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Chapter 342 The curtain rises, attack the city!
It's not yet dawn.

Changzhi, the headquarters of the Japanese Army.

"Reporting to the head of the division, the Eighth Route Army has arrived outside Changzhi City..."

"Reporting to the head of the division, Wangcun Airport has fallen..."

"Reporting to the head of the division, the Eighth Route Army is encircling Changzhi..."

As the news came one by one, Hirata Kenkichi was a little flustered, and Balu moved too fast. They almost reached Changzhi on the front foot, and Balu followed up.

Chief of Staff Ishida Kinzo suggested: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, while the Eighth Route has not yet completed the encirclement, the Division Headquarters can break out of the encirclement and go to Jincheng to command the troops to fight."

"It's too late."

Hirata Kenkichi sighed: "Didn't you see that Li Yunlong came to the division headquarters. Once the division headquarters leaves Changzhi, Li Yunlong's cavalry can follow up."

In fact, Hirata Kenkichi was right in guessing that Li Yunlong's cavalry had already been prepared. If Hirata Kenkichi escaped, Li Yunlong would order the cavalry to press up.

In the four directions of the city wall, there are members of the Sword Squadron, carrying high-powered walkie-talkies, watching.

No matter which city gate Hirata Kenji escapes from, Li Yunlong will get the news as soon as possible.

After a pause, Hirata Kenkichi asked, "How many imperial troops are there in the city now?"

Ishida Kinzo said: "The imperial army has about 2300 infantry and 2200 artillery, and there are also more than 1000 imperial alliance troops."

At present, the Japanese troops in Changzhi are mainly a brigade of the 226th Regiment, the headquarters of the division, and a squadron that originally defended the county and the Mountain Artillery Regiment.

The old devil Hirata Kenkichi is still very cautious, and has always let the mountain artillery regiment follow the division headquarters.

"Yo Xi!"

Hearing that there were still more than 5500 troops in total, Kenkichi Hirata breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the Imperial Association Army's field combat effectiveness is not good, the Imperial Association Army can still help in this kind of defensive battle.

The Eighth Route Army must use at least 1 troops to have a chance to take down Changzhi.

"Our defense is divided into outside the city, the city wall, and street fighting inside the city. There are three lines of defense in total. The main purpose is to delay the eight-way offensive until reinforcements arrive."

Ishida Kinzo said again: "At present, the trenches, foxholes and other fortifications outside the city have been repaired overnight."

"Judging from the current situation, Li Yunlong wants to capture the thieves first, capture the king, concentrate on eating our division headquarters, and then attack the two counties of Xiangyuan and Licheng."

"Wishful thinking!" Hirata Kenkichi snorted coldly, "Changzhi is the burial place of his Li Yunlong."

"Immediately send a report to the 226th and 227th Wings, ordering them to be ready to help Changzhi at any time."

"In addition, send a report to Commander Shinozuka, saying that the 37th Division has attracted the Li Yunlong Corps of the Eighth Route to Changzhi, please Commander Shinozuka quickly send troops to surround the Li Yunlong Corps."

"Hi!" Ishida Kinzo suddenly nodded.

……

Taiyuan.

Japanese First Army Command.

Yoshio Shinozuka and Hideyoshi Kusuyama woke up after only sleeping for a while.

Then the two immediately came to the communication room and asked the communication staff officer on duty about the battle situation.

At this time, a telegram from Ishida Kinzo just arrived, and the codecs translated it into a telegram and handed it to Shinozuka Yoshio.

"Li Yunlong moved so fast." After reading the telegram, Shinozuka Yoshio narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Your Excellency, Commander, what's wrong with Li Yunlong?" Seeing this, Hideyoshi Nanshan asked from the side.

Shinozuka Yoshio handed the telegram to Ishida Kinzo, saying in a bad tone, "Li Yunlong...has arrived in Changzhi County and is encircling Changzhi City."

After reading the telegram, Kusuyama Hideyoshi's eyelids twitched, which was really unexpected.

He thought that Li Yunlong was going to attack Xiangyuan or Licheng first, but he didn't expect to attack Changzhi first?
Yoshio Shinozuka asked, "How many soldiers of the imperial army are there around Lieutenant General Hirata?"

Kusuyama Hideyoshi said: "There should be more than 2000 people in the Imperial Army, as well as the 37th Artillery Regiment, and the Imperial Association Army with more than 1000 people. It should be no problem to stick to it for three days."

"Yoxi!" Shinozuka Yoshio said, "Order the 14th and 18th Brigades to speed up their advance, and the garrisons in Jincheng and Qinxian County will immediately rush to the rescue of Changzhi."

"In addition, immediately apply to the North China Front Army Command to mobilize aviation forces to attack and besiege the Eight Routes of Changzhi."

"Hi!" Kusuyama Hideyoshi suddenly nodded.

……

"Old Li, commander in chief?"

Kong Jie hurried into the headquarters with a telescope in his hand.

Li Yunlong woke up with a jolt, and before he had time to recollect the content of his dream, he asked, "Old Kong, is the artillery unit here?"

"Yes, the artillery unit has arrived." Kong Jie said, "When will the siege begin?"

Although there were some artillery towers and strongholds on the road from Xiangyuan to Changzhi, they were quickly wiped out under the attack of the Eighth Route Army.

The first battalion of the new regiment served as the vanguard, followed by more than 1 troops. Zhang Dabiao commanded the troops to connect more than a dozen artillery strongholds.

Sweep all the way.

Li Yunlong looked at the sky, the sky was already pale, and it would be dawn soon.

"Old Kong, send me an order to set up an artillery battalion outside the city in the east, west, north and south, with three howitzers in each direction."

"Wait until the guns are ready to start attacking."

"Yes!" Kong Jie straightened up, ready to walk out.

Li Yunlong looked up at the sky again, stopped Kong Jie and said, "Wait, we have to prepare for air defense today. When I came here, I saw a lot of cave dwellings. We can put mountain cannons into the cave dwellings and carry out shelling with precise methods." , if you can’t find the cave, you must pull the camouflage net, in a word, you must be prepared for air defense.”

"Yes!" Kong Jie looked serious, turned around and picked up the high-power intercom to give orders to the artillery unit.

Li Yunlong asked Huang Erhu again: "Huzi, did that old devil in Pingtian run away?"

"No." Huang Erhu said, "Sword Squadron is watching, no devils have escaped so far."

Li Yunlong stared at the map for a while, and said, "Huzi, call me Sun Desheng and Zhou Chunyu immediately."

"Yes!" Huang Erhu immediately picked up the walkie-talkie and called.

In just a few minutes, Sun Desheng and Zhou Chunyu rode to the headquarters.

Zhou Chunyu was the commander of the brigade's cavalry regiment, the one who shouted at Niangziguan that the Communists must gather.

"Sun Desheng, your cavalry battalion led the cavalry battalion of the new second regiment to stop the reinforcements from the devils in the direction of Jincheng."

"Commander Zhou, your cavalry regiment is taking the cavalry battalion of the independent regiment to stop the reinforcements from Qin County."

Li Yunlong pointed to Jincheng and Qinxian and said:

"I don't strictly require you two to guard a certain hill. Cavalry tactics are more flexible than infantry. No matter how you fight, you just need to block the reinforcements."

"The mission requirement is that if a devil reinforcement arrives in Changzhi County within two days, I will ask you two."

"Guaranteed to complete the task!" Sun Desheng and Zhou Chunyu stood up and turned to leave.

……

About an hour and a half later, Kong Jie returned to the headquarters.

As soon as he entered the headquarters, he reported: "General Commander, the artillery battalions are ready, and the attacking troops are also ready."

"Good!" Li Yunlong nodded.

Li Yunlong raised his wrist to check the time, it was exactly 8 o'clock in the morning.

He raised his binoculars and looked towards the city wall of Changzhi. There were many devils and puppet troops active on the city wall.

Looking down, the devils and puppet troops under the city wall have built a lot of fortifications.

At this time, the gate of the city was opened, and the devils and puppet soldiers were coming out with their breakfast on poles, to be eaten by the devils and puppet soldiers in the trenches.

"Damn it, your life is almost dead, and you still want to have breakfast?"

Li Yunlong's eyes flashed fiercely: "Old Kong, start shelling!"

"Yes!" Kong Jie turned around and picked up the high-power walkie-talkie, turned on the call, and shouted loudly: "Attention all artillery positions, attention all artillery positions, I am Kong Jie, I am Kong Jie, bombard immediately, bombard immediately!"

Not long after Kong Jie's voice fell, Li Yunlong heard a sharp whistling sound from above his head.

The artillery group in the rear fired, and the precise method was still used to determine the firing positions. Each artillery position was several kilometers away from the city wall, so that the devils on the city wall could not see the position of the artillery.

The target of the shelling of each artillery battalion was the positions of the devils and puppet troops outside the city.

Boom, boom, boom, boom...

A series of shells fell on the devil's position outside the city wall.

Because it was covered by artillery fire, there was no need to test fire in advance. The devils and puppet soldiers who were preparing to eat breakfast were blown upright before they could take cover, and were smashed to pieces by the shells.

The trench positions of the devils and puppet troops outside the city were immediately enveloped in fireballs and turned into a sea of ​​flames.

After the Shanpao Battalion bombarded the positions of the devils and puppet troops for five rounds, the artillery fire extended forward and began to shell the already devastated Changzhi City Wall.

Changzhi fell twice successively. The first fall was on February 1938, 2. The 21st Brigade of the Sichuan Army defended the city. It was May 331.

"Boom!" As a 105-caliber shell fell on the north tower, the tower was instantly blown to pieces, broken bricks and rubble flew across, and smoke filled the air.

Immediately afterwards, 75 mm and 105 caliber shells fell on the city wall one after another, bursting out with earth-shattering noises.

A city wall that can be blown down with only a 75mm mountain cannon, let alone a 105-caliber howitzer, is even more powerful.

But because it is not aimed directly, the accuracy is a bit poor, and it is difficult for the shell to hit the same point, so it takes more time and shells.

Li Yunlong turned the field of view of the artillery team mirror in the headquarters, and looked in the direction of the other Changzhi city walls one after another. Amidst the loud rumbling noise, gunpowder smoke rose into the sky.

"Lao Li, let's start!"

Zhao Gang, who had been busy with logistics, finally finished his work at this time. He walked into the headquarters, walked to Li Yunlong and Kong Jie and raised his binoculars to look at the city wall.

Kong Jie said: "My deployment is to wait for the mountain artillery and howitzers to blow down the city wall, and then use 60mm mortars to cover the devil's fortifications on the city wall outside the city before the infantry attack, and finally the infantry will attack." charge."

Li Yunlong nodded and asked, "Are the ladders ready?"

"Get ready!" Kong Jie said, "Now let's see how long it takes to knock down the city wall."

……

at the same time.

In Changzhi City, the headquarters of the 37th Division of the Japanese Army.

"Your Excellency, Division Commander, the artillery of the Eighth Route is shelling the positions and walls of the imperial army outside the city."

Ishida Kinzo reported in a hurried tone: "Judging from the sound of the guns, in addition to the 75mm mountain artillery, the Eight Routes also used 105mm caliber howitzers, a large number."

Hirata Kenkichi frowned when he heard the words, and his face was gloomy: "Where did the eighth road get so many 105mm caliber howitzers?"

(End of this chapter)