Devil's Army

After the Second and Third Brigades gave up Nanyang and Sanmenxia, ​​they rushed to northern Henan at full speed. At this time, the fighting in northern Henan had already begun.

Xinxiang, a city adjacent to Jiaozuo, Zhengzhou and Kaifeng, was the first city to experience fighting.

The First and Second Regiments of the First Brigade were deployed along the new dike of the Jialu River near Zhengzhou and were the first to engage in fire with the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou.

There are many natural ditches along the Jialu River, and the terrain is shaded.

The movement of the Japanese mechanized troops in Zhengzhou slowed down here, and the soldiers of a brigade and a regiment were ambushed in these natural ditches and complex terrain to resist the advance of the Japanese army.

Moreover, the upper section of the Jialu River basin slopes from southwest to northeast, with a stepped distribution, higher in the west and lower in the east.

This terrain gave the 1st Brigade and 1st Regiment a certain advantage in height when defending, allowing them to attack the Japanese army from a high position, increasing the difficulty of the Japanese army's attack.

The Jialu River is connected to the Yellow River. The Yellow River channel in the Huayuankou section is one to three meters above the ground, becoming a suspended river.

After the Huayuankou dike burst in 1938, the river water flowed into the Jialu River through the Suoxu River, forming a large area of ​​Yellow River flooding, which greatly hindered the advance of the Japanese mechanized troops in Zhengzhou.

The Zhengzhou tank unit, which was responsible for the vanguard, was destroyed by a regiment of rocket soldiers after entering the Jialu River area.

The vanguard's trucks were also destroyed by rockets, and the wreckage of tanks and trucks blocked the way forward.

While the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou were trying to clear the road blocked by the wreckage of tanks and trucks, they came under heavy fire and mortar fire from a group on the riverbank. It took a lot of effort to push the wreckage of tanks and trucks aside.

The Japanese army then continued to advance and reached the Jialu River Bridge.

At this time, the First Regiment had already built defensive fortifications to the north of the Jialu River Bridge.

As soon as the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou arrived south of the Jialu River, they immediately launched a fierce artillery bombardment on the northern fortifications of the First Regiment.

The first regiment hid in fortifications to avoid Japanese artillery fire while calling for air force reinforcements.

To support this attack, the Japanese air force in Shangqiu took off in full force. However, soon after, the First Army Air Force from Dawu Airport in Lüliang City arrived and engaged the few remaining Japanese air forces over the Jialu River.

The battle lasted less than half an hour, and most of the Japanese fighter planes at Shangqiu Airport were shot down.

At this point, the Japanese army in Henan completely lost air superiority.

The Luliang Air Force began to launch fierce bombing and strafing against the Japanese troops attacking the Jialu River Bridge.

The Japanese artillery in Zhengzhou was also restrained and dared not open fire.

The battle lasted until evening, and the Japanese army failed to break through the defense line of the Jialu River Bridge.

In the evening, the Japanese army in Zhengzhou took advantage of the fact that the Devil Force's air force had not taken off and used the prepared assault boats to force a crossing of the Jialu River.

The artillery suppressed the firepower of a regiment with fierce firepower.

Although the soldiers of the regiment put up a tenacious resistance, the Japanese army came well prepared this time, with ample preparation and fierce firepower.

The Japanese troops on the assault boats successfully landed on the beach one after another and launched a fierce attack on the positions of the first regiment.

The soldiers of the two battalions of the first regiment held out until dawn, but finally abandoned the Jialu River Bridge position due to heavy casualties and retreated to the Dazhaoying Railway Station position.

The Japanese army pursued them relentlessly and soon reached the outskirts of Dazhaoying Railway Station.

Dazhaoying Railway Station is located 10 kilometers west and slightly south of Xinxiang County. It is a must-pass place for the Pinghan Railway, Daoqing Railway and Xinjiao Highway.

The surrounding terrain is complex and there are many hidden places along the railway.

The Second Regiment of the First Brigade ambushed here, ready to block the Japanese army from advancing north.