20demayo Chapter 162 Troop Expansion and its Impact on the Isogai Division
Chapter 162 Troop Expansion and its Impact on the Isogai Division
Then there were the anti-tank mines, which became Isogai Rensuke's last resort in resisting the advance of Li Jianghe's mechanized forces.
Using flesh and blood to block enemy chariots has been repeatedly proven to be an extremely foolish act.
Therefore, upon arriving at the eastern defense line, the first thing Isogai Rensuke did was to summon commanders at all levels and resolutely prohibit the "Banzai Charge." Instead, he insisted on using the dug trench system to maneuver against the enemy's tank forces and fight to the bitter end.
In Wuhan, upon seeing the telegram sent by Tang Enbo, the principal's lips curled into a slight smile.
Commander He's expression seemed quite relaxed as he leisurely said:
"Chairman, it seems that Li Jianghe has some political wisdom. He knows that Tang Enbo is backed by you. He may not give Tang Enbo face, but he will at least give you some face."
The principal chuckled and said:
"In any case, Tang Enbo's 20th Army must withstand the Japanese offensive, otherwise the stage we set for him may very well end up being performed by Li Jianghe."
"However, Keqin is a capable fighter. Even when the forces at Nankou were insufficient, he was able to withstand the fierce attack of the Japanese Fifth Division."
The 20th Division we're facing this time is nothing but a spent force, a bunch of remnants; victory is practically assured.
The principal had a lot of confidence in his prized student.
While both men appeared quite optimistic, a completely different scene unfolded on the positions of the 20th Army Group in southern Teng County.
Under heavy artillery cover, the Japanese 20th Division dispatched two tank companies to launch a frontal assault.
Meanwhile, infantry units were also harassing the flanks.
From the outset, the Japanese 20th Division held an absolute advantage in firepower.
On the defensive positions built by the 20th Army Group, the remains of Nationalist soldiers who were killed by artillery shells or by shockwaves can be seen everywhere.
Once the infantry began their assault, the Nationalist army was once again put on the defensive.
The opposing Japanese infantry units were tactically coordinated and unified, with the rear fire positions and the front infantry working together perfectly.
At the same time, a large number of veterans with excellent marksmanship or who were extremely skilled in using grenade launchers carried out key strikes against all exposed firing points on the 20th Army's positions.
Those Japanese veterans were highly skilled in using grenade launchers. The first shot was used to calibrate the trajectory, and the second shot could often hit the target.
The same applies to the marksmanship of the Japanese veterans.
The Type 38 rifle, while slightly less powerful, is extremely accurate.
At a distance of just over 100 meters, these Japanese veterans would target exposed machine gun positions or Nationalist soldiers who tried to peek out and fire, and they were almost always accurate.
Many Nationalist soldiers were killed with a single shot, leaving a bloody hole in their heads.
As for machine gun emplacements, if they are moved too slowly, they will also be targeted by snipers.
The fighting in the southern part of Teng County continued until dusk, and several defensive positions of the 20th Army Group had been captured by the 20th Division.
Inside the 20th Army Group headquarters, Wan Jianfan hung up the phone and looked at Tang Enbo, saying:
"Commander, another position has been captured by the Japanese army, and they are organizing a counterattack."
At this point, he couldn't help but say:
"Let the Third Detachment join the battle. The Japanese firepower is too intense, and the area we need to defend on the front is too vast. We simply can't hold on."
Compared to Tang Enbo's 20th Army Group, Kawagishi Bunzaburo's advantage was that he could select a few points on this blocking line that stretched for tens of kilometers and concentrate his forces and firepower to strike them.
Tang Enbo could not do that. He needed to deploy enough defensive troops along the entire defensive line, which stretched for tens of kilometers, to prevent the Japanese army from breaking through from any point.
This resulted in a large number of troops being used for filling gaps, leaving less than a third of the troops actually capable of mobile warfare.
Now that many positions on the front have been breached, we have to divert troops to fill the gaps in the defense.
"These Japanese troops have been fighting continuously for many days and have suffered heavy casualties, so why do they still have such fierce fighting power?"
Tang Enbo looked somewhat puzzled and confused.
After all, Li Jianghe's troops seemed to have a fairly easy time fighting these Japanese soldiers, almost effortlessly, and often achieved great victories by annihilating thousands of Japanese soldiers.
Why is it that his 20th Army Group is struggling so much to hold off a group of defeated soldiers on its well-constructed defensive positions?
Could it be that his 20th Army Group and Li Jianghe's Third Detachment were so different in combat effectiveness?
"Perhaps it's because armored units are more effective against the Japanese army."
As Chief of Staff Wan Jianfan said this, he reminded Tang Enbo: "Why don't we get them to join the battlefield as soon as possible? Otherwise, the enemy might really be able to create a breach."
Tang Enbo pondered for a moment and said:
"No, let's hold on a little longer. The Japanese are planning to press their advantage in one fell swoop."
Do you know what it means to press on with one effort, then weaken, and finally exhaust oneself?
He remained firmly convinced that his troops could stop the Japanese army's almost insane breakout attempt.
While Tang Enbo gritted his teeth and held on, troops from other directions in the Fifth War Zone were advancing towards Zaozhuang, compressing the Japanese army's living space.
In the eastern part of Zaozhuang, the Isogai Division was preparing for a bloody battle with Li Jianghe's Third Detachment using a makeshift defensive line.
Their defensive positions were constructed using undulating hills. The reverse slopes could be used to avoid artillery fire and for concealment, while the front of the hills was equipped with a large number of anti-tank artillery positions and a sufficient number of anti-tank mines.
In addition, there were specially organized suicide squads used to rush into enemy armored vehicles and then blow them up at close range.
The so-called close-range demolition was actually intended to send these Japanese soldiers to their deaths along with the armored vehicles of the Third Detachment.
"The hilly terrain here is advantageous for our operations; we should be able to hold out for a while."
As Atsuro Umemura said this, he subconsciously looked towards the horizon.
At this moment, from the direction of Yixian, billowing smoke and dust, along with a black curtain formed by tanks, pressed towards the Japanese Isogai Division's defensive line like swirling dark clouds.
Rensuke Isogai subconsciously clenched his fists and took a deep breath.
"Come on! Let's fight to the death!!"
He roared inwardly.
Before the black curtain of fire could even advance to this point, the artillery barrage arrived first.
"Boom!!!!!"
More than fifty field guns, along with captured Japanese heavy howitzers, simultaneously bombarded the positions of the Isogai Division.
In an instant, the entire position was shrouded in the smoke and fire of artillery fire.
In the distance, Li Jianghe observed the Japanese positions covered by artillery fire, his eyes icy cold.
Behind him was a tsunami of armored vehicles, numbering nearly four hundred, including Type 251 half-track vehicles and M3 half-track vehicles modified into combat vehicles.
At this time, Li Jianghe's troops in the Yixian direction had rapidly expanded to more than 13,000 men after being called upon to replenish their ranks.