The 4th Infantry Wing, the most attacking force in the 2nd Division, lost a third of its soldiers in more than a day, and did not advance an inch in front of the defenders' positions. The patchwork of the 29th Wing took only half a day, and the casualties were not large, but it captured the first line of defense of the defenders at once. Such a huge contrast made Lieutenant General Maruyama Madao unable to figure out what was going on.

Either way, it's always good to be able to capture the defenders' positions. Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao praised Hashimoto Tokio Osa and asked Hashimoto Tokio Osa to continue the attack on the defenders' positions. The 29th Wing was able to capture the first line of the defenders' positions, and in the hours leading up to dark, three infantry battalions took turns and launched four attacks in one company, but with the combined resistance of the two battalions, plus the support of mortars and heavy machine-gun fire points on the city walls, all four attacks were in vain.

It was getting dark, and the 29th Infantry Wing was also losing its spirit, and the excitement of capturing the defenders' positions in front was long gone. Seeing that his men had suffered heavy casualties and that the soldiers were very tired, Hashimoto ordered the attack to be stopped. Having already occupied a position, Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao decided not to retreat and station, but to station on the spot instead. The 29th Infantry Wing also sent an infantry brigade to defend the occupied positions.

As soon as it got dark, Wei Erxi received a telegram from Wei Lixuan, the commander of the 880th Regiment, reporting that Wei Erxi's 880th Regiment had completed the emergency repair of its defensive position, and now the troops and artillery were all in place and could block the Japanese army at any time. After reading the telegram, Wei Erxi slapped the table excitedly and shouted: "Great, I can finally settle the account with the second division." ”

After shouting, Wei Erxi asked the guards to call Chu Zhengyang, commander of the 881st Regiment, Su Guoping, commander of the 882nd Regiment, Ma Jiangsheng, commander of the reconnaissance battalion, Niu Jianjian, commander of the Independent Artillery Regiment, and Shen Pengfei, commander of the Independent Armored Battalion, to the temporary command post. As soon as the people who were called met at the door of the command post, they guessed that Wei Erxi was going to make a move. After everyone entered the door, when they saw Wei Erxi's excited appearance, they basically affirmed their thoughts and became excited.

Sure enough, Wei Erxi didn't say nonsense, raised the telegram in his hand and said: "Good news, Wei Lixuan called, the blocking position of the 880th Regiment has been completed, and the time has come for us to deal with the Second Division, how to fight this counterattack, I want to hear everyone's opinions." As soon as Wei Erxi's words fell, Chu Zhengyang had already spoken: "Is this still to be discussed? The chariot battalion of the chariot battalion took up the task of opening the road, and our 881st Regiment followed up, and the little Japan couldn't resist it when it was pushed over. ”

After Chu Zhengyang finished speaking, Su Guoping continued: "Commander Chu, it's better to be cautious, although the Second Division has lost a lot of men and horses in the past few days, it still has to have seven or eight thousand men and horses, and you only have more than 2,000 people in one regiment, can you eat so many Japanese troops? Don't be pecked by the geese instead of being pecked by the geese." Chu Zhengyang became anxious when he heard this, and said, "Commander Su, what do you mean? Aren't you going to fight Little Japan? Or do you have any good ideas?"

Su Guoping ignored Chu Zhengyang, but said to Wei Erxi: "Brigade seat, the military seat has explained before departure, when counterattacking, we must first carry out large-scale artillery bombardment of the Japanese army, I agree with the method of the military seat, we should also concentrate artillery fire before counterattacking, carry out saturation artillery bombardment on the Japanese army, let the artillery fire disrupt the Japanese army's position, and then take advantage of the chaos to kill." ”

Wei Erxi nodded approvingly, and Su Guoping saw that Wei Erxi agreed with his words, and glanced at Chu Zhengyang a little proudly. Chu Zhengyang was about to get angry when the words of Feng Jiangsheng, the commander of the reconnaissance battalion, interrupted him. Feng Jiangsheng said: "Brigade seat, in the past two days, the reconnaissance team of our battalion has harassed the Japanese army in the middle of the night, and we have become accustomed to our harassment to see the reaction of the Japanese army. ”

Feng Jiangsheng's words made Wei Erxi's eyes light up, and after thinking for a while, he said: "In this way, I will propose a plan, and everyone will discuss this plan." The time for the general attack was set at four o'clock in the morning, and in the first half of the night, the reconnaissance battalion still harassed the Japanese garrison once or twice, so that the Japanese army's defensive spirit was lowered. At four o'clock, the independent artillery regiment concentrated all its artillery and launched a ten-minute artillery bombardment of the Japanese garrison. Before 4 o'clock, the Independent Armored Battalion and the 881st Regiment assembled at the South City Gate, and after the 10-minute artillery bombardment, they launched a surprise attack on the Japanese army with the Independent Armored Battalion as the lead. ”

After Wei Erxi finished speaking, he looked at everyone and asked, "If anyone wants to give an opinion or have something to add, please mention it now." Feng Jiangsheng took Wei Erxi's words and asked: "Brigade seat, do we want to withdraw to the city after our reconnaissance battalion attacks and harasses the Japanese army?" Wei Erxi thought for a while and replied: "No, after your reconnaissance battalion attacked and harassed the Japanese army, moved closer to the 880th Regiment, and when the Japanese attacked the position of the 880th Regiment, attacked the Japanese army from the side, making the Japanese army even more chaotic." ”

Feng Jiangsheng replied excitedly: "Yes, Brigade!" Wei Erxi saw that no one said anything more, so he said: "Then I will send this plan to the teacher's seat." After finishing speaking, he sorted out the draft telegram of the plan. None of these people in the command post left, waiting for a call back from the division headquarters. An hour later, the division headquarters called back, and there were only a few words: agree to the plan, implement it accordingly, and wish it success. ”

Wei Erxi read the reply and said: "The division headquarters agreed to the plan, and everyone will prepare according to this plan when they go back. Everyone left the command post one after another to go back to prepare, and only Wei Erxi and the commander of the guard battalion Lu Han were left in the command post. Seeing that Wei Erxi was still looking at the map and studying the plan of action, Lu Han couldn't help but open his mouth.

Lu Han said: "Brigade seat, the blocking point of the 880th Regiment is only 40 kilometers away from Hanoi, as soon as the second division asks for help, the Japanese troops in Hanoi will be able to arrive in a few hours at the earliest, can the 880th Regiment hold its position under the attack of the Japanese army on both sides?" Wei Erxi was looking at the map, and Lu Han's words made him frown. After Wei Erxi calculated on the map, he looked up at Lu Han and asked, "Lu Han, what do you think?" ”

Lu Han replied: "The brigade seat is in command in the county town, there are two battalions of the 882nd Regiment guarding the city, there is no big problem in terms of security, I want to leave a guard platoon for the brigade, I will take other soldiers to rush behind the 880th Regiment, if the Japanese army sends reinforcements from Hanoi, our battalion can block the attack, and buy more time for the elimination of the second division." Wei Erxi looked at Lu Han and said: "If the Japanese army sends reinforcements from Hanoi, it will not be a small force, as long as the second division is not destroyed, you will have to withstand the Japanese attack, can you withstand it?"

Lu Hanli replied in the back: "Don't worry, as long as there is still one person in the guard battalion, a little Japan will not be put in the past." Wei Erxi nodded and said, "I don't need to keep people, your battalion will set off, and I will transfer some heavy mortars and bazookas to you, once the Japanese army reinforces from Hanoi, you must block the reinforcements for me." Lu Han replied: "Yes, Brigade Seat! The guard battalion guarantees to complete the mission!"

At 11 o'clock in the evening, the reconnaissance battalion's attack on the Japanese army began again, and the attack that annoyed the Japanese army was ignored by most of the Japanese officers and men. After two or three consecutive night raids, the Japanese troops were exhausted, and most of the Japanese troops did not pay any attention to the attacks outside, and still buried their heads in sleep. Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao was awakened by the sound of gunfire again, and sat up after scolding: "Yaga!"

Tonight, Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao always felt his heart pounding, and he sat there listening to the gunshots outside, and Lieutenant General Maruyama asked the guards to send orders to strengthen the vigilance everywhere, and then fell asleep again. But lying on the bed, Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao turned over and over and couldn't spit, and he always felt that something was going to happen. It wasn't until the guards reported that they had notified all places to strengthen the vigilance that Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao was a little relieved, and he finally fell asleep after half a day.

At 3:50 a.m., the 60 Japanese-style mountain guns of the Independent Artillery Regiment raised their muzzles and were ready to open fire, and here at the South City Gate, 35 tanks and light and heavy armored vehicles had been assembled, and behind them were the officers and men of the 881st Regiment ready to go. The muzzles of dozens of heavy mortars on the positions outside the city and on the city walls were also aimed at the Japanese soldiers in the first line of positions.

Wei Erxi was standing on the wall of the South Gate at this time, looking at the watch in his hand walking minute by minute. Finally, the watch pointed to four o'clock, and Wei Erxi ordered: "Begin!" When the signal soldier next to him asked, he shouted into the telephone: "Brigade command, start!" The 60 Japanese-style mountain guns of the independent artillery regiment opened fire at the same time, and the cannons and shells screamed and pounced on the Japanese garrison, and the heavy mortars on the positions outside the city and on the city walls also fired at the same time, and dozens of cannons and shells flew to the first line of positions together.

The artillery and shells exploded in the Japanese garrison, and the huge explosions and vibrations made Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao jump out of bed in shock. Before he could ask the guards what was going on, the second round of artillery and shells from the Independent Artillery Regiment had arrived. At this time, the Japanese garrison was in chaos, and many Japanese soldiers were blown up in their dreams, and more Japanese soldiers rushed out of the camp in a panic, shouting: "The shelling of the people of China!" while scurrying around trying to avoid artillery and shells.

Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao knew that the Chinese army was no longer an attack this time, and there would not be such a big movement in the attack. He couldn't help but think of the night outside Pingxiang City when the Chinese army launched a counterattack. Now the only thought in Lieutenant General Maruyama's mind is to retreat quickly and escape from the range of Chinese artillery fire. Just as Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao rushed out of the camp in rags, Major General Kiichiro Matsui and Yuo Osa Nasu both ran in front of him.

Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao shouted at Nasu Yuo Daisa: "Order retreat, the whole army retreats!" Nasu Yuo Dasa replied: "Hey, Your Excellency the division commander, please leave first, and his subordinates will immediately organize the soldiers to retreat." After saying that, he ordered the dozens of soldiers who came with him to protect Lieutenant General Maruyama Masao and Major General Matsui Kiichiro to withdraw south together.