Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> Hero of 1911

Text Chapter 856 The Unbreakable Turtle Shell

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    ps: Sorry, I got drunk at the class reunion yesterday and forgot about it when I got home, so I didn¡¯t even write a request for leave.

    In the early morning of April 1, outside Zhirga, 79 kilometers north of Tashkent, the southbound railway, which took four months and 200,000 prisoners of war to build, stopped here after crossing Shymkent.  At the end of the railway, two 1938-style Hammer heavy train guns that resembled the K5 "Leopold" were dispatched by soldiers and slowly drove towards the two cross-shaped temporary rails on the left and right.  On the train, soldiers from the 701st Battalion of Mobile Railway Artillery had already begun preparations for the bombardment.

    The fortification area of ??Zhangebazagang 22 kilometers in front of the railway gun was a headache for Song Ziqing and the general staff. It even alerted Yue Peng, who had not taken action so far since the war started, to come and inspect it in person.  "Have the parameters come out? Okay, just follow this. If you haven't fired the gun after 40 minutes, go to the confinement room and wait by yourself! Contact the headquarters. I will see the reconnaissance plane in place in 30 minutes." Kong Qinggui finished the order loudly  Finally, he personally climbed up to the observation platform on the top of the observation car. The folding lift quickly lifted him and several officers to a height of 45 meters.

    After decades, Kong Qinggui was still not used to the cold in the northwest. He handed the heater in his hand to the orderly before picking up the telescope.  From this height, the fortification area in front could already be seen. The picture in the telescope made the railway artillery battalion officer who participated in the war for the first time take a breath of air.  All I could see was that the fortification area 15 kilometers wide and 5 kilometers deep was as quiet as a ghost town. Various dilapidated fortifications were emitting black smoke, grotesque corpses were scattered on the ground, tanks tilted their heads, and there were large and small craters.  It was denser than the sesame seeds on sesame seed cakes, and one could even see a Snake Yi with its wings broken, stuck straight in the mud beside the woods.  In order to seize this place that must be passed south to Tashkent, five divisions of the 15th Army, one brigade of the Polish Army and 60,000 Soviet troops have been strangled at this place called Zhange Bazha Gang for a week, but at the cost of more than 3,000 soldiers died.  After paying the price, there is still no hope of taking it.  In fact, not only here, the Xie Ruyi Uzbek Army Group in the south is also blocked on the south bank of the Almazar river. The whole reason is the Soviet fortress group built on the mountain 45 kilometers away.

    "Son of a bitch!"

    Looking at the body of the pilot with half of his body exposed in the cabin.  Kong Qinggui, who had participated in the clever capture of the Irkutsk Fortress and was already a major general, still couldn't change his fiery temper. He took back the heater and pointed at the Soviet fortress built against the mountains in the distance, cursing: "Did you see that? The No. 1 car used the additional  The Cheng bomb suppressed the fortress cannon! Car No. 2 hit the fortification area and blew it up! Do you know?"

    After clarifying the target, the two company commanders immediately adjusted the artillery shells as needed.

    The Hammer heavy train gun is the most powerful barrel artillery gun of the Army. It has a similar appearance to the K5, with a caliber of 305 mm and 50 times the caliber. It has a range of 55 kilometers when using a 256 kg bottom exhaust extended range projectile, and a range of 47 km with a bottom recessed extended range projectile of the same weight.  kilometers, 32 kilometers with a 450-kg bomb.  The rocket extended-range projectile under development can reach a range of more than 80 kilometers.

    The Army has always had a fascination with large calibers. After the war in Europe, it wanted to use the captured Big Berta to imitate a 500 mm caliber long-range heavy artillery. However, as the army took the route of a large air force, many of the Army's plans were scrapped, especially those above 300 mm.  The heavy artillery program was almost completely wiped out.  Until the two Anhai-class battleships were replaced with 330 mm naval guns, Qin Zhangshu felt that he could use these guns to realize his long-awaited long-range heavy artillery, so he immediately proposed a modification plan.  However, military expenditures were insufficient at that time, and the Army, which had always tightened its belt, only raised the modification costs for three doors, which were jointly developed by Anqing Railway Machinery Factory and Nanjing Naval Factory.  After Yang Qiu learned about it, he also handed over the chassis drawings of K5 to the two factories for study.  After two years of experiments and modifications, it was finalized and delivered in August 1938.  Since the artillery was eliminated by the navy and only needs to be refurbished, compared to the high price of US$1.2 million per gun for the German K5, the complete set of Hammer only costs 720,000 yuan (approximately US$360,000).  After the war started.  The War Department has modified all the remaining 14 guns, and 7 have been delivered so far.

    Thirty-five minutes later, when two Thunderbolt-modified two-seater reconnaissance aircraft flew over the top of the hammer, the No. 1 car took the lead in firing.  "Boom!" roared violently.  It not only shook the chassis of the heavy train to a creaking sound, but also alarmed tens of thousands of army soldiers resting behind.  If the No. 1 vehicle has no feeling because the shooting target is 47 kilometers away, it is beyond the visual distance from the ground.  Then the cannonballs of Car No. 2 let everyone understand how powerful the hammer is.

    The 450-kilogram low-speed heavy grenade accurately hit the fortification area 22 kilometers away. A 300-meter-high mushroom cloud immediately rose from the ground. Soldiers standing at a high place could clearly see that all the buildings and bunkers around the explosion seemed to be blown by strong winds.  It was completely demolished.  The two hammer train guns throw shells at the target at a speed of 8 shells per hour. The fire control developed from the navy ensures that every shell can accurately hit the target, especially the building that caused the infantry comrades to suffer a lot.  In the fortress area, the explosion shock waves were washed over and over again. The Soviet troops hiding in bunkers and trenches were blown to pieces. The rubble swept across and shrapnel flew randomly. The crater that was several meters deep after the explosion shocked everyone.  Shocking.

      As the train gun opened fire, the resting infantrymen once again put on their M56 helmets and rushed into the attack position with guns in hand. The officers also deployed the attack route as planned, and tanks began to launch one after another, waiting for the sound of the charge.

    At the same time, a squadron of Thunder fighters also appeared in the sky, spreading far away to guard the Y-10 high-altitude observation aircraft behind them.  In the cabin, Yu Lei, commander of strategic bombing of the Air Force, and Dai Jintang, commander of the 15th Army, pointed to several gray-brown Soviet fortresses hiding in the forest under the mushroom cloud and explained the difficulty to Yue Peng: "Look, there. There are three in total in Tashkent.  There are three fortress groups, from north to south, "Turkistan", "Stalin" and "Kalinin", corresponding to Zhigar, Tashkent and Almazar respectively. These three main fortresses are basically similar, and they all have a double 1937-type 305mm fortress.  Artillery, Tashkent is two twin fortress artillery. The maximum range of light ammunition is 44 kilometers, and the maximum range of heavy ammunition is 30 kilometers. The secondary fortresses are also equipped with 203mm long-range cannons, with a maximum range of 27 kilometers. The main and secondary fortresses are underground structures, and the interior  The compartments are 2 meters thick, and the ammunition depots are at the bottom, about 20 meters away from the top. The secondary fort has two floors, and the main fort has three floors. To prevent direct penetration, the ammunition depot for the main fort is designed in the mountain next to it.  The outer walls of all the fortresses connected by the passage are 3 meters thick on average. The turret roof was originally 3 meters thick, but in the winter Apanashenko ordered someone to add a 2-meter-thick layer of cement and steel bars on top, and there was a layer between the two layers.  A 150 mm thick steel plate was laid. In order to avoid our aerial reconnaissance, the roof was deliberately covered with soil. Due to the snowfall in winter, the reconnaissance aircraft always thought that it was simply covered with soil for reinforcement. It was not until the soil layer was blasted that they learned that there was cement inside.  layer. We tried a sneak attack, but the layout of the fortress was very clever. Not to mention the mountains and dense forests, there were two infantry positions in the middle for protection. They also cut down all the forests on the east and west sides. The assault team was easily exposed on the hills.  superior.

    There are a total of four defense lines in the Zhangebagang fortification area below us, two sections extending into the mountains. There are a total of about 60,000 Soviet troops and 5 international columns, with a total strength of between 80,000.  The 15th Army and the 33rd Army have destroyed two of them, but the remaining two are within the range of the fortress artillery.  You see, Kong Qinggui's hammer train cannon can't blow up the fortress at all, so now we can only kill the nearby infantry and dead spots on the mountain, use shell smoke to suppress and interfere with their aiming, and then solve the fortification area and the defenses along the way.  "

    "Look, they opened fire!" Yu Lei said in his voice.  The Soviet fortress artillery began to counterattack. The twin 305mm fortress artillery in the main fortress took the lead in firing towards the front of the fortification area, followed by six 203mm long-range cannons hidden in the auxiliary fortress. The main gun was the axis at an angle.  Fire support.  Dai Anlan pointed to the impact point of the explosion and continued: "The crossfire formed by the eight fortress guns can cover the entire 15 kilometers in front of Zhangebazha Post, so the troops rushed in and suffered heavy casualties. We also organized three hundred  The bombs were bombed by planes, but most of the bombs were eaten by the mountains and forests, and now it is the snowmelt period. Even the incendiary bombs are not very effective. The situation in the south is similar. We have hills and forests here, and forests and rivers over there.  Apanashchenko took advantage of the opportunity of melting snow to blast open the Syr Darya River and nearby rivers to increase the flow, breaking the pontoon bridge several times. Coupled with the threat of fortress artillery, Xie Ruyi had suspended crossing the river, and the main force turned to the south to cooperate.  Sun Chuanfang attacked Samarkand first."

    After the two introduced each other, Yue Peng understood what the problem was.  The General Staff's combat plan calculates firepower based on the 3-meter fortress roof. Although the Hammer Train Cannon cannot penetrate this thickness, the maximum 800 kilogram armor-piercing projectile currently equipped by the Air Force is enough. Even if it cannot penetrate, the explosion can still shock it.  The inner layer of the crack forms a scattering flow that kills the soldiers inside.  But now it has suddenly increased to a 5-meter cement and steel plate sandwich, and the protection level has reached or even exceeded the 460 mm Krupp homogeneous armor. This value cannot even hit the Navy's 406 mm extra heavy armor-piercing projectile!  The scattered flow will also be absorbed by the steel plate and will not cause internal damage.

    ? 800kg aviation armor-piercing bullets cannot penetrate, let alone railway guns with smaller shooting angles on the ground.  Therefore, according to the calculations of the Air Force, a bomb of at least 3 tons is required.  However, 3-ton aviation armor-piercing bombs cannot be manufactured immediately, because unlike high-explosive bombs, the body of the armor-piercing bomb can be directly cast from pig iron. Alloy steel casting technology must be used.  Not to mention China, even Europe and the United States cannot machine 3 tons of alloy steel castings, and must be made purely by hand.  Not to mention that it is expensive, time-consuming and labor-intensive to make it by hand. It takes at least three or four months from design to finalization.  Therefore, this unexpected situation caused a lot of headaches for the Army. They even thought of the 420mm Big Bell Tower captured during the European War. However, the Big Bell Tower's range was too short and it could not get through at all.  The Air Force also thought of using Navy 406mm armor-piercing projectiles converted into bombs, but the 406mm shells themselves weigh more than 1 ton. Bombs are different from artillery shells. They need to modify the shape, add tail fins, and fill in the balance. Even if they are modified, the weight will exceed 2 tons.  , the dive bomber couldn't carry it at all.  If bombers are used, the horizontal bombing angle of the fortress built on the mountain is very small. Without enough numbers, it is impossible to ensure a hit. Therefore, train guns are deployed in the hope of blasting out an angle that can cover the bomb delivery.

    ? ?Since Zilga and Almazar are the only way to attack Tashkent, if these two big nails are not removed, there is no way to talk about victory.  Therefore, Xu Shuzheng could only encircle it first, mobilize train guns to cooperate with the air force's day and night bombing, and then focus his main energy on the direction of Samarkand and Urgench, speeding up the clearance of the periphery while thinking of ways.

    After understanding the whole situation, Yue Peng, who returned to Shymkent, first sent a telegram to Beijing about the situation here, and also asked the Equipment Department to immediately study heavy bombs. Finally, after discussing with Xu Shuzheng, he ordered the cancellation of the plan to use railway guns to cover the attack.  There is really no need to take such risks when a large-scale siege is implemented.

    While the annihilation battle in Tashkent was hindered, Du Yuming's 10th Armored Division, after cooperating with the 24th Army to attack Dushanbe, had been ordered to quietly avoid sight along with the 24th Army's 106th Division and return to Bukhara, 230 kilometers west of Samarkand.

    On the dirt road heading to the Bukhara Pass, soldiers as far as the eye could see were sitting on tanks, trucks and carriages, rolling towards the west with scarves covering their mouths and noses.  Since this is the juncture of the Turkestan Mountains and the Outinguz Karakum Desert, when the wind blows at noon, the sky is filled with yellow sand.  "Haha, it's better for you. Tanks and trucks are all on wheels. It would be nice if we had horses." Lin Xunnan, commander of the 106th Division, rode his horse to catch up with Du Yuming's half-track command vehicle. He opened the door and got into the carriage and sat down.  , immediately assume a comfortable posture.

    Du Yuming laughed dumbly: "Youxiang, you were born in blessings and don't know how to be blessed. If you don't believe me, try it in a tank. If you run ten miles, your bones will fall apart."

    "I won't go. It's as hot as a steamer in there, and my legs are still comfortable." Lin Xunnan said with envy, but he immediately shook his head when he was asked to drive a tank.  Seeing the map on the table, he asked: "By the way, I heard that Tashkent is in trouble."

    Apanashenko's fortress formation has been spread throughout the army, so Du Yuming smiled and said: "Yes, Apanashenko set up a fortress formation, which can be regarded as a trap for Commander Xie Ruyi and others. I heard that seven days  Twenty thousand people were smashed into it without being able to pry it open, and even the Chief of General Staff was alarmed and went to the front line to inspect the situation."

    "The fortress is a problem. Fortunately, we brothers don't have to fight it. By the way, how far is Bukhara? Do you have any information?"

    "It's still 15 kilometers away. The reconnaissance battalion should be encountered soon." Du Yuming handed the telegram from the reconnaissance plane to Lin Xunnan: "Currently, we found two regiments, 30 tanks, 1 artillery battalion and two anti-tank battalions. How about it?  , do you come first or let me try my hand at it, brother?"

    Lin Xunnan was also very happy. He waved his hands and said with a smile, "Come on, we idiots like you won't take credit from you."

    Du Yuming chuckled and threw the telegram to his staff: "Order Ji Ming's group to speed up. I want to see the battle start in one hour." (To be continued)
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report