A dignified armored division traveled thousands of miles from Gansu to Afghanistan, and it was really impossible to bully the infantry. Du Yuming has been studying armored tactics hard for many years, leading the whole division to rigorously train with mechanized combat drills, and has been rated as excellent in the whole army many times, so he has long been eager to compete with the opponent's armored troops.

Presumably knowing that the Soviet tank brigade was coming, the 10th Panzer Division shook up and down, and by nine o'clock in the evening, with the exception of the fuel and transport battalions that were dragging behind, finally arrived at Talukan.

The arrival of the 10th Panzer Division has excited the allied soldiers who have been fighting here for nearly a month, especially the Afghan soldiers, who usually see a T25 tank enough for them to show off for a long time, and now there are more than 200 T31 tanks with inclined armor and a 70mm/L50 rifled gun, which is really addictive to them.

However, Du Yuming was not too happy, because the terrain here is really strange! The Talukan Basin, the heart of Afghanistan's northern Takhar province and surrounded by high mountains, was briefly occupied by Soviet forces nine years ago, but was regained through the efforts of the National Defense Forces and the Northern Afghan Army, and has been at the forefront of the confrontation between the two armies. The basin is about 130 square kilometers and is surrounded by high mountains, with only a flat isthmus 21 kilometers long and less than 1 kilometer wide on average connecting with the outside world in the middle of the mountains on both sides of the western side. On the left side of the isthmus is the turbid Abad River, on the right side is the farmland, and the width of the isthmus is less than 400 meters, and the narrowest point is only 270 meters, and the mechanized troops are completely unable to deploy.

The Afghan 3rd Division, the Asia Brigade, and the 23rd Regiment Yǐjīng, which had arrived early, had established a solid defensive line on both sides of the mountain and in the isthmus, and there was a temporary airfield on the mountainous side of the canyon near the north, so that Du Yuming did not have to worry too much about fuel and sneak attacks. But how to break through the narrow isthmus is really a headache. Therefore, after arranging for the troops to rest, they immediately summoned Zhuo Fan and other officers to study the battle situation.

After some introductions by Afghan officers, everyone finally got a rough idea. In the 21-kilometer-long isthmus, most of it was captured by the Sino-Arab coalition army. But he ran into trouble at the narrowest point. Because there was a turning point in the isthmus here, which affected the angle of view of the artillery, coupled with the lack of width, there were high mountains on both sides, and the air force bombers could not bomb effectively, so the Soviets took advantage of this advantage and arranged an anti-tank company here, with four 45-mm anti-tank guns and four 76-mm cannons in the back. Specialized machine-gun batteries were also arranged between the mountain walls on both sides, so the Asian brigade lost three T25 tanks and two armored vehicles here alone. More than 300 soldiers were killed and wounded.

It can be said that as long as you break through here, the Khan Balad Pass will basically be taken, and the rest will be town street fighting. Although Du Yuming really wanted to launch an attack overnight, because the command headquarters ordered to wait for Bagland to make the first move, he could only launch a tentative attack first, wanting to touch the firepower of the Soviet army.

On December 3, 1937, the morning after the arrival of the 10th Panzer Division, the Second Afghan War, dubbed the "Battle for the Heart of Asia" by the New York Times, officially began.

The Battle of Kunduz, known as the northern gate of Afghanistan, was the first to kick off in Baghlan. More than 10,000 soldiers from the 24th Regiment of the 12th Infantry Division and the 2nd Division of the Afghan Army were supported by 32 T25 tanks and 17 dive bombers from the armored battalion of the 12th Infantry Division. After four days and four nights of bloody fighting, he took the Pulkhumli Trail, known as the cecum of the Hindu Kush Mountains, and opened the passage from Kabul to Baghlan.

The news of the loss of the Plekhumli trail made the commander-in-chief of the Soviet army, General Shaposhnikov, furious, and immediately ordered the 36th Motorized Division, the 8th and 9th Armored Brigades, and the 11th Tank Brigade to support the 131st Infantry Division in Baglan. Reinforcements arrived one after another to help the Soviet 131st Division stabilize its position. Using rivers and low city buildings to snipe and consume opponents, more than 40,000 soldiers on both sides fought each other in a 450-square-kilometer hilly basin.

However, the most anxious and immediate-fighting situation was the Khan Balad Pass, which needed to cover and mobilize the main forces of the Soviet army. Du Yuming and méiyǒu were anxious to throw tanks into the gorge, and the infantry, who lacked cover, could only use their bodies to break forward inch by inch. The 72nd Infantry Division of the Soviet Army is worthy of being an elite unit stationed in Afghanistan for many years, and it is not only a rare master of more than 14,000 people in the Soviet Army. The light and heavy firepower configuration is also very rich, the division alone has 272 DP machine guns, 24 M1910 heavy machine guns, and as many as 42 guns of various types! There is also an armored battalion support with 16 BT5 tanks. In addition, the perennial deployment and operation in Afghanistan were relatively less affected by the Great Purge, so the combat effectiveness of the troops has always been among the best in the Soviet army.

The tenacious Slavs seemed to be born warriors, and they had the advantage of being able to dodge the endless bombardment while blocking the Wehrmacht in the gorge, especially those who were agitated by the party members and soldiers, and they really had the courage to rush forward with explosives bags in their hands at critical moments. Under the strict defense of more than 3,000 Soviet troops, the 10th Panzer Division and the 23rd Infantry Regiment, which were unable to exert their firepower and air force, paid the price of nearly 400 casualties in just two days, and the fierceness of the battle for the canyon can be seen.

After returning to the temporary command post from the field hospital, Zhuo Fan saw Du Yuming and Fei Wenhua still muttering and studying the battle situation with the officers under the lamp, and squeezed over and asked, "Division commander." It's almost dawn, why don't you rest, is there news from Baglan? ”

"Just received the news, Plehumri Xiaodao yǐjīng won! Now the 24th Regiment, the 114th Regiment and the 2nd Afghan Division Yǐjīng crossed the trail into the basin. However, the Soviet army reacted quite quickly, and the motorized 36th Division yǐjīng rushed over, and two armored brigades and one tank brigade yǐjīng rushed over there. After Fei Wenhua, who commanded the Asian Brigade, finished his introduction, Du Yuming, who was not in a good mood, put down his pen: "Where did you go one night?" ”

"I'm going to the field hospital."

Du Yuming thought that he was going to visit the wounded soldiers, so méiyǒu asked again, pointing to the map and asking, "What do you think?" ”

On the map, the area centered on Kunduz is marked with various numbers and arrows, and the first battle of the 10th Army after entering Afghanistan, the Battle of Kunduz yǐjīng has fully begun. Judging from the situation, the 10th Army has not yet been able to seize the initiative. Although the Plekhumri Trail was breached, the follow-up troops were slow to catch up due to the road and the weather, but the Soviets took advantage of the railway and gradually gained numerical superiority with rapid support from Termez. And on the side of the Khan Balad Pass, the 10th Panzer Division and the 23rd Regiment were blocked for another four days.

Of course. There is also the factor that the troops have always used all their strength, but in any case, the combat effectiveness displayed by the Soviet troops stationed in Afghanistan all year round is still relatively strong.

Seeing that Baglan yǐjīng contained more than 30,000 troops including an infantry division, a main motorized division, a tank brigade and two armored brigades of the enemy, Zhuo Fan immediately realized that the shíhòu who had made the attack had arrived! replied categorically: "Baghlan is the 131st Infantry Division of the Soviet Army, Herat is the 152nd Division and the 9th Cavalry Division, and now the 36th Motorized Division is going to Baghlan, the remaining 82nd and 153rd Divisions of Termez should be the general reserve, and the 212th Airborne Brigade is estimated to be still on the railway." On our side, there are only 57 and 71 divisions left, plus some bits and pieces, and the number should be about the same as in the direction of Baghlan. Judging from the battles of the past two days, the combat effectiveness of the 71st Division is not bad, and the 57th Division is stationed in Tashkent all the year round. So I think it was shíhòu who launched a strong assault to solve the isthmus obstacles, and as long as he could get out, he would not only be able to penetrate and encircle the 131st and 36th divisions to Baghlan. Can you also directly íngbái? The Soviet fortifications on the southwestern side of the isthmus were so well developed that bombers and artillery were basically out of reach, and tanks were like burrowing into a hornet's nest. The reconnaissance company lost four vehicles. Du Yuming raised his voice and was a little upset. The Soviet army's defense in the isthmus was indeed beyond his expectations, especially in the narrowest bay mouth, in order to find out the distribution of defenses, the armored reconnaissance company Yǐjīng lost four T25 tanks in succession.

The officers around him also frowned. This isthmus is like a tiger's mouth that eats people and does not spit out bones, and it seems that many people can't fill it. Several officers who had led the troops to attack each time they thought of the dense rain of bullets fired from the high ground and dead corners on both sides, and their hearts felt a little chill. It's not that they're afraid of tough battles. Instead, they didn't want to lose too much on this isthmus, and they wanted the 42nd Infantry Division behind them to not do so, because too much damage would affect the penetration of Baghlan. Rúguǒ eventually allowed the 131st Division and the 36th Motorized Division to withdraw to Kunduz, and the general offensive would have encountered much greater obstacles.

Seeing that everyone was worried, Zhuo Fan scratched his head innocently and said with a smile: "Actually, I don't think it's very difficult to cross the isthmus, the main thing is methods and tactics." Du Yuming zhīdào, the "little junior brother", has a flexible mind and never does things that he is not sure of, so it must be yǐjīng who has thought of a way, so he grabbed him and asked, "Don't sell Guanzi, say it quickly." ”

The continuous explosions in the past few days made Zhuo Fan, who was usually quiet and lazy, a different person, his eyes extremely focused, and he picked up a pen and quickly traced a diagonal line along the isthmus on the map: "I have been observing for two days, and I went to the field hospital to find a veteran to confirm just now." Since the mountains on both sides of the isthmus are more than 700 meters high, and now the wind is blowing from the northwest, the wind will be squeezed into the isthmus by the peaks when it goes south. Veterans who have entered the isthmus say that it is very windy in the gorge, and the wind and sand that blows up often blinds the eyes and makes it impossible for me to shoot, so my advice is to call the bombers first and let them drop their bombs on Wèizhì, 300 meters in front of the Soviet positions at the mouth of the fjord. When the bombers are over, the artillery battalion will continue to bombard this coordinate, and in 30 minutes of fire, how much can be fired! ”

"Don't bombard the position?"

Fei Wenhua squinted at the young major in confusion, and said in surprise: "Major Zhuo, isn't this a waste of shells?" Du Yuming of Pángbiān was also a little confused at first, but thinking of what he said just now about going to the hospital to find a veteran to confirm that the wind and sand are blind, he felt a little míngbái in his heart, and asked: "You stayed in the hospital for a night, just to confirm whether the dust will blind your eyes, right?" ”

"The division commander is really powerful." Zhuo Fan nodded and continued to explain: "My original intention was to use smoke bombs, but the veteran said that the wind in the canyon was too strong and the smoke dispersed quickly, so I wanted to use the sand and dust after the explosion as a cover. Afghanistan is typically a sandstone formation, with high-powered aerial bombs and heavy shelling that kick up dust, and the wind is just fast enough to blow it into Soviet positions. As long as the Soviet infantry was not issued with goggles, the assault battalion could gain about five to six minutes of blurred vision, enough to cross the most dangerous bay mouth. As long as you go around the mouth of the bay, it is flat land, and at the off-road speed of the T31 tank, five kilometers is only about ten minutes. I yǐjīng asked people to hang all the old tracks that had been replaced in the past few days on the assault battalion tanks, and they were also covered with sandbags, which should be able to resist the armor-piercing shells of the Soviet army. I'm going to lead the team myself, as long as I take out the anti-tank guns, it's enough for them to drink a pot. ”

"You're leading the team personally?" A sentence of personally leading the team made Fei Wenhua change his opinion of this lazy young officer, and secretly surprised that this high-achieving student was not only flexible and observant, but also very bold, and was a brave and resourceful talent.

Du Yuming was not surprised that he was going to the front line, because he had the most temper of this guy, and after thinking about it, he clapped his hands and said: "Contact the headquarters immediately and tell the commander that we will storm the isthmus after dawn." Asked the Air Force to support with high-power bombs, and sent Zhuo Fan's marked bomb coordinates. Order the artillery battalion to get ready, and immediately after the bombardment, the air force will gather artillery and bombard for 20 minutes, and hit as many shells as possible! Also, go to the field airfield and see if there is a méiyǒu abandoned engine, and if there is one, pull it over for me, tie it to the truck, and find someone to blow sand in front of it into the canyon. ”

After the division commander gave the order, the entire 10th Armored Division and the garrison were busy, and Zhuo Fan, who had long wanted to go into battle to observe the actual battle in person, even ran and jumped to the tank battalion in charge of the assault. The 32 T31 tanks of the assault battalion were covered with discarded tracks at this time, and in order to strengthen their protection, they also used the inverted teeth of the tracks to hang sandbags. Even Zhuo Fan did not expect that after his method of temporary "external armor" was reported to the General Staff, a specialized tank additional armor was quickly manufactured and later equipped in large quantities.

As the armored assault battalion was ready, 32 "heavily armoured" T31 tanks covered in tracks and sandbags began to move towards the mouth of the gorge in a triangular formation, spewing billowing black smoke. At the same time, 12 105-mm self-propelled cannon howitzers on the same chassis as the T31 tank slowly erected their muzzles in the morning light, and 12 85-mm howitzers brought by the 23rd Infantry Regiment were also pushed into the shells at the same time.

After a while, the roar of an airplane engine could finally be heard in the sky. Eight H-5 Star bombers, which resembled the German JU88 in appearance, used 1,600 horsepower twin engines, and carried 3 tons of bombs, flew towards the canyon in two or two. After arriving at the canyon, the six "Snake" fighters protected around it began to climb upwards to occupy the height. The sound of bombs sounded the horn of the battle for the Khan Balad Pass, and a string of 250-kilogram high-explosive bombs like black eggs were thrown into the valley according to the coordinates set by Zhuo Fan under the weak anti-aircraft fire of the Soviet army, and the power of 96 aerial bombs was amazing, and in less than a moment, the east side of the mouth of the central bay of the canyon was covered by flames and smoke.

"Hurry up and fire!" After the last bomber was raised, the commander of the artillery battalion of the 10th Panzer Division gave the order to open fire.

"Boom, boom, boom."

The sound of a thunderclap echoed through the Talucan Basin, and 24 guns fired at a rate of eight rounds per minute at Khan Barad Mountain, the shells arcing high in the sky and falling on the mountain walls and sand on both sides. Although the shells were much lighter than the bombs, they could not hold up the large number of shells, and after a few minutes of fire, the isthmus was full of smoke and dust. The air flow from the explosion of the shells mixed with the dust raised by the bombs, and then they were carried by the wind through the canyon and pounced on the Soviet infantry who were evading the artillery fire.

Zhuo Fan, who was sitting in the tank, counted every minute and second, and when there were still five minutes left before the artillery fire was suppressed, he immediately pulled half of his body to probe the commander of the assault battalion outside. The 30-year-old commander of the tank battalion excitedly raised his right arm, rotated his index finger hard clockwise, and shouted loudly with a flushed face.

"Let's go, we're on our way!"

As his hoarse voice spread throughout the canyon, the Chinese armored troops, who had made a splash in the Battle of Rainyvale, were inspired by this offensive "famous saying" and reloaded ...... after 20 years. Wonderful Novel [Net] Remember our website: