Just on the offensive route of the reinforced battalion of the 1st Armored Brigade to the north and advancing northward, the Japanese army deployed a large number of heavy machine guns, as well as plum blossom-type machine gun fortifications and dozens of bunkers. Plus four two-pounder guns, two Type 97 and 20 mm infantry automatic guns, and one of the latest Type 1 anti-tank guns of the Japanese army.

Although the Japanese positions in the territory of the white flag were almost mostly destroyed in the carpet bombing. However, the Japanese fortifications in the area to the north that were not bombed were relatively intact. This unit penetrated north from the breach, but it was fighting in the heart of the undamaged Japanese firepower network.

Moreover, the Japanese army's will to fight, as well as the strong ability to organize the army independently, also made the armies of most countries ashamed. Even the defense of the main defense zone on the southern front, which is being inlaid with the white flag, is already on the verge of collapse. However, the Japanese troops in the areas that were not affected by the bombing were still desperately resisting. The strength of its resistance was not affected by the southern front.

These machine guns and anti-tank guns, together with the reckless fire support of a Japanese artillery squadron equipped with Type 38 field guns and two British 3.7-inch mountain guns, led the reinforced battalion to fight north almost immediately after its departure.

The accuracy of the Japanese artillery fire was extremely high, and the landing point of the shells almost followed the northward assault troops. Although the artillery in the rear used a field artillery battalion to suppress fire in order to ensure the assault force and cover the movement of the assault force to the north, it was never able to completely defeat the Japanese artillery that suddenly appeared.

From the breach, which had been opened, advance northward to respond to this reinforced battalion of the 1st Panzer Brigade, together with the accompanying tank company. The advance was less than a thousand meters before it was hit by fire from all sides. After a short three-hour fierce battle, all 10 tanks belonging to a T26th tank company assigned to this regiment were destroyed by fire from the flanks under the fire from the perimeter.

Despite the fire support of the artillery behind them, the use of reinforced recoilless guns and the configuration of rocket launchers destroyed a large number of Japanese fortifications. and destroyed more than a dozen Japanese machine guns and almost all anti-tank guns. However, under the fire of the Japanese army, it also suffered heavy casualties.

After a night of fierce fighting, although it broke through more than ten kilometers to the north in one go. However, the reinforced battalion that launched the attack also suffered one-third casualties, the instructor and the deputy battalion commander were killed one after another, the battalion commander was wounded, and nearly half of the cadres of the battalion were killed or wounded.

The frontal offensive of the 1st Armored Brigade was frustrated on all fronts, and the troops that went north to respond suffered heavy casualties, but they were unable to open up the situation for a long time, which made Chen Hanzhang seem to have a headache. Judging from the battle reports of the 1st Comprehensive Armored Brigade and the troops that went north, Chen Hanzhang had an inexplicable feeling in his heart, and he recommended Liu Changshun to replace him, whether he chose the wrong candidate.

In order to better allow Liu Changshun to use actual combat to exercise his command ability before taking over him, Chen Hanzhang transferred him to the northern front to command the operation. In order to prepare for the next step of grasping the overall situation according to the battle situation. But at present, it can be said that Liu Changshun's expression made him very disappointed.

But when it came to the ability of an old comrade-in-arms, Chen Hanzhang hesitated for a long time and finally just withdrew him to the command. He was replaced by Chief of Staff Wang Minggui, who was responsible for commanding the operational cluster on the Northern Front. He also sent Yang Jicai, chief of operations of the headquarters, as his representative to strengthen the command of the northern front.

In fact, Chen Hanzhang did not know that the reason for the slow progress of the offensive on the northern front was not only because Liu Changshun was too conservative in the use of tactics and because the Japanese fortifications on the northern front were not hit hard. More importantly, the anti-tank tactics formulated by the Japanese army before were almost tailor-made for the main tank in the first phase of the battle of the Anti-Japanese Alliance, the T26.

After considering in detail the experience of fighting between Linxi and Tongliao in the first phase of the battle, the North China Front Army has considered. It was found that these Japanese-made anti-tank guns in their hands, even with a large number of captured British-made two-pounder guns, would be difficult to destroy the modified T26 tanks of the Anti-United Nations from the front.

Except for the captured British-made two-pounder guns, and new, and very few rapid-fire guns. The rest of the anti-tank weapons in the hands of the Japanese could barely penetrate the frontal armor and turret of the modified Anti-Union T26 tank, even if they were fired at close range.

In order to contain a possible armored offensive of the Anti-Union, it is necessary to concentrate fire on the flanks of the tank, especially the weakest engine parts. Look for the weakest point in this Soviet-made tank. Instead of using anti-tank mines, blow up the tracks of the anti-United Nations tanks first, and then approach with infantry, using cluster grenades or Molotov cocktails to destroy the anti-United Nations tanks.

Therefore, in addition to the frontal defensive position, the Japanese army has put considerable effort into the construction of deep fortifications. In contrast to the frontal linear fortifications, a large number of back-firing points were built in the depths, as well as bunkers with firing ports facing the flanks.

and strengthened the British Vickers heavy machine gun, as well as the Type 92 heavy machine gun equipped with its own. And more than half of the anti-tank firepower, all equipped with such fortifications. These fortifications had two firing ports. After the first-line position is broken through, crossfire can be used to block the infantry following the tank assault, and at the same time, from the flank, it can be used against the anti-coalition forces interspersed in depth.

At the same time, taking into account the superiority of the Anti-Japanese Union in ground artillery fire and armored troops, the entire defense line of the Japanese army in Chadong focused on the second line of defense and the junction between the first line and the second line of defense. However, Okamura Ninji, who did not know that the Anti-United Nations had American-made strategic bombers, did not expect that the Anti-United Nations would give him such a hand as carpet bombing.

The depth of defense in the first and second lines did not stretch too far. Although it is a little farther apart than the Japanese army in a defensive operation, the two lines of defense in typical tactics are farther apart. But taking into account the firing distance of the weapon, it still did not go too far. But each line of defense, said to be a line of defense, is actually composed of three groups of fortifications within close range.

In this way, the anti-union is interspersed with roundabouts from the front, whether from the front or from the opening of the breakthrough. Aside from a little bit of hard nibbling, there's little way to speed up the attack. And even if the breach is opened and penetrates into depth, its tanks and infantry will encounter a large amount of anti-tank artillery fire from the flanks, as well as machine gun fire.

Under the personal supervision of Okamura Ninji, the Japanese defensive positions that were reconstructed were not in vain. A large number of machine guns with extremely tricky design angles and crossed firing boundaries, as well as anti-tank gun positions, posed a considerable threat to the Anti-United Nations.

The only thing he didn't calculate was that the Anti-Japanese Federation would actually give him a carpet bombing of a hundred tons of bombs in the territory where the white flag was being inlaid. directly blew up his two lines of defense in the territory of Zhengbai Banner. Most of these fortifications, which he thought were like hornet's nests, were destroyed before they could play their role.

And the anti-union is actually equipped with a speed of action, although it is a little slow, and the cross-country ability is also a little poor. But the armor was 50 millimeters at its thinnest point, and it looked like a lump of iron. His tactics for the Soviet-made T-26 tanks, which had been modified for the United Nations, were of little use against the Iron Lady.

Even the most powerful rapid-fire cannon could not penetrate his flank armor at an effective distance. But except for the Matilda II tank, which has rough skin and thick flesh, can go on a rampage. The T-26 light tank had little to do to deal with the Japanese army's defensive tactics.

Unlike the Matilda II tank, which has thick skin and flesh all over the body, in view of the fact that the last modification made the T26 tank's mobility reduced a lot, the structural wear and tear of the tank was quite serious, and the maneuverability also decreased too much. In this battle, in addition to the frontal armor was strengthened, and the additional armor on the turret, all the armor on the tank body was removed.

In order to ensure that the fragile engine of this tank can support the weight of the tank, and maintain the performance and reliability of the original 91 horsepower engine as much as possible under the condition that there is no replacement engine. However, in this way, the tank's maneuverability has been increased. However, in addition to the front, the protective capabilities of the hull are no longer comparable to those of the previous stage of the battle.

The North China Front Army learned that the tanks equipped by the Anti-United Nations were mainly Soviet-made T-26 tanks. In every possible way, two tanks of the same type captured from Chongqing were transferred from the headquarters of the Chinese Dispatch Army and from the mainland. Using these two Soviet-made T26 tanks, they conducted a painstaking training.

The two early models of the T26 tanks that Chongqing purchased from the Soviet Union were both abandoned by Japanese anti-tank fire hitting the running gear. However, the body of the tank was basically intact, and there was no major damage to the armor. Although he has lost his mobility, he is still perfectly capable of being a test target.

Of course, with the combat experience of Tongliao and Linxi, the North China Front will naturally not be stupid to think that the same type of tank of the Anti-Japanese Union has not undergone any improvement in armor compared with the two captured tanks in its hands. They did not use these two tanks as a test of the power of anti-tank guns. They have long accumulated enough experience to deal with this tank, which was once used in large quantities by the Chongqing side.

The two tanks were transferred specifically for research. Although the armor may be strengthened, it is an improved version of the same model, and the structure cannot be changed. Finding out the weaknesses of this tank after the armor has been greatly strengthened is the biggest original intention of Okamura Ninji who did not hesitate to use a relationship to get these two tanks.

After figuring out the structural weaknesses of this Soviet-made tank, the Japanese North China Front strictly trained anti-tank artillery, and when firing, it specifically hit the weakest and deadliest part of this tank, the junction between the turret and the hull, and the engine of the tank.

Even when firing from the front, the first shot was required to hit the junction of the turret and the hull. For the flanks, it is also required to concentrate the fire hit zone within the narrow range of the flank hull of the T26 tank, or the most vulnerable parts of the tank body, such as the driving wheels, towing wheels, and engines, even after the armor is strengthened.

And using the anti-tank experience of the Linxi battlefield and the Tongliao battlefield, these two tanks were modified. Increase its armor to the limit of what it can withstand to experiment with the British two-pounder gun and the rapid-fire gun, the two most powerful anti-tank weapons for the current North China Front, the maximum distance that can destroy such a tank.

As for the other Type 94 rapid-fire guns, Taisho 11th Type infantry guns, and Type 97 20mm automatic guns that could be used against tanks, Okamura Ninji never thought that these old guys could destroy the tanks of the Anti-United Nations from the front. Instead, these old equipment were put directly on the flanks.

After many practical battles, the Japanese army determined the firing range of the various types of anti-tank guns in their hands. According to the various types of anti-tank weapons, the various anti-tank weapons in their hands are arranged in a trapezoidal shape according to the different penetration distances and parts of the anti-United Nations main battle tanks in their eyes.