Age of Rebirth

Chapter 670: Wu Township Falls

At the beginning of May [-], undercurrents were surging everywhere in North China. Tang Qiuli and Okamura Ningji had their own plans and appetites. Both sides were deploying their troops intensively according to their own plans. The commander is in a very happy mood. There are frequent reports of success in Zhangjiakou. The former enemy commander Zhao Chengshou reported victory yesterday. The troops have already entered Zhangjiakou and occupied most of the urban area. It is estimated that Zhangjiakou will be captured in three days.

Yan Xishan is not very satisfied with Zhao Chengshou's record. There are 28 people, and more than 6 people have beaten the Japanese. After four days of fighting, Zhangjiakou has not been captured yet. The bottom is not very smooth, the younger generations don't know the mechanism here, if Tang Qiuli is to step in at this time and plan to monopolize Zhangjiakou and Northwest Hebei, there will be twists and turns. Taking Zhangjiakou, the more this situation can be avoided.

Yan Xishan didn't have any worries about taking down Zhangjiakou. To be on the safe side, he even secretly instructed Zhao Chengshou to send a division of troops to monitor the independent divisions operating near Zhangjiakou, just in case Tang Qiuli came to pick peaches in the end. Yan Xishan, who has already smelled the smell of meat, is undoubtedly the most proud person at the moment.

The *** and Tang Qiuli fought to the death in Pingjin and Taihang Mountains. The old man, I sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and I pick up a ready-made bargain. This is called judging the situation. The special cook for the family came in and asked Yan Xishan respectfully: "Master, what would you like for lunch?" , Sliced ​​noodles with old mature vinegar, what kind of fragrance permeates the sweat pores. [

Tang Qiuli, who was in a hurry to rush back to Dingbian, was not in the good mood of Chief Yan. When he passed Sanmenxia, ​​he was a little relieved about the defense. Yuan Jinghao deployed two regiments of troops here, with complete fortifications and firepower configuration. Reasonable, he sent a telegram to Yuan Jinghao, ordering to increase the strength of two regiments in the Sanmenxia area. This is an important ferry from Shanxi to Henan.

Without too many stops, when we arrived at Fenglingdu via Lingbao, the yellow water was surging, but Fengling Ancient Ferry was still there, the ancient ferry was bumping in the endless yellow water, and the desolate chant of the boatman resounded on both sides from time to time. In the canyon, there were only a dozen or so soldiers from the Shaanxi local army conducting routine inspections. Tang Qiuli ignored Fenglingdu, who had traveled many times, and hurriedly checked the defense situation.

When Tang Qiuli and his party appeared in front of the soldiers on duty, these soldiers were stunned. The famous Vice Chairman Tang, in North China and even the northern region, who didn't know, even if he didn't know him, but the three golden stars on his shoulders The formation of the generals and the entourage, even a fool can tell. Tang Qiuli looked at the dozen or so soldiers who were stunned, and asked with a smile: "Who is the commander of your team?"

A young officer in his twenties with the rank of second lieutenant hurried forward and said, "Report to the commander, Wang Ziwei, the new platoon leader of the third battalion, first company and second platoon of the [-]st Shaanxi Local Police Regiment, is on duty, please give instructions from the commander!" With excitement, his voice trembled slightly, and his saluting arms also trembled slightly. The legendary big man was right in front of his eyes, talking about a small second lieutenant. Even their regiment leader couldn't help feeling nervous.

Tang Qiuli immediately asked Wang Ziwei how many troops you have in Fenglingdu, and learned that the newly formed Shaanxi Local Security Regiment received an order from the Dingbian Garrison Command yesterday to march from Tongguan to Fenglingdu overnight. There were 400 troops deployed at Fenglingdu. Tang Qiuli was taken aback and asked, "Are there any other troops?" Wang Ziwei replied affirmatively that there was no.

"Platoon Leader Wang, continue to be on duty!" The young second lieutenant left a good impression on him, and immediately Tang Qiuli frowned. According to the time, the vanguard of the Sun Zhenbang Corps should have arrived at Fenglingdu last night , the strength of the troops will not be less than one regiment, what's going on?The Shaanxi Local Garrison Regiment was reorganized after Yuan Jinghao's troops were transferred away. It was subordinate to the Dingbian Garrison Command. The local troops with only one regiment would be absolutely irresistible if the Japanese army attacked.

"Send the report and ask Sun Zhenbang why the troops are not in place yet?" Tang Qiuli's face was very ugly, and he had roughly guessed the reason. Sure enough, Sun Zhenbang called back. For a squadron of troops, the leader of the leading regiment felt itchy for a while, so he decided to eat up this little devil.

Unexpectedly, there was a regiment of Japanese soldiers following behind. When the fight started on this side, the Japanese troops surrounded them following the sound of gunfire, and the battle became a stalemate. To suffer a great loss, after reading the telegram, Tang Qiuli flew into a rage.

"Sun Zhenbang, the previous telegram has repeatedly stated that your department's top priority is to deploy defenses along the Yellow River. The troops actually disobeyed the division's strict orders, were greedy for petty gains, and ignored the overall situation. If the Japanese army came to attack at this time, the thousands of miles of defense along the Yellow River would be useless. You Sun Zhenbang will be the sinner of the whole Shaanxi and the whole independent division, even if you die, you can't make up for the loss, immediately dismiss the head of your regiment and send it to the Military Law Office, and order your troops to arrive at Fengling Ferry to deploy defenses before midnight today. Independent division commander Tang Qiuli."

Tang Qiuli was really angry. From Hequ to Fenglingdu, the river defense line of more than a thousand miles, Neji Okamura would attack at any time in Wuxiang. The situation was extremely critical. He wished that Sun Zhenbang's troops could grow wings and fly over. The head of the leading regiment was still thinking of making money and fighting. Everyone in the division headquarters, including Mei Ting and Mei Xue, had never seen Tang Qiuli be so angry, and he had never seen him reprimanding a corps commander like this. , directly deal with a team leader.

The spring breeze is turning strong, the yellow water is surging, the river like wheat waves is rushing to the distance, the howling of the river adds to the desolation, and there is silence, only Tang Qiuli stands with his hands behind his back, looking at the smoky opposite bank, no one knows , what was he thinking, seeing Tang Qiuli's mighty Wang Ziwei, his heart trembled, he felt the overwhelming pressure, this young teacher with black hair and silver silk, and a scar on his face, was engraved on him like a high mountain In my heart, I seem to see the ideal, gradually becoming clear in the distant sky.

On May 21, Okamura Ningji's assembled troops were finally in place. In the direction of Wuxiang, he assembled nearly 25 troops. If it were not for the consumption in Huangyadong, he could gather more than 29 troops. In addition to the troops in the Heshun direction, Okamura Neiji's troops used to attack Taiyuan reached more than [-] troops, which was enough. Okamura Neji looked at Wuxiang City under the night, and smiled like an old fox.

In the early morning of May [-]th, the morning wind in the early spring in the Taihang Mountains had not blown away the chill at night. The sudden sound of guns and artillery in the direction of Wuxiang shattered the tranquility of dawn. The three directions of Qinxian County and Xiying launched a sudden and violent attack on Wuxiang. The more than [-] Jin troops guarding Wuxiang rushed to the battle without any precautions. .

Because of Yan Xishan's misjudgment, most of the Jin army defending Wuxiang were second-rate troops. His mood also affected the generals of the Jin army, who were paralyzed, thinking that it was impossible for the Japanese to leave the Taihang Mountains to attack Taiyuan. It took more than a week for Okamura Ningci's more than 20 troops to assemble. During this period, the Jin army did not send even a reconnaissance force to Qinxian and Xiangyuan, south of Wuxiang. Most of the officers and soldiers secretly rejoiced that they were not transferred to Zhangjiakou to fight against the Japanese. On this ordinary morning, disaster struck.

As soon as the battle outside Wuxiang started, the Jin army was in an extremely unfavorable situation. Massive artillery fire flooded the Jin army's defense line like a volcanic eruption. After an hour of shelling, groups of Japanese soldiers, holding bright bayonets, Shouting and rushing towards the Jin army, which has already suffered more than half of the casualties, the few remaining soldiers of the Jin army were the first line of defense in Wu Township, and the Jin army suffered more than two-thirds of the casualties from this burst of shelling.

In the Taihang Mountains, the Japanese soldiers who had been wrestling with the stone for nearly a month were already going crazy, especially during the time in Huangya Cave. On the soldiers of the Jin army, the Japanese soldiers who could kill were simply stripped off, holding bayonets, and stabbing the soldiers of the Jin army fiercely.

The front-line troops suffered heavy casualties, and the remaining soldiers of the Jin army had extremely weak resistance. The Japanese soldiers who stared at the blood-red eyes completely broke out in ferocity, and regardless of whether they surrendered or not, they all spoke with bayonets. Facing the tide of Japanese soldiers coming up, the battle was over, and they were quickly submerged in the flow of Japanese soldiers.

Less than three hours after the war started, under the fierce Japanese attack, the first line of defense of the Jin army in Wuxiang collapsed, and the entire line collapsed. More than [-] Jin army troops defended survived, and most of them died in battle. After a few surrendered, they were shot and stabbed again, and all of them died. The red-eyed Japanese soldiers did not stop at all, and directly rushed to the second line of defense without waiting for the cover of artillery fire.

The bad news that the first line of defense was lost, and more than 2 brothers were all killed in battle, spread like long legs across Wu Township. In the ears of more than 3 soldiers in the second line of defense of the Jin Army, fear, the fear of the side, spread like a plague among the soldiers. And the officer's heart spread, only two hours, more than 2 brothers, all gone, can we stand it? [

The morale of the army was shaken, more than any cannon and guns, the soldiers of the Jin army on the second line of defense waited anxiously. I don't know which army, the chief fled first, was a little shaken, and the whole line collapsed. Before the Japanese soldiers rushed to the second line of defense, more than 3 soldiers of the Jin army retreated across the line and flocked to Wuxiang City. Where, It is also the last line of defense in Wuxiang.

(To be continued)