Less than 800 meters away from Sizhou Mountain, in an area covered by a camouflage net, several Japanese officers wearing helmets looked solemnly into the distance with binoculars.
None of the officers wore military ranks, but whether they were wearing dark yellow woolen coats, high leather boots, or beautifully patterned command knives hanging around their waists, they all showed their extraordinary status.
Perhaps only insiders of the Japanese army know that among the five people standing in this small forward command post, there is actually a Japanese army major general, three colonels and a lieutenant colonel.
The major general was Yamada Seiichi who was then the 21st reserve brigade of the 105th Division. The three colonels were the captains of the three infantry regiments, and the lieutenant colonel was the chief of staff of the reserve brigade.
It can be said that the five people standing here are the top five commanders of the Japanese army in front of the Sizhou Mountain defense line. If an artillery bombardment hits this place, the Japanese army, which has reached 40,000 troops, will instantly be leaderless.
"Gentlemen, the Chinese on the opposite side really amaze us! Although their equipment is simple and their soldiers' quality is average, their will to fight is tenacious! Do you think we should still attack them by force?" He is short but very strong.
, the Japanese Army Major General with a thick civilized beard said.
None of the three colonels dared to easily answer the Army Major General's seemingly casual question.
Although the Army Major General in front of him holds the position of Major General Brigade Commander of the Reserve Brigade, the three Army Colonels present here all know that this preparation is not the other.
The Fifth Division is a special existence among the divisions of the Japanese army. Many permanent divisions of the Japanese Army have their own reserve divisions. If personnel are lost in combat, they can be replenished at any time from their own reserve divisions.
The reserve divisions are not all new recruits. Many of them are veterans who have been recruited again after retiring. Although their combat effectiveness is not as good as that of the permanent divisions to which they are subordinate, it is definitely not worse.
For example, the reserve division of the First Division is the 101st Division, and the reserve division of the Sixth Division is the 106th Division that was almost wiped out in the Battle of Wanjialing. After Japan launched an all-out attack on China, in order to ensure
More troops entered China, and most of the reserve divisions had their own independent designations and formed independent armies.
But only the 105th Division, because of the Battle of Xinkou, was not completely separated from the 5th Division. Instead, it has been fighting with the 5th Division. Therefore, the 5th Division's establishment list has a strength of 80,000 people.
But in fact there is also a reserve division, with a total strength of more than 50,000 troops.
The 105th Division has also been fighting in North China for a long time. After more than a year, many of the new recruits originally equipped have now become veterans. Its combat effectiveness is not weaker than that of the newly established Class A divisions such as the 18th Division.
And because the 105th Division has never formed an independent division to build and fight, the division commander has always been Shiro Itagaki himself. I heard that once the 105th Division becomes an independent army, Major General Yamada Seiichi will be the default division commander.
The three Japanese colonels knew the officialdom very well. Yamada Seiichi was not only strong in personal ability, but also had a strong background. Otherwise, in the past time and space, he would have become the last commander of the Fifth Division, also in the Fifth Division.
The division commander committed suicide before the regiment surrendered.
Perhaps for Shiro Itagaki, the commander of the Third Army at this time, among the four major generals under his command, Masao Nakamura was too upright, Sei Kunisaki was a little headstrong, and the other was not agile enough. Only Yamada Seiichi was the most...
Demeanor, courage and perseverance and no lack of brains.
Just like now, the Japanese Army Major General took the risk to bring three infantry commanders to an area only 800 meters away from the forward firing line to observe the battlefield. In fact, it was just sending an extremely strong signal.
He has made up his mind about this battle. Anyone who dares to raise objections may become part of the artillery fire.
The three Japanese army colonels were all over forty years old. Even the colonel captain who was drawn from the 3rd Division could clearly feel the murderous intention hidden in this plain tone.
"Your Excellency, Brigade Commander, Your Excellency Nakamura sent an order to us early this morning. As soon as the defense line on the opposite side is broken, our theater can break into the entire battle area, and the entire Zhongtiao Mountain Theater can also achieve a complete victory. Your Excellency, Commander of the Brigade, and Your Excellency, Commander Shan Shanyuan
But everyone is watching our performance." Seeing that the three colonels were silent, the Army Lieutenant Colonel could only answer the question bravely.
"Oh? Kawabe-kun, you mean that our unit should still attack the Chinese defense line with this intensity?" Yamada Seiichi calmly glanced at the Army Colonel standing on the far right of him with a silent expression.
"Mizutani-kun, tell me your opinion!"
For Yamada Seiichi, the two commanders under his command were not the ones he wanted to beat. He knew those two people very well. Even if his subordinates suffered heavy casualties, as long as he gave the military order, they could only carry out the order.
However, the colonel of the Third Division who was personally ordered by Shiro Itagaki to cooperate with his brigade in combat operations would definitely not be as obedient as his two colonels. He must obtain the colonel's absolute obedience before going all out in battle.
"Your Excellency Yamada, I have been ordered to cooperate with the 105th Division in fighting, so I take the military orders of Your Excellency Yamada as the most important thing. My personal opinion does not matter!" This Japanese colonel was also a loach, and his words were watertight.
But at this time, it was obviously not the time to avoid the important and take the easy. What Yamada Seiichi wanted was a clear statement, and his eyes suddenly became sharp: "Since Mr. Kawabe said so, then I will order the 7th Infantry Regiment to take charge of the entire frontal battlefield of the enemy's defense line.
I am preparing the 21st Brigade to attack the two wings, what do you think by the riverside?"
The Japanese Army Colonel's expression changed drastically. If he hadn't lowered his eyelids in time, the fierce glint in his eyes would have been obvious to everyone.
The frontal battlefield was the area where they stayed! There were still remains on the hillside of imperial officers and soldiers who had not been transported back in time, which all showed how tragic the battle was. To let an infantry regiment responsible for assisting and coordinating the main attack lead him, this was to make him
The 7th Infantry Regiment is going to hell!
But the army colonel also knew that if Yamada Seiichi really gave such an order, then he would have no choice but to act in accordance with the military order.
Today, Shiro Itagaki is the commander of the Third Army and can be considered his immediate superior of the 3rd Division. If he disobeys orders, there won't be many ways to punish him as a small army commander.
"Everything is based on the military orders of His Excellency Yamada. No one under my command dares to disobey." The Japanese Army Colonel lowered his head and his tone became more humble and respectful.
Seeing that his intimidation was effective, Yamada Seiichi stopped being aggressive and had a light smile on his face:
"Of course, since the 7th Infantry Regiment has just arrived on the battlefield and is not very familiar with it, Hebian-kun should lead his troops to take charge of the right-wing battlefield."
"Hi!" The Japanese Army Colonel was granted amnesty and immediately bent down and lowered his head.
"However, Mr. Kawabe also heard what Mr. Mizutani said just now. His Excellency Itagaki and Commander Sugimoto are waiting for me and waiting for the good news of victory. I am determined to continue the offensive. On the frontal battlefield, the left and right armies must not slack off.
If any attack fails to achieve the expected results, I will severely punish you! Before dark, I want to see the imperial flag planted on the enemy's defense line." The smile on Yamada Seiichi's face gradually faded as he spoke, and his face was cold.
.
"Hi!" The four Japanese army captains no longer hesitated this time, and all lowered their heads to obey the order.
Even though their hearts were cold at this moment, knowing that the major general commander had decided not to care about the casualties of the soldiers, they would definitely be in mourning after the war.
However, this is the battlefield, and no matter how cruel the military order is, it can only be accepted.
We can only hope that the Chinese on the opposite side are at the end of their game and will be unable to hold on before dark.
But obviously, it is most unreliable to base the hope of victory on the weakness of the opponent.
Under the command of their highest-level commanders, the Japanese army began to launch more frenzied attacks.
Tang Dao did not make specific statistics, but the battle report from the Japanese army was detailed enough. During the day on January 12, three infantry regiments launched a total of 37 waves of large and small attacks on various highlands in Sizhou Mountain.
, the maximum number of troops invested at one time on the opponent's defense line, which was less than 10 miles wide, was up to 4 infantry brigades.
What that means is that on average there are hundreds of Japanese infantry involved in the attack on each high ground.
At this time, the Tang Dao Department had less than 3,000 infantrymen who could still fight. If we use an infantry company of 150 people, there would only be 20 of them at full strength.
Tang Dao made the decision at noon when the Japanese army suspended the attack to reorganize all the disabled infantry companies. The officers of the baggage company and the veteran company commanders of the recruit companies with outstanding performance as well as the recruits with outstanding performance in the battle were the basis for each reorganization.
Company, platoon, and squad leader of an infantry company.
And a rotational battle was carried out. Each infantry company stayed on the position for two hours. After two hours, it was temporarily withdrawn to rest, and a new infantry company went to the battlefield.
In order to ensure that the infantry company understands the battle situation, the previous infantry company left a second lieutenant platoon commander to serve as the deputy company commander of the next infantry company.
It was this decision that allowed the Sizhou Mountain defense line to miraculously hold on for another day under such a crazy attack by the Japanese army.
The veterans of the baggage company and those who performed outstandingly in combat, as well as the recruits, had a strong will. It was under their leadership that the recruits, whose morale had been low, broke out to a level of brilliance that they could not even imagine in order to survive.
For example, there was a high ground on the right-wing battlefield. The 7th Infantry Regiment, under the command of its captain who was on the front line, used the extremely classic trick of "taking grain from the fire".
The Japanese army mobilized 5 mountain guns and 8 infantry guns, but instead of bombarding the high ground, they bombarded the left and right ridges, completely cutting off the connection between the high ground and the two highlands on the left and right.
This resulted in not only being unable to send reinforcements to the small high ground on the main high ground defended by the infantry company, but also making it difficult to see the situation on the high ground due to the thick smoke.
The Japanese army not only threw explosive bombs and incendiary bombs, but also poison gas bombs. Fortunately, Zhuang Shisan always maintained enough vigilance. No matter where he went, gas masks were a must-have. All the officers and soldiers of the infantry company who went to the highlands basically
Everyone has a gas mask, otherwise, this round of poison gas attack can reduce the number of soldiers on the high ground by one-third.
However, the artillery blockade tactic used by the Japanese army was very successful. This small highland cut off by artillery fire was completely lost.
More than 500 Japanese infantrymen from three infantry squadrons attacked this highland like an isolated island.
There is only one second lieutenant platoon leader with two incomplete infantry squads on the high ground. Counting the second lieutenant platoon leader himself, there are only 25 people.
With 25 vs. 500, and without heavy machine gun fire cover, any normal person would know what the final outcome will be.
The veteran who served as the commander of the infantry company located 300 meters away from the high ground was desperate. Instead of sending reinforcements through the Japanese artillery blockade to support the high ground in vain, he used his precious troops to reposition on a hill behind the high ground.
Line of defense.
This veteran who participated in the Guangde Defense War and broke an arm was actually right based on his own combat experience and the current battle situation. Even if he found Tang Dao to collect his own punishment after the war, Tang Dao did not blame him.
Under such circumstances, anyone would do this. The lives and deaths of more than 20 people are nothing to the safety of the entire defense line.
But then a miracle happened.
Until nightfall, the rest of the battlefield gradually returned to calm. The battlefields that had been occupied by the Japanese army were still filled with constant gunshots and explosions.
After hearing this, Tang Dao immediately sent Mingxin to lead an infantry squad towards the area that was basically occupied by the Japanese army, and ordered them to find a way to figure out the situation.
Unfortunately, the Japanese army used a large number of bonfires and searchlights to build dense light sources at various key points in the mountains, making it impossible for experts like Ming Xin to move forward. According to preliminary estimates, there were at least a thousand Japanese soldiers on the position captured by the Japanese army.
That was the result that the 7th Infantry Regiment spent a full 400 lives to achieve. The distressed captain of the 7th Infantry Regiment did not even smile on his face the entire afternoon.
400 lives were lost in exchange for the most insignificant area of the Chinese right-wing position. It seemed that its defense line had been broken, but in fact there was still a high ground that firmly blocked the 7th Infantry Regiment's attempt to move forward.
To put it bluntly, it looks like something has been achieved, but in fact it only damages the opponent's skin, and it is far from breaking through the opponent's defense line.
But just now, his entire infantry brigade has been crippled.
And what is even more despicable is that even with this piece of 'skin' that already belongs to them, the Chinese people are still not giving up, and there are still some people who are resisting.
Who would be in a better mood if it were this person?
But what the Japanese Army Colonel, who was in a bad mood, never expected was that he thought this was the worst, but it turned out to be even worse at night.
The Chinese on the small high ground who was surrounded and had to eat sooner or later, actually gave him wave after wave of counterattacks.
Yes, you heard it right, it’s a counterattack, and it’s three times in one night!
In the Chinese counterattack that night, which was completely illogical, the 7th Infantry Regiment suffered more than 40 casualties, including 26 killed in battle alone.
What Tang Dao didn't know at this time was that by dusk, the number of people in this unknown little highland had dropped sharply from 25 to 14. The second lieutenant platoon leader who led the team died in battle at 5 p.m., and the squad leaders of the two squads were on duty at night.
They were already seriously injured early on.
On this kind of battlefield lacking medical treatment, serious injury means death. The six seriously injured soldiers who remained on the position and did not evacuate took their last breath in despair while listening to the sound of gunfire in the sky.
According to normal logic, a small unit with only a 14-man infantry squad has lost its commander who has considerable battlefield experience, and is surrounded by Japanese troops. It is also running out of ammunition. If it does not collapse and surrender immediately, it is already very impressive.
Already.
But at that time, a new recruit named Dong Laowu stood up and took the initiative to become the squad leader. The new recruits who were already confused and confused instantly found their backbone.
This young man whose father worked in the Tangjia Winery was one of the 1,500 recruits Tang Jili prepared for Tang Dao.
Although half a year of training is not enough to make him an elite soldier, he is smart and studious and trains hard. Because of Tang Jili's relationship, he is very close to the instructors on weekdays. Those instructors hired by Tang Jili with high salary are also happy to train him.
He was taught various life-saving techniques on the battlefield, and also shared many experiences on the battlefield.
The first tactic Dong Laowu learned after being trained by the veterans for half a year was to keep a low profile and save his life first. Therefore, the new recruits who were inconspicuous did not perform very well in the battles during this period, and they were not reorganized.
Received promotion while serving in an infantry company.
But no matter how low-key he is now, all those guys will be killed, and Dong Laowu, who is forced to go to Liangshan, has no choice but to stand up.
It didn't matter that they stood up, but the 14 infantrymen actually fought a god-level defensive battle on the hellishly difficult battlefield in Sizhou Mountain.
Thanks to Tang Dao's thorough preparation before the Battle of Tongguan, there is absolutely no shortage of ammunition, and there are special anti-gun holes on each highland to store ammunition. Unless it is hit head-on by a 105 grenade or a heavy aerial bomb, otherwise
These machine rifle bullets and grenades cannot be destroyed.
At that time, the 14 infantrymen owned a total of 4 submachine guns, 2 shell guns, 2 light machine guns, 18 rifles, more than 200 grenades, and nearly 5,000 rounds of various bullets.
Since the Japanese infantry are scattered around the high ground, the Japanese large-caliber artillery has long stopped bombarding, and at most there will only be 92 infantry guns and grenade launchers posing a heavy fire threat to this position.
These are the two main reasons why hundreds of Japanese troops failed to conquer the high ground after spending an entire afternoon.
If you put it into ordinary people's logic, if you finally defended until dark, did the big guys take advantage of the darkness to run away and find the main force?
But Dong Laowu didn't want to go wrong. He actually led 13 people to stay on the position. After 11 o'clock in the evening, he led everyone down to the high ground to sneak attack on a Japanese camp more than 300 meters away.
There was random fire from submachine guns and machine guns, grenades were thrown, and the fighting lasted for five or six minutes. After the Japanese troops recovered, they returned to the high ground.
The Japanese were so hateful! But launching an attack at night was tantamount to seeking death. After an hour or two, when there was no movement, they fell asleep again.
After all, who wouldn’t be tired after fighting for a day?
Then, the magical Dong Laowu came again with 13 soldiers and fired again.
From 11 pm to 5 am the next morning, a total of three waves of attacks were launched.
The Japanese army didn't get much sleep that night, and suffered more than 40 casualties.
When Colonel Kawabe Soya received the news the next day, he almost went crazy and slapped five or six of his infantry brigade captains in one breath.
The Third Division has fought many useless battles. For example, in the Battle of Tongguan, it was continuously attacked by a small group of Chinese troops. The dignified Third Division was disgraced. The two consecutive battles of forcibly crossing the Yellow River directly destroyed the Third Division.
The reputation he spent decades accumulating was thrown away at his grandma's house.
But that’s it, I’ve never fought such a useless battle, right?
It was like a fat sheep in a tiger's mouth suddenly jumped up and kicked the tiger in the face so hard that his big teeth were broken.
However, before Colonel Caoya by the river could vent his anger, the Chinese gave him another blow to the head.
Just before six o'clock in the morning, the Chinese side suddenly covered the area that the 7th Infantry Regiment had finally occupied with heavy firepower consisting of 6 150-meter heavy mortars, 12 mountain guns, and more than 20 82-meter mortars.
The site exploded into a sea of flames.
There were no Chinese soldiers there, so the Chinese artillery exploded with no burden. Wave after wave of fire covered the Japanese infantry until they cried for their parents.
Then, a full five infantry companies launched a counterattack against the Japanese army, conquering two highlands in one go and almost driving the Japanese army off guard. When the Japanese army recovered, they called for artillery bombardment and continued to invest in support. The Chinese
He quickly retreated again.
It turned out that this time it was a massive counterattack by the Tang Sword Division. It was not to counterattack back to the outer positions, but to meet our own soldiers who were trapped inside.
The sound of gunshots and explosions that echoed through the winter night last night had already proved that there were still people trapped in the position. Through analysis, it was found that there were only those two infantry squads.
Dong Laowu's night attack on the Japanese army not only attacked the Japanese army, but also sent a signal to the main force: I am still alive and I am still fighting!
This Tang Dao fellow believes that the colonel who stood on the stage and loudly told Sichuan people that they would fight for China was a real soldier!
Sure enough, Tang Dao lived up to the trust of the recruit squad leader and used all the artillery fire and troops he could mobilize to rush into the enemy's formation and snatch away his own soldiers.
In the end, 10 of this magical infantry squad were intact, 4 were seriously injured, and all 11 remains on the position were returned to the main position.
All members of the infantry squad, except Dong Laowu, were awarded second-class military merit after the war!
The corporal of the Xinke Army who performed the miracle stood side by side with the equally miraculous Second Lieutenant Long, and Tang Dao personally wore the Special Merit Medal on him!
This chapter has been completed!