When the military and civilians across the country were inspired by the victory of Taierzhuang, and anti-Japanese waves continued to rise across the country, the Xuzhou battlefield also entered its most critical moment. Although the Sakamoto detachment in Taierzhuang was completely wiped out, it could not defeat the Japanese troops entrenched in Hanzhuang.
The main attack of the 10th Division was still not going smoothly.
The Fifth Theater Command originally thought that after the destruction of the Sakamoto detachment, the Japanese troops in Hanzhuang would be demoralized and their morale would be shattered, while the national army officers and soldiers would have high morale and high morale. Then, under the influence of each other, they would take advantage of the situation to annihilate Hanzhuang.
It seems that it is not difficult to remove the remnants of the Japanese 10th Division.
But the evolution of reality is not like this.
The total destruction of the Sakamoto detachment did not have any impact on the veterans of the Japanese 10th Division. Although the situation was not good, these old Japanese soldiers still had high fighting spirit and clamored to fight to the last moment for their Emperor.
After the last drop of blood was shed and the fierce fighting lasted for more than ten days, the Japanese army was able to withstand the fierce attack of the Chinese army.
…
In the suburbs of Xuzhou, the Baoshan Brigade is stationed.
In the brigade war room, Yue Weihan had summoned all the chief officers of the three infantry regiments and the three directly affiliated battalions of the Baoshan Brigade, and they were studying tactics around the map.
"It will be the end of March in another half month. The date for the arrival of the Japanese reinforcements is getting closer and closer, and the situation on the battlefield in Xuzhou is becoming more and more serious." Yue Weihan looked around the crowd with stern eyes and said, "
The attack from the front is still not going smoothly. Although the commander's department has not yet issued an official order, I believe that it will be our Baoshan Brigade's turn soon!"
"Great, it's finally our Baoshan Brigade's turn!"
"Grandma, if he had let us on the Baoshan Brigade earlier, we would have dealt with the stubborn little devil long ago."
"Who says it's not the case? I've been practicing all day long, and the brothers are almost going crazy with it. Sir, we've been looking forward to this day for a long time!"
The chief officers of more than a dozen battalions suddenly became excited. Yue Weihan's words were like a spark thrown into a pile of firewood, which instantly ignited the flames of war in the hearts of these officers. In the past two months, the officers and soldiers of the Baoshan Brigade have indeed
It was because he was holding back his anger. From officers at all levels to ordinary soldiers, everyone was holding back their bad breath.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Baoshan Brigade at this time was like a tiger trapped in a cage!
This is what Yue Weihan and the Fifth Theater Commander Department need. Good steel should be used on the blade. Elite divisions like the Baoshan Brigade should be locked up and trapped until they are needed.
If you let them out, they will be like hungry tigers that have escaped from sleep, tearing the prey in front of them into pieces...
"Don't be too loud." Yue Weihan said coldly, "The Japs' planes and cannons are not decorations. Dozens of divisions of the national army surrounded the small Hanzhuang for two months and failed to defeat them. That's not
There is no reason. If we don’t use our brains and think carefully, our Baoshan Brigade will also fall into a trap, and it will be a bigger one than ever before!"
"Look at the map." Yue Weihan said this, and then said, "Hanzhuang is close to Weishan Lake, with water to the west, and open areas to the north, east, and south. No matter which direction you attack, you will encounter intensive firepower from the Japanese army.
They concentrated their fire and before we could reach the front of the enemy's position, we were already knocked down!"
"The reason why Hanzhuang was not defeated after two months of fighting is because of this reason."
"Thousands of brave soldiers of the national army fell on the road of this charge. They didn't even have a chance to fight with the little Japanese with bayonets face to face. They died unjustly!"
The expressions on the faces of several battalion commanders suddenly became solemn.
Only then did the participating officers realize that the brigade master was not pouring cold water on them. Hanzhuang was indeed a very hard nut to crack. If the Baoshan brigade was not careful, it might really break its teeth!
Yue Weihan said again: "If you want to win, you must rush into Hanzhuang and fight hand-to-hand with the little devil!"
Having said that, Yue Weihan took another photo of the map and said: "There are two thousand meters from the attack launch line to the Japanese forward position. This is also the effective range of the Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun. If you charge directly, you can cross the two thousand meter distance."
It will take at least ten minutes, which is enough time for the Japs’ intensive firepower to knock us down hundreds of times!”
"What should we do?" Yue Weihan asked himself and answered, "Easy to do, shorten the distance of this charge!"
"Shorten the charging distance?" Chi Chengfeng scratched his head and said, "Brigade, how can this distance be shortened?"
"Why can't the distance be shortened?" Yue Weihan said coldly, "We can do soil work and dig tunnels!"
At this time, the national army, whether it was senior generals or middle- and low-level officers, still only understood the concept of soil work as building fortifications. They had never thought that the methods of soil work could also be used in offensive operations.
, but Yue Weihan came from a later life, how could he not know the power of tunneling?
"Tunnel?" More than a dozen battalion commanders suddenly realized.
Yue Weihan said again: "Yes, it is a tunnel! Dozens or hundreds of tunnels have been dug and extended to the front of the Japanese position. As long as the attack launch line is advanced to within fifty meters, we can rush forward in less than ten seconds.
In the Japanese position, no matter how intensive the Japanese machine gun firepower is, it is impossible to stop us! What's more, before the attack is launched, we can also throw all the grenades at the Japanese position. The explosion of tens of thousands of grenades will produce huge smoke and dust.
, with this smoke as cover, the threat from Japanese machine gun fire will be reduced to a minimum!"
Chief of Staff Liu Yi said: "Brigade, this method is good, but the little devils are not stupid. Their grenades and mortars can still penetrate into the tunnels, and they will still pose a serious threat to the officers and soldiers doing soil work, and
, when the tunnel extends to the front of the Japanese position, the Japanese will definitely send out infantry to counterattack, what will be done then?"
This problem is indeed serious. If the threat of Japanese grenades and mortars is not resolved, the soil work will not be able to move forward at all. And if there is no way to counter the counterattack of the Japanese infantry, the dug tunnels will probably be destroyed.
It would become a field fortification of the Japanese army. Wouldn't it be a great help to the Japanese?
"Good question!" Yue Weihan picked up a wooden board and put it on the table, saying, "That's all I need!"
"Just this wooden board?" Chi Chengfeng didn't believe it. "Grandma, can this block the grenades and mortars of the little Japs?"
"It's definitely not possible to rely on just this one plank, but thousands of planks can do it!" Yue Weihan said, "When our tunnel extends forward, the top of the tunnel behind will have to be covered with planks, and the top of the tunnel dug in front will be able to do it!"
The earthwork must be covered with wooden boards, so that a thick earthen bunker can be formed on the top of the tunnel, enough to withstand the bombing of the Japanese grenades and mortars. As for the Japanese field artillery and heavy artillery, due to the limited ballistic trajectory, they are basically useless.
It does not threaten our tunnels."
Liu Yi was still a little worried and said: "But what if the Japanese infantry counterattack?"
"Then let them do it." Yue Weihan said with a cruel smile, "If the Japs really dare to fight back, the tunnels will swallow up their limited troops little by little. In the tunnels that extend in all directions like a maze, it is impossible for the Japs to exert their firepower advantage.
, and their disadvantage in military strength will be magnified without limit!"
…
Xuzhou, Fifth War Zone Commander's Department.
The atmosphere in the war room was a bit depressing. General Li, Vice Commander Bai and all the senior generals present looked extremely embarrassed. The commander of the 20th Army Corps, Tang Enbo, even looked livid. The 52nd Army that had just been conquered by Qi returned defeated again.
In the two-hour attack, more than 3,000 people were killed or injured!
The small Hanzhuang has almost become a meat grinder for the national army!
After two months of siege, the national army has paid more than 50,000 casualties outside Hanzhuang!
Since the battlefield was blocked by Japanese firepower, the bodies of the fallen soldiers could not be recovered. At this time, the wilderness outside Hanzhuang was really littered with corpses and blood flowed everywhere. The scene was more than tragic? More than tragic? But both
Even so, the vast number of officers and soldiers of the country still have no fear at all, let alone any flinching!
"This battle is unwinnable," Tang Enbo said angrily. "There are heavy artillery bombardments on the ground and bombings from planes in the sky. Besides being beaten, how can we fight this battle? If we don't knock down the planes in the sky and the Japanese artillery, we won't be able to fight."
Even if we use up all the troops, we still can't take Hanzhuang, so I think we should withdraw the siege earlier."
Admiral Li looked gloomy. The last thing he wanted to hear was such depressing words.
Li Pinxian, commander-in-chief of the 11th Group Army, also said: "Chief Commander, the reinforcements from the little devil are coming soon."
"General, let us 27th Group Army try again." Yang Sen, Commander-in-Chief of the 27th Group Army of the Sichuan Army, said, "I don't believe this evil. Did the little devil really become an indestructible body? We attacked fiercely for more than two months.
, with tens of thousands of casualties, aren’t they tired? No one died? I think they are at the end of their game, and they might be able to take it down with one more attack.”
"Okay!" General Li slapped the table heavily, "I will switch to your 27th Army this afternoon. This time we must win Hanzhuang!"
"Yes!" Yang Sen responded loudly with his unique Sichuan accent, and saluted General Li with an unflattering military salute, then turned around and walked away. Although Commander-in-Chief Yang was lecherous and had hundreds of wives and concubines at home, here
Despite the national crisis, he was still quite masculine, at least better than many Central Army generals who fled the battlefield in Nanjing.
The senior generals in the war room also dispersed one after another, and soon only General Li and Vice Commander Bai were left.
Vice Commander Bai sighed and said: "Gong De, although Yang Sen's 27th Group has many soldiers and the officers and soldiers are not lacking in fighting spirit, their equipment is too poor and they probably won't be able to win Hanzhuang."
Admiral Li said gloomily: "Then do you have any good ideas?"
"I think..." Vice President Bai paused and said, "It's time to let the Baoshan Brigade go!"
"Well..." Admiral Li nodded lightly and said, "The Baoshan Brigade tigers have been locked in cages for almost two months. It's time to let them out to bite people. But Jiansheng, Baoshan Brigade is the last one in our hands."
We have the trump card, if even they still can't win Hanzhuang, then we really need to consider withdrawing from the siege earlier."