Beiyang 1917

() The casualties of the two infantry battalions of the 139th German Infantry Regiment guarding the position of the Lopan River Bridge were not too many. After the Allied armored vehicles completely retreated beyond the range of their own mortars, the gunfire on the battlefield gradually The cost of the coalition's tentative attack was to destroy 2 German machine gun fortresses. It wasn't the bunker that was destroyed, but the bullets from the large-caliber heavy machine guns of the coalition armored tanks that shot into the opponent's sheath. The German machine gunners in the entire bunker were smashed into pieces...

In addition to losing more than a dozen machine gun groups, the German army also lost nearly 20 mortar groups, while the coalition mortars on the opposite side were almost unscathed... Although the casualties of the infantry squadron in Japan were not light, the casualties were It seems that there will never be more than 100, and the bodies of the wounded and the dead were snatched back by Ri himself...

The price paid by Dong Yingbin's 3rd Armored Company was that two tanks were damaged, and the casualties of the vehicle infantry were less than one squad, but the combined casualties of the two German infantry battalions were close to 150.

The 4th Armored Company, which released smoke and assisted in the attack on the flank of the Uda River, was basically unscathed. Since the armored train of the German army on the opposite bank never appeared and was approaching the bridgehead, the m191837aa anti-tank anti-aircraft artillery company of the regiment did not make use of it. Of course , the anti-aircraft artillery company was trying its best when retreating, and used armor-piercing shells and high-explosive grenades to smash the three machine gun fortresses on the German bridgehead into fireballs...

This is the result of the fact that the long-range artillery of both the coalition and the German army did not participate in this battle. The goal of the German major general von Neuhaus was to stick to the Muto brigade and catch them all in one go, rather than just eating the opponent and investing in the test Xing attacked 2 armored companies and a Japanese infantry squadron. Although the coalition forces still had 2000 armored companies and 2 Japanese infantry squadrons in reserve on the forward starting position 3 meters away from the Lopan River Bridge position, the German army only Relying on the firepower of Lieutenant Colonel von Rundstedt's armored train unit 2, it is obviously a bit difficult to take care of such a wide front........

This confrontation between the coalition armored forces and the German infantry can only be said to be evenly divided. The Germans suffered slightly more casualties and losses but held their positions. The coalition armored forces suffered little casualties, but the Japanese army accompanying the attack The 217th Infantry Squadron was almost overturned by the enemy's mortar firepower and heavy machine gun firepower. The results are obvious. The combat effectiveness of the Japanese army is lower than that of the German army, while the combat effectiveness of the coalition armored forces may be higher than that of the German army...

In the summer of 1918, even in the face of wheeled armored vehicles equipped with only machine guns, if the infantry lacked anti-tank firepower, it would be difficult for infantry to effectively contain the opponent's attack with only machine guns and mortars in their hands. The added difficulty is that the 7.6cm light infantry mortar shells equipped by the German army are powerful and large, otherwise the coalition forces could rush to the German positions in one go!

As Li Shanglai, the commander of the 3rd Chinese Armored Battalion who commanded the first-line attack, he had no intention of rushing to the German position, but he also knew in his heart that if his troops even hit the anti-tank line 500 meters away from the opponent If the trenches are not crossed, then this scene will really be impossible to sing, and the German army will not even go to the battlefield at all, but will continue to hide in the bomb holes and fortifications and watch themselves sing a one-man show.

Therefore, the long-range artillery fire at the rear of the coalition forces stopped shelling, and the 3rd armored company commanded by Dong Yingbin led Sasaki to the captain's 217th infantry squadron to break through the anti-tank trench at 500 meters and make a big effort to kill on the bridge. , the lack of one of these two conditions cannot be done, the purpose is to make this tentative attack look decent, and to play out the defensive strength of the German army.

In fact, during the offensive launched by the entire coalition forces, what the commanders of the offensive and defensive sides were most worried about was each other's long-range artillery fire. Li Shang actually had the idea that the third armored company could only withdraw one-third of it. In this battle just prepared, even if he used the 3th armored company to release smoke to cover the anti-tank anti-aircraft gun company of the regiment and set up an ambush on the north bank of the Wuda River, preparing to attack the opponent's armored train detachment approaching the bridge, but unless the German army Only by bombarding the howitzer positions behind the coalition forces will they venture close to the bridgehead. Otherwise, if it is only to attack the attacking coalition armored forces, the German army can cover the two armored companies that Lichan put into the attack with artillery fire a few kilometers away from the southern railway line.

In fact, Li Shang vaguely felt that it was a bit inconceivable that the German army had never engaged in armored train artillery fire to counterattack. He didn't know that it was because the German commander was worried that if the attacking coalition vanguard was beaten badly, the main force of Muto's brigade would smell Yin. The smell of conspiracy and danger will turn around and retreat north...

1918年7月31ri17：45哈尔科夫东南7公里处，武藤旅团旅团部

"Reporting to the head of the brigade, the attack by the Chinese armored forces failed. Major Li's troops have withdrawn to the forward starting position 2000 meters away from the opponent's position, and ask for instructions on the next move! Our casualties are not large, and the Sasaki Squadron of the Guzhuang Brigade lost nearly 70 People, two armored vehicles of the Chinese armored force were damaged, and the casualties were less than 10. According to observations, the German army guarding the bridgehead was at least two complete infantry battalions. The opponent lost about a dozen machine guns and nearly 20 mortars. Casualties are unknown!"

Muto Xinyi looked at the battlefield situation in the southwest direction with a telescope in his hand. In fact, his command position was about 7 kilometers away from the bridge head. Wu Keren's artillery position was arranged not far from the east of his brigade headquarters like a plum blossom. From this distance, you can get a rough idea from the telescope. Since it was sunset, the backlight would affect your vision. The brigade chief of staff, Takagi Osamu, was reporting beside him.

"Report!!! Just received a report from the reconnaissance plane of the coalition air force... At least two regiments of the German army have been reinforced along the railway line from the direction of Krasnorad to 3 kilometers south of the Lopan River Bridge, and are now unloading. It is estimated that at least 23 artillery battalions have been strengthened!" A communications staff officer from the 23rd Infantry Brigade panicked and rushed over to report, holding the draft telegram in his hand.

"Nani? Is this information true?! Where did the 2 German regiments and 4 artillery battalions come from?" All the generals of Muto's brigade surrounded Nobuyoshi Muto to watch the battle were shocked. The 19th Infantry Regiment Captain Arai Chen also went up and grabbed the communications staff officer by the collar and shouted angrily!