newbobooks Chapter 121: Battle of Kursk in East India (7)
Chapter 121: Battle of Kursk in East India (7)
Although the British 14th Indian Army was the main force of the British East Indies, it lacked the Chinese soldiers' unwavering spirit and fearless courage in defending their positions. Intensive Japanese artillery fire quickly crushed the fighting spirit of this predominantly Indian force. Many Indian soldiers ignored the rebukes of British officers and even the crackdowns of the military courts, fleeing the battlefield. Before the Japanese launched their ground assault, large areas of the battlefield were deserted. Due to the limited number of British junior officers, they were unable to control their troops under the relentless enemy bombardment and could only follow the fleeing soldiers to their rear positions.
Mo Shangjing, the Japanese commander in charge of the southern front, laughed heartily upon seeing all this: "Under the mighty artillery fire of the Empire, all enemies are but ants. The iron hoofs of the Empire will soon set foot on the fertile plains of India!"
At Mo Shangjing's command, Abe immediately commanded a large group of tanks to press forward. The Japanese engineering regiment quickly built a simple bridge across the tank trench. The Japanese mechanized column split into several groups and fiercely attacked the last position of the British and Indian Army.
When Mountbatten heard that the 14th Army had lost more than a dozen lines of defense and abandoned several important positions in just a few dozen minutes, his face turned pale. This was a slap in the face of the British Empire, preventing the proud British from embarrassing themselves in front of the United States and even the Chinese, whom they once looked down upon!
Without hesitation, Mountbatten ordered the deployment of a garrison division composed of British and Sikhs to suppress the 14th Army's fleeing troops. Some British junior officers were summarily executed. Lieutenant General Slim severely reprimanded him, threatening him with court-martial if he failed to hold the last few lines of defense.
Wedemeyer obviously did not realize that the usually steady 14th Army was in such a situation. He was not optimistic that the remnants of the 14th Army could hold the last position. However, there were no troops available for support at present. However, the situation and events determined that the Allies must not give up the remaining positions of the 14th Army.
As a last resort, Wedemeyer called Sun Liren and Yang Hong, asking them to find a way to support the 14th Army and assist Lieutenant General Sturm.
Sun Liren and Yang Hong had originally planned to withdraw the 112th and 113th Brigades to form a counterattack group after the Japanese focused their attack on the southern front. They would then attack the Japanese from the flanks when the tank battle on the southern front began, severing the supply lines of the Japanese mechanized columns. However, the sudden change in the battlefield situation and Wedemeyer's request disrupted their plans and forced the First Army to face a difficult decision.
"I'll lead the New 1st Brigade. The backbone of the New 1st Brigade is the New 28th Division. Most of them have experienced the brutal Battle of Imphal. Their offensive capabilities may be insufficient, but on defense, I believe the New 1st Brigade will demonstrate the perseverance and determination of the Chinese people!"
At this moment, Pu Zhengsong, deputy commander of the new 28th Division, stood up and said calmly that these days, he led the logistics and technical soldiers of the group army to build many oil barrel launchers, gas tank cannons, and produced a large number of explosives.
In addition to its directly subordinate tank and mechanized brigades, the 1st Group Army also had four infantry brigades. Only the New 4st Brigade maintained a two-regiment structure, while the other three brigades each consisted of one mechanized regiment and multiple infantry battalions. The two regiments in the New 1st Brigade were the 2nd and 3th Regiments of the former New 1th Division. With no mechanized regiments, these regiments were entirely infantry, and their combat effectiveness clearly could not be compared to that of the 2th, 28th, and 82th Brigades.
Privately, some referred to the New 1st Brigade as the 1st Army's replacement brigade. This resented the soldiers who had survived the Battle of Imphal. As the army's reserve, the New 1st Brigade's battalions and companies had already put their all into this battle, determined to demonstrate the New 1st Brigade's spirit and truly make the New 1st Brigade and the New 28th Division proud! Since joining the New 28th Division, Pu Zhengsong has been with his former members, completely integrating into their ranks. He is determined to lead the New 28st Brigade to glory!
After a quiet discussion, Sun and Yang agreed to Pu Zhengsong's request. After Pu Zhengsong left, Cai Yong, commander of the 113th Brigade, stood up and addressed the officers, "Could you please send me some of the rocket launchers? I don't want much; just 10 or 20 will suffice. I'll personally lead the 113st Battalion of the 1th Brigade. I must find a way to destroy the Japanese tank destroyers. They're likely the biggest threat to our tank column. If we don't manage to destroy them, and General Stellan's tank column fails, our front will be in great danger of collapse!"
Sun and Yang originally planned to retain the 114th Brigade for defense, while the 112th and 113th Brigades prepared for a flanking attack and provided flank support for the Stran Tank Column. Hearing Cai Yong's words, he nodded unconsciously.
Yes, all preparations hinged on the Strand tank column's ability to ambush and withstand the Japanese Panther tank cluster. While the Panthers were ferocious, the Weasels hidden behind them were the most lethal weapons in German tank warfare. These tank destroyers, and the later Panzer III, were the most lethal weapons in the German army's large-scale tank battles!
Sun decisively agreed to Cai Yong's suggestion and assigned 20 rocket launchers to Cai Yong to form a surprise attack team. They would take advantage of the chaos and launch a surprise attack on the Japanese tank destroyers! Sun also decided to use all the anti-tank guns, anti-tank rifles, and anti-aircraft guns that the army could muster, along with the special operations battalion, to form an anti-tank team. He would personally lead the team to support Stellan's tank column and make sure to keep the Japanese tank cluster on the southern battlefield!
All the generals disagreed with Commander Sun Liren leading the anti-tank unit personally. Yang Hong proposed to lead the team himself, but was interrupted by Sun. Sun needed Yang to lead the army's assault column, take advantage of the opportunity when the Japanese tank cluster was tied down, attack the rear wing of the Japanese army, and cut off the Japanese supply line!
Sun said calmly: "I am the commander of the 1st Army. Stellan's tank cluster has concentrated all the mechanized forces of our 1st Army. As the commander, I must fight with them!"
Sun's words resonated with everyone! Liu Bolun, the commander of the new 28th Division, also stepped forward and said calmly: "Deputy Commander Yang, you lead the 112th and 113th Brigades and all the mobile artillery to form an assault column to counterattack the enemy. I will defend the position with the 114th Brigade. The 114th Brigade has always been our strongest defensive unit. I don't believe that the Japanese can pass through the 114th Brigade's position. I, Liu Bolun, have no skills, but the Japanese still have a pair of steel teeth."
Chief of Staff Martin was also moved by the courage and determination of the crowd. He also stood up and said to Sun and Yang, "Dear Sun and Yang, it's decided. Liu and I will stay and hold the central position. American soldiers are not cowards. We are also determined to die to defend the dignity of soldiers!"