Age of Rebirth

The Xinbo battlefield is probably the least suspenseful place in Tang Qiuli's plan for the northern Myanmar campaign. Tang Qiusheng, who is mature and prudent, has a very solid way of using troops. He leads three infantry brigades and two tank brigades, watching The Japanese army of two divisions, tens of thousands of soldiers, hundreds of tanks, thousands of cavalry, rumbling smoke and dust, went straight from Kunqiang to Xinbo.

The troops commanded by Tang Qiusheng were slightly more powerful than the Japanese army, and the number of tanks was more than three times that of the Japanese army. As for the large-caliber howitzers belonging to the heavy artillery regiment of the brigade, it was more than four or five times more than the Japanese army. Unable to hold back, several brigade commanders called the Corps headquarters one after another.

"Commander, this little devil is too rampant, isn't he? With more than 4 people, he dares to go on a rampage like entering a human realm. Let's make dumplings for this little devil. If nothing else, just our brigade's heavy artillery Regiment, bombard him for an hour, take care of the little devil and beat him up," the brigade commander, a native of the Northeast, was one of the first members of the Bloody Hands to go up the mountain.

The infantry brigade commanders said this, and the brigade commanders of the two tank brigades were more direct, "Deputy commander, the tank of the little devil is still called a tank? It's the same as a tractor covered with a layer of iron. Our two brigades, attacking front and back, first Get rid of the little devil's tanks, and then attack the Japanese infantry, as for those cavalry, live targets, as long as the deputy division commander gives us an hour of artillery support, our tank troops will take care of everything in this battle!"

Also, the Japanese Hisada Chariot Brigade, which served as the vanguard of the assault force this time, was equipped with tanks that opened the eyes of officers and soldiers. Except for more than a hundred "Izu" series light vehicles, the rest were half He is so tall and two meters long, like a tank that has shrunk down a few sizes. There is no artillery on the tank, only a heavy machine gun. [

The soldiers looked at it strangely, but the officers didn't know where the monster was?This kind of small tank is like a dung beetle covered with a layer of steel plate. It is not big in size, but it moves quite nimbly. It can scurry all over the ground. Compared with the Soviet tanks equipped by the independent division, it is five or six times different. For one, Tang Qiusheng was also full of question marks.

Dare to say, all the officers and soldiers of the Independent Division have never seen such a tank, "Hey, Lao Zhang, what do you think the little devil can do? Just this little guy who is running around all over the floor. It doesn't look authentic at first glance. , I said, a grenade can blow its belly up, if our anti-tank gun is used, it will not blow up with one shot?" The officers and soldiers talked a lot.

At that time, the Battle of Degang had not yet started. Tang Qiuli laughed when he received a telegram from the Sulu Mobile Corps. No wonder everyone made a fuss. Japanese thinking is sometimes very weird. They like to be ingenious. This kind of small tank, The official name is Infantry Reconnaissance Assault Vehicle, with a crew of two, not equipped with artillery, and equipped with a heavy machine gun.

It is used for long-distance reconnaissance and assaulting enemy positions. It was developed by the Japanese military industry department to adapt to the Southeast Asian battlefield and the Chinese battlefield. Ito's troops are the first Japanese army equipped with this infantry reconnaissance and assault vehicle. Not to mention the army, in the early days of the Chinese battlefield, the Chinese army, which lacked heavy weapons, suffered a lot in front of this small and flexible steel monster. Light and heavy machine guns did not pose much threat to this small tank In a daze, the small Japanese tanks have already rushed to the position.

Until later, the Chinese soldiers used blood lessons to gain experience. They could kill more than half of them at a time with artillery fire or cluster grenades. In the middle and late stages of the Chinese battlefield, Japanese miniature tanks of this type were rarely seen. First, Japan's war resources were exhausted at that time, and there were not so many steel clips. Second, the high-level Japanese army discovered that the threat of this kind of weapon to the Chinese army was decreasing day by day.

In the Southeast Asian battlefield, such a miniature tank weighing less than two tons is very suitable for the bridges and road conditions in Southeast Asia. It is small in size, light in body, and extremely fast. The wooden bridges that are common in Southeast Asia can pass without any problems at all, and become the Japanese army's deep penetration. And the successful weapon of the big detour, I don’t know how many British troops are not many, they were copied from the back, and I am still surprised, how did the Japanese advance so fast?

Tang Qiuli sneered at the weapons equipped by the Japanese army. With the firepower of the German heavy machine guns equipped by the units of the Independent Division, two heavy machine guns fired a salvo, and it took less than a thousand rounds to knock out the Japanese armor. So, he called Tang Qiusheng back and explained in detail the performance of this tank and how to deal with it, so as to dispel the doubts of the troops.

Brother Sheng, this is the equipment for two Japanese soldiers. It has good maneuverability and extremely weak firepower and protection. It can be completely destroyed by intensive artillery fire, anti-tank guns, high-explosive grenades, and heavy machine guns. In addition, obstacles are artificially set up. , can also restrict its mobility," Tang Qiusheng sent a telegram after receiving Tang Qiuli's telegram.

Don't worry, since it is so easy to deal with, there is nothing to worry about.

Faced with the generals' desire for war, Tang Qiusheng specially held a military meeting. At the meeting, he only emphasized one point, "We all know that the northern Burma campaign is a whole, and the Xinbo battlefield is just one of its components. Part, the focus of the battle, is on the front line of Degang under the command of the division commander himself. Now, the battle of Degang has not yet started, and we will start first. Everyone said, is this appropriate? Are we going to make a mistake that will affect the entire battle situation?"

Just a few words in such a gentle tone like a spring breeze, blowing away the impetuous emotions in the hearts of the generals. To be honest, the first to third brigades of the Sulu Mobile Corps are also the number one main force brigade, and they are fighting in a secondary direction. , the hearts of the brigade commanders couldn't help but feel a little unhappy, and they felt unsatisfying.

Tang Qiusheng went on to say: "Our main task is to prevent this part of the Japanese army from turning around and helping the Japanese army in Degang, so as to ensure the smooth progress of the battle. As a senior commander, we must have a sense of the overall situation, and I can assure you , as long as the Tokugan is fired, we will have work to do, well, in the future, no one will mention such things again, go back to rectify the troops, and prepare an ambush circle for the Japanese army."

Xinbo is less than [-] kilometers away from Myitkyina, and has already entered the hinterland of Gangao Mountains. Through these mountains, he can reach Mofeng directly. He can already smell the breath of Myitkyina and see the outline of Myitkyina.

Lieutenant General Toshihiko Nomura, head of the No.17 Division of the Japanese Army, was ordered to command two divisions, a chariot brigade and a cavalry regiment of more than 4 troops. He felt quite good about himself. From the very beginning, Nomura Contrary to the original intention of Commander Ito, Ito told him to proceed steadily, be cautious, and must maintain a normal distance and contact with the second echelon.

But as soon as Nomura drove across the Yindun River, he was like a wild horse that had let go of the reins, and rushed towards Myitkyina at high speed. In addition, he was not blocked by the independent division troops in any way along the way. In the words of Lieutenant General Nomura himself Said, "From Yindun River to the north, every six or seven days, there will be battles along the way, such as entering the territory of the people, the Imperial Japanese Army troops are making rapid progress."

"The former, as Commander-in-Chief Ito said, how powerful the troops of Tang Qiuli from China are. When I saw them today, I was very disappointed. Although I saw that the Chinese army was invincible, it was very obvious that they were afraid of fighting. Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, alarmist and exaggerated statements, with more than [-] troops across hundreds of kilometers in northern Myanmar, it is a pity for us soldiers of the empire that we have not encountered a single battle."

Nomura's personality is not the most arrogant and arrogant among the senior generals of the Japanese army, but in the past few days, he has advanced so fast that the Chinese people dare not fight, and they can't help feeling a little flustered in their hearts. The warnings at the military meeting have all been forgotten. In his heart, at this time, the troops of the Independent Division should be classified as the same as the British, and they are not even in the same category.

Lieutenant General Nomura himself did not expect that because of his rapid advance, the Japanese troops under Nagumo's second echelon had to follow the pace of the vanguard. Therefore, Ito's overall deployment was disrupted, making Nagumo's troops and There was a fatal break in the main force of the Japanese army that followed, and it took an extra day to march.

This created an opportunity for Tang Qiuli, who was looking to annihilate the Japanese army, to attack Degang. Commander's urgent order to turn around immediately and return to help Degang's troops who were attacked by the main force of the independent division. That guy Nanyun has already been crushed, and more than half of the troops have been killed. It is extremely urgent! [

Lieutenant General Nomura Toshihiko, who was full of joy, turned his enthusiasm into annoyance. He felt incredible. According to the routine, the first to be attacked should be his own troops, not Nan Nan who followed behind. Yun, but the Chinese people did this. Could it be that this is what they call, "China-style cunning?"

Although Nomura had a thousand reluctances and 1 regrets in his heart, he braked urgently. He only camped overnight in Xinbo. , Looking back in the direction of Myitkyina, I secretly cursed that unlucky guy Nagumo, dragging myself down and failing to fulfill my wish.

Not long after the Battle of Degang started, Tang Qiusheng learned of the telegram that could not end on time. Although Tang Qiuli did not give himself a clear task in the telegram, Tang Qiusheng knew in his heart that Degang was not going well and unexpected situations occurred. My mission changed accordingly, it was no longer the original blocking, but to wipe out this group of Japanese troops.

Tang Qiusheng's patience and stability won him an excellent fighter.

The preparations for the battle were also solid, and Tang Qiusheng worked tirelessly, leading his staff, to visit all the places around Jiesha and choose the best location for the Japanese army.

It is in the depths of the Gangao Mountains, a dangerous place [-] kilometers southeast of Jiesha, called Banmao. Even the most picky military experts have saved a more suitable place for an ambush than Banmao.