1novels #259 - Tank Battalion Assault
#259 - Tank Battalion Assault
The entire front line of Hanoi, when viewed from above, formed a large W-shaped battle line relying on the two support points of Ningyi County and Huaiyi County.
It was divided into three relatively independent battlefields by the Dasha River and the Qin River.
The northern line, north of the Dasha River, had three mutually independent yet trench-connected positions at Fengying, Yanma, and Banqiao.
South of the Dasha River and east of the Qin River, the county towns of Ningyi County and Huaiyi County served as the main support points, with five mutually supporting positions.
A total of five Class C regiments were deployed on the positions, with two Class B regiments and two 107mm howitzer battalions on standby in the city as reinforcements.
As soon as the time came, the Japanese devils' four divisions launched attacks from east to west, with the 107th Division attacking Fengying, Yanma, and Banqiao.
The other three divisions, the 112th Division from the front of Ningyi County, the 108th Division from between Ningyi County and Huaiyi County, and the 117th Division from the front of Huaiyi County, formed a pyramid-shaped offensive formation.
As the battle began, the Japanese devils' four artillery regiments took the lead, bombarding the Eighth Route Army's front-line positions with artillery fire.
More than a hundred field guns and howitzers relentlessly bombarded the Chen Brigade's positions, the whistling sound of shells in the air making it impossible for the soldiers on the positions to even peek out, forcing them to hide in their anti-artillery shelters.
The winding trenches minimized the damage caused by the Japanese devils' artillery fire coverage. As long as they weren't directly hit near the anti-artillery shelters, most of the soldiers were safe and sound, only experiencing a burst of tinnitus and a continuous buzzing in their heads.
Ten minutes after the Japanese devils began their shelling, the artillery observers on the Eighth Route Army's positions roughly located the approximate positions of the Japanese devils' artillery, and quickly transmitted this information.
The three tank battalions of the Iron Triangle, who had been holding back their anger, immediately rushed out from three different disguised locations.
Although their target was to eliminate the Japanese devils' tank division, the Japanese devils' artillery regiment was also an important firepower target that had to be eliminated!
Compared to the threat of the Japanese devils' tank division, the threat of the Japanese devils' artillery regiment was not small at all.
Due to the lack of computers, there was no artillery radar that could accurately measure the trajectory and back-calculate the position.
The artillery observation posts on the positions could only test locations with an error of about 1 kilometer.
With such a large error, the artillery's counterattack would obviously be a waste, likely resulting in nothing.
However, for the tank battalions, this error was insignificant, basically just a matter of stepping on the gas.
The roaring tank battalions, except for one tank company of the Machine Infantry New First Brigade north of the Dasha River, had the remaining eight tank companies of the Iron Triangle south of the Dasha River and east of the Qin River, rushing like sharp knives directly towards the Japanese devils' artillery positions 5-6 kilometers away.
Behind them, the long-prepared artillery counterattack, aiming at the Japanese devils' infantry clusters waiting to charge in front, unleashed 108 107mm rockets and 36 mountain guns, and 24 120mm mortars almost simultaneously.
In the sky, dense rockets and shells began to fire in reverse, with a density several times greater than that of the Japanese devils' artillery!
However, these shells were not aimed at the Japanese devils' artillery, but at the Japanese devils' infantry clusters. The sharp whistling shells fell like rain in the middle of the Japanese devils' infantry formations, quickly filling the entire position with smoke.
Everywhere were the Japanese devils' fragmented bodies flying around!
As the attacking side, the Japanese devils' positions were even more exposed. When these shells landed on the positions, the Japanese devils' infantry could only cower on the ground, heads in their hands, begging for the blessing of Amaterasu.
However, whether it was the 107mm rockets or the 120mm mortar shells, they were no weaker than the 105mm howitzer in terms of power. Hundreds of rockets and mortar shells smashed down, with each explosion covering an area of four or five basketball courts. The 120mm mortar shells, weighing as much as 18 kilograms, and the 107mm rockets were not inferior, and even had greater power than the 105mm howitzer!
This continuous barrage of extended artillery fire landed on the enemy's charging positions, covering tens of thousands of square meters of land in just a few minutes, the enormous power of the shells almost turning the front-line positions over.
Squad after squad, groups of Japanese devils were turned into fertilizer under the shells, buried in this land.
Soon, the enemy's artillery fire ceased, obviously the Japanese devils' artillery observers had begun to observe the position of the artillery fire on this side and began to adjust the angle of the shelling. At this moment, the tank battalions accelerated and began to charge!
However, thanks to Ren Zhong's efforts, the Eighth Route Army's artillery had strong mobility. Basically, they were highly mobile artillery that could be pushed by people and pulled by horses.
With the special skill of being able to move positions at any time, there was no chance of falling under the shells.
The tank battalion, taking advantage of the artillery barrage's lull, accelerated its charge and burst forth, quickly tearing through the scattered skirmish line of the Japanese soldiers. The Japanese were clearly not mentally prepared; they never dreamed they would encounter a full-fledged tank assault from the approaching force.
Moreover, the enemy was more skilled and resourceful than they were.
Although the Japanese had anti-tank guns configured within their divisions or independent brigades, they were often just for show, rarely used effectively.
Today, seeing a real opportunity, the Japanese were somewhat dumbfounded. Their anti-tank capabilities were limited to a mere anti-tank gun company, too weak to make a difference, especially guarding the artillery positions with no anti-tank firepower at the front lines.
After the tank battalion's nine companies charged forward, they quickly clashed with the scattered Japanese soldiers.
The tank machine guns rattled incessantly, cutting down Japanese soldiers everywhere.
The leading T-34 tanks advanced as if in an empty field, tearing through Japanese trenches, barricades, and anything else in their path.
Now, on the Japanese positions, after being subjected to both artillery fire and tank treads, the originally dense, battalion-level assault formations were almost crippled.
Artillery, indeed, was the king of battlefield firepower.
Now that they had a field to play on, facing scattered Japanese infantry with little cover, it was the perfect scenario for the artillery to unleash their might.
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Today, as long as they aimed at the areas where the Japanese were preparing to charge, everything would be reduced to ashes under the extended artillery fire!
Relying on their powerful artillery, the four Japanese regiments preparing to attack the front lines suffered devastating blows.
However, this was just the beginning. As the tank battalion charged towards the Japanese artillery positions, the Japanese frantically began calling for reinforcements!
The Japanese tank division could no longer hold back and had to deploy early to counter the Eighth Route Army's tank forces.
However, it was already too late!
When the tank battalion was still 2 or 3 kilometers away from the Japanese artillery positions, they could already see the enemy artillery from the tank observation posts!
The tank battalion commander didn't hesitate. Facing the Japanese artillery positions, he immediately initiated a barrage while moving.
For tank-to-tank duels, this might have been inaccurate, but against the large Japanese artillery positions, this indiscriminate firing method saw one 76mm shell after another rain down on the Japanese artillery positions.
The Japanese were sent flying, and their cannons were overturned!
Now, the tank crews understood the veterans' saying: 'Keep firing, it's awesome!' They shelled the Japanese positions without any concern for accuracy, because each shell was guaranteed to hit at least two or three junior officers above the rank of sergeant.
The Japanese artillerymen were a technical branch. Those who could become gunners had to be literate, and becoming a sergeant was a matter of course.
Not only that, as the tanks approached the artillery positions, the Japanese 37mm anti-tank guns began to target the tanks one after another.
However, for the T-34s, it was like scratching an itch, having no effect at all.
After reinforcing the front armor plates, the M3 tanks' frontal defense capabilities were also significantly improved, rendering the 37mm anti-tank guns almost useless.
Conversely, the machine guns, now relentlessly firing at the Japanese, seemed to have unlimited ammunition, continuously targeting the Japanese!
Turning the Japanese soldiers along the way into incomplete parts!
After the surprise attack, the Japanese artillery regiment suffered more than half of its casualties in a short period!
Most of them died from tank shelling!
Occasionally, shells landing on Japanese ammunition boxes triggered chain explosions, causing even greater casualties!
This was even more incredibly lucky.
However, the explosive power of the ammunition detonation was much stronger than a direct hit.
Even without the Japanese ammunition depot detonating, they couldn't stop the tank battalion's advance.
Machine guns and cannons were all deadly weapons. Moreover, the tanks maintained a gap of about 50 meters between each other, forming a three-dimensional attack formation where tanks could protect each other's flanks.
In this way, even without infantry support, the tank battalion could take care of itself.
Boom, boom, boom, they advanced into the Japanese artillery positions.
Seeing the Japanese cannons, the tank main guns turned and fired, blasting both the cannons and their crews into the air!
Under these circumstances, there was no time to capture these cannons. The Japanese tank division could charge out at any time. They had to destroy everything as quickly as possible before the Japanese could react!
As the tank battalion wreaked havoc, the Japanese tank division, as expected, was alerted. The tank division, which had been hiding somewhere, received the news that their artillery positions were under attack by enemy tanks and rushed to the artillery positions one after another!
"Battalion Commander, the Japanese tank division has appeared!" On the tank public channel, a tank observer, after discovering an anomaly on the battlefield, promptly reported the latest battlefield dynamics!
First chapter.