PFC Chapter 169 A Two-Pronged Attack: A Relentless Advance and Counterattack
Chapter 169 A Two-Pronged Attack: A Relentless Advance and Counterattack
Currently reading: Chapter 169, "A Two-Pronged Attack: A Relentless Push and Counterattack," latest chapter available here.
If Li Jianghe heard this, he would find it amusing, as he had no intention of capturing any Japanese soldiers.
What he liked were the Japanese corpses lying on the ground.
To the east of Zaozhuang, Li Jianghe's troops attacked the Japanese army from three directions simultaneously, rather than from just one.
After the artillery bombardment, the entire Japanese position was riddled with holes, and it was almost impossible to see the original position.
Many Japanese soldiers crawled out of the scorched earth, picked up their rifles in the shell craters and trenches, and stared straight ahead.
Beneath the billowing dust, the Third Detachment's armored forces drew ever closer, hurtling towards them like a whirlwind.
On the tanks, whether it was anti-tank guns, short-barreled cannons, or machine guns, all the weapons roared at this moment.
"Fire!!!!"
The Japanese commander roared in anger upon seeing this.
However, compared to the dense and fierce firepower on the tanks, the Japanese army's firepower was really lacking.
Originally, these Japanese troops had a number of anti-tank guns that could have posed a significant threat to these moving vehicles when they were fighting them head-on.
In the two days of attrition warfare, the Japanese army's anti-tank weapons had already been almost completely destroyed.
Now, all they have left to deal with tanks are their cluster grenades, explosive charges, and their fearless courage.
Li Jianghe's third detachment, with its firing positions on tanks, was roaring and sweeping incessantly.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!"
When the shells hit the Japanese positions, it was a scene of flying blood and flesh, dust flying everywhere, and screams echoing.
Machine guns and cannons fired, pinning the Japanese soldiers down in trenches and shell craters, unable to lift their heads.
All exposed machine gun positions immediately became the primary targets of attack.
As for the firepower on the Japanese positions, most of it was unable to pose a significant threat to these tanks.
In particular, the rifles and machine guns in the hands of the Japanese army, especially the anti-tank rifles equipped by the Japanese army, could pose a certain threat to moving tanks.
Then there are their grenade launchers, infantry guns, and other indirect fire weapons.
However, the tanks charged at an extremely fast speed, giving the Japanese soldiers very little time to react.
Amidst the deafening roar, it was crystal clear that the muzzles of the enemy tanks' cannons were almost touching their heads.
"Onboard!!!!"
Finally, a Japanese commander roared, grabbed a bundle of explosives, jumped out of the trench, and charged towards the tank group.
The other Japanese soldiers followed suit, some carrying cluster grenades, others holding Molotov cocktails, and still others carrying explosive packs, as they charged towards the tank group of the Third Detachment.
Instead of the Emperor's approving gaze, they were met with the harshest lashes from vehicle-mounted machine guns and artillery.
"Da da da!!!!"
The roar of the vehicle-mounted machine gun, along with the infantry inside the vehicle, almost simultaneously opened fire on the Japanese troops.
These Japanese soldiers often fell to the ground in droves before they even had a chance to get close to the tanks.
Some of the remaining tanks did manage to slip through the net and could indeed damage these vehicles, but ultimately it was just a drop in the ocean.
The brutal trench clearing began amidst the roar of tanks and the shouts of "Banzai!" from the Japanese soldiers as they charged forward.
Meanwhile, in the direction of Tengxian, three tank battalions of the Third Detachment, plus an artillery battalion, launched a fierce attack on the Japanese 20th Division in front.
As for the 20th Army Group, it also joined the fierce attack at this time.
The Third Detachment launched simultaneous attacks from the north and east, completely drawing away the main forces of the Japanese 10th Division and the 20th Division.
By 2 p.m., the two Japanese divisions had committed all their reserves to the front lines in order to counter the rapid advance of the Third Detachment's mechanized forces and stop the overwhelming offensive of Li Jianghe's Third Detachment.
This was practically using human lives to fill the gaps in the battle line, but for Kawagishi Bunzaburo and Isogai Rensuke, it was a helpless move.
In Kawagishi Bunzaburo's command post, he used his binoculars to observe the distant, smoke-filled battlefield.
He could sense that the sound of the shells exploding seemed even louder.
It wasn't that the enemy's artillery caliber had been upgraded, but rather that their frontal defenses were retreating, causing enemy shells to land closer and closer to the command post.
Hisashi Kinemura said with a heavy gaze:
"Your Excellency, the reserves have been fully committed. We have suffered considerable casualties, but the enemy has also lost a lot of tanks."
He wasn't just trying to comfort himself, because Li Jianghe's third detachment was launching a counterattack without regard for cost or consequences.
While advancing at an extremely high speed, the rate of tank damage and personnel casualties also increased dramatically during this process.
"Now I understand why Isogai Rensuke's troops were always on the defensive and even collapsed at the first touch when facing the Third Detachment."
He had been questioning Isogai Rensuke, feeling that he and the entire 10th Division were so easily defeated that they were a disgrace to the Japanese Empire.
But now, when actually facing Li Jianghe's Third Detachment, Kawagishi Bunzaburo was surprised to find that his 20th Division was no exception and was still unable to stop the enemy's advance on the front.
"Yes, it seems that the 10th Division is still quite formidable. At least in the east, it has withstood the fierce attack of several hundred tanks from the 3rd Detachment for two consecutive days."
Kishinura Hisazo said this.
Bunzaburo Kawagishi said:
"However, based on the current speed of the enemy's tank force and the rate at which the tanks are being worn out, we should be able to hold out for three days."
By daybreak tomorrow, the reinforcements should all be in the Zoucheng and Jining area, and then we can launch an offensive in the north. I don't believe these enemies will be able to stop our offensive in the north then."
Now, Kawagishi Bunzaburo has completely given up on the idea of breaking out on his own and is pinning his hopes on the two Japanese divisions that are about to arrive as reinforcements.
"We can only wait for them."
As Kinemura Hisazo was saying this, a communications officer suddenly stood up and said:
"Report: A large number of Nationalist Army infantry units have been spotted approaching our positions from the flank and rear."
"The Nationalist Army?"
Kawagishi Bunzaburo frowned, then turned his gaze to the map.
"What about the rear troops? Weren't there troops left behind to guard the rear?"
He asked coldly.
"Report: The rear defense line has been breached by the enemy. The enemy has an overwhelming numerical advantage, and many of them are attacking through the gaps in the defense line."
The communications officer quickly replied.