Faced with the crisis of being completely besieged, Yoshio Iwamatsu couldn't sit still. He personally called Okamura and said during the call: "Your Excellency, Commander, you can look at the photos of the pilots' high-altitude reconnaissance, and then look at the Eighth Route Army outside the city. The forward fortifications dug into the outer city of Taiyuan, and then listen to the sound of the artillery, the Eighth Route Army's artillery shells have even landed on my headquarters, and my city defense headquarters in the city center has almost become the front line.
Especially the heavy artillery troops deployed by the Eighth Route Army on the highlands west of the city. The range of their heavy artillery even covered most of the city.
The entire city of Taiyuan was also completely besieged. The west, south, north and other directions were completely cut off by the Eighth Route Army, and all reinforcements were blocked by them.
The enemy troops were coming with ferocity, and the momentum of their attacks became more and more aggressive day by day.
General, do you think that even so, it is just a feint attack by the Eighth Route Army? "
On the other line of the phone, Okamura was silent.
He has never given up paying attention to the situation around Taiyuan City. The crisis situation of the First Army Headquarters is indeed very urgent as Yoshio Iwamatsu said.
All these trends are evident.
If the Eighth Route Army was determined to attack Taiyuan City, it might not be impossible.
At this time, in the western Inner Mongolia area, the Eighth Route Army's Daqingshan Unit, Yanbei Detachment, Northward Detachment, and the 35th Route Army had been fighting with the Japanese army in the western Inner Mongolia area and the 26th Division of the Mongolian Army. The Japanese could not mobilize them at all. Send more troops.
Not to mention the Taihang area. Surrounding the Iron Triangle area, the fighting between all parties in the Huangyadong area was a mess.
It was only then that the old devil Okamura suddenly realized his greed.
It is also the aviation base of the Eighth Route Army, the Huangyadong Arsenal of the Eighth Route Army, plus the large oil fields in western Inner Mongolia, the Eighth Route Army depot Jizhong Military Region...
If this continues, I'm afraid it will be too much, and even the original plan to clean up the May Day and destroy the Eighth Route Army's Jizhong Military Region will come to nothing.
Okamura suddenly woke up and fell into hesitation. His strong unwillingness made him struggle hard.
…
But no matter how unwilling Okamura is, for the Japanese army, the situation that gradually becomes disadvantageous is evolving rapidly.
The crisis in Taiyuan City, the home base of the First Army, cannot be ignored.
Okamura could only bite the bullet and mobilize troops and send troops and generals to reinforce Taiyuan in order to relieve the crisis of Taiyuan City being besieged by the Eighth Route Army.
Soon, a battle plan was formulated to reinforce Taiyuan City and combine with the defensive forces of the First Army of Taiyuan City to attack from the north and south and destroy the Eighth Route Army that was besieging Taiyuan City in one fell swoop.
According to the orders of the old devil Okamura.
The Japanese reinforcements heading north along the Tongpu Line were the Harada Division and the Fourth Cavalry Brigade. This time Harada was fully equipped to rescue Taiyuan. He also equipped a tank regiment and a heavy artillery regiment. The force came towards Nanguan outside Taiyuan City.
At the same time, the Linfen garrison dispatched a brigade to join together, and the Yuncheng Zhongtiao Mountain defense line dispatched a division to reinforce.
The Japanese reinforcements came with great momentum this time. Over the past 42 years, the Japanese offensive has still maintained a high momentum, especially in the Pacific battlefield and the Southeast Asian battlefield. The country is howling.
Under such a situation, Okamura served as the supreme commander of the North China Front.
Naturally, it was impossible for him to achieve a disgraceful record when the situation on all other battlefields was good, but he was in the rear area of North China, which was supposed to be the easiest battlefield.
Therefore, even if he puts all his efforts, he must achieve the expected results in this battle in North China and demonstrate the military might of the Japanese Empire.
In order to achieve this effect, the old Japanese Okamura specially called Lieutenant General Harada to increase political propaganda while he was fighting.
Harada invited all reporters from the Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers to conduct field interviews.
During the interview, Harada said with a proud face: "Our Imperial Army has been clearing the Eighth Route Army in the ravine.
It's just that the Eighth Route Army is really cunning and they don't dare to fight our imperial army head-on. They have been running around in the mountains, unable to get on the stage.
Now the Eighth Route Army came out of the ravine and dared to besiege Taiyuan City regardless of life or death. What is this like? It's like a duck sitting on the chopping block, waiting for you to slaughter it. It's a godsend.
In this battle, our Harada Division, with the assistance of the Fourth Cavalry Brigade, will defeat the Eighth Route Army's siege troops in one fell swoop.
At the same time, our army will move south with the Iinuma garrison detachment coming from the north of the city (the 26th division of Datong is all out, and this Iinuma garrison can only send one brigade, temporarily assigned to the two remaining troops of the First Army), They cooperated to form a huge encirclement and annihilated the Eighth Route Army's effective forces in one fell swoop.
Completely change the battlefield situation in Shanxi! "
The Japanese journalists were all in high spirits and shouted long live the empire one by one.
Harada then invited reporters to follow his headquarters and watch the trucks, armored vehicles, tanks, cavalry, and infantry of the Imperial Army's mobile troops march toward the Eighth Route Army's siege troops.
That is so heroic and arrogant!
When they arrived at the front line, these reporters, invited by Harada, went to the front line headquarters to watch the offensive launched by the elite Japanese troops.
After the deployment of the Harada Division, after several waves of air strikes, tanks covered the infantry, and under the advancing barrage of artillery, they advanced towards the Eighth Route Army blocking position.
Harada also introduced to reporters his specially created Okita Death Team with great interest.
Harada said proudly, "Journalists, these are the most elite lieutenants, sergeants, and warriors of our division who voluntarily formed a death squad. They enter the battlefield at critical moments. They will cut through butter like a hot knife. Easily tear apart the Eighth Route Army's defense line and completely eliminate these Eighth Route Army, leaving no one behind.
The facts seemed to be what Harada said. This arrogant old devil did have a few brushes. Under his command, the main force of Harada's division launched a fierce and sharp offensive. It was overwhelming all the way, and it successively broke through the obstacles set by the Eighth Route Army. Three lines of defense.
At this time, Harada felt even more proud. The last doubts and worries in his heart were all eliminated. He even sneered in his heart that the so-called Tubal Road in Shanxi was nothing more than this.
It seems that the strength of this first army is really not that good.
His Excellency Yoshio Iwamatsu's troops were really overwhelmed. Just like this, the mere Eighth Route Army troops were able to besiege his Taiyuan City. I really don't know how he commanded this battle.
Poor old devil, he is so stupid and blind.
In fact, the 120th Division troops built five defensive lines in one go along the Japanese reinforcements to Taiyuan City.
Among them, only the last one is the core position.
As for the first four lines of defense, they are all used to consume time.
Delaying the pace of the Japanese reinforcements, and at the same time showing weakness to the enemy, is to allow the little devils to maximize their inflated hearts under the overwhelming attack.
When the Japs let their guard down, the troops were once again gaining momentum, then weakened, and finally exhausted.
The elite troops of the Eighth Route Army of the 120th Division will give the little devil a deep experience on the last line of defense, what is a bloody lesson.
"Cao GUI's debate is about the wisdom that our ancients had thousands of years ago. Let's teach the little devils a lesson this time!"
Wait until the Japanese troops are concentrated at the last line of defense, and then suddenly launch a full-scale counterattack.
"Gather all the artillery in our military region and devote them to the last line of defense. Don't leave any wealth behind. At worst, it won't last until this year. We must not let the little Japanese have an easy time!"
At this time, the Japanese reinforcements continued to gather forces amidst overwhelming odds.
As the Linfen reinforcements arrived at the front line and joined the Harada Division, the Japanese troops reached their peak.
Lieutenant General Harada, the old Japanese soldier, listened to his subordinates' reports with melancholy and contentment that the coalition forces commanded by him as the supreme military commander were strong and strong, and he almost smiled crookedly.
Okay!
According to the strength of the coalition forces he commanded this time, Harada, he has almost caught up with the commander of the First Army.
At this time, the good news from the front came again.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, our vanguard troops have once again broken through the Fourth Line of Defense of the Eighth Route Army, and the Eighth Route Army is currently fleeing towards the Fifth Line of Defense!"
"吆西!"
Harada was immediately overjoyed. He summoned the reporters and announced loudly:
"After dawn tomorrow, I will launch a full-scale general offensive. Dear reporters, I think that tomorrow morning, no later than ten o'clock, I can invite you to have tea in Taiyuan City, and at the same time share that our army has defeated the main force of the Eighth Route Army. The joy of a great victory!”
At this point, Harada, who did not take the Eighth Route Army into consideration at all, issued an order to concentrate his forces and advance towards the Eighth Route Army's fifth blocking line of defense outside Taiyuan City.
It was getting late at this time, and the Japanese army temporarily camped outside the Eighth Route Army's fifth line of defense.
Waiting for dawn the next day to launch a full-scale offensive.
It was only then that the 120th Division headquarters finally issued the order to launch a full-scale counterattack.
Shocked.
The 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army gathered all the elite troops hidden under the fifth line of defenses, and almost all the artillery units in the Northwest Military Region.
All were thrown into the battlefield and launched a full-scale counterattack at night.
After the battle started.
Gunfire went off.
The sky was full of splendor, and a large number of artillery shells with trailing smoke streaked through the air, almost lighting up the night sky like daylight, and they fell crazily towards the camp where the Japanese Allied Forces were located.
This scene happened so suddenly that the Japanese army probably never imagined that when their own forces were the most powerful and they were so unstoppable, the Eighth Route Army had almost no power to fight back and could only retreat steadily.
These damn Eighth Route Army actually dare to launch such a large-scale counterattack.
The raging artillery fire almost shook the earth.
Even the old Japanese Harada, who was temporarily commanding the camp in the rear, felt this sudden shock in shock and anger.
At this time, the Japanese and puppet troops, after days of fighting and trekking all the way, were exhausted and were repairing in the camp. Some were cooking together and some were sleeping and resting.
The decisive battle suddenly began.
Suddenly, the powerful artillery fire from the main force of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army completely caught the little Japanese off guard.
The explosion caused chaos in the Japanese Allied Forces camp.
The quality of the Japanese coalition forces, dominated by the Harada Division this time, is actually uneven. There are relatively elite field divisions like the Harada Division, and there are also some security forces that can only be regarded as second-rate combat effectiveness. .
Under the fierce artillery attack, the Japanese army directly blew up the camp.
For a whole night, the coalition troops fled in all directions, not to mention counterattack, and they did not even dare to return to the camp.
Under the complete collapse of the Allied Forces, the morale of the Harada Division, even though it was an elite force, was not immune to being affected. In addition, under the cover of night, the Eighth Route Army's killing cries came from almost all directions.
One after another, small units of the Eighth Route Army had penetrated into the Japanese camp at some point, and took the opportunity to blow up some of the Japanese baggage and artillery.
The entire camp was ablaze, and soon it became one.
Harada's whole head was buzzing. This originally overwhelming momentum was overwhelming, as if victory was right in front of him.
Who could have known that the situation would take such an exaggerated turn in the blink of an eye.
In desperation, Harada had no time to turn the tide of the battle, so he had to hurriedly issue an order to retreat.
The battle continued until the next day, when the sky was completely bright. The Japanese army, which had gathered in great force to reinforce Taiyuan City, was beaten to almost pieces.
Outside the Fifth Line of Defense of the Eighth Route Army, within a few kilometers, the corpses of Japanese and puppet soldiers scattered on the roadside could even pile up into mountains.
Also at the same time.
The secret combat unit specially created by the 120th Division successfully attacked the Japanese Mingbao Airport with the cooperation of the mobile artillery unit.
Coupled with the general offensive launched by the Niu Daoman Group and the Guancun Sixth Division, Taiyuan received less and less air reinforcements. After all, there are basically no airports in Shanxi, and the flight teams have to be transferred from North China or East China. They can only first Used in the main direction of attack.
After dawn the next day, the old Japanese Harada, who was preparing to attack the Eighth Route Army again with the help of aerial firepower reinforcements in order to save his face, could only despair now.
the other side.
In Taiyuan City, the headquarters of the Japanese First Army in Shanxi.
Just yesterday, I heard that under the order of His Excellency Commander-in-Chief Okamura, a large number of troops had gathered outside Taiyuan City, and the offensive was overwhelming. Joint reinforcements that could penetrate the Eighth Route Army's defense line were right in front of them.
Yansong is so happy! The crisis in Taiyuan can finally be resolved.
At night, Yansong, who had not been able to close his eyes for several days, still wanted to have a good sleep.
As a result, in the middle of the night, he was suddenly awakened by the sound of fighting coming from outside the city.
The news came in a hurry.
The Eighth Route Army secretly attacked the Union Army at night.
In this regard, Yansong originally hoped that the Eighth Route Army would destroy itself and might be eliminated by the coalition forces.
As a result, it was learned at dawn that the Allied Forces had been completely defeated by the Eighth Route Army in the night battle and were now fleeing and evacuating.
Yansong was stunned.
This counterattack was like the last straw that broke Iwamatsu's heart.
What Okamura said about standing firm and waiting for reinforcements, about attacking from the north and south, and about destroying the Eighth Route Army's siege troops, were all lies...
