If the Japanese had anything that could threaten the Eighth Route Army, it was the grenade in the hands of the Japanese.
The grenade fires in a curve, which not only has a long range but also can hit accurately. When the Japanese are hiding behind the ruins, they can hit the grenade near the target by roughly estimating the target's position... This is perfect for attacking the Eighth Route Army.
to avoid repeating rifle fire.
However, the soldiers of the Independent Regiment were all veterans who had dealt with the Japanese. How could they not be prepared for grenade launchers? The soldiers had already deployed mortars on the second line.
Most of these mortars were seized from the Japs' warehouse in Datong. They are not actually Japs' equipment but Type 31 60mm caliber mortars produced by the 50 Arsenal Arsenal... This type of mortar was produced in the largest quantity in China during the Anti-Japanese War.
Artillery, the monthly output reached 100 in the late Anti-Japanese War.
However, a considerable number of these mortars fell into the hands of the Japanese.
They appeared in Datong because the Japanese regular army, especially the Class A divisions, didn't think highly of mortars. In the early stage, they didn't even have a mortar establishment, that is, they were not equipped with mortars.
This is because the Japanese have grenades for close combat and the 92 infantry cannon for long range combat... In the eyes of the Japanese, the 92 infantry cannon is much more useful than the mortar. It can shoot both in a straight direction like a mortar and in a straight direction like a cannon.
It can hit farther and more accurately than mortars, so why waste resources on mortars?
In theory this is true, but in practice it is another matter.
As the war progressed, the Japanese found that the 92 infantry gun was too expensive to be equipped on a large scale. Each elite Class A division was equipped with only four guns. In particular, although this gun could be dismantled and transported, it would not work well in mountains and complex terrain.
There are still many inconveniences in fighting in terrain with dense water networks, and their quantity and flexibility are far inferior to mortars.
The grenade's range is far inferior to the enemy's mortar.
As a result, both the grenade launcher and the 92 infantry gun were suppressed by enemy mortars without any countermeasures.
This is especially true when fighting against the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Mountains and Luliang Mountains.
In fact, this is a strategic mistake made by the Japanese in military equipment. The advantages of mortars are that they are light, cheap, suitable for batch equipment, and suitable for mobile combat. However, the Japanese blindly emphasize precision. The Type 94 90mm caliber mortar they developed and equipped.
There are actually large-scale artillery retrofit equipment. As a result, a mortar weighs 159.9 kilograms, and a 92-inch infantry gun only weighs 212 kilograms.
As the Japanese were fighting, they realized something was wrong, so they transported a large number of mortars captured from the stubborn troops to Datong with the intention of distributing them to the rear troops for use against the guerrillas and the mountainous operations in the Taihang and Luliang lines.
Unexpectedly, these mortars fell into the hands of the Eighth Route Army before they were sent out.
The mortar produced by the stubborn army is mainly used to suppress the Japanese grenade. Its range is 1,000 meters farther than the grenade. In addition, it is more powerful and lightweight. The whole gun only weighs 40 kilograms, and the gunner can hold it in his arms.
It ran around, which made it play a considerable role in the war.
At this time in Datong, the Eighth Route Army also made full use of the advantages of this mortar. They deployed the mortar about three hundred meters away from the front line.
This distance is accurately calculated: a Japanese grenade can reach about 300 meters if it fires special bombs, but it can only hit 200 meters if it fires hand grenades.
If the mortars are deployed three hundred meters away from the front line, it will ensure that Japanese grenades cannot hit the mortars.
However, the range of the mortar is up to one thousand meters, and there is no pressure to hit the Japanese grenade. Even if the Japanese use the grenade to hit the forefront of the eight-line position... 300 plus 300 is 600, which is still within the range of the mortar.
Inside.
The difficulty is that at this distance the mortar must be fired blindly.
But this was nothing to the independent regiment. As soon as the telephone line was connected, the artillery scouts moved forward, and after observing the position of the Japanese grenades, they immediately commanded an artillery platoon to launch bombing.
(Note: An artillery platoon is equipped with three mortars, each mortar is equipped with 10 people and carries 36 to 40 rounds of ammunition)
Usually after two rounds of shells, the enemy's grenade will be knocked out... This should be due to the fact that the location where the enemy is located is full of broken bricks and tiles. When the shell explodes nearby, the fragments turn into shrapnel and scatter everywhere.
Fly, how can you hide from the Japanese mortar shooters hiding in the ruins?
If there is a position that is breached by the Japs, for example, the Japs rush into the area occupied by the Eighth Route Army and explore certain houses, then the Eighth Route Army will perform an operation that is similar to cheating... and directly mobilize Sherman tanks to occupy the Japs.
The houses collapsed and the Japanese were buried together with their houses.
This is to deal with private houses that are close to each other. It is not convenient to use mortars to blow up such houses because they are worried that the shells will deflect and accidentally injure friendly troops.
If the distance is a little further, use rocket launchers, and if the distance is further, use mortars.
We fought like this for more than half an hour. The more the enemy fought, the less hope they could see.
Because they couldn't see the "street fighting" and "close combat" originally expected.
Although the battle was close enough, and sometimes the houses were only a few meters away in front of them, they were never able to reach the enemy.
And the Japs had to pay a heavy price for every step forward, so the Japs fought less and less, and the more they fought, the lower their morale became... They were almost exchanging their lives for those worthless houses, or to be precise, ruins, because once the houses were destroyed
It won't be long before the Japanese occupy it and it will be in ruins.
Obviously, if the fighting continues like this, the enemy will only end up with the entire army annihilated.
The Japanese commander of the second brigade, Yoshida Shaozuo, shouted almost hysterically: "Where are our tanks? Where are our cannons? Why don't we fire at the enemy?"
The Japanese did have tanks. The 110th Division added a tank regiment in Taiyuan. However, most of them were 95 light combat vehicles. They simply could not break into the Eighth Route Army's defensive circle in this dark night. If they broke in by force, they would be waiting.
If you follow them, they will be rocket launchers...
The Japs do have artillery, and their artillery even has an advantage.
But the problem is that the Eighth Route Army used mortars. Mortars are small and can be dispersed in the city. Its deflection characteristics can also make good use of buildings to block the fire from the muzzle. Its portability is also very suitable for
Just hit and run, how can the clumsy heavy artillery effectively suppress it?
Then not long after, even the Japanese were defeated.
They desperately retreated through the gap in the passage, even though they knew that it was blocked by the firepower of the Eighth Route Army.
There may be a glimmer of hope for retreat.
If you don't retreat, there will be no hope and the only way is to die here.
Li Yunlong's tactics even left a psychological shadow on the Japanese, making them dare not break through the Eighth Route Army and rush into the city in the subsequent battles.