In fact, Chu Yunfei understood Xie Baoqing's intention of writing him that letter.
Xie Baoqing used a conspiracy against him and gave him a big cake like Pingyuan County. In fact, he wanted the 358th Regiment to help him protect his left wing.
He had to accept this big cake, even if it was just to compete with Li Yunlong, he had to win Pingyuan County.
There is Pingyuan County under the control of Chu Yunfei's 358th Regiment in the north, and Ping'an County under the control of Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment in the south. Xie Baoqing made a good calculation, and both his left and right wings are safe. No matter who is going to Zhangzhuang from which direction, they must They have to pass through the defense areas of Chu Yunfei and Li Yunlong.
This Xie Baoqing is really a damn talent, and he has used both the National Army and the Communist Army.
Not to mention that Chu Yunfei successfully captured Pingyuan County here, but also that Li Yunlong left the brigade headquarters and rushed to the station.
I just called Zhao Gang at the brigade headquarters. The 1, 2, 3 and 4 battalions have been engaged in fierce exchanges of fire with the Japanese army between Laohuling and Qigezhuang, causing heavy casualties. Zhao Gang, who does not understand tactical command, is already paralyzed.
Li Yunlong's prediction was relatively accurate, but he thought that the 1, 2, 3 and 4 battalions on the front line of Laohuling Qigezhuang were only reinforcements from the Shanyin Zuochuan Regiment, but he did not expect that what he was facing now was the vicious Japanese Army. The Kwantung Army's Nakano Division Abe Brigade Ishibashi Infantry Regiment and the Sato Artillery Regiment operating in conjunction with Abe's Brigade.
The establishment of a battalion of Li Yunlong's independent regiment is four to five companies plus the teams directly under the battalion headquarters. The number is about a thousand. Especially the battalion of Zhang Dabiao as the battalion commander has eight companies and one thousand and five people. More than a hundred people.
The four battalions that Li Yunlong placed on the front line of Qigezhuang in Laohuling now have nearly 4,500 troops.
This is the establishment of Li Yunlong's independent regiment, which is extremely rich. Each company is basically over-staffed.
One battalion of other Eighth Route Army field troops only has three companies and directly affiliated teams, which is about more than 400 people. One regiment has only more than 1,000 people, which is similar to the number of people in Li Yunlong's battalion.
One regiment of Li Yunlong is worth the strength of four or five regiments of other brother units. Otherwise, the head of the brigade would say that this guy can be a division commander.
However, the strength of an infantry regiment of the Japanese Class A troops is between 2,800 and 3,800, and the strength of an artillery regiment is about 2,800, equipped with 48 field infantry guns.
Li Yunlong's four battalions of more than 4,000 people fought against two Japanese regiments of five to six thousand people with heavy firepower. The fierce battle can be imagined. The ground of the Laohuling position was plowed several times by Japanese artillery fire, and the top of the mountain was at least low. One or two meters.
Both sides received death orders. One was to rush to the rescue of Zhangzhuang at all costs, and the other was to be nailed to the front line of Laohuling and Qigezhuang at all costs, and never let a Japanese pass.
They were all red-eyed. The Japanese organized seven charges in five hours. The Laohuling position changed hands several times, and the soil on the top of the mountain bled when you stepped on it.
When Li Yunlong rushed to the Laohuling position with the guard company and reserve team directly under the regiment, the eight companies of the first battalion were defeated and only two companies were left. The second, third and fourth battalions also suffered most of their losses.
When Zhang Dabiao, the commander of the first battalion, saw Li Yunlong arriving, even a tough man couldn't help crying.
Li Yunlong understood the mood of Zhang Dabiao and the soldiers at the moment. He burst into tears in pain, but he still jumped into a rage and kicked Zhang Dabiao to the ground. He jumped and cursed: "You damn Zhang Dabiao, you followed me." After all these years, I am still as stupid as a donkey. I ordered the 1, 2, 3 and 4 battalions to abandon their positions and retreat towards Nianzhuang, and the reserve team of the guard company followed me."
"Captain?" Zhang Dabiao got up from the ground and looked at Li Yunlong in confusion.
Didn't you give the order not to let a Japanese go? Why did you order the retreat right after you arrived?
Li Yunlong glared at Zhang Dabiao and the bewildered commander of the 234th Battalion and roared: "I am ordering not to let a single Japs in. I am not ordering you to fight the Japs in positional warfare. Let the Japs in, and then concentrate your troops to kill them." His slow-moving artillery regiment is killing the Japanese infantry regiment all the way, and I have ordered the Seventh Battalion to set up pockets for the Japanese in Nianzhuang. Why don't you act quickly?"
There was another round of fierce artillery fire, and the positions in Laohuling that had been bombed several times were turned over again.
After the artillery fire was prepared, Ishibashi Regiment Captain Yuzo Ishibashi personally held the command knife and led the stormtroopers to charge. He had just sent a report to Yoshio Shinozuka to report the battle situation and requested air support, but he was scolded by Yoshio Shinozuka. pause.
For five hours, they made no progress on the front line of Qigezhuang in Laohuling. If the reinforcements could not arrive at Zhangzhuang before dark, Zhangzhuang would be in danger.
Zhangzhuang fell, and Pingyuan County fell. The train sent by the Sanin Zuochuan Regiment to reinforce Zhangzhuang was bombarded by unknown enemies in Baitoushan, causing heavy casualties. The Qiaomu Brigade in the direction of Datong was intercepted by the New Regiment of the 386th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army. The Miyamoto Division's Ban Heng Brigade in the Yangquan direction was also intercepted by the 386th Brigade's New Second Regiment as it advanced toward Mount Wutai. Now the Shiqiao Regiment and Sato Regiment closest to Zhangzhuang were also stubbornly blocked by Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment. Five They didn't break through the enemy's defenses for hours.
All parties are asking Yoshio Shinozuka for air support. He only has about thirty planes. In the morning at Zhangzhuang, two planes were damaged and one was seriously injured. A slap in the face was enough to fill the wall with holes.
Yoshio Shinozuka has basically determined that this is a long-planned large-scale operation launched by the Chinese army. There has never been coordination between various departments. Raid by surprise, reinforcement by reinforcement, and taking advantage of the opportunity. And entering, it can be used as a textbook classic battle example.
Yoshio Shinozuka believed that the purpose of this battle was against him. He cut off the supply lines, besieged the Japanese troops stationed in Taiyuan, blocked the two divisions reinforced by the Kwantung Army at the outskirts of northwest Shanxi, and forced the Japanese troops to evacuate the Shanxi and Suiyuan areas. .
Yoshio Shinozuka even suspected that the Chongqing government launched this campaign. Based on his understanding of Yan Xishan, the commander of the Second Theater Command, Yan Xishan did not have such a big hand, and it would be difficult to mobilize the 386th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army to directly participate in the war.
Moreover, the strategic purpose of Shinozuka Yoshio's First Army to occupy Suiyuan, Shanxi Province was to echo the South China Army and the Central China Army to form a huge encirclement of the Chongqing government.
If the Chongqing government wants to break the situation, it has only two options: north or south.
To retreat further west would be to give up on China. This is the result that the Japanese military is most willing to see, but they know that this possibility basically does not exist.
It is not a good idea to break through to the south. The Japanese South Asia Expeditionary Force has already conquered Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Myanmar and other countries. The Chongqing government is still surrounded by a large encirclement when it goes south.
The only way out is to break through to the north. By breaking through the Chongqing government to the north, we can support each other back to back with the Soviet Union.
To break through to the north, we must first regain Shanxi, Suiyuan and other places to open this channel.
Yoshio Shinozuka self-righteously made assumptions for this battle that had not yet reached the scale of a battle. Little did he know that the initiator of all this was just a little bandit who no one noticed.
