Chapter 470 The Eighth Route Army definitely does not have that strength!
38th Regiment of Jinsui Army.
Chief of Staff Fang Ligong hurriedly walked into the regiment headquarters.
In his hand was a telegram he had just received.
Fang Ligong said: "Regiment leader, this is a call from the commander of the theater, ordering our regiment to launch a small-scale attack on the nearby Japanese army. Remember not to challenge the Japanese army head-on."
"Oh?" Chu Yunfei was slightly startled. The theater commander had not given him an order to actively attack the Japanese army for a long time.
Generally, the 38th Regiment is instructed to intensify training and retain its strength.
The 38th Regiment is the trump card in Commander Yan's hands, and priority is given to ensuring the supply of weapons, ammunition and food.
Chu Yunfei also had some abilities and led a lone army to garrison in northwest Shanxi. Despite several raids by the Japanese and puppet troops, he was not driven out of northwest Shanxi and occupied a large territory in the Dagushan and Hengshan areas.
"This should be an order from Chongqing," Fang Ligong said.
"The principal's order?" Chu Yunfei asked with a look on his face.
Fang Ligong said: "Yes, the war zone commander also sent the latest information on southern and southeastern Shanxi."
"What information?" Chu Yunfei asked again.
"The First War Zone is preparing to cross the Yellow River north to recapture Zhongtiao Mountain, and the main force of the Eighth Route Army in southeastern Shanxi is heading north, preparing to attack Yangquan and Taiyuan."
Fang Ligong handed over the telegram in his hand and spoke word by word.
"What did you say?"
Chu Yunfei quickly took the telegram and read it, his tone suddenly raised an octave: "The Central Army and the Eighth Route Army are going to have a decisive battle with the Japanese army?"
After reading the telegram, Chu Yunfei opened his eyes slightly and couldn't calm down.
Li Yunlong was already involved with the Japanese 36th Division. Chu Yunfei received the intelligence in the afternoon and sent scouts to keep a close eye on the development of the battle.
Although Li Yunlong did not admit it at first that the new regiment was going to attack the Japanese 36th Division, this was within Chu Yunfei's expectation.
However, Chu Yunfei took the initiative to come to the door and wanted to team up with Li Yunlong to eat the 36th Division, but was rejected by Li Yunlong.
Although there are conflicts between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party from time to time, they are friendly forces after all, right?
You didn't even say hello, you just went about your business. Your reinforced regiment wants to eat up a division of the Japanese army and a mixed brigade of the puppet army. Do you have enough troops?
Chu Yunfei felt a little unhappy and dissatisfied, but he was not a narrow-minded person. As long as he was fighting the Japanese, Chu Yunfei would definitely help.
Chu Yunfei could also understand Li Yunlong's refusal. After all, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party had been fighting for ten years, so it was normal for Li Yunlong to be wary of the Communist Party.
but.
Chu Yunfei only guessed half of it right. On the one hand, he was wary, and on the other hand, Li Yunlong simply did not underestimate the combat effectiveness of the 38th Regiment.
The current combat effectiveness of the 38 regiments is equivalent to at most one brigade of Japanese frontline troops.
The fight with Yoshino United was back and forth, which happened in the later period after the 38th Regiment was equipped with beautiful weapons.
"From the intelligence point of view, it should be like this." Fang Ligong nodded and said, "I just didn't expect that the decisive battle would come so quickly, and there was no news at all before. If the Japanese First Army was defeated..."
Chu Yunfei and Fang Ligong's eyes flashed slightly: "If that's true, that's a good thing."
"Although in that case, among the forces in Shanxi, the Jinsui Army is the weakest."
"However, our biggest enemy at this stage is Japan. Everyone is fighting for the independence and freedom of the nation. We must first drive away the Japanese troops and then solve our own problems behind closed doors."
Fang Ligong nodded in agreement: "What the regiment leader said makes sense, then shall we send troops to help Li Yunlong fight the 36th Division?"
"Since Li Yunlong doesn't appreciate it, he won't join in the fun and let the Eighth Route Army go to work with the 36th Division."
Chu Yunfei shook his head and stared at the map, scanning the map.
Fang Ligong adjusted his glasses. He actually didn't want to cooperate with the Eighth Route Army. It would be best if both the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese army would suffer losses, while the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army would benefit.
Thinking of this, Fang Ligong said: "According to the intelligence, the Japanese army has been building thickened bunkers and gun towers to block the Eighth Route Army during this period. After these thickened bunkers and gun towers are completed, there will be an infinite blockade waiting for the new group.
The base area was cut into several pieces, and the guerrilla area was compressed, followed by a heavy raid by the Japanese army. I guess Li Yunlong was also anxious, so he attacked in such a hurry, but I guess Li Yunlong was going to suffer a big loss, after all, the Japanese army spent a lot of effort to build
Those thickened bunkers and turrets are not so easy to remove."
Chu Yunfei still stared at the map and shook his head: "Brother Ligong, you don't understand Li Yunlong very well. How can someone who is unwilling to suffer losses take the initiative on the battlefield?"
At this moment, a combat staff officer walked in and gave a military salute: "Reconnaissance, urgent call!"
The 38th Regiment has two radio stations, one for receiving telegrams and one for sending telegrams.
Chu Yunfei specially ordered the scouts to take the telegraph operator to the direction of Heyuan County to scout for intelligence.
Fang Ligong took the telegram and read it. After a moment, his face was full of disbelief, and he said in a voice: "The New Regiment has removed all the thickened bunkers and gun towers in the direction of Heyuan County, and also shot down a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. The New Regiment is suspected of being equipped with
Large caliber heavy artillery, this, how is this possible?"
What made Fang Ligong unlucky was that the new regiment not only pulled out the thickened bunkers and gun towers in the direction of Heyuan County within half a day.
What shocked him even more was that the new regiment was suspected of being equipped with large-caliber heavy artillery.
Within a few kilometers of the Eighth Route Army's attack area, the scouts of the 38th Regiment could never get close, so the scouts probably judged from the sound of artillery and guessed that the new regiment was equipped with large-caliber heavy artillery.
"Commander, could it be that the scout heard wrongly?"
"The 10mm howitzer sounds like a large-caliber heavy artillery."
Fang Ligong shook his head, not believing that the Eighth Route Army was really equipped with large-caliber heavy artillery. What could be called a large-caliber howitzer was only 10 mm.
At the beginning, the Taiyuan Arsenal also produced 10mm heavy howitzers. At that time, they only built a sample gun. Then the Japanese army invaded Shanxi, and 80% of the equipment and raw materials in the arsenal were robbed by the Japanese.
Chu Yunfei asked rhetorically: "If it weren't for the large-caliber heavy artillery, how could the Eighth Route Army pull out so many thickened bunkers and gun towers in such a short period of time?"
Fang Ligong suddenly widened his eyes and said in an unbelievable tone: "So, this is probably true?"
Chu Yunfei nodded, with a look of envy on his expression.
Brother Yunlong, Brother Yunlong, it turns out that you are equipped with large-caliber heavy artillery. Why did I say no so simply?
Seeing Chu Yunfei's nodding action, Fang Ligong showed a look of horror on his face.
This new group is so rich!
Chu Yunfei said in a disdainful tone: "It seems that Li Yunlong is really ready to eat up the 36th Division. He has large-caliber heavy artillery in his hands, and the walls of the county town are nothing."
Although Fang Ligong did not think that the new regiment could defeat the 36th Division, he did not refute it.
Then Chu Yunfei stared at the map and thought silently.
Obviously, this was a rare major battle initiated by the Chinese Army to actively attack the Japanese army. The Central Army and the Eighth Route Army were both involved. Why was the 38th Regiment of the Shanxi-Sui Army missing?
Chu Yunfei stared at the map, analyzing the current situation between the enemy and ourselves:
"The new regiment attacks the 36th Division. Once the battle situation reaches a stalemate, the Japanese First Army Headquarters will definitely send reinforcements."
"The Japanese troops in Taiyuan, Datong and Yangquan are capable of reinforcing the 36th Division."
"The 37th Division in Yangquan is not expected to move. The Japanese army should send reinforcements from Taiyuan and Datong."
Fang Ligong said: "There are still troops stationed in Mongolia. If the situation is not conducive to the 36th Division, the Japanese troops stationed in Mongolia may also go south for reinforcements."
Chu Yunfei said: "If the principal can give orders to the commander of the theater, he will probably give orders to the Sui Army to launch an attack on the Japanese troops stationed in Mongolia. This is a big battle."
"The Japanese 3rd Brigade in Datong was defeated by a battalion of the New Regiment at Baozi Mountain last time."
"There has been no replenishment of troops yet. It is estimated that the total strength is only 0,000 people at most, which is the strength of a mixed brigade."
"If we want to rescue the 36th Division, the 3rd Brigade must at least dispatch most of its troops. Then... Datong City will be empty of troops."
Chu Yunfei nodded and said firmly: "This opportunity cannot be missed. Brother Ligong, order the brothers to be prepared and ready to go at any time!"
Datong is not comparable to a county town. Like Yangquan, it is a real military town.
Otherwise, the Japanese army would not have sent a brigade of troops to garrison.
As the starting point of the Tongpu Railway and the transfer station of the Pingsui Railway, Datong has a very high strategic position and even built an airport.
However, because the First Army's flying squadrons were severely damaged one after another, there were usually no planes taking off and landing at Datong Airport.
If the 38th Regiment could capture Datong, the supplies captured would be enough to capture at least three county towns.
"Yes, group seat."
Fang Ligong straightened up, turned around and left quickly. In addition to giving orders to make preparations, the staff also had to formulate operational plans and contingency plans for attacking Datong.
…
Time passes steadily and coldly.
The thunderous sound of artillery is getting closer and closer to Heyuan County, and it is becoming clearer and clearer.
"Reporting to the division commander, the leading troops of the Eighth Route Army are only 4 kilometers away from the county seat!"
Heyuan County, division and regiment headquarters, communications captain Mukai Sekiren and Ishikawa Flood Control Dun first report.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, has the Division Headquarters left Heyuan County?"
After the communications captain left, Ishikawa Harishui looked at Iseki Ren, who had a gloomy expression, and asked in a deep voice.
The new regiment's advance was much faster than expected. At midnight, it had already reached a distance of 4 kilometers from Heyuan County.
Heyuan County is surrounded by vast plains and there is no danger to defend. The only defense lines outside the city are ordinary reinforced concrete bunkers and gun towers.
At first, Li Yunlong thought that the Japanese in these bunkers and gun towers would withdraw to the county town.
Later it was discovered that Jingguan Ren had replaced most of the Japanese in the gun towers and bunkers with puppet troops, but it was the same to Li Yunlong.
When setting up artillery, first shout with a loudspeaker to ask the puppet troops to kill the Japanese and surrender, otherwise large-caliber heavy artillery will serve.
In order to survive, some puppet soldiers killed the Japanese and then surrendered. Some puppet soldiers did not have the courage and had to take high-explosive shells.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, the Eighth Route is still 4 kilometers away from the county seat. It's not too late to leave from the east gate now!"
"If the Eighth Route Army surrounds the county seat, it will be too late to leave!"
Seeing that Iguchi Ren was still hesitant, Ishikawa Jisui persuaded him again.
In his opinion, the Eighth Route Army was equipped with large-caliber heavy artillery, and Heyuan County could no longer stay in this place!
After careful consideration, Jingguan Ren took a deep breath and snorted coldly: "Li Yunlong is just scaring us. At this stage, the new regiment wants to eat my 36th Division, and they definitely don't have the strength."
Then he suddenly exploded and slapped the table:
"Li Yunlong is looking for death, then I will help you!"
"Order the Mountain Artillery Regiment, all Imperial Army infantry and the Imperial Army to prepare for battle, and order the Regiment and 3rd Regiment to prepare for reinforcements!"
The table was shaken, as if it might fall apart at any moment.
"Hi!"
Ishikawa Harishui felt helpless, but his movements were not slow. He quickly lowered his head, turned around and walked out quickly to deliver the order.