Although the 17th Army carried out relatively effective resistance relying on fortifications and favorable terrain, it was eventually forced to withdraw from the defense line because both its left and right flanks were breached by the enemy.

"Kill the chicken and give it to me!"

After the 17th Army had to withdraw from the defense line, the yellow shit all over the mountains and plains overflowed the Henglingguan defense line that the Kuomintang army had worked hard to build, and the gate of Yuanqu City was opened.

After the 41st Division and the 9th Independent Brigade broke through the defenders' defense line in one fell swoop, they divided into two groups:

Along the way south along Sangchi, Jiajiashan, and Ducun River (the first part of the 15th Army of the Sangchi defenders fled);

All the way south along the Boqing River, passing through Gaoluo, Changzhi, Wangmao, and straight to Yuanqu County."

The battlefield on the Western Front, the main direction of the enemy’s attack

The defenders were Kong Lingxun's 80th Army, the 165th Division (division commander Wang Zhiqi) and the newly formed 27th Division (division commander Wang Jun);

The 7th Division (commander Li Shilong) and the 12th Division (commander Cun Xingqi) of the 3rd Army of Tang Huaiyuan, as well as the 34th Division of Gongbingfan directly under the command of the 5th Group Headquarters."

The strength is 2 corps and 1 division, about 40,000 troops.

Also on the afternoon of the 7th, the main force of the 37th Division commanded by Lieutenant General Guizi Adachi, and the first part of the 36th Division commanded by Lieutenant General Jingguan;

The 16th independent mixed brigade commanded by Major General Wakamatsu, with about 25,000 people, heard the news and attacked Zhangdian Town southeast of Xiacheng.

The Japanese gathered dozens of planes to bomb the positions of the 80th Army and the 3rd Army indiscriminately. The Central Army responded in a hurry and suffered heavy losses;

Then the Japanese concentrated dozens of artillery pieces to storm the position of the 80th Regiment on the right wing of Liangjiayaotou Wang Jun's division (the joint headquarters of the Tang and Kong armies);

In less than an hour, the 80th regiment's position was broken through by a powerful offensive of Japanese infantry and artillery. More than half of the regiment suffered casualties, and the rest collapsed backwards.

In the early morning of the 8th, the Japanese broke through the defense line of the 27th Division east of Zhangdian. The communication between the Kong and Tang armies was cut off. The 27th Division retreated to the Caojiachuan and Taizhai areas, suffering more than 30% casualties.

The Japanese's campaign intention of cutting off the 80th Army and the 3rd Army was achieved!

At the same time, the 165th Division of the 80th Army, which was ordered to concentrate in Wangyuan, also retreated to the Caojiachuan and Taizhai lines after being attacked by the Japanese.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the enemy advancing column occupied the Huaipa, Jianping, Nangou and other ferries below Maojin Ferry that night;

The farthest branch enters the junction of Pinglu, Yuanqu and Xia counties.

At noon on the 8th, on the northern front, the central military defense line was deep in the west of Yuanqu City.

A dozen planes painted with Japanese plaster flags emerged from the clouds several thousand meters high;

Their arrival did not attract the attention of the Central Army. As long as their positions were not bombed, no one would pay attention.

This is a large Japanese transport plane. Inside the huge belly, groups of heavily armed Japanese soldiers sit silently inside, waiting for orders to airborne;

They are members of the North China Front's special operations brigade, and their commander is Takeshita Jun's classmate Lieutenant Colonel Tetsuya Iwata. He majored in airborne at the Hans Cat Special Warfare Academy.

After returning to China, with the support of the commander of the North China Front Army, he formed the first airborne force of the North China Japs;

This was the first time that the Iwata Brigade carried out airborne operations. Their mission was to seize the outer positions of Yuanqu Castle and cut off the retreat route of the Yuanqu Castle defenders with the assistance of special agents.

A dozen Japanese agents lit several piles of smoke in the pre-airborne area to indicate the direction of the airborne troops.

A brigade of defenders in Yuanqu City saw the Japanese Black Crow Crow aircraft rushing towards them on the city wall. They were so frightened that they fled the city wall to avoid the Japanese bombing.

In the belly of the aircraft, after Lieutenant Colonel Iwata received the command from the captain to airborne, he waved his hand, and Jiro Nakagawa, who was first in line, jumped down gently. After a few seconds, the parachute opened smoothly, completing the first combat operation in the history of Japanese airborne troops.

One jump.

Then more than a dozen airplanes pooped out strings of yellow shit in the sky, and the sky was filled with parachutes.

"Squad leader, look, the Japanese plane pooped. Is it a bomb?"

"For God's sake, the devils are using magic, and they are sending heavenly soldiers and generals to Yuanqu City!"

"The devil knows sorcery, run away!"

The soldiers of the Central Army had never seen an airborne landing before, so they all thought it was the Japanese who were using magic tricks. They were all trembling with fear on the city wall.

"Ta-ta-ta..."

"Ta-ta-ta..."

It wasn't until a large number of Japanese soldiers fell to the ground that any of the defenders on the city wall realized that these people falling from the sky were all Japanese soldiers;

Some people began to pick up Czech light machine guns and fire at the Japs in the air. A blind cat could shoot down one or two parachutes even if it encountered a dead mouse, but this had little impact on the overall battle situation;

After Lieutenant Colonel Iwata landed, he began to assemble his troops. Their goal was to occupy the Yuanqu Ferry, blow up the pontoon bridge at the ferry, and cut off the connection between Yuanqu Castle and the south bank of the river.

The defenders in the city were not aware of the Japanese's intentions at all, and there was only one platoon of troops guarding the bridge. They had been stationed deep in Zhongtiao Mountain for a long time. They had been in peace for a long time and lacked the ability to adapt to sudden wars.

"Ta-ta-ta..."

"Ta-ta-ta..."

Lieutenant Colonel Iwata did not give the platoon the ability to react at all. After gathering dozens of members, they opened fire on the troops guarding the bridge, mowing down a dozen of them in an instant.

Platoon leader Yuan Feirong finally reacted and shouted loudly:

"Brothers, protect the pontoons and boats!"

"Bagou!"

A sniper rifle bullet modified from a Type 38 rifle accurately hit his forehead, and Yuan Feirong groaned and fell to the ground.

"Platoon leader! You bastard little devil, I'm with you—"

"Ta-ta-ta..."

The machine gunner risked his life and opened fire on the Japanese with his machine gun. Unfortunately, he only fired a single burst and was killed by the Japanese.

The Japanese snipers were very cunning and specialized in dealing with commanders and machine gunners, suppressing the firepower of the defending platoons.

The other Japs, led by Iwata Nakasachi, launched an assault on the ferry guard platoon with lightning speed and quickly annihilated the guard platoon.

"The first squadron is responsible for blowing up the bridge and sinking all the ferries. The second and third squadrons are on alert."

Iwata issued the order to blow up the bridge and acted very resolutely. The garrison in the city was still worried about the enemy attacking the city. No one thought that the enemy's purpose was to blow up the bridge and cut off their connection with the south bank of the river.

The Japanese special forces used the latest high explosives specially designed for special forces, and they were installed in less than two minutes.

"Boom boom boom!"

With several huge explosions, the pontoon of the ferry was blown to pieces, more than a dozen ferries were sunk, and the connection between Yuanqu City and the other side of the river was cut off.

Yuanqu City became an isolated city, and troops from the other side of the river could not be sent to support it. The Central Army in Zhongtiao Mountain could no longer withdraw across the river.

A few hours later, the leading troops of the 238th Regiment of the 41st Division arrived at the foot of Yuanqu Castle. With the cooperation of Iwata Brigade, they launched an attack on Yuanqu Castle.

The defenders in the city woke up from a dream, but their fighting will was very poor and their morale was unstable.

The Japanese agents lurking in the city took the opportunity to spread various rumors, making the whole city panic.

At dusk on the 8th, a brigade of defenders in the city abandoned the city, and Yuanqu City fell into the enemy's hands.
Chapter completed!