Bright Sword: Construction starts from southeastern Shanxi

After discussion, Yang Guilin and others decided to attack Shouyang at dawn.

In order to reduce casualties during the siege, the brigade headquarters specially transferred six 75mm mountain cannons from the artillery regiment previously loaned from the 386th Brigade to the 759th Regiment.

In addition, the Pingding local regiment had completed the re-equipment of the entire Pingding local regiment when the 758th regiment recaptured Pingding, and the two regiments were able to put together 6 75mm Type 41 mountain guns.

12 artillery pieces are enough for two regiments to capture Shouyang.

After several people explored the terrain around Shouyang, Yang Guilin placed the battalion responsible for the main attack at the north gate.

Since Shouyang is surrounded by mountains, except for the narrow east-west strip, the northeast and northwest are blocked by mountains. Therefore, the local regiment of Pingding was responsible for the west gate and east gate to prevent the Japanese army from abandoning the city and fleeing.

Since there was a moat surrounding the South Gate and there was a vast mountainous area outside the city, Yang Guilin placed the Third Battalion outside the South Gate to prevent the Japanese army from entering the mountainous area through the South Gate.

The first and second battalions served as the main attacking forces and attacked the city.

After deploying the battle plan, Yang Guilin immediately issued an order to besiege Shouyang.

As the order was issued, the two regiments of troops lurking in the mountainous areas around Shouyang began to move towards Shouyang and then surrounded Shouyang.

Inside the city, after receiving the report from the observation soldier on the city wall, Saito Yoshio hurriedly got up from his bed, and then, under the guidance of the guards, climbed up to the Shouyang Tower at the north gate to check the situation outside the city.

Yoshio Saito looked through the telescope and saw the Eighth Route Army approaching the city wall not far away. The crisscrossing gullies raised clouds of dust.

Looking at this scene, Saito Yoshio's face suddenly became a little ugly.

It was obvious that the Eighth Route Army outside the city was about to take Shouyang.

Yesterday afternoon, the 39th Brigade derailed in the Dongzhao area shortly after leaving the city by train, and then engaged in a firefight with the 389th Division's blocking troops.

Until now, the 39th Brigade still controls the Duanyan area.

It took the 39th Brigade a full eight hours to pass through a town.

Shortly before he fell asleep, he received a telegram from the division commander. In the telegram, Taniguchi Motojiro pointed out that the Eighth Route Army was likely to launch an attack on Shouyang and asked him to be prepared.

He didn't expect that less than three hours after he had arranged the defense, the Eighth Route Army appeared outside the city. Judging from their posture, it was obvious that they were going to attack the county town where he was stationed.

Thinking of this, Saito Yoshio immediately asked the chief of staff beside him about the situation in the other three directions.

When we learned from the chief of staff that there were also large numbers of Eighth Route Army troops in the other three directions, according to what we can observe so far, there are now two regiments of Eighth Route Army troops surrounding Shouyang, with nearly 4,000 people.

When he heard this number, Saito Yoshio was immediately shocked.

Now, the 132nd Regiment only has one and a half battalions of locust soldiers with less than 1,500 people. Although there is still a puppet army with more than 600 people in the city, Saito Yoshio does not dare to let this group of puppet soldiers participate in defending the city at this moment.

If this group of puppet troops turned against the Locust Army and attacked it like the Pingding County Security Corps did before, it would be a lot of fun.

But now this group of puppet troops had to be used. Saito Yoshio thought about it and reluctantly asked the chief of staff to call the puppet army commander Zhang Dainian, and then asked him to lead the troops to patrol the city to prevent small groups of the Eighth Route Army from lurking in the city and causing trouble for the locust army.

As for letting this group of puppet soldiers help the locust army to guard the city tower, with the glorious deeds of the Pingding County Security Corps, Saito Yoshio did not dare to bet that this group of puppet soldiers would still work hard to defend the city for the locust army after seeing the Eighth Route Army outside the city, and the 389th Division.

At the same time, the situation in Shouyang was immediately reported to the division headquarters in Yangquan.

When he discovered that the Eighth Route Army troops outside the city had begun digging trenches and were slowly approaching the city gate, Saito Yoshio immediately organized artillery to begin shelling the Eighth Route Army troops digging trenches outside the city.