Age of Rebirth

Chapter 560 Yamaguchi's Dilemma

In Guxian, Shanxi, at the Temporary Headquarters of the Independent Division, Tang Qiuli was holding a telegram, checking it on the map and checking it from time to time. When he learned that Shankou wanted to slip away, he sneered, and had enough rampage in the Taihang Mountain base. If you want to sneak away, how can there be such a cheap good thing, staying in Taihang Mountain all the time, isn't it just looking for death?

Regarding the fact that the Japanese army under Shankou and Yan Xishan's Jin army were stalemate on the front line of Wuxiang for more than [-] days, they did nothing but did not withdraw. He planned that if Rensuke Isotani's first army had not been annihilated, Yamaguchi would be able to restrain the squadron in Wuxiang, which would make sense.

However, the first army of Isoya Rensuke had been completely annihilated for three or four days before Yamaguchi made a move. It was too late to withdraw from Wuxiang at this time. I really don’t know what the Japanese commander thought. Anyway Tang Qiuli didn't intend to let the mad dog Shankou go. Now, he was free to mobilize troops. Tang Qiusheng's troops arrived in the Changzhi area yesterday.

On January [-], [-], in the raging flames of war, all Chinese ushered in the new year. On the same day, Tang Qiuli issued the No. [-] combat order of the Japanese troops encircling Yamaguchi, ordering Sulu to maneuver Tang Qiusheng of the Corps had five field brigades, with a strength of more than [-] troops, and the Yellow River Defense Defense Corps, with Sun Zhenbang's four brigades, had a strength of more than [-] troops. [

The Niangziguan Garrison Corps of the Independent Division transferred three brigades of 4 troops into the Taihang Mountains. After supplementation and reinforcement, the Yellow River Henan Defense Line Garrison Chief of Staff Wang Dongshan (acting commander) led four brigades of [-] troops. The troops of more than [-] people immediately finished their rest and left Huangya Cave.

Liu Chun's first cavalry brigade, the original combat mission was cancelled, and immediately assembled in the direction of Licheng. Tong Batu's second cavalry brigade continued to carry out the task of attacking the Japanese army's transportation line. At present, it is to destroy all bridges on the mountain pass retreat route Mainly, take all measures to keep the mountain pass in the Taihang Mountains.

The above ministries, together with Ma Chaoyang's independent second brigade, Jiang Yanming's Huangyadong garrison brigade with more than 23 troops, and two cavalry brigades, with a total strength of more than [-] troops, form the Taihang Mountain Base Field Corps. Tang Qiuli, the commander of the independent division, served as the commander-in-chief, Tang Qiusheng, the deputy division commander, served as the deputy commander-in-chief, and Sun Zhenbang, the commander of the Yellow River Defense Corps, served as the chief of staff for the combat mission of encircling and annihilating the Japanese troops at the Yamaguchi Station.

All the ministries took Licheng as the assembly point and had to arrive at the designated location on January [-]. Among them, Tang Qiusheng's troops left Xiangyuan from before Changzhi to serve as a security guard for the Corps.

The reason why Tang Qiuli mobilized a large number of troops was based on his consistent principle of using troops. He must concentrate superior troops and firepower to deal a devastating blow to the Japanese army. This kind of unavoidable fight, unless it is necessary, Tang Qiuli would rather not fight and find another opportunity.

The encirclement and annihilation of the Japanese army at the Yamaguchi followed this principle. The Japanese army went through the exhaustion of the Taihang Mountain base and fought against the Jin army in Wuxiang for many days. Moreover, staying in the mountains for a long time greatly reduced the combat effectiveness and morale of the soldiers. In addition, the cavalry troops of Liu Chun and Tong Batu continued to attack the supply lines of the Japanese army, which made the mountain pass worse. Supplies and medicines were extremely short.

Lack of food, grass and medicine inside, exhausted soldiers, nearby reinforcements outside, the fate of Yamaguchi and the tens of thousands of Japanese troops he led was already doomed. If he had started to retreat five days ago, there was still a chance of survival. At that time, Tang Qiuli The deployment has not been completed yet, but it is already too late now, and various armies with three times the strength of Shankou have already surrounded him. Unless Shankou grows wings and flies out of the Taihang Mountains, tens of thousands of his men will have to stay here.

There is another main reason for Tang Qiuli's ruthless intention to kill Shankou, and that is the Matsushita Seiichi Regiment that caused the Sucheng massacre, and the Japanese spy Xu Fu who sent more than [-] Gusucheng citizens to Hukou. In the army of three, if they were let go, Tang Qiuli would be condemned in his heart for the rest of his life. He could never forget the tragic scene in Sucheng, and the innocent souls of three thousand innocent people tortured him all the time.

Orders were issued one after another, and the units of the temporarily formed Taihang Mountain Base Area Field Corps, in accordance with the requirements of the headquarters, rushed to the designated area, and cast a large net towards the mountain pass that already felt that something was wrong.

In the evening, the leaden clouds hung low, the cold wind stopped whistling, but the weather became colder and fiercer. In the middle of the night, heavy snow fell suddenly, and the sky and the earth were white. A, when the sky is falling, the heavy snow is coming fiercely, the wind is violent and the snow is dense, it is difficult to walk an inch in the face of the snow, and there is no one on the opposite side. The thousands of miles of Taihang Mountains are completely shrouded in a white world.

In the mountain pass under the city of Wuxiang, he sat silently around the stove, his triangular eyes turned rapidly from time to time, and seemed restless. He didn't feel cold when the stove was lit in his tent, but other ordinary Japanese soldiers didn't. Such good treatment, not enough tents, many camped out in the ice and snow, luckily, found a cave, dozens of people crowded together, burnt everything that could be burned long ago.

The strong wind blows snowflakes and pours in from the entrance of the cave. The inside of the cave is as cold as an ice cellar. In addition, there is no food ration, no food in the stomach, and no fire around. The soldiers were cold from the inside out, and it seemed that there was only a little heat in their hearts, which proved that they were alive. The cold wind penetrated into their already cold bodies, and their joints felt frozen.

Yamaguchi is a very cunning guy. Ever since he was blocked at the foot of Wuxiang City, he felt that the momentum was not right. Isotani Rensuke's first army was besieged in Xiao County, and he became even more frightened. Looking around, the nearest reinforcements were not far from him Hundreds of kilometers away, they were still blocked by the independent division and Yan Xishan's Jin army, and couldn't move forward. Isn't this the obvious situation of the lone army going deep?

He tried his best to carry out the plan of mopping up the Taihang Mountains. It was based on the background of the Japanese army in North China launching an all-out attack, and Tang Qiuli's troops in the Taihang Mountains were empty. That's why he dared to make this strange move. Everything changed. The Japanese army's offensive was blocked across the board, and Isoya Rensuke's First Army was wiped out. Yamaguchi knew very well that the longer he stayed in Wuxiang, the greater his danger.

He sent several telegrams to the commander of the dispatched army, Xiangyue Qingsi, requesting permission for the troops to withdraw from Wuxiang and return to Shijiazhuang, but they were not approved. Instead, he was ordered to carry out a hopeless attack. A heavy snowstorm caused him even greater difficulties. Leaving aside the army's supplies, the road conditions alone could make Yamaguchi sad to death.

He pricked up his ears to listen to the howling cold wind outside the tent, rolled up snowflakes and hit the tent, his heart became more and more restless, and he secretly complained to Xiangyue Qingji that he still didn't order the retreat, and it would take a few days without Tang Qiuli's help When the troops come to fight, the tens of thousands of their own soldiers can be reduced by more than half due to cold and hunger.

Before receiving the retreat order, this guy had already designed a retreat route for himself. There are two routes to choose from. Go out of Wu Township and pass through Yushe, and arrive at Xingtai, Hebei. This is a relatively short route. Go out of Wu Township and pass through Licheng To Handan, Hebei, this route is relatively long, but no matter which route, it has to pass through the Taihang Mountains.

Thinking of the Taihang Mountains made Shanguo's heart shudder, and his spine shivered. Those days in the mountains were a nightmare experience in Shankou's life. The feeling of being chased and beaten by independent teachers made him have a feeling for passing through the Taihang Mountains. An instinctive fear, but you can only go to the mountains, unless you don't want to go back.

The heavy snow now has undoubtedly added more difficulties to him, and he is also very clear that Tang Qiuli, the devil of China, will not allow himself to easily return to Shijiazhuang. I don't know how many independent division troops are waiting for me. [

In order to safely evacuate Wuxiang and return to Shijiazhuang, Shankou used a strategy, which he called "Mingxiu plank road to cross Chencang secretly." On the route, roads and bridges were built with great fanfare to prepare for the withdrawal of troops.

In fact, he planned to take the route from Licheng to Handan. Although it was a bit far away, the terrain was not too complicated in comparison, and the dangerous terrain that was easy to be ambushed was much less, and it was much safer. There was the Mingxiu Plank Road. As for the soldiers of the four regiments, they had to be thrown out as bait to attract Tang Qiuli's troops to focus on that route.

In this regard, he has no psychological burden. It is worth sacrificing thousands of soldiers and saving the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. The soldiers of the empire can show up for His Majesty the Emperor at any time. Their sacrifices are very valuable. Although thinking this way, But Yamaguchi himself felt that this move was too insidious and contrary to the harmony of nature, and he didn't even disclose it to the most trusted senior officers around him, including his chief of staff.

The poor Japanese troops of the three regiments are still faithfully carrying out the orders of Chief of Staff Yamaguchi of the sending army, and are working hard to repair those bridges that will never be used in the wind and snow. Doomed to fate, the three regiments and thousands of Japanese soldiers lined up along a route hundreds of kilometers long, like sheep dung eggs, and each point was less than the strength of a squadron.

Not to mention, Shankou's trick really deceived Tang Qiuli. He sent Tong Batu's Second Cavalry Brigade to deal with the Japanese troops of these three regiments, and the main force was also arranged around Wuxiang. The route to Yushe was launched, but because of the heavy snowfall, the troops were still stranded in Licheng.

Yamaguchi arranged the retreat route, and all the troops could set off immediately with an order. However, the commander, Kozuki Kiyoshi, did not order, so he dared not move. After greeting several times, he had to wait, but he didn't know that the heavy snow came. At the same time, there were 23 troops from the Independent Division.

Feeling like a cat scratching his head, Shankou kept pacing in the tent. The curtains of the tent were wide open, and the strong wind brought snowflakes straight in.

(To be continued)