It was already about 5:30 in the afternoon when Hisao Tani arrived at the Huangpu River. It was still raining lightly and the sky was already very dark. But that didn't mean that it was already night time. It would still be about 40 minutes before nightfall completely fell.
He arrived with more than two regiments of infantry. The artillery regiment of the Sixth Division was still 10 miles away because of the muddy land, and there was another infantry regiment accompanying him. But it was by no means the first infantry regiment that had arrived at this time.
The main infantry force of the Sixth Division lost artillery support. Not only the 47th Infantry Regiment also had 4 mountain cannons, but the 13th Infantry Regiment and the 23rd Infantry Regiment that had arrived also had 4 mountain cannons and 12 mountain cannons respectively.
It is almost the full strength of a Chinese division-level artillery battalion, plus 2 70mm infantry cannons each of the 8 infantry brigades and 4 37mm rapid-fire cannons assigned to each of the three wing headquarters. The Sixth Division
At this moment, the regiment can organize the super strength of more than 40 small-caliber artillery pieces.
Moreover, there are two gunboats on the Huangpu River. They are two gunboats belonging to the 11th Squadron of the Japanese Navy's Third Fleet. Don't think that gunboats are just small boats. The reason why the Japanese Navy has aircraft carriers is important.
Large ships such as cruisers, destroyers, and minelayers are still equipped with more than a dozen gunboats. This is because of the need for combat in the inland rivers of China.
Taking into account the shallow draft of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the Japanese Navy's inland river gunboats were built with low freeboards, so they are commonly known as "clog ships". Therefore, the Japanese Navy's inland river gunboat fleet is also called the "clog fleet", and for the convenience of period warning
Therefore, the hull structure is large, the endurance is long, and the ship speed must exceed the requirements for crossing the dangerous shoals of the Yangtze River, which needs to be more than 16 knots. Since the water of the Yangtze River is shallow, the gunboat must have a shallow draft.
But this does not necessarily mean that gunboats are small boats. The two Toba-class gunboats that come from the confluence of the Huangpu River and the Yangtze River are the best among the inland river gunboats equipped by the Japanese Navy.
The basic design of the Toba-class gunboat follows the British predecessors in service before, but it has a larger size and a more powerful engine. The total length of the hull is 54.86 meters, the width is 8.23 meters, the normal displacement is 250 tons, and the draft is 0.79 meters.
The power system is two ship-based coal-fired boilers pushing two reciprocating engines for three-axis drive, with an output power of 1,400 horsepower and a top speed of 15 knots. The weapon system is configured with an 80 mm 28-caliber cannon and six 6.6 mm machine guns.
There are more than 60 people on board, and the commander on the ship is also in the rank of major.
Such a gunboat can completely attack positions within 3,000 meters on both sides of the river in the center of the river. Throughout the Great Patriotic War, this kind of gunboat has been the main force of Japanese ships controlling large inland rivers such as the Yangtze River in China. Even in the past,
In time and space, after the Japanese army was forced to surrender, these gunboats abandoned by the Japanese army were used by the Chinese army and incorporated into the navy. Finally, they were used by the Republic and served until more than ten years after the founding of the Republic.
It can be said that if the angry Japanese butchers ordered an all-out effort to cross the river now, with their current strength and transportation capacity, they would be fully capable of launching an infantry regiment to the other side of the river.
But Hisao Tani did not. He personally went to the reeds on the river bank and observed the other side of the river bank with a telescope for a long time. Instead, he ordered the entire army to repair and wait for the arrival of the artillery regiment.
That was not because Hisao Tani did not plan to cross the river at night to fight when the sky was getting late, but because only more than 40 artillery pieces were not enough to vent the surging anger in his chest.
It was not until around 7 p.m., when the 6th Field Artillery Regiment of the 6th Division arrived, that Hisao Tani issued a military order to prepare for the cross-river operation.
The 152nd Regiment had already observed the arrival of the 6th Division, but it still underestimated the intensity of the bombardment it was about to receive. Colonel Xie Guji, including Colonel Xie Guji, had no idea how angry the Japanese Army Lieutenant General opposite was.
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Even before the Japanese 13th Infantry Regiment, which was preparing to land on the river beach, began to assemble and board the ship, the 36 field guns and 12 105 howitzers of the 6th Division Field Artillery Regiment began to roar, followed closely
The main firepower was 16 mountain guns directly under the wing headquarters of the four infantry regiments and all other large and small caliber artillery fire. Even the two gunboats located upstream and downstream also participated, and the two 80mm ship main guns also fired at the positions along the river.
fire.
The soldiers of the 152nd Regiment who were under artillery fire did not know how many artillery pieces were bombarding them. Almost everyone could only hold their heads and try to reduce their body size and huddle in the trench. The entire 2-kilometer long trench was under Japanese artillery fire.
Trembling under the violence.
It gives people the illusion that people are not hiding on solid ground, but are on a ship in the vast sea under the violent storm, and the ground is shaking under the fierce Japanese artillery fire.
According to statistics from the staff of the Sixth Division's headquarters after the battle, the entire Sixth Division, in the first round of artillery fire coverage, used more than 80 large and small caliber artillery pieces and fired more than 2,000 artillery shells of various calibers.
, if averaged, on a Chinese position that is 2,000 meters long, 200 meters wide, and approximately 400,000 square meters, one artillery shell will fall for every 200 square meters.
And you have to know that the killing radius of a 105 howitzer is more than fifteen meters, which means that a 105 howitzer is enough to kill all living things within 600 square meters of the impact point. Although mountain artillery and infantry artillery are less powerful,
But one cannonball is enough to kill creatures within 100 square meters.
It is definitely a hell-level difficulty to survive under such artillery fire. This means that the 152nd Regiment has built trenches of sufficient depth in advance. If it were on the field and a round of artillery fell down like this, the entire regiment would be blown up.
But even with the protection of trenches, the casualties on the front line were still heavy. The Japanese troops began to land on the river beach by boat. This should have been the best time to block the attack, but there were only a few who could shoot bullets into the river. The horrific shell explosion caused
The air wave swept everything on the position, and the hurricane-like air wave wiped away the camouflaged bushes and cotton stalks. The few machine gun groups who dared to brave the artillery fire and get down on the battlefield to shoot at the center of the river were all seriously damaged in the artillery fire.
After all, both the light machine gun and the shooter were thrown away by the air wave of the explosion. The machine gun was thrown high by the air wave and smashed to the ground into parts. Not to mention the more fragile human body, even if it was not lifted up, its internal organs were shaken.
Bad, almost no survivors.
The commanders of each infantry company had to crawl in the trenches and strictly ordered their subordinates not to rush into combat positions and shoot without military orders, which would violate military law. Their main task now is not to prevent the Japanese troops from entering the river bank tidal flats, but to survive first.
.If you are not alive, how can you fight against the Japanese troops who have disembarked from the ship?
The young soldier who thought he had experienced one battlefield and was qualified to be called a veteran looked almost colorless when his squad leader used his body to block the innermost hole where the individual soldiers fired. Everyone said that the enemy's artillery fire was so fierce that only his own head could be hit.
Only when they got there did the young soldiers realize how terrifying it was.
Compared with other positions, because the infantry battalion he was in was facing the sandbank, it was targeted by the Japanese invaders for artillery retaliation. At least 6 of the 12 howitzers were aimed at this position for bombardment.
Not to mention other artillery, the six 105 howitzers alone were enough to raze the infantry battalion to the ground. After almost all the camouflage was peeled off bit by bit by the artillery fire, tragedy finally struck. Unfortunately, a howitzer fell into the
Entering the trench of one of the infantry platoons, the entire infantry platoon was thrown into the air like a toy doll in the sudden burst of air waves. If the trenches were not built to be curved enough, they would be 100 meters away from the infantry platoon.
The young soldier didn't know if he could survive, even if he was still hiding in the individual artillery hole on the side of the trench.
Because even if it is an artillery-proof hole, if a grenade like this hits the top, it will be ruthlessly collapsed. The company commander has already led his people to dig several anti-gun holes in the trench that will be collapsed.
Almost none of the people who were snatched out were alive. They were either suffocated to death, or their hearts, liver and lungs were damaged by the terrible shock of the shells.
"You're such a stupid little devil, you're a bastard, there's always a time when you don't want to shoot." The young soldier with a pale face wept and huddled in the anti-aircraft hole, waiting for the Japanese artillery fire to stop.
He is afraid of death, but he is even more afraid of dying like his brothers without even firing a bullet. Relatively speaking, he would rather die in the battle position shooting at the Japanese, otherwise there will be no need to set up the Dragon Gate Formation anywhere in the King of Yama.
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The Japanese artillery fire gradually became sparse. While the bombing and explosions were still happening outside, the veteran squad leader who had been blocking the young soldier with his body suddenly kicked the young soldier who was still muttering in his heart and roared: "Japanese
It's about to come up, follow me out."
Although he didn't understand how the veteran knew, the young soldier was increasingly impressed by his squad leader who liked to smoke big cigarettes, and subconsciously dragged the gunman's feet and climbed out of the shell-proof hole.
Although the Japanese artillery fire continued, it was already extending backwards, and few shells fell on the position. The young soldiers boldly prepared to raise their heads, but were stopped by the veteran squad leader. The veteran took off his helmet first.
, with his face firmly pressed against the trench, he quietly poked his head out regardless of the muddy water on his face, and within a second, he suddenly sat back in the trench.
"Damn it, the little devils are here! Lots of them!" The mud on the face of the veteran squad leader couldn't hide the paleness of his face.
"Should we inform the platoon leader and company commander?" The young soldier's heart suddenly tightened.
"Brothers are all out." The veteran squad leader shook his head, with a trace of sadness on his face. "He is such a stern person. I'm afraid he won't be able to survive if he doesn't work hard this time. Shanzi, remember, you can't keep your head down this time.
When shooting, we must aim and hit. If we don't fight off the turtle, we won't have anywhere to run."
The young soldier had no chance to ask the veteran about the reason for his confession. Not far away, Yang Songlin roared heartbreakingly, "Brothers, the devils are coming. I will beat everyone who is alive. Beat them hard!"
Gunshots suddenly rang out from the trenches.
With the end of the suppression of Japanese artillery fire, the Japanese troops who had boarded the river beach began to launch an attack. The anti-landing blocking battle that truly belonged to the 152nd Regiment of the 43rd Army of the Sichuan Army officially began.