Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

The sky gradually darkened.

Ximentang's elite troops launched a fierce attack on the right flank of Sakata Takeo's army.

Mortars are used like they're free.

The core of 'blitzkrieg' is to win quickly and decisively, and to annihilate the Japanese army's manpower in the shortest possible time.

After an hour of fierce attack, the central and left-wing armies led by Takeo Sakata finally crossed the West River to provide support.

As darkness fell quickly, it became impossible to see any people around.

Simultaneously,

Sakata Takeo's two armies crossed the West River from the side of the Ximentang army.

Xu Xiaodao saw that Sakata Takeo's right-wing army had been completely decimated.

If they were to engage in a direct confrontation with Sakata Takeo's other two armies at this point, they would not gain any advantage.

To be on the safe side, Xu Xiaodao decisively ordered a retreat.

Ximentang has already achieved some success, and disengaging from the battle at this point is the wisest choice.

Therefore,
When Sakata Takeo's other two armies crossed the river to provide support, Ximentang's ambush came to an end.

They annihilated more than 21,000 men on the right wing of Sakata Takeo's army, and seriously wounded more than 3,000.

After being subjected to a barrage of bombardments, less than half of the 50,000-strong right-wing army remained capable of fighting, suffering heavy losses.

Sakata Takeo's army dared not advance any further and had no choice but to set up camp.

When the report on battle damage was handed to Takeo Sakata, he flew into a rage, his anger burning fiercely.

Om-!
His mind was in a mess.

He hadn't realized what was happening until now.

The main force of Ximentang was clearly in the direction of the main urban area of ​​Huangshi Prefecture, so how did it suddenly turn around to the right wing of the army?

Why was Ximentang's marching speed so fast?

Originally, Sakata Takeo wanted to counter-encircle and wipe out the 20,000-strong elite force of Ximentang.

But now Ximentang has launched a 'lightning ambush' that has completely woken him up.

To be on the safe side,

The Kwantung Army could not afford to disperse its forces; if its troops became isolated, they were likely to be ambushed by the enemy.

therefore,

Sakata Takeo decisively ordered his troops to retreat, no longer continuing towards Jiujiang Prefecture, but instead temporarily retreating to Ezhou Prefecture.

but,

Just as the Allied Forces of the East were retreating.

The elite special forces of the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment, led by Lin Song, launched a decisive attack and ambushed Ozawa Kaiki's troops on the way.

Ozawa Kaiki was caught off guard.

Fortunately, his army had only recently left Ezhou Prefecture and was not far from Sakata Takeo's army.

Therefore, when Takeo Sakata received news that Ozawa Kaiki had been ambushed, he rushed to provide support.

The elite special operations regiment led by Lin Song would fight and run, never lingering in battle.

He had only three thousand men under his command, and they were tasked with raids.

Once the enemy forces surround and arrive to provide support, the elite special operations regiment must quickly withdraw from the battlefield to avoid being surrounded.

This rapid assault tactic made things very difficult for Takeo Sakata's army.

Too fast to maneuver, too powerful to firepower!

If you don't surround the enemy, you won't even see their shadow, and you'll only be beaten.

After withdrawing from the battlefield, Lin Song retreated to Tieshan District to garrison the area.

Sakata Takeo was so frightened that he dared not send anyone to pursue them. He could only retreat back to Ezhou City with the troops under Ozawa Kaiki's command.

this moment,
Sakata Takeo finally understood why, before the expedition, General Ōyama Iwao had repeatedly warned all officers of the Kwantung Army that they must advance slowly and steadily, and avoid rashly rushing forward.

Once Ximentang seizes the initiative on the battlefield.

Then,

The Kwantung Army was like an old ox being led by the nose, completely losing its direction in the battle.

Next,
Sakata Takeo's army, based in Ezhou City, slowly advanced towards Jiujiang Prefecture.

After advancing ten kilometers, they would set up camp and construct defensive fortifications.

When Xu Xiaodao attacked Ezhou City, he failed to capture it after a long siege and suffered a loss.

Faced with the large army of Takeo Sakata's forces, he quickly changed his tactics.

Large-scale relocation, infiltration, and cutting through enemy lines; seeking opportunities for combat while moving at high speed.

It must be said that this fighting method is remarkably effective.

Two consecutive ambushes resulted in resounding victories, with Ximentang suffering almost no losses.

Sakata Takeo's right-wing army and Ozawa Kaiki's army were decimated, temporarily delaying the Allied Forces of the East from heading to Jiujiang Prefecture.

However, these two victories in the ambush did not severely damage Sakata Takeo's army.

for the rest of the time.

Takeo Sakata's army learned its lesson and changed its tactics.

He no longer dispersed his forces, but instead adopted a coordinated approach to advance steadily.

The original distance between the three armies was fifteen li, but now it has been reduced to five li.

If ambushed, other nearby troops will quickly provide support.

Therefore, Xu Xiaodao's army wanted to repeat the same trick, but soon found that they had lost the opportunity to ambush and could not continue to expand their gains.

This also demonstrates the Kwantung Army's strong adaptability and its detailed study of Saimon's tactics.

Just as Xu Xiaodao abandoned the ambush on Sakata Takeo's army.

A battle report came from the direction of Jiujiang Prefecture: the Oshima Yutaka Corps of the Kwantung Army had finally launched its attack.

Oshima Yuutake led his army from Nanchang Prefecture, successively capturing the surrounding areas, and headed directly north to garrison Jiujiang Prefecture.

at the same time,

Oyama Iwao, the supreme commander of the Kwantung Army, left Ezhou Prefecture and took command of the general offensive in Hanzhong and southern Jiangxi from Wuchang Prefecture.

After arriving in Wuchang Prefecture, Oyama Iwao immediately ordered that Sakata Kawa and other commanders of the Kwantung Army be executed on the spot for the crimes of passively avoiding battle and deserting the battlefield.

He also ordered all combat units of the Kwantung Army that any commander who deserted or retreated in the face of death during the war could be shot dead on the spot by the supervisory team without asking for permission!

When Sakata River was stationed in the Tohoku region, he was a loyal subordinate of Ōyama Iwao.

He participated in the landing operation at Lushun and also participated in the Liaodong Massacre.

Although this guy is an opportunist, he is more ruthless and fierce than anyone else when he has the upper hand, which is why he has made great achievements.

This time,
Oyama Iwao beheaded Sakata River because Sakata River's desertion during the defense of Ezhou City had a very negative impact on the Kwantung Army.

Although the Kwantung Army's battlefield regulations did not include punishment for opportunists.

but.

This time, Sakatagawa really went too far, showing such fear of death in such an important battle.

of course,

Dashanyan did this primarily to target the allied forces of Hong Chaoge, Prince Ning Li Mu, and Prince Shu Li Chuang.

Although these soldiers and troops under the princes did not dare to flee on the battlefield.

but,

When the battle situation is unfavorable, no soldier dares to charge forward; this is human instinct.

In fact,
Dashanyan had a very clear understanding of the soldiers' performance on the battlefield.

However, the person who led the retreat this time was actually Sakatagawa. How could he tolerate such a situation occurring in the elite troops of the Kwantung Army?

The purpose of executing Sakata River on the spot was to intimidate the entire army.

In the following period, the Kwantung Army launched a full-scale offensive against the Hanzhong region of the Daqian Dynasty.

Xu Xiaodao led his army away from Huangshi Prefecture and headed to Jiujiang Prefecture to join Aman's army.

Chen Jie mobilized an army of 100,000, led by Aman.

Simultaneously,

The Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty mobilized 50,000 troops, plus 20,000 troops under Xu Xiaodao's command.

For a while,
Aman's army reached a strength of 170,000.

However, the most difficult time for Ximentang and the Daqian New Army is about to begin.

Using Wuchang Prefecture as its base, the Kwantung Army began its two-pronged attack towards Jiujiang Prefecture.

After Xu Xiaodao and Aman joined forces, they led an army of 60,000 to the Yangxin County area to await the right opportunity.

He originally thought he could continue using large-scale transfers, infiltrations, and flanking maneuvers to break through the Kwantung Army's defenses, just like before. Then he planned to defeat them one by one, ambush them, and find an opportunity to annihilate the Kwantung Army.

but,

When the Kwantung Army launched its renewed offensive, Xu Xiaodao quickly noticed something amiss.

The tactics of the Kwantung Army underwent a dramatic change.

One bunker after another was built on the outer perimeter of Yangxin.

These bunkers, based in Yangxin County, advanced outwards in a staggered manner.

It looks like,
These bunkers were very simple to build, using a hemispherical structure.

Each bunker can accommodate about fifty people. The exterior is covered with thick sand, the middle is made of blue bricks, and an additional layer of steel plates is installed inside.

Half of the bunkers were underground, with only the operations headquarters above ground.

Simultaneously,

The bunker was surrounded by sandbags to protect it from heavy machine gun and artillery fire.

Ten meters from the outermost edge, there were even stools to prevent large-scale attacks.

Between each bunker, there is a path that forms a 'Z' shape for entering and exiting.

The top of the bunker is a four-sided turret with a machine gun muzzle in the center.

Such a bunker could be built very quickly.

As long as there are enough manpower, a batch can be built every three days on average to surround the military camp.

The distance between each bunker is about 500 meters.

and.

Five miles apart, a large tower was built, capable of accommodating more than five hundred people.

These towers and bunkers formed a strong defensive line.

From a distance, using a telescope, the bunkers appear like a graveyard, densely packed, layered, and arranged in a staggered, orderly fashion.

In the event of an attack, the bunkers can coordinate their firepower.

In strategic locations, the number of bunkers has increased significantly, forming a crossfire configuration, and the garrison has more than doubled.

Military supplies were all moved into the bunkers.

Outside the bunker, there were many cave dwellings burning with thick smoke.

The thick black smoke can obstruct the enemy's vision and prevent artillery from aiming at long distances.

The civilians were driven to the area of ​​the bunker to work on its construction.

Oyama Iwao issued the highest military order of the Kwantung Army: all Japanese soldiers responsible for guarding the bunker must live and die with the bunker.

The bunker stands, and so do the people!

The bunker collapsed, and everyone died!

Anyone who abandons the fortress and tries to escape when faced with Ximentang's strong attack will be executed on the spot!

Because Oyama Iwao had previously executed Sakata River in front of all the generals of the Kwantung Army.

Therefore,
No commander of the Japanese army dared to disobey Oyama Iwao's order to "execute immediately".

Bunker platoon tactics!

In the 'Urban World', this tactic was originally a siege tactic from World War II.

Because the peasant army at that time was poorly equipped and had no fixed abode, it wandered around aimlessly.

They came and went without a trace, and were skilled in guerrilla warfare, which gave the main forces of the time a great headache.

therefore,

Finally, the main force came up with this 'fortified platoon' tactic.

Numerous bunkers were built in key military locations in major cities to besiege the peasant army.

This bunker platoon tactic was remarkably effective in dealing with peasant armies engaged in guerrilla warfare.

In the early stages, they almost drove the peasant army into a complete rout, nearly wiping them out.

Fortunately, under the leadership of the "super brain," the "peasant army" relocated to the Northwest on a large scale and acquired a large amount of advanced equipment from outside. At the same time, the army expanded and its strength increased significantly.

Only when large-scale battles were fought did the bunker platoon tactic become ineffective.

Even so, when the remaining troops in various places were finally wiped out, the bunker platoon tactic still posed a great threat to the "peasant army" at that time.

This shows that

The bunker platoon tactic is the most effective tactic against guerrilla warfare and infiltration and flanking maneuvers.

Unexpectedly, when the Kwantung Army launched its general offensive in Hanzhong, it was the first to adopt the bunker platoon tactic.

This tactic is effective in countering Ximentang's offensive style.

and,

The Kwantung Army had clearly made meticulous calculations, with strict restrictions on the number, distance, and personnel deployment of the row of bunkers.

The objective was simple: to restrict Ximentang's mobility by using a series of bunkers.

This also limited the artillery of Ximentang.

After the thick smoke spread, it became difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the bunker using binoculars.

have to say,

The Kwantung Army's "bunker platoon" tactic was specifically designed to target Ximentang.

Therefore,
After Oshima Yutaka's army occupied Nanchang Prefecture, they began to build fortifications.

After capturing a strategic location, they began constructing bunkers on a large scale, forming rows of them.

When Xu Xiaodao and Aman's army joined forces and led 60,000 troops to Yangxin County.

The main force of the Kwantung Army had already built numerous bunkers within the territory of Yangxin County.

There are over a hundred small bunkers and twelve large bunkers.

Their strategic depth exceeds thirty miles, and they are still advancing towards the outskirts of Jiujiang Prefecture.

The Kwantung Army's use of the "bunker platoon" tactic did indeed hinder Ximen Tang's offensive plan.

Xu Xiaodao, Aman, and others were all very troubled by the row of bunkers.

The two sent intelligence to Chen Jie in Jinling, providing a detailed report on the battle situation around Jiujiang Prefecture.

Ximentang made a large-scale movement in an attempt to lure the Kwantung Army out.

but,

The Kwantung Army troops inside the bunker continued to slowly advance their lines, unaffected by Ximentang.

Advance step by step, pressing forward relentlessly!
Once a city was captured, the Kwantung Army would immediately begin constructing bunkers.

Wherever the Kwantung Army went, rows of bunkers followed.

This steady and methodical tactic remained unmoved by Ximen Tang's large-scale troop deployment.

Yangxin County became a stronghold of the Japanese army, with its densely packed bunkers leaving all of Ximentang's commanders helpless.

Although Xu Xiaodao also tried to bombard the Kwantung Army's bunkers and use firepower to cover them.

but,

Whenever the Kwantung Army encountered artillery attacks from Ximentang, all its soldiers would hide in bunkers and adopt a defensive strategy to deplete Ximentang's ammunition.

As a result,
Ximentang had no way to carry out a large-scale relocation, let alone divide up the Kwantung Army's bunkers.

The highly mobile tactics that were once invincible seem to have lost their effectiveness in the face of this "fortified platoon" tactic.

The construction of the bunker appeared to be simple, and the materials used were inexpensive.

but,

The bunkers were very sturdy, and it was almost impossible to destroy them unless they were hit head-on.

Once the thick smoke rose, it became difficult for Ximentang's artillery to aim accurately at long range, rendering the armor-piercing shells ineffective.

therefore,

Faced with the platooned bunker tactics, the only option was to launch a strong attack and destroy them at close range.

The bunker was well-equipped with firepower, including heavy machine guns and heavy artillery in the larger pillboxes.

Therefore,
Relying on this defensive position of "rows of bunkers", the Kwantung Army was able to significantly reduce the firepower of Ximentang's artillery attacks.

The real main force was behind the bunker.

Once Ximentang launched his attack, the stronghold was exposed.

Next, the main force of the Kwantung Army will adopt siege tactics and launch a fierce artillery attack on the Ximentang position.

Three days later,

The armies under Xu Xiaodao and Aman suffered heavy losses due to the Japanese's fortified platoon tactics and were forced to retreat to their main camp in Xianning Prefecture! (End of Chapter)