Age of Rebirth

Chapter 690 Annihilation

In the Battle of Yongheguan Ferry, the two divisions and one brigade of Ningji Okamura who crossed the Yellow River westward had more than [-] people, and the division of Fenglingdu Ferry crossed the Yellow River westward with more than [-] people. In the encirclement encircled by Libu, the follow-up troops crossing the river were shelled again and suffered heavy losses. Neji Okamura fully understood that he fell into Tang Qiuli's trap.

After receiving the emergency telegram from the Fenglingdu troops, Ningji Okamura finally realized that Tang Qiuli's troops had already cut off his retreat. In fact, the troops stranded on the east bank of the Yellow River had become a lone army, facing the water. The enemy and the reinforcements, this is the most dangerous situation. He has no intention of fighting, and he talks about going to rescue the besieged Akita Division. How to bring the remaining troops back to Taiyuan safely is a problem. Luliang, which is full of mountains and valleys The mountainous area is the biggest obstacle for him to retreat to Taiyuan.

At this time, Ningji Okamura has not lost confidence and has not lost all his capital. There are still more than [-] troops around Taiyuan, who can deal with Tang Qiuli to the end, and there are backup Kwantung Army troops going south. Thinking of this Yellow River The disastrous defeat on the shore will put him in a situation where he will never be able to recover, so there is a ruthlessness in his heart. Design such a big game and use the whole of Shanxi as bait.

After receiving the order from Ningji Okamura, more than 2 Japanese troops in the Fenglingdu area of ​​southern Shanxi immediately retreated to Taiyuan in an emergency, but they could not leave. Changfeng led the two main field brigades in Huangyadong and the newly formed six In addition to the four brigades that went north to the Lvliang Mountains to cut off the retreat route of Okamura Ningci, the remaining four brigades consisted of more than [-] men. They cut off all the passages for the Japanese army to return to Taiyuan. Along the Yuanqu, Jiangxian, Houma, Quwo, and Sushan Mountains, an impregnable iron wall is formed. [

Okamura Ningji led the remnants of less than 7000 soldiers, retreated faster, but could not escape the net of Tang Qiuli. When he was just approaching the Lvliang Mountains, he bumped into the four brigades of the Taihang Mountain Field Corps, which was waiting in full force. The red-eyed Okamura Ningji commanded the troops to attack the interception positions of the field regiment in the Taihang Mountains. With a mere [-] men, attacking the defense line of more than [-] men was almost courting death.

No matter how brave and fearless the Japanese soldiers were, they could not offset the huge gap in numbers and firepower. Neiji Okamura saw the hope of breaking through, and led his troops to retreat to the front line of Xinyi, waiting for reinforcements. The only reinforcements he could count on were scattered soldiers. In the Luliang mountain area, more than [-] people were chasing and suppressing the small units of the Independent Division. As for the troops around Taiyuan, they are still gathering, and they are still being entangled and delayed by the elusive special operations detachment units. It is really time to send troops to rescue Not sure.

The units of the Japanese army that received the rescue order immediately gave up fighting with the small units of the Independent Division. Using Mafang as the assembly point, they rushed westward desperately, trying to open a gap, pull Neiji Okamura out, and intercept the Japanese army's retreat. A part of the Taihang Changfeng Taihang Mountain Field Corps in Taiyuan immediately divided into two brigades to intercept this Japanese army in the Dawu area, and more than [-] people in more than thirty companies of independent divisions scattered in the Lvliang Mountains also captured this army from behind. Surrounded by the Japanese army, the Lvliang mountainous area formed a criss-cross situation between the enemy and ourselves. Generally speaking, the independent division had the upper hand.

Tang Qiuli was even more anxious than Okamura Ningji. Once the more than 5000 Japanese troops from Taiyuan came over, it would be a stalemate and entanglement situation. He wanted to solve the encircled 2 Japanese troops as soon as possible so that he could move eastward. Yellow River, taking advantage of the arrival of the Japanese troops around Taiyuan, completely eliminated the Japanese troops under Ningji Okamura. The situation in southern Shanxi was very good. The four brigades commanded by Chang Feng and the two brigades commanded by Sun Zhenbang had a total strength of more than [-] troops. , It is only a matter of time before more than [-] Japanese troops are tightly surrounded in the Wenxi area, and this group of Japanese troops is wiped out.

Contrary to expectations, the surrounded Japanese Akita Division and other Japanese troops were the elite first-class divisions of the Kwantung Army, with strong combat effectiveness and tenacious fighting will. Tang Qiuli commanded the newly organized six brigades to storm the Japanese defensive positions from all directions. At the end of the day, there were casualties to each other, and they still couldn't break through the Japanese army's position. The Japanese army surrounded by superior forces launched many counter-assaults. The brave Japanese soldiers launched a group charge. All over the field, it also caused a lot of casualties to the troops.

Tang Qiuli deeply realized that no matter how brave the combat spirit of the soldiers is, the newly formed troops cannot make up for the shortcomings caused by the lack of actual combat experience. If this is the old brigades of the independent division, only three brigades are needed. He was secretly glad that the Japanese army had no heavy firepower or artillery, and he had two brigades of artillery in his hand. Otherwise, the casualties of the troops would be much greater, and the blocking line might even be broken through.

He originally planned to use three days to deal with this Japanese army. After three days of fighting, the Japanese army's outer positions did not break through. Come to the forward position and carefully observe the defense situation of the Japanese army.

After fighting for three days, there were more than 2 Japanese troops, and the remaining troops were less than [-], but there was no chaos at all. In a hurry, defensive facilities such as circular fortifications, concealed departments, fire support points, serial bunkers, and traffic trenches All of them were built, and the field fortifications were built to look like an expert. Tang Qiuli admired it secretly. The Kwantung Army is worthy of being an elite Japanese army. The commanding ability of the officers, the training quality of the soldiers, the individual combat ability, etc., if they have heavy artillery to provide fire cover and suppression, they need at least nine brigades of troops to encircle and destroy them.

Neiji Okamura, who was sticking to Xinyi, received reinforcements. This is the troops that retreated from Liulin Ferry. After many days of consumption, it is no longer enough for a division. Finally, seeing a ray of sunshine was enough to make Neji Okamura feel relieved. In his hands, there were more than 6000 people, which could act as a stimulus.

Neji Okamura was clearly aware of the danger. The longer he stayed in Xinyi, the greater the possibility of being surrounded. Once Tang Qiuli's troops surrounded him, he could not escape even if he had wings. He commanded the troops regardless of casualties. Desperately breaking out in the direction of Taiyuan, the Japanese soldiers on the verge of desperation, like a red-eyed and injured wild wolf, launched an uninterrupted charge desperately, and were less than ten kilometers away from the Japanese troops who came to rescue.

It is a pity that Okamura Ningci encountered the field brigade of Huangyadong new recruits who had been trained for more than four months, with the second brigade of the independent division as the main body. On the same day, Okamura Ningji's craziest offensive was repelled, and he lost his offensive vigor. At the same time, Tang Qiuli ordered a brigade of troops at Wubao Ferry to cross the Yellow River eastward immediately, from the direction of Jinluo on the flank, and then Gaokamura Ningji made a knife.

In order to solve the encircled Japanese Akita Division and other Japanese troops in the Yanchuan and Jiaokou areas on the west bank of the Yellow River as soon as possible, Tang Qiuli ordered the Eighth Route Army's rear guard troops to participate in the general attack on the Japanese army, and transferred an artillery brigade from Fenglingdu The other two heavy artillery regiments formed a powerful attacking corps.

The independent division with enhanced artillery firepower no longer used the flesh and blood of the soldiers to attack the heavily defended positions of the Japanese army. On May 29, the general attack began. More than [-] artillery pieces of various calibers took Yanchuan, Jiaokou The Japanese positions on the front line were blown up into a sea of ​​flames. From crossing the Yellow River to the present, the Kwantung Army troops have never experienced such fierce artillery bombardment.

Tang Qiuli's request for the entire artillery unit is to cover all directions and not limit the amount of ammunition. Before the shelling, on the road from Dingbian to the front line of Yanchuan, the convoy of the independent division transportation headquarters is constantly flowing. It can be seen everywhere, and the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army who participated in the battle were stunned. Will cannot change the disadvantages we are in.

The artillery fire flattened a Japanese position, and the infantry rushed to occupy it, followed by another violent artillery fire. For two full days, the remaining more than 2 Japanese soldiers experienced a purgatory nightmare. The spirit and body of the Japanese soldiers were mercilessly crushed. The area from Yanchuan to Jiaokou was only a dozen kilometers away. They were repeatedly plowed by the artillery fire of the independent division, and the topography completely changed its original appearance.

Two days later, soldiers from the Independent Division and the Eighth Route Army rushed to the last high ground. What they saw were the mutilated corpses of Japanese soldiers strewn all over the place. Everything, including their weapons, was in this overwhelming steel storm According to the policy of the Eighth Route Army, a few prisoners were captured and some Japanese equipment was captured. In the eyes of the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army, that was a rare treasure. However, after searching the entire position, there was not a single Japanese soldier alive. None of them.

The unwilling soldiers of the Eighth Route Army found the complete bodies of some Japanese officers in several hidden units. Among them were two lieutenant generals and a major general. They were the highest commanders of this Japanese army. One of them was the Autumn Division Long, the cannon didn't blow up their bodies, but was blown up by the cannon and collapsed the shelter, and they were buried alive in it, which is considered a whole body. They ran all the way from Taiwan to China. Such an ending, for these fanatics It is also the most decent way to die for the invaders.

The battles of Yanchuan and Jiaokou, after five days, ended with the total annihilation of two divisions of the Japanese army and a brigade of more than [-] people. In this campaign, Tang Qiuli's newly formed six infantry brigades suffered casualties With more than [-] people, the fighting power of the Kwantung Army once again left a deep impression on him.

Tang Qiuli was a little surprised by such a large number of casualties. In addition to the combat effectiveness of the Kwantung Army, he also considered more issues. There was another person who was deeply shocked by this battle. . [

(To be continued)