The little Japanese artillerymen immediately took action and began to look for a suitable location to fire. Kuroda walked back and forth with a dark face, cursing like a mad dog that had lost its mind.
"Squadron leader, I'm afraid we can't fire here. What if we fall into the concession?" A Japanese lieutenant ran over and said worriedly.
Kuroda was stunned for a moment, and his expression became quite ugly again. Apparently he was so angry that he forgot about it.
"Damn it, why didn't you remind me?" Kuda slapped the sentry on the face again, knocking the sentry stunned.
The sentry cursed in his mind, "Damn it, can this be blamed on me?"
Kutian did not dare to bombard, so he had to vent his anger on his Japanese soldiers.
The Japanese army also stopped in place, not daring to go any closer to the warehouse. The previous thoughts of many Japanese soldiers wanting to take credit have disappeared.
The Japanese on Guoqing Road did not dare to advance, and the army stayed outside the range of the defenders. The two teams were eaten by the defenders, and the Japanese no longer dared to rush over easily.
It is estimated that senior commanders are being convened for a pre-war combat meeting.
On the roof of the warehouse, the regiment leader came up again and was observing the movements of the Japanese army with a telescope. After being busy for a while, Battalion Commander Yang also came up.
"This elite Japanese division is not that good either. It has only killed more than a hundred people, so it doesn't dare to rush forward. It seems that the Japanese are still afraid of death." Battalion Commander Yang said with a smile.
At this time, the surrounding area of Sihang Warehouse was quite quiet, almost like a vacuum zone.
"They are preparing a big move and want to use heavy weapons to deal with us. Unfortunately, the location here is quite special. The use of heavy weapons can easily affect the concessions of the great powers. It is estimated that in the end they will only be able to use their usual combat methods, infantry and tank coordination, the big deal Couple it with infantry artillery and fire at the same time."
The regiment leader was watching and talking at the same time, and he described the Japanese tactics and actions in detail.
Wen San was also observing, but at the moment his mind was on the Japs' side, and he was trying hard to listen to the Japs' battle plan.
The commander of the Japanese division has summoned all the commanders at the squadron level together. Captain Kuda was scolded so badly that he didn't dare to say a single word other than apologizing.
Wen San thought that if he could drop a bombshell, the entire upper-level commander of the Third Division could be killed immediately.
It's a pity that he can only enjoy himself, as the national army does not have such a thing at all. There are two 60-caliber mortars, but the range is too short and the accuracy is not high, making them basically useless.
"This battle is very difficult to fight. Many heavy weapons cannot be used, which brings great difficulties to our battle. I plan to mobilize four tanks and launch attacks from two directions. At the same time, I apply for air fire support and strive to win the battle. A gap will be forced open in the afternoon. As long as our people rush into the warehouse, the defense of the Chinese soldiers will be useless..."
The division commander pointed at the battle map and explained his tactical arrangements loudly. Which route the Japs will take, what buildings are around, where they can be used as bunkers, where they can be used as firepower points, and the direction they want to attack, etc.
The Japanese explained on the map, while Wen San looked at the real objects to compare. I have to say that the Japs' combat map is quite detailed. In such a short period of time, everything around Sihang Warehouse has been clearly understood.
"The attack in the afternoon will focus on the warehouse door. Although the warehouse door is made of iron, its thickness is limited. If you use a tank to aim at the door and fire a few more shots, you should be able to blast it open. If it doesn't work, arrange for people to rush over. , use explosive packs to force it open."
The determination of the Japanese is really not small. The warehouse gate is naturally the focus of the defenders' defense, and both light and heavy firepower are deployed in place. If they want to open a gap from here, even if they pay a heavy price, they may not be able to succeed.
After the division leader talked for a while, he turned his attention to a group of subordinates, hoping that they could also put forward some good suggestions.
"Your Excellency Major General, the firepower deployed by the Chinese Army on the roof of the warehouse is quite powerful, and we must find a way to destroy it. The two teams were destroyed before, and it was the powerful firepower on the roof that cut off their retreat. Otherwise, they would never be destroyed." Tian finally seized the opportunity and spoke quickly.
The division commander glared at him, as if you didn't listen at all, "Didn't I tell you to apply for air support? The planes are used to deal with them."
"What if the air support doesn't show up in time?" Kurada refused.
There are also problems with the coordination between the different military services of the Japanese, and there are deep conflicts between the navy and the army. Although it won't be a hindrance during combat, it is not surprising at all if something happens occasionally.
Although the Third Division is the ace force of the Japs, if you want to ask the air force to take action, you have to report it first. Whether it can come over in time for support must be based on the actual situation.
The Japanese have invested a total of more than 200,000 troops in the Songhu Battle. Currently, the large forces are compressing the living space of the national army, and the battle lines are wide open. The number of air forces is not large, and they are basically deployed by the Army Headquarters. The Japanese Third Division is affiliated with the Navy Earth Division and is a Marine Division. So this support is not something you can just get if you want it.
If the air force support is not timely, they will be forced to use mortars, but there are not many positions for mortars to choose from. They must be placed relatively close so that the shells can accurately land on the roof of the warehouse without worrying. Hit the American and British Concessions.
But the position is close, and the Japanese position is also within the shooting range of the defenders. The heavy machine guns here are not vegetarian!
The division commander did not answer Captain Kuda's question because he was not sure whether air support would arrive in time. Anyway, the report had already been typed.
The reason why he decided to launch the attack in the afternoon was because he wanted to wait for air support. Otherwise, he would have ordered the attack long ago after suffering such a big loss. The Japanese always seek retribution, and there are not many times when they can endure it.
"Your Majesty General, I think this problem cannot just wait. There are many buildings around Sihang Warehouse. Why don't we send the extra troops out to occupy them? Although these buildings are not as high as Sihang Warehouse, they can still have an effect. It has a great support role. At the same time, it can also use buildings and bodies to provide fire support to attacking friendly forces, reducing the number of casualties in our unit."
A Japanese captain made a very practical suggestion. There are too many people in a Japanese division, and due to the terrain restrictions, the army formation cannot be deployed at all. It is unrealistic to launch a multi-faceted attack with numerical superiority. The tactic of refueling is even more undesirable. It will only make the Japanese go up in batches and die.
Then it is necessary to place people in surrounding buildings. The Japs can also hide in buildings and shoot at each other at the Sixing Warehouse. It is much better than attacking without any help. It can also cover the ground troops' attack, which can be regarded as killing two birds with one stone.
The division commander pondered for a few minutes and stared at the map for a while, "It seems you think this will be a protracted war?"
