"Division commander, the main force of the Eighth Route Army has entered the city and is fighting house-to-house with the imperial army."
At the 37th Division Headquarters, Chief of Staff Ishida Kinzo Daizuo reported to Hirata Kenkichi.
Gunshots and explosions as dense as popping beans rang out all around, only a few hundred meters away from the headquarters.
At present, Changzhi County has also been reduced to a pot of porridge.
The most sudden sound of gunfire was the submachine guns of the Eighth Route Army, which kept screaming wildly, making Hirata Kenkichi and Ishida Kinzo uncontrollably upset.
Both of them knew very well that the submachine guns in the hands of the Eighth Route Army were very advantageous in street fighting, and the 38th Army guns were completely incomparable to them.
When the Eighth Route Army first entered the city, Hirata Kenkichi ordered the firing of poison gas bombs in an attempt to drive the Eighth Route Army out of the county and retake the city wall.
However, what the Japs never expected was that the Eighth Route Army soldier was armed with a gas mask. When the Japs soldiers wore gas masks and prepared to go up to collect the Eighth Route Army's heads, they were hit by sudden and intensive firepower.
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Not only did the city wall fail to be recaptured, but another squadron was lost.
Hirata Kenkichi asked coldly: "Ishida-kun, how many people do we have now?"
Ishida Kinzo looked ugly: "There are less than 2,200 people left, and half of them are artillerymen who picked up rifles and became infantry."
It was already afternoon. In other words, from the morning of the eight-way artillery fire until now, the Japanese casualties had exceeded 2,000.
It seems that 2,300 troops are a lot of troops, but in fact, if these troops are scattered in the county town, there will not be much at all.
Because the Eighth Route Army was fighting in depth from all directions, fighting was happening everywhere.
"Nani, there are less than 2,300 people?" Kenkichi Hirata asked.
"Hey!" Ishida Kinzo said, "When the Eighth Route Army attacked the city, we lost about 4 squadrons of troops. When we fired poison gas bombs to recapture the city wall, we lost one squadron. When the Eighth Route Army attacked along the streets, we lost another 2 squadrons.
A squadron, the Eighth Route Artillery Regiment suffered about 700 casualties, and two squadrons have been lost in the street fighting since the morning."
Hirata Kenkichi's expression changed: "This means that no later than tomorrow afternoon, all the imperial troops in Changzhi County, including the division headquarters, will be wiped out by the Eighth Route Army?"
"Division commander, I'm afraid we won't be able to arrive until noon tomorrow."
Ishida Kinzo said helplessly: "Even if the artillerymen have rifles, their combat effectiveness is not as good as that of the infantry. What's more, our soldiers have no experience in street fighting. There are at least more than 10,000 infantrymen in the Eighth Route Army. The most we can do is hold on."
By noon tomorrow, if reinforcements have not arrived before noon tomorrow, the 37th Division will become the first division of the Imperial Japanese Army to be completely wiped out."
As soon as Ishida Daizuo finished speaking, the communications staff officer turned around and stood up, holding a folder and reporting: "Division commander, chief of staff, the train of Taiyuan's reinforcements Yoshino Regiment derailed in Yezhugou, and Yoshino Regiment is coming on foot.
rush to the rescue!"
Hearing this, Hirata Kenkichi grabbed the communications staff officer by the collar and asked angrily: "Baga, I don't care where the Yoshino Regiment, the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade are?".
Unless the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade arrived, a mere Yoshino Regiment would only come to deliver food to the Eighth Route Army.
With the current combat effectiveness displayed by the Eighth Route Army, it is simply too easy to defeat a regiment.
The communications staff officer looked flustered, but tried his best to speak fluently: "Reporting to the division commander, the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade are being blocked by the Eighth Route Army and cannot reach Changzhi for the time being."
"Where is the 2nd Guards Division?"
Hirata Kenkichi asked loudly: "Why didn't the 2nd Guards Division come to help?"
Ishida Kinzo behind him lowered his head and said: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, Commander Shinozuka just called. The 2nd Guards Division is advancing towards the first line of attack, besieging the Eighth Route Arsenal, and forcing the attack on Changzhi, Xiangyuan and Licheng."
The Eighth Route Army will send back reinforcements to relieve the siege of our 37th Division!"
Hirata Kenkichi let go of the communications staff officer, who nodded and quickly turned around and walked towards the radio station.
Afterwards, Hirata Kenkichi sounded extremely confused: "Will the Eighth Route Army return to support Yitiantian?"
Ishida Kinzo's eyes flickered: "It depends on whether the Eighth Route Army is determined to eat my 37th Division, or whether they want to abandon their arsenal."
Hirata Kenkichi asked: "Ishida-kun, what do you think?"
Ishida Kinzo said: "If I were the commander of the Eighth Route Army, I would definitely not choose to return for reinforcements and continue to attack the 37th Division."
"Why?" Kenkichi Hirata asked.
Ishida Kinzo said: "Because even if the Eighth Route Army returns reinforcements, it may not be able to keep the First Line Armory, and may even fall into the encirclement of the 18th Brigade, the 14th Brigade and the 2nd Guards Division. On the contrary, if we eat our first
37th Division, a large amount of weapons and ammunition can be seized."
Hirata Kenkichi's expression suddenly changed: "If we blow up the 37th Division's arsenal, will the Eighth Route Army return to support Yitiantian?"
"It's hard to say... Division Commander, after all, this is just our guess, because we don't know what Li Yunlong and the Eighth Route Commander are thinking in their minds." Ishida Kinzo hesitated.
Ishida Kinzo didn't dare to say anything about such a big matter. In the final analysis, he was just a big leftist and couldn't bear such a big responsibility.
"We can't sit still and wait for death. We must give it a try." Hirata Kenkichi said solemnly: "Ishida-kun, order the bombing of the arsenal and grain depot."
"Why don't you ask Commander Shinozuka for instructions on such a big matter?" Ishida Kinzo asked.
"There is no need to ask Commander Shinozuka for instructions." Hirata Kenyoshi said, "Before we are destroyed, the grain depot and the arsenal will still be blown up. Sooner or later, they will be blown up. It is better to blow them up earlier."
"It would be a pity that so much ammunition, supplies and food were blown up. After all, the empire does not have sufficient supplies." Ishida Kinzo suggested: "Division commander, Changzhi happens to have a lot of supplies in Xiangyuan and Licheng.
Gasoline and diesel, how about putting these gasoline and diesel together with a small amount of ammunition and supplies to detonate them, to make it look like the imperial army detonated weapons and ammunition, and to confuse the Eighth Route Army?"
"Even if the Eighth Route Army does not come back to support Xiantian, we can blow up all the ammunition and supplies at the last moment, leaving not a single bullet or grain of food for the Eighth Route Army."
"Yo Xi!" Hirata Kenkichi said happily, "Ishida-kun, arrange immediately, Xiangyuan and Licheng will also carry out fake explosions, so that the Eighth Route Army will mistakenly think that the imperial army has blown up the arsenal!"
"Hi!" Ishida Kinzo bowed his head, turned around and left.
…
Outside Changzhi City, the Eighth Route Army headquarters.
"Old Li, there is a telegram from the headquarters. The 2nd Guards Division of the Japs has rushed to the Huangyadong Arsenal."
Li Yunlong went to inspect the battle situation outside the West City and returned to the headquarters when he heard Kong Jie say to him.
When Li Yunlong heard this, his expression suddenly became a little solemn. In addition to the 2nd Guards Division, there was another Japanese regiment whose target was also the Huangyadong Arsenal.
He walked to the Eight Immortals table, lay on the map and asked: "Where is the 2nd Guards Division currently?"
"We have advanced to the Liaoyang area. We have troops to block the attack. It is estimated that the 2nd Guards Division will arrive in the arsenal area at noon tomorrow," Kong Jie said.
Li Yunlong quickly found Liaoyang Town on the map. The previous headquarters, brigade headquarters and Yangcun were also nearby, and it was only 20 kilometers away from the Huangyadong Arsenal.
"The Japs are obviously encircling Wei to rescue Zhao."
Zhao Gang saw Yoshio Shinozuka's intention, pointed at the map and said: "I want to besiege the arsenal and force us to go back for rescue."
Kong Jie said: "Although the arsenal is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is no problem for one regiment to defend a Japanese regiment, but adding another division will definitely not be able to defend it."
Li Yunlong narrowed his eyes. The arsenal can now produce 1,800 mortars, 400,000 rounds of artillery shells, 400,000 grenades, and 1.5 million reloading rounds per year.
If such a large-scale arsenal was destroyed, Li Yunlong would definitely not be willing to do so.
If we can kill that old devil Kenkichi Hirata, we can switch to smokeless gunpowder and 60mm mortar production lines from brother Chen Feng.
However, Li Yunlong always wants everything when he fights. He wants to keep the arsenal, and he also wants the head of that old devil Kenkichi Hirata.
Li Yunlong was thinking about how to keep the arsenal and kill Kenkichi Hirata at the same time.
At this moment, a huge explosion like thunder and shaking mountains came from the Changzhi City ahead. Everyone looked up quickly and saw a huge orange-red flame bursting out from the Changzhi City. This
The ball of flames rolled upward layer by layer in a short period of time. Every time it rolled, the flames expanded by one point and the height increased by a few points.
Then, the orange-red flames turned into thick black smoke, and mushroom smoke clouds hundreds of meters high rolled out!
"What's going on?" Kong Jie looked at the mushroom cloud in shock.
"This...couldn't it be that the arsenal of the 37th Division was destroyed?" Zhao Gang's eyes widened and his tone was confused.
Li Yunlong shook his head and said: "Probably not. Our troops haven't reached the arsenal so quickly."
"Did the Japs blow it up themselves?" Zhao Gang said, "The Japs knew they would be wiped out, so they detonated the ammunition and supplies in advance?"
"Most likely!" Kong Jie nodded and said.
"Damn it!" Captain Li couldn't help but yelled, "Pingtian, don't let me catch you. If I catch you, I will kill you hard."
Needless to say, the arsenal of the 37th Division is much richer than that of the 4th Brigade.
In Li Yunlong's view, the 37th Division's arsenal is his arsenal. If his arsenal is blown up, how can he not get angry?
Zhao Gang said: "It's a bit strange. Why is this Japanese guy so anxious to blow up the arsenal before he reaches the end of his rope?"
"Who knows," Kong Jie said, "Maybe he detonated the explosives deliberately to tell us that there is not much oil and water in the city anymore, forcing us to return to the arsenal to reinforce the arsenal, so that his stupid 37th Division will be safe."
Not long after, Ding Wei and Cheng Shifa sent telegrams one after another, saying that the Japanese in Xiangyuan County and Licheng County were suspected of detonating the arsenal.
This caused Captain Li to curse again.
Captain Li loves to curse whenever he loses money. He scolds all the little devils and Hirata Kenkichi's ancestors.
After scolding, I suddenly felt relieved: "I want Hirata Kenkichi's head, and we have to protect the arsenal."
This chapter has been completed!