At dusk, on the snow of a threshing floor in Xinfatun, several Japanese tanks were dragged back, and more than a dozen military workers were inspecting the tanks. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info Liu Xiaofeng accompanied Zhang Qingshan, commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade, to check. "Haha, Commander Liu, the Japanese tanks are not small, they are so vulnerable!" "Brigade Commander Zhang, this is the 97 Type 4 tank installed by the Japanese army last year, and its performance is not as good as our Jaguar 2 tank, and the comparison between the two sides in this battle is obvious."

"It's really gratifying, our ordnance enterprises, from scratch, from small to large, from weak to strong, can now produce advanced tank combat vehicles, it is incredible. As a soldier, I feel proud and proud to be able to use our own sharp weapons. Zhang Qingshan felt it. Brigadier Zhang, I heard that the Ordnance Research Institute is developing a real heavy tank, with a total combat weight of up to 50 tons, and our Cheetah 2 can only be counted as a medium tank. "Good boy! At 50 tons, that's a steel monster. ”

"Report to the regiment commander, due to the lack of spare parts, these Japanese tanks cannot be repaired." "Since it can't be repaired, blow it up!" "Don't don't, don't blow it up!" Zhou Qingshan heard this and hurriedly stopped it. "Brigade Commander Zhou, what does this mean?" "Commander Liu, how about these Japanese tanks for me?" "What do you want Japanese tanks for?" "I found that the artillery and machine guns of the Japanese tanks were in good condition, and the ammunition was sufficient!" "Brigadier Zhou is very shrewd, I understand!"

Soon, several crippled Japanese tanks were towed to positions and used as steel forts. "Commander Liu, what about this steel fortress, if the Japanese army does not use heavy artillery, the infantry artillery will not do anything for him. With this steel fortress, the solidity of my defensive position has increased by at least thirty percent. "Brigade Commander Zhou, if the Japanese army attacks at night, we don't have to dispatch." "Commander Liu, you are too worried, it is precisely because you are here that the Japanese army will not launch an attack on Xinfatun."

"The chief of staff just called and the Japanese reinforcements were advancing to the front line of Liujiadian, and the Japanese army would launch an attack on the Caojia shack in the southeast tonight. At present, the 3rd Brigade and the 4th Brigade, which have just arrived, are hurrying to Cao's shack to build a defensive position. The snow and ice are too cold to build a strong position, and it looks like they will face a fierce battle tonight. Zhou Qingshan's face showed a hint of worry. The speaker has no intention, but the listener has a heart. Liu Xiaofeng had an idea and said, "Brigade Commander Zhou, what if 10 steel fortresses appear in the Cao family's shack?" ”

"Commander Liu, if 10 steel fortresses appear in the Cao family's shack, I dare to guarantee that the insurance coefficient of their blocking position will increase by 3 percent! But what is the use of painting bread to satisfy hunger? "Commander Zhou, I want to send 10 tanks to the Cao family's shack to temporarily serve as a steel fortress!" "Great, I'll call the headquarters right away!" Zhou Qingshan was overjoyed when he heard this. "No, the command will not agree, do you know the commanders of the 3rd Brigade and the 11th Brigade?" "Qin Jiwei, commander of the 3rd Brigade, and Liang Xingchu, commander of the 11th Brigade, we are all comrades-in-arms!"

"Brigade Commander Zhou, you can only cut first and then play, this steel fortress is really good. You send an operational staff officer to Cao's shack to mediate, and I will send 10 taels of tanks to Cao's shack immediately, and this matter must not be made public. If the command pursues, I will take responsibility. "Captain Liu, I will take responsibility with you!" Without hesitation, Zhou Qingshan immediately sent an operational staff officer to rush to the Cao family's shack on horseback. Liu Xiaofeng also selected 10 tanks and set off immediately.

Before leaving, Liu Xiaofeng said to a company commander who led the team: "Remember, when you arrive at the Cao family's shack, you are acting as a steel fortress, and you should not open fire until you have to. Although the Japanese heavy artillery did not have the ability to pierce armor and could not destroy tanks, heavy artillery shells could paralyze the barrel. Your task is to hold your position, so that the Japanese can think of it as a machine-gun position. The Japanese infantry artillery and anti-aircraft guns did not pose any threat to it. "Commander, don't worry, I remember!"

At about 6 o'clock in the evening, the Cao family's shack entered a hot state. After the officers and men of the 3rd and 11th Brigades arrived at Cao's shack, they immediately began to build fortifications. The highway from Harbin to Jilin passes through the Caojia shack. On the east side of the Cao family's shack is a dense primeval forest, forming a natural barrier. The west side of the Cao family's shack is flat land, which is also cultivated land. Cao's shack is about 30 kilometers away from Xinfatun, and Caojia's shack is the defensive front from the north-south Gouhe on the west side.

West of the Gouhe River is the defense area of Xinfatun, which is within the maneuver range of the tank troops, so the Japanese army will not choose to fight in a roundabout way west of the Gouhe River. Some people may ask: Since the west of the Gou River is the mobile combat area of the tank troops, and the east of the Gou River is only 8 kilometers from the Caojia shack, and it is now a cold day, the small river has already been frozen for three feet, so it stands to reason that the Caojia shack should be within the defense area of the tank fighting vehicles. However, the problem arises precisely from this north-south trending ditch river.

Ditch River! As the name suggests, you can see the clue literally. Yes, although the north-south ditch river is only a dozen meters wide, it is up to 3 meters deep, forming a natural trench. There is no problem with people in the past, and tank fighting vehicles can only choose special places to go over, which restricts tank fighting vehicles from maneuvering west of the Gully River. Therefore, the 8-kilometer defense line from Caojia's shack to Gouhe became the core of defense. Moreover, the Haji Highway passes through the Caojia shack, and it is inevitable that the Japanese army will choose to attack the Caojia shack.

The 8-kilometer defensive line was very fragile to prevent the Japanese army from carrying out large-scale artillery bombardment close to the city, and it was the core of Harbin's urban defense operations. In the Caojia Shed Command, Qin Jiwei, commander of the 3rd Brigade, and Liang Xingchu, commander of the 11th Brigade, temporarily formed a joint command headquarters in accordance with the instructions of the headquarters. "Brother Liang, the Cao family's shack defense line is almost impossible to defend, so you can only use the snow to pile up trenches and then pour water. Although this method can block the bullets of the Japanese army, it cannot defend against the Japanese shelling. ”

"Commander Su told him that judging by the speed of the Japanese advance, an attack would be launched around midnight. Our support artillery was captured Japanese artillery, including 22 105-mm heavy guns and 12 mountain guns, but the shells were limited. According to the information provided by the headquarters, the 201st Division and the 211st Division, which were supported by Changchun, were equipped with a heavy artillery brigade, and the number of their own artillery pieces made the strike firepower very terrifying, and I am afraid that it would be a vicious battle tonight. Liang Xingchu's face was grim, and there was a hint of worry.

Qin Jiwei said: "In order to reduce the pressure on the defensive position and avoid casualties under Japanese artillery fire, we must think of a good way!" "The only way is to reduce the number of personnel in defensive positions and increase strike firepower." "Report, the operational staff officer of the 1st Brigade came, saying that there was an emergency report." The two were a little surprised, and ordered the combat staff of the First Brigade to come in. After listening to the report of the operational staff officer, the two were overjoyed. "Haha! Lao Zhou is interesting enough, you and I are worried, so I sent timely rain! Qin Jiwei couldn't help but step forward and shake hands with the staff officer.

"Brother Qin, if you want to say that the person who sent charcoal in the snow, which tank commander is it! This kid can see the weakness of our defense, it's not easy! "What Brother Liang said makes sense, this kid has a bright future in the future. Originally, you and I were worried, but now that we have a steel fortress, what are I hesitating about! The two immediately instructed the combat staff officers to reasonably distribute the positions of the 10 steel fortresses on the defensive line according to the defensive priorities. An hour later, 10 steel pillboxes appeared on the position, giving the defending officers and men a great boost of confidence.

The commander of the tank company who led the team ordered the anti-aircraft machine guns of each tank to be unloaded and deployed on the position, invisibly adding another fire strike point. After the war, it turned out that the 10 steel fortresses played a crucial role in the stability of the defensive position. Even with the help of 10 steel fortresses, the 3rd Brigade and the 11th Brigade paid a heavy price in the face of the tidal wave of Japanese attacks. And the brutal defensive operation of the Cao family's shack can be called a classic in the defensive operation of Harbin for seven days and seven nights.

At about 8 o'clock in the evening, the vanguard of the 201st Division of the Japanese Army arrived at Liujiadian. Liujiadian is about 6 kilometers away from Caojia's shack. According to Okamura Ningji's order, the 201st Division and the 211th Division, that is, the 18th Independent Heavy Artillery Brigade, were all engaged in the front-line operation of Caojia's shack, and the 201st Division and the 211th Division were required to break through Caojia's shack that night to create conditions for other troops to recapture Harbin. Okamura Ninji knows in his heart that now the two sides are filling oil tactics, and it depends on who is faster.

At about 9 o'clock, the headquarters of the 201st Division and the 211st Division arrived at Liujiadian. The 201st and 211st Divisions belong to the B Division, with an establishment of 21,000 men. They served as the garrison of Changchun, and their combat effectiveness was much higher than that of the garrison in Harbin. In a private house, Kenko Nagai, commander of the 210th Division, and Hidetomo Tanaka, commander of the 211th Division, were discussing how to deploy offensive tactics. Kenko Nagai is about 60 years old, and Tanaka Hidetomo is a young Zhuang faction about 40 years old.

The Japanese army paid attention to seniority, so Okamura Ninji ordered Kenko Nagai to be the commander-in-chief and Hidetomo Tanaka to be the deputy commander-in-chief. "Tanaka-kun, the situation in the Northeast has reached the most critical moment, and we will do our best to turn the tide." "General Nagai, the younger generation obeys your command and will never slack off." "The enemy's combat capability is very strong, and it captured Harbin in one day and one night, the 211th Division was defeated, and the powerful 237th Brigade also suffered heavy losses. In particular, the 2nd Tank Division, known as the pride of the Empire, was also ravaged by enemy forces. ”

"What is the actual situation, we have reached the most dangerous moment. The offensive tactics of the past are outdated, and if we continue to arrange our troops according to the textbooks, we will not be able to break through the enemy's defenses. This time, we will concentrate all our artillery fire to break through the enemy's defenses and break through with a series of attacks. "General Mingjian, we must break the boat!" The two then discussed and set the time for the attack at midnight.