There is a way. The way is one foot high and the devil is one foot high.
Although Ishii sent troops secretly this time, Shanzi used the reconnaissance experience of the first defense battle and sent out twelve scouts earlier than last night.
The scouts are divided into four groups, distributed in the four directions of north, south and west. The east and west lines are divided into group one and group two respectively. The north and south lines are divided into groups three and four respectively.
It was past three o'clock in the morning. The regimental correspondent rushed into Shanzi's office in the dark.
Pushing open the door to the side room, the correspondent shouted hurriedly: "Report to the captain. The Japs are coming."
Shanzi sat up and said, "What did you say? Say it again."
The correspondent continued: "The Japs are coming. The second reconnaissance team is at the regiment headquarters."
Shanzi muttered while putting on his cotton-padded jacket: "Today is only the 20th. It came so fast."
Shanzi put on his shirt and pants with all hands and feet. Shanzi ran towards the regiment headquarters with his mind open.
Stepping into the door, Shanzi asked, "What's going on?"
The leader of the reconnaissance team stood up and saluted: "Report to the leader. A large number of Japanese troops were found on the western front. About three thousand people. All of them were single soldiers. They marched to the second position for about five miles. They continued eastward. Most of them moved south."
Shanzi said: "I understand. You can rest."
Before the scout walked out of the door, Shanzi had already entered the announcement room.
Grabbing the phone, Shanzi issued two instructions in succession...
The front-line troops immediately entered the position. Yumei and Zhao Danian came to the regiment headquarters quickly.
Running with Xiao Feng, Yu Mei entered the regiment headquarters earlier: "Zi Kai, where are the Japanese?"
Shanzi replied: "I just received the report. It is five to six miles away from the second position."
Yumei asked again: "Do you want the whole group to go into hiding?"
Shan Zi seemed to be saying to himself: "They are all single soldiers. There is no artillery unit. What kind of trick are they playing?"
Yumei said: "No matter what, be prepared and take precautions before they happen."
Shanzi said: "You give the order."
What Yumei refers to as the concealment of the whole regiment means that the regiment's organs, including cooking utensils, horses and carriages, etc., are all put into special caves and tunnels.
Zhao Danian and the correspondent had just crossed the threshold. Shan Zi said in a commanding tone: "Guess it quickly. Why did the little devil not dispatch the artillery unit this time?"
Zhao Danian was stunned. He quickly came to his senses: "I don't think it's that simple. It must be some trick."
Shan Zi nodded slightly and thought about something silently.
At this moment, Xiaomei came hurriedly, and Xiaoru arrived shortly after. They both received concealment orders and just woke up from their sleep.
Out of professional habit, Xiaomei never leaves the folder.
Ten minutes passed in a flash. The third reconnaissance group ran back to the regiment headquarters.
According to the report of the reconnaissance team leader, the Japanese troops on the southern front were divided into two groups. One group stayed in place, about a kilometer away from Quanquanling Ridge. The other group continued eastward. It looked like there were no less than a thousand soldiers.
Not long after the third reconnaissance group left the regiment headquarters, the reconnaissance group came one after another.
I also heard from the leader of the reconnaissance team that two groups of Japs were found on the eastern front. One came from the west and the other came from the north. The two groups met. It was estimated that there were no less than a thousand people.
After listening to the report, Zhao Danian said: "It's really the same old thing again. Ambush on all sides."
Yumei asked: "What about the northern line? Why has there been no movement so far?"
Shanzi sneered: "Just wait. If I guess correctly, the big fish must be behind."
Sure enough, ten minutes later, the fourth reconnaissance team came to report...
A Japanese artillery unit appeared on the northern front. It looked like a dozen artillery pieces. Then the troops were divided into three groups. One group set up artillery positions on the ridge. The other two groups marched individually and advanced east to south.
Shanzi asked: "Is that earth ridge the Snake Ridge?"
The reconnaissance team leader replied: "That's right. I was so anxious that I forgot to mention the name. That ridge is Snake Ridge. It is 4 to 4,500 meters away from Formation No. 4."
Zhao Danian said: "At such a long distance, it may be the Type 41 mountain gun."
Shanzi said: "Don't worry about the bird cannon. Kill it first and then talk about it."
Speaking of which, Shanzi instructed Xiaoru to record the message...
Battalion Commander Gao. The Japanese army has set up an artillery position in Sheling. It is estimated that there will be a brigade. Your battalion is now ordered to detour to the Qingshui River bank and completely destroy it at all costs. Wang Zikai.
After recording the telegram, Xiaomei handed the manuscript and pen to Shanzi. Shanzi glanced at it briefly and then signed his name.
8
Battalion Commander Gao decided to dispatch two companies to attack the enemy's artillery positions. The code name was still the Sharp Knife Team.
At this time, in addition to regular individual members, the Sharp Knife Team also included two grenade squads and six machine gun squads.
In order to strengthen the firepower, the instructor who stayed behind made another suggestion. One grenade squad and three machine gun squads from the third company should be organized into the sharp knife team.
As a result, the Sharp Knife Team is equipped with a total of 18 grenade launchers, 36 light machine guns, and a total of more than 250 people.
In order to prevent the enemy from discovering their whereabouts prematurely, the sharp knife team hurriedly walked and ran along the west bank of Qingshui River. They headed to the northeast of Sheling about 1,500 meters to cross.
During the journey, although many soldiers carried ammunition on their shoulders, it took only forty minutes to cover more than ten miles. After reaching the east of Shuyuan Village, they changed direction and ran straight to the west.
Battalion Commander Gao was running while laying out an attack plan.
Sheling is about three miles away from Shuyuan Village. When we arrived at Shuyuan Village, the time was already 5:03. In another twenty minutes, the sky would get brighter.
Battalion Commander Gao looked at his watch and ordered each detachment to arrive at the predetermined position before 5:30. At 5:35, detachment 1 and detachment 2 were the first to open fire.
Battalion Commander Gao particularly emphasized that in an emergency, no matter who died, the corpses were not allowed to be collected during the retreat. Only the lightly and seriously wounded were allowed to be brought back.
After receiving the order, the first and second detachments totaled eighty people. Each carried nine grenade launchers and four light machine guns. The doors were inserted in the southeast and southwest directions respectively. The third detachment went straight to the south.
At 5:20, the third team arrived at the predetermined position first and quietly hid less than 300 meters behind the Sheling Slope, waiting for the first and second teams to launch an attack.
The slope of Snake Ridge is gentle from front to back and steep from east to west. Because it is shaped like a snake, it is called Snake Ridge. It is less than 500 meters long. The maximum width at the top is less than 200 meters. The vertical height is about 50 meters.
At 5:28, the first and second teams arrived at their destination one after another and sneaked into the commanding heights at both ends of Snake Ridge. Both commanding heights were earthen hills, about 400 meters away from the center of Snake Ridge.
Then, under the instructions of the squad leader, each of the two squads sent a member to rush to Snake Ridge to scout the location of the enemy artillery.
Hiding here and there all the way, the scout rushed to the foot of Snake Ridge. There was another wave of climbing, crawling from the halfway point. It was already light at this time.
Climbing to the edge of the ridge, a team of scouts just stood up and were discovered by a Japanese sentry. The sentry shouted in Japanese: "There is someone."
Accompanied by the screams of the enemy sentries, the scouts vaguely discovered that more than a dozen artillery pieces were lined up in a row, almost at the center of the top of the ridge. There were seven or eight sentries surrounding the position.
Look at the sides and back of the enemy artillery position. They are all full of Japanese soldiers lying down in darkness.
As soon as the enemy sentry raised his rifle, the scout rolled on the spot and rolled halfway up the slope. He got up and ran while shouting: "The target is in the middle. The distance is 450 meters. Extend in all directions. Fire quickly."
As soon as he finished speaking, nine grenades were fired from their chambers at the same time and flew into the Snake Ridge.
At the same time, I heard the scout of the second team shout: "The target is in the middle. The distance is 400 meters. Fire."
In the following time, eighteen grenade launchers opened fire at the same time. Smoke billowed above Snake Ridge, and there were fires everywhere. Although the grenade missed the gun position, it also overturned two mountain cannons, killing and wounding dozens of Japanese soldiers.
According to the attack plan, the first and second detachments were only responsible for luring the enemy and containing them. The third detachment was responsible for actually destroying the enemy's artillery positions.
The Japanese really fell into the trap. After being awakened by the explosion, the troops divided into two groups, one to the west and one to the east. There were no less than 200 people in each group.
When the Japanese braved artillery fire and rushed to both ends of Snake Ridge, they encountered heavy light machine gun fire.
Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, Battalion Commander Gao waved his hand violently. All the commanders and soldiers suddenly stood up and ran quickly, heading straight for the center of Snake Ridge.
Due to the dark sky and the roar of guns and artillery, the Japanese army could not see any trace of the third team, let alone the rapid footsteps of the soldiers.