As soon as the First Brigade of Japanese Tanks entered Baoding City, they were closely watched by the scouts sent by Chen Hanzhang. According to Chen Hanzhang's request, the aviation force significantly increased its ground support. The next day, just one day
Then, four squadrons were dispatched south, and all ninety-six Il-2 attack aircraft went straight to the Baoding battlefield.
Just as the first brigade of Japanese tanks had just left the city, they had assembled in the north of Baoding City. They were preparing to form the main force of the 221st Regiment of the 35th Division, an infantry brigade of the 219th Regiment, and the Artillery Battalion of the 35th Division.
With the cooperation of four squadrons of the 35th Regiment, two squadrons of the Engineer Regiment and an armored vehicle squadron, they forced across the Cao River and launched a counterattack against Chen Hanzhang's troops on the north bank of the Cao River.
As soon as the Japanese tank group and infantry group left the city, they were spotted by the Anti-League scouts who had been lurking in the north of Baoding City. Just as the Japanese army assembled on the front line of the Taibao Camp in the north of Baoding City, they were preparing to cross the river. From the west of Mancheng
Ninety-six Il-2 attack aircraft taking off from the Qingxiling Field Airport in Yixian County converged over Mancheng County and rushed over along the Caohe River bed.
Although the Japanese troops were well prepared to be attacked by the Anti-Alliance ground forces when they assembled for this battle, they were not prepared at all for the arrival of these aerial killers. The Japanese tank cluster assembled on the north bank of the Cao River formed a pattern.
Sub-intensive defense, always ready for battle, but the anti-air firepower is quite weak.
When the anti-alliance aircraft fleet rushed over, the Japanese army regarded it as their own cover aircraft fleet and did not take it seriously at all. Because just yesterday, Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai had clearly told the commander of the 1st Tank Brigade, Major General Anri Anri, that the Imperial
The new fighter group of the Army Aviation Corps has arrived around Jizhong. In this battle, its first tank brigade will receive favorable support from the Imperial Flying Eagle.
So when the anti-alliance attack fleet arrived at the south bank of the Cao River, hundreds of tanks from the Japanese First Tank Brigade were lined up neatly on the river bank as if they were being reviewed without being interfered by any artillery fire.
The area with a depth of less than fifteen kilometers is waiting for the infantry to open a breakthrough channel for them, and for the engineers to remove mines and build bridges for them.
Just thinking about the argument he had with Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai the night before about the next strategic direction of the main attack, and then looking at the silent other side of the Cao River in front of him, Major General Ano Anri felt a faint feeling of uneasiness in his heart. He always felt that the river
The enemy's position opposite, which is currently silent and somewhat scary, will be a black hole that swallows all your troops.
But at this moment, Major General Ano Anri, who was sitting in a car behind the entire position, still couldn't figure out where the uneasiness in his heart came from. It was after an argument with Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai last night that he could only
Act according to his intention, but I am not optimistic about Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai's plan, or something else.
The night before, Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai, commander of the 17th Division stationed in Baoding, not only assured him that he would receive the strictest air protection during the entire battle, but also severely rebuked the newly arrived reinforcements of the 17th Division.
Major General Ano Anri of the 1st Tank Brigade was under his full command.
He was scolded that in the next main attack direction, he should not have the idea of attacking Gaoyang along the Baoding-Gaoyang highway. The line from Gaoyang to Hejian now has the main force of the two armored divisions of the Anti-Japanese Alliance assembled, as well as a large number of infantry and heavy artillery.
His First Tank Brigade is currently the only tank unit of the Japanese army on the entire Ping-Han Line.
This force should be used in key places and on the cutting edge. It should not be used in head-on confrontations with the enemy and wasted by Major General Ano Anri. The enemy's tanks have excellent performance, even the best in the Imperial Army.
Tanks are no match for him. His main force is still the old Type 1 tanks and the 1st Tank Brigade of the 1997 variant tanks, and they will be their opponents there.
We should not waste our energy and strength to compete for credit with the friendly forces that have arrived at the south bank of the Hutuo River. Chariot troops should be used to penetrate deeply and should not be wasted on competing with infantry. Moreover, the enemy forces on the front line of Gaoyang are bound to have already arrived.
Be prepared. If you attack Gaoyang, you will definitely encounter a counterattack by the enemy's armored forces.
His first tank brigade should make use of the enemy's main force and deploy it at the intersection of the Cao River and the Tang River east of Baoding, as far as the line between Gaoyang and Hejian. The enemy north of Baoding only has one infantry division and a small number of tanks, with little strength and firepower.
All were insufficient. Its infantry suffered heavy losses on the battlefield north of Baoding, especially the number of tanks and artillery.
Activating south of Baoding, a cavalry brigade trying to block the Baoding-Shimen section of the Ping-Han Line was defeated by the First Tank Brigade and two infantry regiments. Its total force deployed on the Baoding line was quite limited, and it could even
Let’s talk about Guxuan Baoding’s overall situation. Let’s first defeat the enemy forces north of Baoding.
Two infantry regiments of the 17th Division cooperated with three tank regiments and fought hard for three days north of Baoding. Although more than 500 defeated soldiers escaped sporadically, the main force was completely wiped out. The three tank regiments that participated in the battle were defeated.
The team's more than 200 tanks were all destroyed.
However, the Seventeenth Division's hard battle on the battlefield caused considerable casualties to the enemy, as evidenced by the large number of wreckage of enemy tanks that were destroyed on both sides of the Cao River. A cavalry brigade operating between Baoding and Wangdu was again destroyed by tanks.
The first brigade was defeated. The enemy's strength on the Baoding battlefield was already quite insufficient.
Judging from the current situation of the entire Jizhong battlefield, the Baoding battlefield is a protrusion formed by the North China Front Army on the enemy's flank in Jizhong. As long as this protrusion is used well, it is possible to reverse the entire North China situation. It is already quite difficult for the Japanese army.
The battle situation.
As long as the 64th Division and part of the 62nd Division can be used, they have already reached the south bank of the Hutuo River and are about to launch an attack on the enemy forces in Hejian and Suning. At least they can contain the opportunity of the enemy's main force being unable to move westward.
Defeat the enemy's currently depleted troops on the battlefield north of Baoding. Make final preparations for the front army's upcoming all-out counterattack.
If the battle against the enemy north of Baoding goes well, then all the tanks can be concentrated to cooperate with the infantry, bypassing Baiyangdian from Baoding, avoiding the enemy's blockade line at Gaoyang and going straight to the Renqiu line. This can be coordinated with the south bank of the Hutuo River.
The two divisions formed a flanking attack on the enemy forces on the front lines in Hejian and Gaoyang, completely getting rid of the current passive situation in the Jizhong battlefield.
If the 22nd Division, with the cooperation of the First Division of the 32nd Division of Cangzhou, can defeat the enemy forces around Cangzhou, seize the big city and then move westward to seize Renqiu at the same time, then it is even possible to defeat the enemy forces on the four sides of the north bank of the Hutuo River.
An infantry division and two armored divisions were encircled and completely annihilated.
Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai believes that the enemy's tank performance is indeed better than that of the Japanese army, and in terms of number of tanks, even two tank brigades combined are no match. But as long as Renqiu is captured, its supply line can be cut off. By then, there will be no fuel.
And artillery support, no matter how the enemy can fight, no matter how excellent the performance of the tank is, isn't it just a pile of scrap metal?
He has no control over the plans of the First Tank Brigade and the two regiments of the Thirty-fifth Division. But now that they have been unified under the command of his own Seventeenth Division according to the orders of the front army, he must obey them.
Their own plan is to cross the Cao River directly to the north and defeat the enemy in the north of Baoding first. As for their own combat ideas, it is better to put them aside for the time being.
The most important thing is that in the view of Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai, the Baoding battlefield is not only a protrusion formed by the Japanese army on the entire front line in front of the enemy. The Baoding front line is also the enemy's base in central Hebei, which is the same as the so-called base area of the North China Communist Army in the mountainous area of western Hebei.
The hub of communication between them is also a channel for the exchange of supplies, and it also protects the flanks of the enemy forces on the entire river line.
Completely defeating the enemy forces north of Baoding can cut off the connection between the Jizhong battlefield and the mountainous area in western Hebei, and completely isolate the enemy forces on the Jizhong battlefield. Moreover, attacking from their relatively weak flanks is far more effective than a direct attack.
The price paid for hard work is much more cost-effective.
Now that a protrusion has formed on the Baoding front, it is necessary to make good use of the position of this protrusion on the enemy's front to defeat their flanks, cut off their connection with the mountainous areas of western Hebei, and cut off all their access to supplies.
line and completely isolate it.
As for the fronts of Gaoyang and Hejian, there are already enough newly arrived Imperial Army troops. There is no need for the First Tank Brigade. Then go there and the divisions of the 15th Army that are in the Jiangnan water town, and their bones are almost crispy.
It's up to the regiment to grab the credit. As long as the enemy's flank is defeated and the enemy's back is penetrated, the first achievement is achieved.
Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai was very confident in his plan and had an extremely tough attitude. Faced with this man's extremely tough attitude, Major General Ano Anri, commander of the 1st Tank Brigade of the North China Front of the Japanese Army, knew clearly that
There is something wrong with his plans, but he can only obey orders.
When he had no choice but to mobilize the First Tank Brigade, the North China Front Army Headquarters gave him an order that all actions of his First Tank Brigade would be under the command of Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai, commander of the 17th Division. At the moment, for
For the Japanese army, it has long been a thing of the past to defeat the superiors. Regardless of Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai's orders, he must implement them whether he is willing or not.
In fact, Major General Ano Anri did not think that Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai's judgment was incorrect. At least in some aspects, it was correct. But he really couldn't accept Lieutenant General Sakai Yasu and asked his First Tank Brigade
The regiment devoted all its tanks, artillery vehicles, and motorized infantry units to the counterattack north of Baoding. This was a somewhat all-or-nothing approach.
And for Major General Ano Anri, he really hates the gambler mentality of Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai. Yes, Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai is too confident, regardless of the actual situation on the battlefield, and does not even leave a reserve team.
In Major General Ano's view, it is a gambler's mentality.
At the same time, Major General Ano Anri believes that the enemy commander can attack from the Pingjin line to Baoding, which is hundreds of kilometers away in a short period of time. He is definitely not the kind of idiot commander. At present, the enemy only retains troops north of Baoding.
A reinforced infantry division was formed, and even when the First Tank Brigade had arrived south of Baoding, no reinforcements were mobilized.
This shows that the enemy must have a countermeasure against its first tank brigade. Otherwise, no commander would be so careless about his flanks. If the enemy sets up an ambush circle for itself on the north bank of the Cao River,
, then waiting for the results of his first tank brigade, he will definitely not follow what Lieutenant General Yasu Sakai said.
Tanks are indeed very powerful against infantry. But that is in encounters with enemy infantry, or against light infantry lacking anti-tank guns. If there is a strong fortification group or favorable terrain to rely on, a large number of anti-tank tanks can be equipped
The enemy's force with cannons may not turn out to be as overwhelming as Yasu Sakai imagined.
Maybe, it is not impossible to be bitten by the enemy. Even if you break through the enemy's defense line, your first tank brigade will be severely damaged. In this way, the follow-up operations of the entire Pinghan Line will be
The spearhead of the breakthrough was lost. It even caused the Imperial Army itself to focus on one thing and not the other, and lost its continuous combat capability on the Ping-Han Line.