The soldiers who participated in the attack on the Japanese stronghold in northwestern Shanxi arrived at their scheduled combat locations on time despite the severe cold along the way, waiting for the final order to be issued.
This time, the clearest target of the main combat force of a team of three regiments is in the northwestern Shanxi area. The Japanese army is located in three large strongholds from the quasi-public security area to the middle line of the Eighth Route Army base area, namely the Yangguan stronghold, the Pingbei stronghold and the
Big stronghold in Hanoi.
The Japanese army used these three large strongholds as the final skeleton, or the rafters, and combined them with some forward strongholds and small and medium-sized strongholds to build a large network of strongholds that blocked the entire Eighth Route Army base in northwestern Shanxi.
Therefore, it can be said that these three large strongholds are the most important Japanese strongholds that last guarded the northwestern Shanxi area and the throat of the three regiment defense areas of the northwest Shanxi Iron Triangle.
"Once these three big strongholds are completely removed, then our regiments will really be able to fly like a fish in the ocean and a bird in the sky!
From then on, the little devils stayed in the main occupied counties and towns. These vast suburban mountains and vast countryside all belong to our Eighth Route Army!"
At the headquarters of a team, when talking about the huge changes that could be brought to the entire Northwest Shanxi Eighth Route Army after the removal of these three strongholds, Chief of Staff Xu Guoan said this.
"Hit! Lao Kong led the main force of three regiments of a team and went straight to the strongholds of Yangguan, Pingbei and Hanoi.
Once the battle starts, the Japanese will never just watch these three strongholds being lost, and the Japanese army will quickly send additional reinforcements to the three strongholds.
The most likely choices are Beitong Road, Xiaogoulinzi, and Sanhewan Road.
Beitong Road is the closest to our new regiment's defense zone. No need to worry about it. Keep an eye on the kid who comes from this road. Just beat him to death. Even half a Japs can't let him appear in the Yangguan stronghold.
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As for Xiaogou Linzi, the Seventy-Seventh Regiment is watching, and the Sanhewan Road is being watched by the Fifth Regiment, so we don’t have to worry about it. Lao Xu and Lao Feng will never let the little devil pass!"
At the new second regiment headquarters, Ding Wei said categorically when analyzing the battle situation.
The new second regiment’s residence.
Li Yunlong is naturally not idle either.
He said he was building the New Second Regiment into a quick reaction force.
However, with the development of the New Second Regiment over the years, the total strength of the regiment is nearly 3,000.
That doesn’t mean that all of them can be transformed into mechanized combat troops through transformation.
His ultimate goal was to prepare to fish in troubled waters, take advantage of a detachment to attack a large Japanese stronghold, and lead a mechanized combat force straight to the Japanese artillery testing ground and processing plant in Santai Township.
This did not prevent Li Yunlong from sending some elite infantrymen to assist a detachment in attacking Yangguan, Pingbei and Hanoi strongholds before the final battle to attack the Japanese artillery experimental site began.
"Team leader, what are we going to do in this joint operation with a detachment of the Eighth Route Army?"
Shanxi-Sui Army 358th Regiment Headquarters.
Chief of Staff Fang Ligong asked for instructions.
Chu Yunfei kept his eyes fixed on the combat map surrounding Yangguan, Pingbei and Hanoi strongholds.
After a moment of thinking, Chu Yunfei directly marked two points on the map.
"In this attack, the Japanese have strongholds in Yangguan, Pingbei and Hanoi, the last places in northwest Shanxi. There is no doubt that the Eighth Route Army is the main force in the frontal attack.
We don’t need to mix up with the Eighth Route Army and attack together.”
Having said this, Chu Yunfei paused, and then his words vaguely revealed a bit of military domineering: "In the past two years, our 358 regiment has basically not participated in any battles. It is estimated that the world has almost forgotten me, 358. After this joint offensive operation began, conventional means were not enough to deter the Japanese army.
Send me an order to have the artillery battalion on standby once the Eighth Route Army attacks the Yangguan and Heping Peking University strongholds.
Immediately let the car convoy carry artillery, quickly arrive at the two highlands on the north-south mountain road of Yangguan and Heping, and build artillery positions on the spot."
"Tuanzuo, what do you mean..."
"Once the battle around the large stronghold begins, all the attention of the Japanese and puppet troops will be drawn to the Eighth Route Army troops attacking from the front.
The most advantageous firepower of our 358th Regiment lies in the artillery battalion. It is better to pull it to the back and side of the Heping North stronghold in Yangguan and hit it with a few rounds of firepower. While boosting the prestige of our 358th Regiment, we can also coordinate the attack of a detachment of the Eighth Route Army.<
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It can also completely cut off the retreat route for Japanese troops to evacuate from the back of the stronghold."
Fang Ligong suddenly realized: "In this way, we not only effectively reinforced the Eighth Route Army's attack with artillery, but also avoided our 358th Regiment's own casualties.
Even if the little devil comes to cause trouble in the future, we can still say that we did not go to war at all.
After all, there are no Japs, and we can really see our Jinsui Army troops launching a frontal attack on their own initiative!
This is a really clever move by the group!"
Chu Yunfei glanced at Fang Ligong. As a decent soldier, Chu Yunfei was not as complicated and full of tricks as Fang Ligong's ideas.
He didn't think that much at all, he just wanted to use the most powerful means to reinforce the Eighth Route Army troops and at the same time demonstrate the majesty of his 358th Regiment.
That’s all!
……
……
Night.
Two days later it’s New Year’s Eve, and three days later it’s the Spring Festival, the first day of the new year that the Chinese people are most looking forward to.
Although the Nationalist Government has always wanted to change the concept of the old society and regard New Year's Day as the New Year, it even wants the people to have a lively and festive New Year's Day like the Spring Festival in previous years.
It's a pity that people who are accustomed to the old calendar don't seem to buy it.
Therefore, the Spring Festival in Lao Li is still regarded as the most orthodox and festive festival by the people.
The cold wind howls at night, mixed with the cold current, and blows on people's faces, like a sharp blade cutting the skin.
Even if he is wrapped up like a hedgehog, the only exposed eyes and even the water droplets hanging on the eyelashes seem to have condensed into ice particles.
In the large strongholds of Yangguan, Pingbei and Hanoi, most of the Japanese and puppet troops were hiding in relatively warm buildings, rubbing their hands and shivering.
Getting into bed early is the best choice right now.
The unlucky Japanese and puppet sentries who were on duty were shivering and bored, standing in the lookouts and gun towers on guard.
The moonlight is not very good tonight, and everything is dim.
The puppet sentries, who have always been accustomed to working hard, have their eyes drooped even when they are on alert.
In their view, it was impossible for the Eighth Route Army to attack the Japanese stronghold with extremely strong defensive power.
On the other hand, the Japanese soldiers were still loyal to their duties. From time to time, they manually raised the searchlight and looked around to explore the movements around the stronghold.
Xiu Xiu Xi——
It was probably around twelve o'clock in the night.
The temperature at night dropped to such an extreme that water turned into ice, making people feel colder and colder. The cold wind blew straight into the bones.
Outside the Yangguan stronghold.
It sounded like someone gently slapping a few hands.
Listen carefully, it sounds like a gunshot.
Immediately afterwards, air-piercing bullets were fired at an astonishing speed, and there were a few bangs and bangs, several lookouts, and the third floors of several gun towers.
The Japanese sentry's swaying searchlight shattered into pieces.
The lights suddenly dimmed.
In the dim night, the last light disappeared.
"Enemy attack, enemy attack——"
The sudden scene made the Japanese sentries on alert scream in horror, and they pulled the hand-cranked alarm bell.
The piercing siren sounded instantly, echoing throughout the entire stronghold and the entire area.
Led by Lei Dasheng, leader of the First Independent Regiment, the attack on the Japanese stronghold in Yangguan officially kicked off.
The sniper in the team took the lead in knocking down the Japanese searchlight.
With the help of the cover of night, and the detailed explanations given by the platoon leaders of each squad early in the morning, regarding the Japanese army's Yangguan stronghold, detailed rainproof deployment, and even firepower deployment.
Even in the dark night, the soldiers are no strangers to the situation in and around the Yangguan stronghold.
This is naturally due to the amazing detail of the intelligence sent by the brigade commander.
As the initial patter of gunshots sounded, and then turned into a salvo of guns, the dead silence of the night was completely broken.
The Japanese and puppet soldiers who were still sleeping suddenly woke up, rushed out of the main bunk, hurriedly took their weapons, and then ran towards the fortifications of the stronghold.
At this time, the Eighth Route Army's combat method of attacking the Japanese army's well-defended and heavily guarded strongholds had already undergone tremendous "changes".
Sporadic rifle firepower is no longer the single melody of the Eighth Route Army's attack on Japanese strongholds a few years ago.
After the attack begins.
Lei Dasheng, the commander of the first regiment, was not polite to the Japs at all. He directly mobilized the rear artillery units and fired two rounds at the Japs' stronghold.
Use powerful, larger-caliber and powerful artillery to cover the infantry charge.
At the same time, the attacking soldiers spread out their formations and accurately avoided the minefields laid by the Japanese outside the stronghold based on the intelligence collected in advance.
Choose a direction where there are no mines and launch an assault.
As for the defense of the Japanese stronghold at Yangguan, it is still the same as before.
The entire stronghold is built on higher terrain, surrounded by almost empty areas, and the Japanese army cleared the firing range in advance.
There are almost no bunkers within two to three hundred meters in front and back.
This is also the reason why Kong Jie chose to launch the attack at night.
Used to avoid the superior firepower of the Japanese and puppet troops defending strongholds.
At the outermost edge of the gathering point, there are even barbs hanging on the two or three layers of barbed wire pulled up by the Japs. Below the barbed wire, there are trenches dug two to three meters wide and one or two meters deep.
It's filled with water.
In some areas around the barbed wire fence, the Japanese army also deliberately laid some landmines to prevent surprise attacks by Eighth Route Army troops at night.
As for the trenches filled with stagnant water, they were also used to prevent the infiltration of Eighth Route Army troops, and large, wide and deep trenches were dug at the same time.
It can also restrict the enemy from invading in large numbers after destroying the barbed wire fence.
Inside the barbed wire, dozens of meters away, towers of reinforced concrete structures carefully built by the Japanese army stand tall.
Coupled with the defense of bunker fortifications, semi-underground heavy machine gun fortifications, and ring or trench fortifications.
Coupled with the special strength of the Japanese army stationed at the Yangguan stronghold, there were two full field squadrons, plus a regiment of the Imperial Association Army stationed.
The firepower configuration is particularly powerful, and it is equipped with very convenient communication equipment that can call for reinforcements from surrounding areas at any time.
The entire Yangguan stronghold can be said to be impregnable when defended by the little devils.
A few years ago, it would have been impossible for Chinese armed forces to dare to attack such a stronghold.
Just as the war continues.
The current Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army is no longer the independent regiment of a few years ago.
The little Japs today are no longer the Japs from the early days of the Anti-Japanese War.
Under the cover of bombardment by rear-mounted larger-caliber artillery, the pioneer Eighth Route Army soldiers advanced rapidly and then threw a large number of Molotov cocktails into the Japanese stronghold.
This is offensive equipment specially produced by a team's arsenal.
It is said to be a Molotov cocktail, which is as big as an ordinary wine bottle and is equipped with a certain concentration of flammable alcohol and a fire core.
The big ones are as big as the wine jars used in the old society, and some white sugar and raw rubber powder are added to the alcohol to increase the stickiness.
Once such a specially developed Molotov cocktail is thrown into a Japanese stronghold, the flames will burn instantly after an explosion, thanks to the strong adhesion produced by adding alcohol to sugar and raw gum.
The flames can even stick to the reinforced concrete turrets of the Japanese and continue to burn for a long time.
Suddenly, hundreds of guns fired and artillery roared.
The entire Japanese army's Yangguan stronghold was ablaze with fire and chaos.
A large number of Molotov cocktails were thrown, and the flames splashed on the unlucky Japanese and puppet soldiers.
The flames that burst out immediately gave the Japanese and puppet soldiers no time to feel the warmth for a moment in this severe cold weather. Then they were burned into whole burning people, running around in the stronghold in severe pain and fear.
, crying and howling.
"Withstand, withstand Tubalu's attack!"
A Japanese squadron leader pulled out his command knife and commanded at the top of his lungs. Although there was uncontrollable fear in the corner of his eyes.
The attack of these damn Eighth Route Army was sudden and violent. It was like a nightmare.
Under the cover of firepower, the soldiers quickly arrived at the barbed wire fence at the outermost line of the Japanese stronghold and directly blew open the barbed wire fence with explosive packets.
Immediately afterwards, the strong wooden boards over two meters wide and three meters long that were pulled over by car early in the morning were placed directly across the trench dug by the Japanese.
A simple wooden bridge that can span the trench was constructed immediately.
You can now attack the Japanese and puppet troops inside the stronghold.
Quickly enter the fierce battle.
The light of guns and flames from both sides almost dispersed the entire darkness.
The Japanese army resisted desperately, the puppet troops were frightened, and the casualties of the Japanese and puppet troops spread rapidly.
The soldiers of the Eighth Route Army became more and more courageous as they fought, fighting bravely one by one without fear of death.
The top military commander of the Japanese army who was responsible for garrisoning the Yangquan stronghold, a Japanese Major, saw that the situation was not good. While organizing his men to resist desperately, he immediately asked for help from the higher headquarters.
The little devils rushed up to the artillery towers and bunkers like crazy, using light and heavy machine gun fire to shoot at the Eighth Route Army soldiers who were advancing in the night in a desperate resistance.
The battle is getting more intense...
Taiyuan City, the headquarters of the Japanese First Army in Shanxi.
Japanese commander Yoshio Shinozuka was awakened from his sleep by chief of staff Kitagawa.
"General, the situation is really urgent and I have to alert you!"
Seeing the solemn look on Kitagawa's face, Yoshio Shinozuka knew that something bad was definitely coming. During this period, these damn gangsters were getting more and more rampant, and bad news came one after another.
He even felt that there was no bad news that he could not accept anymore.
"Tell me, what happened again?"
"Hi!" Beichuan responded, with a bitter look on his lips: "General, Yangguan, Pingbei, and Hanoi strongholds have received communications emergency. A large number of the Eighth Route Army's main combat troops, at around 12 o'clock in the night, sent to three places almost at the same time.
The big stronghold launched a fierce raid!
According to reports from the front line, judging from the momentum of the Eighth Route Army, it seems that they are going to attack Yangguan, Pingbei and Hanoi strongholds in one fell swoop during the night."
"Baga, it won't stop even for a day!"
Yoshio Shinozuka cursed angrily, "The Yangguan, Pingbei and Hanoi strongholds built in the northwestern Shanxi area are mainly used to blockade the Eighth Route Army combat units such as the Northern Shanxi Iron Triangle.
From this point of view, it seems that the team of Kong Jie and Li Yunlong are attacking the stronghold tonight?"
"It shouldn't be wrong. Except for those bastards, no one has such courage." Beichuan agreed.