Republic of China game

Page 569

"Order the artillery to intercept and shoot!" Jean-Pierre frowned slightly. This battle was his first battle after becoming the "acting army commander". It all depends on whether the word "agent" can be removed. performance on the battlefield.He thought for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "Let the anti-tank artillery battalion go to the position outside Somme Lez. The third light tank regiment is going to form a mixed formation with the remaining 58 S35 tanks of the first armored division. Attack!"

After giving the order, Major General Jean-Pierre straightened his military uniform and strode towards his armored command vehicle.

……

The French shells exploded in the armored assault formation commanded by Luo Youlun. Of course, the scattered shrapnel did not pose any threat to these tanks, unless they were directly hit by 155mm or 105mm shells. Of the thousands of shells fired by 72 French cannons, only two hit tanks and armored vehicles.A No. 155 tank was destroyed, a half-tracked armored personnel carrier was blown to pieces by a [-]mm artillery shell from the French army, and all the armored grenadier squads on the vehicle were killed!

However, the French artillery didn't have to be arrogant for long, and the Chinese artillery counterattack began.The 270 105mm and 150mm self-propelled howitzers of the five self-propelled artillery regiments started firing at the same time. Amidst the shaking of the mountains and the ground, bullets fell like rain around the French artillery group hidden in the woods.The artillery positions of the French army were all silent immediately. As for whether they were destroyed by Chinese artillery or were busy moving, it is not known.

Without the interference of artillery fire, more than 100 Chinese tanks on the battlefield rushed straight past.The 57mm anti-tank guns, 57mm recoilless guns, and 82mm mortars attached to the brigade and regiment level also began to roar in unison at this time, and countless small and medium-caliber high-explosive ammunition were thrown together to the hastily built French army. above the position.Immediately, bursts of smoke and fireballs were stirred up, bringing up pieces of flesh and blood, and more than a dozen 47mm anti-tank guns that had just been deployed to the position were also destroyed in this burst of shelling.

More than 100 No. 25 tanks were about to rush into the French positions. The armored grenadiers who accompanied the tanks in half-track vehicles also got out of the vehicles one after another, and began to charge with Min [-] automatic rifles. Capture the French positions.

At this moment, a roar of motors suddenly came from behind the collapsing French army position. Nearly 200 S35 tanks and Renault R35 tanks formed a huge phalanx and rushed out of the hidden position. More than 200 French tanks were all at full power, and accompanied by the huge roar of the motors, they rushed towards the formation of Chinese tanks that had stopped advancing and were about to fire!They are also accompanied by French infantry wearing Adrian helmets and holding MAS7.5mm rifles!

Chapter 0864 The Ardennes Offensive in 1939 (24) The Critical [-] Hours

boom!boom!boom……

中国军队的100多辆二号坦克的40倍口径75mm大炮开火了。拥有口径和射程优势的中国坦克兵们当然不会给法国坦克靠近开火的机会，当几十辆带头冲锋的S35中型坦克刚刚进入二号坦克800米的范围之内，就遭到了一阵由75mm钨钢穿甲弹所组成的弹雨。

Before the salvo of more than 150 tank guns could be heard, dazzling flames rose from the opposite French tank formation, and immediately a dozen huge steel behemoths ignited into fireballs. It moved forward for a short distance under the influence of the fire ox, and then remained motionless like a dead fire bull.

"Good job! Get rid of the Frenchies!"

The Chinese armored grenadiers who accompanied the tank attack gave out a burst of cheers.Amidst the cheers, the sound of cannons came from the barrels of the Chinese tanks one after another, and the shells with red tail flames shot through the air one by one, and crashed into the queue of French tanks that were charging bravely in an instant.Another dozen S35 tanks were hit and caught fire, and more than thirty blazing fires suddenly appeared on the battlefield.At this time, the phalanx of French tanks was still 700 meters away from the wedge formation of Chinese tanks!The French tanks only advanced 100 meters before being hit by two salvos, and 32 S35s were lost.Such a terrible loss rate frightened Major General Jean-Pierre, who was watching the battle from the rear.The French tanks advance 100 meters, and the opponent is firing two rounds of salvo. If you want to narrow the engagement distance enough for the 47mm and 37mm guns to threaten the opponent's bulletproof steel plates arranged at an oblique angle of more than 60mm, you must advance at least 200 meters!That is to say, you have to suffer from the opponent's four rounds of salvo!Even if the hit rate of Chinese tank guns does not increase due to the closer distance, the French tank group will lose another 60 tanks...

This is not war, this is suicide!Jean-Pierre suddenly remembered the words of Major General de Gaulle who had left in despair.Isn't his more than 200 tanks just being delivered to the door for the Chinese to shoot targets?How is it different from suicide?

"Retreat! Order all tanks to retreat!" Pierre shouted at the chief of staff beside him.This reaction is somewhat similar to that of de Gaulle a few hours ago.

"General, we can't retreat now. Our tanks are less than 600 meters away from the enemy, and we will be beaten if we retreat! We have to fight!" the chief of staff suggested through gritted teeth.

Pierre raised his binoculars and looked at the battlefield ahead. The 20-ton S35s were all dead and turned into burning wrecks.The remaining more than 100 10.6-ton Renault R35 light tanks are still charging, and the more than 1000 French infantry accompanying the tank attack are also shouting the slogan "Long live France!"It seems that it is only a little bit away from rushing to the front of the Chinese tank, and using the 35mm gun of the R37 or the anti-tank grenade of the infantry to inflict great damage on the Chinese tank.

Suddenly, a deep and dense "boom boom" sound came from the depths of the woods, and then dozens of mortar shells flew down around the charging French army.This is hidden Chinese mortar positions firing rapidly.Although the momentum and impact of mortar shell explosions are far inferior to 105mm and 150mm shells, they are also a bit worse than 75mm high-explosive shells fired by tanks.But their lethality to infantry was astonishing. Large and small shrapnel scattered like raindrops, sweeping across the charging French army and knocking them down one by one.The shrill screams were accompanied by the sound of motors, and the sound of explosions filled the entire battlefield. It was a miserable scene of purgatory on earth!

"Da da... da da da..."

While the mortars were firing wildly, the grenadiers accompanying the Chinese tanks also began to shoot with their Min 25 automatic rifles.This automatic rifle uses a 7.62mm intermediate bullet, so the range is shorter than that of ordinary rifles, but the firepower of continuous firing is very amazing, almost similar to a light machine gun.At present, the infantry of China's elite units such as panzergrenadiers, airborne troops and marines are equipped with automatic rifles. More than 1000 automatic rifles, and dozens of 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns mounted on half-track armored vehicles spit out flames at the same time. More than 1000 streams of fire interweave into a huge fire net, completely blocking the French infantry's advancing route. .These poor Frenchmen can only lie on the muddy and wet ground, surviving under the cover of tanks or bomb craters.And those 10.6-ton R35 light tanks were even more unlucky. Not only the 75mm armor-piercing projectiles of the No. 57 tanks could crush them, but even the [-]mm recoilless guns mounted on some half-track armored vehicles could easily destroy them!

"Retreat! Quickly retreat!" Seeing this situation, Major General Pierre almost cried bitterly and gave the order to retreat again.

"General, let the infantry first occupy the commanding heights in the town of Somme-Lez and set up a defensive line. Then bring in the opponent's tanks and use anti-tank grenades and 37mm guns to deal with them!" The chief of staff on the side suggested again.

"Okay, let's do this, bring in those Chinese devils to fight!" Major General Pierre gave the order in a slightly trembling voice.

Three yellow flares were hoisted over the battered French army, a signal to retreat.The hundred or so remaining tanks on the battlefield stopped their "suicide charge" almost at the same time, and then began to reverse and retreat.The accompanying French infantry climbed up from their hidden places one after another, and began to escape at a speed of sprinting [-] meters.

But the few hundred meters back is also a dangerous road to death.A piercing whistle sounded suddenly, and the Chinese grenadiers who had been shooting in a prone position also jumped up one after another, carrying Min-25 automatic rifles, and while running and chasing, they fired wildly.Those No. 40 tanks stayed where they were, and just used their 75mm tank guns with 35 times the caliber to continue slaughtering the R[-] light tanks that were retreating.

More than 200 charging French tanks now have less than 35 light tanks that are rapidly retreating. The entire battlefield is covered with burning, black smoke, and scorched French S35 tanks and R[-] tanks. There are many French-made dead people lying motionless on the ground.On the Chinese side, only a few half-track armored vehicles were destroyed and injured by the opponent, and there were more than a dozen No. [-] tanks whose tracks were broken and temporarily unable to move. The casualties of the grenadiers were only a few dozen people.

……

"Huh, the French also have today!" Luo Youlun, standing on an armored command vehicle directing the battle, put down the binoculars in his hand, with a triumphant smile on the corner of his mouth.He raised his wrist and looked at the time. It was exactly two o'clock in the afternoon. The tank battle that just passed lasted less than half an hour, and half of the French armored division collapsed!Moreover, China's losses were so small that such a battle could not even be called a battle, but a massacre!Just like the massacre of the Manchu Qing army by the British and French allied forces at Baliqiao outside Beijing 80 years ago, only 80 years later, the target of the massacre has been changed to the French, and the location has also been changed to Belgium.

"Okay, call the division headquarters and report the battle situation here."

After feeling emotional for a while, Luo Youlun turned around and began to issue combat orders to the staff officers who had been waiting on the side:

"Order the troops to suspend the attack after seizing the outer positions of Som Lez, consolidate the positions, and wait for further instructions."

"Call the Division Artillery Headquarters again and ask for two No. [-] self-propelled howitzers to assist in the battle."

"Order the artillery battalion to move forward to 2000 meters south of the city of Somme-Leuze."

"Order the battlefield repair team to dispatch to repair the damaged No. [-] tank. By the way, let's see if the French tanks can be repaired."

After recording Luo Youlun's order, the chief of staff of the [-]rd Armored Brigade hesitated for a moment and asked, "Brigade...do you want to order the tanks and grenadiers to take advantage of the victory and pursue it? Maybe we can capture Somme-Lez in one fell swoop."

Luo Youlun thought for a while, and asked: "Find out what kind of army the opponent is, and how many people are there?"

The chief of staff took a report from the staff next to him, glanced at it and said: "According to the prisoners captured by the scouts, the opponent is the French Third Light Mechanized Division and the remnants of the First Armored Division. The French Third Light Mechanized Division The mechanized division has a light tank regiment, 5 motorized infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, an engineer battalion, an armored search battalion and other troops, with a total strength of about 15000. The French First Armored Division has about one squadron of tanks left , the strength of a motorized infantry regiment, but their artillery regiment, engineer battalion, armored search battalion and other auxiliary units are still intact, with a total strength of nearly 5000 people."

"That's 20000 people." Luo Youlun nodded slightly, "The battle just now wiped out at most 2000 of them, and there are still 18000 people sticking to this small town. We need to be patient! We can't blindly use tanks to attack... ...We still need to keep these tanks for the next battle. Let the grenadiers launch a tentative attack first, find out the opponent's firepower and destroy them with self-propelled artillery. Spend more time and fight slowly, we still have Time, it's the French who should be in a hurry now."

……

"...From 4:28 noon to 12 pm on April 50, our First Armored Army launched a decisive battle with the Chinese Second Armored Division in the south of Somme Lez. The Chinese Second Armored Division dispatched about 2 No. 150 vehicles tanks, dozens of 57mm anti-tank guns (including 57mm recoilless guns), more than 100 half-track armored vehicles and about 1500 infantry to assist in the battle. Our army only has 206 tanks, of which 35 are S52 medium tanks. The rest are R35 light tanks, unable to fight against the No. 1 tanks of the Chinese army... The two sides fought for about 10 hour and 52 minutes, of which the tank battle was about half an hour. Our army lost all 35 S112 tanks and 35 R16 tanks. 47 1063mm anti-tank guns. In addition, 635 people were killed, 321 were seriously injured, and 18000 people were missing. At present, more than 48 people in our army have retreated to the city of Somme-Lez and are ready to hold on. [-] hours, I hope the Army Command can send reinforcements as soon as possible..."

An urgent call for help was sent to Lieutenant General Lawrence, commander of the French First Army.The First Armored Army, the main force of the First Army, suffered two consecutive disastrous defeats in just 8 hours, losing more than 500 tanks!The entire Panzer Corps is now almost a motorized infantry division.As for the opponent's loss, although Major General de Gaulle and Major General Pierre did not mention it, but as a veteran of the French Army, he naturally knew the meaning of it.These two tank battles were probably a one-sided defeat, and the opponent's losses must be minimal!

These two consecutive defeats can only show that the tanks owned by the French armored forces are not opponents of Chinese and German tanks at all!As for the level of British tanks, Lieutenant General Lawrence is also very clear. Although their Matilda 2 defense is good, their mobility and firepower can only be described as tragedy!Especially the 40mm anti-tank gun, not to mention the heavy tank with 110mm frontal armor, even the relatively thin armored No. 40 tank may be difficult to deal with.However, the No. 75's 2-caliber [-]mm gun can easily deal with the Matilda [-].

"Where are the British now?" Lieutenant General Lawrence put down the telegram in his hand and asked his chief of staff, Major General Miller.

"We've arrived at the town of Claviers, and it's still 9 kilometers away from Somme-Lez. We should be there within an hour." Miller pointed out the positions of the British 1st Armored Division and the British 1rd Division on the map. "Our Moroccan Second Infantry Division has also advanced to the town of Harvard Lange, and it can arrive at Som Lez in an hour and a half at most. Lieutenant General, do you want to urge them to..."

"No need." Lawrence waved his hand and interrupted Major General Miller. "Our S35 can't deal with Chinese tanks, nor can the British Matilda 2. Let the British start with our [-]nd Moroccan Division between Claviers and Harvard Lange to establish a temporary Defensive line. Then let the First Panzer Corps retreat, retreat behind this defensive line."

"Lieutenant General, that area is all plains, and a hastily built defense line cannot stop the Chinese armored forces at all." Major General Miller reminded.

Lawrence smiled wryly, "A hastily established line of defense is better than no line of defense. Besides, I don't intend to let them hold on forever. Let them retreat when it gets dark!"

"Retreat?" Major General Miller glanced at the Maas River on the map and shook his head slightly, "Lieutenant General, the command of the First Army Group Command is to regain control of the Ardennes Forest. If we retreat across the Maas River , I am afraid there is no way to carry out the order.”

"There is no way to execute the order." Lieutenant General Lawrence sighed heavily, "We were defeated, we were defeated by the Chinese! They defeated one of my armored troops with one armored division. If they Our two armored divisions and the German armored division of Bastogne were all dispatched, and we had no way of gaining a foothold on the south bank of the Maas River."

"Lieutenant General, should we ask the Army Group Command for instructions?"

"I know." Lawrence sighed again, and said to Miller, "You go to arrange it first, and I will call the Army Group Command to explain it myself."

Major General Miller glanced at the bad situation on the map again, didn't insist anymore, and immediately turned and left Lieutenant General Lawrence's office.

"Mr. General, the First Army was defeated by the Chinese devils, and the First Armored Army suffered heavy losses. Now there are less than 100 light tanks left..."

After dialing the phone number of Admiral Joseph George, commander-in-chief of the First Army Group, Lawrence reported the bad situation south of the Maas River to the other party in the heaviest tone, and then tentatively said: "I suggest temporarily abandoning the Maas River. The plan for a decisive battle with the Chinese army in the south. Retracting the troops to the north of the Meuse River, we can build a defense line along the Thomas River, where the Chinese will have difficulty breaking through the French defenses."

There was a long silence on the phone.Admiral George seemed stunned by the sudden bad news, and it took a long time before he uttered a word. "Counting those two British divisions, how many people, how many tanks and artillery do you have?"

Lawrence thought for a moment, then replied: "The First Armored Army still has about 18000 troops, the Third and Fourth Infantry Armies have little losses, the two armies combined can still have more than 70000 troops, and the two British divisions also have more than 35000 troops. People... the total strength is about 130000. The artillery loss is not large. Counting the artillery of the two British divisions, there should be about 2000, and there are more than 500 tanks."

"Furnell (Lawrence)," the voice on the other end of the phone line seems to have softened a bit after hearing that the casualties of the First Army were not serious. "You still have 130000 people, 2000 cannons and more than 500 tanks. You can't just give up the battle! And there are two armored divisions coming to you, and they will be in place tomorrow morning. By then you will have more than 1300 tanks And 160000 troops. If it is not enough, I will send you another Belgian army with 4 people, so that we can make up 20 troops."

"However," Lawrence hesitated, and continued, "But the Chinese and German troops are also increasing, and the weather may improve tomorrow morning, and the German planes will return to the battlefield again."

The voice on the other end of the phone sighed softly, and said: "It is precisely because the German planes will return to the sky tomorrow that I order you to continue the offensive!" Admiral George on the other end of the phone emphasized again: "The next 24 hours are extremely important for the French Republic! Therefore, I order the First Army to start a decisive battle with the Chinese army in front of me at all costs!"