Chapter 402: A major military town, launching a general offensive. Please subscribe.
Just after the battles around Changzhi started one after another, the independent detachment quickly moved towards Changzhi City with the 1st Regiment and 1st Battalion as the vanguard.
Since the reinforcements led by Kawamura Kamesaburo removed most of the defenders from the strongholds along the road, the offensive launched by the 1st Battalion went extremely smoothly.
At about 8 o'clock in the morning, without giving the Japanese troops in the city any unnecessary response, the independent detachment began to encircle Changzhi City.
According to Zhou Weihan's order, the first regiment was responsible for the east and north directions of Changzhi, and the second regiment was responsible for the west and south directions of Changzhi.
The independent detachment came on a rapid march from the northeast. It just showed up outside Changzhi City. The first and second regiments were preparing to move to the predetermined location separately. As a result, the scouts who had dispersed came to report.
"The detachment leader, chief of staff, and the garrison troops at Changzhi's outer strongholds voluntarily abandoned their strongholds and moved toward the fortifications outside Changzhi City!"
Zhou Weihan frowned when he heard this: "The commander of the Japanese army in Changzhi City, Jiro Ikeda, is so decisive. We move fast, and the Japanese army moves even faster. The response is very timely!"
"The Japanese army may have long guessed that our ultimate intention is to attack Changzhi City. Ikeda Jiro is extremely cautious. It can be seen from the fact that he sent troops to reinforce Changzhi Airport. Changzhi City is not easy to fight now!" Xing Zhiguo said worriedly!
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Originally Zhou Weihan had planned to eat more of the Japanese troops in the stronghold. Unexpectedly, Jiro Ikeda actually took the initiative to withdraw the defenders from the outer stronghold.
"Hey, we expected that it would be difficult to fight. You two, don't be stunned. Hurry up and let the first and second regiments deploy quickly. First, take down the fortifications outside Changzhi City. Remember, don't let the Japanese army.
I fled into the city!" Zhou Weihan said to Jing Dagang and Xu Dali who were still at the headquarters.
"Yes!" The two of them left in a hurry.
"Old Zhou, could you please bring back the twelve mountain artillery pieces at Changzhi Airport? I think the artillery battalion has too few artillery pieces!" Xing Zhiguo suggested.
"No need, wait until the day lilies are cold when the twelve mountain cannons are transferred, it will be easier to call for air support!"
Xing Zhiguo wanted to say something else, but Zhou Weihan waved his hand and refused.
Zhou Weihan knew that Xing Zhiguo was just worried that the Eighth Route Army's possession of aircraft would be exposed too early, but in Zhou Weihan's view, good steel is used on the blade, and it is not used when fighting Changzhi. When will it be used?
Currently, the artillery battalion that followed the main force to Changzhi only has six field guns and six mountain guns. The combat defense artillery battery was previously transferred by Zhou Weihan to support the Tianpingshan guerrilla brigade in Lin County.
The two most powerful 105 howitzers were left in the Ludongnan mountainous area because they were difficult to carry with the truck.
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As the core of the Shangdang area, Changzhi is one of the important troop dispatch points for the Japanese army to attack Zhongtiao Mountain. Its geographical location is very important and it is a strategic military town for the Japanese army.
Outside Changzhi City, the Japanese army surrounded the entire Changzhi City and deployed a ring of fortifications several kilometers long and more than 500 meters wide. There were fifty or sixty large and small gun towers and bunkers in the four directions.
No matter which army launched the attack, without the assistance of a large number of artillery, they might not even be able to reach the city wall of Changzhi, and they would have to retreat in defeat.
At this time, the Japanese and puppet troops stationed outside the city were reinforcing their fortifications and adding firepower points between the original communication trenches connecting the bunkers. A large number of weapons and ammunition supplies were being transported from the city.
Changzhi City is divided into two parts: inner and outer cities. The inner city is the activity area for Japanese troops and expatriates, while the outer city is the living area for puppet troops and Chinese people.
After the Japanese army occupied Changzhi, they repaired the city wall many times and deployed multiple firepower points on the two-layered city wall fortifications.
According to intelligence from the enemy's engineering section, the troops in Changzhi City include the wing headquarters of the 238th Regiment of the 41st Division of the Japanese Army, an infantry squadron, a machine gun squadron, a mountain artillery battalion, an engineering squadron, a supply squadron, and a communications team.
The second field hospital is coupled with a puppet army garrison of more than 600 people with high combat effectiveness.
The remaining troops of the 238th Regiment and the Japanese troops of the 41st Division's Heavy Troops Regiment and Engineer Regiment are distributed in various counties around Changzhi.
In the fortifications outside the city, the Japanese army deployed an infantry squadron on all sides, and the Imperial Association Army mixed into a regiment of the Fourth Brigade with more than a thousand puppet troops.
In terms of literal numbers, the enemy forces in Changzhi were at least about 1,600 Japanese troops, and the puppet troops were close to 2,000. The number of enemies and ourselves was close to 1:1. This was the result of Zhou Weihan inducing some Japanese reinforcements.
It is by no means an easy task for the independent detachment to capture Changzhi with the strength of the two regiments and the artillery battalion.
However, the good news is that Changzhi Airport was captured in advance, and the Japanese army had no air support for a short period of time.
The other is the Baijin Railway (Donglu Railway) from Dongguan, Baigui Town, Qi County, Jinzhong, which divides the Eighth Route Army base area into two, leading to Lucheng. The Japanese army has not repaired it because of frequent attacks by troops from the Taiyue Military Region.
It was also one of the reasons why the Japanese army carried out large-scale raids.
Otherwise, once the Japanese troops on the middle route sweeping the hinterland of Taihang receive orders to go south for reinforcements, they can take a train to Lucheng. At that time, the independent detachment will be attacked from two sides.
At 8:30 in the morning, the two positions of the artillery battalion in the north and south outside the city had been completed. The first regiment and the second regiment had also been mobilized before the war. All the commanders and soldiers were gearing up and ready to go, hoping to capture Changzhi City in one go.
Within the headquarters, Zhou Weihan received the news that all ministries were ready, took the phone and issued the order to launch a general offensive to the troops.
As soon as the order was issued, the mountain artillery company positions on the north side, the field artillery companies on the south side, and the infantry artillery and mortars directly under the regiments on the east and west sides began to test fire.
After the first test firing, the artillerymen began to adjust the elements.
"Prepare ten salvos!" shouted the commander of the mountain artillery company.
Upon hearing the order, the third gunner quickly loaded the shells, and after the second gunner completed feeding the shells, he quickly opened fire.
"Tong Tong Tong!" The sound of cannonballs sliding across the barrel was heard, and six shells suddenly rushed into the sky, and then fell towards the fortifications outside the city.
Artillery shells continued to explode near the enemy's fortifications. The enemies in the bunkers were okay. As long as they were not hit directly, they were able to withstand the residual power of the artillery shell explosions. The Japanese and puppet troops in the communication trenches experienced the power of the Eighth Route Army's artillery firsthand.
In normal times, the puppet army would have been defeated long ago after being bombarded by such fierce artillery fire.
However, the Japanese commander had long been on guard against this move. He mixed a Japanese infantry squadron outside the city into the puppet army to monitor and suppress the disturbances of the puppet army.
In addition, the firepower on the members' personnel was not only aimed at the attacking Eighth Route Army. Once the puppet army retreated hastily, the little devils would not show any mercy.
Not to mention, the effect of this method is quite good, and it fully brings out the will to survive of these veterans of the puppet army.
I saw puppet soldiers half-crouching in the trench, motionless, while some clever puppet soldiers ran towards the impact point of the shell just now.
On top of the city wall fortifications of Changzhi City, Captain Ikeda Jiro of the Japanese 238th Regiment, many Japanese military officers, and the captain of the puppet garrison were standing on the city wall, observing the battle outside the city with binoculars.
