Devil's Army

Seeing that they could not break through the Devil Force's defenses after a long attack, and with the wind blowing in the direction of the Devil Force, the Japanese commander in Huai'an came up with a plan.

He ordered the main force to begin an orderly retreat, while the remaining small groups set fire to the reeds and used fuel from trucks to fuel the fire.

Soon, fueled by truck fuel, the fire in the reeds spread fiercely towards the northeast of Lujiatan.

The Japanese troops in Lianshui were also anxious because they could not break through the defenses of the devil troops after a long siege. Just as they were preparing to intensify their attack, a huge fire suddenly rushed towards them, forcing them to retreat urgently.

Fueled by the wind, the fire spread rapidly. Many Japanese soldiers were unable to retreat in time and perished in the flames.

The Japanese troops in Lianshui County had no choice but to report to their commander that they had encountered fierce resistance from the devilish troops at Lujiatan and had suffered heavy casualties from their arson attack. They requested reinforcements.

Meanwhile, the Japanese troops in Huai'an County reported to their commander that they had achieved great success in their fire attack on the "Devil Force" and were preparing to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

The Japanese commander, after reviewing the two reports, found something strange and ordered the Japanese troops in Huai'an and Lianshui to cease fire simultaneously, and sent scouts to investigate the situation.

The Japanese commander in Huai'an was cursing his superior for missing a crucial opportunity, but he had no choice but to carry out orders and send scouts to bypass the fire and investigate.

The Japanese commander in Lianshui County, following orders from his superiors, sent scouts to bypass the fire and investigate.

The reconnaissance results surprised both Japanese commanders.

The fierce battle lasted for several hours, yet not a single soldier of the devilish unit was eliminated; instead, the friendly forces suffered heavy losses.

After bypassing the fire, the two Japanese troops met up on the west side of the reeds in Lujiatan.

The Japanese troops in Lianshui County, suffering heavy casualties, strongly criticized the Japanese troops in Huai'an and threatened to take their commander to a military court.

The Japanese troops in Huai'an also accused the other side of failing to send troops to investigate the situation, citing the heavy casualties of their own troops.

The two sides were like dogs fighting, arguing on the west side of the reeds in Lujiatan.

The verbal battle resulted in both sides being punished equally by their superiors, and both were dismissed from their posts and placed on probation. The deputy captain was appointed captain, and they were given three days to take down Huaiyin County.

Due to the time constraints, the two Japanese armies stopped blaming each other and instead split into two groups to rush towards Huaiyin County again.

The Japanese troops in Huai'an advanced from the north through Banzha Town towards Huaiyin County.

Huaizha Town is located at the intersection of the east bank of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Huai'an-Huaiyin Highway, where the canal embankment is high and steep.

The 727th Regiment, having conserved its strength, constructed firing positions on the embankment and launched a fierce barrage, blocking both the waterway and the land route.

The Japanese troops in Huai'an fought fiercely with their allies at Lujiatan for several hours, but now they were under heavy attack from the devilish troops. Unable to withstand the attack, they retreated in panic.

However, the major's order was for them to take Huaiyin County within three days.

After a brief reorganization, the Japanese troops in Huai'an launched another fierce attack on the Devil Troops' positions in Huaizha Town.

Because the dike fortifications could not withstand the fierce bombing by the Japanese army, the soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 727th Regiment suffered heavy casualties under the relentless attack of the Japanese army.

Commander Zhang then ordered his troops to retreat into the town and engage in street fighting with the Japanese army.

The town is densely built, and the army had already evacuated the town's residents.

They constructed street fighting fortifications within the town and tenaciously resisted the Japanese infantry and vehicles advancing along the highway.

The transport ships on the canal were also attacked by the artillery of the 727th Regiment.

The Japanese army's desperate offensive was halted at Huaizha Town by the 727th Regiment of the Sichuan Army, making it impossible for them to advance an inch.