Bright Sword: An eight-year-old boy led a group to fight the Japanese invaders

The Eighth Route Army's base in northeastern Shanxi spanned the three provinces of Shanxi, Chahar and Hebei. Northeastern Shanxi was composed of the 41st and 108th divisions of the Japanese, and the mopping-up force in Chahar Province was part of the 26th division of the Japanese.

As for Hebei Province, it is home to the 27th Division of the Japanese North China Expeditionary Force. Of course, it is too far away and the Independent Brigade can do nothing about it for the time being.

As long as they can tie down the Japanese from the 108th and 26th Divisions, I think the Eighth Route Army should be able to deal with two divisions of Japanese.

The Second Regiment, led by Wang Dagui, passed through the enemy checkpoints and artillery towers along the way and arrived outside Qinghe County at 4 p.m.

The Yamagishi Battalion of the 26th Regiment of the 12th Division was stationed in Qinghe County. The total strength of this battalion was only 800 people. Together with the 200-man garrison squadron in the city, there were only 1000 people in the entire Qinghe.

This was the first time Wang Dagui led a team independently, and he was attacking a county town, so he was very cautious.

Before the troops set out, he released the reconnaissance company directly under the regiment headquarters. These soldiers were all elite soldiers trained from the reconnaissance regiment directly under the brigade headquarters.

By the time the Second Regiment arrived at Qinghe, the reconnaissance company had already gained a thorough understanding of the situation in Qinghe.

After reading the intelligence, Wang Da Kui gave the attack order without much hesitation.

Qinghe is just a small county town. The reason why the Japanese left an understaffed brigade here is entirely because of Qinghe's unique location.

This is the county town closest to northwest Shanxi, and it is located in a very prominent position.

Once the North China Expeditionary Army launches a large-scale mopping-up operation, this place will become a bridgehead for the 26th Division to enter northwestern Shanxi.

The Japanese in Qinghe County had already discovered the arrival of the Second Regiment. All the artillery towers and checkpoints along the way were destroyed, and some fearless traitors informed the Japanese.

After receiving the report from below, the Japanese captain Dongchuan Chengxin in the county town was panicked. Not long after the independent brigade moved to Yu County, the Japanese knew about it.

All the commanders of the Guizi counties around Yu County received orders almost at the same time, asking them to pay attention to their own defense areas, especially those adjacent to Yu County.

Once any trace of the Independent Brigade is discovered, it must be reported immediately.

"Your Excellency, the troops of the Eighth Route Army Independent Brigade have arrived in Qinghe and are requesting guidance!"

Higashikawa Seinobu called Linhe, 50 kilometers north of Qinghe, where the headquarters of the Japanese 12th Regiment was located.

The Japanese soldiers on the other side heard Tokawa Chengxin's panic and said dissatisfiedly, "Tokawa-kun, the Eighth Route Army Independent Brigade is indeed powerful.

However, you asked your superiors for guidance without even seeing any trace of them. I have to doubt your loyalty to the Empire!"

"Sir, I have no problem with my loyalty to the Empire, but according to intelligence, the independent brigade is composed entirely of trucks and armored vehicles.

There was also a large-caliber artillery behind the vehicle. Qinghe County had been in disrepair for a long time, and we could not resist it at all.”

"Bang", there was a muffled sound in the phone, and the commander of the 12th Regiment, Taro Miyakawa, covered his knees and yelled into the phone,

"Evacuate immediately, give the order now!"

Higashikawa Seinobu put down the phone and ran out. Just as he was about to give orders to the signalman, the attack of the Second Regiment began.

At the temporary position built by the Dongchuan Battalion outside the city, the Japanese soldiers looked cautiously at the road in the distance, but they did not see the Independent Brigade.

Just as they were wondering, the three rocket launchers in the hands of the rocket artillery platoon that had just been equipped by the Second Regiment had already started the attack under the preparation of the soldiers.

Three guns fired 48 shells at once. The devils of the Dongchuan Battalion had been in Mengjiang for several years and had never seen such dense firepower.

As the shells fell, the roar was endless, and in the blink of an eye, the temporary positions that the Japanese had just built turned into bomb craters.

After three rounds of salvos, the rocket launcher platoon began to fire towards the enemy headquarters and barracks in the city.

The armored vehicles and tank platoons led the charge towards the Japanese positions, followed closely by the infantry.

Amid the majestic charge, the Second Regiment advanced at a very fast speed. Before the Japanese could react from the fierce bombardment, the tanks and armored vehicles had already rushed to the Japanese positions.

The soldiers of the Second Regiment were holding assault rifles. As soon as they saw the Japanese move, they fired two shots without saying a word.

In just three minutes, the tanks and armored vehicles passed through the Japanese defense line outside the city.

Higashikawa Seinobu had no time to issue orders because the independent brigade's artillery shells had already hit his headquarters.

"Turn in quickly!"

Higashikawa Chengxin took the lead and ran towards the north gate. The speed of the Eighth Route Army's advance was beyond his imagination, and the positions outside the city were mostly in danger.

The rocket artillery platoon of the Second Regiment and the Type 92 infantry artillery platoons of each battalion named the important facilities of the Japanese in the city one by one according to the coordinates provided by the reconnaissance company.

After providing the coordinates to the rear, the reconnaissance company immediately assembled near the north gate.

As soon as Higashikawa Seinobu ran to the north gate, he was beaten back by the reconnaissance company.

"Damn it! How could there be Tubalu troops in the city? All hands attack! Tubalu troops are about to enter the city. We must find a way out."

The troops with Tokawa Chengxin are the most elite guards of the Tokawa Battalion. They are all strong and have accurate marksmanship.

The Japanese knew that it would not be long before the Eighth Route Army outside the city would break into the city, and the longer they stayed here, the more dangerous it would be, so as soon as Tokawa Chengxin gave the order, the Japanese following him rushed out.

Unfortunately, the Japanese only knew that the independent brigade’s troops could fight, but they didn’t know how they could fight. This time they finally experienced it personally.

A squad of more than 50 Japanese soldiers had just rushed out 20 meters when they were pinned down by the reconnaissance company on both sides of the street and could not move. The only ones who could still move were those who were twisting and twitching after being shot and were about to die.

"Baga, everyone charge!"

More than 200 Japanese soldiers rushed towards the north gate from both sides of the street like crazy. Seeing this, the reconnaissance company threw a bunch of grenades and turned around and ran into a hidden alley.

Dongchuan Chengxin was relieved when his Eighth Route Army company finally retreated. However, when he arrived at the place where the reconnaissance company was blocking the way, he did not see even a single corpse of the Eighth Route Army.

"Leave here quickly, leave this city!"

Higashikawa Seinobu was very alert, but he encountered the Independent Brigade. Just as he was approaching the north gate quickly, the reconnaissance company came out again.

In this way, Higashikawa Seinobu was slowed down by the reconnaissance company's interception and his pace out of the city. When he finally got out of the north gate, there was only a truck and more than 30 people left with him.

"Get out of here now!"

"Boom!" A shell accurately hit Higashikawa Chengxin's truck. It turned out that the reconnaissance company was trying to buy time for the third battalion that was bypassing the city.

The Dongchuan Battalion, which was determined to escape from Qinghe, was soon wiped out.

At six o'clock in the afternoon, Wang Ye received a telegram from the Second Regiment that it had occupied Qinghe and asked for instructions on the next course of action.

Wang Ye touched his head and said to Zhao Gang, "Political Commissar, are our troops a little short?"