"How could this happen?" An Yi muttered, covering his face in pain.
"well--"
Shen Fengdao sighed and shook his head: "Obviously, when we attacked, we did not dare to let go because we were concerned about the safety of the people. But the Japanese were different. They mainly focused on consuming our army's effective strength. , so whenever a loophole in the defense line is found, they will immediately be bombarded with artillery fire. First, block the hole. Look, the Japanese are coming. Not only are there tanks to help, but there are also transport convoys."
Without Shen Fengdao's reminder, An Yi had already seen through the telescope a convoy of more than forty Japanese military vehicles quickly entering the edge of the ruins. After stopping, nearly a hundred Japanese engineers quickly took off sandbags from the vehicles and took advantage of the collapse of the building. After the gap was created, defenses were quickly built.
At the same time, ten Japanese Type 95 light tanks stood in front of the engineers, carefully on guard.
After the construction work by the engineers was completed, more than 50 Japanese troops who had just arrived quickly got into the bunker made of the ruins of the building and sandbags and continued to hold on.
Subsequently, the Japanese tanks and engineer convoys quickly evacuated this block. The entire construction process took less than ten minutes in total. However, the position construction was extremely reasonable and the firepower points were set up very cleverly. It seemed that the Japanese had long been aware of the various types of equipment that appeared. There are problems and there are solutions to deal with them.
"This battle is not easy to fight!"
For the first time, An Yi felt that the problem was difficult. The tenacity of the Japanese army far exceeded his expectations. Fighting against such an opponent, one side would never give up easily until it surrendered completely.
Lin Yaodong was also full of emotions: "It seems that even if our army launches an attack, it can only invest heavy troops on the basis of completely suppressing the Japanese artillery fire. Otherwise, it will increase the Japanese army's record. The Japanese army is permanently stationed here, and every enemy will be attacked." A street and every building probably have a corresponding serial number. Even if the Japanese artillery fires with squinted eyes, it can still hit. On the contrary, our artillery has no clue about the situation on the front line and cannot reinforce the infantry attack in time. For example, In those ten minutes just now, if our artillery could detect the movement of the Japanese army in time and cover it with artillery fire, then the Japanese army would fill it with tanks, military vehicles, more than 50 infantrymen and more than 100 engineers at once, and this would happen several times more. The Japanese army couldn’t bear to keep it.”
An Yi nodded: "Yes, I guess similar things are happening on the entire front now. Now I want to see how my mentor General Wenbai will deal with this difficult situation."
...
As the commander of the Ninth Group Army, charged with the important task of capturing the concession area, Zhang Zhizhong adjusted the offensive plan in a timely manner, but it was a response that An Yi did not want to see.
Seeing that the frontline attack was blocked, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. If the Japanese army could not break through the defense and consolidate the occupied position before dark, then as night fell, the Japanese army, which was extremely familiar with the entire area, would most likely launch a crazy counterattack. The Japanese army has three divisions in Pudong. If they take advantage of the darkness and suddenly invest heavy troops into the concession area, the entire fragmented front may be divided and surrounded by the Japanese army. The tens of thousands of soldiers who are thrown into the front line will face a tragic situation.
The Central Army deployed an armored regiment on the Songhu battlefield. This regiment was the first regiment under the armored brigade founded by An Yi's veteran officer Xu Tingyao, and was headed by Major General Du Yuming.
In January of this year, they felt that they could not lag too far behind the Anjia Army in terms of armaments. Therefore, under Chiang Kai-shek's insistence, the Military Commission and the Ministry of Military Affairs formally commissioned Xu Tingyao to transfer the chariot battalion of the school and the armored vehicle team of the Second Regiment of the Transportation Corps.
Co-edited, following the example of the armored divisions and tank divisions being organized by the Anjia Army, the Central Armored Brigade was formally established in Nanjing, with two armored regiments under its jurisdiction.
The leaders of the first regiment, Chiang Kai-shek and Xu Tingyao, all paid attention to Du Yuming, while the second regiment was personally served by Xu Tingyao.
Most of the combat vehicles equipped by the armored brigade were purchased based on the conclusions after field inspections at the Fangshan training ground. Wheeled armored vehicles were purchased from Germany and the United States, and tracked tanks were purchased from the United Kingdom and Germany. Subsequently, the Military Commission paid heavily to hire German tanks.
Experts serve as armored force instructors, and soldiers are selected from military academies.
The former enemy headquarters of the 88th Division.
"...Your offensive route is from here, right, the junction of our division's West Route Army and North Route Army. This is the firepower point of the Japanese army. This is the Japanese army's artillery position... to
Here, there is a distance of about one thousand meters. Your armored troops must open a gap to cover the infantry in occupying Tiantong'an Station and connect the entire front of our division together." Sun Yuanliang, commander of the 88th Division, said to the commander assigned to the station.
said the commander of his tank company.
"You must remember that we must resolutely eliminate the enemy's firepower points and artillery positions." Chief of Staff Zhang Boting carefully warned at the side.
There is no doubt that the officers and soldiers of the Eighty-Eighth Division had great expectations for the tank troops to participate in the battle. In the minds of the Japanese soldiers during this period, as soon as the tanks purchased from abroad at a large cost were put on the field, the Japanese defense line would definitely fall apart. Raise your hands.
Surrender. However, this is simply a lack of
It shows a lack of common sense. The armored company assigned to the 88th Division is equipped with German I-type tanks. The armor is extremely thin, and there are many openings in the gaps and joints, making this type of tank not only unable to resist horizontally fired artillery shells, but even unable to withstand it.
Infantry cluster grenade strike.
Although according to China's opinion, a 50mm anti-tank gun main gun was added to the original two machine guns, which has powerful firepower, it will still be extremely dangerous if you don't pay attention to protection.
"Ah!? From here, to...here? Oh, is it...I mean - can we move back? Make full use of the blind spot of the Japanese artillery to launch an attack?"
The tank company commander pondered the attack route for a long time before carefully raising his objections to the plan of frontally attacking the Japanese artillery positions:
"We are now engaged in street fighting in cities, and the terrain is extremely complex. Tanks can only exert their greatest effectiveness by keeping a synchronized distance with the infantry, attacking in parallel, and providing cross cover. Especially in this position, please see that the enemy configurations are intersecting.
Firepower, if our tanks advance too far, they will inevitably be hit by flank fire. Every tank and every tank crew in our company is hard-earned and must be protected."
Sun Yuanliang was very surprised that the armored soldiers were unwilling to move forward bravely. Aren't the tanks protected by armored steel plates? Aren't there machine guns and cannons to open the way? Aren't there tracks majestic and creaking? Why do they insist on advancing slowly with the infantry?
?If tanks cannot charge, can it be said that the fragile bodies of soldiers are stronger than tanks? What is the superiority of tank troops?
Sun Yuanliang, commander of the 88th Division, became angrier as he thought about it. It was obvious that it was not the tank that had the problem, but the tank company commander's will.
Sun Yuanliang was about to convince the tank company commander to explain the importance of surprise and quick victory. At this time, there was a heavy sound of boots outside the command department. Zhang Zhi, commander-in-chief of the Ninth Group Army, appeared to take command of the 88th Division.
In the small basement.
Everyone stood at attention and took a break. Commanders at all levels came forward to report the battle situation.
Zhang Zhizhong did not speak, but kept pacing back and forth with a tense face. The sound of heavy riding boots was like an invisible whip, constantly beating the tense nerves of the soldiers. It turned out that Zhang Zhizhong was not worried about the battle ahead.
After giving the order for tanks to enter the battlefield to assist in the battle, he personally rushed to the front line to supervise the battle.
At this time, Zhang Zhizhong had already forgotten An Yi's request and was fully following his own deployment, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the Japanese army.
"That's right, that's right! Your mental state is very good, and you are able to accept death as if you were going to die before the war. This is what our Huangpu soldiers should be like."
Zhang Zhizhong showed a tired smile, and then he looked sternly at his subordinates again and gave instructions before the battle: "
I would also like to add to your battle plan, which is to use tanks to attack the front, and infantry to assault the two flanks of the Japanese defense line. You must do it at all costs, even if your troops are exhausted, you must rush forward bravely... As long as you take the sky
Tong'an Railway Station, taking advantage of the situation to seize the Japanese Marine Corps Headquarters,
Then the enemies of Songhu will fall into chaos without a leader. I hope that commanders at all levels will take the lead and officials of the *** department will carry out ideological work. I am here in this command post, watching you raise the red flag,
Insert it on top of the Japanese Marine Corps headquarters building..."
"But--"
The tank company commander hesitated to speak.
Zhang Zhizhong frowned slightly. After asking about the concerns of the tank company commander, he opened his eyes wide and cursed: "Asshole! Coward! You charge me, even if there are mountains of swords and seas of fire ahead, you have to rush in bravely and kill the Japanese army."
The defense line is in tatters!"
The tank company commander looked pale and stammered in defense: "Report to the commander... It's not that we are afraid of death, but the armor of our tanks is very thin, and the Japanese artillery fire is too fierce. If the infantry cannot keep up for a while,
, lost cover, it doesn’t matter if we sacrificed ourselves, it would be a pity to lose these tanks, these tanks were bought by the central government every penny!"
A combat staff officer who had some knowledge about tank operations quietly reminded Zhang Zhizhong that if the tank was scrapped in vain, it would be difficult to explain to Chiang Kai-shek and Xu Tingyao.
"Explain? If the Japanese positions cannot be taken, and tens of thousands of soldiers of our Ninth Army are divided and surrounded by the Japanese army, who will explain to me? To King Yama?"
Zhang Zhizhong became more and more angry and roared: "Raise troops for a thousand days, use them for a while, but not use them at critical times, and leave them behind as decorations to scare people?"
At this point, Zhang Zhizhong turned to the tank company commander with a stubborn look on his face and issued an order without explanation: "Come here, call Du Yuming and ask him to put all the tanks into battle. If you are afraid of the enemy, you will engage in military law!"
...
A battle that An Yi didn't expect began.
The tank company commander boarded the Type I tank tragically. Amid the cheers of the infantrymen who did not know the truth, he waved to his team of fifteen rattling tanks and issued the battle order to charge into the battle.
The German-made gasoline engine immediately roared loudly, the tank turret kept rotating, and the 50mm cannon muzzle and two 7.92mm caliber mg13 machine guns were aimed at the Japanese position.
The tank crews fully followed the instructions of the German instructors, drove the tanks into a "pin" formation, braved the Japanese artillery fire as if they were dead, and launched a desperate charge.
Shanghai residents on both sides of Huajie Street in Zhabei were infected and stuck their heads out of the windows on both sides of the street to cheer and watch the battle. Many young men and women, regardless of the danger of stray bullets, took to the streets and shouted anti-Japanese slogans.
Donate towels and food to express condolences to your soldiers.
For more than a hundred years, the Chinese have had enough of the aggression of European and American powers and Japanese devils, and the suffering of backward weapons and equipment. Now they see that the Chinese have their own aircraft and tanks, and have a fight with one of the great powers.
There is no reason why they should not be excited about the modern weapons for a showdown, and there is no reason why they should not be more ambitious.
The crowd was encouraged, and optimism and wishful thinking spread quickly like contagious germs. As soon as the tank started and the machine gun fired, the crowd cheered, and some people threw their hats high into the air, as if they had achieved great success.
The victory is average.
Two battalions of infantry, following the tanks, launched a mighty charge towards the Japanese army's waiting positions.
The officers and soldiers of the 88th Division were all high-spirited and high-spirited. Many of them were proud and refused to bend down, as if the Japanese army had no choice but to surrender as long as there were majestic tanks opening the way in front.
The backwardness in tactical awareness has led to a huge deviation in understanding. Whether it is a senior military commander or an ordinary soldier, they just put their most elite strength into unnecessary consumption. There is no greater tragedy in the world than this.