At the same time as the Malayan Air Raid was launched, the Japanese airfields in Burma and East India also suffered devastating blows from the Anjia Army Air Force. At the same time, the Northern Burma Front Army and the Indian Front Army, like the Central and Southern Front Army, also crossed the border as soon as possible.
Launch a fierce attack on the Japanese army's painstaking defense line.
Ten o'clock in the morning, Patna city, India.
Patna is a religious holy place in India. It is located on the south bank of the Ganges River in eastern Bihar. It has a history of 2,500 years. It was once the capital of King Ashoka of the Mauryan Dynasty in the third century BC. It is recorded in the Buddhist scriptures that it is called the "Fahrenheit City".
Since the Seventh Army of the Indian Front launched a general offensive at 4 a.m. and broke through the Song River defense line two hours later, the 21st Motorized Infantry Division was separated from the three divisions under its command to seize the vast land on the east bank of the Song River, mainly
Launch attacks on those towns where Japanese garrison troops are stationed. As for the garrison tasks after the capture, they will be carried out by the B-type troops that follow the main force.
The other two main divisions of the Seventh Army, of which the 20th Division was a tank division and the 19th Division was a motorized infantry division, were divided into two groups. The 19th Motorized Infantry Division quickly advanced from Meurnell to Patna.
After approaching the western suburbs of the city, they used 300 large and small artillery pieces and three rocket launcher battalions to violently bombard the city of Patna.
The 20th Tank Division, making full use of its mobility, surrounded the west of Patna city from Bihda and Dumri, cut off the retreat route of the Patna defenders, and also used some artillery to launch indiscriminate bombing of the city.
The soldiers of the 16th Independent Infantry Brigade and the 28th, 29th and 30th Divisions of the Japanese and Indian Army defending Patna City were stunned by this overwhelming shelling!
Soon after the 23rd Independent Infantry Brigade and the 19th and 20th Divisions of the Japanese and Indian Army stationed near the border line on the south bank of the Song River sent a distress telegram, the commander of the 16th Independent Infantry Brigade, Takezono Yoshi
Colonel Jing was still holding an emergency military meeting to discuss whether to send troops for reinforcements when he received news that the military airport west of Patna City had been attacked by the superior air force of the Anjia Army.
After the several-hour air raid was over, what followed was the siege of the city by the Chinese Army.
Colonel Takezono Yoshii was very surprised. He never expected that the Songhe line, which was heavily defended by troops, would be defeated so quickly, and that the Anjia army would advance so quickly. After being bombarded by artillery fire, he was even more shocked. He did not expect that Nanhua
The army's firepower output was actually much higher than that of the Japanese army.
As the general of the independent infantry brigade, Colonel Takezono Yoshii had heard of the horrific rumors about the Anjia Army, but in his opinion, they were just lies spread by rumors. You must know that in the education that Japanese people receive, China
People have always been cowardly, poor, and bear the burden of humiliation. The pictures shown to students from elementary schools, middle schools, and even universities are all manifestations of the insensitivity of the Chinese people who are watching while the Japanese army beheads their heads.
Takezono Yoshii always thought that his perception was correct, but reality slapped him hard, and he suddenly realized that things might be even more outrageous than the rumors.
Listening to the waves of shelling, Colonel Takezono Yoshii actively organized troops to defend and asked for help from the Indian Front Army Headquarters.
...
To the west of Patna City, as the artillery fire gradually ceased, a loud charge bugle sounded on the battlefield, and the officers and soldiers of the 19th Division of the Seventh Army launched a fierce charge towards the Japanese defense line.
The Japanese army attaches great importance to the Song River and Ganges River defense lines. After two years of construction, the city defense fortifications of Patna City, which is a strong support for this defense system, have been relatively complete. Many defensive positions are semi-buried reinforced concrete structures.
The thick top makes it clear at first glance that it can defend against large-caliber heavy artillery and even aerial bombs.
Moreover, the Japanese army is also very cunning. Each defense point is connected to each other by potholes, which can provide support and mobilize troops at any time. There are even medical treatment stations and food and ammunition warehouses inside. Such fortifications are difficult to obtain by conventional means.
Come down.
However, modern warfare does not mean that strong defenses can be defended. After all, the Japanese troops defending the city were only organized as independent infantry brigades and lacked heavy firepower equipment. This gave the attacking 19th Division officers and soldiers an opportunity to take advantage of.
Tanks and armored vehicles rushed to the enemy's position one after another. A large number of landmines were originally laid in the open area in front of the position. However, these mines had been detonated in the shelling just now and lost their effect. Huge huge mines were left on the scene.
The craters prove their existence.
Rushing to the front of the position, the soldiers in the armored personnel carrier jumped out and blocked the underground passages made of reinforced concrete.
"Platoon commander, what should we do?"
A 16-year-old soldier was holding an automatic rifle and carefully guarding the entrance of a destroyed tunnel. This tunnel entrance did not exist originally, but the round of shelling just now blew a big hole in the top of the tunnel.
, as a result, the little devil’s underground fortress was exposed.
"First throw a grenade and take a look. If the area below is small, use a gun to scan it. If the space is large, you can only go down and take a look."
"yes!"
Soon, the cover of two long-handled grenades was opened, the ignition string at the top was pulled, and the two soldiers threw them in two directions in the tunnel with great skill.
"Boom boom——"
Two muffled explosions sounded one after another, and after a while, a puff of smoke rushed out from the entrance of the cave.
"Is there any mistake? It took two grenades to create such a small amount of smoke. It seems that the space inside is big enough, so we have to go down! Let's go in and take a look!"
After the platoon leader finished speaking, he waved his hand, and soon eleven officers and soldiers, including the squad leader, jumped out of the tunnel.
After jumping down the tunnel, the soldiers in this squad quickly divided into two combat groups and searched both sides of the tunnel.
It is estimated that there is a problem with the generator or power supply system in the tunnel. Except for some light at the entrance of the tunnel, the deeper you go inside, the blurry your vision becomes.
The officers and soldiers could only rely on their feelings and groped forward. One of the groups found their way behind a bunker that was slightly higher than the ground. Through an iron gate, they could only hear the sound of fierce shooting coming from inside.
Several soldiers looked at each other and took out grenades in tacit understanding. The captain pushed the door hard, and the heavy iron door opened gently. Five or six grenades were thrown in. Several soldiers quickly rolled to the side, and there was a violent explosion.
There was a loud explosion.
After two or three minutes, several soldiers with dusty faces rushed into the bunker and found three chicken-neck machine guns messily placed at the three shooting ports. The twelve Japanese soldiers in the bunker were all hit by dense grenade shrapnel.
, there were blood holes all over his body. There were four or five Japanese who were not completely dead, and their legs and feet were twitching constantly.
"Pah, pah, pah—"
No one showed mercy to these Japanese soldiers. Officers and soldiers immediately stepped forward to replenish their guns, allowing them to fulfill the promise they made when they went out to fight.
After dealing with the Japanese soldiers, the officers and soldiers retreated along the original road, only to find that another group was already waiting there. It turned out that the tunnel on the other side had collapsed and the road was blocked, so they retreated, but the distance was longer, and now they
When we returned to the exit, we happened to meet each other.
At this moment, the troops originally following behind had already reached the front. Next to an armored command vehicle, Lieutenant Colonel Gao Jin, the commander of the 77th Infantry Regiment, was directing the troops to fight.
After several years of regular construction, the communication walkie-talkies of the main force of the Anjia Army have been popularized to the squad level. The fast and convenient communication has greatly improved the unit's collaborative combat capabilities. In fortress battles or urban street battles,
, the squad and platoon level can even directly call the air force to assist in the battle to eliminate the enemy's firepower points.
"Attention all companies, the headquarters requires us to reduce casualties as much as possible in the critical battle. Patna City is more of a magnet, in order to mobilize the large Japanese troops and annihilate them on the plains. Therefore, everyone must
Don't underestimate the enemy and cause unnecessary casualties, do you understand?"
Just as Major Gao Jin was talking to the walkie-talkie, a row of bullets fired from a distant position hit the surface of the armored vehicle. Sparks flashed and a "ding-dang-dang-dang" sound caused several people following Gao Jin to hit the surface of the armored vehicle.
The staff officer next to him shrank his neck.
"clear--"
"knew--"
Hearing the flurry of answers coming from the walkie-talkie, Gao Jin put down the walkie-talkie, glanced at several staff officers, and said displeasedly: "What are you afraid of? This is a stray bullet, there is no crosshair at all!"
After speaking, Gao Jin threw the walkie-talkie to the communications staff aside. He lay down on the armored vehicle and looked at the Japanese positions that still relied on the remaining fortifications to resist.
Not far in front of the armored vehicle, several machine gunners from the Anjia Army were looking for new shooting points. The Japanese machine gun bunkers were too well built. Since they were only less than half a meter above the ground level, and the range was limited, rocket launchers and direct fire
Mortars are not easy to use, and it is difficult for tanks and armored vehicles to shoot directly at such a low target. Therefore, it is difficult for offensive troops to suppress firepower for a long time in one position and must be moved at any time.
Just when Gao Jin frowned, a huge noise was heard, and a machine gun that had been spitting bullets in the Japanese fortress misfired.
It turned out that a sniper of a certain assault team participating in the attack used a 12.7mm caliber anti-material gun to fire a tungsten core armor-piercing bullet, killing the Japs' machine gun and the machine gunner together. The Japs in the bunker could only
After replacing the machine guns and shooters, the firepower suddenly became weaker.
Therefore, this created an opportunity for the attacking officers and soldiers. As the I-type general-purpose machine gun suppressed the enemy's remaining fire outlet, the four rocket launchers quickly moved forward, aimed at the Japanese's firing port, and began to fire rockets.
Two of the rockets hit the outer edge of the bunker, making a huge noise and leaving two large craters. Just when Gao Jin was disappointed, the rockets fired by the other two rocket launchers miraculously disappeared from only
A shooting hole of more than 20 centimeters was drilled in. As a huge explosion sounded, the rockets ignited the ammunition in the bunker and exploded. Even larger continuous explosions sounded, and huge fireworks came out of the holes in the bunker.
, and then fell into silence.
"Come on!"
The morale of the Anjia officers and soldiers was greatly boosted. They rushed through the smoking bunker and continued to advance forward.
...
East India, Calcutta City, New Fort William.
At twelve o'clock at noon, generals from the *** Burmese and Indian Fronts walked into the underground conference room more than ten meters deep in the castle. Most of them knew what had happened. Due to the high-intensity air raid by the Anjia Army Air Force,
, almost all the airports in East India and Myanmar were destroyed, and most of the officials and officials attending the meeting took seaplanes to Calcutta for the meeting.
General Shozo Kawabe, the commander-in-chief of the Japanese Burmese and Indian Front, who was sitting at the chair of the conference table, frowned.
During the early morning air raid, Fort William, where Zhengsan lived by the river, was also hit by more than a dozen aerial bombs. If he hadn't been lucky, he would have moved underground as soon as the air raid siren sounded. He might not have gone there at this moment.
Amaterasu.
In order to coordinate the Australian war, on the eve of launching the Australian landing operation in March, Chief of Staff Kanji Ishihara adjusted the heads of various front armies. Former Burmese and Indian Army Commander Ishikawa Koichi was transferred to the Australian Front Commander, and former Indian Ocean Front Chief of Staff Adachi Yuzo was transferred to
Commander of the Nineteenth Army of Guinea, which mainly cooperates with the Navy's Southeast Fleet to defend New Britain Island, New Ireland Island and the Bismarck Islands.
Kawabe Shozo led the army to conquer New Guinea and was promoted to general. At the same time, he was transferred to the commander of the Burmese and Indian Army.
The wealth of East India and Burma is world-famous. Kawabe Shozo made a profit out of thin air. He himself and the forces behind him are deeply grateful to Ishihara Wanji for his generosity. However, in the past six months, he has seen frequent good news in the Australian theater.
Hebian Zhengsan felt sour in his heart. It was not until Anjiajun launched a surprise attack early this morning that Hebian Zhengsan suddenly discovered that he was sitting on the crater of the volcano.
Seeing that everyone was almost here, Kawabe Shozo coughed lightly, and after the generals on both sides of the conference table gathered their sights, he spoke:
"Gentlemen, the An family army broke the long-term peace with us and suddenly launched a full-scale attack on us! Now that the empire is engaged in a war in Australia, the possibility of sending additional reinforcements to us is extremely slim... Let's discuss it!"
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Kimura Hyōtaro stood up and said loudly:
"East India and Burma are the foundation of the empire's advancement. They have a large number of factories and enterprises, as well as oil fields and rich products. They are places that must be saved. Without further delay, we should send troops to rush to the front line to rush to the front line, instead of preferential treatment like now.
Have a meeting and discuss freely!"
Kawabe Shozo glared at Kimura Hyoutarou with some displeasure.
Kimura Hyōtaro is a loyal follower of Tojo Hideki. His position as chief of staff was forced on the Burmese-Indian Front by Tojo Hideki, who was the director of education. However, Kawabe Shozo's origins are quite extraordinary. In his early years,
He was the imperial guard of Emperor Taisho, and later served as the military staff of Emperor Showa. He had a strong background and did not need to give Kimura Hyōtaro face, so he snorted coldly and reprimanded:
"Kimura-kun, please pay attention to your attitude! Is this the tone you should have when speaking to a commander? Humph, of course everyone knows how to save? But how to save is debatable! Now the air supremacy is firmly controlled by the enemy.
Do our soldiers have to advance on the plains in the face of hail-like bombs from enemy planes? In such a bad situation, even if we send out troops, we have to wait at least until night. We have a meeting here, and we won't waste much time at all!"
"Hi--"
Kimura Hyōtaro also realized that he had lost his composure at this time, and quickly stood up to apologize.
Now Tojo Hideki's faction is at a disadvantage in the competition with Ishihara Kanji's faction, so Kimura Hyoutaro does not dare to offend Kawabe Shozo, the representative of the middle forces. Although he thinks his opinion is correct, he can only
You can feel sorry for yourself.
Lieutenant General Shojiro Iida, commander of the 15th Army, thought for a while and asked Lieutenant General Shimoyama Takuma, commander of the Army's Third Air Force: "Shimoyama-kun, when can your air force regain air supremacy?"
He went down the mountain and thought about it, his face turned red, and after a while he said:
"Although our Army's Third Air Force has jurisdiction over the 4th and 5th Flying Divisions as well as the 1st and 2nd Reserve Flying Divisions, currently, the 5th Flying Division and the 1st Reserve Flying Division are deployed in Madagascar.
One was deployed in the Seychelles Islands, beyond reach.
"This also means that we can only deploy the Fourth Flying Division and the Second Reserve Flying Division. However, due to the air battle in Madagascar some time ago, in order to ensure the victory of the naval battle, most of our fighter planes supported the southwest Indian Ocean battlefield, so the Fourth
The existing number of aircraft in the Flying Division and the Second Reserve Flying Division is seriously insufficient. There should have been one thousand fighters, but in fact there are less than five hundred.
"Early this morning, after the Anjiajun Air Force launched a raid, quite a few of our fighter planes took off and transitioned in a hurry. Most of them were destroyed at the airport. Currently, there are no more than a hundred aircraft that can be used in combat. If we want to regain air supremacy with such a small number of fighter planes,
, very difficult. Judging from the feedback from various airports, the Anjia Army Air Force used at least more than 2,000 fighter planes today. Even if we use all the fighter planes of our Army's Third Air Force, we will still not be able to match it. I'm done!"
Lieutenant General Honda Masato, commander of the 33rd Army, was very depressed and asked:
"Is it possible that the aviation fleet that the empire spent huge sums of money to build is so vulnerable? There are frequent reports of successes in other battlefields, but we are the only ones with problems here. How will the commanders of the base camp view us? Don't you feel ashamed, Mr. Shimoyama? Why don't you just have a caesarean section?
Apologize to His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Baga!"
After going down the mountain and thinking about it, he suddenly stood up and glared at Honda political materials: "I can't answer this question. From 1937 to now, our Army Air Force has rarely achieved success when it encountered the Anjia Army Air Force. Even Commander Tokugawa did not
Admitting that we are far behind them, I don’t think there is anything to be ashamed of in today’s defeat.
"In addition, not only our place, but also the Malaya region has been hit by air attacks. I heard that the Fifth Air Force also suffered heavy losses and has handed over air supremacy to the Anjia Army Air Force! I would like to ask now, did you leave?
With our air force, you have no way to fight?"
Just when Lieutenant General Honda wanted to fight back, Kawabe Shozo raised his hand in displeasure: "Stop arguing, is this interesting? If you have time, why not think more about how we should face the current crisis!"
Having said this, Kawabe Shozo looked at Lieutenant General Teruhisa Komatsu, commander of the Navy's Twelfth Air Fleet: "Komatsu-kun, does your naval air force have a way to rescue the current crisis?"
Lieutenant General Teruhisa Komatsu shook his head: "Commander, please forgive me for not being able to meet this elusive goal. Our Twelfth Air Fleet has three aviation groups, of which the twenty-third aviation group is deployed in Madagascar, and the twenty-fourth aviation group is deployed in Madagascar.
The Air Force is in the Seychelles Islands, the 27th Air Force is in Ceylon, and the total number of aircraft in our air fleet is 800.
"In order to support the decisive battle in the southwest Indian Ocean, our 27th Air Force stationed in Ceylon currently only has 200 fighter planes that can be used to fight in India. Among them, there are less than 80 Zero fighter planes that can be used to seize air supremacy. With such a small amount
If the fighter planes want to engage in a firefight with the more than 2,000 fighter planes of the Anjia Army Air Force, it is simply too difficult for them to do so!
"Besides, have you ever thought about it? The East India region alone was attacked by more than 2,000 fighter planes. I heard that Burma was also attacked by almost the same number of fighter planes. In other words, one of our theaters withstood four
In order to restore the disadvantage of the intensive attack by thousands of planes, we must mobilize fighter planes from the mainland, the Far East, Manchuria, Lanzhou, Madagascar and even Australia. But is this possible?
"Therefore, we should be realistic and think about how to fight without fighter plane cover!"
After saying that, Komatsu Teru remained silent for a long time.
Kawabe Shozo was in a very difficult situation. Just when he was hesitant, Captain Date Yoshio, the communications staff officer of the front army, quickly walked into the conference room, came to Kawabe Shozo, and handed him a telegram from the base camp.
Kawabe Shozo felt calm after reading the telegram, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face again. He did not mean to read out the telegram, but stood up, walked back and forth for a few steps, and then said:
"Since the navy, army and air force have no way to help us, we can only rely on ourselves. This way..."
~~~~~~~~~~~
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