In just two days, the Third Division and the Seventh Division had such a major change, which made Feng Guozhang, who was in Luoyang, almost overturn the table in the headquarters in anger after learning the news. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

"Cao Zhongshan, Lei Chaoyan, how do you ask me to explain to the palace guard? How to explain to the brothers in Beiyang? ”

Feng Guozhang was angry, and there was no reason why he should not be angry. Now that Nanyang is occupied, the Fifth Division has been defeated all the way to Ruyang, and the Third and Seventh Divisions have suffered this crushing defeat, and the Henan war situation that he has worked so hard to maintain has suddenly become such a situation, how can he not be angry? The strength of the troops in his hands was already less than that of the People's Army, and now that the strength of the two sides has been further expanded, how will the next battle be fought? With only two and a half divisions left in his hands, what can he do to resist the tiger and wolf division of the People's Army? Next, the fall of Luoyang and Yanshi is probably a matter of time.

So far, the situation has become more and more unfavorable for Beiyang. Feng Guozhang had a deep sense of powerlessness in his heart, he didn't know that this feeling was not only for him, but also for Duan Zhigui, who was far away in Suiyuan and Chahar at this time to command the Second Army of Beiyang.

Duan Zhigui, the commander of the Chahar Second Army, and the "godson" of President Yuan Shikai, although he cannot be said to be a straw bag, his talent does not match his position, but it is true. Since the start of the war between the two sides, in the face of the siege of the heavy army group commanded by Zhang Xiaohuai, the Second Beiyang Army under his command suffered two major defeats in a few days, not to mention the loss of troops, and now even the troops of three divisions, including himself, have been divided and surrounded by the People's Army in several villages outside the county town of Xinghe County, Suiyuan.

Outside Shugou Village in Xinghe County, Yang Xincheng, commander of the Third Army of the People's Army, used a telescope to observe the Beiyang Army's position where smoke and fire were still emitting from time to time in the distance, and nodded with satisfaction. In the previous battles, his Third Army not only repeatedly defeated strong enemies along the way, but now surrounded the remnants of the Second and Sixth Divisions of the Beiyang Army, including the Second Army Headquarters, in Shugou Village. In order to conquer Shugou Village, he not only mobilized the two main infantry divisions of the Third Army, but also mobilized a total of more than 25,000 troops, including the artillery brigade directly under the entire military headquarters and other affiliated units.

Anyone with a little military knowledge knows that at this time, the remnants of the Beiyang army, which lacked guns and ammunition in Shugou Village, could not resist for long in the face of the people's army with sufficient supplies and high morale. Maybe a day or two will be fine, but after a long time, it will definitely fail. This is a gap in strength and strength, and it is not a situation that can be changed by opening one's mouth casually.

"Where have the troops arrived?" Yang Xincheng put down the binoculars and commanded the battle for several days, making his eyes bloodshot at this time. Although his voice was calm, the excitement revealed could still be easily felt by the people around him.

An operational staff officer beside him replied: "The 7th and 8th Divisions report that they have arrived at their designated combat positions and are expected to be ready for battle in half an hour!" ”

"Excellent! Order all units to get ready, wait for the artillery to launch an artillery bombardment, and after half an hour of artillery fire extended, the whole army will attack! Yang Xincheng nodded.

"Yes, Commander!"

Yang Xincheng nodded, didn't speak, and continued to take a group of staff officers to inspect the front line.

At this moment, in a hidden bunker built in Shugou Village, a group of generals of the Beiyang Army are standing with their heads bowed and dull expressions, and among these generals, there are four or five generals, and there are more than ten school officers. With so many senior generals of the Beiyang Army gathered in one place, it would be a very strange thing if it was placed in normal times, but it would not be so strange if it was placed in Shugou Village at this time. The reason is simple, because this is the headquarters of the Second Army of the Beiyang Army.

"Army commander, now that there is a lot of pressure on our side, do you think we can let the Fourth Division of Dingxianggou move closer to our side, and then break out with us?" A general of the Beiyang Army suggested to Duan Zhigui.

However, Duan Zhigui directly shook his head and refused: "The Dingxianggou side is now a horn with us, and we can't lose it yet, otherwise if it is lost over there, the defense line in the southwest will be completely collapsed." When the time comes, how can we defend this Shugou Village with us? ”

"We are now seriously short of food, ammunition and all kinds of materials, and all units have been attacked by the People's Army in turn, and the casualties are very large. Commander, let the Fourth Division join us and break through together! The other colonel of the Beiyang Army next to him looked anxious, and he didn't seem to care about Duan Zhigui's majesty, so he stood up and said loudly. He was really speechless about Duan Zhigui, the straw bale boss, and now he didn't want to break through the siege with a combined army, and he actually thought about dividing his troops to hold on.

"If you can't keep it, you have to keep it!" Duan Zhigui turned his head and glanced at the colonel fiercely. But in an instant, he saw a group of generals with their heads bowed and their faces not very good, so he said in a soothing tone: "Don't worry, as long as we hold on for two to three more days, Chen Guangyuan's 12th Division and Fan Guozhang's 20th Division will be able to rush over and relieve us!" ”

At this time, the colonel who had just opened his mouth spoke again: "The 20th Division of Division Commander Fan was blocked by the Seventh Army of the People's Army in Kangbao County, and now it is difficult to protect itself, and the 12th Division of Division Commander Chen arrived in Zhangjiakou yesterday, which is only a few dozen kilometers away from here. What's more, even if they do arrive, can they really be used? ”

The colonel's last words finally defeated the last trace of luck in Duan Zhigui's heart. He opened his mouth for a long time, but he didn't know what to say.

"Commander, even if we are optimistic, we will be able to hold out for a day at most. But the brothers down here—" The officer said this, and never said any more, and everyone here knew about it, but they didn't want to say it. The army's spirit is scattered, and the team below is not easy to lead.

"Commander, as long as we break through the encirclement, and finally reorganize the troops and rebuild the defensive line, the battle situation in Chahar will still be as stable as Mount Tai!" What the colonel said clearly elicited a nod of approval from many generals.

At this time, Zhigui's mind was also thinking quickly, and he already agreed with his subordinates' words in his heart. But in the end, he still turned his head to ask Wang Zhanyuan, the commander of the Second Division, who had never spoken, for advice: "Zichun (Wang Zhanyuan), what is your opinion?" ”

However, as soon as Duan Zhigui's words fell, a series of explosions sounded outside. People in the war are no strangers to the sound of explosions, at first everyone thought it was just sporadic shelling, but soon they found out that it was not sporadic shelling, the dense explosion sound and the characteristic shell explosion sound of the large-caliber howitzer soon made the Beiyang generals in the headquarters realize that this shelling was unusual.

"It's late!" Wang Zhanyuan opened his mouth and said leisurely.

Yes, it's late! At 2:35 p.m., the artillery brigade directly under the Third Army of the People's Army launched an artillery bombardment on time, and at the same time, the artillery of the divisions below also began to carry out the artillery bombardment according to the scheduled Zhu Yuan. In an instant, the sound of explosions on the position of the Beiyang Army began to sound continuously, and the smoke and dust rolled up after the explosion of the shells soon filled the sky over the position.

Duan Zhigui's face changed greatly, and he hurriedly led people to run out, and after landing on a small high ground, he looked far ahead with a telescope, only to see explosions one after another on the position of the Beiyang Army, and smoke and dust billowed out. In the face of this kind of intensive shelling, no matter how hasty Duan Zhigui was, he quickly realized what was going to happen next, and hurriedly said: "Quickly get the troops ready, it looks like the People's Army is about to launch a general offensive!" ”

As the minutes passed, the shells finally extended back and the KPA began to attack. Thousands of soldiers rushed from this side of the position to that side, and the machine guns responsible for covering behind them hit the Beiyang Army soldiers who had just escaped the shelling with dense bullets, and they couldn't lift their heads. This kind of desperate posture lets them know that they can't be good today.

The charge continued, life was disappearing rapidly, blood was flowing throughout the position, and several times the KPA broke through the position, but all of them were blocked back by the officers and men of the Beiyang Army gritting their teeth and using bayonets. Once, twice, three times, two hours later, the Beiyang officers and men who defended the position forgot how many times they had repelled the KPA charge, and when they arrived, they just opened fire numbly, and then waved their bayonets and then engaged in white-knuckle combat.

When, after another shelling, the remaining soldiers of the Beiyang Army stood up crookedly from the trenches and watched the dense crowd of People's Army rushing towards them in the distance, they finally could no longer stop it. After the People's Army of more than 6,000 people from two regiments converged into a terrible flood peak, it rushed into the position of the Beiyang Army like a tide.

"Reserves! Hurry up and get in the reserves! Duan Zhigui's face turned pale, but he didn't know that he had no reserves.

The sound of the People's Army's charge horn is getting closer and closer to the headquarters of the Beiyang Second Army, Shugou Village has been breached, and the Beiyang Army has been defeated! Thousands of Beiyang soldiers began to run everywhere, and they even lost their guns and ammunition in order to run faster. Everyone has only one thought in their hearts, to escape, to run desperately.

On the opposite position, Yang Xincheng saw this scene, trembling with excitement, he slowly put down the telescope and held it in the palm of his hand. This battle is finally won!

At 7 p.m. on May 7, the "Shugou Village" held by the Beiyang Army, and at 8 o'clock, the Fourth Division that held on to Dingxianggou was also overcome. After five or six hours of bloody fighting between the two armies, the battle outside the county town of Suiyuanxing and the county finally ended in a complete victory for the people's army. In this battle, except for 2,000 remnants of the Beiyang Army who braved their lives to break out of the encirclement at night, all the rest remained here. Among them, more than 5,000 people were directly killed, and the remaining more than 8,000 were captured, including army commander Duan Zhigui, division commanders Wang Zhanyuan, Yang Shande and others, all captured.