Devil's Army

On the third day, the Jidong Independent Brigade and the soldiers of the Second Division of the Eighth Route Army's Jilu-Henan Military Region simultaneously launched an attack on Puyang City.

At that time, Henan was located in the heart of the Central Plains, and Puyang connected North China, Central China, and Northwest China. It was an important strategic hub and key combat zone city in China.

Moreover, Henan is a traditional agricultural province with high grain production.

After going to Shandong and Shanxi, Commander Hata Shunroku did not want to lose Henan again, so he strictly ordered the defenders of Henan to resist to the end and never retreat.

当时驻守河南的日军是第12军，该军辖有第27师团、第37师团、第110师团、第62师团、第63师团（实际参战兵力为一个旅团）、战车第3师团、第12野战补充队、第7独立混成旅团、第9独立步兵旅团、第4独立骑兵旅团，以及若干直辖和配属部队 。

In addition, the 1st Army in Shanxi also retreated to Henan after the fall of Shanxi.

In addition, the 11th Army in Wuhan and the 13th Army in Anhui were also ordered to withdraw troops to reinforce Henan.

The Japanese army in Henan reached 14 troops. Together with the puppet army and puppet police, the total number of troops exceeded 20.

The Gray Wolf Army mobilized only the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Brigades and the Jidong Independent Brigade, totaling over 40,000 men. The Eighth Route Army had only 10,000 regular troops in Henan, and nearly 10,000 local armed forces and guerrillas.

At that time, the Nanjing government forces in Henan Province included the 4th, 14th, 36th, and 39th Armies, totaling over 40 men. But the Gray Wolves had little hope for them.

Therefore, Gray Wolf gave instructions to the brigade commander, commander-in-chief of the army attacking Henan: assess the situation, do not defend the cities, fight guerrilla warfare with the Japanese army, and concentrate your forces to eliminate the Japanese army in the campaign.

Commander Gao of the Jidong Independent Brigade knew that with the combined strength of his brigade and the 3000-strong Second Military Sub-district of the Eighth Route Army, it would be easy to capture Puyang City. However, holding it would be very difficult.

He formulated a tactic of besieging a point and attacking the reinforcements, letting the soldiers of the Second Division of the Eighth Route Army take the lead in the attack and feint to attack Puyang City. Their main force was lying in ambush in the hilly and canyon areas north of Huixian to prepare to ambush the Japanese reinforcements in Jiaozuo.

After the Puyang Campaign started, Brigade Commander Gao also arranged a regiment to wipe out the puppet army led by Sun Liangcheng, which had committed numerous atrocities.

At that time, Sun Liangcheng's troops of the puppet Second Front Army occupied the Puyang area. Sun Liangcheng set up the headquarters at Bagong Bridge and established more than a hundred strong strongholds of various sizes with it as the center.

They oppressed the people and the anti-Japanese armed forces every day. In order to curry favor with the Japanese army, they captured 10 girls and presented them to the Japanese army in Puyang City. This caused great public outrage in the local area.

The commander of the Fourth Regiment of the Jidong Independent Brigade, led by a guerrilla team, quietly surrounded Bagong Bridge.

After completing the encirclement, the commander of the Fourth Regiment gave an order and the four battalions of the Fourth Regiment launched a fierce attack on Bagong Bridge from four directions.

The puppet troops hid in various bunkers and strongholds and put up a stubborn resistance, but these bunkers were quickly destroyed one by one by the rocket troops of the Fourth Regiment.

Sun Liangcheng usually oppressed the people, suppressed the anti-Japanese armed forces, and flaunted his power. When he encountered the powerful Jidong Independent Brigade, he immediately felt the pressure and quickly asked for help from the Japanese army in Puyang.

At that time, the Japanese troops in Puyang were also under fierce attack from the soldiers of the 2nd Division of the Eighth Route Army. They were unable to protect themselves, so they asked for help from the Japanese troops in Jiaozuo and Kaifeng.

Japanese troops in various places had already received orders from Commander Hata Shunroku, so as soon as they heard about the devil troops, they immediately sent reinforcements.