The good news soon reached Wang Xuexin's headquarters. The Eighth Route Army achieved a great victory in Jiulian Town: the independent regiment destroyed a total of eight "Tiger" tanks. The reason why there were only eight tanks was because a total of eight "Tiger" tanks passed through the anti-tank trenches.
vehicle, and the remaining vehicles did not participate in the battle due to malfunctions.
There were also three Type 97s and ten Type 95s... However, these Type 97s and Type 95s were not destroyed by anti-tank missiles, but by the "Sherman" tanks and artillery during the Eighth Route Army's counterattack.
The Japanese First Tank Brigade suffered heavy casualties in this battle. In addition to the tanks, a batch of fuel and artillery shells that had just been transported were seized. These supplies were just that. The soldiers of the First Tank Brigade also suffered heavy casualties. More than a thousand people were killed and injured.
.
These were all veterans who had fought in the Battle of Nomonhan, and they had rich experience in infantry and tank coordination. Even Naosaburo Okabe was heartbroken when he heard the casualty figures.
It can also be seen from this that under normal circumstances, if the equipment is at an absolute advantage, even if the quality is superior, it will be beaten badly in the battle... The gap in equipment is often unable to be reversed by manpower.
For example, in this battle, the Japanese First Tank Brigade originally had the advantage of the "Tiger" tanks, but when the "Tiger" was destroyed by an anti-tank missile, the advantage immediately shifted to the Eighth Route Army's "Sherman" tanks.
The "Sherman" tank has an absolute advantage over other Japanese tanks and can easily overwhelm Japanese tanks. As a result, half-track vehicles can once again be active on the battlefield and massacre Japanese infantry...
In this case, what use are the so-called qualities, experience, marksmanship, etc. of the Japanese infantry?
Can their feet outrun a half-track?
Can their firepower suppress the machine guns on half-tracks and the repeating rifles in the hands of Eighth Route Army soldiers?
Can their rifle bullets penetrate the steel plating of a half-track?
The answer is obviously no, so they have no choice but to be harvested by the Eighth Route Army.
This is also true on the volunteer battlefield...
On the battlefield, the equipment gap between the volunteers and Yingjiang was so great that even the surrounding Yingjiang army was of no avail. The Yingjiang army relied on its powerful firepower to break through, and even if the volunteers fought bravely, they would not be able to win in this situation.
Until the volunteers relied on the terrain, topography, and correct tactical offsets, they narrowed the equipment gap with Yingjiang or made Yingjiang's equipment ineffective.
It was precisely because of this that Wang Xuexin did not let the Eighth Route Army continue to pursue. Instead, after winning, he returned to Jiulian Town to continue the defense.
The reason is simple:
First, the Japanese probably still have a few "Tiger" vehicles. Although they are under maintenance, if they are forced to enter the battlefield urgently due to the situation, the Eighth Route Army is likely to suffer losses.
Second, the control area of the "La 5" fighter jets has been compressed by the Japanese "Feiyan" fighter jets near Jiulian Town. If the Eighth Route Army rushes in to pursue, it is likely to be hit by the Japanese fighter jets...
Li Yunlong disagrees with both points.
After he received the telegram to withdraw the troops, he cursed and said to Zhao Gang: "Why does this little Northeast become more and more timid as it fights? Why don't we pursue it in this situation? If the Japanese have Tigers, don't we still have anti-tank missiles? The Japanese do.
We also have anti-aircraft missiles on the plane! Can’t we just follow them?”
Zhao Gang knew about the problem with anti-tank missiles and air defense systems. He replied unceremoniously: "I don't think it's that Commander Wang is getting timid the more we fight, but you Li Yunlong is getting more confused the more we fight! If this tank is used in mobile warfare, let's anti-tank
Can the missiles be used? You don’t know that it takes time to deploy anti-missiles and they are wire-guided? It’s not like you don’t know the condition of the air defense system. Can it move forward with the troops?”
Li Yunlong muttered a few words and then said nothing more.
In fact, how could Li Yunlong not know the reason? He has learned some culture from following Zhao Gang these days... Whether he has learned culture or not is secondary. Every time the army installs a new piece of equipment, Li Yunlong has to understand its advantages and disadvantages. If there is no
If you know something, you will try it yourself.
Li Yunlong said this to Zhao Gang: "Old Zhao, fighting now is different from before. In the past, there were only a few things that came and went. What we had to consider was how to fight wits and courage with the enemy... No, how to save some equipment.
A few bullets came out."
Zhao Gang couldn't help laughing: "Thank you for remembering this!"
"Can you not remember?" Li Yunlong raised his head and replied: "I was so picky at that time. Do you think I like to throw that person away? But if I were not so picky, how many comrades would have to be sacrificed by the Independent Regiment!"
Zhao Gang put away his smile and nodded. It was indeed like what Li Yunlong said at that time. If a few guns and a few bullets are missing, it is very likely that human lives will be needed to fill them.
From this aspect, Li Yunlong did and said nothing wrong.
"It's different now!" At this point, Li Yunlong gradually relaxed his frown, and the wrinkles on the rag that had been kneaded together were instantly smoothed out: "Now there are enough bullet tubes, as well as cannons, tanks, half-track cars... This is
I couldn’t even think about it before!”
After a pause, he said helplessly: "If I don't learn some skills from you, I'm afraid I'll be eliminated soon, right?"
"Who dares to eliminate you!" Zhao Gang said with a smile: "Can others control the soldiers of the Independent Regiment?"
The soldiers of the Independent Regiment made Li Yunlong a ferocious wolf, and these wolves only recognized Li Yunlong. Even if Li Yunlong was demoted to battalion commander... they would only recognize Li Yunlong as the regiment commander in their hearts.
Who dares to take over such a force? Who can take over? Can it be commanded after taking over?
"That's different!" Li Yunlong replied sternly: "If I don't have the ability and still rely on the position of leader, wouldn't it kill my own brother?"
After hearing these words, Zhao Gang immediately understood that everything Li Yunlong did was actually for this army and his subordinates.
If one day, Li Yunlong feels that he cannot keep up with the times and cannot command this mechanized force, he will take the initiative to leave the position of regiment leader without being demoted by his superiors. With his temper, he will be able to pull even ten horses.
Not coming back.
Therefore, Li Yunlong has always attached great importance to learning new equipment. Of course, he also knows the shortcomings of anti-tank missiles and air defense systems:
Anti-tank missiles are suitable for defensive and offensive warfare but not for mobile warfare.
The air defense system has a high failure rate and is very large and is not suitable for fighting in the wilderness... If Li Yunlong followed the troops up there, as long as one of the dozen or so cars was scratched by a Japanese shell, the air defense system would be unable to fight.
Li Yunlong said this just because he couldn't bear to give up such a good opportunity to "take advantage of the victory".
However, after thinking about it, Li Yunlong finally suppressed this impulse.
Because he knows that combat in plain areas is not like mountainous areas. Plain areas rely more on equipment, and there is no room for sloppiness!