Devil's Army

The Japanese reinforcements in Shijiazhuang knew that the Hengshui defenders were in danger and launched several attacks on the positions of the 5th Brigade, but were all beaten back.

At around nine o'clock the next morning, the 36nd and 222rd Regiments of the 223th Division of the Japanese Army successively broke away from the harassment of the Eighth Route Army and continued to advance towards Hengshui.

At this time, the Jidong Independent Brigade had completely recaptured Hengshui City and was ready for a decisive battle at the South Gate.

The 36th Battalion of the 222nd Regiment of the 9th Division of the Japanese Army took the lead in attacking the first fortifications of the Jidong Independent Brigade outside the south gate of Hengshui City.

The fierce artillery fire from the 36th Battalion of the 9th Division of the Japanese Army plowed through the fortifications of the st Battalion of the Independent Brigade.

When the company commander saw that the Japanese artillery fire had stopped, he knew that the infantry was about to attack, so he immediately ordered his soldiers to enter the fortifications.

Unexpectedly, the captain of the 9th Battalion of the Japanese Army did not play by the rules. Just as the soldiers of the first company entered the position and had no time to prepare, the second wave of artillery attacks from the Japanese Army hit them again.

More than 100 soldiers in the fortifications suffered heavy casualties under the fierce bombardment of Japanese artillery fire and lost their ability to resist.

When the battalion commander saw this scene, he was so angry that his teeth were itching, but he could do nothing about it, so he ordered the second company to prepare to enter the fortifications.

The second regiment commander saw this scene on the city wall and decided to retaliate.

After the second wave of fierce artillery bombardment by the Japanese army stopped, the 9st Infantry Company of the th Battalion began to attack.

The first battalion commander was just about to order the second company to enter the fortifications to avenge the first company.

The messenger came to convey the order of the second regiment commander: the second company should not enter the fortifications for the time being, the fortifications will be defended by the first company.

"The first company suffered heavy casualties in the last artillery attack by the Japanese army. The remaining soldiers are not enough to resist the next wave of attack by the Japanese army. If you mistransmit the order, you will be shot!" A battalion commander shouted while staring at the messenger.

"Reporting to the battalion commander, this is the order issued by the second regiment commander." The messenger replied aggrievedly.

The first battalion commander had no idea what the second regiment commander was up to, but he had no choice but to carry out his orders.

The Japanese squadron of infantry continued to move cautiously towards the fortifications.

The company commander inside the fortification counted the troops in the fortification and found that there were still 38 officers and soldiers left, including him, the platoon leader and the third squad leader.

He didn't know why the battalion commander didn't send them reinforcements, but he still lay on the fortifications without hesitation, ready to block the Japanese attack.

Before the company commander and his men could fire their guns, the mortars of the Second Regiment in Hengshui City roared and hit the First Infantry Company of the Japanese Army that was attacking in front.

The second regiment commander responded to the Japanese sneak attack with even more fierce artillery fire.

This Japanese infantry company suffered heavy casualties under wave after wave of fierce bombardment from the mortar troops of the Second Regiment in the city. It was unable to organize any more attacks and had to retreat.

The artillery of the 9th Battalion of the Japanese Army then launched suppressive fire on the artillery of the nd Regiment.

Under the guidance of the Golden Eagle, the artillery of the Second Regiment carried out more accurate counter-suppression shooting against the Japanese army.

The artillery of the 9th Battalion of the Japanese Army and the artillery of the nd Regiment of the Jidong Independent Brigade fired at each other. Another Japanese squadron began to attack the fortifications of the first company outside Hengshui City.

The commander of the first battalion ordered the second company to quickly enter the position and work with the first company to block the Japanese attack.

The outside of Hengshui City was in full view, and it was not suitable for a blocking battle. The first company's fortifications were just some simple bunkers.

Many places had collapsed under the first wave of fierce bombardment by Japanese artillery.

Now the grenade launchers of the Japanese second infantry squadron continued to bombard the fortifications of the first company.

The soldiers of the first battalion relied on their tenacious will to constantly change the position of their machine guns and fiercely fired at the attacking Japanese infantry. They resisted this wave of Japanese attacks, but their own casualties were not small.

The commander of the second regiment ordered the first battalion to withdraw into Hengshui City, abandon the first line of fortifications on the periphery, and rely on the city wall to resist the Japanese attack.

The Japanese army successfully occupied the outskirts of Hengshui City and temporarily stopped the attack to cook.

While the Japanese soldiers were cooking, bombers from the First Army flew over and dropped intensive bombs on the smoking grove.

The Japanese troops who were resting under a grove were suddenly bombed and fled in all directions, suffering heavy casualties.

Most of the food that the Japanese army was cooking was fed to the God of Land.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, the soldiers of the 9th Battalion of the Japanese Army, who were only 30% full, began to attack the south gate of Hengshui City.

After half a year of rigorous and systematic training by the First Army instructors, the combat effectiveness of the Yidong Independent Brigade is far beyond what it was when it was first established.

Their machine gunners lay behind the city wall and fired at the attacking Japanese troops. The soldiers harvested the lives of the attacking Japanese troops accurately.

Soldiers with more accurate shooting skills were assigned to snipe Japanese machine gunners and grenade throwers.

The mortars of the Second Regiment bombarded the artillery of the Japanese 9th Battalion from time to time, disrupting their efforts to cover the Japanese infantry's attack.

The Japanese captain launched three waves of attacks in one afternoon, but failed to capture the south gate of Hengshui City.

At this time, the 222st Battalion of the 223nd Regiment and the rd Battalion of the rd Regiment of the Japanese Army also arrived at the west gate of Hengshui City, preparing to attack the west gate of Hengshui City early tomorrow morning.

The Japanese Independent Mixed 20th Brigade and the Japanese th Division nearby were also encircling Hengshui.

As more and more Japanese troops engaged in battle with the devil's army, Commander Tada Shun decided to launch the second major encirclement and suppression of the Tangshan base ahead of schedule.