It was like the elite Japanese army jumped out of thin air, known to the outside world as the Holy War Army. Its sophisticated equipment, ferocious offensive, and powerful combat effectiveness were almost something the Northwest Army had never encountered before.
Under the fierce offensive, the defense line built by the Northwest Army along the Yellow River was directly destroyed.
The size of this elite Japanese army is also quite large, approaching the gates of Xi'an City.
Anyway, although Hu Shoushan was a die-hard, he didn't lose too much at the critical moment. He finally blocked the offensive of the Japanese jihadist army at a huge cost of casualties, and was able to save the city of Xi'an.
After hearing the news, the Chairman's originally worried heart slowly relaxed.
The military value of Xi'an City is too important. If Xi'an City is lost, the entire Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia defense line will be greatly threatened, and even cause instability in the northwest rear of Chiang Kai-shek's army. This is not what the Chairman wants to see.
And who exactly is this so-called Japanese jihadi army?
It turned out that just after the commander-in-chief of the Chinese Expeditionary Forces, Junroku Hata, and the commander-in-chief of the Kwantung Army, Umezu Yoshijiro, decided to join forces to deal with the Chinese army in the pass.
On the one hand, Umezu Yoshijiro sent his capable general, Lieutenant General Yoshisa Inoue, who was a pioneer of the Japanese armored forces and an expert in mechanized warfare.
The team was led by Yoshisa Inoue, and the armored units of the Kwantung Army and the North China Expeditionary Army were specially mobilized to conduct secret training in Puppet Manchuria to eliminate Fu Yisheng's 35th Army Cavalry Fourth Division and the so-called armored units of the Eighth Route Army in one fell swoop.
Destroy the armored combat forces of the Eighth Route Army and the 35th Route Army in North China.
In addition, Yamashita Tomofumi served as the commander of the assault corps.
The corps consists of two Japanese divisions and nearly 60,000 elites. It is composed of domestically recruited veterans and the Ushijima Mountain Division. It has strengthened mountain combat and mechanized assault combat training in puppet Manchuria, and learned from the military pioneers in the south.
The mountain combat experience of the mechanized force is known to the outside world as the Holy War Army, and its confidentiality level is the same as that of the armored force.
This time, leading the troops to advance forward and kill in the direction of Xi'an was the decision issued by Yamashita Fengwen.
Speaking of Yamashita Fengwen, this old devil, he has been serving in the Kwantung Army before. Since the Kwantung Army launched the September 18th Incident, it has been mainly building the puppet Manchukuo, dealing with the Anti-Alliance Army, and guarding against the Soviet Army. It does not have much scale.
The battle of sex.
As a result, Shanxia Fengwen's reputation was not prominent and unknown.
But in fact, this old devil has great ambitions, and he is even more of a fanatical militant. Once he gets a chance to fight, this guy will explode with astonishing combat power like a mad dog.
For Yamashita Fengfumi, who led the Kwantung Army southward, this carbine raid on Xi'an was just an appetizer before a big test of his skills.
In fact, Yamashita Fengfumi's appetite goes beyond that. He even set his target in Chongqing. In his opinion, the Kwantung Army, as the flower of the imperial army, will be invincible, and the Chinese army in the Kwantung Pass is simply vulnerable.
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When the combat staff planned the follow-up Jihadi Army combat plan, Yamashita Tomofumi once arrogantly proposed the combat objectives:
Capture Chongqing in one fell swoop and force the National Revolutionary Army to surrender in advance!
Speaking of which, if that old devil Yamamoto was still alive, he would definitely become close friends with Yamashita Tomofumi. The arrogance of these two guys is exactly the same.
Of course, although the old devil Yamashita is arrogant, he also has the capital to be arrogant.
He leads an elite jihadist army with a strength of 60,000. The soldiers are composed of a large number of veterans drawn from the country. These veterans may be older, but they can survive on the battlefield again and again, with combat experience and battlefield survivability.
They are all extremely powerful.
In addition, the Ushijima Division of the Kwantung Army, which was originally a mountain combat unit, was added.
The team also underwent secret special training in Puppet Manchuria.
The entire Jihadi Army can be described as elite, and even compared to the elite Kwantung Army, I'm afraid they can't give in too much.
In addition, the firepower configuration has been specially strengthened, and aerial firepower reinforcements can be followed up at any time.
The Japanese army fought back and headed straight for Xi'an. When they broke into the battlefield, they even received reinforcements from the Japanese Air Force's new Type 4 fighter jets and Comet bombers.
With the cooperation of aerial firepower, Hu Shoushan's team was suppressed almost the entire time, and the embarrassed Lieutenant General completely destroyed all the positions, factories, and agricultural areas outside Xi'an City.
In the end, they could only shrink their troops and stay in the city.
Not only that, in addition to aerial firepower reinforcements, this so-called jihadist army also has a large number of Type III modified tanks, Type III 75mm anti-tank gun combat vehicles, Type IV 150 self-propelled howitzer vehicles, and a large number of Type 99 vehicles.
Rifles, Type 99 light machine guns, Type 100 submachine guns, Type 4B semi-automatic rifles and other new equipment are attached to the troops.
In this regard, Yamashita Fengfumi was full of confidence and even expressed it in a high-profile manner:
"Even the so-called elite steel-helmeted soldiers of the Eighth Route Army can only act like a chariot and bring about their own destruction!"
In addition to the armored division led by Inoue Yoshisa and the jihadi army led by Yamashita Tomofumi.
This time, in order to completely open up the communication lines within the customs and destroy the development of the Eighth Route Army base area, the Eighth Route Army was pushed back to the suburbs and wilderness, and an absolute offensive was used on the frontal battlefield to force the National Revolutionary Army to surrender.
Under the special deployment of the Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army, Umezu Yoshijiro, the Kwantung Army also mobilized a considerable number of troops to secretly move southward and advance towards the Tongpu Line and the Pinghan Line.
In order to completely open up these two mainland transportation lines.
At this point, the military intentions that the Japanese army had finally concealed came to light.
Inside the former enemy headquarters of the Eighth Route Army.
After the Japanese army's deployment plan was revealed and its true intentions were revealed, the deputy chief of staff and his entourage were also quite surprised by this.
In the subsequent military meeting initiated by the headquarters, the deputy chief of staff made a summary opening statement at the beginning of the meeting:
"This time the war situation has changed drastically, the little devils in the pass are obviously anxious and have even begun to turn to the Kwantung Army for help. According to the news we have received, the Kwantung Army is moving south on a large scale. It seems that they are preparing to jointly dispatch troops to launch an attack on our Chinese army.
A large-scale battle.
Moreover, the Japanese have a huge appetite. According to the current situation analysis, the Japanese army's order of operations is first the frontal battlefield, and then the battlefield behind enemy lines.
This is to wipe out Jiang Jun and our Eighth Route Army in one fell swoop.
It's a pity that the little devil doesn't have such a good appetite!
Of course, in the face of a large number of Kwantung troops moving south, coupled with the coordination of China's dispatched troops, the current situation is that the enemy is strong and we are weak. Our army should continue to adhere to the policy of using defense as offense and completely overwhelm the Japanese offensive with the minimum cost of casualties.
, until the situation is reversed, and then we will take the initiative to launch a strategic counterattack to win the final war victory."
What followed was an analysis of the battle situation, and various military commanders expressed their opinions one after another.
Ding Wei, who has excellent insight into the situation, pointed out to the point:
"Whether it was the Japanese so-called Jihad Army's fierce attack on Xi'an, or the sudden battle in western Hubei, or the approach to the frontal battlefield in Chongqing.
I don’t know if comrades have discovered this feature. The Japanese army’s combat direction or the purpose of the campaign seems to be completely different from the past.
If we say that the Japanese army launched campaigns in the past to eliminate the effective strength of our Chinese army and capture territory.
So today's little devils seem to be running for the military resources in the vast area occupied by Chiang's army.
And according to common sense, in the battles surrounding Datong and Zhangjiakou, we almost completely wiped out the 14th Division of the Japanese Kwantung Army.
Throughout North China, the Japanese troops were so beaten that they huddled near major county towns and transportation lines, and did not dare to show their faces at all.
Under such a situation, the Japanese army should have focused its military focus and energy on our Eighth Route Army, but why did the little devil turn the front and instead start the battle on Chiang Kai-shek's army on the frontal battlefield?
It is obvious that the little devil is using war to support war, and wants to use the military resources plundered from victory on the frontal battlefield to maintain combat power, and then turn around and deal with our Eighth Route Army!"
Ding Wei's words indeed sounded the alarm to the generals present.
Although the Japanese army's first battlefield is currently on the frontal battlefield, the Eighth Route Army's base areas must make preparations in advance and be alert at any time to guard against the Japanese army turning their guns and attacking the battlefield behind enemy lines.
Then the deputy commander-in-chief said: "Recent news has come from Yan'an that the attacking Japanese troops have basically retreated. On the defensive side of Xi'an, the Northwest Army has repeatedly sent reinforcement messages to our army.
In addition, in western Hubei, the Chiang Kai-shek Army has repeatedly called on our Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army to provide assistance.
What do comrades think of this?
Of course, don’t complain if you want to. The Anti-Japanese National United Front is still there, so let’s talk about how we can help Chiang Kai-shek’s army deal with the Japanese invaders.”
Commander Wang smiled and said: "Deputy Commander, what else is there to say? The old rules are that we continue to make trouble behind enemy lines and try our best to contain the Japanese troops. Even if the backyard of the troublemaking Japanese is on fire, we can indirectly support the frontal battlefield!
"
"Lao Kong, what do you think?"
Kong Jie, who was sitting in the corner without saying a word, scratched his nose helplessly and thought to himself, Lao Wang, what are you doing to me if you express your opinion?
But seeing the generals' eyes gathering, Kong Jie could only express his opinion:
"Lao Wang and I have the same idea on this point, but I would like to add that in order to demonstrate the attitude of our Eighth Route Army in resisting Japan and to provide indirect reinforcements to the frontal battlefield, our operations in the base areas, although mainly focused on defense, must still be
Organize several decent active attacks to achieve the purpose of containing the Japanese army.
In addition, we can also apply to the Chiang Army for some combat observer members, or even war reporters, so that people know that we have indeed launched a war and coordinated the frontal battlefield.
Otherwise, people would think that we are just like them, and we would be happy to just watch the show when something like this happens.
Maybe they will turn around and throw dirty water on us again, saying that we are fighting passively and conserving our strength!"
"Haha, what Lao Kong said is on point. I think this is what we should do, so that Lao Chiang Kai-shek will have nothing to say!" Li Yunlong, who had a loud voice, immediately agreed.
The deputy chief of staff and deputy commander couldn't help laughing too.
The final response was decided according to Kong Jie's suggestion.
Soon, in the western Inner Mongolia region, around the Tongpu Line and the Pinghan Line, as well as in the direction of Xi'an City, the frontal battlefields were completely turned into a mess.
Following the orders and deployments of the Eighth Route Army's former enemy headquarters, just as Kong Jie proposed at the meeting, the main forces in each base area took the initiative to go to war, launching attacks on the Japanese troops in counties and communication lines to contain the enemy.
Fighting was raging everywhere, and the sound of gunfire surrounded the outer lines of the Eighth Route Army's vast base area almost continuously all day long.
Frontline communication signals are flying all over the sky. How many enemies have been wiped out today, positions will be lost tomorrow, calls for reinforcements will be called for reinforcements the next day, etc.
Even the Eighth Route Army's aviation unit was dispatched back and forth more than a dozen times.
In such a fierce fighting situation, even the Allied Observation Group composed of personnel from all sides could not open their eyes and tell lies, slandering the Eighth Route Army for conserving its strength and fighting passively.
In contrast, every time the Japanese army launched a large-scale raid on the Eighth Route Army's base areas, the Eighth Route Army's requests for help from Chiang Kai-shek's army were ignored time and time again, with no response at all.
Who knows where all the so-called friendly forces at that time went?
And just when all parties were fighting to a halt, each base area and each Eighth Route Army combat unit were busy fighting and containing the Japanese army.
Although external propaganda stated that the Eighth Route Army's steel-helmeted soldiers, the Iron Triangle Group Army, had all entered the battlefield and were fighting to the death against the Japanese aggressors.
And what is the actual situation?
——Inside the Eighth Route Army's Special Experimental Military Region, Kong Jie, Li Yunlong, and Ding Wei, accompanied by relevant military industry leaders, are tinkering with a tracked all-terrain tractor in the arsenal!
The battle outside was raging, but it all seemed to have nothing to do with the three of them. Even Li Yunlong, who usually felt itchy when he heard about the war and wanted to rush out to fight as a striker, was honest this time.
The base area is idle.
Why?
Nowadays, Li Yunlong not only has a bigger picture, but also has a bigger appetite. He doesn't like this small-scale battle at all.
In Li Yunlong's words: "If we want to fight, let's fight against the elite Japanese troops. We will go directly to the Japanese lair in Puppet Manchuria and clean up all those bullshit Kwantung Army troops!"
At this moment, looking at this specially experimental crawler tractor, Li Yunlong asked hesitantly: "Lao Kong, is this thing really as magical as you said?"
Kong Jie smiled and said: "Old Li, you must not underestimate these crawler tractors.
With these special towing vehicles, swamps, rotten fields, rugged mountain roads, etc. that used to be a disaster for our mechanized combat vehicles are no longer a problem.
Without bragging, with the help of this special towing vehicle, as long as there is a road that our two legs can walk, as long as there is a mountain that our two legs can climb, our vehicles and artillery can basically climb over it.
From now on, all kinds of heavy artillery may not only be placed in open areas with convenient transportation for combat. Maybe we can drag it to fight in the mountains and give the little devils a big surprise."