A platoon and militiamen were left to clean up the battlefield, and then Kong Jie gathered his troops.
Signal troops were also sent to notify the Second Battalion to move in the direction of Shouyang.
Three thousand people from the Independent Regiment and the New Regiment marched toward Shouyang County along the Zhengtai Railway.
After marching forward for about an hour, we vaguely heard the sound of gunfire coming from the front. The sound became louder and louder as we walked forward.
After passing a corner, the front suddenly opened up. Not only could you hear the clear sound of gunfire, but you could also see large amounts of gunpowder smoke rising in front, indicating that the battle was in full swing.
The commanders and fighters of the New Second Regiment were fiercely attacking the Japanese stronghold on the opposite side, and the battle was intensifying.
Letting the team stay where they were, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie led the guards towards the headquarters of the New Second Regiment.
Ding Wei was speaking loudly to the communications personnel in the regiment headquarters: "Tell the third battalion commander that I don't want casualty figures, I just want the Zhangzhuang stronghold."
"Yes!" The communications soldier gave a military salute and turned around to leave.
The political commissar of the new second regiment advised: "Commander, why don't you ask the third battalion to withdraw first? I'm afraid the casualties will be high if we continue to fight like this."
Due to the terrain, the New Second Regiment had three battalions and could only deploy one battalion for a frontal attack.
There were several mortars in the Japanese stronghold, and the Italian field artillery and infantry artillery of the New Second Regiment were unable to aim and fire directly, and the effect of indirect fire was not ideal.
The machine gun firepower of the New Second Regiment was not strong and could not effectively suppress the firepower of the Japanese and puppet troops in the stronghold.
Of course, for the New Second Regiment, it is only a matter of time to capture this large stronghold, and the casualties will be greater.
"Withdraw?" Ding Wei said, "That's nonsense. The battle is going like this. If we withdraw again, won't we give the enemy some breathing time?"
"Now the Japanese and we on the other side are holding back a lot of energy. Whoever releases this energy first will have the upper hand in morale."
"Then we have to find a way." The political commissar advised again.
Ding Wei looked thoughtful, then nodded and said loudly:
"Give me the order to gather the grenade launchers of the whole regiment into the third battalion and use the grenade launchers to suppress the Japanese mortars."
"The artillerymen pushed the Italian field artillery and infantry artillery forward, aimed straight at me, and knocked down the enemy's gun towers and bunkers."
The communications soldier quickly ran out of the headquarters to convey the order.
Li Yunlong and Kong Jie ran into the communications soldier head-on. They asked the guards to wait outside, and they walked into Ding Wei's headquarters together.
"Old Li? Old Kong?" Ding Wei raised his binoculars to observe the battlefield situation, turned around and saw two people bending in, "Why are you here?"
After laughing, Li Yunlong said: "I heard that you, Old Ding, need artillery support, so Lao Kong and I came here specially."
Ding Wei's eyes lit up: "Old Li, did you bring your mountain artillery battalion with you?"
The political commissar of the new second regiment couldn't help but look happy.
Kong Jie picked up his telescope and observed the battlefield situation: "Old Ding, your troops' attack doesn't seem to be going well."
"This village stronghold is a bit difficult to attack." Ding Wei said, "Old Li, hurry up and set up your mountain artillery camp to provide artillery support for my troops."
Li Yunlong smiled and said: "You are so rude, kid."
"Which one of us is following whom? If I'm being polite to you, wouldn't that mean we're strangers?"
Ding Wei's tone was a bit hasty. If you delay for one more minute, some soldiers will have to be sacrificed.
Li Yunlong acted vigorously and resolutely, and did not write ink. He turned to the outside and shouted: "Huzi!"
"have!"
Huang Erhu ran into the headquarters and straightened up.
"Pass my order and the mountain artillery battalion will immediately aim at the Zhangzhuang stronghold and provide artillery support to the brother troops."
"Tell Wang Chengzhu, don't save shells for me, you must fight for 4 rounds."
"Go for it!"
"Yes!" Huang Erhu gave a military salute and walked out.
At that moment, Li Yunlong, Kong Jie and Ding Wei gathered in front of the observation hole of the headquarters and looked at the Japanese stronghold opposite.
…
Huang Erhu quickly passed the order to Wang Chengzhu.
Wang Chengzhu immediately ordered the mountain artillery battalion to set up the cannon.
In order to prevent being attacked by air attacks, each cannon was spread far apart, and more than twenty camouflage nets were set up around it.
And the surrounding 37 machine guns protect the mountain artillery camp at all times.
Under this kind of protection, unless the Japanese army dispatched a bomber group of twenty or thirty aircraft, it would be difficult for a few fighter jets to threaten the Shanpao Battalion.
There is almost flat ground next to the railway foundation, and the mountain cannon is pulled by mules, so assembly time is saved.
In less than five minutes, the mountain artillery battalion was ready. The artillery position was on the other side of the mountain, and the Japanese could not see the new regiment's artillery position.
As the artillery observer transmitted the firing parameters from the front, Wang Chengzhu first ordered a test fire.
A 75 mm caliber grenade came out of the gun, crossed the hilltop, and hit the Nanzhuang stronghold.
The observer quickly adjusts the shooting parameters according to the impact point of the bullet, and then communicates it to the artillery on the artillery position.
Immediately afterwards, all 12 mountain guns opened fire, and with the muffled sound of the guns being ejected, dust instantly rose on each gun position.
In the Nanzhuang stronghold, the Japanese squadron leader was commanding Japanese soldiers and puppet soldiers to fight against the Eighth Route Army.
At first, when the first artillery shell landed in the stronghold, the Japanese squadron leader didn't pay much attention because he knew there was a 75mm caliber artillery on the opposite side.
In the fierce battle, the Japanese squadron leader did not find any difference between this shell and the previous shells fired by the Eighth Route Army.
But soon, the Japanese squadron leader heard the screams of artillery shells above his head, and there were quite a lot of them.
This sound was inconspicuous among the dense gunfire, but it could not escape the ears of a veteran like the Japanese.
"Nani?" In the frightened eyes of the Japanese squadron leader, a scream passed through the smoke, coming closer and closer.
A moment later, groups of artillery shells fell into the stronghold. Amidst the explosions that shook the earth and the mountains, the entire Nanzhuang stronghold was filled with smoke and shrapnel flew everywhere.
"idiot!"
The Japanese evaded the gunfire and cursed one after another.
Can’t afford to play Eight-Road?
What does it mean to not fire artillery for a long time, but suddenly fire artillery in the middle of the battle, and it is covered with large-caliber artillery fire from the beginning? You don't have martial ethics?
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The soldiers of the attacking New Second Regiment and Third Battalion were also a little confused.
What's going on? Where's the artillery support coming from?
But seeing the bunkers and artillery towers in the Japanese stronghold being blown up in the artillery fire, the expressions of the soldiers quickly turned to excitement and joy.
No matter where the shells come from, as long as they fall on the enemy's head, they are good shells!
"Go forward!" The third battalion commander did not give up this opportunity and led the soldiers towards the stronghold.
Artillery fire spread wantonly inside the stronghold. After four rounds of artillery shelling, the entire Nanzhuang stronghold had been plowed by 75mm-caliber artillery shells. There were craters and ruins everywhere.
Most of the artillery towers and bunkers collapsed, and all the machine gun positions originally built by the Japanese with sandbags were destroyed. The Japanese and puppet troops suffered heavy casualties.
Some soldiers of the New Second Regiment had already cut the barbed wire and set up wooden ladders to jump over the blockade ditch.
After the sound of artillery stopped, the smoke quickly dissipated. The Japanese who were lucky enough to survive the artillery fire were still resisting, but the puppet troops had lost the courage to resist.
There is not much suspense in the battle anymore.
In the headquarters of the New Second Regiment, seeing more and more soldiers rushing into the stronghold, Ding Wei knew that the overall situation was decided.
"Ha ha…"
"It was so fun, this battle was so damn fun!"
"The artillery fire of 12 American mountain guns from an artillery battalion is so damn satisfying!"
"I just took a look. At least half of the Japanese and puppet troops were killed and injured by artillery shells."
Ding Wei's brows relaxed, his tone was encouraging, and there was a smile on his face.
"It's fun, it's so fun, this battle is so fun!" Kong Jie's mouth also curled up slightly.
"Old Li, it seems that we, Old Ding, owe you another favor." Ding Wei looked at Li Yunlong and said.
"What's wrong with people? Who among us is going to follow whom?" Li Yunlong said.
After a pause, Li Yunlong asked: "Old Ding, have your regiment's missions been completed?"
"All tasks have been completed." Ding Wei nodded and said, "The task given to our group by the headquarters was five days, and our group completed it in less than three days. Lao Li, is this speed good?"
"It's just so-so." Li Yunlong said, "It's just a little faster than Lao Kong's independent regiment, but a little worse than our new regiment. I completed the task in just one day."
"Lao Li, what do you mean by this?"
Ding Wei asked: "Didn't your regiment have to contain the Japanese in Yangquan for five days at Lion Rock? How did you complete the task? What did you do with the remaining four days?"
Ding Wei really couldn't understand, how could a five-day containment task be completed in one day?
Kong Jie laughed at the side and said: "Old Li, he wiped out all the Japs in Yangquan and captured Yangquan. Naturally, the containment task was completed ahead of schedule."
"What are you talking about? Your new group captured Yangquan?" Ding Weiwen's eyes suddenly opened wide and his tone was unbelievable.
The political commissar of the New Second Regiment next to Ding Wei almost had his eyes dropped.
Kong Jie added: "Lao Li not only captured Yangquan, but also killed the old Japanese Mitake Tsuda, and even successfully seized the ammunition warehouse and grain depot in Yangquan City."
"Lao Li, you are not interesting enough." Ding Wei said, "Such a big good thing, you don't want me to do it with Lao Kong?"
"Isn't it Yangquan? Our group is enough."
"Besides, if I hadn't provided you with artillery support, your regiment would still have to go through a lot of trouble to capture this Nanzhuang stronghold."
"We, Lao Li, are very interested in you, Lao Ding, and Lao Kong."
After a pause, Li Yunlong said again: "There is an opportunity to make a fortune right now. What about me, old Ding? Do you dare to do it together?"
Ding Wei's expression moved slightly and he quickly asked: "What opportunity?"
"Attack Shouyang County." Li Yunlong raised his head and said, "I have received news from the brigade commander. Tomorrow, the brigade commander will assemble the 386 Brigade and several of our main groups to attack Shouyang County together. The brigade commander has even made a battle plan.
"
"Right now, Cheng Xiazi's 772nd Regiment is establishing a base in Pingding. Anyway, our three regiments have completed their missions."
"We might as well gather our troops now and go straight to Shouyang County to knock it down."
"One less regiment to participate in the battle means one less regiment to share the spoils. With the firepower and equipment of our three regiments, there will be no problem in taking Shouyang County."
When he attacked Yangquan, Li Yunlong dared to fight with a group because there were not many Japanese in Yangquan City.
In Shouyang County, there is also a brigade of Japs with more than 700 people, and a battalion of puppet troops, totaling more than 1,000 people.
If it were in the wild, these Japanese and puppet troops combined would be no match for the new group.
However, this was an siege. It would be more difficult for the New Regiment to capture Shouyang County. Even if they could capture it in the end, the New Regiment would definitely suffer heavy losses, so Li Yunlong had to find two helpers.
Seeing that Ding Wei was still hesitating, Li Yunlong said again: "How about it, Old Ding, do you dare to do it?"
"If you don't dare to do it, don't say anything like I won't make you rich together."
"Old Ding, let's do it!" Kong Jie advised, "Conquer Shouyang County and let us all make a fortune together!"
Ding Wei asked: "If Shouyang County is captured, how will the spoils be distributed?"
Li Yunlong said: "Our three groups will divide it equally."
"Since you two are talking about this, I don't have anything to say." Ding Wei said, "Fuck him!"