Just when Yoshio Iwamatsu asked Neji Okamura for urgent tactical guidance.
The Eighth Route Army assembled artillery and the bombardment of Yangquan City continued.
Although most cannons are of small caliber, and there are not many howitzers above 105 mm.
But there are too many cannons and too many shells to mount.
The city walls of Yangquan City simply cannot withstand this level of bombardment.
The 75mm howitzers and 105mm howitzers all approached the city wall and aimed straight fire.
Two 150mm howitzers of the 386th Brigade also participated in the battle, and each shot was able to blast a hole in the city wall.
Although the 37th Division is the elite of the First Army, the base camp also supplemented the 37th Division with a mountain artillery regiment.
However, in the battle last night, the 37th Mountain Artillery Regiment of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army was completely wiped out, and even the mountain artillery was captured by the troops of the 386th Brigade.
Inside the city, the remnants of the 37th Division only had a small number of mortars, infantry guns, grenades and rapid-fire guns.
Such a huge firepower gap cannot be made up for by tactics and courage.
Aircraft from the Japanese North China Front Army Headquarters also arrived for reinforcements, but the number was small and the threat to the Eighth Route Army's artillery positions was limited.
Coupled with the dense and powerful air defense firepower, the Japanese aircraft did not dare to enter the dive position.
Yangquan.
37th Division Headquarters.
On the roof of the headquarters, division commander Adachi Twenty-san, staff officer Eguchi Taro, and a group of Japanese staff stood on the roof, watching the continuous shells falling on the city wall.
The coldness, perseverance and fanaticism in their eyes and expressions quickly dissipated, and a look of despair quickly climbed onto the faces of all the Japanese officers.
"Division commander, the number of artillery used by the Eighth Route Army is estimated to be around 1,000..."
Chief of Staff Taro Eguchi was silent for a long time, and then told a piece of data that made the Japanese officers even more desperate.
original.
Anda 23's plan was to deploy some troops on the city wall to resist the Eighth Route Army's attack.
After all, reinforcements are coming towards Yangquan. As long as the 37th Division can insist on the arrival of reinforcements, the Eighth Route Army will most likely be able to retreat.
The city wall is condescending. Under normal circumstances, it can resist the Eighth Route Army's attack and delay it for more time.
However, the Eighth Route Army's artillery firepower was too fierce, and the Japanese and puppet troops deployed on the city wall suffered heavy losses.
"There are not as many as 1,000 doors, but about 850."
Adachi Twenty-Three shook his head, denying Taro Eguchi's estimate of the number of artillery pieces of the Eighth Route Army, but his expression looked extremely solemn.
The old Japanese who have been on the battlefield for a long time are even more sensitive to the sound of artillery. Outside each city wall, there are more than 200 artillery pieces, pouring cannonballs against the city wall.
There were continuous explosions, and the Eighth Route Army's artillery shells seemed to be inexhaustible. Large sections of the city wall collapsed under the shelling.
There were 150 fewer artillery pieces than expected, but the look of despair in the eyes of the Japanese officers remained unabated.
All the artillery of the entire First Army was not that large in number. The wealth of the Eighth Route Army was beyond imagination!
Just to attack Yangquan City, so many cannons were used.
Moreover, the Eighth Route Army coming from the north only advanced lightly and did not carry more and larger-caliber artillery.
Suddenly, Taro Eguchi's expression changed, and he thought of something even more desperate.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, the Eighth Route Army's offensive against Yangquan alone deployed 850 artillery pieces."
"Then, the Eighth Route Army's attack on Taiyuan, the 1st Division in Datong, and the 33rd Division in Shouyang must have involved a lot of artillery."
"The total number of cannons of various calibers is probably no less than 3,500!"
The number of artillery pieces of the Eighth Route Army has far exceeded the number of artillery pieces of the entire Japanese North China Front. There are sufficient artillery shells and air-dropped supplies.
And this is only the number of artillery pieces the Eighth Route Army has in Shanxi.
Facing an opponent of this level, what can the First Army do?
But the Japanese army was not willing to let the Japanese army abandon Shanxi.
Anda Twenty-Three poured cold water on him again: "Mr. Eguchi, you are only talking about the number of cannons used by the Eighth Route Army in launching this campaign. If you add in the cannons that the Eighth Route Army did not use, perhaps the Eighth Route Army's cannons exceed 5,000."
"5,000 cannons..."
The Japanese officers at the division headquarters fell silent.
They knew that what the division commander said was probably true.
The Eighth Route Army was particularly good at hiding its strength.
Take the Hundred Regiments War for example. A few years before the Hundred Regiments War, the Eighth Route Army had only 40,000 to 50,000 people, and they were beaten everywhere by the locust army.
The Eighth Route Army was beaten into the ravine, and the Japanese army did not let go of the Eighth Route Army, using various cage policies to block it.
The Japanese army originally thought that the Eighth Route Army would have difficulty surviving, but in the Hundred Regiment Battle, the Eighth Route Army used hundreds of thousands of troops and a large amount of baggage and supplies, causing huge losses to the North China Front.
Seeing the smoke from the explosion covering the sky and hearing the continuous sound of explosions, Anda Twenty-Three had to admit it.
Times have changed.
If I had known this, the locust army should have dispatched hundreds of thousands of troops to wipe out this mud-legged group.
"Eguchi-kun, immediately report our speculations to the First Army and the North China Front Army Headquarters."
Lieutenant General Anda’s expression returned to calm:
"Even if our 37th Division is wiped out by the Eighth Route Army, we must let the Locust Army know the true strength of the Eighth Route Army."
According to the firepower of the Eighth Route Army and the troops outside the city.
Anda Twenty-Three knew very well that the 37th Division might not be able to escape this level.
"Hi!"
Taro Eguchi lowered his head first, then raised his head and asked:
"Your Excellency, the division commander, do you order the troops to withdraw from the city wall and engage in street fighting with the Eighth Route Army?"
"We must not abandon the city wall." Anda Twenty-Three shook his head, "Once the city wall is abandoned, large-scale troops of the Eighth Route Army will immediately pour into the city. We have few troops and we cannot last long in street fighting."
"Hi!"
Taro Eguchi had no choice but to suddenly pause, turn around and leave.
…
Peking.
Iron Lion Alley.
North China Front Army Headquarters.
"Report, First Army Commander Lieutenant General Iwamatsu Yoshio, requesting urgent tactical guidance!"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! In the combat hall, communications staff officer Haruo Kiya held a telegram in his hand and reported to the commander of the North China Front, Okamura Neiji.
Nani?
Iwamatsu Yoshio is also asking for help?
Could it be that the main force of the Eighth Route Army attacked Taiyuan?
Okamura Neji's expression suddenly changed.
On the side, Tanabe Moritake and Arisu Seizo also had extremely unpleasant expressions on their faces.
The Eighth Route Army is attacking Datong, Yangquan and Shouyang at this time. If they attack Taiyuan at this time, the situation will be very bad.
Undoubtedly, this situation made the entire North China Front army passive and made it worse.
"Read it!" Okamura Neji said in a deep voice.
"Hi!" Haruo Kiya held the telegram in both hands and read, "The main force of the Eighth Route Army attacking the Taigu defense line has received a large-scale airdrop of supplies. The eight Locust Army aircraft that went for reinforcements have been shot down. The 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade
has been defeated, and now the main force of the Eighth Route Army has crossed the Taigu defense line and is marching towards Taiyuan. Lieutenant General Yoshio Iwamatsu, commander of the First Army, requested emergency tactical guidance from General Neiji Okamura."
"His Majesty the Emperor carried it on board, and the Japanese Locust Army carried it on board."
After Haruo Kitani finished reading the telegram, he immediately paused.
However.
The faces of Okamura Neji, Tanabe Moritake and Arisu Seizo were as black as the bottom of a pot.
How could the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade be defeated so quickly?
The Eighth Route Army put on a posture to attack Taiyuan, which made Okamura Neji suddenly feel as big as a fight.
The 1st Division is sending a telegram to the North China Front Army Headquarters requesting emergency tactical guidance, the 33rd Division and the 37th Division are also requesting emergency tactical guidance, and now Taiyuan is also requesting emergency tactical guidance...
The problem is that Okamura no longer has any extra troops to reinforce Taiyuan.
Moreover, the two important railways entering Taiyuan, Beitongpu Road and Zhengtai Railway, have been cut off by the Eighth Route Army.
It was difficult for the troops stationed in Mongolia and the divisions directly under the North China Front to reach Taiyuan for reinforcements.
Taking a deep breath, Okamura Neiji issued a combat order: "Kutani-kun, immediately order the 1st Cavalry Brigade to abandon the reinforcement of the 33rd Division and return to reinforce Taiyuan."
"Hi!"
Kitani Haruo lowered his head, turned around and left quickly.
Next.
Okamura Neiji, Tanabe Moritake and Arisu Seizo were discussing in the headquarters the Eighth Route Army's offensive operations in Taiyuan and how likely it was to fight to the end.
Could it be that the Eighth Route Army's goal this time was to eat up the 1st Division and the entire First Army in one bite?
However, news soon came from the 1st Division that the main force of the Eighth Route Army attacking Datong had stopped attacking the 1st Division and would not attack.
After picking out the strategic target of the 1st Division, Okamura Neji and the others fell into thinking.
The Eighth Route Army's goal this time is to eat up the entire First Army?
Or is it that the main force of the Eighth Route Army's left attack group attacked Taiyuan just to scare the locust army?
Okamura Neji didn't dare to gamble.
The 33rd Division and the 37th Division were wiped out by the Eighth Route Army. Okamura Neji could still let Yoshio Iwamatsu take the blame. Anyway, Yoshio Iwamatsu was a waste.
And once the First Army is destroyed, his hat as the commander of the North China Front Army will definitely be thrown off.
Politically, it will cause a huge and irreversible blow to the morale of the entire Japanese Army.
At this moment, the 37th Division sent another urgent message.
However, it was not an urgent message requesting tactical guidance, but an urgent message to estimate the total number of artillery pieces of the Eighth Route Army from the Eighth Route Army's attack on Yangquan.
5,000 cannons of various calibers!
Hearing Adachi Twenty-san's prediction that the Eighth Route Army would be equipped with artillery of various calibers, Okamura Neji, Tanabe Moritake, Arisu Seizo and all the Japanese combat advisers all fell into deep thought.
This chapter has been completed!