In April, the Japanese offensive intensified again. The two divisions surrounding Lashio successively launched attacks on the defense area where Long Wenwen was located. On the other side, the belatedly arrived 49th Division and 72nd Mixed Brigade were also at the same place. Time has formed a circle around Hsipaw.
China's confidentiality work has always been full of loopholes. The Japanese could easily detect the news that the expeditionary force had withdrawn from the country. They were eager to seize this opportunity to regain the lost territory.
Today's Lashio defense zone is no longer limited to the surrounding towns. Several defense lines and strongholds have been established by Long Wenwen in the jungle dozens of kilometers in front of it, and they are closely connected with each other by radio.
The more than 4,000 Nanyang self-rescue troops who were chased all the way from Malaysia by the Japs have now become the main force in the hands of the dragon demon. This group of people may lack training and fighting literacy, but they have quite a lot of actual combat experience, especially in the woods. More at home.
As long as they are given enough food and ammunition, they can hide out of sight of the enemy like ghosts, rush out from time to time to give the opponent some blood, and then quickly disappear from sight. When your nerves relax, several black gun muzzles will come out from nowhere, making you cry for father and mother but still can't find anyone.
Such a rogue style of play really made the little devil hate him but he was helpless. Not to mention those Nanyang people in the forest who were slipperier than loaches, the Chinese people on the frontal defense line were not that easy to fight.
In addition to letting the Self-Rescue Army play guerrilla warfare, Long Wenwen's several lines of defense also chose not to fight hard with the Japs. They used the jungle terrain to play hide-and-seek with the opponent, relying on the advantage of poor information to avoid the enemy's main force, lure the enemy deep, and then concentrate troops to encircle and annihilate.
Regardless of the rapid advance of the Japanese army in the early stage, they almost entered Lashio City in less than three days. This was all done intentionally by Long Wenwen, in order to create a vulnerability for the opponent.
On the fourth day, with the cooperation of tanks and armored vehicles of the 200th Division, soldiers of the 88th Army Engineer Corps and the Nanyang people in the woods launched a counter-encirclement one by one against several Japanese brigades that had penetrated alone.
The birds flew high, the animals dispersed, and the sound of gunfire swept through the entire primeval forest. There were explosions and bullets whizzing everywhere. It was impossible to know the direction and number of the enemy in this endless blue ocean.
For a time, the headquarters of the Japanese 54th Division was so busy that it received three urgent telegrams in less than half a day. Without exception, they were all news of being surrounded by the enemy.
Division commander Ueshima Kunimitsu quickly sent reinforcements, but with little success. The other side dispatched a large number of armored vehicles for reinforcements, and mortars were fired at them as if they were free. The road ahead was full of hardships.
At this time, "hail" fell from the sky. A dozen Allied fighter planes crossed the ridgeline and dropped aerial bombs of several hundred kilograms on the little devil's head.
The flames of the explosion were like the scorching sun, turning into small suns that kept beating in the forest. The violent shock wave destroyed everything they encountered along the way.
The Japanese were dumbfounded. When all the blood turned into a series of casualty figures, they finally understood how ridiculous the so-called bushido spirit of not fearing death was.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Three artillery shells landed near the division headquarters. The huge explosion shook the temporary fortification to the point of collapse. This frightened all the Japanese officers. The experienced Shangdao quickly realized that their position was Already exposed, enemy artillery is calibrating!
"Retreat! The headquarters retreats 15 kilometers and informs the frontline troops to withdraw from the battle. Move quickly!"
"But... what should we do with the Kimura team that is surrounded in front?"
"Excuting an order!"
"Hey..."
Without any hesitation, Shangdao quickly issued a retreat order, his angry face full of helplessness.
In this situation, the only option is to cut off the tail to survive. The enemy's firepower and coordination are not as strong as usual. If it continues, there may be greater casualties.
No matter how unwilling I am, I can only admit defeat. Shangdao knew very well that this war had completely changed. It would no longer be as easy to crush as it was at the beginning of the war between the two countries. But now, the weak side has become himself.
…
The Lashio defense battle lasted for nearly half a month, and repeated attacks by the two divisions failed to shake the mountain of Long Wenwen. Instead, they suffered unspeakable losses of troops and generals.
Although the main force of the 88th Army is not here, the dragon demon also made the little devil understand a truth. If you don't pay the price of tens of thousands of people, you can't even think about passing here.
The 49th Division that attacked Hsipaw next door was not much better. Sun Liren's 38th Division's weaponry and heavy firepower were only higher than Long Wenwen's and others. The little devils who didn't know the depth of it got into trouble in the first battle. Among them, The 72nd mixed brigade was almost beaten to death. They left more than two thousand corpses on the battlefield and fled in panic.
The top brass of the Japanese army were really helpless and had to evolve from the initial active attack into an endless confrontation, waiting for reinforcements to be sent from the rear before making plans.
And Long Wenwen didn't plan to take the initiative, he was also waiting.
…
Two kilometers outside the Lashio defense zone, on the top of a mountain...
Dozens of little devils were measuring secret positions and setting up artillery positions. They dug artillery pits on the ground, carefully pushed up six 92-inch infantry cannons, and weaved weeds and branches into blocks, covering the cannons for camouflage.
It has to be said that the concealment of the 92 Infantry Cannon is quite strong. Even if the enemy hears the sound of the cannon, it will be difficult to find the firing position in a short time. For a long time, it has been called a "ghost cannon" by Chinese soldiers.
The reason why an artillery position is established here is to hide it and guard against attacks that the enemy may launch at any time.
Commander Major Nozawa used a telescope to observe the scene in front of him. The trees on the top of the mountain provided excellent cover for the artillery, but his brows slowly wrinkled.
The foot of the mountain is the only way to go south. If the Chinese want to attack, this is the perfect place to pour artillery shells from a high position. There are even several machine gun positions on the mountainside. If there is enough ammunition, it can even block the attack of seven or eight hundred people.
However, this is the most ideal situation. Nowadays, the Chinese have too many heavy weapons. Machine gun positions, artillery fortresses and fortresses are not filled with human lives like before. It is unreasonable to just send a few rockets over. All right. If that doesn't work, you can still call in fighter planes to dive bomb. How do you think this battle should be fought?
These little devils were still working hard to dig a hole, but they didn't know that on a hillside more than 800 meters away, two pairs of eyes were watching them silently.
"Brother Zhang, these guys are so brave. They dare to push the artillery position so far forward."
Yang Danzi moved his sore arm a little, and the Garand equipped with a quadruple scope in his hand was firmly aimed at one of the Japanese soldiers.
Zhang Liu didn't speak, lying motionless behind the stone. His dark green ghillie suit covered his figure, as if he blended in with the surrounding environment...
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