"Reporting to the head of the division, the Eighth Route Army has arrived outside Changzhi City..."
"Reporting to the division commander, Wangcun Airport has been lost..."
"Reporting to the head of the division, the Eighth Route Army is encircling Changzhi..."
News came one after another, and Kenkichi Hirata was a little panicked, and the Eighth Route Army moved too fast. They almost reached Changzhi with the front foot, and the Eighth Route Army followed them with the back foot.
Chief of Staff Ishida Kinzo suggested: "Your Excellency, Division Commander, before the Eighth Route Army has completed the encirclement, the Division Headquarters can break out and go to Jincheng to command the troops in combat."
"It's too late."
Hirata Kenkichi sighed: "Don't you see it? Li Yunlong came for the division headquarters. Once the division headquarters leaves Changzhi, Li Yunlong's cavalry can follow."
In fact, Hirata Kenkichi's guess was correct. Li Yunlong's cavalry had been prepared for a long time. If Hirata Kenkichi escaped, Li Yunlong would order the cavalry to press forward.
From all four directions of the city wall, members of the Sharp Sword Squadron were watching with high-power walkie-talkies.
No matter which city gate Hirata Kenkichi escapes from, Li Yunlong will get the news as soon as possible.
After a pause, Hirata Kenkichi asked: "How many imperial troops are there in the city now?"
Ishida Kinzo said: "The Imperial Army has about 2,300 infantry and 2,200 artillery, and there are also more than 1,000 Imperial Alliance Army."
The current strength of the Japanese army in Changzhi mainly consists of a brigade of the 226th Regiment, the division headquarters troops, as well as a squadron and mountain artillery regiment that originally defended the county town.
Hirata Kenkichi, an old Japanese soldier, was very cautious and always asked the mountain artillery regiment to follow the division headquarters.
"Yoshi!"
Hearing that there were still more than 5,500 troops in total, Hirata Kenkichi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the Imperial Association Army is not effective in field combat, it can still help in this kind of defensive battle.
The Eighth Route Army would have to use at least 15,000 troops to have a chance of capturing Changzhi.
"Our defense is divided into three lines of defense outside the city, city walls and street fighting inside the city. The main purpose is to delay the eight-pronged offensive and wait for reinforcements to arrive."
Ishida Kinzo added: "At present, the trenches, foxholes and other defenses outside the city have been repaired overnight."
"Judging from the current situation, Li Yunlong wants to capture the thief first, capture the king first, concentrate his efforts to eat up our division headquarters, and then attack the two counties of Xiangyuan and Licheng."
"Wishful thinking!" Hirata Kenkichi snorted, "Changzhi is the burial ground of his Li Yunlong."
"Immediately send a report to the 226th Regiment and the 227th Regiment, ordering them to be ready to rush to Changzhi at any time."
"In addition, send a report to Commander Shinozuka, saying that the 37th Division has attracted the Li Yunlong Corps of the Eighth Route Army to Changzhi, and please Commander Shinozuka to quickly send troops to surround Li Yunlong Corps."
"Hi!" Ishida Kinzo suddenly paused.
…
Taiyuan.
Japanese First Army Headquarters.
Yoshio Shinozuka and Hideyoshi Kusuyama only slept for a while before waking up.
Then the two men immediately came to the communications room and asked the communications staff officer on duty about the battle situation.
At this time, a telegram from Ishida Kinzo happened to be sent. The decoder translated it into a telegram and handed it to Shinozuka Yoshio.
"Li Yunlong moves so fast." After reading the telegram, Yoshio Shinozuka narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Your Excellency, Commander, what happened to Li Yunlong?" Kusuyama Hideyoshi asked from the side when he saw this.
Shinozuka Yoshio handed the telegram to Ishida Kinzo, with a bad tone: "Li Yunlong... has arrived in Changzhi County and is encircling Changzhi City."
After reading the telegram, Kusuyama Hideyoshi's eyelids jumped. This was really unexpected.
He thought Li Yunlong would attack Xiangyuan or Licheng first, but he didn't expect that Changzhi would be attacked first?
Yoshio Shinozuka asked: "How many Imperial Army soldiers are around Lieutenant General Hirata?"
Kusuyama Hideyoshi said: "The Imperial Army should have more than 2,000 people, as well as the 37th Artillery Regiment, and the Imperial Association Army of more than 1,000 people. There should be no problem in holding on for three days."
"Hey!" said Yoshio Shinozuka, "Order the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade to speed up the advance. The garrison troops in Jincheng and Qin County will rush to help Changzhi immediately."
"In addition, immediately apply to the North China Front Army Headquarters for the deployment of aviation forces to attack and besiege the Eighth Route of Changzhi."
"Hi!" Kusuyama Hideyoshi suddenly paused.
…
"Old Li, commander-in-chief?"
Kong Jie hurriedly walked into the headquarters with a telescope in his hand.
Li Yunlong woke up with a start. He had no time to recall the contents of his dream and asked: "Lao Kong, has the artillery unit arrived?"
"Yes, the artillery unit has arrived." Kong Jie said, "When will the siege begin?"
Although there were some artillery towers and strongholds on the highway from Xiangyuan to Changzhi, they were quickly wiped out under the attack of the Eighth Route Army.
The New Regiment and the First Battalion served as the vanguard, followed by more than 10,000 troops pressing the formation. Zhang Dabiao commanded the troops to maintain more than a dozen gun tower strongholds.
Sweep all the way.
Li Yunlong looked at the sky. The sky was already white, and it would be dawn soon.
"Lao Kong, give me an order to place an artillery battalion outside the city in the east, west, and south, with three howitzers in each direction."
"When the cannons are ready, we can start attacking."
"Yes!" Kong Jie straightened up and prepared to walk out.
Li Yunlong looked up at the sky again, stopped Kong Jie and said, "Wait a minute, we have to prepare for air defense today. When I came here, I saw a lot of cave dwellings. We can put mountain cannons into the cave dwellings and carry out shelling with precision."
, if you can’t find the cave dwelling, you must put up more camouflage nets. In a word, be prepared for air defense.”
"Yes!" Kong Jie looked solemn, turned around and picked up the high-power intercom to give orders to the artillery unit.
Li Yunlong asked Huang Erhu again: "Huzi, did that old devil from Pingtian run away?"
"No." Huang Erhu said, "The Sharp Sword Squadron is watching, and no Japanese have escaped yet."
Li Yunlong stared at the map for a while and said: "Huzi, call Sun Desheng and Zhou Chunyu to me immediately."
"Yes!" Huang Erhu immediately picked up the walkie-talkie and called.
In just a few minutes, Sun Desheng and Zhou Chunyu rushed to the headquarters on horseback.
Zhou Chunyu was the commander of the brigade's cavalry regiment, the one who shouted for the Communists to assemble at Niangziguan.
"Sun Desheng, your cavalry battalion will lead the new second regiment cavalry battalion to block the Japanese reinforcements from the direction of Jincheng."
"Captain Zhou, your cavalry regiment is taking the independent regiment cavalry battalion to block the Japanese reinforcements coming from the direction of Qin County."
Li Yunlong pointed to Jincheng and Qin County and said:
"I don't force you two to guard a certain hilltop. Cavalry tactics are more flexible than infantry. No matter how you fight, you just need to block the reinforcements."
"The mission requirement is that if a Japanese reinforcement arrives in Changzhi County within two days, I will question you two."
"Promise to complete the mission!" Sun Desheng and Zhou Chunyu stood up to express their stance and turned to leave.
…
About an hour and a half later, Kong Jie returned to the headquarters.
As soon as he entered the headquarters, he reported: "Commander-in-Chief, all artillery battalions are ready, and the attack troops are also ready."
"Okay!" Li Yunlong nodded.
Li Yunlong raised his wrist and looked at the time. It was exactly 8 o'clock in the morning.
I raised my binoculars and looked towards the Changzhi City Wall. There were quite a few Japanese and puppet troops active on the wall.
Looking down, the Japanese and puppet troops built a lot of fortifications under the city wall.
At this time, the city gate opened, and the Japanese and puppet soldiers were carrying breakfast out on poles to feed the Japanese and puppet soldiers in the trenches.
"Damn it, your life is almost gone, and you still want to have breakfast?"
Li Yunlong's eyes flashed sternly: "Lao Kong, start the bombardment!"
"Yes!" Kong Jie turned around and picked up the high-power walkie-talkie, turned on the call, and shouted loudly: "Attention all artillery positions, attention all artillery positions, I am Kong Jie, I am Kong Jie, shelling immediately, shelling immediately!"
Not long after Kong Jie finished speaking, Li Yunlong heard a sharp whistling sound coming from above his head.
The artillery group at the rear opened fire, and they still used the precise method to determine the shooting position. Each artillery position was several kilometers away from the city wall, so that the Japanese on the city wall could not see the position of the artillery.
The target of each artillery battalion's bombardment was the Japanese and puppet army positions outside the city.
Boom boom boom, boom boom, boom boom boom...
A series of artillery shells fell on the Japanese position outside the city wall.
Because it was covered by artillery fire, there was no need for a preliminary test firing. The Japanese and puppet troops who were preparing to have breakfast were blown up before they could take cover and were blown to pieces by the artillery shells.
The Japanese and puppet troops' trench positions outside the city were immediately enveloped by fireballs and turned into a sea of flames.
After the Shanbao Battalion bombarded the Japanese and puppet positions for five rounds, the artillery fire extended forward and began to bombard the already devastated Changzhi city wall.
Changzhi fell twice. The first fall was on February 21, 1938. The 331st Brigade of the Sichuan Army was defending the city. The battle was very tragic. At the cost of annihilating the entire army, nearly a thousand Japanese troops were killed. The time of the second fall was
It was May 1939.
"Boom!" As a 105-caliber artillery shell landed on the north tower, the tower was instantly blown to pieces, broken bricks and rubble flew everywhere, and smoke filled the air.
Immediately afterwards, 75 mm caliber and 105 caliber artillery shells landed on the city wall one after another, making bursts of earth-shattering sounds.
A city wall that can be blown down by just a 75mm mountain cannon, let alone a 105-caliber howitzer, would be even more powerful.
But because it is not aimed straight, the accuracy is a bit off, and it is difficult for the shells to hit the same point, so it takes more time and shells.
Li Yunlong turned the sight of the artillery mirror in the headquarters and looked in the direction of the other Changzhi city walls. There was a loud rumble and smoke rising into the sky.
"Lao Li, it's begun!"
Zhao Gang, who had been busy with logistics, finally finished his work at this time, walked into the headquarters, walked to Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, raised his telescope and looked at the city wall.
Kong Jie said: "My deployment is to wait for the mountain artillery and howitzers to knock down the city wall, and then use 60mm mortars to cover the Japanese fortifications on the outer wall of the city with artillery fire before the infantry attack. Finally, the infantry
charge."
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Li Yunlong nodded and asked, "Are the ladders ready?"
"Ready!" Kong Jie said, "Now let's see how long it takes to collapse the city wall."
…
at the same time.
In Changzhi City, the headquarters of the Japanese 37th Division.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, the Eighth Route Artillery is shelling the Imperial Army's positions and walls outside the city."
Ishida Kinzo reported in a hurried tone: "Judging from the sound of artillery, in addition to the 75mm mountain field guns, the Eighth Route Army also used a large number of 105mm caliber howitzers."
Hirata Kenkichi frowned when he heard this, and his face was gloomy: "Where did the Eighth Route come from so many 105 mm caliber howitzers?"