Outside Xiniu Village in the south of Qixia Town, there is Qingniu Mountain.
On the position of the Second Company of the Secret Service Battalion, when He Yunfu saw the time on his watch pointing to 7 o'clock, and there was a faint thunderous sound coming from the north, he knew that the battle had begun!
Emerging from the shell-proof hole where he slept last night, He Yunfu immediately called his platoon leader Yang Dabao.
"Company commander, are you looking for me?"
"good.
Didn't our reconnaissance soldiers yesterday say that there was a Jaap turret on Zhengtai Road about 3 kilometers east of us, with more than a dozen Japs in it?
Now take your people and pull out this turret for me!
We also blew up all the roads and railways in front of the blockhouses to prevent us from having little Japs coming from the east. "
"Company Commander, if we are a platoon without heavy firepower, I'm afraid it will be difficult. There must be at least one heavy machine gun in the little devil's turret!"
When Yang Dabao heard that he had a mission, he was immediately very excited, but then his face turned pale.
Yang Yuanshan has been preaching in the spy camp that the lives of soldiers must not be sacrificed rashly, so the company and platoon leaders also have this awareness to some extent.
"You guys are going to bring a Type 92 infantry cannon to fight quickly. It can't take more than 4 hours at most. You have to return.
If the kid from Qixia Town calls for help in time, and if the reinforcements from Qubei County come by train, they may arrive in front of us in less than five hours.
If your platoon does not return in time, it will affect our overall situation, do you understand? "
He Yunfu explained.
"clear!"
When Yang Dabao heard that there was an infantry cannon, he was immediately relieved and had no worries about whether it would be 4 hours or 4 hours.
He quickly took his own people with him.
At this time, Lian instructor Xu Shaobai came over and asked him:
"Lao He, now we are about to start a war, why do you still let Platoon Leader Yang lead people to attack the artillery tower?"
He Yunfu still respected Xu Shaobai very much. After all, he was the company instructor when he was the platoon leader.
If the superiors hadn't parachuted a battalion instructor, the other party would have been promoted directly.
He quickly explained:
"Instructor Xu, since the fighting has started on Deputy Battalion Commander Han's side, it won't affect the overall situation if we pull out the turrets along the highway now.
And the most important thing is, although we have captured Heyuan County before, and the roads and railways from Heyuan County to here have been blown up in several places, we can't protect everything in case there are little Japs coming from the direction of Heyuan County.
By then, we will be passive.
You can also see that our current positions are facing the southwest. If the little devil attacks us from behind, it will be terrible. "
Hearing what he said, Xu Shaobai understood that the guy in front of him didn't trust Wei Dayong, a quick-tempered guy, to carefully block the enemies in the direction of Heyuan County, so he simply took action first and made thorough preparations.
Thinking of Wei Dayong's character of rushing up when he saw the little devil, Xu Shaobai understood that his worries were justified and nodded immediately:
"I see, Lao He, you have thought very carefully."
He finally understood why He Yunfu was directly promoted to the second company commander by Yang Yuanshan not long after he arrived at the secret service camp.
The work is indeed done flawlessly!
In addition to arranging for Yang Dabao to lead people to attack the artillery towers, He Yunfu also sent several scouts to the west in the direction of Qubei County to avoid being careless and being discovered by the Japs in their ambush, which would affect the effect of the ambush.
…
Diagonally opposite the Second Company, at the Huangling Village position, Li Dahe was looking north with a telescope, trying to see clearly the battle situation to the north.
His position was further away from Qixia Town, and it was harder to hear the sound of gunfire. At this moment, he felt very anxious.
Deputy company commander Wang Quanfa, who had only one hand left next to him, took a telescope and looked at it for a while. When he saw Li Dahe's anxious expression, he immediately suggested:
"Company Commander, the soldiers who were conducting reconnaissance reported that there is a Jaap turret in the direction of Zhaojiagou. Should we simply send someone to pull it out?
Anyway, idle is idle.
If the gun towers are not demolished, the reinforcements coming from Shouxian County will still be able to get some support from the gun towers. "
When Li Dahe heard this, he immediately smiled and nodded quickly:
"Okay! That's a good idea.
With so many of us waiting here, we won't be able to catch any little Japs in a short period of time, so it would be a good idea to build a turret.
Lao Wang, you stay here and watch the position, I will personally lead a platoon to pull out this turret. "
Seeing him turning around and leaving, Wang Quanfa quickly stopped him:
"Company commander, you'd better stay here and take command, I'll take the people there!"
"No, no, I'm tired of waiting here, I'll go!"
Li Dahe avoided Wang Quanfa's obstruction and ran away quickly.
After a while, Wang Quanfa saw him leaving the position with a platoon of soldiers pushing a Type 92 infantry cannon, and he couldn't help but shook his head.
Wang Quanfa felt a little numb when he thought that the command of the entire Huangling Village position now fell on himself, a disabled person.
However, remembering the scene when he was in the field hospital and led twenty wounded soldiers to block the Yamazaki Brigade, he felt a little more proud.
Back then, I had only a few soldiers and no heavy weapons. Didn't I also hold off the Yamazaki Battalion for 20 minutes?
Now that he is relying on the trenches, with more than 300 soldiers, and so many artillery pieces, even if the little Japanese come with a large group, he is confident that he can stop them for at least 24 hours!
…
In the direction of Killing the Tiger Pass, the soldiers of the guard company led by Wei Dayong did not dig trenches. Instead, they went all the way east, laying mines and setting traps on the road that had been damaged and riddled with pits.
The company set up mines and traps along a stretch of nearly fifty or sixty miles. Only then did Wei Dayong give up. He led the soldiers back to the Tiger Killing Pass with a grim smile, waiting for the little devil's reinforcements to be disgraced by these mines and traps before hitting them again. Come into his hand.
…
Just when every company in the secret service battalion was eagerly looking forward to the reinforcements from the Japs, Qubei County.
The 237th Regiment of the 41st Infantry Division, Lieutenant Colonel Shimokawa Nariya, captain of the first brigade, received a telegram from Captain Hiroki Sakai, and his brows suddenly furrowed into the character "Chuan".
A brigade from Tubal Road attacked Qixia Town. What was the purpose of such a big fight?
What strategic position does Qixia Town have that makes it worth their while?
He immediately showed the telegram to his colleague, Major Kensuke Terada, captain of the Second Battalion, and asked:
"Terada-kun, what do you think?"
The First Battalion and the Second Battalion of Shimogawa Nariya and Terada Kensuke were stationed in Qubei County together. Since Shimokawa Nariya had a higher military rank, Shimogawa Nariya took the lead in the military affairs of Qubei County.
At this moment, hearing his question, Kensuke Terada quickly replied:
“Jun Xiachuan, I don’t know the purpose of Tubal Road’s attack on Qixia Town.
But I think we must not give up Qixia Town easily!
Otherwise, the fact that our army is insufficient will be exposed and trigger a chain reaction!
At that time, various strongholds and towns may be attacked by Tubal Road. "
"Terada-kun's words are reasonable. Now Tubal Road is destroying our transportation lines everywhere, but except for Heyuan County, which was breached ten days ago, no other important targets have been attacked. Tubal Road must also be afraid of our strength.
If we show even the slightest hint of weakness now, they may pounce on us like hungry wolves and bite us. By then, the security situation we face will worsen even more. "
Generally speaking, most of the captains of the Japs are majors, and those who can join the ranks of lieutenants are outstanding ones, such as Yamazaki Jihei of the Yamazaki Battalion.
Now Shimogawa Seiya is also a lieutenant commander, and he still has a good grasp of the situation, and he immediately nodded in agreement with Kensuke Terada's opinion.
After some discussion, he immediately called Colonel Masato Nara, commander of the 237th Regiment stationed in Xinkou, and reported the incident in Qixia Town.
Of course, he would not foolishly report that the enemy had a division. After all, the First Army Headquarters had severely reprimanded them before, and they were not allowed to lie about military information like Lieutenant Colonel Hirosue Saburo.
Instead, they reported that a brigade of the main force of Tubal Road was attacking Qixia Town and asked for a solution.
After discussing with his chief of staff, Colonel Masato Nara immediately ordered Shimokawa Nariya to personally lead a full brigade, plus an artillery squadron, and take an armored train to Qixia Town to eliminate the Tuba Road of this brigade.
In Nara Masato's view, with such a force, not to mention a brigade on the Tuba Road, even a division would have a chance of victory!
After hearing this order, Shimokawa Chengya frowned and asked quickly:
"Your Excellency, Wing Commander, my First Battalion originally had two squadrons stationed in other places. Now the number of mobile troops is less than 700. How can we assemble a fully formed brigade?"
"First, we will draw from Terada-kun's second brigade. I will send a report to His Excellency General Shinozuka later, requesting General Shinozuka to send a brigade from Jinyang City to station in Qubei County to make up for the lack of troops after you leave the city."
Nara answered uncompromisingly.
"Hey! I understand.
However, there is only one extra artillery squadron in Qubei County. After taking it away, the defense of this county will be extremely empty. Please consider it carefully, as the loss of Heyuan County is a lesson learned from the past, so we must guard against it. "
Shimogawa Chengya reminded.
"Yo Xi, Mr. Xiachuan, your mission is to rescue Qixia Town in time and annihilate those nasty Tubal Road.
Understand? "
Being taught by Lieutenant Colonel Shimokawa Seiya, Nara Masahi, the Colonel, was beginning to feel unhappy.
Shimokawa Seiya also heard that the commander of the team was unhappy, so he immediately did not dare to say anything more and could only nod and bow:
"Hey! I understand!"
"Yo Xi, Mr. Xiachuan, you must be careful, bring the radio and contact me at any time!
The Tuba Road in northwestern Shanxi has been extremely active recently. Perhaps the target of this group of Tubal Road is not just Qixia Town! "
Nara struck again.
"Hey! I understand!"
Shimokawa Chengya answered respectfully.
Being reminded like this by his immediate superior, he felt a sense of awe in his heart.
Soon, he prepared a full brigade plus an artillery squadron, more than 1,200 people, boarded an armored train from Qubei County Railway Station, and headed east.
…
After Nara Masato arranged for Shimokawa Nariya to go to support Qixia Town, he looked at the map for a long time before asking the 237th Regiment Chief of Staff Yuhei Moriguchi:
"Moriguchi-san, Shouxian County is also very close to Qixia Town. Should we report it to the Division Headquarters and ask the Division Headquarters to coordinate the troops of the 37th Division stationed in Shouxian County to also send a support force to the north to support Qixia Town?"
Moriguchi Yuhei nodded and said:
"Your Excellency, Wing Commander, when we mobilize a brigade, we should indeed report to Your Excellency, the Division Commander.
As for whether to send troops from Shouxian County to support it, it does not need to be an important goal in our report. "
"Yoshi, this makes sense!"
Nara Zhenggan understood what he meant. Moving troops across divisions would easily make people resentful. He was a regimental captain and was not worthy!
It's better to leave it to the superiors to consider.
Then Nara Masato immediately called the division headquarters in Jinyang City and reported the matter.
When the commander of the 41st Division, Tanabe Morigo, heard that a brigade from the Eighth Route Army was attacking Qixia Town, he instinctively felt that it was unusual. Hearing that Masayan Nara had already sent a brigade to the rescue, he immediately nodded in appreciation, and then arranged:
"Yoshi, Nara-kun, your response is very cautious, I appreciate it very much.
I will ask His Excellency, Commander Shinozuka, to send an aviation reconnaissance plane to investigate the reality of the Tobal Road.
In addition, as for Shouxian County, I will ask Mr. Hirata of the 37th Division to arrange to remove a support army from Shouxian County and go north to check the situation. "
The baby has pneumonia and has to be hospitalized for a week. I am writing words while staying in bed with him in the hospital. He is not in a good condition. Please forgive me.
(End of chapter)
