285. Chapter 285 Lao Li’s troops went south to join the war
Chapter 285 Lao Li’s troops go south to join the war
The 41st Division and the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade assembled 20,000 troops. They attacked directly from Yicheng and Jiangcheng to Henglingguan and Shunwangping.
The little devils knew the defense deployment of these troops. Originally, they felt that there were three divisions here in Shunwangping and they needed to focus on containment.
Therefore, they dispatched a main force of 8,000 people with a large number of artillery to contain them, and a force of 7,000 people with tanks and armored vehicles to storm Hengling Pass.
However, after a fierce battle, they found that the Shunwangping 43rd Army was weak in resistance, so they quickly made adjustments.
The main force of 10,000 people gathered at Hengling Pass for combat, and a large number of artillery and armored troops were assigned to fight in the Hengling Pass area.
There were only 4,000 light infantrymen at King Shun Ping, commanded by Ikegami Kenkichi, who launched diversionary operations.
Throughout the night, Ikegami Kenkichi commanded the troops to continue attacking, and they continued to gain something.
Even from Kenkichi Ikegami's point of view, if he could turn the feint attack into an all-out attack, he might be able to defeat the 43rd Army and achieve major results.
But around six o'clock in the morning, the situation completely changed.
The troops responsible for the defense launched a tenacious fire attack and even organized troops to launch counterattacks several times.
"As the old saying goes, generals will not be given military orders abroad."
The 43rd Army has been stationed here for a long time and knows the terrain here very well.
"I agree to fight however you want, but you must effectively coordinate the Zhongtiao Mountain battle."
"These Eighth Route Army soldiers are uniformly dressed and have sophisticated weapons. Their combat objectives are currently unknown."
However, the 41st Division and the Independent Mixed Ninth Brigade failed to break through the position, and the First Army Headquarters was very dissatisfied.
Even now, their advancing speed is not as fast as the infantry's two legs.
Qing Shui frowned politely, with an annoyed expression on his face.
Their main task is to protect road safety and carry out attacks on the Eighth Route Army.
If you want to capture these fortifications, even if all the artillery shells of the independent detachment are used up, the battle may not be resolved.
Six thousand men were assigned to the main artillery and armored troops continued to storm the Henglingguan position.
The various units of the 48th Independent Brigade are responsible for decentralized advancement with battalions and companies as the responsibility.
"Obviously, the Eighth Route Army has begun to mobilize to cooperate with the Zhongtiao Mountain garrison in operations."
"Otherwise, even if you assign a fatal combat mission to the independent detachment, there will be no way to support the Zhongtiao Mountain battle."
On the contrary, the frontline headquarters of the First Army quickly contacted the Japanese and puppet troops on the Northeast and East Routes and asked them to fight with all their strength in order to achieve a quick breakthrough.
In his opinion, he is sure to win the battle at Hengling Pass and Shun Wangping. As for the Glory First Division, it will be intercepted by Zijin Mountain and will not be able to come over for a while.
Six Type 38 field guns are also temporarily assigned to the 11th Reserve Brigade for operations.
The troops of the Glory First Division were bombarded one after another, and their marching speed was almost forced to a halt.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, here is the latest battle report from the Army Headquarters."
"On the other hand, the independent mixed 16th Brigade on the West Road has not achieved much results for the time being. They are fighting fiercely with the 85th Division."
What the little devils need to do now is naturally to contain the Fifth Army and the 14th Army with all their strength to prevent them from rushing to support each other and coordinate the battle.
At this time, the First Theater Command Headquarters made a relatively correct choice.
After the two divisions came together, they held their positions and completely blocked the Japanese and puppet troops, preventing them from advancing eastward.
More importantly, they also organized troops to continuously carry out guerrilla attacks.
The chief of staff Huagu was standing beside him, his head lowered and his expression solemn.
Sending their troops to support operations in the Jiangcheng area at this time may produce a series of unpredictable consequences.
A large number of their vehicles stepped on the accelerator and rushed south quickly to support the Jiangcheng battle.
After hanging up the phone, Li Yunlong decisively issued the order, and the independent detachment began to head south.
"You have to consider whether your Li Yunlong's head is strong enough. If it delays the battle, ten Li Yunlongs won't be enough to chop off the head."
Yoshio Shinozuka stood in front of the map with a pale face, and his eyes were almost filled with anger.
After all, there are only more than 10,000 puppet troops here, and the number of puppet troops is relatively large.
However, no one expected that these troops would quickly move south along the road, which was either mined or destroyed.
"At the same time, their main force continues to press southward and has gained some positions. It is expected that within a few days, they will be able to completely defeat the main force of the 14th Group Army."
"Now we must focus on dealing with the Glory First Division to prevent them from affecting our operations here in Zhongtiao Mountain."
To this end, they transferred Major General Suzuki Akihisa, commander of the 27th Infantry Regiment under the 27th Division, to form the Suzuki Detachment.
The Glory First Division bypassed Purple Mountain and was rapidly advancing towards Jiao Town, preparing to attack Jiangcheng in a roundabout way.
These infantrymen went all the way south. They were not going to advance to the battlefield and attack the Glory First Division.
The 83rd Independent Reconnaissance Aircraft Squadron, which is affiliated to the First Flight Regiment, has dispatched more than a dozen reconnaissance aircraft repeatedly, constantly locking the position of the Glory First Division.
Under such circumstances, Yoshio Shinozuka would definitely not mobilize their troops for combat.
After the 27th Division adjusted its strategy, at ten o'clock, the Suzuki detachment began to set off smoothly.
Chu Yunfei, Chen Ziyun and others quickly met, and after repeated discussions, they decided to disperse and advance.
He was about to show that he obeyed the order, but Brigadier Chen approved his request for combat.
Its engineering regiment was even urgently transported to the front line to undertake tasks such as mine clearance and road construction.
Brigadier Chen's serious voice came through the microphone, and Li Yunlong hurriedly made a guarantee.
During the Japanese battle on the North Road, major changes occurred due to the arrival of the Glory First Division.
"The same thing that has not made any progress is ours. We have not been able to break through the Hengling Pass and Shun Wangping positions for the time being."
"The 21st Division, 35th Division and other units on the East Road have quickly broken through the Ninth Army's positions, and they are accelerating their advancement to the west."
"The Chief of Guard personally sent a message to the headquarters from the capital, hoping that the headquarters can lend a helping hand."
"Otherwise, if the headquarters holds you accountable, it will be easy for you to be beaten to the end."
Suzuki Keihisa proposed to command the infantry to advance quickly, but this plan was instantly rejected by the military headquarters.
The 4,000-man troops continued to defend Zijin Mountain.
He was appointed as a new officer. In March, he succeeded Tian Daoshengwu as the commander of the 41st Division.
It was at this time that the 27th Division troops began to deploy light infantry to advance rapidly.
In particular, these little devils were all lightly-armed infantry. Faced with the full attack of the 43rd Army, they gradually became unable to withstand the attack and suffered more and more casualties.
Of course, the joints between the Third Army and the 80th Army are now cut off, and the 36th and 37th Divisions are trying their best to encircle and annihilate the 80th Army. The battle here in the west is still very dangerous.
After nine o'clock, there were occasional gunshots on the road south of Pingyang City. This was the Japs carrying out combat attacks on the Eighth Route Army.
Ikegami Kenkichi realized something was wrong, and he hurriedly reported to the 41st Division Lieutenant General Shimizu Noriyoshi, the commander of the division.
However, the Japs' attacking force weakened and each unit fought tenaciously, but still held their position.
The marching troops of the Glory First Division were affected and were forced to disperse and hide in place.
It is very rare for Qingshui Ruler, who has just taken office, to have such a large-scale operation.
"At present, the department is fully encircling the 80th Army and preparing to completely annihilate it, and then launch an operation against the Third Army."
After the Chief of Staff saluted, he quickly reported.
Li Yunlong said with a pleading face, he wanted to fight freely.
A large number of aerial bombs were dropped, and deafening explosions were heard.
"Brigadier Commander, you know our Lao Li's ability. Without this ability, we would not be able to accept combat missions."
The two sides started a fierce battle. In the end, the Japs were forced to retreat due to lack of heavy weapons and stopped attacking.
This was a battle in which no results could be obtained despite all efforts and a large amount of artillery shells. Naturally, Li Yunlong was not happy about it.
There is indeed a full division of the 33rd Division in Jincheng and Yangcheng, as well as the absolute main force of the 4th Cavalry Brigade.
The brigade commander's voice came from the microphone, and Li Yunlong was startled.
When the defensive position was bombed, the position was destroyed and the troops suffered greater casualties.
Qingshui stood in front of the map and waited quietly for news from the front line.
"Your Excellency, Commander, do we want to dispatch the 33rd Division and other troops from Jincheng and Yangcheng to rush over for reinforcements?"
They are reinforced with a large number of trucks and motorcycles, giving them the ability to maneuver quickly.
"According to reliable information, Hongdong City, also known as the front line in ancient times, has eight or nine thousand troops gathered."
In Pingyang City, here is the frontline headquarters of the First Army.
"Those in Shaanxi Province have received the message from the Chief of Guard. Li Yunlong, do you know the importance of this battle?"
Although the 84th Division and the 94th Division were unable to coordinate their defense, news of the arrival of reinforcements was passed on.
He Jingzhi personally sent a message and asked the 14th Army to command the 83rd Division and the 85th Division to block the independent mixed 16th Brigade on the West Road.
Wei Junru has a very close relationship with the Eighth Route Army. He once went to Shaanxi Province and received a high standard of reception.
The 11th Brigade was prepared to conduct a feint attack on Zijin Mountain to cover the main advance.
But the beautiful imagination was quickly shattered. The division's chief of staff quickly walked in from outside.
These bombers respectively bombed the Glory 1st Division, the Henglingguan position, and the Shunwangping position that were making a detour.
Hua Guzheng hesitated for a moment, pointed to Jincheng and other areas on the map, and directly made suggestions.
That is the 83rd Division troops deployed by the 14th Army on the south bank. After overnight transportation, they have arrived at the north bank area.
Chu Yunfei and Chen Ziyun's troops have expanded. Can three or four thousand infantrymen deal with them?
At the same time, the main force of the 41st Division was fighting here at Hengling Pass, but it was also met with tenacious defense.
When the joints of the 5th and 14th Army failed to be cut off.
Chu Yunfei and Chen Ziyun's Glory First Division also arranged the 27th Division to deal with it.
Even Qingshui Juju imagined that he would command the main force to quickly advance to Yuanqu City and cut off the connection between the 5th and 14th Group Armies.
The position that should have been broken through was now held.
To the east, they also face the Lingchuan 27th Army. They are dealing with four armies, and the overall pressure is considerable.
Major General Kenkichi Ikegami, commander of the Independent Mixed Ninth Brigade, sent a message saying that their attack at Shunwangping was frustrated and they needed heavy weapons support.
"They have the Fourth Cavalry Brigade here. They may be able to quickly maneuver to the battlefield and intercept the Glory First Division troops."
Hanatani took a deep breath, came to Yoshio Shinozuka, and said with a complicated expression.
The morale of the two divisions was high, and they fought more resolutely. They took advantage of the terrain and blocked the attacks of the Japanese troops time and time again.
Now, eight or nine thousand troops have appeared, but they have no troops to mobilize to annihilate them.
The 85th Division of the 14th Army they had to deal with was not a weak force and would be unable to break through for a while, which Yoshio Shinozuka could accept.
Yoshio Shinozuka pointed at the map and said with a serious expression on his face.
"Quickly contact various ministries to adjust combat deployments, and at the same time, quickly contact the military headquarters to request tactical guidance."
He hurriedly adjusted his deployment, and his 16,000-man troops were divided into three groups to fight.
But they need to face the 15th Army, 93rd Army, and 98th Army of the 14th Army in the south.
"The 36th Division and the 37th Division continue to attack from the northwest and have cut off the joint areas of the Third Army of the Fifth Group Army and the 80th Army."
Just thinking about such a result makes Qingshui Rules jump with excitement!
They would occasionally drop the aerial bombs they carried to bomb the Glory First Division.
Before, the little devils kept trying to capture the main force of the Eighth Route Army and annihilate it, but the main force of the Eighth Route Army did not show up at all.
"Let me tell you, this order was issued directly from the headquarters."
The Fifth Army's retreat was temporarily secured.
The cavalry battalion, attached to the reconnaissance company, quickly advanced towards Jiangcheng.
"Li Yunlong, please stop bargaining with me."
This caused their vehicles to instantly become a burden, and the speed of the troops who could originally maneuver quickly dropped immediately.
"Ignore them, these Tubal roads won't make much waves."
The five thousand troops are equipped with some artillery to strengthen the defense here in Jiangcheng.
"Tell them that they must launch a combat attack on the Glory First Division before it threatens Jiangcheng."
A communications staff officer came quickly from outside and made a hurried report.
The defense positions, which were originally full of loopholes, have strengthened defense in depth. No matter where they attack from, they will be hit by the defense.
Jiangcheng area, 41st Division Headquarters.
He constantly provided various support to the Eighth Route Army and had a good relationship with the commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief.
The answer is obvious!
"Your Excellency, Commander, the roads were mined and damaged by the Eighth Route Army."
At this time, here at the independent detachment, Li Yunlong was holding a microphone and talking to Brigadier Chen.
"Contact the 27th Division immediately and ask them to accelerate towards the battlefield."
At the same time, a force was used to cooperate with the 27th Division to quickly encircle and annihilate the Glory 1st Division.
"The Jinsui Army in Shunwangping must have taken active combat operations because the Glory First Division rushed over for reinforcements."
He gradually realized that not only was there no progress here, they were even at risk of losing the battle!
"Purple Mountain troops cannot be mobilized. There are only light infantry here. If they come to the town for defense, they will be a living target."
The temporary 47th Division dispatched two main regiments of nearly 4,000 troops to carry out guerrilla warfare, which posed a certain threat to the Japanese troops.
Major General Toyoji Akiyama directly dispatched Bomber Squadron 90 to rush over for reinforcements, and bombers arrived in Jiangcheng and other areas one after another.
This will be of great help to his future promotion.
"Baga Yalu, the damn Glory First Division!"
Starting at eight o'clock in the morning, the Yunxian First Flying Regiment began intensive bombing of the Glory First Division.
In the artillery regiment, except for the Type 38 field gun which cannot be dismantled, all other artillery pieces that can be dismantled are dismantled into parts for transportation.
"The 33rd Division and the 4th Cavalry Brigade in the northeast not only blocked the Lingchuan 27th Army, but also prevented them from rushing to support the battle."
At this time, all the ministries of the Little Devils have made progress, and all ministries are proceeding according to the established plan.
What the brigade headquarters wants here is for the independent detachment to quickly go south and carry out combat attacks on the outskirts of Pingyang City.
At seven o'clock in the morning, the First Flying Group located in Yun County, Shanxi Province made arrangements.
Qingshui frowned and came to the map. He looked at the map and thought about it, trying to adjust his deployment.
The troops of the Glory 1st Division advanced rapidly. They took battalions as units and directly carried out large-scale detours.
"As long as you let me command the battle, I promise that I will fully support the battle and will definitely achieve results for you."
The 16th independent mixed brigade on the west road has not made any progress, which is expected.
The 90th Bomber Wing dispatched bombers one after another to bomb the Glory First Division to prevent them from rapidly advancing towards Jiangcheng.
Kenji Ikegami organized an all-out attack at 6:50, while the 43rd Army under the command of Zhao Chuanbi defended tenaciously.
After all, as long as he achieves results in battle, he will definitely have a very beautiful record on his resume.
The various ministries were broken into pieces and dispersed towards Jiangcheng to avoid the bombing of the Japs.
Frontline combat troops began to be mobilized back, and the defensive pressure on Hengling Pass and Shunwangping was naturally relieved.
The Japanese army was fully prepared this time and made all planned plans.
Yoshio Shinozuka shook his head and directly arranged for the communications troops to contact the commander of the 1st Flight Regiment, Akiyama Toyoji, and requested the aviation troops to fully support the operation.
Because Shinozuka Yoshio and others knew that if they simply sent infantry there, they would be facing death.
After the two pieces of news were passed on, Qing Shui was stunned for a moment.
Relevant staff officers immediately made arrangements, and the communications corps quickly contacted the troops of the 27th Division and asked them to speed up the advance.
It has been proven in practice that as long as the superior officers do not give random orders, the corps commander directs the armies to fight, and the division commander directs the divisions to fight.
The Suzuki detachment currently has the 1st Garrisoned Infantry Regiment, the 1st Mountain Artillery Battalion, the Royal Associated Army Artillery Battalion, the 1st Independent Tank Squadron, and the 8th Armored Vehicle Squadron.
Without intervention, these troops would still be capable of fighting.
A force of 5,000 men, equipped with certain artillery pieces, would contain Shun Wangping's 43rd Army.
Even at this moment, Qingshui Ruijin felt that the position of military commander seemed to be waving towards him!
Li Yunlong was not happy when he heard this. Pingyang City was an important town in southern Shanxi, and the Japs had built many semi-permanent fortifications around it.
"The message sent by the military headquarters expresses serious dissatisfaction..."
Their army of more than 20,000 people is also very powerful.
In 1938, when the Eighth Route Army was most short of ammunition, Wei Junru gave millions of rounds of bullets.
At this time, Wei Junru personally asked for help, and the Eighth Route Army naturally provided full support.
As the main force, the independent detachment will definitely participate in the war.
Brigadier Chen's troops and Division Commander Liu's troops will be mobilized to support the Zhongtiao Mountain battle.
