Devil's Army

Just as the Second and Third Regiments of the Fifth Brigade were preparing for battle, ready to lure the Japanese into an ambush and then annihilate them, the Saito Regiment only advanced about four miles towards Jianchang County before stopping, setting up a defense line, and sending troops to search the woods on both sides of the path.

When the Fifth Brigade Commander heard the report from the Second Regiment Commander, he immediately called a meeting of officers above the regiment level, and specially invited Army Commander Yang and Chief of Staff Li to participate.

Everyone talked a lot at the meeting and expressed their opinions.

Commander Yang said frankly: "I am not familiar with your situation and the Japanese, so my words may be a little biased. Please forgive me. I think the Japanese are taking every step carefully to drive you out of Jianchang County."

The Fifth Brigade Commander immediately responded: "Yes, this is a bit like Ningci Okamura's "cage policy."

Okamura Neiji was the commander of the Japanese Army's North China Front in July 1941. No one had heard of his name. As for his "cage policy", no one had ever heard of it. So everyone looked at the Fifth Brigade Commander.

The Fifth Brigade Commander knew that what he said was beyond the time, and he immediately explained: Ningci Okamura was a Japanese commander who was familiar with the conditions of our China. His "cage policy" was simply to divide the enemy's base into small areas through roads, artillery towers and trenches. The Japanese soldiers around any small area where the enemy was found could surround it and concentrate superior forces to eliminate the enemy in that area.

"Then don't the Japanese have an advantage in terms of military strength here?" Deputy Brigade Commander Luo asked in return.

"Yes, so this is just like Ningji Okamura's 'cage policy'."

"Then what methods does the brigade commander have to break the Japanese policy?" asked the second regiment commander.

"Withdraw the soldiers from the 2nd and 3rd Regiments on both sides of the ambush path. Your ambush is meaningless. The enemy is searching the road in small sections, so you can't ambush them."

The second and third captains immediately nodded in agreement.

"Secondly, we have 150mm howitzers and 40 rockets. These enemy fortifications can't completely block us. We let the enemy keep moving forward. The further their troops go, the longer their supply lines will be. Then we will concentrate our superior forces, cut off one of their sections and eat them up."

"Yes, they are extending towards Jianchang County in sections, and we will eat them up piece by piece." The brigade political commissar said happily.

"We can also try to attack them to see if they will send troops to advance alone. If the Japanese send troops to advance alone, we will find a way to destroy them." The third regiment commander interrupted.

"I think it's okay. You can go to the Third Regiment to arrange this matter this afternoon." The Fifth Brigade Commander responded.

Everyone spoke up and put forward many suggestions and opinions. The Fifth Brigade Commander summarized everyone's suggestions and opinions and first asked the Third Regiment Commander to arrange their Third Regiment's tactics of luring the enemy deep into their territory in the afternoon.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the first company of the first battalion of the third regiment was ordered to launch an attack on the Japanese on the path.

The dense bullets knocked down the Japanese who were building fortifications one by one. The artillery shells of the battalion collapsed the fortifications that the Japanese were building everywhere.

A Japanese captain in charge of the vanguard ordered a squadron to attack a company.

The soldiers of the company each found cover and fought off the Japs for a while, but were defeated and began to retreat.

The Japanese squadron leader ordered the artillery to bombard the retreating devil troops while chasing them.

While retreating, the company commander happily reported to the battalion commander: the fish has taken the bait.

The commander of the first battalion was very happy and ordered the second and third companies to move towards the squadron of Japanese soldiers from both sides of the path, preparing to completely wipe out this squadron of Japanese soldiers and give Colonel Saito a warning.

However, what discouraged the battalion commander was that the Japanese squadron stopped after running more than a mile, and then began to retreat.

When the company commander saw that the Japanese were not catching up with him, he immediately turned around and attacked them again.

However, this group of Japs did not get angry and chase after them immediately like the other Japs did. Instead, they continued to retreat in a cross-section.

A mortar shell from the first battalion's artillery exploded in front of the Japanese squadron leader. The guard in front of the Japanese squadron leader was killed on the spot, and a piece of shrapnel cut a hole in the squadron leader's face, bleeding profusely.

The captain of the first company was very happy and thought to himself, "Why don't you catch up?"

The Japanese squadron leader stopped retreating and ordered his artillery to bombard the company commander and his men fiercely.

Shells exploded one after another among the company's soldiers. The company's soldiers, who lacked anti-artillery fortifications, suffered heavy casualties. But it was worth it to lure the Japanese in this squadron to follow.

Who knew that the Japanese squadron leader ordered the artillery to bombard for nearly half an hour and then started to retreat.

During this period, the commander of the third regiment attacked the Saito Regiment twice, and each time their pursuit distance did not exceed two miles.

"It seems that the Japanese regiment commander has given them orders, otherwise they wouldn't have been attacked again and again without tracking and pursuing each time. Let's cancel the mission?" The commander of the fifth brigade suggested to the commander of the third regiment.

The Japanese were attacked on a small road. They relied on their half-built fortifications to fight back against the Third Regiment, and the Third Regiment did not gain any advantage at all.

Since the brigade commander suggested canceling the mission, the third regiment commander immediately canceled the mission of luring the Japanese into the depths. In addition, he tried to find a way to destroy the Japanese's manpower.