Age of Rebirth

Chapter 420 Three Strategic Retreat

When Tang Qiuli saw Liu Tiehan, he knew the pressure he was facing from his expression. Facing Tang Qiuli's concerned eyes, Liu Tiehan just smiled indifferently. There was no need for any words between the two of them. I'm being polite, and I keep everything in mind. Ever since I got acquainted with this teacher who is ten years younger than me, following him has led to the glorious situation of the independent division today.

In Liu Tiehan's heart, he always believed that all he could have today was given by the young man in front of him, and he could only bear the heavy burden for him in return.

So in the evening, in Liu Tiehan's headquarters, in front of the large military map of Tianjin, Tang Qiuli and Liu Tiehan were still seriously studying the current situation. Tang Qiuli's opinion was very clear, the troops must immediately withdraw from the Pingjin area, At that time, it was necessary to withdraw to the hinterland of the Taihang Mountains, on the south bank of the Yellow River.

The special warfare detachment left in Jinzhou in the northeast sent information. After the Kwantung Army occupied Jinzhou, it reorganized the Kwantung Army's Southward Corps with four divisions. The Japanese army left Jinzhou three hours ago and marched towards Shanhaiguan. , the special warfare unit is following and monitoring its specific movements. [

In addition, the Andong intelligence station sent information that the Japanese base camp mobilized 20 troops from the Korean peninsula to strengthen the North China battlefield. They crossed the Andong Yalu River Bridge yesterday and entered the northeast territory. They are currently assembled in the Shenyang area and can go south to enter the border at any time. , joined the North China battlefield.

After careful calculation, plus the reinforcements from Japan that are currently attacking Tianjin, the number of troops transferred from the Japanese base camp to North China has reached as many as 65. The strength of the troops has far exceeded all the troops of the Independent Division in North China. If the troops do not withdraw from the Pingjin area as soon as possible, they will be in danger of being encircled here.

Moreover, Feng Jiwu reported that while the Japanese army was storming Tianjin, the Japanese army in Beiping City launched attacks on our peripheral troops many times, intending to join up with the Japanese army in Tianjin and attack our army. Too long, the strength is obviously insufficient, and many directions appear weak.

Xiangyue Qingji is not a mediocre person, but he was frightened by Tang Qiuli's unexpected move to seize Tianjin, coupled with his misjudgment, he was at a disadvantage everywhere. Once the Japanese army came to help, the encirclement of Beiping would sooner or later become a scuffle This situation was not Tang Qiuli's original intention.

The direction of Beiping is easy to manage, it can be fought and left, and the direction of Tianjin is a big problem. It is in a state of exchange of fire with the Japanese army, and they are stuck together. How to safely withdraw the troops from Tianjin is a matter of thought. Tang Qiuli and Liu Tiehan are studying That's the problem.

What I am most afraid of is that when the troops were withdrawing from Tianjin, they would be discovered by the Japanese army and chased after them. More than 30 Japanese troops followed behind, plus 20 in Beiping, and more than 50 Japanese troops. Let go, the troops who retreated to Baoding in advance can start blocking and retreating with cover.

That is to fight head-on with the Japanese army. When the North Korean and Kwantung Army troops overwhelm them, this part of the troops will escape, which is another big problem. If it is not done well, the troops of the independent division will have to be rescued by the whole army, and that will be a decisive battle. Facing the 85 Japanese army, the mountains and plains were like locusts, Tang Qiuli had a headache thinking about it. This is a serious positional battle, and there is no room for tricks and tricks. Even if he wins, it will be a tragic victory. It's almost the end of the day, and if you want to get out of your body, it's a dream.

Tang Qiuli thought for a long time, and said to Liu Tiehan: "Brother Tiehan, it is not too late. It is better to withdraw early than late. The troops will withdraw from Tianjin tonight. Without giving the Japanese army time to react, they will withdraw to the front line of Hengshui, backed by the Yellow River, and can enter Henan. , You can enter Shandong, and there is a lot of room for advancement and retreat.

Liu Tiehan thought for a long time. He has always admired Tang Qiuli's command ability. Every major battle layout does not show his superb military command art and strategic vision. He considers the details. Under the eyes of the Japanese army, 10,000+ troops slipped away without anyone noticing. When it was dawn, the Japanese army saw the scene of individuals going to the empty positions.

Tang Qiuli didn't bother him. He knew that Liu Tiehan's consideration was crucial to the safe evacuation from Tianjin. Liu Tiehan explained his method. The newly formed Independent Division Rapid Response Brigade Liu Feng, the soldiers of this brigade, But they are all geographical ghosts. I am familiar with the ground in Tianjin. I left two regiments in the direction of Dagu and Beitang to cover the withdrawal of the main force. direction.

Tang Qiuli very much agreed with Liu Tiehan's approach. He called Liu Feng, the brigade commander of the rapid response brigade, Wang Zhanqun, the deputy brigade commander, and Wang Mancang, the chief of staff, and explained to them the plan of the deputy division commander. Wang Zhanqun and Wang Mancang are veterans of the Special Warfare Detachment. As the masters of the Canal Gang, they have lived in Tianjin for many years and have integrated into the local life circle.

They accepted the task without hesitation. Wang Zhanqun and Wang Mancang each led a regiment, mainly composed of the former independent division's urban combat team. They all put on plain clothes and resisted the Japanese army for a while. Bury them on the spot, sneak into the city, and keep them. The Japanese turned Tianjin upside down, but they couldn't find them. The remaining four regiments, led by brigade commander Liu Feng, withdrew with the main force.

After the arrangements were made, the front-line troops quietly evacuated the beachhead in sequence under the cover of night. Before leaving, the special forces were responsible for laying a large number of landmines and booby-traps. On the night, the lights on the masts of the Japanese warships flickered like ghost eyes, and the searchlights cast huge beams of light on the beach and pier, and everything was as quiet as usual.

The Japanese searchlight soldiers did not know that when the lights moved to other places, groups of black shadows, as nimble as civet cats, hid in the dark city behind them. The soldiers of the first brigade have placed a large number of time bombs all over the fort. This is a product of Huangyadong Arsenal. It is so powerful that the fort is flying into the sky.

Zheng Yong reluctantly stroked the huge cannon body, his expression was very painful. These big guys are too pleasing, so there is no way to carry them, otherwise, Zheng Yong will carry them and run away. He is a person who has a soft spot for cannons.

The sun rose as usual, the city woke up from its indifference, and the Japanese warships began to repeat their actions for three days. Large-caliber cannons roared across the sea and landed on the beach and pier, stirring up billows of smoke and dust. , In the past few days of shelling, there are no complete buildings, and there are rubble and ruins everywhere.

The Japanese Navy also wondered, how did the squadron survive this kind of bombardment?Whenever the army lands, they will be hit hard. Today's shelling time exceeds every day. It may be that they have received an order to take Tianjin today.

After the bombardment stopped, there were more than twice as many landing craft as there were every day, mixed with rubber boats that were not there before, and they rushed towards the shore like sharks. Several days of fierce fighting and heavy casualties did not frustrate the Japanese army. Bravery, it's getting closer, there is no rainstorm on the coast, and there are no guns that can sink a warship. Could it be that after several days of fierce fighting, the squadron has run out and fled?Or was it blown up by heavy artillery fire?

The Japanese soldiers shouted frantically and rushed to the beach, rushed to the pier, and marched into the depth like crazy. One after another, the national flag and military flag representing the success of the landing were raised. Suddenly, violent explosions sounded one after another. The frenzy turned into screams, and the military flag was blown away, like the Japanese flag dripping chicken blood on the white cloth, hit by the air waves, fluttering over the heads of the Japanese soldiers, and falling into the sea, a wave came over, a wave The volume is gone. [

The Japanese commander suddenly came to his senses, the squadron had an ambush, "Give me the murderous intent," all kinds of weapons of the Japanese army shot violently towards the imaginary front, hitting the already quiet pier again. There was a miasma of smoke, billowing smoke and dust, and broken bricks and tiles flying around.

After fighting for a while, why didn't there be any return shots?Charged and occupied the position of the squadron, only to find that the squadron, which had caused them so much suffering for the past few days, had long since disappeared, not even a trace could be seen. It has been more than three hours since the Tianjin defenders of the division have withdrawn.

The two regiments of the Quick Response Brigade ambushed nearby did not fight the Japanese army. They waited all night for nothing, but watched the excitement. While the Japanese army was in a daze, they quickly evacuated their positions, and then quietly slipped out of Tianjin and headed for Hengshui. The direction to catch up with the main force went.

Two hours after Tianjin troops withdrew, Feng Jiwu's troops surrounded Peiping and quietly withdrew from the periphery of Peiping. The sky was bright, and the Japanese army reinforced the troops in North China. Occupying Tianjin, which is riddled with holes, the market is depressed, and the compatriots are barren and disheveled, the sun flag once again rises over Tianjin, but it lacks a lot of the previous air and arrogance, and looks dejected.

On August 90, the Japanese army strengthened its troops in North China and arrived in the Pingjin area one after another. The total strength of the Japanese army in North China increased to nearly [-], accounting for nearly four-fifths of the total strength of the Japanese Army at that time. The development of the war situation exceeded the expectations of the Japanese base camp. Nearly a month later, the Japanese army had not stepped out of North China. The dream of destroying China within three months was shattered like soap bubbles.

From top to bottom, the Japanese army began to review the situation in North China and the prospects for the development of the war. They were busy rectifying their internal affairs. They were quite critical of Lieutenant General Kazuki Kiyoshi, Commander of the Japanese Garrison in North China, General Nanjiro, Commander of the Kwantung Army, the headquarters and the General Staff Headquarters. , there was a sound of changing generals up and down, and due to the trend of accountability, there was no action for the time being.

And Tang Qiuli placed all his troops on the outskirts of Pingjin, which was backed by the Taihang Mountains, Henan and Shandong, and watched the movements of the Japanese army in North China coldly, preparing for a bigger battle.

(To be continued)