The Fifth Division's offensive was overwhelming, and Hideki Tojo was not to be outdone. He used planes, tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, and infantry and cavalry, and more than 10,000 people began a crazy attack. Hideki Tojo once again performed the Japanese attack in the east and in the west.
After capturing a small part of the 402nd regiment's position, Tojo Hideki suddenly turned around and attacked the 425th regiment's position next to it. At this time, the 425th regiment was still planning to support the 402nd, but was caught off guard. In addition,
The fortifications had no defense and suffered heavy casualties. A single contact would result in over a hundred casualties.
Li Fuying was furious when he saw how passive the front line was. He also knew that the leader of the 425th Regiment, Li Zaixi, was a little afraid of fighting. He called the 131st Brigade Commander Yang Weiheng and said, "Commander Yang, I am Li Fuying. I order you to personally
Go to position 402 and command the defense. I tell you, if you lose the position within three days, don't come back."
When Yang Weiheng heard what Li Fuying said, he knew that Li Fuying, who was called a good old man in the army, was forced to do nothing, so he quickly replied, "Don't worry, military seat, unless I die, the position will not be lost!"
At this time, Tojo Hideki looked at the position in front of him that was suppressed by his own artillery fire and plane bombing and couldn't raise his head. He nodded and said, "Where is the Honda brigade?"
The staff officer next to him replied, "We can reach the battlefield in two days."
Tojo Hideki said with a smile, "Order the troops to cover with artillery fire, with tanks in front and infantry behind, and attack slowly from a distance. Don't be anxious."
However, the 402nd Regiment only had 1,700 men. Even if the Japanese army deliberately released water, three of the nine company commanders were beaten in three days, three were killed, five were seriously injured, and only one was still on the position. The entire regiment was beaten with only 700 men left.
For the rest, it was thanks to Li Fuying that Yang Weiheng led the supervising team behind, otherwise they would have been disbanded.
September 7
When the 61st Army was fully reinforcing the 402nd Regiment, Tojo Hideki turned his guns again. This time he put the main force on his real target-the 402nd Regiment on the main peak of Panshan Mountain.
The leader of the 400th Regiment is Li Shengrun. He has a very good personal relationship with Li Zaixi of the 425th Regiment. Seeing the flames of bombing on the 425th position every day, he couldn't help but feel anxious. He even asked himself to bring a battalion of troops to support him, but Li Zaixi was ignored.
He refused on the grounds that his position was more important. That night, he looked at the 425th position that was finally quiet and breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his friend had survived another day.
What Li Shengrun didn't know was that at the foot of his mountain, countless gun muzzles were adjusting their positions at him. Thousands of Japanese troops spread out, using the cover of night to slowly climb towards the main peak position. Many later films and TV shows
Literary works say that the Japanese army is not good at night fighting, which is pure nonsense. The Japanese army does not like to launch night battles in China mainly because they cannot use their firepower advantage. Just ask the ghosts of the US military in the Pacific to understand the Japanese army's night fighting capabilities.
Tojo Hideki sat drinking tea and playing Go with a staff officer, and asked, "What time is it?"
An officer next to him replied, "It's one o'clock in the morning."
Tojo Hideki nodded and said, "Let's get started."
Li Shengrun was resting when he suddenly felt the ground shaking, followed by a thunderous explosion.
Li Shengrun woke up and shouted, "What's going on? What's going on?"
The guard next to him shouted, "Commander, the Japs are attacking. A large number of Japs have already rushed towards Battalion Commander Gao's position."
Li Shengrun looked up and saw, right? The front position was already a sea of fire, and there were sounds of fighting everywhere.
Li Shengrun hurriedly shouted, "Hurry, contact the military seat! The Japanese are coming."
At this time, Li Fuying, who had been on guard for three days, was already convinced that Yan Xishan's order had been fulfilled anyway. At this time, the communications soldier ran in again and said, "Report to the military seat, there is a call from the headquarters."
Li Fuying took it and took a look, but it was Yan Xishan who ordered it to be guarded for another three days to buy time for reinforcements to arrive. If nothing can be done, they can retreat at once.
Li Fuling sighed, looked at the battle map, and thought about how to delay the next step, but he heard the roaring sound of shelling again. Li Fuling cursed, "Damn little devil, the shelling started again, you know you are not bullying us."
What cannon."
The brigade commander next to him, Liu Tanfu, frowned and said, "Military seat, that's not right. This sound doesn't seem to be coming from the direction of the 425th Regiment. Instead, it sounds a bit like the direction of the winding mountain."
When Li Fuying heard this, he realized that the voice was wrong. Just as he was about to go out to check, the communications trooper ran in and said, "Report to the military base, the 400th Regiment is reporting urgently. The Japanese army suddenly attacked the main peak of Panshan Mountain at night and has now attacked them."
Li Fuying was surprised when he heard this. At this time, another signal soldier came and said, "Report to the military base. The 400th Regiment is reporting urgently. The commander of the 1st Battalion, Gao Baoyong, has been killed in action."
In the next two hours, bad news about 400 continued to come. Liu Tanfu looked at the map and said, "The Japanese are bound to win. Military, please send reinforcements quickly."
Li Fuying sighed, "We can't send it now. What if the Japanese army attacks the east and west again? Let's wait until daybreak. How can we hold it all night?"
At the Japanese military headquarters, Shinohara Seiichiro sighed after hearing the good news that kept coming, "Your Majesty, Commander, is indeed a mastermind. It seems that the Chinese army can no longer hold on."
Tojo Hideki pressed the Go game in his hand and said, "That's not enough. I'm ordering the cavalry to attack. We must completely defeat the defenders tonight."
Li Shengrun was about to cry at this time. The whole place within sight was filled with the sound of Japanese gunshots. Li Shengrun shouted, "Go down and ask, how are the brothers?"
After a while, the signal corps reported, "Regiment, more than 400 of us have been killed, and the brothers can no longer hold on."
Li Shengrun shouted, "Where are the reinforcements? What did the military commander say?"
The signal corpsman replied, "The military officer called us back. In order to prevent the Japanese army from attacking in the east and west, we are asked to hold on until after tomorrow."
Li Shengrun scolded, "You bastard, how can we insist on staying for one night?"
At this time, Li Shengrun heard the sound of horse hoofs in front of him, and saw countless cavalry rushing up. Li Shengrun saw countless soldiers being killed by the cavalry, and then he looked at the soldiers around him who looked at him longingly and shouted, "***
*Mom, stop fighting and order the troops to retreat!!"
Li Fuying was so angry when he heard that the 400 regiment retreated without authorization and shouted, "The 425 regiment can hold on for three days, why can't Li Shengrun hold on for one night?"
Liu Tanfu shook his head and said, "Now is not the time to hold people responsible. Anyway, Chief Yan also said that we can retreat immediately. Let's find a way to organize a defense battle for Tianzhen."
At this time, the signal soldier came in and shouted, "Report, urgent call."
Li Fuying slammed the table and shouted, "If you have any more bad news, please tell me."
The communications soldier sweated profusely and said, "The 425th, 402nd, and 401st regiments received an urgent call. The Japanese army divided their forces from Panshan to attack. Because they saw the 400th regiment retreating, the soldiers from all units were unwilling to fight. Now they have withdrawn across the board."
Li Fuying was stunned and didn't know what to say.
Liu Tanfu hurriedly asked, "How did they retreat?"
The signal soldier stammered, "The telegram didn't say that."
Liu Tanfu sighed, "Military seat, let's withdraw too."
Li Fuying stamped his feet and sighed, "Withdraw!!"
At this time, the 399th Regiment in Tianzhen did not know the news that the front line had collapsed. The four regiments were not sure whether it was an agreement or they were afraid of fighting again.
They must hold on until the 11th before being allowed to retreat. Only then did Zhang Jingjun of the 399th regiment realize that he had become a lone army. Zhang Jingjun's troops were different from other regiments. His troops were not from Shanxi, but from Hebei and Shandong.
There was no foundation in the Sui army. Zhang Jingjun did not dare to disobey orders and hated the Japanese army's rampage in Hebei, so he decided to defend to the end.
After Hideki Tojo broke through Panshan, he looked at the Chinese defenders who had retreated with great satisfaction and said, "Order the troops to rest for a while, and then continue to attack Tianzhen."
As a result, the Japanese army, who thought that the Chinese army had completely retreated, was caught off guard at the foot of Tianzhen City.
Tojo Hideki looked at Tianzhen, which was high in the city and had deep trenches, and touched his beard and said, "Order a division of the Mongolian army to surround here, and other troops to bypass Tianzhen to pursue the defeated Chinese army. Order the Honda troops behind to attack Tianzhen."
Li Fuying, who was retreating all the way, found that the Japanese army was not blocked by Tianzhen at all but was pursuing them all the way. He could only order the remaining 414th Regiment to defend Gaoyang. He was preparing to retreat to Datong with his troops.
The 414th regiment arrived in Gaoyang and saw Gaoyang City. The leader Bai Ruyong could not believe his eyes. He only saw that the Yanggao City wall in front of him was in tatters and was almost a pile of bricks and earth. The highest part of the wall was only one or two feet.
A large amount of loess accumulated under the city and the city wall formed a slope. Residents of Yanggao usually pass through these slopes to go to and from the city.
What's even more frightening is that in the past few days, some emergency fortifications were built, trying to make many gaps in the city wall, and then building bunkers as firepower points. But just after the city wall was opened, the Japanese army attacked before they could build bunkers. There are countless walls now.
There are gaps, there are simply flaws everywhere.
Bai Ruyong swallowed, looked at the troops with less than a thousand men behind him, and sighed, "Military seat, I can only do my best and obey fate."
Shinohara Seiichiro looked at the Gaoyang City in front of him and asked doubtfully, "Your Excellency, Commander, have troops already attacked? Why is this city in such tatters?"
Hideki Tojo shook his head and sighed, "The Chinese army is actually so unbearable. The intelligence said that Gaoyang City's defense is weak. I didn't expect it to be so weak. Don't rest and let the chariot troops attack directly."
With less than a thousand defeated troops and such a city defense, how could they stop the elite Kwantung Army? After only holding on for one day, the 414th Regiment fled the battlefield with more than half of its casualties. Then Tojo Hideki returned to Bingtian Town to prepare for the encirclement and annihilation of the defenders.
With most of the troops, they continued to pursue the 61st Army. Since there were flat-fire artillery and a large amount of supplies and ammunition left by the 61st Army in Tianzhen City, the Japanese troops of the Honda Brigade suffered hundreds of casualties and failed to capture Tianzhen.
At this time, the military chief of Tianzhen was Honda political material of the follow-up troops.
Honda Masato looked at the Japanese corpses hanging on the walls of Tianzhen and shouted angrily, "Order the artillery to release special bombs!"
Suddenly, bricks and tiles flew into Tianzhen City, fireworks were everywhere, poisonous gas filled the air, and the whole city fell into chaos.
Zhang Jingjun found out that the Japanese army would definitely take advantage of the chaos to attack, and quickly organized troops to prepare for defense. At this time, the Tianzhen County Magistrate and the Police Chief suddenly came to visit.
Zhang Jingjun asked curiously, "Now that the war is in full swing, why are County Magistrate Wang and Director Li here?"
County Magistrate Wang and Director Li looked at each other, pulled each other's sleeves, and finally Director Li couldn't bear it and said, "Captain Zhang, we don't object to fighting the Japanese, but look at how you can defend the enemy now that Commander Li has escaped."
How long? Look at the poisonous gas from the Japanese everywhere in the city. If the fighting continues, all the people in the city will die for their country."
Zhang Jingjun said anxiously, "Do you want me to surrender? The Japanese occupied my territory and killed my soldiers. Do you want me to surrender and become a traitor?"
Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Wang knelt down anxiously and said, "Commander Zhang, please leave. If the fight continues, it doesn't matter if we people die. What will happen to the people in this city? I beg you, please leave."
"As he said that, he started to kowtow.
When Director Li saw this, he knelt down and said, "Captain Zhang, if you want to be a hero, go out and be a hero. Why don't the people of Tianzhen deserve this? I beg you, please leave quickly."
Zhang Jingjun looked at the two people who were kneeling and kowtowed. He suddenly burst into laughter when he heard the explosion outside. The two slowly raised their heads and looked at Zhang Jingjun, not knowing what to say. Zhang Jingjun smiled and burst into tears.
He stayed out and said with no strength, "Our army is incompetent and the people are implicated. Let's go, let's go!!!!"
Then he shouted to the outside world, "Bian Puhe, I order you to withdraw with your troops!!"
Bian Puhe was the deputy leader. When he heard this, he said anxiously, "Lao Zhang, we are leaving, what will you do?"
Zhang Jingjun smiled and said, "I am a guard general. How can I survive alone when the city is destroyed? You lead the brothers to retreat, and I must coexist with the city."
Bian Puhe said anxiously, "If you don't leave, we won't leave either. If we want to go, we will go together, and if we want to die, we will die together!"
Zhang Jingjun suddenly took out a pistol and pointed it at his head and said, "We can't hold on anymore anyway. We have lasted as long as the time given by the army. You and your brothers will leave some seeds for our group. If you don't leave, I will die."
in front of you."
Bian Puhe was crying with anger. He looked at Zhang Jingjun who was also crying, and then looked at the two people who were kneeling aside and did not dare to speak. He stamped his feet and said, "Order the troops - let's withdraw!!"
Honda was discussing military affairs with several other senior Japanese officers when a staff officer came in and said, "Report, Tianzhen suddenly opened the city gate, and a white flag flew above the city."
Honda shook his head and sighed, "I thought this guard was a tough guy, but I'm really disappointed."
Arriving at the city gate, Honda Zhengcai only saw two men in long robes leading a group of people with flattering looks on their faces. They were County Magistrate Wang and others.
Seeing the Japanese troops slowly approaching, someone fearfully said to County Magistrate Wang, "My lord, the Japanese won't mess around."
County Magistrate Wang said with a smile, "The Japanese soldiers are also human beings, and their hearts are made of flesh. If you give him a hot cheek, he can still give you a cold butt. If you respect him one foot, can he not give you ten feet? Don't worry.
That’s it, everything is ready.”
Director Li next to him nodded and said, "Every household has been asked to make tea and prepare meals. We have also prepared Japanese flags and put them on the streets. Everything is ready."
County Magistrate Wang nodded and said, "That's good. Let's smile better later and don't give the imperial army a bad impression."
Honda shook his head and said to the officer next to him, "The Chinese are so dog-like."
At this time, Honda Masato suddenly heard a cry, and then saw a man jumping down from the top of the city and hitting the ground to death. The Japanese soldiers were so frightened that they quickly put their guns on guard.
Honda Masato pushed away the guard in front and asked in surprise, "Who is this? What did he just say?"
The translator quickly dismounted and talked to the people at the city gate for a while, then came back and said, "Report to your Excellency, Commander, this man is the commander of the garrison, Zhang Jingjun, the commander of the 399th Regiment. What he just said is that China will win."
Honda Masato sighed, "It's really like the ancients, so why did he surrender?"
The translator replied, "It was the county magistrate and police chief of this city who wanted to surrender. The regiment leader couldn't bear that the people would be implicated in the war, so he ordered the troops to retreat."
Honda shook his head and said, "If it weren't for these people, we could have wiped out all the enemy troops, and if they could betray their own nation at this time, would they be loyal to us? It just so happened that the army had worked hard all the way. Order the troops and disband the Military Discipline Three
sky."
When the Japanese soldiers behind him heard this, they cheered and rushed towards the city impatiently. Honda Masakai shook his head and said with a smile, "Okay, these naughty guys, let's go back and take a rest."
The squires who were waiting for the Japanese army at the city gate with menstrual flags saw a group of fierce Japanese soldiers approaching with guns. They were a little nervous, but they still forced themselves to laugh. County Magistrate Wang was about to step forward to speak, but was stopped by a Japanese
The soldier stabbed his chest with a spear.
Everyone stared at the scene in front of them with their mouths open. A squire reacted and shouted, "The devils have killed people!!" Everyone wanted to flee in all directions, but there was no time. They only saw the machine guns already on the city wall roaring.
Bullets were fired at the crowd like raindrops, and people fell into a pool of blood amidst desperate wailings... None of the more than 200 unarmed people survived.
Then the Japanese soldiers, whose animalistic nature was ignited by the blood, rushed to every home and began to massacre the city. This was the first mass massacre by the Japanese army since July 7. This massacre lasted for three days, and more than 3,000 civilians were killed.
Homes were robbed and families were killed; the streets and alleys were deserted, and corpses were everywhere. Countless women were defiled. There was even a case where a 15-year-old girl was raped and her limbs were pulled and quartered alive by several Japanese soldiers. The city
There were at least two or three female corpses in each of the more than 20 wells. The crimes committed by the Japanese invaders are too numerous to describe.
After massacring the city, the Japanese army did not stop and set fire to the city. The raging fire and black smoke told the whole world about the tragedy. When Chiang Kai-shek's agent in Nanjing saw the report, he gritted his teeth and sent a message to Yan Xishan, ordering him to pursue the case.
responsibility.
Li Fuying on the other side retreated to Datong with his troops, only to find that the city was empty. The promised reinforcements had not been seen yet, so he quickly sent a message to Yan Xishan to inquire about the situation.
Only then did we know that the Japanese Fifth Division had already approached Pingxing Pass, the Battle of Datong was cancelled, and Yan Xishan ordered it to retreat to Yanmen Pass to prepare for the Battle of Yanshan.
When Tojo Hideki led his troops to occupy Datong, it was only six days before they broke through Panshan. In just five days, hundreds of miles of land were lost in the second theater, and the battle situation in northern Shanxi was dark.