In this campaign to attack the 37th Division, the Eighth Route Army mobilized no less than 20,000 people and militia in order to ensure the logistical supply of the front-line troops.

Two base numbers of bullets and three base shells cannot be carried by combat units alone.

Moreover, these militiamen and civilians carry a lot of food, which can ensure that the soldiers on the front line can eat a hot meal at any time.

Li Yunlong said: "The little devil and the puppet army exchange military uniforms, we can also change clothes between the militia and the main force, and when the devil plane comes to reconnoiter tomorrow morning, we will find that our main force is still outside the three counties of Changzhi, Xiangyuan and Licheng." ”

Kong Jie said: "Lao Li, your method is good, as long as the devil finds that our main force is still in Changzhi, the Huangyadong Arsenal, the 2nd Guards Division will attack unscrupulously." When the time comes, let's just come to a closed door and beat the dog. ”

Zhao Gang stared at the map, his expression was solemn, and he used a scale to calculate the distance from Changzhi to the Huangyadong Arsenal.

"The two county towns of Xiangyuan and Licheng are not far from the Huangyadong Arsenal, only about 30 kilometers away."

"But we are more than 50 kilometers away from the Huangyadong Arsenal alone, and many places are mountain roads, and the real distance is probably more than 60 kilometers."

"Moreover, many soldiers of our army have not slept for two days and one night, and I am afraid it will be difficult to complete the long-distance attack of more than 60 kilometers."

Li Yunlong leaned over to the map and looked at it, his eyes narrowed slightly, this distance is indeed not short.

Kong Jie said: "Political Commissar Zhao, more than 60 kilometers, it's really nothing. ”

"At the beginning of the Long March, the Red Fourth Regiment of the First Red Army ran 120 kilometers in one day and night to lay the Luding Bridge."

"There were several battles along the way, and the road was not as easy as ours, most of the roads we took this time were roads."

"As long as we carry forward the spirit of the Red Army, I believe that our soldiers will be able to complete the task of long-distance running."

Li Yunlong also said: "In this way, let the soldiers who entered the city to participate in the street battle stay and continue to fight with the devils tomorrow, and the reserves that did not participate in the battle immediately sleep and rest, and now there are still 4 hours of darkness, and then wake up the soldiers after dark, and order the logistics personnel to prepare the food." ”

Kong Jie said: "I'm afraid that the cannons on our side can't be taken away, because it is a long-distance attack, and the mules and horses pulling the cannons will definitely not be able to keep up with the pace of the troops." ”

Last night, when the troops rushed all the way to Changzhi, the troops of the mountain artillery and howitzers could not keep up.

Wait for the artillery units to arrive, and the attack will begin at dawn.

Li Yunlong said: "Then our artillery and artillery here will not leave, and I will leave the new regiment of the county brigade, and the devils in Changzhi County must be eliminated." ”

The devils in Xiangyuan County and Licheng County can be let go, but Li Yunlong, the devil in Changzhi County, will not let go.

Because he is not 100% sure whether the old devil in Hirata is dead, the benefits of killing a lieutenant general are worth at least 3 divisions.

"Hmm." Kong Jiedao, "24 guns were each transferred from the 1st Attack Group and the 2nd Attack Group, plus the divisional artillery regiment and the artillery regiment directly under the headquarters, to fight the 2nd Guards Division, the artillery will definitely be enough." ”

Li Yunlong nodded: "That's it, Lao Zhao, you immediately send a telegram to Ding Wei and Cheng Shi, ordering them to wait until it gets dark, leave 2 regiments each to guard the city wall, and the soldiers of the other 2 regiments and the militia exchange uniforms, and then take out half of the artillery and artillery, and return to the arsenal together." ”

"Lao Kong, immediately order the reserve team and the new regiment to step up their sleep and rest."

"Lao Zhao, after you finish sending the telegram, immediately let the militia start preparing food."

"Yes!" Zhao Gang and Kong Jie acted separately.

Four hours flew by.

After a whole day of fierce fighting, under the onslaught of the Eighth Route Army, there were only more than 1,500 devils left in Changzhi County.

The Eighth Route Army also suffered a lot of casualties, but because of the superiority in strength and firepower, the casualties of the devils were much larger than those of the Eighth Route Army.

As soon as it got dark, the Eighth Route Army retreated, blocked the city gate and the collapsed city wall with sandbags, and then guarded the city wall and the fortifications outside the city.

The militiamen and the men carried hot buns and meatloaf to the city wall on a flat pole for the soldiers to eat.

In addition to food, ammunition was also supplied.

The reserves, which did not participate in the battle, were already resting at this time and were changing equipment with the militia and civilians.

All the warriors who returned to the aid had to travel lightly, handing over the heavier equipment to the mules or horses.

After changing their clothes, all the soldiers came to the main road, carrying a few buns or dough cakes, and marched north while eating.

As the night deepened, the sky turned gray, and the main forces of the new regiment and the 2nd Assault Group soon disappeared into the night.

Lu Yingjun and more than 20 members of the Sword Squadron had already taken the lead on military horses.

Find artillery positions for artillery units in advance and arrange false positions.

……

Taiyuan.

The headquarters of the First Army.

Kusuyama Hideyoshi went to the communication room next door.

Then he walked into the conference room with a few telegrams.

"Your Excellency Commander, the troops of the 37th Division in Changzhi, Xiangyuan, and Licheng counties have all sent telegrams."

"The troops of the Eighth Route Army fighting in the streets have withdrawn from the city."

As soon as he entered the conference room, Hideyoshi Kusuyama reported to Yoshio Shinozuka.

"Nani, has the Eighth Road retreated?" Yoshio Shinozuka's expression moved, and he couldn't wait to ask.

"The Eighth Route did not retreat, but stood on the city wall, and blocked the city gate and the bombed city wall with sandbags." Kusunayama Hideyoshi said.

Yoshio Shinozuka's face showed a touch of disappointment, he thought that the eighth route had withdrawn, but it turned out that he was just withdrawing from the battle.

"Your Excellency Commander, did you say that the main force of the 37th Division of the Eighth Route Attack will return to the arsenal?" Kusuyama Hideyoshi said suddenly.

"Huh?" Yoshio Shinozuka frowned, "Nanshan-kun, you mean, the main force of the Eighth Route is likely to return to the arsenal at night?" ”

"It's not impossible!" Kusuyama Hideyoshi said in a deep voice.

"Isn't that just right?" Yoshio Shinozuka said, "The main force of the Eighth Route returned to the arsenal, and the remaining soldiers of the 37th Division were saved." ”

Nanshan Hideyoshi said: "Your Excellency Commander, do you want to order the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade to encircle in the direction of the Eighth Route Arsenal?" ”

"What if the main force of the Eighth Route doesn't come back to the arsenal?" Yoshio Shinozuka asked, looking up.

"This..."

Kusuyama Hideyoshi was dumbfounded when asked, if the Eighth Route did not return to the arsenal, and the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade did not rush to help, then the 37th Division would be completely finished.

At least there's a glimmer of opportunity for now.

Yoshio Shinozuka said: "What's more, the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade are exchanging fire with the Eighth Route and changing the direction of the attack, and the Eighth Route will not know?" Just for the sake of an arsenal, will the main force of the Eighth Route stupidly jump into the encirclement of the imperial army? ”

"That's just as well." Nanshan Hideyoshi hesitated for a moment, and then said, "But if the main force of the Eighth Route returns to the direction of the first line of heaven at night, then the 2nd Guards Division and the 36th Wing will be dangerous, after all, the strength of the Eighth Route is not what it used to be, especially the troops under Li Yunlong's command." ”

Yoshio Shinozuka stared at the map with his hands behind his back, his eyes behind his black-framed glasses narrowed slightly: "From Changzhi to the first line of heaven, there are more than 60 kilometers to say the least, and the heavy equipment of the Eighth Route relies on mules and horses, can you go back, not to mention that the soldiers of the Eighth Route have been fighting continuously for a day and a night, and they have been running for dozens of kilometers in the middle, and I am afraid that there is no physical strength to return to the arsenal at this time." ”

If the main force of the Eighth Route wants to go back to the arsenal, it should go back at noon, and Yoshio Shinozuka doesn't believe that the main force of the Eighth Route rushes back at night to help.

In Shinozuka Yoshio's view, in the case of continuous combat, he still ran for more than 60 kilometers, not to mention the Eighth Road, even the elite of the Japanese army could not do it.

The 2nd Guards Division was too far away from the 37th Division, and it would definitely not be in a hurry to let the 2nd Guards Division rush to the aid of the 37th Division.

"However, theoretically speaking, it is also possible for the main force of the Eighth Route to return to help at night." Kusuyama Hideyoshi's tone was worried.

Yoshio Shinozuka turned around and moved his gaze to the sand table in the war room: "It's very simple to verify whether the main forces of the Eighth Route are coming back, let the troops of Changzhi, Xiangyuan and Licheng attack the city wall, and test whether the artillery of the Eighth Route is still there and whether the firepower is weakened." ”

"In addition, a reconnaissance plane will be dispatched to investigate the roads of Changzhi, Xiangyuan, and Licheng into the Eighth Route Bandit Area at night."

"Hey!" Kusuyama Hideyoshi paused abruptly and turned to leave.

……

In the county seat of Changzhi.

In a room somewhere.

The commander of the 227th Infantry Group of the 7th Wing, Nakasa Matsuda, was sitting on a stool with his saber closed.

All the officers above the rank of Osaku died, and he, the captain of the infantry brigade, was appointed by Yoshio Shinozuka as the supreme commander of the city of Changzhi.

The Japanese army was equipped with radio stations above the brigade level, and although the communication of the division headquarters was destroyed, the devils were still able to communicate with the headquarters.

After exiting the city from the Eighth Road, the devils were also very tired, and they were all hurrying to rest and recuperate.

If it is a street-by-street battle, the Eighth Route Army will definitely attack at night, after all, the Eighth Route Army is better at night fighting.

But this is a house-to-house battle, and at night there is no light, and even the door cannot be found, and the house-to-house battle cannot be fought.

"Captain, Commander Shinozuka is in a hurry!"

The devil telegraph soldier pinched a telegram and walked up to Matsuda Nakasa.

"Give it to me!"

Matsuda Nakasa took the telegram, and a soldier next to him lit a match, and by the light of the match, he fixed his eyes on the telegram.

After reading the content of the telegram, Matsuda Nakasa almost couldn't help but scold.

After a whole day of street fighting, not even half of the reinforcements were seen, and the soldiers were asked to launch a tentative attack on the eight roads of the city wall?

The firepower of the Eighth Route is so fierce, doesn't this let the soldiers go to their deaths?

Although he was angry and reluctant in his heart, he still had to carry out the order.

Matsuda Nakasa immediately asked the heralds to give the squadron leaders an order to assemble the soldiers.

Then, taking advantage of the darkness of the night, one squadron of devils from each squadron sneaked towards the west and north walls.

Before the devils approached the city wall, more than 100 meters away, a devil stepped on the treacherous thunder set up by the Eighth Route Army.

"Boom!" In the quiet of the night, there was an abrupt explosion and an orange-red fire.

The sound of the explosion woke up the sleeping Eighth Route Army, and immediately a dense stream of machine gun and submachine gun fire poured down on the devils.

The devils set up light and heavy machine guns, mortars and grenadiers to attack the city walls.

After the two sides exchanged fire for a while, the sword team members called for artillery fire, and in the sound of explosions that shook the mountains, the street where the devil was located instantly turned into a sea of fire.

The rest of the devils didn't even dare to collect the corpses, and fled in a hurry.

Matsuda Nakasa, who returned to the headquarters in embarrassment, immediately called back to Yoshio Shinozuka: "Report to Your Excellency Commander, the fire of the Eighth Route Artillery is still fierce, and the fire of submachine guns and machine guns is even more ferocious than during the day. ”

(End of chapter)