The mountain scenery is infinitely beautiful, but the only problem is that there are too many mosquitoes and they are a bit bigger.
By the way, another thing is that I don't have to take a shower, which is very uncomfortable. This is very uncomfortable for Zhang Tianhai, who was a southerner in his previous life. He can only wait until night before running to a nearby stream to take a bath.
Bundles of torches were burning in the mountain col. Zhang Tianhai, Zhou Fangjie, Guo Qiliang, Li Chunfei and others gathered around a fire to keep warm. Fortunately, the weather has been sunny these past few days and there has been no heavy rain. Otherwise, it would have been The officers and soldiers of the regiment were in dire straits.
There is neither shelter nor air-drying equipment here, and it is spring, so if it rains, the flu will inevitably occur.
"It's been such a boring life in the mountains. It's been almost a week, right? I have to eat and sleep every day. I can't practice or go out, but it's so boring..." Li Chunfei complained.
In fact, it is really boring to be able to do nothing in such a big mountain. From the night of March 3rd to today, it has been five full days.
Putting aside everything else, just doing this for nothing can drive people crazy.
Zhang Tianhai stared blankly at the starry night sky and said, "In the past few days, the gunfire outside the mountain has not stopped. Presumably, the battle has entered a fierce stage!"
"It seems that it is not the time for our troops to go to war... We have to feed mosquitoes in the mountains for a few days..." Li Chunfei said feebly. For someone like him who was born into a wealthy family since childhood, let him Staying in the mountains for several days would be more uncomfortable than killing him...
If given a choice, Li Chunfei would rather lead the charge in a hail of bullets than stay here and be stupid...
Looking at the crackling fireworks, Zhang Tianhai said: "Bear it! Feeding mosquitoes in the mountains makes me very nervous. Just hold back your energy! I tell you, boy, if we are going to fight At that time, your battalion couldn't get any results, I'm asking for you!"
After hearing these words, Li Chunfei finally gathered some strength, stood up and saluted: "Yes, regimental seat! Let our first battalion take the main attack then, and we will never let you down!"
…
While Zhang Tianhai and others were still feeding mosquitoes in the mountains, Major General Shun Sakamoto was leading the main force of the Sakamoto detachment to head south to Tangtou Town on a starry night.
Speaking of the temporary formation of the Sakamoto detachment, we still had to receive from Itagaki Seishiro, Lieutenant General Nishio Hisao of the Second Army Headquarters, "The 5th Division should use one detachment to cooperate with the friendly 10th Division's operations in the direction of Jinpu Road, and Attack the Linyi area," the order said.
In order to enable the 5th Division to join forces with Isoya Rensuke's 10th Division and Taierzhuang, the division commander, Lieutenant General Seishiro Itagaki, organized the main force of the 21st Regiment of the 21st Brigade and a squadron of the Mountain Artillery into the Katano Detachment. The attack on Juxian County was launched under the command of Colonel Katano Sadami, commander of the 21st Regiment.
After the Katano detachment captured Ju County, the division commander, Lieutenant General Itagaki, strengthened the combat capability there and added the 11th Regiment of the 9th Brigade (less than one brigade) and the 2nd Battalion of the 42nd Regiment of the 21st Brigade, as well as the field artillery About 8,000 people from the 5th Regiment and the Katano Detachment were organized into the Sakamoto Detachment, under the personal command of Major General Jun Sakamoto, and advanced to Linyi.
And in this wilderness, Colonel Satomi is the vanguard force.
In order to prevent the retreat route from being cut off by the national army, Jun Sakamoto still left two brigades in the direction of Ju County, with about 2,000 troops, commanded by Shaoxiong Nakamura, the captain of the 11th Regiment of the 9th Brigade, to ensure that The road from Ju County to Linyi is absolutely smooth!
So, this time, Major General Jun Sakamoto went south with more than 3,000 troops, nearly a regiment.
These more than 3,000 people may not seem like many, but they are equipped with more than 30 cannons and more than 20 tanks heading south together...
These artillery and tanks attached to the army, plus more than 20 artillery and two or three tanks on the front line, this force is definitely not small. This does not include their light and heavy machine guns, grenades, and 92 infantry. What about these good things?
In short, they must capture Linyi in the shortest possible time. Only after capturing Linyi can they directly enter Taierzhuang!
If Linyi is not captured, even if they meet up at Taierzhuang, there is still a risk of their retreat being cut off and being attacked from both sides.
The news that the main reinforcements of the Sakamoto detachment were moving south was also transmitted to the headquarters of the Third Army through the rear intelligence station in Juxian County. Army Commander Pang Bingxun immediately stepped up the deployment of troops and stood ready, vowing to live and die with Linyi.
Pang Bingxun knew in his heart that the number of troops he had on hand had dropped sharply from more than 13,000 to more than 9,000 at full strength. This did not include the losses of the security group, but their third army must survive. The main attack of the Japanese army!
Only with the arrival of reinforcements can the situation in Linyi have a glimmer of hope. If not, even if all the troops in the entire Linyi area are mobilized, it will be difficult to defeat the main force of the Japanese army!
"Shouwu, have the staff prepared the battle plan?" Pang Bingxun, who had returned from inspecting the troops on the front line, asked Wang Showu directly without even having time to take a sip of water.
Although it was already eleven o'clock at midnight, for the 40th Army, which was in full swing on the front line and short of time, it didn't matter what time it was.
What the 40th Army lacks most now is time, waiting for the theater chief of staff Xu Zuyi and Zhang Zizhong's 59th Army to come to Yi for help!
"It's done, sir, please take a look." In front of everyone, Wang Showu directly handed over the combat plan written on the paper to Pang Bingxun.
I saw this page written -
“The gist of the arrangement is as follows:
(1) The 231st and 232nd Regiments of the 116th Brigade, equipped with two mountain artillery pieces, are Linyi frontal defense forces, with Brigadier Li Yuntong as the commander.
(2) Use the 115th Brigade (missing the 229th Regiment) as the right-wing protection force, with Brigadier Zhu Jialin as the commander.
(3) The 229th Regiment, Supplementary Regiment, Special Agent Battalion, and Engineer Battalion are the general reserve team, with Commander Li Zhenqing as the commander.
(4) Ma Fawu, commander of the 39th Division, is the frontline commander. "
After Pang Bingxun read it, he said: "Just implement this plan!"
…
On March 9, the main force of the enemy's Sakamoto detachment began to advance toward Linyi after receiving reinforcements.
Among them, its vanguard troops once again continued to advance towards the Taipingzhuang and Baitazhuang areas!
The fierce battle lasted for two full days. After receiving reinforcements, the Japanese army once again showed that strong momentum. After all, they were still a force of the Fifth Division, a force known as the Steel Army among the Japanese army!
By March 11th, the frontline troops of the Japanese army had advanced to the line from Zhugecheng to Yujiuqu in the north of the city. The situation was once very critical!
On this day, Xu Zuyi, chief of staff of the theater, came to the frontline combat headquarters in Linyi.
"Hello, sir!"
"Hello, sir!"
When Xu Zuyi's motorcade entered Linyi City, the officers and soldiers on duty on both sides of the road stood at attention, saluted, and shouted loudly.
After all, Xu Zuyi was also a commander from the war zone commander's department, and he had to have a pomp, and this kind of pomp was ordered by Pang Bingxun. Although the frontline operations were tense, the Third Army was not depleted of even this few people.
Xu Zuyi came to Linyi this time, and he didn't bring many people with him, but there was also a guard camp, and they all traveled by car, so they set off a long time late, but they were ahead of Zhang Zizhong's team.
"Sir, it doesn't look like the frontline is in a very tight situation. Pang Bingxun's call for help was sent quite urgently," said the guard battalion commander Zeng Tianlin, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the off-road jeep.
Xu Zuyi, who was sitting in the back seat and dressed in military uniform, shook his head and said with a smile: "Commander Zeng, you can't just take everything at face value. Among the factions of the national army, the composition of the Northwest Army is already very low, and like People like Pang Bingxun, Zhang Zizhong, Sun Lianzhong, and Sun Tongxuan are already the leaders in the Northwest Department. Although Chief Feng is still alive, he no longer has any real power, so these superficial skills must still be done well. "
Zeng Tianlin nodded and said: "I understand, I understand. Although the Northwest Department is in decline, there are still people like them with real power in the army, so we must keep face. Right? Sir."
"You are only half right." Xu Zuyi said with a smile on his face.
At this time, Linyi City had gradually begun to be bombed by Japanese aircraft. In addition, the Japanese army continued to advance on the front line, and there were fewer and fewer people in the city. They all fled with their families.
Although Linyi had not yet fallen into the hands of the Japanese army at this time, if they waited for the Japanese army to approach the city, they would not be able to escape by then.
If someone runs away, then there will definitely be someone who chooses to stay. They choose to face the powerful enemy together with the national army!
Soon, Xu Zuyi's motorcade arrived at the Linyi frontline headquarters.
When the motorcade stopped, Pang Bingxun was already waiting outside the car. When Xu Zuyi got off the car, the former immediately stood at attention and saluted: "Hello, Chief Xu! Welcome, sir, to come to Yi to command the battle!"
Xu Zuyi returned the military salute and said: "You and I are old acquaintances, and there is no need for Brother Chen to be so polite. How is the situation on the front line?"
Xu Zuyi did not say that the situation on the front line was not bad. When he mentioned the situation on the front line, Pang Bingxun grimaced and said: "To be honest, Commander Xu, the Japanese army is currently on a fierce offensive. Although our army is fighting desperately, it still allows the Japanese army to take the lead." The troops have reached Zhuge City in the north of the city, and the situation is very critical..."
On the way here, Xu Zuyi had already expected that the situation on the front line might not be good, but he did not expect that the situation was so dilapidated that the Japanese army was already approaching the city.
Xu Zuyi's expression immediately changed from a smile to a serious one, and he said: "Brother Gengchen, please put aside our personal relationship for now and go up to understand the situation on the front line!"
"Okay, Chief Xu, come with me!" Pang Bingxun nodded, turned around and walked hurriedly towards the second floor hall where the headquarters is located. Xu Zuyi, Wang Showu, Zeng Tianlin and others followed closely behind.
The map of the combat headquarters was already filled with signs. With the staff skills behind Xu Zuyi, he could easily see the approximate deployment location at a glance.
However, the location of the first regiment directly under the third theater was nowhere to be found on the map.
So, Xu Zuyi raised his head and asked in a slightly questioning tone: "Commander Pang, where is the first regiment directly under Zhang Tianhai's third theater? Didn't the commander-in-chief send them a telegram to reinforce the battle in the Linyi area?"
Hearing Xu Zuyi's questioning tone, Pang Bingxun quickly said: "Mr. Xu misunderstood. Commander Zhang of the first regiment directly under the third theater has indeed led his troops to the Linyi battlefield and has established a foothold behind the enemy lines, but This is a secret combat mission, so whether it is to the superiors or to our internal staff, we are strictly prohibited from revealing their whereabouts!"
"Oh? The battlefield behind enemy lines?" Xu Zuyi adjusted his glasses and said with great interest.
"Yes, it's the battlefield behind enemy lines. I don't know if it was possible to evacuate the surrounding people and then report to Commander Xu." Pang Bingxun said sternly.
"Okay." Xu Zuyi nodded, then waved to the people behind him, signaling them to go out.
After everyone in the headquarters had gone out, leaving only Pang Bingxun and Xu Zuyi, Pang Bingxun began to explain: "Sir Xu, it's not that you are deliberately trying to be mysterious because of your humble position, but the position of Zhang Tianhai's troops is too important. If you are not careful, your position may be exposed, leading to the danger of the entire army being annihilated."
"Then just tell me! Where are their troops?" Xu Zuyi's face was very serious. After all, which faction's troops the first regiment directly under the third theater belongs to, he knew very well that if he put this troops in a position to die, , he was afraid that it would be difficult to explain to Minister He.
Pang Bingxun picked up the pen and gently pointed at the location of Tangshan Col, and said: "Sir Xu, the troops of the first regiment directly under the third theater are here."
Looking at the position pointed by Pang Bingxun, Xu Zuyi began to study, and then he walked to the sand table after a while. After a long time, he asked Pang Bingxun seriously: "Who came up with this very risky idea?"
Looking at Xu Zuyi's very serious expression, Pang Bingxun thought that Chief Xu was going to raise troops to investigate, so he stood at attention and said: "Sir, this idea came from Zhang Tianhai, Commander Zhang, and he worked with him to complete and implement this plan in a lowly position. !”
I saw Xu Zuyi nodded slightly and said with unabashed appreciation: "Very good, you are very vicious in this position..."
Then, Xu Zuyi walked to the map and said: "Tangshan'ao is the choke point from Tangtou Town to Ju County... If this place is used well, the Japanese troops in front of them will never come back. The battle is Now that we have the basic strategy in place, we are just waiting for Zhang Zizhong’s reinforcements to arrive.”
"Sir Xu, I am humble enough to ask you, when will Zhang Xingchen's 59th Army arrive?" Pang Bingxun said with a wry smile on his face, feeling quite ashamed.
"We have only one day to go." Xu Zuyi looked at Pang Bingxun and said, "By the way, this time, I came to Yi to command you in the battle on the order of Chief Li of the war zone, which actually has a profound meaning. I believe I won't tell you this. you know too."
Pang Bingxun blushed and said with embarrassment: "Of course I know about this humble position. It's not because of the personal grievances between me and Xin Chen that I have to bother Commander Xu and rush to Linyi from Xuzhou to command the battle. What's more, Chen, I feel ashamed..."
Xu Zuyi waved his hand and said: "It is useless to mention these past things. Chief Li asked me to tell you something: 'No matter what kind of hatred you had in the past, you have to wait until this battle is over. ! This war is a matter of great importance to the survival of the nation, and you will not be allowed to delay the war because of personal grudges!'"
After hearing this, Pang Bingxun stood at attention again and saluted and promised: "Yes! I understand, I understand! I will definitely put aside the previous grievances and fight together with Commander Zhang to fight for the righteousness of the nation and the survival of the nation! Never conserve our strength and fight against the Japanese." Fight to the death!"
"Okay." Xu Zuyi pressed his hands and continued: "It's enough for you to have this heart. Let's not talk about anything else. Just let them in!"
…
PS: This is a chapter of 4,400 words. Two chapters are combined into one chapter. Today’s update is just this one.
Thanks to Qidian Book Friends Shuhuang Xiaomo for two monthly passes!
Thanks to Qidian Book Friends 160402000438596, who couldn’t help but cheat, and QQ Reading Book Friends Zui Qingwu, who each gave me a monthly pass!
