Chapter 904: The Combat Power of the Kwantung Army
In Dangshan and Geji Town, a group of cavalrymen from the Fourth Teaching Brigade are approaching for reconnaissance.
The Huxi base area is adjacent to Xuzhou, and the Longhai Railway separates the southernmost Dangshan County. As the forefront of the confrontation with the Japanese army, this area is the area where the Fourth Teaching Brigade has the most activities.
The Kwantung Army marched westward from Xuzhou. Once a war broke out in Dangshan, the Japanese army could quickly obtain supplies from Xuzhou by relying on railway lines. How could Zhou Weihan let such a thing happen?
So an order was sent to the Fourth Teaching Brigade that when the Kwantung Army was passing through the border, the main force must hide. If the enemy insisted on fighting, the main force should withdraw to the north and the enemy must be kept away from the direction of Xuzhou.
"Company commander, you just let the little Japs pass by without firing a single shot? This is too frustrating!" The accompanying soldiers felt very puzzled.
Upon hearing this, company commander Tao Yongfei glared at the soldier: "You talk a lot, this is called avoiding his sharp edge. In the words of our brigade commander, now is not the time to confront the little devil head-on!"
"Hey, if we really have to go head-to-head with the Japs' tanks with our flesh and blood, it's hard to say how many of us will survive!"
While he was talking, the walkie-talkie beside him suddenly beeped. The caller immediately answered the call, and Tao Yongfei took the phone.
"Company Commander, the main force of the Kwantung Army and a large number of tanks have passed through Caozhuang Town. After a short rest, they will continue to move westward!"
The latest developments of the Kwantung Army came through the microphone, and the company commander then ordered: "You three platoons will continue to follow up. Be careful not to get dumped by the enemy. If the situation goes wrong, retreat immediately!"
"yes!"
After ending the call, Tao Yongfei compared the map: "Geji Town is 30 kilometers away from Caozhuang Town. I can't see anything by staring at it now. I decided to test the Japanese army's reality!"
After hearing the company commander's words, the other soldiers could no longer hold back and expressed their agreement one after another.
In order to find out the situation of the Kwantung Army, the Commander of the Fourth Teaching Brigade sent a total of one cavalry company carrying three walkie-talkies to conduct reconnaissance in three directions.
However, the Japanese army had too many troops and high mobility. Even if the reconnaissance troops were on horseback, they did not dare to get too close. If they were not careful, they might get dumped, so they could not get all the information about the Japanese army.
Therefore, Deng Keming stated in Zhou Weihan's telegram that the enemy's advance troops stayed at Dangshan for two days. Although the specific movements were not identified, our ministry speculated that the Kwantung Army should be repairing the railway until the enemy's Guards Division
When they reached Dangshan Mountain, the enemy's advance troops set off again, and their marching speed was slow and they often marched alternately.
In fact, in the early days of the Longhai Campaign, not only was the fighting along the line from Shangqiu to Kaifeng lively, but the main force of the Fourth Teaching Brigade also launched an attack on the Longhai Railway. Although the Japanese and puppet troops guarded the reinforced concrete stronghold, the stronghold would not move.
Although the Fourth Teaching Brigade was helpless against the Japanese and puppet troops who were entrenched in their strongholds, they cleared the fortifications within ten miles on both sides of the railway, and the railways within the territory were reduced to sections.
After the Kwantung Army came out of Xuzhou in trucks, it not only needed to send people to repair the railway, but also needed to leave some troops along the way to strengthen the garrison and be responsible for the safety of the peripheral defenses on both sides of the railway to ensure smooth subsequent supply transportation.
Four soldiers carrying two 60mm mortars approached a small slope, which was only about 500 meters away from the peripheral fortifications of the Japanese Geji stronghold. It was obvious that there were a few scattered Japanese and puppet troops on guard around the fortifications.
"Six quick shots!"
"Boom boom boom!"
Twelve rounds of artillery shells fell around the Japanese fortifications. The soldiers had no time to confirm the results and hurriedly slipped back with two 60mm mortars.
The explosion was indeed quite loud, but due to the lack of precise aiming, only one unlucky little Jaap was injured. The other little Japs reacted very quickly and jumped into nearby trenches to avoid the shelling.
News of the attack quickly reached the Geji stronghold through field telephones. A shrill siren sounded from the stronghold, and the Japanese and puppet troops heard the summons and hurriedly gathered.
However, the formations were clearly distinguishable. The approximately 40 Japanese troops were all in good appearance and assembled quickly. The leading officer had already begun to give lectures, and the rest of the Japanese and puppet troops began to assemble.
"Kitano-kun, the Eighth Route Army only fired a few artillery shells at the position. I don't think there is a need to go to war. Now you and I need to work together to ensure the normal transportation of the railway line?"
The one who tried to persuade him was Takeshima Yusuke, an original Japanese officer in the Geji stronghold who was affiliated with the Xuzhou 21st Division, but another group of Japanese soldiers were unwilling to give up.
Kitano Koji had a swollen face and a fat belly. He spoke without mercy: "Do you think I am causing trouble? When did the Chinese come to provoke, but they can only cower and stick to their guns? Where is the bravery of the imperial soldiers?"
"Our Kwantung Army is invincible in Manchukuo. The Chinese armed forces can only flee. The same should be true in North China!"
"Long live the Empire of Japan, long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
The ages of these Kwantung Army soldiers varied. The older ones were around thirty, showing a strong and capable appearance, while the younger ones were in their early twenties.
The kid who was killed in the bombing came from the 57th Division of the Kwantung Army. Under Kitano Koji's brainwashing, whether he was really out for revenge or pretending to agree, he shouted slogans very neatly.
Without making any further stops, Kitano Koji led more than 40 Kwantung Army soldiers out of the stronghold aggressively. The two groups of Japanese troops worked together to defend the Geji stronghold, but it was obvious that there was no unified command, or even a distinction between priorities.
Not long after, the phone call came from the camp again, this time reporting the situation!
"Moxi moxi!"
"Sir, Lieutenant Kitano will take away all thirty soldiers of the 57th Division assigned to the northern peripheral position!"
"Okay, I understand, please be more vigilant, please!"
"Hi!"
Takeshima Yusuke cursed angrily after hanging up. He didn't understand why Kitano Koji was so impulsive even though the order from the summit was to stand firm. Didn't a soldier die?
The entire Geji stronghold originally had 50 Japanese troops and 300 puppet troops from the 21st Division. If only one stronghold was to be defended, these troops would be sufficient, but the defenses on the north and south peripheries also needed troops to be stationed. Otherwise, if the Eighth Route Army attacked the transportation
To launch an offensive along the line, the Japanese army would lose its buffer space.
Therefore, the Kwantung Army left one hundred and twenty soldiers of the 57th Division led by Kitano Koji here. The situation in other strongholds was roughly the same, except that after the Guards Division arrived, some of the Guards Divisions were left behind.
Regiment Japanese Army.
In desperation, Takeshima Yusuke could only inform several surrounding strongholds via phone that the Eighth Route Army seemed to be moving.
On the position, after the artillery bomb attack, several puppet soldiers huddled together silently. While they were secretly congratulating themselves on surviving the disaster, they found a group of Japanese soldiers rushing out of the position.
"Damn it, these Japanese are in a hurry to reincarnate. It seems they are seeking bad luck for the Eighth Route Army!"
The puppet soldier who spoke was kicked by the platoon leader behind him. He straightened his hat and squatted in the trench to salute his commander.
"You talk a lot, so keep your mouth shut, and don't salute me!"
At this time, based on the idea of shooting two shots if there were dates or not, Tao Yongfei led the first platoon of soldiers to find a place to prepare for the Japanese ambush, while the second platoon retreated another two or three miles to prepare for the response.
It took more than half an hour before the soldiers saw the Japanese army.
"Hey, company commander, the kid is really here. He looks like he's not a local kid, he must be from outside the customs!"
Tao Yongfei picked up the telescope and observed carefully, counting the approximate number of Japanese troops in his mind: "Yes, the local little devils don't have this momentum. They number about 60, and they can still fight!"
"Notice down and prepare to fight. Once the retreat order is given, you must retreat as soon as possible without stopping at all!"
Tao Yongfei leads a reconnaissance company with one man and one horse. Each platoon is equipped with three light machine guns, two 60mm mortars, and even a small number of submachine guns.
The location of the reconnaissance company is a small hill. It is actually the tail of a 40-50 meter hill on the left side. It is connected to the flat ground on the right side. The war horses are placed at the foot of the mountain.
As the Japanese army gradually approached the shooting range, the soldiers aimed their guns at the little Japanese one after another, two hundred meters, one hundred meters, fifty meters away.
"Hit!" Tao Yongfei, holding a submachine gun, took the lead in firing at the Japanese troops. Violent gunfire erupted from the makeshift position, and bullet casings flew for a moment.
After Kitano Koji left the Geji stronghold, he found no trace of the Eighth Route Army at first. One of his sergeants carefully noticed that there were messy horse marks on the ground, so he followed them all the way.
Although this guy was arrogant, he was still a veteran soldier who had experienced many battles. He already felt something was wrong before approaching the ambush position, so he motioned to a dozen Japanese soldiers to go around the side of the hill.
Under a sudden attack, the Japanese troops in the front row were shot and fell to the ground under strong firepower. However, the Japanese troops responded very quickly. Most of the Japanese troops retreated backwards, and a few of them found favorable positions on the spot to counterattack.
Experienced veterans all know that when the two sides are fighting on the battlefield, do not rush to re-shoot the wounded enemy soldiers. Firstly, it is a waste of bullets, and secondly, it can cause greater damage.
The Japanese army carried one Type 92 heavy machine gun and three Type 96 light machine guns. After each found a safe position, they immediately began to suppress fire.
Sure enough, the few wounded Japanese soldiers who could still move used all their strength to crawl toward safety, while the remaining Japanese soldiers tried to drag the wounded soldiers over.
But as soon as he showed his head, he was beaten back by the soldiers of the reconnaissance company who had been watching.
"Ah, I need a bandage to stop the bleeding!" An old Japanese soldier was unfortunately hit by a bullet in the thigh, and immediately he was bleeding profusely. He grabbed a bandage and blocked the hole of the bullet.
Although he was temporarily at a disadvantage, Kitano Koji, who was hiding behind the bag of dirt, did not panic and pulled out his command knife: "Throw it out, and the grenade will counterattack immediately!"
The two sides launched an artillery battle. The Eighth Route Army used two 60-mm mortars, and the Japanese used four Type 89 grenades.
When it comes to performance, whether it is range or stability, the 60mm mortar is superior to the Type 89 grenade launcher. Unfortunately, the distance between the two sides is less than 100 meters, so the performance advantage is outweighed by the numerical advantage.
The Japanese army has two ways to launch grenades, one is lying down and the other is kneeling. The kneeling position is more stable and has a wider field of view, but it can easily injure the thighs.
These Kwantung Army soldiers playing with the grenade tubes looked like veterans at first glance. They just took a glance and then fell to the ground. The grenade tubes were at a 45-degree angle with the ground. One was responsible for aiming and the other was responsible for feeding the ammunition.
"Boom boom boom!"
A Czech-style light machine gun that was firing suddenly went silent, and the soldiers who had no time to evacuate were also hit by broken shrapnel.
"Company Commander, the kid's grenade is so fast and accurate. It's so weird. The key is to hit the firepower point specifically!"
The platoon leader was still frightened. He saw with his own eyes that after the machine gunner replaced the new magazine, the enemy's grenade came towards him before he had even fired half of the bullets.
Tao Yongfei did not expect that an ambush battle would turn out like this. After encountering the surprise attack, most of the Japanese troops did not want to fight and decisively chose to retreat, making the shorter-range submachine guns in the hands of the Eighth Route Army soldiers unable to pose a threat.
"These are all veterans with rich actual combat experience. They can judge the weapons used by our army just by the sound of gunshots and make a choice quickly!"
"Retreat, retreat immediately!"
Tao Yongfei was also decisive. Although the situation was not unfavorable, he would never gain any advantage if the stalemate continued.
After receiving the order to retreat, two 60mm mortars quickly fired out all the shells, and the huge momentum caused the Japanese counterattack to temporarily stop.
"Sir, the Eighth Route Army on the opposite side seems to have retreated!"
The expression on Kitano Koji's face was gloomy and uncertain. He also noticed something unusual. He was afraid it was just a cover-up and did not dare to let his men launch an attack easily.
Within two minutes, more than a dozen Japanese soldiers who had circled from the side of the hill showed their heads. Only then did the two groups of Japanese soldiers confirm that the Eighth Route Army on the opposite side had withdrawn.
"Bagayalu, the weapons of this group of Eighth Route Army are so excellent. They are just a small group of twenty or thirty people, but they are actually equipped with a considerable number of submachine guns and mortars!"
Kitano Koji picked up an eggshell that was still warm. It was the Thomson Charge aided by the United States. There were seven piles of similar eggshells.
"Sir, should I pursue you or not?"
"Baga, our mission is to ensure the safety of the railway line, and rashly dispatching it is a violation of military orders!"
After hearing this, some veterans in the team couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. Although they had shown good combat qualities in the encounter just now, their fighting will was not as good as those of the younger soldiers.
Kitano Koji led his men back to the Geji stronghold in disgrace. Tao Yongfei led his troops to join the second platoon from behind.
"The machine gunners, submachine gunners and mortar users stayed behind, and the rest rode horses to ambush on the right side. Once the Japanese army catches up, wait for us to start fighting, and quickly break up the Japanese army's formation from the side!"
After waiting for a long time, Tao Yongfei saw no sign of the Japanese army. While his heart was relieved, he couldn't help but feel a little upset that the battle was not fought well.
However, it is not a gain for the whole house. At the very least, it can be confirmed that the Japanese stronghold does not have mobile trucks, is not equipped with tanks, and is not even rich in troops.
Immediately, two more soldiers were sent to the battlefield to investigate the situation. After receiving a positive reply, they reported what had just happened.