The Japanese brigade approaching from the opposite side still discovered the 22nd regiment's position and immediately organized an attack.
"Boom boom boom..."
Without any probing attack, this group of Japanese soldiers started shelling directly.
"Inform Lao Ma and ask him to fire for me. He's not a heavy artillery brigade. He dares to play artillery battle with me!"
Since acquiring three 75mm mountain cannons, Li Qiufan has become particularly arrogant and no longer pays attention to the Japanese artillery deployed below the division level.
"Boom boom boom..."
Not long after, explosions also exploded on the Japs' position. The Japs on the opposite side also didn't expect that Li Qiufan would engage in an artillery battle with them, so they were shocked and panicked.
Since the Japanese on the opposite side did not dig trenches in advance like the 22nd Regiment, they suffered a loss in this artillery battle. The Japanese brigade commander immediately gave the order to charge.
In an instant, three groups of Japanese soldiers rushed out, and they were so densely packed that it was shocking.
"Tell the first battalion, second battalion and third battalion that you don't have to wait until we get closer before attacking. There are more Japanese soldiers on the other side than us. We will easily suffer losses if we let them charge forward!"
Li Qiufan gave the order, and three more messengers ran out.
Soon there was dense gunfire from the frontal position, with no intention of conserving strength at all.
Since the three battalions fired directly and did not allow the Japanese to get close, the first batch of attacking Japanese were quickly pushed back.
Sure enough, the unwilling leader of the Japanese Brigade sent two more brigades, trying to surround the 22nd Regiment from both sides, but was directly blocked by the 4th and 5th Battalions.
Faced with failed attacks again and again, the Japanese on the opposite side did not give up, as if they had received a death order.
After some deliberation, the Japanese on the opposite side seemed to have gone crazy and launched a full-scale attack. The entire brigade pounced on them.
"Qiu Fan, something is wrong. Why are these devils so crazy?"
Zhao Gang was a little puzzled as he watched the Japanese attack in full force.
Li Qiufan also frowned and couldn't understand, but the situation at this time did not allow him to think too much.
"Old Zhao, you are taking command here, I will go take a look at the position!"
Without waiting for Zhao Gang to refuse, Li Qiufan led Zhao Gang directly to the main frontal position.
"Erhu, how is the situation?"
Arriving at the First Battalion, Li Qiufan asked the First Battalion Commander Er Hu.
"Captain, this group of Japs seems to be going crazy. They are rushing up one by one desperately!"
Erhu was also someone who had seen big scenes, but he still felt a little panicked when he saw this group of Japs desperate for their lives.
Li Qiufan frowned even more when he heard Er Hu's words. He always felt that this group of devils had some conspiracy.
"What exactly happened?"
Li Qiufan frowned and murmured, then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind and he ran straight to the rear.
"Captain! Commander! Slow down!"
Li Qiufan ran so suddenly that the monk didn't react at all and ran after him.
Li Qiufan quickly ran to the location of the cavalry battalion and directly found Wang Musheng, the commander of the cavalry battalion.
"Mu Sheng, send two companies out and conduct reconnaissance along our two planned retreat routes to see if anything happens!"
Li Qiufan suddenly thought of a possibility just now, a possibility that led to the destruction of the 22nd Regiment.
This group of Japanese soldiers did not have a strong desire to attack at first, but after the 22nd Regiment showed strong firepower, this group of Japanese soldiers suddenly went crazy and their fighting style was even more deadly.
Li Qiufan suspected that the enemy's target had changed. At first it was the general headquarters and division headquarters, but now it was his 22nd regiment.
This thought became stronger and stronger in Li Qiufan's heart, but he could not retreat. After all, this was just his guess.
"Monk! Monk!"
Li Qiufan turned around and called out to the monk, who happened to have just caught up with him.
"Captain, I'm here!"
"Go quickly and bring the reconnaissance battalion over and build fortifications behind us. Go quickly!"
Although he couldn't retreat, Li Qiufan decided to take precautions.
After the monk left, Li Qiufan ran to the artillery position and found Lao Ma.
"Lao Ma, immediately move the artillery position to the command post. Go quickly!"
Lao Ma was a little confused and said: "Captain, if we move near the command post, we can be detected by the Japanese. Then the Japanese artillery will be able to target us!"
"I don't have time to explain to you now. Take the cannon and move immediately. It will be too late!"
Li Qiufan didn't talk nonsense. After finishing speaking, he ran back to the cavalry camp and waited for the two companies sent out to come back and report the news.
After a while, the soldiers from Route 1 came back and said they found nothing special.
Li Qiufan was half relieved when he heard the news, and now he was just waiting for the other direction.
"Tap tap tap..."
After a while, there was a rapid sound of horse hooves.
The cavalrymen who went to reconnoiter Route 2 came back, but their condition was not good. Only half of them came back, and most of them were injured.
"what happened!"
The uneasiness in Li Qiufan's heart became stronger and he asked the soldier eagerly.
"Captain, a large number of Japs were discovered on Route 2. It is estimated that the number is about the same as the Japs on the opposite side. They are only five or six miles away from us!"
The leading company commander jumped off his horse and said to Li Qiufan.
Li Qiufan's head buzzed when he heard this, and he had guessed it right.
The enemy's goal has changed. Now they want to eat his 22nd regiment. Together with the two new regiments, this is more than half of the division's strength.
I originally wanted to resist, but the reinforcements came from two regiments, which was impossible to stop.
After some thinking, Li Qiufan found that there was no good way to get out of the predicament.
He was bitten by the Japs brigade on the opposite side, and now he couldn't retreat even if he wanted to. On the side, there were two more Japs from the side. This was a doomed situation.
"Qiu Fan, what's going on? Why did the artillery position move to the command post?"
Zhao Gang, who was commanding at the command post, discovered that the artillery had changed positions, and immediately asked Heizi to take over the command, while he ran to find Li Qiufan.
"Old Zhao, we are being targeted by the Japs, and two Japs are coming from the side!"
Li Qiufan did not explain about the artillery, but told him with a heavy face that he was being targeted by the Japanese.
"What?!"
Zhao Gang was shocked when he heard what Li Qiufan said, and he was at a loss for a moment.
"How far away are the devils?"
After forcibly calming his mind, Zhao Gang asked Li Qiufan.
"It takes about thirty minutes if you bring heavy weapons, and you can get there in twenty minutes if you don't."
After roughly calculating the time, Li Qiufan said helplessly.
"What...what should we do? We are being bitten by the devils now and there is no way we can evacuate!"
Zhao Gang was extremely anxious when he heard the arrival time of the Japanese.
Li Qiufan frowned and pondered for a moment, then raised his head solemnly and looked at Wang Musheng: "Musheng, I have a task for you!"
Wang Musheng saw Li Qiufan's expression and immediately understood what the mission was: "Commander, tell me, I, Wang Musheng, am your soldier and I will not embarrass you!"
Hearing Wang Musheng's words, Li Qiufan's heart trembled suddenly.
