Chapter 3036: The Japs Attack

The scout riding a two-wheeled scooter rushed back quickly. The gas pedal was pressed hard and the dust was flying along the way. You didn't need to think carefully to know that something bad must have happened.

The scouts were members of Alsim's combat engineers. As soon as they crossed the river and landed on the beach, they mounted their motorcycles and sent out reconnaissance warnings.

Now that he saw his soldiers returning, Alsim quickly stood up without even bothering to put on his shirt. He was still shirtless, holding a cigarette in his mouth and beckoning the soldiers to come over and report.

"Tell me, what happened?"

The soldier who ran over as soon as he got off the motorcycle didn't bother to catch his breath, and quickly raised his finger to point in the direction he had just come back from and said.

"Japanese devils, a large group of Japanese devils are coming. They are riding tall horses, armored vehicles and small tanks. They are very fast! If we keep the marching speed unchanged, we will reach us in less than twenty minutes."

""

Not only Alsim, Sulovechenko who was resting nearby also came over after hearing this.

After hearing the scout's report, Sulovechenko thought for a moment and quickly spoke first.

"Are you sure that they are here to attack rather than retreat or transfer? The Japanese army is now experiencing saturation attacks at various garrison points and troop gathering areas. I wonder if any of the Japanese troops that were scattered by the bombings withdrew and regrouped."

Sulovechenko's analysis is not unreasonable. From a probability perspective, the probability that the Japanese are able to launch an organized and large-scale counterattack is indeed low in their current state. This is not to say that Sulovechenko is careless and underestimates the enemy, but it is indeed very important to understand the enemy's situation instead of just talking.

"It's here to attack, that's for sure! It can't be wrong!"

"These Japanese devils don't look like they have been beaten at all. Their morale is very high and they are still singing songs while marching. They are coming straight towards us. I don't quite understand the meaning of that song. It seems to be some kind of cherry blossom or hometown. In short, the Japanese recite these broken sutras, and when you sing them, it feels like your mother has just died.”

"puff--"

He couldn't hold it back for a moment, and he laughed directly at the description of the scout soldier. Alsim, who also had a curved mouth, followed up by asking.

"Have you seen clearly the composition of the enemy? What are the proportions of each type of arms and the total number? It's probably OK."

Upon hearing Comrade Company Commander's question, the thoughtful soldier quickly recalled the details of what he had witnessed not long ago, and then answered.

"The enemy's march was very long, and only the vanguard could be seen."

"The vanguard consists of a large group of cavalry clearing the way. The cavalry column is followed closely by armored vehicles and small tanks, but the number is not large. I estimate that there are only a dozen or twenty vehicles in size, and there are accompanying infantry, which are as numerous as the cavalry. It’s almost the same. It comes by truck, and the speed is about the same as that of horses and crawlers.”

""

After hearing this, Alsim and Sulovechenko immediately looked at each other, and each of them understood the unspoken meaning in the other's eyes.

He ordered the scouts to return to the original route to investigate again and report again. Looking at the back of the motorcycle speeding away, Alsim knew that this was definitely going to be trouble, and then quietly spoke.

"It seems that these Japanese devils are not stupid. They also know how to drive us down the river before our footing is stable. I thought that they were the only ones who were bombed so badly, and they still had to guard that three-quarter acre. Come on, just wait for us to go over and smash them to pieces.”

Knowing that Alsim said this deliberately and half-jokingly, and knowing that time was tight, Sulovechenko also whispered back.

"Okay, you can take command here first, and I will go and report to Comrade Commander. If a pontoon bridge is built, I will go back as soon as possible."

"Well, be careful. The pontoon is narrow. Don't be hit by a car and fall into the river. I don't want to go down and fish you out."

With Alsim's "enthusiastic advice", Sulovchenko, who was as fast as flying, ran quickly to the pontoon.

I caught a ride with a truck from the Pontoon Bridge Corps that had just finished unloading construction materials and was about to go back to the other side to pick up the goods. I got on the ride and drove quickly towards the other side of the river.

The benefits of building two light pontoons are obvious. Two-way traffic ensures that construction materials can enter the site and unloading vehicles return smoothly at the same time.

I just don’t know how long this smooth construction can continue. Sulovechenko, sitting in the passenger seat of the truck, looked at the pontoon construction site on the river that has extended to the central area.

I can't help but worry about whether the construction of the pontoon bridge that will lead to the leader's army's heavy equipment crossing the river can proceed smoothly when the Japanese's anti-beachhead assault troops arrive.

"We must stop the Japanese devils. We must not let these bastards ruin the good things!"

When Malashenko received Sulovechenko's personal report, Malashenko, who was reading the latest bombing damage report, immediately frowned.

"The cannons in the sky and on the ground have been ringing non-stop since before dawn. Where did these devils come from? How dare they arrogantly gather troops and rush towards the leader's army to seek death?"

The answer to the first reaction question was quickly found on the war zone map.

The political commissar who accompanied Malashenko to look at the map analysis could see the problem in just a moment based on the intelligence description brought by Sulovechenko.

"It should be here, and there is a high probability that it can only be here. Only the Japanese who come out of this county can be reasonable and can safely assemble troops without being bombarded by our artillery and air attacks."

Except for a few attacks on key command hubs, the artillery preparations and air strikes in the offensive direction of the leader army basically did not place the strike coordinates in densely populated civilian settlements, even though they knew that the devils were using human shields to cover themselves.

Malashenko did not want to cause a large number of innocent civilian casualties. The people on this land had suffered enough from the bullying of the Japanese invaders, and they should not be killed by the Red Army's artillery bombardment.

But this gave some large-scale Japanese troops an opportunity to safely assemble troops and set off in the county-level garrison area.

This also explains why the leader army had more than 500 heavy artillery and rocket launchers, plus the air force that covered the sky and the sun, but still had large-scale Japanese troops assembled to launch a counterattack.

Before the political commissar, who was pointing at the map for analysis, finished speaking, Malashenko was about to say something.

But the communications staff, who was busy not far away, suddenly ran over with a freshly baked telegram in his hand.

"Comrade Commander, an urgent telegram from the front headquarters!"

"Read it!"

Malachenko, who was busy studying the map, did not choose to go to see it in person. The communications staff officer who followed the order immediately picked up the telegram and spoke.

The general idea was that the aerial reconnaissance of the front headquarters also confirmed that at least a regiment-sized devil was approaching and was about to come into contact with the beachhead of the leader's army. Marshal Vatutin, who was in charge of the overall situation in the rear, asked Malachenko to prepare for the attack.

"A regiment? This Japanese devil looked down on me, Malachenko, so much that a regiment dared to ride on my face and die?"

"Maybe it's just the first wave of troops. Considering that the Japanese troops in various positions and garrisons in the surrounding areas are currently unable to protect themselves and cannot get out, this may be the largest-scale rapid reaction force that the enemy can currently assemble."

"And if they are not quickly annihilated, there is a high probability that more enemies will continue to come in the future. We can't let this happen."

Listening to the analysis of the political commissar, staring at the map hanging on the wall in front of him.

The fate of this Japanese brigade was decided by a fierce smile on his face. Without thinking, Malashenko spoke in a deep voice.

"Order, the artillery units directly under the army and division turn their guns and fire at the marked bombing areas No. 3 and No. 4."

"Contact the front headquarters and request to send artillery reconnaissance aircraft to the above-mentioned areas to observe and confirm the damage effect. The front-line troops that have crossed the river carry communication equipment and approach the enemy, responsible for ground observation of damage effects and correction of artillery coordinates."

"Yes, comrade commander."

The communication staff responsible for conveying the order took the order and left, and Malashenko, who was still standing in front of the map, just sneered.

"I want to see whether the Japanese devils' tops are hard or the maces of my leader army are strong. They want to fight the maces with their tops, well, let them do it! It won't be over until these Japanese beasts are blown to ashes!"

Malashenko gave this invading Japanese brigade a fixed-level treatment.

Apart from the artillery equipment provided to various combat units below the division level, the scale of the artillery of the leader army alone, which is more than half of the total, exceeds 300.

This is reasonable. The leader army, which is full of 122 heirlooms of various heavy tanks and 130 Red Navy naval guns, is not really short of accompanying and supporting direct heavy firepower.

More than half of the heavy artillery is directly under the army and division, which can better gather enough firepower for artillery bombardment and open up offensive channels, thereby sending the leader army's massive accompanying and supporting direct heavy firepower to the battlefield.

On the other hand, this also means that Malashenko has mobilized more than 300 132mm Katyushas, ​​203mm ISU-203s, and 310mm huge Andryusha tubes for this blind Japanese army regiment. "Top Supreme Package"

Anyway, I have too much ammunition to use up. I started the artillery preparation before dawn. Now I have almost bombed all the garrisons and troop assembly points of the devils. I am worried that the artillery effect will enter the marginal effect and there will be no better targets to bomb.

When I am sleepy, I get a pillow. When there are no targets to bomb, I get a huge number of heads.

You Japanese devils are quite cooperative. To be honest, Malashenko wondered if he should say "thank you" at least? Just look at this 300 heavy artillery package. Is it enough for you Japanese devils to be happy to the sky?

With the order of the army commander, the direct field artillery at all levels with artillery positions in the JB area immediately moved upon hearing the order.

Because it was expected that the Japanese army, who were unwilling to give up, would most likely do some bad things when the leader army seized the beach and built a pontoon bridge.

Therefore, Malashenko personally ordered the Jiangnan area to set up several predetermined artillery areas within the range of the artillery.

Once the Japanese anti-beach assault force attempts to approach, the leader's long-range field artillery does not need to obtain precise strike coordinates. It only needs to concentrate fire on the predetermined killing area according to the enemy's attack direction and approximate position reported by the scouts.

The advantage is that the reaction speed of the artillery is absolutely fast enough, but the disadvantage is that many shells will be wasted. And the premise is that if artillery is used in this way, there must be enough quantity to produce qualitative changes, and the firepower of the artillery equipment must also be sufficient.

Otherwise, the sparse density of artillery fire will not only fail to achieve the ideal effect, but will make the enemy laugh at the "fireworks show".

Unfortunately for the Japanese, Malashenko had the most in terms of both the number of artillery and firepower.

Even more unfortunate was that Malashenko did not even lack ammunition, as he was worried that there were too many excess shells accumulated during the preparation stage of the campaign and where to fire them.

The Japanese dared to swagger and sing happily at this time, and Malashenko felt that it would be unreasonable not to give the Japanese a hard time.

Boom boom boom boom --

Boom boom boom --

Above the long-range artillery positions of the leader army, the ISU-203 self-propelled artillery with its huge cannons raised were roaring.

This steel giant that shocked the whole audience and the West when it first appeared was definitely the most powerful among the mass-produced self-propelled artillery in the world today, without a doubt.

One by one, the whistling 203 shells crossed the Ussuri River with a parabolic trajectory, flew over the beachhead on the opposite bank, and rushed straight towards the Japanese army, which was still unaware of the coming destruction.

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the Japanese army marching column that was sending people to their deaths.

Riding on a tall horse, Major General Morishima Kuronei was quite worried. He always felt that there was an ominous premonition lingering in his heart, like a haze that could not be shaken off, but he could not explain it clearly.

Morishima Kuronei, who was born in a military family since the Taisho era, had an absolutely unquestionable background power.

Even in the Kwantung Army, which was full of bigwigs, he could get a high position.

The 105th Independent Mixed Brigade he commanded was the only mechanized cavalry unit in the Kwantung Army.

The Kwantung Army, which not only brought back Tiger tanks from Germany, but also brought back matching armored tactics from Germany, had undergone many changes compared to the existing historical status.

One of them was that the Kwantung Army also began to imitate the Germans and tried to form the armored grenadier division that the German army had in the second half of the war.

However, the mechanization level of the Germans was already poor, and the mechanization level of the Japanese devils was even worse.

If there were no half-track armored personnel carriers, trucks would be used instead. If there were not enough tanks, armored vehicles would be used to make up the numbers. If there were not enough mechanized combat vehicles, cavalry would be directly modified to top the equipment.

The result was the 105th Independent Mixed Brigade led by Morishima Kuroneji, a "four-in-one" unit that was not mechanized enough and slightly more advanced in terms of mule and horse.

But there was one advantage, at least the marching speed had increased.

The marching speed of cavalry plus trucks, small tanks, and armored vehicles was finally faster than the pure two-legged No. 11 bus.

It was precisely because of the fast marching speed and strong rapid response ability, and the fact that they were killed and disabled by the Red Army's artillery preparations and air raids before the first moment of the war, and they were lucky enough to escape by relying on being stationed in the county town and using civilians as a shield.

Therefore, the Morishima Kuroneji Brigade was selected to carry out the anti-beachhead impact mission. The Kwantung Army Command, which expected that the Red Army would definitely seize the time to cross the river, was determined to give it a try.

It would be best if we could drive the Russians down the river, but even if we can't drive them down the river, we have to kill them indiscriminately. At least we can slow down the speed of the Russians' assembly and advance, and buy time for other Kwantung Army troops to assemble and re-establish the defense line.

I feel lucky that I was not killed, maimed, or blown up in my sleep at the first moment of the war.

But the depressed Morishima Kurone also feels that it is extremely unfortunate that he was sent to perform this kind of mission that is almost tantamount to suicide, and is euphemistically called the "vanguard of the whole army."

Not to mention that his brigade is only half of its strength, and the other regiment that went to receive new equipment and conduct integration training is still in the rear and has no time to rush back to the front line.

Although the Kwantung Army Headquarters repeatedly assured that the follow-up reinforcements would arrive soon, Morishima Kurone did not need to achieve much results, he only needed to rush up to entangle the Russians and wait for reinforcements to arrive.

With such an elite mechanized regiment in hand, you, Morishima Kurone, should be able to hold on for half a day, right? It won't take long for them to find a way to mobilize reinforcements for you, so don't worry.

Thinking of these assurances from the Kwantung Army Headquarters, Morishima Kuronet, who always felt that something was wrong, frowned and sullenly rode on his beloved BMW and felt very unhappy.

The horseback adjutant who was accompanying him saw it and remembered it in his heart. He was about to say something comforting, but before he could open his mouth, he heard the whistling sound in the distance that was like the collapse of the sky and the earth.

"Artillery fire! Get down!!!"