Chapter 188 Brigade Commander: I knew Kong Jie would not let me down
Seeing that the attacking troops were once again blocked in front of the Niutoushan blocking position, the surviving soldiers were all pinned down in front of the blocking position by machine gun fire, without even a chance to raise their heads.
Lieutenant Colonel Kagawa could not think of any other way to break the situation and could only order the artillery to continue launching artillery raids on the blocking positions.
"What about the aviation force? The Eighth Route Army does not have anti-aircraft weapons. Let them dive-bomb the blocking positions at low altitudes. While the blocking troops of the Independent Regiment are all on the surface, kill a few more people!"
This is the order given by Lieutenant Commander Kagawa to the aviation force.
He was originally not qualified to command the aviation force.
But today, several consecutive attacks were frustrated and troops were lost. Lieutenant Colonel Kagawa was already confused, and then he issued an order that he should not have given.
But this order did not cause any disturbance among his subordinates.
Seeing that Lieutenant Colonel Kagawa was still giving orders, the adjutant quickly explained: "Sir, it's getting dark!"
"The aviation force has returned to the airport and cannot continue to reinforce us!"
"We won't have air support until nine o'clock tomorrow morning at the earliest!"
"Then use artillery bombing, concentrate all mortars, infantry artillery, mountain field artillery... also use all available grenades, and suddenly open fire when the independent regiment is trying its best to block us... kill a large number of their active forces through firepower raids
!”
"Ha Yi..." The adjutant finally moved and ran towards the artillery unit in a hurry.
The Japanese and puppet attacking troops had already suffered more than half of their casualties. They were lying fifty meters in front of the formation waiting for the shelling to end...
"Kill me..."
As soon as the roar of the artillery stopped, the enemy's shouts of killing could be heard on the battlefield.
They were at a low place, and the blocking position was at a high place. They had to rush forward twenty meters before they could throw the grenades into the blocking position.
More than a hundred Japanese and puppet soldiers got up from the ground and rushed forward, running as fast as they could. They held grenades in their hands, ready to rush forward ten meters and smash into the blocking position of the Independent Regiment.
.
“Dong dong dong… da da da…”
The light and heavy machine guns lurking in the bunker opened fire in time, instantly blocking the Japanese and puppet troops' offensive and suppressing them 40 meters in front of the formation.
More than 100 Japanese and puppet troops were also killed in this round of fire raids, leaving about 100 Japanese and puppet troops struggling to survive.
"The artillery unit continues to fire, and uses the strongest artillery fire to attack the independent regiment's blocking position... If we attack again, we can capture Niutoushan!" Lieutenant Colonel Kagawa was like a crazy gambler, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth as he continued to order.
"Start counterattack...all artillery fire..." Kong Jie of the Independent Regiment also issued a counterattack order at this moment.
"Boom, boom..." The artillery positions of both sides roared at the same time. The artillery shells fired by the Japanese went straight to the Niutoushan blocking position, and the artillery shells fired by the independent regiment went straight to the Japanese artillery position...
"Boom boom boom..."
Dozens of artillery shells exploded quickly, and the moment the blocking position was once again flooded by artillery fire, the Guizishan field artillery position and mortar position were also covered by artillery fire at this moment...
The one or two hundred gunners who were firing were unprepared, and dozens of them were blown over at once. The surviving gunners immediately fell to the ground, and the officer shouted to his subordinates to get up and move the artillery...
But the flying speed of the artillery shells was very fast. Many gunners had just rushed to the gun position, and before they had time to disassemble the artillery, the second round of artillery shells had already followed...
"Boom boom boom..."
The 11th Company, which received only one round of sudden artillery fire, and other counterattack troops also joined the battle.
Nearly twenty grenades fired together, all hitting the Japanese heavy machine gun position at the foot of the mountain. They were the biggest obstacle for the independent regiment to launch a counterattack...
Three heavy machine gun positions were covered by artillery fire on the spot, and the machine guns misfired...
The Japs on the remaining nine machine gun positions had to cease fire.
They were frightened by the sudden grenade attack, and feared that they would become the next target, so they moved back with heavy machine guns.
The grenadiers of the Independent Regiment did not intend to let them go easily and chased them to launch grenades...
"Tick-tick...tick-tock..."
Loud charging horns sounded together on the battlefield.
The 11th Company, which had lost more than half of its troops, detoured back to the one battalion on both sides of the blocking position. The 12th Company, which touched the blocking position, was like a group of cheetahs ready to attack. They jumped out of their hiding spots and attacked the Japanese and puppet troops with guns in hand.
The troops launched a counterattack...
"Sir, we have been fooled. The independent regiment wants to defeat us here!" The adjutant was the first to understand the dangerous situation facing the mopping up troops.
"The artillery will fire immediately to block the counterattack of the Eighth Route Army... Fire quickly!" Lieutenant Colonel Kagawa shouted in despair.
"The artillery position was hit by the artillery fire of the independent regiment. It was too busy to take care of itself and could not provide us with artillery support!" the adjutant reported.
"Sir, the counterattack force of the Independence Regiment has killed our offensive force... and is coming towards us!" A second lieutenant reported, his words full of panic.
"Sir, the mountain artillery position was attacked by at least ten artillery pieces of the Eighth Route Army. All the gunners were lost and their combat effectiveness has been lost!" A messenger ran over to report.
"Sir, the mortar position was covered by artillery fire from the independent regiment. Only four artillery pieces were taken out, more than half of the gunners were lost, and less than 30% of the combat effectiveness is left!" Another messenger ran over to report.
"The heavy machine gun squadron has suffered heavy losses...the remnants are approaching us..." This bad news was reported by the adjutant.
After saying that, he hurriedly asked for instructions: "The Eighth Route Army is approaching fiercely, and we only have one infantry squadron left... We are no match if we use them all... We must retreat immediately... Captain, please give the order immediately!"
Lieutenant Colonel Kagawa had already reacted to the series of changes in front of him, and shouted with a desperate expression: "The independent group not only wants to annihilate us here, but also wants to break out of the encirclement from here."
"We must not let their conspiracy succeed!"
Lieutenant Colonel Kagawa was one of the few officers who knew that there was a pocket formation behind him. He immediately began to issue orders: "The troops set up a defense line on the spot, use all the remaining mortars and heavy machine guns, and fight to the death without retreating. We can block many enemies."
Block as long as it takes!"
"The radio operator immediately sent a telegram to the brigade commander: We are being attacked by the main force of the independent regiment, and they want to break out from Wangqiling Village!"
"The Kagawa Brigade will stop them at all costs and slow down their breakout. Please ask the brigade commander to immediately mobilize reinforcements to wipe out the independent regiment's breakout force in one fell swoop!"
"Comrades... follow me and kill the little Japs in front..." Shen Quan, the commander of the first battalion, rushed to the front of the team as if he was in a rush.
"Dong dong dong..."
The sound of heavy machine gun fire suddenly sounded at the front of the team. Several soldiers were caught off guard and fell to the ground in an instant.
When Shen Quan heard the gunfire, he fell to the ground and fired back while giving orders.
"Hurry up and shoot the grenades, kill the Japanese heavy machine guns for me..."
"Boom boom boom..."
Chen Quan waited for less than half a minute when the sound of heavy machine gun fire in his ears was interrupted by several explosions...
"Rumble..." Several mortar platoons attacking the Japanese artillery positions also adjusted their shooting targets, and shells in groups of three continued to smash into the hastily established blocking positions of the Japanese...
Almost every splash of fire will take away one or two Japanese lives.
The raid in Wangqiling Village was still going on, and the Japanese headquarters in Yangquan, more than a hundred kilometers away, was in chaos.
The rescue telegram just sent by Lieutenant Colonel Kagawa was thrown aside. Major General Miyazawa stood beside the sand table, staring at Wangqiling Village without blinking, and said to himself with disbelief on his face: "How is this possible?"
"Why would the Independent Regiment choose Wangqiling Village to break out...Aren't they afraid that they would be unable to break out after entering Yangquan?"
Lieutenant Colonel Harada was not complacent because his judgment was correct. He also stared at the sand table with a worried look on his face and reminded: "General, Wangqiling Village is in danger. It is only a matter of time before the independent regiment breaks through our first blockade!"
"If the main force of the independent regiment is all in Wangqiling Village, the pocket array we deployed behind the Xiangchuan Brigade will not be able to stop them for long!"
"I think the two sweeping forces on the left and right should immediately separate an infantry brigade to reinforce the battlefield!"
"The other two units under the central mopping up force should also divide their forces to reinforce the battlefield!"
"Even if we use the most troop-consuming refueling tactic, we still need reinforcements!"
"As long as we can hold back the main force of the independent regiment and persist until reinforcements surround the battlefield, it will be worth paying no matter how high the price is!"
Major General Miyazawa was furious and said angrily: "Do you still need to say this? Go and give the order now!"
"Contact the pocket troops behind the Kagawa Brigade again and ask them to prepare for a tough battle in advance and block the breakout troops of the Independent Regiment at all costs and hold them back."
The headquarters of the 386th Brigade and the brigade headquarters have been transferred. The headquarters can leave here only after the brigade commander gives the order.
Time passed little by little, and everyone could already hear the rumble of artillery coming from the front line, which meant that the forward troops of the Japanese and puppet troops were still at most fifteen kilometers away from here. If there were no troops to stop them, they could march over in more than two hours. .
The guard battalion commander had urged him three times, but the brigade commander seemed not to hear and kept standing at the door looking toward the battlefield.
That was the direction of the independent regiment's breakout, and Chief of Staff Zhou knew that the brigade commander couldn't let them go.
Before the independent regiment successfully breaks through, they cannot rest assured even if they retreat.
Taking three steps at a time, he hurriedly walked behind the telegraph operator and asked if there was a telegram from the Independent Regiment.
"Didi...didi...didi...didi..."
The quiet radio station suddenly rang out the familiar sound of sending and receiving telegrams. The operator put on his earphones and listened for less than half a minute before putting them down: "Chief of Staff...the independent regiment's victory report...only four words...successful breakout!"
"That's great..." The brigade commander also heard the good news, punched the door frame, and without waiting for the chief of staff to report, he exclaimed with excitement: "I knew Kong Jie would not let us down..."
"With the equipment level and combat effectiveness of the independent regiment, as long as they successfully break through the first blockade of the Japanese and puppet troops, the next two blockades will be as weak as paper to them!"
"I can finally feel relieved now."
"Send my order...the brigade headquarters will begin moving immediately!"
