Chapter 175 Lao Li intercepts the reinforcements of the Moon Army
In the silent night, I couldn't see my fingers, and the dark clouds blocked the moonlight.
At around 11 o'clock, as the First Army Headquarters received the combat order from Dongdong, the independent mixed ninth brigade quickly organized reinforcements.
Four infantry squadrons, two machine gun squadrons, and a mountain artillery squadron, with more than a thousand troops, quickly set off from Taiyuan and marched eastward along the Zhengtai Railway.
Those more than a thousand little Japanese will quickly pass through the railway to support the operations of the independent mixed eighth brigade.
Their mission is to assist the independent mixed eighth brigade to hold the current position and wait for the support of the follow-up troops from the military headquarters.
Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka, Commander, and Major General Hideyoshi Kusuyama, Chief of Staff, both of them are nothing.
After understanding the battlefield situation in detail, they took the staff to discuss and quickly formulated relevant combat plans.
More than a thousand people from the independent mixed ninth brigade were mobilized to rush over quickly for reinforcements, which was their first step in the battle plan.
Subsequently, they will deploy a number of 10,000 troops to quickly attack from the southern section of the Tongpu Railway, directly encircling the 129th Division strategically.
As for the troops of more than 10,000 people, they should be drawn from the three security divisions in southern Shanxi and the 9th and 16th Brigade in central Shanxi.
At this moment, relevant combat orders for the First Army have arrived, and those troops have begun preparations.
In Jin Province, the southern section of the Tong-Pu Railway will not be hit very hard, and the Yuan army will be able to quickly carry out operations there.
For the little devils, that large-scale raid was not only a fatal threat, but also a rare opportunity for them.
After all, in the past, the Eighth Route Army mainly adopted guerrilla tactics and ran away after fighting. It was very difficult for the Japs to capture their main force for attack.
But if the main force of the Eighth Route Army is now fully exposed, if we ask them to attack decisively, they may be able to achieve amazing results.
The First Army set its sights on Commander Liu's 129th Division, and they were ready to quickly launch an annihilation operation against that unit.
With the concept of fighting, they could independently form the fourth brigade and the eighth brigade to hold on to their positions along the Zhengtai Railway and tightly contain the 129th Division troops.
More than 10,000 troops deployed from various ministries detoured back to the 129th Division from the southern section of the Tongpu Railway, and then surrounded and attacked them.
Those troops in the past launched an attack across the entire line, thus completely wiping out the troops of the 129th Division that attacked the Zhengtai Railway!
Of course, the Moon Army will need to do a lot of things before completing the Yizhiqi War.
The Eighth Independent Mixed Brigade needs to stick to its position along the Zhengtai Railway to ensure that there will be no greater casualties.
The reinforcements of the three security divisions are expected to advance quickly, and the fourth independent mixed brigade is also expected to complete the combat attack of the 48th independent brigade.
Judging from the current overall situation, the combat concept of the First Army is very dangerous.
If we let them realize it, the 129th Division would be very passive in combat, and may even suffer heavy casualties.
Commander Bu Nao Liu is not an ordinary division commander. Is he a military god capable of commanding a large corps in combat?
It may not be an easy task for the little devil to realize his idea of fighting against Qi.
At 11:30 in the morning, the reinforcement troops organized into the independent ninth brigade quickly rushed along the railway.
But at that moment, without the slightest warning, Li Yunlong commanded a new regiment to attack them directly from the side and rear.
The artillery company directly under the regiment and three Type 92 infantry guns quickly launched an artillery attack east of the command commanded by Wang Chengzhu.
Shrapnel shells were fired one after another towards the Moon Army troops. As the shells fell inside the Moon Army troops, explosions sounded.
Countless steel balls and small iron nails inside the shrapnel began to spread rapidly in all directions, and not long after, the screams of the little devils began to sound.
"The first battalion attacked from the rear, and the second and third battalions attacked from the north."
"Sun Desheng, the cavalry company went back to the south to harass and contain the enemy."
"Sun Desheng, our cavalry company has very little ability to gather combat effectiveness. We don't want to charge, but just harass and contain the little Japs."
"Please excuse me for causing heavy casualties in the cavalry company. Let's see how I deal with it."
"Zhang Dabiao, our main attack is here. We want a quick victory. Don't give the little devil any time to react."
Li Yunlong's unique loud voice began to appear, and battle orders were issued one after another.
The whole regiment of the new regiment began to take action. The machine gun companies directly under each battalion were the first to set up, and directly launched a fierce fire attack on the Moon Army.
Zhang Dabiao's 1st Battalion is the number one main battalion of the New Regiment, with the earliest complete weapons and equipment, and the overall combat effectiveness of the unit is very strong.
Its machine gun battery also has six heavy machine guns and two mortars.
Of course, the mortars directly under the first battalion's machine gun company were also replaced at this time.
All the moon-type 90MM mortars of Chu Yunfei's 48th Independent Brigade were taken away by Zhao Yinfu to form a divisional mortar unit.
This is true for the Jinsui Army, let alone the Eighth Route Army.
The moon-type 90MM mortar equipped by the new regiment has long been asked to take away by the brigade commander.
After all, the artillery directly under many infantry regiments is 60MM mortars.
Li Yunlong's infantry battalion has two 90MM mortars, which is obviously outrageous.
The brigade commander gave them three 82MM mortars and three 60MM mortars.
Brigadier Bu Nao never thought whether Li Yunlong's new regiment might have any private goods.
Therefore, the new regiment, first battalion, and second battalion are currently equipped with two 82MM mortars, and the third battalion is equipped with three 60MM mortars.
A battalion of six Type 92 heavy machine guns launched fire, and two 82MM mortars continued to fire grenades.
Three infantry companies, under the personal command of Zhang Dabiao, quickly advanced towards the Moon Army.
Each company took turns to cover, and they opened up the attack line and kept getting closer to the little Japanese.
The Second and Third Battalions also set up firepower in the north, with eight Type 92 and Type 24 heavy machine guns firing continuously.
Two 82MM mortars and three 60MM mortars also provided fire cover.
Dense heavy machine gun bullets, mortar shells, and infantry artillery shells continued to fire.
More than a thousand little Japanese who were preparing to support the independent mixed eighth brigade suddenly suffered casualties.
There was no reaction from the hundreds of little devils, and they fell into a pool of blood one after another.
The little Japanese, who was definitely injured by the steel balls inside the shrapnel, was on the ground wailing in pain.
The Lieutenant Colonel of the Yue Army who was commanding the troops to fight saw that scene with a surprised expression on his face.
Didn't he expect that there would be such elite troops in such a remote area?
The Lieutenant Colonel of the Yue Army immediately hid himself, and then quickly sent the battle order to the east.
Seven squadrons of little devils immediately spread around.
Heavy machine guns used heavy cover in the middle of the night to move towards the commanding heights.
Four mountain cannons also made it impossible to set up bunkers immediately.
Not long after, the suppressive firepower of the Moon Army began to appear, and the first to fire was the Type 92 heavy machine gun.
The two machine gun squadrons are equipped with twelve heavy machine guns.
Heavy machine guns fired bursts at the charging soldiers.
Although this unit is not an independent mixed brigade unit, it does not have an accurate hit rate if it shoots with machine guns.
After they fired, the attack of the new regiment was suppressed.
Soon, with the assistance of the infantry, four mountain artillery positions were set up.
The artillerymen launched direct-aimed artillery fire, and grenades began to be fired at the new group of exposed heavy weapons.
After the heavy machine gun of Yuejunshan artillery started firing, the troops of the new regiment were suppressed to a certain extent.
The little devil is not a soft persimmon, especially the strength of the Moon Army is not weak.
They have four infantry squadrons, equipped with twelve heavy machine guns, and are assisted by four Type 41 mountain guns.
The Little Japanese Type 41 Mountain Cannon is very light and can be pushed by two Little Japanese soldiers when the terrain is flat.
And whether that mountain cannon can be used for direct fire or curved fire.
The Lunar Army's artillery combat concept is advanced, but that does not mean that they are incapable of direct bombardment.
Four mountain guns were fired one after another in the east of the artillery control area.
A large number of grenades continued to be launched, and a new group of attacks were intercepted.
Li Yunlong raised his telescope and immediately looked towards the Moon Army.
He frowned as he watched the grenades from the little devil's side hit his troops like fireballs one after another.
The machine gun companies of each battalion and the artillery companies directly under the regiment began to move to avoid being hit by artillery.
Nine infantry companies and one cavalry company also rushed to disperse to avoid the Lunar Army's artillery fire.
Otherwise, the four infantry squadrons of the Little Devils would use mountain artillery and heavy machine gun cover to build defensive positions on the spot.
"Zhuzhu, can't you suppress the Japs' artillery? They think they pose too great a threat."
"Commander, contact the machine gun companies of each battalion and ask them to use mortars to specifically suppress the Japs' heavy machine guns."
"The heavy machine guns of the machine gun company provided cover, and each company advanced rapidly."
"Each row of grenades and each squad of light machine guns are launching fire strikes. Can you let the little devils build defensive positions?"
"Otherwise it won't be easy if we want to eat them."
"Damn it, did you not expect that that little devil is so powerful!"
Li Yunlong stared and quickly gave the battle order.
Each department reorganized their firepower, and three infantry cannons locked onto the Moon Army's mountain artillery for suppression.
Seven mortars, otherwise they would stare at the Moon Army's heavy machine guns and launch an artillery bombardment.
Fourteen heavy machine guns would otherwise have been used to suppress the Lunar infantry and cover the charge of each company.
Among those heavy machine guns, in addition to the Type 92 heavy machine guns captured by the Moon Army, there were also Type 24 heavy machine guns.
The Type 24 heavy machine gun was captured by the puppet army. It is a foreign imitation of the 1908 German Maxim water-cooled heavy machine gun.
Compared with the Type 92 heavy machine gun, which uses 30 rounds of ammunition, the Type 24 heavy machine gun has 250 rounds of ammunition.
After those heavy machine guns launched fierce fire, a large number of bullets were fired at the Moon Army, suppressing them tightly.
The grenade mortars of each company started firing at the same time, and the soldiers quickly moved forward.
A new small amount of smoke bombs also began to be fired at this time.
As the smoke appeared, the Lunar Army was not only suppressed by firepower, but their shooting sight was also affected.
Even if the little devil quickly fired the flares, he would not be able to see the attacking soldiers.
Zhang Dabiao, commander of the first battalion, carried a broadsword and directed more than a hundred people to attack quickly.
They were getting closer and closer to the Little Japanese position. By twelve o'clock, Zhang Dabiao commanded the first battalion of the broadsword team and had begun a red blade battle with the Moon Army.
The cavalry company that was supposed to conduct containment and harassment operations in the south was not to be outdone. They commanded the east side of Sun Desheng and took the opportunity to break through.
The cavalry unit of more than a hundred people waved their sabers and quickly attacked the Moon Army's artillery unit.
"On the south side, the Eighth Route Cavalry Unit, intercept them and do not let them get close to the artillery unit."
"The artillery unit quickly moved closer to the machine gun position. The first squadron advanced southward to build a defensive line."
"Bagaya Road, those Tubal Roads have such sophisticated weapons and equipment!"
The Lieutenant Colonel of the Yue Army shouted angrily, he did not dare to let the four mountain cannons suffer any losses.
Some little Japs fired heavy machine guns and hurriedly turned their guns, but they were hit by mortars before they could fire many bullets.
Grenades were fired one after another from the 82MM mortar and the 60MM mortar.
"Boom, boom, boom" explosions continued to sound, and the Moon Army's heavy machine guns were unable to fire effectively.
The war horse galloped over quickly, and the sharp saber easily cut the little devil's throat.
Bright red blood spurted out, and a young devil instantly fell into a pool of blood.
Sun Desheng holds a moon-type 32-type armor-type cavalry saber on his leg, relying on the impact of the war horse.
The sharp saber stabbed from back to front, and the sharp saber instantly pierced the heart of a second lieutenant of the Moon Army.
The second lieutenant fell directly to the ground, with blood flowing from his mouth.
The cavalry company has been training for a long time, but it still has some combat effectiveness.
Sun Desheng was a cavalryman and had rich combat experience.
The dozen or so cavalrymen he led quickly reached a Type 41 mountain cannon and chopped it down one after another with their sharp sabers.
The little Japanese artillerymen faced those cavalrymen who had no resistance at all, and fell to the ground one by one.
At this time, the battlefield was already a melee. The Moon Army was broken through by a battalion of swordsmen at the rear and a cavalry company at the south side.
On the north side, the troops of the Second and Third Battalions continued to launch fire suppression, and they were under great pressure.
Without the cover of mountain artillery, the little Japanese were very passive in combat.
And their heavy machine guns were completely suppressed by seven mortars, and there was no chance of shooting at all.
When the Lieutenant Colonel of the Yue Army who was commanding the battle saw that scene, his face showed a panic expression.
"The troops quickly broke out to the east, and each squadron took turns covering the breakout."
"Grenade, launch smoke grenades! Light and heavy machine guns fire alternately to support the troops in breaking out."
"Bagaya Road, break out quickly to avoid a devastating blow."
Lieutenant Commander of the Moon Army gritted his teeth and said, taking the lead in running quickly towards the east.
The little devils used all their strength to attack, and the troops gradually moved towards the east.
Li Yunlong discovered that the little Japanese wanted to escape from the battlefield, so he decisively dispatched troops to intercept him.
The heavy machine guns of each battalion's machine gun company were quickly transferred, and the second and third battalions deployed four infantry companies to advance eastward in advance to build blocking positions.
Not long after, the troops from both sides exchanged fire again, and the little Japanese's idea of breaking out to the east was shattered.
Li Yunlong commanded the troops to quickly launch an annihilation operation. He had more than two thousand people and planned to directly eat the Moon Army troops.
It was also at that time that the independent fourth brigade troops in the Xinxian area had quickly launched offensive operations.
In the hilly area, Major General Mitake Tsuda, commander of the brigade, commanded the 11th and 12th independent field brigades, equipped with four Type 94 mountain guns and took the lead.
The 13th Independent Field Brigade, equipped with more than 200 cavalry and four Type 94 mountain artillery, also quickly attacked.
The two troops attacked Qicun Town and Hesuo Town respectively.
(End of chapter)
This chapter has been completed!