The Japanese attack on the steel plant started in the early morning of the next day.
Since the steel plant was the main direction of the enemy's attack, their offensive was as violent as an overwhelming mountain:
The artillery of two artillery regiments provided firepower on both sides, and in the air there were a squadron of fighters and a squadron of bombers participating in the battle...
Originally, under the threat of the Eighth Route Army's "La 5", the Japanese aviation force, especially the bombers, basically did not dare to participate in the war.
But the exception is if the main direction of attack is set at the steel plant.
The reason is that the Eighth Route Army aviation will be in a dilemma at this time. It is either they participating in the war or not participating in the war.
To join the war, the fighter planes must land at the temporary airport at the steel plant.
At this time, if the infantry of the imperial army advances a few miles, can the artillery hit the steel factory airport? Then will the fighter planes have to brave the artillery fire of the imperial army to land and take risks to refuel and mount bombs?
This is obviously very dangerous.
If the Eighth Route Army Air Force does not participate in the war, there is no doubt that the Imperial Army will have the upper hand in terms of air supremacy.
Sure enough, the Eighth Route Army Air Force did not participate in the war.
This doubled the confidence of Yui Nakata, commander of the 59th Division.
Nakata Yui led the 59th Division to fight back and forth in the steel plant area several times, but each time it ended in failure. The last time, under the counterattack of the Eighth Route Army's repeating rifles, it could even be said to be a "rout"
”.
This gave Yui Nakata some psychological shadow. Before the war, he worriedly said to his staff: "If all the Eighth Route Army is equipped with such repeating rifles, then even if there is only one regiment of their troops stationed at the steel plant, then
It’s also difficult to deal with!”
The staff officer had no objections. He was also one of the people who abandoned all their equipment and escaped from the last battle. He understood that the repeating rifles of the Eighth Route Army could burst out huge firepower in a short period of time. This firepower was enough to suppress or even tear apart any imperial army.
A line of defense.
And if this kind of rifle is used for defense on high ground... I'm afraid not even a division can defeat an enemy regiment!
But of course the staff officer would not say these things.
Staff officer An Wei Nakata said: "Major General, we have an advantage in artillery. No matter how advanced the enemy's rifles are, there is nothing we can do about the artillery bombing, right? What's more, we can consider wearing down the enemy in terms of supplies. This kind of repeating rifle will definitely
Easier to consume ammo!”
Nakata Yui nodded and replied: "This is the only way!"
Therefore, Nakata Yui was very conservative from the beginning of this battle. He followed the advice of his staff. On the one hand, he used artillery fire to bomb the Eighth Route Army's positions and its logistics supply lines. On the other hand, he sent a small number of troops to continuously test the Eighth Route Army's defense lines.
Sexual charge in an attempt to consume the ammunition of the Eighth Route Army...
This moment made Nakata Yui very depressed.
I think back then, when the Imperial Army faced off against the Chinese Army, the battle was over in a single wave. How could it be like now, with the superiority in artillery fire and troop strength, but they still had to carefully advance the defense line bit by bit?
Move forward, and the tactic is to consume enemy ammunition.
But the reality on the battlefield is such that no matter how unwilling Nakata Yui is, he would not dare to risk his subordinates' lives and his own future in a desperate battle.
Until dozens of imperial fighter planes successfully seized the air superiority of the steel plant and immediately bombed the temporary airport of the steel plant, Yui Nakata finally felt bad.
"The Eighth Route Army is the Eighth Route Army after all!" Nakata Yui looked at the fighter planes flying in the sky and laughed: "They still don't know how to conduct air-ground coordinated operations!"
Then the information coming from the front made Yui Nakata even more overjoyed.
A communications soldier hunched over and ran to Yui Nakata, who was watching the battle, and reported: "Your Excellency, Major General, the enemy in front of us is showing signs of retreat!"
This surprised Nakata Yui. Did this victory come too suddenly?
But when I think about it, it’s not surprising.
What a repeating rifle needs most is ammunition. If air superiority is lost, it means that the Eighth Route Army cannot guarantee supplies from the steel plant to the frontline fortifications. Then can the Eighth Route Army's frontline defenses be maintained?
At this time, the Eighth Route Army's best choice should be to withdraw to the steel plant and use the city walls and fortifications there to continue defense!
Sure enough, then another intelligence came from the front: "The Eighth Route Army has withdrawn to the steel plant one by one!"
Nakata Yui was overjoyed and immediately ordered: "Pursue the whole army and trap the Eighth Route Army in the steel factory!"
Nakata Yui knew that the terrain of the steel plant was very suitable for bolt-action rifle combat.
Repeating rifles can fire continuously but have a short range...The Empire has obtained the repeating rifle and is conducting preliminary tests on it.
And the steel plant is surrounded by hundreds of meters of open space. Although this is not suitable for the imperial army to charge, if the imperial army forms a circle on the outside and is within the range of a bolt-action rifle, can the Eighth Route Army inside still be able to charge out?
As for how to attack the steel plant, this has never been a problem for the empire.
Bombardment with artillery fire is an option, but Imperial troops will not do it.
The reason is that the empire also lacks steel, and the steel plant is also a very important resource for the empire. Of course, the empire must make every effort to completely return the steel plant to its own hands.
Therefore, Nakata Yui did not hesitate and immediately ordered: "Move up the 'special bomb' unit!"
The so-called "special bombs" refer to poison gas bombs.
This thing is indeed an excellent piece of equipment for attacking targets like the steel plant... The steel plant is relatively closed, and the poison gas bombs can kill all the enemies inside, but the equipment in the steel plant is unharmed.
At the same time, the empire does not need to send troops to fight on the streets with the enemy in the steel factory.
Just kidding, if it were in the past, Yui Nakata might still fight in the streets with the Eighth Route Army, but now, after the Eighth Route Army has the repeating rifle, wouldn't fighting with them in street fights be courting death?
Because of these considerations, Nakata Yui surrounded the steel plant with only one brigade left, while other troops continued to advance along the defense line...
This is not because Nakata Yui is asking for help, but because Nakata Yui thinks that a large force of troops is enough to surround the steel plant.
At the same time, other troops continued to advance in order to isolate the steel plant from the outside world so that the Eighth Route Army could not reinforce it.
As soon as the "special bomb" troops are mobilized, it will be the moment when the steel plant returns to the embrace of the empire.
Nakata Yui never thought that his approach was completely within Wang Xuexin's calculation and judgment.
It's not hard to guess.
If the Japanese want to completely retake the steel plant, this is how they should play.
There was nothing wrong with this strategy originally. The Eighth Route Army armed with repeating rifles could only be trapped in the steel factory waiting for "gas bombs". The repeating rifles in the hands of the Eighth Route Army would even become trophies for the Japanese.
The problem is...
Nakata Yui was completely unaware that they had "surrounded" an army that could not be contained.