Yan Xishan suddenly fell into deep thought.
Attack the home base of the Eighth Route Army in northwest Shanxi?
To be honest, Yan Xishan was really moved.
The last transaction was arranged by Li Yunlong. Although he was intimidated by the strength of the Eighth Route Army, Yan Xishan did not dare to make any move.
But Yan Xishan always held a grudge, waiting for the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese army to defeat both sides, so that he could reap the benefits.
What's more, northwest Shanxi was originally Yan Xishan's territory, so why did the Eighth Route Army get involved?
When the Eighth Route Army established a base in northwestern Shanxi, did it get the approval of me, the commander-in-chief of the Second Theater Command?
But when he thought of Li Yunlong, Yan Xishan suddenly hesitated.
Li Yunlong is a man who is determined to retaliate against others, and he never follows the rules of the game or plays his cards according to common sense.
If the Japanese army failed to severely damage the main force of the Eighth Route Army in Taiyuan, then the Jinsui Army would attack the Eighth Route Army's base areas in northwestern Shanxi.
Looking back, Li Yunlong will definitely lead a new regiment to attack Luliang Mountain.
By then, Yan Xishan could withdraw to Qiulin Town in northern Shaanxi, but the tens of thousands of Jin-Sui troops under his command could not stop Li Yunlong's troops.
The Jinsui Army's offensive ability is weak, but its defensive ability is still good, otherwise it would not be able to defend Luliang Mountain.
But the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army has heavy artillery with a caliber of 150 mm, and at least several hundred artillery pieces with a caliber of less than 150 mm.
Even the Japanese First Army was not as wealthy as the New Regiment. The defense line in Luliang Mountain would certainly not be able to stop the Eighth Route Army.
On the one hand, Yan Xishan wanted to take revenge for being set up by Li Yunlong.
On the other hand, Yan Xishan was afraid of being held accountable by Li Yunlong afterwards, so he led the main force to retaliate.
While Yan Xishan was in a dilemma, the communications staff officer of the Second Theater Command walked in quickly with the telegram in his hand, gave a military salute and said: "Report to the commander, Chairman Chiang Kai-shek's secret message in Chongqing!"
Seeing that Yan Xishan was still thinking, Yang Xingru took the telegram from the communications staff, then waved his hand to signal the communications staff to leave.
After the communications staff officer turned around and left quickly, Yang Xingru picked up the telegram and started reading it.
Yang Xingru read the telegram, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "Commander, Chairman Chiang Kai-shek of Chongqing ordered our Shanxi-Sui Army to wait for the main force of the Eighth Route Army to attack Taiyuan, then assemble heavy troops to attack the Eighth Route Army's base area in northwestern Shanxi, and destroy its arsenals, cement plants and
Steel plants and other facilities.”
Yan Xishan's eyes flashed, and he snorted coldly and said: "Old Jiang is trying to make our Jinsui Army fight the Eighth Route Army desperately. I, Yan Xishan, will not be fooled by this."
After destroying the arsenal, cement factory and steel factory in northwestern Shanxi, Li Yunlong still has to go to Yan Xishan to fight for his life?
To put it bluntly, the more lively the Jin-Sui Army, the Japanese Army and the Eighth Route Army fought in Shanxi, the happier Chiang Kai-shek would be in Chongqing.
After all, the Jinsui Army was the national army in name, but it was just a local warlord and not a direct descendant of Chiang Kai-shek.
As for Major General Yamamoto Kazuki agreeing to all the conditions promised, how could Yan Xishan not see the blank check issued by the Japanese with his sophistication?
Yan Xishan continued: "The Japanese and Chiang Kai-shek are the same species. They only want our Shanxi-Sui army to fight for them, but they are reluctant to spend money. They want the horse to run, but don't want to let the horse eat grass."
"It's just wishful thinking to write a blank check and expect our Jinsui Army to serve them."
"Xingru, immediately send a telegram back to Chairman Chiang and the Japanese, saying that when the main force of the Eighth Route Army attacks Taiyuan, our Shanxi-Sui Army will attack northwest Shanxi today."
"Commander, what are you..." Deputy Commander Yang Xingru was suddenly confused. Why was the commander so inconsistent in his words?
Yan Xishan smiled slightly: "First stabilize the Japanese and Chairman Chiang. We, the Shanxi-Sui Army, will stay still and wait and see what happens."
"The commander is brilliant, I admire him for his humble position!"
A look of surprise appeared on Yang Xingru's face. With Commander Yan's shrewdness, how could he provoke the Eighth Route Army before the war situation was clear?
The current strength of the Eighth Route Army is not so easy to provoke!
However, Chairman Chiang did not give the order to Tang Enbo of the Central Army stationed at Zhongtiao Mountain to attack southeastern Shanxi.
Although Tang Enbo is not from Huangpu, he is from the same hometown as Chiang Kai-shek, and he can be considered a direct descendant of Chiang Kai-shek.
At this time, the biggest enemy of the national army was still the Japanese army, and Chiang Kai-shek did not want his direct troops to be wiped out by the Eighth Route Army.
…
An ordinary night passed under the surging dark clouds of various forces.
The new regiment's sharp sword squadron cooperated with the Katyusha rocket launcher unit and easily eliminated the Japanese strongholds and hidden sentries along the road.
Then, the two cavalry battalions of the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment.
As well as three regiments of rocket artillery units, a total of 24 Katyusha rocket launchers, forming a rocket artillery reinforcement battalion.
In addition, Kong Jie also sent a machine gun unit to protect the rocket artillery reinforcement battalion.
The three battalions arrived at a position 10 kilometers south of Datong before dawn.
Within 10 kilometers of Datong, the Japanese 1st Division built some bunkers, gun towers, and set up some checkpoints for warning.
These bunkers and turrets are all made of masonry and can be easily penetrated by even a 20mm machine gun, let alone a bazooka rocket launcher.
There is no need to use the Katyusha rocket launcher at all. Once a bazooka rocket is fired, the Japanese bunkers and gun towers cannot hold it at all.
A powerful warrior outplayed the bazooka.
First, he asked his comrades to attract the enemy's firepower, and then a cavalryman on horseback carried the bazooka around to the flank of the enemy's gun tower.
Aiming at the Japanese turret, he pulled the trigger, and the rocket flew towards the Japanese turret, dragging a long tail flame.
Accompanied by the loud explosion, the Japanese turret instantly collapsed like a piece of wood.
Under the powerful firepower, the Japanese bunkers, gun towers, and checkpoints were unable to stop the Eighth Route Army's cavalry.
The soldiers of the two cavalry battalions, like two arrows from the string, surrounded the Datong city wall.
Mitsuo Nakazawa was awakened by the sound of gunfire.
He looked at the time and saw that it was only 6 a.m. He thought he had gotten up early and dreamed that the Eighth Route Army was attacking Datong.
During this period, Sanfu Nakazawa was stationed in Datong with great fear, fearing that Li Yunlong would lead the main force to attack, and he even had some suspicions.
So Sanfu Nakazawa lay down and prepared to sleep for a while.
Boom, boom, boom...
The sound of rumbling came intermittently. Mitsuo Nakazawa stood up and listened carefully with a puzzled expression. Could it be thunder?
At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Nakazawa Mizuo stood up, turned on the light, put on his coat, and quickly opened the door.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw the chief of staff of the 1st Division, Yoshio Noguchi, standing outside the door with an ugly face.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander!"
Seeing Mitsuo Nakazawa, Yoshio Noguchi said in a solemn tone:
"Eighth Route Army cavalry appears around Datong and is attacking the artillery towers and bunkers on both sides of the road. This Eighth Route Army cavalry has strong firepower and carries bazooka rocket launchers. Its strength is about a cavalry regiment!"
The former Chief of Staff of the 1st Division, Ichiho Shinno, has been killed, and the current Chief of Staff, Yoshio Noguchi, is newly appointed.
"Nani?" Nakazawa Sanfu heard this and his expression changed leisurely: "A cavalry regiment?"
Could it be that a new regiment of cavalry troops has arrived in Datong?
This is wrong. Didn’t Commander Okamura Neiji of the North China Front say that the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army should gather its main force to attack Taiyuan?
How could a new regiment of cavalry troops appear in Datong?
What exactly is going on?
While Nakazawa Sanfu was thinking, the sound of gunfire was getting closer and closer to Datong, and Nakazawa Sanfu also heard the intensive gunfire.
This shows that the Eighth Route Army cavalry is only a few kilometers away from Datong.
What's even more terrible is that the North China Front Army Headquarters gave the 1st Division an order to assemble and stand by. Most of these assembled officers and soldiers were inside the city, and there were not many Japanese troops outside the city.
"Yes!" Yoshio Noguchi replied, "It's a cavalry regiment of the Eighth Route Army!"
"Have you found any infantrymen of the Eighth Route Army?" asked Mitsuo Nakazawa.
"Nothing has been found yet!" Noguchi Yoshio said.
"Go to the operations hall immediately and order all officers and soldiers to be on standby!"
Mizuo Nakazawa put on the Lieutenant General's command sword and walked quickly towards the combat hall. Yoshio Noguchi shouted loudly and quickly followed Mizuo Nakazawa.
When we arrived at the operations hall, some staff officers had already arrived, and Yoshio Noguchi issued combat orders to the troops.
But Mitsuo Nakazawa stared at the map and fell into deep thought. Is it a new regiment of the Eighth Route Army that wants to attack Datong? Or is it that the Eighth Route Army deliberately sent cavalry to Datong, and the main infantry has quietly moved south to confuse the Japanese army?
If the target of the new Eighth Route Army regiment is Datong, then the intelligence received by the North China Front Army Headquarters must be false!
"Can we still contact the strongholds and secret posts on the Northwest Shanxi Highway?"
Mitsuo Nakazawa looked at the communications staff officer and asked in a deep voice.
"Reporting to the division commander." The communications staff officer lowered his head, "Both the strongholds and secret posts have all lost contact. They should have been attacked and destroyed by the Eighth Route Army."
Mitsuo Nakazawa's brows suddenly tightened, this was not good news.
Unexpectedly, even the secret sentry stationed near the stronghold was pulled down by the Eighth Route Army.
In this way, it is unclear whether the main infantry of the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army will move northward.
Whether the Eighth Route Army was going to attack Taiyuan or Datong, Nakazawa Sanfu was still unsure.
But he didn't dare to gamble.
Mitsuo Nakazawa ordered: "Order the 1st Infantry Battalion of the Suzuki Regiment to immediately enter the position outside the north city and eliminate the Eighth Route Army cavalry in the north of the city. The northward direction must be kept clear."
If the main force of the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army moves north, Mitsuo Nakazawa has no say whether the 1st Division will fight or retreat.
You have to ask General Okamura Neiji, the commander of the North China Front, for instructions.
But before that, it is necessary to ensure that the 1st Division has unimpeded access to the north.
Because once the 1st Division retreats, it will definitely go north, where there will be Japanese troops stationed in Mongolia to support it.
The last time the Eighth Route Army attacked the 3rd Brigade, it first sent cavalry to block the 3rd Brigade's retreat to the north, which resulted in the annihilation of the entire 3rd Brigade.
Mitsuo Nakazawa snorted coldly, "Our 1st Division is not the 3rd Brigade. It is simply wishful thinking to use mere cavalry to block our 1st Division's retreat."
"Hi!"
The communications staff officer suddenly lowered his head and turned to leave.
"Noguchi-kun." Mitsuo Nakazawa looked at the chief of staff and said in a deep voice, "Immediately prepare a telegram to report our situation here to the commander of the North China Front, General Okamura Neiji."
Yoshio Noguchi suddenly lowered his head: "Hi!"
This chapter has been completed!