Shanxi North Right Attack Group.
Independent group.
Kong Jie was inspecting the troops' night defense situation and returned to the temporary regiment headquarters.
Today's independent regiment is also strong and equipped with several 150mm howitzers.
It has one cavalry battalion, two mountain artillery battalions, one tank battalion, one Katyusha rocket launcher battalion, more than ten infantry battalions, hundreds of vehicles, and thousands of mule carts.
Each battalion is regiment-sized.
Although the independent regiment is organized as one regiment, its strength is close to 20 regiments, with a total strength of about 20,000.
The troops have strong morale and are well-equipped. Except for a small number of new recruits, most of the soldiers are elite veterans.
The combat effectiveness is extremely powerful, and its combat effectiveness is not inferior to that of a Japanese Class A division.
Even now that the Eighth Route Army has air support, the independent regiment can easily defeat a Japanese Class A division head-on.
As soon as he entered the regiment headquarters, Kong Jie was about to take a rest when the political commissar of the independent regiment walked in with a telegram in his hand.
"Lao Kong, are you back?"
"This is the telegram just sent by Commander Li of the New Regiment, ordering us to immediately give up going south to Taiyuan and divert to Wutai Mountain to Niangziguan to reinforce the 2nd Independent Brigade!"
While speaking, Political Commissar Wang handed the telegram in his hand to Kong Jie.
Kong Jie looked solemn, took the telegram and leaned in front of the oil lamp to read it.
"When did you receive the telegram?"
Kong Jie frowned slightly and asked, of course he, the leader of the independent regiment, should be informed of such an important matter as soon as possible.
"The telegram I just received." Political Commissar Wang explained, "I was about to send a communications corps to notify you when you came back."
After a pause, Political Commissar Wang asked: "Lao Kong, what do you think of this matter?"
"What do you think?" Kong Jie said firmly, "Of course I am executing the order, how else can I judge it?"
Political Commissar Wang said: "Of course the order must be implemented. What I want to say is that originally our combat mission was to attack Taiyuan. Now we have changed the combat mission and go to Niangziguan to reinforce the 2nd Independent Brigade. Our regiment has these 105 howitzers, 150 howitzers, and
There are heavy equipment such as Katyusha rocket launchers, cars and tanks, but they can’t go to Niangzi Pass, so what should I do with these heavy equipment?”
"Without these heavy equipment, the combat effectiveness of our independent regiment would be significantly reduced."
In the previous combat mission, although the independent regiment had to take a detour to Taiyuan, it could still take the road.
But to go to Niangziguan, you can only take a detour around Mount Wutai. That area is mainly mountainous and there are no roads.
Shanxi's road conditions are poor and the roads are mountainous, so heavy equipment and mechanized equipment cannot be brought along.
Kong Jie nodded: "It will be a little less, but not much."
"However, we now have air support, and the air support is much stronger than the less heavy equipment!"
"so."
"Let the 150mm howitzers, 105mm howitzers, Katyusha rocket launchers, tank battalions and vehicles, and the troops who cannot walk on the mountain roads continue to go to Taiyuan to join the new regiment."
"Let's take the 75mm mountain gun to Niangziguan."
The M1A1 75mm mountain gun equipped by the new regiment weighs 653 kilograms and can be disassembled and carried by mules and horses, making walking on mountain roads stress-free.
Political Commissar Wang nodded after hearing this and expressed his agreement. This is the only arrangement now.
Later, Kong Jie held an oil lamp in one hand and stared at the map with his eyes narrowed: "It seems that the head of the headquarters' plan is to annihilate all the Japanese in Shanxi."
"Total annihilation?"
Political Commissar Wang was slightly startled and came over with the Chief of Staff.
The Chief of Staff of the Independent Regiment sounded surprised: "The Japs in Shanxi have 100,000 main elites, as well as elites like the Fifth Division. Can our Eighth Route Army eat so many Japs? It won't burst its belly, right?"
"Broken belly?" Kong Jie glanced at the chief of staff and said with a snort: "What makes you have no confidence in the combat effectiveness of our Eighth Route Army?"
"If the two sides are fighting in the field, our three regiments in northwestern Shanxi can defeat the 100,000 elite Japanese soldiers in Shanxi!"
"Not to mention adding the main force of the 129th Division, the 120th Division and the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region."
"In this battle, our Eighth Route Army, with its main force plus militia, will dispatch at least 500,000 people!"
"It won't be easy to eat these 100,000 Japanese, but it's not impossible."
Political Commissar Wang's expression changed slightly: "Old Kong, do you mean Niangziguan?"
"That's right!" Kong Jie said with calm eyes, "As long as our Eighth Route Army holds Niangzi Pass, the devils in Shanxi will become turtles in the urn, and they won't be able to escape even if they want to."
At present, the only territory left by the Japanese army in Shanxi is the Taiyuan and Zhengtai Railways.
Moreover, it was only through the reinforcement of five Japanese divisions in Shanxi that the Taiyuan and Zhengtai Railways could be defended.
Otherwise, the Zhengtai Railway would have been recovered by the Eighth Route Army, and it would be easier to recover Taiyuan.
Although the Japanese army reinforced five Shanxi divisions, it was of no use. The Eighth Route Army was about to launch a major counterattack, and the Japanese army did not have enough troops to defend, let alone attack.
Moreover, the Eighth Route Army now has air superiority, no matter where the Japanese go after breaking through.
As long as they are within the borders of Shanxi, they cannot escape the eyes of the Eighth Route Army reconnaissance planes and fighter jets. The Eighth Route Army can pursue, intercept, and eliminate the Japanese at any time.
At this time, Political Commissar Wang and the Chief of Staff finally understood that the Independent Regiment would suddenly divert to Niangziguan.
The location of Niangzi Pass is crucial. If you guard Niangzi Pass, you will guard the escape route for the Japanese.
certainly.
Niangzi Pass was also extremely important to the Japanese army. Opening up Niangzi Pass would also open up the lifeline for the 100,000 Japanese soldiers in Shanxi.
The Japanese outside Shanxi will definitely risk their lives to provide reinforcements.
After all, these are 100,000 elite Japanese soldiers, not 100,000 pigs.
If we change to ordinary troops and go to Niangziguan, they really can't withstand the Japanese attack. Even if there are 2 independent brigades as the main force, it will be difficult to add a few more brigades.
Therefore, this task falls on the independent group.
The Independent Regiment is one of the most powerful units of the Eighth Route Army besides the New First Regiment. Ding Wei's New Second Regiment has about the same combat effectiveness as Kong Jie's Independent Regiment.
Kong Jie put the oil lamp on the table and used a scale to quickly calculate the current straight-line distance between the Independent Regiment and Niangziguan, which was about 160 kilometers.
In other words, the actual distance is more than 200 kilometers.
We arrived at Niangziguan in two and a half days. The task of the independent group was very arduous and the time was tight.
Kong Jie looked at the watch on his hand, then looked at the chief of staff and ordered: "Chief of staff, order the soldiers to rest immediately. Set off at 3:30 in the morning and march towards Niangzi Pass. The heavily equipped troops will continue to go south to meet Xinyi
Reunion of the group."
Although time is tight and the task is heavy.
However, after a whole day of rapid marching, the soldiers of the Independent Regiment, from officers to soldiers, were a little tired, so they had to rest first and recuperate before setting off.
The time now is 7 o'clock. If we set off at 3:30, the soldiers can rest for 8 hours, which is enough for the soldiers to regain their energy.
"Yes, commander!" the chief of staff responded.
…
Peking.
Iron Lion Alley.
North China Front Army Headquarters.
"Your Excellency, General, I have ordered the Locust Army and the Locust Alliance Army in Jingxing County to abandon Jingxing County and rush to Niangziguan immediately. At the same time, I have ordered the Locust Army in Shimen City to go to Jingxing County."
"At the same time, order the 25th Cavalry Regiment to speed up and rush to Niangziguan."
"in addition."
"I also gave an order to the 56th Division stationed in Yangquan. The 56th Division dispatched the 148th Infantry Regiment to reinforce Niangziguan."
Chief of Staff Moritake Tanabe reported to Neji Okamura.
The location of Niangziguan is very important, but Yangquan and Shouyang are equally important. If these two military towns on the Zhengtai Railway were captured by the Eighth Route Army, it would be difficult for the Shanxi Japs to escape.
Okamura Neji nodded, and the stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.
Niangzi Pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack. An infantry regiment, a cavalry regiment, and a full infantry brigade are enough to hold Niangzi Pass until the Japanese army arrives.
To be continued...