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Chapter 351 Probing Attack!

In this attack on the 37th Division, the Eighth Route Army mobilized no less than 2 civilian men and militiamen in order to ensure the logistical supplies of the frontline troops.

With two base numbers of bullets and three base numbers of artillery shells, combat troops alone cannot carry so many.

Moreover, these militiamen and civilian husbands carry a lot of food, which can ensure that the soldiers on the front line can have a hot meal at any time.

Li Yunlong said: "The little devil and the puppet army exchange uniforms. We can also change clothes with the militia and the main force. When the devil plane comes to reconnaissance tomorrow morning, we find that our main force is still outside the three counties of Changzhi, Xiangyuan and Licheng."

Kong Jie said: "Old Li, your method is good. As long as the devils find out that our main force is still in Changzhi, the Huangyadong Armory Factory, the 2nd Guards Division will attack unscrupulously. At that time, let's directly close the door and fight." dog."

Zhao Gang stared at the map with a dignified expression. He used a scale to calculate the distance from Changzhi to Huangyadong Arsenal.

"The two county towns of Xiangyuan and Licheng are not far from Huangyadong Arsenal, only about 30 kilometers away."

"However, the distance between us and the Huangyadong Arsenal is more than 50 kilometers in a straight line. Many places are mountain roads. The real distance may be more than 60 kilometers."

"Moreover, many soldiers in our army have not slept for two days and one night. I am afraid it will be difficult to complete the long-distance raid of more than 60 kilometers."

Li Yunlong leaned over to look at the map and narrowed his eyes slightly. The distance is indeed not short.

Kong Jie said: "Commissioner Zhao, more than 60 kilometers is really nothing."

"During the Long March, the First Red Army and the Fourth Red Army stormed 120 kilometers all day and night and took down the Luding Bridge."

"There were several battles along the way, and the road was not as easy as ours this time. Most of the roads we took this time were roads."

"As long as we carry forward the spirit of the Red Army, I believe our soldiers can complete the mission of long-distance raids."

Li Yunlong also said: "In this way, let the soldiers who entered the city to participate in the street fighting stay and continue fighting with the devils tomorrow, and the reserve team that did not participate in the fighting will go to bed and rest immediately. It will be dark for 4 hours, and the soldiers will be released after dark Wake up everyone, and order the logistics staff to prepare the food."

Kong Jie said: "I'm afraid we can't take the cannons with us, because it's a long-distance attack, and the mules and horses pulling the cannons can't keep up with the pace of the troops."

When the troops rushed all the way to Changzhi last night, the troops with mountain artillery and howitzers failed to keep up.

Wait for the artillery units to arrive and start attacking at dawn.

Li Yunlong said: "Then our artillery and artillery here will not go away, and I will leave the Xinyi Regiment County Brigade, and the devils in Changzhi County must be dealt with."

The devils in Xiangyuan County and Licheng County can be let go, but the devil Li Yunlong in Changzhi County will not be let go.

Because he wasn't 100% sure whether that old devil Hirata was dead, the income from killing a lieutenant general was worth at least 3 divisions.

"Well." Kong Jie said, "1 cannons were drawn from the first attack group and the second attack group, plus the artillery regiment under the division and the artillery regiment directly under the headquarters, the cannons must be enough to fight against the second guard division. used."

Li Yunlong nodded: "That's it, Lao Zhao, you immediately send a telegram to Ding Wei and Cheng Shi each, ordering them to wait until after dark, and leave two regiments to guard the city wall, and the soldiers and militiamen of the other two regiments exchange uniforms. Take out half of the cannon and artillery, and return to the arsenal together."

"Old Kong, immediately order the reserve team and the new regiment to step up and sleep."

"Old Zhao, after you send the telegram, immediately ask the militiamen to prepare food."

"Yes!" Zhao Gang and Kong Jie acted separately.

Four hours flew by.

After a whole day of fierce fighting, under the onslaught of the Eighth Route Army, there were only more than [-] devils left in Changzhi County.

The Eighth Route Army also suffered a lot of casualties, but because of the superiority of troops and firepower, the casualties of the devils were much greater than those of the Eighth Route Army.

As soon as it got dark, the Eighth Route Army retreated, blocked the city gate and the collapsed city wall with sandbags, and then guarded the city wall and the fortifications outside the city.

Militiamen and civilian husbands carried hot steamed buns and meatloaf to the city wall with poles for the soldiers to have dinner.

In addition to food, ammunition is also supplied.

The reserve team that did not participate in the battle has already rested at this time and is changing equipment with the militiamen.

All returning soldiers had to travel lightly, leaving the heavier equipment to mules or horses.

After changing their clothes, all the soldiers came to the main road, packed a few steamed buns or pancakes, and marched northward while eating.

As the night deepened, the sky was gray, and the main forces of the Xinyi Regiment and the 2nd Attack Group quickly disappeared into the night.

Lu Yingjun and more than twenty members of the Sword Squadron had already stepped forward on army horses.

Find artillery positions and arrange false positions for the artillery units in advance.

……

Taiyuan.

First Army Command.

Kusuyama Hideyoshi went to the communication room next door.

Then he walked into the meeting room holding a few telegrams.

"Your Excellency, Commander, the troops of the 37th Division in Changzhi, Xiangyuan and Licheng counties have all sent telegrams."

"The troops of the Eighth Route Army fighting in the streets have withdrawn from the urban area."

As soon as he entered the meeting room, Kusuyama Hideyoshi reported to Shinozuka Yoshio.

"Nani, has the Eighth Route retreated?" Yoshio Shinozuka asked impatiently with a look on his face.

"The Eighth Route Army did not retreat, but guarded the city wall, using sandbags to block the city gate and the collapsed city wall." Kusuyama Hideyoshi said.

Shinozuka Yoshio showed a look of disappointment on his face, he thought that Eight Routes had withdrawn, but it turned out that they were just withdrawing from the battle.

"Your Excellency, Commander, do you think the main force of the Eighth Route attacking the 37th Division will return to the arsenal?" Kusuyama Hideyoshi said suddenly.

"Huh?" Shinozuka Yoshio frowned, "Mr. Nanshan, what do you mean, the main force of the Eighth Route is likely to return to the arsenal at night?"

"It's not impossible!" Kusuyama Hideyoshi said in a deep voice.

"Isn't this just right?" Yoshio Shinozuka said, "The main force of the Eighth Route Army will return to the arsenal, and the remaining soldiers of the 37th Division will be saved."

Nanshan Hideyoshi said casually: "Your Excellency, Commander, why don't you order the 14th and 18th Brigades to encircle the Eighth Route Armory?"

"What if the main force of the Eighth Route didn't return to the arsenal?" Shinozuka Yoshio asked, raising his head.

"This…"

Nanshan Hideyoshi was left speechless by the question. If the Eighth Route Army did not return to the arsenal, and the 14th and 18th Brigades did not rush to help, then the 37th Division would be completely finished.

At least now there is still a chance.

Shinozuka Yoshio said: "What's more, the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade are exchanging fire with the Eighth Route, and they have changed the direction of attack. The Eighth Route will not know? Just because of an arsenal, the main force of the Eighth Route will jump into the encirclement of the Imperial Army foolishly. ?"

"That's true." Nanshan Hideyoshi hesitated for a moment, and then said, "But if the main force of the Eighth Route returns to the direction of the sky at night, then the 2nd Guards Division and the 36th Regiment will be in danger. After all, the strength of the Eighth Route is not what it used to be. than, especially the troops under Li Yunlong's command."

Shinozuka Yoshio stared at the map with his hands behind his back, his eyes narrowed behind black round glasses: "From Changzhi to Yixiantian, at least it is more than 60 kilometers. The heavy equipment of the Eighth Route depends on mules and horses. Can we go back? What's more, the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army have been fighting continuously for a day and a night, and ran for dozens of kilometers in the middle, and I am afraid that they have no energy to return to the arsenal at this time."

If the main force of the Eight Routes wanted to return to the arsenal, they should have gone back at noon. Yoshio Shinozuka didn't quite believe that the main forces of the Eight Routes would go back to the reinforcements at night.

In Shinozuka Yoshio's view, in the case of continuous combat, he still ran for more than 60 kilometers, not to mention the eighth route, even the elite Japanese army could not do it.

The 2nd Guards Division is too far away from the 37th Division, and it is definitely not in a hurry to ask the 2nd Guards Division to rush to the 37th Division.

"However, theoretically speaking, the main force of the Eight Routes may return to help at night." Kusuyama Hideyoshi said worriedly.

Shinozuka Yoshio turned around and shifted his gaze to the sand table in the war room: "It is very simple to verify whether the main force of the Eighth Route is returning to help. Let the troops of Changzhi, Xiangyuan and Licheng attack the city wall to test whether the artillery of the Eighth Route is still there and whether the firepower has weakened. .”

"In addition, reconnaissance planes will be sent to investigate the roads of Changzhi, Xiangyuan and Licheng entering the Eighth Route Bandit area at night."

"Hi!" Kusuyama Hideyoshi suddenly nodded, turned and left.

……

In Changzhi County.

in a certain room.

Nakasa Matsuda, captain of the 227th Infantry Battalion of the 7th Regiment, was sitting on a stool with his saber closed and his eyes closed.

Officers above Da Zuo were all dead, and he, the infantry captain, was appointed by Yoshio Shinozuka as the supreme commander in Changzhi County.

The Japanese army above the brigade level is equipped with radio stations. Although the communications of the division and regiment headquarters were destroyed, the devils were still able to communicate with the headquarters.

After exiting the urban area from the eighth road, the devils were also very tired, and they were all trying to rest and recharge their batteries.

If it is a street-by-street fight, the Eighth Route Army will definitely attack at night, after all, the Eighth Route Army is better at night battles.

But this is a house-to-house scramble. At night, there are no lights, and even the door cannot be found, so the house-to-house scramble cannot be fought.

"Captain, Commander Shinozuka calls urgently!"

Holding a telegram, the devil's telegraph soldier walked up to Nakasa Matsuda and paused.

"give me!"

Matsuda Nakazuo took the telegram, and a soldier next to him lit a match. With the light of the match, he looked at the telegram intently.

After reading the content of the telegram, Matsuda Nakasa almost couldn't help yelling.

Fighting in the streets all day, not even seeing half of the reinforcements, let the soldiers launch a tentative attack on the eighth road of the city wall?
The eight-way firepower is so fierce, isn't this letting the soldiers die?
Although I was very angry and reluctant in every way, the order still had to be carried out.

Matsuda Nakazuo immediately asked the messengers to order the squadron leaders to gather the soldiers.

Then, taking advantage of the night, a squadron of devils sneaked towards the west and north city walls.

Before the devils got close to the city wall, at a distance of more than 100 meters, some devils stepped on a booby trap set by the Eighth Route Army.

"Boom!" Under the quiet night, there was a sudden explosion and an orange flame.

The sound of the explosion woke up the sleeping Eighth Route Army, and immediately the dense machine gun and submachine gun fire poured on the devils.

The devils set up light and heavy machine guns, mortars and grenades to attack the city wall.

After the two sides fired each other for a while, the Swordsmen called for artillery fire. Amidst the explosions that shook the ground, the street where the devils were located instantly turned into a sea of ​​flames.

The rest of the devils didn't even dare to collect the corpses, and fled in haste.

Matsuda Nakasa, who returned to the headquarters in a state of embarrassment, immediately called back to Shinozuka Yoshio: "Report to Your Excellency, the eight-way artillery firepower is still fierce, and the submachine gun and machine gun firepower is even more fierce than during the day."

(End of this chapter)