Chapter 1764: Can’t hold on
"Your Excellency, Commander, Lieutenant General Kiichiro Higuchi, the commander of the 5th Front Army, once again requested reinforcements. The 5th Front Army has lost more than half of its troops. The remaining troops are also surrounded by the Germans." Tsukada Attacks Will look panicked. As the chief of staff of the Southern Army, after learning about the situation on the front line, he undoubtedly knew that the current battle situation was very unfavorable to them.
"Where's the 38th Army? Hasn't arrived yet?" General Kotobuki asked.
"Your Excellency, the 38th Army has been blocked by the Germans. They have been on the offensive for two days. Not only did they fail to break through the German blockade, but they suffered heavy losses." Lieutenant General Tsukada replied.
"Damn it! Has the situation become this bad on the third day?" General Toshiichi Terauchi couldn't help cursing.
Although, he had long expected that facing the German attack this time, the southern army of the island country army might be at a disadvantage. It may even fail. However, he did not expect that the situation would become so unfavorable to them so quickly. You must know that according to the information obtained so far, the German offensive troops only have 8 army groups. This only accounts for 40% of the German troops in Southeast Asia and Australia. Once the German army invests more troops, won't the Southern Army soon fall apart?
"Your Excellency, the German offensive is too fierce. The navy's naval gun fire support, as well as the powerful air support, make our troops often suffer heavy losses under the German's fierce firepower before they have exchanged fire with the German army. Yes. Coupled with the gap in weapons and equipment between the two sides, it may be very difficult for us to resist the German attack." Lieutenant General Tsukada said.
Terauchi Shouichi's expression became even uglier.
"Deploy the 4th Army to reinforce the 5th Front Army. No matter what, we must persevere!" General Toshiichi Terauchi said.
"Hi, Your Excellency Commander." Lieutenant General Tsukada Ko replied. Then immediately go to convey the order. f𝒓𝗲𝗲𝒘𝑒𝚋noѵ𝒆𝗹.co𝗺
The Island Army has a total of two fronts and two armies on Java Island, namely the 5th Front, the 18th Front, the 4th Army and the 38th Army. Among them, the 18th Front Army and the 4th Army are both defending the most important front line of Batavia. Now, the German army did not launch an attack on Batavia, but focused on attacking the defense area of ??the 5th Front Army of the Island Army. This forced the Island Army to continue to draw troops from Batavia to reinforce the 5th Front. However, such a refueling tactic is doomed to fail.
The 4th Army of the Island Army has 3 divisions and 4 independent mixed brigades under its jurisdiction, with a total strength of nearly 80,000 troops. After receiving the order, the 4th Army immediately reinforced the 5th Front Army along the road. However, this unit was discovered by the Germans as soon as it left Batavia. As a result, this army was bombed on a large scale by the Luftwaffe on the way to the march. A large number of soldiers died on the march, and the speed of the march was not much faster than a snail.
Before the 4th Army arrived at the front line, the 5th Front Army of the Japanese Army was completely wiped out. Commander Lieutenant General Kiichiro Higuchi and Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Hagi Saburo were defeated and committed seppuku. The division heads of the various divisions under its jurisdiction, and the brigade heads of the brigades, also died in battle or committed suicide one after another. The entire 5th Front, except for a very small number of people who surrendered, was killed. f𝑟𝑒ewe𝚋𝚗૦𝐯e𝘭.c𝗼𝓂
The main force of the German army also began to land on Java Island. In particular, a large number of armored and mechanized troops began to disembark quickly with the help of port facilities. The 38th Army and the 4th Army of the Japanese Army have been forced to switch from offense to defense. With the 5th Front Army annihilated, their offensive was meaningless. Moreover, after the German army solved the 5th Front Army of the Island Army, they were the next target to attack.
On Sumatra Island, the situation is also very unfavorable to the army of the island country. The German 3rd Army, 11th Army, and 13th Army that had landed began to deploy troops to attack Medan, where the headquarters of the 7th Army of the Island Army is located.
Although, the German army has not completely landed at this moment. The troops attacking Medan were an armored division, a mechanized infantry division, and two infantry divisions of the German 11th Front, as well as an infantry division of the 3rd Army and an infantry division of the 13th Army. But at this moment, the 7th Front Army of the Japanese Army has suffered heavy losses. The troops defending Medan are only the 46th Infantry Division under the 7th Front Army, the 26th Independent Mixed Brigade, and the Medan Defense Force whose strength is comparable to that of an independent mixed brigade.
As for the 16th Army under the 7th Front Army, it has been wiped out by the German 3rd Army. The 25th Army and the 29th Army also suffered heavy losses. The remaining troops were also besieged by the German 3rd Army and the 13th Army, and it was no longer possible to rescue Medan.
General Seishiro Itagaki, commander of the 7th Front Army of the Japanese Army, had to send a telegram to General Homofumi Yamashita, commander of the 14th Front Army of the Japanese Army, requesting reinforcements.
The 14th Front Army of the Japanese Army is much stronger than the 7th Front Army. In addition to the 35th Army and 41st Army, it also directly controls a chariot division, 7 infantry divisions, and two independent troops. * Create a mixed brigade, an advance group and an infantry brigade.
After receiving a telegram from General Itagaki Seishiro and an order from Batavia to the commander of the Southern Army, General Toshida Terauchi, General Yamashita Fufumi did not dare to neglect, and immediately ordered the 2nd Tank Division and the 1st Infantry Division Regiment, the 10th Division, the 19th Division and the 23rd Division formed a reinforcement force to reinforce the 7th Front Army of the Japanese Army.
It's just that this reinforcement force was also violently bombed by the Luftwaffe. At the same time, because the roads on Sumatra Island are mainly concentrated on the seaside. Therefore, the German Navy also dispatched a large number of ships to bombard them with naval guns. This not only caused the reinforcements to suffer heavy losses under the shelling and bombing of the German army. It also makes it very difficult for them to rush to Medan as soon as possible.
"Your Excellency, Commander, the situation on Sumatra Island is very unfavorable to us. The German army has already launched a siege to Medan. General Itagaki Seishiro reported that they will soon be unable to hold on." Lieutenant General Tsukada reported.
"Didn't the 14th Front Army reinforce them?" General Toshiichi Terauchi's face was very ugly. He had already issued the order for reinforcements. Moreover, the main force of the Southern Army is concentrated on Sumatra Island. Now, even the war on Sumatra is almost unbearable, so how can we fight this battle?