I am Jiang Weiguo in World War II

Page 526

It is not the first time that the Chinese and Japanese militaries have jointly fought, but this is the first time that the Chinese and Japanese militaries have conducted joint operations of different services, and as a result, various bumps and bumps have arisen.

Chapter 610 Expedition to Central South (4)

According to a backup plan drawn up by Luo Zhuoying before the Battle of Malaya: In order to prevent the Indian and British troops from attacking Thailand on a large scale, which would cause instability in the rear of the Nanjing Army and shake the whole situation, it is better to resolve the Battle of Malaya as soon as possible. In fact, forcing the United Kingdom and the United States to make concessions at the negotiating table is also to prevent the war itself from becoming a long night and dreaming, and extra problems will arise. If the Malayan campaign really becomes a protracted war and a quagmire of a war of attrition, it will obviously be detrimental to China in all aspects.

Because the Japanese navy was a surprise, it easily wiped out the British Navy's Far East Fleet and gained absolute command of the sea in Southeast Asia, and Malaya is a peninsula, which is very suitable for launching a landing battle. Therefore, Luo Zhuoying drew up a backup plan and dispatched the first The 74th Division launched a large-scale offensive on land. In addition, it mobilized the 17th Division to suddenly launch an amphibious landing in the Johor Bahru area (the third largest city in Malaya) at the southernmost tip of the Malayan Peninsula, so as to attack the British Commonwealth forces in the Malayan Peninsula. "Beheading and chopping tails", the 74th Division is in the northern part of the peninsula, and the 17th Division suddenly appears at the southernmost tip of the peninsula. Wouldn't the Commonwealth Army in the peninsula become a turtle in an urn?At the same time, the 17th Division suddenly appeared at the northern gate of Singapore like a magic soldier, which could severely catch the British army by surprise and prevent them from fully preparing for the defense of the city (Singapore belongs to Malaya, but Singapore It is an island city, not part of the Malayan Peninsula. Between the island of Singapore and the Malayan Peninsula is the Johor Strait, which is more than 1000 meters wide. To the south of the strait is Singapore, and to the north of the strait is Johor Bahru).

Luo Zhuoying thinks this way: There are about [-] Commonwealth troops on the Malayan battlefield (including the Malaya Peninsula and Singapore). If the Nanjing Army just attacked from north to south in a regular manner, then the Nanjing Army will advance all the way. The British army retreated all the way, and finally retreated into Singapore. The problem came: first, the relationship between the Nanjing army and the British army was "I advance and you retreat". With a force of [-] British troops, the Nanjing army rushed from north to south like ducks. It is estimated that more than half of the British troops were driven into Singapore; second, Singapore is a strong city and an island, which is obviously not easy to fight ( It is very difficult for Singapore to attack it from the sea, east, west, and south, but it is relatively easier to attack it from the north and land). There are [-] or [-] British troops guarding Singapore. The latter is definitely better. Therefore, the Nanjing Army cannot drive ducks all the way in the Malayan Peninsula and drive a large number of British troops into the fortified city of Singapore. For this tough nut to crack, the Nanjing Army had better engage in encirclement and annihilation battles in the Malayan Peninsula to eliminate the British Army to the greatest extent so that the British Army that finally guarded Singapore should be as few as possible.

This is Luo Zhuoying's combat thinking, and it is also the purpose of his backup plan. In addition, his backup plan must meet two prerequisites:

First, it has become a fact that the Chinese and Japanese allied forces can gain command of the sea in Southeast Asia;

Second, the combat effectiveness of the Commonwealth Army is not strong.

Before the Battle of Malaya, the Nanjing Army had not formally fought against the Commonwealth Army, so it was not very clear about the combat effectiveness of the Commonwealth Army. Army: The fighting power of the British Commonwealth Army is much inferior to that of the Japanese Army, even the Soviet Army.

Since the opponent is not strong, the Nanjing army can naturally attack boldly.

Wei Lihuang very much agrees with Luo Zhuoying's backup plan. However, when this backup plan was put forward, it was a bit late, and it was a bit "hesitating to use it, but it is a pity to abandon it." There are two main reasons: first, to participate in the Malaya None of the troops of the Nanjing Army in the campaign had received training in amphibious landing warfare; secondly, the Chinese navy did not have the strength to launch amphibious landing warfare with the army.

Therefore, if this plan is put into action, there are no more than two options: hand it over to the Japanese Navy and Japanese Marine Forces for execution; or implement it by the Japanese Navy and the Chinese Army or Chinese Marine Forces.

As we all know, according to the internal agreement of the Allied Powers, the Malayan Peninsula and Singapore are both Chinese territories. Jiang Weiguo obviously will not let the Japanese army get involved. The Japanese marines were not allowed to set foot on the land of the Malayan Peninsula and Singapore to prevent "it is easy to ask the gods and send the gods away." If the Japanese army stays in the local area, things will be troublesome.

Singapore is known as "the first fortress in Southeast Asia" and "the Gibraltar of the East".In the end, after discussions and discussions, the headquarters of the Central South Expeditionary Force finalized that "the Japanese Navy and the Chinese Army or the Chinese Marine Corps will execute it", and got the consent of the Japanese Navy and the approval of Jiang Weiguo. However, the Chinese Navy was very opposed to this operation. Plan, I am reluctant to participate, and the reason is very simple: colleagues are enemies, let alone colleagues from enemy countries. The Chinese navy has not forgotten the old account that the Japanese navy almost wiped out the surface fleet during the Sino-Japanese War. It is very unforgettable. Yes, in the eyes of the Chinese navy, it is a "disgrace" for the Chinese marines to participate in battles on Japanese naval ships.

Considering the emotion and dignity of the Chinese navy, coupled with the fact that the Chinese marines are far away in the country and are stationed in relatively scattered places, the headquarters of the Central South Expeditionary Force decided that the 17th Division and the Japanese Navy would jointly complete the amphibious landing battle.

Although the 17th Division has not received training in amphibious landing warfare, the division departed from Bangkok Bay, Thailand, and arrived at its destination after sailing more than 600 kilometers at sea, and the destination was not a desolate and unknown place, it was Malay Xinshan, the southernmost tip of the Asian Peninsula, is not a pristine island in the South Pacific, so the division can still undertake this task.

The joint operations of the Chinese Army and the Japanese Navy, coupled with time constraints and hasty preparations, naturally caused discord between the two sides.

China believes that the transport ships provided by Japan and the light cruisers and destroyers to protect the transport ships are too few, and the battleships and heavy cruisers provided to provide naval artillery fire support to the landing troops are also insufficient. At the same time, the two sides repeatedly argued over the itinerary of the escort warships and capital ships, as well as the coordination of Japanese carrier-based aircraft and Chinese Air Force aircraft.

Noisy until February 2, the 26th Division of the Nanjing Army had fought all the way to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaya. With the unremitting efforts of Anderson and Henry Gordon Bennett, the commander of the 74th Division of the Australian Army, the 8th Division of the Australian Army, the 8th Division of the Indian Army and the 11th Brigade, which had retreated from the battlefield in northern Malaya, all headed towards With Kuala Lumpur to build up, trying to defend the city, Percival, who is based in Singapore, supported this, and transferred the 45th Infantry Division of the British Army, which was originally stationed in Singapore, out of Singapore.

Apparently, the Commonwealth forces were trying to fight a typical urban battle against the Nanking Army in Kuala Lumpur.

Lieutenant General Charles Anderson is a very shrewd and capable Australian soldier. The Australian army is also the best in the Commonwealth army. In one blow, the British Home Army, as the "Big Brother Army", did not play an exemplary role at all, and it was also invincible. Only the Australian Army was very tenacious. Although they would also declare war and surrender after running out of ammunition or being injured, they could not fight if they could fight. Xia seldom gave up fighting, turned around and fled, and even dared to fight the Nanjing army with bayonets.

The Japanese army knew about this earlier than the Nanjing army. During the Indonesian campaign, the British army headquarters sent British troops, Indian British troops, and Australian troops to reinforce the Dutch army in Indonesia. As a result, the Australian army was the most tenacious. It was even more tenacious than the Dutch army (the Dutch army had suffered a great blow to their morale because the Netherlands had been captured by the German army at that time), which surprised the Japanese army, and the Nanjing army is also very surprised now. According to analysis, the reason why the Australian army is the most tenacious may be this De: First of all, both Malaya and India are British colonies, and the relationship between Malaya and Indians and the British is completely alienated. Naturally, the British troops from Malaya and the British troops from India cannot serve the British They work hard, and the Malayans and Indians themselves are not considered warlike nations; secondly, because of the unprecedented prosperity of the British Empire, the British have continuously provided huge amounts of wealth to the British mainland through their vast colonies distributed all over the world. The British can sit back and enjoy the benefits. To put it bluntly, the British are a vampire. They get something for nothing. They can live a very rich life by squeezing the colonies. Cherish life", and the British army became lazy. This is similar to the Eight Banners soldiers. During the successive years of war between the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Eight Banners soldiers were indeed very powerful. Corruption has fallen; as for the Australian army, because Australia is a slave country of the United Kingdom, not a colony, Australian soldiers have a sense of national belonging, responsibility, honor, and mission, and Australia has just become independent (officially independent in 1931 ), this country is still in its nascent stage, and it is the time when it is most vigorous and aggressive, so the Australian army is much more tenacious than the British army.

Lieutenant General Charles Anderson strongly demanded a "vigorous city defense battle" in Kuala Lumpur. In his telegram to Lieutenant General Percival, he carefully analyzed the reasons for the failure of the Commonwealth Army in northern Malaya. In addition to equipment, quality, spirit, etc., there is another important reason: Malaya is full of Chinese and overseas Chinese. They are countless pairs of eyes of the Nanjing Army. In local operations, it generally takes advantage of the geographical advantages and advantages.

At the same time, Lieutenant General Anderson believes that this is indeed an advantage of the Nanjing Army, but it is also a disadvantage of the Nanjing Army. Overseas Chinese accounted for nearly half, a total of 80.

If the British Commonwealth army controls the Chinese and overseas Chinese in the city well, and then defends the city to the death, the Nanjing army will definitely throw a rat weapon when attacking the city. Occupying a great advantage, this battle has a good chance of winning. Even if the Commonwealth Army cannot win, at least it can drag on for a while.

Lieutenant General Anderson's tactic is actually to use the Chinese and overseas Chinese in Kuala Lumpur as "hostages". However, his move is not "despicable" because he is only acting on the basis of the situation, not deliberately.

Objectively speaking, although the British Commonwealth Army knew that the Chinese and overseas Chinese were "secretly colluding" with the Nanjing Army, they did not use brutal countermeasures. Cruel, on the other hand, because the Nanjing Army has warned the British Army that if the British Army kills Chinese and overseas Chinese, the Nanjing Army will massacre the prisoners of the Commonwealth Army.

In this kind of matter, the Soviet army is the most ruthless, and treats civilians abroad and domestically with carelessness. The Japanese army is a bit better. They are ruthless externally, but they are still "moderate" internally. But if they need to sacrifice their own civilians for the "big picture", the Japanese army can do it , the Nanjing Army is second, merciless to foreign civilians who resist, lenient to foreign civilians who do not resist, and always loves their own people. The British are "the kindest", and they are still "merciful" to foreign civilians.

In Kuala Lumpur, the British Commonwealth Army required civilians, especially Chinese overseas Chinese, to stay at home, but they did not rape or loot them.

Lieutenant General Percival very much agreed with Lieutenant General Anderson's views, and made up his mind to fight a city offensive and defensive battle with the Nanjing Army in Kuala Lumpur, delaying time and consuming the strength and vitality of the Nanjing Army. The 18th Division was transferred out of Singapore, transferred to Kuala Lumpur, and handed over to Lieutenant General Anderson to command.

The 18th Division of the British Army was originally Lieutenant General Percival's core force for defending Singapore. The division had not participated in the war before, and it was fully staffed. The division has more than 1 people, well-equipped and sufficient ammunition.

It should be noted that the Malayan Peninsula, including Singapore, is surrounded by the sea on three sides from east to west, on the north is Thailand controlled by China, and on the other side of the strait is Sumatra Island controlled by Japan. Therefore, the [-] British Commonwealth troops on the Malaya battlefield were already unable to fly. Lieutenant General Percival did not plan to defend Malaya with [-] troops. The London side gave him instructions to "delay and consume as much as possible , and then waited for Admiral Wavell, the commander-in-chief of the British Indian Army, to attack the Chinese army from behind, thereby forcing the Chinese army to give up attacking Malaya, and the British army finally won the victory in this battle."

Therefore, Lieutenant General Percival supports a city defense battle in Kuala Lumpur, because it is in line with the principle of "delay and consumption". Naturally it will be better.

Luo Zhuoying was overjoyed to learn that the most elite 18th Division of the British Army left Singapore and went north to reinforce Kuala Lumpur. This meant that the strength of the British Army in Singapore was further weakened. The 17th Division of the Nanjing Army had to attack decisively. If Percival suddenly repented, If the 18th Division of the British Army was transferred back to Singapore, it would be a missed opportunity.

Therefore, under Luo Zhuoying's urging, Wei Lihuang approved this plan, which seemed to be a bit of a grind.

On the various piers in Bangkok Bay, there was a turmoil of people, and it almost turned into a pot of Thai rice porridge.

One after another, the Japanese transport ships docked incessantly. The officers and soldiers of the 17th Division of the Nanjing Army, who had been waiting anxiously on the pier for a long time, swarmed onto the ships. Because the tonnage and capacity of different ships were different, the troop numbers were different. It was different, of course there was chaos in the middle of the rush, officers and soldiers belonging to different units scrambled to get on the ship, there were noisy and disputes everywhere, "This is the ship of our infantry regiment" and "This is obviously the ship of our artillery battalion", the Japanese navy personnel were in a hurry However, due to the language barrier, it was difficult to carry out effectively. The Chinese translators of the Japanese army and the Japanese translators of the Nanjing Army were exhausted at the scene. The Japanese they translated into Chinese and the Chinese translated into Japanese were quickly covered by deafening noises. The wharf was crowded with people, shoulder to shoulder, and the transport ships were crowded with people. The people who got on the ship first were crowded and scolded by those who got on the ship after. The artillery unit pushed the cannon, the engineer unit drove the machine, and the transport unit dragged large and small bags. With supplies.

The Japanese personnel danced and yelled hoarsely, but all they got was cursing:

"What are you talking about? I don't understand!"

"Shut up your bird language! Speak human language to me!"

"You fucking Japanese devils! Why don't you prepare more boats! I'm going to be squeezed to death!"

The officers and soldiers of the Nanjing Army rushed forward and back to the Japanese transport ship. Many different troops were mixed together. The personnel, ordnance, and supplies were also completely mixed, and even pack animals were pulled onto the ship.

Seeing this scene, the division commander Feng Shengfa said helplessly: "Even if the civilians were evacuated when the war broke out, the scene would not be so chaotic!" After all, the officers and soldiers of the 17th Division are soldiers. Secondly, there is a language barrier with the Japanese, and thirdly, the ships provided by the Japanese army are indeed not enough, which is why they are so confused.

Deputy commander Huang Baitao calculated the carrying capacity of each transport ship, and found that "if they are squeezed together", they can only transport half of the officers, soldiers and ordnance supplies of the entire division. However, if it is divided into two transports, things will be difficult. Investing in one division and investing in half a division at once, the former obviously has greater attack power and impact. If it is divided into two batches, it may become a refueling tactic, which increases the unnecessary casualty cost of the troops. What's more, dividing into two batches , It must have taken a long time for the second batch of troops to arrive. The transport fleet must first return to Bangkok Bay from Johor Bahru, and then sail from Bangkok Bay to Johor Bahru.

"Put everything you don't need in Bangkok!" Huang Baitao yelled in a hurry, "Put back all the bicycles! There is also military rations. It is enough for each person to bring a box of rice and a pot of fresh water! Give me new money for food and drink." Get it locally in the mountain city and Singapore city!"

"That's right! It's all over!" Feng Shengfa nodded.

The officers and soldiers threw all the things they could not bring on the pier, but the fleet could only take two-thirds of the officers and soldiers of the whole division. Huang Baitao immediately contacted Kusakaka Ryunosuke, requesting to use Japanese destroyers, cruisers, and battleships to transport Nanjing Army.

Kusanagi Ryunosuke immediately vetoed it. He claimed that destroyers, cruisers, and battleships are all combat warships, which are used for fighting, not for transporting personnel and supplies.

Huang Baitao was so impatient that he argued with Ryunosuke Kusaka, but both sides insisted on their opinions and refused to give in to each other.

The emotions of the officers quickly spread to the grassroots soldiers. Zhang Yun, the commander of the 18th Brigade, suggested: "Just take a Japanese warship as a 'hostage'!" Let the artillery brigade set up heavy artillery on the shore and aim at the Japanese warship?" During the quarrel, many Japanese naval personnel and Nanjing Army officers and soldiers pushed each other, even pointed guns at each other, and yelled at each other in languages ​​that they did not understand. The scene was full of obscenities such as "Ba Ge Ya Lu" and "I × your mother".

Feng Shengfa had no choice but to contact Jiang Weiguo. Jiang Weiguo replied immediately: "Tell Little Japan, if they agree to your request, I will give them an additional 20 tons of oil. If they don't agree, forget it!"

Sure enough, as the saying goes, "money can turn ghosts." Hearing that Jiang Weiguo had donated 20 tons of oil for free, the Japanese side suddenly softened their tone and agreed to use destroyers and light cruisers to transport Nanjing army officers, soldiers and ordnance supplies.

After tossing for most of the day, the 17th Division of the Nanjing Army reluctantly boarded the Japanese ship. It set off from Bangkok Bay at 2:28 pm on February 20. The Japanese fleet will sail at a speed of more than [-] knots. Seven hours, that is, arrived in Johor Bahru at [-]:[-] am on March [-]st.

Every transport ship was packed to the brim, and every destroyer and light cruiser was also crowded with personnel and supplies. After the Japanese fleet officially set sail, it headed south all the way, cutting through the waves. Although the South China Sea was calm at this time, the officers and soldiers of the 17th Division also accepted swimming. Training, but it is obviously different to take a boat on the sea for a long time than on a river or lake, and the environment on the ship is by no means as relaxed and leisurely as tourists take a cruise ship. Therefore, the fleet bumped all the way, and the officers and soldiers on board were dizzy and vomiting. The interior was filthy, sour and pungent, making the Japanese ships filthy. The Japanese navy sailors on one side cursed angrily, and the officers and soldiers of the Nanjing Army scolded them unceremoniously. , the sound of waves, Chinese and Japanese scolding.

In fact, the real noise and scolding lasted only a few hours. In the remaining ten or so hours, the officers and soldiers of the Nanjing Army were busy sleeping, racing against time, recharging their energy, and preparing for the next fierce battle. Feel free to argue with the Japanese.

After sixteen and a half hours of turbulence, the Japanese fleet fully loaded with Nanjing troops successfully arrived at the eastern waters at the southernmost tip of the Malayan peninsula. The journey was safe and sound, without encountering any British submarines or planes.

Seeing that the destination had arrived, the battleships, heavy cruisers, and light cruisers in the Japanese fleet began to shell. For a while, the sound of shelling was earth-shattering, the sound of explosions collapsed, and the scheduled landing sites were all shrouded in lightning, thunder, and black clouds of smoke. .

"Get up! Ready to fight!" The officers shouted one after another.

There was no need for the officer to shout, the soldiers had already woken up, because the sound of shelling and continuous explosions nearby woke up the sleeping soldiers.

The officers and soldiers stood on the deck, leaning on the railings, devouring the rice and dried meat they carried with them, drinking up the fresh water in the kettle, filling their stomachs, and preparing for battle. The Japanese, regardless of food, watched in shock When the Japanese naval guns fired a salvo, this magnificent scene was overwhelming.

At this time, even the officers and soldiers of the Nanjing Army who despised the Japanese the most had to admit that the fleet of the Japanese Navy was indeed very powerful, especially the scene when the battleships fired salvos, which was terrifying.

Amid the roaring sound of a giant dragon, those dauntingly huge cannons shone with lightning-like dazzling white lights. The blooming gunpowder smoke was like thick fog, and the shock wave shook the air like rolling thunder. The huge island-like body of the warship was shaken by the recoil to move sideways in parallel, and the outer sea surface of the warship in the direction of the gun muzzle was forced by the shock wave to push away arc-shaped three-dimensional water walls, layer after layer of water. The waves are rolling and galloping like a small tsunami, majestic.

Seeing the officers and soldiers of the Nanjing Army gaping like country bumpkins entering the city, the Japanese army showed complacent and proud expressions. Speaking of which, except for the 17th Division, there is no Chinese army that can appreciate the bombardment of "own" battleships. Chance.

However, the officers and soldiers of the 17th Division hadn't watched it enough, so the shelling stopped abruptly. The Japanese naval artillery bombardment lasted only 10 minutes, which was completely routine and perfunctory.

"You can land now!" Ryunosuke Kusaka looked arrogantly at Feng Shengfa, "Don't worry, there are no enemies on land, and even if there were, they would have been blasted to ashes by our naval guns!"

Feng Shengfa ignored Kuolu Ryunosuke, but contacted Jiang Weiguo by radio, and Jiang Weiguo replied immediately: "You tell Little Japan to continue the shelling for another 10 minutes, and I will send them [-] tons of oil!"

The short-handed and soft-spoken Japanese army immediately restored the fire coverage of naval guns.

After three 10 minutes of shelling, the earth-shattering Chinese shouts of killing suddenly caused the night sky that had just returned to calm after the shelling stopped to fall into a whirlwind again.

"Brothers, go!" roared the officers, leading by example and jumped off the ship, followed by the soldiers, stepping ashore in the waist-deep sea like a tsunami.

The British army never expected that the Nanjing Army was still attacking Kuala Lumpur in the middle of the Malaya Peninsula, and at the same time launched a landing in Johor Bahru, the southernmost tip of the Malaya Peninsula. After disembarking, there was almost no strong resistance, and all the officers and soldiers felt as if they were in an uninhabited land. Huang Baitao ordered the troops to seize Johor Bahru first, and then advance southward, trying to see if they could break into the city of Singapore in one fell swoop.

The scheduled mission of the 17th Division was to capture Johor Bahru and cut off the retreat route for the British Commonwealth troops in the Malaya Peninsula to retreat into Singapore. However, Huang Baitao believed that the troops could use both sides to occupy Johor Bahru and try to break into Singapore in one go.

As Huang Baitao expected, the Commonwealth Army in Johor Bahru consisted of only the 17th Indian Infantry Division and a regiment of the British Army. Facing the raging attack of the Nanjing Army, the Johor Bahru defenders failed to hold out for even half an hour, and all were defeated.

"Drive the residents of Johor Bahru to Singapore! Quick!" Huang Baitao ordered sharply.

Johor Bahru is the third largest city in Malaya with a population of over 70.

The Nanjing army that entered the city immediately carried out Huang Baitao's order, and drove batch after batch of Johor Bahru residents to Singapore on the other side of the strait.

Singapore is an island, separated from the southernmost tip of the Malayan Peninsula (Johor Bahru) by the Strait of Johor, which is more than 1000 meters wide. A long embankment runs through the strait, connecting the islands of Singapore and the land of the Malayan Peninsula.

According to Huang Baitao's calculations, if the British army fully withdraws to Singapore, the causeway will inevitably be blown up, turning Singapore into an island surrounded by water. At that time, the difficulty of attacking the city will increase. Therefore, he tried to find another way, The British army had no time to blow up the causeway.

Driven by the ferocious Nanjing Army, tens of thousands of Johor Bahru residents were forced to leave Johor Bahru and flee for their lives to Singapore on the other side of the strait.

At this time, the British army in Singapore knew that the Nanjing army had landed near Johor Bahru and captured Johor Bahru, and they were completely in chaos. Even Lieutenant General Percival was so shocked that he could not speak for a long time after learning of this terrible news. , At the same time, the British army on the northern defense line of Singapore saw the mighty residents of Johor Bahru stepping on the causeway, crying and running to their side.

Seeing this scene, the middle and low-level officers of the British army were at a loss:

"What are we going to do? Are we going to stop them?"

"Why stop them? You should let them in!"

"Ask your superiors immediately! A large number of Johor Bahru residents are flocking to Singapore through the causeway!"

Just when the British army in the north of Singapore had no idea for a while, a large number of Johor Bahru residents had already run across the short length of more than 1000 meters and poured into the northern shore of the Singapore island. On the other side of the strait, more Johor Bahru residents continued to As they came, Changti was overcrowded and crowded with people, making it impossible for the British army to drive or stop them even if they wanted to.

Within ten minutes, more than [-] residents of Johor Bahru crossed the causeway and ran to Singapore. Soon, some of them "revealed their true colors" when they saw that their goals had been achieved.