In the past, the Battle of Xiangtangpu was not well-known in the Anti-Japanese War.
But this battle was the most productive since the 921st Division crossed the Yellow River eastward!
Because this battle was not about infantry, but a transport team, a huge transport team.
If a convoy consisting of 181 trucks, which was connected end to end for more than 5,000 meters during the march, is not huge, then no convoy can be called huge.
At least in the current Chinese military, it is rare for such a large number of vehicle transport teams to appear.
Yes, this is the baggage regiment under Tu Feiyuan of the 14th Division that appeared in the last battle of Jindong. Half a month later, they came again.
In the past, due to the deterrence of the Shentou Ridge ambush, the Japanese army strengthened its defense of this strategic communication line connecting the three provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Henan.
The number of troops stationed in Licheng that was attacked reached 1,800, and the number in Shecheng increased by 500. The number of troops stationed in Dongyangguan reached an infantry squadron. At the same time, an infantry regiment was dispatched to conduct a week-long sweep along the route to frighten the Chinese army in the mountains.
It's enough posture, no, it's posture!
result
The 921st Division dispatched three infantry regiments, which shocked Doi Yuan to the core. The 14th Division's baggage replenishment in April all went to the 80th Army.
It is said that because of this capture, the entire army of the 921st Division, which handed over half of the captured troops to the headquarters, had no worries about food and drink for three months.
But obviously, due to the arrival of Tang Dao in this era, the scale of the Shentou Ridge battle was far greater than before. The 108th Division suffered heavy losses, and the Japanese North China Front Army Command was naturally much more vigilant about the Chinese army in the Taihang Mountains in eastern Shanxi than before.
As early as five days ago, Tang Dao had received information from the 921st Division headquarters that Japanese troops were mobilizing in large numbers along the Handan-Changchang Highway.
Not only did the Japanese army station an infantry regiment in the re-occupied Licheng County, but the Japanese garrison in Dongyang Pass also amounted to an infantry brigade. In Shecheng, the brigade headquarters of the 31st Infantry Brigade of the Japanese 109th Division was even stationed.
The counties along the Handan-Changchang Highway were originally under the responsibility of the 108th Division. The presence of the 109th Division this time shows that the Japanese North China Front Army Headquarters can no longer trust Xiong Yuan's 108th Division.
A brigade headquarters is stationed in Shecheng, not far from Dongyang Pass. It is obvious that the Japanese troops in Shecheng will never be less than an infantry regiment.
That means that the ambush battle that is bound to happen is much more difficult than before in time and space.
Xiangtangpu is located between Dongyangguan and Licheng.
Originally, only two infantry regiments were needed to block the attack, which was enough to repel the enemy reinforcements coming from the direction of Shecheng and Licheng. But now, it seems impossible to rely on only two infantry regiments.
If the Japanese troops in Licheng and Shecheng attacked with all their might, with a strength of up to two infantry regiments, they might be surrounded by Japanese troops if they were not careful.
Even Brigadier Cheng, who has always been bold, was hesitant to fight this battle.
After all, although baggage is good, human life is more precious. If he pays such a huge sacrifice in exchange for supplies, it is not his way of fighting.
Tang Dao didn't make any decisions for them. He knew that someone would eventually make up his mind.
"We are afraid of sacrifice, but we will never be stingy with sacrifice! As long as we can inflict the most painful blow to the invaders, even if sacrifice is inevitable, we will persevere to the end." The division commander of the 921 Division said in a sonorous and powerful speech three days ago.
The answer set the tone for the battle.
No matter how difficult it is, this battle must be fought.
Not only is the massive amount of supplies exciting, but the capture of Lucheng will be enough for the 921st Division to not have to worry about food, clothing and ammunition for half a year.
The 769th Regiment, which suffered heavy losses, received nearly a thousand additional troops and equipped a fully armed infantry battalion and three infantry companies with captured equipment. Its combat effectiveness increased instead of falling.
The 772nd Regiment and the 771st Regiment under the 683rd Brigade have each been upgraded to five full-arms companies. The number of light and heavy machine guns has also doubled, and the overall combat effectiveness has increased by at least one-third.
Rather, if this huge batch of baggage is successfully transported to the 14th Division, the division that is attacking Henan Province will have combat power without supplies for a month, and may even counterattack Shandong at any time.
Jin Province is an extremely important strategic location for both China and Japan. If Jin Province can be defended, China can counterattack to the plains of Hebei Province at any time. In addition to guarding against counterattacks by the Chinese army, the Japanese army also hopes to attack Guanzhong from here.
, deter China’s southwest and northwest.
The best way to protect yourself is to weaken the enemy to the maximum extent. The division leader of the 921st Division has an extraordinary vision.
"Besides, the Japanese army is not as strong as it looks!" The commander of the 921st Division glanced at the intelligence gathered from each city on the table, faced the staff, and said with a faint smile: "Maybe, this is what they want us to see.
"
The commander of the 921st Division hit the nail on the head.
On March 27, two days had passed since the end of the Taierzhuang War.
Japanese North China Front Headquarters.
"Your Excellency, Commander, Xiong Yuan from the 108th Division called, saying that the 108th Division has just suffered heavy losses and is unable to fully guarantee the safety along the Handan-Changchang Highway. Recently, a friendly army's baggage regiment will pass through this section of the road. I hope the headquarters will give tactical advice.
Support." Japan's North China Front Chief of Staff Saburo Okabe reported to the somewhat depressed indoor shroud.
"This bastard Xiong Yuan led an imperial division and had no choice but to take advantage of tens of thousands of Chinese people. He even asked for help from the headquarters. It's so shameless and shameless!" The indoor shroud, which was already having a headache on the Xuzhou battlefield, exploded at this moment.
, stood up and cursed the Army Lieutenant General who had been issued a reprimand order by the base camp without caring about his colleagues' faces.
Saburo Okabe could only lower his head and let the boss take advantage of him. Although he had some personal friendship with Xiong Yuan, he had already helped him submit the request to the commander, and he still wanted him to help him again.
That person explained, that is absolutely impossible.
"Which division's baggage needs to be marched from the Handan-Chang Highway?" Indoor Shroud scolded Xiong Yuan with a red face. His mood gradually calmed down and he coldly asked himself, the chief of staff, who had a profound background and deep scheming intentions.
Saburo Okabe has a profound background, not because he comes from a noble family, but because he is from the Kwantung Army.
That was the base camp of the Japanese Army Ministry's Young Boys, which was famous for its radicalism. It was their masterpiece to launch the September 18th Incident without the permission of the Army Headquarters and achieve great success. Because this success gave them great weight in the eyes of the imperial family.
Even veteran soldiers like Indoor Shroud don't want to offend these lunatics easily.
In fact, in the past, Saburo Okabe served as the Chief of Staff of the North China Front for a year and then returned to the Kwantung Army as the commander of the First Division. Because of his contribution in suppressing the anti-Japanese forces in the three eastern provinces, he rose through the ranks and was promoted to Army General.
He succeeded Okamuraji as the commander of the Sixth Front Army, and his status in the army exceeded that of the indoor shroud.
Speaking of deep scheming, it is natural that this man not only failed to take all the responsibility for the defeat of Taierzhuang, but also took the initiative to submit a confession to the army base camp jointly with Indoor Shroud.
Someone must bear the responsibility for a defeat, just like hitting a slate. Two people get beaten together, even if they are not evenly divided! It is better to feel better than one person being beaten while the others sit aside and watch, isn't it?
This is also human nature, no matter how big an official you are.
Originally, Indoor Shroud was a little touched, thinking that this colleague who was second only to him in the headquarters could still advance and retreat with him at this time, and he was a good brother.
But two days later, some voices coming from the army base camp made Indoor Shroud gradually come back to his senses. Because he had always been domineering, many military orders issued to divisions did not go through the staff at all, just like the Fifth Division and the Tenth Division.
The two detachments fought all the way to Xuzhou. He personally ordered it and the two divisions executed it.
As Saburo Okabe, who didn't even act as a mouthpiece and was just a bystander, there was no need to play a moral role and share the responsibility with him, but he just did it.
What a great result! In order to find out the tactical mistakes of the two men, the army headquarters checked the signatures of the telegrams handed over by the two divisions from the headquarters. Almost all of them were his indoor shrouds.
At this time, no one knows that he, a dignified commander, completely regards his chief of staff as nothing. Although the position of chief of staff has always been a mascot-like thing, it is no longer a secret among various departments of the Japanese army, but that
Didn’t we even mention it on the table?
Then, when this mascot takes the initiative to stand up and share the responsibility for the defeat with his commander, you ask, can this character be described only by the word noble?
I'm sorry, in the end, the only one laughing at him was himself, and the indoor shroud who still had a good reputation and heard rumors coming from the country almost suffered internal injuries.
But he still has no way to deal with this person. If he wants to put on small shoes for this person, if the people at the base camp say that he is narrow-minded, it may be because of the smoke coming out of his ancestral grave.
After all, it is decided that he will leave this time, but he will not have to hang around in the base camp forever. It is still necessary to leave a good reputation.
Therefore, the indoor shroud could only suppress the bad breath in his chest first, and he could only use the opportunity of scolding Xiong Yuan to criticize Sang and Huai.
If Tang Dao had known that this battle he had carried out "under the hood" had brought this dignified commander to such an end, he would have laughed so happily.
"It is the baggage of the 14th Division for the entire month of April, so all the trucks of its baggage regiment must be used to transport it! It is now loaded at HD and ready to go." Saburo Okabe replied with a low eyebrow.
Of course he knew that his general, the commander, was not interested in him, but according to the information sent to him by the Kwantung Army, the commander's resignation had been decided. There was no need for him to do anything to irritate him.
He needs to stay peacefully until the second half of the year, then he can return to the Kwantung Army as the division commander.
"Oh? From the 14th Division." Indoor Shroud paced back and forth in the office with his hands behind his back, fighting fiercely in his mind.
If it were another division, he could have let it stay for half a month, waiting for him to straighten out the Xuzhou battlefield before mobilizing troops to solve the problem in Shanxi. But Tu Feiyuan of the 14th Division is not a simple person.
The relationship between the imperial intelligence system and the imperial intelligence system is also intricate. Last time, an infantry regiment was ambushed by the Chinese army on the north bank of the Yellow River and was severely damaged. It was only reprimanded by the base camp, which made the shroud in the room fearful of it. If he ordered to stop his supply troops,
Let's go, if that guy gets into trouble, he might cause trouble again.
A life that is already not rich cannot be made worse!
The shroud in the room was really filled with sadness at that moment. The Battle of North China was going smoothly all the way, but why did it suddenly go wrong all of a sudden? Not to mention the loss of soldiers and generals, there was no one who could worry about this group of subordinates. What happened to Baga?
Who did you offend?
"Where is the 109th Division?" His Excellency, the commander-in-chief of the Japanese North China Front, who was full of sadness, was not an ordinary person after all. He put away his worries and asked solemnly.
"The 109th Division is not far from the 108th Division's defense area, but they are facing the enemy's direct branch of the Central Army, with a strength of 50,000. I'm afraid of them." Naosaburo Okabe was slightly startled and replied.
"Now our army is on the offensive. It would be good if the Chinese can protect themselves, but there is no possibility of counterattack against our army. Besides, I don't need them to draw too many troops." Indoor Shroud waved his hand. "Order them to put a brigade headquarters."
In Shecheng, the strength of the troops should be no less than two infantry brigades.
In addition, in the name of the staff, an order was given to the 108th Division, ordering their Licheng garrison to be no less than one infantry regiment."
Damn it, you won’t let me get along with you! Naosaburo Okabe twitched the corner of his mouth slightly, and complained wildly in his heart, but his face straightened up, "What does your Excellency, Commander, mean? Use the heavy troops stationed in each city to frighten the mountains."
Chinese army?”
"That's right." Indoor Shroud nodded. "The last time Jindong was defeated, it was just that the Chinese saw that the cities along the highway were short of troops, so they gathered heavy troops to besiege the city and provide reinforcements. That idiot Xiong Yuan underestimated the Chinese.
Determination leads to great defeat.
This time, more than 5,000 imperial troops are stationed in two big cities that are only a few dozen miles apart and can support each other at any time. I don’t believe that the Chinese have the guts to provoke again."
Indoor Shroud is naturally confident when he says this. After fighting with the Chinese army for so long, he has already estimated the strength of the Chinese army. One infantry brigade of the Imperial Army is fully capable of competing with two infantry regiments and five infantry brigade of the Chinese army.
Coupled with the attached artillery, it can almost compete with the two regular Chinese infantry divisions.
The most active infantry division in Shanxi Province belongs to the 80th Group Army. It is a ragtag among the ragtag, and its weapons are old. Apart from being extremely cunning and fond of sneak attacks, it has no other merits.
In the view of Indoor Shroud, as long as the Chinese people's brains are not broken, they will not dare to launch a large-scale attack on the transportation lines with such heavy troops stationed in the two cities.
Because even if the baggage regiment of the 14th Division is a second-line soldier, a transport team composed entirely of trucks, plus baggage troops and escort troops, has at least 800 people. It cannot eat them without dispatching thousands of troops.
, let alone swallowing it in one gulp in a short time.
In the battle that broke out at Parallel Pass half a year ago, the Fifth Division's baggage brigade had only a thousand men, but it was defeated after a day of bloody battle with an infantry division of the Eightyth Army.
"Your Excellency, Commander, have you forgotten that there is an additional Four Troops there?" After a slight hesitation, Saburo Okabe decided to persuade his commander, who was no longer thinking clearly.
After all, the military order was signed by him, the chief of staff, and he did not want to be tainted by some unspeakable bad luck of this unlucky army general.
In short, the soldier's intuition told him that the Chinese army there would not be easily scared.
"It's just an infantry regiment. It's just the stupidity of some people that created their momentum. Don't take it too seriously. If they really dare to come, then they will be prepared to be defeated by the imperial army." Indoor Shroud's eyes.
A cold light flashed.
"I will order the Army Aviation to keep in contact with the 108th and 109th divisions. If necessary, they will fully support them. Okabe-kun, don't worry!"
"Hi!" Naosaburo Okabe nodded, feeling a little relieved.
The strength of the 5,000-strong army is there. If the Army and Aviation provide full support, even if the Chinese use three infantry divisions, they can at least remain undefeated.
Moreover, although the 108th Division's troops are dispersed, Xiong Yuan is not a free man. With the lessons learned last time, the response will definitely be much faster this time. If the Chinese dare to gather heavy troops, then they will take this as an opportunity to start a battle.
A decisive battle is also possible.
It can be said that Indoor Shroud has made two preparations. He did not hesitate to mobilize a brigade headquarters of the 109th Division, at least two infantry brigades and an artillery battalion, plus an infantry regiment of the 108th Division for deterrence. The Chinese army was frightened.
, can maintain the security of communication lines. If the Chinese army really dares to come, sufficient troops, firepower and air superiority will be enough to cause a lot of damage to the Chinese army.
The wishful thinking of the "bang bang ring" was just that he still underestimated the determination of the Chinese commander and the strength of the infantry regiment of the Sixings Regiment.
Today's Si Xing Regiment has the power to defeat a Japanese infantry regiment in an offensive battle, and can compete with a Japanese infantry brigade in a defensive battle.
Therefore, when the head of the 921st Division decided to fight this battle, the 683rd Brigade and the Fourth Army Regiment, the main force of the 921th Division, once again launched a general mobilization of the entire army.
The 683rd Brigade will dispatch its two main regiments and supplementary regiments! They will be responsible for the Japanese reinforcements from the direction of Licheng and the Japanese army's large convoy.
The Four Troops Regiment is naturally the main force in this battle. According to the tactical arrangement, the Four Troops Regiment will block the Japanese reinforcements in the direction of Shecheng.
Because, according to intelligence, the 109th Division not only placed the headquarters of the 31st Infantry Brigade in Shecheng, but also followed it with an infantry regiment, a tank squadron, and an artillery brigade.
Obviously, it was a Japanese invader with a total strength of more than 4,000 people, and its strength far exceeded any opponent of the Four Lines Regiment.
The 769th Regiment under the 685th Brigade will not participate in the ambush battle this time, but they will station their troops in the mountains 10 kilometers away from Shecheng. If the Japanese army in Shecheng does not fully reinforce it, the 769th Regiment will
They would attack Shecheng, which was empty of troops, and put the Japanese army in a dilemma.
8pm on the 30th!
The three infantry battalions, two artillery companies, two baggage companies, engineer company, guard company, special agent company, and special squadron of the Fourth Line Regiment all quietly left the station.
Set off for the battlefield two days early.
.......
PS: I recommend a new book by a friend who is a military writer, "Bright Sword: Falling Out in Ping'an County at the Beginning". Brothers who like Bright Sword fan fiction can check it out.
