The division commander immediately conveyed the boss's order to Li Yunlong.
Li Yunlong put down the high-power walkie-talkie and said to Huang Erhu: "Huzi, immediately notify all attack groups. Except for the mountain artillery group and the troops left to clean the battlefield, all personnel must gather immediately. Let's go to Xiangyuan, Changzhi and Licheng."
Li Yunlong would definitely not bring the mountain cannon and howitzer.
The reason is very simple. It is broad daylight, and the artillery unit has a relatively large target, so it is easy to be attacked by Japanese aircraft.
Even if it is equipped with a 20mm anti-aircraft gun, there is no guarantee that the artillery and artillery will not be blown up by Japanese planes.
At this moment, the Japanese had already suffered heavy losses to two divisions. They were so anxious that they could even hit a plane with a cannon.
Moreover, this time it was a rapid march, and the artillery units would definitely not be able to keep up with the infantry.
There are still 96 cannons in Changzhi, Xiangyuan and Licheng, as well as more than 200 mortars brought there, which are completely sufficient.
"Yes!" After Huang Erhu responded, he immediately picked up the high-power walkie-talkie and called.
Although the soldiers were tired after three days of continuous fighting, their morale was very high at this time.
The Japanese 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade were not feeling well at this time. They were under tremendous pressure and had been blocked and harassed for two consecutive days. They were also very tired at this time.
At this point in the battle, both sides are struggling to hold on, and it depends on who can persist to the end.
Under the leadership of Li Yunlong, the main force of the Taihang column rushed to Changzhi, Xiangyuan and Licheng without stopping.
About an hour after the Taihang column left, the Japanese's second plane came again, but they only saw shell craters and broken limbs all over the canyon.
The cavalry battalion of the new regiment and the cavalry regiment of the brigade pursued the remnants of the 2nd Guards Division all the way.
Since the mountain artillery of the 2nd Guards Division Artillery Regiment were carried by mules and horses, the marching speed was very slow.
Not long after, they were overtaken by the Eighth Route Army cavalry. Kunomura Momoyo was also decisive enough to kill, so he chose a strong man to cut off his wrists and ordered all the mountain cannons and artillery shells to be blown up.
Then a squadron was left to block the Eighth Route Artillery Cavalry, and the remaining Japanese ran away. Kunomura Momoyo even accelerated to escape from the Eighth Route Army base area under the protection of a team of cavalry.
Sun Desheng and Zhou Chunyu stopped chasing after receiving Li Yunlong's order, and soon followed up with the large army.
Although it was under the guidance of Wang Fugui and other squires that the Eighth Route Army cavalry was able to quickly catch up with the remaining Japanese troops, Wang Fugui and others were captured.
These squires deliberately did not evacuate, and they happened to be on the way of the Japanese's escape. They also knew the Japanese's escape route very well. Even a fool knew what was going on.
…
"Report to the Commander, Chief of Staff, and Captain Wakisaka of the 36th Regiment to send a farewell telegram."
Taiyuan, First Army Headquarters.
Yoshio Shinozuka and Hideyoshi Kusuyama were having lunch in the conference room when the communications staff member walked in with a telegram in his hand and nodded heavily.
The two people's mouths instantly became stiff while eating, and their hands stretched out to pick vegetables were suspended in the air.
After a while, Shinozuka Yoshio's expression returned to normal, he put a chicken drumstick in a bowl and asked in a deep voice: "Farewell telegram?"
"Yes, farewell telegram!"
The communications staff officer looked grim, and tried his best to keep his words fluent: "The Eighth Route Army used hundreds of cannons over 75 mm and hundreds of mortars to storm the hastily formed defensive position of the 36th Regiment. The Eighth Route Army artillery fired at the 36th Regiment's
Thousands of artillery shells were poured into the position. As soon as the sound of artillery stopped, tens of thousands of troops rushed into the position of the 36th Regiment. After an hour of fighting, our unit had no hope of breaking through and the regiment flag had been burned. The soldiers will fight to the end.
one person…"
"idiot!"
Yoshio Shinozuka's cheeks twitched, and his hands violently overturned the entire dining table.
Including Kusuyama Hideyoshi's rice bowl, the tableware, eggs, chicken legs, etc. all placed on the dining table were knocked to the ground.
When the guard outside heard the noise, he quickly ran in with his gun in hand. Kusuyama Hideyoshi waved his hand, and the guard quickly left.
"Sukegawa-kun, have the aviation units found the breakout units of the 3rd and 4th Regiments of the 2nd Guards Division?"
Kusuyama Hideyoshi looked at the communications staff officer and asked in a deep voice.
Communications Staff Assistant Kawakawa Nakazuo replied: "The 8th Flying Group sent back a message that no breakout troops from the 3rd and 4th Wings were found within a 6-kilometer radius of the battle."
Kusuyama Hideyoshi was silent after hearing this, and the 3rd Regiment and the 4th Regiment did not send back farewell telegrams.
So he still had some illusions, thinking that the 3rd and 4th Wings had broken through.
But now it seems that the 3rd Regiment and the 4th Regiment have been completely wiped out by the Eighth Route Army, and even the farewell telegram has not been sent.
When Yoshio Shinozuka heard the news, his head was buzzing and he could hardly stand still.
This time, the inevitable three-light mopping up operation actually resulted in the 37th Division being severely damaged, the 2nd Guards Division being severely damaged, and the elite 36th Regiment being wiped out by the Eighth Route Army.
The number of imperial soldiers who died in the battle is probably over 25,000.
With this defeat, Yoshio Shinozuka will definitely be nailed to the pillar of shame. Thousands of years later, he will still be reviled and ridiculed by future generations of Japanese.
The communications staff officer added: "There is another situation. According to the aviation report, the Eighth Route Army with more than 20,000 troops is marching in the direction of Xiangyuan and Licheng."
Yoshio Shinozuka was shocked when he heard this and walked quickly to the map.
Kusuyama Hideyoshi and the communications staff also followed and walked to the map.
The sand table was chopped into pieces by Yoshio Shinozuka, and several operational staff members are still busy building it.
"it's here!"
The communications staff officer pointed out the current location of the Eighth Route Army on the map.
"Baga!" Yoshio Shinozuka cursed angrily and asked, "Kusuyama-san, how long does it take for the 14th Brigade to arrive in Xiangyuan County?"
Kusuyama Hideyoshi said: "It is expected to arrive in 3 hours. Your Excellency, Commander, after the Eighth Route Army severely damaged the 2nd Guards Division, it marched urgently towards Xiangyuan and Licheng. Once Li Yunlong's regiment encircled Xiangyuan, Licheng and Changzhi,
, the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade will also be surrounded, and these two elite brigades may follow in the footsteps of the 37th Division and the 2nd Guards Division!"
At this time, Yoshio Shinozuka did not realize that it was also the Li Yunryong Corps that severely damaged the 2nd Guards Division.
"Baga!" Yoshio Shinozuka cursed again, and then moved his gaze to the direction of Xiangyuan, Licheng and Changzhi on the map, "Can the 37th Division hold on for three hours?"
Kusuyama Hideyoshi's face was ugly: "The imperial army in Changzhi County will definitely not be able to hold out until dark, but the Eighth Route Army in Xiangyuan County and Licheng adopted the tactic of encirclement without fighting. The imperial army in these two counties will definitely be able to hold on until reinforcements arrive.
"
There are still more than 1,000 Japanese troops in Xiangyuan and Licheng each.
Although most of them were logistics personnel of the baggage regiment and engineering regiment, Yoshio Shinozuka still had to save him.
At this time, Yoshio Shinozuka already felt that something was wrong, but he had no time to think about it.
Of course, it was useless even to think about it. The 2nd Guards Division and the 37th Division had been severely damaged, and the 36th Regiment had been completely wiped out.
Even if two more divisions were transferred from southern Shanxi, it would be too late and the Japanese army would have lost the chance to make a comeback.
In line with the principle of saving as many as possible, Shinozuka Yoshio said: "Order, the 18th Brigade immediately turns to Licheng, the 14th Brigade continues to reinforce Xiangyuan, and after receiving the imperial troops in these two counties, immediately turn to
Taiyuan!”
"Hi!"
The communications staff officer paused and walked outside.
…
The Japanese 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade arrived at Xiangyuan and Licheng before the Taihang column.
The Eighth Route Army troops responsible for blocking the attack restrained the two brigades for a day and a night, and they did their best.
The four regiments and artillery units that besieged the city took the initiative to retreat under Li Yunlong's order.
The casualties of these four regiments were quite high in several battles, and they no longer had the energy to fight against the Japanese regiments.
These regiments and the artillery units established positions in advance on the road from the two county towns to Changzhi, preparing to block the Japanese troops of the two brigades from going south to reinforce Changzhi.
However, after the Japs arrived in Xiangyuan and Licheng counties, they didn't even want to go to the county towns and ran directly to Taiyuan.
This caught Li Yunlong a little off guard.
Yoshio Shinozuka feels that he now only has 5 regiments with more than 16,000 people.
The Eighth Route Army has more than 30,000 people from Li Yunlong's regiment, as well as more than 20,000 reinforcements from the Eighth Route Base Area.
The total strength of the Eighth Route Army is almost 60,000. These five regiments are by no means a match for the Eighth Route Army.
The Japanese army's three-light mopping-up operation ended hastily with the Japanese army severely damaging two divisions and wiping out one regiment.
When Li Yunlong led his troops to Changzhi, the county brigade of the New Regiment and two regiments of the Eighth Route Army had wiped out all the Japanese in the county.
Corpses of Japanese soldiers were brought out one after another and placed on the street, and various ministries were counting the number of enemies killed.
"Report to the commander-in-chief that all the Japs in the city have been wiped out."
"At the last moment, the Japanese detonated the ammunition depot in the city, and the grain depot was also attacked by the Japanese."
Chen Dagu reports to Li Yunlong.
"The last moment?" Li Yunlong asked, "Didn't the Japanese bomb the arsenal at noon yesterday?"
Chen Dugu said: "What was blown up yesterday was the oil depot and some artillery shells."
"Damn it!" Li Yunlong cursed, "That old devil Pingtian is so unkind, he used an oil depot to pretend to be an arsenal."
Chen Dugu blamed himself and said: "Commander-in-Chief, please punish me for failing to occupy the arsenal before the Japanese bombed it."
"Why are you punished?" Li Yunlong said, "Even I was deceived by Pingtian. Forget it, just blow it up. We have already made a lot of money this time."
"By the way, where is that old devil Hirata?"
Li Yunlong asked quickly.
Chen Dugu said: "I caught a Japs tongue this morning. According to the Japs' account, Pingtian was killed by our artillery yesterday."
Li Yunlong hurriedly asked: "What about his lieutenant general's command sword?"
"Not found." Chen Dugu said, "They were probably all blown up by artillery shells."
Li Yunlong looked regretful. The general sword he promised to give to the chief of staff was gone. He didn't know when the Japanese general sword would be captured next.
Currently, two lieutenant general division commanders have been killed, but not a single lieutenant general's command sword has been captured.
However, Li Yunlong also breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the old devil Pingtian had been killed.
Li Yunlong said: "Send me an order not to spare any Japanese banks or hospitals in the county, and to arrest all the traitors and confiscate their property!"
Although the Japs destroyed arms and food, there were many traitors in the county, and these traitors usually helped the Japs collect money and food.
It's time for a reckoning.
Chen Dugu looked solemn, stood up and responded: "Yes!"
