In response to the constant provocations from the First Army stationed in Shanxi, the Shanxi-Sui Army did not show any weakness.
The day after Gao Hongming returned to Shanxi, Yan Xishan, in the name of the Second War Zone Chief, ordered all the Shanxi-Sui Army troops stationed in Shanxi to start a large-scale military exercise with the Liantai Militia.
No one knows why this man who always boasted of dancing on three eggs suddenly became so bellicose.
Yan Xishan not only ordered 14 infantry divisions from the temporary 37th Division to the temporary 50th Division, and the temporary Fourth Cavalry Division, a total of fifteen divisions, to be mobilized, he even ordered the commander of the World War II Zone to mobilize all troops.
The Eighth Route Army also dispatched no less than twenty regiments to conduct an unprecedented large-scale exercise throughout Shanxi.
The Eighth Route Army headquarters was confused when it first received Yan Xishan's proposal. What on earth did this guy want to do?
But in the end, after discussion, the commander-in-chief slapped the table and agreed.
In the words of the commander-in-chief, it doesn't matter what Yan Xishan's ideas are, as long as he is sincere about fighting the Japanese, I will definitely support him.
When the two sides finally counted the number of troops participating in the exercise, even they were shocked. The number of troops participating in this exercise actually reached an astonishing 200,000, and the exercise area covered almost the entire Shanxi Province.
As soon as the news came out, not only the whole country was shocked, but even the Japanese were frightened.
"Nani...this...is this still the same Yan Baichuan whose courage is not much greater than that of a mouse?"
When Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadichi, the new commander of the Japanese First Army in Shanxi, who took office less than a year ago, received the news that the Shanxi-Sui Army was about to start a large-scale military exercise, his first reaction was that Yan Xishan was crazy.
The second reaction is what does he want to do?
Yoshimoto Teiichi couldn't understand how the Jinsui Army, which had always been honest and honest, dared to use swordsmanship. He was provoking the Empire of Japan.
He had been thinking about this issue for two days and finally came to a conclusion.
That is, the strength of the Jinsui Army is no longer what it used to be, and their biggest change is that Shanxi has a large-scale air force that is unparalleled in Asia.
"Okay, do you think your wings are strong with the support of the Liantai Militia? Then let's give it a try and see who is the king of Shanxi."
Thinking of this, Yoshimoto Seiichi grabbed the phone on the table: "Staff staff, I am Yoshimoto Seiichi, my order is to advance!"
The winter of 1942 was particularly cold, and this severe cold weather lasted until January of 1943, with still no sign of ending.
A steam train was spitting out white water vapor. The engine at the front of the train made a stubborn and majestic roar, dragging the train as it kept speeding through the vast wilderness. It was getting closer and closer to the front line, and could even be heard vaguely.
Rumbling explosions came from the front line.
Qingshui, wearing a thick coat, arrived at the door of the carriage. The white snow on the endless wilderness reflected the strong sunlight, making him squint his eyes. The biting cold wind choked him, and the cold wind hit his face like a bayonet.
It stings like a scratch.
It was a quiet and cold morning. The endless mountains stretched like endless high walls toward the distant horizon. The dim sun hung low above the snowdrifts like a heavy purple-red ball.
"China is so big!" Lieutenant General Qing Shuigui, commander of the 41st Division, couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the scenery in the distance.
An hour later, the military column stopped in a snow-white town.
Near the carriage, densely packed soldiers gathered on the frozen ground. Perhaps they had just arrived in a foreign country. The hearts of these young people who had just arrived in China from Japan were full of the idea of being loyal to the emperor. Many of them
He looked very excited.
They squeezed against each other, patted their waists with gloves, and chatted with each other: "Before we came out, I heard others say that the weather in China is much milder than that in Japan. Why do I feel as if it is colder than my hometown?"
"I don't know about this. I guess it's at least minus thirty-five or six degrees here, right? Maybe the Chinese troops in Taiyuan City are sweating all over because of the heat?"
"No, if you listen to the sound of artillery, it is denser than the sound of machine guns. The Chinese defenders in Taiyuan may have been blown up by the artillery before we could get over."
Since being defeated by the Liantai Militia in the Battle of Qixiaguan three years ago, the 41st Division has been reduced to a soy sauce role. It can only be responsible for maintaining law and order in the rear or suppressing guerrillas.
Last year, the then commander of the North China Front Army, Okamura Neiji, couldn't stand it any longer and transferred it back to the mainland for replenishment and reorganization.
This work lasted for more than half a year before it was completed, and now the 41st Division has regained its combat effectiveness.
No, as soon as the compilation was completed, Yoshimoto Teiichi couldn't wait to drop it back to Shanxi.
This time, Yoshimoto Teiichi's mission to the 41st Division was to help the 37th and 28th Divisions on the front line to retake the important town of Taiyuan in Shanxi, so that the Imperial Japanese Army's rule over Shanxi would become justified.
The surviving veterans of the 41st Division couldn't help but twitch the corners of their mouths when they heard what those young soldiers were talking about. These children who didn't even have full hair were really ignorant and fearless.
"Buzz buzz..."
At this moment, the roar of airplanes was heard in the sky, and the Japanese soldiers who were jumping and huddled together to keep warm looked into the sky.
At the same time, the anti-aircraft machine guns on the train fired.
Someone pointed in horror at a few black spots in the sky and shouted: "The enemy plane is coming!" The screams tore through the roar of the anti-aircraft guns, and they rushed closer and closer.
"Air strike!"
"It's the Chinese Vulture dive bomber!"
Several Type 92 13.2mm anti-aircraft machine guns on the train kept pouring bullets into the air. The roar of the aircraft, accompanied by the sharp siren and the sound of machine gun shooting, made people's ears hurt.
This year's severe cold has caused a lot of trouble for the ground staff of the Liantai Flying Corps. The aircraft cannot start normally because the weather is too cold.
However, the ground crew still showed their quick wit. The Stuka dive bomber has an all-metal structure, so the ground crew tried to heat the engine by heating it over a fire. Unexpectedly, the engine actually started to work normally. Although there was a certain risk, it failed.
It is still guaranteed that some dive bombers will be put into service.
Qingshui rushed to the open door of the car and saw countless soldiers holding rifles running in all directions on the white wilderness.
He jumped out of the car in one stride, jumped to a snowdrift on a slope, and threw himself next to a person. A wave of air hit the back of his head like a whirlwind.
Qingshui raised his head with difficulty and saw three Stuka dive bombers swooping down towards the train. The thick wings and the glass on the canopy shone with dazzling white light in the sun, and the bullets from the anti-aircraft machine guns were like a silver line.
Passing by the plane, the heavy fire from machine guns and rapid-fire cannons made the plane look like a small boat in the huge waves.