Yoshio Iwamatsu has requested tactical guidance from Neji Okamura.
However, Okamura Neji has not replied to him so far, so Iwamatsu Yoshio decided not to wait any longer and prepared to issue orders to break out and respond.
Too late and things will change.
How many surrounded soldiers can be rescued?
Tonight is the time when the Japanese army has the greatest chance. Once the Eighth Route Army completes the encirclement fortifications, there will be no chance.
The tunnels dug by the Japanese army were not large, and they did not store much food and water.
When they were not surrounded by the Eighth Route Army, the Japanese army in Taiyuan could send a baggage regiment to continuously deliver food, ammunition and water to the Japanese army in the tunnels.
The Japanese troops in the tunnels continued to fight for two months without any problems.
But now these Japanese troops are surrounded in the tunnels. They can survive for a few days without food. If there is no water, it will be really fatal.
then.
Chief of Staff Hanatani was quickly formulating a combat plan and ordered the 21st Infantry Brigade, 24th Infantry Division and 41st Infantry Division to break out of the encirclement on time at 2 o'clock in the evening.
Troops from the 5th Brigade, the 3rd Composite Brigade, the 1st Cavalry Brigade, and the 28th Division will be ready to respond.
the other side.
The Eighth Route Army had already guessed that the Japanese would break through tonight, so they laid a heavy ambush on the enemy's way to meet the troops.
At the same time, the Eighth Route Army troops surrounding the Japs were also ready to destroy the Japs at any time.
The night is as dark as ink.
The Japanese army’s Qinglong Mountain position.
Seeing that the appointed time was about to arrive, the Japs emerged from the entrances of the tunnels on the positive and reverse slopes and moved towards the Eighth Route Army's position.
Soon, a Japanese soldier stepped on a landmine, causing a loud bang.
The soldiers of the Eighth Route Army jumped up from the trenches and foxholes. As soon as the fire appeared, the densely packed Japanese soldiers were already close to 100 meters away from the position.
"The devil is coming!"
"Get him!"
Seeing the Japanese and puppet troops preparing to break out of the encirclement, the soldiers were not only not afraid at all, but also very excited.
The Japs were hiding in the tunnels, and the Eighth Route Army had nothing to do with them.
But when the Japanese and puppet troops emerged from the tunnels, they were no different than living targets.
Seeing that they were exposed, the Japanese and puppet troops stopped pretending, and with the cries of killing, the Japanese rushed toward the Eighth Route Army position with rifles in hand.
"beat!"
"kill!"
"..."
The company and platoon commanders surrounding the Japanese and puppet troops gave the order to fire without hesitation.
"Da da da…"
In an instant, a sound like exploding beans rang out, and a dense rain of bullets poured towards the charging Japanese soldiers, who suddenly fell in large pieces.
After the new regiment was equipped with Type 5 and 6 guns, its firepower increased by more than one level compared to the original.
The Type 56 semi-automatic rifle fired accurately, and the Type 56 submachine gun and Type 56 light machine gun continued to suppress the fire.
The mortar positions at the rear continuously fired illumination bombs to provide the infantry with visibility. The Japanese who were trying to break through were exposed, and they were all exposed to intensive firepower.
"Boom boom…"
The intensive gunfire, Lieutenant General, also included the sounds of many 20mm machine guns and 12.7mm heavy machine guns.
Both machine guns are truly powerful weapons.
The Japanese who was hit was immediately stopped at the waist.
Of course, there were also Japanese soldiers who charged and shot at the Eighth Route Army positions.
However, compared with the firepower of the Eighth Route Army, there was a huge gap between the enemy's firepower.
Just as the Japanese were breaking through, the Japanese who were preparing to attack fired artillery in the direction of the Eighth Route Army's position.
Under the cover of artillery fire, the Japs who broke out of the encirclement launched an attack towards the fighting area.
soon.
The Eighth Route Army's artillery fire counter-suppressed the direction of the Japanese artillery positions, forcing the Japanese artillery positions to move.
At the same time, dense artillery shells fell in the direction of the Japanese attack, disrupting the Japanese attack at once.
The Japanese who responded were quickly repulsed.
But the Japanese did not give up, and quickly organized a second and third attack, but were repelled by intensive firepower.
Then, the tanks and infantry of the Eighth Route Army launched a countercharge against the attacking Japanese.
In the northeast, northwest, and southeast directions of Taiyuan, the sound of gunfire was very dense, and the battle was like a pot of hot oil.
Cai Dongcun.
New Regiment, Frontline General Headquarters.
Listening to the rumbling explosions in front of him, Li Yunlong was smoking a cigarette without any worry on his face.
Zhao Gang and Wang Dehou had already gone to bed, and Captain Li Da was temporarily on duty in the middle of the night.
All combat deployment orders have been issued, and even emergency plans and reserve teams have been left. The outcome of the battle is not something Li Yunlong can decide.
The battle lasted from two o'clock in the morning to six o'clock in the morning. The sky turned white. The Japanese who responded retreated, and then the Japanese in the position retreated into the tunnel.
The Qinglong Mountain position was covered with corpses of Japanese soldiers.
Regarding the results of last night's battle, news gradually reached the headquarters of the new regiment.
At this time, Wang Dehou and Zhao Gang woke up after sleeping.
Li Yunlong introduced last night's battle situation to Zhao Gang and Wang Dehou.
"In the direction of the Taigu defense line where the 129th Division attacked, some Japanese escaped, but not many. There were only a few hundred Japanese who escaped."
"Most of the Japanese were pushed back."
"In the 21st Infantry Regiment and 41st Infantry Division of the Fifth Division, no Japanese have escaped from their positions."
The one attacking the 41st Division's position was the New Second Regiment led by Ding Wei.
The two positions were not far apart. Considering that the New Second Regiment had to guard against the Japanese attack and surround the Japanese of the 41st Division, Li Yunlong sent a combined battalion of more than 10,000 people to reinforce Ding Wei during the day.
Those in the position were not all the Japs from the 41st Division, but the Japs' combat troops, such as the 41st Division's Engineer Regiment and the Heavy Troops Regiment, all of which were in Taiyuan.
"As expected." Zhao Gang nodded, "Although night fighting and close combat are the specialty of our Eighth Route Army, after all, the firepower of the 129th Division is not as powerful as our New First Regiment and New Second Regiment."
"It was expected that some Japanese troops would break through."
"Since most of the Japanese have been blocked," Wang Dehou also said, "then it won't affect the overall situation."
With a smile, Li Yunlong said: "The Japs who responded last night fell into our trap. Many Japs were surrounded and eaten. The Japs suffered a lot of casualties. According to this method of attack, the Japs will have to rest in less than a month."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Zhao Gang looked fiercely: "We just want to make the Japanese feel desperate, completely desperate. I suggest that we don't attack Taiyuan first, but first attack the surrounding tunnels."
Kill the Japanese and puppet troops and then slowly attack Taiyuan."
At present, it requires a lot of troops to surround the Japanese. If we use additional troops to attack Taiyuan, the troops will definitely not be enough.
"That's right!" Li Yunlong nodded: "That's what I think. Although we can't attack Taiyuan, we can't be idle either!"
"It's time to clear out those concrete bunkers and turrets."
"Send two heavy howitzer battalions and a combined battalion to pull out all the Japanese bunkers and gun towers north of Taiyuan City!"
"After we kill the 5th Division and the 41st Division, we can go straight to Taiyuan City."
"Yes!" Wang Dehou stood up and responded.
…
Taiyuan.
To be continued...