Republic of China game

Page 582

At 5:26 a.m. on May 3, the US First and Second Armored Divisions, which had completed their offensive preparations, began shelling, and the Battle of the Panuko River officially started!

Suddenly, a flash of light that turned the night into day suddenly passed over the American front, followed by an unimaginably huge roar!Stripes of orange-red light streaked across the night sky at lightning speed, and rushed straight to the Japanese army positions that were still under construction!The American shelling has begun!And there are as many as 108 M7 Priest 105mm self-propelled howitzers, 180 105mm light howitzers and 60 155mm heavy howitzers, and 124 106mm recoilless guns roaring at the same time on a not very long front!Only a few seconds later, groups of artillery shells landed on the Japanese positions, and the ground began to tremble immediately. Huge orange-red fireballs and blue-black smoke columns rose up in rows, like a high wall of artillery fire on the Japanese army. Move back and forth on the position in general!

In order to prepare for the artillery fire involving 472 cannons this time, General Patton even postponed the attack time for 24 hours in order to mobilize 5 artillery regiments directly under the infantry division.Moreover, according to the bombardment plan formulated by Major General Ward, the US military will conduct two bombardments lasting 30 minutes each before the tank attack.For each bombardment, a 5-minute surprise attack was carried out on the front of the Japanese position, followed by a 15-minute constant-velocity fire on the Japanese anti-tank area, and finally a 10-minute surprise attack on the area where the Japanese artillery group might be deployed.

At 4:45 in the morning, the sky was already a little clear, and the 472 American cannons finally stopped roaring.According to the usual practice, after the shelling is over, it is time for the impact of tanks and infantry!Under the command of the sergeant and the officers, the Japanese soldiers who survived under the cover of the US artillery came out of their hiding places one after another. Some ran to the anti-tank stronghold, and some jumped out of the trench and risked their lives to plant landmines at the front of the position.But at this moment, a buzzing roar of motors suddenly came from the northern sky. When the Japanese officers and soldiers looked up, they saw a huge fleet of aircraft that almost covered the sky rushing towards their defense line!The bombardment by American planes was followed by shelling...

在历史大显神威的美帝飞机，在这个时空的珍珠港事件后的第7个月终于开始显露出一点霸气了。为了给这次的帕努科河战役提供空中支援，美国陆军航空队也是下了血本，从全美各地调集了368架B-25米切儿轰炸机，298架A-20攻击机，还有256架从海军航空兵转会过来的A-21攻击机（就是SBD无畏式俯冲轰炸机）。也就是说为了这场仅有7个师（师团）参加的中等规模的战役，美国佬居然出动了922架轰炸机（攻击机）用于提供直接的空中支援。而且这个数字还不包括用于轰炸日军、墨西哥、中美洲联军后方的480架B-17和B-24重型轰炸机，也不包括为这些轰炸机、攻击机护航的500多架P-36和P-37战斗机！

The bombs dropped by 922 bombers and attack planes fell like raindrops, and the bombing points covered the defense lines of the 16th, 102nd, and 104th Divisions of the Japanese Army.Because the Japanese army was busy building anti-tank fortifications and neglected (in fact, there was no time) to build anti-gun and anti-aircraft fortifications, they suffered heavy losses in the shelling and indiscriminate bombing of the US troops.And because the sky was full of American planes, the 3 cannons of the three artillery regiments behind the Japanese army did not dare to fight back at all.As for the 144 or so aircraft assigned to the Japanese Central American Front Army (including 200 Type 96 fighters and 80 Zero fighters), since the night of May 15, when the US military aircraft began to show off, they have not appeared in the skies of Mexico!Probably frightened by the terrifying number of opponents?

On May 1939, 5, at 26:4 am, on the plains south of the Panuco River, U.S. armored units began their march to the assembly area and arrived at approximately 30:5 am.The current US armored divisions are divided into heavy armored divisions and light armored divisions. Among them, the US 30nd Armored Division participating in today's battle is the only heavy armored division in the United States, with 9 tank battalions and 3 armored infantry battalions. Super large establishment, and the other US First Armored Division is a light armored division, with 3 tank battalions and 3 armored infantry battalions.In addition, General Patton also transferred a motorized infantry battalion from each of the 6 infantry divisions under the First Armored Corps, investing a total of 12 tank battalions, 6 armored infantry battalions, and 6 motorized infantry battalions.These units were temporarily formed into 6 regimental combat teams, each of which included 2 tank battalions, 1 armored infantry battalion and 1 motorized infantry battalion.Each tank battalion of the U.S. military has more tanks than the Sino-German tank battalion. Each tank battalion has three medium tank companies and one light tank company. The medium tank company has 18 M3 Grant Lee medium tanks. The light tank company has 17 M3 Stuart light tanks, plus 5 M3 Grant Lee medium tanks in the battalion headquarters, a total of 76 tanks of various types. 12 tank battalions, if fully staffed, have 912 tanks of various types.However, only 5 tanks appeared on the battlefield on the south bank of the Panuco River on May 26, and the intact rate was less than 624%. The remaining 70 tanks broke down halfway due to various failures.

General Patton, who came to the front to direct the battle, was very satisfied after watching the massive shelling and air strikes, so he ordered the armored forces to launch the first wave of shock.Patton did not invest almost all of his armor forces at once like those armored force commanders on the European battlefield in this time and space, in order to achieve the maximum assault effect.Instead, four regiment-level combat teams were invested in the first wave of assaults. Combining battalions from different teams into "regimental combat teams" is a major feature of US Army operations in history. "invented".

四个团级战斗队，分别用指挥官的姓氏命名，从左到右依次展开在约30公里的正面，分别为“米歇尔战斗群”、“克里斯托夫战斗群”、“鲍尔战斗群”、“霍夫曼战斗群”。每个战斗群都包括104辆M3格兰特·李和M3斯图亚特坦克，约150辆M3轻型轮式装甲车和2000名乘坐M3装甲车前进或步行的美国大兵。总计有416辆坦克、600辆装甲车和8000名步兵参加了美军的第一波攻势！

Rush to the front is the M3 Grant Lee medium tank of the US military, which weighs 27.9 tons and has a 75mm light howitzer and 37mm cannon.This tank once appeared on the French and Belgian battlefields in the later stages of the Western European campaign, but the tall stature and thin armor made them the target of the No. 3 tanks of the Sino-German Allied Forces, and they were destroyed without any performance. and seized.After studying several M[-] Grant Lee tanks picked up from the battlefield, the German technicians wrote a two-word comment "garbage".

But now, more than 300 tanks called "garbage" by the Germans formed four wedge-shaped assault formations in front of the Japanese, and slowly approached the Japanese positions behind a barrage of more than 400 cannons. And above their heads, there are at least nearly 500 American planes circling, waiting for the dead or dead Japanese artillery positions to fire.

Lieutenant General Ushijima Mitsuru, who commanded the battle behind the Japanese front, gritted his teeth and gave the order to "fire the guns" even though he knew that firing would be tantamount to being blown up.The 3 144mm, 75mm, and 105mm artillery pieces of the three Japanese artillery regiments who had been waiting for a long time gave their final roar at the same time. The dense shells fell on the four attacking regiment-level combat teams of the US army. From time to time, tanks or armored vehicles were shot and caught fire. .But it didn't stop the advance of these brave American soldiers, who were a bit of a layman in fighting.Hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles suddenly increased their horsepower and began to charge at full speed. The battlefield was filled with the sound of roaring motors, gunpowder smoke and white smoke from the motors of tanks and armored vehicles covering the entire battlefield.You can only see bursts of flames rising from the Japanese positions or the American tank clusters, and occasionally you can see metal parts or human body parts being thrown high into the air!

The firepower of both sides has been brought to the highest point, the Japanese army is desperately resisting, and the US military is also rushing forward with the greatest determination!

Chapter 0882 US encirclement network (twelve) who is the paper tiger?

At 5:26 am on May 6, the Japanese artillery group, which had exposed its target due to firing, finally attracted group after group of American planes!Thousands of tons of American bombs were poured on the Japanese artillery as if free of money.At the same time, more than 300 long-range 105mm self-propelled artillery/howitzers and 155mm howitzers in the rear of the US military also began to shoot at the Japanese artillery group.The Japanese army's mountain heavy artillery clusters hidden in the woods or in the village suddenly fell like rain.The anti-aircraft machine guns on the ground, transformed from Type 92 heavy machine guns, also spewed flames into the air, and dozens of 20mm anti-aircraft guns also raised their muzzles and fired at the highest rate of fire, covering those who were being attacked. artillery group.But the number of American aircraft is too much!Groups of planes swooped down, and the firepower of bombs and machine guns swept past, blowing up the artillery, vehicles and Japanese on the ground to pieces!

And those Japanese are really brave and fearless!Regardless of the indiscriminate bombing of American planes, just load the ammunition as fast as possible, and then launch it!It seems that the whole value of their coming to this world is to use their own destruction to pull a few wealthy Americans back!This one-sided massacre by American planes from the air lasted about 15 minutes, and all 144 Japanese cannons were destroyed!Squads of Japanese artillery were killed by aviation machine guns and bombs on the emplacements. Most of them were bloody and bloody, and some of them turned into pieces of corpses emitting black smoke and smelling bad smells!On the other hand, 3 American planes were shot down by the Japanese anti-aircraft firepower, and 6 other planes were injured to varying degrees, and the loss of personnel was no more than a dozen people.

While the fierce artillery battles, air strikes and counter-air strikes were under way, the US armored forces had already penetrated to the front of the Japanese army.The artillery of the Japanese army was suppressed by the US military, and most of the fortifications, minefields, traps and anti-tank guns in the first anti-tank area were destroyed by shelling and bombing.So the American tanks rushed straight over.Except for a few anti-tank or anti-infantry mines that were crushed by the tracks of the tanks and exploded, causing damage to a small number of M3 Grant Lee medium tanks, the American tank group rushed into the Japanese defense line with almost no loss!

日本步兵绝望的抵抗随即展开了，反坦克枪和残存的反坦克炮全都拼命地对着这些27.9吨重的钢铁巨兽开火，不过日军的反坦克火力显然还是过于贫弱。反坦克枪对M3格兰特·李中型坦克正面最厚达51mm的装甲没有任何效果，只是叮叮当当的在坦克的装甲钢板上面迸溅着火星。而日军的94式37mm的反坦克炮哪怕是在100米的超近距离上也对付不了M3格兰特·李的51mm正面装甲，只不过能在它的表面留下一个个白点似的弹坑而已。只有少量的零式47mm反坦克炮才能对这些在欧洲战场上表现糟糕的M3格兰特·李坦克构成威胁。

Thus, the battle began between the 47mm anti-tank gun and the Grant Lee tank.As soon as several Zero-type 47mm anti-tank guns opened fire, they hit a Grant Lee tank, causing the tank to emit black smoke, and several American tank soldiers who were all on fire got out of the tank Come out, rolling and screaming on the ground.However, before the Japanese artillery had time to cheer, the Grant Lee tank's 75mm howitzer, 37mm cannon and three 3mm machine guns fired together. Together, the Japanese artillery turned into scattered and splashing fragments!

The intensive firepower of American tanks swept across the entire front.The Japanese army couldn't lift their heads at all, and the infantry sitting on the M3 light armored vehicle and walking behind also rushed up, using the 3mm recoilless gun on the M106 light armored vehicle, and the 12.7mm large-caliber machine gun towards the Japanese positions and firepower strongholds. shooting!Those so-called "anti-tank special attackers" who dared to show their heads were beaten to death.The suicide tactics that worked well against the U.S. Navy before seem to be completely ineffective against the U.S. Army.As usual, some desperate Japanese officers and soldiers took out the spirit of dying, or picked up the bayonet-mounted rifles, or hung grenades all over their bodies, and rushed forward shouting the slogan "On board! On board!" Most of them were knocked down by the super firepower of the U.S. military, and occasionally a few lucky ones just rang the grenade hanging on their bodies near the tank.However, how could the 37mm armor plate, which cannot be penetrated by even the 51mm caliber armor-piercing projectile, be blown up by the Japanese grenade?Such a suicide attack cannot be said to be fighting at all, it is just suicide!

Although the US military's attack is very sharp.But the Japanese army still defended extremely tenaciously. After the first anti-tank area was captured by the US army, they finally stopped the American offensive in the second anti-tank area!This anti-tank area had not been devastated by previous shelling and air strikes.Moreover, when the U.S. military broke through the first anti-tank area, Japanese engineers risked their lives to repair some fortifications and re-planted some mines.Therefore, when the US tanks approached the second line of defense of the Japanese army, they ran over landmines one after another and exploded!Then the U.S. tank group caught in the minefield was hit by Japanese anti-tank artillery. The M3 Grant Lee medium tanks on the battlefield were shot and caught fire.At the same time, the infantry in the Japanese trenches and firepower points continued to use machine guns and mortars to block the American infantry and engineers behind the tanks.

陷入地雷阵的美军坦克集群顿时陷入了苦战！在后方观战的巴顿将军很快注意到了战局的变化，于是下令6个装甲炮兵营的108辆M7牧师105mm自行榴弹炮向前推进，用它们的105mm大炮在近距离轰击日军阵地！同时他又命令待命的两个团级战斗队从日军的左翼包抄。

When the 108 M7 priest self-propelled artillery joined the battle, the Japanese army's second anti-tank area was immediately flooded with bullets!Naturally, those anti-tank support points were also named one by one. After the pillars of flames and smoke passed, even people with weapons completely disappeared from this world!

The current U.S. military, although fighting bayonets, digging trenches, queuing up and kicking, and the craftsmanship of folding quilts is not good.But after all, it is the richest and most powerful industrialized country in the world, and its citizens are generally well-educated. Therefore, the speed of training artillery, pilots, tank soldiers, and engineers is not slower than that of infantry, and their skills can still make do.Today's three-dimensional combat with the coordination of multiple arms is actually very impressive.Looking at the scene, it is no worse than the Chinese armored forces that have been trained for many years.Therefore, under the attack of two American armored divisions and more than 1000 aircraft, the three Japanese divisions without much anti-tank capability soon reached the brink of collapse.

At 8 o'clock in the morning, after being blocked in front of the second anti-tank area for about an hour and a half, the US tanks began to break through the Japanese defense with absolute superiority in combat power.On the right flank of the U.S. Army, 1 still-moving tanks of the "Hoffman Battle Group", supported by 85 M27 self-propelled artillery, began to attack the front of the Japanese 7th Division's defense line.At the same time, the 16 tanks of the two roundabout U.S. regiment-level combat teams formed a dense formation to attack the weak flanks of the Japanese 208th Division.At 16 o'clock in the morning, the "Hoffman Battle Group" finally made a breakthrough, breaking through the position of the Japanese 9th Division together with the "Golden Battle Group" and "Johnson Battle Group" who were in charge of flanking.

不过这三个美军团级战斗队也在日军的拼死抵抗下付出了惨重的代价！特别是第16师团第33联队和第38联队的“反坦克特攻队”在向井敏少尉和野田岩少尉的带领下，取得了一定的战绩。两个拥有150人的“反坦克特攻队”，利用反坦克手雷、炸药包和燃烧瓶分别击毁了4辆和5辆美军的M3格兰特·李坦克，代价则是这300个日军官兵的全灭。基本上要用30条性命才能换到1辆美国坦克！由于3个美国团级战斗队的突破，日军第16师团面临被包围的威胁。

At 26 o'clock on the 12th, the division began to retreat under the order of the former commander of the Japanese army and the commander of the 11th Army Ushijima Mitsuru. As a result, it suffered a lot of losses under the pursuit of the US military.Among them, the 38th Infantry Regiment was besieged for a time and was forced to burn the military flag in preparation for all members to be smashed. Finally, the neighboring 104th Division was rescued to break out of the encirclement.Subsequently, the 104th Division's own left wing was also exposed to three U.S. regiment-level battle groups due to the retreat of the 16th Division, and was forced to retreat after resisting for more than an hour. At 26 o'clock in the afternoon on the 3th, the 102nd Division of the Japanese Army, which finally insisted on the battlefield on the south bank of the Panuko River, was beaten by six US regiment-level combat teams.Unlike the 6th and 16th Divisions, which retreated in an orderly manner, by the time the 104nd Division collapsed, the Japanese defense line had completely collapsed, and there were no troops that could contain the US armored forces on the battlefield.

From then on, the battle on the south bank of the Panuko River turned into a pursuit battle. Under the command of Mitsuru Ushijima, the three defeated Japanese divisions retreated hastily towards Bayes City.On the way back, in order to delay the pursuit of the US military, Ushijima hurriedly organized two lines of defense with two regiments of Japanese troops, but they all fell apart under the joint attack of US armored forces and aircraft, and the battle lasted until the evening of the 26th. At 8 o'clock, the U.S. military had chased for more than 20 kilometers. After all, it reached Tamuin, 26 kilometers west of Basye City.At this time, General Patton ordered the entire army to stop the pursuit, ending the battle on the south bank of the Panuko River.And in this battle that lasted nearly 20 hours, the US military obviously won!According to General Patton's report after the battle, the U.S. army defeated three Japanese divisions in this battle, killed and injured 25723 Japanese officers and soldiers (the Japanese battle report was 16536), and captured 46 people; , Only 3232 people were missing (the Japanese battle report was 13556), of which 1525 were killed, 1324 were seriously injured, and 383 were missing; 236 tanks were lost (the Japanese battle report was 455), of which 107 were completely damaged and could not be repaired.

While General Patton commanded two U.S. armored divisions to crush three Japanese divisions on the south bank of the Panuko River, the U.S. 7rd Armored Division (reinforced by the 31st Infantry Regiment of the U.S. [-]th Division) commanded by Major General Walker was advancing along the Panuco River. The Nuco Valley area went south quickly, ready to copy the Japanese back road (in fact, it was completely unnecessary).

To the surprise of General Patton and Major General Walker, a mighty army consisting of two Japanese divisions and one Japanese tank brigade had already marched along the Panuko River Valley under the cover of darkness the night before. 1 kilometers to the north!During the daytime on the 30th, the Japanese army hid in the forest on the east side of the road, avoiding the detection of the US Air Force.On the night of the 26th, Lieutenant General Maeda Toshiwei, the commander-in-chief of the Japanese army, received an order from General Yamashita Homofumi to "advance northward at full speed and capture Mante City at all costs"!And this "strange" order will become the object of study by Japanese military history enthusiasts who are after the fact in the next few decades.What kind of thinking did Yamashita Fengfumi and Ishihara Wanji come from to order Maeda Toshiwei, who was in charge of the detour mission, to continue northward when the three divisions of the main force had been defeated by General Patton's armored forces?

With the U.S. Armored Forces and Army Air Corps already showing strong combat effectiveness, keep the two intact divisions, together with the remnants of the 16th, 102nd, and 104th Divisions, and the 105th in San Luis Potosí Together with the division, retreating to Mexico City, or simply retreating to Panama, seems to be the most favorable choice.

However, Lieutenant General Maeda Toshiwei at the time had no chance to consider these issues. In fact, he didn't even know that the three divisions commanded by Mitsuru Ushijima had been defeated by the Yankees on the south bank of the Panuko River!In order to "not affect the morale of Maeda's troops", Yamashita Fengwen and Ishihara Wanji concealed the defeat of the three divisions!Of course, he was not informed of the powerful combat effectiveness of the US armored forces.So at this moment, in the heart of the second Marquis of Kanazawa Maeda, US imperialism is still a paper tiger with too much steel and little energy, and everyone is deceiving!

27日凌晨2点左右，“前田部队”的前锋，第6骑兵联队在帕努科河谷北部同美国纸老虎的第三装甲师所属的机械化骑兵侦搜营遭遇！400多个挥舞着马刀的日本鬼子在短短十几分钟内，就成为了700多只开着M3轻型装甲车，使用M2大口径机关枪或是106mm无后坐力炮的美国纸老虎的牺牲品。

After losing more than 400 warriors on horseback, Lord Maeda didn't feel sad at all, but felt extremely excited.The Japanese army in this era is quite confident in its night combat level!In their view, Germany ranks first in land warfare during the day, China ranks second, and Japan ranks third; and at night, the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army is definitely above that of China and Germany!As for the reason... no one can tell.But right now, Maeda Houye is not encountering the German or Chinese army, but the vulnerable American paper tiger!Moreover, it is still the night battle that the Japanese are best at. What else should Hou Ye worry about?As a result, the 6th Division immediately received an order to prepare for the attack on the spot, and the 56th Division was ordered to occupy the mountain on the right side of the Japanese army with 1 wing, and 2 wings to cooperate with the 1st Battlefield Brigade in the 6th Division. The rear of the regiment was deployed, and another wing served as the general reserve.

However, just a few minutes after Master Hou's order was issued, a burst of artillery fire hit the heads of the 6th Division that was unfolding!It turned out that the 54 M7 Priest 105mm self-propelled howitzers of the three armored artillery battalions belonging to the US Third Armored Division had already fired first.

The first batch of Japanese to be bombarded belonged to the 13th (Kumamoto) Wing, the backbone of the 6th Division of this Wing, and one of the most powerful units in the Japanese Army.Therefore, after a round of stormy artillery attack by the U.S. military, they did not panic, but deployed on the spot according to Maeda Toshiyuki's order, and opened a covering position at the forefront of the entire army.

而此时，沃克少将指挥的美第三装甲师已经完成了展开。该师的3个坦克营此刻还有185辆M3格兰特·李和M3斯图亚特坦克可以使用，这3个坦克营分别同1个装甲步兵营和1个摩托化步兵营组成了一个团级战斗队，分别根据指挥官的姓氏被命名为“史密斯战斗群”、“阿诺德战斗群”和“马里奥战斗群”。

27日凌晨2点45分，在两军最初遭遇不过3刻钟后，美第三装甲师的“史密斯战斗群”和“阿诺德战斗群”便开始在自行火炮的掩护下向日军第6师团的前锋第13联队发起冲击！

Facing the absolute superiority of the U.S. military consisting of about 7000 soldiers and 123 medium and light tanks, the 13th Wing commanded by Jintaro Tanaka also assumed a posture of guarding against death.Although this regiment is one of the most elite regiments of the Japanese Army, its weapons and equipment and number of personnel are the same as those of ordinary Japanese infantry regiments, with nearly 3800 officers and soldiers and 14 artillery pieces of various calibers. , including 75 4mm mountain guns, 70 6mm infantry guns, and 37 4mm anti-tank guns.Although these artillery pieces are all equipped with armor-piercing projectiles, and the gunners have also received strict anti-tank training, none of these 4 artillery pieces, including the four 37mm anti-tank guns, have the ability to penetrate the frontal armor of the M14 Grant Lee tank!

Therefore, the role of the 13th Wing of the Japanese Army tonight is only to win time for the Japanese First Tank Brigade to start, and the real decisive battle will be between Japanese and American tanks!

Chapter 0883 US encirclement network (thirteen) rich guy show off!

May 1939, 5, 27:3 am.Panuco Valley.

Just when the 13 devils of the 3800th Wing of the Japanese Army were about to bite the American tanks with their teeth.On an open field about 13 meters behind the 5000th Wing, it was a different scene.Tanks with camouflage paint and a rising sun logo on the prominent position of the turret are swaying through the moonlight.The roofs of all the tanks are open, and half of the commander's door sticks out. With the help of the bright moonlight, under the guidance of some officers waving small red flags in their hands, command the driver to drive the tank to the designated position , a battle formation consisting of 150 tanks is slowly being deployed.

This unit is one of the four independent tank brigades currently serving as the core of the Japanese Army's armored forces, and the independent first tank brigade headed by Major General Hoshino Toshimoto.Due to the unexpected rise of neighboring China, the Japanese army in this time and space has also begun to pay special attention to the construction of armored forces.However, due to the rise of China, Japan lost its vast market and the origin of cheap raw materials, causing the development of Japan's heavy industry to lag behind, unable to support a truly powerful armored force.We could only make do with four medium tank regiments and four armored infantry regiments, which were organized into four independent tank brigades.

When Major General Hoshino Toshimoto stood on his armored command vehicle and watched the armored force under his command form a team in front of him.There is actually a little pain in my heart.In Japan, where the heavy industry continues to slump and shrink, it is unknown how much hard-earned money the citizens have spent to save these four well-equipped tank brigades!And how much hard work the top army has put into it!Each brigade has an establishment of nearly 6000 people, equipped with 180 (full) medium tanks independently developed and manufactured by Japan, 270 wheeled light armored vehicles, 427 various transport vehicles, and 24 self-propelled artillery , 12 anti-aircraft combat vehicles, 18 zero-type anti-tank guns imitated from the former Soviet Union's 57mm anti-tank guns, plus the most advanced infantry equipment such as Type 98 submachine guns, Type 99 rifles, and Type 96 light machine guns.This powerful brigade, unprecedented in Japanese history, should have the power to fight even against the armored divisions of Germany and China!

在这片开阔地带上面，日军独立第1战车旅团已经完成了编队，150辆15.75吨战斗全重的97式（相当于历史上的97改）中型战车组成了一个楔形的突击队形。这款97式中战车装备了一门相当犀利的48倍口径47mm坦克炮，拥有830/秒的弹丸初速，可以在1200米的距离上击穿50mm的均质钢板。即使对上中德两国坦克所配备的高强度渗碳装甲板，也能在500米的距离上击穿二号坦克的40mm正面装甲！实际上日本就是以中国陆军所配备的二号坦克为假想敌开发出97式中战车的。不过这种可以同二号坦克一战的97式中战车对上45.5吨的四号坦克，恐怕是一个活动的铁棺材了。

Thinking of the No. 3 tank with abnormal armor protection and firepower, Hoshino Toshimoto couldn't help but let out a long sigh. With Japan's national strength, it might be wishful thinking to develop a heavy tank that can fight against the No. 97 tank!Fortunately, tonight his independent 47st tank brigade is not going to deal with the Chinese, but to fight the American paper tiger tanks... According to the information (provided by Germany), the American M500 Grant Lee tanks are rubbish at all , The 3mm tank gun of the Type 51 can theoretically penetrate the [-]mm frontal armor of the M[-] Grant Lee at a distance of [-] meters.Moreover, this kind of American tank is too big and easy to target. It is night again, and it just happens to use the superb night combat skills of the Japanese Army.

At this time, a second lieutenant officer in charge of delivering orders galloped from behind on horseback, stopped in front of Hoshino Toshimoto's armored command vehicle, gave a military salute to Hoshino, and reported loudly: "Your Excellency, Commander Maeda, Commander Maeda ordered , the Independent Chariot Brigade is attacking! I wish you long-term martial arts!"

Hoshino Toshimoto nodded slightly, turned around and directed at the 150 tanks, 270 wheeled armored vehicles neatly lined up in front of him, and thousands of Japanese officers and soldiers who were waiting, raised his right hand high, then swung it down heavily, and shouted loudly Said: "The First Independent Tank Brigade! Attack! Destroy the American tanks! Your Majesty, onboard! Onboard! Onboard!" Then he made a gesture to the driver beside him, and the driver immediately stepped on the accelerator , this sd.kfz.251 half-track armored command vehicle presented by the German Army wobbled towards the front of the Japanese tank formation.Immediately afterwards, hundreds of Japanese tanks and armored vehicles began to make huge motor roars at the same time, rumbling towards the battlefield 5000 meters away to the north.

In fact, Hoshino Toshimoto and his more than 400 tanks and armored vehicles encountered the roaring American tanks just after driving more than 3000 meters.Because at this time, the resistance of the 13th Wing of the Japanese Army has been completely crushed by the opponent!

美军的M3格兰特·李中型坦克冲锋在最前面。3个团级战斗群一共拥有9个中型坦克连，总计还有135辆格兰特·李坦克（包括3个坦克营部的12辆）能够开动，跟在他们后面的是3个轻型坦克连的40辆M3斯图亚特轻型坦克，以及蜂拥而上的装甲输送车和自行火炮，宛如汹涌而来的装甲洪流！

Seeing the dense armored formation of the U.S. Army, Major General Hoshino Toshimoto, who led the charge, took a breath and muttered in a low voice: "Could it be that the elite 13th Regiment of the Imperial Army was smashed just like this? The enemy doesn't seem to have suffered much. What a loss!"

"Your Excellency! The distance is 500 meters! You can use the Type 97 47mm tank gun to avenge the warriors of the 13th Regiment!" The voice of the staff officer rang in Hoshino Toshimoto's ear.

"Okay! Order everyone to stop and start shelling!" Hoshino Toshimoto nodded heavily, turned on the car radio, and ordered loudly.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..." As soon as Hoshino's voice fell, a row of large and small fires flashed in the blurred group of American tanks on the opposite side!Immediately, more than a dozen Japanese tanks that had just stopped advancing and were turning their muzzles to aim, turned into balls of dazzling fireballs as if they were suddenly struck by lightning.A dozen or so flaming Japanese tank soldiers screamed and got out of the burning tank, rolling back and forth on the ground, trying to put out the fire on their bodies.It turned out that because the 3mm gun of the M75 Grant Lee tank was more powerful than the 97mm gun of the Japanese Type 47 tank, the Americans stopped 600 meters away and took aim!So they were the ones who fired first.

However, the Japanese army is really well-trained, and quickly reacted from the initial panic. The Type 97 tank guns also roared, and the 47mm caliber armor-piercing shells dragged the fiery red tail flames, and fired at the 470mm at a very fast speed. , The American tank 480 meters away crashed into it!In the blink of an eye, almost the same number of M3 Grant Lee tanks burst into flames with the sound of explosions one after another.The shells from both sides came and went, raining down on the opponent's tank formation. The entire battlefield was full of lit tank wreckage, like piles of bonfires.

Behind the front line, in the Japanese advance command post on a small hill, Maeda Toshiyuki and Lieutenant General Nakamura Akito, the commander of the 56th Division, both stared at the opposite scene with binoculars.I saw with my own eyes that the armored forces that had been spent and saved with great difficulty were consumed little by little in the confrontation with American tanks. One after another, the tanks were hit and caught fire. The losses of both sides were almost one to one.Obviously, these two tanks are a bit strong in attack and weak in defense. The 3mm frontal armor of the M51 Grant Lee cannot withstand the 500mm tank gun of the Type 97 at a distance of 47 meters, and the 97mm armor of the Type 25 is even more vulnerable to the 3mm howitzer of the M75 Grant Lee tank.

This encounter is actually using the "precious" Type 97 to die with the American "garbage" M3 Grant Lee!However, considering that the heavy industry production capacity of the United States is at least 30 times that of Japan!How can Japan afford such a one-to-one exchange ratio tank battle?

At this moment, a staff officer strode into the temporary command post, leaned over and whispered something in Nakamura Akito's ear.Then I heard Nakamura exclaim: "Nani! Commander Yamashita's order really said so!"

Maeda put down the binoculars and whispered, "What's the matter?"