Li Ziyuan pointed to the location of the newly built northern suburbs airfield on the map and the defenders in the city, and said: "Under the condition that we have already advanced to the periphery of Taiyuan, it is good to be able to airlift a light division that does not carry heavy weapons over there." Otherwise, wouldn't it be better to bring in one or two armies by air? Why didn't a division come in by air, why didn't it carry heavy weapons? ”

"Now the entire battlefield in East China and North China is so lively. Our brother troops surrounded several of their corps. With their little air transport capacity, how long can they last back and forth? The airdrop supply in Taiyuan City, the trapped troops in the East China battlefield, the one that doesn't need a lot of transport planes? ”

"Taiyuan City is indeed important to Nanjing, but the dozen or so armies in the Huaihai Battlefield are all descendants of the Central Army of the United States. The five trump cards, there are two armies over there, and they are all eyeball troops over there. Whether it's supplies or airlift, that's where the priority is. ”

"Besides, airplanes are not horses, as long as they are fed with hay, they can run. The aircraft is to be maintained for a period of time. Otherwise, whether you can land safely in the sky is another matter. The limited transport planes were used to transport troops, as well as to supply food and military raw materials to Taiyuan City. ”

"The biggest and most critical ammunition needed for the operation, how much they can carry randomly. The strategic and tactical supply capacity over there has always been lame. In combat, the troops still rely on the ammunition carried by the officers and men at the lower levels. They are not Americans, they do not have such a strong strategic and tactical supply capacity. ”

"As long as they ran out of ammunition, they were basically waiting to die. Especially now, Taiyuan City, which is a lonely city, is particularly fatal. Old man, if this division is in the Central Plains, the Northeast Battlefield, and even the Shaanxi-Gansu Battlefield, it will be a threat to us. ”

"But now, they are on the battlefield in Shanxi. The caliber of ammunition here, except for the rifle machine guns, is seven or nine calibers, and the others are different from Nanjing. As a matter of fact, the biggest threat to the US armament unit is that it has a lot of automatic firepower and a high intensity of firepower per unit. But this also means that ammunition consumption is also high. ”

"This, for automatic firearms with extremely high ammunition consumption, is absolutely fatal. I'd like to look at their American*, and American*, and the firepower is really fierce. But when the bullets run out, I wonder if they can beat our bayonets. ”

Speaking of this, Li Ziyuan raised the binoculars and looked at the front again, and said, "Lao He calms down, there is nothing to fear in the US armament unit. Not to mention a semi-American light armorer, even if it is a fully equipped American mechanic, what can he do? Our brother troops surrounded so many American armoured troops on the Huaihai battlefield, isn't it the same as the essence of food. ”

"Our old troops, even one of their corps with all American-style equipment has eaten. If we can't even solve such a half-American light armament division, wouldn't it be a shame for the old army to say it? In the past few years, all the fighters have been the Jin Sui army, and today I am going to have a good and real battle with the legendary American weapons troops. ”

"Tell Dong Ping to prepare Lao Tzu to fight back with all his might. After this battle, whether our division can be redressed into a semi-American armament unit depends on the performance of his troops. Grandma's, American-made Thomson*,*, and chemical mortars are all good things. It's the same*, much stronger than the fucking Jin made. ”

"It's not rare, it's not rare, but who can refuse a good thing. Also, you inform the political commissar Ma that how many prisoners have been trained over there will be pulled over by truck immediately. Also, send out all the * in stock. Tell the front-line troops that each squad will send me a soldier no matter what. ”

Although He Sanliang did not support Li Ziyuan's deployment, he still obeyed this order, which seemed to him to be somewhat too risky. After repelling the seventh attack of the counterattacking enemy, all the troops on the front line withdrew to the core position of Niuhuo Village under the cover of the Zhou Tong artillery battalion in accordance with the orders of the division and with the support of the Zhou Tong artillery battalion at any cost.

At this time, the front of the forward position was already full of corpses, and the corpses of the killed enemy and the wounded soldiers were staggered. However, the troops on the front line also suffered heavy casualties under the enemy's superior firepower, and the whole division was divided except for Dong Ping's headquarters as a reserve. In addition to a reinforced regiment attached to friendly and neighboring troops, it is no longer possible to find a complete formed company, or even a complete formed platoon.

After withdrawing to the core position, it was too late to compress and adjust the organization, and a new round of the enemy's offensive began. The artillery of the Jin Sui army in the city once again fired the cannonballs. And these not only used the artillery that had participated in the battle before, but also the artillery group in the north of the city.

Among them, the mountain artillery that was responsible for supporting the attack on Li Ziyuan's department, plus mortars of various calibers, the number almost reached more than 100. The high-intensity firing of more than 20 rounds per minute blew up Li Ziyuan's core position, and the entire mountain was deformed. The entire cow camel village was hit more than half a foot deep in floating soil, and more than a dozen pieces of shrapnel could be grabbed with a single hand.

The field combat capability of the Jin Sui army is poor, but this artillery has been from the Central Plains War to the present. After the Northeast Army lost Shenyang, in addition to not being the opponent of the Japanese army, it was really unique in China. For a palm-sized position, I am afraid that they are the only ones who can concentrate hundreds of artillery pieces in one breath.

In addition to more than 100,000 troops, there were more than 900 Japanese mountain artillery guns built and collected by the entire Taiyuan defenders. Coupled with a large number of mortars, the artillery strength of the enemy defending Taiyuan could not even be compared with the Central Army. Although the quality of the mountain artillery made in Shanxi is a little worse, it is definitely not bad in terms of quantity.

In addition to the arsenal in the city, a large number of shells can be replenished at any time. In order to let the Central Army serve them as the vanguard and recapture the front line of Niuhuo Village, which is vital to the defense of Taiyuan, the defenders in the city did not hesitate to shell. According to He Sanliang's judgment, since the counterattack began, at least about 20,000 shells have fallen from the entire Dongshan.

Because their own troops were the target of the enemy's key counterattack, they dropped at least 8,000 rounds of ammunition. This artillery density was withstood for the first time since the formation of the unit. He Sanliang, who was somewhat worried, never let go of the telescope he was holding, and the knot twisted into his brows never loosened.

Looking at He Sanliang, who was a little nervous, Li Ziyuan smiled and said: "I can't bear this pressure, what will I do in the face of a more powerful enemy in the future?" The Jin Sui army's artillery fire is fierce on the domestic battlefield, and it is still too far behind compared with the real strong enemy. I can't bear it now, and I'm going to be a deserter in the future? Resist, can't resist, it's the same as giving Lao Tzu to resist. ”

Li Ziyuan's categorical words, He Sanliang shook his head. But the hand holding the telescope still didn't let go. It wasn't until the phone rang loudly in the headquarters that he put down the telescope in his hand. After listening to the content of the call, He Sanliang turned his head to Li Ziyuan and said: "The third regiment has lost the No. 5 position, and they ask if they can use the reserves to counterattack." ”

"Position No. 5 is the connecting part of the third regiment and the first regiment. Less than two hundred meters behind them was the command post of the 3rd regiment. If Position No. 5 cannot be recaptured, the enemy will not only drive a wedge in our core position, but will most likely split the group. ”

Hearing this news, Li Ziyuan lowered his head and looked at the defense area of the three regiments on the map, as well as the location of the fifth position. took the phone and told the third regiment commander over there directly: "You kid don't give me a sloppy eye, the No. 5 position is lost, I don't believe that the No. 7 and No. 9 positions behind the side of the No. 5 position can also be defended?" ”

"I can't figure out the enemy, I'm already near your regimental headquarters. Now calm down, you kid, and pull all the non-combatants in your regiment up. The reserves, without orders from the brigade, are not allowed to move a single soldier or soldier. Don't be in a hurry to restore the No. 5 position first, and do your best to shrink and hold the temple with all your might. ”

Li Ziyuan did not criticize the commander of the third regiment too much, since the enemy's counterattack began, the position where the third regiment was located was the top priority of the enemy's attack. The entire three regiments withstood nearly half of the enemy's troops, as well as dozens of mountain artillery guns in turn. When the three regiments were retreating, Li Ziyuan observed the strength of the three regiments from the telescope, which was less than half of what it was before the battle.

Relying on the strength of less than one battalion in hand at the moment, it is necessary to defend eleven positions and the core group of temple fortifications. This pressure is really too great for the three regiments. With the exception of the defenders of the temple tower, which was a company, and a reinforced platoon, the rest of the positions averaged less than one platoon.

The loss of the vital No. 5 position is really the limit of the use of troops. But although he did not criticize the Third Regiment, Li Ziyuan believed that it was not yet the time to use the last bit of strength of the Third Regiment, and Li Ziyuan also believed that it was not the time to reinforce the Third Regiment. The only remaining strength in his hands must be used at the most critical time.

Putting down the phone of the third regiment in his hand, Li Ziyuan directly wanted to contact the first regiment headquarters of the friendly neighbor of the No. 5 position, and ordered the first regiment to draw out no less than one reinforced platoon and immediately counterattack from the No. 13 position to the No. 5 position. For the head of the regiment, who had also used his strength to the extreme, Li Ziyuan didn't pay attention to it at all.

In Li Ziyuan's opinion, at least thirty percent of the strength of a ball is not used. At least one reinforced platoon is not a problem at all. Although the fifth position was the position of the third regiment, it was closer to the first regiment. It's just that the No. 5 position is in front of the right of the core position of the third regiment, which is equivalent to a barrier for the third regiment, so it is assigned to the third regiment for defense.

Putting down the phone to the commander of the first regiment, Li Ziyuan turned to He Sanliang and said, "Two platoons will be transferred from the guard company of the brigade headquarters, and all of them will be strengthened to the third regiment. Tell the third regiment commander that as long as the temple is defended, even if the rest of the positions are lost, I will not hold him responsible. But if the temple is lost, then he will take care of it himself. ”

Hearing Li Ziyuan's order, He Sanliang carried it out without hesitation. Even in order to make up for the shortage of the two platoons, He Sanliang also issued all the clerical staff, grooms, and a stretcher company of the brigade headquarters with weapons, and formed a formed company, led by Wang Jun, who is now the deputy chief of the brigade operations section, and quickly rushed towards the position of the three regiments.

Immediately after the arrival of the guard company, a counterattack force was formed. From the position closest to the No. 5 position of the 3rd Regiment, a reinforced platoon of the 1st Regiment launched a counterattack, under the cover of the 2 mortars of the 3rd Regiment, repeatedly attacked the No. 5 position. And a reinforced company of the enemy army that captured position No. 5 was also fearless in fighting with the counterattacking troops.

Although this guard company is nominally a guard company, in fact, it has always been a mobile reserve in Li Ziyuan's hands. From the company commander, the instructor to the soldiers below, they are all from the backbone militia composed of turned peasants from the old Taihang area. None of the liberation fighters had even been a puppet soldier.