Three hundred and thirtieth chapters: Battle of Western Liaoning III
The Kwantung Army took great pains to build this iron and rock force and become a useful helper in suppressing the Chinese people's anti-Japanese armed forces. Not only did it mobilize a large number of Japanese officers, but they also repeatedly selected among the so-called Manchu officers. Once it is considered that
Manchu officers are unreliable and should be eliminated immediately.
Among this iron and stone force, there are not only military police teams dedicated to internal monitoring, but also plainclothes teams used for reconnaissance. The weapons and equipment they match are also extremely sophisticated, and their treatment is much higher than that of the ordinary Puppet Manchukuo army.
Among its officers, Japanese officers account for a quarter of the total, and a considerable number of them are active officers of the Kwantung Army.
This unit is subordinate to an infantry brigade, a cavalry brigade, and a battalion-level combat vehicle unit codenamed Iron Tiger Force. The infantry brigade is subordinate to two infantry regiments, and a cavalry detachment is subordinate to two cavalry companies. Each infantry regiment is subordinate to three
An infantry battalion, a level artillery company, a mortar company, an engineering company, a baggage company, a command platoon, a communications platoon, and a health team each.
Each battalion has three infantry companies, plus one heavy machine gun company. Each infantry company has 188 soldiers and is equipped with twelve Type 96 light machine guns and twelve ** type grenades.
The heavy machine gun battery consists of eight Type 92 heavy machine guns. This firepower configuration even exceeds the firepower configuration of an ordinary Japanese squadron of six light machine guns and six grenade launchers.
The regiment's mortar is equipped with eight 82 mortars, and the level-firing artillery company is equipped with eight type 41 level-firing cannons. Without strengthening the firepower, it exceeds the firepower of an ordinary infantry brigade of the Japanese army. The battalion, company, and platoon are at the third level.
Officers, including squad leaders and combat squad leaders, all made speed machines in Fengtian.
The baggage company has thirty rubber trucks, sixty pack horses, four trucks, and a communication platoon equipped with two five-watt radios. The entire brigade plus the cavalry detachment organized by two cavalry companies totals more than 8,500 people.
If we add the two cavalry regiments of the cavalry detachment, the total strength is 2,500 people. There are also 1,600 people from the Puppet Manchukuo Railway Police Road Protection Unit of the so-called Tiehua Unit, and several thousand people from the directly affiliated troops.
Before the Battle of Redong, the unit had a total of more than 16,000 troops. The total strength was slightly lower than a division of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, but far exceeded the main force of the Jidong Military Region and local troops combined. The equipment was extremely sophisticated, not only infantry and cavalry
It has a complete range of artillery and supplies, and is also equipped with a light combat convoy, an armored convoy and a motor vehicle convoy.
This weaponry and equipment, not to mention dealing with the anti-alliance forces in various base areas behind enemy lines in the pass, is not inferior to an elite division of the Central Army in Chongqing on a one-on-one basis. As for the puppet troops recruited by the Wang puppet regime, whether they are
Former bandits, former security corps, or former motley crews from Chongqing who surrendered to the enemy are all far from being equipped with this firepower.
In addition to the former Chongqing army that was transferred to the Taihang and Taiyue bases by General Okamura Neiji and vigorously renovated using the captured Chongqing weapons and equipment, the remaining puppet troops include the most well-equipped North China troops.
Including the security forces, everything is very different.
Compared with the Anti-Japanese Alliance, its firepower below the battalion does not have 12mm high-level dual-purpose machine guns, 60-guns and rocket launchers. However, the number of grenades is greater than the number of 60-guns in the anti-Japanese infantry company's machine gun platoon, but the number of light and heavy machine guns is
The total number is compared with the eighteen general-purpose machine guns and six 12mm high-level and flat dual-purpose machine guns equipped by a battalion participating in the Anti-Japanese War.
Although the number is greater than that of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, the power is far different. If the Anti-Japanese Alliance adds a squad light machine gun for each combat squad, it is still higher than the firepower density of a battalion. Its Type 92 heavy machine gun, regardless of
Neither the range nor the power can be compared with the 12mm high-level dual-purpose machine gun equipped by the Anti-Japanese Alliance.
There is a lack of direct-aiming firepower below the battalion level, and the power of grenades is also very different from that of the 60-gun. Although there are many Type 41 flat-fire guns equipped at the regiment level, there is no direct-aiming firepower below the battalion level. Their subordinates
The total number of soldiers in a battalion is only two-thirds of a battalion in the Anti-Japanese Alliance.
However, although the firepower of these puppet troops is not as good as that of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, they were trained by the Japanese army. They are almost replicas of the Japanese army. Their combat style is extremely fierce on the battlefield. Whether it is the command level of officers at all levels or the strength of troops at all levels.
The level of coordination and tactics is quite high.
During the Battle of Redong, it once had a battalion. After a sudden encounter with a fully-equipped infantry battalion of the Anti-Japanese Alliance while passing through the mountains. It was at a disadvantage in terms of strength. Although it was strengthened with two 82 mortars and a
Even though the guns were fired flatly, the firepower still did not gain the upper hand. The two sides fought fiercely for four hours without losing any ground.
Because of this four-hour delay, the Anti-Japanese War troops were unable to arrive at the designated combat area on time. Although the battalion was damaged by more than half after four hours of fierce fighting, when it withdrew from the battlefield,
It still maintains the integrity of its organizational structure. Its fierce fighting power can be seen from this.
Although more than half of its main force was wiped out in the Battle of Redong. The entire army had more than 16,000 people, and only more than 4,000 people were left. The chariot fleet to which it belonged, known as the Iron Tiger Unit, was completely destroyed.
The ad hoc team composed of Koreans known as the Iron Man Army was also completely wiped out, and not a single piece of heavy equipment in the entire army was left.
However, even though the department suffered heavy losses during the Battle of Redong, the basic structure of the department is still intact. The army has more than 4,000 troops, coupled with its fierce fighting style, and is quite good at plainclothes activities and military activities below the regiment.
The ability to move independently can still be said to be a considerable threat in the western Liaoning battlefield.
It was precisely because of the trouble that the so-called iron and stone troops of the puppet Manchukuo brought to the participating troops during the Redong Battle. Therefore, before this battle, Lee Myung-bak repeatedly told the deputy commander of the Mountain Division who commanded the roundabout troops to pass through during the battle.
When encountering this iron and stone army, you must not underestimate them.
Although it is currently downsized from two infantry regiments into one infantry regiment, and the cavalry brigade has been downsized into a four-platoon cavalry regiment. However, its combat effectiveness from the Redong Battle is different from the existing one that is composed of flat-fire artillery and mountain artillery.
Judging from the equipment of an artillery battalion and a mortar company, this unit should be calculated as a reinforced brigade of the Japanese army.
But in today's battle, the commanders of the participating troops were shocked to find that the so-called iron and stone troops of the Puppet Manchu Army that they fought today were not only somewhat incomplete in terms of strength and equipment, but also had a different combat effectiveness and morale than the Redong Battle that ended less than a month ago.
Compared with the previous period, it has dropped by more than one level.
Not only was the offensive organization weak, it was even quite chaotic. During defensive operations, the positions not only collapsed as soon as they were attacked, but even collapsed as soon as they collapsed. The Manchu officers either dealt with the situation or broke up at the first touch. Even the offensive organized by the Japanese officers
, it’s not much better.
The strong and stubborn performance during the Redong Battle was completely different after just a month. These were also extremely fierce in the Redong Battle not long ago. Fighting against one's own flesh and blood compatriots was simply like fighting against the enemy. However,
In such a short time, it has become so vulnerable that it is almost unbelievable.
This transformation of this puppet Manchukuo army, which was still powerful and stubborn on the battlefield a month ago, puzzled the front-line commanders. After most of the main force was wiped out in the Redong Battle, although a certain amount of troops were retained
, but the unit must be lacking in equipment and troops, and he knew this.
Although these so-called iron and stone troops escaped quickly in the final stage of the Redong Battle, they finally escaped the fate of being wiped out. However, although a considerable number of them finally ran away, the cavalry and infantry brigades to which they belonged, as well as a large number of attached troops,
, were all defeated in the Battle of Redong, and the losses were at least half.
One of the two infantry regiments was completely defeated, and the other was left with half its strength. The two together barely formed a new infantry regiment. However, the regiment only had two infantry battalions, with about 1,200 people.
Compared with before, there was a huge gap in terms of troops and equipment. At this time, it was impossible for the Japanese to give priority to replenishing them, so it was not surprising that they were insufficient in troops and equipment.
However, morale and combat effectiveness declined so quickly, and they collapsed during the battle. There were even large-scale battlefield escapes that even the Japanese officers and Japanese troops supervising the battle could not control, which was beyond his expectation. However, these puppet Manchurians
The changes in the army were so drastic, but they greatly reduced the pressure on the troops participating in the Anti-Japanese War.
It is precisely because of the low morale and combat effectiveness of these so-called iron and stone troops that they cannot pose an effective threat at all. After killing their commander Awano Shigeyoshi and capturing their 37th regiment commander Minami Seiichi alive in the first round of battle, they
No longer regard it as an effective opponent. For such an army whose morale and combat effectiveness have seriously declined, there is no need to waste troops. Only one unit is used for containment, and the focus of the attack is still on the Japanese army.
As for the Japanese troops who controlled the commanding heights, they first moved all their forces to the two 82-gun mortars on a slightly lower hill northwest of the commanding heights, as well as the two 14-guns with long oblique firing range, dense firepower, and quite amazing power.
Under cover of fire from mm anti-aircraft machine guns.
Continuously launch feint attacks to contain and disperse its firepower, making it unable to suppress firepower on other fronts. The main force will concentrate on dealing with the divided Japanese troops at the foot of the mountain. As long as their main body is dug out first, and some side branches are left, that is
There is no threat anymore.
Moreover, although the Japanese army took the initiative and seized the commanding heights, they only brought a few heavy machine guns. Not only the infantry artillery and other firepower were intercepted by the Anti-Japanese Alliance, but also their own connections with other Japanese troops.
, was also cut off by a reinforced company of the Anti-Japanese Alliance that was forcibly inserted.
Several heavy machine guns, plus a squadron of Japanese troops, as long as the suppressive firepower is enough, the troops should affect the battle at the foot of the mountain. As long as the Japanese troops in other directions are defeated first, the remaining Japanese squadron can resist even if it temporarily occupies a favorable terrain.
It will not affect the overall situation,
After the encounter started, both the frontline commanders of the Anti-Japanese Alliance and the Japanese commander of the 58th Division's 31st Infantry Regiment, Colonel Kobayashi Shimaji, were constantly adjusting their troop strength according to the development of the battle situation.
and the deployment of firepower to defeat the opponent in the shortest possible time.
Moreover, the first thing the two of them did together was to desperately gather the troops that had been disrupted due to the continuous participation. Mountain marching is restricted by the terrain, and it is impossible for anyone to conduct a group march. All troops are gathered together.
The marching plan of the operation.
As a result, with the different orders of the troops entering the battlefield and the time intervals, the battlefield was completely disrupted. The entire battlefield was more than twenty miles long from east to west and nearly nine miles wide from north to south.
They are both Chinese and Japanese armies in the middle of a melee.
Regarding Lieutenant General Yokoyama Shizuo, the commander of the 8th Division, he ordered Colonel Kobayashi Shimaji to collect the disrupted troops at all costs. Lee Myung-bak was very dissatisfied with the battle situation report of the frontline commander. The organization was disrupted.
What? Just fight randomly.
As long as the enemy in front of him is dealt with, he is not interested in how the front-line commanders attack him. He clearly told the front-line commanders that there is no need to rush to gather the troops and fight indiscriminately. As long as the troops participating in the battle can firmly bite the enemy in front of them.
If you are an enemy, there is nothing to worry about.