From the beginning, the Japanese army regarded the frontal battlefield as the main breakthrough point!
Although Chinese soldiers also appeared on the high ground on both wings, after several trials, it was discovered that a large amount of troops would be needed. Colonel Goto, then captain of the 108th Infantry Regiment, immediately adjusted his combat ideas.
The central flat land in the Beiganling area is relatively wide and is the main farming land for the mountain people in this area. There are still small hills for cover and concealment. In addition to the heavy machine guns on both wings of the high ground, which can pose a slight threat to the infantry who are completely exposed in the wilderness, the light machine guns and
Rifles are basically useless.
As for artillery, does the Chinese army have it?
"It is better to cut off one of his fingers than to injure ten of them!" The Japanese Army Colonel, who knew that he might be besieged by Chinese soldiers, made a wise decision.
In fact, at the high-level military meeting of the 108th Division in the future, few people criticized the Japanese Army Colonel's early tactical command, even if they wanted to make him bear the responsibility for the defeat of the battle.
As long as the unit can break through the Chinese frontal defense line at noon or even throughout the afternoon, even if there are more Chinese on the two wings with sufficient distance, the unit with enough heavy firepower and infantry will not encounter the subsequent disaster!
They also have this strength!
After all, in terms of artillery alone, they have 8 infantry guns and 4 mountain guns, as well as 10 94 light tanks. Not to mention attacking the mountainous areas where a Chinese has no time to dig many trenches, it is just a strong city protected by city walls.
enough.
You know, in Teng County over Xuzhou, China's Sichuan Army has more than 4,000 troops stationed there, but there is only one infantry brigade attacking the city. In addition, they are equipped with 4 mountain cannons and 2 92 infantry cannons. China's 4,000 Sichuan Army
It was extremely difficult!
When neither side has an air force participating in the war, artillery is the key to dominating the battlefield!
Although the infantry artillery and mountain artillery equipped by the Japanese army can only be regarded as small-caliber artillery in this era, in the barren mountains of China, they are well-deserved No. 1.
Especially the 75mm howitzer with a killing radius of 10 meters. In the Taihang Mountains, a place with many rocks and little soil, the killing power is even more enhanced because of the rocks stimulated by the air waves. In future terms, it is a superimposed BUFF.
The commander of the 69th Regiment was smart enough and did not choose to fight the Japanese army head-on. Each of his two infantry battalions sent out two infantry companies to form a 1,000-meter-wide defense line along the mountain, leaving one infantry company in reserve each.
team, but this does not mean that nearly 600 officers and soldiers were directly exposed to the threat of Japanese artillery fire.
In fact, most of the people were still hiding behind the mountains, leaving only a few observation posts in each company. They only waited for the Japanese infantry to come up, and then returned from behind the mountains to the simple positions that had been built with stones.
This is also the benefit of Stone Mountain. If you don't have time to dig trenches, you can just lift big rocks and place them in front. They can't block the shells, but they are enough to withstand bullets. It's helpless, but it has a certain effect.
However, in the face of the fierce artillery fire poured down by the Japanese army with more than 300 artillery shells for 20 minutes, this simple fortification built in a hurry was basically a failure.
To put it bluntly, the extent to which such fortifications can provide protection actually depends on personal luck!
Because it would take some time to move from behind the mountain to the position, in order to ensure that the impact of the Japanese infantry could be suppressed, four infantry companies placed four infantry squads on their respective positions.
The end result is that in such a bombardment, only one half of the people who can survive will eventually survive.
There were nearly 30 people who were torn to pieces by the cannon fire before they could even fire a shot at the Japanese invaders.
At this time, the 921st Division had not yet developed and summed up any anti-slope tunnel tactics, but the rich combat experience still allowed the general of the 769th Regiment to have the prototype of this famous tactic in the future ice battle, at least hundreds of times.
The effect of seventy-sevenths.
The most important tactical point of the anti-slope tunnel tactic is not to defend the ridge of the mountain top, but to withdraw the camera to the tunnel on the back of the mountain, and then cover the ridge position with own artillery fire before recapturing it.
To put it bluntly, if you want to successfully fight this kind of mountain defense battle that mainly uses reverse slope tunnels, first of all, the defender must have a large number of artillery, artillery that is enough to cover the ridge position.
But the current 769th Regiment does not have these. They have only a few small-caliber mortars and no other artillery. Moreover, they have no time to build any tunnels, and all the soldiers are exposed behind the ridge.
If the Japanese air force had participated in the war at this time, this battle would have been almost unnecessary. The bombs dropped from the sky alone would have been enough to bury more than 1,000 Chinese infantrymen in this mountain.
A strong will can defeat the fear of death, but the fierce artillery fire brings death!
The reason why a miracle is called a miracle means that it has an extremely rare probability and does not mean that it will happen every moment.
Fortunately, the Japanese army has not yet reached the point where the land and air are integrated. The battle in Xuzhou, nearly a thousand kilometers away, is in full swing. Most of the air power has gone to the theater there. The battlefield here is only a battlefield with tens of thousands of people at most, which is not enough to defeat Japan in North China.
The front army headquarters set its sights here.
Except for Xiong Yuan's request for Army Aviation support in the morning and the indoor shroud in Pingcheng glancing at the request for help telegram from the ad hoc division, the entire Japanese North China Front headquarters did not pay much attention to the Jindong battlefield.
This is completely understandable. A front army headquarters commands an army of 300,000 people. If a battlefield with only a few thousand people has to be watched by an army general at all times, then the army general will be exhausted to death?
Therefore, in summary, although the Japanese bomber formation composed of 6 bombers more than an hour ago caused considerable losses to the main force of the 769th Regiment, it was still on the march after all, and the formation stretched to three or four kilometers long.
If they were concentrated on a battlefield less than a kilometer away like now, and those dozen heavy-weight aerial bombs were dropped, the losses would probably be more than double.
The Japanese Army Air Force actually missed the best fighter plane!
Besides, the current battlefield does not have enough artillery or complete fortifications. For the general of the 769th Regiment, the position on the top of the mountain must not be lost. He can only harden his heart and fill the battlefield with more than half of his elite soldiers.
.
But it was not over yet. Looking through the telescope at the battlefield where the smoke was about to clear, many Chinese soldiers rushed down from the top of the mountain and carried the wounded to the rear of the position. A cold look appeared on the corner of the Japanese Army Colonel's mouth.
"Order! Each artillery team will stop shelling for three minutes and then shell again for 10 minutes!"
"Your Excellency, Captain, what are you..." A major standing next to Goto asked cautiously.
As one of the two majors who accompanied the captain of the Colonel's regiment on the expedition, Nobita Nobita was much luckier than the unlucky guy Komura Hiroshi. He brought three infantry squadrons and a heavy machine gun squadron belonging to his infantry brigade with him.
, you don’t have to trek on narrow mountain roads, there is even a 94 armored vehicle you can ride on, although the smell of diesel inside makes you want to vomit.
However, Major Nobita Nobita is very smart. He knows that the reason why he can follow Colonel Goto closely is not because he is so handsome, but because he is well versed in the art of courting horses. He has photographed the boss very well in several military meetings.
Comfortable, at this time, I suddenly saw that the boss suddenly changed his tactics and did not let the frontline infantry launch a tentative charge, but let the artillery continue the bombardment. He must have deep meaning.
In particular, after issuing the military order, His Excellency Colonel looked into the distance with a deep look in his eyes, so you still don’t know what he was thinking?
They were clearly waiting for him to ask questions, but fortunately, the command post temporarily set up by His Excellency the Commander of Xiong Yuan Division pretended to be a coward...
Of course, this is not to say that the Colonel is a show-off, but it is a common behavior used by commanders to establish their prestige in the military.
Who told this joint force to be temporarily drawn from the armies in Lucheng? Among the more than 2,000 Japanese troops, there were only 400 direct descendants under the captain of the colonel.
"Nobi-kun, you should have seen the colors of the military uniforms worn by the Chinese on the battlefield!" The Japanese Army Colonel lowered the corners of his mouth, revealing a look of solemnity.
"Hi! I saw it. It's dark gray. It should belong to the Chinese 921st Division!" Nobita Nobita nodded heavily, with a bitter look on his face as well.
China has a lot of troops in Jin Province, which does not mean a lot of soldiers, but factions, including the Central Army of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, the Northwest Army, the Sichuan Army, and the 80th Group Army. The connections between the armies of each faction are complicated.
, not to mention confusing the Japanese, even the Chinese theater command wanted to scratch their heads!
But as the war situation in Jin Province deepened, the Japanese army, which had been fighting on this land for half a year, finally made its own judgment.
The Jinsui Army and the Central Army have the best equipment, but their fighting will is slightly lower. It is normal to fight if they can win, and withdraw if they can't. As long as they are not forced into a desperate situation.
The Northwest Army and the Sichuan Army were slightly inferior in equipment, but they were tenacious. Once real fire was fired, it would be a death-defying rhythm. Fighting against them would give every department of the Japanese army a headache.
However, no matter how tenacious these two are, the Japanese army that has the upper hand will not be afraid. If you want to die, I will give you death.
Finally, let’s talk about the Eightyth Army, which should be the most troublesome unit for the Japanese army in the entire Jin Province.
The strength of this unit cannot be said to be large. It is only two infantry divisions with more than 20,000 troops. It is similar to the strength of a special division of the Japanese army. Not to mention the equipment, it is said that they are the worst equipped in China in the entire Shanxi Province.
One of the armies, they probably all looked up to them. Perhaps only China's most famous 'beggar' army from Sichuan Province can rival them!
But it took them just six months to successfully become the most troublesome army for the Japanese army.
Their considerable strength and tenacious fighting will make them a strong army, fully qualified to go head-to-head with an infantry brigade-level unit, but they are not.
There was never a large-scale head-on confrontation, and the battlefield was divided into parts. The battlefield revolved around long lines of communication, using sap, encircling points to call for reinforcements, luring snakes out of holes, and other mysterious tactics that made the Japanese divisions as big as a fight.
Due to the existence of this unit, the transportation and marching efficiency of the communication lines that have been fully grasped is less than half of the theoretical level, and the losses of soldiers, materials, etc. are even greater than on a regular battlefield.
The key is, you still can't destroy them, because they will always hide in the mountains, leaving people helpless.
Even as opponents, one has to admire them a little. The mountains can serve as a barrier to protect them, but there cannot be enough supplies there. Food, salt, ammunition, clothing and other military necessities cannot be obtained.
Judging from the inspection of the clothes of the soldiers who died in the battle, they only had one shirt and quilted military uniform in the middle of winter. The temperature at night in Taihang Mountain in winter can be minus 10 degrees, and the weather is so hot that dripping water turns to ice. God knows how they survived by relying on this.
Arrived.
Their most obvious symbol is the gray military uniform. That is because their military uniforms do not have enough dye and use the color of the cheesecloth itself.
Moreover, don't think that they are only good at raids and ambushes. They are equally good at fighting tough battles. Two months ago, there was an example of two infantry squadrons besieging a mountain village.
In order to cover the evacuation of Chinese civilians in the mountain village, an infantry company defended the village. In the absence of any solid fortifications, two infantry squadrons and an infantry artillery attacked the mountain village for a whole day, paying the price of nearly a hundred casualties before conquering the mountain village.
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The total strength of the infantry company was only 125. After inspection afterwards, it was found that the reason why the two infantry squadrons were able to finally conquer the position was not because they were able to crush the position, but because all the ammunition of the infantry company was completely consumed. After a detailed inventory of the remains on the ground
Cartridges concluded that the infantry company had no more than 15 bullets per person!
That was a number that would make the hairs of any Japanese commander stand on end. They could not imagine how many infantry attacks they could withstand if they were given the same 120 rounds of bullets as the individual Japanese infantry soldiers.
Anyway, two infantry squadrons are definitely not enough.
Firm will to fight and difficult tactics are the hallmarks of this unit!
And now, this Chinese army, which causes headaches, liver pain, and kidney pain, is right opposite them.
"Yes! It's that difficult Chinese army. If nothing else happens, the battle in Licheng is just a cover for them. In fact, the real intention of the war is on the 1,500 people of our unit in Shentou Ridge!"
The Japanese Army Colonel sighed slightly. "It's a classic encirclement of a point to call for reinforcements, but even if our army knew it, it would still be fooled, because no one, including the division commander, can give up more than 1,000 imperial officers and soldiers!"
"Then they are here..." Nobi Nobita actually felt like a mirror in his heart, but he still had to pretend to be ignorant.
Because, here, the army commander in front of you is the protagonist!
"Naturally, it is to prevent our troops from reinforcing Shentou Ridge. The battle pattern is the same as that of the Battle of Parallel Pass six months ago. The Chinese used half of their main force to besiege the fifth division's baggage convoy, and the other half of their main force used all their strength to block the fifth division from the outside.
Reinforcements!" The Japanese Army Colonel's eyes showed a cold look. "It's just that this time they are too confident. The imperial officers and soldiers besieged at Shentou Ridge are not heavy troops, and our department is not the Fifth Division who can't advance 10 miles in a whole day.
Idiot!"
"Just like now, in order to avoid our artillery bombardment, the Chinese have to put their main force behind the ridge, but they dare not leave any people on the front line for fear that the imperial infantry will advance quickly under the cover of artillery fire! Their commander is very smart
, also very cold!
Then, I will let him try what it means to be cold!
Don’t they claim to be generous with their sacrifices? Then let them watch their colleagues wailing and dying under our artillery fire!
Their soldiers have a strong will to fight, which is good. Our unit carried nearly 2,000 rounds of various types of artillery shells when we set out this time! They consume lives, and we consume artillery shells!"
"Your Excellency, the captain, is wise!" Nobi Nobita's face burst into joy. "But what's over at Shentou Ridge?"
"You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Nobi-kun, you must have enough confidence in the imperial officers and soldiers!" The Japanese Army Colonel waved his hand and said firmly.
"Hi! I understand!" Nobi Nobita nodded heavily.
The 769th Regiment on the frontal position also had to make a choice when faced with another shelling attack from the Japanese army!
The young general hardened his heart and once again sent soldiers into the battlefield where the mortality rate was as high as 50%.
And soldiers, execute firmly!
In terms of executing military orders, the 921st Division is completely comparable to, or even better than, the Four Elements Regiment. All sergeants who receive military orders will not hesitate to lead their soldiers into the battlefield that can shatter people's bones at any time.
battlefield.
This battle actually had no prelude and went directly to the decisive battle.
The Japanese army wreaked havoc with artillery fire, but the Chinese soldiers chose to hold on with their flesh and blood!