A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Armored assault operation map

At the pre-battle operational meeting, Xu Yuexiang, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Route Army and the father of China's armored forces, and the commanders of the armored training battalion hesitated about how the tanks should pass through the open area on the south bank of the Wei River. After all, the armored forces, which had just started with great difficulty in the context of a country in need of reconstruction, were extremely valuable and could not afford to suffer any major losses.

"After the enemy's anti-tank firing positions are exposed, the forward artillery observation team detects the enemy's artillery positions, and our rear counter-fires cover the area! Smoke grenades are then launched in front of the enemy positions to block the enemy's line of sight, thereby shortening the assault distance of the assault formation exposed in this open area! Subsequently, the infantry and tanks launch a coordinated assault. Under the cover of armored fire, the powerful automatic firepower of our infantry units can ensure the complete suppression of the enemy and a breakthrough of the enemy's forward positions in one fell swoop!"

This is the assault formation tactic devised by Song Hongfei.

He then conducted numerous sand table simulations of infantry-tank coordination and infantry-artillery coordination with officers from the armored and artillery units before finally making up his mind.

Following the intense artillery barrage, the Central Army's long-range artillery fire extended into the enemy's rear, focusing on striking enemy artillery positions, concealed positions, and assembly points. The follow-up echelons and reinforcement echelons of the 2nd Regiment and the 9th Regiment of the 3rd Brigade of the Southeast Army, which were moving towards the front, also suffered precise and intense artillery fire.

At this moment, artillery fire raged deep behind the lines, but a brief silence fell over the front lines, an unnatural silence. The defending soldiers felt a chill run down their spines. They all knew that the ever-rolling fog ahead was fraught with danger, and that the Central Army's broadswords, hanging high, could fall at any moment and slash their necks. The agony of facing execution was like being plunged into an ice cave, as if the blood in their bodies had been frozen.

The immense psychological pressure was about to break the defending soldiers. The heavy machine gunner, unable to bear the fear and anxiety in his heart, pulled the trigger with trembling hands and fired aimlessly into the smoke, which of course had no effect.

Song Hongfei ordered Zhang Yi, the 3rd Company Commander: "Infantry, follow the armored vehicles closely, and launch an assault immediately after emerging from the smoke! Be quick! Be swift, ruthless, and accurate!"

Zhang Yi shouted from the command vehicle, "Yes! Understood!"

The order was immediately relayed to the assault formations of each platoon: "Maintain formation and stay close to the tanks! After the smoke clears, each platoon's combat teams will deploy in formation for a coordinated assault, with machine gun teams providing fire support!"

The ground seemed to tremble suddenly, and even at a distance of more than 100 meters, the roar of the engine and the creaking of the tank tracks crushing the ground became clear.

"The enemy is about to attack!" The defending soldiers' hearts suddenly raced, their hearts pounding.

The defending infantry battalion commander shouted orders: "Light and heavy machine guns, prepare! Mortars, fire on the front lines! Charge forward and wipe them out with grenades!"

The field gun company commander said to the gunners of the remaining three field guns, "You must be quick! At such close range, aim and fire!"

At this moment, he was actually very uneasy. At such close range, the tanks could rush up in an instant, and once they opened fire, their hidden gun positions would be completely exposed to the enemy's machine gun fire.

The drivers of the assault squadron floored the accelerator, and the tanks roared out of the smoke, the billowing dust kicked up behind them making the ground tremble.

"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!" The tank's forward-facing machine gun spat fire fiercely, pinning down the defenders so they couldn't raise their heads.

"Boom boom boom boom boom!" The 20mm autocannon of the armored fire support vehicle roared and spewed out huge flames. It was so powerful that it shattered one fortification after another. The defending soldiers who were directly hit were torn to pieces like broken dolls, and their limbs and flesh were blown away and scattered everywhere.

The remaining direct-fire guns barely had time to fire two rounds of shells before their positions were locked, and the machine guns' bullets licked the ground like whips, completely crippling the gun positions.

The defending soldiers faced the oncoming torrent of steel with utter terror. The light and heavy machine guns fired at the armor in a chaotic cacophony, which only fueled the tank crews' anger. The rapidly advancing tanks crushed the makeshift foxholes and firing positions on the front lines with their tracks. The defenders were immediately thrown into chaos and disarray. For a moment, their panicked screams almost drowned out the roar of the tank engines.

Under the officers' coercion and strict orders, some fierce and stubborn soldiers were aroused and howled, grabbing cluster grenades or carrying explosive packs, trying to rush towards the Central Army tanks from the flanks.

The infantry battalion following closely behind the tanks fired heavy submachine guns to block their advance. The dense barrage of bullets created red smoke among the suicide attacking soldiers. The demolition experts were unable to get close to the tanks. Some of the grenades and explosive charges in hand were killed before they could be thrown, and were immediately blown to pieces, their flesh and blood flying everywhere in a gruesome scene.

The remaining will and courage of the defenders were completely extinguished; the remaining soldiers had suffered a mental breakdown and were only concerned with fleeing for their lives. Under the fierce attack of the assault formation, which combined infantry and tanks, the outcome was already clear: a one-sided battle.

"Infantry formation, charge! Follow me and go harvest the corn!" Company Commander Zhang Yi shouted, grabbing his MP28 submachine gun and leading his soldiers across the trenches, pursuing the enemy deep into enemy territory.

The armored vehicle formation halted its pursuit in front of the trenches, providing fire support to the infantry formation with precise fire from its vehicle-mounted artillery and machine guns, eliminating the defenders who had not surrendered and the enemy troops in subsequent echelons.

Song Hongfei grabbed the radio communicator: "Artillery battalion, suppress the remaining long-range artillery fire from the enemy's Changmin Village and Zhangjialing areas! Attack the enemy's follow-up echelons deep behind enemy lines!"

He then gave the engineer squadron the order: "Engineer detachment, blast open a passage in the trenches to allow tanks to pass!"

"understand!"

The sapper platoon leader then led several demolition teams forward. With a series of loud explosions, the sappers blasted open several passages on the east and west sides of the defenders' trenches according to the established combat plan.

Song Hongfei established radio communication with Liao Jianchu and Zhang Yi's left and right assault squadrons:

"The 2nd Company will attack from the west along the trenches, and together with the 1st Company, divide and encircle the enemy in the areas of Ganjiazhuang, Chishui Railway Station, Xinzhuang, and Changmin Village!"

"The 3rd Company, advance southwestward into our rear! Outflank and encircle Baijia Village and Tianjia Village!"

The armored assault formation's vehicles crossed the trenches through the passages blasted open by engineers, advancing deep into enemy territory. From the air, it looked like they were throwing fierce left and right hooks, breaking through the entire Southeast Army's Chishui River defense line from north to south.

The main trenches of the defending army's Chishui River defense line were cut open from the east and west sides by an extremely sharp scalpel. The entire defense line could no longer form a defensive system and was divided into individual strongpoints scattered in the open plain, each fighting its own battle and unable to organize overall coordination.

To make matters worse, their few artillery pieces had already been firmly suppressed by the Central Army's artillery fire, and their strongholds had lost the support of heavy firepower.

Most critically, the artillery positions originally deployed north of Changmin Village were directly attacked by the enemy's mobile formation. A battalion responsible for the positions of Changmin Village and Xinzhuang could not withstand the fierce attack of the armored formation and suffered heavy losses. The remaining 75mm mountain guns and 150mm heavy mortars could not be moved and were all captured by the Central Army.

When Liu Fangdu, commander of the 105th Division, heard the report, he almost fainted. The artillery battalion assigned to him by Marshal Zhang was now reduced to a single mountain artillery company near Zhangjialing Heights, and it had been suppressed by the Central Army's long-range artillery fire so that it dared not fire another shot.

Meanwhile, Gao Fuyuan, the brigade commander of the 1st Brigade of the 105th Division, had tears in his eyes. His only heavy mortar company had been completely wiped out, and most of the mortars and anti-tank guns of the three regiments under him had also been lost. Only the 3rd Regiment on the southern line south of the Xitong Highway and the Zhangjialing Heights area still had some heavy firepower.

"Without heavy firepower, how can infantry withstand the attacks of infantry and tanks alone..." Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, Brigade Commander Gao spat out a mouthful of blood.

The right-wing assault force advanced irresistibly across the open plains south of the Wei River, heading deep into Baijia Village and Tianjia Village. The hastily constructed field fortifications and individual bunkers of the defending troops were simply no match for the fierce combined infantry and tank attack, and the Chishui River defense line was finally shaken along the entire line.