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Chapter 190: The Eighth Route Army fled in panic!

"You bunch of idiots! idiots!"

Taniguchi Wulang was furious: "You have been fighting for almost a whole day for a small 'Shexian' and you can't even take it!" "Your Excellency, the Brigade Commander! The Imperial Army soldiers have been very brave, it's the Eighth Route Army in front of us who are too cunning!"

A staff officer bravely stepped forward and gave the brigade commander a way out: "The terrain here is not conducive to our deployment. Shexian County has long been controlled by the Red Army, and their operation will take a long time. There is also a small river blocking the way. A frontal attack by our army would be like attacking the Tokugawa clan at Osaka Castle. Victory is not that easy!"

This staff officer, evidently well-versed in Japanese history, immediately added before Taniguchi could respond, "But it's summer now! A summer attack on Osaka would surely yield good fortune! Your Excellency, the two battalions are intensifying their attack, and the soldiers are about to capture the high ground outside the city. Next, the mountain artillery squadron will be able to use their commanding visibility to annihilate the Eighth Route Army entrenched in the city, clearing the way for the Imperial Army's attack!"

What the staff officer mentioned was the story of the Tokugawa clan attacking Osaka Castle occupied by the Toyotomi clan in the 17th century. Compared with the attack in winter that lasted for several months, the Osaka Castle faced by the Toyotomi army in the summer was much weakened and was quickly blown down. This meant that the Shexian County City held by the Eighth Route Army would also be destroyed by the imperial army as in history.

After hearing these auspicious words, Brigade Commander Taniguchi's mood finally improved. He sighed, "The Eighth Route Red Army is truly tenacious! Their digging skills are as fierce as those of the bears of Hokkaido. They've only been here for a year, haven't they? And they've actually dug three lines of defense outside the city!"

"This firepower is incomparable to that of the Nationalist Army. It's so intense that our troops can't even advance. Every time our warriors break through a line of defense, the shameless Eighth Route Army dares not engage us in hand-to-hand combat, retreating in panic to the next line of defense, leaving behind a trail of explosives. How despicable!"

"The artillery has now destroyed all the defenses, sir!" the artillery staff officer reported. "Most of the tunnels outside the city have collapsed. They can only defend on the city walls now!" "Once the commanding heights are captured, the Imperial Army will follow the newly built bridges, charge straight into the city walls, and capture the city!"

The Japanese army did not know that the three inverted U-shaped defense lines located behind and on both sides of the county town were the results of more than a month's work by our army; nor did they know that the bullets fired by these defenders were reloaded by the Taihang base or produced by the border area; and they did not know that this time the formation against the Japanese army was no longer "get close before fighting", but that it was a predetermined strategy to open fire without reservation.

In the eyes of the Japanese army, the military district troops in Shexian County and the 129th Division Special Forces Regiment were naturally "the headquarters of the 129th Division of the Red Army with sufficient firepower and manpower."

While feeling a headache, Taniguchi Wulang was naturally excited at the same time - would the honor of annihilating the Eighth Route Army division for the first time fall on a newly promoted commander like me?

However, despite his excitement, he maintained the basic qualities of a commander: he ordered the 73rd Battalion, which was originally attacking the city, to keep attacking and maintain the pressure; then, he reinforced the 74th Battalion and part of the 3rd Battalion of the 110th Division to the 7th Battalion that was climbing the mountain, so that the combined forces of the two battalions would fight for the commanding heights outside the city.

This move was quite wise: in the valley of Shexian County, the Japanese army's frontal deployment was limited and its firepower could not be fully exerted. However, if the high ground around the city was captured, the Japanese army could not only shoot down the Eighth Route Army from a high position, but also provide "observation shooting" for the artillery: this was also the consistent idea of ​​the Japanese army in attacking Nanjing City and Jinyang City.

"Assault!"

Japanese sergeants drew their command swords and commanded their front-line soldiers, who, under the cover of machine guns and 92mm cannons, charged toward the hills outside the city held by the Eighth Route Army. It must be said that despite having more than tripled their strength, the Japanese soldiers powerfully organized continuous, squadron-sized charges and launched a fierce attack.

They were even more surprised to find that the firepower of the Eighth Route Army on the hill began to gradually thin out. The machine gun fire disappeared, the rifle fire became sporadic, and even the densely thrown grenades at a distance of 50 meters began to decrease - even dud bombs without pull rings and low-quality bombs with only three or four petals began to appear.

"The enemy is low on ammunition! Charge decisively! Charge!"

Boom!

The Eighth Route Army detonated the mines in front of the position. This common tactic had been seen many times before. The flying metal debris swept down a row of Japanese soldiers, but the people behind them immediately got up, ignored the corpses and wounded in front of them, and rushed forward through the smoke!

The high ground outside the city finally changed hands.

Although the Eighth Route Army detonated the fortifications before leaving, in the end, they could no longer drive the Japanese troops down the hill.

The Japanese artillery observers quickly climbed to the top of the mountain and set up a tube-type rangefinder to observe and fire for the Type 94 mountain artillery at the foot of the mountain.

In the last rays of the setting sun, the four Type 94 rifles erupted with terrifying dominance: the ancient stone and clay walls were completely unable to withstand the bombardment of 75mm conventional bullets. In the observers' field of vision, fortifications collapsed from time to time, firepower points disappeared, and the Eighth Route Army's resistance was rapidly melting.

Although the Eighth Route Army still managed to repel an Imperial Army attack with tenacious close combat, and its main counterattack, the mortar, also attempted a counterattack, under the cover of the hilltop observation point, the Japanese 92mm infantry gun fired at the suspected artillery firing point at a tricky angle, which seemed to quickly silence it.

After paying a heavy price and a day of fierce fighting, the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade finally achieved a decisive victory.

"Your Excellency, Brigade Commander!" the staff officer stood at attention excitedly and reported loudly, his voice almost blowing the roof of the command post off: "The enemy has been defeated by me!" "Yoshi! Yokada!"

Taniguchi Wulang wiped his face, finally finding a place to vent the frustrations of the day. He laughed loudly, "The so-called war is a battle for life and dignity! Eighth Route Red Army, I am the winner this time!" "What's the situation now? Have our soldiers reached the top of the city wall?" he asked with joy.

"Sir! Due to fierce enemy resistance, our troops have only just been able to pass through the defensive positions outside the city. The Red Army left behind a large amount of explosives, so engineers must clear and inspect them before we can enter the city. However, the observation post reports that troops are passing through the mountains west of the city. They are the fleeing Red Army."

"That's all right!" "With victory in sight, Taniguchi didn't dwell on this point," he ordered all troops to advance steadily. "After clearing She County tonight, camp and rest in the county town. Then, have the signalman send a telegram to the commander, reporting our great victory, defeating the main force of the Red Army's 129th Division, and that the Red Army is fleeing!"

The headquarters was filled with joy. After such a victory, all the staff officers and battalion commanders would be rewarded and promoted. As if this wasn't enough, someone suggested pursuing the victory, chasing the retreating Red Army at night, and further expanding the victory.

Um.......

"Forget about this... We should not pursue a desperate enemy. Of course, to prevent the Red Army from counterattacking, we must occupy the position and take precautions." Taniguchi Wulang was unexpectedly cautious here. It was not because he lacked the courage to charge forward, but the two place names after Shexian County on the spread-out map made him "cowardly".

There, there are two groups of Chinese characters written——

"Shentouling" and "Xiangtangpu"!

Chapter 191: Is the Red Army about to be defeated?

The Taihang base area was a "long-standing encirclement and suppression zone," a familiar place not only to our troops but also to the Japanese. The ambushes by our troops at Shentouling and Xiangtangpu were still vivid and deeply impressed.

For example, during the Shentouling ambush, due to the unique terrain, the Japanese discovered the ambush and the Eighth Route Army launched a sudden attack from a distance of less than 50 meters. A heavy hail of bullets was followed by a row of extremely classical infantry rifles. The Imperial Army's vaunted bayonet fighting skills were useless in the narrow terrain and against the nearly 3-meter-long white wax red tasseled poles, and many were killed on the spot.

That's why Taniguchi Goro is so "overly cautious".

Well...that's how it should be.

--——--——

The Eighth Route Army's resistance inside the city was very weak. Aside from some landmines left behind, there was no organized and effective resistance. It seemed that they had already fled before the Imperial Army entered the city. The Japanese vanguard pursued them for a while, but did not dare to pursue them far, so they began to return to the city to deploy defenses and clean up the battlefield.

"what is that?"

Brigadier General Taniguchi had just finished the city entry ceremony and was watching the plaster flag being hoisted above Shexian City Wall. He glanced over and saw numerous Japanese soldiers carrying supplies through the streets of Shexian County… Oh, no, those carrying the supplies were conscripted laborers from the Koreans, commanded by the newly arrived supply troops. The Imperial Army soldiers—the ones squatting by the fire, eating and chatting—were the Imperial Army soldiers.

The brigade commander was in a good mood and didn't intend to question these people's "military attitude". He was thinking, this is not a big county town, the people in the city have already fled, why are there so many supplies?

"Report to the Brigade Commander!"

A squad leader emerged from the stopped unit. He stood at attention and saluted respectfully, reporting, "We've discovered a warehouse left behind by the Red Army. Inside are bedding and food! There's a lot of bedding, all patched up, but a quick count shows it's enough to feed several thousand men through the winter. What a great find!"

"Yoshi! This is very good! What kind of food is that?"

Taniguchi was very happy. In the past, when fighting against the Eighth Route Army, even if the Eighth Route Army retreated after a setback, they would not leave anything behind for the Japanese army. If they could not take it away, they would find ways to destroy it and prevent them from using it. But this time, they could actually seize the Eighth Route Army's supply warehouse?

It was amazing! The Red Army had indeed been defeated and fled in panic. In his joy, Taniguchi didn't dwell on why the Eighth Route Army would store enough supplies to equip several battalions in Shexian, a county close to the Imperial Army, and actually allow them to be seized.

"It's taro and potatoes, sir. Enough for the whole brigade!"

The squad leader, eager to claim credit, called over a few soldiers and handed over a few burnt pieces of black tea. "Before they left, the Red Army set a fire, trying to burn them. But taro isn't like wheat, which burns easily. We just roasted them. We can still feed them to the soldiers on guard tonight!"

The staff officer took off his gloves, took the potato and showed it to Brigade Commander Taniguchi.

The roasted "French-made game server" exuded an enticing aroma, though its surface was grimy and dusty. The red-paper-capped soldiers didn't mind, but Taniguchi Wulang, an officer, didn't want to touch anything that would dirty his gloves. He nodded, but didn't move. "That's excellent! Which battalion, which squadron, are you from?"

Report to you, sir! I am Fujita Kagamishi of the 3rd Squad, 2nd Company, 73rd Battalion!" It was obvious that the brigade commander was going to commend him. The squad leader was so excited that he almost shouted, "I will continue to work hard and sacrifice my life for the Imperial Empire's Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity War, even if it means death!"

However, at this juncture, the brigade's signalman ran over and handed the brigade commander a telegram he had just translated. Looking at Captain Todo, whose expectations were so high that his eyes were practically gleaming with excitement, Taniguchi nodded perfunctorily and then walked away.

The telegram was the headquarters' reply after hearing the news of victory. On the one hand, it praised the outstanding performance of the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade, and on the other hand, it reported the current battlefield situation: in addition to the 8th Independent Mixed Brigade attacking Lingchuan in the Baixing direction, the 36th Division advancing from Yushe and Wuxiang also made considerable progress. They also destroyed a large number of Eighth Route Army strongholds and seized a lot of weapons, ammunition, food and clothing.

However, the telegram ended with a note: "The Commander's latest order: We must uphold the Imperial Army's unyielding spirit and launch a relentless offensive to break through the numerous defenses set up by the Eighth Route Army to delay our forces. We must continue to attack until we have completely destroyed the Eighth Route Army entrenched in the Taihang region!"

Wouldn't that be a bit too aggressive?

Seeing such an order full of stupid Yuan style and eagerness for quick success and quick gain to expand the nature of aggression, Taniguchi Wulang actually maintained a little remaining rationality: even if the battles of Shentouling and Xiangtangpu are not counted, just last year, the Eighth Route Army annihilated an entire regiment of the 108th Division in Changle Village in this area, and beat this division that once participated in the encirclement and suppression back to the "repair" state. For a long time, it was severely injured and unable to fight again.

Now, the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade, newly established not long ago, has already penetrated into the heart of the Eighth Route Army's territory. No matter what, it can be considered as "an isolated force advancing deep into the enemy's territory."

His original plan was to first eliminate the enemy defenders in the area after occupying Shexian County, and then send the subsequent baggage trains into the city to stay; after that, he would deploy a squadron and more than one regiment of North China puppet troops along the way to provide backup and ensure the logistical supply at the front line - after all preparations were completed, he would continue to attack forward.

After much deliberation, Taniguchi Wulang decided to pretend to obey but actually disobey: after giving a formal reply to headquarters, he would suppress his urge to hasten the attack and achieve great feats, and wait until his troops had completed their rear defenses before attacking. But soon, a second telegram from headquarters arrived.

As if seeing through Taniguchi's thoughts, the second telegram continued to emphasize the necessity of pursuing the victory. At the same time, it attached another heavyweight evidence: the Army Intelligence Department in Jinyang City successfully deciphered the telegram code of the 12th Division of the Eighth Route Red Army and intercepted their mobilization orders after the fall of Shexian County.

In the decoded telegram, "Brigade Commander Chen" of the "129th Division" spoke in a stern tone, demanding that all the Red Army troops in the area gather towards Licheng behind Shexian County and rebuild the defense line there to prevent the Japanese army's attack and save the "base" from crisis.

Even more remarkable, the Eighth Route Army actually passed this intelligence on to the Nationalist troops in the nearby Zhongtiao Mountains, requesting their assistance in defending against the Japanese. This was further confirmed in the Nationalist army's telegrams, which were clear text to the Japanese. In their reply, Wei Junru's Nationalist troops stated that they were under heavy attack from the Imperial Army and could not spare any troops to assist. They hoped the Red Army would work hard to find a solution.

"This information, corroborated by the deciphered Guojian Army telegram, is highly authentic. We urge all units to seize this precious opportunity, overcome difficulties, and resolutely break through. Seize the opportunity while the Red Army's defenses remain incomplete, and strive to achieve victory in one fell swoop, completely wiping out the Eighth Route Army and the Eighth Red Army roaming this area!"

Chapter 192: Encirclement and Annihilation (Part 1) - Destroying the Dongyang Pass

Think normally: after the enemy was defeated by our army, they left behind a large number of weapons and equipment, and scattered food supplies. When they retreated, they seemed to have no organization and could not form a new line of defense in time. Our army still had offensive kinetic energy and could launch an effective attack before the enemy established a second line of defense; at the same time, our army's combat effectiveness has always been higher than that of the enemy, and the enemy never dared to confront our army head-on.

Based on these circumstances, general commanders would tend to launch a pursuit war to maximize the results and depth of the battle, and also to prevent further counterattacks by the enemy.

So, from this perspective, although he always had some inexplicable self-confidence, the commander of the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade, Taniguchi Wulang, still maintained the necessary caution. He decided to pursue the enemy after receiving the "decoded telegram" intelligence from the headquarters, and he did not pursue them overnight, which was considered a bit cautious. Of course, in terms of the result, this might become the so-called "indecision in front of the enemy."

This resulted in the loss of combat opportunities," and was criticized by the headquarters.

Of course, there must be opportunities to criticize.

The next day, after resting for a few hours in the county seat, the 1st Mixed Brigade set out. The three battalions it brought with it had suffered some losses from the previous days' fighting. Brigade Commander Taniguchi split his 74th Battalion, assigning two infantry companies to his 72nd and 73rd Battalions to bolster their combat effectiveness. With only one and a half companies remaining, the 74th Battalion remained in Shexian County, maintaining rear security and providing support.

Including the 3rd Battalion, loaned from the 110th Division, the entire brigade totaled approximately 3,500 men. Leading the loaned mountain artillery squadron, they began a rapid advance toward the next county, Licheng. Because they had to pass through the unique terrain of Xiangtangpu, Gukou Wulang instructed his troops to maintain high alert, occupying the hilltops on both sides of the road and providing mutual cover as they passed through this approximately 15-kilometer stretch of mountainous terrain. This way, if a Red Army ambush was discovered on the hilltops, the entire brigade would have time to react, halt losses, or even outflank the ambushing Red Army troops.

With a level of caution rarely seen on the Chinese battlefield, this stretch of road through the high mountains and deep valleys was ultimately uneventful. The search teams climbing the hills on either side of the road found no trace of the Eighth Route Army, only a few guerrillas harassing them. These small guerrillas were no match for the search teams, which consisted of only a few squads, and fled in panic under the suppression of light machine gun fire.

On the contrary, our team, walking in the valley, found many hastily dug trenches and unlaid mines. The engineers who came forward quickly filled the road and destroyed the mines that did not even have camouflaged tripwires. Except for a few puppet soldiers who were clearing the way in front, there were basically no casualties.

"Oh, if it were a year ago, how could the Eighth Route Army have let us through such a dangerous terrain so easily?" Taniguchi finally felt relieved. He held his throbbing eyelids and sighed, "Look! The main force of the Eighth Route Army is in disarray, running away and leaving everything in disarray. Only a small number of local Eighth Route Army soldiers have come to stop them. It's obvious that they are at the end of their strength!"

"Hey, Your Excellency the Brigade Commander, the Eighth Route Army is fleeing in panic, and our army is on the verge of victory!"

The staff officers followed the brigade commander's car and exchanged flattering words. The situation was becoming increasingly clear. "What's the name of the place ahead, after exiting the valley?"

"Sir, after leaving the valley, there is a flat and open basin called Dongyang Pass. It is similar to She County, but the area is wider. In the southwest of the basin,

This is Licheng County."

"it is good!"

Wu Lang at the valley entrance jumped off the small tricycle that had been assigned to the brigade commander and gave the order to the messenger: "The result is everything! Everyone! After exiting the valley, the three battalions will deploy in battle formation: the 72nd and 73rd Battalions will be the vanguard, the 3rd Battalion will be the rearguard. After preparing the artillery fire, launch an attack on Licheng County!"

"Signalman, send a message to headquarters: The road to Licheng has been opened. Our troops have unimpeded access, unimpeded!"

The highway from Shexian to Licheng, after passing through a valley, opened up at Dongyang Pass. The terrain thereafter was wide and open, allowing for large-scale deployment. The brigade commander at the mouth of the valley planned to establish his headquarters on the hillside on one side of the valley. He reasoned that there were no ambush troops from the Eighth Route Army in the treacherous Xiangtangpu section, so how could there be an ambush here, given the open terrain?

How could there be an ambush?

Impossible! Impossible... Boom!

Just as the 72nd, 73rd, and 3rd Battalions ended their intense alert and boldly walked out of the valley, their tense spirits relaxing, the three battalions, which were in formation, came under fire without warning—from at least two directions, as 75mm shells rained down from the sky!

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The Japanese sergeants at the lower levels cried out in agony. The deployed troops always presented a dense mass of targets, a perfect target for artillery fire: the enemy's firepower was dense and continuous, and it was increasing rapidly. Soon, the density of the falling shells began to increase rapidly, and even the familiar Japanese Type 41 mountain guns began to join the bombardment.

Furthermore, these artillery pieces clearly had a clear division of labor. The longer-range 75mm shells flew over the entire formation, exploding in the rear, while the shorter-range Type 41-style guns advanced in the front row, driving together any soldiers attempting to disperse.

The Eighth Route Army! The Red Army has been operating here for a long time, so they must have already measured all the artillery parameters and even conducted test firings!

In the battles in China, due to the enemy's poor equipment and operational capabilities, the Japanese had always preferred to deploy within 5 kilometers of the enemy before launching their attacks at a leisurely pace. This bad habit, born of contempt, finally paid a heavy price today. Three Japanese battalions were thrown into disarray within the pre-determined artillery grid and bombed in vain.

But a mere bombardment...cannot break the strong will of the Imperial Army!

The Japanese grassroots officers who reacted once again showed their good quality and initiative. Now that the orders from their superiors had been cut off, many Japanese troops began to spontaneously organize the soldiers around them to disperse and hide, looking for shelters that could withstand shrapnel, trying to find a chance to survive in this hell of destruction caused by high-speed shooting.

But given the style of "Brigade Commander Chen," how could he possibly give the Japanese army any chance to reorganize their defenses?

As a red flare was launched, green flares were raised in response to the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade to the north, northwest, west, south, and even behind the Japanese. The flares, trailing a small parachute, shone brightly in the sky.

No, perhaps it was because of this situation that the dancing magnesium flames seemed so dazzling—the flares rising into the air were like the angry eyes of Yama and Ksitigarbha, staring at this dying army, closing in from all sides. But this atmosphere, imbued with a celestial aura, quickly vanished.

Because the charge horns sounded all over the mountains.

"No! No! Impossible!"

Taniguchi Wulang was stunned. This dizzying change had occurred in a short period of less than ten minutes, leaving him unable to accept it for a moment. Then, extreme shock turned into extreme anger. "Why! Why! Didn't we wipe out the main force of the Eighth Route Red Army? Weren't they being pinned down by our army?"

"Your Excellency, Brigade Commander!"

The staff officer rushed over and pulled him to the side. The exploded dirt and clods of earth fell down, making him covered in dust and coughing continuously.

The rumble of artillery continued incessantly, and as the charge horn sounded, the whistles of mortars joined the chorus. This signaled the beginning of the true main force of the Red Army's charge. Amidst the thick smoke and dust, Taniguchi couldn't even tell how many men were on the other side: the main forces of the Red Army seemed to be approaching from all four directions, their force seemingly endless, and they had been waiting here for a long time.

An absurd conclusion emerged in his mind:

"Did the Eighth Route Red Army set up a trap here specifically to wait for me?"

Chapter 193: Encirclement and Annihilation (Part 2) - Killing the Imperial Army at Queen's Ridge

"Reinforcements! Where are the reinforcements? Where is the Spring Regiment (the call sign for the 8th Independent Mixed Brigade)? Didn't we agree to arrive together?"

"Your Excellency, Brigade Commander! The Spring Regiment is scheduled to arrive in Changzhi with our army. This is Licheng! They are now eighty kilometers away from us!"

Taniguchi Wulang was in a panic, grasping at every straw. "Nah... Call for reinforcements! Let our rear guard and security forces in Shexian come to our aid! Call headquarters and ask the Army Aviation for 'tactical guidance'!" "Your Excellency! Please make the decision!"

The chief staff officer's loud call finally calmed everyone down a bit: "Our army is under attack and we can't deploy the antenna! The telecommunications team just called, but even Shexian County can't get through - we're separated from them by mountains over a thousand meters high. We're lucky to be able to receive the signal at all!"

“Huh…Huh…”

Taniguchi Wulang took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down:

"There's no other way. You lead the team! Send out the messenger detachment, and ride on horseback! Ride the brigade's horses!"

Although there are enemies on all sides, the Japanese army has not been completely defeated.

Because our army lacked firepower for attacking the enemy before, except for situations like the battles of Changle Village and Fanzhi Pass where the main force participated and carried artillery, Japanese troops above the squadron level who were surrounded only had to "sit down" on the spot, deploy a circular defense, call for reinforcements, and hold on for a while, and they could wait for the arrival of the rescue troops. In this way, although the mopping-up mission could not be completed, the troops could often escape.