tanks can only be produced in one month in Western countries, but the Japanese are unable to produce them.
As the produced tanks and reorganized tank units have gradually begun to be transferred southward, not only has the tank regiment of the 23rd Division not been reorganized, but even the surviving crews, except for those two squadrons, have not been reorganized. Most of them were transferred to Hainan Island and Taiwan.
As for what they were doing, not to mention these crews, even their division commander Lieutenant General Nishihara Kanji was not very clear. Looking at the dozen or so vehicles that had been supplemented, they were riddled with bullet marks. At first glance, they were used second-hand vehicles on the battlefield in the Kanto War. cargo, the total number of ** tanks was less than half of the original tank squadron, and six Type 94 armored vehicles. Lieutenant General Kanji Nishihara, commander of the 23rd Division, and Colonel Matsuda Iwa, the new chief of staff, could only smile bitterly at each other. .
Although the Japanese army was unable to restore the original weapons and equipment to the 23rd Division, which had withdrawn hundreds of kilometers south from Hailar in a short period of time. Even though the 23rd Division had left the front line of the confrontation with the Anti-Japanese Alliance, it was still Being in a key position in the war against the Soviet Union, if the Soviet army broke through the Linxi line, it could reach the Zhangjiakou to Chengde line and cut off the Beining Railway.
In view of the fact that the current position of the 23rd Division is still very important to the entire Kwantung Army, after the Kwantung Army experienced last year's disastrous defeat and the current strategic focus of the base camp has moved south, it is temporarily unable to execute the northward advance plan. However, Defense against the Soviets has not decreased at all.
Although it was no longer the Kwantung Army's turn to worry about Northern Manchuria, and the Soviets themselves were trapped in the quagmire on the Soviet-German battlefield and were unable to look east, the Kwantung Army's wariness against the Soviets did not decrease as the situation improved, and At this moment, the Kwantung Army is still holding on to the idea of defeating the resistance alliance that has occupied the entire northern Manchuria area north of Xinjing and regaining the so-called lost ground, and then marching north to Soviet Siberia to join forces with the German army.
Regardless of whether it is for offense or defense, in the view of the Kwantung Army, it is impossible to fight with the Soviets without good control. The tragic results of the Battle of Nomonhan have told the Japanese that the Soviet Union today is not the Tsarist Russia of the past. Not only is it huge in size, but its fist is also very hard.
Judging from the current overall strength of the Japanese army, it is still very sad to receive an old punch. Although the kitchen knives are not available for the time being, we still need to get a few bricks for the 23rd Division, which is the main force in the war against the Soviet Union. However, due to the inability to supplement, the Kwantung Army simply assigned an independent tank regiment as a whole to the 23rd Division for combat.
As for when the 23rd Division's own tank regiment will be reorganized, the Kwantung Army Headquarters simply gave a word like "etc." because the headquarters' reply to the Kwantung Army was also the same word. The meager national strength is destined to support Japan. People cannot maintain a huge army and navy at the same time. Japan is an island country and was founded on a navy. Compared with the navy, a behemoth that devours steel, the army is destined to always be in a second-rate position in the distribution of steel resources.
Today's tank regiment was re-established on the basis of the remnants of the Third Tank Regiment, which was almost wiped out in the Battle of Nomonhan. In the Battle of Nomonhan, the Japanese tank troops suffered heavy losses. Although the Soviet army did not perform well. It's not outstanding, but its modern combat mode and the use of large-scale tank groups also gave the Japanese base camp a head-on blow, making the entire Japanese army jealous.
However, Japan's weak national strength is destined to be unable to support too many mechanized troops. After several efforts by the Kwantung Army, and considering the overall war situation currently faced by the Kwantung Army, the Japanese base camp is still determined to advance southward. The remaining defeated generals who had withdrawn from Nomenhan reorganized several tank regiments within the Kwantung Army's establishment.
However, the Tokyo Base Camp has not responded to the Kwantung Army's suggestion to learn from the Germans and form a tank division. It is not that the Tokyo Base Camp does not have this idea, but that it really cannot produce so many tanks at the moment, especially with the current performance. Most of the best Type 97 tanks, especially those included in the Chinese Expeditionary Forces, have been transferred to Taiwan and Hainan Island, and it is even more difficult to produce a sufficient number of tanks.
Not only were they unable to get new tanks and prepare the coveted tank divisions for the Kwantung Army, but at a time when the Kwantung Army was in a tight war, the Japanese base camp actually transferred most of the tank regiments within the Kwantung Army. Four tank regiments were left to the Kwantung Army. The total number of tanks and armored vehicles was less than 300. Therefore, in desperation, the Kwantung Army could only select the most fully equipped tank regiment from among the four tank regiments. To the 23rd Division.
Moreover, this tank is not actually within the 23rd Division's organizational structure, but is only placed under the command of the 23rd Division. Although this tank regiment is assigned to the command of the 23rd Division, for such an outsider, The 23rd Division always felt a little awkward and constrained.
In terms of treating immigrants, the Japanese army is indeed much more authentic than their current opponents, the Chinese. At least there will be no blocking. You go and take the credit. I am very happy because you beat them all. Your troop structure and remaining personnel are mine.
But it is very difficult to be equal in a bowl of water. It is difficult to treat everyone equally in the allocation of tasks, marching routes, and supplies. However, Haolai will not sit back and watch the friendly forces in trouble without moving. In times of difficulty, There may be some shortages, but there will definitely be no chance that friendly troops will eat chaffy vegetables and you will be fattened by what you eat there.
It is often very difficult to straighten out the command system, especially when it comes to cavalry and armored troops, which are aristocratic arms that have always been in the army and claim to be the pride of heaven. These have eyes on the top of their heads. The troops are not organized within their own divisions, and it is equally difficult to command them.
Although most of the time, he can treat everyone equally, but in terms of command, it always makes the 23rd Division feel a little awkward, as if he is not his own child, always separated from his belly, so now Colonel Matsuda Iwa , it is normal to be very dissatisfied with the offensive performance of this third tank regiment.
In fact, "very dissatisfied" is quite polite to describe Matsudayan's anger. If possible, Matsudayan would rudely chop off the arrogant head in front of him with the saber in his hand to relieve Zi Lin. After the Battle of Spain started, I was so angry with this guy that I almost wanted to vomit blood and my heart was seriously injured.
The reason why he, as the chief of staff of the division, was on the front line of Twelve Tu that should not be there at this time is because this time the 23rd Division was dominated by the Third Tank Regiment and was heading in the direction of Twelve Tu. Before launching a counterattack, the division commander Lieutenant General Nishihara Kanji, who was well aware of the importance of this operation to the entire 23rd Division and even the Kwantung Army behind him, was worried that others would not be able to command the Third Tank Regiment.
I specially asked Colonel Matsuda Iwa, who had just been transferred from the position of instructor at Gongzhuling Tank School to be the Chief of Staff of the 23rd Division, and had some research on tank tactics, to personally come to the front line to supervise the battle. There was no way, this third tank regiment was attached to After being assigned to the 23rd Division, it has repeatedly presented problems to the entire division.
Although he knew that at this time, Matsuda Iwa, as the chief of staff of the division, was not suitable to leave the division headquarters, but Kanji Nishihara still had no choice but to send him out to supervise the battle in person, at least not to let that damn person, who had always been You guys who don't know what obedience means, don't leave the battlefield without authorization.