When the Zhongtiao Mountain battle entered a stalemate stage, the commander-in-chief of all parties began a complex game.
For Okamura Neiji, the North China Front's primary task was to cut off the connection between the Fourth Army and the Fifteenth Army. Only by occupying Yuanqu County can they have any follow-up.
Otherwise, the six divisions will be dragged into the quagmire, and the cost will increase as time goes by.
The opponent's goal was very clear, which actually saved the deputy commander some brainpower. He only needed to show off his tricks and push Okamura Neji to the ground and rub him.
Although the main force of the Eighth Route Army is still on the way to support, he still has two trump cards at his disposal.
The first one is of course the Kong 1st Division. From the beginning of the war to now, the whole division has dispatched more than 600 sorties, and has already caused six Japanese divisions to suffer miserably.
If the pilots hadn't participated in a major battle for the first time, and their physical and mental strength were somewhat unable to keep up, the damage to the ground could definitely be doubled.
The preserved fruit troops in Zhongtiao Mountain have been able to persist until now, largely because they have air superiority. Moreover, the heavy weapons of the Japanese were given special care.
The second one is of course a Marine Regiment, but I haven’t figured out how to use the deputy commander yet. This is the treasure of the entire Eighth Route Army. It cannot be thrown onto the battlefield to fight a war of attrition with the Japanese.
Headquarters, combat conference room.
The deputy general staff officer walked to a map. He looked at the jagged situation map, breathed a sigh of relief and said to everyone in the room:
"The Ninth Army guarding the line from Jiyuan to Wangwu is barely able to hold its own. The three divisions, relying on Wangwu's natural security, should be able to stop the enemy from invading westward, and maybe even annihilate the enemy outside the sealed gate."
"The Ninth Army has secretly established a communication channel with the headquarters. If there is any accident, we can send support as soon as possible."
Logically speaking, soldiers at the level of deputy general staff should not use multiple uncertain words when analyzing the situation.
Mainly because the preserved fruit troops cannot be judged by normality. Maybe one second it was booming, and the next second it collapsed.
"The battle at Hengling Pass was also good. One Seventeenth Army actually withstood the attack of a division and an independent mixed brigade."
"Based on the current situation, it is entirely possible for the defenders on the frontal defense line of Zhongtiao Mountain to hold on until our main force arrives for support."
If the defenders can really hold on, after the Eighth Route Army is in place, there is even a slight chance that both sides will besiege the North China Front.
As long as the First Army can be eaten, it will not be a dream to regain the entire Jin Province.
After thinking for a moment, the deputy commander came to the map. He pointed to the northern line of Zhongtiao Mountain and expressed his views to a group of staff officers.
"I plan to dispatch the 1st Marine Regiment and have them parachute to the second half of the northern front."
"The Japanese have deployed more than a dozen small groups of elite troops inside Zhongtiao Mountain. These people are wreaking havoc among division-level units and leaving them alone will cause trouble sooner or later. Let Li Yunlong deal with them."
"Secondly, there is a narrow valley more than ten miles long with dangerous terrain between the northern line and Yuanqu. The terrain is very suitable for mobile operations. If the northern line is not defended, the 1st Marine Regiment can also cooperate with the defenders to block the attack."
As soon as he said this, everyone in the conference room nodded.
The small group of elite troops described by the deputy commander-in-chief have accomplished a lot. After the battle began, they launched raids on various headquarters of the garrison.
Not only did it disrupt the communication between the superiors and subordinates of the Preserved Fruit Army, they even almost took over the headquarters of the Fifth Army and almost captured their commander alive.
Letting Li Yunlong lead the troops to deal with these enemies can be regarded as a professional match between ace and ace.
As for the latter concern, it was because the defenders at Zhongtiao Mountain did not destroy the strategic highway along the Yellow River.
Once the northern front is lost and the Japanese army passes through the valley, it will have a great impact on the entire battle and may ruin the current good situation.
"You should go there yourself and give Li Yunlong a message. This battle must be fought beautifully, otherwise I will arrest him and come to the headquarters to serve as a staff officer for a month!"
"Okay, I'll make arrangements right away!"
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Under the early morning sun, nearly a hundred aircraft had already begun to line up and prepare, and the entire field airport became busy.
Most transport planes have a glider pulled behind them, and Horsa's wingspan is an exaggerated 27 meters. This allows it to obtain enough lift to take off without requiring much power.
The glider can carry up to 32 soldiers in its belly.
Coupled with the air train, it is enough to transport all members of the 1st Marine Regiment and the heavy weapons needed by the soldiers to the battlefield.
After receiving the instructions from the deputy general staff, Li Yunlong immediately notified all the soldiers in the regiment.
During this period, the comrades had been in a state of combat readiness, so they quickly completed the preparations before departure. Everyone quickly went to the cafeteria to have breakfast, and only waited for the group leader's order to start gathering.
At the same time, the deputy general staff also came to the office in person. Looking at Li Yunlong, who had long been reborn, he couldn't help but sigh.
"It seems that your regiment has been prepared for a long time. The parachute operation is about to begin. What awaits you are unknown battlefields and enemies. It is really difficult for you to send you there."
Upon hearing these words, Li Yunlong immediately waved his hand.
"Obeying orders is a soldier's bounden duty, and fighting the Japanese is what I should do. Even if it takes my life, our regiment will complete the tasks assigned by our superiors."
"As paratroopers, soldiers have long had this awareness. What's more, we are born to be surrounded by enemies, so where are we? When it comes to performing tasks in unfamiliar environments, I believe we are the strongest."
"My name contains both clouds and dragons. We, Xiao Li, were born to do this!"
This full confidence and sword-dazzling spirit made the deputy general staff smile with satisfaction. He took out a bottle of Fenjiu and poured out a capful for Li Yunlong to practice.
There was no tragedy in the atmosphere of a hero gone forever, only good expectations for his generals.
"I was indeed right about you, kid. It was a wise choice to keep you alive. It's a pity that Lao Xu went to Shandong. He would definitely be very pleased to see you like you are now."
"I heard that you haven't touched a drop of wine since you were transferred here. Come on, take a sip! I'll drink the rest of the wine after you return from the victory."
Although the smell of wine aroused the greed in Li Yunlong's stomach, he still refused the deputy general staff officer without hesitation. Lao Li showed his big white teeth and said with a smile:
"One bottle cap is too much. If you want to drink, you have to drink it all at once. Just keep it for me. After this battle is over, I will go to the headquarters to have a good drink."
"Captain, take care! I'm leaving!"
At six o'clock in the morning, all comrades gathered. At this time, they were at the base, making the last preparations before leaving.
Every soldier wears a full set of equipment, and the huge parachute bag behind him is the most important thing.
In addition to checking by themselves, the squad leader who is traveling with them will also help. They are worried that any ropes will become entangled and cause the parachute to fail to open after leaving the cabin.
For the coming battle, the comrades carried a lot of dry food and ammunition, which made the overall image look a bit bloated. But no one cares about appearance, mission and survival are the most important.
The cooking class is also very considerate, specially preparing enough red peppers for the Marine Regiment. These gadgets can help the soldiers maintain a good mental state.
It won't take long to check the equipment. The comrades' belongings have been prepared long ago. Now it's just a matter of checking for leaks and filling in the gaps.
At this time, the outside world was filled with the roar of propellers. Everyone knew that a large number of planes were being dispatched and they could board the plane and set off immediately.
Five minutes later, the soldiers received the order to enter the airport. Everyone quickly organized their military uniforms and marched towards the assembly area in platoon units.
The entire regiment consists of two parachute infantry battalions, plus two support companies and a small number of troops directly under the regiment, totaling just over a thousand people.
But even these thousand people, running forward in unison, gave people a great sense of oppression.
The military appearance of the entire 1st Marine Regiment is very good, coupled with the various military aircraft at the airport. The scene at this time is very spectacular, and anyone who comes will be excited.
The mobilization work before boarding was handed over to the deputy commander-in-chief. Looking at the comrades getting ready, he couldn't help but clenched his fists.
"Comrades, you should all know the mission! In a few minutes, you will go to the depths of Zhongtiao Mountain, and no one knows what awaits you in a battle! Are you willing?"
As soon as the words fell, everyone replied in unison: "Die in battle! It is extremely glorious!"
"Very good! Just looking at your current mental outlook! I know there will be no problems with this mission! I hope you can become a sharp knife and pierce all the Japanese conspiracies!"
"Remember one thing! You are Chinese troops! If you accidentally have any conflict with the local defenders, everyone must exercise restraint! The enemy is currently facing us and we must act unanimously!"
"Now! Everyone is here! Board the plane!"
After receiving the order, the soldiers quickly boarded the plane according to their usual training groups. The number of people and equipment in each group left a little room for the carrying capacity of the sky train and the Horsa glider.
Everyone is a veteran who has been trained for a long time. Even if they are about to land in an unknown environment, no one will be nervous.
After boarding the plane, ground staff continued to inspect each aircraft. They want to ensure that everything goes smoothly and that there are no machine failures during the parachute descent.
During this boring wait, the comrades could only chat and fart in the cabin. The way everyone was chatting and laughing also showed that they were very confident in the upcoming battle.
Mainly because the North China Front has completely lost air supremacy, and the ground troops don't even have anti-aircraft artillery. Coupled with the escort of Spitfire and Hurricane fighter jets, the trip was very safe.
Wei Dayong, who was sitting near the cabin door, looked at his captain and asked curiously:
"Captain, how come I smell alcohol on you? Did you drink secretly just now? Zhu Zhu has been transferred to another unit. How about you blame his old rules on me?"
"Didn't he expect to drink Fenjiu in the first place? It's fine as long as I don't ask for roasted pumpkin."
As soon as these words came out, the soldiers in the cabin all looked at him with curiosity and expectation. Although it was the first time for many people to fight side by side with Li Yunlong, everyone knew that the leader treated everyone equally with rewards and punishments.
As for Zhuzi, there is a hidden reason why he did not come to the land battle.
First, because his physical fitness was not up to standard, and second, Li Yunlong hoped that his old subordinates would have a better future and recommended him to the artillery regiment at the headquarters.
"Go, go, what are you drinking? There is a combat mission, how can I drink."
"But the deputy general staff owes me a meal. If any of you can kill ten Japs in this battle, I will take you to the headquarters for a meal when you come back!"
"OK!"
In a pleasant atmosphere, Principal Chang reminded that it was time to take off. He picked up the communicator in his hand and said to the rest of the crew on the channel:
"Attention all crews! Attention all crews! The operation begins! Everyone takes off in order."
Although the airport at the airport headquarters has been expanded many times, it is still a collective operation of more than 100 aircraft. Failure to properly arrange it will inevitably cause traffic chaos.
What's more, the 27-meter wing of the Horsa glider takes up too much space.
As soon as he finished speaking, the sky train Li Yunlong was on shook slightly and moved forward slowly, and the propellers on both sides also turned faster and faster.
The entire formation is divided into three echelons. The first echelon consists of more than 30 fighter jets taking off first. Even though the surrounding airspace is certainly safe, they still do their job.
After the fighter jets began to circle, the second-echelon sky train began to accelerate, dragging the glider.
Since the load capacity is close to the limit, the length of the runway is very high. Fortunately, there is a headwind now, so God is giving me face.
This is because when an airplane is taxiing, air flows along the wing surface, causing different pressures on the upper and lower sides of the wing to generate lift.
If there is wind blowing in your face, more lift will be obtained, allowing the aircraft to lift off the ground faster.
After gliding for more than two kilometers, the second echelon of transport aircraft took off with the gliders.
"It seems that even the weather is on our side, and there is no need to borrow the east wind. The third echelon speeds up and takes action immediately. Our goal is Zhongtiao Mountain! Let's go!"
The third echelon only has a small number of transport aircraft carrying gliders, and the high-power engines coupled with Dongfeng do not require them to glide too long.
The whole take-off process is full of beauty, completely different from some models that are difficult to fly.
When all the transport aircraft formed a formation, the escorting Spitfires and Hurricanes also entered their roles. This time, in addition to sending the 1st Marine Regiment to the rear of Zhongtiao Mountain, we also have to support the Western Front as appropriate.
Half an hour later, the sunrise sunshine spread on the plane.
Escorted by more than 60 fighter jets, the entire formation advanced silently at an altitude of 4,000 meters at a speed of 240 kilometers per hour.
Principal Chang was very satisfied with the takeoff. He picked up the communicator hanging in front and said on the channel:
"All pilots should pay attention to their routes and avoid collisions. We expect to arrive at our destination in two hours, and then the entire formation will enter radio silence."
This is my first time making 10,000 per day, please give me a monthly ticket! Try to reach 2000!
I will continue to try to do it tomorrow, but it may not work.
(End of chapter)
