When Wang Xuexin used the strategy of "cutting the bank of the river", he considered many aspects, such as the troop strength and tactics of the Japanese, and even analyzed the psychology of the Eighth Route Army from the perspective of the Japanese.
But after deciding on this strategy, all these considerations no longer need to be considered.
Because Wang Xuexin was waiting for one thing: to see whether the Japanese would build a railway into the city as he hoped.
The Japs stationed in Yuncheng are the Ninth Mixed Brigade, an old rival of the Eighth Route Army.
The original brigade commander of this brigade was Major General Shigekawa Rikishi. He was surrounded by an independent group in Zhaojiayu and finally committed suicide.
The brigade commander committed suicide, which was a shame for the Japanese, so Major General Kenkichi Ikegami, who took over, wanted to win the war. Whenever there was a war, he would ask his superiors to join the war.
But the reality is that Ikegami Kenkichi is quite disappointed. The Ninth Mixed Brigade is assigned the task of logistics and protecting traffic lines every time.
This time was no exception. The attack on the flanks of the Eighth Route Army did not involve the Ninth Mixed Brigade. They did not arrange to enter Yuncheng until after it was captured and were responsible for the transportation and logistics in the Yuncheng area.
"Have we been abandoned by our superiors?" Ikegami Kenkichi stood in front of the window of the headquarters quite depressed, looking at the groups of imperial soldiers training outside the window and said thoughtfully: "In charge of logistics, we can't deal with it.
They are just guerrillas. If you want to restore the reputation of the 9th Brigade... there is no hope at all!"
"Your Excellency, Major General!" Staff Officer Tomie Asakawa consoled him: "Yuncheng is extremely important to our army's logistics. Maybe our superiors place us here as a sign of their importance!"
Ikegami Kenji did not answer.
He knew this was just a self-comforting statement.
Although as Asakawa said, Yuncheng's geographical location is extremely important, the point is that the possibility of the Eighth Route Army attacking Yuncheng is almost zero... The imperial army has blocked the Eighth Route Army in the Luliang Mountains. Whether the Eighth Route Army can break through this line of defense is a question, let alone
Attacked Yuncheng.
Moreover, even if the Eighth Route Army reaches Yuncheng, there are city walls and fortresses everywhere, and only a few thousand people can defend it watertight.
But now, the strength of Yuncheng, including the "Peaceful Founding Army" and the Military Police Brigade, has reached more than 10,000, which makes even Ikegami Kenkichi feel that the Ninth Brigade came here to recuperate.
At this time, Asakawa received a telegram from his assistant, and then reported with an unexpected look: "Your Majesty, Major General, the Eighth Route Army is frequently using spray bombs to carry out sneak attacks on our army. Yesterday they attacked Linfen Railway Station and Ningshan Warehouse.
They even made sneak attacks during the day, and our superiors reminded us to be on guard!"
Ikegami Kenji just said "Yeah" and didn't take this matter too seriously.
What Ikegami Kenki didn't know was that the information he heard was actually Wang Xuexin's vaccination.
If the Eighth Route Army had launched a sneak attack on Yuncheng Railway Station from the very beginning, it would have likely alerted the Japanese:
"Why did the Eighth Route Army launch its first sneak attack on Yuncheng Railway Station?"
"Is there any plan for Yuncheng?"
"Should we strengthen our defenses or let the intelligence unit conduct reconnaissance?"
…
Therefore, Wang Xuexin chose to sneak attack on the other two targets first and then attack the Yuncheng Railway Station, which would make the Japanese think it was an "indiscriminate attack."
Just when Ikegami Kenji was still caring about himself and feeling pity for others, there was a faint explosion outside the city. This surprised the battle-hardened Ikegami Kenji. He reflexively looked in the direction of the explosion.
Go, although his sight is blocked by the city wall and he can't see anything.
"What happened?" Ikegami Kenji asked.
There was no need for Kenkichi Ikegami to ask, Asakawa had already called the Umeda Brigade immediately... As a staff officer of the Umeda Brigade stationed outside the North Gate City, Asakawa already knew this.
After a while, Asakawa received the news and reported to Ikegami Kenkichi: "Your Excellency, Major General, the train station was attacked by an enemy spray bomb! It was an incendiary bomb, and our army is doing its best to put out the fire!"
The incendiary bomb ignited a pile of grain piled in the open air.
There are many of these supplies in the train station, and since there isn't much space to store them, they are simply covered with tarps to protect them from getting wet.
As a result, it was a good thing that the Japanese did not put out the fire, but more than a dozen of the Japanese who participated in putting out the fire were burned to death.
Ikegami Kenji was shocked when he got the result: "Why were so many people burned? Did they throw themselves into the fire?"
"Your Excellency, Major General!" Ikegami Kenji replied: "This is a new type of gasoline bomb of the Eighth Route Army. Our army has experienced it on the battlefield. Once this kind of gasoline bomb is ignited, it is difficult to extinguish it. When water is poured on it, it will splash everywhere.
The soldiers couldn't get rid of it. Our army was inexperienced, so sixteen people were burned and five died on the spot!"
Asakawa's use of the word "difficult to extinguish" is actually not accurate. It should be "impossible to extinguish".
Asakawa said this because he had only heard about it but had never actually seen it, so he left some room in his words.
Ikegami Kenji's expression changed when he heard this.
After a while, he asked: "Is the fire under control?"
"Yes!" Asakawa replied: "Don't worry, we removed the surrounding flammable materials in time and have the fire under control!"
This answer shocked Kenji Ikegami. He just lit a pile of food. Moreover, it was still during the day. There was a full brigade and two battalions of the "Peace Founding Army" near the station. They actually had to pass through to burn the surrounding flammable
Only by removing objects can the fire be controlled.
If this incendiary bomb hits a warehouse instead of food, does that mean...
This was actually Wang Xuexin's intention. A large number of strategic materials were piled up at the station, many of which were flammable and explosive. What they feared most was actually fire rather than explosions.
So obviously, this is where the Molotov cocktails come into play.
"Did you catch the target?" Ikegami Kenda asked through gritted teeth.
It's miserable enough that he was left idle here, but he was actually being carried over by the guerrillas. He couldn't bear to say anything like this!
But Asakawa was silent. He carefully bent over and bowed slightly, and replied: "I'm very sorry, Your Excellency! We... may not be able to seize the target!"
"What?" Ikegami Kenkichi knocked Asakawa to the ground with a heavy slap, and shouted angrily: "Asshole, the enemy is sending artillery shells to our military station, killing and wounding more than a dozen of our troops, but we can't actually catch the target.
!”
Asakawa hurriedly got up from the ground and bowed while explaining: "I'm very sorry, Your Excellency Major General! The superior's telegram reminded me that the enemy's spray-injection bombs have a range of five kilometers or even six kilometers, and they are firing at our troops from very far away.
, by the time we arrive, the enemy may have already escaped... I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Then Kenkichi Ikegami understood what was going on.
Five or six kilometers... This is a straight line distance, which means that it will take at least ten minutes for the imperial army to reach the launch site.
Within ten minutes, the guerrillas had already disappeared without a trace.
Ikegami Kenji couldn't help but sigh: No wonder they dared to sneak attack during the day.