The Japanese command, the brigade commander stood in front of the city defense map and waited for the news, very anxious.

It was no longer possible to rely on the city defense fortifications to hold out until dawn, and he now had only one expectation: the city defense troops could withdraw a little more, so that the troops could control more territory and fight street battles with the Eighth Route Army for a longer time.

The sound of gunfire from the east of the city was getting closer and closer, and a hint of bad premonition slowly flashed on the anxious face of the brigade commander.

The east gate is about 1.5 kilometers away from the headquarters, and the gunfire that has just been heard is at most a kilometer away, which means that the fighting has spread to 500 meters inside the city.

If there were still troops in the east of the city, they would definitely not let the Eighth Route Army entering the city easily penetrate 500 meters into the city.

After such an analysis, eighty percent of the garrison in the east of the city had an accident.

Afraid of something, this bad premonition just popped up in his mind, and a second lieutenant stumbled in, gasping for breath before he could stand still.

"General, I am ordered to take over the troops retreating from the east of the city."

"When we arrived at the position of five or six hundred meters from the east gate, a unit of the Eighth Route Army suddenly appeared to block the road."

"At least one company of troops, armed with a large number of light machine guns, opened fire between us and the retreating troops east of the city."

"I immediately commanded the troops to launch an attack from the reserve of the Eighth Route Army, intending to cooperate with the garrison in the east of the city to break through the blocking position of the Eighth Route Army."

"There were too few troops brought over by the humble duty, and there was only one combat detachment, and as soon as they first fought, they were counterattacked by the opponent's two light machine guns, and they suffered heavy casualties."

"The garrison in the east of the city also suffered heavy losses, and in order to avoid unnecessary losses, they took the initiative to stop the attack and retreated to a few nearby courtyards with the few remaining troops."

"The Eighth Route Army, which blocked the way, surrounded them on the spot."

"It's impossible to rescue them even if you are desperate, so you can only bring a few subordinates back to report."

The deputy chief of staff chuckled in his heart, and replied with a heavy face: "General, the gunfire we hear now must be that the Eighth Route Army is besieging the garrison in the east of the city. ”

Then he stared at the ensign and asked, "How many of them are left to retreat to the surrounding courtyard?" ”

"Less than two hundred!" The second lieutenant hastened to answer.

After thinking for a while, he added: "And I didn't carry heavy weapons, not even a heavy machine gun, otherwise I would definitely be able to break through the blocking position of the Eighth Route Army." ”

"They're done." The deputy chief of staff was saddened to make a judgment.

Staring at the brigade commander and analyzing: "General, without heavy weapons, with only a few courtyards, more than a hundred imperial troops will definitely not be able to hold out for long." ”

"Once they are killed, the Eighth Route Army there will take advantage of the victory and continue to attack the center of the city and kill us."

"We have no other troops in the east of the city, and I propose to draw two squadrons of expatriate armed forces from the reserve to deploy in the east of the city, take advantage of the favorable terrain to fight street battles with the Eighth Route Army, and be sure to hold out until dawn."

The brigade commander couldn't think of any other way, so he ordered with a calm face: "Just do as you say." ”

"Didn't the second wave of reinforcements we sent to the east of the city just retreat, so send them over, set off now, and we must set up the battlefield before the garrison in the east of the city is killed."

"After the Eighth Route Army came over, I tried to catch them off guard, and greeted them with bullets and grenades."

The east of the city is the direction that the brigade commander is most worried about.

After solving the problem there, the whole person obviously became much easier.

But the good mood didn't last long when it was interrupted by a herald.

"General, only a third of the troops of the garrison in the south of the city have been withdrawn!"

"The Eighth Route Army attacking the south of the city was too cunning, and they discovered it as soon as we began to retreat, and it was useless to hide a few mountain cannons."

"As soon as the troops withdrew from the city fortifications, they bombarded the city gate with mountain artillery, took advantage of the situation to kill Datong City, and chased us behind the buttocks."

"Many imperial troops did not die in the city, but they died on the way to retreat."

"After the troops withdrew 500 meters into the city, in order to alleviate the losses, the captain made us have to order us to divide our troops, hide in the courtyards and houses next to the streets, and fight the pursuit of the Eighth Route Army, slowing down their attack."

"At that time, there were more than 100 people left in the army, and they did not carry heavy weapons, so they definitely couldn't hold out for long."

The brigade commander was blindsided, but he did not expect that the battle situation in the south of the city would deteriorate as much as in the east of the city.

He wanted to curse people very much, and he wanted to cut down the commander of the garrison in the south of the city on the spot and ask him how he commanded, but the matter had come to this point, and no matter how angry he was, it would be useless.

Looking at the deputy chief of staff, he ordered with a serious face: "Transfer a squadron of armed expatriates from the reserve to reinforce the south of the city, and send out an infantry squad from the guard squadron of the command headquarters to kill them together." Be sure to drag the Eighth Route Army there until dawn with street fighting. ”

After giving the order, the brigade commander not only did not relax, but became more nervous.

The south of the city, which I am most at ease with, is like that, and the north and west of the city are definitely not much better.

Minus the troops that have just been sent, there are only two squadrons left in the reserves in hand, and they are all armed expatriates.

If something happens in those two directions, at most one squadron in each direction will be reinforced, and the command will be left without troops.

At that time, he will become the commander of the light pole, and whether he can survive until dawn or not, his fate is all in the hands of those armed expatriates.

can block the attack of the Eighth Route Army with street fighting, and he still has a chance to live.

If you can't stop it, you will definitely die in battle.

While anxiously waiting, the brigade commander's worst fears came true.

Without exception, the retreat in the remaining two directions also turned into a rout.

Only more than 200 people remained in the north and west of the city to fight street battles in the areas they had designated for them.

There are many soldiers on the Eighth Route and strong firepower, but their own defensive troops are small and weak, so they will definitely not be able to hold out for long.

After receiving an accurate battle report, the brigade commander did not hesitate at all and decisively ordered all the remaining reserves to go to the battlefield.

After becoming the commander of the light pole, the only thing he was glad about was that it was almost dawn.

As long as the troops hold out for another hour, the troops that have been assembled by the military headquarters will attack the garrison.

At the same time, the aviation will also send planes over to reinforce themselves.

If the garrison regiment desperately wants to continue to take Datong, then he will fight with them here to buy time for the military headquarters to destroy the garrison base area.

If the garrison retreats and returns to the base area, then Datong City will be saved.

In the siege headquarters outside the east gate, the radio continued to sound, and every few minutes a telegram was translated by Zhou Liang, or a battle report was sent by the herald on a fast horse.

"Report to the chief, Commander Li: The attacking troops in the west of the city have successfully entered Datong City and are chasing and killing the retreating troops of the Japanese puppet army." The herald hurried in, panting and reporting.

"The chief, the head of the regiment, Chengnan reports that they have entered Datong City." The communications staff officer followed with a telegram.

"Chengbei report: All the attacking troops have entered the city, there are still more than 200 people left in the city defense troops of the Japanese puppet army, and the attacking troops have surrounded the courtyard where they retreated, and they are fighting for each courtyard, encroaching on them little by little." A few minutes later, another telegram was sent by the communications staff officer.

Li Hao looked at Chief of Staff Zhou and said happily: "Chief, we have won this battle. ”

"Judging from the battle reports of the siege troops, there are less than 800 Japanese puppet troops who fled into the city, plus the expatriate armed forces temporarily recruited by the Japanese army, there are at most 1,500 little devils in Datong City."

"They are demoralized, their combat effectiveness is poor, and their equipment is poor, so they will definitely not be able to hold out for long."

Chief of Staff Zhou replied with satisfaction: "Comrade Li Hao, thank you for your hard work. From now on, there are more than a thousand devils left in the city and they will be handed over to me. ”

"Promise they won't be able to run away."

Today's first update is delivered! Ask for a subscription! Ask for a commuter pass! Collect!