On the Sifangtuo battlefield, with the sound of the last gunshot, the entire battlefield finally fell into deathly silence. However, such tranquility only lasted for less than a few seconds before it was replaced by a series of deafening cheers from the soldiers.
After more than ten hours of bloody battle, I saw the corpses of Japanese soldiers and comrades lying everywhere in front of me. Every soldier who survived and was exhausted physically and mentally could not help but burst into tears. Waving the weapons in his hands, waving the military flag that had been dyed red with blood, he used his loudest roar to vent the excitement and excitement in his heart at this moment.
Excited cheers and slogans, like a beautiful symphony, quickly began to spread on the battlefield, reverberating and exciting. In the former enemy headquarters, the atmosphere was also high under the influence of this symphony. The expression on everyone's face changed from the anxious and worried look before the war to the excitement and excitement at this moment.
"Chief, Commander Sun and Commander Li from the forward positions jointly sent a battle report. The Japanese 124th Division, with more than 20,000 people from the division commander on down, were all wiped out and no one escaped. As for the specific results, the troops are being counted. But "What is certain is that none of the more than 60 artillery pieces of various calibers in the Japanese Field Artillery Regiment were damaged and were completely captured by our army. As for other weapons and equipment, there are countless" The communications staff officer said with a smile on his face. rushed into the headquarters and reported.
"Okay, good fight our army has successfully broken off one of the five fingers of the Japanese army. Next, we will see the movements of the remaining four fingers of the Japanese army. Order the intelligence personnel to strengthen the attack on the remaining four fingers of the Japanese army. The division's investigation efforts will be reported immediately if there is any situation. At the same time, tell the two division commanders Li and Sun to speed up the cleaning of the battlefield. At the same time, report the latest casualties of the troops to the headquarters immediately." After a brief excitement, Liu Hua ordered decisively.
"Yes, chief" the communications staff officer replied.
Half an hour later, a summary list of the latest casualties of the troops quickly arrived in the hands of Commander Zhou Baozhong. Under Liu Hua's expectant gaze, Zhou Baozhong spoke.
"Chief, the casualties of the troops have been calculated. According to statistics, after ten hours of bloody battle, our two main divisions and one guard regiment paid a total of more than 6,500 casualties (all casualties, only Including those who died and those who were seriously injured and lost combat effectiveness). Among them, 4278 people died and 2356 people were seriously injured and lost combat effectiveness. At present, the remaining combatable soldiers of the entire army include 4125 people in the 13th Division and 4689 people in the 15th Division. There are 863 people in the guard regiment directly under the column, with a total strength of 9,677 people"
"It's true that we killed three thousand enemies and suffered eight hundred losses. After this battle, the two main divisions lost almost one-third of their combat effectiveness" Hearing such huge casualties, Liu Hua couldn't help but muttered to himself. .
After a brief reflection, he gave a decisive order to a combat staff officer in front of him.
"Combat Staff Officer, ordered the 13th and 15th divisions to immediately reduce the remaining combatable troops in the army. It must be ensured that after the army is reorganized, each division can produce two full-strength main regiments to participate in the next step. Possible battles. As for the guard regiment, it was reduced to two battalions and remained at the former enemy headquarters as a guard force."
"Yes, Chief, I will go and deliver the order right away"
Looking at the leaving combat staff, he then looked at the three huge arrows on the military map representing the Japanese reinforcements. Liu Hua asked: "Old Zhou, it has been more than half an hour since the 124th Division was completely wiped out by us. The Japanese reinforcements should also know the news. How about the Japanese reinforcements from the three routes? Is there anything unusual? ?¡±
Faced with Liu Hua¡¯s inquiry, Zhou Baozhong quickly came to the map, and with a pencil, he drew three huge arrows in the shape of ¡®pin¡¯ at a location less than 40 kilometers away from Sifangtuo. Then, he said to Liu Hua:
"Commander, according to the reports of the commanders of the three main divisions who slowed down the Japanese army's march, the Japanese army's three reinforcements showed no signs of retreating after learning that the 124th Division was completely wiped out by our army. Instead, they quickly They set up a huge 'pin'-shaped attack formation and advanced step by step, slowly attacking me from all directions. It seems that they are determined not to give up until they reach the Yellow River"
"What does the Japanese army want to do? The 124th Division has been completely wiped out by us, and three divisions have been sent to press us in an overwhelming manner. Don't they know that we can withdraw at any time after the battle is over? On the battlefield, his three main divisions were defeated" Liu Hua, who looked puzzled by the Japanese army's actions, couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Seeing Commander Liu Hua frowning in front of him. In the face of the huge victory, I became more and more confident in the combat effectiveness of my troops.??Commander Zhou Baozhong. Facing Liu Hua in front of him, he suggested with a wicked smile.
"Commander, since the little Japs want to come here and die. Do you think we should concentrate our forces and send reinforcements to the little Japs, wipe out part of their forces, and push them back."
However, what disappointed him was that under his expectant gaze, the commander in front of him decisively rejected his suggestion without even thinking: "No, the Japanese troops are arranged in a 'pin' shape and are advancing towards us." . The reason is that we can take care of both first and foremost, and be able to move and retract freely to prevent us from attacking one of them. If we provoke them now, not only will we not get any benefits, but we will also lose our troops."
Regarding Commander Liu Hua¡¯s explanation, Zhou Baozhong nodded in agreement and quickly closed his mouth. Then, he frowned and asked, "Commander, what should we do next? Should we just sit back and wait for death?"
Regarding Zhou Baozhong¡¯s question, look at the movements of the Japanese troops on the map in front of you. Liu Hua slowly fell into thinking. After a few minutes, Liu Hua finally opened his eyes and gave a decisive order to a combat staff officer in front of him.
"There are too many casualties in the army, which will have a great impact on the transfers and battles that the army may face in the future. Therefore, our first step is to transport the wounded. Order all the combat personnel of the Guard Regiment and the Artillery Regiment to allocate a battalion. troops, and transport all the seriously wounded troops back to the base area for treatment. At that time, notify Deputy Commander Yang who is staying at the base area and send out militia troops to respond. At the same time, send a telegram to Director Wang Daoguang of the Logistics Department who is staying in Baishan County. , ordered him to immediately escort a division of heavy artillery shells to us"
After the combat staff officer has recorded all the orders he just gave. Liu Hua continued: "After the battlefield is cleaned, each unit immediately replenishes ammunition and rests on the spot. At the same time, the two main divisions must reorganize two main regiments as soon as possible to respond to possible emergencies at any time. fighting."
"As for how to deal with the Japanese reinforcements, I have only one word, and that is 'wait'. Wait for the little Japanese to make a move. When the time comes, we will defeat whatever move he makes go and convey the order immediately." Liu Hua gave a decisive order. road.
At this moment, what Liu Hua did not expect was that the three main divisions of the Japanese army in front of him were just a huge smoke screen set by the Japanese army for him. The real trump card of the Japanese army, the 128th Division, with more than 20,000 elite soldiers, is the biggest threat to itself and the entire base area. At this moment, a huge conspiracy is slowly shrouding the entire base area.
In the headquarters of the Japanese 128th Division, the division commander, Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou, was furious with the dozen or so subordinates in front of him. Because, in the continuous offensive advancement for several days, his troops not only failed to achieve any substantial results. On the contrary, due to the endless harassment and obstruction by the Eighth Route Army troops, more than 2,000 elite Imperial Army soldiers were lost in vain.
At the same time, during the several days of offensive advancement, the troops¡¯ campsites were harassed several times by the Eighth Route Army guerrillas almost every night. In the end, under the continuous harassment of the Eighth Route Army guerrillas, the troops not only suffered huge losses, but more importantly, the morale of the soldiers was extremely low. The soldiers' limited energy was running out.
Just when a group of officers were enduring the raging anger of the division commander, Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigeho, a burst of rapid footsteps interrupted the scolding of Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigeho in front of them, making all the officers feel unbearable. A fluke.
And just when everyone thought that Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou would vent all his anger on the frizzy communications staff and prepare to watch a good show, the communications staff unexpectedly spoke first.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, there is an urgent message from the former enemy headquarters"
Seeing the division commander in front of him, surprisingly he did not get angry, but quickly took the telegram and began to browse it quickly. All the officers, together with the communications staff who had just rushed into the headquarters, couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
However, the division commander in front of him, Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou, had a frown on his face. After reading the entire telegram, not only did I not feel any relief, but my wrinkles became even deeper. Seeing the division commander's expression changing in front of him, the division chief of staff asked in a low voice.
¡°Division Commander, did something happen?¡±
"Well, everyone, let me tell you a very unfortunate news. Half an hour ago, our 124th Division was completely destroyed under the heavy encirclement and suppression by the main force of the Eighth Route Army. More than 20,000 soldiers, including the division commander, were killed. The warriors of the army, no one was spared, all were killed" Lieutenant General Shan Gang Chonghou nodded indifferently, and then replied.?
Immediately, Shangan Chonghou¡¯s words were like a thunder, completely silencing everyone.
Finally, after a few minutes of deathly silence, the entire command headquarters. The division chief of staff asked again: "Division commander, now the 124th Division no longer exists. Of the five armies that encircled and suppressed the Eighth Route Army base area, only four are left. What should we do next?"
As soon as the Chief of Staff finished speaking, the eyes of everyone in the command center focused on Shan Gang Chonghou at the same time. After all, judging from the total destruction of the 124th Division, the combat effectiveness of his opponent, the Eighth Route Army in the Mengshan area, has far exceeded his imagination. The Eighth Route Army has the ability to annihilate a main division of the Kwantung Army in such a short period of time, and it has the ability to annihilate itself.
As long as you are a human being, when facing danger, the first thing you think of is to save your life. Even the little devil, who has been influenced by the spirit of Bushido for many years, did not have any surprises. A dozen officers, big and small, thought about the future of their divisions and their own safety. He immediately looked expectantly at Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou in front of him, waiting for his answer.
Seeing the instant change in the expressions of his subordinates before him, he thought about the heavy responsibility of the 128th Division assigned to him by the former enemy headquarters in the telegram. Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigeho, a true militarist, immediately showed a confident smile on his lips. Then, he said to the worried officers in front of him.
"You don't have to worry. Although the Eighth Route Army concentrated all its forces and wiped out our 124th Division in a very short period of time. However, this also exposed a loophole of their own in front of us."
"Division Commander, what's the loophole?" Captain Nakazawa of the 1st Infantry Regiment asked eagerly.
I saw everyone looking at me expectantly again, but at this moment, there was a hint of edge in this expectant look. Lieutenant General Zhonghou nodded with satisfaction and then spoke.
"The Eighth Route Army concentrated its forces to annihilate our 124th Division. Then, at this moment, the defense of the Eighth Route Army's base area and the Mengshan area must be empty. And the combat mission given to our 128th Division by the former enemy headquarters was to 'tear out the tiger's heart'. With a lightning-fast offensive, it penetrated directly into the Eighth Route Army base area. It burned the entire Mengshan area to the ground, leaving the main force of the Eighth Route Army on the periphery, losing its own foundation, and cutting off their retreat route and all logistical supplies."
In an instant, as soon as Lieutenant General Yamaoka's words fell, excitement appeared on the faces of all the officers.
Without the huge threat of death, we face military success at our fingertips. These officers no longer had any scruples. Now, the only thought in their minds is that the division commander in front of them quickly issues combat orders. Let yourself rush to the battlefield earlier and build military exploits.
Thinking of this, the division chief of staff was the first to speak: "Your Excellency, division commander, please issue a combat order"
Seeing everyone¡¯s expectant looks, Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou did not immediately issue the order as everyone expected. Instead, he said to everyone with a worried look:
"Everyone, if you dig your heart out, you can achieve unexpected results and deal a devastating blow to the Eighth Route Army troops in the Mengshan area. However, in order to implement this combat plan, we must meet two requirements: First, concealment Engage the enemy. The second point is to move quickly. However, there are a large number of Eighth Route Army troops hidden around us. I can guarantee that as soon as we take action, our plan will be known to the enemy commander and arrangements can be made in advance. . Therefore, our priority now is how to avoid the enemy's scouts. Then, we can concentrate our forces and penetrate directly into the enemy's lair."
After half an hour of discussion, a detailed combat plan appeared in the hands of Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou. After reading the battle plan in his hand, Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou nodded with satisfaction. A pair of sharp eyes scanned the dozen or so officials in front of him, and then ordered with a serious face.
"Everyone, in order to complete the combat mission assigned to our 128th Division by the former enemy headquarters, and to eliminate the Eighth Route Army troops in the Mengshan area for the Empire of Japan. Now I give the order."
"The most elite infantry, artillery, and engineers were mobilized from the entire army to form a mixed detachment of 5,000 people. It was commanded by Colonel Nakazawa, commander of the 1st Regiment, and marched by day and night, directly into the Eighth Route Army base area. , destroy the entire base area."
"The main force of the division is under my personal command: from now on, facing the harassment of the Eighth Route Army, we will no longer avoid the enemy, but attack from all sides, constantly killing and injuring the effective forces of the Eighth Route Army. The 128th Division will cause trouble to the Eighth Route Army and prepare to send troops to destroy them. Create an illusion to cover the mixed detachment and complete the entire combat plan As for the specific plan, the chief of staff of the division will make a detailed plan for everyone later.??distribution. Is everyone clear? "
"Hai" More than a dozen officers, big and small, smiled at the same time and replied excitedly.
"Yo Xi, I hope we can all work together. When the time comes, after the troops win the encirclement and suppression operation, the first credit will definitely belong to our 128th Division. And you, the meritorious personnel in this encirclement and suppression operation, are the meritorious awards from the Kwantung Army Headquarters , I believe that you will not be missing." Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou replied affirmatively.
"Hai, please rest assured, division commander, I humbly assume my position to ensure the completion of the mission" A group of officers, led by Captain Nakazawa of the 1st Infantry Regiment, once again replied in unison.
"Very good. After the meeting, everyone will prepare separately. Each wing leader must allocate the most elite troops in the army and hand them over to Colonel Nakazawa. The entire mixed detachment is scheduled to set off at eight o'clock tonight. The meeting is now adjourned ¡¡± Lieutenant General Yamaoka Shigehou decisively ordered¡.
With the mixed detachment of 5,000 people, under the cover of continuous attacks by the main force of the division, they disappeared into the vast night. A huge conspiracy surrounding the base began to slowly unfold
As for the entire base area, with less than 1,000 troops left behind, whether it can survive the disaster, successfully repel the Japanese attacking troops, and shatter their Tiger Heart Operation plan depends on the decisive decision of Liu Hua, the top commander of the base area