The more important thing in the Yuncheng area is Zhongtiao Mountain rather than Yuncheng.
The reason is that Zhongtiao Mountain is not only a mountainous area, but also a line of defense known as the "Oriental Maginot". The stubborn army has been operating here for several years. The mountain is dotted with bunkers, caves, bunkers and other fortifications.
Moreover, after Zhongtiao Mountain was occupied, it was of little significance to the Japs and did not pose a threat... The defense direction of Zhongtiao Mountain was opposite to the Japs' offensive direction, so it was meaningless. At the same time, the Japs did not believe that the Chinese army had the ability to recapture it.
Zhongtiao Mountain, so these fortification devils believed that they did not pose a threat.
The latter was indeed a miscalculation on the part of the Japanese.
Mainly because the Japanese set the imaginary enemy in Zhongtiao Mountain as a stubborn army.
If the stubborn army wants to retake Zhongtiao Mountain, they must first cross the Yellow River, which is unimaginable to the Japanese... A river-crossing battle is different from a land battle. Land battles can be fought with troops, but river-crossing battles are basically fought by the air force.
Determined by artillery and shallow-water ships.
As long as such equipment has the advantage, if the enemy builds a pontoon bridge, he will blow up a pontoon bridge, and no matter how many sailing ships come, they will be sunk in the Yellow River with artillery fire, then the enemy's troops will be useless no matter how many they have.
The Japanese had great confidence in their air force, artillery and shallow-water ships (mainly light gunboats), so they had no worries about the stubborn army being able to cross the Yellow River.
Because they were not worried about the stubborn troops crossing the Yellow River, the Japanese were very relieved about Zhongtiao Mountain, so the fortifications on the mountain were not blown up.
How could the Japanese have imagined that it would be the Eighth Route Army and not the stubborn army that would occupy Zhongtiao Mountain?
As a result, almost all the fortifications on Zhongtiao Mountain fell into the hands of the Eighth Route Army intact.
To the stubborn soldiers and Japanese soldiers, these fortifications could be described as "simple", but to the Eighth Route Army, they were simply "luxurious".
The defense line responsible for the independent regiment was called Camel Ridge because it was composed of two hump-like peaks.
Luotuoling is not far from Yuncheng. After going down the mountain, it is only a dozen miles away, which puts Yuncheng within the range of artillery.
This was originally the garrison of a regiment of the 8th Army of the stubborn 39th Group Army. The defense line stretching for several kilometers is full of bunkers built with huge rocks and filling the gaps with cement. Some bunkers were dug directly out of the stone mountains.
To describe it, it cannot be destroyed.
Then there are communication trenches and trenches between the bunkers, barbed wire outside, and artillery positions in the rear, etc.
After the soldiers arrived, their faces were all happy. Even the dormitories were built in caves, with beds, tables, kangs, etc., and there was even a sweet spring in the cave.
The soldiers could not believe that they could be stationed in such a luxurious defense line in this life. They all felt as if they had moved to a new home.
Li Yunlong looked at the defense facilities with a fierce expression.
Wang Xuexin felt a little strange when he saw it, so he asked: "Captain, are you... dissatisfied with this line of defense?"
Li Yunlong replied angrily: "How can you do that? If you are not satisfied with this kind of defense, then you will not be able to find a more satisfactory defense!"
What this means is that the stubborn army considers that it has no air and artillery advantages compared with the Japanese, so every fortification here takes into account air defense and artillery defense. Many positions are inaccessible to the Japanese, but the defenders can.
When it came to the Japs, it was no wonder that the Japs failed to attack after several attacks.
Zhao Gang felt strange when he heard this and asked Li Yunlong: "Old Li, since you are very satisfied with this fortification, why is it still like this?"
Li Yunlong replied with a sigh: "Old Zhao, don't even think about it. Our people have spent so much blood, sweat, manpower and material resources to build this fortification. This damn defense line is in the hands of the stubborn army, and they only have a few days."
Time is lost! These prodigal sons, look at their potential!"
Zhao Gang laughed: "Old Li, it's not the first time you have known the virtues of the stubborn army, and you can still be so angry! But then again, if it weren't for the incompetence of the stubborn army, would this line of defense still fall into our hands?
"
"Yes, yes!" Li Yunlong said and became happy: "Fortunately, we got it back again, otherwise we would be so damn angry..."
"I'm angry that I won't fight, and I hate my misfortune!" Zhao Gang added.
"That's what I mean!" Li Yunlong slapped his thigh and said, "It's better for scholars to speak happily!"
Then Li Yunlong turned his attention to Yuncheng in the distance, shook his head and said with a smile: "Those guys in the Jinsui Army, they didn't take advantage of this advantage but went to Yuncheng! They suffered a loss and thought they got a treasure!"
Wang Xuexin understood what Li Yunlong meant.
Although Yuncheng has city walls, fortifications and gun towers outside the city, the Japanese planes can blow up artillery and cannons. If it is surrounded, it will be captured sooner or later.
But Zhongtiao Mountain...
This is a defense line that is 160 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide. It is heavily fortified, and it is a mountainous area with difficult terrain. Tanks, planes, and artillery are all useless here. I really don’t know who will win or lose in a fight.
.
However, what Li Yunlong did not consider was how the Jinsui Army could defend the defense line in this mountainous area.
What to do with their supplies?
How to solve daily necessities?
Can you bear the hardship of living in the mountains for many years?
The Eighth Route Army, on the other hand, took matters into its own hands to provide enough food and clothing. On the one hand, it could get support from the people in the mountains to obtain some supplies, and on the other hand, it planted fields wherever it went, so supplies were not a problem at all.
Therefore, it is not that Yan Laoxi is stupid and does not know to choose the more important Zhongtiao Mountain, but that he cannot. This line of defense is an "artifact" for the Eighth Route Army, but it is a dead end for the Jinsui Army... This line of defense is
If even the stubborn army can't hold it, how can the Jin-Sui Army hold it?
Wang Xuexin and others do not need to think too much about these matters. What they have to do is to further improve the fortifications on Zhongtiao Mountain to prepare for possible Japanese attacks.
At the same time, the Eighth Route Army built a defense line on the other side of Zhongtiao Mountain... There were also Japs in the other direction of Zhongtiao Mountain, that is, on the north bank of the Yellow River, and there were quite a lot of them, with a total of two divisions and three puppet divisions.
However, these Japanese and puppet troops were now in a very embarrassing situation: they were surrounded by enemies from both sides and were caught between the Eighth Route Army and the stubborn army.
At this time, if the stubborn army is willing to cooperate with the Eighth Route Army to attack the Japanese, then the Japanese will probably be surrounded and suffer heavy losses.
At this time, the headquarters also had the same plan, and the headquarters even sent its chief of staff to negotiate with the recalcitrant troops.
but……
A week later, Zhao Gang angrily said in the meeting: "Comrades, the stubborn army plans to sign a so-called understanding bill with the Japanese, which means they want to make peace with the Japanese!"
There was an explosion of "coaxing" in the conference room. No one expected that the stubborn army would risk the world's disapproval and sign an "understanding" with the Japanese at this time.