Chapter 524: Armored Groups of the Far East

The 11th Army under Okamura Yasuji's command could be said to be a force built by the Japanese Army at great expense for the invasion of China.

The 11th Army consisted of 7 divisions and one Independent Mixed Brigade, with a total strength of over 200,000 men.

Under Hata Shunroku's instructions, Okamura Yasuji's 11th Army was primarily tasked with attacking the Fifth War Zone and the Ninth War Zone of the Republic of China.

Therefore, Okamura Yasuji specifically formulated a dedicated plan for the 11th Army.

Among them, the 3rd, 13th, and 16th Divisions were temporarily assigned to deal with the Fifth War Zone.

The 6th, 9th, 101st, and 106th Divisions were temporarily assigned to deal with the Ninth War Zone.

This time, Okamura Yasuji broke from conventional thinking, concentrating the 11th Army's tanks together and employing an armored group assault.

"The Third Reich currently holds high prestige; I believe the Empire should form an alliance with the Third Reich."

Furthermore, Minister of the Army Itagaki Seishiro was strongly backing his capable subordinate Tojo Hideki in wanting to have a go at the Soviet side.

The 49th Army was a Northeast Army unit, and the 79th Army was a Type A Adjustment Division managed by Principal Chang, which is what people often refer to as a German-equipped Division.

The Japanese Army had already arrived at the city walls!

The Ninth War Zone had not yet had time to readjust its defensive lines, mobilize troops to establish positions, or intercept the Japanese tank units.

A large number of reinforcements were needed to block the Japanese Army from crossing the river!

Although the Xiushui River area had much mountainous terrain, in the face of the Japanese Army's powerful artillery, the 107th Division suffered significant casualties.

On top of that, follow-up Japanese units launched poison gas bombs at the 49th Army and the 79th Army.

These were the Field Heavy Artillery 10th Regiment and the Field Heavy Artillery 13th Regiment, respectively.

In order to appease domestic public opinion, the Konoe Cabinet had no choice but to resign.

The Japanese Army continued to lead with tanks and armored vehicles, maneuvering and infiltrating, with infantry following up to advance;

In the sky, the Japanese 3rd Flying Group provided cover for the tank units.

They first had the Japanese Field Heavy Artillery Sixth Brigade shell the western section of the Xiushui River to strike the Chinese field heavy artillery.

Within Japan, many ordinary citizens were cursing the Konoe Cabinet.

In the Nanchang Battle, the Japanese Army concentrated its use of artillery and its use of tank armored groups on a large scale for the first time.

Facing this juggernaut of militarism, the current Hiranuma Kiichiro was completely unable to stop it.

Over 20,000 poison gas bombs landed on the positions of the 107th Division.

Upon receiving the directive, the Imperial General Headquarters immediately sent the relevant information to the Kwantung Army.

This made the Japanese Army very displeased, feeling that this "greenhorn" needed to be taught a lesson!

Using tanks to pursue, maneuver, split the enemy, and annihilate the enemy was far more effective than using tanks to provide cover for infantry.

The Sichuan Army units lacked reinforcements and were surrounded by the Japanese Army; fortunately, there were Deng Xihou, Pan Wenhua, and Liu Wenhui.

The artillery units were used in a concentrated manner to provide fire support!

In the past, the Japanese always had infantry lead the way, but this time Okamura Yasuji had the armored group lead the way, with infantry following behind.

"With allies, the Empire can also have support on the international stage!"

Liu Duoquan's 49th Army withdrew to the west of Anyi, and Xia Chuzhong's 79th Army withdrew to the east bank of the Yuan River.

Otherwise!

The Sichuan Army's 88th Army and 29th Group Army might have ended up in a situation of total annihilation!

The strategic intent to severely damage one of the Japanese divisions collapsed following the Japanese Army's capture of Anyi in one fell swoop.

"However, none of this matters!"

One must know that in the past, Japanese artillery units, such as heavy artillery brigades, all moved together with the divisions.

For the days that followed, Hiranuma Kiichiro spent his time in constant disputes.

The Japanese armored group had already captured Anyi!

The Sichuan Army, just like the Northeast Army and the Central Army, was stunned by the armored group.

At the same time, the situation in the provinces of the southeast that had not yet fallen would become even more difficult.

The National Revolutionary Army 107th Division, led by Division Commander Duan Hang, urgently sought help from Luo Zhuoying as the Japanese Army launched a massive offensive on the western section of the Xiushui River.

However, now that the Wuhan Battle had been won, the Republic of China Government had not only not surrendered but was instead persisting in the war of resistance.

On the Ruoxi and Wuning line, they dealt with the 6th Division, shouldered the task of assisting the attack, and rushed to support the 6th Division's encirclement of Nanchang.

Unfortunately, this time, Okamura Yasuji actually used the western section of the Xiushui River as a breakthrough point!

The Siege Artillery 2nd Battalion possessed four Type 89 150mm howitzers.

According to Okamura Yasuji's instructions, tanks and armored vehicles were to maintain a distance of two days' travel from the Japanese infantry.

Have the Kwantung Army prepare!

Anyi was less than fifty kilometers from Nanchang; according to the Japanese armored group units, they could reach the walls of Nanchang in less than half a day.

This round of shelling alone had already made it extremely difficult for the defenders of the western section of the Xiushui River to cope.

As well as the Field Heavy Artillery 14th Regiment, which was entirely equipped with twenty-four Type 4 150mm howitzers.

Plus the artillery regiments under the divisions, the Japanese concentrated over two hundred pieces of artillery for this Nanchang Battle.

Among them, there was also an Independent Mountain Artillery 11th Regiment, possessing twelve Type 41 75mm Mountain Guns.

32nd Army Commander Song Kentang was a native of Hebei Province and a capable subordinate of Shang Zhen.

But at this moment, the Japanese tanks and armored vehicles charged up!

This time, the plan Okamura Yasuji formulated for the attack on Nanchang primarily emphasized the word "speed"!

The Nanchang Battle was a "lightning-style" assault launched by the Japanese Army against the Republic of China Army, featuring a large-scale concentration of tanks and armored vehicles.

They were also completely shocked; the density of the artillery bombardment had already exceeded that of the Battle of Songhu.

Attempting such a tactic for the first time, Okamura Yasuji felt that taking Nanchang City would only take a week.

Hiranuma Kiichiro of the Japanese Privy Council reorganized the Cabinet.

Everything was placed under the command of Major General Sumita Raishiro of the 6th Heavy Artillery Brigade.

After hearing Tojo Hideki's statement, Itagaki Seishiro spoke up: "The Imperial Army needs allies now!"

Right now!

In order to capture Nanchang quickly, Okamura Yasuji specifically stockpiled many Poison Gas Bombs this time.

At this very moment!

Facing such an armored group attack, the Republic of China Army had absolutely no power to parry, and the troops retreated even more rapidly.

After the Poison Gas Bombs were launched, there were still some soldiers who survived on the defensive positions.

The western section of the Xiushui River fell, and the Japanese Army began a fierce assault on the eastern section of the Xiushui River!

After witnessing the power of the armored group attack, Okamura Yasuji himself was also incredibly astonished.

Upon learning that the Sichuan Army, which the Imperial Army hated, was on the Ruoxi-Wuning line, he immediately ordered his troops to encircle and annihilate the Sichuan Army.

The number of Japanese Army artillery pieces had reached as many as over one hundred.

The 6th Heavy Artillery Brigade had four Heavy Artillery Regiments under its command!

Okamura Yasuji's approach changed the way the Japanese Army fought;

It was the first time all the troops of the 9th War Zone had witnessed such an attack method, and all defenses had not yet had time to adjust.

"I think we can go to war with the Maozi country!"

Wang Tiehan's 105th Division discarded all the weapons they could, and many soldiers were terrified of being caught up by the Japanese Army tanks and Armored Vehicles.

Going south to attack the colonies of Britain, France, the United States, and other countries to obtain oil resources was mainly what the Navy wanted to do.

To tell the truth, Yu Hua felt that Okamura Yasuji's tactical thinking had already surpassed many contemporary military generals of the Japanese Army.

Who knew that as soon as Itagaki Seishiro said this, the Navy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs opposed it one after another, saying they could not form an alliance with the Third Reich.

The Japanese Army's speed in taking Nanchang city was very fast, so fast that Fan Shaozeng and Wang Zanxu of the Sichuan Army could not react in time.

Tanks were also dispersed into division and regiment teams to implement infantry-tank coordination.

However, after Duan Hang's 107th Division endured a round of Japanese Army shelling, there was hardly any strength left.

After the Kwantung Army Commander Ueda Kenkichi learned the relevant information, he was very happy.

Within the Japanese Army, a great debate was also taking place!

In order to intercept the Japanese armored troops, Frontline Commander-in-Chief Luo Zhuoying could only order his troops to blow up the Gantang Bridge to block the Japanese Army.

On the phone, Luo Zhuoying also learned the news that the western section of the Xiushui River had been attacked by heavy Japanese forces.

This time, the Japanese Army had as many as over one hundred artillery pieces, bombarding the Chinese positions for three hours.

Nanchang city was soon captured by the Japanese Army!

However, this time Okamura Yasuji adopted armored group tactics after taking Nanchang city.

From the start of the attack to the end, the Japanese Army took Nanchang and cleared out the surrounding Republic of China Army within exactly one week!

After reading the relevant documents!

Afterwards, the Japanese Army's 101st Division and 106th Division launched a charge toward the Chinese positions.

The Konoe Cabinet previously insisted that if the Wuhan Battle was won, the Republic of China Government would definitely surrender.

"The German Army's Flash War on Poland!"

He could only push this carriage forward now, accelerating its advance.

Ever since the Meiji Weixin, the Japanese Army had always wanted to dominate the world, and there were also arguments for moving north and moving south within the country.

In the sky, the Japanese Army's 3rd Flight Group provided air cover for the tanks and Armored Vehicles.

Regarding the debate over moving north or south, it was still the old devil Hirohito who made the ruling: let the troops go to the north to test it out first.

For a time, there was a frantic escape, such as the 105th Division within Liu Duoquan's 49th Army, this Northeast Army unit.

In this battle, whether it was the Sichuan Army, the Northeast Army, or the Central Army, they all suffered a great loss from the Japanese Army's armored groups.

The garrison inside Nanchang city was the 32nd Army's Reserve 5th Division!

The troops stationed in the eastern section of the Xiushui River were Liu Duoquan's 49th Army and Xia Chuzhong's 79th Army.

Because the Konoe Cabinet had previously blown the pie too big, but now the pie was gone, the emotions of the common people suddenly flared up.

However, this could not stop the Japanese Army; the Japanese Army built pontoon bridges and began to attack Nanchang.

Inside the Cabinet!

Japanese Army Minister Itagaki Seishiro, and the Vice Minister of the Army Ministry, Tojo Hideki.

The focus of the Japanese Army was whether to move south or north!

Even Luo Zhuoying was preparing to replicate a battle similar to Wanjialing with the Sichuan Army, the Northeast Army, and the Central Army;

Tojo Hideki scanned the room and spoke first:

"The Imperial Army is now strong in national power, although a small mistake occurred in the Far East war."

However, ever since the western section of the Xiushui River was occupied, the Japanese Army began to encircle the troops in the eastern section of the Xiushui River.

Only after this carriage falls off the cliff can it be considered truly stopped.

Under the strikes of the Japanese Army tanks.

The casualties of the garrison were very heavy; among them, Wang Lingyun, the Division Commander of the 76th Division under Xia Chuzhong, was poisoned by gas.

Yu Hua could not help but sigh that Okamura Yasuji was really a damn talent!!

In this Nanchang Battle, the Japanese armored groups pursued and outflanked about 350 kilometers, greatly exerting the mechanized advantages of tanks and Armored Vehicles.

Furthermore, the surrounding friendly forces were also defeated by such tactics from Okamura Yasuji.

Many of the Old Soldiers guarding the western section of the Xiushui River had once fought bloody battles against the Japanese Army in the Songhu Region.

Japanese Army tanks and Armored Vehicles broke through the defensive lines of the garrison in the eastern section of the Xiushui River, not waiting for follow-up infantry, but directly slaughtering the remaining garrison.

Where had Fan Shaozeng's 88th Army and Wang Zanxu's 29th Group Army ever seen such a formation?

Then dispatch troops to lure the Japanese Army into an ambush circle, and annihilate them with heavy forces!

The Japanese Army's attack lasted less than a day, and they had already completely routed the Republic of China Army on the Nanchang front.

Under the pursuit and flanking strikes of Japanese Army tanks and Armored Vehicles.

"We were able to beat the Soviets back then, and we can do it now too!"

At the same time, the Imperial General Headquarters' General Staff Headquarters also formulated some operational plans regarding the battlefield inside the Great Wall to deal with sudden situations.

The 105th Division had once fought a bloody battle in Songhu; facing the Japanese Army's powerful artillery fire, this army had never been routed like it was today.

"Nowadays our citizens have the spirit to support the Imperial Army's Holy War, for the sake of the Imperial Army's future."

Order Fan Shaozeng and Wang Zanxu in time, letting them take the opportunity to break out!

In this battle, Okamura Yasuji did not follow the old-fashioned tactics of the Japanese Army at all!

He did not follow the script, but instead adopted new tactics.

As soon as this meeting opened, conflicts appeared!

Prime Minister Hiranuma Kiichiro heard the meeting hall arguing like a vegetable market, and his head grew large.

The western section of the Xiushui River was quickly taken by the Japanese Army, although the eastern section of the Xiushui River was not the focus of the Japanese Army's attack.

After the strength of two Divisions arrived, the Japanese Army's armored units began to march toward Nanchang.

The connection between the Third War Zone and the Southwest Hinterland of the motherland was severed, and military supplies, food supplies, and medical supplies all became even more difficult.

Only the Field Heavy Artillery 15th Regiment possessed 16 Type 14 100mm Howitzers.

While the Army wanted to advance north to fight the Soviet, occupy large swaths of Soviet territory, and expand its own interests in the Far East.

The 106th Division was also closing in on Nanchang!

In the Ruoxi and Wuning line, they still followed Yu Hua's previous method, burying Explosives and Landmines on the road.

Many troops were seeing such large-scale Japanese Army tanks and Armored Vehicles for the first time.

At the same time, the Japanese Army 101st Division followed closely behind the armored cluster.

For one Division's strength to confront two Japanese Army Divisions was undoubtedly a drop in the bucket; furthermore, the soldiers of the Reserve 5th Division.

Many were on the battlefield for the first time, and their combat effectiveness was not very good.

In addition, the current Soviet side has been aiding the Republic of China Government with resources, supporting the National Government's war of resistance.

Okamura Yasuji dispatched Type 89 Tanks and Type 94 Tanks, totaling 135, plus some Armored Vehicles, for a total of over two hundred tanks and Armored Vehicles.

According to Yu Hua's vision!

The Sichuan Army 88th Corps, and the 29th Group Army that Wang Zanxu had just led out of Chuan.

Nanchang Battle!

And move the capital to Shancheng, continuing to gather strength in Shancheng to resist the Japanese Army.

This time, Okamura Yasuji even specifically took the Artillery Regiment belonging to the Division.

Finally, with the approval of that old devil Hirohito, the Japanese Army decided to form an alliance with the Third Reich.

Added to the encirclement by the Japanese Army in the western section of the Xiushui River, the junction between the units of Xia Chuzhong and Liu Duoquan was torn open by the Japanese Army.

The Japanese Army's second wave of attack was the release of poison gas!

Even these Old Soldiers, when facing such heavy artillery bombardment.

The 11th Army captured Nanchang, successfully cutting off the Zhe-Gan Railway, causing the Third War Zone and the 9th War Zone to lose contact.

He could only let Duan Hang hold off the Japanese Army's offensive while he dispatched troops to reinforce.

Watching the Divisions inside the Great Wall sweep and crush the Republic of China Army all the way, with military merits constantly being made.

Many Kwantung Army troops outside the Great Wall were envious in their hearts!

Now that Ueda Kenkichi received the information, he shouted in his heart: "It's finally our turn!"

(End of this chapter)