I am helping

Just when Yoshio Iwamatsu asked Neiji Okamura for emergency tactical guidance.

The Eighth Route Army's artillery shelling of Yangquan City continued.

Although most of the cannons are small caliber, and there are not many howitzers above 105mm.

But it can't stand the large number of cannons and the large number of shells.

With the walls of Yangquan City, they simply cannot withstand this level of bombardment.

The 75mm howitzers and 105mm howitzers all approached the city wall to aim and shoot directly.

The two 386mm howitzers of the 150th Brigade also participated in the battle, and each shot could blast a hole in the city wall.

Although the 37th Division is the elite of the First Army, and the base camp also added a mountain artillery regiment to the 37th Division.

However, in the battle last night, the 37th Regiment of the Japanese Army's 37th Division Mountain Artillery was completely wiped out, and even the mountain artillery was captured by the troops of the 386th Brigade.

Inside the city, the remnants of the 37th Division had only a handful of mortars, infantry guns, grenadiers, and rapid-fire guns.

Such a huge gap in firepower cannot be made up for by tactics and courage.

Aircraft from the Devil's North China Front Army Command also came to reinforce them, but the number was not large, and the threat to the artillery positions of the Eighth Route Army was limited.

Coupled with the dense and powerful anti-aircraft firepower, the devil's plane did not dare to enter the dive position.

Yangquan.

The 37th Division Headquarters.

On the roof of the headquarters, division commander Anda 23, staff officer Changjiangguchi Taro, and a group of devil staff officers stood on the roof, watching the continuous shells fall on the city wall.

The coldness, determination and fanaticism in the eyes and expressions quickly dissipated, and the expressions of despair quickly climbed up the faces of all the devil officers.

"Division commander, the number of artillery used by the Eighth Route Army is estimated to be around 1000..."

Staff officer Changjiangguchi Taro was silent for a while, and said a statistic that made the devil officers even more desperate.

original.

Anda 23's plan was to deploy some troops on the city wall to resist the attack of the Eighth Route Army.

After all, reinforcements are coming to Xiangyangquan. As long as the 37th Division can insist on the arrival of reinforcements, the Eighth Route Army will be able to retreat with a high probability.

The city wall is condescending, and under normal circumstances, it can resist the attack of the Eighth Route Army and delay more time.

However, the artillery firepower of the Eighth Route Army was too fierce, and the Japanese and puppet troops deployed on the city wall suffered heavy losses immediately.

"Not as many as 1000 doors, about 850."

Anda 23 shook his head, denying Eguchi Taro's estimate of the number of artillery pieces of the Eighth Route Army, but his expression was extremely serious.

The battle-tested old devils are more sensitive to the sound of artillery. Outside each city wall, there are more than 200 artillery pieces, pouring shells at the city wall.

The sound of explosions was endless, and the Eighth Route Army's artillery shells seemed to be inexhaustible, and a large section of the city wall collapsed under the shelling.

There are 150 fewer artillery pieces than expected, but the despair in the eyes of the devil officers has not diminished.

All the cannons of the entire First Army are added up, and there are not so many. The wealth of the Eighth Route Army is simply beyond imagination!
Just to fight Yangquan City, so many cannons were used.

Moreover, the Eighth Route Army from the north was only advancing lightly, and did not carry more and larger caliber cannons.

Suddenly, Eguchi Taro's face changed, and he thought of something more desperate.

"Your Excellency, Commander, the Eighth Route Army's attack on Yangquan alone has dispatched 850 cannons."

"Then, the Eighth Route Army's attack on Taiyuan, the 1st Division stationed in Datong, and the 33rd Division stationed in Shouyang must have a lot of artillery."

"The total number of cannons of various calibers may not be less than 3500!"

The number of artillery of the Eighth Route Army has far exceeded the number of artillery of the entire Japanese North China Front Army. There are sufficient artillery shells and air-dropped supplies.

And this is only the number of artillery pieces of the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi.

Facing an opponent of this level, what can the First Army do?

But the Japanese army was very unwilling to let the Japanese army abandon Shanxi.

Anda 23 poured cold water on him again: "Mr. Jiangkou, what you are talking about is only the number of cannons used by the Eighth Route Army to launch this campaign. If you add the cannons that the Eighth Route Army did not use, the number of cannons of the Eighth Route Army may exceed 5000."

"5000 cannons..."

All the devil officers in the division headquarters fell silent.

They knew that what the division head said was likely to be true.

The Eighth Route Army is particularly good at hiding its strength.

Just like the Hundred Regiments War, the Eighth Route Army had only 5 or [-] people a few years ago, and they were beaten by the locust army and ran around.

The Eighth Route Army was beaten and drilled into the ravine, and the Japanese army did not let the Eighth Route Army go. Various cage policies were used to block it.

The Japanese army thought that the Eighth Route Army would have difficulty even surviving, but in the Hundred Regiments Battle, the Eighth Route Army mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops and a large amount of supplies, causing huge losses to the North China Front Army.

Seeing the smoke of the explosion covering the sky and hearing the continuous sound of explosions, Anda 23 had to admit it.

The times have changed.

If I knew today, the locust army should have dispatched hundreds of thousands of troops to wipe out this muddy leg.

"Mr. Jiangkou, immediately report our guess to the First Army and the North China Front Army Command."

Lieutenant General Anda 23's face returned to calm:
"Even if my 37th Division is wiped out by the Eighth Route Army, let the Locust Army know the true strength of the Eighth Route Army."

According to the firepower of the Eighth Route Army and the strength of troops outside the city.

Anda 23 knew very well that the 37th Division might not be able to escape this level.

"Hi!"

Eguchi Taro lowered his head first, then raised his head again, and asked:

"Your Excellency, Commander, do you want to order the troops to withdraw from the city walls and fight street battles with the Eighth Route Army?"

"The city wall must never be abandoned." Anda 23 shook his head, "Once the city wall is abandoned, the Eighth Route Army's large-scale troops will immediately rush into the city. Our troops are small, and we won't be able to last long in street fighting."

"Hi!"

Eguchi Taro suddenly nodded, turned and left.

……

Peiping.

Iron Lion Alley.

North China Front Army Command.

"Report, First Army Commander Lieutenant General Iwamatsu Yoshio, requesting urgent tactical guidance!"

In the combat hall, the communications staff officer Kitani Chiao held a telegram in his hand and reported to the commander of the North China Front Army Neiji Okamura.

Nani?

Yoshio Iwamatsu is also asking for help?

Could it be that the main force of the Eighth Route Army is attacking Taiyuan?

Okamura Ningji suddenly changed his face.

Tanabe Moritake and Arisue Seizo on the side also had extremely bad expressions on their faces.

The Eighth Route Army is attacking Datong, Yangquan and Shouyang at this time. If they attack Taiyuan again at this time, the situation will be very bad.

Undoubtedly, it made the passive situation of the entire North China Front even worse.

"Read!" Neiji Okamura said in a deep voice.

"Hi!" Chiao Kigu read with telegrams in both hands, "The main force of the Eighth Route Army attacking the Taigu defense line received a large-scale airdrop of supplies, and the 8 Locust Army planes that went to reinforce them have been shot down. The 14th and 18th Brigades It has been defeated, and the main force of the Eighth Route Army has crossed the Taigu line of defense and is marching in the direction of Taiyuan. Lieutenant General Yoshio Iwamatsu, commander of the First Army, asked General Neji Okamura for emergency tactical guidance."

"Onboard His Majesty the Emperor, onboard the Great Japanese Locust Army."

After Chiao Chiao finished reading the telegram, he immediately paused.

however.

The complexions of Neiji Okamura, Moritake Tanabe and Seizo Arisue were as black as the bottom of a pot.

The 14th and 18th Brigades were defeated so quickly?

The Eighth Route Army put on a posture to attack Taiyuan, which made Okamura Ningji feel like a big head.

The 1st Division is sending a telegram requesting emergency tactical guidance to the North China Front Army Command, the 33rd Division and the 37th Division are also requesting emergency tactical guidance, and now Taiyuan is also requesting emergency tactical guidance...

The problem is that Okamura has no extra troops in his hands to reinforce Taiyuan.

Moreover, the two important railways entering Taiyuan, Beitongpu Road and Zhengtai Railway, have been cut off by the Eighth Route Army.

It was difficult for the garrisoned Mongolian army and the divisions directly under the North China Front Army to reach Taiyuan for reinforcements.

Taking a deep breath, Okamura Ningji issued a combat order: "Mr. Kitani, immediately order the 1st Cavalry Brigade to abandon the reinforcement of the 33rd Division immediately and return to reinforce Taiyuan."

"Hi!"

Kitani Chiao bowed his head, turned around and walked away quickly.

Next.

Neiji Okamura, Moritake Tanabe, and Seizo Arimue discussed in the headquarters the possibility of the Eighth Route Army's offensive in Taiyuan and how likely it is to fight to the end.

Could it be that the Eighth Route Army's combat goal this time is to eat up the 1st Division and the entire First Army in one bite?
However, news soon came from the 1st Division that the main force of the Eighth Route Army attacking Datong had stopped attacking the 1st Division and surrounded them without fighting.

After picking out the strategic goal of the 1st Division, the three of Okamura Ningji fell into deep thought.

The goal of the Eighth Route Army's battle this time is to eat up the entire First Army?
Or is it that the main force of the Eighth Route Army's left attack group attacked Taiyuan just to scare the locust army?
Ningji Okamura did not dare to gamble.

The 33rd Division and the 37th Division were wiped out by the Eighth Route Army. Neji Okamura could still let Yoshio Iwamatsu be the one to blame. Anyway, Yoshio Iwamatsu is a waste.

And once the First Army is wiped out, his title as the commander of the North China Front Army will definitely be taken off his hat.

Politically, it will cause a huge and irreparable blow to the morale of the entire Japanese army.

At this moment, the 37th Division sent another urgent call.

However, it was not an urgent call for tactical guidance, but an urgent call to estimate the total number of artillery pieces of the Eighth Route Army from the battle of the Eighth Route Army's attack on Yangquan.

5000 cannons of various calibers!
Hearing that Anda 23 predicted that the Eighth Route Army would be equipped with cannons of various calibers, Neiji Okamura, Moritake Tanabe, Seizo Arisue, and all the devils' combat staff fell into deep thought.