Devil's Army

The Sanying Yaolingzi position (southeast corner of the county town, upstream of the bridge) is a cliff-like basalt plateau, with an elevation significantly higher than the river surface and the bridge end (relative height difference exceeding 80 meters). The slope angle is generally 30°–40°; the cliffs are steep, with many natural rock formations and gullies.

The soldiers of the Third Battalion set up machine gun positions along the natural gullies. They also set up mortar positions behind the Shilazi Heights.

When the Japanese advance troops reached the Yaolingzi position, they were met with fierce fire from the mountain gullies and the exposed and concealed machine gun positions on the rocky cliffs.

Japanese reinforcements rushed to the scene, only to be met with fierce bombardment from the 3rd Battalion of mortars.

The mortar battalion was positioned on the top of a rocky slope, where they had a wide field of vision and could overlook the bridge, the bridgehead, and the riverside highway without any blind spots.

Moreover, the area is connected to dense forests and mountains, which facilitates concealment, resupply, and alternating retreats, making it difficult for Japanese artillery fire to completely cover the steep slopes and reverse slopes.

The Japanese army had only one road running along the river to pass through the mountainside positions, with no parallel side roads. The mountain and the riverbank formed a V-shaped canyon, preventing the Japanese army from launching a wide-front attack. They could only advance along the road-bridge axis. The right flank was the Yalu River, and the left flank was the steep slope of Yaolingzi, leaving no room for maneuver.

The Japanese artillery, which arrived later, launched a fierce bombardment of the mortar positions of the Third Battalion.

However, to the Japanese's dismay, the 3rd Battalion's mortar positions were located on the reverse slope of the Shilazi earthen mound. The Japanese shells could only destroy the positions in front of them, having little impact on the artillery positions on the reverse slope.

While the artillery was suppressing the artillery of the Third Battalion, the Japanese infantry forcibly broke through the riverside highway.

However, it was still subjected to continuous bombardment by the artillery of the Third Battalion.

With no other options, the Japanese division commander ordered infantry machine guns to provide cover for mortar artillerymen as they climbed the steep slopes on both sides of the riverside road, attempting to launch a surprise attack on the 3rd Battalion's reverse slope artillery positions.

The Japanese army's clandestine operation was discovered by the scouts of the Third Battalion.

The battalion commander devised a plan to ambush the Japanese army on their inevitable route, along with most of the rocket troops from the third battalion.

The Japanese mortar crew thought they were getting away with it, but little did they know they had walked into the ambush set up by the battalion commander.

With a command from the third deputy battalion commander leading the team, the rocket troops launched the first attack.

One rocket after another pierced into the Japanese mortar units, causing them to cry out in pain and despair.

Then, the three battalions of light and heavy machine guns, which were lying in ambush all around, opened fire, leaving the Japanese troops with no chance to fight back.

The soldiers of the Third Battalion in the main position of Yaolingzi also destroyed a Japanese command vehicle and a troop transport vehicle.

The Japanese infantry were pinned down at the bottom of the slope along the river road by the fierce firepower and grenades of the Third Battalion, unable to move.

In order to cover the infantry's passage across the riverside highway, the Japanese army deployed two armored vehicles to suppress the firepower of the Third Battalion.

Knowing that the Devil Unit possessed shoulder-fired artillery (rocket shells), the Japanese army deployed infantrymen to accompany the armored vehicles, vigilantly monitoring the Devil Unit's movements.

The steep slopes and dense trees on the cliffs provided cover for the rocket troops. The four rocket soldiers of the Third Battalion successfully approached the riverside highway and targeted two Japanese armored vehicles that were firing wildly.

"Boom!" Two loud explosions rang out, and the first Japanese armored vehicle was blown over and rolled down the Yalu River.

Another armored vehicle was also destroyed by the explosion.

The Japanese army launched a two-day, one-night continuous attack on the Third Battalion's position, but still could not break through.

The Japanese division commander had no choice but to withdraw his troops to an open area behind the Yaoling position.