After hearing this special signal for help, Li Yunlong and Cheng Xiazi immediately looked at each other, and both sides saw uneasiness and confusion in each other's eyes.
As a member of the 129th Division, they knew that the person commanding the battle in Shi Nao Mountain was a strong general, and there were two main regiments there.
They really couldn't figure it out. How come the other party started asking for help just four hours after the attack?
Even the preserved troops cannot collapse so quickly.
But if you don't understand, you won't understand. Friendly troops must be supported when they are in trouble. After a brief discussion, the two regiment leaders decided that Li Yunlong would lead the New Second Regiment to Shi Nao Mountain to assist the friendly forces in the battle.
The main reason is that Cheng Xiazi's troops are too scattered and the other 1,200 people cannot be gathered in a short time. The number of troops is not as large as that of the New Second Regiment.
Moreover, their current mission has not yet been completed, and the raids on several surrounding strongholds will continue.
But the new second regiment was different. In the original combat arrangement, they were not counted among the twenty-two mandatory regiments. They were actively cooperating.
Even if Li Yunlong led his men and left here, other local troops would still come to fill the position, and the mission of the New Second Regiment had been completed two hours ago.
After the discussion, the new second group immediately prepared to set off. Although they had just experienced a battle, the soldiers still had sufficient physical strength due to their enhanced diet.
Before leaving, Cheng Xiazi stopped Li Yunlong and brought out the gifts that the soldiers had just prepared.
"I lent this Type 92 infantry cannon to you. If you, Li Yunlong, dare not to return it, I will definitely go to the brigade commander for comment. I don't care whether you stole it or robbed it. Remember to return an extra box of artillery shells to me after the operation."
Hearing these words, Li Yunlong, a big boss, felt very moved. With his current emotional intelligence, he certainly wouldn't think that the other party was committing a loan shark, and the concern in his words was very heartwarming.
He first signaled Zhuzhu to take the people to remove the artillery shells and infantry gun parts, then patted Cheng Xiazi on the shoulder and said:
"The scourge has lasted for thousands of years. I, Li Yunlong, haven't even gone to Tokyo to enjoy the cherry blossoms. I will die! When I come back, I will visit you personally and treat you to a drink."
The two held hands tightly together and then headed to their destinations.
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Shinao Mountain is a commanding height located four kilometers southwest of Yangquan. The Zhengtai Railway also happens to pass at the foot of the mountain, which is the throat of the mountain.
Controlling this place is equivalent to blocking the neck of the Japanese reinforcements.
Not only can it prevent the troops from being transferred from Pingding and Liaoxian directions to the west to aid Zhengtai Road in small days.
It can also block the Japs setting off from Yangquan, preventing them from sending troops to rescue those strongholds and stations that are being defeated one by one by the various units of the 129th Division.
Even when necessary, the Eighth Route Army could directly launch a feint attack on Yangquan City, leaving the Japanese with too much time to take care of themselves.
It is precisely because of the importance of Shinao Mountain that the division commander and political commissar gave the defense task to the 385th Brigade, and the brigade commander was personally responsible for commanding the blocking of enemy reinforcements.
In order for the raid to achieve the desired results smoothly, the division commander specifically emphasized the importance of this mission.
According to his original words, the outcome of the battle depends on how many railways are destroyed, and the number of roads destroyed depends on how many days the front line of Shi Nao Mountain can effectively stop the Japanese.
Early morning of August 19th.
After a night of rapid marching, the 769th and 14th regiments of the 385th Brigade, the main force of the 385th Brigade, marched for 80 miles and secretly occupied Shiinao Mountain.
Brigadier Chen knew that the next few days would be a fierce battle, and the Japanese would seize this commanding heights at all costs. They must not take it lightly.
The headquarters required the 385th Brigade to defend here for at least five days, so he ordered the troops to immediately engage in preparations for the battle.
After receiving the order, everyone endured fatigue and built various fortifications. This made this hilltop, which originally had no natural shelter, become easy to defend and difficult to attack.
During the entire day of the 20th, the two regiments did not take any action. Everyone is recharging their energy and waiting for the official start of the attack after eight o'clock in the evening.
When the time comes, the entire Zhengtai Road begins to be attacked!
Only twenty minutes after the operation started, Katayama Shoutaro, commander of the Fourth Independent Mixed Brigade stationed in Yangquan, received a call for help from Niangziguan.
In the next few minutes, the strongholds between Yuci and Yangquan sent reports of the attack, which made Katayama Shoutaro, an old devil, immediately realize that the situation was not good.
As a major general, this man is naturally not an idiot.
He made a prompt decision and ordered three infantry squadrons and one artillery squadron to leave the city and prepare to go to the west for a rescue mission, but this played into the hands of the 385th Brigade.
Moreover, Brigadier Chen was also ruthless. In order to teach the opponent a bloody lesson in his first contest with Katayama Shotarō, he brought the enemy as close as 300 meters before starting to attack.
As the signal flares took off, the firepower of the two regiments tilted into the valley, catching the enemy by surprise. Faced with the sudden attack, the Japanese could only flee.
Katayama Shoutaro, an old devil, was also a ruthless man. He ordered two infantry squadrons to desperately cover the situation, while he returned to Yangquan City with the remaining remnants.
Fortunately, he escaped back to his headquarters. The Japanese Major General immediately followed the steps of Yoshio Shinozuka and Yoshige Mizuhara. He pulled out his command sword and moved towards the realm of sword master.
Although he was very angry, his years of combat experience still made him realize the seriousness of the situation.
The east and west lines of Yangquan are the defense areas of his Fourth Independent Mixed Brigade. Now that the Eighth Route Army is holding Shi Nao Mountain, it is equivalent to cutting off their connection with the various strongholds in the western section of Zhengtai Road.
The eastern section is more or less taken care of by the Eighth Independent Mixed Brigade, but the west section can only rely on itself.
When he thought of the rewards from Niangziguan, his scalp immediately went numb, and he realized that the enemy's target was the entire Shotai Line.
After thinking hard for more than ten minutes, the old devil had no choice but to ask for help, but he still kept an eye on it. As a major general brigade commander, he is qualified to apply for the First Army Army Aviation dispatch.
In order to prevent his immediate boss from questioning his ability, Katayama Shoutaro decided to secretly trick Chen Cang.
In order to open up the connection between Yangquan and the western section of Zhengtai Road, he cobbled together 600 soldiers from the eastern section stronghold, and also used his trump card.
An artillery battalion of four hundred men and ten mountain guns.
In this way, the old guy still felt that he was not stable enough. After being reminded by the chief of staff, he remembered that there were many overseas Chinese in Yangquan City who came to make war fortune.
Most of these people have received formal military training. Although their overall combat effectiveness is not very good, they are definitely more useful than those of the Imperial Association Army who struggled to fill in the lines.
After three hours of preparation, this force of two thousand people marched towards Shi Nao Mountain in a mighty manner.
At the same time, twenty-three Army Air Force planes departing from Taiyuan Airport arrived at Lion Mountain.
The pilots in these small days did not care whether there was the Eighth Route Army below, they used up all the bullets and bombs they carried in a very short time.
Katayama Shotaro launched a classic Japanese attack at the foot of the mountain. Since they had a brief encounter a few hours ago, he more or less remembered the general location of the Eighth Route Army's positions.
Ten mountain cannons bombarded the positions on the mountain, and then the infantry launched a pig-like attack.
(End of chapter)
