Chapter 427: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 437 Tank Battle

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

With Xiao Zhukazuo's order, the Japanese forces went into a frenzy of activity.

Outside Pingyao City, a Japanese armor platoon launched a surprise attack, using the morning mist as cover to silently approach a Youth Army outpost position north of Jiexiu City.

The Japanese armor platoon was led by two Type 95 Light Tanks, with two Type 97 Kai Medium Tanks equipped with long-barreled guns holding the rear, and two armored vehicles painted with headbands flanking on both sides.

Behind these steel tanks, over a hundred Japanese Xian Bing carried rifles and machine guns, crouched low, and advanced quickly by stepping on the tanks' tracks.

North of Jiexiu City, the officers and men of the 3rd Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment, 2nd Division, Youth Army Infantry were eating breakfast in their position.

Canned food was pried open with bayonets, steaming chunks of beef mixed with oily gravy were poured into enamel bowls, paired with white noodles—the most comfortable moment for the soldiers.

The soldiers were eating meat and slurping noodles heartily when a sharp whistle suddenly pierced the silence.

Beep beep beep~

Warning whistles rose and fell one after another.

"The devils are sneaking up! Five hundred meters to the north! Prepare for combat!"

The Youth Army soldiers who had just been holding their rice bowls immediately put down their bowls and nimbly rushed to their respective combat stations.

"The little devils are sneaking up in the fog! There are tanks!"

"Everyone hold your positions!" the Company Commander commanded loudly while blowing a whistle.

"Send someone to Machine Gun Position Number Three!"

"Move two more boxes of shells to the Anti-tank Gun Position!"

"Bazookas ready!"

At a concealed gun position, the gunners of the Youth Army's 37mm Anti-tank Gun were already in place.

Through the gunsight, the Japanese Type 95 Light Tank swaying unsteadily looked like a lamb awaiting slaughter, arrogantly charging forward.

"Ready—fire!"

With a dull thud, a shell shot out of the barrel.

A dazzling fireball exploded on the distant Type 95 Light Tank; its fragile side armor was like thin paper before the 37mm shell.

The shell instantly penetrated the cabin, detonating the internal ammunition, and the entire tank instantly became a huge metal crematorium.

"Baka! Discovered by the Chinks! Full-speed assault! Everyone charge!"

The 47mm long-barreled gun of the Japanese Type 97 Kai Medium Tank flashed fire continuously, shell after shell landing on the Youth Army's position, throwing up mounds of earth.

The Imperial Infantry also began using the tanks as cover, charging and firing, with machine gun and grenade launcher flashes intertwining.

On the Youth Army position, two MG34 General Purpose Machine Guns spat tongues of fire, dense bullets like a huge sickle instantly mowing down several devils at the very front.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

An Oerlikon 20mm Machine Gun on the flank joined the combined fire, thick shell casings falling like rain; every 20mm machine gun shell landing on the Japanese Type 97 Kai tank brought up large sparks and debris.

A Japanese Machine Gunner hadn't time to pull the trigger before being hit directly by a machine gun shell, half his body instantly vanishing in blood mist.

The Japanese armor platoon's ambush stalled in the face of the dense fire net.

Seeing this, the Youth Army Company Commander told the Messenger: "Contact the battalion headquarters! The 3rd Company position has encountered a Japanese armor platoon, small in scale, currently suppressed, requesting instructions!"

At the same time, this small-scale attack was unfolding in various directions outside Jiexiu City.

Inside the Youth Army headquarters, Lv Muzhi stood before the map, with a row of busy signallers behind him.

Telegram copies flew in like snowflakes, each pointing to the same result: the Japanese were harassing the Youth First Army at Jiehiu City along the entire line.

"Lu Commander, there are Japanese armor detachments to the north, northwest, and northeast, frequently harassing our army."

Lv Muzhi, wearing a greatcoat, swept his gaze across the line connecting the three county seats of Pingyao, Fenyang, and Xiaoyi:

"Xiao Zhukazuo can't sit still anymore. He's afraid Qiu Qingquan will get behind him, afraid to the point of losing sleep."

"These armor platoons are the bait he cast out, hoping to lure us into taking the initiative."

"As soon as our main tank force moves, that Tank 3rd Division deployed around us will pounce like a mad dog."

Sun Liren wanted to fight, but to play it safe, he asked: "Why not wait a few more days, wait for Qiu Qingquan to appear behind the Japanese, then launch a pincer attack on the Japanese armor main force centered on tank divisions?"

Lv Muzhi thought for a moment, finally making up his mind: "No need to wait any longer; our supplies have already been transported up. If the devils want to fight, then we'll fight them to our heart's content!"

"Want to lure me out? I'm afraid the little devils themselves can't take it!"

Sun Liren was very excited, looking as if he were about to fight a death battle with the Japanese armor forces.

Lv Muzhi looked toward the Communications Staff Officer beside him:

"Pass on my order! The 3rd Division of the First Army will hold Jiehiu City; five Armored Battalions will form an Armored Cluster, with Sun Liren as the overall commander of the Armored Cluster, the First and Second Divisions following up, breaking through to the north!"

"Order part of the Air Force Corps stationed in Shanxi to have fighter planes take off for combat, coordinating with the ground forces to advance!"

Hearing this, Sun Liren's eyes shone brightly: "Lu Commander, you mean to……"

"Exactly. Not only do we fight, but we make him thoroughly regret it, fighting all the way into Taiyuan City!"

With Lv Muzhi's order issued, the BF109 Fighter Planes stationed at Yuncheng took off one after another.

Regarding the use of air power, Lv Muzhi was relatively restrained on the Shanxi Battlefield, focusing on protecting ground forces.

Because the Air Force Corps also needed to divert forces to protect the Youth Third Army and Fourth Army on the Xuzhou Battlefield, and some troops were needed to protect the Zhengzhou headquarters.

Therefore, Lv Muzhi's air force on the Shanxi Battlefield was mostly on the defensive.

As the roar of fighter planes swept over the skies above Jiehiu City.

The Youth Army tankers on the ground also jumped into their respective tanks.

"Everyone aboard, prepare for combat."

"Driver, ready!"

"Gunner, ready!"

"Loader, ready!"

More than two hundred tanks of the Youth Army set out one after another, racing north along the Tongpu Railway Line.

Inside Pingyao City, Lieutenant General Xiyuan Yice, Commander of the Tank Division of the Japanese Army, heard that the Youth Army had finally taken the initiative to sortie, and his mood was both tense and excited.

This was the Tank Division's first serious participation in a tank battle, and also the largest tank battle in scale on the East Asia Battlefield.

Xiyuan Yice hoped that the three-sided encirclement against Lv Muzhi could annihilate the Enemy tank forces within Shanxi!

"Relay my order: Tank 5th Brigade, set out from Pingyao and welcome-attack the Youth Army's Armor forces head-on!"

"Tank 6th Brigade and rd Mobile Infantry Regiment, set out from Fenyang and Xiaoyi respectively, and attack the Youth Army's Left Wing eastward!"

"The 37th and 41st Divisions, hold your positions, stabilize the Defensive Line beneath our feet, and prevent the Youth Army's escaped fish from rushing toward Taiyuan!"

More than three hundred Japanese tanks likewise set out from various places, determined to launch a decisive battle with the Youth Army's Armor Main Force.

Thirteen kilometers north of Jiexiu, the Youth Army's Armor Vanguard Unit was advancing, with more than two hundred tanks following closely behind.

The Vanguard Unit consisted mostly of Light Tanks, and a Youth Army T Tank was traveling at the very front.

A Tank Commander, surprised, discovered that on the plain ahead, dust billowed—it was the Japanese Army's Tank Department arriving!

The main tank forces of both sides encountered each other!

"Enemy tanks spotted, twelve o'clock direction, distance, two kilometers!"