Devil's Army

The commander of this Japanese force was the commander of the 20th Division of the Japanese Army, Sasaki.

When the troops advanced to the Mao'ershan Pass, he personally directed the attack from the front of Mao'ershan. However, after more than two hours of continuous attack, there was still no progress, and he was extremely anxious.

Due to the need for a surprise attack, the Japanese troops bypassed Changbai Mountain and launched a surprise attack on Changbai City via Mao'er Mountain, forming a pincer movement with the Japanese troops that attacked Changbai City directly from the Yalu River.

The raid has now turned into a siege battle, losing the original purpose of the raid.

Nearly 2 Japanese troops were held back for an entire day by a battalion of less than 1000 men at the Mao'ershan Pass. Meanwhile, another main force had already crossed the Yalu River and was advancing deep into Changbai County.

Division Commander Sasaki left a part of the First Battalion of the 4th Division of North Korea to continue to hold back the First Battalion, while the main force traveled from the southern foot of Changbai Mountain through the Shiwudaogou River Valley to Changbai City.

The Japanese army set off from the southern slope of Changbai Mountain (the foothills south of Tianchi Lake), attempting to move south along the Shiwudaogou River and pass through the basalt canyon near Wangtian'e to reach Baishan City.

The road was narrow and rugged, making it difficult for Japanese artillery and trucks to pass.

The Japanese army had to advance and build roads along the way, resulting in slow progress.

This large-scale military operation by the Japanese army was quickly detected by the reconnaissance soldiers of the 1st Regiment of the 1st Border Defense Brigade.

The regimental commander immediately dispatched the 3rd Battalion, which was defending nearby, to intercept them.

The Third Battalion, which had been on high alert, received orders to immediately set off for the basalt canyon.

When the Third Battalion marched to Shiwudaogou Village, the Japanese army had not yet arrived.

By this time, after several hours of forced marching, the soldiers of the Third Battalion were exhausted and in dire need of rest. But now they were racing against time with the Japanese trucks.

If the Japanese army were allowed to pass through the basalt canyon, it would be very difficult for them to win in blocking the Japanese army in Shiwudaogou Village, which has no terrain advantage.

The battalion commander personally encouraged the soldiers, urging them to overcome the difficulties and reach the basalt canyon to rest.

The soldiers of the Third Battalion wiped the sweat from their foreheads and continued on their way.

When the soldiers of the Third Battalion arrived at the high ground on both sides of the basalt canyon, they could already hear the sounds of Japanese trucks and footsteps ahead.

The soldiers of the Third Battalion did not have time to build fortifications; they immediately sought cover on the spot to block the Japanese army.

The Japanese troops were caught off guard and fled in panic, leaving behind more than 20 corpses.

The Japanese army also knew the importance of the basalt canyon, and after their vanguard was defeated by the Third Battalion, they quickly organized an attack. However, they were met with fierce resistance from the Third Battalion.

The Japanese battalion commander was in a panic, but their vanguard was lightly armed and their heavy firepower and artillery had not yet caught up, making it impossible for them to break through the basalt canyon.

In desperation, the Japanese battalion commander ordered his soldiers to climb the high ground on both sides of the canyon, attempting to launch a surprise attack on the Third Battalion's position.

The soldiers of the Third Battalion suddenly spotted the Japanese troops climbing uphill and quickly moved two machine guns to fire at the Japanese troops climbing on both sides.

Machine gun bullets rained down on the hillsides on both sides.

The Japanese soldiers on the hillside were hit by bullets and rolled down into the valley.

At this moment, the Second Company of the Third Battalion suddenly launched a fierce counterattack against the Japanese troops who were making a feint attack on the front.

Seeing that the Japanese troops had been repelled, the battalion commander immediately ordered the entire battalion to launch a full-scale attack.

The soldiers of the Third Battalion charged toward the retreating Japanese troops with shouts.

The Japanese troops were terrified by the fierce attack of the Third Battalion soldiers and retreated one after another.

The battalion commander pursued the enemy all the way to a wooded slope 3 kilometers in front of the basalt canyon, where he built the first line of defense.