nycdaug Chapter 118: Unexpected Counterattack
Chapter 118: Unexpected Counterattack
The Japanese Army, with the 3rd Tank Regiment as its main force, formed the northern offensive detachment. This force employed the standard cone-shaped battle formation of the German blitzkrieg tank columns, thrusting forward like a sharp sword. Equipped with a variety of equipment, including German armored vehicles, tracked personnel carriers, Type 95/97 tanks, armored cars, motorcycles, and jeeps, they formed a fan-shaped formation and rapidly expanded to the sides, capturing key locations and villages in the surrounding area. The infantry, supply train, and artillery of the brigade closely followed the main force, advancing towards Haflon.
Along the way, thick smoke billowed, and the air was filled with relentless artillery fire, as if the apocalypse had arrived. Everywhere, shattered houses and villages lay in ruins, and once fertile crops and fertile fields were decimated. The devastation wrought by war was heartbreaking, and this once beautiful land had been transformed beyond all recognition.
The soldiers of the 200th Division's reconnaissance company, hiding in the nearby forests, were filled with rage. The Japanese army had once again exposed the same despicable nature of invaders they had seen in China, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands, burning, killing, and looting, committing all sorts of atrocities. Flames and smoke rose everywhere.
Under the dictation of the company commander, the radio operator passed on valuable intelligence to the rear: the Japanese attacking force consisted of approximately 48 Panther tanks, 18 self-propelled artillery/tank destroyers, 36 Type 95/97 and Type 58 German motorcycles, a large number of motorcycles, jeeps, armored vehicles, a regiment of mountain artillery/howitzers, and a brigade of infantry.
Zheng Dongguo and Kuang Zhengqi received intelligence gathered from various sources and had a general understanding of the situation of the Japanese attack on Haflon. The war zone had already issued an order that Zheng Dongguo would concurrently serve as the front-line commander of Haflon, and the British Indian Army's 11th Division, 28th Division, 38th Heavy Artillery Brigade and other units would be under Zheng's command.
After consultation with Kuang, Zheng concluded that defending Haflon was pointless and ordered the British and Indian city defense forces to move to the railway station and establish a defensive line along the mountainous terrain surrounding the station and the railway line. The 38th Heavy Artillery Brigade was assigned to the southbound column of the Indian Army to form a frontal blocking column, commanded by Zheng Dongguo. All tanks were concentrated to form an assault column, commanded by Kuang Zhengqi, which was ambushed in the forested area to one side of the frontal blocking position, preparing to launch a surprise attack on the weakest point in the Japanese army's depth and sever their supply lines.
Dozens of trenches and intersecting defensive positions had been established on the front. Mortars, mountain artillery, rocket launchers, direct-fire guns, and howitzers were deployed in small groups. Infantry positions were equipped with gas and gasoline canister projectiles, primarily deployed by engineers. Vast quantities of explosives were buried within each position. Anti-tank mines were pre-placed in areas where the Japanese might advance. This was a typical Soviet defensive formation and by far the most effective defense against German blitzkrieg tactics.
Arriving outside Haflon, the Japanese launched an immediate offensive, their heavy artillery bombarding the defenders. The 38th Heavy Artillery Brigade, without hesitation, launched a counterattack, their artillery fire forming beautiful arcs in the air, and suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder roared.
Lieutenant General Kumeta, commander of the Japanese Northern Column, used a gun scope to observe the enemy positions from a temporary observation post. Similarly, Zheng Dongguo also used the same equipment from a concealed observation post to observe the Japanese situation.
The two sides engaged in a barrage of artillery fire, followed by a fierce airstrike, with neither side gaining an advantage. Consequently, both sides simultaneously ceased their pointless bombardment. The Japanese, led by a battalion of 24 Panther tanks, launched the Battle of Haflon.
Inside Tank 311, the Japanese commander repeatedly ordered each tank to maintain spacing and formation and not to fire blindly. The following Japanese mortars and 92mm infantry guns, under the cover of the tanks, had established temporary positions and continued to fire at the enemy positions. The trailing infantry battalion also stood ready, awaiting the order to advance.
As the parallel machine guns on the Japanese Panther tanks fired, the assault team centered on three tanks began to rush forward with all their strength, followed by a squadron of infantry, and quickly cut into the first-line trenches abandoned by the enemy.
Kume nodded with satisfaction and signaled the mountain artillery battalion to fire deep into the enemy lines. In the front-line trenches, the invading Japanese troops had already engaged the hiding Allied soldiers. In the trenches, where no one could be seen, the crisscrossing trenches erupted in gunfire, accompanied by the detonation of grenades and other small explosives. Three Japanese tanks crossed the trenches and struck suspected enemy positions, their turrets constantly rotating to eliminate the exposed enemy firing points.
"Bang", a crisp sound was heard, accompanied by the sound of broken tracks. Tank No. 318 shook and stopped at the intersection of the trenches.
The commander was covered in cold sweat, "Oh no, the enemy has an anti-tank gun!" Then, another gunshot was heard, and the track on the other side was also broken!
"The enemy has anti-tank guns, our tracks are broken, cover me quickly!" the commander shouted, and at the same time asked the gunner to turn the turret and fire the coaxial machine gun at everything suspicious. The driver drilled out from the bottom to defend against possible approaching enemies.
"Baga!" The captain in charge immediately ordered vehicles 313 and 315 to follow and protect vehicle 318, and ordered the front-line infantry to assist in the defense to prevent the tanks from launching a surprise attack.
The 318 tank was struck by the newly arrived sniper team, led by Lieutenant Lewis, who personally shot and destroyed the enemy tank's tracks. Retaliatory fire soon followed, and Lewis and his team quickly moved. Due to the Allied lack of coordination experience, although they had broken the enemy tank's tracks, they were unable to inflict further damage on the 318 tank.
About 1000 meters away, in a low valley with bushes, Kuang Zhengqi was counting the number of Japanese tanks that had entered the ambush circle. Kuang Zhengqi divided the 112 tanks into three echelons. The first echelon of 36 tanks directly rushed to the flanks of the first-line Japanese tank column, attacking their backs in a roundabout way. The second echelon of 30 tanks rushed directly to the infantry and armored forces in the middle of the Japanese army, disrupting the Japanese formation. The third echelon of 46 tanks attacked the enemy's artillery and weak flanks in a roundabout way, destroying as many Japanese auxiliary tanks (95/97) and armored vehicles as possible!
With Kuang Zhengqi's order, 112 M3 tanks formed a torrent and directly cut into the Japanese camp!
"Oh no, a large number of enemy tanks are rushing towards us. The whole team should turn around and meet them!" Kume discovered the enemy tank column that suddenly appeared on the flank and issued orders to all the brigades and tank groups!
Zheng Dongguo saw all this clearly from a distance, and without hesitation, ordered an all-out artillery attack, determined to disrupt the enemy's camp!
“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—” “Boom, boom, boom—” “Boom—boom—boom—”
Various artillery pieces were fired rapidly at the Japanese army. The frontline engineers quickly lit the fuses, and a large number of mines were thrown at the Japanese army!
"Boom - boom - boom -"
The Japanese troops at the forefront of the attack were bombarded with artillery fire. While the shells and explosives couldn't directly destroy the tank armor, the massive shockwaves from the explosions sent shockwaves through the tank crews, forcing them to retreat. The Japanese infantry and armored personnel fled in all directions, isolating the tank battalions at the forefront.