May 8 at half past four o'clock in the afternoon.

After the battle on the northern front, both Shimizu Norri and Ikegami Kenyoshi are waiting for orders for the next stage.

In the combat conference room, all the staff officers were smiling, and some people had even begun to dream of completely occupying North China.

Suddenly, all eyes were on the door, and a communications soldier walked in with a telegram.

"Your Excellency, Major General, Commander Gangcun has sent a secret message. The 9th Independent Mixed Brigade was required to set off immediately to open a passage for the follow-up troops to Yuanqu County. ”

"Chief of Staff Tanabe specially emphasized that there may be a small force of the Republic of China with extremely strong combat effectiveness in the interior of Nakajo Mountain."

"He wants your troops to be more careful during the march and find that mysterious enemy as much as possible!"

The content of the telegram made Kenkichi Ikegami raise an eyebrow, both of which were unexpected.

Although the 41st Division and the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade had successfully broken through the enemy's defensive line, the casualties of both armies were not small due to the presence of the Eighth Route Army Air Force.

According to normal tactics, the superiors should first replenish a certain number of troops, and then use mobility to expand the results of the battle.

As for the small force of the enemy mentioned in the telegram, it is even more inexplicable, how can such a trivial matter be put in charge of a mixed brigade, and it is not a war of law and order in the occupied area.

After thinking for a moment, Kenkichi Ikegami began to doubt himself. He took the telegram from the communications corpsman and tried to find out the deep meaning of his commander and chief of staff.

"Your Excellency, do you have any special views on the orders of your superiors?"

Qing Shui Qingqing pursed his lips with some disdain, he hates reckless people who don't like to use their brains the most.

Fortunately, the army had just won the battle, and the old devil was in a very good mood, so he patiently explained them one by one.

"With the chaotic entry of the Eighth Route Army in this campaign, the advance speed of the northern front was much worse than expected, and presumably the other four fronts also encountered the same problem."

"Let you set off immediately, it must be for the follow-up division and encirclement plan. Moreover, the size of the brigade is just right, and part of the concealment is taken into account on the premise of ensuring combat effectiveness. ”

"As for the small force, you can find it if you can, it's just an add-on. At most, a few hundred people can't make any climate, is it possible to slaughter you in front of a brigade? ”

Someone helped analyze, and Ikegami Xianji suddenly opened his mouth.

This old devil's face even showed an expression of eagerness, after all, as long as he successfully completed the tasks assigned by his superiors, he would definitely not lose his share of the credit after the war.

As a person who has served as a major general brigade commander for three years, he seems to see the hope of promotion.

"Thank you for the advice, I'll go to regroup the troops now, and try to get off in the shortest possible time. Shimizu-kun, see you in Yuanqu County, long live the Japanese brother! ”

As the words fell, Kenkichi Ikegami carried his family's heirloom katana and ran towards his headquarters.

······

Two hours later, between the eighteen-ping position and the county seat of Yuanqu.

Grand Master Li stood on the bow of a badly damaged truck, surrounded by hundreds of busy soldiers.

The 1st and 21st Marine Regiments were gathering their routs while looking for opportunities to ambush the enemy. During this time, not only did they kill thousands of devils, but they also grew the army from the initial 1,600 people to the current 2,100 people.

In terms of numbers alone, it is really not too much for outsiders to call Lao Li a brigade commander. After all, the C-level establishment of preserved fruit has only two regiments in a brigade.

"Hurry up and clean up the battlefield! Not a single bullet can be missed! We don't have a serious source of supplies now, and all combat consumption can only rely on capture! ”

"Take care of the seriously wounded, our Eighth Route Army will not give up any of our comrades-in-arms! When I get to a safe place, I will divide some of my forces and send the wounded to the crossing of the Yellow River! ”

Just as Li Yunlong was commanding the troops, a middle-aged man wearing a preserved officer costume came to him.

The man had a lot of blood-soaked bandages on his exposed skin, and he needed the help of the guards around him to walk, and it was hard to imagine what level of pain he was undergoing.

Although the middle-aged man's military rank is higher than Li Yunlong's, he is a brigade commander with an establishment. But after the two met face-to-face, the other party took the first step to salute the military salute.

Such behavior was somewhat unexpected, because it did not conform to the rules of a preserved soldier.

Since the introduction of the military rank system, it is generally the subordinates who salute their superiors first, and then the superiors return the salute.

"Hello, I am Gao Jianbai of the 84th Brigade of the 251st Division. Thank you very much for your timely help, otherwise my brothers would really be killed in a foreign land. ”

"I'm going to hand over the command next, and I just hope you can treat everyone equally."

After Gao Guizi ordered three divisions to alternately cover the retreat, the 84th Division immediately moved to withdraw from its position. It's a pity that due to the behavior of the 43rd Army next door selling his teammates, the devil has infiltrated the rear of the defensive line.

The 251st Brigade suffered the worst casualties, having just withdrawn when it was attacked from behind by a large group of enemies.

finally broke out of the encirclement, and encountered four more Type 97 fighters fighting the autumn wind. In the face of the enemy's low-altitude strafing, the fighters had no ability to resist at all.

The successive battles made Gao Jianbai disconnected from the division headquarters and the army headquarters, and eventually led to the interruption of contact and the complete separation. If it weren't for the luck of encountering a land regiment, the final outcome would have been completely wiped out by the devils.

In the current situation, handing over command is definitely the wisest choice. The good reputation of the Eighth Route Army is well known to the world, and acting together will definitely not be used as cannon fodder.

Not to mention the fact that there are less than three hundred people left in a brigade, half of which are still guard units. If you don't find a thigh to help you, you will be completely finished when you encounter the Japanese army going south.

For this kind of person who cooperates with the work, Li Yunlong will naturally not deliberately make things difficult for others. He immediately replied with a salute and said with some embarrassment:

"Brigadier Gao is too polite! What kind of command is proposed between friendly forces, everyone can work together. ”

"We not only have the Eighth Route Army, but also the Jin Sui Army, and we will need you to command the Northwest Army in the future. Let's go next."

Suddenly, Li Yunlong stopped what was in his mouth, and he found that the other party's raised hand seemed to be a little strange. When I looked closely, the man's right hand was broken from the wrist, and there was no palm.

The wrists covered by the military uniform were all tightly wrapped in white gauze, and red blood stains seeped through the inside, and some of them were already stained with the cuffs.

Lao Li's lips unconsciously opened and closed twice, and his expression was a little abrupt for a while. He didn't say those polite words again, but solemnly stretched out his left hand, wanting to formally shake hands with the other party as a sign of respect.

Gao Jianbai seemed to notice the change in the attitude of the Eighth Route Army in front of him, he put down his right hand, which was still saluting the military salute, and stretched out his left hand with some hesitation.

Li Yunlong was about to grasp the other party's hand, but when he looked down, he was stunned, the other party's left hand was gone.

At this time, the surroundings were quiet, and no one spoke. The accompanying guards also turned their heads and couldn't bear to shed tears in front of them.

"There are many seriously wounded after repeated battles, can Brigade Commander Gao lead a company of soldiers to escort the wounded to the south bank of the Yellow River."

"Now that the major ferries have not yet fallen, presumably the commander of the first theater of war will definitely arrange transportation forces to help the injured soldiers cross the river safely."

can say this, it can be seen that Lao Li's emotional intelligence is more than one grade higher.

It can be said that it is a plan to kill two birds with one stone if it can persuade the other side to lead the seriously wounded to the safety of the other side of the river, and it will not hurt the self-esteem of a soldier.

However, Gao Jianbai only showed a grateful smile, and then called his adjutant.

"I appreciate Commander Li's kindness, but I'll leave the matter of escorting the wounded to my old fellow. I'm a cripple who can't even hold a gun now, and I just want to contribute before I die. ”

"The command is not well thought out by me, and if I encounter the brothers of the 17th Army next, I will be responsible for the integration."

As a person who has been mixed in with the major forces all the year round, he certainly knows the situation faced by the Eighth Route Army. Having a regimental commander in command of the soldiers of the Northwest Army would do neither side any good.

While the two were talking, a reply from the reconnaissance company came from the portable communicator on Li Yunlong's waist.

"Commander, a large number of devils have appeared in the north, and they are expected to contact us in twenty minutes. There are at least four thousand people on the other side! It should be an independent mixed brigade! ”

Li Yunlong's eyes flashed when he received the information, he motioned to Gao Jianbai to wait for a while, and then shouted to the soldiers who were cleaning the battlefield:

"Everyone's hidden! Take anything you can with you! If it doesn't work, blow it up! ”

"The main force of the devils is catching up! We are short of troops, so we need to avoid it! Withdraw quickly, withdraw quickly! ”

"Scout Company! Keep staring at that enemy! If there is any change in the other party, you must notify me in time and be ready for air-ground coordination! ”

······

The perspective shifted to the team of the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade, and at this time, Ikegami Kenkichi had a solemn face. He sat in the passenger seat of the truck without saying a word, his fingers tapping on the door frame.

From the eighteen-ping position to the current position, there are actually four battlefields in just thirty miles.

The result of the battle was without exception the defeat of their own side, and many of them were wiped out by the brigade-level troops. The enemy was far stronger than expected, and he didn't even encounter a single living mouth along the way.

Although the divisions of the 41st Division lost many warriors of the younger countries when they broke through the northern defense line.

However, it is not an easy task to form a formation to eliminate your own troops, unless some leader-level figure collects the routed troops along the way.

"It seems that Chief of Staff Tanabe is right, there is indeed a mysterious enemy at work. Unfortunately, these enemies will avoid my troops. ”

"It seems that this journey must be smooth and boring! It's so boring! ”

Judging from Kenkichi Ikegami's combat experience, the number of opponents should be around 1,500 people. After four fierce battles, it is already the limit to be able to have a thousand left.

It is an independent mixed brigade with 4,500 people.

Although it is only a garrison to maintain law and order, with tanks, cavalry and artillery, it can definitely break up a military-level unit of the Republic of China in the plains and mountainous terrain.

Facts have proved that nothing good ends for people after planting the flag. This view has long been verified by Meyer.

Just as Kenyoshi Ikegami was still imagining that he would lead his troops to kill all sides, there was some buzzing roar in the distant sky.

If it had been placed in the past, the troops other than the Kwantung Army would not have panicked. At that time, the overhead was full of his own army aviation, after all, the sky of the Republic of China had long belonged to the eagle of his younger country.

But now it is different from the past, and the air force of the Eighth Route Army has seized air supremacy in Zhongtiao Mountain. An airplane appeared in the sky, and without even thinking about it, you knew that the enemy's death had returned to the battlefield.

"Hidden! Disguise! ”

"Put a camouflage net on the armored forces! Cavalry into the woods! All infantry, don't move around! ”

After hearing the order of their brigade commander, the devils took out dark green and yellow camouflage nets one after another, trying to mix the trucks and tanks with the terrain.

Although the effect of the improvised production is average, it can have some effect on the enemy planes in the sky.

Sure enough, half a minute later, a four-formation group flew overhead. It was the enemy Hurricane and Gladiator fighters, and everyone present was bombed by them once.

The devils held their breath, for fear that they would make some movement and attract the attention of the Eighth Route Army Air Force.

It seems that the camouflage net worked, and the fighters of the 1st Air Division did not detect the 9th Separate Mixed Brigade below. The four fighters circled in the air for only half a minute, and then they flew away in a very dashing manner.

Seeing the enemy plane leave, Kenyoshi Ikegami wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed a long sigh of relief. In case of an accident, he told the soldiers:

"Don't move, everyone, wait for the enemy plane to fly away completely before disarming the camouflage net! It seems that Amaterasu has always favored us, and today is a lucky day! ”

······

At the same time, a commanding height two kilometers away from the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade of the Japanese Army.

The reconnaissance unit of the 1st Marine Regiment is lurking here, and two comrades are holding 7x50 military binoculars to monitor the devils' every move.

Duan Peng looked at the fighter jets in the sky that were gradually moving away, and then picked up the portable communicator in front of him.

"Commander, the situation has changed! The devils pretend to be a good king! I actually deceived the comrades of the First Air Division! ”

"Let's take action, this great opportunity can't be wasted. Although the enemy brigade is not full, it is also a big piece of fat, and they cannot be allowed to slip away! ”

After hearing the reply, Li Yunlong nodded. The enemy is not a fool, and after so many bombardments, he will definitely be prepared.

It's just that the magic is one foot high and one foot high, and the current situation is still under the control of him and Zhao Gang, and the two even made a relative plan in advance.

After a short period of thought, Lao Li agreed to the reconnaissance company's request.

"Good! Let's go! ”

With the approval of his own regiment commander, Duan Peng beckoned backwards and motioned for the soldiers to start acting according to the original plan.

The artilleryman reflexively let go of his hand, allowing the shell hanging above the barrel to slide to the bottom. After letting go, the shell fell, and the artilleryman immediately bowed his head sideways and covered his ears.

More than ten seconds later, several 82-mm mortar shells with a whistling sound drew a perfect arc in the air, and the connection continued to fall on the hideouts of the devils.

Boom Boom!

"Yaga!"

"Everybody spread out! There is an ambush! ”

Kenyoshi Ikegami yelled at the order in a worried mood, knowing full well that his brigade was going to be unlucky.

There is a high probability that the sudden artillery bombardment will attract the attention of the Eighth Route Army Air Force, and the troops without field air defense capabilities are completely fish on the chopping block.

Now unless Amaterasu can take care of him again, or wait for death.

Whoosh x10!

Ten red flares rose into the air at the same time, completely shattering Kenkichi Ikegami's illusions.

At the same time, the enemy fighters also re-turned in the air, apparently spotting their own formation.

"Spread out! Spread out on the scale of the squadron! Wait until the air raid is over to find a way to converge! ”

"Throw those damn ammo boxes away! Are you dying? Except for the ammunition that I carried with me, the rest was blown up! If you can't take it away, don't leave it for the enemy! ”

······

Time goes back to a minute ago.

After receiving the news that the northern line of defense had been breached, the deputy commander-in-chief immediately woke up the pilots who were still resting.

Although the fighters slept only a few hours, many were physically and mentally exhausted. However, the superiors assigned combat tasks, and the comrades immediately dispatched without complaint.

When they came to the sky over the battlefield, everyone looked at the messy position and frowned, and even Captain Wang Hai, who didn't talk much on weekdays, couldn't help but curse a few words.

The mission of the 1st Air Force Division this time is to slow down the pace of the enemy's attack on Yuanqu County, and if conditions permit, it can independently choose to attack the enemy's ground forces.

Considering that the northern positions had already been lost, there was no need to attack.

Under the leadership of Captain Wang Hai, 300 fighters of various types flew south along Hengyuan Avenue and headed for the enemy's inevitable passage.

Once you enter the mountain forest area, the search difficulty skyrockets.

In order to maximize resources, the entire fleet is divided into dozens of four formations, each led by an aviation school instructor or a soldier who has performed well on the battlefield.

The squad numbered 13, except for the captain Fang Ziyi, who piloted the Hurricane, the rest of the members were fighter fighters.

After half an hour of searching, the fighters were a little tired. After all, everything on the ground is small when viewed from the air, and it takes a lot of eyes and energy.

"Captain, when are we going to be able to start a firebreather! Although the fighter is also good, there is still a gap compared to the devil's Type 97 fighter. ”

"Now every battle is a licking of the ground, and at most it is chasing the enemy's bombers. I want to fight the enemy's fighters! Otherwise, I wouldn't have learned this skill in vain! ”

After hearing the group members' complaints, Fang Ziyi shook his head a little speechlessly. Perhaps because the reconnaissance work was tedious, he replied as he observed the ground:

"Just you? And breathing fire! If you can fly to a hurricane, it's your kid's ancestor who has accumulated virtue! Do you know how many of our Captain Wang Hai shot down? Twenty-seven! The little stars are drawn in three rows! ”

"Unless we have more advanced planes, you don't dream."

"Haha, you!"

In the midst of a joking, one of the team members suddenly noticed several red flares rising from the area they had just passed by.

In order to carry out reconnaissance missions, the comrades did not fly at high altitudes.

Knowing that there are planes in the sky, there is a 90% probability that the person who fired the flare is a friendly soldier. So the four of them immediately turned around, although they didn't find where their family was, but the scattered devils saw it clearly.

"Comrades! Shake people now! ”

"You go and contact the troops! I'm staring at the enemy here! Be fast! ”

"The enemy has a brigade! We're going to make a meritorious contribution this time! Maybe you might even have a chance to drive a hurricane! ”

A few minutes later, 300 fighters of various types rushed to the battlefield! Under the order of Captain Wang Hai, all formations freely chose their attack targets and began to dive and attack!

"Priority is given to vehicles and cavalry! Watch out for enemy machine guns! Offensive! ”

This was the first collective action of the 1st Air Division, and the comrades began to rush to their respective goals like war eagles.

In an instant, countless aerial bombs with a screeching sound were thrown at the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade like dumplings.

With such a large fleet, there is no point in resisting at all.

"Run! How far can you run, how far you can run! ”

At the heart-rending barking of the squadron leaders, a bomb landed in the ranks of the enemy.

The ground shook violently, and the sound of explosions mixed with screams was very pleasant. Comrades scrambled to be the first to work towards the achievement of not a single grass wherever they went.

The running speed of the legs can never be compared to the speed of getting on the plane, and no matter how wild the devils run, they can't escape the fate of being strafed by aviation machine guns and aerial guns.

watched his colleagues around him either being beaten into pieces of meat or being fried into Li Mei barbecue.

Some of the little days with weak willpower were directly scared silly, and in order to make death less painful, many devils trembled and committed suicide with weapons in their hands.

After more than 10 minutes, the 1st Air Force Division tilted the ammunition that was licking the ground, leaving only some of the bullets or aerial guns to deal with the air battle. They swept past the battlefield and returned to the base area in the southeast of Shanxi without looking back.

On the commanding heights, looking at the Ninth Independent Mixed Brigade with heavy casualties, Duan Peng's eyes were about to pop out.

The rest of the soldiers of the reconnaissance company were no better, and it was the first time that everyone had watched the ground attack of the 1st Air Division at close range, and the scene was really shocking.

"Damn, I was still counting in my mind. If one plane can kill ten devils, three hundred is three thousand, and the remaining enemies are just enough for our land regiment to drink soup. ”

"It seems that my imagination is still not enough, this level of bombardment will not be able to survive even if the king of heaven comes."

"Originally, I wanted to drink a mouthful of soup, but now I can only pick up the rags."

After speaking, Duan Peng picked up the portable communicator and contacted Li Yunlong.

"Captain! Hurry up! Nothing more! There are less than a thousand enemies now, so it's time for us to finish! ”

"Good!"

······

The Ninth Independent Mixed Brigade, Ikegami Kenji collapsed weakly on the ground. He looked exhausted, completely devoid of his previous spirits.

300 fighters, three times as many as in the previous attack on the northern line.

Such exaggerated treatment is simply not something that a small independent mixed brigade can afford.

Before he set off, he took 4,500 people with him, and after a wave of bombardment, it is difficult to say how many of them can still move. His chief of staff was beaten to pieces of meat in front of his eyes, and this hellish scene made him unable to calm down now.

"Your Excellency, Major General! Let's get out of here! If you don't leave, the enemy will rush up! Don't forget the mortars from before! There must be an enemy ambush around! ”

I used the last stalk of ball 2 today.,By the way, let's see which old comrade was attacked by me.

(End of chapter)