Age of Conquest Reborn

Chapter 783: Unconventional

The First Soviet Far East Army led by Zhukov, after rapid formation, became a behemoth with 320,000 troops. Although the overall military strength was still at a disadvantage compared with Tang Qiuli's military strength in Outer Mongolia, it could be considered that the heavy equipment it belonged to.

Together with tanks and aircraft, we were not at a disadvantage, and in late August, we began to launch a large-scale offensive. (_--)

And Zhukov, a famous general who is about to emerge in the Soviet army, is indeed extraordinary. His main attack direction is not in the mountains of the Hangai Mountains, where Tang Qiuli's main force is waiting, but deep into the western region of Outer Mongolia.

Feng Jiwu's troops took a slanted approach, changing the Soviet generals' style of relying on superior firepower to attack head-on.

The strategic attack direction chosen by Zhukov was very accurate and cunning. Tang Qiuli's intention of fighting the main force of the Soviet army in the Hangai Mountains was completely frustrated. Instead, Feng Jiwu's troops were put in a dangerous situation. As long as they broke through the Kazadewu Pass,

, stretching nearly a thousand kilometers

Here, the Tangnu Mountains, which are not suitable for mechanized corps operations, will be left behind. What is left is a torrent of steel from the Soviet army, rushing towards Kulun, and with another Soviet army passing through Ulan-Ude, they will attack in Hangzhou.

Tang Qiuli, who loves the mountainous area, is the main force.

As the founder of the armored cluster assault theory and practical user of the Soviet Army, Zhukov's status in the Soviet Red Army is comparable to that of Guderian, the German armored warfare wizard. It was with Zhukov that the Soviet Army's armored clusters became large-scale.

They are concentrated on the battlefield, rather than dispersed among infantry divisions and used as assault auxiliary forces. Zhukov also knows that the terrain of Outer Mongolia is most suitable for large-scale armored cluster attacks.

His choice of the Chinese Army, which had dispersed troops and lacked tanks and aircraft in western Outer Mongolia, as his attack target was by no means a whim. It was a decision he took after in-depth study of Tang Qiuli's command techniques and characteristics when fighting the Japanese.

The most correct way, he discovered a characteristic. Tang Qiuli also paid great attention to the use of artillery fire, tanks, and aircraft on the battlefield.

This was fully demonstrated in repeated battles with the Japanese, especially in the ambush of the Far East Special Forces in the Hujiert Mountains. The number of artillery, tanks and aircraft possessed by the Chinese ** team surprised Zhukov.

It also prompted him to change his original combat plan, from attacking Kulun directly to using the western region of Outer Mongolia as the main assault direction, flanking Kulun, and jointly attacking Tang Qiuli's main force.

Doing so has at least two benefits. When facing a weak squadron, it can enable the troops to further hone the coordination and cooperative combat capabilities among various arms with very small casualties. It does not have to be very powerful, and

The main force commanded by Tang Qiuli personally could attack head-on, which could reduce a lot of casualties. Zhukov did not want the battle to recover Outer Mongolia to be a tragic victory that would be recorded in the annals of Soviet history.

There is something hidden in his heart that he cannot say. Zhukov looks down on many senior Soviet generals who use a front-line fighting method. He wants to reform his tactics and boldly make roundabout outflanks. This time, he was given the opportunity to practice, and

After receiving intelligence from all aspects, Tang Qiuli was basically certain that Zhukov himself was personally commanding the West Route troops.

The commanders of the two armies, who also want to decide the outcome in a battle in Outer Mongolia and decide the future fate of Outer Mongolia, are staggered by nearly a thousand kilometers. They want to see who can seize the opportunity, adjust their deployment better, and seize the time.

in front of.

The strategic intention of the Soviet army has been made clear, and Tang Qiuli has no extra time to think about it. According to the intelligence of the special operations unit, the Soviet troops on the west route have crossed the Yenisei River and advanced to the northern foot of the Tangnu Mountains. They are heading towards

Advancing through the Kazadwu Pass, the poor road conditions along the way slowed down the advance of the Soviet mechanized troops. It was expected that the leading troops would reach their destination in three days, and everything was under close surveillance by the special operations detachment.

Tang Qiuli issued an order to the special operations team, and all units quickly concentrated in this area, doing everything possible to destroy the roads and bridges leading to the Kazadewu Pass, seize the Kazadewu Pass, and hold the place before the main force arrived.

Yamaguchi, this is the only method he can use at present to buy time to adjust the deployment. With the skills of the members of the special operations team, they will not suffer any losses.

Then, he began to think about how to fight this battle. Zhukov wanted to eat up the weaker Feng Jiwu troops, so Tang Qiuli didn't want to eat up the Soviet troops heading towards Kulun from the direction of Ulan-Ude, two to one.

Comparing the strength and heavy weapons, at least there is no suspense about defeat. The key issue is that if Zhukov's main force breaks through the Kazadewu Pass and enters the grasslands of western Outer Mongolia, his own troops have not yet eliminated this part of the Soviet army.

That would be dangerous.

The feeling of being flanked and surrounded from both sides would be uncomfortable for anyone, and the troops of the Japanese Army and Tang Qiuli were no exception. This required that the troops blocking the main force of the Soviet army at the Kazadwu Mountain Pass should be nailed like nails.

There, buy enough time for the directly affiliated corps to deal with the Soviet troops attacking Cullen.

This task must belong to Feng Jiwu's troops. The moment Tang Qiuli decided to make the decision, he felt a lot of unbearable in his heart. There were more than 80,000 troops without planes or tanks, and only one artillery brigade. Facing 200,000 mechanized Soviet troops, several hundred

How long can it sustain the fierce attack of more than 1,500 planes, more than 1,500 tanks, more than 2,000 artillery pieces, volcanic eruption-like artillery fire, and overwhelming bombs?

Tang Qiuli didn't know and couldn't judge that the Soviet army was not the Japanese army. Their equipment level was different by more than one grade, especially in heavy equipment. Maybe Feng Jiwu's army would be wiped out. This was a blocking battle with an unpredictable outcome, but

Tang Qiuli could only deploy this way, and it was also the only combat method he could choose.

Even if there is no delay at all, the main force in Hangai Mountain will fall behind the Soviet army commanded by Zhukov. What should we do with the 120,000 Soviet troops attacking Kulun? Tang Qiuli gave

Feng Jiwu's telegram was delayed for more than three hours before being sent.

This was a job that sent more than 80,000 soldiers to a battlefield with almost no chance of survival. "Commander Feng and the brigade commanders, after receiving the order, immediately led all troops to the Kazadwu Mountain Pass to build blocking positions.

We must complete the mission of blocking the Soviet mechanized main force for five days, remember, at any cost." When Tang Qiuli issued this order, he was already mentally prepared for Feng Jiwu's entire unit to be annihilated or suffer heavy casualties.

.

When he received the order from the division commander, Feng Jiwu was leading two brigades on the way to the Kazadewu Pass. Tang Qiuli would forward the special operations unit's intelligence on the movements of the Soviet troops to Feng Jiwu every day to learn about the Soviet Union's movements.

After learning the army's specific direction of action, Feng Jiwu immediately realized that his army was about to face a severe situation.

The two hundred thousand Soviet troops came for him. After defeating or eliminating him, they would attack the division commander's direct corps. After staring at the map for a while, Feng Jiwu immediately grasped the key point of the entire campaign, which was Tang Nu.

The only passage from the mountains into Outer Mongolia is the Kazadwu Pass. If you block this passage, it will buy time for the division commander to kill the Soviet troops heading towards Kulun.

Feng Jiwu did not hesitate or consider the consequences. As a senior commander of the ** division for many years, he was accustomed to considering problems from an overall perspective. The only ones who could block the attack were his own troops. Besides, there were no other troops to mobilize. He

Immediately ordered the two nearest brigades to set off immediately and rush to the Kazadwu Mountain Pass. The other troops left the station, took all heavy weapons, sufficient ammunition and supplies, and quickly concentrated in the area. The two cavalry brigades took over the defense.

Defense of all areas of the Field Infantry Brigade.

This action took place nearly ten hours earlier than Tang Qiuli issued the order. It was ten precious hours. After receiving the order from the division commander, Feng Jiwu only replied with a six-word telegram, "Complete the mission resolutely." In other words,

No, he knew the division commander's inner ideological struggle when he issued this order. Otherwise, he would not have added the sentence "Remember, at any cost" at the end of the order.

When Feng Jiwu led the first two brigades and arrived at the Kazadwu Mountain Pass, it was already dusk. The two special operations detachments had arrived several hours in advance and completed the survey of the nearby terrain. The two special operations detachments

According to the order of the division commander, the battle formation was assigned to Feng Jiwu's troops. Feng Jiwu knew that these special forces members were Tang Qiuquan's heart and soul. They would not put them on the battlefield to do the work of ordinary infantrymen. They would use them at critical times.

superior.

The Kazadwu Pass crosses the Tangnu Mountains and extends southward for more than 20 kilometers, leading to the hinterland of western Outer Mongolia. It is a narrow and rugged mountain road, wide enough to pass tanks and artillery vehicles, but the speed is limited.

Mechanized troops can only pass through in single file and column.

There are undulating hills on both sides. Different from the natural conditions of the mountains in the mainland, there are no steep peaks, cliffs and broken walls. The altitude of the hills is not high. On some hills, tanks can even pass through without any damage.

Climbing up is effortless. There are very few natural shelters such as caves and troop garrison holes, and there are no tall and dense trees to block the blocking position and avoid aerial attacks.

Such terrain conditions made Feng Jiwu grin. The only powerful condition was to deploy multiple blocking positions, increase the depth and thickness of the blocking line, and turn all the terrain in a circle under the guidance of the soldiers of the special operations unit.

, Feng Jiwu already had a rough plan in mind.

After following Tang Qiuli for a long time, Feng Jiwu also learned a complete set of tactics for positional blocking warfare. He ordered the arriving troops to dig anti-gun holes on various highlands and hillsides overnight, hoping that they could withstand the attacks of a Soviet artillery division.

Three days of shelling, not only digging deep, but also reinforcing the cave. Don't be killed by the Soviet artillery, or be suffocated inside.

According to the commander's request, more than 26,000 soldiers from the two brigades took a short rest and started working all night. In the dark night, a section of the Tangnu Mountains became a busy construction site.

(To be continued)