Chapter 587: Turning the Tiger Away from the Mountain

Half an hour later, the sound of "rumbling" artillery began to sound outside Baishan County, on the forward positions of the Japanese army. In the face of the continuous shelling of dozens of mountain artillery and mortars of the Eighth Route Army, and in the face of the explosion of shells on the position, huge fireballs rose into the air. The rudimentary civil fortifications built by the Japanese army for several days were reduced to ruins in this heavy shelling, without any accidents, and after only a few rounds of shè fire....

As the sound of the cannon slowly subsided, a loud trumpet began to echo over the position. A main battalion of the 37th Regiment of the 13th Division, with more than 500 soldiers, stepped on craters created by the explosion of shells one after another. Under the cover of a few tǐng heavy machine guns frantically sweeping shè behind him, lined up in a standard triangular offensive formation, bent over, and rushed out of his position...

Just when more than 100 soldiers of the vanguard company, under the command of the company commander, weighed the standard offensive formation, and quickly advanced towards the Japanese position, which had become a ruin. The three tongues of fire that suddenly appeared on the Japanese position immediately caught the eyes of the leading company commander...

"Enemy attack, lie down quickly, hide immediately...."An exclamation roared out of the company commander's mouth. After more than half a month of training, more than 100 people who already had the appearance of jīng soldiers heard the order of the company commander, and immediately fell to the ground like a condition. At the same time, he raised his weapon and was ready to aim at any moment ...

However, no matter how timely the company commander's order was, no matter how fast the soldiers reacted, they could not be as fast as the Japanese bullets. After the fierce shelling of the artillery regiment, the remaining two tǐng heavy machine guns, together with a round of dozens of rifles, charged at the front of the dozen or so soldiers, and they were all beaten red and bloody. Then, he fell heavily to the ground, life and death uncertain...

looked at the dozen or so brothers who fell in a pool of blood, still alive before the war, and called themselves brothers. In the blink of an eye, he fell under the muzzle of the xiǎo devil, and his life and death were uncertain. The commander of the forward company couldn't help but clench his fists and shouted loudly at several fighters around him...

"Zhang Wazi, what are you still doing in a daze, use your grenadier to kill the machine gun of the xiǎo devil and avenge the sacrificed brothers. The whole company has it, covers the fire, gives the grenadiers a chance to strike, and then prepares to charge..."

"Company commander, you can take a look, I, Zhang Wazi, promise to avenge the sacrificed brothers, and let the Xiǎo devil pay for the blood debt..." The three mén grenadiers of the grenadier squad were set up one after another in the roar of Zhang Wazi...

As Zhang Wazi's order to open the cannon sounded, three dull cannon discharges sounded on the soldiers' hidden positions... The three grenadiers were quickly taken out of the grenadiers and flew towards the Japanese position more than 100 meters away...

Although, these grenadiers, only under the guidance of special operations divisions, have undergone half a month of training. In terms of training intensity and shè striking degree, it is far inferior to the Japanese Kwantung Army troops, which can be called veterans of a hundred battles. However, if three grenades in one round do not hit the target, then shè out of the second round. If you still can't hit the target in two rounds, then send shè a third round...

In the grenadier squad, under the command of the squad leader Zhang Wazi, three rounds of grenades totaled nine rounds later. With a dense burst of explosions sounded over the Japanese positions. Just now, the three tǐng light and heavy machine guns, which were still extremely arrogant and kept spitting out dense bullets and rains, were all dumb at once....

Without the suppression of the fire of the three tǐng machine guns, the pressure on the heads of the fighters was suddenly reduced a lot... Under the cover of smoke from a grenade explosion. A company, more than a hundred fighters, at the sound of the company commander's order, jumped up from the ground and once again launched a charge ....

The explosion of the grenade and the sweep of the machine gun began to sound happily on the battlefield with the dumb fire of the Japanese machine gun...... One by one, the soldiers, like tigers descending from the mountain, patted the neat offensive formation, and quickly rushed to the forward position of the Japanese army....

Just when a battalion of troops of the Eighth Route Army, the finished glyph distribution, like a sharp sword, ruthlessly attacked the outer positions of the Japanese army. In the rear of the position, Commander Zhou Baozhong and Li Yuanqing, commander of the 13th Division, were holding up the binoculars in their hands, looking at the hundreds of commanders and fighters of the first battalion of the 37th Regiment who were rapidly assaulting...

"Lao Li, it seems that our more than half a month of training has not been in vain. The training program assigned to us by the commander really worked... Attack the xiǎo devil in accordance with the triangular offensive tactics formulated by the commander. One of our battalions, almost without paying too many casualties, easily rushed to the front of the Xiǎo devil's position...."Seeing that more than 100 soldiers of the forward company of the first battalion had already rushed to the front of the Japanese position, they were ready to throw grenades. Then, when the Japanese positions were taken in one fell swoop. Commander Zhou Baozhong's face couldn't help but smile with satisfaction, and said with a moving face...,

"Commander, not only are the soldiers well-trained, but the various weapons and equipment in the hands of the soldiers have also been changed over and over again... A battalion of 15 tǐng crooked handles, plus three tǐng heavy machine guns and ten mén grenadiers. Such powerful firepower, which was previously unimaginable for us ... Such a good weapon, if we can't fight well, then we will be so sorry for those martyrs who sacrificed..."Li Yuanqing replied confidently....

While the two were talking, a battalion had successfully rushed into the forward position of the Japanese army. After a few minutes of hand-to-hand combat, a squadron of Xiǎo devils on the forward position, along with a battalion of Manchurian troops, did not miss the net, and all of them were wiped out

"The report to the commander, the division commander, and the commander of the 37th regiment, Zhang Zhang, telegraphed that the first battalion, after paying the price of 39 casualties, had successfully occupied the forward positions of the Japanese army, and completely annihilated all the defending troops, including one squadron of the Japanese army and one battalion of the Manchurian army. Regiment Commander Zhang asked for instructions on whether the troops would continue to attack...."The communications staff officer panted and ran to the side of the two of them and reported...

"Well fought, the 37th Regiment won the first battle, and played the prestige of my fifth column. Commander Zhang of the 37th Regiment was ordered to make persistent efforts to continue the offensive and advance. The 38th Regiment was ordered to follow up and provide reinforcements at any time. At the same time, he ordered the artillery regiment directly under the column and the mountain artillery battalion directly under the division headquarters to provide fire cover to the attacking troops at any time, and immediately go to convey the order...."Before Li Yuanqing, the division commander could react from the shock, Commander Zhou Baozhong directly crossed the ranks, and ordered with a moving face...

In Baishan County, in the tent where the headquarters of the Japanese division and regiment is located, a group of communications staff officers are constantly shuttling back and forth between the headquarters and the telecommunications room, marking the latest information received by the headquarters in the headquarters, and the division commander Lieutenant General Yoshimoto is on a huge combat sand table in front of him...

"Division commander, we can't wait any longer. Now that the forward positions have been lost, the second line of defense that we have arranged outside the city is being subjected to heavy shelling by dozens of artillery pieces of the Eighth Route Army, and is also in danger of falling at any time. Humblely requested, immediately send a brigade of troops to reinforce the second line of defense...."Looking at the second defensive position on the sand table, under the fierce attack of the Eighth Route Army, it was in danger. Look at Lieutenant General Yoshimoto, the division commander who was standing in front of him, still with a calm face. The chief of staff of the division said anxiously...

"Chief of Staff, how long has it been since the Eighth Route Army launched its offensive until now?" Lieutenant General Yoshimoto, the commander of the division, asked with a calm face...

"It's been a month and a half xiǎo hours. If it weren't for the desperate resistance of the commander of the second brigade to suppress the rout of the Manchurian Army, at this moment, our second line of defense has also been occupied by the Eighth Route Army... Division commander, send reinforcements immediately, otherwise, our second brigade will be wiped out..."

"Yaga, as a soldier of the Great Japanese Empire, are you still worried about breaking for His Majesty the Emperor?" Lieutenant General Yoshimoto shouted loudly at the chief of staff in front of him....

Seeing the entire division headquarters, because of his own roar, he immediately became silent. The atmosphere that was still very active just now slowly became solemn. After a long sigh, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto continued to the chief of staff of the division who was bowing his head in front of him....

"Chief of Staff, although, under the fierce attack of the Eighth Route Army, our forward positions have been lost, and the second position may also be lost at any time. However, so far, I still do not see the real strategic purpose of the Eighth Route Army. Therefore, before we have a clear understanding of the enemy's true strategic purpose, what we can do is to stand still. Otherwise, you will fall for the enemy's plan to divert the tiger from the mountain. Yours, the Chinese Sun Tzu does not understand the Art of War...."

"Hai, Your Excellency, the commander of the division, is wise. However, how should we restore the captain of the second brigade...."

"Order the troops to swear to hold their positions to the death, and swear to live and die with the positions. At the same time, continue to pay attention to all the situation on the forward positions. If the offensive of the Eighth Route Army had been so fierce, and at the same time, the third defensive position we had placed outside the city would have been breached. Then, through their offensive, we can judge that the real target of the Eighth Route Army is us. When the time comes, it's not too late for us to move troops..."Lieutenant General Yoshimoto replied with a relaxed face...

The second defensive position of the Japanese army, after continuous shelling by the mountain artillery battalion and the mortar batteries of various regiments, has long been reduced to ruins... A standard Japanese infantry brigade stuck to the position, with more than 1,000 German devil soldiers. At this moment, there were only less than 400 remnants left, still under the command of the captain, holding their positions..., as for the Manchurian regiment that assisted in the defense, it was because it had been avoiding the battle, and there were still more than 600 troops left. However, from the decadent faces of these Manchurian soldiers, only despair was seen...

And in the entire position, nearly a thousand troops waited expectantly for the arrival of reinforcements behind them. The order of the division command to refuse to send reinforcements and to demand that the troops hold their positions and swear to live and die with the positions was immediately reached the ears of everyone on the position...

The remnants of more than 400 devil soldiers on the battlefield have been influenced by the god of bushido for a long time. In the face of this order, there was no abnormal behavior. Just clenching the weapon in his hand, his eyes staring at the front of the position without blinking, the seeker in the dark night, the enemy who may suddenly appear...

However, the more than 600 soldiers of the Manchurian Army did not have such a good psychological quality....In the face of the order of the troops to hold their positions to the death, the faces of these soldiers immediately showed a look of despair. At the same time, the thought of running away once again flooded the hearts of these soldiers....

Just when nearly 1,000 Japanese puppet soldiers on the position, because of an order from the division and regimental headquarters, were thinking about their future way out. A new round of offensive of the 37 regiment, with the sound of dense mortar shelling, began....

In the fierce battle, just when the attention of all the devil soldiers was attracted by the Eighth Route Army, which was getting closer and closer in front of the position. Lying around the devil soldiers, he has always been cowardly, and he is obedient to the Manchurian soldiers, and he doesn't know where the courage comes from. They all raised their weapons, bullets of revenge, and bayonets that exuded cold air. shè or the back of the devil soldiers around him...

In the face of the sudden changes around him, in the face of the soldiers of the Manchurian Army who looked like cowards, he dared to attack himself... The remaining devil soldiers, without any hesitation, immediately strangled with the Manchurian troops around them...

And the soldiers, who were not blocked by the intensive fire of the Japanese army, saw that the Japanese army had fallen into the inner Luàn position, and immediately rushed to the position in one go and joined the battle of Luàn...

Ten minutes of tragic ròu fighting, under everyone's attention, ended with the last devil soldier, falling in a pool of blood under the death of a Manchurian soldier.

At the same time, the second line of defense of the Japanese army's heavy defense only lasted less than two hours before it was successfully occupied by the 37th Regiment, which had been serving as the main attacker....

Occupying the second line of Japanese blocking positions, the 37th Regiment followed closely behind the 38th Regiment, immediately took over the main attack task of the 37th Regiment, quickly moved forward, crossed the second line of defense arranged by the Japanese army, and prepared to take the third defensive position of the Japanese army in one go....

A few xiǎo hours of time passed in the blink of an eye. Under the fierce attack of all the commanders and fighters of the 38th Regiment, the Japanese puppet army holding on to the third line of defense was under the strict orders of Lieutenant General Yoshimoto. Although desperately resisted, the position was still firmly in his own hands. However, the garrison of more than 2,000 people, at this moment, has been fought to less than 600 people....

In Baishan County, the sound of artillery can already be faintly heard in the command headquarters. After receiving several telegrams from the commander of the Third Brigade asking for help, the chief of staff of the division, who had no choice, immediately rushed into the headquarters. The news that the third brigade was in danger and that the third defensive position could fall at any time was reported to Lieutenant General Yoshimoto, who was still calm in the command...

"Could it be that the purpose of the Eighth Route Army is really my 27th Division, but, with his strength of more than 10,000 people, if he wants to annihilate my 30,000 troops, is he not afraid of being surrounded by us and eventually falling into the mouth of the tiger..." Lieutenant General Yoshimoto, who had always been calm and unusually sure of his judgment, began to hesitate. In the wide headquarters, he kept pacing back and forth, muttering to himself....

"Division commander, how should we respond to the telegram from the commander of the third brigade asking for help..."Seeing the division commander who seemed to have moved, the chief of staff hurriedly continued....

However, just as Lieutenant General Yoshimoto was about to answer. The sound of hurried footsteps reached the ears of the two of them. The eyes of the two were also attracted by this anxious communication staff officer for the first time...

"The commander of the reporting division, the chief of staff, has just received a farewell telegram from the commander of the 3rd brigade. At present, the third line of defense arranged by our army outside the city has been completely occupied by the Eighth Route Army. All the troops that were sticking to the defensive line were all shattered...", "What, the third line of defense was lost, how could it be so fast, it was a full two thousand defending troops, and it was lost in less than two hours...."Lieutenant General Yoshimoto asked rhetorically with a shocked expression...

"Hai, according to the telegram from the brigade commander, the Eighth Route Army has used nearly 100 artillery pieces of various calibers to attack the third line of defense. After occupying the third line of defense, the troops of the Eighth Route Army, which was responsible for the main attack, did not make any stops, and quickly rushed straight towards the fourth line of defense of our army. Your Excellency, the division commander, please make a decision as soon as possible...."The communications staff officer quickly replied.

"Baga, the cunning Eighth Route Army, their target is really Baishan County... However, my 27th Division was the sharpest army division of the Kwantung Army of the Japanese Empire, and it had plenty of ammunition and high morale. Today, since this is the case, then I will let you have no return. Chief of Staff, now I order all the troops outside the city to immediately shrink their defenses. The Fourth Brigade held its position for four xiǎo hours. At the same time, the telegram ordered three or four infantry wings to immediately return to Baishan County. Outside the North Mén, a huge encirclement is formed. This time, I want to completely annihilate the troops of the Eighth Route Army outside the city, so that they will not come and go, and pay the price for their principal...."After receiving an affirmative answer, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto no longer had any hesitation, and ordered with a decisive face to the chief of staff in front of him....

"Hai, division commander. I believe that this time, we will be able to completely annihilate the invading enemy. Let the Eighth Route Army know that the Japanese Empire is powerful and avenge the Imperial Army soldiers who were once crushed in the hands of the Eighth Route Army...."The Chief of Staff replied affirmatively...

"Yo Xi, Chief of Staff, go and deliver the order. This time, we will create a miracle together, annihilating the troops of the 10,000th Route Army...."Lieutenant General Yoshimoto nodded approvingly and said...

"Hai, Your Excellency the Division Commander..."