Although Gao Hongming agreed to the operation to rescue the Yankees and had been preparing for it, the sudden arrival of Okamura Neji and Japanese reinforcements disrupted his deployment.
Starting from June 26, the 4th Cavalry Brigade, the 47th Division and the 5th Independent Mixed Brigade rushed to the battlefield one after another. The originally clear battle situation fell into a chaotic stalemate, and even began to become tragic.
With the arrival of tens of thousands of Japanese troops, the people in the temporary joint command felt a heavy pressure. After discussion, Gao Hongming and Commander Liu decided to stop the oppressive attack on the Japanese troops and temporarily shrink their troops.
The actions of the coalition forces were immediately keenly noticed by Neji Okamura, and he immediately commanded the army to press over without hesitation.
In the temporary joint command headquarters, the staff were marking the progress of the troops' attack on the sand table.
The red ones are our own troops, and the blue ones are the Japanese troops.
Now the blue square is slowly pressing towards Liantai County in a semicircle. The densely packed flags make people's scalp numb just by looking at them.
"Report... The Japanese 47th Division has broken through our defense line in Lizicun and is advancing towards our deep positions. The 386th Brigade is retreating as planned."
"Report, the Japanese Sixth Division has approached the new 1st Brigade defense line, Brigadier Wang requested to send air support."
As battle reports continued to come in, the atmosphere in the headquarters became more and more tense, and the expressions of the staff became more solemn.
The current war situation can be described as a sudden change. Just before the arrival of Neji Okamura, the coalition composed of the Liantai Militia and the Eighth Route Army once suppressed the Japanese army. However, with the arrival of Japanese reinforcements, the situation immediately reversed.
Faced with the severe situation, Gao Hongming, Commander Liu and Political Commissar Ping discussed and ordered the troops to stop the attack and temporarily retreat.
After hearing the news from his staff, Gao Hongming also became very solemn. He thought for a while and said to Commander Liu: "Commander Liu, the speed of the Japanese attack is beyond our previous expectations. I think the situation may have changed.
"
"What do you think."
After Mr. Liu finished speaking, he took off his glasses and began to take out the glasses cloth and wipe them.
After being in contact with Mr. Liu for so many days, Gao Hongming discovered a little habit of Mr. Liu. Usually when he encounters a major problem and is difficult to make a decision, he will subconsciously wipe his glasses.
He continued: "According to the intelligence, the 47th Division is a second-class division, and its combat effectiveness should be second- or even third-rate among Japanese field divisions. However, judging from today's battle situation, the offensive of the 47th Division is exceptionally strong.
Fierce, what does this mean?"
Before Master Liu could speak, Gao Hongming continued: "This shows that the little devils are anxious and they want a quick victory."
"Think about it, even though the Japanese army now occupies most of China and seems to be arrogant, their military strength has almost been used to the limit.
This time Okamura Ningji sent the 6th Division and the 108th Division to deal with my small local militia group, which was already stretched thin in terms of strength. Now he also transferred the 47th Division and two brigades.
Once something goes wrong, his position as commander may not be secure."
"It makes sense." Mr. Liu nodded, "Then what do you think."
"I thought so."
Gao Hongmingdao picked up a baton and pointed at the sand table and said: "The 386th Brigade abandoned the defense line in Lizi Village and retreated to the Dali Ridge area, which is already Liantai County's last line of defense in the southwest.
If Dali Ridge is lost again, we will have no danger of defending it. The Japanese army only needs to march thirty kilometers straight to approach Liantai County. Therefore, Dali Ridge can be said to be our lifeline in the southwest and must not be lost.
Now, among the Japanese troops we are facing, 47 is the most aggressive and aggressive.
My suggestion is to take advantage of the fact that the Japanese army has just arrived at Dali Ridge and has not yet established a stable foothold, and all two armored battalions are sent out to launch a counterattack. It is best to annihilate one or two of their regiments. In this way, the 47th Division
There will be less evidence and our pressure will be reduced a lot, what do you think?"
Commander Liu thought for a while and shook his head: "It's not enough... Although the 47th Division is only a second-class division, the strength of the 386th Brigade and two armored battalions is still a bit weak."
Gao Hongming smiled slightly: "What if we add four more B-25 bomber squadrons?"
"Four B-25 bomber squadrons?" Commander Liu asked in surprise: "Aren't there only two B-25 bomber squadrons?"
"Mr. Liu, have you forgotten those Americans in Doolittle?"
On the position of the 47th Division of the Japanese Army, Senior Private Miura Tachisho was leaning in a 1.5-meter-high trench and smoking a low-quality cigarette. The meager military pay that a senior soldier like him could receive in a month could not afford him to smoke.
Very smoky.
Moreover, he has to send most of his military salary home every month for his two younger sisters to study. Miura Tachisho has had an ideal since he was a child, which is to let his two younger sisters live a good life and avoid being like other people in the village.
Girls are also sold by their parents to work as hens in tea houses.
Many girls in the village were sold and spent the rest of their lives separated from their families, never to see their relatives again.
Miura Tachisho didn't want his two younger sisters to suffer such a fate, so he joined the army and came to China. He heard that many soldiers who came here made a fortune after retiring.
During the more than two years in China, Miura Tachisho, like other Japanese soldiers, regarded going out for camp vacation as a good opportunity to make a fortune. They went out to rob the property of the people near the camp, and if they disobeyed, they would fight with each other with fists and kicks.
Shigenori stabbed him to death directly with a bayonet. In the past two years, Miura Tachisho also stole a lot of things.
"Ah, I will retire in two months. I believe that the golden Buddha I snatched from the wealthy Chinese man's house a few days ago can help my family and my two sisters live a good life.
But I heard that Liantai County is the richest place in Shanxi. Maybe after the imperial army invades Liantai County, they can grab more gold." Miura Tatsuxiang thought happily while touching a small golden Buddha in his arms.
Seeing that it was about to get dark, Miura Tachisho let out a long yawn while carrying his Type 38 rifle and covering his mouth. He was about to walk to a tent not far away, ready to wash his face and refresh himself. His squadron was a sharp knife force.
, they will definitely be the first ones to attack after dawn, so it’s impossible not to cheer up.
But when he looked up at the sky, his yawning mouth was wide open, but could no longer be closed. Orange-red rays of light flew from the distance. Judging from the direction, they were flying in the right direction.
It is our own position.
"Cannon...cannon...shelling..."
A shrill cry rang out from the battlefield, but it was immediately covered up by the sound of exploding artillery shells.
The 91st Regiment to which Miura Tatsuho belongs has always been the vanguard of the 47th Division, and this time is no exception, so it is also the first unit to receive patronage this time.
In bursts of flames, the 91st Wing was covered in artillery fire.
"Moxi Moxi, this is the division headquarters, 91st Regiment? 91st Regiment, 91st Regiment, did you hear that? 91st Regiment..." The anxious voice of the combat staff kept ringing in the headquarters.
"Reporting to your Excellency, General, our communication with the 91st Regiment has been interrupted. It is estimated that the phone line was blown down. Please send communications troops out to check the line." The voice of the combat staff woke up the 47th Division Commander, Ozu Tosada, who was still in deep thought.
Lieutenant General.
Osako Tsusada leaned on his command knife and looked at the sky that was reflected red by artillery fire more than ten kilometers away, with a very ugly expression on his face.
As an aspiring division commander, he wanted to prove himself through this battle, so after receiving the mission, he led the 47th Division to launch a fierce attack on the 386th Brigade in front of him, and finally forced the opponent to retreat.
But before he could catch up with the retreating Eighth Route Army, the other side actually launched a counterattack against him, and the blow hit him so hard that stars appeared in his eyes.
‘We can’t go on like this, we must take the initiative in our own hands’ Osako Tsusada, who admires the desire to attack in his heart, thought viciously in his heart.
He suddenly stood up and shouted to the combat staff: "Order the 105th Regiment to immediately reinforce the 91st Regiment as soon as the Chinese bombardment stops."
"Hi!"
Half an hour later, the bombardment came to an abrupt end, and the deafening sound of howitzers and the sharp whistling shells from the Japanese positions quickly disappeared.
Colonel Kato Shoji, captain of the 91st Regiment of the Japanese Army, crawled out from the remaining ruins. Looking at the position that was plowed by ten thousand bison at the same time, he shouted hoarsely with an almost smoking throat: "Is there anyone else? Is there anyone else?
Is anyone alive? Come out quickly, the Chinese are about to attack!"
Following Kato Shoji's shout, a few ragged figures appeared from all around and wandered to his side to gather.
Kato Shoji led the remaining soldiers to search for survivors around the headquarters. They used hand planers and hand shovels, but unfortunately most of what they found were stumps and broken arms. It took more than ten minutes of searching to find two survivors.
More than a hundred surviving soldiers.
Just when Kato Shoji led the soldiers and wanted to continue searching for survivors, a squeaking sound of metal friction suddenly sounded in front, accompanied by bursts of roars.
"No...it's a tank!" Everyone's expressions changed. No one expected that the Chinese who were being chased by them just now came back with a carbine, and they were armored troops.
Kato Shoji, who knew that he must not retreat at this moment, shouted in a hoarse voice: "Gentlemen, the Chinese tanks are coming. Our anti-tank weapons have been destroyed. Now please remember Nogi."
General Xidian's philosophy of serving the country seven lives, if there are not enough steel bullets, use meat bombs! Now please put all the explosive bags in front of me."
After a while, more than a dozen explosive packets were piled up in front of Kato Shoji.
Then he personally selected a dozen soldiers and tied them with white ribbons on their heads to form a meat bomb team, which was personally led by a sergeant to launch a meat bomb attack on the Chinese Army tanks.
The dozen or so soldiers who were selected all understood that they had no way out.