Chapter 373 Is This the Situation the French Were in Back Then?
At 3 a.m. on December 4, 1941, ten kilometers north of Dai County.
At this moment, it is the time when normal people are most likely to fall asleep, and it is also the most suitable time to launch a night attack.
"Gentlemen, you must be careful in the next action. Pay attention to your feet every step you take. The enemy may have laid a minefield in front."
"No one should act rashly. If there is any situation, you must report it to your superiors in time."
"There are no war horses or armored vehicles to protect us this time. But as the only search regiment in the group, we must make a good start for the decisive battle."
Since the Third Mobile Infantry Regiment was crippled by the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region during the day, the vanguard of this night attack was composed of the search regiment of the cavalry group and the remnants of the Second Independent Mixed Brigade.
The search regiment was a new organization added by the Japanese army to the division-level units in 1940.
Although this type of unit has the title of a regiment, its actual strength is only about 500 people.
It is responsible for reconnaissance, breakthrough, pursuit and other tasks in important battles, with high mobility and good combat effectiveness.
If it is a battlefield with lower intensity, the search regiment can really do a certain degree of rampage with the help of armored vehicles and war horses.
Unfortunately, in order to approach the positions of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region in secret, the devils were forced to abandon the vehicles they depended on for survival and could only temporarily switch to cannon fodder infantry and advance on foot.
In a sense, the cavalry group has really reached the end of its rope.
As for the artillery of these two units and the 17th Tank Regiment, which is the killer, they are on standby at the prepared attack position.
The former will open fire when the advance army approaches the Eighth Route Army's position, using artillery shells to open up an offensive channel for the infantry.
The latter needs to identify the enemy's firepower points before taking action. After all, there are French anti-tank guns in the enemy's equipment list, and there is also a powerful artillery unit.
The only remaining light and medium tanks are the lifeblood of Nishihara Issaku. He must ensure that these armored units appear at the critical moment to give the Eighth Route Army a fatal blow.
As for the candidates for the reserve, they can only let the half-crippled cavalry regiment, wounded soldiers, engineers, baggage teams, and brigade and group direct guards serve.
Such an arrangement shows that the two old devils, Nishihara Issaku and Mano Goro, are ready to sacrifice themselves for Tianhuang at any time.
The two who have not been on the front line for a long time have even selected suitable rifles in advance, showing the grassroots commanders their attitude of never living in a cowardly way.
Half an hour later, the search regiment and the second independent mixed brigade arrived at the planned starting point of the charge.
More than 2,000 devils took out the awakening potion from their pockets and took it. They turned into ice shooters and prepared to launch the last pig-like charge in their lives.
"Hei Ka! On board!"
At the current position, even if they move forward silently, there is a high probability that they will be discovered by the Eighth Route Army's light and dark sentries. Instead of advancing with fear, it is better to shout slogans to enhance the momentum of the troops.
Accompanied by the loud shouts of the three colonels, the devils rushed forward at the fastest speed with bayonets.
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"Keep calm, don't rush to start the equipment. That thing makes a lot of noise and will alert the enemy."
"Wait for the instructions from the superiors, and then there will be signal flares and flares launched. In winter, the sun rises late, and we have plenty of time to play with the devils."
Night fighting is the Eighth Route Army's most powerful skill.
After confirming that the enemy would attack at night, Commander Yang deployed a large number of secret sentries on the first line of defense. Such a large battle is only to try to find the enemy's traces as soon as possible, so that the troops at all levels are ready to meet the enemy.
After all, the number of infantry in the cavalry group is only half of that of a normal division.
As long as a large number of infantry can be killed and the devil's infantry-tank coordination system can be destroyed, the remaining armored forces will become lambs to be slaughtered.
At that time, let alone the Type 97 medium tank, even if you change it to the German Tiger and Leopard, the Eighth Route Army supermen can also perform a single-soldier anti-tank feat.
While the searchlight regiment 121 was waiting, some of the charging Japanese soldiers broke into the minefield and stepped on the mines, and a series of explosions sounded in front of the position.
Boom boom boom!
Almost at the same time, nearly a thousand red and white signal flares suddenly rose into the night sky above the Xinding Basin, illuminating the boundless land as bright as day.
It was at this time that the 121st regiment on the position received an order from its superiors: Ignite! Start!
In an instant, nearly a hundred 90-centimeter carbon arc lamps hidden in various places and searchlights seized from the artillery tower of the First Army were powered on at the same time.
The bright lights extended to a position one kilometer behind the front position of the Japanese soldiers. The night sky, which was completely dotted with stars, was illuminated as bright as day.
The dazzling beam of light made it impossible for the enemy's night attack troops to see the front at all, and even the Japanese soldiers in the front row shed tears of blood.
Such a spectacular scene would be seen by the later generations of high-beam dogs who would call the ancestors appear. Magic Thunder players who have played the night battle mode will understand how much the searchlight in the game has been weakened.
Compared to the terrified and blinded devils, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region has a clear view of the current actions.
"Fire!"
With the guidance of the lights, the mortars of various calibers on the front positions began to roar.
Under the instructions of the observation post, one after another of the well-made shells flew into the enemy's ranks like meteors. The violent explosion instantly made those drugged devils go to see the locusts of the past.
The artillery regiment of the military region and the artillery brigade of the headquarters were not idle either. They also started a fierce bombardment with the help of lights, and constantly corrected their positions with the help of the calibration aircraft.
The artillery shells like a storm poured down on the Japanese positions for a full twenty minutes, as if these weapons would expire at dawn and must be used up in the early morning.
Didi da di di di di di.
"Comrades! Follow me!"
The loud charge horn sounded from the position, and the artillery fire began to extend.
Under the leadership of the grassroots commanders, the infantry jumped out of the trenches wearing dazzling lights and followed the cicada tanks to take the first step to recover North China.
The attack of the Fourth Column was very smooth, and there was almost no decent resistance.
As the comrades expected, the fierce artillery fire wiped out most of the Japanese troops on the front line. Most of the surviving devils were also deaf and dizzy, and unconscious.
The balance of victory is tilting towards the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.
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Cavalry Group, underground command post.
Nishihara Issaku was wearing a worn-out lieutenant general's uniform, with a samurai sword given by Tianhuang hanging around his waist, sitting upright. At this time, he listened to the staff officer's report on the battle situation with a serious face.
"Your Excellency Lieutenant General, we were defeated, and we were defeated thoroughly."
"Maybe we can't hold on until dawn, and the Eighth Route Army will hit the group headquarters."
As soon as the staff officer finished speaking, several Japanese officers changed their faces, with obvious despair in their eyes. The only ones who could remain calm were Nishihara Issaku and Mano Goro.
The gap is really too big.
The cavalry group plus the independent mixed second brigade only have 25,000 people, while the Eighth Route Army on the opposite side is conservatively estimated to have 45,000 people, almost twice as many.
If it was only a two-to-one force, it could still fight.
The army of the Great Japanese brother country is not afraid of any enemy. Back then, the manpower of the preserved fruit was many times higher than that of its own side, but it was still pressed to the ground and hammered.
Bushido, elite soldiers and advanced tactics are enough to make up for the gap in numbers.
But the biggest problem now is that the firepower and equipment gap is too big, so big that everyone despairs.
The Eighth Route Army still has at least 100 tanks, 200 barreled artillery guns of various calibers, and more mortars than its own grenade launchers.
The Cavalry Group and the Second Independent Mixed Brigade, even at full strength before departure, have less than 50 mountain and field guns and eight 105mm howitzers.
The most uncomfortable thing is that the range and power of the 91-type 105mm howitzer, the pride of the empire, are no match for the Eighth Route Army.
Such a huge gap in firepower equipment cannot be made up by courage and tactics, not to mention that the enemy has an unparalleled air force.
Boom!
Before Nishihara Issaku could speak again, there was a violent explosion from above, and the kerosene lamp above his head became shaky.
In the command center, the devils panicked visibly. Now they can feel obvious vibrations, and even some of them are unstable, which means that the enemy's artillery fire has reached nearby.
"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General! The 17th Tank Regiment has launched an attack. Colonel Kuroyama has just sent a farewell telegram."
"Yes, I got it."
Isaku Nishihara nodded expressionlessly, letting the dust and dirt fall on him.
If we go out now, we can still fight to the death to exchange for a few tanks, and at least kill some infantry. If we delay for a few more minutes, we might really be targeted by the enemy's dive bombers.
Infantry-tank coordination, infantry-artillery coordination, plus air-to-ground coordination, this is the situation of the French back then.
"Pass my order, send people to destroy all transport trucks and supplies, and don't leave anything for the Eighth Route Army!"
"Send a telegram to Lieutenant General Shigetaro Amakasu and General Okamura Yasuji, saying that our cavalry group has tried its best, but the enemy is as high as tens of thousands of people."
"If you are fine, follow me to the battlefield and be loyal to His Majesty the Locust!"
Middle-level officers of the Japanese army may have all kinds of problems. But their loyalty to their brother country is absolutely full.
Amid the howling of ghosts and wolves, Nishihara Issaku and Mano Goro led a group of staff officers and commanders to the position where the firefight was taking place. (End of this chapter)