my scientific age

Chapter 448 The King of Shanxi!
"The news is absolutely true. Reports from various units at the Xinkou front indicate that the 5th Division has suddenly halted its offensive and is withdrawing entirely for unknown reasons," the chief of staff continued, handing over the telegram.

Yan Xishan immediately took the telegram and read it. After reading the contents, he was shocked beyond words. He immediately got up and went to the map of the enemy and our forces in the Battle of Taiyuan. He looked up and found the locations of Yangmingbao and Yanmenguan.

"The journey from Taiyuan to Daixian is over 300 li. The main roads are impassable, and the entire route is a rugged mountain path. We also had to hide by day and travel by night to avoid Japanese aircraft. In the end, they attacked the airport and the train station. I admire them. I, Yan, admire them."

Yan Xishan repeatedly expressed his admiration, as he, being a native of Wutai, Shanxi, knew all too well how difficult the journey to this attack had been.

"Commander, the Eighth Route Army is far too strong. If it were us, no regimental-level unit in the entire army could do that," the chief of staff solemnly reminded him. "Shouldn't we be on guard?"

"What's the point of talking about being wary now? The danger of the Communist army lies in the future, not in the present. The Japanese army is the biggest threat right now. The stronger they are, the better. With such a formidable enemy ahead, only in this way can we hold out for as long as possible." Yan Xishan understood the implication in his chief of staff's words, shook his head, and said with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Previously, Yan Xishan would certainly have agreed with his trusted chief of staff's idea. As the "King of Shanxi," Yan Xishan was wary of and hostile to any warlord forces that attempted to enter Shanxi, whether it was the Central Army or the Communist Army.

But now, Yan Xishan, who had been beaten black and blue by the Fifth Division, had come to the realization that the Jin-Sui Army alone could not defend Shanxi.

The 5th Division's formidable fighting power terrified Yan Xishan. From the Battle of Datong to the present, the Jin-Sui Army and the 5th Division have engaged in numerous direct battles. Although they achieved some results and inflicted damage on the 5th Division, the Jin-Sui Army itself suffered even greater casualties, and its front lines continued to collapse.

From Datong to the Inner Great Wall defense line, from the Inner Great Wall defense line to Xinkou...

Battle reports may lie, but the front lines do not.

It should be noted that the Jin-Sui Army was a top-tier warlord force with 10 artillery regiments and a large number of light and heavy machine guns. Its weapons and equipment were excellent, and its soldiers were of good quality. It was second only to the Central Army in the whole country. However, the Jin-Sui Army, which was so proud of itself, was easily defeated by the Fifth Division.

If it weren't for reinforcements from Wei Lihuang's 14th Army Group and the Central Army, the Xinkou defense line would have almost fallen.

The combat effectiveness of the Jin-Sui Army and the Fifth Division was completely different.

Having suddenly realized his mistake, Yan Xishan never mentioned the slogan "defend Shanxi" again. He understood that the fall of Shanxi was inevitable and only hoped to buy more time to transfer the Taiyuan arsenal and strategic materials, looking forward to the day when he could return to Shanxi.

Active defense, buying time, and using strategic depth to wear down the Japanese army's strength were strategic decisions jointly agreed upon by Yan Xishan and President Chiang Kai-shek. Under this premise, he added an extra point—uniting with the Communists to resist Japan.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have gifted the 115th Division two hundred light and heavy machine guns and a large amount of ammunition.

"Commander, how should we handle this matter?" the chief of staff asked.

"The 769th Regiment was commended in the name of the Second War Zone, and 2 silver dollars were sent to the headquarters of the 18th Army Group. In addition, it was expressed that friendly forces should harass the Japanese supply lines more often to relieve the pressure on the Xinkou front."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xishan fell into thought and said solemnly, "In addition, given the major changes in the Xinkou defense line, we should seize this opportunity to replenish troops and weapons and ammunition to the front line. If possible, I, Yan Baichuan, do not want to flee too far."

"Yes, sir!" The chief of staff immediately left.

"Eighth Route Army, Eighth Route Army, let Principal Chiang have his headache. Unless I can return to Shanxi, otherwise..." Yan Xishan looked at the telegram in his hand, shook his head and sighed. His eyes were fixed on the huge map of Shanxi. Thinking that he would be forced to leave Shanxi under the threat of the Japanese army, he couldn't help but feel sad.

King of Shanxi!
This was Yan Xishan's obsession, the only remaining obsession after the Central Plains War shattered his unified rule over the country.

As the highest military and political leader in Shanxi, Yan Xishan's feelings for Shanxi were unparalleled, just as Zhang Xueliang felt for the four northeastern provinces, Yang Hucheng for Shaanxi, Li Zongren for Guangxi, and Liu Xiang for Sichuan.

Yan Xishan naturally opposed and resisted the Eighth Route Army and northern Shaanxi, who harbored ambitions to unify China, but this was contingent on him remaining the King of Shanxi.

If it weren't for the King of Shanxi, then the counterattack against the Communists would be meaningless, as there would be no fundamental conflict of interest between the two sides.

Let Principal Jiang worry about it; Yan Xishan didn't want to get involved in the mess.

I, Yan Xishan, Yan Baichuan, truly only wish to be a pure and devoted King of Shanxi.

In Nanjing, Chiang Kai-shek, despite his busy schedule, was not particularly excited upon learning of the victory at Yangmingbao Airport. Instead, he was quite pleased, as the reduced pressure on the Xinkou defense line was a good thing, at least allowing them to hold out for a while longer. As was customary, he used subtle language to compile propaganda articles, emphasizing the importance of the Nationalist army.

……

The headquarters of the Fifth Division was located in Yuanping County.

The atmosphere in the command post was extremely heavy. Division Commander Seishiro Itagaki stood silently in front of the military topographic map, holding his command sword. The sudden attack on Yangmingbao Airport and Yanmenguan Railway Station disrupted all the 5th Division's operational plans. According to the on-site reconnaissance report from the Daixian Garrison Company, Yangmingbao Airport and Yanmenguan Railway Station had been reduced to ruins. All the bombers, fuel depots, and ammunition depots stationed at the airport had been destroyed, and the entire garrison had been killed. At the railway station, the supply warehouses had been burned, and all the station's infrastructure had been destroyed. The entire garrison had perished.

In addition, the Tongpu Railway section, about ten kilometers from Guoyang to Yanmenguan, was severely damaged, and the repair period will take at least twenty days to a month.

The attack by the 769th Regiment of the Eighth Route Army caused the Fifth Division to lose more than 20,000 combat supplies and 24 bombers, a heavy loss. Due to the lack of sufficient ammunition and supplies, Seishiro Itagaki, despite his anger, calmly ordered all units to stop the attack, abandon the outer area of ​​the main position of the Xinkou defense line that had been captured, and withdraw all troops to the front line of the Nanhuaihua position.

He's not the 'war god' Nogi Maresuke, who likes to use human bomb tactics to attack enemy positions.

The Jin-Sui Army deployed ten artillery regiments on the Xinkou front. Although most of them were 75mm caliber mountain guns, a forced attack would cause unnecessary and huge losses. Itagaki did not want to lose too many troops here. After taking Shanxi, he wanted to continue south to attack Tongguan and Xi'an.

It should be noted that since the formal attack on the Xinkou defense line began on the 13th, the casualties of the 5th Division and its detachments have reached nearly 10,000. In addition, one-third of the combat force has been transferred to the Shanghai-Nanjing battlefield, leaving the entire 5th Division combat group with very few troops.

Xinkou, this tough nut to crack, firmly blocked the 5th Division's strategic route southward.

"First Pingxingguan, then Jiuguan, and now Yangmingbao Airport. This Eighth Route Army is as annoying as a cockroach." Itagaki Seishiro stared at the Taiyuan Battle situation map, looking at the Yangmingbao Airport mark on the map. His anger surged like a spring. He had originally planned to break through Xinkou in three days and take Taiyuan in ten days, but the reality was completely unexpected. The Eighth Route Army was so difficult to deal with that he felt extremely troubled. His face was gloomy: "Sakurada Takeshi, what do you think we should do now? According to the current situation, we can't take Xinkou within ten days."

“Commander, I believe we should temporarily halt the offensive and await reinforcements and supplies. The Eighth Route Army has been attacking the Weidai Highway and the Tongpu Railway, and this attack has reached a new level. We can no longer afford to underestimate this force.” Sakurada Takeshi replied solemnly, “On the other hand, the main defensive position at Xinkou is heavily fortified. Without air support and ammunition supplies, we alone cannot break through. We must open up the Niangziguan Pass.”

The Fifth Division's logistics supply mainly relied on two lines: the North Tongpu Railway and the Weidai Highway. The former was the lifeline, supplying more than 80% of the materials, while the latter accounted for only 20%. However, both logistics supply lines were attacked by the Eighth Route Army, which seriously affected the Fifth Division's operations and combat.

Upon hearing this, Itagaki Seishiro remained silent for a long while before finally speaking, "Send a telegram to the North China Area Army Headquarters, requesting Commander Terauchi Hisaichi to reinforce the Niangziguan direction, to ensure the passage of Niangziguan, and to cooperate in occupying Shanxi."