As soon as the battle started, the independent group massacred the Japanese Fujioka Brigade unilaterally.
In this battle, the Independent Regiment drove its own twenty tanks plus ten spare tanks, a total of thirty tanks, onto the battlefield... Twenty tanks from the New Regiment and the New Second Regiment were left in the steel plant.
Tank defense, and the Independent Regiment also left an auxiliary battalion. After all, the steel plant is a nail, and it is also the advance and supply base of the Independent Regiment. In addition, there is an airport, so it must be defended no matter what.
Thirty tanks drove at the front of the team, and they were all tall and tall "Shermans" with thick skin and flesh... The Sherman's front armor was as thick as 76.2mm, which was absolutely terrifying to the Japanese.
However, because it was driving in smoke, the firepower of the "Sherman" tank was temporarily unable to be used. In this battle, its main role was to use its armor to cover the infantry.
Just like now, the Japs fired machine guns and rifles in panic, and dense bullets poured like raindrops from the direction of the Japs, but this had no effect. They hit the tank armor and made a "clacking" sound.
There was a crunching sound, and then they bounced off and fell to the ground.
Occasionally, the enemy would fire a few grenades... This is an old trick of the enemy, especially in close combat, the enemy likes to use it to suppress the enemy.
However, since the "Sherman" body is three meters high, most of the grenades that flew in were blocked by the "Sherman" and exploded on the side and front of the tank... Of course, this thing will not have any effect on the "Sherman" tank.
Any impact, it pretty much scratches the Sherman itch.
The attack sequence of the independent regiment is as follows. At the front are the "Sherman" tanks, which are used to withstand the enemy's oncoming firepower.
Behind the "Sherman" were the following infantry on foot.
They can choose to take a half-track vehicle, but they generally do not do this during offensive operations, because the tank advances slowly at this time, and the speed of the half-track vehicle cannot be used at all. If the infantry is followed in the vehicle, it will not only be difficult to deploy, but also unable to use it.
Firepower, more importantly, is concentrated together. If one shell is received, it will be a squad.
Obviously, they are more flexible if they get out of the car and follow the tank forward, can more easily exert their firepower and can cover the tank well.
I saw the soldiers leaning out from time to time with the repeating rifles in their hands. When they saw a few blurry figures in the smoke, they fired several bursts of fire in succession, and then immediately retracted to avoid it.
At this time, the Japanese had organized a demolition team.
This was completed under the command of Captain Fujioka. From this aspect, the fighting spirit of the Japanese is still worthy of praise. If it were replaced by Eagle Sauce or the army of the Empire on which the sun never sets...
The enemy has tanks but we don’t?
And there isn’t enough anti-tank equipment?
So what are you waiting for, run away!
But the Japanese did not. Under the command of Fujioka, they immediately prepared explosive packs and cluster grenades to prepare for the battle.
This is a bit ironic. Not long ago, when the Chinese army faced the Japanese tanks, they organized demolition teams to use this primitive tactic to blow up the Japanese tanks. Now the situation has changed, and now the Japanese army has organized demolition teams to blow up the Eighth Route Army tanks.
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But precisely because the Eighth Route Army had done this before, they knew exactly what tactics the Japanese demolition team would use to blow up tanks.
For example, the sight of the blind spot of the tank's observation hole...the Japanese actually don't know this, because they have not played against the "Sherman" before, so they don't know the data of the "Sherman". They can only guess that the blind spot is on both sides of the tank.
(Most tank viewing holes do not provide visibility to both sides).
And the two sides of the tank are exactly within the line of sight of the following infantry.
This allowed the Eighth Route Army soldiers to lean out and shoot, always knocking down a few Japanese who used the smoke to rush diagonally toward the tank from the side.
For another example, Eighth Route Army soldiers will pay special attention to craters and depressions in front of tanks.
Because the soldiers knew that the Japs were likely to be hiding there... They had done this before, waiting in the crater with explosive bags or grenades, and when the Japs tanks came up, they pulled the fuse, and the most explosive thing in the tanks was
Weak bottom armor.
When soldiers encounter this situation, they will first light up a few grenades and throw them into the crater. No matter whether there is danger or not, it is right to explode them first anyway.
Amidst the rattling sound of the tank tracks, the distance of several hundred meters was quickly covered, and not far ahead was the Japanese trenches.
The Japanese trenches were very crudely constructed, with neither mines nor barbed wire, let alone anti-tank trenches.
This cannot be said to be the negligence of the Japs, but rather the fact that the Japs were besieging the Eighth Route Army's steel plant in this battle.
The Japanese are psychologically on the offensive side. Of course, the attack must look like an attack. The purpose of building trenches is to seal the Eighth Route Army in the steel factory. If we lay barbed wire and lay mines, wouldn't it be inconvenient for our own attack?
If you want to quickly attack the steel plant, barbed wire and landmines will become troubles for you.
Who would have thought that the attacking party would be the Eighth Route Army, and it would also attack with tanks.
Fortifications like the Japanese are most suitable for tanks. They don't even need to worry about mines blowing off the tracks or barbed wire entangled in the road wheels.
Li Yunlong was sitting on a half-track command vehicle at the rear. He saw that it was almost done and ordered: "Order the tank troops to slow down!"
"Yes!" the communications soldier responded and immediately shouted into the microphone: "Slow down, there are enemy trenches fifty meters ahead, be prepared for close combat!"
Li Yunlong learned some tank combat methods from Hans's "Blitzkrieg"... When a tank approaches the enemy's trench, it is its most dangerous moment.
Because when a tank runs into a trench and crosses it, it is likely to be blown up by the infantry below... The trench is the best hiding place for infantry.
There are two tactics at this time. One is for the tanks to pass quickly and leave the trenches to the infantry at the rear.
The second is that the tanks are transformed into cover units to cover the advance of the infantry.
Obviously, Li Yunlong chose the latter... The reason why he chose this was because he was unwilling to risk the few tanks. The latter was safer for the tanks.
The tanks lined up in a row immediately slowed down further, and while advancing, the gunners adjusted the angle of the gun barrels.
Although it is difficult for the gunner to find the target in the smoke, if he knows in advance that the enemy's trench is about fifty meters ahead, it is not difficult to find it.
As Gangzi gave the order: "Fire!"
There was a burst of "boom" from the tanks, and clouds of smoke and dust were blown out of the Japanese trenches.
Immediately afterwards, the parallel machine gun fired into the smoke and dust, instantly quelling the enemy's firepower by half.
Then Gangzi ordered: "Cease fire!"
The tank's machine gun stopped firing instantly.
Almost at the same time, the Eighth Route Army soldiers shouted: "Come on!"
Then rows of people jumped out from behind the tanks and rushed towards the enemy positions with repeating rifles...