Xinzhou Basin.
Ririn detachment headquarters.
"Report to the brigade commander, Lieutenant General Moritake Tanabe of the frontline headquarters, an urgent message!"
A staff officer hurriedly walked in with a telegram in his hand and reported to Kuribayashi Tadashi.
Kuribayashi Tadamichi's eyes were fixed on the map: "Read it!"
The Japanese staff officer picked up the telegram and read: "According to reports from intelligence personnel, the new regiment has been dispatched. The Kuribayashi detachment is ready for battle. Long live His Majesty the Emperor, and long live the Imperial Army of Japan!"
Kuribayashi Tadamichi looked at the Japanese staff officer: "Is there no more?"
"Hi!" the Japanese staff officer lowered his head and said, "No more!"
Kuribayashi Tadashi frowned. He expected the Eighth Route Army New Regiment to dispatch, and he even expected to receive information about the Eighth Route Army New Regiment.
Although Tongpu Road north of Xinzhou is currently under the control of the Eighth Route Army, the First Army sent a large number of spies to infiltrate.
Even though it is difficult to penetrate into the base area, spies can still penetrate into a highway section not far from the base area.
but.
The information only said that the new regiment had been dispatched, but it did not specify how many troops the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army would dispatch and what equipment it would carry.
This left Tadashi Kuribayashi feeling unsure.
You know, based on the analysis of past battle cases, the weapons, equipment and firepower of the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army are much more powerful than the Japanese army.
But when he thought about his own configuration, Kuribayashi Tadashi felt confident again.
The information Li Yunlong received was that there was only one Japanese regiment here, and the new regiment would definitely not be dispatched in full force.
The Japanese ambushed the surrounding area with the 39th Infantry Regiment, the 62nd Infantry Regiment, the 13th Cavalry Regiment, the 108th Artillery Regiment, and the 13th Tank Regiment.
Plus air support from 80 aircraft.
Even if the new regiment is deployed in full force, Ribayashi Tadamichi is not afraid. There are four infantry divisions in Taiyuan, 60 kilometers away from here, and even cavalry can arrive in half a day for reinforcements.
Even if the Eighth Route New Regiment has a powerful combat capability that far exceeds that of a second-class Japanese division, it is impossible to defeat the five Japanese regiments in half a day.
What's more, the one responsible for serving as bait is the 39th Infantry Regiment, which is affiliated to the 8th Brigade of the 10th Division. It is the elite of the Kwantung Army and has extremely strong combat effectiveness. Whether the new regiment can solve the 39th Regiment is still open to question. Things.
Immediately, Tadamichi Kuribayashi looked at the staff officer: "Give me the order to spread the reconnaissance cavalry to 10 kilometers away. Once the main force of the Eighth Route Army is discovered, report it to the headquarters immediately!"
"Hi"
The Japanese staff officer put his feet together, lowered his head, then turned around and left.
After the staff left, Tadamichi Kuribayashi looked at the war games on the table. The 13th Cavalry Regiment, the 62nd Infantry Regiment, the 13th Chariot Regiment and the 108th Artillery Regiment were ambushing the 39th Infantry Regiment in a defensive manner. around.
Kuribayashi Tadashi narrowed his eyes, his eyes slightly hot.
If the Kuribayashi detachment can defeat the new regiment in this battle, then his promotion to lieutenant general should be guaranteed.
After all, Li Yunlong has not suffered a defeat in the past two years, leading his troops to kill seven Japanese generals and tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers.
If he can defeat Li Yunlong in Xinzhou, then he will be the next "Flower of Famous Generals"!
If he could kill Li Yunlong, he would have a bright future and even have the chance to be promoted to general.
At this time, Tadashi Kuribayashi hoped that Li Yunlong would lead his troops to come faster.
…
Taiyuan.
First Army Headquarters, Operations Hall.
At this time, the operations hall of the First Army was requisitioned by Tanabe Shengwu and became the frontline headquarters for sweeping northwestern Shanxi.
In the operations hall, the commanders of each division were prominently listed, accompanied by Yoshio Iwamatsu, Masa Hanatani, and Masao Miyazaki. However, except for intelligence, they did not interfere with other important military affairs.
Although the commander of the First Army, Yoshio Iwamatsu, didn't show anything on his face, he felt somewhat disdainful in his heart.
If Neji Okamura came to Taiyuan to take charge personally, he would definitely not be dissatisfied at all.
But Tanabe Moritake is only the chief of staff of the First Army, and his military rank is the same as that of lieutenant general. Why should he command the First Army and five divisions to fight?
The troops of the First Army include the 33rd Division, the 37th Division, the 41st Division, the 14th Brigade, the 18th Brigade and several directly affiliated regiments, plus the puppet army and the 1st Cavalry Brigade of the Mongolian Army Regiment with nearly 100,000 troops.
The number of Japanese and puppet troops attacking the base area in northwestern Shanxi was almost 100,000.
In Yoshio Iwamatsu's view, if the nearly 200,000 Imperial Army and Imperial Association Army fought against the 100,000-plus Eighth Route Army main force, I could do it too.
While he was thinking, Tanabe Moritake looked at Iwamatsu Yoshio: "Iwamatsu-kun, you still haven't figured out the strength and weapon configuration of the new regiment this time?"
The intelligence spies who went to northwest Shanxi to conduct reconnaissance were all sent out by the First Army, so regarding intelligence, Tanabe Moritake could only ask Yoshio Iwamatsu.
"not yet!"
Iwamatsu Yoshio said: "My intelligence personnel reported that they were chased and expelled by the Eighth Route Scout Cavalry. However, I have ordered the intelligence personnel to find out the strength and weapon configuration of the new regiment at all costs."
"No need!" Tanabe Moritake said, "Iwasatsu-kun, please withdraw all intelligence personnel for the time being."
"Nani? Withdraw all the intelligence personnel? What if Li Yunlong dispatches large-caliber heavy artillery?" Yoshio Iwasatsu was shocked. What kind of mysterious operation is this?
Tanabe Moritake smiled slightly: "I'm still afraid that Li Yunlong's large-caliber heavy artillery unit won't come. If it comes, it will solve this problem in one fell swoop. In addition, since it is already known that the new regiment is dispatched, reconnaissance planes should not follow the route in the past two days. Tongpu Road reconnaissance."
Yoshio Iwamatsu couldn't understand Tanabe Moritake's operations more and more, and said in a deep voice: "Tanabe-kun, isn't it too obvious to do this? Li Yunlong is a sinister and cunning person, and he will probably see that this is a trap."
Tanabe Moritake said: "It doesn't matter. I have been studying Li Yunlong for half a year. He is a gambler. If he receives intelligence, the imperial army's frontline headquarters has arrived in Xinzhou, and there is only one infantry regiment around him. He He will definitely lead his troops to attack, because once Li Yunlong leads his troops to take down the frontline headquarters of the imperial army, then this autumn raid plan in northwest Shanxi will be self-defeating. After all, without the commander, the imperial army will still How to sweep?"
If it were an ordinary Eighth Route Army commander, Tanabe Moritake, as the chief of staff of the front army, would naturally not bother to study it.
However, Li Yunlong, a mere regiment commander, actually killed seven Japanese generals and tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers. Li Yunlong and his troops became the number one enemy of the Japanese army in North China.
Even Okamura Neiji is studying Li Yunlong, so Tanabe Moritake naturally wants to study more about Li Yunlong.
Although the North China Front Army Command did not collect much information about Li Yunlong, it was studying Li Yunlong's tactical command and combat style.
It seems that Tanabe Moritake's analysis makes sense, but Iwamatsu Yoshio feels a little weird, and he always feels that something is wrong.
However, Yoshio Iwamatsu stopped talking. Whether he won or lost this battle had little to do with him.
After giving the order to withdraw the intelligence personnel, Yoshio Iwamatsu finally remembered that something was wrong.
In the past, the Chief of Staff of the First Army, Kusuyama Hideyoshi, and the Chief of Staff of the 36th Division, Ishikawa Harishui, also claimed to have studied Li Yunlong thoroughly. In the end, one was defeated and the other was killed...
…
Eleven o'clock at noon, Black Rock Mountain.
In a large forest in Heishishan, about 40 kilometers away from XZ, Li Yunlong is leading his troops to rest here.
There is a distance of nearly 100 kilometers from the base to XZ.
The distance of nearly 100 kilometers can be reached in just a few hours by fast-moving tanks or cars, but it takes two days for infantry to travel.
In order to prevent being discovered by Japanese reconnaissance planes, the New Regiment slept during the day and marched at night.
It is expected that they will reach the Xinzhou Basin tomorrow morning and then launch a fierce attack on the Japanese army.
The soldiers all advanced lightly, leaving their baggage with mules, horses and cars. No one in the army fell behind, and no soldier was reduced in strength.
As a qualified commander, you should consider allowing every soldier to maintain combat effectiveness anytime and anywhere.
God is good, it hasn't rained these days, otherwise it would be difficult for the tank to move on the road.
Zhao Gang's tone was full of doubts and worries: "Old Li, it's a bit strange. According to the scout cavalry report, the Japanese spies seem to have withdrawn, and there were no reconnaissance planes to conduct reconnaissance above us during the day. Our whereabouts may have been discovered. ”
Li Yunlong narrowed his eyes: "It's not very possible, it must have been discovered. After we bombarded Taiyuan New City Airport last time, the Japanese sent a large number of spies to Tongpu Road and the base area. The spies in the base area are good to our military and civilians." Solve it, but according to the spies outside the earth, it will be difficult for us to solve it."
Zhao Gang nodded: "Although our whereabouts have been discovered, fortunately we sent the Sword Squadron and the cavalry in front to clear the way for the large army. The devils don't know our specific troop strength or the dispatch of tanks. The devils now have the information After all the personnel have been evacuated, it will be even less likely that we will know that we have tanks."
Although Li Yunlong knew that the Japanese had discovered that the new group had been dispatched.
But from the Japs' point of view, Li Yunlong may not have known that the Japs had discovered the information about his troops' dispatch.
It's a bit convoluted, but that's the situation.
After dark, Li Yunlong led a new group to continue on the road, heading south along the Tongpu Highway.
Early the next morning, a new regiment of scout cavalry arrived near the Xinzhou Basin and exchanged fire with the Japanese scouts.
Immediately, Li Yunlong sent a cavalry battalion and a sharp sword squadron to drive away the Japanese scouts and found the location of the Japanese 39th Regiment.
Many trenches were dug at the 39th Regiment's position, as if waiting for the arrival of a new regiment.
However, Li Yunlong and the New Regiment knew that the Japanese 39th Regiment was waiting for the arrival of the New Regiment.
The information provided by Boss Chen was as detailed as ever. The information not only included the numbers of the Japanese troops participating in the fishing plan, but also the locations of the Japanese bait and ambush troops. The information was very detailed.
"Captain, the Sword Squadron has discovered the position of the 39th Wing."
Chief of Staff Wang Dehou reported to Li Yunlong: "According to the information provided by Boss Chen, this 39th Regiment belongs to the 8th Brigade of the 10th Division and is the elite among the elite."
At this time, the Sharp Sword Squadron conveyed the shooting instructions of the Japanese 39th Regiment to the heavy artillery battalion.
The heavy artillery battalion also reported to the regiment headquarters that it was ready to fire at any time.
Li Yunlong looked sternly: "Give me the order to fire on me. The best of the damn elite. The heavy artillery of labor and capital will hit the best of the elite."
