The progress of the Japanese army was far less optimistic than Hidenosuke Awasu had imagined. Although it is a flat river from Shaerqin to Baotou, there are four or five ditches in between. The 35th Army Engineer Battalion took advantage of this very skillfully. They blew up all the load-bearing bridges, and used the destroyed bridge components to silt up the river, forcing all the river water onto the road, forming a large artificial swamp.

At that time, the water flow was relatively large, and the performance of the tank was not as advanced as in later generations, so it was impossible to wade through. Moreover, in order to ensure the suddenness of this operation, the Japanese army did not carry too much bridge-building equipment, so they could only look at the river and sigh.

The commander of the light battle squadron, Numata Shintoku, hurriedly ran to report: "Your Excellency, the Wing Commander, the people of Shina have destroyed the road ahead, and the chariots are impassable!" ”

"Yaga!" Su Su Einosuke Nakasa angrily slapped the tank shell and shouted: "Despicable Shina, quick, go around to the northwest immediately, and you must rush to Baotou before dark!" ”

"Hello!"

The Japanese armored units made a difficult turn, preparing to bypass these small rivers from the shallow water upstream. Marching on the steppes had this advantage, all roads led to Rome, and it was difficult to be completely confined to death by the other side. At the same time, enemy army aviation also launched an air raid on Baotou. The reason for the operation at this time was to cover the surprise attack of the armored forces so as not to be exposed in advance.

Boom Boom Boom ...... Dozens of Japanese planes took off from Guisui, Datong, and Zhangjiakou respectively, and then flew straight to Baotou. Large and small aerial bombs continued to fall from the sky, and the explosions were one after another, and the entire city was plunged into a piece of gunsmoke, which threatened to flatten Baotou in one fell swoop.

However, the 35th Army was not completely unprepared. Their only anti-aircraft artillery battalion was deployed in Baotou City, and except for a 20-mm anti-aircraft artillery company that accompanied the automobile unit to intercept the tanks, the remaining four 40-mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns and twelve 20-mm Surothong anti-aircraft guns were all on standby. In addition, the heavy machine guns on the positions of the battalions and companies were also replaced with anti-aircraft gun mounts and were coldly aimed into the air.

As soon as the Japanese planes arrived in the sky above Baotou, they were immediately warmly received by the air defense units, and the dense rain of bullets quickly enveloped the aircraft group like a large net. Several Japanese planes that tried to bomb at low altitudes were fired several times in succession, and black smoke immediately rose from them. Before the pilot could parachute, he was planted into a ditch with the plane. The rest of the planes were taken aback and hurriedly pulled up out of the range of the anti-aircraft guns. At that time, the high-altitude horizontal bombing technology was still very backward, although the Japanese planes were in a relatively safe position. But it is unlikely that you want to bomb accurately.

Commander Dong Qiwu glanced up at the vulture-like fleet. Calmly asked: "Is the automobile unit ready?" ”

The chief of staff hurriedly said: "Report to the commander, you have arrived at the predetermined position." ”

Commander Dong said categorically: "Let Wang Jianye (then the commander of the 301st Regiment) act immediately, now that the enemy plane has not much fuel, it is a good opportunity to do it!" "For armored cars. Enemy planes are far more dangerous than tanks. Therefore, the timing of the attack is very important. It's early. It is possible to fly ashes and annihilate under the combined strike of enemy aircraft and tanks; If you are late, you miss the right section of the ambush and you will lose your valuable fighter.

……

East of Baotou City.

Whew...... The Japanese armored forces finally bypassed a small river. Due to the long journey. Coupled with some water during the river crossing, some tanks began to break down and broke down. Hidenosuke Awasu Nakasa had to order repairs on the spot and have the rearmament team (that is, the maintenance unit, each tank wing has a rearmament squadron) come to repair it.

Tanks in the early stages of World War II did not have any ergonomics to talk about. In particular, Japanese-made tanks have a small space and are very poor in terms of ventilation and lighting. The same is true for communication equipment, as soon as you turn on the radio communication system, it is like frying popcorn, and it keeps making all kinds of strange noises. This is fine in an ordinary environment, but in a small space like a tank, it is simply a living sin.

The Japanese soldiers had been holding back in the car for a long time, and they had had enough of it. Now when they saw that the troops had stopped to rest, they got out of the cars one after another, some like rabbits, with only one head exposed; Some are like groundhogs, poking half of their bodies out; Others simply climbed out of the car and took a wrench to pretend to do maintenance there.

Seeing that the scene was a little chaotic, Hidenosuke Awasu couldn't help frowning slightly. Just as I was about to speak, suddenly, bang! A dense burst of gunfire rang out, and the Japanese soldiers fell to the ground screaming and falling to the ground, killing and wounding dozens of people in an instant. This small unit is a sniper unit formed by Chief Fu Zuoyi in imitation of Jizhong. All of them are carefully selected sharpshooters, and it may be a little immature to fight real sniper battles, but it is not a problem to shoot cold.

Due to the lack of infantry coordination in the Japanese tanks, the sharpshooters of the 35th Army were as easy as shooting targets. Whether it is a rabbit or a marmot, they all become the prey of the warriors.

"Enemy attack!"

……

The little devils were so frightened that they crawled into the car, and more soldiers were killed in the car. However, after all, the Japanese army is a tank wing, and a small sniper unit alone will definitely not be able to deal with it. As some of the tanks began to counterattack, the scene was gradually regained by the Japanese army.

Some Japanese soldiers used light and heavy machine guns from tanks to fire heavily in all directions, and the dense rain of bullets forced the snipers to evacuate as quickly as possible. Thankfully, there were plenty of weeds, and most of the warriors slipped into the half-human-high grass.

However, before the hapless Japanese soldiers had time to cheer, an even bigger blow followed. Under the cover of the sound of Japanese guns and tank motors, the automobile units of the 35th Army finally arrived.

At the front were several captured Bean tanks, followed by a platoon of armored vehicles with 20-mm anti-aircraft guns, a total of twelve. These armored cars were modified so that small anti-aircraft guns on the compartment could fire from the side or back at the target. It's a bit of a wheeled assault gun, but it's not limited to the shape of a car, and the muzzle can't shoot forward.

"Camp, do you want to fight?" An anti-aircraft gunner couldn't help but ask a little nervously when he saw that he was getting closer and closer to the enemy tank.

An officer next to him calmly looked ahead and said in a deep voice: "Don't worry! ”

The officer's name was Hu Xuekun. He served as a cavalry company commander in Zhao Chengsui's department and was a hero in the battle of Honggertu. Originally, there was no need to send a battalion commander for such a dangerous mission, but this time the task of luring the enemy was crucial, so he insisted on personally leading the team.

As he spoke, the car sped forward another hundred meters. Battalion Commander Hu pulled out his pistol, fired three shots into the sky, and shouted: "Turn around, fire!" ”

In addition to the three bean chariots rushing in the other direction, the twelve armored vehicles suddenly turned in front of the enemy, and the 20-mm Surothong anti-aircraft guns immediately showed their fangs. The Japanese soldiers began to see the bean chariots. I thought it was my own people who came to answer me. couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, and only after seeing the black barrel of the small anti-aircraft gun did he feel that something was wrong.

"Hey, stop, which troop are you?" A Japanese officer asked in a panic.

Boom Boom Boom ...... Only heavy artillery fire answered them. Without waiting for the Japanese tank to turn the turret. The 20-mm anti-aircraft guns on the carriages had already fired. A series of fireballs swept across the front row of tanks. Type 89, Type 97 and other medium tanks are fine. As long as you don't hit the vital point. It doesn't matter how many hits you take. Type 92, Type 94, Type 95 and other thin-skinned light battles (light equipment) could not withstand this kind of blow, and were quickly bombarded.

"Don't stop, go around!"

Battalion Commander Hu Xuekun gave an order to the loudspeaker. At the same time, he personally operated the Surotong anti-aircraft gun and swept the Japanese army. Seeing that the commander personally went into battle to fight for his life, the morale of the soldiers soared, and they all followed the same example, and even relied on these armored vehicles to press the Japanese tanks and beat them severely. only made the little devil cry his father and call his mother, so he was not embarrassed. He also circled around the tank group, destroying and injuring more than a dozen tanks in an instant, so angry that Hidenosuke Awasu almost vomited blood.

"Fight back, fight back! You bastards! ”

Hidenosuke Awasu shouted hysterically, but because the communication equipment was so bad, most of the commanders of the tanks turned off the communicators. The Japanese tanks collided like headless flies, and it was not easy to restore order. At this time, battalion commander Hu Xuekun had already fled with an armored car. Even more rarely, due to the failure of the Japanese to make an effective return fire in a hurry, not a single car was destroyed. It was only under the Japanese machine-gun fire that more than a dozen people were killed or wounded.

"Shame! This is a great shame! Numata Shintoku, lead your squadron in immediate pursuit and destroy the daring Shina people! ”

"Hello!"

As I have said before, the Japanese army's revenge mentality is extremely heavy. If you want to provoke him, you have to take revenge for this, and you can't wait to chase him to the sky in one go. Although the task of attacking Baotou is more important, more than a dozen armored cars can be beaten, so how can Su Qi Einosuke Nakasa swallow this breath?

So he sent a squadron to chase the three bean chariots, and ordered Numata Shintoku's light combat squadron to pursue the armored car team led by battalion commander Hu Xuekun. Due to the heavy losses of the light combat squadron just now, Hidenosuke Awasu also took out the latest four Type 97 medium tanks in his hand.

Although the Japanese army was very embarrassed just now, after all, it was well-trained, and the troops set off quickly. Although the speed of the car is fast, it is far inferior to the tank in the field. It didn't take long for the Japanese army to close in and bombard the car convoy with their main guns and machine guns. Not to be outdone, the soldiers returned fire with the Surothong anti-aircraft guns on the carriages.

Not to mention, this rudimentary wheeled assault gun is quite powerful, and as soon as the 20mm anti-aircraft gun fires, those thin-skinned tanks really can't stand it. Of course, the flaw of armored vehicles is also quite obvious, that is, the protection is too weak. Not to mention being shot, even if you are hit by a bullet, you can't stand it.

Fortunately, Hu Xuekun and they didn't need to fight hard with the Japanese tanks, as long as they lured the enemy into an ambush position. There were 12 mountain guns and 24 battle defense guns waiting for them, enough for the little devil to drink a pot.

It didn't take long for the staff officer on the side to shout happily: "Battalion, the front position has been arranged." Let's hurry over! ”

Hu Xuekun was overjoyed and hurriedly ordered: "Attention all cars, speed up, speed up!" ”

The drivers all pressed the throttle to the bottom and quickly pulled away. However, the off-road ability of the car was limited, and one of the cars broke down at this critical moment. Hu Xuekun saw that it was the car of Feng Yongde, the commander of the first company.

The staff officer also saw it and hurriedly said, "Camp, do you want to stop?" ”

Hu Xuekun hurriedly said: "Let the other cars go first, let's stop for a while!" ”

Feng Yongde heard the sound of tire rubbing and hurriedly shouted: "Yingzuo, you guys quickly retreat, leave us alone!" Evacuate! ”

Hu Xuekun hurriedly said: "What nonsense is the dog's day, jump out of the car!" ”

It was delayed for a short time. The Japanese tanks had already rushed over, but fortunately, the tanks of that era did not have any gun sight and fire control systems, and they were still driving at high speeds, so they naturally did not hit very accurately. Although the bullets hit the bulletproof steel plate with a loud sound, several shells passed by in a row.

Feng Yongde shouted: "It's too late, camp!" Lao Tzu will follow you again in the next life! As he spoke, he grabbed the anti-aircraft gun and swept at the Japanese tank. A Type 92 cavalry armored car was cut off the turret on the spot. But Feng Yongde's good luck also came to an end, a Type 97 medium tank suddenly turned its muzzle and hit the gun. Feng Yongde and the Surotong anti-aircraft cannon were suddenly shattered, and the armored car was also heavily damaged. Several soldiers screamed and fell to the side.

"Yongde!" Watching his brothers die tragically under Japanese artillery fire for many years. Hu Xuekun's eyes were split. The pain in my heart is like a knife, and I hate it so much that I immediately fight to the death with the Japanese devils. But as the commander of the decoy force, he has more important responsibilities.

"Camp, go. Avenge us! Several wounded soldiers shouted with all their might.

The Type 97 medium tank quickly spotted the wounded soldiers. Look at the scarred soldiers. The Japanese driver had the same hideous smile on his face. smashed the accelerator in his hand, and immediately crushed it with full power......

Rumble! The chariot shook first, then with a loud bang. The track was blown off. It turned out that the wounded soldier had pulled the cluster grenade hidden under him at the last moment. Although only one track was blown up, the Japanese had to stop for repairs. The car in which Hu Xuekun was riding took the opportunity to rush forward.

"Yaga!" Seeing that the duck in his hand flew again, Lieutenant Numata Shintoku was furious and led the chariot to continue the desperate pursuit. Soon, another car broke down. The excited Japanese army blew the car into slag without saying a word.

"Kill and give, and don't let go of a car!"

Under the frantic pursuit of the Japanese army, armored vehicles began to wear out sharply. Some cars broke down and were forced to give up, while others were hit by Japanese artillery.

At the end of the day, only one of the twelve cars remained. The tires of the car in which Battalion Chief Hu was riding were also burst. He ordered the rest of the officers and soldiers to evacuate on foot, climbed into the only remaining car, looked behind him sadly, gritted his teeth, and said, "Little devil of dog day, come on!" ”

"Kill, give!"

Eight tanks rushed at once, and the machine guns on them also fired non-stop. Battalion Commander Hu was sweeping behind him with an anti-aircraft gun, when he suddenly hugged his arm and snorted.

"Camp!"

Battalion Commander Hu gritted his teeth and said, "I'm fine, keep running, I'm about to go to the ambush position." ”

After driving a distance of four or five hundred meters to the north, they finally arrived at the ambush position. The Japanese army was chasing and killing, and did not stop to reconnoitre, but set up an ambush circle at one end.

"Fire!"

Boom Boom Boom ...... The dense shells suddenly whistled, and even the Type 97 medium tank did not dare to be hit head-on by the 75 mountain artillery. Although the armor-piercing ability of the Bailu anti-aircraft gun was slightly weaker, it could not withstand many guns, and the first few tanks in the platoon were suddenly bombed into parts.

"There is an ambush, retreat!" Seeing one tank after another destroyed by artillery fire, Lieutenant Numata Shintoku's face turned pale with shock, and he hurriedly ordered the remaining tanks to escape. But at this time, when he wanted to run, it was too late, and a few more shells bombarded him, and Numata Shintoku only felt a shock to the body, and immediately lost consciousness.

The guard Xiao Li touched Hu Xuekun with his hand and shouted happily: "Yingzuo, we won!" Before he could think about it, Battalion Commander Hu fell on the carriage, and the exposed bottom of the carriage was already covered with blood. It turned out that Battalion Commander Hu had been seriously injured just now, and for fear of shaking the morale of the army, he kept holding on and not saying a word.

"Camp, camp!" Xiao Li tested the pulse on his neck with his hand, and couldn't help crying.

Wang Jianye, the commander of the 301st Regiment who was in charge of commanding the battle, hurriedly came, and when he saw this, his face couldn't help but change greatly, and he hurriedly shouted: "Hygienist, hygienist, come here!" ”

The hygienist hurriedly ran over with the first-aid kit, but unfortunately Camp Chief Hu had already stopped breathing.

In this battle, the 35th Army destroyed and damaged more than 30 Japanese tanks at the cost of destroying 12 armored vehicles, 10 Suluotong anti-aircraft guns (two of which were not damaged and successfully recovered), and 57 people below the battalion commander Hu Xuekun were killed in the battle.

Upon learning of the annihilation of the Numata squadron, Hidenosuke Nakasa, the wing commander of the 13th Wing of the Japanese Tank, was furious and immediately turned around and attacked the ambush position of the 301st Regiment. At this time, the main force of the 301st Regiment was still in Baotou City, where there was only one battalion of troops and remnants of automobile troops. The two sides immediately engaged in a duel to the death.

The soldiers of the 301st Regiment shouted the slogan of "revenge for Battalion Commander Hu" and relied on their positions to fight desperately. In particular, the soldiers of the anti-aircraft artillery squad bombarded the Japanese tanks one after another, regardless of the danger.

Although the Japanese army took advantage of the mobility of the tank to occupy the advantage on the battlefield and kept pressing the 301st Regiment to fight, it was unable to take the position for a long time. Even if they occasionally broke through a few positions, they were blasted out by the soldiers holding cluster grenades and explosives packs. After the worst of the fighting, both sides were exhausted, and the inside and outside of the trenches were covered with blood-stained dirt.

Soon after, the 14th Tank Wing and a motorized infantry wing of the 26th Division arrived. On the side of the 35th Army, the newly formed Fifth Brigade and a regiment of the Second Cavalry Army of He Zhuguo also rushed to reinforce one after another. The two sides fought from two o'clock in the afternoon until eight o'clock in the evening, and in the early spring it was dark early, and it was dark at six o'clock in the evening, and it was even darker at eight o'clock that you couldn't see your fingers. In this case, neither side was able to deploy their forces, so they had to withdraw from the battlefield one by one.

Subsequently, although the main force of the 26th Division of the Japanese Army arrived overnight, it couldn't help but secretly feel that it did not dare to attack overnight when it saw the losses and casualties of the tank wing. It can be said that the soldiers exchanged their lives for a night of precious time. (To be continued......)

PS: Sorry for being so late! If you want to blame Xiangjun, it is he who has been debating with me for a long time with a lot of crooked reasons, hum, in order to correct his wrong concepts, he ...... Fortunately, he has already repented, and his merits are immeasurable!