Faced with a large number of tanks that needed to be replaced with tank guns, Xiong Dazhen personally took charge of the tank and tank gun production factory to speed up production and meet the needs of replacement. This is why Yang Zhen insisted on setting the time when the battle was launched as early as possible.
It was postponed to the last quarter of 2003.
In addition to the expansion and training of the troops, there is also a large amount of equipment that needs to be modified and repaired to reduce the pressure on logistics. After all, they are all second-hand and third-hand goods, and the German-made equipment is still a trophy and requires a lot of maintenance.
Especially German-made tanks require quite a lot of maintenance.
If repairs are not completed, these tanks, which are covered in battle wounds, will not be able to exert their combat effectiveness at all. Moreover, the tank models of Germany, the United States, the Soviet Union and Britain have also resulted in a wide range of tank gun and machine gun calibers. Replace them with the same caliber as much as possible.
It can also maximize its combat effectiveness.
The equipment department and the military industry department were urged by Yang Zhen to keep their feet on the ground. The training and establishment departments were also forced to slap their feet on the back of the head. With the US aid and the transfer of German tanks from the Soviet Union, and the British from the Middle East
The obsolete second-hand goods arrived, and the organization of the armored forces was adjusted.
Considering that the focus of this battle has shifted to Guannan, after the Military Commission's combat meeting, Yang Zhen focused the training of the armored forces on the direction of rapid assault, as well as the ability to fight and move in complex terrain, and at the same time strengthened the training of tank towns
Cooperation training in combat.
At the same time, the practice focused on the tactics of pincer attack on two wings and division and encirclement. Especially the strategies and tactics of infantry divisions and armored divisions, and the shallow depth penetration and large depth penetration of tanks. Throughout the first three quarters of 2003,
, except for training new recruits and adjusting equipment, almost all the time is spent on this.
All armored units were taken to the Armored Forces Combined Training Base in turn for training respectively. Cadres at all levels of each armored unit were almost busy non-stop. They had to learn strategies and tactics at night and strengthen coordinated command and combat training during the day. Everyone
I wish I had forty-eight hours in a day.
Cadres at all levels are extremely nervous due to the forced training method of the headquarters, which requires one small test every week and one big test every half month. In addition, there are also constant adjustments to equipment and troop deployment. Almost all cadres are extremely busy.
.Yang Zhen also knew that pushing the troops like this would make them very tired, but if they didn’t push, how would they achieve results?
Not only the cadres of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, but also the Guan Nei troops who came to the Northeast for training were also taken to various training bases for tactical synthesis training. And compared to the Anti-Union forces that still had some old foundations, the training volume of the Guan Nei troops was larger.
In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the training plan, the central government ordered each base area to dispatch a senior cadre at the deputy political commissar level to personally take charge.
Throughout the training, the German prisoners of war that Yang Zhen procured from the Soviets played a huge role. These German officers, who mastered the world's most advanced tank tactics, gave considerable help to the anti-Union armored forces. Further.
It improved the armored tactics of the Anti-Japanese Alliance and at the same time corrected the imperfections in tactics at all levels of the battalion, company and platoon.
After more than half a year of crazy training, the armored tactics of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, especially rapid breakthroughs, ground-air firepower coordination, and infantry-tank coordination tactics, have made almost completely new progress compared to 1942. If the tactical coordination methods I explored before
, and there are some words that are not very systematic.
Then in 1943, with the help of the Germans, improvements were finally implemented. Of course, the Anti-Japanese Alliance did not copy the German armor tactics in full. At Yang Zhen's request, adjustments were made based on the characteristics of their own troops.
Different from their opponents, the German armored engineering and technical personnel also brought out a large number of technical support personnel step by step.
Yang Zhen adjusted the training direction of the troops. Although he did not regard the Kwantung Army as the main combat target, he still shocked the Kwantung Army in southern Manchuria into a cold sweat. Although there was not much intelligence available, the limited anti-alliance forces launched a large-scale
The training of armored forces for rapid assault, as well as the information that the anti-alliance armored forces are constantly expanding, still makes Yoshijiro Umezu a little restless.
He intuitively believed that the Anti-Japanese Alliance was preparing to completely recover Southern Manchuria. Otherwise, the United States and Britain had given them so many tanks, why didn't they transfer them to the battlefield inside the pass, but stayed in the Northeast? This is not
If you are targeting yourself, who else can you target?
Facing the armored sword hanging over the head of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, Umezu Yoshijiro not only tried his best to get a group of armored troops from the Japanese base camp, but also worked hard to build fortifications and strengthen the allocation of anti-tank firepower. At the same time, he drastically reorganized
The Kwantung Army's troop allocation was adjusted and the deployment of troops was increased in areas that were easily broken through by tanks.
Originally, in order to prevent the Anti-Alliance from going all out to South Manchuria in 1943, Umezu Yoshijiro was prepared to strike first. However, the armored sword of the Anti-Alliance now made him wary and he did not dare to make any big moves. However,
However, the Japanese base camp strictly ordered him to change the overall poor defense situation in South Manchuria.
In order to ensure the safety of the industrial base in South Manchuria and change the overall strategic unfavorable situation of the Kwantung Army, in the second half of 1943, the Japanese base camp deployed Japanese armored forces on the Indian and Burmese battlefields. The rest were distributed on the mainland and in the Pacific.
All armored units on the battlefield were transferred to the Northeast and North China battlefields.
As for the production of ground weapons by the Japanese army, throughout 1943, the focus was also on anti-tank firepower and armor. They even preferred to use stocks that were considered extremely valuable, and reduced the production of light weapons. The power made up for the decline in production, and they originally disdained the capture of weapons.
All American and British small arms were also used.
In order to raise valuable armor steel, the Emperor of Japan directly ordered to stop the subsequent deployment of Yamato-class battleships. At the same time, he asked the Navy to deploy part of the fleet to Huludao and Lushun to cooperate with the Kwantung Army to stick to the Beining Railway and ensure the communication lines inside and outside the Kwantung.
Smooth.
However, the Battle of Guadalcanal and the war of attrition on the Australian battlefield made it difficult for the Japanese Navy to deploy a large number of ships to the Bohai Sea. The continuous sea and air battles on the Southwest Pacific battlefield made the Japanese Navy consume too many ships, especially the Australian landing operations.
, causing the Japanese Navy to suffer its first naval defeat since the outbreak of the Pacific War.
Although it has never been able to expel the Japanese troops who landed in Australia, after entering 1943, the US military launched a comprehensive counterattack in the Southwest Pacific. Although the strategic focus of the entire United States in 1943 was on the battlefields of North Africa and Europe, the strong national power of the United States
But it still put great pressure on the Japanese on the Pacific battlefield.
In the naval battles between the United States and Japan in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea Islands that broke out continuously in 43 years, the Japanese army ended in defeat. The sinking of five large aircraft carriers and two battleships caused the Japanese to lose a large part of their naval strength. And the U.S. military gradually
The initial counterattack also made the Japanese navy somewhat stretched in the use of troops.
Following the U.S. military's complete occupation of Guadalcanal in February and its successive victories in the Battle of the Solomon Islands and the Battle of the New Guinea Islands, the U.S. Army, which was very aggressive, landed on New Georgia Island in the Solomon Islands in June, and on New Guinea Island
Landing in Nassau Bay.
The overall situation of the entire southwest Pacific battlefield has been quite unfavorable to the Japanese Navy. Although under the pressure of Emperor Shenjuan, the Japanese Navy still formulated a plan and began to implement it according to the order. However, the ships that could be dispatched were only one old battleship, plus
A heavy cruiser led by three older cruisers and three light destroyers.
Even this batch of ships was drawn from the Tumen River Estuary, a group of warships of the Japanese Navy that was on guard duty. In order to replace these ships that were transferred to the Bohai Sea, the Japanese deployed all their local training ships and equipped them with anti-aircraft guns.
Towards the mouth of the Tumen River and the waters of western Korea.
Although starting in September 1943, the anti-alliance troops transferred to fight inside the pass had begun to secretly enter Chahar territory. By October, the Japanese troops on the Pingjin front line had begun to attack tanks from the opposite Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei military region positions.
The sound of activation was abnormal. However, the Kwantung Army still stubbornly believed that it was just a feint by the Anti-Alliance, a disguise to distract its own forces.
In order to prepare for the tank raid by the Anti-Japanese Alliance, the Kwantung Army spent a lot of energy, manpower and material resources to build three anti-tank trenches along the depth of the confrontation zone between the two armies. It also built a large number of anti-tank obstacles and laid out
A large number of anti-tank mines.
At the same time, in the confrontation between the two armies, an average of more than four artillery pieces with anti-tank capabilities were deployed per kilometer. In the deep areas, the method of concentrating troops for defense was adopted. Starting from the second half of 2003, a large number of artillery pieces were concentrated
The aviation force and long-range artillery launched convulsive fire strikes from time to time in depth against the coalition.
Compared with the constant small-scale hot fighting in North China, the entire northeastern front was very lively in the air. The artillery battles between the two sides on the ground were also very exciting. Except for the occasional concentration of a group of tanks by the Anti-Japanese Alliance in the second half of the year, from time to time in shallow
In addition to giving the Kwantung Army a small heart-to-heart battle, there were not many real battles between the two sides on the ground, and everyone was very cautious in their actions.
The stubborn Umezu Yoshijiro refused to believe all intelligence from the North China Front Army, insisting that the Anti-League's plan was against him. The tank penetration battle launched by the Anti-League at the front was also a tentative attack launched by the Anti-League. He firmly believed that the Anti-League's plan was to
The focus of the attack was General Umezu Yoshijiro himself, who was constantly competing with the Chinese dispatched troops for tanks and heavy artillery.
However, compared to Umezu Yoshijiro, who was extremely stubborn because he had suffered too many losses, his colleague Okamura Neiji in North China was much more alert. Although there was not much information available, this man with a very sensitive sense of smell still noticed
Something different happened.
Based on limited intelligence and small units of the 18th Group Army in the mountainous areas, they continued to penetrate into the Jizhong Plain. The communist army left behind in Jizhong, which had been lurking in the past, continued to resume activities and was in the overall situation of resurgence. Neji Okamura
I have a keen feeling that the Anti-Japanese Alliance, which has been dormant for nearly a year, may be targeting North China this time, and most likely not Northeast China.
Moreover, Okamura Neiji also judged that the focus of competition in the future is likely to be the Jizhong Plain, the richest and largest major grain-producing area in North China. In the first half of 2003, drought and locust plagues almost swept North China again.
As well as the information about the severe food shortage in the Japanese base areas, Okamura Neiji believed that at least in order to alleviate the serious food shortage situation in various base areas in North China, given the limited strength of the North China Communist Army, the Northeast Communist Army was bound to enter the border in a large scale.
Once the Northeastern Communist Army enters the country in large numbers, the next key attack direction will definitely be in North China, especially the Jizhong Plain known as North China Ukraine, in order to cope with the current dilemma of extreme food shortage in the mountainous areas. As for the Kwantung Army, at most
That is, a diversionary attack.
After Okamura Neiji's painstaking persuasion, he also considered the subsequent chain reactions that would occur if North China was lost. His immediate boss, General Hata Shunroku, personally came forward and constantly competed with the Kwantung Army for the allocation of heavy equipment. In order to compete for
The Kwantung Army and the Chinese dispatched troops were at loggerheads over the tank regiments, heavy artillery regiments, and aviation units.