Zhou Weihan hurriedly returned to the headquarters. During the meeting, some documents in the headquarters had been packed up, and only one radio station was still standing.
"Old Zhou, the troops have almost been assembled and can set off at any time. This is the list of statistics. Take a look!" Xing Zhiguo saw Zhou Weihan coming back and handed over the folder in his hand.
"The casualties are not small!" When Zhou Weihan told the soldiers before, he only had a rough impression in his mind, but now he had intuitive figures.
Two regiments of the 94th Division participated in the siege of Lingchuan, and suffered heavy casualties in the annihilation battle outside the city. In the list compiled by Xing Zhiguo, the number of soldiers was reported in company units, and then they were summarized in the regiments and reported to the headquarters.
Zhou Weihan read it from top to bottom and found that Xu Dali's 279th Regiment lost 207 people, 352 were seriously injured, and 150 were slightly injured. Yang Han's 280th Regiment lost 322 people, 260 were seriously injured, and 129 were slightly injured.
The remaining 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 29th regiments suffered 359 casualties, and the six regiments suffered a total of 1,789 casualties.
"Why did the 280th Regiment suffer so many casualties?" Zhou Weihan asked with a frown.
Xing Zhiguo also discovered this problem and went to Fu Weisheng, the political commissar of the 280th Regiment: "I have learned about the situation. Although the weapons and equipment of the 280th Regiment are not weak, the firepower of the platoon lacks small artillery that can destroy the Japanese firepower points. In addition, there is a lack of health workers.
The seriously injured did not receive timely treatment after the battle. This is my dereliction of duty!"
"Hey, don't say that. After all, the 280th Regiment has not all been included in the combat order of our Eighth Route Army. It is not easy to arrange manpower in an honest manner!" Zhou Weihan waved his hand after hearing this.
"I have transferred a group of small artillery and gunners to the 280th Regiment, and the health workers are also in place. In addition, I sent a telegram to Lao Zhao. By then, local armed comrades will be on hand to pick up the wounded along the way!" Xing Zhiguo said one by one.
"Yeah!" Zhou Weihan nodded after hearing this, closed the folder and put it on the table. Xing Zhiguo did everything in detail, so Zhou Weihan was relieved.
Zhou Weihan looked at his watch and saw that it was less than five o'clock: "Let the soldiers rest for a while before setting off. The reconnaissance planes of the Japs are always hovering in the sky. The target of the troops is too big!"
"Okay!" Xing Zhiguo responded.
At around seven o'clock that day, when it was getting dark, Zhou Weihan gave an order, and the regiments of the Tainan Military Region were divided into several groups and marched towards the suburbs of Changzhi according to different routes.
In Changzhi City, after the Japanese army launched an initial tentative attack, they were met with a desperate counterattack by the soldiers of the 27th Army. They then decisively adopted a steady and steady attack strategy.
To the west, there was a brigade left near each of the two city gates. The heavy artillery regiment was divided into two and deployed around the perimeter. Then the four brigade gradually advanced along the streets and alleys in the four directions of west, northwest, north and northeast.
After the Japanese heavy artillery carried out a range of artillery bombardments, each attacking force relied on infantry artillery and grenades to remove the firepower points of the 27th Army.
It was slightly dark, but the gunfire in Changzhi City was extremely fierce.
With an explosion of "Boom!", a circular fortification arranged by the Forty-fifth Division at the intersection was destroyed by the Japanese army. A heavy machine gun placed in it, together with the first and second shooters, were shrouded in flames.
The scene suddenly fell into silence. The Japanese second lieutenant in charge looked stern and waved his right hand. Seven or eight little Japanese who were responsible for exploring the path leaned against the wall and cautiously moved forward.
In the darkness, the footsteps of the little devil echoed in the empty streets. Dozens of gun muzzles were raised from the windows, door cracks and courtyard walls of the houses on both sides of the street.
With the sound of a gunshot, rifle fire mixed with light machine gun fire enveloped the little Japs responsible for exploring the path.
"Baga!" the Japanese second lieutenant yelled angrily when he saw this. This situation was what he expected. After the Japanese army invaded the city, they would suffer thirty or forty casualties for every street they occupied. When the casualties were counted in one day,
The casualties were greater than during the siege.
The Japanese army did not have a good way to deal with this. There was not much ammunition left, and the shells for the heavy artillery that consumed the most were about to run out. They could not carry out large-scale shelling of defensive houses in the city. Although each brigade had two Type 92 infantry cannons,
The number is too small to play a decisive role.
During the day, Japanese air support arrived, but were frightened away by the anti-aircraft machine guns deployed in the city by the 27th Army.
The Japanese army also lacked experience in urban offensives. Looking at every previous battle, after the Japanese army broke through the city, the few national troops defending the city fled or surrendered.
The original Battle of Songhu also relied on heavy artillery and naval guns docked along the coast to inflict large-scale damage to the national army.
When the battle between the two sides reached a stalemate, in the 27th Army's military headquarters, the chief of staff was reporting today's battle situation to Fan Hanjie.
"Military seat, so far, the Japanese army has occupied thirteen secondary streets and forty-seven alleys in the city. Nearly half of the city has been occupied by the Japanese army. Today, only the south gate is still under our control!"
"The Forty-fifth Division suffered more than 1,200 casualties, and the Forty-sixth Division suffered more than 1,000 casualties. Companies and platoons of our soldiers have been demobilized. If this continues, at most we can hold on for one day tomorrow!"
Fan Hanjie sat at the gate of the military headquarters, his lungs aching from the acrid gunpowder smoke: "Tell the soldiers to hold on, the casualties of the little devil will not be small, tomorrow is the moment of decisive victory!"
While the two were talking, gunfire suddenly came from the south city gate. Fan Hanjie waited for a while and then called the headquarters of the Eighth Preliminary Division.
"what happened?"
"Commander, a group of Japanese troops sneaked into the South City Gate. I have sent people to support you. Please rest assured, Commander, I predict that the Eighth Division will definitely repel the enemy and protect our army's retreat channel!" The voice on the other end of the phone
Chen Sunong, commander of the Pre-eighth Division, shouted.
The words are divided into two parts. The Tainan Military Region marched with the headquarters, the artillery battalion and the independent regiment of the New Fifth Army.
The large troops were hanging behind, and a company of a hundred men was leading the way in front of the regiment.
Neither Zhou Weihan nor Xing Zhiguo rode horses. Except for the pack horses used by the artillery battalion and the war horses used by the correspondents, all other horses were assigned to transport the wounded.
"Detachment leader, there's a situation ahead!" Jing Dagang jogged over.
"What's going on?" Zhou Weihan waved his hand, and Xing Zhiguo immediately ordered the troops to stop marching.
"The soldiers responsible for the reconnaissance at the front reported that a large number of national troops appeared five miles away from our position. There must be thousands of people at least. They are currently resting!" Jing Dagang said.
"National Army? Are you sure?"
"Can't be wrong!"
"Where are we now?"
When Jing Dagang heard this, he looked around and saw that the road was passing in front of him: "In Lijiazhai in Huguan, the fellow who led the way said that if we walk more than 20 miles further, we will reach Huguan and Changzhi.
The border zone!”
"Well, okay, after marching for such a long time, let the soldiers rest. Lao Xing will stay here and take charge. Since he is the national army, he will definitely go to Changzhi. I will go and meet with the other party's commander!"
