In the early morning of October 12, the 12th Regiment of the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Division, which was concealed and interspersed, engaged in a hand-to-hand battle with the weak alert troops east of Cheliuzhuang of the 23rd Brigade of the Japanese Army, opening the prelude to a major counterattack. Following the 12th Regiment, under the command of Brigade Commander Wang Yao, who had made great contributions to the Xinning Revolution and was deeply appreciated by Long Qian, the main force of the 4th Brigade crossed the Japanese army's not very tight contact line and advanced eastward, cutting off the connection between the 6th Division and the 18th Division (owed to the 24th Brigade). Wang Yao ordered the troops not to fall in love with the war, and to rush straight to Xinhe according to the predetermined interspersed route, cut off the connection between Laizhou and Weixian, and completely isolate the 6th Division east of Weixian. Another task of theirs was to deal with the return of reinforcements from the 23 Brigade that was attacking Qingdao.

Behind them, Division Commander Han Ziying personally led the 5th Brigade and the division's direct subordinate team to turn north, attack the rear base of the 6th Division, Changyi, and encircle the 6th Division at close range.

The third brigade of the division, the 6th Brigade, turned to the southeast and joined forces with the 16th Brigade, the ace brigade from the Central Military District, to encircle and annihilate the main force of the Japanese 18th Division.

The 18th Division (owed to the 24th Brigade) after landing at Longkou and capturing Laizhou immediately ceded the Jideng Avenue to the 6th Division, the main force of the Northern Front, and the 23rd Brigade and the troops directly under the division (artillery, cavalry, engineer and baggage wings) attacked westward under the command of the division commander Lieutenant General Mitsutomi Kamio, and ensured the safety of the flanks of the 6th Division. The 23 Brigade still paid about 400 casualties.

The biggest problem is logistical provisions. In order to ensure the tonnage of ammunition, the supply of grain and grass was reduced. After October 5, Lieutenant General Umezawa, who commanded one and a half divisions of the Japanese army on the northern front, simply ordered the troops of the 18th Division to raise food on the spot - his 6th Division also encountered a shortage of food. Although the threat of bombing by Chinese planes to the Longkou beachhead material distribution center was lifted, the supply still could not meet the requirements of the troops, and the 6th Division alone needed 25 tons of food every day, which was not counting the fodder for thousands of mules and horses, which brought great pressure to the baggage wing. The Jiden Highway was completely destroyed by the Chinese Army, all the bridges were blown up, the road surface was blasted by sappers every other section, and the Japanese army was extremely short of means of transportation, as the battle line extended westward. The issue of provision is becoming more and more severe. In order to guarantee the 6th division. The 18th Division could only be "sacrificed", and Michiharu Umezawa instructed Mitsutomi Kamio to raise food on the spot, "It is impossible for the Shina government to move all the people in the war zone, as long as there are residents." There will be no food. ”

This order caused a large number of people who had not been transferred. After receiving information about the atrocities of the Japanese army. The Political Department of the Central Military Region printed a large number of leaflets in Japanese. Aircraft dropped into the Japanese troops south of the Gidden Highway, warning them not to invade innocent civilians, otherwise the Wehrmacht would take the most severe reprisals - the officers and men of the unit would not be protected by the relevant international treaties. Not treated as prisoners of war.

Lieutenant General Mitsutomi Kamio saw the leaflet, but laughed it off. He said to his staff, "The people of China are so cute, they have learned to intimidate the imperial army." ”

On the evening of October 11, the 18th Division was plotting to occupy Qicheng. The 6th Division was strongly resisted, and it had been confirmed that reinforcements from the China Army had come up, and its most prestigious 1st Division appeared opposite the 6th Division, which greatly strengthened the strength of the defenders, especially the firepower, and the originally determined plan to capture Weixian became difficult to guarantee. Lieutenant General Umezawa ordered the 18th Division on the southern flank to quickly move north and attack Weixian from the south. According to the order of Lieutenant General Umezawa, the 18th Division overcame the difficulties of roads, supplies, and the harassment of small units of the Chinese army, and accelerated the pace of the attack. No. 10, the 55th wing on its left flank had already established contact with the troops on the right flank of the 6th division. However, Lieutenant General Kamio Mitsutomi received a report that the Chinese army had withdrawn from Gaomi to occupy Qicheng, and summoned his staff to study the situation, believing that it was necessary to occupy Qicheng first, and defeat the opposing Shina army before continuing to advance north. In view of the increasingly tight food supply of the troops, the 23rd Brigade was eager to capture Qicheng for replenishment. So he adjusted his deployment and prepared to capture Qicheng first. As for the enemy, it has already been learned that the opposite China Army is a subordinate of the 3rd Division, and the defeated 14th Division is not to be worried.

On the eve of the Japanese attack, the Chinese army struck first. This is just a coincidence, the command of the Central Military District did not know that the incomplete 18 Division was preparing to attack Qicheng.

The blow of the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Division fell first on the head of the 55th Wing, the 1st Brigade that had established contact with the 6th Division lost contact, and the 2nd Brigade that was ordered to reinforce was attacked by the superior Chinese army, Captain Murayama judged that the opponent was at least one regiment, and the orders of the Wing Headquarters were already difficult to execute, and they must hold on to the existing area, otherwise this enemy would break through to the rear, which must not be allowed, and most of the ammunition at the division and brigade levels were stored in several villages in the rear, and the headquarters and other head organs were also there, There is no room for error.

The squadron of Senior Private Hoshino rushed into battle. The battle before dawn was extremely chaotic, Hoshino Gong shot forward without accuracy, shooting towards the shouts of killing, the opponent's mortar quickly overwhelmed, a heavy machine gun that had just been erected not far from Hoshino was hit by a shell, the shooter was blown to pieces, and the deputy fell in the trench and twitched. Squad Leader Miyazaki shouted Ko Hoshino's name and rushed up to try to resume shooting, but he found that the machine gun could no longer shoot. Koichiro Miyazaki cursed incessantly as he directed the squad to shoot desperately. Immediately after hearing the shouts of the squadron leader of Huisaka, as if to stop shooting, a soldier ran down the half-man-deep trench, "Don't fight, it's the ...... of the 4th squadron"

Taking advantage of the dawn of dawn, Hoshino saw dozens of comrades-in-arms running from the north and entering his position. Miyazaki grabbed a soldier and nervously asked, "What's going on?" What's going on? ”

"The large forces of the Shina Army attacked, and Squadron Leader Kobayashi was martyred......"

"Yaga!" An enraged Miyazaki slammed the soldier twice, "Coward! Why not stop the Chinese army? ”

The large number of Chinese troops who rushed over after the rout of the Japanese army eliminated Miyazaki's anger, "Shoot, shoot!" For the first time, fear came to Miyazaki's voice. Hoshino was able to aim this time, and he was sure he had knocked down at least one enemy soldier, who fell on his back as he pulled the trigger. But the Chinese army that came up like a tide drowned Hoshino's squadron and the rout of the fourth squadron, Hoshino just saw Miyazaki Juncao who was throwing grenades with blood blooming on his face, and the snorting grenade fell at his feet, Hoshino screamed and subconsciously pounced, and after the loud noise, something smashed on his head, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that it was a broken palm, Hoshino was heartbroken, and he got up and ran backwards.

Hoshino was one of the few surviving soldiers of the 2nd Brigade. The 12th Regiment of the 4th Brigade of the Chinese Army divided the Murayama Brigade into several sections and attacked them bitterly. Only the 3rd Squadron on the southernmost flank was basically intact, and the 12th Regiment, which had occupied the position of the 2nd Group, continued to attack southward, and there was a fierce battle with the 3rd Group, which had rushed to reinforce it. Covering the main forces of the brigade interspersed to the east.

Ten o'clock in the morning. The 55th Wing consolidated the battle situation it had mastered and sent its first battle report to the brigade and division headquarters, "A large number of the Chinese army has crossed the battle line from the east of Qicheng, and it is judged that the strength is not less than one brigade. The 1st Brigade of our unit lost contact. Missing. The 2nd brigade lost more than 50%. Murayama and two squadron leaders were killed in battle. The 3rd Brigade was still relatively complete, but it was forced back by the superior Chinese army, and now it has occupied Liangzhuang to continue to resist. Judging that the counterattack of the Chinese army was of a strategic nature. Request tactical guidance. ”

At this moment, the headquarters of the 23rd Brigade and the 18th Division were in disarray. While the 55th Wing on the northern flank suffered a devastating blow, the 46th Wing on the southern flank also suffered a fierce attack by the superior forces of the Chinese army, and the attacking force was determined to be the 16th Brigade of the Chinese army.

Soon after the counterattack on the northern front began, the counterattack on the southern front also began, and the 14th Division under the command of Major General Sun Wu turned back to attack the 29th Brigade of the 3rd Division of the Japanese Army with the support of nine planes after a day and night of emergency adjustments. With the 40th Brigade, which had suffered humiliation in the Battle of Jiaoxian, as the interspersed force, the 41st Brigade that launched the attack was interspersed to the east, completely cutting off the possible contact between the 29th Brigade and the 23rd Brigade of the Japanese Army, and began to build an encirclement according to the intention of the headquarters. What shocked the Japanese 3rd Division the most was that in the west of Gaomi, the main force of the Chinese army was suddenly exposed, and a surprise attack was launched on Gaomi in two ways, and there was a fierce battle with the troops left in Gaomi by the 3rd Division, and the defenders only had a wing of the 5th Brigade (18th Wing), and the exposed Chinese army number was the 18th Division, even if it was a B division, it was also the establishment of two brigades and six regiments, and the 18th Wing had been fighting for more than ten days after coming ashore, and the strength was somewhat depleted. In particular, the ammunition was insufficient (a lot was allocated to the 29th Brigade to attack north), and the wing resisted desperately, shrinking the main force into Gaomi County while urgently calling for reinforcements.

The 3rd Division has only four infantry wings, the 5th Brigade currently has only this 18th Wing in Gaomi, and the other wing (the 6th Wing) was directly transferred from the headquarters of the Dispatch Army, and a wing drawn from the 9th Division was dispatched to the south in two ways to completely eliminate the threat from the south that General Terauchi suspected and destroy the Chinese airfield. The temple was not worried about the increase of the Chinese army in the Weixian area, but was particularly worried about the large corps of the Chinese army lurking in the mountainous area south of Gaomi in Jiaoxian. The temple's concerns were right, the Chinese army did transfer a strong force to the southernmost line - the main force of the 1st Division led by Du Sanli (owed to the 1st Brigade) arrived at the assembly position on time after a long and arduous march, and the Japanese army was located in the east, and the 19th Wing, drawn from the 9th Division, was about to encounter the 1st Division!

By noon on the 12th, a telegram from all divisions (except the 9th Division) sent snowflakes caused the general to fall into the ice cellar. The chief of staff of Onishi finally had a full grasp of the situation at half past 12, "Your Excellency the commander-in-chief, please allow me to report to you," the chief of staff of Onishi, who has always been well-groomed, actually wore a military hat crookedly, "It is of a strategic nature that the Shina Army launched a counterattack, and their purpose is to encircle all the three corps on the outer line!" Ignoring the dead man's face in the temple, Onishi analyzed the shape one by one from north to south, "The most dangerous thing at the moment is the Gaomi direction, if Gaomi is occupied by the Shina Army, the 3rd Division will be extremely dangerous. Now the division (only three infantry wings) is under attack by a total of 12 regiments of two divisions of the Chinese army, especially the 18th division from the west. The troops of the Chinese army of this division had already bypassed the county town from the south of Gaomi and attacked the engineer wing of the 3rd Division, which was already surrounded. ”

"Yaga! Yaga! Taro Senba is simply a rice bucket! The temple stared at the map that had just been marked, and the red arrows symbolizing the counterattack route of the Chinese army were simply claws grabbing his heart and lungs, "Why didn't you find the assembly of the Chinese army?" Yaga! ”

Dismissal or even shooting the battlefield commander was to no avail, and Terauchi cursed in his mouth, examining the situation with red eyes. Looking for a way to solve the crisis, "Order Senba Taro to stick to Gaomi!" Order the 29th Brigade to immediately retreat south to Gaomi and break the 18th Division of the Chinese Army! Order the 6th Wing to immediately return north, launch an attack on the China Army from the south, and annihilate the 18th Division of China near Gaomi! ”

The operational staff officer nervously recorded the commander's order, and then drafted a telegram, Onishi thought for more than ten minutes, "Your Excellency Commander, the most dangerous thing now is the 18th Division, and Lieutenant General Kamio only has two field wings in his hands. But around them there are already the numbers of the three brigades of the Chinese Army exposed! Two of these brigades were units of the 2nd Division of the Chinese Army. If something happens to General Kamio's subordinates, the northern front will collapse completely! ”

"General Kamio's telegram!" There was a strange scream in the temple.

Onishi immediately handed the telegram in his hand to the general of the temple.

"Our unit was suddenly attacked by the 2nd Division of the Chinese Army! The 55th Wing suffered a heavy blow and its strength was weakened by Yan Zhan, of which the 1st Brigade had lost contact. The brigade's China Army crossed the positions of the 55th Wing. The 23 Brigade Regiment command was cut off from the wing. Urgent request for tactical guidance! ”

Bullshit tactical guidance! Onishi had memorized the contents of Lieutenant General Kamio's second telegram. Except for the 6th Division, where are the soldiers to rescue the department? But the situation of the 6th Division also became critical, north of Cheliuzhuang. To the south of Changyi, the main force of the Chinese Army had been discovered, and Lieutenant General Michiharu Umezawa proposed two plans in his telegram, the first of which was that the whole division should immediately withdraw eastward to Changyi and steadily retreat to Longkou. The second case was to strike south, first joining up with the 18th Division.

Sure enough, after reading Lieutenant General Kamio's telegram asking for help, Terauchi asked for a message from Lieutenant General Umezawa to read it carefully.

"Onishi-kun, what do you have to build yì?"

"I agree with Lieutenant General Umezawa's second case! With a force to pincer the defenders of Weixian, the main force of the 6th Division attacked southward, broke through the 2nd Division of the Zhina Army between the 6th and 18th Divisions, and joined the 18th Division. Then continue south, joining forces with the 3rd Division. Now that all the strength of the Chinese army has been exposed, our army is at an absolute disadvantage compared to the strength of the army...... As long as we gather the three divisions on the outer line together, the Chinese army will not be able to gnaw! ”

This was Onishi's response after thinking about the situation. But Onishi had already thought of the terrible logistics, whether the 6th Division would have the strength to go all the way south to rescue the 18th and 3rd Divisions that were about to fall into heavy siege, he also beat a drum in his heart. According to Lieutenant General Umezawa's battle report, the division has suffered more than 3,000 casualties in its assault from Laizhou to the west, which is a loss of combat effectiveness, and the combat strength of the 6th Division has been weakened, but at present, it can only rely on this elite division.

"And then?"

"Order the troops of the southern front of the 9th Division to immediately withdraw to Jiaoxian to ensure the connection between the inner line and the outer line of our army."

This is ready for the whole army to retreat! Terauchi stared at Onishi, "So, is the attack of the 9th Division going to be stopped?" ”

After days of bloody battles, the 9th Division finally conquered the No. 1 pillbox in Xiaozhan Mountain, although it paid heavy casualties, it finally broke through to the core position of the defenders, and the attack of the 24th Brigade on the Fushan position on the northern front also made progress, and it has reported good news to the base camp...... With Onishi's deployment, it is obvious that the way back is to ensure the safe withdrawal of troops from the sea!

"That's nonsense!" Terauchi must not agree to this plan, "The 6th Division can turn north to join the 18th Division, but the 9th Division must continue to attack!" "You can't give up the prey you have in hand, and you have to occupy Qingdao at the last time, right?

"However, General Kawamura has successively asked for instructions to transfer the 19th Wing back, and the casualties of the attacking troops on the southern front are too great, and many squadrons have fought three times, and their strength is less than half......"

"The 19th Wing can be recalled." Teranachi nodded. The strength of the Chinese army has been fully exposed, and the crisis on the southern front seems to be a false alarm.

The so-called disaster does not go alone. Just as Onishi had reviewed the order drafted according to the decision of the temple and was about to be issued by the commander, the 19th Wing made an urgent report: they had encountered the superior Shina Army, which was advancing northward, and the direction should be Jiaoxian!

"Yaga!" The anger in the temple finally erupted, "I personally cut off his head by spreading the wrong enemy's situation!" ”

The Japanese army has no precedent for falsely transmitting military reports. At this critical moment, how could the 19th team fake the news?

"The number of the enemy! Fast! Order the 19th Wing to quickly find out the enemy situation and resolutely block the enemy forces in this unit! Major General Onishi shouted hoarsely. (To be continued......)