The reason why Zhao Ergou did not bombard the Japanese artillery positions calculated by the forward artillery observers through ballistic trajectory, direction and time analysis is very simple.
Time difference.
The artillery observer calculated and reported to him that the mountain artillery here was about to land again. The time difference of one and a half minutes was enough for the Japanese mountain artillery to slip away again.
Although the 20th Division is not a mechanized corps, their degree of mechanization far exceeds that of the Chinese army. The special forces at the front have already reported to the rear before the battle. The Japanese artillery wing uses trucks to transport ammunition and 105 howitzers.
, mountain artillery and field artillery are mostly dragged by horses.
As for this mountain artillery position that moved quickly, Zhao Ergou had reason to believe that they used a truck. Several kilometers in front of Jiuguan is a flat valley, and the truck dragged the 41-type mountain artillery weighing more than 500 kilograms. 2
Minutes are enough to run hundreds of meters.
So Zhao Ergou asked the two cannons to extend the left and right sides of the reporting position to the artillery observer by nearly 500 meters and fire 10 rounds at a rapid rate. If you were lucky enough to hit it, that would be the best. Even if you missed it, you would be scared to death.
It makes him dare not drop the gun at will, and relieves a little pressure on the Jiuguan position.
As for why he only fired 10 rounds rapidly, it was because Zhao Ergou had to run away! He was sure that the reason why the little devil knew that there were mountain artillery in the independent regiment and dared to cover it with fire for such a long time was because he was using it as bait to lure prey out of the hole.
the meaning of.
The 12 105 howitzers were waiting eagerly for the retaliatory bombardment from his mountain artillery battery, and then used fire coverage to wipe out the artillery of the independent regiment in one fell swoop.
From the time the Japanese artillery observer reported to the Japanese howitzer group starting to fire, the time left for him was only five minutes at most.
The reason why the Japanese army has a faster response time is because their 105 howitzer has a large damage area. The 18-kg projectile has a damage radius of 22 meters. A single salvo of 12 guns can cover nearly 15,000 square meters.
area, he only needs to obtain an approximate location and then extend the bombardment.
Sure enough, after firing ten rounds of artillery shells, two three-wheelers pulled two cannons, and three other three-wheelers pulled an artillery platoon and ran wildly along the valley, covering less than a kilometer in five minutes. The Japanese howitzer shells were
It was smashed over.
The bombardment lasted for five or six minutes, with at least 100 rounds of high-explosive bombs turning a 600-meter-wide and 800-meter-long hillside and valley into a sea of flames.
The Japanese artillerymen, who were always very frugal and even counted the numbers when firing artillery, fired hundreds of grenades at once, which shows that they were afraid of the several well-hidden mountain cannons of the Independent Regiment.
The 105 howitzer group was originally the most powerful weapon of the Chinese and Japanese armies on the entire Niangziguan front line. Originally, according to the thinking of Yoshito Takagi of the 39th Brigade of the Japanese Army, this battle was certain to be won. It just depended on how he wanted to fight and what he was willing to accept.
Take Niangzi Pass at the highest price.
These 12 105 howitzers were his greatest confidence. No matter how hard or dangerous the fortifications were, they were all reduced to powder by the violent bombardment of the 18 kilogram projectiles of the 105 howitzers.
But he didn't expect that as soon as the 105 howitzer showed off its muscles to the independent regiment stationed in Jiuguan, the mountain artillery shells of the independent regiment flew over. The range of the 105 howitzer is as high as more than 10,000 meters, and the distance from the Jiuguan position is also as high as
6500 meters, that is almost the limit range of the mountain cannon.
However, that was the Japanese Army's Type 41 Mountain Cannon. The Bofors Mountain Cannon equipped by the independent regiment also had a range of up to 9,000 meters.
This frightened Captain Hosokawa Nakayasu of the 26th Japanese Artillery Regiment. He hurriedly abandoned the selected artillery position and retreated more than a thousand meters. This was considered to be at ease. Although the 105 howitzer was very powerful
, but if you are bombarded by mountain artillery, the consequences are actually the same as being attacked by a howitzer of the same power. As long as one howitzer shell explodes on the position, the entire artillery team can be sent to the sky. Even if the distance between each of their guns is already long.
It is 10 meters further than the safe distance of 40 meters in the textbook.
The Independent Regiment actually had artillery with such a range. Didn't Takagi Yoshitomo and Hosokawa Nakayasu regard Zhao Ergou's artillery battalion as a thorn in their side, as it was clearly stated in the intelligence?
This time, Lieutenant Colonel Hatori used the mountain artillery of the artillery squadron directly under the regiment to cover the infantry charge at an extremely dangerous distance. Rather than saying that his troops were in danger, it was better to say that there was also the instruction of Yoshito Takagi. When necessary, the infantry was used
Use these mountain cannons as bait to draw out the artillery of the independent regiment and annihilate them in one fell swoop.
They had even calculated that if the mountain artillery continued to cover the infantry attack positions, the independent regiment's mountain artillery would definitely not be able to bear it and retaliate with artillery fire. Because their mountain artillery had a longer range than the Type 41 mountain artillery, they definitely had the ability to retaliate against artillery attacks.
It has to be said that the two levels of commanders of the Japanese army are both sophisticated and calculating people. From the infantry attack to the artillery battle between the two sides, they are all included in the calculation.
As for the infantry and those mountain cannons on the position, they are naturally just small soldiers on the chessboard. Even if they are eaten, as long as the independent regiment's cannons are eaten, the 105 howitzer can no longer have any scruples.
In the eyes of the righteous, it is all worth it.
The phrases "Compassion does not lead an army" and "One general's success leads to the destruction of thousands of bones" are applicable not only to the Chinese, but also to the Japanese.
Little people are just numbers in the eyes of big people.
It can be said that in this not particularly large-scale offensive and defensive battle, both the enemy and ourselves are playing their own cards, trying to see clearly the opponent's trump card and then eliminate it.
The Japanese army's trump card had been played, and their goal had been achieved. They waited until the artillery of the independent regiment opened fire, and at the same time found the artillery position.
They just didn't expect that the artillery of the independent regiment had achieved semi-mechanization. Although it did not have trucks, it had Rolls-Royce three-wheelers. The Bofors Mountain Artillery, which dragged 680 kilograms and had two wheels, could travel in the mountains at a speed of nearly 15 yards per hour.
Get on the move.
Seeing the continuous artillery fire less than 300 meters away, even Zhao Ergou couldn't help but wipe away the cold sweat. Fortunately, he only ordered 10 rounds of rapid fire. If he had been a little greedy and ordered each gun to fire 20 rounds, then this
Back, he and Brother No. 30 from the 3rd platoon of the artillery company, together with two Bofors Mountain Cannons worth tens of thousands of dollars, were about to be blown up into the sky by the Japs' howitzers.
Although three hundred meters may seem very far away, for a 105 howitzer that can turn a thousand meters into a sea of flames with one shot, it is just a matter of firing a few more shells.
With no time to celebrate his own wisdom, Zhao Ergou continued to run away with the artillery platoon. What would happen if the Japanese artillery muzzle was a little crooked?
The Japanese artillery regiment was actually trying their luck. After firing hundreds of artillery shells at once, they were eagerly waiting for reports from the front to see if the Chinese mountain artillery would continue to bombard them. As long as they stopped shelling, they were not sure that they would be killed.
, but at least it was driven away.
The artillery of the independent regiment was running away and there was no shelling. However, the intensity of the Japanese army's shelling also decreased a lot.
Zhao Ergou's ten-shot rapid fire of the two cannons just now was not in vain. Or to be more precise, it was just bad luck.
He imagined that the Japanese mountain artillery was probably towed by trucks and therefore highly maneuverable. In fact, he was really overthinking it.
The artillery regiment and the infantry regiment may appear to be under the command of the 20th Division, but they are actually two branches of the military. Not to mention that Lieutenant Colonel Hatori must be respectful to the artillery regiment leader, and even the first lieutenant Colonel Li Noge must be respectful to others.
You're welcome. We don't have an artillery regiment. If your infantry regiment wants to attack the city, many people will die!
Lieutenant Colonel Hatori couldn't even think about trucks that were only allocated to the artillery regiment. The mountain cannons he commanded were still transported by packhorses, camels or trailers. It's just that the Japanese Type 41 mountain cannons were lighter, and the
The terrain is relatively flat, so I can run faster.
But Zhao Ergou was right about his bet. The Japanese artillery was indeed moving towards the left wing of the two wings. But their speed was not that fast. When Zhao Ergou was bombarding that position with 10 rapid-fire rounds, the Japanese artillery squad rushed their horses.
In fact, we only walked more than 300 meters while pushing the cannon. We were still 200 meters away from where the nearest shell exploded.
The artillery battalion's artillery operators are all veterans, and they have dozens of live ammunition shooting experience every year. The artillery fire is extremely accurate. All 10 artillery shells accurately landed in the target area.
At this time, if you hit it accurately, it is a mistake. If you hit it incorrectly, it may be more threatening.
Anyway, looking at the constant roaring explosions 200 meters away, there was no threat to the Japanese artillery.
If it hadn't been for a pebble that flew 200 meters in the air and hit a strong packhorse that was towing the cannon in the balls.
Most people who play football have the experience of being hit in the balls by a football. Think about it, if such a big ball hits that vital spot, you will turn pale in pain. What if it were replaced by a small stone?
?Even if that small stone has been running 200 meters in the air, its kinetic energy has decayed.
Then, the strong stallion, which suddenly felt like it had been castrated, went crazy, roaring loudly and driving the other horse to run wildly, dragging the 500 kilogram mountain artillery behind it, and also knocked away several Japanese artillerymen who were caught off guard.
.
When the Japanese artillerymen reacted and tried to stop them, their little arms and legs could not handle the hundreds of kilograms of brute strength of the already crazy horse. The helpless artillery team leader had no choice but to order the horse to be attacked but the adrenal glands were
To kill the soaring packhorse, the small Southern pistol he wore was naturally the best choice. The Southern Fourteen pistol that was prone to jamming did not jam at the moment, but the power was too weak. Two shots in a row did not kill the frightened horse, but it was
The frightened horse in severe pain became even more panicked. After running for 150 meters, under the desperate eyes of the Japanese artillery, it plunged into the ravine, taking the mountain cannon with it.
Looking at the mountain cannon lying in a ravine more than ten meters deep, except for the barrel, which was not deflated, but the rest was almost in pieces, the Japanese artillery squad leader burst into tears.
Baga, this is unlucky...
In this way, Zhao Ergou killed one mountain artillery piece, two pack horses and injured three Japanese soldiers.
It can only be said that war, in addition to strength, also depends on luck.
At least at this moment, luck is on the side of the Independent Group and the Langtanzao.