The anti-alliance forces originally in the Suidong battlefield quickly moved south to cooperate with the anti-alliance forces fighting in northern Shanxi and carried out counterattacks in the northeastern Shanxi region. This effectively alleviated the pressure on the original anti-alliance forces in northern Shanxi and greatly alleviated the pressure.
The situation of insufficient strength of the Anti-Japanese Army in northern Shanxi. General Okamura Neiji may have made a mistake in judgment on these two points.
Since the entire battle plan was formulated by General Okamura himself, and he rushed back to Peking from Zhangjiakou, he constantly interfered with his command from time to time. The only mobile division in the entire Shanxi battlefield was controlled by him.
So facing this difficult chess game in front of him, let him decide how to deal with it.
However, after forwarding Ide Tetsuzo's request for help telegram, facing the same unfavorable battle situation in the direction of Yanmen Pass, Yoshimoto Teiichi hesitated for a long time and secretly sent a message to the commander of the 21st Division, Lieutenant General Tanaka Kuichi, and the 32nd Division.
The regimental commander, Lieutenant General Ide Tetsuzo, issued separate orders for the cameras to break out of the encirclement and withdraw to the south.
As for the troops that have been divided and encircled, we can rescue as many as we can. The first priority is to ensure the safety of the main force of the division. Now for Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadichi, he needs to rescue more than just a thirty-two
divisions, but all two divisions in northern Shanxi that he could command.
The 32nd Division was caught off guard, but the overall battle situation had not been completely ruined to the point of being out of control. The main two regiments of the 21st Division on the front lines of Mayi and Zhangzhuang were faced with a large number of ground forces.
Under the cover of air fire, a large number of tanks and cavalry from the Anti-Japanese Alliance took turns attacking, and now they were struggling to hold on.
The two regiments, plus the search, engineering, baggage, and artillery forces, were constantly being used by the enemy to adopt small-scale, shallow-depth detour tactics, split and then eaten one by one. At the same time, the resistance coalition in front of them was squeezed from two sides.
The deployment of one-sided fire suppression, with tanks as the forerunner, and with the cooperation of infantry, although the progress is not fast, is gradually squeezing the troops of the 21st Division into one place.
After two days of hard fighting, the entire division has now been compressed to an area north of Zhangzhuang and east of Mayi between the Sanggan River and the Huangshui River, less than five kilometers long from east to west and less than three kilometers wide from north to south. The most critical point is Yanmen Pass.
The old and new Guangwu City outside has been captured by the Anti-Japanese Alliance. The entire front and rear of the 21st Division have been separated by the enemy. The 21st Division is now in a semi-encirclement situation.
The line from Mayi to Zhangzhuang, located at the southern end of the Datong Basin, is a combination of low mountains, hills, and plains, which is extremely suitable for enemy tank operations. Without the two main regiments of the 21st Division relying on Xinguangwu City behind them,
, as well as the engineering and search brigade, can only build field fortifications on the spot, and use continuous tactics to counterattack the squeeze tactics that delay the enemy.
It should be said that the vision of Lieutenant General Tanaka Jiuichi, the commander of the 21st Division, is still very accurate in terms of tactical judgment. He knew that once the enemy forces squeezed into a ball, the 21st Division could hold its position in a ball.
.But it will help the enemy to take advantage of its superiority in firepower, especially the lethality of its artillery and aviation.
Yoshimoto Teiichi still agreed with Tanaka Kuichi's battle report. With the enemy's absolute tank superiority, they did not adopt a large-scale detour to divide the 21st Division into final divisions. Instead, they adopted
There must be something wrong with the squeeze method that is not suitable for its tank tactics.
There is a Chinese saying that when something goes wrong, it becomes a monster. Now the 21st Division is facing the enemy's situation, which is exactly the situation. Tanaka Jiuichi adopts constant tactical counterattacks, using anti-tank guns combined with infantry to strengthen the squadron.
It is still correct to organize the organization to continuously counterattack under the squeeze of the enemy and curb the speed of the enemy's squeeze.
Especially against the enemy's tank squeezing tactics, the 21st Division is not without its ability to fight back. The 21st Division is equipped with five tanks imported from Germany by the Empire, which are also the latest and most powerful among the German army.
The 10mm anti-tank gun destroyed a large number of enemy tanks.
Coupled with the determination of the imperial soldiers not to be afraid of death, although they were squeezed back step by step, they finally kept the main structure of the division intact. Since the main structure of the division could be ensured to be intact, it was not attacked by a large number of enemy troops.
The fact that the tank broke up the formation shows that it still has a certain ability to counterattack. At least there is no problem with tactical counterattack.
But although I think Lieutenant General Tanaka Kuichi's handling is relatively appropriate. But Yoshimoto Teiichi believes that the current entire situation is already in a very unfavorable situation for the 21st Division. Especially Shinkotake
The supply of the entire 21st Division was lost, and all routes of retreat were cut off.
Since the enemy has an absolute advantage of tanks, it is unlikely to launch an attack. That can only widen the distance between your own troops and create conditions for the enemy to intersperse. Since the 21st Division is already advancing and retreating,
Unable to do so, Yoshimoto Teiichi decided to completely wipe out the division instead of fighting head-on with the enemy in front of him.
It would be better for the 21st Division to withdraw immediately and withdraw to the west via Shuo County and Yangwankou to within the Great Wall, so that there can still be a chance of survival. This line is in the Guanlui Mountains and the terrain is relatively complex. It should be reorganized
Withdraw. But if we delay any longer, I'm afraid even if the King of Heaven comes, I won't be able to save them.
Of course, if another division is added, no, even if it is a brigade reinforcements, the situation where the enemy forces mainly rely on tanks and cavalry to attack in turn, but with few infantry, is not completely hopeless. From the 21st Division
Judging from the battle reports sent, the 50mm German-made anti-tank guns equipped by the division are still powerful enough to destroy the latest enemy tanks.
But Yoshimoto Teiichi really doesn’t have reinforcements, so the urgent need now is to ensure that these two divisions can safely withdraw to the Great Wall. If these two divisions are lost again, then from the inner line of the Great Wall to the bottom of Taiyuan City,
He has no troops to defend. If the enemy takes the opportunity to go south and attack Taiyuan again, then he, the commander of the First Army, will either move away or die in Taiyuan.
Yoshimoto Teiichi knew very well that once the enemy army takes advantage of the momentum of a great victory and moves southward, the intensity of this operation will be different from the last raid that seemed like a robbery. The last time the enemy army attacked the commander of the First Army
The troops adopted a posture of besieging but not attacking, but this time they were not so lucky.
Even if the enemy does not attack Taiyuan City, if the first line of natural protection at Xinkou to the north of Taiyuan City is lost and only half of your territory is left, then your position as commander of the First Army will be over. Now the final
The key thing is to save these two divisions. As for General Okamura's damn plan, go to hell.
One wrong step, one wrong step. I originally thought that the 32nd Division would be able to attract the enemy's tank troops. But I didn't expect that the enemy commander's willpower far exceeded his own judgment. He would rather sit back and watch.
The Ruyuekou front line was quickly broken through. The 32nd Division had already advanced towards Yingxian County. However, it only mobilized part of its troops and used a bluff to reinforce the Shanyin front line. However, it controlled all the latest tanks in its own hands.
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A large amount of artillery fire was also concentrated, and a fire net was deployed in the plain area between Mayi and Zhangzhuang, waiting for the attack of the 21st Division. The attack of the 21st Division was equivalent to sending oneself to death stupidly.
Entering someone's circle of fire. In the plains, any fool can understand the result of the battle between infantry, tanks, and cavalry.
Not only did the commander of the 21st Division, Lieutenant General Tanaka Jiuichi, make a mistake in judging the number of enemy tanks, but he and General Okamura in Peiping also made a mistake in judging the number of enemy tanks. He thought that the enemy troops should correspond to the county.
reinforcements and dispatched the main tank force.
The large number of anti-tank guns equipped by the 21st Division were enough to cope with the remaining enemy tanks on the Yanmenguan front line. However, no one thought that the enemy's reinforcements in Yingxian County were just a bluff. Yingxian County was even surrounded by the 32nd Division.
, in such a critical situation, they actually still have the real main force in their hands.
Not only did it give the two division commanders in front the false impression that their troops were extremely empty, they also dared to penetrate Yanmen Pass and seize the new and old Guangwu, cutting off the
The connection between Yanmen Pass and the main force of the 21st Division in front.
Yoshimoto Teiichi is certain that the treacherous and cunning top commander of the Anti-Japanese Alliance is not in northern Shanxi. Although he does not yet know who his opponent is, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Teiichi believes that judging from the current war situation, this commander
Although he is not as cunning as their supreme commander, his endurance and willpower are not inferior to him.
The commander of the 10th Division in Yingxian County was even more treacherous. The siege troops of the 32nd Division had already reached his headquarters, but they still placed their main force in the mountainous area northwest of Yingxian County, waiting for the best opportunity.
Never take action. As a senior military officer, he would rather take risks himself than take action before the best time comes. This courage and perseverance he possesses.
Not to mention the armies of other countries, it is impossible to find such high-ranking commanders who dare to risk their own headquarters. Even in the Imperial Army, which has always been known as tough, all the officers above the major general level combined, there is absolutely no such thing.
Courage and willpower.
In this battle in northern Shanxi, although General Okamura had clever calculations, he encountered such extremely difficult opponents on the three battlefields. His willpower and tenacity were superior to those of the Imperial Army.
It can be considered that General Okamura is unlucky.
Judging from the performance of the Anti-Japanese Alliance on the battlefield in northern Shanxi during this period, as the former chief of staff of the Kwantung Army and the current commander of the First Army of the North China Front, he once served as the chief of staff of the largest strategic unit of the Japanese Army, and once as a considerable
He was the supreme commander of the military-level combat unit of a feudal official in ancient China, and fought against the Anti-Japanese Alliance on two different battlefields.
But Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadichi, who was bruised and bruised by both defeats, can only say that neither the Kwantung Army in the past nor the North China Front Army lost unjustly. To judge such an army with a fixed mindset is cunning, but also extremely
An army that is fierce, bold, aggressive in tactics, courageous, tenacious, and even changeable should not feel surprised when it loses a battle.
For the North China Front, the biggest problem now is how to contain the enemy's offensive, that is to say, how to terminate this battle with a less embarrassing ending and a level of loss that the base camp can accept. Instead of
Then continue to throw any division, even a brigade or a regiment into this meat grinder-like battlefield.
Now let's look at keeping these two divisions, which is to keep the Shanxi control area south of the Inner Great Wall. If these two divisions are lost, even if the 15th Division is put on the battlefield now, what's the use? It's just selling
Two of them, plus a partner, will also be included in half of the control area of his first army.
Faced with such an opponent who is cunning, extremely determined, and possesses an absolute advantage in firepower. Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Teiichi believes that the most important thing now is to protect these two divisions without reinforcements. In addition,
Don't count on it for the time being. Such an order that goes against General Okamura's intention, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Teiichi can only issue it secretly. He uses the special password he gave the two divisions before they entered the war.