Hearing the comfort from his colleagues, Iimorinuma just forced out a bitter smile.
Originally, his division only came to Datong to support the friendly forces, but he never expected that it would now become the main force in the battle. When he thought that his subordinates' troops were disappearing like snowflakes, the old Japanese felt his heart twisting.
"Everyone, don't worry."
"Of course I can tell which one is more important, but I have a new requirement for the next action."
"The information of our three divisions must be disclosed unconditionally. Even if a certain party is unable to participate in the pursuit, it still has the right to know the specific steps."
As soon as these words came out, Nishihara Issaku and Otono Otozaburo nodded without thinking.
Without the help of the 110th Division, the two of them would have been driven out by the Eighth Route Army even if they entered the city. The other party just made a harmless request, and there would be no loss if he agreed.
"no problem!"
······
At dawn the next day, the cavalry group of the Mongolian Army began a new round of attack.
Boom boom boom!
One after another, 75mm grenades fell like meteors and pierced into the residential areas in the east of the city. The continuous explosions turned various wooden buildings into ruins.
The devils' idea was simple. Since they didn't know where the Eighth Route Army was hiding, they would use artillery shells to blast out a no-man's land, leaving all the defenders with nowhere to hide.
Even if it cannot cause direct injury, it can still reduce the difficulty of attacking.
After a round of artillery plowing, the armored troops, who had been given high hopes by Nishihara Issaku, began to advance.
This time the cavalry group learned the lessons learned during the siege and sent a large number of infantry to follow the actions of the Type 95 light tank, Type 97 and Type 97 modified medium tanks, and even used the Type 92 infantry cannon and the Type 94 37mm rapid-fire The cannon was pushed out.
"Attention all crew members, I am the frontline commander of this operation."
"Our goal is to pass through the ruins in front and open an attack channel for the following mobile infantry. Everyone should keep a distance and never get together."
"After arriving in the open area, immediately launch an offensive formation and follow my command for all actions."
"Hi!"
"receive!"
In order to quickly break through to the core area of Datong, Nishihara Yice spent a lot of money. The old Japanese was determined to dispatch two tank squadrons at once, a total of twenty-four tanks of various types.
Coupled with more than twenty armored vehicles, such a formation can even chase an infantry division away on the plains.
The Japanese Lieutenant Colonel Umeda Yoshiyuki in charge of the command was also well-established. He not only participated in the Battle of Nomenhan two years ago, but also led his squadron to kill four BT-5s and one T-26.
At that time, the heroes of the Far East Military Region had an armor advantage of more than 7 to 1.
To achieve such a record under such a disadvantage, it is not too much to call him Showa Superman.
After giving the order, Yoshiyuki Umeda opened the cockpit cover above his head, and then took the communication device and began to watch in all directions.
"The infantry at the back should follow closely and try to huddle behind the tanks or armored vehicles. The Eighth Route Army has a large number of precision shooters, so be highly vigilant at all times!"
"Car Crew No. 3, slow down a little. Can't you see that you are about to lose touch with the main force? Car Crew No. 4, move twenty meters to the left to expand the field of vision on the flanks!"
"Everyone maintain the diamond battle formation and move forward!"
While Umeda Yoshiyuki was micromanaging his men, two tank squadrons from the cavalry group had already arrived at a construction area.
It seems calm on the surface, but there are three infantry battalions and a reinforced anti-tank company from the 129th Division hidden in the houses and trenches.
Standing on the commanding heights not far away, Commander Min of the 17th Regiment looked down at the overall situation. Every move of the Japanese armored troops could not escape his eagle eyes.
"On the right, the enemy is coming up from the right!"
"First and Second Battalions, you are responsible for attracting the enemy's attention and buying time for our anti-tank troops to attack. All actions are based on your own safety, and you are allowed to abandon positions and weapons when necessary."
"Lao Hu, I leave the Japanese tanks to you. If you need anything, tell me in time!"
The person who came to Datong to support the friendly forces this time was naturally the chief anti-tank artilleryman of the 386th Brigade who talked about shooting.
It is worth mentioning that at this time, five stars, nine circles and twelve triangles were painted on the mantlet of Hu Xuexian's SA34 anti-tank gun.
These patterns represent tanks, armored vehicles and trucks respectively, representing his achievements from the Hundred Regiments War to the present.
"Don't worry, I don't take a mere twenty-four tanks seriously. In just five minutes, my anti-tank company can definitely paralyze them in place."
"good!"
After a while, the battle officially began.
A series of Hotchkiss heavy machine guns set up in a semi-underground bunker roared first, spraying metal storm-like bullets at the Japanese motorized infantry.
Boom, boom, boom!
The dull sound of gunfire echoed in the housing area, and the 7.92mm bullets swept through the Japanese formation like a sickle.
Due to the height of the heavy machine gun, most of the enemies had their legs broken, and a few lucky ones even had their lower bodies blown open.
This is the result of fooling around with the Golden Shield. The infantry advancing "carrying steel plates" is not much different from a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered in front of a heavy machine gun.
The scattered limbs and wailing sounds flying all over the sky caused the Japanese soldiers to fall into brief chaos. Fortunately, the quality of the Japanese army's grassroots officers was pretty good, and they stepped forward in time to stabilize the situation.
At the same time, Umeda Yoshiyuki did not sit still. He picked up the communicator and ordered to the surrounding crew:
"Turn left! The enemy's firepower is on the left!"
"The vehicle-mounted heavy machine gun fires freely, suppress all the Eighth Route Army!"
"High-explosive bombs! Load them all with high-explosive bombs! Blast and burn those little mice who only hide in the ruins for sneak attacks! Don't let any Republic of China people go!"
Hearing this, more than twenty Type 95 light tanks, Type 97 and Type 97 modified medium tanks began to move towards the positions of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 17th Regiment.
However, the cavalry group's infantry-tank coordination ability is very poor. After all, the Japanese infantry lack communication devices that can communicate with the armored forces in a timely manner. When they fight together, the best they can do is not crush their own family members to death.
The sudden change of direction resulted in a large number of infantry being directly exposed to the firepower of the Eighth Route Army.
For a time, the casualties of the troops were even more serious than before.
boom!
After adjusting the direction of travel and shooting angle, Umeda Yoshiyuki's crew took the lead and fired directly. A 47mm high-explosive round was fired towards the heavy machine gun position a few hundred meters away.
Unfortunately, the accuracy was poor, and the semi-underground bunker made it difficult to aim. The shell hit people's houses during its flight.
"Reload! Quick!"
"Keep firing with the forward-firing machine gun and use tracer bullets to guide the main gun!"
The second shot still missed, but it was very close to the heavy machine gun bunker, and gravel and rubble even flew near the soldiers.
Da da da.
The soldiers of the 17th Regiment did not sit still and wait for death. Although the Hotchkiss heavy machine gun could not penetrate the front armor of the Japanese tank, several salvos could play a more or less disruptive role.
With the help of his comrades, the targeted firepower point quickly moved towards the backup position, leaving the two tank squadrons empty.
Seeing the Eighth Route Army's firepower suddenly weakening, Umeda Yoshiyuki quickly opened the canopy and issued a new phase of orders to the infantry in the rear:
"Infantry! Come up quickly! The time has come to be loyal to His Majesty Tian Locust!
"The enemy's firepower has been successfully suppressed by us. Let's rush forward with the armored troops to completely resolve the battle!"
But at this moment, a 25×109mm anti-tank shell suddenly flew from 700 meters away, grazed the turret and bounced into the air.
"Ding!"
The gun shield armor of the Type 97 and Type 97 modifications is a full 50 mm. The SA34 can only produce a ricochet effect at a long distance and at the wrong angle.
This shell that almost hit his head scared Umeda Yoshiyuki and immediately retracted the cockpit.
As an old Japanese with combat experience, he immediately realized in shock that his armored troops had most likely gotten into the encirclement of the Eighth Route Army.
"Where is it! Where is the anti-tank gun?"
"Has anyone seen it? Use tracer bullets as a guide!"
The SA34 is very low, and its width of 1.05 meters gives it extremely good concealment in urban street fighting. Coupled with the unique muzzle flash suppressor, the enemy could not find it in a short time.
Although the first shot did not destroy the target, subsequent attacks followed almost within seconds.
The Anti-Tank Reinforcement Company of the Seventeenth Regiment is equipped with eighteen SA34s. Yoshiyuki Umeda's act of opening the canopy during the battle has already made him the target of public criticism.
The next thing that happened was to order the tofu with brine.
Although the SA34 has become a dead weapon on the Eastern Front in Europe, Maozi cannot defeat the Panzer IV tank with this thing, and Desan's servant army cannot defeat the T-34 with it.
In later generations, SA34 was even as famous as the American Seven Brothers coffin truck, and was jokingly called the French Six Brothers pancake stand by many netizens!
but!
With a penetration depth of 22 mm at 1,000 meters, it may penetrate the side of the Type 95 light tank, but it is definitely just right for the Type 97 medium tank with only 20 mm of side armor.
A moment later, Umeda Yoshiyuki's lead vehicle was fired upon by eight anti-tank guns. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the tank was finished.
"The other party penetrated our vehicle!"
"The loader is unconscious! The commander is dead! The driver is unconscious! The engine has stopped working! We can't move! The fuel tank is penetrated! The fighting room is on fire!"
The sound mixed with fear caused the two chariot squadrons to become confused.
Even if a major was ordered to take over the command in danger, he still could not change the situation of being trapped and beaten.
In the Battle of Taierzhuang three years ago, the Japanese armored forces used a diamond-shaped battle formation. At that time, they were beaten up by the preserved fruit troops with the well-concealed PaK 36.
Now, the cavalry group was ambushed by the Eighth Route Army's SA34 and received another severe beating. All I can say is that an army that cares about food but not about fighting will never be able to make it to the top.
Unlike the Japanese army, whose morale plummeted as they cried for their fathers and mothers, the anti-tank company of the 17th Regiment was filled with laughter and German. People who didn't know it thought they were on the Eastern Front battlefield in Europe.
"Yeah! Hair loss!"
"Keep shooting, kill all the enemy tanks! Leave no one behind!"
"There is no need to hit the tracks. The side armor of the bean tank cannot stop our anti-tank guns. Prioritize the command vehicle and don't let the enemy form an organized counterattack!"
······
Twelve hours later, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region Headquarters.
The current combat conference room is very busy, and all staff officers are making preparations for retreat. Not only did they have to determine the evacuation arrangements for troops at all levels, they also needed to burn fake documents that had been prepared in advance.
Suddenly, a group leader with a beard and small eyes walked in from outside the house. After entering the door, he took off his work gloves, rubbed his hands, and went straight to the conference table.
"Boss, our group will be responsible for your security this time. It's almost time, so pack up and prepare to retreat with us."
Hearing this, the army reorganization expert who was reading the frontline battle report raised his head, and then looked at the watch on his wrist.
"It turns out to be Chishui, long time no see."
"I didn't expect that the work of the guard regiment would actually fall on your regiment. It's really unexpected that you didn't take the initiative to apply to defend the city in this battle."
That's right, the person responsible for the boss's safety this time is none other than Li Da.
Now his army has 2,700 people, belonging to the Shanxi-Hebei Column, and is one of the main regiments of the ninth division.
Hearing the ridicule from the Army Reorganization Expert, Li Daben scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, and then replied:
"I also want to fight the Japs on the city wall, but your safety is the most important thing. The Japs can fight at any time, but our Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region cannot live without you."
"The retreat route and plane are ready, just follow me."
"At that time, someone will dress up as you and be responsible for attracting the attention of the devils."
In the plan of the tigers in the forest and the army reorganization experts, the military headquarters must make some noise during the retreat phase so that the Japanese will completely believe that there are high-level officials of the Eighth Route Army in the city.
Li Da is responsible for the specific arrangements.
As for safety issues, there is no need to worry. One main regiment is definitely enough as a guard regiment, and the surrounding troops can definitely ensure that nothing goes wrong.
"Okay, then I leave my safety to you." (End of Chapter)