Zuo Jianjiu gathered the remaining troops and took the lead personally to launch a pig-like attack on Miaolingzi Mountain, hoping to seize the commanding heights here so that he could stand firm and wait for reinforcements. But he had long expected that Yang Zhen would give him this opportunity.
Zuo Jianjiu, who was determined to fight, never thought that just when he was naked and urging the soldiers to attack the mountain regardless of casualties, his figure waving a saber had already been caught by a moving door. After arriving at the 90mm artillery and mortars on Miaolingzi Mountain, Ma Qichang, who personally went into battle with a knife, was targeted.
After the Japanese offensive was defeated again, Zuo Jian was so angry that he jumped like a shrimp before he had time to slap his three squadron leaders. The only one in the shelling just now When the face of the remaining squadron leader was hit by a mortar shell falling from the sky, he was hit hard.
This mortar shell that hit him directly helped him relieve his worry that he would be ordered to commit seppuku when he returned, and completely reduced him to a pile of parts. He also took the unfortunate squadron leader with him and blew everything into the sky.
There is no way. The current position of this mortar is too close to the position of Zuo Majiu. The straight-line distance does not exceed 200 meters. When he heard the sound of the shell breaking through the air, it meant that the shell had hit the top of his head. He couldn't even hide.
In addition, he was eager to seize a commanding height, jumping up and down, waving his saber to force the troops to take turns to attack, which was really eye-catching. Especially his Zuoguan Sword, Ma Qichang, who had spent a lot of time in the puppet Manchukuo army, could see it at a glance.
Since this guy is wearing a saguan sword, and the Japanese army at the foot of the mountain is only the size of a brigade. Then the shirtless guy in front of him should be the top commander of the Japanese army. Ma Qichang, who had listened to Yang Zhen's lessons to the teaching team, did not remember anything else, but he did remember the saying that Yang Zhen often said: "To shoot a man first, shoot a horse, and to capture a thief first, capture the king." Since this guy should be the supreme commander of the Japanese brigade, Ma Qichang was not at all polite.
However, the losses were heavy and the losses were heavy. After all, the Eighth Division was a veteran division of the Japanese army. Under the premise that the commander was killed and two-thirds of the troops had suffered casualties from the previous shelling and several failed attacks, they were still able to resist stubbornly under the organization of the team captains and non-commissioned officers. It even used its accurate grenade firepower to blow up two heavy machine guns on Miaolingzi Mountain. It even reached halfway up the mountain at one point.
Yang Zhen, who was holding a telescope to carefully observe the changes in the battle situation, saw the performance of the Japanese troops of the 8th Division. Thinking about the previous battle with the 11th Division in Yunshilizi, he couldn't help but wonder whether these Japanese troops were from old divisions. , as expected, the combat effectiveness is strong.
"After encountering such intensive firepower and suffering such heavy casualties, they were still able to react in such a short period of time." And not only did it not collapse, it was actually able to fight back. His tenacity, tenacity of will, resolute implementation of tactical awareness, and especially his speed of reaction should be learned by all Chinese armies.
It¡¯s just that Yang Zhen was sighing with emotion, but his subordinates had no intention of showing any mercy. He knew that even if an army was defeated, as long as some bones and blood were left behind, there would always be a chance for a comeback.
If you want an army to completely lose its combat effectiveness, especially for an army like the Japanese army, the best way is to annihilate them all. Even if it is reorganized, this army will not have the same vigor as before.
"Those new recruits who have undergone rigorous training but have never been on the battlefield, as well as reserve veterans who have already raised their families, will never be able to keep up with those veterans who have been in the army for many years, are well-trained and experienced. Only by completely and completely annihilating an army can the opponent's strength be completely weakened.
It is better to cut off one of his ten fingers than to injure them. Yang Zhen remembered this famous saying of the great man very well.
Less than half an hour after Ma Qichang killed Zuo Jianjiuren with one shot, Yang Zhen issued the order for a general attack. Of course, the reason why Yang Zhen launched a full-scale attack was not because the top commander of the Japanese army under his nose had been bombed to the west. Rather, he felt that he had reached the final moment of solving the problem.
Determined, Yang Zhen ordered Du Kaishan, who launched the attack, to cleanly and completely eliminate the remaining Japanese troops in front of him as quickly as possible.
In fact, it had been reduced to parts at this time, and Major Zusama Hisashi who went to meet their Amaterasu did not know it. Just when he was trying to capture the main position at Miaolingzi Mountain so that he could hold on until he received the main support from the commander of the regiment, his commander and the second brigade led by him were also struggling in pain.
After receiving the message from Yang Zhen, he opened the road and was restrained only by cold guns and small groups of troops, while the main force turned to this unit.Telegram from the rear of the army. Especially after Yang Zhen changed his battle plan and placed the first wave of strikes on the First Battalion of the 17th Regiment of the Di8th Division starting from Heli, Guo Bingxun changed his previous bluff and contained the Japanese army in front of him. Awesome tactic.
According to Yang Zhen¡¯s request, Guo Bingxun ordered to give up the Fasi River front-line position. In addition to constant harassment with a small force, a battalion of the main force was withdrawn from the front. Taking advantage of the fact that Japanese aviation was unable to dispatch at night, they secretly crossed the Fasi River from the northeast of the Japanese army and detoured to the rear of the Japanese army.
And he personally led a battalion and a company of the reconnaissance battalion, using the terrain to continuously kill and harass the Japanese army with cold guns and cold artillery tactics. Especially at night, when Yang Zhen led the main force to forcibly penetrate the front line of Miaoling Mountain, in order to cover the main force's actions, he even launched a company-platoon-level offensive against the Japanese troops.
Guo Bingxun's change in tactics meant that the puppet troops had not yet crossed the Fasi River line on the day they met, and now they could even hear the slight but clearly distinguishable sound of gunfire from the Jianshanzi line from time to time. When he woke up from the excitement, he fell into a terrifying night.
Just as the Japanese forwards crossed the Fasi River, they were hit by mortar shells. Although it was because of the psychological preparation and skilled tactical movements. Although the mortar shells fired by the opponent caused heavy casualties to the puppet Manchukuo troops who were cooperating in the battle, they did not cause many casualties to the Japanese army. However, the unfavorable start caused Colonel Takeshi Kawada to have concerns about subsequent combat operations.
In order to coordinate the combat progress of various departments, Sasaki assigned horizontal communication codes to the three Japanese regiments responsible for the suppression. Therefore, the 17th Regiment has direct radio contact with the 24th Regiment, which is responsible for clearing the middle route.
After encountering Wang Guangyu¡¯s colorful and varied warm reception, although they belong to different divisions. However, Colonel Takeda Hisashi, the captain of the 24th Regiment, was in urgent need of cooperation from the 17th Regiment. He did not care about the traditional Japanese habit of not publicizing his family scandal, and told Colonel Kawada Takeshi all the experiences he encountered along the way. introduction, and repeatedly reminded him to be more careful.
With the lessons learned from Takeda Hisashi, Colonel Kawada Takeshi was much more cautious when marching. Especially since the two brigades of the 11th Division that were scheduled to be used as surprise troops on the South Road could not be contacted, and a large number of enemy troops appeared around him, Colonel Kawada Takeshi became more cautious.
This is why he slowed down his marching speed after encountering an obstruction on the front line of Miaolingzi Mountain. His movements were much slower than those of the 24th Regiment in the middle. Moreover, after receiving the order from Sasaki to the 1st Battalion who stayed behind in Kurutsu to change the original battle plan and immediately move closer to the 2nd Battalion, he immediately urged the 1st Battalion to move closer to him.
I have to admit that Colonel Kawada Takeshi deliberately slowed down the march. Although he was severely reprimanded by Sasaki several times, the casualties along the way were not comparable to those encountered by the 24th Regiment. It can be said to be negligible, but the casualties are actually not large. And the main casualties were the puppet Manchukuo troops. The second brigade of the 17th Regiment he led suffered casualties of less than one squad.
Originally, Colonel Kawada Takeshi was planning to camp on the spot after dark. Because he had participated in the anti-alliance clearance campaign before, he knew that marching in the mountains and forests at night, especially when he did not carry many flares, was very disadvantageous for him and he could easily encounter an ambush by his opponent.
Colonel Takeshi Kawada knew very well that in terms of regular field battles, or even fortifications, as long as it was a face-to-face, head-to-head contest, his Seventeenth Regiment was not afraid of any of China's armies. Not even a division or even an army is afraid.
But in the mountains and forests, especially at night, my troops and those who have been hiding in the mountains and forests for many years are very familiar with jungle warfare and terrain. They can fight if they win and leave if they can't. They are extremely flexible. The anti-Manchu armed forces are incomparable.
The reason why the Anti-Alliance was able to successfully encircle and suppress the Anti-Alliance in the past and squeeze the Anti-Alliance out of the Xiajiang area was mainly due to the advantages in troops and equipment, as well as the advantages in logistical supplies. There are also traitors who appear among the opponents to help.
It was precisely with those traitors that the Kwantung Army was able to destroy the secret camps where the anti-Manchu and anti-Japanese elements relied on for survival and their reserves of supplies, leaving those anti-Manchu and anti-Japanese elements without food and ammunition, and could only freeze and starve to death here. Among the deep mountains and old forests of northern Manchuria.
Before entering the mountains and forests, Sasaki repeatedly explained to several commanders who participated in the war, and clearly told them that the opponents this time were very different from those in previous campaigns against the Anti-Japanese Alliance. This anti-Manchu armed force is not only extremely good at mobile ambush, but also well-equipped. There are quite a few mortars in hand. And compared to other anti-alliance forces, ammunition is also very sufficient.
They must be more careful after entering the mountains, especially when entering the hinterland of Qinghei Mountains with high mountains and dense forests. During the night's rest, camp??You must not choose a place with dense forests and be extra vigilant.
With Sasaki¡¯s order and Takeda Hisashi¡¯s lessons learned, Kawada Takeshi originally planned to wait for the next day to forcefully cross the Hoji River. However, Lieutenant General Sasaki Toichi suddenly changed the previous battle plan and ordered the 17th Regiment to immediately accelerate south to join the 24th Regiment.
Sasaki's repeated urging made Colonel Kawada Takeshi reluctant. However, under the strict orders of Lieutenant General Sasaki, he could only give up camping on the spot. After the subsequent First Battalion arrived, they were forced to cross the Faji River. idea.
The original battle plan was changed to not waiting for the first brigade, but to concentrate the existing forces on hand to forcefully cross the river immediately, forcefully attack the Jianshanzi line, and join the 24th Regiment as quickly as possible at all costs.
However, a series of encounters after crossing the river made him quickly change his mind. In particular, the contact with Lieutenant General Sasaki was suddenly interrupted. No matter how many calls the signal corps made, there was no reply from Sasaki. Colonel Kawada Takeshi, who was too cautious, hesitated for a long time and ordered to camp on the spot.
It¡¯s a pity that his calculation was good, but Guo Bingxun didn¡¯t intend to let him have a good rest. Throughout the night, although the opponent only launched a few tentative attacks, it made Colonel Kawada Takeshi understand what real guerrilla tactics are.
The opponent, who had been disappearing without a trace since the mortar shelling in the Fasi River, appeared around him again just when the 17th Regiment set up their tent and prepared to rest. With dense mortar shells, they warmly entertained the Japanese and puppet troops who were lighting a fire and preparing to eat dinner that was several hours late.
"Baga, is it over yet? These hateful anti-Manchu anti-Japanese samurai warriors are all thieves. And where did they get so many Imperial Army standard mortar shells? From the time they entered Miaolingzi Mountain to now A total of two to three hundred rounds have been fired."
Just as he was annoyed because he had been unable to contact Sasaki for a long time, and was driven out of the tent he had just set up because of the bombardment, the extremely angry Colonel Kawada Takeshi saw his opponent launch another night attack. While he was depressed, he also had a question that was as puzzling as Sasaki Daichi's.
As the commander of the elite Eighth Division of the Japanese Army, he could clearly tell that the mortar shells that fell on his head were not only the Imperial Army's Type 92 70mm mortars, but also the Type 94 Type 90 mm mortar.
Although the number is not large, there are only more than ten doors of the two calibers combined. But the number of shells fired is definitely not a small number. Colonel Kawada Takeshi, who had stationed the Eighth Division in Manchuria for two full years and had many interactions with the Anti-Japanese Alliance and other anti-Japanese armed forces, had never seen such a large-scale anti-Manchu anti-Japanese armed force in Manchuria.
Think about it, as a field regiment under the regular division of the Imperial Japanese Army, this time it went into the mountains to clean up the mountains and only carried six Type 94 90mm mortars from an independent mortar squadron. It's actually not as equipped as the bandits. This was really hard for Colonel Takeshi Kawada to accept.
What makes Colonel Takeshi Kawada even more depressed is that his opponent obviously changed his behavior during the day and made it clear that he did not want to get entangled with him. When our own artillerymen set up their mortars and launched a counterattack, before a few shells were fired, the opponent stopped again and disappeared quietly.
The abominable mortars he sent out to search caused trouble for him from time to time, but judging from the range and ballistics, two full infantry squads of mortars, coordinated by two companies of the puppet Manchukuo army, were not far away from him. After a period of intensive gunfire in the distant mountains, not even a single person came back.
After losing two entire infantry squads, Colonel Kawada Takeshi did not dare to send troops to search for those hateful guys. In addition to strengthening the security force, the artillery can only be ordered to be ready, and if there is any trouble in any direction, just fire to suppress it.
Colonel Takeshi Kawada didn¡¯t know that he should actually feel lucky. When the troops were divided, the opponent concentrated all the much more powerful mountain artillery on the two brigades of the 11th Division on the southern front led by Colonel Takao Murata. Otherwise, the result of this shelling would not be as simple as just dozens of casualties.
The depressed Colonel Takeshi Kawada didn¡¯t know that this mortar shell was just the beginning of this night¡¯s nightmare. Before he finally calmed down and was about to continue urging the signal corps to contact Sasaki, Colonel Takeshi Kawada returned to his tent. The mortar shell that had disappeared less than an hour fell into the Japanese camp again.
The result this time was that Takeshi Kawada could no longer laugh. Because this time the opponent's artillery fire was no longer aimed at killing or even harassing our own troops like the previous two times, but was directed directly at our own artillery.
This shelling was unlike the previous ones where the impact points were extremely scattered and seemed to be a somewhat haphazard shooting.But extremely precise. Its shooting accuracy is so high that it is almost as good as the Japanese army.
Having an advantage in numbers and deploying the mortars on hand into two dispersed but identical gun groups, the Japanese independent mortar squadron assigned to the operation was quickly defeated. In just a few minutes, five of the six mortars were destroyed. Not to mention all the ammunition, the artillery also suffered heavy casualties.
Not only that, the explosive ammunition also set fire to some of the supplies and tents they carried. No matter how great the loss of other materials was, Colonel Kawada Takeshi didn't care. But the key point is that the huge loss of food makes him extremely distressed.
The Japanese army made a serious mistake this time, which can even be said to go against military common sense. The selected artillery position is near its material storage location, with a straight-line distance of no more than thirty meters. So unfortunately, when the artillery shells were detonated by the enemy's artillery, most of the supplies they carried were also destroyed.
The loss of artillery and supplies made Takeshi Kawada, who had always been known for his stability, furious. He could accept the loss of artillery, and he could also accept the loss of supplies and tents. But the loss of food made him almost extremely sad.
It doesn¡¯t matter if you lose some of the spare ammunition you carry. According to the amount of ammunition carried by the Japanese army, it can at least persist for a while. But without food, how can we talk about going into the mountains and clearing them out? We can't let the troops wander around the mountains hungry.
With the embers of food loss, Sasaki and the First Lieutenant General could not be contacted. Even if Colonel Kawada Takeshi was stable, his heart was filled with a strong feeling of uneasiness at this moment. Now, he even vaguely had the idea of ????retreating to Heli immediately and rendezvousing with the first brigade.
Just when Colonel Kawada Takeshi was troubled by the loss of food and the loss of contact with his superiors, there was another intensive gunshot from the security position ahead, making him completely lose control.
After it was discovered that at least one company of anti-Manchu armed forces launched an attack on the forward security position under the cover of a large number of light and heavy machine guns, Colonel Kawada Takeshi no longer cared about his usual stability. Gritting his teeth, he ordered his subordinates to eliminate this group of audacious bandits.
But what Colonel Takeshi Kawada didn't expect was that before he could adjust his troops and eliminate the bandits who dared to face the Imperial Japanese Army to launch an attack, after just shooting at the security forces for a while, the opponent mysteriously appeared again 's disappeared.
Facing the dark mountains around him, he remembered the results of the two search teams he sent out to find the ones who attacked him. Colonel Kawada Takeshi, who was not sure what the opponent's tactical intentions were, suddenly lost his mood for revenge. . After giving the order to strengthen the vigilance, he walked back to his tent dejectedly.
Before Colonel Takeshi Kawada calmed down and thought about what to do next, the captain of the squadron, covered in blood, ran over and reported another bad news, which immediately put him in a petrified state.
The baggage squadron of the regiment he specially brought with him to participate in the clearing campaign had just been suddenly attacked. Some anti-Manchu elements took advantage of the fact that the main force was attracted by the gangsters who were attacking from the front, and got rid of the guard soldiers without firing a shot.
This time, the 17th Regiment entered the mountains to clean up the more than 200 pack horses and some large vehicles that were carried by the bandits from behind. A small group of guards who were on guard were all killed by the enemy.
In other words, in addition to the mortar troops who no longer need pack horses, the Japanese and puppet troops commanded by Colonel Kawada Takeshi have lost all the horses used to carry heavy machine guns and ammunition. Even Colonel Kawada Takeshi's own The mount was also lost.
¡°In other words, no matter what Kawada Takeshi¡¯s next decision is, he will face an embarrassing situation now. In the future march, he, the dignified captain of the regiment, can only march on foot like his subordinates. And after almost all the pack horses were removed, all the heavy machine guns and remaining supplies could only be transported by manpower.