The entire Hexi Village battlefield was completely over by the Japanese army in less than 40 minutes!
In other words, it took some time to clean up the caltrops that were randomly thrown in the snow. After hearing this, Kunizaki, who was in the rear headquarters, was very satisfied and moved his detachment headquarters forward to the foot of Shunwangping Mountain, away from Hexi Village.
Only less than 2000 meters.
However, the two infantry regiments belonging to the Kunozaki Detachment had four infantry brigades that crossed the river and entered the Hexi Village area 2 hours later. This also meant that the main force of the Kunozaki Detachment was about to march into the Heilongtan area 2,200 meters away.
During this period, five Type 94 light tanks even entered the position through the pontoon bridge built by Japanese engineers.
It's not that the Kunisaki detachment doesn't have Type 89 main battle tanks with thicker armor, but the mountain roads in this area simply don't support the march of the 89 tanks. This is already the heaviest vehicle that can travel on narrow mountain roads.
But this is not the real trump card of the Kunozaki detachment. Kunozaki relies most on the eight 105-mm howitzers deployed on the edge of a mountainous town 6 kilometers away.
That is the largest caliber artillery that the Fifth Division can possess. Nakamura Masao only gave 4 guns to Itagaki Shiro, a Chinese group army, but Kunizaki Zheng gave 8 guns. It can also be seen that Itagaki Shiro was against the four groups.
of attention.
Eight 105 howitzers are enough to blow up a bunker built of reinforced concrete, let alone a trench dug overnight.
The Japanese engineers and infantry were busy here, but the Japanese artillery was not idle. Under the guidance of the coordinates provided by the vanguard, before 9 a.m., gunpowder smoke billowed out from several hills around Heilongtan, where the main force of the Four Lines Regiment was located.
Kunizaki not only took out 12 75mm mountain guns, but also used 8 105mm howitzers. In addition, 12 Japanese bombers came to help.
How much damage was caused by large-caliber heavy artillery and heavy aerial bombs? Boulders weighing several tons were blown to pieces in the face of such human-created firearms, let alone those trenches dug solely by humans.
If there is a camera that can zoom in, you can see that on the hills surrounding Black Dragon Pond, the artificially dug trenches were like piles of sand that lost their moisture and collapsed easily in such a violent explosion.
The shelter made of logs and sandbags was blown to pieces, leaving only a large, charred pit.
The strength of the heavy machine gun fortification built with hundreds of kilograms of stones and sandbags can at least withstand the direct fire of the 92 infantry cannon. However, under the power of the 105 heavy artillery, even if it is not directly hit, the huge shock wave will destroy it.
A ruin.
Nothing! Perhaps these four words are the only ones that can describe the fortifications that the Four Elements Group spent all night building last night.
It wasn't that the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Army Regiment didn't work hard enough, it was simply that the Japanese artillery fire was too fierce.
"The Chinese positions were severely damaged! Yossi! An order was sent to commend the officers and soldiers of the artillery regiment. After this battle, they will be rewarded as the first batch of troops to enter our unit and occupy the Chinese towns." Kunisaki was overjoyed after receiving the intelligence from the forward soldiers.
Anyone who understands knows that the first batch of imperial soldiers who enter and occupy a town can do whatever they want in that town, whether it is killing, looting, or venting. This is almost what the Fifth Division has given them.
Benefits specially prepared for troops with meritorious service.
With the benefits promised by their superiors, the Japanese army's artillery fire became more intense, as if they were going to blow up the entire mountain today.
.........
"My dear! Fortunately, I was smart and ran away. Otherwise, if the little devil had shot down, I would have handed over the 180 kilograms here." Li Jiu escaped into the forest with the 7th company.
Jin looked at the clouds of gunpowder smoke rising more than 2,000 meters away, and heard the unique sharp roar of heavy artillery in his ears, and he was very grateful for his wisdom.
"Coward!" The young man in the mountain village not far away couldn't help but secretly pouted.
This group of soldiers will run away without doing anything! The young man from the mountain village has led the infantry company all the way in the mountains for the past two hours. I naively thought that the company commander was going to return to the main position of Black Dragon Pond to fight the Japanese.
As a result, the company commander, who looked like a seasoned captain, actually asked to stay away from the Black Dragon Pond.
As a result, he now has the nerve to brag about his intelligence, but the simple mountain village youth really can't bear it anymore.
"Little kid, don't talk nonsense if you don't understand!" Boss Cao, who was listening to the screams of cannonballs in the air, had a straight face and his tone became serious.
"What! It's not okay for others to tell you what you did wrong! I want to say that you are a cowardly company commander leading a company of cowards. It's because there are so many people like you that the Japanese invaders came to our Taihang Mountains."
The young man from the mountain village got into a fight with Boss Cao.
Wangwu Mountain is a remnant of the Taihang Mountains and is connected to the east-west Zhongtiao Mountain. People here are still accustomed to treating their hometown as Taihang.
"Oh! I can't believe that you, a mountain boy, are so brave and know so much." Tu Yunsheng over there was happy. "You said that our company commander is a coward, then you know that the 'coward' has fought in those battles
No?"
"Brother Tu, I'll listen." The young man from the mountain village was very harsh, but in fact he still respected Tu Yunsheng, who had to go to the battlefield even though he had a broken leg.
"Okay! Then I will tell you that our Jiujin Company Commander fought in Songhu, defended Songjiang and Guangde, and fought several battles with the Japanese army in the Taihang Mountains. From August last year to today, we have actually fought against the Japanese.
How many battles have not been counted, but there are dozens of battles, large and small." Tu Yunsheng looked at Li Jijin, who was not far away with a telescope observing the direction of the Black Dragon Pond, with admiration in his eyes.
"What's the use of fighting more if you run away as soon as you see that you can't fight!" The young man in the mountain village muttered unconvincedly.
"Run? Do you know why your brother, my legs, and your Uncle Cao's eyes are gone? When I was holding on and carrying it with the Japanese, you never saw it." Tu Yunsheng did not get angry and asked calmly.
.
"If you had come to our Class 4 three months earlier, the brothers here would be another group of young men not much older than you. Your Uncle Cao and I are also great young men who can run and jump." Before the young man from the mountain village could answer, Tu Yunsheng
Then he said to himself.
"What do you mean?" The young man from the mountain village was slightly stunned and asked instinctively.
"We are in Class 4! Except for our squad leader and deputy, all the others have been changed!" A veteran replied lazily.
"Why were they replaced? Then where did they go?"
"They are all dead, only me and the squad leader are alive. However, there are some parts missing!" Boss Cao looked at the mountain village youth with empty eye sockets. He tried to maintain a calm expression on his somewhat rigid face, but his slightly twitching muscles gave it away.
he.
"Since the establishment of our 7th Company, we have killed no less than a thousand people on the enemy, and our own casualties are also not small. This old brother has been killed one after another." Tu Yunsheng's eyes showed a little sorrow. "Just like your Uncle Cao, he is actually nothing more than that.
I have only been in the army for half a year."
"Hey! Squad leader, don't dislike me as a new recruit. Did you say that I will be your legs and you will be my eyes, just like that day on the battlefield." Boss Cao had a smile on his face.
The young man in the mountain village was stunned and could not say another word for a long time.
It was hard for him to believe that this group of guys who escaped quickly actually fought the Japanese army like this, but his intuition told him that they were not lying.
Lame and blind men, let alone fighting, are basically useless even in ordinary farm families and cannot do any heavy work, but in this army, they still serve as squad leaders and deputy squad leaders.
"So this time, are you going to fight the Japanese? If you want to fight, I can also give you bullets and carry things." The young man from the mountain village asked weakly.
"Of course we have to fight, but it's not like you want to fight hard. Did you hear the sound of those artillery shells flying in the sky? If one of those things falls on our side, our 4th class will be bombed.
Not to mention the situation, more than half of the entire infantry platoon has been lost." Tu Yunsheng smiled slightly when he saw that the young man from the mountain village had learned something and stopped being stubborn.
"And even if we have to fight, it won't be your baby's turn. That's the responsibility of soldiers like me. You should be your guide. Where our company commander says we want to go, you take us to take a shortcut. Everything else.
I can’t guarantee anything, but I can definitely guarantee that your baby will see how we beat the little devil to tears.”
"Tu Yunsheng, what are you talking about? Come here, I'll give you a mission. Take your 4th squad to serve as the sharp knife squad of the entire company to explore the front. This time I don't hold the position, so I'll hide and seek with the Japanese."
Li Jiujin, who was more than twenty meters away, turned around and called Tu Yunsheng.
"Yes, company commander, I promise to complete the mission." Tu Yunsheng put his hand on the hand that the mountain village youth quickly extended, and stood up with all his strength.
"I grew up in this mountain. As long as Brother Tu and you fight the Japanese, I guarantee that I can take you wherever you point me." The young man from the mountain village assured Tu Yunsheng seriously.
"Okay! With fellow villagers like you helping us, we will definitely be able to defeat the Japanese." Tu Yunsheng also grinned.
Amidst the heavy Japanese artillery fire, the 7th Company twisted its buttocks and, under the command of Li Jijin, disappeared into the woods again.
The same goes for the 8th Company not far from them, with no intention of returning to the battalion headquarters.
400 elite soldiers just disappeared into the forest.
The artillery fire from the Japanese army was still fierce. Before the infantry even formally marched towards Heilongtan, a big stick was hit on the heads of the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Army Regiment. Even if the stick did not kill them, it would not be possible.
You must be dizzy!
At least that's what the Japanese army thought. Without the fortifications that took ten and a half days to build, who could survive under such artillery fire? I'm afraid Amaterasu doesn't even have this ability!
Kunizaki and his subordinates have clear minds, and this is indeed the case.
But an hour later, Kunizaki received another message from the frontline reconnaissance soldiers who wanted to break their legs before sending it back.
"The Chinese have run away, and the lying figures in military uniforms on the battlefield are all wooden men!"
This news almost made Kunizaki's hair stand up in anger.
This simply overturned his understanding of the research on the Four Elements Regiment. The Four Elements Regiment has been fighting the Imperial Army for so long. When did they retreat to meet the men? This Baga is probably not a fake Four Elements Regiment!
But the top scout would never joke about such important information. The top scout who arrived at Hexi Village and almost ran away and vomited blood vowed to report: "In order to get a clearer view, I kept approaching until the Chinese position was less than 500 meters away."
, artillery shells exploded right next to Shixia, and Shixia could clearly see several figures in military uniforms burning like kerosene.
I have also seen human bodies being set on fire on the battlefield. It would never burn so completely without a combustion aid!
And no one would just watch the remains of their colleagues burning in front of their eyes, as that would produce a pungent smell."
No wonder the Chinese artillery did not carry out retaliatory bombardment! Kunizaki was stunned and his previous doubts were solved.
It took a long time to dig trenches to defend, launch artillery attacks, and establish forward positions. It was all a false impression, just to cover the retreat of the main force under the cover of night.
It's just that the two sides are only a few miles apart, so they want to run away like this. Is it possible?
This is not a running competition in the mountains. Whoever runs faster wins. Baggage and heavy weapons will undoubtedly become a drag on an infantry. As long as you don't want to discard these, you can't run.
At this time, the Army Aviation of the North China Front also sent in reconnaissance planes to detect the ground situation from the air.
"A large number of soldiers and pack horses in dark blue military uniforms appeared around the mountains shrouded in artillery fire, moving towards the Taihang Mountains. Because the enemy had anti-aircraft guns to counterattack, the reconnaissance aircraft could not descend to an altitude of 1,000 meters to continue observation."
The air and ground intelligence coincided with each other. Kunizaki no longer hesitated and immediately issued a military order: "Order the infantry brigade of our detachment in Hexi Village to pursue the fleeing enemies with all their strength. Our artillery regiment will follow up in time!"
.........
"Are you Shi Hao convinced now?" Shangguan Yun asked his close subordinates, pointing to the hell-like mountains in the distance.
At 3 o'clock in the morning last night, Leng Feng suddenly ordered the entire army to stop digging trenches and instead make wooden figures in units of companies and platoons. He also asked that the wooden figures be put on military uniforms as realistically as possible.
Fortunately, the baggage company accompanying the two infantry battalions carried a batch of thin military uniforms. They were originally intended to be used to replace the fallen officers and soldiers with clean military uniforms, but unexpectedly they were put to use in advance.
He acted like a fool and pretended that everyone had no objections, but Leng Feng then asked the entire army to abandon Black Dragon Pond without leaving a single soldier behind, which made many people have objections.
The enemy force was strong and they had no objection to retreating. It was right to preserve their own strength. However, just a few hours ago, they ordered the entire army to dig trenches regardless of fatigue. They had to run away just after they had formed a system. It was unpleasant to think that military orders were changed day by day.
This at least shows that the commander is confused and has not thought about whether to fight or retreat in this encounter. Such a commander is an invisible threat to the entire army.
What's more, there are still two infantry companies missing in Hexi Village! They were left at the forefront of fighting the enemy, but the main force of thousands of people just ran away. What's going on!
"Who said we have to leave? The regimental commander said that the battlefield is full of lies and lies. Kunisaki thought that our army was tough and would fight an offensive and defensive battle with him, but that was just what he thought.
Once we run away, Kunizaki will never give up our big fat piece of meat, and will definitely chase us. Then we will find an opportunity to kill them and get back to them."
Leng Feng's explanation seemed reasonable, but it did not convince Shi Hao and others.
No matter where we fight, the fortifications are still built. Instead of this, it is better to use the Black Dragon Pond. The terrain is difficult and the fortifications have been initially completed. It is much better than just finding a hilltop and using rocks as fortifications.
"In order to knock down the spirit of our army, the Japanese army will definitely use Cheng Yaojin's three axes. Aircraft and heavy artillery are indispensable. The Fifth Division is the elite of the Japanese army. Kunizaki came here prepared, and there may be things that are not prepared.
105 heavy artillery, we must not die in vain under its fire.
Of course, it's one thing to avoid artillery fire, but who said we're going to run away?" Leng Feng pointed to the area around Black Dragon Pond on the map.
"Except for the baggage company and part of the artillery company that is evacuating toward the Taihang Mountains for tactical cover, the rest of our army will fight the Japanese here first."
"Heilonggou?"
Everyone couldn't help but take a breath when they saw where Leng Feng was pointing.
Based on the name, you will basically think that the two are definitely not very far apart.
In fact, not only is it not far away, but Heilonggou is right before Heilongtan and is one of the must-pass places when entering the Heilongtan mountain area.
This means that Leng Feng asked the main force of the entire army not to retreat but to advance, and he also abandoned the already formed fortifications and fought the Japanese army in the mountains.
This combat idea is not only bold, it is almost like seeking death.
Why, the Japanese artillery can hit Heilongtan, but it can't hit Heilonggou? Wouldn't it still be bombed?
What's even more terrible is that if you were to ambush the Japanese there, would you think that the Japanese were stupid?
"The Japanese are not stupid, but they are crazy. Especially with the support of aircraft and artillery, pushing all the way will give them the illusion that I am the number one army in Asia." Leng Feng answered various questions with determination.
"Moreover, when the Japanese troops arrive at our forward position at dawn, I will order Li Jijin and others to evacuate. Our 4th Battalion, 10th Company, and 11th Company will also follow the guide into the mountains to join them."
Is this the legendary serial plot? Those who can become company commanders here are naturally smart people, and this word instantly appeared in their minds.
"Then you asked the reconnaissance platoon not to kill all the Japanese reconnaissance leaders in the surrounding mountains and forests. Is this also the reason?" Shi Hao asked.
"Otherwise, who will report to Kunizaki that the main force of our army has escaped?" Leng Feng showed a rare smile.
That look of determination and a hint of cunning actually gave Shangguan Yun the illusion that he had seen Tang Tuanzuo.
Leng Feng didn't need any further explanation. With this determination and the series of tricks he was about to implement, everyone couldn't help but nod in agreement.
If you think about it, if the enemy is running forward and the main force is running away, and you have heavy artillery and aircraft firepower, you still have to hesitate! Just chase with all your strength.
When the Japanese army's overwhelming artillery fire came over, the situation that Leng Feng predicted basically happened, and all that was left was to wait for the Japanese infantry to arrive.
If they run fast enough and urgently enough, then it's perfect!
After all, the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Line Regiment had fought so many battles, and they had never seen terrain so suitable for an ambush.
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This chapter has been completed!