Not only in Jiading, but also in Qingpu, the Japanese were ready to move again.
Hirohito and Tojo Hideki placed great hopes on germ warfare, but Tada Shun did not.
From the beginning, Shun Tada did not place his hopes on germ warfare. In his opinion, the only role of germ warfare was to weaken the combat effectiveness of the Songhu Independent Regiment as much as possible. However, no matter how weakened, the Songhu Independent Regiment would not be able to fight.
It may self-destruct, so in the end military means must be used to resolve it.
In fact, the Japanese were not completely ready at this time.
Of the five divisions originally scheduled to participate in the Fourth Battle of Songhu, only the Sixth Division, the 104th Division and the Second Guards Division are already in place. The remaining two divisions have just participated.
The 13th Division and the 16th Division, which followed the Battle of Zao, were still not in place because they were still resting and recuperating.
However, Tada Shun, an old devil, is still very experienced. Although there are still two divisions that are not in place, the typhoid fever epidemic has completely broken out in Shanghai. At this time, a large number of troops from the Songhu Independent Regiment are used for urban security.
, especially the defense of the two concessions takes up a lot of troops, and the defense on the outer line will inevitably become empty.
Therefore, Tada Shun wanted to take this opportunity to make an article. Even if he could not give a decisive blow to the Songhu Independent Regiment, he would try to remove the two peripheral strongholds of Jiading and Qingpu, so that the Twelfth Army could directly
From Jiading and Qingpu, they launched an attack towards downtown Shanghai.
Tada Shun learned from the lessons of his two predecessors, Itagaki Seishiro and Higashikata Nakihiko, and no longer thought about launching an attack from Liuhe, Baoshan and then to Wusong Fort. Attacking along the coastline can certainly obtain naval ships.
Artillery support, but it is inevitable to face the strong Wusong Fortress.
More importantly, this line is too narrow and the troops cannot be deployed. Even if ten divisions are mobilized, at most one infantry regiment will be invested in each attack, but even the most elite First Guards Infantry Regiment is in Wusong.
The fortress was badly damaged, and it was supported by the navy's large-caliber naval gun group and aviation, not to mention other infantry regiments.
Therefore, Shun Tada decisively gave up this offensive line and decided to push it all the way eastward from the western suburbs of Shanghai.
The biggest advantage of moving from the western suburbs of Shanghai to the east is that the western suburbs of Shanghai are flat and there is no danger for the defenders to defend, but the attackers can attack everywhere. In this way, the Japanese army's superiority in troops and weapons can be brought into full play.
In the end, at this time, the Japanese army no longer talked about firepower superiority, because they had already experienced the power of the independent regiment's artillery.
By the way, until now, the Japanese have not figured out the secret of the rocket launcher.
But the disadvantage is that before attacking the city, the two outer positions of Jiading and Qingpu must first be eliminated, because Jiading and Qingpu at this time are very different from before.
During the Second Battle of Songhu, the Songhu Independent Regiment even voluntarily abandoned these two counties before the war began. Before the outbreak of the Third Battle of Songhu, the Songhu Independent Regiment began to build fortifications in these two counties.
, but did not hold on. Before the Japanese launched a massive attack, the Songhu Independent Regiment once again took the initiative to abandon the perimeter.
However, it is different now. Now the Songhu Independent Regiment has built a large number of fortifications in Jiading, Qingpu and Songjiang counties in the periphery. Half a month ago, Wang Husheng and hundreds of thousands of people were busy doing this. Not only did they
A tunnel has been dug to connect the urban area with the three surrounding county towns, and almost every private house in the surrounding three county towns has been fortified. Although the three surrounding county towns are not fortresses, they are not much different.
Shun Tada discovered this and decided to take this opportunity to conduct a surprise attack.
Tada Shun did not seek to severely damage the Songhu Independent Regiment, but only sought to destroy the outer positions and clear the way for the next attack on the urban area.
From the dawn of May 24, the Japanese Twelfth Army concentrated two field artillery regiments and conducted two hours of artillery preparations for Jiading and Qingpu County. At the same time, a whole flying regiment was dispatched to attack two
Carpet bombing was carried out in the urban area of the county seat and the fortifications outside the city.
The Japs' bombing was so fierce that the defense fortifications of the Songhu Independent Regiment in Jiading and Qingpu were plowed from beginning to end as if they had been plowed by iron plows. However, the iron plows turned up soil when they plowed the ground.
, but the flesh and blood bodies of the officers and soldiers of the Songhu Independent Regiment were turned up by the Japanese artillery shells on the fortifications in Jiading and Qingpu counties.
At 10:5 in the morning, Xu Rui arrived at the third battalion headquarters in Jiading County through the tunnel.
The tunnel connecting Jiading County and Shanghai city is hidden deep underground and reinforced with logs and cement, so it can withstand the Japanese bombings. The only drawback is that because the terrain of Shanghai is too low, water seeps in some areas.
The situation is so serious that water pumps must be used to drain water all the time to keep the tunnel open.
When Xu Rui walked into the headquarters, the commander of the third battalion, Ding Wenbao, was losing his temper and cursing because the first line of defense outside the city had fallen five minutes ago. However, this cannot be blamed on the poor defense of the third battalion. It was really because the troops were too thin.
Of the four companies of the Third Battalion, only one company remained in Jiading City, and the remaining three companies were transferred back to the city to maintain order.
But after seeing Xu Rui, Ding Wenbao immediately lost his temper and quickly stepped forward to salute.
Xu Rui returned the military salute, and then asked expressionlessly: "Battle Commander Ding, what's going on now?"
"Captain, the first line of defense on the periphery has been lost. I have just prepared to lead the reserve team to counterattack." Ding Wenbao felt a little worried. This time, after the commander came back from Damei Mountain, he was a different person.
He seemed to be unable to smile anymore. No matter what he said or did, his expression was cold. Now everyone was a little afraid of him.
Ding Wenbao was worried that Xu Rui would be angry when he heard the news, but he didn't.
Xu Rui's face still had no expression, and he still had that cold look.
Xu Rui said: "There is no need to counterattack. Immediately abandon the outer positions and release the Japanese into the county town."
"Ah?" Ding Wenbao was stunned when he heard the words, as if he couldn't believe his ears, "Abandon the periphery?"
"Yes, abandon the perimeter." Xu Rui nodded and said in a deep voice, "Hurry and withdraw all the troops into the city."
"Yes!" Although he was a little confused, Ding Wenbao quickly ordered to withdraw the troops outside the city.
Ding Wenbao thought Xu Rui had other plans, such as showing weakness to the enemy first, and then dispatching the Langya Brigade to carry out a beheading battle after the Japanese were fully deployed outside Jiading City, and then launch a massive counterattack. However, at noon,
But it was discovered that Dr. Li brought people from the logistics department to Jiading from the tunnel, and then he realized that something was wrong.
Because Dr. Li and the people from the Logistics Department did not come empty-handed, but brought a large amount of explosives and incendiary materials, and the people from the Logistics Department began to plant explosives and incendiary materials in Jiading County as soon as they arrived. Ding Wenbao reacted and the group
The commander is planning to take Jiading County and burn it with the Japs.
Xu Rui also really planned to capture Jiading and Qingpu County to be burned together with the Japanese.
At this point in the Battle of Songhu, it has become inevitable to abandon Shanghai, because if it continues to be defended, the eager Japanese soldiers may do anything. If the Japanese soldiers are really forced to launch a cholera or even plague bacterial attack, what is needed by the navy and civilians in Shanghai
The price paid was too heavy, and this was definitely not what Xu Rui wanted to see.
Therefore, Xu Rui would rather give up Shanghai than save these three million people.
Chairman Mao once said, if you save the land and lose the people, you will lose both the people and the land; if you save the people and lose the land, you will save both the people and the land. Talents are the foundation! As long as you can save these three million Shanghai people, are you afraid that you will not be able to fight back to Shanghai in the future?
Well, since it is inevitable to abandon Shanghai, why bother to stick to Jiading and Qingpu? Why not simply use these two county towns to kill the devils with the devils, blowing them up and leaving them bloody! Of course, the miracle of Jiangwan Town is
It is impossible to stage it again, because the Songhu Independent Regiment now has no troops to fight a counterattack.
By evening, Li Xiaxiao and the people from the logistics department had placed explosives and incendiary materials in Jiading County.
Almost at the same time, another group of people from the Logistics Department also placed explosives and incendiary materials in Qingpu County.
After everything was prepared, Xu Rui immediately ordered the people who stayed in Jiading to retreat from the tunnels in Qingpu County. Of course, in order to confuse the little devils as much as possible, the defenders could not withdraw all at once, but had to pretend that they could not withstand it.
, shrinking back little by little, luring the Japanese to continue entering the center of the city.
Ding Wenbao was the last one to retreat into the tunnel, and then pressed the detonator.
In an instant, thousands of kilograms of high explosives that had been buried in Jiading County exploded immediately. Then, the flames generated by the explosion ignited dozens of tons of incendiary materials. At this time, most residential buildings were made of wood.
Structure, the fire quickly spread out of control, and the entire Jiading County was soon engulfed in a sea of flames.
Xu Rui didn't know that Jun Tada was less than five kilometers away from Jiading County at this time.
In order to avoid being beheaded by the Langya Brigade, Tada Shun was forced to disguise and hide his headquarters. He first disguised himself as a wing headquarters and then carried out the necessary concealment. This way, even if Langya discovered it, Langya might not take action.
, because a mere wing headquarters is not worth the risk for Langya to attack.
Because of the close distance, Jun Tada took a direct view of the monstrous fire in Jiading City.
"Baga Yalu!" Looking at the fire that almost reflected the entire night sky, Tada Shun's facial muscles twitched violently. With such a violent explosion and such a huge fire, even with his toes, he could imagine that he had entered Jiading before.
In all likelihood, the troops in the county town have encountered unexpected events. Even if the entire army is not destroyed, heavy losses are absolutely unavoidable.
