When Li Yunlong heard Zhao Gang's words, he first looked thoughtful, and then said: "Probably not."
"The information that we were about to mobilize a large number of troops to attack Taiyuan was passed to Neji Okamura through pangolins."
"The Japanese army did not transfer the 33rd Division and the 37th Division back to Taiyuan to strengthen defense."
"We are only shelling the Taigu defense line. The Japanese army will probably not transfer the 33rd and 37th Divisions to Taiyuan."
In this battle, Li Yunlong's real strategic targets were the Japanese 33rd Division and the 37th Division.
After killing the 33rd Division and the 37th Division, the Eighth Route Army could not only control the Zhengtai Railway, but also eliminate part of the main force of the Japanese First Army.
After June, the pressure on the Eighth Route Army to attack Taiyuan will be greatly reduced.
The division commander's strategic vision is of a higher level than Li Yunlong's, so Li Yunlong knew very well that the division commander must have also considered this issue.
However, the division commander still ordered the artillery to fire at the Taigu defense line, which shows that the division commander also felt that Yoshio Iwamatsu would not transfer the 33rd Division and the 37th Division back to Taiyuan.
At least for the time being, the 33rd Division and the 37th Division will not be transferred back to Taiyuan.
Chief of Staff Wang Dehou also analyzed: "The Zhengtai Railway is the lifeline of the Japanese army. Unless Taiyuan reaches a moment of life and death, I don't think the First Army Headquarters will transfer the 33rd Division and the 37th Division to Taiyuan."
The left attack group only bombarded the Japanese Taigu defense line.
The Taigu defense line is still 40 kilometers away from Taiyuan, and Taiyuan is far from the critical moment of life and death.
After a pause, Wang Dehou continued: "Furthermore, the division commander and others launched a large-scale artillery bombardment towards the Taigu defense line. I think another advantage is that it makes the Japanese army even more confused about the true intentions of our Eighth Route Army."
Zhao Gang nodded: "It seems that I am worrying too much."
"This is the genius of our teacher."
Li Yunlong glanced at Wang Dehou and nodded.
Li Yunlong was the actual commander-in-chief of this battle, so he naturally knew the number of artillery shells carried by the left attack group heading north.
There are three base numbers in total, including about 190,000 rounds of artillery shells of various calibers such as 60mm, 70mm, 82mm, 75mm, and 105mm.
More than 3,000 mule carts were used to transport artillery shells. There were also hundreds of cars pulling cannons, which were also filled with artillery shells, as well as militiamen specialized in carrying artillery shells.
Without strong transportation capacity, it would be impossible to transport so many artillery shells to the Taigu front line.
Modern warfare is all about logistical supplies.
The left attack group fired two and a half shells at the Taigu defense line.
In other words, the number of artillery shells that hit the Japanese army's heads exceeded 150,000.
"Chief of Staff, please prepare a telegram and apply for airdrop of supplies with Boss Chen, and apply for airdrop of 100,000 artillery shells to the Taigu Defense Line. The caliber of the artillery shells is 60mm, 70mm, 82mm, 75mm, and 105mm."
Li Yunlong looked at Wang Dehou and said.
The main force of the 129th Division has long been disdainful of the Japanese grenades, and they don't even use them.
However, the Japanese grenades and grenades captured by the Eighth Route Army were not wasted and were all used by the militia.
However, the Japanese's 70mm Type 92 infantry gun is a good thing and is very suitable for the Eighth Route Army.
Therefore, Boss Chen directly provided the headquarters with assistance for the production line of the 70mm Type 92 infantry gun and artillery shells.
While writing the telegram, Wang Dehou smiled and said: "After these 100,000 rounds of artillery shells are air-dropped and supplied to the left attack group, I am afraid that we can defeat the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade defending the Taigu Defense Line without infantry and only with artillery.
It’s a group.”
The corners of Li Yunlong's mouth curled up slightly, feeling happy.
The business of defeating two Japanese brigades was a huge fortune.
When the battle plan was formulated, the defeat of the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade was not included in the battle plan.
Because there were only a small number of Japanese troops and a large number of puppet troops guarding the Taigu defense line at that time.
After the Japanese army received the news that the Eighth Route Army was about to mobilize heavy troops to attack Taiyuan, it sent the main forces of the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade to the Taigu defense line.
Li Yunlong thought to himself that the division commander was worthy of being a military god and could always seize opportunities.
During the Battle of Xinkou, the division commander twice commanded troops to ambush the Japanese troops at the same location in Qigen Village, and he was extremely good at seizing fighter opportunities.
The army does not lie in ambush.
This is the traditional military principle of military strategists, but the division commander adapted to the situation, went against the grain, and cleverly used overlapping ambush, which can be called a classic example in the history of Chinese and foreign wars.
Zhao Gang carefully calculated that if these 100,000 rounds of artillery shells were fired, it was estimated that the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade would suffer most of the casualties.
After all, the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade are not in peak condition, with a total of only 10,000 people.
Adding in the thousands of soldiers in a puppet army division, each enemy can receive about 20 rounds of artillery shells on average.
This density of shelling is simply astonishing.
If 100,000 rounds of artillery shells are not enough, then add another 100,000 rounds. Anyway, Boss Chen is eager to consume more artillery shells and kill more Japanese.
After Wang Dehou drafted the telegram, he handed it to Li Yunlong to read. Li Yunlong signed his name and handed it to the telegraph operator.
"Huzi, map!" Li Yunlong shouted.
Guard Huang Erhu quickly pulled the map out of the map bucket and handed it to Li Yunlong's hand.
Even though Huang Erhu is not outstanding, his skill and marksmanship are very good, only slightly worse than Duan Peng and Wei Dayong. He has been with Li Yunlong for several years.
Usually when Li Yunlong trains with the Sharp Sword Squadron, Huang Erhu also trains with him.
The various combat skills are similar to those of members of the Sword Squadron.
"Chief of Staff, where are we now?" Li Yunlong asked, staring at the map.
"Captain, we are here now." Wang Dehou pointed at the map and said, "We are only 23 kilometers away from Yangquan."
In this battle, the main combat goal of the New Regiment was to complete the encirclement of the Japanese 33rd Division and 37th Division together with the center and right attack groups of the 129th Division.
Due to the wartime situation, the new regiment was divided into six combined battalions.
Each combined battalion has at least two infantry battalions.
Three of the combined battalions, led by deputy commander Xing Zhiguo, headed for the 33rd Division in Shouyang.
Li Yunlong personally led three combined battalions towards Yangquan.
In addition, the 129th Division also detached a brigade and carried a mountain artillery battalion to attack Niangziguan Station.
In this battle, the Eighth Route Army not only wanted to completely annihilate the 33rd and 37th Divisions, but also completely paralyzed the Zhengtai Railway!
At this moment, a telegraph soldier ran over on horseback.
Since the radio station needed to stop to receive telegrams, the telegraph machine and telegraph operator were at the back of the line.
However, the regiment headquarters sent guard soldiers to protect the radio station and telegraph operators.
"Report to the leader, urgent call from Brigade 386!"
The telegraph operator got off his horse and handed a piece of telegram into Li Yunlong's hand.
Zhao Gang and Wang Dehou came over again, using the light from the flashlight to look at the telegram in Li Yunlong's hand.
"The 386th Brigade, the main force of the Taiyue Military Region has arrived in Pingding County and is storming Pingding County. I want to ask where your troops are, 386th Brigade Commander Chen Geng."
While reading the telegram, Wang Dehou read out the contents of the telegram.
Brigadier Chen is not only the commander of the 386th Brigade, but also the commander of the Taiyue Military Region, and the 386th Brigade has been reorganized into a mobile corps.
However, it is still known to the outside world as the 386th Brigade.
Attacking Pingding County is part of the battle plan.
Pingding County is only a dozen kilometers away from Yangquan, and it is at an angle with Yangquan. If you go north along the highway from southeastern Shanxi to attack Yangquan, you must first attack Pingding County.
However, there were not many Japanese troops stationed in Pingding County, relying on the troops and artillery firepower in the hands of the brigade commander.
It would take at most a few hours to capture Pingding County.
In fact, in the original drama, when Li Yunlong led his troops to attack Ping'an County, Li Yunlong assembled nearly 10,000 troops and it took almost two days to defeat it.
At that time, when Li Yunlong attacked the county town, he relied on soldiers carrying explosive bags to blow up the city walls. He relied on soldiers carrying siege ladders and filling in the gates and buildings with their lives.
In the end, a 75mm Italian field gun with only a few rounds of shells was used to successfully capture Ping'an County.
At that time, if Li Yunlong had a mountain artillery battalion and a basic number of artillery shells, he could take down Ping'an County in a few hours at most.
Now that the Eighth Route Army is rich, attacking a county town where the Japanese army does not have many troops would be like playing for fun.
Nearly 10 counties in southeastern Shanxi were recaptured by the Eighth Route Army in this way, and the Japanese First Army was helpless.
It would only be difficult to attack counties such as Shouyang, Yangquan and Taiyuan, which were heavily defended by the Japanese army.
"Haha, close combat at night is the specialty of our Eighth Route Army." Li Yunlong looked solemn, "In two or three hours at most, the brigade commander can take down the county town."
"The defense focus of the Japanese 37th Division must be south of Yangquan City."
"Pass my order to each battalion to increase their marching speed, and let's poke the 37th Division in the ass!"
One of Li Yunlong's favorite tactics is to poke his eyes in the face.
Launch an attack suddenly from the enemy's unexpected back, catching the enemy off guard and eating them before they can react.
Following Li Yunlong's order.
The marching speed of each battalion and company of the new regiment has accelerated a bit.
Then, Li Yunlong looked at Wang Dehou again: "Chief of Staff, you immediately draft a telegram to the 386 Brigade Headquarters to convey our position to them, saying that our unit will arrive in Yangquan in three hours, and let them fight according to the plan
act.”
Wang Dehou straightened his body and responded: "Yes!"
…
at the same time.
Inside Yangquan City.
37th Division Headquarters.
"The 5th Infantry Brigade in Pingding County requested emergency tactical guidance from the division headquarters?"
After listening to the report from the communications staff, the commander of the 37th Division, Anda Twenty-three, frowned.
The old devil smelled something unusual.
Tactical guidance can generally be understood as asking for immediate reinforcements from superiors after being beaten. However, there is also an emergency added in front of tactical guidance.
That means that the 5th Infantry Brigade is in danger and is likely to be wiped out by the Eighth Route Army.
"Hi!" The communications staff officer lowered his head, "Major Hirata, captain of the 5th Infantry Battalion, said that the Eighth Route Army mobilized at least 10,000 elite troops and 2 artillery regiments to attack Pingding County!"
Anda Twenty-san's brain suddenly fell into a state of confusion.
Didn’t the headquarters say that the Eighth Route Army heading north was just a cover and assist, and that the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army in northwestern Shanxi would attack the 1st Division stationed in Datong?