This encounter was so sudden, and the distance between the two sides was less than two hundred meters, that both sides were shocked for a while.
However, compared to the unprepared Japanese army, the four Lynx reconnaissance tanks of the well-prepared search team were the first to react.
The commander of the Lynx tank rushing at the front subconsciously shouted: "If you find the Japanese, rush over... rush over..."
Following his order, four Lynx tanks increased their horsepower and rushed forward.
Almost at the same time, the leading Japanese army also discovered the oncoming tanks.
But unlike the armored battalion that made a prompt decision, the Japanese soldiers in the leading truck did not recognize the opponent's identity immediately.
A second lieutenant sitting at the front of the car was still looking at the oncoming tank with confusion, but he cursed angrily: "Baga, what kind of tank unit is this? It's so rampant, it doesn't even have the most basic politeness to avoid it.
no yet?"
"Your Excellency Second Lieutenant, it seems that the chariot in front of you is not our empire's tank?" At this time, the driver who was driving suddenly said in confusion.
"Eh...yeah, I don't think I've ever seen this kind of chariot."
The second lieutenant also suddenly came to his senses.
Although Japan was one of the few countries that could manufacture tanks during World War II, due to limited resources and technology, the tanks made in Japan were obviously not a bit weaker than those of European countries at the same time. The most important thing is that Japanese tanks have
The most important feature is that it is due to the weakness of raw material technology.
At the same time, European tanks generally adopted integral casting technology, but Japanese tanks still used old-fashioned rivet structures. This is why the sharp-eyed driver recognized at a glance that it was not a tank from his country.
As the distance got closer, the eye-catching blue sky and white sun badge on the side of the tank turret on the opposite side was clearly visible. The second lieutenant's face turned pale, and suddenly he shouted in a hoarse voice: "No... that's a Chinese tank.
Stop the car quickly!”
It's just that his words were too late. Along with his roar, the machine gun on the turret of the tank opposite had already begun to pour out tongues of fire.
The KwK38 20mm cannon equipped on the Lynx tank was originally used for air defense. However, after it was manufactured, it was discovered that the rate of fire of this artillery was too low, only 220 to 450 rounds per minute, which was not enough.
It met the requirements of the army, so it was equipped for use by ground troops, and was finally installed on the Lynx tank.
However, although this machine gun is not very useful for air defense, it is more than sufficient for hitting infantry or lightly armored targets.
In just a few seconds, more than ten shells penetrated into the leading truck at a speed of 900 meters per second and exploded.
The violent explosion turned the Nissan 180 truck into a hornet's nest. The truck exploded and burst into flames instantly, tearing the second lieutenant sitting at the front of the truck, the driver, and more than 30 Japanese soldiers in the carriage to pieces.
It happened so suddenly that the second truck following behind had no time to brake and hit the rear of the truck that was already on fire and exploding. Before the Japanese soldiers who were staggering in the car could jump out of the car, the Bobcat in front of them jumped out.
The tank slightly adjusted its muzzle again, and dozens of 20mm high-explosive shells hit it again.
"boom……"
Gas Tank Treasure's riot truck emitted billowing smoke and fire. Although most of the Japanese soldiers had been killed in the explosion, there were still five or six Japanese soldiers who were on fire, screaming, rolling and crawling out of the truck, but
Before they could stand firm, there was a sound like tearing an oilcloth, and all the Japanese soldiers fell into a pool of blood.
"Squeak..."
The third truck finally stopped in time, but theirs was still no better. At this time, four Bobcat reconnaissance tanks had stopped, two were parked on the side of the road, and the other two drove to the fields on the side of the road.
, just lined up and opened fire on dozens of trucks oncoming.
"Dong dong dong..."
The dull sound of artillery resounded on the road. Shooting at such a close distance had an astonishingly high hit rate. The seven or eight trucks leading the way were beaten up and down, smoking and catching fire. The Japanese troops on board were almost unable to do anything.
Those who could escape all went to meet their Amaterasu in a blaze of fire.
This front-line unit of the Japanese army is the first brigade of the 222nd Regiment of the 108th Division. Their mission is to go out to investigate the situation and report news from the front to the rear in a timely manner.
In the view of this Japanese army, this place is far away from the Eighth Route Army's base area and is located in a plain area, so it is a safe area, so vigilance is very low.
According to combat regulations, the distance between vehicles of troops going out for reconnaissance should be kept at about 80 to 100 meters, so that they can have enough reaction time if they are suddenly attacked.
However, the Japanese soldiers who were in a hurry did not follow the regulations. Instead, they kept urging the drivers to speed up. The distance between the vehicles was only a short dozen meters. This is why after being suddenly attacked, the distance between them was less than ten meters.
The reason why 782 trucks and more than 200 soldiers were lost in ten minutes.
However, the quality of the soldiers of the 108th Division was pretty good. After a short period of chaos, the remaining trucks stopped immediately. The captain reported the situation to the commander behind him and ordered the soldiers to get off the truck and take cover.
After a short observation, he found that the enemy on the opposite side actually had only four tanks. He was confused for a moment and felt angry in his heart, and immediately commanded his troops.
A counterattack was launched against these four tanks.
"Sir...the little devil is coming."
"I saw."
In the Bobcat tank, a 26- or 27-year-old lieutenant looked at the Japs jumping out of the car like dumplings a few hundred meters away, with a slight snort on his face.
The quality of the Japanese army is indeed good. After a short period of chaos, they were able to enter a fighting state from a marching state and organized their forces to launch a counterattack. However, the Japanese commander seemed to have forgotten one thing. They were facing extremely powerful people.
Mobile armored force.
He picked up the microphone and said, "Attention all units... stop firing the machine guns, use the machine guns to block the enemy, and then retreat immediately for five minutes. Do not linger in the battle."
"clear!"
Since there are only four members of the Bobcat reconnaissance tank, there are no dedicated personnel to control the MG34 machine gun on the left side, but the mechanical and electrical personnel are responsible for it.
After hearing the lieutenant's words, the mechanical and electrical officer twisted his buttocks, sat behind the MG43 machine gun, replaced a new bullet chain for the machine gun, and pulled the trigger at the Japanese army a few hundred meters ahead...
And dozens of miles away from here, in a long and endless queue, the commander of the 108th Division, Lieutenant General Iwase Takehiko, was sitting in a car with his eyes closed to relax. Suddenly the car stopped, and a staff officer quickly pulled away.
The car door said urgently: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, our frontline troops have encountered an encounter with the Chinese army, and a fierce battle is taking place between the two sides!"
"Nani?" Takehiko Iwase, who had been sleeping a little drowsily, suddenly lost his sleepiness and immediately opened his eyes.