In the western Mongolia region, the decisive battle between the southern tank brigade of the Mongolian Army and the armored troops directly under the Taihang Army of the Eighth Route Army ended with the complete defeat of the Japanese tank brigade.

Not only that.

Commander Fu, who is good at stealing chickens, took advantage of the fact that the most elite tank group of the Japs in western Inner Mongolia was completely defeated by the Eighth Route Army, and the Japanese cavalry group in Baotou and the 26th Division in Datong rushed to reinforce, with a mixed force from the 35th Route Army.

The mobile troops made a surprise attack on Baotou, the base camp of the Japanese army stationed in Mongolia.

After the news spread, it was just as Commander Fu and his chief of staff speculated.

The Armored Corps of the Eighth Route Army became famous in this battle.

Not only the entire North China, but also the entire Chinese battlefield, and even countries around the world expressed their amazement at this.

Even the U.S. soldiers who were far away in the Pacific battlefield and were still locked in a bitter battle couldn't help but feel relieved after hearing the news from the international community. They were followed by secret joy, and then gratitude, thanking the Eighth Route Army for their heroic efforts on the Chinese battlefield.

This powerful victory can be said to have indirectly silhouetted their operations in the Pacific Theater.

U.S. Army Aviation Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle, who was staying in a team as a guest, was also filled with emotion after hearing the news.

He even said in public that the Eighth Route Army was the most amazing force he had ever seen.

Of course, some are happy and some are worried.

The armored troops of the Eighth Route Army completely defeated a Japanese tank group in the western Inner Mongolia area. This news is explosive.

The news spread quickly, and under the particularly intensified propaganda offensive by the Eighth Route Army, it was not only in the Eighth Route Army base areas, but also in the Jinsui Army's territory in the Kuomintang-controlled area, and even in enemy-occupied areas.

The news also spread quickly.

This naturally stimulated the enthusiasm of anti-Japanese armed forces in various places.

The common people therefore knew that the Eighth Route Army had won another great victory, and they all clapped their hands and applauded, and their support for the Eighth Route Army was even deeper in their hearts.

Wave after wave of young people rushed to the Eighth Route Army base areas to actively join the army.

Reinforcements of the Chinese army from various countries around the world have also begun to tilt towards the Eighth Route Army. Many overseas Chinese compatriots have also actively extended a helping hand to the Eighth Route Army and donated various anti-Japanese supplies.

This is a series of good effects brought about by the Eighth Route Army after winning battles one after another and completely establishing its reputation.

In the past few years, Chiang Kai-shek's various slanders against the Eighth Route Army for allegedly loitering but not attacking have been self-defeating.

As for which troops sincerely resist the Japanese and which troops are truly capable of resisting the Japanese, fighting the Japanese, and winning the war, the common people have a clear mind.

The little devil is naturally worried.

The newly appointed commander of the Japanese First Army in Shanxi, Yoshio Iwamatsu, frowned and locked himself in the room when nothing happened, and then began to curse.

Who are you scolding?

Scolding the previous commander of the First Army, Yoshio Shinozuka.

It was this bastard who left him such a big mess.

As a result, he had just taken office and was on pins and needles every day. The Eighth Route Army was so noisy that he couldn't even sleep well at night.

Yoshio Iwamatsu is obviously an old guy who knows how to blame others. He believes that if Yoshio Shinozuka hadn't been able to eliminate the Eighth Route Army before it grew stronger when he was re-elected, which caused the Eighth Route Army to grow step by step, how could it have evolved into what it is today?

What about the situation?

The most worrying person is the Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Expeditionary Force in North China, Okamura Neiji.

Okamura is feeling miserable.

I thought it would be a great success to temporarily put together a tank group in the western Inner Mongolia area, with the skills to guard against the 35th Route Army's operations, and the ability to be alert to the commotion of the Northern Shanxi Eighth Route Army at any time, and also to coordinate the final sweep of Jizhong after the battle broke out.

A great tip.

In the end, the clever move turned out to be a bad move.

With the defeat of the Nanzhi Brigade, and with the sudden appearance of the Eighth Route Army in the Mongolian area, this armored force rose rapidly.

The entire Mengxi region became turbulent.

An armored brigade was severely damaged. Although the Japanese army suffered a lot of losses, it did not make the Japanese army in China unable to recover.

What Okamura is most worried about is that after the Eighth Route Army defeats the Nanzhi Brigade, it will affect his overall deployment and his subsequent large-scale mopping up plan against the Eighth Route Army in the Central Hebei Military Region.

With this in mind, Okamura did not dare to delay. On the one hand, he ordered the 26th Division and the troops stationed in Mongolia to immediately strengthen military defense, and be sure to keep an eye on the 35th Route Army and the Eighth Route Army troops in northern Shanxi.

"We must stabilize the situation in northern Shanxi and western Inner Mongolia at all costs!"

What are you doing?

Buy time for the final operation to sweep away the Jizhong Military Region.

Up to this point, the old devil Okamura is still playing a big game, and he can defeat the dream of the Eighth Route Army Logistics Corps and the Central Hebei Military Region in one fell swoop.

In order to avoid long nights and nightmares, after barely stabilizing the situation in northern Shanxi and western Inner Mongolia, Okamura immediately issued an order to urge the 3rd, 6th, and 13th Divisions, as well as the reinforced Kwantung Army Ushijima Division, to strengthen

Attacks on various base areas of the Eighth Route Army.

The Japanese army took action quickly.

Among them, the Third Division was strengthened to the Shandong battlefield, assisting the Japanese First Army troops originally stationed in Shanxi who were transferred to the Shandong theater on a large scale to carry out a comprehensive military blockade and large-scale raids on the Eighth Route Army base areas in Shandong.

As for the old and elite Sixth Division of the Japanese army, they are particularly familiar with the battlefield in Shanxi because they are good at mountain warfare and have defeated the main force of the Jinsui Army in Shanxi.

Therefore, Gangcun was dispatched to the Shanxi battlefield and cooperated with the Japanese 12th Army troops originally stationed in Shandong who were transferred to the Shanxi battlefield to launch a large-scale sweep against the Eighth Route Army, which was mainly based in the Taihang base area.

Although the 13th Division seems a bit mediocre at first glance compared to the 3rd and 6th Divisions, Okamura trusts Buntaichiro, the commander of the 13th Division, the most.

He handed over the final and complete combat mission of wiping out the central Hebei region to Buntaiichiro.

Among them, the Shanxi battlefield is naturally the most eye-catching battlefield at the moment.

The Shanxi area, especially the Eighth Route Army troops in the Taihang base area, is also considered the hardest nut to crack by the Japanese army. Including the Kwantung Army Ushidao Manchu Division that was reinforced this time, Okamura was transferred to the Shanxi battlefield to deal with the Taihang Eighth Route Army troops.

.

The Japanese troops pressed heavily on the territory, and for a while, even in the relatively stable Eighth Route Army base areas in Taihang, the soldiers felt the pressure of the coming storm to some extent.

In the compound where the first team headquarters is located.

Political Commissar Li Wenjie is chatting with Doolittle.

As Kong Jie's tacit partner, Li Wenjie was very aware of the importance Kong Jie attached to the US Army aviation lieutenant colonel in front of him, and even more aware of Kong Jie's long-term intention to retain this aviation talent in order to develop the Eighth Route Army's aviation industry.

Therefore, Li Wenjie took good care of Doolittle during his temporary stay in the first team.

In addition, they are both cultural people. During the exchanges with each other, Li Wenjie really admired Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle for his professional knowledge in the aviation field.

Doolittle was also full of surprise at the young man in front of him.

As Doolittle lamented:

"Political Commissar Li, it is difficult to imagine what kind of environment and experience can create a military talent like you. You must know that even in my country, military attainments and long-term vision can achieve such a level as yours."

Even if they are not veterans on the battlefield, most of them are middle-aged people over 40."

Li Wenjie smiled and said a few words of modesty, and then used Kong Jie as a shield:

"Lieutenant Colonel, you're kidding, he's far worse than my brother!"

At this time, the news that the armored troops of the Eighth Route Army led by Kong Jie and Li Yunlong defeated the Japanese tank group in western Inner Mongolia had spread.

Before the news came, Doolittle only knew that Kong Jie seemed to have been transferred to fight elsewhere by the Eighth Route Army Headquarters.

He never imagined that during the few days he spent in a team, Captain Kong would lead the armored troops of the Eighth Route Army to a great victory that would be famous all over the world.

In addition, Doolittle heard that the first armored unit of the Eighth Route Army, the first armored regiment, was created by Kong Jie.

A team is its cradle.

This naturally made Doolittle admire Kong Jie even more.

After the news came that the Japanese army was pressing heavily on the border, Li Wenjie held a meeting of military cadres at the headquarters. During the meeting, Li Wenjie did not treat Doo Little as an outsider, and even invited Lieutenant Colonel Du to participate in military analysis.

In the words of Kong Jie:

"When the Yankees come, we need to make them feel at home. Even if it is a military operation, if it is not a core secret, we can still let them participate!"

"With more participation, there will be a sense of belonging!"

So...

When it was learned that the Japanese army was approaching the border with heavy troops, a complete blockade of the base area where the first team was located was carried out.

"According to the information sent back by our intelligence personnel and the situation detected by outside investigators, the Japanese have mobilized a large-scale force this time, targeting only one of our teams. The Japanese have added a new elite field division in the Yangquan area.

Regiment——The Sixth Division."

"Coupled with the original security forces of the Japanese army in the Yangquan area."

"The Japanese army launched a large-scale raid on our base area. The strength of the troops this time is unprecedented!"

After this analysis was finalized, the cadres at all levels participating in the meeting on the first team looked quite calm. We have not experienced any big storms in recent years, and there have been many more exaggerated and difficult situations than now.

.

I have long been used to it.

On Doolittle's side, except for Doolittle, who was honest and steady and didn't have much of an expression on his face, the constantly changing expressions of the other US pilots following Doolittle were wonderful.

A young pilot couldn't help but speak in worry:
To be continued...