Devil's Army

The Japanese Army in North China was not well prepared at this time, but the battle with the devil troops in the southeast had already begun.

Tada Shun gathered Japanese troops from Rehe, Beijing, Tianjin and Cangzhou and decided to launch the second major encirclement and suppression of the Tangshan base at eight o'clock the next morning.

The commander of the Kwantung Army, Umezu Michijiro, was also gathering Kwantung Army troops from Fengtian, Rehe, Harbin, Xinjing and other areas to prepare for the encirclement and suppression of the old base of the First Anti-Japanese Army.

At nine o'clock the next morning, that is, on February 1940, 2, more than ten days after the New Year, Commander Tada Shun ordered the second major encirclement and suppression of the devilish troops in the Tangshan base.

The Japanese 27th Division, the 110th Division, the Japanese 9th Independent Brigade, the Japanese 15th Independent Mixed Brigade, the Japanese 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade, the Japanese China Garrison 11th Mixed Brigade, and the 1st, 7th, and 8th Independent Mixed Brigades directly under the North China Front Army, which had assembled around the Tangshan base, attacked Sanhe County, Fengnan County, Zunhua County, Luan County, the Huangyaguan Great Wall position, Panshan position, Bailonggang Bridge, Sanchakou, Jiangjun Mountain, and Gubeikou in ten routes.

Together with the Japanese troops that were encircling Hengshui, Tada Shun assembled nearly 200,000 people this time to attack the Tangshan base.

At that time, the Second Front Army of the First Anti-Japanese Army in the Tangshan base area had only more than 90,000 people. The First Army's strength disadvantage was still quite obvious.

Fortunately, there are two positive changes in the war situation compared to two years ago.

First, the Eighth Route Army established bases everywhere and developed comprehensively. It has increased from more than 40,000 people when it was just reorganized to more than 300,000 people. There are 100,000 Eighth Route Army soldiers around the Tangshan base of the First Army alone. They can effectively contain and attack the Japanese army and support the anti-encirclement and suppression of the First Army in the Tangshan base.

Second, the air force of the First Army's Tangshan base had grown from less than one fighter squadron to an aviation brigade, with three fighter squadrons and one bomber squadron under its command. In the Sino-Japanese air war, it was able to gain air superiority in some areas.

The Japanese troops who were trying to suppress the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Mountains suddenly retreated, which relieved the Eighth Route Army troops in the Taihang Military Region who had been moving around. However, Commander Liu of the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang Military Region soon learned that these Japanese troops had abandoned the erratic Eighth Route Army troops and turned their attack to the First Anti-Japanese Army in the Tangshan base.

Soon, General Peng also issued an order, requiring the Eighth Route Army troops in the Taihang Military Region and the eastern, central and northern Hebei areas to do everything possible to contain and harass the Japanese army and contribute to the victory of the First Anti-Japanese Army in the Tangshan base area in the Japanese encirclement and suppression.

在日军全面进攻唐山根据地时，衡水外围的日军36师团舞伝男师团长命令日军222联队第9师团对衡水南门，日军222联队第1大队对衡水西门于早上七点发动进攻。

During the attack on Hengshui, Division Commander Wu Dannan also dispatched the 9st Battalion of the Artillery Regiment to cooperate with the th Infantry Battalion.

The mortar artillery of the Second Regiment at the south gate of Hengshui was suppressed by the 75mm mountain artillery of the Japanese artillery battalion and the city wall collapsed in many places.

The Japanese 9th Battalion leapt towards Hengshui before their artillery stopped bombing.

The soldiers of the First Battalion of the Second Regiment on the city wall had to lie on the city wall under the Japanese artillery fire to block the Japanese attack.

The Japanese attack was repelled, and the last remaining company of the 1st Battalion was sent to the city wall.

The commander of the Second Regiment sent a telegram to Brigade Commander Gao, requesting the Air Force to bomb the Japanese artillery positions.

After a while, Brigade Commander Gao replied: The First Army Air Force is fighting with the Japanese Air Force in the airspace of Xiaoguanzhuang Airport, and there is no way to send aircraft to support.

Even without aircraft support, the battle had to be fought. The battle of Hengshui was won by the Jidong Independent Brigade after repeated efforts. The time had come to test the Jidong Independent Brigade. The Second Regiment Commander decided to defend Hengshui City with the last remaining soldier.

To defend Hengshui City, they had to destroy the Japanese artillery positions. Otherwise, no matter how many people they had in their regiment, they would not be able to fill the hole left by the Japanese artillery fire.

Brigade Commander Gao agreed with the Second Regiment Commander's idea because the Second Battalion at Ximen was subjected to fierce and continuous bombardment by Japanese artillery, resulting in heavy casualties.

However, there must be a lot of troops guarding the Japanese artillery positions, and attacking the Japanese artillery positions is tantamount to pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth.

Brigade Commander Gao still pulled a battalion from his brigade's regiment to carry out this heart-wrenching mission, because his second and third regiments were under continuous bombing by the Japanese army in Hengshui City, and the number of casualties remained high.

Moreover, the 5th Brigade, which was sniping the Japanese reinforcements outside Hengshui, was surrounded by more and more Japanese troops, and the situation became increasingly dangerous. The Hengshui Campaign must be ended as soon as possible, and the Jidong Independent Brigade withdrew and worked with the 5th Brigade to find an opportunity to eliminate the Japanese troops.

Under the leadership of a local, the independent brigade's direct battalion successfully found its way to the forest near the Japanese artillery position from a small path. However, when the independent brigade's direct battalion was preparing to attack the Japanese artillery position, it was discovered and entangled by the artillery guard troops.

As the two sides were fighting fiercely, more and more Japanese troops were surrounding the artillery positions, and the situation of the independent brigade's direct battalion became increasingly dangerous.