Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 100: Bean Tank
Wang Fenggang closed his eyes and planned to rest for a while when Zhao Fangyuan rushed in.

"Sir, look!"

"It seems like the Japanese tanks are coming!"

Wang Feng suddenly opened his eyes and walked to the observation hole. On the surface, he was observing the enemy situation with a telescope, but in fact his consciousness was immersed in the system panel.

How can a telescope be as useful as a three-dimensional combat map?
Zooming in, the Japanese army launched a second round of attack.

I guess the commander was changed.

The Type 94 tank led the way, followed by many Japanese soldiers.

The Japanese army is also using infantry-tank coordination?

Wang Feng focused his attention on the Type 94 tanks in the front row.

The name sounds nice, but it is actually an armored infantry vehicle.

It doesn't even have the most basic tank artillery, but instead has a 7.7mm machine gun on the turret.

The vehicle was small, but the Japanese one was even smaller, and could accommodate two Japanese soldiers.

Looking at the small tank moving slowly in front of him, Wang Feng felt a little curious.

I was studying infantry at the Whampoa Military Academy, and it was the first time I saw a fast-moving tank in person.

Jokes aside, this is a real battlefield, not a tank museum.

Wang Feng turned around and picked up the microphone: "We need to fight the anti-artillery troops!"

Two seconds later.

"Sir! This is the anti-tank artillery position!"

Wang Feng: "Did you see the Japanese tank troops?"

The west bank of the Chi River is a gradually rising slope, and the defensive positions are built along the slope, so the front troops will not be able to withstand the shooting trajectory of friendly forces in the rear.

Even if the anti-tank guns were deployed in the rear, they could still pose a great threat to the Japanese army.

The person on the other end of the phone: “I see!”

"Sir, should we launch an attack?"

Wang Feng: "Wait a moment, the Japanese tanks enter the 500-meter boundary, fire high-explosive bombs immediately!"

The Type 94 tank has paper-thin armor, so it is a bit of a waste to use armor-piercing shells on it. High-explosive shells have a higher killing effect.

On the other end of the phone: “Yes!”

On the front line.

The soldiers had no time to savor the delicious carrot soup when they heard the roar of the engine coming from the other side of the river and immediately became like frightened birds.

"It's the devil's tank, get ready to fight!"

"Quick, prepare for battle!"

The recruit looked at the slowly approaching iron box and felt a little nervous.

"What is this?"

The officer next to him put out the cigarette in his hand: "The Japanese tanks."

A war is about to start, and the smoke will expose the target.

The recruit scratched his head: "Is this a tank?"

"Give me a bomb and I'll blow it up!"

The officer took a quick look and said, "Be quiet for a while. This thing is not that easy to deal with."

As he spoke, there was some reluctance in his eyes.

He originally belonged to Liang Jiantang's unit of the 203rd Brigade. While defending Ruyuekou, his position was attacked by a Japanese tank regiment.

lost heavily.

The details of what happened are still vivid in my mind.

He didn't know what tank model it was, but he knew what it looked like.

The Japanese tanks we encountered that day looked exactly the same as the ones in front of us.

As I recall, the bullets from the Japanese tanks hit it, sending up a flurry of sparks and leaving only a white mark.

The heavy machine gun was able to leave a dent on it, but after just two shots, the tanks rushed onto the position.

The 'grunting' sound was louder than the heavy breathing of an old cow in the field. He only realized later that it was the sound of the engine.

The squad leader rushed over and tried to hit it with the butt of his rifle, but unfortunately he was caught in the track and minced into pieces.

Blood oozed from the tracks, bones were crushed, and the miserable howls still lingered in his ears.

"Everyone is ready for battle!"

"We can't let even a single Japanese soldier cross the river!"

A shout interrupted the officer's thoughts, and Zhang Hu, holding a machine gun, walked to the front line himself.

Not only this officer, but all the veterans who had encountered tanks recalled the situation at that time.

The new recruits were fearless and ignorant. Having won a victory in the morning, their morale was high and they did not take the Japanese tanks seriously at all.

"There's nothing to be afraid of tanks. They're just a bunch of broken iron shells." Zhang Hu set up his machine gun and shouted loudly.

The Corps Commander personally went to the front line, like a stabilizing force, to stabilize the wavering morale of the troops.

rear.

Wang Feng estimated the distance between the two armies from a bird's-eye view.

Six hundred meters.
Five hundred and eighty meters.
Five hundred and fifty meters.
Five hundred meters!
boom!
Two artillery shots were heard from the left rear of the command post.

The anti-tank guns opened fire.

A burst of fire instantly gushed out from the muzzle.

boom!
A shell hit a Type 94 tank directly, causing a violent explosion in an instant. In the flames that shot up into the sky, the body of the tank was blown to pieces and parts were scattered everywhere.

Especially the turret, which was directly blown into the air.

The blast caused by the explosion spread in all directions, affecting the infantry on the side of the vehicle.

The so-called infantry-tank coordinated tactics seemed like a joke at this moment.

"Fight back! Fight back!"

One tank was destroyed and the entire attacking force was immediately stopped.

The infantry spread out, using the wreckage of the tank as cover, and fired at the other side of the Chi River. Bang!
The two anti-tank guns on the hillside were still firing.

The Japanese mountain artillery battalion and mortar units were all destroyed, and the Type 94 tank had no tank gun.

The shooting range of the grenade launcher is limited, and it is hard to say whether it can hit the other side of the river.

For a moment, the two sides changed their offense and defense. Faced with the anti-tank guns hitting one by one, the Japanese Type 94 tanks had no ability to fight back.

Fireballs rose into the sky, and the first wave of four tanks were destroyed in less than five minutes.

Inside the command post.

Zhao Fangyuan took in the battle situation on the front line through the telescope. He was very excited to see the great victory of the anti-tank artillery.

"Sir! This weapon is great!"

"Now let's see how rampant the Japanese tanks will be!"

Wang Feng exited the bird's-eye view.

The army has a total of four anti-tank guns, two of which are deployed in Chihe Town, and the other two are deployed on the north and south sides respectively.

Fortunately, in this round of attack, the number of Japanese tanks was not large, so it was enough to cope with it.

If the number doubles, it might be difficult to sustain.

"The mountain artillery unit has little ammunition left. The next battle can only rely on the infantry."

The results of the 'decapitation tactics' in the morning were indeed fruitful, but the amount of ammunition consumed was also huge.

The mortar troops were also not idle, providing fire support to the infantry.

Before receiving the next round of supplies, mountain artillery, infantry artillery and other units will probably have to go into silence.

Zhao Fangyuan also looked worried.

"Sir, the Japanese army has suffered a setback in this round of attack. It will be difficult for them to launch an effective offensive today. There may be a chance at night."

Wang Feng frowned when he heard this.

Tonight?
He did not forget the original battle plan. According to the intelligence of the 31st Army, the Japanese army was still gathering troops.

More and more Japanese troops moved from Beijing-Shanghai to the southern section of the Jinpu Line.

The next battles will only become more and more difficult.

It’s better to act early!

Wang Feng turned his head and said: "Notify Zhang Hu to report to the headquarters after repelling the Japanese!"

Zhao Fangyuan: “Yes!”

The fighting was still going on at the front line, and the Japanese Type 94 tanks were destroyed, but no retreat order was issued from the rear.

The Japanese soldiers had no choice but to continue their battle to cross the river.

Da da da!
At the light machine gun position, Zhang Hu operated a Czech ZB26 light machine gun, aiming at the Japanese troops on the other side of the river, and kept pulling the trigger.

Even a cunning rabbit knows three burrows. As the main target of attack by both sides in the conflict, the light machine gun position must not be fixed in one place.

Zhang Hu carried a light machine gun and moved between the trenches in the hail of bullets.

Several infantrymen followed behind him.

According to Wang Feng's request, a reserve launching position was built 46 meters or even further away from the basic launching position.

When the machine gun point is exposed or suppressed by the enemy.

The machine gun team must use the trenches to maneuver secretly to the prepared firing positions and attack the attacking enemy from different directions.

The Japanese army's marksmanship is very superb.

I'm afraid that even if the troops reach the level of [well-trained], they cannot match the Japanese soldiers in terms of shooting accuracy.

This is fed by real bullets.

Due to the difficulty in supplying logistical materials, Wang Feng could not afford a large amount of bullets for shooting training.

There is a similar tradition within the Japanese army.

When new recruits enter squad and squadron level coordinated tactical training.

Most of the content includes the "private opinions" of the veterans of the unit.

For example, standing with a weight on the gun and aiming from a distance, shooting at incense heads 100 meters away at night, running to avoid bullets, and shooting methods targeting running to avoid bullets, etc.

It's all about shooting.

But in other aspects, the soldiers in the battle group have gradually caught up.

For example, trench tactics, battlefield awareness and experience.

Although there was still a certain gap between them and the Japanese army, the Japs soldiers were already finding it difficult to deal with them.

At least not as easy as before.

rear.

Numata Tokushige put down the telescope and a look of worry flashed in his eyes.

Reality told him that the army before him was different from all the Chinese armies he had encountered before.

There is a feeling of adjusting the division's position in the attack.

"Call for air support, destroy the enemy's positions, and create opportunities for a night attack!"

The losses on the front line were too great, and he had given up the idea of breaking through the position in the afternoon.

The decisive battle was instead scheduled for the night.

Staff Officer: "Ha!"

"What about the troops fighting on the front line?"

Numata Tokushige frowned, and after a moment, he said in a cold tone: "No retreat!"

"Consume the ammunition and physical strength of the Chinese army and prepare for night battle!"

Numata Norishige was betting that a night attack would be able to destroy the Chinese army's positions and ensure the troops could cross the river smoothly.

The staff officer was stunned.

The front-line troops were clearly at a disadvantage, and there was no point in continuing to fight.

It will only increase casualties.

After much deliberation, he resolutely issued the order to fight to the death.

(End of this chapter)