Bright Sword: Construction starts from southeastern Shanxi

"Your Excellency, Division Commander, have you noticed? Since the 117th Regiment was attacked, we have completely lost contact with it, but this blocking force has not yet withdrawn its position."

"Also, this force doesn't seem to be here to stop us. Just now, when I led the Imperial Army in the attack, I discovered that their casualties were not high at all."

"Maybe?" Hai Lao Mingrong hesitated to speak.

After listening to his analysis, Xia Yuanxiong Mi suddenly looked serious and spoke thoughtfully.

"If it doesn't look like a sniper attack, then who are these Eighth Route Army soldiers aiming at?"

"You can't possibly snipe me!"

Hearing this, Shimomoto Kumaya and Ebina Ei looked at each other unconsciously, bewildered.

An incredible thought flashed through the minds of both of them at the same time.

Could the Eighth Route Army's target here be their 108th Division? No way, no way. Xia Yuanxiong's expression began to change from gloomy to bright. The more he thought about this trip, the more possible it seemed.

At this moment, the telegraph operator came over and handed Shimomoto Kumamiya a telegram sent from the Taiyuan First Army Headquarters. Shimomoto Kumamiya took the telegram and saw that it was a report from the air force that went to support. After they arrived at the location, the battle was over and the 117th Regiment had been completely wiped out. Umezu Yoshijiro ordered the 108th Division to retreat immediately to prevent being ambushed by the Eighth Route Army. At the same time, the 4th Independent Mixed Brigade had moved south to provide support.

At the same time, the telegram pointed out that according to the intelligence department's intelligence from the Second War Zone, the unit that ambushed the 117th Regiment and the tank squadron was still the 389th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army. At the same time, the combat goal of the 389th Brigade was to annihilate the 108th Division.

It turned out that when Zeng Jiwen and others began to ambush the 117th Regiment on the Handan-Changzhi Highway, the man from Jin, in order to encourage the generals in this battle and make them unite against the enemy, mentioned the battle in which the 389th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army and the 47th Army of the Sichuan Army ambushed the 108th Division at the military meeting. At that time, it caused a burst of exclamations in the Second War Zone, and everyone was incredible. However, when they thought that this battle planner was Zeng Jiwen, who was famous in the previous war against Japan, they suddenly fell silent.

After learning the news, the Japanese intelligence personnel lurking in the Second War Zone quickly sent the message to the intelligence department of the North China Front Army and forwarded it to the First Army at the same time.

After learning about this, the First Army's General Staff was dismissive and didn't know which intelligence officer had heard the false news. They didn't care at all until the aviation pilots came back and told them that the 117th Wing had been destroyed. They were shocked at this time, and hurriedly notified Umezu Yoshijiro and immediately ordered the 108th Division to retreat.

At the same time, the 4th Independent Mixed Brigade, which was assembled and on standby in Yangquan, was quickly dispatched south along Xiyang and rushed to Licheng.

When Xia Yuan Xiong Mi finished reading the telegram, he was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. Then his face suddenly changed, and he angrily scolded the 389th Brigade, threatening that the 389th Brigade dared to ambush the 108th Division. Xia Yuan Xiong Mi wanted to let the 389th Brigade see what an elite division is and let it bear the wrath of the Imperial Army.

However, not long after, the telegraph operator delivered another telegram. The commander of the 104th Brigade, Tomidi Silou, sent an urgent telegram saying that he had been attacked by fierce artillery fire from the Eighth Route Army near Yuanzigou after passing Dayupei. He was currently relying on the terrain to launch a counterattack and seeking tactical guidance.

After reading this, Xia Yuanxiong felt a chill all over his body. Without giving it any time to think, he immediately ordered his troops to gather and begin to retreat. At the same time, he ordered the fourth floor of the Tonami to retreat immediately.

Afterwards, the entire 108th Division began to panic. In order to retreat quickly, Shimomoto Xiongya decided to abandon most of the baggage and all members traveled light.

However, on a mountain not far from the 108th Division Headquarters, at this time, a team of about 12 fully armed Eighth Route Army soldiers were hiding among the dead rocks and bushes covered with dry grass, watching the 108th Division Headquarters not far away.

"Captain, the Japs' headquarters should be down below. We've been looking for it for so long, and it's only in this barracks that high-ranking officials frequently come in and out." A young soldier whispered to a man.