Devil's Army

Just as the battles in various places entered a stalemate and stalemate stage, the Second and Third Brigades heading north finally arrived.

The Second and Third Brigades also divided into four groups to attack the rear guard of the Japanese army in Zhengzhou, Jiaozuo, Kaifeng and Shangqiu respectively.

The Japanese army had to transfer troops from various front lines to support and block the attacks of the 2nd and 3rd Brigades.

As the attacking force, the Japanese troops suffered high casualties.

Now, facing the attack of more than 3 reinforcements from three brigades of the Devil's Army, the defense line began to be unable to cope.

Some battlefields began to shift from strategic encirclement and suppression to strategic defense.

At this time, the main forces of the Eighth Route Army and local armed forces in various places also increased their sneak attacks and attacks on the Japanese transport teams and rear guard troops.

After two days of fighting, Japanese troops in various locations began to fully enter a strategic defense, and the First Army began to actively attack.

The First Army's air force also increased its bombing efforts on the Japanese.

The first brigade on the front line, the Jidong Independent Brigade, and the 364th Brigade of the Sichuan Army used a high degree of flexibility to continuously concentrate troops to encircle and suppress the Japanese troops in various areas.

The Second and Third Brigades on the south bank of the Yellow River also continued to concentrate their superior forces to attack the weak links of the Japanese army.

The situation became increasingly favorable for the First Army. The Japanese army began to shrink its defense line and concentrate on several important strongholds to prevent being attacked by the First Army's superior forces.

A brigade commander learned from the intelligence sent back by the Eighth Route Army's underground liaison that it was the Japanese army in Zhengzhou that organized and planned this large-scale encirclement and suppression.

So the First Brigade concentrated the forces of two regiments and notified the Second and Third Brigades on the south bank of the Yellow River to concentrate their superior forces. Suddenly, they attacked the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou from the north and south banks of the Yellow River.

When the Japanese troops in Jiaozuo heard that their headquarters had been attacked by the devil's troops, they quickly drew troops from the front line and sent reinforcements in two groups.

However, the other two regiments of the first brigade on the front line kept a close eye on the Japanese troops in Jiaozuo, leaving them no way to retreat safely.

The rear guard troops of the Second and Third Brigades also intercepted the Japanese reinforcements in Jiaozuo.

The Japanese army in Jiaozuo launched two large-scale attacks in succession, but failed to break through the defense line of the rear guard troops of the 2nd and 3rd Brigades.

At this time, the First Army's air force also rushed over and launched a fierce strafing and bombing of the Japanese reinforcements in Jiaozuo, which dashed the hope of the Japanese troops in Jiaozuo to quickly support the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou.

Another air force of the First Army also launched fierce bombing and strafing on the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou that were surrounded.

At this time, the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou could hardly protect themselves, let alone wipe out the devil troops.

The fierce battle lasted for five days, and the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou had retreated to several mutually dependent positions and were fighting stubbornly.

The Japanese commanders knew that it was impossible to encircle and wipe out the devil troops, and if the battle continued, they would most likely be wiped out.

So on the fifth night, they announced their retreat.

In the evening of that day, after the First Army Air Force returned, the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou fired all their artillery shells at the positions of the devil troops surrounding them.

Then at 8 o'clock in the evening, the Japanese troops in Zhengzhou quietly retreated to Zhengzhou.

The Japanese army's retreat in Zhengzhou declared the failure of this large-scale encirclement and suppression campaign.

Soon, the Japanese troops in Jiaozuo, Kaifeng and Shangqiu also retreated one after another.

The battle to defend the city in northern Henan, which lasted for more than half a month, was finally declared a victory.

After defeating the encirclement of the Japanese army of 6 troops, the First Anti-Japanese Army began to shift from guerrilla defense to active offensive warfare.

A brigade commander concentrated superior forces to attack Jiaozuo and Jiyuan.

At that time, Jiaozuo was the throat node connecting North China and Central Plains, and it had abundant coal resources.

The Japanese army stationed a large number of troops in Jiaozuo.