roccoschili Chapter 234 Qiu the Madman's Tank Caravan Deployed, the Central Army and Northwest Army's
Chapter 234 Qiu the Madman's Tank Caravan Deployed, the Central Army and Northwest Army's
In his twilight years, Wuyun presents "You Were Asked to Guard the Sihang Warehouse, But You Developed a German-Style Engineer," an exclusive first release!
Yang Ruifu held up his binoculars, his gaze fixed on the Japanese army's assembly point in the distance.
It was clearly visible that the Japanese attacking forces were assembling and slowly advancing towards the outskirts of Madian Town.
This Japanese counterattack force was not large, consisting of only two infantry battalions.
Behind them were artillery units from the 8th Infantry Brigade, which could provide limited fire support.
In terms of sheer numbers, this Japanese unit was not significantly different from Yang Ruifu's First Motorized Infantry Detachment.
However, when it comes to firepower, the two sides are worlds apart and not even in the same league.
"The artillery battalion immediately prepared to provide fire support, and one minute later, the tank units launched a counter-offensive."
Yang Ruifu put down the binoculars, his gaze icy, his tone completely calm.
He knew very well that the most important thing to do right now was to wait for nightfall and for the bugle call of the Nationalist army's general offensive on the west bank to sound.
In his eyes, the hastily launched counterattack by the Japanese 8th Infantry Brigade was utterly insignificant.
What we really need to be wary of is the main force of the Japanese army in the direction of Huoqiu County.
That place was the stronghold of the Japanese 6th and 10th Divisions. If they launched a full-scale attack on Madian Town, it would be quite difficult for him to stop them with only the troops at his disposal.
However, at present, the Sixth and Tenth Divisions simply cannot spare many troops to look westward.
To the east of Huoqiu County, the main force of the Third Column was launching a fierce attack on the Japanese positions day and night, forcing Ogisu Rikihei and Tani Hisao to keep their main force pinned to the eastern front.
The moment the words were spoken, the artillery positions on the outskirts of Madian Town roared in fury.
The shells whistled across the twilight sky, crashing into the Japanese attacking formation and kicking up clouds of dust and debris.
The Japanese attack formation was instantly blown open with a huge gap, and the charging infantrymen were blown to pieces.
Before they could react, the First Motorized Infantry Detachment had already launched a counterattack.
These Japanese infantrymen, when facing ordinary Nationalist troops, often displayed impressive fighting capabilities and were able to act arrogantly.
But what they are facing now is a surging torrent of steel, the armored formations of the Third Column.
The Puma armored vehicles, M3 armored vehicles, and 251 armored vehicles charging at the forefront were like tigers descending a mountain.
The cannons, autocannons, and heavy machine guns mounted on the vehicle fired simultaneously, creating an impenetrable network of firepower.
The charging Japanese soldiers fell in droves under the intense firepower, without even a chance to get close to the tanks.
The battle between the two sides on the west side of Madian Town lasted for a full two hours.
Every attack organized by Sei Takehira was fiercely repelled by the First Motorized Infantry Detachment, making no progress whatsoever.
On the contrary, his main force suffered heavy casualties as it was repeatedly forced to retreat under the onslaught of the tanks.
It was only then that Sei Takehira finally came to terms with reality.
With the troops he currently has, it is almost impossible for him to take Madian Town.
There is no chance of a breakthrough until the main force from Huoqiu County launches an attack together.
He gritted his teeth and sent a telegram to the division headquarters requesting assistance, his fingers turning slightly white from the force.
As darkness fell, a thick, inky night enveloped both banks of the Huai River.
On the west bank of the Shi River, the lights in the First Army's temporary command post remained on all night.
Hu Zongnan sat at the table, holding the telegram sent by the principal in his hand, and read it over and over again.
He suddenly raised his head, looked at Qiu Qingquan standing to the side, and asked in a deep voice, "How are your tank convoys ready?"
Qiu Qingquan immediately stood at attention, his face full of barely suppressed excitement and confidence.
"Reporting to the Commander! The entire tank unit is ready for battle, and the pontoon bridge has been erected!"
"At your command, my tank convoy can immediately cross the river and strike directly at the Japanese flank!"
As he spoke, his eyes seemed to burn with fierce flames, and his fighting spirit was almost overflowing.
"Good." Hu Zongnan nodded heavily, pointed to the Japanese defense line on the map, and gave the order decisively.
"At eight o'clock in the evening, we will cross the river on time and infiltrate the Japanese army's flank and rear."
"The main force will launch a full-scale counterattack on the front to draw the Japanese army's attention."
"At the same time, the armored vehicle units of the third column in the direction of Madian Town will also launch a counterattack to cooperate with our operations."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Qingquan immediately burst into laughter, his voice booming like a bell.
"Commander, this time the Japanese devils have no chance of escape! Just watch, my tank unit will absolutely annihilate them, leaving not a single one alive!"
After speaking, he gave a standard military salute, turned around, and strode away from the command post.
They boarded military vehicles and sped off towards the banks of the Shi River.
Under the cover of night, Qiu Qingquan's convoy quietly drove onto the pontoon bridge and began crossing the river in batches.
The entire armored vehicle convoy was equipped with various types of vehicles, including Renault and Vickers tanks, though mainly light tanks.
If the Japanese army's small tanks could run rampant on the East Asian battlefield, then these imported tanks would naturally be able to play a greater role on the battlefield.
The tracks rolled over the pontoon bridge with a dull thud as it slowly moved toward the east bank.
At the same time that Qiu Qingquan's convoy began to cross the river.
Along the Shihe River, the Northwest Army, under the orders of Sun Lianzhong, launched a full-scale counterattack on the front.
The infantry units of the First Army also launched a fierce attack on the Japanese positions at the same time.
"Boom!!!"
The deafening roar of artillery suddenly erupted in the silent night.
Dense artillery shells slammed into the positions of the Japanese 8th Infantry Brigade, and the explosive shockwaves and flames instantly engulfed the entire defensive line.
Under the cover of artillery fire, the soldiers of the Northwest Army and the Central Army charged desperately towards the Japanese positions.
Meanwhile, the Japanese troops in the direction of Huoqiu County finally managed to send out a reinforcement.
A full-strength infantry regiment, plus a tank company, is rushing towards Madian Town day and night.
They planned to cooperate with Sei Takehira's troops to launch a pincer attack on the First Motorized Infantry Detachment in Madian Town.
This time, the Japanese army had a considerable advantage in troop strength.
As with every previous encounter, Yang Ruifu's motorized infantry detachment still held an absolute advantage in terms of firepower.
Sei Takehira held up his binoculars, looking at the burning battle line under the ghastly white light of the flares.
In the field of vision, several tanks of the Third Column were hit by Japanese anti-tank guns and burst into flames.
He couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Attacked from both sides, we brought over all our anti-tank weapons."
"This time, I'll see how this enemy force in Madian Town will withstand our attack!"
At this time, the First Motorized Infantry Detachment had already switched to a defensive posture under the fierce attack from both sides by the Japanese army.