Of course, a considerable number of anti-tank fortifications have also been built. A large number of anti-tank trenches have also been built in the deep areas on the east and west sides. However, the number of anti-tank artillery equipped is very few. Except for the limited 94-type 37 rapid-fire guns
, the most powerful Type 1 anti-tank guns were all deployed to the Xinjing city area.
Most of the original anti-tank firepower support points were changed to machine gun fortification groups. As a result, the Anti-Japanese Alliance invested an armored division, three independent tank regiments, and two independent tank battalions, hundreds of vehicles, on the battlefields around Xinjing.
The strength of the tanks knocked them unconscious in one fell swoop.
Apart from anti-tank trenches, the east and west fronts had almost no means to face the Anti-Alliance's armored cluster encirclement tactics. Within one day, the Japanese army on the Xinjing battlefield, together with the deep defense zones defended on both wings, was defeated by the Anti-Alliance.
A hornet's nest. Except for Wang Guangyu from the north who was the first to break into Xinjing City that day, the defenses from the other two directions were broken through one after another.
Fortunately, due to the desperate blocking of the Kwantung Army on the Shuangliao front line and the temporarily strengthened minefield obstruction, Du Kaishan did not quickly achieve great results. The Shuangliao front line is very close to Siping Street. Once this direction is blocked
Breakthrough, on the undefendable Songliao Plain, the armored assault group of the Anti-Japanese Alliance could rush outside Siping City in a short time.
The Shuangliao front line held its position, at least making Siping Street look like there was no big danger for a short time, which made the Kwantung Army temporarily relieved. However, the Kwantung Army clearly realized that if nothing could be done to stop the Anti-Japanese Alliance,
A tank offensive, then facing a large-scale tank cluster attack on the flat Songliao Plain, it would be a matter of time before the entire Xinjing battlefield collapsed.
In particular, the two armored groups advancing from the east and west of the Anti-Japanese Alliance are rapidly advancing towards Gongzhuling. Once Gongzhuling is lost and these two iron pincers are closed, the three divisions of the Kwantung Army deployed on the Xinjing battlefield will be surrounded.
As for this sharp knife thrust directly from the west, if a breakthrough is made, the Kwantung Army headquarters will really have to move back to Fengtian in southern Manchuria.
In order to protect Gongzhuling, the lifeline of the Xinjing garrison in the south, and the location of the Kwantung Army headquarters on Siping Street, the Kwantung Army had to detach a division from the reserve and move north before the first day of fighting was over.
Gongzhuling to protect the lifeline of the Xinjing garrison.
Mobilize a division to quickly deploy in the area west of Lishu and prepare for the second line of defense. It can be said that under the Anti-Japanese Alliance's tank cluster offensive, which was far beyond the Kwantung Army's expectations, the Kwantung Army's multiple sets of originally planned
The combat plan was completely disrupted from the first day of the battle. The reserve troops originally planned to be used in the counterattack could only be put into the battlefield in advance.
At this time, the Kwantung Army, which was so overwhelmed by the Xinjing battlefield, could not even take into account what would happen on the Jehol battlefield, which started almost at the same time as Xinjing. For the Kwantung Army, it was already on fire at this moment.
If you have a headache, you won’t care what happens to your butt.
The key now is to protect Gongzhuling, the safety of several divisions on the Xinjing battlefield, and the most critical issue is to protect Siping Street, the location of the Kwantung Army headquarters. As for the war in Rehe, I'm sorry, you can figure it out on your own, Kanto
The army really doesn't have the energy to take care of you now.
However, considering the threat to the Beining Railway after the loss of Rehe, the Kwantung Army transferred the reorganized 28th Division to Chaoyang, Beipiao, Lingyuan, and Qinglong, and deployed along the Nuruer Hushan Mountains.
Release. Prevent the Anti-Japanese Alliance from breaking into the Western Liaoning Corridor and cutting off the Beining-Ningxia Railway, the main artery of transportation between Manchuria and North China.
And from the perspective of the Kwantung Army, although the garrison in Rehe only has one division, plus an independent garrison, and part of the Manchukuo Army. Although it does not have an advantage in terms of military strength, the good thing is that the terrain there is mountainous, which is better than the plain plains.
The Liao Plain is more conducive to holding on.
What's more, it is also close to the area under the jurisdiction of the North China Front Army. If an accident occurs, the North China Front Army will not fail to consider this strategically important place between Manchuria and North China. The Kwantung Army has too much to take care of now, and the defenders of Rehe can only wish for themselves.
.In fact, the Rehe battlefield was abandoned by the Kwantung Army on the first day.
Compared with the Xinjing battlefield, which has made great progress, the East Group, which took the lead on the southern front, strengthened the Anti-Japanese Mountain Division with an infantry division. Lee Myung-bak, who was appointed as the commander of the First Division at the end of April 1, was transferred to the deputy commander of the Western Manchuria Military Region.
Under the command, launch an attack in the direction of Chifeng and Ningcheng.
The three brigades of the first column of the Advance Army plus two independent regiments, as well as the howitzer regiment and field artillery regiment directly under the Advance Army, were personally directed by the deputy commander to launch attacks on the Chengde front line. The East Group on the Southern Front was in the north and south directions of the Redong area.
They started at the same time and launched attacks on their respective targets according to the predetermined plan.
However, in the two directions, because Yang Zhen's strategic focus was different, the intensity of the attack was also different. Considering the terrain and the overall situation on the battlefield, Yang Zhen did not require the advancing army to capture Chengde. In fact, launching an attack on the Chengde front line
It was just a feint attack to contain the Japanese troops and ensure that the anti-alliance forces in the north could successfully capture Chifeng.
Compared with Chengde in the south, Yang Zhen paid more attention to Chifeng in the north. Without taking Chifeng, the resistance alliance would be on the Naiman Banner and Wengniute Zuo Banner. Facing Jinzhou, the Kwantung Army in Fengtian would not be able to form a complete line of defense.
.And the entire ground communication line with the future west has no depth at all.
The Japanese army can rely on the Nuruerhu Mountain line to launch attacks on Western Manchuria at any time. Moreover, the existence of the protruding part of Chifeng is also a danger to future communication lines. In order to cut off the Japanese army's claws extending deep into Western Manchuria, for Chifeng,
Ningcheng's first-line Yang Zhen is bound to win.
Chengde, which is located in Renan, is better for Yang Zhen to win. It doesn't matter if he can't win it. If he takes it, he can threaten the entire eastern Hebei and western Liaoning corridors. The rule of the Japanese and puppet troops in eastern Hebei, especially the Kailuan mining area, has formed
A greater threat and put a nail in the Japanese army's entire North China defense line.
But the strategic location of Chengde is far more important to the Kwantung Army than the Anti-Japanese Alliance. It might become a meat grinder, and this situation is exactly what Yang Zhen, who has used his troops to the extreme, least wants to see.
situation. Therefore, Yang Zhen was not very enthusiastic about actually capturing Chengde.
Moreover, Yang Zhen's strategic focus is not at all in the direction of Jidong. It is backed by the sea. For the Anti-Japanese Alliance without a navy, taking Jidong is basically not a big threat except posing a threat to the Pingjin and Tianjin areas from the northeast.
The advantage is that it has to contain a large number of troops. Therefore, the focus of the offensive in the Redong area is still on the Chifeng, Jianping, and Ningcheng lines.
But the attack on Redong was not very smooth. The Japanese army relied on the favorable terrain to combine points and lines, and the echelon defense posture was extremely tenacious. Whether it was Chifeng on the northern line or Rehe on the southern line, they were almost on the same hilltop.
Only through repeated competition for a hilltop can the ownership of each hilltop be determined.
The battle ended at dusk on the 20th. After a whole day of fierce fighting, the Eastern Group on the southern front was not progressing smoothly in both the north and south directions. It could even be said that the entire front was frustrated. The northern front broke into the Japanese defense line less than seven kilometers, while the southern front
It only broke through three kilometers. In other words, it only captured the outpost positions defended by the Japanese army in the north and south directions.
Four hours after the start of the East Group, the southern group, commanded by the commander and political commissar of the advancing army, launched a full-line attack on Taipusi Banner, Zhenglan Banner, Guyuan, and Duolun. The frontline of the troops was directed towards the important towns outside the Great Wall and the northern barrier in the Ping-Tianjin area.
Zhangjiakou, as well as the mountains of Dama and the Yanshan Mountains.
Compared with the bitter fighting in Rehe, the fighting on this line in the high mountains was actually more difficult. Similar to the Eastern Group, the Japanese army was condescending and used every hilltop to defend. However, the two veterans of the advancing army had both experience in mountainous mobile warfare.
Quite rich. Now that the equipment has been improved and the troops have completed their training, it has also given the two veterans considerable confidence.
Although the battle on the first day did not progress so smoothly and no breakthrough was made. However, the two veterans used shallow depth and small-scale detours many times to seize many important strongholds in the Japanese frontline positions.
The encirclement was completed. At dusk that day, the front line of the Lightning River was broken through, cutting off the connection between Duolun and Zhenglan Banner.
Overall, except for the Western Front, there were gains and losses on the first day. Some progress was relatively large, and some progress was delayed, but most of the progress made Yang Zhen quite satisfied. But the start
A general success does not mean that the subsequent battles will be smooth sailing. It just means that this exhibition has made a good start. How the next battle will progress depends on how to fight next.
Relative to the time when the battle was launched, other fronts were before 7 a.m. at the latest. At 9 a.m. on the 20th, Chen Hanzhang commanded all westward group troops, except for the outflanking troops, to cross the Hunshandake Sands. With armor
The first brigade and three tank battalions acted as the assault force. Under the full cover of the heavy bomber group and ground artillery, the attack launched from the front towards the 26th Division was the latest one to be launched from all directions.
Because this direction is the most important of all directions, the Anti-Alliance offensive for the Western Front campaign can go smoothly and break through the defense of the 26th Division in the shortest time. Certain arrangements have been made to give 20th Division
The Sixth Division prepared a sumptuous feast of firepower.
Unlike other directions, which basically launch attacks before early morning, in order to avoid accidental damage, the fire preparations for the attack are mainly based on ground artillery fire for fire cover. On the Western Front, the first thing to start is not the ground offensive, but the counterattack.
The joint mobilization of thirty-six B-17 bombers taking off from Linxi Airport began the continuous carpet bombing of the Japanese positions in front of them.
These thirty-six bombers transferred directly from Jiamusi to Linxi Airport before the start of the battle. Before the start of the battle, the only B-17 bomber group of the Anti-Japanese Alliance that had formed combat effectiveness arrived at Zhengxiang at 8:30 in the morning.
Within the White Flag territory, a full one hundred tons of high-explosive bombs were dropped on the Japanese defense lines.
The Japanese positions that were attacked in the key area of the southern part of Zhengxiangbai Banner, whether it was a front-line defense position or a deep defense zone, were blown into a mess. Not to mention the field fortifications, even some of the strongest core fortification groups were blown to the ground.
Chaotian. The entire southern area with the white flag was shaken by the bombing. The Japanese defense line was several kilometers deep and a whole layer of skin was ripped off.
After the B-17 bomber group completed dropping bombs and left, the two A-20 attack groups that followed later used napalm bombs to set the Japanese positions on fire from east to west. The Japanese positions had not yet recovered from the bombing.
The Japanese army's position, which was taking a breather, was completely plunged into a sea of flames.
It was not until the fire was completely extinguished that a heavy artillery regiment, a field cannon regiment serving as ground cover, and the artillery groups of each division participating in the battle began to use barrage fire to cover engineers and minesweepers to clear mines, opening the way for the armored forces.
Assault passages, suppressed Japanese artillery fire in depth, and covered tanks and infantry to launch attacks. In some major breakthrough areas, artillery fire was even used to directly clear mines.