I am helping

In the Taigu Line of Defense Command of the Japanese Army.

Masao Miyazaki, deputy chief of staff of the First Army Command.

Watching the Eighth Route Army continue to pour artillery fire on the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade's defense line that is more than 10 kilometers long, I have a bitter expression.

Because the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade have a total strength of more than [-] people, but the leaders of the two brigades are all major generals, and no one can command the other.

then.

Yoshio Iwamatsu sent Masao Miyazaki, deputy chief of staff, to the Taigu line of defense to command the 14th and 18th brigades to guard against the attack of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army.

Masao Miyazaki thought it was a good job.

Because the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army went north to Taiyuan, it was just a military operation in Datong to cover and assist the Xinyi Regiment in Northwest Shanxi.

It is unlikely that the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army will attack the Taigu line of defense.

The 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade only need to stick to the line of defense to prevent the main force of the Eighth Route Army from breaking through the 14th and 18th Brigade.

Because once the Eighth Route Army breaks through the Taigu line of defense, it will enter the Fenhe Plain, and can drive all the way straight to the city of Taiyuan.

With the strength and firepower of the Eighth Route Army, and the 1st Cavalry Brigade went to reinforce the 1st Division, the Japanese army absolutely could not stop the main force of the Eighth Route Army from advancing on the Fenhe Plain.

Although the main force of the Eighth Route Army is unlikely to attack Taiyuan.

However, as soon as the Eighth Route Army came up, it used 500 mortars and infantry guns to bombard the Taigu line of defense.

Half an hour of shelling caused considerable losses to the 14th and 18th Brigades.

However, the loss was within the acceptable range of the Japanese army.

Although there are not many reinforced concrete fortifications in the Taigu line of defense, most of the rest are solid earthworks. The mortars and infantry artillery of the Eighth Route Army are difficult to destroy those earthworks under the condition of curved fire.

Only mortars with a caliber of 120 mm or more, or 75 mm caliber mountain guns, field guns, and howitzers with a caliber of 105 mm or more can destroy these civil fortifications.

Masao Miyazaki believed that the Eighth Route Army's tentative shelling would last no more than 5 minutes for 10 minutes.

However, a round of tentative shooting by the Eighth Route Army used more than 500 mortars and infantry guns, and lasted for a full 30 minutes!

The shells fired are at least a base, more than 5 shells!

This shocked Masao Miyazaki.

He knew that the Eighth Route Army was very rich, but he didn't expect to be so rich. He fired more than 5 shells with just one test shelling.

You know, the current ammunition reserve of the entire First Army is only about 1 rounds.

The Eighth Route Army was only one of the attacking troops, and a round of trial shelling fired the entire 1st Army's shell reserves.

Where did the eighth road get so many shells?
Is the commander of the Eighth Route Army an idiot?
It is nearly 100 kilometers away from the base of the Eighth Route Army in Southeast Shanxi.

With such a long logistics supply line, according to this style of play, can your logistics supply keep up?

Or are the artillery shells of the Eighth Route Army blown by strong winds?
"idiot!"

Masao Miyazaki, who couldn't think of a clue, could only curse bitterly.

Immediately afterwards, the Eighth Route Army launched a probing attack, and part of the Japanese firepower was exposed.

Immediately afterwards, after the Eighth Route Army's tentative attack, the Eighth Route Army's artillery began to work again.

This time, the Eighth Route Army's 75mm mountain artillery and 105mm howitzer fired fiercely at the positions of the 14th and 18th Brigades.

and.

The mountain guns and howitzers of the Eighth Route Army were both tricky and fierce, and they were dedicated to covering the firepower of the Japanese army.

At this time, the sky was gradually getting dark.

You can clearly see the orange-red ballistics in the night sky, densely packed like a spider web, falling on the Japanese positions continuously, and then exploded with a bang.

Almost the entire defense line of the Japanese army was suddenly plunged into the flames of the explosion, gunpowder smoke and mud fog.

The Japanese army's earthworks and firepower points were continuously covered by artillery fire.

This shelling lasted for a full hour, and even the entire sky in the north was illuminated red by the shell fire.

After an hour of shelling, the infantry of the Eighth Route Army launched another attack.

Most of the firepower points exposed by the Japanese army before were destroyed. This time, all the firepower points of the Japanese army were exposed before repelling the attack of the Eighth Route Army.

As soon as the Eighth Route Army withdrew, the barrels of the Eighth Route Army's cannons cooled down slightly, and they began to shell the Japanese artillery positions again.

This time the shelling continued for another half an hour, and did not stop until the gun barrel was turned red.

The experienced old gunner lit a cigarette with the barrel and smoked there, and continued to fire after the barrel cooled down.

However.The 14th and 18th Brigades of the Japanese Army couldn't stand it anymore.

Taigu Line of Defense, Japanese Command.

Major General Yuan Quanxin, head of the 14th Brigade, and Major General Taro Nakanaga, head of the 18th Brigade, walked into the headquarters with the major general's command saber on their shoulders.

The faces of both of them were ashen-headed and dusty, blackened by the smoke of the shells.

Major General Yuan Quanxin, the head of the 14th Brigade, took the lead in saying with an ugly face: "Mr. Miyazaki, the artillery fire of the Eighth Route Army is too fierce. Our brigade has suffered a lot of losses. Please ask the 41st Division for reinforcements."

"Our 18th Brigade also suffered a lot of losses!" Major General Taro Nakayaga, the head of the 18th Brigade, also said in a deep voice, "The Eighth Route Army's shells seem to be endless."

"In just a few hours."

"The artillery of the Eighth Route Army poured at least 15 shells into our defense positions."

Masao Miyazaki narrowed his eyes and said, "Judging from the attacking situation of the Eighth Route Army, it doesn't look like this Eighth Route Army is here for cover and assists. The Eighth Route Army seems to want to attack Taiyuan!"

Yuan Quanxin and Nakayataro were startled suddenly.

If this Eighth Route Army wants to attack Taiyuan, the 14th and 18th Brigades will definitely not be able to defend the Taigu line of defense.

Yuan Quanxin said: "Mr. Miyazaki, I suggest abandoning the Taigu line of defense. After only two hours of bombardment, thousands of soldiers from the Locust Army and the Locust Alliance Army have already fed the Eighth Route Army's shells. If the Eighth Route Army bombarded for a few more hours, The 14th and 18th Brigades of the Locust Army, as well as the 3rd Division of the Locust Alliance Army, all had to die on the ground."

Taro Nakayaga said: "Mr. Yuanquan, is your 14th Brigade afraid? I don't believe that the Eighth Route Army has so many shells. If the Eighth Route Army wants to break through the Taigu line of defense, they can only cross over the corpses of our 18th Brigade soldiers! "

Yuan Quanxin said: "Mr. Zhongyong, our soldiers can't do unnecessary jade pieces, we should retreat immediately!"

"Baga!" Taro Nakayaga said angrily, "Mr. Genizumi, do you think your 14th Brigade wants to run away?"

The 14th Brigade fled, and the 18th Brigade's line of defense was absolutely untenable.

Because the Eighth Route Army will come back from the position of the 14th Brigade and make dumplings for the 18th Brigade.

Masao Miyazaki said in a deep voice: "Mr. Motoizumi and Mr. Nakayaga, please be patient. I will ask Commander Yoshio Iwamatsu for tactical guidance."

That's what worries Yoshio Iwamatsu.

One wants to retreat, the other wants to stick to it, and the two brigade leaders disagree, so why fight?

Then, Masao Miyazaki walked quickly to the telephone. The Taigu line of defense was only 40 kilometers away from Taiyuan, and a telephone line was connected between the headquarters and the headquarters of the Taiyuan First Army.

Masao Miyazaki can call Yoshio Iwamatsu to report the situation at any time.

……

Taiyuan.

First Army Command.

Yoshio Iwamatsu hung up the call from Masao Miyazaki and fell into a daze.

The main force of the Eighth Route Army heading north from Baijin Road poured more than 14 shells into the Taigu defense line defended by the Japanese 18th and 15th Brigades.

to be frank.

Yoshio Iwamatsu can no longer understand the Eighth Route Army, what is he going to do?

Didn't it mean that the main force of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army going north along Baijin Road was to cover and assist? How did it come up with a posture of attacking Taiyuan?

Within a few hours, 15 shells were fired...

The Kwantung Army is not as rich as your Eighth Route Army.

The stone that had fallen in Yoshio Iwamatsu's heart suddenly lifted up again.

Does the Eighth Route Army really want to attack Taiyuan?

Although panicked in his heart, Yoshio Iwamatsu had no expression on his face. Looking at Hanaya Masaaki and Kazuki Yamamoto, he asked in a deep voice:

"Hanaguchi-kun, Yamamoto-kun, what do you think?"

When Yoshio Iwamatsu answered the phone just now, Masao Hanaya and Kazuki Yamamoto were standing aside, so they also heard Masao Miyazaki's report on the situation of Taigu's defense line.

"Your Excellency, Commander." Hua Guzheng said disdainfully, "I think the Eighth Route Army is just a bluff."

"A bluff?" Yoshio Iwamatsu's expression changed.

"Yes!" Huagu Zheng said, "The Eighth Route Army threw 15 shells on the Taigu defense line, and they didn't really want to attack Taiyuan."

"With the transportation capacity of the Eighth Route Army, the Eighth Route Army that goes north from Baijin Road can carry no more than 20 rounds of shells at most."

"It will take at least two days for the Eighth Route Army to transport the shells from southeast Shanxi to the Taigu line of defense."

"So I conclude that as long as the 14th and 18th Brigade survive today, the Eighth Route Army will not be able to launch a big offensive."

Yoshio Iwamatsu nodded, heaved a sigh of relief, and then looked at Kazuki Yamamoto.

Kazuki Yamamoto, with a paralyzed expression, felt Yoshio Iwamatsu's eyes. He knew that the Commander wanted him to speak, so Yamamoto said: "Your Excellency, Commander, I suspect that the real strategic goal of the Eighth Route Army is Taiyuan!"

Yoshio Iwamatsu's heart beat suddenly, and he asked in a deep voice, "Yamamoto-kun, do you have any evidence?"

Kazuki Yamamoto walked quickly to the map on the wall, pointed at the map with a wooden pole and said: "If the main force of the Eighth Route Army who is attacking the 1st Division in Datong is not the New First Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, but the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army and the New First Division." The Second Regiment, the main force of the new First Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, detoured from other places and attacked Taiyuan together with this Eighth Route Army."

"And the main force of the Eighth Route Army going north to attack Yangquan and Shouyang prevented the 33rd Division and 37th Division from being able to reinforce the First Army."

"The 1st Cavalry Brigade was transferred from Taiyuan, while the 21st Division, the 35th Division, the 4th Cavalry Brigade, and the Mongolian Army went to reinforce the 1st Division."

"Taiyuan would be surrounded by the Eighth Route Army without reinforcements."

After Kazuki Yamamoto finished speaking, Yoshio Iwamatsu frowned tightly.

Hua Guzheng retorted: "Yamamoto-kun, this is just your guess. It is impossible for the Eighth Route Army to attack Taiyuan!"