Chapter 664: Gathering and Annihilation (2)

The ravages of the Japanese planes did not last, and all the units of the instructors had been trained in air defense subjects, and in the bombing of the Japanese planes, all units extinguished the torches and turned off the headlights almost at the same time, so that the devil pilots could not find their targets when they boarded.

Almost at the same time as the lights were extinguished and torches were thrown, the units of the Eighth Route Army began to shoot at the air in companies and platoons. In an instant, a dense network of firepower was formed over the assault troops of the Eighth Route Army and the troops encircling on all sides, and strings of machine-gun bullets were drawn towards the whips that suddenly swung into the sky, and at the Japanese planes that were still triumphant just now. The riflemen did not show weakness, raised their guns to the sky, aimed at the little devil pilot who was diving and strafing, and pulled the trigger.

The commander of the Japanese aircraft led the team could not imagine that the Eighth Route Army would react so quickly and with such fierce firepower, so he hurriedly ordered the formation to pull up and avoid ground fire. At this moment, four unlucky Japanese planes had already crashed into the firepower net of the Eighth Route Army and were turned into fireballs.

The frightened and stable Japanese plane, which was pulled up, made a big circle on the battlefield and lost its target. Of course, the south bank of the Wen River was still lit up, but the commander of the little devil group was not so stupid, he knew that it was the 14th Division that had retreated in a hurry and could not attack. The commander of the angry devil group found that there were still fires and lights a little farther away from the battlefield, and it was estimated that the Eighth Route Army was pursuing in the direction of the retreat of the 14th Division. The commander of the devil group suddenly found an outlet for his resentment, and directly gave the order to attack.

This is the reason why air combat cannot be fought at night, and in the dark, it is very difficult for ground troops to identify the target of attack, let alone aircraft. However, there is one point, in the dark night sky, the target of the Japanese plane is obvious, because the navigation lights on the plane are flashing one after another, a bit like a meteor, which is convenient for ground fire to find the target. If there were no navigation lights, without the Eighth Route Army, the Japanese aircraft group would have rear-ended, and perhaps more would have been crashed and destroyed than the Eighth Route Army

The fire discovered by the Japanese army was the bonfire deliberately lit by the air defense brigade of the Eighth Route Army and the torches inserted in the ground, which looked extremely dazzling in the dark night.

The Japanese planes, who did not know what to do, roared down and crashed head-on into the fire network of the air defense brigade. Now it was lively, and more than 20 Japanese planes were like more than 20 moths that pounced on the lights, attracted by the lights and scorched until they were completely reduced to ashes.

The result of this air battle made Kinoshita Toshi and Shanshan Yuan completely understand that they had to act according to the laws of operation, and they could not take it for granted that they would command blindly. In particular, Kinoshita Toshi, sitting next to the radio station at the Nanyuan Airport Tower, listened to the wails of the Japanese pilots before they died, and was so angry that he scolded Shanshan Yuan Baga on the spot, which was simply a joke with the precious pilot's life

As soon as the air defense siren was lifted, the assault troops of the Eighth Route Army began a rapid pursuit again. Under the black night, there are car lights, flashlights, and torches everywhere, and if the Japanese pilots can survive to this time and look down from the sky, they will turn back time and space, and mistake the earth for the starry night sky.

Shanshan Yuan, commander of the Japanese North China Front, was too superstitious about the combat effectiveness of the 14th Division, and since he had just arrived in China, he had not personally experienced the combat effectiveness of the main force of the Eighth Route Army, so he actually ordered the 14th Division to withdraw to the south bank of the Wen River, build fortifications on the spot, fight with the Eighth Route Army, support it until dawn, and wait for reinforcements to arrive to attack the Eighth Route Army.

At this time, it was the time when the weather was freezing cold, and the remnants of the 14th Division retreated to the south bank of the Wen River through the Xiaojiahe Bridge, and began to build positions. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. The firepower of the artillery group of the Eighth Route Army is so fierce, the little devils run like rabbits, and the cannons are gone, where can they ask for tools such as sapper shovels. Besides, it is not easy to do it with a sapper shovel, the ground is frozen, and if you want to dig fortifications, you must be able to dig it.

Sekii Takasho looked at the group of torches coming from the north, east, and west, and was surprised, the Eighth Route Army didn't know how many troops had been mobilized, and how to look at the headlights, torches, and flashlights, as if there was a feeling of overwhelmingness. Fortunately, the speed of the Eighth Route Army's advance was different, and the convoy and cavalry of the Eighth Route Army were coming very quickly in the north. The east and west should be infantry, and the speed is relatively slow, and it will take some time for the Eighth Route Army to encircle.

Takamasa Sekii gathered officers above the rank of wing commander to study the deployment of the defensive line. Unexpectedly, the commander of the 27th Brigade, Major General Guan Yuyun, bluntly proposed that it was not a matter of holding on now, but of retreating quickly so that the soldiers could survive. The artillery group of the Eighth Route Army was too fierce, and once they caught up, no matter how strong the position was, it would not be able to withstand such a huge artillery bombardment, not to mention that it had just experienced a crushing defeat, and the troops suffered heavy losses, and there were no mountain artillery or field artillery, so why hold on?

Major General Guan Yuyun's remarks immediately resonated with the officers.

At this time, there were great personnel changes in the 14th Division, and after the commander of the 59th Wing, Kazuyoshi Sakanishi, was promoted to major general and transferred to the General Staff Headquarters, and the commander of the 28th Brigade and Regiment, Major General Takashi Sakai, was transferred to the head of the Zhangjiakou Special Service in August, the commander of the 28th Infantry Brigade and Regiment.

The Japanese name is very strange when translated into Chinese, the commander of the 13th Independent Mixed Brigade who was just killed is called Morita Masaho, and the commander of the 15th Wing is called Morita Masasa.

Since the invasion of China, the biggest battle fought by Morita Fan Zheng was the Battle of Lanfeng. That battle was fought with Xue Yue's Yudong Corps. In Morita Fan's mind, Xue Yue's Yudong Corps was the most elite unit in China, because they had tank troops. In the Battle of Lanfeng, the 14th Regiment relied on powerful artillery fire and mobility to escape. However, he was greatly surprised by the situation of the battle tonight, the Eighth Route Army actually used a powerful artillery group to bully the imperial army, which was known for its powerful artillery firepower, and as soon as it launched a surprise attack, it used its powerful armored assault force to defeat the 35th Division and the 13th Brigade of the Independent Mixed Brigade. This kind of artillery fire power and armored assault force far exceeded the 14th Division, and also exceeded the cognitive level of Morita Fanzheng.

As soon as Major General Guan Yu Yu's suggestion came out, Morita Fan Zheng followed: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, Major General Guan Yu Yu's suggestion is reasonable. Our division now suffered heavy casualties, and lost the 20th Wing of heavy artillery and field artillery, without heavy fire cover. Now it is the depths of winter, and the soldiers lack the tools to build fortifications. As soon as the artillery group of the Eighth Route Army catches up, the soldiers will be exposed to the artillery fire of the Eighth Route Army. If the Eighth Route Army continues to bombard on a large scale, we will be finished without the infantry of the Eighth Route Army launching an attack. I suggest that while reporting to the headquarters of the Front Army and the headquarters of the 12th Army, we should retreat quickly and strive to retreat to Yanzhou and rely on the fortifications to hold on. ”

At this time, the Japanese officers believed in "seeing red with bayonets and real kung fu within 200 meters", but the 14th Division was slightly different, and during the battle of Lanfeng, they relied on the heavy artillery brigade under their command to repel the attack, and they also relied on the tanks, armored vehicles, and automobiles reinforced by the First Army to be able to run thousands of miles, and they had a deep understanding of the importance of artillery fire, and also had a deep understanding of the use of motor vehicles to increase the speed of movement. If there were no heavy artillery brigades and so many cars, the 14th Division would have been swallowed by the tiger boy Xue Yue a long time ago, where would they still be allowed to survive until now.

As soon as Major General Yu Yu and Morita Fan Masai said, those wing commanders reported one after another asking for speeches, the content of which was nothing more than heavy casualties among the troops, heavy losses in heavy weapons, and the fact that they should withdraw to Yanzhou to rely on fortifications and so on.

Sekii Takachang's heart was bright, if he really stuck here, the 14th Division's jade shattering would only be a matter of time. If you're lucky, you'll be able to hold on for a few more hours; If you are unlucky, it is very likely that as soon as the artillery group of the Eighth Route Army arrives, the whole army will be shattered in one to two hours. The reason why he convened the officers above the wing commander to discuss the deployment of the defense was that he also wanted these officers to disagree with the insistence, and then explain to Shanshan Yuan.

This goal was achieved, and Takamasa Sekii immediately ordered a report to be sent to Sugi Sugi and Iida Sadagu, saying that after a meeting of officers at and above the rank of wing commander of the 14th Division, in view of the excessive casualties of the troops, the excessive firepower of the artillery group of the Eighth Route Army, and the difficulty of digging fortifications, he hereby reported to His Excellency the Commander and requested that the 14th Division retreat in the direction of Yanzhou and rely on the fortifications of the Yanzhou defense line to hold on.

Without the orders of Sugi Sugi Moto and Iida Sadagu, the commander of the Twelfth Army, Sekii Takamasa would not have dared to retreat, and no matter how much the officers suggested or requested, he would not have given this order. The 14th Division was a well-known permanent division, and unlike the 35th Division, it had to maintain the dignity and discipline of the Great Japanese Army. Takamasa Sekii was a professional soldier and knew the cruelty and ruthlessness of military orders, and if Commander Sugi did not approve the retreat, he was determined to hold on to the spot, even if he fought to the point of not a single soldier.

Sugimoto's telegram and Iida Sadagu's telegram soon arrived, but the orders were diametrically opposed. Shanshanyuan ordered the 14th Division to stick to the front line of the Wenhe River, block the Eighth Route Army, entangle the Eighth Route Army, and win time for the main force to defeat Liu Yimin's instructor.

In the telegram, Shanshan Yuan informed Sekii Takamasa that the cavalry group had successfully crossed the river from the direction of Wujiadu and began to flank the Yellow River defense troops of the Eighth Route Army, and the Yellow River defense line of the Eighth Route Army would collapse in a moment. The main force of the northern front will continue to cross the river, seize Jinan, and then move south to attack Liu Yimin's forces. The Eastern Front Group was invincible, and the blocking Eighth Route Army was about to collapse at the first touch, and in a few hours, the powerful Eastern Front Group could reach the city of Jinan. As long as the 14th Division can hold out on to the front line of the Wen River for five hours, reinforcements will arrive on the battlefield. After dawn, the main force of the imperial army, under the cover of the aviation force, can gather and annihilate the main force of the Eighth Route Army instructor on the front line of the Wenhe River.

Iida Sadagu's order was different, he agreed with the 14th Division to withdraw south to Yanzhou, and urged it to retreat as soon as possible, so that it must not be caught up and surrounded by the Eighth Route Army, which would repeat the mistakes of the Eighth Division and the 10th Division.

The orders of the commander of the North China Front and the commander of the 12th Army were different, which made it difficult for Takamasa Sekii.

It is clear that Shanshanyuan ordered to stick to the south bank of the Wen River in order to hold the main force of the Eighth Route Army, so that the main force of the Eastern Front and the main force of the Northern Front could rush to the battlefield and eliminate or defeat the main force of the Eighth Route Army. The reason why the commander of the 12th Army, Iida Sadagu, ordered the retreat was to withdraw the 14th Division to Yanzhou and assist in the defense of Lunan. If the 14th Division was broken, Sekii Takamasa knew that the entire Lunan would be like the Eighth Route Army opening its arms. The Japanese army no longer had the strength to stop the Eighth Route Army from sweeping through Lunan.

Withdrawing or defending, it was difficult for Takamasa Sekii to make a decision for a while.

Before Sekii Takamasa gave the order, the Japanese officers had already quarreled.

As soon as these guys, who were still gossiping about retreat, heard that the Japanese cavalry group on the northern front had crossed the Yellow River at Wujiadu, they were busy looking for a map to check where Wujiadu was. After finding the location of Wujiadu, the Japanese officers made a slight comparison and found that Wujiadu was only 72.4 kilometers away from their current Wenhe River. This distance is a bit far for a purely infantry unit, and it takes 10 hours to march without eating, drinking, or sleeping, and almost five hours for cavalry. However, this distance is nothing for mechanized troops, and it can be reached in two hours. The 2nd Division of the Northern Front Group was one of the three major mechanized divisions of the Japanese army, and the degree of mechanization was much higher than that of the 14th Division, which was temporarily strengthened. As long as the 2nd Division crosses the Yellow River, it can definitely reach the line of the Wen River in two hours.

These officers also don't want to think about it, Wujiadu is just an ordinary ferry, and now it is better to catch up with the Yellow River to freeze, the infantry can quickly cross the river, and the equipment of the mechanized division can cross the river without pontoon bridges. Besides, the Second Division was attacked by the Eighth Route Army Aviation Brigade and suffered heavy losses, and it is difficult to say whether they can still be regarded as a mechanized division.

Of course, these officers did not know what the 2nd Division had been bombed into, and it was normal for them to have errors in their judgment.

As a result, the officers were also divided into two factions, one faction insisted on retreating south, believing that the distance was too far, and the 14th Division, which had lost the cover of artillery fire, could not support the arrival of reinforcements. The first platoon advocated holding on to the spot, believing that the 14th Division was well-trained and could rely on the favorable terrain on the south bank to repel the attack of the Eighth Route Army and hold out until reinforcements arrived. Even if the 14th Division is exhausted, it is necessary to drag the main force of Liu Yimin's instructor on the front line of the Wenhe River to win time for the main force to gather and annihilate them.

There was no need for Sekii Takamasa to make it difficult with those officers, the Eighth Route Army made a choice for them.

Liu Yimin said a long time ago that the most important duties of a commander are: First, to train troops and improve the overall tactical level of individual soldiers and troops. The second is to do a good job of planning, and at all times we must make sure that we are prepared to attack the enemy and unprepared to attack the enemy; When the enemy attacks us, we plan in advance and prepare for it. Troops can never be put in danger. Third, the determination is correct, whether to fight or withdraw, to be simple and neat, and not to hesitate. Sekijing Longchang committed the third taboo, hesitating by the Wen River, and it was difficult to decide whether to withdraw or fight. No wonder in history he was summarily dismissed. Now is not history, the powerful Eighth Route Army instructor was born, and it is impossible for Takamasa Sekii to be dismissed from his post on the spot by the base camp, and the fate waiting for him is even more miserable.

Ladies and gentlemen: The son of the mountain man is going to go far away, and he will leave in two days. In the past two days, I have to prepare luggage for my son and invite him to dinner. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you