bestfiction Chapter 975 The Dilemma of the Japanese High-Ranking Officials
Chapter 975 The Dilemma of the Japanese High-Ranking Officials
The entire regiment was quickly transported to the vicinity of Goose City, where they discovered that the Japanese had cleverly concentrated all their forces on the city walls, abandoning all the defensive fortifications outside the city.
It seems that the Japanese soldiers inside the city, having learned that we had heavy artillery, believed that the forward fortifications were ineffective and thus retreated entirely to the city walls.
After all, this is a Chinese city, filled with Chinese people. We can't just bombard it with heavy artillery when we attack it. This is the Japanese devils' shield and the source of their confidence to resist stubbornly.
After seeing the enemy's troop deployment, Commander Zhang looked troubled and began to curse:
"Those Japanese devils are too cunning. They've weakened our heavy artillery group directly like that, which will make the upcoming battles more troublesome."
Chief of Staff Sun also put down his binoculars and let out a long sigh:
"I have to say, the Japanese are very quick to react and very accurate in their judgment, which is indeed our Achilles' heel."
“The city is full of our own compatriots. Recoilless guns and light mortars are okay, but they are not very powerful. If heavy howitzers are used, a single shot will cause heavy casualties among the civilians. This is something that no Chinese soldier wants to see.”
"Goose City is a large city with a complex network of streets. The upcoming street battles will be extremely fierce, and we will have to pay several times, or even ten times, the price."
To be honest, the Jin-Sui Army used some tricks in the previous battle of Languan.
The great victory was achieved entirely through overwhelming firepower and an endless supply of ammunition; the real test lies with Goose City.
This is also why the leaders of the base chose this time to launch such a large-scale campaign: to gain the most valuable experience in siege warfare and street fighting.
Meanwhile, various urban warfare weapons developed in the industrial base area will be gradually deployed to the battlefield, and will be improved as needed, which is very important for our troops.
To put it bluntly, the counties that were previously recaptured were all remote small towns, many of which were defended by a platoon of soldiers, which did not reflect the brutality of siege warfare at all.
Especially as the base area special operations teams grew larger and more and more teams were formed, many column commanders would have such an elite force under their command.
Honestly, given enough time, a 12-man special operations team could easily wipe out an enemy garrison squadron.
With the cooperation of our undercover agents, we could even recapture a small town without shedding a drop of blood.
Besides special forces, many units would draw their best personnel to form elite reconnaissance companies. Although their combat effectiveness could not match that of specially trained special forces, they could still easily defeat Japanese infantry.
There is a Chinese proverb: "A loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise."
Special operations teams or reconnaissance companies are, in essence, small units operating in combat, and their role in battles involving tens of thousands of people is ultimately limited.
Ultimately, the contest between the two sides came down to ordinary troops, and the competition was still about steel, gunpowder, and logistical support capabilities.
The leaders at headquarters had anticipated this, which is why they launched a campaign against an enemy division at the perfect time.
This punch had already infuriated the Japanese soldiers and even put the enemy's high command in a dilemma.
The Japanese had planned to launch a surprise attack on the territories of the "Bull Country" and the "Eagle Country" in Southeast Asia. They had been preparing for this for at least half a year and had mobilized a massive amount of manpower and resources.
It's the kind of situation where "the arrow is on the bowstring and must be released," and any adjustments made would definitely cause serious damage.
Moreover, according to the fanatical operations staff of the Japanese, this crucial juncture was only a few months away, and if they missed it, they would be doomed.
It is precisely because of this that the areas attacked by our main force have become a useless existence for the Japanese, even for Shanxi Province.
If it weren't for the coal resources here, the Japanese would lose money no matter how much they invested; they might as well concentrate their efforts on seizing resources in Southeast Asia.
I heard that the area is full of resources, with thousands of tons of gold and countless amounts of silver.
Most importantly, Southeast Asia has oil, and it's a world-class oil field. The Japanese have been coveting it for a long time.
In order to achieve this tactical objective, giving up a small province like Shanxi is not a problem at all.
This is also the main reason why Goose City hasn't received any reinforcements even after several days of fighting.
They even transferred a large number of elite veterans from the Tuqiao Regiment to supplement the ranks of new recruits who had only been trained for six months and had never even been on the battlefield.
Our sudden large-scale attack actually disrupted the enemy's deployment. There are still arguments at the Japanese headquarters.
However, the prevailing opinion was to wait and see. If the Eighth Route Army wiped out one of their divisions and then made no further moves, that would be the best outcome.
Commander Zhang's side, just like at Languan, sent out a small force to lure the enemy out of the city to pursue them, and then eliminated them in the process.
The idea was good, but reality dealt them a harsh blow. The Japanese troops at the city gate simply fired shots or bombarded the area with grenade launchers or Type 92 infantry guns, without ever stepping out of their positions.
This can be described as a case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead; more than a dozen people were killed or wounded, and no results were achieved.
This made Regiment Commander Zhang and Chief of Staff Sun extremely frustrated, and they began to take their opponents seriously. The pride they had felt from the brilliant victory they had just achieved at Languan gradually subsided.
The enemy is still the same enemy. Although we have a certain advantage in weaponry and equipment, many of our advantages cannot be brought into play in urban warfare and street fighting.
The attacking side is naturally at a disadvantage. The Jin-Sui Army was known for its defense and had a deep understanding of this.
Next, a calm standoff ensued, with engineers from both sides frantically building fortifications in preparation for a protracted battle.
The regimental commander of Tuqiao was not in a hurry, mainly because he was confident in his defensive fortifications. As long as the Jin-Sui Army on the other side did not use heavy artillery, everything would be fine.
And so, the two sides remained in a peaceful standoff for two days, until Chu Yunfei arrived with his artillery unit.
Our intelligence personnel in the city were prepared to launch an attack the next day, but suddenly received a notice from their superiors to have everyone stand by, and the city remained relatively calm.