Devil's Army

Although the second company commander had recaptured the north bank of the Bailonggang Bridge, the river was not frozen at that time, and the surging river water was rushing forward. The only way to cross the river was to cross the Bailonggang Bridge.

The Japanese machine guns and mortars blocked the Bailonggang Bridge. With their current firepower, the casualties in the battle to seize the bridge would definitely be huge.

The second battalion commander asked the signalman to send a telegram to the third regiment commander to tell him about the battle situation at Bailonggang Bridge.

After the Third Regiment Commander reported to Wu Lang about the battles at Bailonggang Bridge and Sanchakou, he conveyed the commander-in-chief's order to the Second Battalion Commander: maintain the status quo, dig fortifications and prepare for battle.

At present, the First Army has occupied Sanchakou and the north side of Bailonggang Bridge, and has initially established a relatively solid defense line from Baodi County to the periphery of Ji County. After the Japanese army's attack on Ji County via Panshan and Huangyaguan Great Wall Pass was frustrated, it was difficult for them to attack Ji County via Baodi.

The commander of the third regiment arranged the second company at the position on the north side of Bailonggang Bridge and then arranged the third company between the two positions so that it could provide reinforcement at any time.

After the Japanese troops in Baodi lost the Bailonggang Bridge and Sanchakou, they launched a large-scale attack at the Bailonggang Bridge, hoping to open up the passage from Baodi to Jixian.

However, the surging river was a natural barrier for the First Army and the Japanese Army as well. The Japanese tanks and artillery bombarded the river in turns, but they were unable to successfully cross the Bailonggang Bridge.

Although the Second Company withstood the Japanese attack, it also suffered heavy casualties and had to retreat to rest while the Third Company took over the position.

This battle made the Japanese army realize once again that it would be difficult to successfully capture the Bailonggang Bridge without air superiority, let alone capture Jixian County.

This battle also made the commander of the Third Regiment clearly realize that their troops' firepower was seriously insufficient, so he applied for fire support from the commander-in-chief while asking the commander of the Third Battalion to arrange two companies to rush to Bailonggang Bridge.

Wu Lang heard the report from the commander of the Third Regiment and felt that the Japanese army had begun a tentative attack, so he ordered the mobile force to arrange five Type 2 tanks to rush to the Third Regiment's position.

As soon as the Type 2 tank arrived at the headquarters of the Third Regiment, the commander of the Third Regiment immediately arranged for three Type 2 tanks to rush to the Bailonggang Bridge position, and two were left behind to assist in guarding the fork.

The army's Tianjin Dongjuzi Airport and Beijing Nanyuan Airport were still being repaired as planned, and various strategic materials were arriving in Tianjin and Beijing one after another.

The battle was shrouded in the dark clouds at Jixian County and Xiaoguanzhuang Airport. Apart from two battles in Baodi, the Japanese Fifth Division had not taken any action.

After hearing that the 11th Mixed Brigade had lost Sanchakou and Bailonggang Bridge, Division Commander Itagaki had been preparing for war, because before the Taiyuan Campaign, they had fought several battles with the devil troops near Xiaoguanzhuang Airport, all of which ended in heavy casualties.

Now that Tianjin Dongjuzi Airport and Beijing Nanyuan Airport cannot be put into use, they will continue to keep their troops on hold and store strategic materials.

Wu Lang had also been ordering his troops to dig fortifications and store strategic materials for war preparation. After Xiaoguanzhuang Airport arranged two anti-aircraft artillery companies, Jixian also arranged an anti-aircraft artillery company.

When both China and Japan were preparing for war, Captain He of the Tangshan Armed Work Team brought good news to Wulang:

They found a large fuel supply base of the Japanese Army more than 30 miles east of Luan County. However, it was very difficult to capture it because the main force of the Fifth Division of the Japanese Army was stationed there. Moreover, the 19th Regiment of the Fifth Division of the Japanese Army in Zunhua County and the 21st Regiment of the Fifth Division of the Japanese Army in Luan County could provide reinforcements from both sides at any time.

Fuel has always been a strategic material in short supply for the First Anti-Japanese Army. There is currently no other way to obtain it except to seize it from the Japanese.

Wulang sent a telegram to ask Leng Feng about the tribe’s current fuel storage situation.

Leng Feng told Wulang that the tribe had been running low on fuel for a long time, so they had not been transporting fuel to them. But a few days ago, the Japanese in Rehe attacked Jinhua Mountain and Jianchang County, and were ambushed by them. They also took the opportunity to recapture Lingyuan County north of Jinhua Mountain. They seized the fuel and ammunition supply warehouse set up by the Japanese in Lingyuan. At present, the tribe is not short of fuel.

Since it was difficult to seize the fuel base of the Fifth Division, and the tribe and Wulang were not short of fuel, Wulang gave up the plan to seize the fuel base of the Fifth Division of the Japanese Army. He just asked the scouts to keep a close eye on the situation nearby.

Suzuki Shigeyasu, commander of the 11th Mixed Brigade of the Japanese Garrison Army, was not willing to see Sanchakou and Bailonggang Bridge taken away by the devil's troops. Relying on the large number and large caliber of his artillery, he would occasionally fire a round at the north side of Bailonggang Bridge.

The commander of the Third Regiment was annoyed to see that the Bailonggang Bridge position was often bombed and soldiers were killed and wounded from time to time, so he asked the commander of the Third Brigade for reinforcements with large-caliber artillery.

Wu Lang received a telegram requesting help from the commander of the Third Brigade and ordered the heavy artillery unit of Ji County to dispatch four 150mm howitzers to support the Third Regiment of the Third Brigade.

Platoon Leader Song of the Eighth Route Army heard the news and applied to Wulang:

"We have been studying in Ji County for so long, can we go to the Third Regiment's position to practice fighting the Japanese?"

“Although internship is important, the frontline is too dangerous.”

"It's dangerous at the front line, and it's also dangerous at home. I never know when I'll be picked by the Japanese."

Wu Lang nodded. There was no safety at all in the Japanese-occupied area where the Japanese invaders were rampant.