"Umezu-kun really deserves to be an excellent soldier of the empire! I am very impressed under it! Okabe Naosaburo praised again and again.

"Okabe-kun has won the prize!" Umezu Mijiro once again said with a son: "Okabe-kun, the three divisions of our army have all surrounded a small force of the Shina Army in the narrow area of Wangdu Mountain, why don't you attack and destroy them directly?" In particular, I really don't understand that you and Chief Okamura have placed the 1st and 8th Divisions on the periphery and made a defensive posture, so I would like to ask you to answer the question. ”

"Umejin-kun, the reason why we besieged this small group of people but did not attack them was actually to use this as bait to call on the main force of the force to come to the rescue, and then annihilate it in one fell swoop! Before the follow-up main force of the Kwantung Army arrived, the 1st Division and the 8th Division should take a defensive position, entangle the main force of the Chinese people, and then encircle and annihilate it around Gyeongdu in one fell swoop after the main force arrives. Naosaburo Okabe told the whole plan.

After hearing this, Umezu Mijiro nodded again and again, and said: "To the west, Okabe-kun, I have to admit that this opportunity is very perfect, I will send a telegram to the first division and the eighth division, and strive to block the reinforcements of the Reading Army, and stick it to the death." ”

…………….

Ten miles east of Wangdu Mountain, nearly 100,000 troops of the First and Eighth Divisions of the Yue Army lined up along the Baoding-Shimen line of the Pinghan Railway, completely cutting off the connection between the main force of the Reading Army and the guard battalion.

Of course, at least half of the 100,000 troops were logisticians and supplementary brigades. There are only 30,000 or 40,000 veterans in active service, which is on par with the first division of the Reading Army.

At the foot of an unnamed hill, the headquarters of the 1st Division was located here, and the commander of the division, Lieutenant General Isamu Yokoyama, was convening a meeting with Chief of Staff Tsutoyamano Daisa.

Yokoyama sat in the first place in an old-fashioned manner, and a staff officer next to him hurriedly opened a large military map and spread it on the table!

Seeing that the map was laid out, Yokoyama pointed to the map with his hand and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the mission of my first division is to cooperate with the eighth division to defend both ends of the railway and prevent the main force of the Reading Force from meeting with the remnants surrounded by our imperial army!" There is no shelter here, but a plain area, so I ordered all the troops to rely on the Tang River to build field fortifications, because our opponent is the most elite army in China, known as the Iron Army, so you must not be careless! ”

"General, since there is no danger to defend, why don't we take the initiative to attack, with the courage of the soldiers of our first division, the firepower is strong enough to defeat the Reading Army in the field." The first division is under the command of the armored brigade, and the brigade commander is Major General Yamashita Fumi. (Note: This is a plot requirement, so don't be surprised.) "Yamashita-kun, the order we received is to defend, as a soldier to obey orders as a duty, I believe that the headquarters naturally has their attention, please believe me, your chariot brigade is going to show off your skills here, show the majesty of the emperor [***]!" Isamu Yokoyama reassured.

"Hay! What the general said is extremely true! Yamashita Fengwen suddenly bowed his head and said.

………………….

On the south bank of the Tang River, more than 10,000 people from the first division of the Reading Army had already arrived here, only to see that there were already people shaking on the other side of the river.

The Tang River is about 20 meters wide, and the deepest depth of the water is about 78 meters or even 10 meters in the rainy season, and people cannot swim across the river. However, now that the rainy weather has not yet arrived in summer, the river is slightly dry, and the average depth of the entire Tang River is less than one meter, and the shallow part is only as deep as the calf.

Such a depth of infantry crossed the river on foot, even armored vehicles and tanks could directly cross the river after a little filling of the rocks.

There is a stone arch bridge built on the bridge for an armored car to pass, but the bridge has been blown up by the Japanese army, and now the army on the other side of the bridge is already starting to build fortifications.

Niu Tiangui picked up the binoculars, and from the binoculars, he saw that the ghost soldiers and sappers on the other side of the river were shuttling back and forth, pouting and digging trenches.

Putting down the binoculars, Niu Tiangui scolded: "The little devil who said the dog, he is fast enough!" ”

Niu Tiangui was stunned and said to the correspondent next to him: "Order the artillery battalion to bombard Lao Tzu fiercely with his son of a bitch." In addition, it was reported to the military headquarters, saying that the army had already set up field fortifications across the river, and asked the air force to bomb and prevent the little devils from building trenches. The battalions and companies immediately built field fortifications. ”

"Yes!" The correspondent snapped to his feet and took the order.

…………………… Zhang Mingyu and Zhang Biao and others quickly rushed to the south bank of the Tang River with the infantry battalion directly under the First Division. ”

"Sit down!" Zhang Mingyu waved his hand and said: "I already know what you said, the little devil is fast enough, but I give you only one task, that is, to break through the blockade of the devil and join the guard battalion in Wangdu Mountain." ”

"Yes! Please rest assured! Ushida is guaranteed to complete the task! Ushida stood up snapped and replied loudly.

"Captain Niu, this time your task is heavy! I will have the fire of the two 105 howitzer regiments directly under the division to support you to cover your charge, and the armored division will also fully support you and strengthen your assault firepower! Zhang Mingyu said.

"Great! With the support of artillery regiments and tanks, then our regiment will definitely be able to cross the river and join the guard battalion victoriously! Niu Tiangui said excitedly.

"Old Niu, don't be too happy too early! According to the air force reconnaissance report, the opposing army is at least two divisions and regiments, and it is possible to reach three divisions, so your regiment's task is heavy! Zhang Biao, who was on the side, gave Niu Tiangui a strong injection to prevent him from underestimating the enemy.

"Military seats, division seats, you can rest assured! No matter how many divisions he has, my old cow is determined to beat them all over the ground and send them back to their hometown in the East! Niu Tiangui patted his chest and said.

"Hmmm! It's good to have confidence, but don't underestimate the enemy, make the most of your firepower, and try to avoid hand-to-hand combat with the enemy! Zhang Mingyu nodded and said: "Okay, you hurry up and prepare, in half an hour, the artillery regiment will shell the opposing army, and after the shelling, it will be up to you to be a group!" ”

"Yes! Never underestimate the enemy! Please rest assured! Niu Tiangui stood up and responded loudly.

"Go ahead! Zhang Biao and I are here to cheer you on! Zhang Mingyu nodded.

Seeing Niu Tiangui striding away, Zhang Biao said worriedly: "Military seat, the devil on the opposite side has two divisions, is it a little hanging on only one regiment?" Do you want me to take the second regiment around from the north? ”

"No need, our army does not have an advantage, when we concentrate superior forces to attack one point, if we divide our troops again, then the strength will be even more insufficient!" Zhang Mingyu said indifferently.

Half an hour later, the two howitzer regiments of the First Division, together with the artillery directly under the First Regiment, were all prepared, and the scene of hundreds of artillery pieces of various types firing at one volley was quite spectacular.

After the flash of fire, the hastily built fortifications of the Japanese army were blown to pieces, and the machine gunners and heavy machine guns were blown to pieces by the powerful 105 howitzer shells.

In just five minutes, nearly 10,000 shells fell on the position of the Yue army on the other side of the river, and the beachhead built by the Yue army was suddenly plunged into a sea of fire, with scorched tree stumps everywhere, and the wails of the devil's wounded soldiers resounded throughout the position.

After the shelling, about three infantry companies of nearly 1,000 fighters jumped out of the trench with guns in their hands and rushed forward under the cover of tanks and armored vehicles.

The thick-skinned tanks rumbled in front, shielding the infantry that followed behind 80 percent of the rain of bullets, and soon the tanks and armored vehicles advanced to the river, at this time they were less than 200 meters away from the forefront of the army's position, because there was water in the river, so the tanks and armored vehicles stopped, and the machine gunners fired desperately at the opposite devil's position.

The tank guns were not idle, and the armor-piercing shells were fired, and the roaring machine gun bunkers were suddenly lifted away!

The tanks and armored vehicles stopped, but the more than 1,000 infantry who followed them did not stop, and under the leadership of a battalion commander, these more than 1,000 warriors jumped down the river and launched a charge across the river!

Ignoring the mud of the silt, the warrior rushed across the river with a cry.

The machine guns on the other side of the river fired frantically in an attempt to stop the charge of the Reading Army, but in a short distance of more than 100 meters, more than 1,000 soldiers, except for a few who were unfortunately shot, quickly crossed the river and landed on the riverbank.

"Kill! Come on! ”

"Sudden ......!"

"Da Da Da ......"

Garrisoning the north bank of the Tang River was an infantry brigade and a machine gun squadron, and when they were heavily shelled by the Reading Army, this infantry brigade suffered heavy casualties, and the supporting fire points were pulled out one by one by tank guns!

After a bloody battle, a regiment of soldiers who rushed ashore repelled this garrison and occupied positions on the north bank of the river.

In the headquarters of the former enemy of a regiment, Zhang Mingyu looked at the battlefield ahead with a telescope in his hand, and saw that the assault troops had successfully occupied the other side of the river, so he immediately said to Niu Tiangui: "Niu Tiangui, order the troops to stay in place to prevent the little devils from counterattacking!" The engineer regiment immediately filled the river and allowed the armored division to cross the river. ”

"Yes!" Niu Tiangui happily accepted the order, and immediately left quickly to convey the order!

…………….

1st Division Regiment Command.

After one of the adjutant officers hung up the phone, he reported to Isamu Yokoyama, who was in a meeting, with a serious expression: "General! The 1st Infantry Brigade reported that the river beach positions were lost! ”

"Yaga! What the? The infantry brigade lost its position in just an hour? Isamu Yokoyama said in shock.

"Hay! The 1st Brigade reported that they were hit by powerful fire from at least three artillery regiments of the Shina people! The fortifications were destroyed, the casualties were heavy, the Chinese took the chariot as the lead and broke through the positions of the 1st Infantry Brigade, the 1st Brigade only 200 people withdrew from the position, and the whole machine gun squadron was shattered! The adjutant replied with a heavy expression.

(To be continued)