The commander of the unit did not immediately answer the chief of staff's words, but his heart was in a state of turmoil. The two thoughts of betting and not betting were fighting fiercely, and no one could convince the other.
As the chief of staff just analyzed, if you take a gamble, the reinforcements may still have a chance to reach Shijiazhuang on time.
But if you don't gamble, even if the current marching speed of the reinforcements is maintained, the remaining reinforcements will be exhausted in the continuous raids of the Eighth Route Army, and finally the entire army will be destroyed.
Soon the thought of taking a gamble took over, and he immediately ordered: "The troops continue to move forward."
"If the Eighth Route Army still dares to come and attack us."
"The troops that were not attacked by the Eighth Route Army immediately launched attacks on the flanks of the Eighth Route Army, severely damaging the Eighth Route Army's assault troops as quickly as possible and reducing the operational pressure on us to reinforce Shijiazhuang."
…………
Independent Brigade Headquarters outside Shijiazhuang City.
Because there are few aircraft in the surrounding area that can provide air support to the Japanese and puppet troops in Shijiazhuang, and a large number of crisscrossing trenches have been dug outside Shijiazhuang City by the siege troops.
A large amount of materials specially designed to release thick smoke were also prepared between the trenches.
Even if the Japanese planes do come, and the troops hide in the trenches, and then release a large amount of smoke on the position, a few planes will not be able to do anything to the siege troops.
After everyone discussed it, it was decided to launch an attack during the day.
Try to break through the city early in the morning three days later, rush into Shijiazhuang, and use the daytime to engage in street fighting with the Japanese and puppet troops in the city.
The enemy is in the dark and we are in the light. Street fighting during the day can help the troops avoid many unnecessary casualties.
"Rumble..."
More than a dozen mountain field guns and heavy artillery fired shells at the city head continuously, which could not only destroy the city defense fortifications that the Japanese and puppet troops had worked hard to build, but also kill a large number of Japanese and puppet troops hiding in the fortifications through shock waves, reducing the pressure on the attacking troops.
The sixteenth regiment led by Captain Zhou happened to be responsible for the city wall in front of them.
The city head in the distance was completely covered by artillery fire. There were splashing fires and blown bricks and stones everywhere.
If there were Japanese and puppet city defense troops on top of the city, they would have been almost completely blown up.
Continuing to fire and explode will have almost no effect except wasting the shells.
Although the independent brigade brought thousands of rounds of heavy artillery and mountain artillery shells for everyone to use, these regimental commanders were veterans who were used to poverty and would not waste shells if they could on the battlefield.
With a raised brow, he ordered to the political commissar beside him: "The first battalion is on top of me, rush eighty meters outside the city and then stop. The second and third battalions and the mortar troops will provide firepower along the way."
"The siege artillery fires for half a minute and then stops."
"Boom boom boom..."
The explosions on the top of the city were obviously not as violent as before, but more intensive.
A battalion of more than 400 people had already reached under the noses of the Japanese and puppet troops under the cover of heavy artillery.
"Dong dong dong..."
As soon as more than a dozen heavy machine guns opened fire, a battalion of more than 400 soldiers turned into a group of wild horses. Holding guns and explosive bags, they got up from the ground and launched an assault at the city gate at a very fast speed.
The Japanese and puppet troops on top of the city had turned into a mess.
The heavy artillery and mountain field artillery were so powerful that many permanent city defenses were destroyed in the explosion just now.
Some of the half-meter-thick battlements were razed to the ground in the explosion. The heavy machine gun bullets fired by the Eighth Route Army flew through the gaps in the destroyed battlements and flew to the top of the city, killing the Japanese and puppet troops exposed in front of them.
One accident after another not only caused huge losses to the city defense troops, but also dealt a heavy blow to their military morale and morale.
Especially the puppet army, which accounts for the majority of the troops.
They had never experienced such a fierce battle before them, and had never been bombarded by large-caliber heavy artillery and mountain field artillery.
Seeing my former comrade-in-arms being hit by a cannonball, a living soldier instantly turned into minced meat, flying everywhere like a goddess scattering flowers, and some of the minced meat even fell on him. He was so frightened that he collapsed on the spot and squatted down. Vomiting nearby.
"Sir, the Eighth Route Army is coming..." A reminder suddenly reached the ears of the little Japanese squadron leader at the top of the city.
Originally, a brigade of infantry soldiers was stationed here. In order to reduce the losses of the troops in the artillery fire, more troops were gathered to fight street battles with the Eighth Route Army. A full brigade was directly reduced to a reinforced squadron, and the three transferred infantry squadrons were replaced with the same The number of Imperial Army.
The reason why a reinforced squadron is left on top of the city is also a helpless move by Major General Fujita.
If all the Japanese on the city were transferred, only the puppet troops would be left to defend the city.
Perhaps without the Eighth Route Army attacking, a burst of artillery shells would collapse them on the spot.
The role of the Japs is to supervise the battle and prevent the puppet troops from retreating during the shelling and becoming deserters before the fighting begins.
The city defenses that the troops had worked so hard to build were completely gone.
Although the Eighth Route Army was equipped with a large number of heavy artillery and he would pay a huge price to defend the city, Major General Fujita did not want the city of Shijiazhuang to be easily captured by the Eighth Route Army.
"Enter the position and prepare to fight..." the Japanese squadron leader ordered loudly.
At the same time, he pulled out the pistol from his waist, pointed it at a panicked puppet soldier, and pulled the trigger, thus serving as a warning to the monkeys.
"Enter the position immediately. Don't run around. The light and heavy machine guns will fire at the Eighth Route Army outside the city immediately, otherwise you will die."
"Supervise the team to fix their bayonets..."
"Kill whoever disobeys orders...quickly..."
"Pa bang bang..."
As soon as he gave the order, the Japanese squadron leader started fighting again and killed another puppet soldier who was full of fear and had lost the courage to fight.
If such people are alive, they will affect the morale and morale of the army. It is better to kill them as a warning to others.
Under the threat of death, the chaotic puppet army finally stabilized, and gunshots continued to ring out at the top of the city.
The attacking troops began to suffer casualties, but the puppet troops were not real little devils after all.
Their marksmanship was not as good as that of the Japs, and now they were in a state of panic, shooting at random outside the city, with a lower hit rate.
Although the gunfire rang out on top of the city, it was still far from disintegrating the Eighth Route Army's offensive.
The Japanese squadron leader didn't want the city he was defending to be unable to stop even an attack by the Eighth Route Army. He really didn't want his soldiers to take risks, but in order to defend the city, he had no other way.
He raised his pistol and ordered: "We also enter the position."
"Soldiers who can shoot machine guns immediately took over the light and heavy machine guns equipped by the Imperial Army and concentrated their firepower on the Eighth Route Army's attacking troops. They must be severely damaged and repel their first round of attack, otherwise it would be too embarrassing."
…………
The Sixteenth Regiment attacked the position.
Captain Zhou was observing the city with a telescope, his brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed.
Seeing that the blocking firepower on the top of the city suddenly became stronger, and the casualties of the attacking troops also began to increase sharply, they immediately ordered: "The artillery and heavy machine guns immediately suppress the firepower points of the light and heavy machine guns on the top of the city, and destroy them if they can."
"The offensive troops slowed down the pace of their assault and paid attention to controlling casualties. Something seems to be wrong with the Japanese and puppet troops on top of the city."
