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Don't look at the battle of the first army of mechanized infantry is more difficult, but the results are very solid, as the defense line of the Japanese 64th Wing was penetrated, the 1st Tan Division can finally be extended in depth, with the cooperation of the 2nd Tan Division and the 1st Motorcycle Division, the 23rd Division of the Japanese Army was divided and surrounded, and the division commander Komatsubara Michitaro was anxious to send a distress telegram to the Kwantung Army Headquarters, which once caught Minamijiro off guard. n∈

Minamijiro was not only caught off guard, but even extremely angry, because not only did the 23rd Division lose its chain and lose to the Imperial Army's former subordinate Lucia, but even the old 7th Division also disgraced the Imperial Army. The division commander Miyotaro Sugihara was also constantly asking for reinforcements, which made his face as the commander of the Kwantung Army really embarrassed.

"When will the 14th Brigade arrive on the battlefield?" Minamijiro asked with a grunt.

It must be noted that this 14th Brigade is not an independent unit, but a brigade under the 7th Division. As the first seven veteran divisions of the Japanese army, this seventh division is different from other divisions of the Japanese army.

Unlike the 23rd Division, which had three infantry wings and a search team, the division had two brigades (13 and 14 brigades) and a cavalry wing (the 7th Cavalry Wing), which, on paper, had one more infantry wing and one cavalry wing than such a unit as the 23 division.

That is to say, at the beginning of the war, the 7th Division actually only had the 13th Brigade and the 7th Cavalry Wing on the battlefield, and the 14th Brigade was actually still in Hailar. It was not rebuilt. It is equivalent to riding the 1st, 2nd, and 4th divisions to bully a lame 7th Division. With the arrival of the 1st Wing of Japanese tanks on the battlefield. In fact, the strength of the Seventh Division can be regarded as making up for it.

Of course, this kind of replenishment is only relative, after all, the Red Army has an absolute advantage on the battlefield, and if the 7th Division continues to fight with the forces at hand, it is only a matter of time before it is destroyed.

Naturally, after receiving a telegram from Miyotaro Sugihara asking for help, Minamijiro immediately prepared to return the 14th Brigade to the establishment.

Nishio replied: "The vanguard of the 14th Brigade has arrived in Arshan, and will be engaged in battle as soon as tomorrow. ”

Minamijiro nodded. He asked, "What about the Eighth and Nineteenth Divisions?" ”

"The Eighth Division has also been deployed, and the Nineteenth Division is still being assembled."

The 8th and 19th Divisions of the Japanese Army were both Class A divisions that remained after the disarmament of Ugaki in 1925. That is to say, the so-called 44 division regiment, which adopts the establishment of the second brigade and the fourth infantry regiment, and the division-level units directly govern the artillery, cavalry, engineers, and baggage troops (these units adopt the regiment-level establishment), and communications, health, field hospitals, and equipment repair units.

Based on the full strength of the Japanese infantry regiment of 4,400 people, the actual combat strength of a division of the first division will be between 15,ooo and 2o,ooo, plus the full strength of logistics personnel is almost 25,000 (almost equivalent to the size of the infantry corps of the Soviet Red Army in peacetime). Compared with the 23rd Division, which is a three-three division, the combat effectiveness is naturally heaven and earth (by the way, the 23rd Division in history was only established in 1938, just because of the commemoration of the historical Battle of Nomenkan. before it appeared in advance).

Minamijiro sent two more fully formed divisions into the battlefield in one go, which shows how eager he is for victory in this battle. But at the same time, it must also be noted that even if the 8th and 19th Divisions were joined, the Japanese troops on the battlefield were still at a disadvantage, and it was impossible to turn defeat into victory.

Five days later, when the 23rd Division was already surrounded by regiments and was being eaten by the 1st Army of Mechanized Infantry, the 8th and 19th Divisions were belated. After conducting a fire reconnaissance by Otaka Kamizo and Shimoto Kumaya (the commanders of the 8th and 19th Divisions respectively), the enemy they had to face was not the same thing at all, and the number of firepower was completely unexpected!

Under these circumstances, even the arrogant Japanese had to weigh up, and the two men jointly sent a telegram to Minamijiro, pointing out that the shape on the battlefield was somewhat unexpected, and requesting that they should be more cautious in the battle.

However, it was completely impossible for these two men's requests to be accepted, because Nanjiro was wrong in his estimation of the shape of the battlefield at this time, and he still thought that it was only a small armed conflict, and that the Soviets did not invest too many troops. It was also believed that with the support of the four divisions of the Imperial Army and a chariot wing and the puppet Manchurian Imperial Allied Army, it would not be a problem to eliminate Lucia's ghost animals.

And the cowardly Tail Taka Kamizo and Shimoto Xiong Mi were actually stuck in such an "advantageous" situation, which is definitely a shame for the imperial army. Suddenly, Minamijiro scolded the two of them in a reply and forcefully ordered them to attack immediately.

There is an order on the top, Tail Taka Kamizo and Xia Yuan Xiong Mi are naturally irresistible, and in desperation, these two can only rush forward, but these two also keep an eye on it, and they did not completely go out and fight hard, but only sent part of the troops to do a tentative attack.

The 8th Infantry Cavalry Wing, which was part of the 8th Division, and the 73rd Infantry Wing, which was part of the 19th Division, formed a vanguard assault force, under the unified command of Nakamura Shizaburo Daisa, and began a tentative assault on Zhukov's 4th Cavalry Division.

Stepping on the drizzle, under the instructions of the two division commanders who repeatedly emphasized the need to be cautious, Nakamura Shizaburo embarked on the journey with some impatience. However, to the surprise of Otaka Kamizo and Shimoto Kumaya, Nakamura's tentative attack was unusually smooth, and he walked all the way without any interference, as if he was conducting an armed procession.

Of course, this is just the beginning, because the attention of the 4th Cavalry Division at this time is focused on the 23rd Division in the encirclement, and it has been doing its best to prevent the 23rd Division from breaking through, but I didn't expect the 8th Division and the 19th Division to come so quickly, and it is normal that they can't react.

But when the 4th Cavalry Division reacted, Nakamura's troops were not having a good time. At noon that day, Nakamura Shizaburo realized that his path was full of minefields and snipers that had just been arranged. However, for the time being, the biggest headache for him is the bad road conditions. The rain-baptized roads are covered with silt. One foot can be stepped on to cover the calf. The infantry was in misery, and as for the cavalry and artillery, it was even more miserable.

Especially the artillery of the devil, compared with the artillery of mainstream countries, the artillery of the devil mostly uses steel wheels instead of more advanced rubber tires. The clumsy and heavy steel wheels were too heavy to lift themselves in the mud, and the artillery worked almost like stupid camels all morning until the afternoon when the battle began. They really didn't have much energy to support their cavalry and infantry in battle.

After struggling in the mud for a while, Nakamura finally encountered a large force of the Red Army.

"Dazuo, Lucia Ghost Animal has urgently built three diagonal trenches on the small hilly area ahead, and has several artillery support......"

Before the scout could finish reporting, a loud bang followed, and as far as the eye could see, the first of Nakamura's few cars was surrounded by raging flames.

"Yaga, what's going on? Is it a mine or enemy artillery? Shizaburo Nakamura asked sharply.

"No...... I don't know ......"

Nakamura Shizaburo snorted coldly and roared, "Quick, let the infantry cover on both wings." Advance on foot! ”

Combat experience tells Nakamura that the damn Lucia ghost animal must be nearby. Of course. This was only a small spectacle for him, and he used a small number of cavalry to stay in place to attract the enemy's attention, and then ordered the infantry to outflank him. It should be said that this method of warfare is really nothing new, or it is too old-fashioned.

But what is surprising is that this method of warfare actually works. By the time the Red Army was attracted by a small number of cavalry, the devil's infantry had already copied up from behind them, and after being taken by surprise, the Red Army abandoned its position.

Why is this unexpected happening? Let's look for the answer from Nakamura's recollections: "In my two attempts to relieve the 23rd Division, in addition to the bad roads, the Russians have always caused me a lot of trouble. It must be admitted that these Lucia ghost animals are brave and not afraid of sacrifice. But at the same time, it must also be noted that these Lucia ghost beasts are extremely lacking in the necessary combat qualities, and they are not worth mentioning except for brute bravery......"

Indeed, the Red Army, whether it was a commander or a grassroots soldier, was brave and brave, but it always liked to be brutal, and the Red Army of those years one-sidedly emphasized offense and neglected defense. Always be ready to defeat your enemies with an offensive battle. But is it really reasonable? Especially when the enemy is strong and I am weak, regardless of the hard rush, it is equivalent to sending meat to the door, and losing my life in vain.

After a comfortable lunch in the trenches of the Red Army, Nakamura's battle group was activated again, a morning of light rain had made the battlefield more and more muddy, but what was really worrying was the defensive line that the Red Army had built along the way, and Nakamura's troops were met with fierce resistance every step forward, when Nakamura scolded viciously: "Damn Lucia, the ghost beast is endlessly blocking my way, and the most hateful thing is that you have to let me walk all the way in the mud...... (Boom), damn it, it's Lucia's ghost beast's infantry cannon again, don't let me catch these bastards! ”

And on the side of the Red Army, Zhukov's heart was also touched by the enemy's reinforcements, and the future highly decorated marshal, of course, did not want his line of defense to be breached, and as soon as the movement of the Nakamura battle group appeared, he ordered a unit to move quickly to the east and attack Nakamura's flank.

In the afternoon, Nakamura felt the pressure from the flanks, and the air force's reconnaissance report showed that Lucia's ghost animals in the west were about to move, and he was in danger of being raided at any time. At the same time, his two superiors, Otaka Kamizo and Shimoto Kumaya, also kept telegraphing to warn him that he must be careful, he must be cautious, and he must not lead his troops into the enemy's encirclement.

The real threat and pressure from his superiors forced Nakamura to start thinking about the way back, especially as more and more Red Army cavalry began to move around him, and he himself did not have much confidence to open a bloody path from the killing.

But it was impossible for him to retreat like this, and he later recalled: "Lucia's planes kept attacking over our heads, forcing me to lie down and swim in the mud, and I haven't seen an Imperial plane since I entered the Halaha River valley...... The threat from the air is too severe, and our army will have to pay a price for every step forward, and in this unfavorable situation, I can only put the safety of the whole army as the highest priority......"

Let's put it this way. In fact, these are shameful excuses. Air threats though there are. But it was not as big as Nakamura said, what really made him feel thorns in his back was the attack of the Red Army cavalry on the flank, and he stayed up until the evening, and Nakamura, who was worried about the night attack of the enemy soldiers, hurriedly pulled his legs and left.

Why does Nakamura's rescue operation seem anticlimactic? You must know that when he started out, Nakamura was a little proud and looked down on his opponent. But in just one morning, his little ambition was consumed, of course, due to the pressure of his superiors. But the deeper reason is probably the blocking of the 4th Cavalry Division.

Although we can't see what Nakamura encountered along the way, and it is difficult to find out how many losses he suffered (destroyed by the Kwantung Army), but from a logical point of view, I am afraid that his losses along the way are probably not small, and the brave Red Army may have made him pay a heavy price with brute bravery.

From the telegram he sent to his superiors when he returned, we can also get a glimpse of one or two: "The enemy resistance is stubborn, and the progress is quite unsmooth, and by three o'clock in the afternoon, a large number of cavalry appeared on the flank, and it seems inappropriate to rush the battle for Gu Wanquan......"

But what Nakamura didn't expect was this. It's not so pleasant to leave, and the return journey is not as easy as when you came. First, at dusk, a smoke-emitting I-15 fighter roared towards his command post, and after a violent explosion, the heroic Red Army pilot pulled Nakamura's wing commander, three group commanders, and several staff officers on their backs, and to be honest, this result was enough to award the Order of Lenin.

Even more troublesome were the Red Army's forward scouts, snipers, and anti-infantry mines scattered from the air, and the devil soldiers constantly wailed and fell, and cars kept catching fire. Even the supplies and munitions that Nakamura was carrying were burned by the GRU's infiltrated special operations team in the panic. It was not until 2 a.m. the next day that Nakamura returned to the division headquarters with the remnants.

In the encirclement, Komatsubara Michitaro was once inspired by the roar of guns and artillery from outside the encirclement, and even organized a breakout operation, but under the strict defense and superior firepower of the Tan 2nd Division, the Japanese could only leave hundreds of corpses and flee. And at night, as the gunfire outside the encirclement gradually stopped, Komatsubara Michitaro also realized that the siege had failed, and he opened his war diary and wrote hard: "...... The distant sound of gunfire told me that my hope of breaking the siege had vanished...... Our army has been surrounded for five days, and every day we have to deal with more than a dozen attacks by Lucia's ghost animals, and the soldiers of the imperial army are exhausted...... The ammunition is extremely tight, and the food is at the bottom, and the situation is extremely difficult, but I am convinced that as long as there is a breath left, those Imperial warriors who are still fighting will fight to the end......"

Nakamura's failure to break the siege means that Michitaro Komatsubara can only count on himself for the next period of time, and although he does not believe that he will be abandoned, it will take time to organize a new round of rescue operations. From this moment on, Michitaro Komatsubara and his 23rd Division must buy time for their survival, but unfortunately the shrewd Rokossovsky and Zhukov will not give him a chance to breathe.

It was also on this night that the 1st Motorized Division, which was responsible for attacking the fortifications, began to tighten the noose around the neck of the 23rd Division, and the 1st Motorized Infantry Regiment began to storm the Japanese defense line in a dense formation under the cover of a small number of tanks and artillery that night. Colonel Smith of the German 6th Army, who was a battlefield observer, was on the front line to witness the madness of the Slavs:

"Compared to the one I knew. The Russian ** team (the Russian army in World War I), whose offensive mode has remained unchanged, is now much smarter, and while charging with rifles shouting 'Ula', they have learned to find concealment in the advance, and tanks have become the most ideal object for Ivan to rely on...... The anti-tank firepower of the Japanese army was too thin, and they were extremely short of tanks, although the Type 92 infantry guns were light, but the armor-piercing power was insufficient, and the anti-tank capabilities were almost negligible...... Of course, what impressed me the most was that the Russians knew how to adapt to the situation, and they were much better than they were twenty years ago...... If there's one thing that comforts me a bit, it's that they're still messing around on the details......"

The fierce battle continued until dawn, and the defense line of the Japanese 23rd Division was also torn apart by the Red Army twice, but fortunately, Komatsubara Michitaro quickly mobilized the reserves to move the bullet offensive, and used a cruel and ferocious counterattack to repel the Red Army's immature infantry and tan.

However, for the 23rd Division, this was nothing more than a death throes, and when the reserves, ammunition, and food were all depleted, it was only a matter of time before they were completely annihilated. At this time, Blyukhel, who was in charge of the battlefield command, had already taken his eyes off the 23rd Division, and he began to think about how to deal with the two divisions of the Japanese army that had recently arrived on the battlefield.

In his report to the Military Commission that night, he wrote: "Considering that the Japanese reinforcements have arrived, I hope to instruct how our army's combat operations will be carried out in the next stage...... Previous battles have shown that our enemy is very tenacious and not so easy to deal with...... Especially when the new equipment and new tactics of our army have not been completely successfully run-in, in order to accomplish the predetermined combat objectives, it is necessary to invest more troops......"

And for the Military Commission, the pressure is very great, because the result of the 20-day battle is not as easy as imagined, and the scale of the battle is likely to be further expanded.

Around this issue, the new Central Military Commission and the Political Bureau have erupted into heated debates...... (My novel "Heavenly Soldiers in 1917" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there will also be a 1oo% lucky draw gift for everyone!) Open WeChat now, click on the "+" sign in the upper right corner "Add Friends", search for the official account "qdread" and follow, hurry up! (To be continued!)

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