Volume Twenty-Three: The Springboard for Advance Section 57: Supplies

While Ren Hao was in command of the two main fleets and Spruance in the Bahamas, Gu Xunlei on the battlefield of Mexico was also facing the most difficult test.

On the 12th, after withstanding the counterattack launched by the US army and the night before, Gu Xunlei decisively invested two infantry divisions as reserves and launched a new round of offensive on the battlefield on the northern front. The 12th Tank Division and the 89th Hussar Division were the main forces in this attack, while the two new infantry divisions were responsible for consolidating positions in the rear, expanding the gains and supplying the troops attacking on the front.

It was a decisive offensive in the second campaign of the Mexican War. From nine in the morning to three in the afternoon, with the help of the heavy armor of the 12th Tank Division, the attacking troops ~ advanced fifteen kilometers on the road. This advance was surprisingly slow compared to the offensive capabilities of the tank forces, but compared to the previous attacks, it was considered "god-speed". Moreover, it was the 12th Tank Division that successfully advanced 15 kilometers, and then the 89th Hussar Division, and the 147th Infantry Division, which was the first to arrive, organized the defensive line, and finally cut off the road communication line between Twakan and Orisaba, cutting the American defense line into two sections, which not only destroyed the integrity of the American defense line, but more importantly, blocked the infantry division that Eisenhower left in Orisaba as a reserve from the main battlefield, laying the foundation for the final encirclement of Twakan.

At that time, Gu Xunlei also saw the hope of victory. Can be fast. And that hope was dashed. The convoy from New Orleans arrived at Tampico Harbor on the 12th, and this convoy not only sent Eisenhower two infantry divisions to replenish the troops, but also sent a large amount of war materials, especially the ammunition, so that the American artillery could more easily shell the Imperial Expeditionary Force. And there is no need to worry about the problem of not having enough ammunition.

On the night of the 12th, both sides were busy adjusting their deployments, and no large-scale fighting broke out. Gu Xunlei received a telegram from Lei Shaoqing that night, and learned that the US army had received reinforcements and supplementary supplies. As a result, Gu Xunlei had to temporarily abandon the offensive operations launched during the day on 13 July, and let all combat units switch from offensive to defensive, preparing to deal with a large-scale counterattack by the US military. It was also the information sent by Lei Shaoqing that made Gu Xunlei make an accurate judgment. At the same time, the combat units of the expeditionary force could seize the time to strengthen the defensive line on the night of the 12th and the early morning of the 13th.

On the morning of the 13th, the US military launched a large-scale counterattack during the day. Eisenhower did not hesitate to throw the two infantry divisions of the newly arrived area into the northern theater. It was also the most critical battlefield at the time, and if the Imperial Expeditionary Force went any further, it would encircle Tehuakan from the northeast, thus disconnecting Tehuacan from the outside world. Other words. If the U.S. forces could not repel the Imperial Expeditionary Force, which had already controlled the road communication line northeast of Tehuakan, then it would not be possible to hold Twakacan. For this. Eisenhower also threw in at least 5 artillery regiments to prepare shells for them. In addition, the front-line aviation of the US Army at that time was also concentrated in this direction, preparing to provide aviation support to the attacking forces.

Gu Xunlei had long judged that the focus of the US army's counterattack would be the northern battlefield, so after receiving Lei Shaoqing's warning, he not only let the three divisions on the front line strengthen their defenses, but also let the 149th Infantry Division that followed behind establish a defensive line to deal with the US attack on the logistics supply line. At the same time, Gu Xunlei deployed six artillery regiments on the northern front. He also concentrated half of the army's air force at that time to support the defensive operations on this side.

One can imagine how fierce the battle would have been when both Gu Xunlei and Eisenhower focused on this battlefield with an area of less than 50 square kilometers. Because both sides invested a large number of air forces, not only did a fierce battle break out on the ground battlefield, but the confrontation between the air forces of the two sides reached the highest point since the outbreak of the Mexican War in the sky above the battlefield.

On the morning of 13 July, the air forces of both sides flew more than 1,500 combat planes, of which 800 fighters were put into operation alone. The two sides dispatched 600 fighters to seize air supremacy, and the range of air combat spread from the battlefield to a radius of 150 kilometers, and even a large-scale air battle broke out in Veracruz, which was about 200 miles from the battlefield. And in several large-scale air battles in the morning. The U.S. Army lost 80 aircraft, and the Imperial Army Air Corps lost more than 60 aircraft.

Afternoon. The air forces of both sides, while simultaneously strengthening their ground support forces, have also intensified their strikes on the enemy's front-line airfields. Although several more large-scale air battles broke out, the focus of the battles was no longer a confrontation between fighters, but a large-scale air attack by bombers on enemy airfields on both sides. Even most of the fighter jets on both sides carried out bombing missions with bombs. This was also a feature of the battlefield at that time, because both sides lacked front-line airfields to deploy more combat aircraft on the front line, and when it was necessary to retain some fighters to seize air supremacy, the tactical bombers that could be deployed were quite limited. When it was necessary to increase the intensity of bombing, fighters could only be assigned to carry out bombing missions. In addition, at that time, whether it was the US Army Aviation or the Imperial Army Airlines, most of the fighters equipped with them had a certain ground bombing capability. As a secondary combat force, the fighters equipped with the Imperial Navy are even more excellent in ground strike capabilities, and are often used as bombers.

The fighting on the ground was more intense, especially on the northwestern line of defense by the 89th Hussars, where two newly arrived infantry divisions of the American army launched three assaults in the morning with the support of artillery and the cover of aviation. However, also because of the fierce blows of the artillery of the Imperial Expeditionary Force and the rapid entry of the Imperial Army into battle, these three attacks were fruitless, and the American troops paid the price of more than 2,000 casualties.

At the same time, the U.S. infantry division deployed in Orisaba also launched an attack on the northeastern defensive line, which was under the responsibility of the 147th Infantry Division. This is the direction of the secondary counterattack of the US army, so the support firepower received by the attacking forces is not very strong. But again, because the defending troops were not able to get much covering firepower, the battle on this side was even more fierce. The U.S. troops attacked three times, broke through the defensive line of the 147th Infantry Division three times, entered a defensive position, and the officers and soldiers of both sides fought three white-knuckle battles, while on the defensive

When the 12th Tank Division of the Reserve came to the rescue three times, it finally took the American offensive department] to go. By the time the U.S. Army finished its third offensive, it had left about 3,000 soldiers on the position, and the 147th Infantry Division had also lost more than 1,800 officers and soldiers in the battle, and more than 4,000 wounded.

Probably because of the heavy losses, the ground offensive of the American army was weaker that afternoon. The bombers of both sides became the protagonists on the battlefield, and in several offensive and defensive battles of little intensity, thousands of officers and men on both sides were killed. It was not until the evening of the same day that the Americans launched a large-scale offensive on the line of the 89th Hussar Division. On a line less than 5 miles wide, the U.S. military committed at least 50 tanks and 3,000 infantry, and its offensive density reached the level of 10 tanks per kilometer of defense and 600 infantry. This offensive density is quite scary. In addition, throughout the offensive operation, the long-range heavy artillery of the American army has been suppressing the 89th Light Cavalry Ground. Similarly, the heavy artillery units of the Imperial Expeditionary Force deployed in the rear used the information provided by the artillery guides of the 89th Light Cavalry Division to strike at the attacking American units with all their might. It can be said that the role of artillery on both sides at that time was far more important than that of infantry and armor. However, because the artillery of both sides was deployed in the rear, neither could bombard the artillery positions of the other side.

The artillery battle lasted until about eight o'clock in the evening. It ended only after the American offensive forces retreated. The daytime battle also ended at this time. Also because of the heavy casualties and the need to treat the wounded officers and soldiers, no new fighting broke out between the two sides on the night of the 13th. That night, there was a strange scene on the battlefield, with medical units on both sides searching for their wounded in frontline positions. There was no battle between them, probably because both sides had formed a tacit understanding.

Taking advantage of the night of the 13th, Gu Xunlei reversed the 147th and 149th Infantry Divisions and replaced the 147th Infantry Division, which suffered heavy losses. At that time, he only had the reserve of the last division in his hands, so Gu Xunlei was not in a hurry to send the last reserve. At the same time, he also urgently ordered the 17th Tank Division in Tututepec to urgently go to the front. If the 12th Tank Division loses too much land in defensive operations. He will send the 17th Tank Division to attack in place of the 12th Tank Division. In other words, by this time, Gu Xunlei had not actually given up the attack.

During the day on the 14th, the intensity of the fighting between the two sides weakened considerably. The two reserves that Eisenhower had committed on the 13th suffered considerable losses and could hardly continue the offensive. And he did not dare to immediately send troops from other lines of defense to strengthen the attack. Similarly, Gu Xunlei also lacked reserves for the time being. We had to abandon the idea of an immediate attack, hoping to consume more of the US military's living forces through defensive operations to help the next offensive.

On this day, the two armies of Mexico played the leading role on the battlefield. At that time, Gu Xunlei handed over the defense of the area north of Tututepec, towards Veracruz, to the Mexican government forces, and Eisenhower deployed there were also Mexican rebels. Because the geographical environment here did not have much benefit for defense and offense, Gu Xunlei and Eisenhower did not invest in the main force. As a result, when the main battlefield of both sides "calmed down", the two Mexican armies broke out here on a scale that was not too large. But it's quite an interesting battle.

The first to launch the onslaught was the Mexican government forces, and the order to attack was given directly by the Mexican president who was in Gutiérrez. In less than three hours of offensive operations in the morning, the combat effectiveness of the Mexican government forces was completely exposed. Perhaps, this army is not bad in the rear, but on the real battlefield, it does not have enough strength to attack a well-defended position. In the afternoon, the Mexican rebels took advantage of the weak offensive of the government forces and the discouragement of the army to launch a counterattack. But this time, it only took two hours, and the Mexican rebels' combat effectiveness was revealed more quickly. Relative to the Mexican government army, the rebels were even less combative. With the defence of the government forces already shaking, the rebels were not able to achieve anything. Moreover, in the two-hour blind attack, tens of thousands of officers and soldiers were lost, of which more than 7,000 officers and soldiers directly wanted the government army to surrender, and the largest surrendered force was a complete infantry regiment! It can be said that the offensive troops voluntarily surrendered to the defending forces during offensive operations, which can be regarded as a strange story in the war!

After several days of fierce fighting, both sides showed signs of fatigue, and the lack of reserves was equally serious for both sides. The troops that had been replenished to Gu Xunlei would not arrive until the 17th, and Eisenhower could only obtain another division on the 15th, but this would not be enough for him to launch a decisive counterattack. Therefore, Eisenhower, having received additional troops on the 15th, did not immediately attack, but prepared to launch a counterattack after obtaining more additional troops. Similarly, Gu Xunlei did not organize a new attack, and the troops in his hands were simply unable to organize an effective attack.

By the time the second convoy of the U.S. military arrived in Tampico on the 15th, Gu Xunlei had already felt the seriousness of the problem. If the Gulf of Mexico could not be cut off by sea, Eisenhower would have received a steady stream of supplies, while the Imperial Expeditionary Force would have to rely on the transpacific route to obtain supplies, which means that the Imperial Expeditionary Force's supply lines were more than ten times longer than those of the American army, which was the most disadvantageous for the attacking side. Under these circumstances, Gu Xunlei either gave up the offensive or found a way to cut off the US army's supply lines by sea.

In fact, as early as the 12th, that is, when Eisenhower obtained the first batch of supplies and war materials, Gu Xunlei proposed to Han Shaofeng that HNA should send shore-based bombers to attack the US transport fleet on the Gulf of Mexico route, but Han Shaofeng was planning an attack on Jamaica at that time, and the number of airfields on the Yucatan Peninsula was quite limited, how could he have the ability to meet Gu Xunlei's requirements? In desperation, Gu Xunlei could only send a request to the Army Command and the Army Aviation Strategic Bomber Command, hoping to get more help. Sea Soul Volume 23 Springboard for Advancement Section 57 Supply