novelden Chapter 933 The advantage is mine
Chapter 933 The advantage is mine
Li Yunlong even boasted that the total number of bicycles in the entire base area exceeded one million, and that these could be converted into tools for transporting supplies at a moment's notice.
Chu Yunfei had no doubt about the Eighth Route Army's mobilization capabilities, which led to the base area possessing unparalleled war potential.
After all, the militia in the base area were equipped with Japanese weapons, which at least allowed them to contend with the enemy's second-line garrison. Who knew how many militia units were actually hidden in our base area?
On the surface, they had 60,000 main force troops facing off against 20,000 Japanese troops, but in reality, if you include the militia, the total number was more than 100,000.
The militia is responsible for a wide range of tasks, including transporting logistical supplies, rescuing wounded soldiers, maintaining battlefield vigilance, cleaning up the battlefield, guarding prisoners, and maintaining order in recaptured cities.
However, these are tasks for the main force, which can be handed over to the local militia. After the main force finishes fighting, it can quickly get rest and then be deployed to other battlefields.
Of course, only the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army could do this. The Jin-Sui Army could not even dream of it, and they could not find so many reliable people.
When Li Yunlong explained the strategic deployment in detail, the various data gave Chu Yunfei immense confidence.
If this battle truly resulted in the complete annihilation of an enemy division, it would absolutely shock China, and Chu Yunfei might very well become a renowned general of our time.
"Chief of Staff, a large transport convoy from the Independent Column will be arriving at our base tomorrow. Please arrange for someone to receive them."
"This includes a large artillery unit, especially the 105mm heavy howitzer battalion, which is a powerful weapon and can be considered the main siege firepower of our battle."
"When the convoy arrives, we will hold a welcoming ceremony so that all the soldiers can come and see it, and also to boost everyone's morale."
"This is my plan: the 105mm heavy howitzer battalion and the 120mm heavy mortar battalion will be directly under the division headquarters; the 75mm mountain gun battalion will be assigned to the two infantry regiments below; and the mortar and recoilless rifle teams will all be assigned to the front-line combat companies."
Upon hearing this, Chief of Staff Fang couldn't help but sigh:
"Commander Li of the Independent Column is really generous, sending us so many artillery pieces all at once. Now I am even more confident about the outcome of this battle."
"Brother Ligong, what are you thinking about? There's no way such a good thing could exist."
"These are all temporarily assigned to our 358th Division. They will all be returned to their original units after the battle ends, but this is a good thing for us."
"We can experience the Eighth Route Army's tactics up close, which will help us prepare for future troop reforms, especially large-scale attacks on heavily fortified cities held by the Japanese invaders. This is of great importance to our Jin-Sui Army."
"Make it clear to the regimental commanders, battalion commanders and company commanders below that they should treat these friendly forces with courtesy and not make a fool of themselves."
"Another thing is to have the soldiers practice with the artillery units, especially recoilless rifles and mortars, which will play a huge role in the later siege and street fighting."
"Commander, I'll go and explain everything right away, so don't worry."
In fact, there was no need for Chu Yunfei to give such a solemn explanation. As long as it was a Chinese army, they had the utmost respect for their own artillery, and often even showed a fawning attitude.
There's no way around it; the main reason is that artillery is extremely scarce in China, as it's a purely technical branch of the military.
Having artillery support behind the position is a completely different matter from not having artillery. Often, if front-line troops want to take down a Japanese Type 92 heavy machine gun or a grenade launcher, they need to pay the price of several or even a dozen excellent soldiers.
For a mortar, it's just a matter of one or two shells, which is the most cost-effective option.
If the enemy launches an attack, the best response is for the artillery to concentrate its fire and use battlefield artillery to blockade.
As for urban street fighting, it goes without saying that if an infantryman is followed by a mortar or recoilless rifle team, the casualties of soldiers can be reduced by several times.
In fact, the 358th Division, as the elite unit of the Jin-Sui Army, was also equipped with a number of mortars and recoilless rifles.
After all, these two types of artillery were already being mass-produced in our base area's industrial zone. Not only the Jin-Sui Army, but also the Sichuan Army, Guangxi Army, Yunnan Army, and even the Central Army had purchased many to equip their troops.
After all, using a 60mm mortar to deal with the Japanese grenade launchers was the most suitable option.
Even if an infantry company has only two mortars, the improvement in combat effectiveness is obvious.
Of course, compared to the equipment density of our main force, other units are definitely several levels behind.
Take recoilless rifles as an example. The entire 358th Division was only equipped with ten of them. They were directly under the division headquarters and were mainly used to deal with enemy armored forces. They were not deployed easily.
Now that we've acquired a hundred weapons at once, it's like a tenfold increase, and the improvement in the troops' offensive capabilities is undeniable.
Especially in the upcoming siege and street fighting, if the Japanese still wanted to resist with their bunkers and street fortifications, one recoilless rifle shot would solve everything.
Chu Yunfei's confidence in the upcoming battle stemmed from the two hundred recoilless rifles and mortars in total.
In cities, heavy howitzers and mountain guns are ineffective; the final battle will be fought between the infantry weapons of both sides.
The Japanese had grenade launchers and Type 92 heavy machine guns, while we had mortars and recoilless rifles. By any measure, we had the advantage.
Meanwhile, we have a more obvious advantage in infantry light weapons, ammunition is not lacking, and logistical support far surpasses that of our competitors.
The only difference should be the individual soldier quality, but the Iwakawa Division is only a garrison division, and it is only responsible for some defensive tasks. It is not a Class A division used by the enemy for strategic offensive, and the proportion of veterans is not high.
Based on this calculation, our troops seem to have the advantage of favorable timing, terrain, and popular support in this battle. This is also the result of the headquarters' operations staff's long-term tactical simulations. We are certain to win this battle.
As long as Li Yunlong's side fights a classic battle, we can replicate this combat mode in other directions, concentrate superior technical troops, and crush the enemy's defense forces with absolute strength.
Even disregarding everything else, the greatest victory for China would be to eliminate an entire enemy division within a month.
Now, the Japanese high command is eyeing Southeast Asia's rich resources with envy. Faced with our proactive attack, the question is: will they follow or not?
If we follow suit, we will have to mobilize a large number of troops to provide support, especially the Class A divisions that have already been deployed to the coastal areas, to fight a long-term war of attrition against us.