But there are still several pairs of eyes in the mountains staring at the mountain road through the gaps in the bushes.
The Japanese army was already cautious when marching at night. Under Yamashita's military order, an infantry squad was only allowed to turn on two flashlights.
But the Japanese army was marching in a large force of more than 8,000 people. Looking from the mountain 700 meters away, the flashlight light was like stars scattered in the mountains, gradually connecting into a long, slowly squirming dragon. It was so clear that
It couldn't be any clearer.
"Notify Deputy Commander Lei that the Japanese are running away! Their marching direction is Wuxiang!" An army sergeant who watched all this flashed a cold light in his eyes and shouted an order.
After lurking for nearly a week, their mission was finally completed.
They were a reconnaissance squad left by the reconnaissance company for Lei Xiong, who led the main operation of the Fourth Army Regiment. Before the Second Mixed Brigade arrived at the battlefield, they had already sneaked into the battlefield and quietly hid in the mountains to conduct reconnaissance on the whereabouts of the Japanese army.
In the past six or seven days, as lurkers, they had seen too many tragic battlefields. They watched with their own eyes as the Japanese army set up infantry artillery to destroy fortifications on high ground one after another, and watched as Japanese aircraft dropped heavy bombs to destroy their own side.
The high ground where the officers and soldiers were stationed was blown into a piece of white ground. Even in the field of vision of the telescope, the Japanese could be seen brutally stabbing the wounded Chinese soldiers who were still alive with bayonets and setting them up as a flag after their victory.
The ferocious faces of the Japanese army were just 400 meters away. With their shooting skills and the help of their sights, they were fully capable of blowing the heads off those brutal Japanese with one shot.
However, the military order they received was to lurk on the battlefield and not let the Japanese, not even the Chinese, discover them.
They need to observe the movements of the Japanese troops at all times and report to the regiment headquarters immediately if there is any abnormal movement.
They are already fighting, so why are they so concerned about the movements of the Japanese army? Just do it, one regiment plus two infantry divisions, with a total strength of more than 30,000 people, can you still defeat this group of ruthless Japanese? I'm afraid this is not just a matter of lying dormant all the time.
The officers and soldiers of the Fourth Line Regiment did not understand, nor did the scouts who were ordered to lurk.
Relying on the few dried meats, toffee and water they carried, the scouts lurked on the battlefield for nearly a week. Finally, they waited for the Japanese army to take action, which turned out to be a night march, which completely violated the Japanese army's marching rules of day and night.
.
The soldier's intuition made the sergeant squad leader aware of something different, and immediately asked the signal corps to report the situation to Lei Xiong using the field radio that had been silent and had never been turned on.
"Haha, okay, the little devil ran forward as expected by Tuan Zuo." Lei Xiong, who was fifteen kilometers away, laughed loudly.
"Immediately report this situation to the regiment, and at the same time order each battalion to send out advanced soldiers to see if the infantry brigade left behind by the little devil has escaped. If not, then the battalions will surround the infantry brigade on three sides according to the original plan. We will eat it tomorrow.
If we lose them and run away, then we will set off as a whole army at 11 o'clock and compete with the little devils to see who can run faster."
Obviously, Yamashita is not that stupid. He left 1,000 people for the Chinese army to eat in vain. He would have greased his feet and escaped!
.........
A signal soldier hurriedly ran into the cave and sent the telegram to Tang Dao, who was smoking and chatting with a few people. Tang Dao just glanced at the content of the telegram, grinned with white teeth, and handed the telegram to Brigadier Cheng: "Under the mountain
Wen, this old devil, was finally frightened by us, and we have to rely on the big brothers of the 683rd Brigade for the rest."
Brigadier Cheng received the telegram and looked at the words 'Yamamoto Second Mixed Brigade Headquarters, marching overnight and fleeing north!', with a mixture of surprise and surprise on his face.
Fortunately, it was natural that Yamashita, just as they had discussed for a long time, the second mixed brigade actually strode towards Tang Dao's planned encirclement.
Surprisingly, there are still nearly 8,000 people in the Second Mixed Brigade. Can such a large Japanese army be stopped by the three infantry regiments of the 683rd Brigade?
Yes, because the 17th Division and the 104th Division temporarily retreated for repairs, the infantry division of the 3rd Army, which was also lurking deep in the mountains, was responsible for blocking the 108th Division that had come back to its senses, and actually participated in the encirclement and annihilation of the Chinese army of the Second Mixed Brigade.
There was only his 683rd Brigade on board, plus the Four Troops Regiment, which would surely follow them and pursue them urgently. The total strength would not exceed 15,000, which would be just twice as many as the Japanese army at full strength.
Surrounding it with twice the enemy's force and intending to annihilate it, and it is not an area that completely occupies a geographical advantage like Shentou Ridge. This is unprecedented in the Chinese battlefield, even for those who have experienced hundreds of battles.
Brigadier Cheng felt a little uneasy at this time.
As for what Tang Dao said, "For the rest, we have to rely on everyone from the 683rd Brigade." Brigadier Cheng knew better that before the Sixings Regiment caught up, the three infantry regiments of the 683rd Brigade had to be at the Zhuozhang River.
This line of defense blocked the Japanese army's retreat.
7000VS7000, an offensive and defensive battle with nearly one to one strength, which can be regarded as the first time since the 683 brigade crossed the Yellow River.
However, what kind of person is Brigadier Cheng? The entire war zone has been planning for so long just to annihilate an organized Japanese aggressor and inflict heavy losses on the Japanese North China Front Army so that they no longer dare to covet southeastern Shanxi easily. The prey has already been
If he falls into a trap, whether it's a wolf or a tiger, as a hunter, if he doesn't even dare to thrust out his hunting fork, then what's the point of fighting?
"I make a guarantee for all the commanders and fighters of our 683 brigade. Before the friendly forces catch up, the Japanese aggressors will be blocked in front of the Zhuozhang River. If a Japanese aggressor is allowed to break through our brigade's defense line, I, the brigade commander, am not the right one!"
After a moment of silence, Brigadier Cheng made an extremely solemn promise to Tang Dao.
"The 772nd Regiment also assures the headquarters that if the Japanese invaders break through our regiment's defense line, all of our regiment will be killed." Wang Xiaoqiang also put away his usual playful smile, his face was solemn, and his voice was like a bell.
"The same is true for our 771st regiment!" Captain Xu stood up straight.
"I believe in you all, and I ask you to believe in our Fourth Army Regiment. The 683 Brigade only needs to buy our regiment one day, and the main force of our Fourth Army Regiment will rush to the battlefield. This old devil, Yamashita, will definitely not be able to escape." Tang
There was a light in the sword's eyes, and he solemnly saluted the three chief officers of the 683 brigade who were present and made the promise.
"Okay! Then our brigade will march towards the Zhuozhang River tonight and try to build fortifications before the Japanese army arrives." Brigadier Cheng raised his hand to return the salute and said decisively.
The area where the 683rd Brigade is located is 16 kilometers away from the Zhuozhang River. A night march like this, and in heavy equipment, is estimated to take 6 hours. By the time it arrives, it will be almost early morning.
By the time the Second Mixed Brigade knew that Chinese soldiers were stationed at Zhuozhang River, it would be after nine o'clock in the morning at least. By that time, they should have been very close to Wuxiang. After a night of marching, they were already exhausted. Unless they were iron men, they would immediately
Make a U-turn and return to the mountains, otherwise you can only move forward.
After a short period of repair, their only way out was to defeat the Chinese defenders blocking them in one go.
It was night, and the two armies of China and Japan, which were close in strength, were trudging through the mountains of the Taihang Mountains.
Perhaps the only difference between the two sides is that the Japanese army uses flashlights that are slightly closer to modernization, while the Chinese army uses the most primitive torches.
The faint white light emitted by the electric energy and the warm yellow light emitted by the pine oil formed two long dragons in this dark night, meandering in the mountains.
It's just that one dragon wants to leave this ghost place quickly, but the other dragon wants to cut off the other dragon's way home.
........
Lucheng Japanese First Army Headquarters!
"Notify the Army Aviation Department that early tomorrow morning, I want to know if there are any signs of Chinese military activity in the Wuxiang area, and immediately notify the 108th Division, which has arrived in Liao County for repairs, so that they can be on standby at any time." Xiang Yue Qingshi's face was solemn as never before.
Although he did not deal with Yamashita, the Second Mixed Brigade was not directly under his First Army. In this battle in southeastern Shanxi, the Second Mixed Brigade suffered heavy casualties on the battlefield. He, the commander of the East Route Army, is actually not special.
care.
However, according to the analysis of the current battle situation in the urgent telegram sent by Yamashita, the Chinese are really planning to form a second mixed brigade.
Heavy casualties on the battlefield and heavy casualties caused by falling into the enemy's trap are completely different concepts for him, the supreme commander of the Southeast Shanxi Campaign.
The former was due to Yamashita's own incompetent command, while the latter was due to his negligence as a frontline commander.
Once the second mixed brigade really appears to be surrounded by heavy troops mobilized by the Chinese and severely damaged, it goes without saying whether they will be almost completely wiped out like the two detachments in the Battle of Taierzhuang. Xiangyue Qingshi also knows that not only his front army
The commander's dream was shattered. Whether he could still sit safely in the position of commander of the First Army was open to question.
Especially when thinking about the tradition that the Imperial Army must find a suitable person to take the blame if it loses the war, Xiangyue Qingshi couldn't sleep.
Indoor Shroud took the blame for the defeat of Taierzhuang because he was the commander of the North China Front and the northern commander of the Battle of Xuzhou. He was responsible for direct command failure and he could not run away.
I can trust that the commander of the North China Front Army, Gen. Shan Shanshan, is a former Minister of War. Being the commander of the North China Front Army is like "marrying off" and putting out fires. He is not familiar with the situation of the entire North China battlefield. He can find any excuse to excuse it, so what is left is the most suitable.
Who else could he be as a frontline commander?
Xiang Yue Qingshi can only hope that the situation is not as bad as Yamashita said, or that Yamashita's choice of marching direction is correct. Even if the Chinese want to move the second mixed brigade, they will transfer the army to the second mixed brigade.
The rear of the brigade attempted to surround the second mixed brigade in the mountains, which was in line with the characteristics of the Chinese army which did not have much heavy firepower.
However, Xiangyue Qingshi's command level was still good, and Jiwang returned to Jiwang. He still asked the North China Front Army's Army Aviation Department to dispatch reconnaissance planes early in the morning to conduct aerial reconnaissance of Wuxiang and other places that the Second Mixed Brigade had to pass through.
If enemy traces are discovered, Yamashita can be prepared in advance.
There is nothing wrong with this move. China has neither fighter planes nor much air defense capability. This is indeed Japan's biggest advantage at present.
Even Xiangyue Qingshi was secretly angry in his heart. If the Chinese really couldn't think of gathering troops around Wuxiang, then he would have to help the second mixed brigade build a clear road even if he used the heavy bombs dropped by fighter plane formations.
He didn't believe that the Chinese could really withstand bombs and surround the 8,000 troops of the Second Mixed Brigade.
Xiang Yue Qingshi, who was in Lucheng, was very anxious, but the person who was more anxious than him was the person in the game.
The Second Mixed Brigade, which threw away unnecessary baggage, ran 36 kilometers in the mountains overnight, with an average speed of 3.6 kilometers per hour. This speed was no slower than when the 108th Division ran, and it was almost a record marching speed.
, arrived at the outskirts of Wuxiang at 6 o'clock in the morning.
After a reconnaissance by the sentinel soldiers, no trace of the enemy was found for six or seven kilometers ahead. It was only then that Yamashita, who was riding a tall horse, breathed a sigh of relief and issued an order for the entire army to reorganize.
The mountains near Wuxiang are much smaller than the mountains they passed through overnight. Theoretically, they are far less suitable for blocking battlefields than those big mountains. As long as the Chinese are not fools, they will definitely not use Wuxiang as their second choice for siege.
The battlefield of the mixed brigade.
As long as nothing unexpected happens, his move of marching overnight has already disrupted the Chinese tactics.
Although Yamashita also wanted everyone to work harder and run another 30 kilometers in one breath to completely escape the danger zone, but listening to the heavy breathing of the horse under him and the sweat constantly flowing on the horse's neck, Yamashita also knew
, this can only be a fantasy.
His men are elite soldiers, yes, but they are also made of flesh and blood. Even the tall and strong horses are so exhausted. Aren't the infantrymen who are marching carrying nearly 25 kilograms of various military supplies also half-dead from exhaustion? Don't let them run away again.
30 kilometers, I guess if I go another 10 kilometers, I will be exhausted.
It's a trivial matter to scold him as Yamashita's mother. If the Chinese really come over, what will thousands of exhausted people do to fight?
Besides, he also had to wait and see the reconnaissance report from the Army Aviation Department before deciding on the march route.
The 10 hours of continuous marching in one night exhausted the Japanese army. The moment they received the order to reorganize their troops, except for the necessary guard troops, most of the Japanese army fell asleep on their bedrolls.
No trenches were dug.
If a large army really came to kill them at this time, they would definitely be unable to eat and carried away.
It's a pity that this doesn't exist.
The Fourth Group is still 20 kilometers away from the rear, and the main force of the 683 Brigade has arrived in Changle Village, 40 kilometers away from Wuxiang County.
That is already all the troops that China can mobilize to compete with the Second Mixed Brigade. Even if the Japanese army drools and sleeps here for five or six hours, it is probably very safe.
But the tragic Major General Yamashita only slept for less than two hours before he was awakened by the hurried footsteps of his chief of staff.
The reconnaissance report forwarded from the Army Aviation Department by the Lucheng First Army Headquarters showed that no less than 10,000 Chinese troops were found in the Changle Village area 40 kilometers away. They were digging fortifications along the river and seemed to be setting up a defense line.
.
Yamashita's face instantly became extremely ugly. He was afraid of whatever he wanted. Before setting off last night, he had carefully observed the map of Wuxiang and Yushe. As long as he walked out of the mountainous area, he was not particularly afraid of the Chinese siege, but he was only afraid of the Chinese siege.
One thing that made him uneasy was that no matter where he retreated, the Zhuozhang River, which flows through 12 counties in southeastern Shanxi, was the river he must cross.
Changle Village, which happens to have a main road, is the only way for his second mixed brigade to pass. If he crosses the river from other directions, just looking at those high mountains will make people's scalp numb, not to mention the deep mountains and mountains.
The Chinese army has fought hard against the second mixed brigade, which has a guilty conscience?
It would be fine if there were no defenders. Even if the water in the Zhuozhang River is not small now, he has engineers to build the bridge, and horses, carts and other heavy equipment can be transported across. However, there are guns and cannons on the other side of the river, so it will not be easy to cross.
.
"The Chinese are really dead." Yamashita's eyes flashed fiercely, and he cursed fiercely. "However, a mere ten thousand people want to block our army's path. They also overestimate their own combat effectiveness.
Already."
"I'm going to call Commander Xiangyue Qingshi. Our Second Mixed Brigade will immediately march towards Changle Village on the Zhuozhang River. Please ask him to order the front army and aviation to dispatch a bomber group to bomb the Chinese army that wants to launch an attack on our army.
I want them to pay a sufficient price before our troops arrive." Yamashita's face gradually became calm as he quickly ordered.
Although the Chinese army's defense along the river hit his weak spot, 10,000 troops were not too many, and he also had a bomber formation to help him, plus he still had 24 mountain cannons, more than 10 infantry cannons, and Type 94 tanks.
With more than 10 vehicles, he was confident that relying solely on these advantages and firepower, he could defeat the defenders.
As for whether Xiangyue Qingshi will do his best to help him, Yamashita is not worried. As long as Xiangyue Qingshi is not a fool, he knows that his own future has been tied to the Second Mixed Brigade. The Second Mixed Brigade
If something happens to Tuan, I'm afraid the first person Shanshan Yuan wants to kill is not Yamashita, but Xiangyue Qingshi who pats his chest and says he will win this battle.
The face of the former Minister of War was so easy to lose?
The Japanese infantrymen had not fully recovered their strength after sleeping for three hours. They were awakened by the sound of sirens and embarked on a forced march again full of complaints. It was secondary. The important thing was that Yamashita overestimated himself.
The map is very clearly drawn, which at least allows people to understand how to take the road, but after all, it is not three-dimensional and cannot fully display the geographical environment of the region.
In the past time and space, in Changle Village, China and Japan had a fierce battle. The Chinese side invested an infantry division, and the protagonist was the 683rd Brigade, while the Japanese side was the 108th Division that was scared away in this time and space.
However, it was not the entire 108th Division, but the group that retreated from Wuxiang, but its strength was as high as an infantry regiment.
The reason why Brigadier Cheng chose Changle Village as the place for the decisive battle was that he happened to catch up with the people fleeing north here, and also because the high gully on the north bank of the Zhuozhang River flowing in front of the village was 2 meters away from the river.
, the Japanese have such short legs that they can’t even jump up without a ladder.
Moreover, the Zhuozhang River happened to turn a corner in Changle Village. This river, which nourished the people around the river bank, was like a mother's warm arms enclosing Changle Village. But to the intruding Japanese army, it seemed like
