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Chapter 387 Victory in the first battle!

Takahashi Sakuro was baffled, the current Balu has really changed from shot to shot.

He used to work in artillery and infantry, and later served as the infantry captain of the Fourth Brigade, fighting against the Eighth Route Army many times.

Because of his outstanding performance, he was promoted by Yoshio Shinozuka as a combat staff officer and captain of the Taiyuan Gendarmerie.

In previous battles, when wasn't the Japanese artillery suppressing the eight-way strike?
Times change so fast?
Under the powerful artillery fire, the defensive earthworks that had been hastily built overnight quickly fell apart under the artillery fire of the Eighth Route Army.

Accompanied by the flames and smoke of the explosion, stumps and broken arms continued to fly up.

As the headquarters is relatively backward, Takahashi Soro is safe for the time being.

The artillery shells of the Eighth Route Army landed very accurately, basically falling on the position and its surroundings.

It is also because of his experience in artillery that Takahashi Choro was stunned.

Judging from the trajectories of the artillery shells, the eight-way mountain artillery and howitzer positions are at least 3 kilometers away, and this distance, coupled with the darkness at night, is blind.

The Eighth Route Artillery did not test fire in advance, and it was covered by firepower as soon as it came up...

Is the quality of the Eighth Route Artillery so high?

"Your Excellency, Lieutenant Commander?"

The Major's adjutant on the side shouted anxiously.

Could it be that he was scared stupid by the intensive artillery fire from the eight routes?

"Huh?" Takahashi Saro quickly recovered from his stupefaction, and regained his cold expression. The commander must not panic. Once the commander panics, the morale of the army will also be confused.

With such an intensive bombardment, it is impossible to block the eight-way offensive with the unfinished fortifications.

Right now, we can only ask for tactical guidance.

He didn't dare to order a retreat without authorization, if he lost his position without authorization.

He has to apologize by cutting open his stomach, and no one can save him.

Takahashi Choro crawled out of the foxhole, rolled into the headquarters, picked up the phone and asked for help from Taiyuan City: "Moshi Moshi, I am Takahashi Saro, is this Kasai-kun, the defense line of Xiaodian Town encountered the enemy Intensive shelling, request tactical guidance from the commander!"

"Nani, how many troops does the Eight Route Army have?" Kasai Toshimatsu asked on the phone.

"Judging from the shelling density of the Eighth Route, it must be the main force of the Eighth Route, and there may be tens of thousands of people!" Takahashi Choro spoke hurriedly.

Tens of thousands of troops, Takahashi Choro didn't think that his own strength could block the attack of tens of thousands of troops without any danger to defend, so he could only quickly ask for reinforcements.

Those Japanese officers who despise Eight Routes, think that Eight Routes are vulnerable, and regard themselves as gods of war, such as Kuroshima Morita and Yamazaki Yohei, have already grown tall on their graves.

……

Taiyuan.

Japanese First Army Command.

Yoshio Shinozuka, who was on duty during the war, stayed up all night and was getting ready to sleep for a while.

The Ministry of Communications reported that there were eight attacks on the Japanese defense line in the direction of Xiaodian Town, and they have been repelled so far.

Yoshio Shinozuka, who heard the news, lost all sleepiness immediately, and a bad feeling suddenly surged in his heart.

"Report to the general."

The telephones connected to Xiaodian Town's defense line were moved from the communication room to the war room.

Toshimatsu Kasai, the communications staff officer, answered the phone in person, and then covered the microphone and said, "Zhongzuo Takahashi reported that the defense line of Xiaodian Town was under intensive shelling from the Eight Routes. Judging from the density of the shelling, it is the main force of the Eight Routes, and there may be tens of thousands of people!"

Shinozuka Yoshio suddenly felt his heart sink.

Where did these tens of thousands of roads come from?Could it be that the main force of the more than 3 Eight Routes heading north from the Heliao Highway is fake?
According to pre-war estimates, the main force of the Eighth Route in Southeast Shanxi should be around 5 to 6, and there may be hundreds of thousands of militiamen.

However, most of the militiamen had only a few guns and had no combat effectiveness. Even the regular army of the Imperial Association Army could easily deal with it. It was the main force of the Eighth Route Army that could really threaten the Japanese army.

5 to 6 main road...

Could it be that the Eight Routes divided these main forces into three parts?

Looking at it this way, the real main force on the front lines of Xiangyuan and Licheng, as well as the eighth road going north from the Heliao Highway, is definitely not as many as 3, and many of them are fake militiamen.

Thoughts flashed in Yoshio Shinozuka's mind, and Toshimatsu Kasai continued: "Neutenant Takahashi asks for tactical guidance."

Shinozuka Yoshio said: "Order Takahashi-kun to defend Xiaodian Town's defense line at all costs, and buy time for Taiyuan's defense preparations."

"Hi!" Kasai Toshimatsu let go of the microphone and sent an order to Kasai Toshimatsu.

As soon as the phone was hung up, the call for help from Wusu Airport came in again.

When the Xinyi regiment attacked the Japanese Xiaodian Town defense line, Kong Jie led the second attack group to launch a fierce attack on Wusu Airport simultaneously.

Although there are many bunkers and gun towers around the airport, and there is no artillery support from mountain artillery and howitzers.

However, the second attack group is equipped with more than 2 Type 30 infantry guns and more than 80 machine guns.

Whether it is a [-]-type infantry artillery or a machine gun, it can deal with the devil's gun towers and bunkers.

Shinozuka Yoshio's order is still to stick to it.

After Kasai Toshimatsu hung up the phone, Shinozuka Yoshio said again: "Kasai-san, immediately order the 3rd brigade defending the Beitongpu Railway to go south to reinforce Taiyuan."

"Hi!" Kasai Toshisong bowed his head, then turned his head back, hesitant to speak.

"Kasai-kun, do you have something to say?"

"Hey, general, Taiyuan is no longer safe. For the general's safety, I suggest that the general take a plane to Datong and command the battle!"

Yoshio Shinozuka took a deep breath, and patted Kasai Toshimatsu on the shoulder: "Kasai-san, I appreciate your kindness, but if I escape alone, the morale of the imperial army and imperial association army defending the city will definitely be affected, so I will never leave, I just need to wait for the 3rd Brigade to arrive to make a relief."

More than half an hour ago, the headquarters had received a report from the 2nd Guards Division, and they had already exchanged fire with the Eighth Road going north along the Heliao Highway, and the railway was cut off.

Therefore, the 2nd Guards Division is temporarily unable to rush to Taiyuan, and the 37th Division is even less likely to withdraw.

Moreover, Shinozuka Yoshio estimated that the main force of the Eight Routes attacking Taiyuan would be no more than 1 to less than 2 at most.

However, there were 1 Japanese and Imperial Army stationed in Taiyuan, and the Eighth Route Army was mostly just bluffing, playing the trick of besieging Wei and saving Zhao, and it is unlikely that Taiyuan can really be captured.

At this time, the Eighth Route was still attacking Xiaodian Town and Wusu Airport, and the Xincheng Airport outside the north of the city could still be used.

If Shinozuka Yoshio chooses to avoid the edge temporarily, he can take a plane to Datong, Changzhi, Yuncheng or Xinxiang Airport.

However, Shinozuka Yoshio resolutely chose to be tough.

Shinozuka Yoshio said again: "In addition, Kasai-kun, order the Kwantung Army's 32nd Flying Team to take off immediately to reinforce Taiyuan, find and destroy the Eighth Route Army's cannons!"

By the time the attack planes and fighter jets flew over Xiaodian Town, it might not be long before dawn.

Within a ten-kilometer radius of Xiaodian Town, there is a flat river, and there is no shelter to hide the cannons. The eight-way cannons and artillery have nowhere to hide under the plane.

A sneer appeared on the corner of Shinozuka Yoshio's mouth, without the cannon, what would Eighth Route use to attack the city?
……

Taking advantage of the intensive bombardment, the attacking troops of the infantry battalions of the Xinyi Regiment had reached the 80-meter line of defense of the Japanese army's Xiaodian town.

This is a relatively safe place.

If you go any further, you may be accidentally injured by your own shells.

Since it was night, and the Japanese and puppet troops were being shelled, it was not found that the Eighth Route Army had sneaked closer.

"Report to the commander-in-chief, the first battalion has arrived at the attack position!"

"The second battalion has arrived at the attack position!"

"The third battalion has arrived at the attack position!"

"The fourth battalion has arrived at the attack position!"

The battalion commanders of the Xinyi Regiment reported to Li Yunlong with a low-power walkie-talkie.

"As soon as the artillery fire stops, don't give the devils and puppet army time to breathe, let the labor and management immediately press up!"

Li Yunlong looked at the devils and puppet army positions in front of them that almost turned into a sea of ​​flames, and his tone was stern.

Afterwards, Li Yunlong put down the low-power walkie-talkie and picked up the high-power walkie-talkie again: "I am Li Yunlong, pass my order, stop shelling immediately, stop shelling immediately!
Not long after Li Yunlong's voice fell, the whistling sound of the shells in the sky gradually decreased until it finally disappeared completely.

Soon, the landslide-like explosions on the Japanese positions in front also disappeared, replaced by overwhelming shouts of killing.

"kill!"

"Shoot into Taiyuan and capture Shinozuka Yoshio alive!"

"rush!"

Accompanied by the sound of the charge horn and the cry of the charge, the soldiers lying at the forefront of the Japanese position jumped up.

At this time, it was already daylight, and it was still a while before dawn, but through the vision of the Zeiss telescope, Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang saw the soldiers of the new regiment roaring up, and the gray waves swept towards the positions of the devils and puppet troops.

As the soldiers sprinted, submachine guns and light machine guns and semi-automatic rifles fired at the same time, forming a dense fire net, and the Japanese and puppet military fortifications were beaten up under the dense rain of bullets.

Even if there were devils and puppet soldiers who fought back with light and heavy machine guns, they were quickly suppressed. The devils and puppet soldiers were stunned when they had never seen such a style of play.

At a distance of 30 meters, the bombing team threw grenades at the devil's position.

Suddenly, a blazing red fireball burst out from the devil's position amidst the sound of dense explosions, and amidst the sound of dense explosions, troops rushed to the position like a tide.

The surviving devils howled and fought back, and the two sides fired at each other without any cover. Some devils even held rifles and were about to come up with bayonets to see red.

However, the firepower of the main infantry battalion of the new regiment is not something that devils can touch. Light machine guns and submachine guns spew out flames, and devils fall one by one...

The surviving puppet army immediately either pretended to be dead, or slipped away with oil on their feet, turned around and ran wildly in the direction of Taiyuan.

The defense line of the devils and puppet army quickly collapsed in front of the powerful artillery fire and the Xinyi regiment, and the whole line collapsed.

After 10 minutes, the sky was already bright, and the battalion commanders reported on the walkie-talkies that they had captured the enemy's positions, and asked whether to pursue them.

Li Yunlong immediately ordered the infantry battalion to get out of the way, and sent the cavalry battalion to chase down the fleeing devils and puppet troops.

"Chief of Staff Wang!" Li Yunlong shouted without turning his head.

"Here!" Wang Dehou ran over, straightened his body and said.

Li Yunlong said: "Immediately send a report to the headquarters. The 3rd Taihang Column has captured the Japanese and puppet army positions 10 kilometers south of Taiyuan City, annihilating 2000 Japanese troops and 3000 puppet troops. The attack groups are encircling and outflanking Taiyuan City. It is expected to take 2 hours." Then completely surround Taiyuan City."

"Yes!" Wang Dehou finished recording, and hurried to the radio station and the telegraph operator.

Xing Zhiguo on the side saw the terrifying combat power of the new regiment for the first time, and his expression was shocked. The momentum of the charge just now was by no means comparable to that of ordinary elite troops.

It is definitely the aura that only ace troops have.

Soon, the new regiment won the first battle, and a telegram to wipe out 5000 enemies was sent to the headquarters.

After the chief of staff finished reading, the headquarters burst into cheers and thunderous applause.

(End of this chapter)