Chapter 146: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 146: Unimpeded

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The side and rear armor of those Type 89 medium tanks was suddenly exposed to attack, and the armor-piercing rounds from the 20mm autocannon clanged against the armor.

The Japanese Type 89 medium tank was called a medium tank, but its hardest frontal armor was only seventeen millimeters, its side and rear armor 15mm, its top armor 10mm, and its bottom armor 5mm.

The 20mm autocannon equipped by the Youth Army could penetrate thirty millimeters of armor steel at four hundred meters; even at greater distances, the autocannon could penetrate and destroy the armor of Japanese medium tanks through continuous fire.

Clang clang clang clang clang!

Armor-piercing rounds from the 20mm autocannon struck the Type 89 medium tank's armor continuously, sparks flying across the Japanese tank's surface, dazzling and terrifying; before long, hole after hole was punched in the Japanese tank, subsequently triggering an ammunition explosion inside the vehicle.

However, the Japanese Type 89 medium tanks gradually reacted, turning their turrets to locate the Youth Army's autocannon positions, and counterattacked with tank cannons and machine guns to suppress them.

Colonel Cangyong Chengzhi quickly assessed the situation: across the Qiu Jing River, the Youth Army was pressing forward step by step, driving the two Locust Army battalions that had already crossed back into the river.

The Japanese troops retreating across the river and their own artillery positions were subjected to a flanking attack by enemy forces, and the enemy on the flank was clearly equipped with strong anti-tank firepower.

Boom boom boom! ~

Liao Yaoxiang's artillery began extending their fire, bombarding the direction the Japanese were fleeing.

After a series of strikes, especially when a battalion of Youth Army soldiers burst out from the flank, the Japanese, who had initially withdrawn in order, began to develop toward a rout, though Japanese veterans maintained order and the withdrawal remained relatively orderly.

Through his binoculars, Colonel Cangyong Chengzhi could even see Youth Army soldiers on the opposite bank had already reached the riverside; the two Japanese squadrons he had arranged as rearguard had clearly been cut off and surrounded, and were nearly wiped out.

Was the next step to cross the river and pursue?

Ding ding ding ding dang!

The Type 89 medium tanks came under attack from different directions, with MG34 general-purpose machine guns, M2 heavy machine guns, and 20mm autocannons firing at the Japanese tanks together.

The machine guns might not inflict great damage on Japanese tanks, but striking the tank armor with a clanging sound, sending sparks flying, they severely affected visibility and disturbed the judgment of the Japanese tank crews.

The Japanese tanks were like large bells, being struck by dense bullets with a clanging sound; coupled with M2 heavy machine gun fire from a distance, the Japanese inside felt their heads buzzing, as if besieged by a swarm of bees, unable to discern the situation.

The most deadly was the 20mm autocannon hidden among the numerous heavy machine gun bullets; a moment's carelessness and one would be shot through.

"The Chinese vanguard is crossing the river!" a Japanese sergeant shouted.

The Youth Army vanguard soldiers, clutching submachine guns, waded through the river water and began pursuing the little Japanese.

After receiving the news, Cangyong Chengzhi could no longer remain calm.

"Everyone, toward Shizilin direction, about-face and turn back, enter the main position to defend!"

After Cangyong Chengzhi issued the order, the remaining Japanese of the Sixth Regiment began a full-line withdrawal, even the Type 89 medium tanks retreating along with them, no longer able to cover the infantry.

Meanwhile, an Elite Battalion that had crossed the river first watched the Japanese troops withdraw from the flank.

The entire Japanese flank was exposed, and the Elite Battalion's soldiers kept firing at targets, collecting tolls.

Liao Yaoxiang followed behind the troops, and through binoculars saw a battalion he had dispatched striking the Japanese withdrawal forces' flank without restraint, and couldn't help but shout with satisfaction:

"Good! Satisfying, so satisfying! Order the Second Battalion to cross the river and launch a pursuit; be careful not to pursue too deep, maintain distance, and just fire at them from behind with covering fire; return after three kilometers!"

Liao Yaoxiang, escorted by his guard company, walked through the positions where the Japanese had previously crossed the river and deployed, seeing only corpses strewn across the field, with soldiers cleaning up the battlefield.

From the small grove by the river came mournful, sorrowful singing, and gunfire occasionally rang out.

An accompanying officer explained: "The Japanese who couldn't cross the river are all kneeling by the riverside committing seppuku! Our soldiers are searching for the fish that slipped through the net by the riverside; wanting to commit seppuku isn't so easy—they'll all have to eat lead!"

Liao Yaoxiang nodded: "These little Japanese are indeed stubborn; since that's the case, not a single prisoner will be left."

"Commander Liao, Commander Lu is calling to inquire about the battle results," the Communications Staff Officer came to report.

Liao Yaoxiang cleared his throat and reported to Commander Lu: "My forces actively engaged the enemy on the west bank of the Qiu Jing River, smashed two battalions and over a dozen tanks of the Sixth Regiment head-on; our Second Battalion crossed the river to pursue, expanding the victory—all the way unimpeded!"

At South Xiang Headquarters, Lv Muzhi saw Liao Yaoxiang's telegram and looked at Qiu Qingquan: "Good, this Liao Yaoxiang, what an 'unimpeded'!"

Qiu Qingquan pointed to the right wing of the Luodian Position: "The Eleventh Division and Zhou Weiguo's Armored Tank Regiment are here, engaging more than twenty enemy tanks and a Japanese infantry group!"

"No need to worry; the Eleventh Division is Chen Cheng's Civil Engineering Clique elite; as for the Armored Tank Regiment, Zhou Weiguo is coordinating it, and don't forget—the Japanese offensive on Luodian's left wing has already been defeated, and Liao Yaoxiang has sent troops to pursue; I think the little Japanese must return to defend! Right now the Japanese are fighting on multiple fronts with two divisions, and have committed considerable forces at Yanghang and Jiangwan; I estimate the Japanese only have one regiment's worth of idle forces as a reserve—the Japanese don't have many troops available! Tell Zhou Weiguo not to fear losses, to boldly maneuver; a new batch of tanks and armored troops will arrive from the southwest immediately!"

Now the devils rely on two divisions for more operations, and have also committed not much manpower at Yanghang and Jiangwan. I estimate the devils have only one regiment's worth of idle forces as reserves; the devils currently don't have many troops available! Tell Zhou Weiguo, don't be afraid of losses, boldly conduct flanking maneuvers—the Southwest will soon transport a new batch of tanks and Armored Troops!

The Japanese committed here was the 43rd Infantry Regiment under the Eleventh Division, commanded by Colonel Kazuo Asama.

The regiment was assigned an enhanced tank squadron from the Fifth Tank Battalion, including Type 89 medium tanks, Type 95 light tanks, and Type 94 tankettes, totaling over twenty vehicles, attempting to open a breakthrough here.

The Japanese opponent was the ace Eleventh Division of the Eighteenth Army, commanded by Division Commander Peng Shan, with Army Commander Luo Zhuoying personally supervising the battle.

As the core elite of the Civil Engineering Clique, although not a German-equipped Division, its equipment was still considered excellent below that of a German-equipped Division; its officers and men were well-trained and had strong fighting will.

Several Japanese infantry charges were all blocked under the Eleventh Division's dense machine gun fire and the interception of six divisional mountain guns.

But the Japanese tanks attempted to lead the infantry breakthrough; anti-tank capability was indeed the Eleventh Division's weak point!

However, the main force of the Armored Tank Regiment led by Zhou Weiguo arrived in time; while the Japanese tanks attacked the Civil Engineering Clique's Eleventh Division, Zhou Weiguo launched a flank assault without hesitation!

A company of Type 38 light tanks used their excellent mobility, cooperating with a company of infantry, to quickly outflank and attack the rear of the Japanese infantry with 37mm tank guns and machine guns.

At the same time, a company of Sanhao tanks and another Type 38 light tank company, together with infantry, appeared on the flank of the Japanese tank cluster.

The Sanhao tank equipped by Lv Muzhi was an experimental type he had communicated with Hans about, being tested on the Xia Guo battlefield, using a 50mm long-barrel gun, with frontal armor thickness of about fifty millimeters.

As a medium tank, the Sanhao tank was not outstanding in WWII, but was more than enough to deal with the little Japanese!

The medium tanks the Japanese committed to the Songhu Battlefield were currently only Type 89 medium tanks; Japanese medium tanks using armor-piercing shells could penetrate 25mm of vertical steel armor at 100 meters, which was obviously not enough against the experimental Sanhao tank.

"Aim at the sides and rear of the Japanese tanks, hit them hard!" Zhou Weiguo ordered from the command vehicle.

"Aim at the side and rear of the enemy tanks and hit them hard!" Zhou Weiguo ordered from inside the command vehicle.