197. Chapter 197 Lao Li encountered a tough problem
Chapter 197 Lao Li encounters a tough problem
Chu Yunfei decided to adopt Chen Ziyun's war proposal and asked to continue fighting eastward in Xin County.
The 48th Independent Brigade quickly finalized a detailed combat plan, and Chen Ziyun and other regiment leaders also began to return to the troops for deployment.
The first, second, third and third battalions of the 358th Regiment, as well as the artillery company, are responsible for the defense of Qi Village and Town, and their defense forces are deployed southward to open up connections with the Fourth Battalion of Hesuo Town.
The 7th Battalion and Artillery Battalion of the 11th Preparatory Regiment were stationed in the defense of Xinxian County. The 5th Battalion was assigned to the cavalry company to advance to the defense of Xinkou Town. The 6th Battalion was responsible for the defense outside the city.
The guard company and field artillery company withdrew from Xinkou Town, and they advanced to the area east of Hesuo Town to assemble and serve as the general reserve team of the entire brigade.
Zhang Fuyan, who was transferred to the supplementary group as acting leader, was accompanied by Lin Zhiqiang, chief of staff, and quickly met with the supplementary group.
After meeting with the supplementary regiment, they quickly directed the supplementary regiment to advance to the battlefield and prepare for the battle.
Chen Ziyun and other officers quickly returned to the army and immediately carried out combat deployment.
After those troops completed their defensive deployment, the overall formation of the 48th Independent Brigade showed a U-shaped defense state.
The remnants of the independent mixed fourth brigade, more than 2,000 troops, are still under attack.
Xinkou Town is located in the northern area of Xin County. Once reinforcements from the Mongolian Army move south-east along the railway, Xinkou Town will be the first to bear the brunt.
As the leader of the 11th Reserve Regiment, Chen Ziyun had unshirkable responsibilities. He personally commanded the fifth battalion and the cavalry company to set up defenses in Xinkou Town.
Other troops took the opportunity to strengthen their positions and prepare to hold on tenaciously.
Especially Liang Guoping's artillery battalion, they are the core of the defensive battle, and the artillery positions are constantly being reinforced.
The artillerymen also immediately dug underground bunkers to prepare for air attacks.
The 48th Independent Brigade is actively preparing for combat in the East. Their morale is high at the moment and they are willing to fight to the death against the Japs.
For field troops, whether frequent combat can improve their combat level and morale.
Especially when winning successive battles, the troops will enter a peak state.
At that time, will they be able to show their superior combat skills, and the coordination of their various arms will be perfect.
On August 25th, as early as eight o'clock, the reinforcements of the Mongolian army stationed in Yuanpingcheng began to dispatch.
Thousands of troops advanced vigorously under the command of Major General Harada Kenzo, the commander of the 26th Division Infantry Regiment.
However, the advance speed of the puppet troops at this time has obviously slowed down, and they are very vigilant.
The more than 600 cavalry troops showed different states. They were like a whirlwind, rapidly dividing their troops and advancing.
The 1st Cavalry Regiment of the 7th Division of the Puppet Mongolian Army advanced directly to the southeast along the Tongpu Railway; the 2nd Cavalry Regiment advanced towards Yanzhuang Town.
The two puppet Mongolian cavalry regiments advanced from the east and west sides of the hilly area respectively. They asked if they could serve as the vanguard and conduct detailed reconnaissance.
Harada Kenzo was at a loss to make a decision at this time. He did not understand the defense deployment situation in Xin County, so he did not dare to decide the advance route rashly.
There were a large number of cavalry troops in Bu Nao, and those pseudo-Mongolian cavalry played a role.
Two cavalry regiments were dispatched first, and they would conduct a large-scale search and reconnaissance to provide detailed intelligence to Harada Kenzo.
Of course Harada Kenzo had already made contact with the headquarters of the Fourth Independent Mixed Brigade, and he also learned some information from Tsuda Mitake.
Not much is known about whether Mitake Tsuda retreated to the hilly area and shifted all his strength to a defensive state.
The reinforcements of the Mongolian army were moving eastward slowly, so they were not in a hurry to enter Xinxian County to fight.
At around eight o'clock, the aviation troops dispatched by the First Army of the Moon Army also arrived at Xin County.
Two reconnaissance planes inspected the deployment situation in Xinxian County in detail, and they continued to fly everywhere to take photos.
It wasn't until nine o'clock that the reconnaissance plane left Xin County.
At that time, more than 600 cavalrymen had already entered Xin County.
The puppet Mongolian cavalry began to divide their forces. They searched every place closely for fear of being ambushed by the 48th Independent Brigade.
Thirty or forty minutes later, the First Cavalry Regiment and the Second Cavalry Regiment of the Puppet Mongolian Army were attacked in Xinkou Town and Qicun Town successively.
After the cavalry encountered a blow, they quickly withdrew without any hesitation and rushed to report to Harada Kenzo.
It was not until 10:10 that Harada Kenzo made a decision based on the aviation reconnaissance report and the cavalry search report passed by the First Army Headquarters.
The Yue puppet troops quickly gathered and they began to march directly towards Yanzhuang Town with great momentum.
Harada Kenzo planned to pass through Yanzhuang Town, quickly advance to the front lines of Qicun Town and Hesuo Town, and directly attack the troops there.
In his opinion, if he wants to capture the villages and towns of Dongqi and Hesuo, he will completely block the way for the 48th Independent Brigade to withdraw to the western highlands.
At the same time, the remnants of the fourth brigade can be independently mixed to effectively carry out coordinated operations in hilly areas.
"Quickly take the villages and towns of Qi and Hesuo Town in the east, and gradually press the Shanxi-Sui Army troops to Xinxian County and other areas."
"Strive to trap them in the county area, and then they will join forces with the independent mixed fourth brigade to completely annihilate them in the county area."
"Ma is in contact with the commander of the Tsuda Miwu Brigade, begging them to do their best to hold on to the hilly area, block the Shanxi-Sui Army troops in the east, and prevent them from rushing to support the battle."
"The ministries accelerated their advance towards Yanzhuang Town and quickly assembled in the area to the west and north of Qicun Town, waiting for follow-up combat orders."
Harada Kenzo directly conveyed combat orders to the officers of the Yue puppet army through the messengers.
The puppet army troops advanced mightily. At this time, did they adopt a forced march?
The cavalry horses were galloping, and the infantry were all running.
Trucks towed artillery pieces and followed them carrying heavy weapons.
Thousands of troops marched in columns. When Yuanji looked over, they looked like a long snake, advancing rapidly towards Yanzhuang Town.
The puppet troops made a choice. They asked the 358th Regiment to lead a decisive attack.
At this time, the new regiment, commanded by Li Yunlong, had already arrived in the northeastern area of the county.
Three infantry battalions, directly affiliated cavalry companies, artillery companies and other units immediately prepared.
Two Type 41 mountain guns and three Type 92 infantry guns were set up at different locations.
Zhang Dabiao and other battalion commanders also received combat orders from Li Yunlong and quickly advanced towards the designated position.
At 10:30, the New Regiment, commanded by Li Yunlong, began to attack highlands such as Pingding Mountain, Zhaizi Mountain, and Jiangjun Mountain.
A troop of more than 400 Yuan troops stationed in those highlands was attacked by a force of 2,000 troops.
The troops on both sides fell into a fierce battle. The Japanese troops relied on the high ground to hold on, while the new regiment continued to launch a fierce attack.
Five artillery pieces provided support from time to time, and there was constant sound of gunfire and acrid smoke everywhere.
The new group's combat effectiveness is not weak, and its weapons and equipment are also quite sophisticated.
The more than 400 troops of the Bu Nao Japs fought tenaciously on the high ground. The new regiment wanted to achieve a quick victory, but it would be difficult.
Chen Ziyun, who is in Xinkou Town, has now received the telegram from the brigade headquarters.
Chu Yunfei already knew that the reinforcements of the Mongolian Army were about to pass through Yanzhuang Town and directly attack the villages and towns.
Therefore, the brigade headquarters sent a special message, requesting that the 11th Regiment be prepared to assemble the main force towards the county town one after another.
In this way, if there is a critical situation on the front lines of Qicun Town and Hesuo Town, Chen Ziyun can mobilize troops to rush to the rescue in time.
After careful consideration, Chen Ziyun decided to abandon Xinkou Town and shrink his main force to the county area.
The troops stationed in Mongolia transferred thousands of troops over, obviously to ensure the safety of the remnants of the independent mixed fourth brigade.
Are they definitely seeking to capture the eastern county seat to open up the connection between the north and south of the Tongpu Railway?
So even if the 11th Preparatory Regiment abandons Xinkou Town, the independent mixed fourth brigade defending the hilly area will not withdraw from the battlefield.
Even if they come from the east, they will take the initiative to cooperate with the troops stationed in Mongolia to regain the county town.
Under such circumstances, it is obviously not the best choice to prepare the 11th Regiment to assemble troops for defense.
"Tuanzuo, a fierce battle broke out on the high ground northeast of Xinkou Town."
"According to their observation, the Eighth Route Army was attacking the Moon Army stationed in the wrong highland area."
"The Eighth Route Army is well-equipped with weapons and equipment, including many artillery and heavy machine guns."
"And judging by their attire, they seem to be a new group in the Yangcun area who have fought with them several times!"
Chen Ziyun prepared Dongda's order to withdraw his troops to the county seat.
But Zhang Wu, commander of the cavalry company, quickly came to Chen Ziyun and reported immediately.
Chen Ziyun was a little surprised to hear that Li Yunlong's new regiment was also in Xin County, and he hurriedly looked at the map.
The New Regiment had been hiding in the mountains before. The 48th Independent Brigade was fully engaged in fighting the Japs and did not notice them.
It was only now that they began to attack high ground such as Pingding Mountain that the cavalry company's reconnaissance troops discovered their existence.
The New Regiment has cooperated with the 48th Independent Brigade several times, so Zhang Wucuo and the others are no strangers at all.
"Can there be more than 400 little Japs stationed at Pingdingshan? The overall strength is not weak."
"The new regiment will storm there. I'm afraid they won't be able to resolve the battle for a while."
"Maybe they won't be able to eat the raw rice in their mouths, and may even lose their teeth."
"Captain Zhang, I will lead the cavalry company to advance northward for combat alert."
"If they ask for permission to take over the Dongpingdingshan Highlands, it will be of great benefit to them."
"When necessary, we can give them some fire support."
After Chen Ziyun hesitated for a while, he directly gave the battle order.
At the same time, Chen Ziyun immediately transferred the machine gun company of the fifth battalion to the cavalry company.
The new regiment was fighting under his nose. Chen Ziyun was definitely asking for help from Yidong.
Chen Ziyun has long understood the situation at Pingdingshan. If the battle can be easily resolved, then Chen Ziyun will definitely push his troops there.
Considering that the Yue Army occupied high ground and could not resolve the battle within a short period of time, and that the 11th Reserve Regiment was insufficient in strength, Chen Ziyun gave up the battle there.
Of course, if you can get it there, it will be of great benefit in the follow-up operations.
Li Yunlong wanted to beg Nadong, but Chen Ziyun was very supportive.
Zhang Wu was wrong about Chen Ziyun's battle order, so he immediately agreed to come east without any hesitation.
Regardless of whether the cavalry company is now directly under the brigade headquarters, this unit was not led by Chen Ziyun.
From the company commander Zhang Wu to the ordinary soldiers in the east, can they obey Chen Ziyun's orders unconditionally?
After the cavalry company was reinforced by the fifth battalion's machine gun company, they quickly set off towards the north.
The fifth battalion troops were still in Chen Ziyun, and Wu Ziqiang commanded the east and began to withdraw towards the county seat.
Wu Ziqiang made the mistake of Chen Ziyun ordering the cavalry company and the machine gun company to the north, but he didn't say much.
It is obvious whether Wu Ziqiang can fully obey Chen Ziyun's command now.
If it were Zhang Furun who asked for help, he would have refused Chen Ziyun's order directly on the grounds of asking for a written order from the chief to cooperate with the Eighth Route Army.
Chen Ziyun feels very happy when he thinks that Zhang Fuyan was directly kicked out of the 11th Reserve Regiment.
After all, after he left, the entire 11th Preparatory Regiment was completely controlled by Chen Ziyun.
"Sergeant, the brigade headquarters has sent a message, please return to the regiment headquarters as soon as possible. The brigade commander requests to speak to you personally."
Chen Ziyun and his troops were on the way back when a communications soldier quickly came to him and reported.
After receiving the report, Chen Ziyun did not delay. He directly gave instructions and quickly rode back to Xinxian County.
Whether the regiment headquarters of the 11th Preparatory Regiment has been established in the county, and whether there is a radio or telephone there, we can contact the brigade headquarters.
In order to prevent the radio from being deciphered, generally the less content the better, so it is not very good to directly convey commands.
Could you please communicate and discuss it? I can’t understand many things over the radio, so it’s better to communicate on the phone.
Chu Yunfei personally spoke to Chen Ziyun, and it was clear whether he had discussed the matter again.
As for what happened, Chen Ziyun could guess it.
After riding back to the county league headquarters, Chen Ziyun went directly to the phone.
The signal corpsman immediately called the brigade headquarters, and not long after, Chu Yunfei's voice came through the phone.
"Xuanyun, the latest news came from the headquarters. The Mongolian Army has dispatched more than 8,000 troops for support."
"Currently, the Yue puppet troops have arrived at Yanzhuang Town, and they are about to arrive at Qicun Town."
"There are more than a thousand troops in Qicun Town, and Qian Bojun is in command!"
"Based on the information they have, the overall strength of the Yue puppet army is not weak, and they have strong combat capabilities."
"After discussion at the brigade headquarters, it was decided to gather troops one after another in Qicun Town to engage in a decisive battle with them and kill their majesty!"
After Chen Ziyun heard Chu Yunfei's thoughts, his face showed a thoughtful expression.
The army stationed in Mongolia initially planned to dispatch more than 6,000 troops for reinforcements, but after the commander of the army, Naosaburo Okabe, completely delegated power.
Chief of Staff Shinichi Tanaka, who held the command, issued an order to directly mobilize all troops including the 7th Division of the Puppet Mongolian Army to participate in the battle.
Therefore, the number of puppet reinforcements instantly increased to more than 8,000 people.
Have the more than 8,000 troops advanced to Yanzhuang Town, and have the 48th Independent Brigade reconnaissance force been taken aback?
As the saying goes, if there are a hundred people, there will be everything; if there are a thousand people, there will be no boundaries!
The puppet Mongolian army had thousands of cavalry troops, together with war horses and heavy weapons, and was huge.
Chu Yunfei knew that the battle in Qicun Town was very important.
Just ask the Yue puppet army to win, then their morale will be high.
And the morale accumulated by the 48th Independent Brigade will fall to the bottom in an instant.
In such a highly requested battle, Chu Yunfei trusted Qian Bojun, so he asked to personally order Chen Ziyun.
