"I've finished correcting the typo, it's a cool text today!"

On the west side of Zhongtiao Mountain, the defense line of the Third Army.

At the same time as the air battle took place above the city of Luoyang, the command of the North China Front issued an order to attack on all fronts.

Because in the previous battles for the defense of Zhongtiao Mountain, the strong force of the Third Army has always maintained an undefeated record. At the pre-war meeting, Okamura Ninji made it clear that the key to breaking through the Western Front was the smooth offensive against the Third Army.

If the Third Army can be defeated, it will be able to capture Nakajo Mountain, and it will be necessary to concentrate several times the enemy's forces to focus on encirclement and suppression.

In order to ensure that the advance of the 36th Division and the 37th Division was not disturbed by the 1st Air Division, he also played Tianji horse racing with the Eighth Route Army.

The old devil deliberately sent a small army of air to act as bait in Gaoping, which was closest to the southeast of Jin, and would rather sacrifice a part of the precious air power to ensure the progress of the advance on the western front.

······

The Third Army was the old Central Army, which belonged to the Yunnan Army system. The officers are all from Yunnan Province, and most of them graduated from the Yunnan Provincial Lecture Hall.

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, their main battlefield was in Shanxi. It has experienced many large-scale battles such as the Battle of Taiyuan, and the number of casualties is also very large.

However, the Dian army has always been known for being good at defense and resistance warfare.

In this battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, they held their positions with 16,000 men of the 37th, 12th, and 34th main divisions. Even with more than half of the casualties, there was no step back.

It is worth mentioning that in addition to the weapons replenished by the bald heads, there are also a very small number of French-style equipment in the troops.

If you let the Iron Triangle visit and study in the Third Army, they will find the familiar Lebel 1886, the disgusted Shosha light machine gun, the Type 92 heavy machine gun Daddy Hatch Chase M1914, 60 mm and 81 mm Blond mortars.

Even most of the soldiers with steel helmets wore Adrian's cockscomb helmets. They also had four Hatch Kaiss 25mm anti-aircraft guns, but unfortunately they had been destroyed in the war.

In addition to the weapons also available in the Eighth Route Army, the Third Army also had the Hatch Chase M1922 light machine gun with poor performance, and the Hatch Chase M1930 anti-aircraft machine gun that could be used both in high and flat areas.

The troops also learned the tactical thinking of the French army during World War I, and the battle revolved around the company's Hazikes heavy machine guns.

These are all thanks to the Southwest Gas King after he came to power, vigorously developing the economy of the province. Not only did it unify taxes, but it also turned lollipops and tin mines into cash cows.

Not only did it successfully solve the problem of insufficient financial resources, but it also exchanged a large amount of weapons and equipment for the troops.

It's a pity that the gas king only bought ready-made weapons and failed to import the production line.

Coupled with the fact that the Gallic chickens had surrendered, and the road was forced to be blocked under the intervention of Little Day, the ammunition in hand now was naturally one less shot.

Let's shift the perspective to the west side of Nakajo Mountain, the headquarters of the 12th Army.

Due to the breakthrough of the northern defense line by the 41st Division, the defenders from all walks of life could neither respond from east to west nor support from north to south, and the battlefield situation completely fell to the side of the devils.

"Divisional commander! Evacuate! It's too dangerous here! ”

"Your wounds are not healed, so leave the high ground to the brethren! We'll definitely get it back! ”

The person who spoke was Yang Yukun, the deputy commander of the 12th Division of the Third Army, who led the troops to a heroic counterattack in the previous battle for position.

However, the enemy's firepower was strong, and several Type 92 heavy machine guns hit several rows of bullets, causing his division commander to be shot and fall to the ground. If it weren't for the desperate cover of the guard platoon, it is very likely that he would have sacrificed his life for the country.

Due to the extreme shortage of medical supplies in the troops, the wound on the chest of the division commander had not healed at this time, and the white cloth on his chest had been infiltrated by blood and turned red.

Seeing that the commander of the inch division did not reply, Yang Yukun directly ordered the battalion commander beside him:

"You go and escort the division commander to the army command post, and I will be in charge of the command here! If the teacher is missing a hair, I will ask you! ”

But at this moment, Master Cun reached out and wrapped the bandage around his chest tightly again. After tightening the wound, he grabbed the guard's arm and struggled to stand up again.

At present, the Shuiguduo Heights on the left flank had been captured by the 36th Division, and the entire division's positions were exposed to enemy fire.

After getting up, he was not afraid of danger, barely supported himself and walked out of the command post, looking at the officers and soldiers on the left and right. The soldiers on the battlefield suffered numerous casualties, and they were even about to run out of ammunition and food.

"Who is the division commander of us, you kid wants to command me before I die?"

"Heads can be broken, blood can be shed, the high ground cannot be lost, we must retake this high ground! Pass my orders! All on bayonets! Fight the little devil to the end. ”

"I also know the difficulty, so I've contacted the commander! Support is coming soon. It's better to die desperately than to sit still. ”

As soon as the words fell, the shells of the 36th Division rained down on the positions of the 12th Division.

One of the shells fell near the headquarters like an eye, directly breaking the right leg of the division commander, and blood gushed out like a spring, and the injury was very serious.

Several officers and men were killed on the spot, and the command system of the 12th Division was completely paralyzed for a while.

Fortunately, most of the officers at the grassroots level are veterans, and although they have lost the command of their superiors, the company and platoon levels have temporarily withstood the pressure by virtue of the tacit understanding they have had over the years.

At a heavy machine-gun position, more than a dozen fighters were working together to remove a Hatch Chase M1930 anti-aircraft machine gun from the anti-artillery hole.

The caliber of the gun is 13.2 mm, which allows it to fire both anti-aircraft and flat-fire. Not only can it effectively suppress the devil's machine gun firepower, but it can even penetrate the 95-type light tank.

But there are also many shortcomings, the first of which is that it is too heavy. Even if you don't count the sights, it weighs more than 300 kilograms, and more than a dozen fighters have to serve it together each time.

The biggest problem, of course, is the lack of bullets. There was no arsenal in the whole country to produce 13.2 mm bullets, and the Eighth Route Army, the only one that used magic weapons, did not use high-level dual-purpose machine guns.

"Platoon commander, you have to think about it. This machine gun is the only seedling in the whole division, and if it is killed by the devils, our extra-heavy machine gun team will really exist in name only. ”

"And there are only 97 bullets left, and the fight lasts a minute at most."

The soldier's words did not shake the platoon commander, he just dusted the dirt off the steel helmet, and then showed a smile that looked at death as if he had long been ready to die.

"That's not right, there is no way to replenish the bullets anyway, and it is not bad to die with the old buddy after this battle."

"It's a pity that I didn't go home to see it before I died. I've been floating outside for four years, and I really want to eat a bite of pork liver bream from my hometown. ”

The soldiers didn't talk for long, and the devil's infantry began to follow the ninety-five type light tank.

Feeling the shaking of the ground, everyone silently pinched a handful of sweat. But the machine gunners were in no hurry to open fire, and the entire platoon of extra heavy machine guns was still waiting for the right time.

Fire now, only revealing your position and firepower. The enemy's accurate grenadiers will never give them a chance to finish 97 rounds.

When several Hatch Chase heavy machine guns and Maxim on the frontal position attracted the attention of the devil, the machine gunner took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.

Knock knock!

Dull gunshots rang out!

With the addition of the R3B tripod, the anti-aircraft machine gun is surprisingly stable.

A 13.2 mm bullet flew from the enemy's undefended flank, stirring up a bloody storm in an instant.

With such a large caliber, the devil infantry will break their arms and legs even if they just rub it, and the lucky beasts will be broken by the waist.

The strong kinetic energy makes it possible to kill several enemies with a single bullet, and the 95-style light and pitiful 6mm side armor can be broken at the touch of a button.

The ammunition players clenched the magazines and counted them silently, and they would immediately change the ammunition whenever the last one was fired.

With such a powerful firepower, the enemy, with a squadron of tanks and an infantry squadron, was quickly reimbursed on the way to the charge.

It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, even if the machine gunners deliberately saved bullets, the pitiful reserve ammunition also made the heavy machine gun platoon lose its ability to dominate.

Hatch Chase M1930 anti-aircraft machine gun, stalled.

The soldiers in the platoon took out their rifles and melee weapons one after another, ready to continue the fight with the devils.

Half an hour later, the positions of the 12th Division were precarious. But the sacrifice of the fighters was not in vain, and the support was finally in place!

It was not any unit that rushed to the battlefield first, but shells from a half-artillery battalion!

The depth of the Nakajo Mountain West Line is only 30 to 50 kilometers, and from a military point of view, it can be said that there is basically no depth here.

Because it was a rocky mountain, the front-line positions could not be built into semi-permanent fortifications, and the defense capability was very weak.

Before the start of the war, the top leaders of the Third Army racked their brains and discussed a way of fighting.

That is to set up a front-line position to hold the vital parts and block the Japanese army from continuing to advance. If the first line of positions could not be held, all officers and men would retreat to the second line of positions to continue the defense.

Take advantage of this almost non-existent depth to block enemies layer by layer.

In order to strengthen the firepower, the commander of the Third Army, the Don Army, also placed the only artillery regiment in the middle of the two fronts. As soon as a division is tight, it will immediately support it with artillery fire.

If the second-line positions cannot be held, then retreat south or go north to break through.

In fact, this kind of tactic is no different from the destruction of the overlord of Chu, and he almost does not leave any way back for himself. Once the devils break through the two lines of defense, the soldiers of the whole army will not have much time to retreat.

Choosing to retreat south means being pushed into the Yellow River by the devil's planes, artillery and tanks.

It is even more difficult to go north, with two divisions and a brigade blocking in front of him, and even if he breaks through, the future is uncertain.

The remnants of the artillery were supporting the 7th Division, and because the 80th Army on the left flank was defeated and retreated, there was a vague appearance of giving up their positions.

In order not to be surrounded, the army commander decided to give priority to covering the retreat of the 7th Division.

Now that the artillery and the 7th Division had eased up, the division commander Li Shilong personally rushed to the battlefield with reinforcements.

Due to the width of the battlefield, although the devil has the advantage of troops, he can only use the tactic of adding fuel. After an hour of fierce fighting, the 7th and 12th Divisions joined forces and withdrew to the second-line positions.

······

The devil's attack regardless of casualties made the second front like a candle in the wind.

Before the situation of the battle deteriorated completely, the commander of the Tang Army called a meeting of the commanders of the divisions and regiments. On the one hand, it is to check the morale and casualties of the three armies, and on the other hand, to discuss the next security.

Because the commander of the Tang army insisted on moving the army headquarters to the second line of defense before the war, first, it was to supervise the defense of the first-line positions, and secondly, it also showed that the army commander was willing to live and die with the soldiers and boost morale.

Unexpectedly, this move was a blessing in disguise.

Before the start of the war, the devils had already figured out the location of all the headquarters of the group army, corps, and divisions through the previous eleven offences and the infiltration of the special high-tech department.

The transfer of the command headquarters led to the return of the small elite troops of the devils in vain.

When other corps-level commands were unable to convey orders, Commander Tang always kept in touch with the three divisions on the front line. It was not like the two armies in the north, which collapsed on all fronts without much fighting.

As a man from Yunnan Province who reveals the blood of a soldier from the inside out, the commander of the Cun Division, who has just woken up, immediately generously said:

"Please rest assured, the army commander is now fighting for the country and the nation, and the 12th Division will definitely not disgrace the fathers and villagers in his hometown!"

"The warriors had guns in their hands and swords at their waists. A soldier would rather die with his chest held high than bow his head to survive! ”

Looking at the gunshot wound and broken leg in the other party's chest, everyone present was moved.

In this situation, Commander Tang took out his suicide note from the drawer. Then he smiled and said indifferently:

"The situation is extremely dangerous now, and we should do our best to restore the situation when we have something to do. Otherwise, if I preserve the personality of the country and the nation, I have already made up my mind to become a benevolent person if I do not succeed. ”

"The army of the Republic of China only has commanders who have been killed, not captured commanders, and must not be started by the Third Army."

"Next, I will give three choices, and everyone will vote democratically to see where the troops go."

The first option is to divide the troops into regiments and break through in all directions.

This idea was put forward by the commander of the Tang Army a day earlier, but it is a pity that the headquarters of the Fifth Army was scattered by the enemy, and the life and death of the commander of the group army was uncertain.

A corps commander cannot make decisions without a clear order from his superiors. But now it has reached a critical point of survival, and if it does not break through, the entire Third Army will be wiped out.

The second option was to cross the Yellow River south, and this order was just sent by the commander of the Wei in the First Theater of Operations.

Due to the critical situation of the war, the command of the Fifth Army was never able to be contacted. He could only skip the group army and give an order directly to the army level to let the Third Army cross the Yellow River south.

As soon as the words fell, all the division commanders and chiefs of staff expressed their opinions.

Everyone did not have much hope for the second one, after all, if the northern defense line was broken north, it was difficult to say whether the ferry could be saved, and I am afraid that even if they withdrew to the Yellow River, they would not be able to cross the river.

Listening to the discussion, Commander Tang motioned to everyone to be calm.

"An order is always an order, and I have sent the 43rd Regiment to the ferry for a field trip."

"If all goes well, then the three divisions alternately cover and retreat according to the orders given by the superiors."

At this moment, the commander of the division leaned on the ammunition box and asked the question in everyone's hearts.

"Commander, you only said two options, so what is the third option? Is it to resist to the end with the 80th Army? ”

Commander Tang didn't answer directly, he first looked at the watch in his hand, and then pretended to say mysteriously:

"Thirdly, it will be a bloody battle with our allies. Even if you bet on the number of our Third Army, you have to fight to the death with the little devils. ”

"Allies? How can we have allies? ”

Suddenly, the phone rang in the command post, and everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.

The call was from the forward observation post, and after Commander Tang picked up the phone, everyone immediately became silent, wanting to hear what was happening at the front.

"Commander! The 36th and 37th divisions of the devils were shelled! It's the kind of shelling I've never seen in my life! It's spectacular! ”

"I saw through the binoculars that every inch of land seemed to have a cannonball falling! This is called real artillery coverage, this is real artillery support! It seems to be all 105 heavy grenades! ”

"The Air Force of the Eighth Route Army is also back! At least a hundred! All are single-wing fighters! ”

"Commander! We are saved! ”

The words of the forward observation post made everyone except Commander Tang confused. The Air Force is understandable, after all, they have been fighting side by side for the past three days.

But the 105 heavy grenade is a bit dreamy, such a cluster of artillery bombardment, even the 17 artillery regiments of the peak Jin Sui Army could not do it.

Before anyone could open their mouths to ask, the hum of the propeller engine suddenly came from the sky.

The people in the command suddenly became nervous, and they were afraid that it was the devil's fighter who had discovered the location of the headquarters of the Third Army.

"Panic what! Do you see I'm panicking? ”

After the commander of his own army spoke out, the three division commanders and the chief of staff immediately calmed down. Everyone carried the stretcher of the division commander together and came to the outside of the command post.

I saw twenty-five huge transport planes that had never been seen before, pulling strange box-shaped planes to the sky above the headquarters.

Under the astonished gaze of the five, twenty-five box planes disconnected from the transport planes and glided silently towards the area where they were.

"Guard battalion! Follow me! ”

"Let's see what our allies have in store for us!"

Moments later, hundreds of people found the Hosha gliders. Everyone couldn't wait to open the belly of the machine and check the kind of supplies inside.

"Commander! It's a bullet! That's definitely 8mm! I've been playing Lebel for half my life! It's impossible to be mistaken! ”

"There's a gun over here! Thirty-eight big cover! Lebel! Water Beads! Medium formal! Even the bullets are sorted! There is also a 7.92 caliber Hatch Chase heavy machine gun armor plate! ”

"I've got mortars here! 81 mm! 60 mm! Definitely original French goods! Incredible! It's all brand new! ”

"Meat! Here's pork and chicken! There are also wotou and fried noodles! ”

After the shock, everyone looked at Commander Tang with incredible eyes. I saw that the other party had already picked up a box of ammunition and ran towards the second position.

"Look at what! Hurry up and move! Wait for the soldiers to eat and drink to their heart's content! Grab your new weapon! Fight with the little devils! Do you want to watch your allies fight alone?

"You who have graduated from the Army Martial Arts Hall! Have you forgotten that we have a classmate in the Eighth Route Army! ”

"Quick! Everybody's moving! ”

······

At the rear of the 36th and 37th divisions, 8 kilometers behind, a bearded man with a pipe in his mouth gave the order at the forward command post, and he took a telephone and shouted loudly towards the artillery positions:

"Three artillery regiments! Boom me! The rapid-fire cannon is about to fire at full speed! ”

"Cannons and shells were produced for eight months! It's for today! Call me! Shoot a third of the shells first and listen to the sound! ”

"Lao Tzu has fought for half his life! What's wrong with extravagance! There is Zhang Wanhe to give us a back! All your artillery is open to me! ”

Here it is, here it is, here comes the bearded division commander with two machetes!

(End of chapter)