At present, the Fifth Division has been attacking for seven days. Whether it is a frontal force attack or a sneaky night attack, all methods have been exhausted, but from the overall situation, little effect has been achieved.
The Chinese only shrank their defense line back a few kilometers, but the position was still stable. On the contrary, they suffered a lot of casualties, and there were some problems with logistics and supplies.
The people of the Fourth Division have not come up yet, and the frontline offensive troops are showing signs of fatigue. The superiors have ordered him to capture this army at all costs, which makes Yamada Seiichi a little bit difficult to get off.
Except for Taunggyi, the main force of the Chinese people has already started to attack Mandalay. The entire Irrawaddy defense line is exchanging fire everywhere. Yamashita Fengwen also feels to some extent that the Chinese people are indeed different from what they used to be. The overwhelming shelling is deafening. , it is really hard to imagine when the other party had such terrifying heavy firepower.
Therefore, Mandalay has always focused on defense. There was no need to take the initiative to attack such a strong fortification. Although Yamashita Fengfumi had already deployed his trump card, overall the battle was still quite frustrating.
There is a price to pay for underestimating your opponent. This "giant man" as the Japanese call him, dragging his 1.7 meter body and not thinking about food or food, the exhausted battle situation makes people sleepless at night.
But now Taunggyi has become the key to the overall situation. If the Chinese defenders stationed at Nandu River can be completely wiped out, then the 4th and 5th Divisions can move north to threaten Lashio and cut off the 88th Army who are fighting in Mandalay. With the main force of the army retreating, this battle is basically over.
Coupled with the secret troops that criss-crossed from the Kyaukse Plain, it is not impossible to defeat the 88th Army and retake the central Myanmar area.
Thinking of this, Yamashita Fengwen instantly became energetic and once again sent a report to Taunggyi that he would eat those Chinese people at all costs.
At the same time, at a middle dam shoal in the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River, three temporary bridges made of stone and wood stood above the river.
Although the basin of this section of the Irrawaddy River is relatively wide, the water depth is shallow and the flow rate is relatively gentle. There are also several exposed middle dam shoals in the center of the river, which greatly reduces the difficulty of bridge construction. The three bridges were built with the hard work of two engineering groups, the Armored Brigade and the Third Division, and countless workers. It took half a month to complete.
In particular, the main bridge in the middle is reinforced with steel bars. Although the bridge is not too big, it can barely pass a 30-ton tank at one time, not to mention other vehicles and supplies.
Chen Jize stood on a hillside on the West Bank holding a telescope and looked at everything in front of him sternly.
Heavy trucks drove over the bridge one after another, and there were many kayaks and wooden boats on the river carrying guns and ammunition. Countless soldiers shuttled on both sides of the river, and there were several anti-aircraft artillery positions waiting on the shore.
"Report to the brigade commander that all the tank regiments and armored fighting vehicle regiments have crossed the river, and the transportation regiment is transporting the final baggage. Please give instructions."
"The entire brigade must complete the river crossing operation before the sun goes down, so that those behind can speed up." Chen Jize ordered expressionlessly.
In order to allow the entire armored brigade's heavy equipment to safely pass through this river, the two units spent a lot of effort, and this alone delayed them for nearly half a month.
Fortunately, this area is far away from the main battlefield, and the Third Division is also in front, making a strong attack posture. In addition, the Japanese air force is now afraid to go out, so they did not notice anything.
Soldiers are very fast. As long as all the troops cross the river, the west bank will be a vast white plain. The torrent of steel from the armored brigade will definitely surprise the little devils.
"Report...report to the host!"
A soldier with a camouflage face and a straw band on his head hurriedly ran to Chen Jize.
"What's the matter? Speak slowly."
"Huhu... Back at the brigade, the reconnaissance company discovered a large number of Japanese troops twenty kilometers southwest. They are moving north!"
As soon as he said this, many officers present looked at him in disbelief. They did not expect that the little devil had already touched this place.
"How many people are there on the other side?" Chen Jize asked hurriedly.
"Judging from the size of the team, there is probably one unit, and maybe there are more behind them. They are very fast and all ride bicycles. There are no woods in that area. We can see clearly from hiding on the hillside." The scout immediately replied.
"Twenty kilometers away? It can't be from Mandalay, right? Those bastards can be so fast?" Fan Xiangwu stared at him, his face full of shock.
"It's not impossible if they each have a bicycle."
Chen Jize analyzed calmly. This was the first time he encountered this situation, but it made sense why they had such speed.
"Map! Mark their locations for me."
"yes!"
Judging from the map, the Japanese army's position was about 23 kilometers southwest of them at a mountain pass. The enemy had been marching in a hurry, and it was expected that they had not been discovered yet.
"There is an open area coming out of the mountain col. There are very few trees and there is no cover. Now the Japs' forward troops have probably come out and are moving towards the position of the tank regiment."
The scout pointed at the map and reported to everyone.
This team of little devils is extremely strange. Not only is everyone riding a bicycle, but only the steel rims are left on the two wheels. The team is driving on the uneven ground, making a clanging sound that can be heard from a distance. At first the reconnaissance company thought it had encountered enemy armor.
bike? Maybe it's the Yinlun unit that Jun Zuo mentioned before. I didn't expect that I would encounter it this time. It's interesting...
Chen Jize sneered and asked lightly: "Which troop is at the front now?"
"The Third Battalion of the Tank Regiment is right in front of them. According to what this guy said, we are expected to be found in an hour." Fan Xiangwu replied quickly.
Chen Jize crossed his arms and kept thinking about how to deal with the current situation. The bright white plain was not a vast expanse of land, but there were a large number of open areas that were very suitable for the armored troops to launch a direct attack. And these little devils bumped into them headlessly. Isn't it absolutely perfect? The best chance of annihilation?
"Order the reconnaissance company to continue to keep an eye on the Japanese army and report the enemy's latest movements at any time, then contact Hong Mu, immediately assemble the tank regiment and the armored fighting vehicle regiment, and complete preparations for war within thirty minutes!"
"Brigadier, should we start fighting right now? Why don't we report to Junzuo?" a staff officer asked cautiously.
"Reporting is required, but it does not affect our actions. Remember, soldiers need to be quick and attack by surprise. You must not be indecisive and miss a good opportunity!"
Chen Jize lectured sternly, and at the same time glanced at the faces of the surrounding officers: "This is the first actual combat since the establishment of the Armored Brigade. Keep your spirits up, and don't lose the reputation of our 88th Army!"
"yes!"
…
7017k
