This time Li Yunlong's strategy was quite clever.
Not to mention Kazuki Yamamoto, even the commander of the North China Front, Okamura Neiji, did not guess Li Yunlong's true strategic goal.
Beiping.
North China Front Army Headquarters.
"Nani?"
"The three main forces of the Eighth Route Army heading north all launched a large-scale attack on the First Army?"
In the operations hall, after listening to the report from Communications Staff Officer Kiya Haruo, Okamura Neji suddenly stood up from his chair.
The tone and eyes of the commander of the North China Front were full of surprise and surprise.
Surprise at the contents of the telegram.
I thought that the Eighth Route Army going north was just covering and assisting, but I didn't expect that the Eighth Route Army actually came for real.
Obviously, the commander of the First Army, Yoshio Iwamatsu, was at a loss when faced with this situation. As soon as Li Yunlong made a move, Yoshio Iwamatsu couldn't even take the move.
Therefore, Yoshio Iwamatsu sent a telegram to Neji Okamura, requesting urgent tactical guidance.
This is not to blame Iwamatsu Yoshio, even General Okamura Neji, known as the master tactician, found this situation extremely difficult.
What on earth is the Eighth Route Army going to do?
Do you want to annihilate the 1st Division, the 33rd Division, or the 37th Division, as well as the Locust Army stationed in Taiyuan?
Okamura Neji frowned, and the entire battle situation suddenly became a little confusing.
"Hi!"
Haruo Kitani put the telegram in his hand on the table and repeated the content of the telegram: "The 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade suffered particularly heavy losses. The Eighth Route Army concentrated nearly 600 artillery pieces and bombarded the Taigu defense line. The 33rd Division and the 37th Division were also under heavy shelling, Lieutenant General Yoshio Iwamatsu requested urgent tactical guidance!"
After receiving the telegram and reading it, Okamura Neji frowned deeply: "So, the three main forces of the Eighth Route Army heading north carry more than 1,400 artillery pieces?"
140,000 troops carry 1,400 artillery pieces. On average, 10,000 troops are equipped with 100 artillery pieces.
With this density of artillery fire, even the elite troops of the Japanese army were outclassed by several blocks.
According to intelligence, Okamura Neiji knew that the arsenal of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army in southeastern Shanxi had produced a lot of weapons and ammunition in the past two years.
Especially in terms of artillery firepower, the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army has been greatly strengthened.
But Okamura Neji never thought that in just over a year, the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army would become so rich!
if.
The Eighth Route Army has sufficient ammunition and complete logistical supplies. Not to mention the First Army in Shanxi, the entire North China Front Army will face a serious threat from the Eighth Route Army.
No one answered Okamura Neji's words, because the answer was already ready to come out.
The Eighth Route Army attacking the Taigu Defense Line consisted of approximately 60,000 people and was equipped with 600 artillery pieces.
Then the Eighth Route Army attacking Shouyang and Yangquan each had 40,000 soldiers, and the total number of artillery they were equipped with should be about 800.
This made Okamura Neji feel unprecedented pressure on his shoulders.
After a pause, Okamura Neji glanced at Tanabe Moritake and Arisu Seizo with cold eyes: "Tanabe-kun, Arisu-kun, what do you think?"
"Your Excellency, General."
As Chief of Staff, Moritake Tanabe was the first to say: "The current situation can be said to be obvious. This is a large-scale exploratory operation conducted by the Eighth Route Army against the First Army in Shanxi."
"Large-scale exploratory combat operation?" Okamura Neji's expression changed.
"Yes!" Tanabe Moritake nodded, "Of course, it can also be called a spring counterattack plan."
"The strategic goal of the Eighth Route Army is to eliminate the effective forces of the locust army."
"Next, I'm afraid there are plans for counteroffensive operations in summer, autumn and winter."
"All in all, the Eighth Route Army is likely to continue to launch large-scale counteroffensive operations like this until their officers and soldiers adapt to large-corps operations."
"Then…"
Okamura Neji nodded.
Although Tanabe Moritake didn't finish speaking, Okamura Neji knew it very well.
Once the Eighth Route Army really gets used to fighting in large formations, it will engage in a decisive battle with the North China Front Army.
Moreover, the strength of the Eighth Route Army at that time must have far exceeded that of the North China Front Army.
Seeing Neji Okamura nod, Arimo Seiko said: "I agree with the analysis of the Chief of Staff. The soldiers of the Eighth Route Army have been engaged in guerrilla warfare with the Locust Army for a long time. The guerrilla habits are very serious. It is difficult to complete the transformation from guerrilla warfare to a large army in a short period of time." The battle has changed. The Eighth Route Army only relied on artillery to suppress the Locust Army. In terms of the quality of real soldiers, the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army are still far behind the soldiers of the Locust Army."
Okamura Neji turned his head and suddenly his eyes narrowed.
Tanabe Moritake and Arisu Seizo looked at Okamura Neji, only to see his eyes staring closely at Shanxi Bei, with a look of doubt on his face.
"Your Excellency, General." Youmo Seizan asked, "Is there any new discovery?"
Okamura Neji narrowed his eyes: "I was wondering, where are the New Second Regiment and the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army?"
Before the last time the Japanese army assembled heavy troops to sweep away the New Regiment, the New Second Regiment and the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army were unknown.
But after the last battle, the Eighth Route Army's New Second Regiment and the Independent Regiment blocked the attack of four second-line divisions with only two regiments.
Okamura Neiji was deeply impressed by the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment of the Eighth Route Army.
The rewards for the heads of Kong Jie and Ding Wei at the North China Front Army Headquarters and the First Army Headquarters have also been increased to 150,000 yuan.
Tanabe Moritake looked thoughtful: "The Eighth Route Army attacking the 1st Division only has more than 30,000 and nearly 40,000 people. It should undoubtedly be the main force of the new Eighth Route Army regiment."
"Based on the last ambush of the 1st Division, the total strength of the Eighth Route Army in northwest Shanxi."
"The total main force of the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment is at least 15,000. According to the expansion rate of the Northwestern Eighth Route Army, the total main force of the Independent Regiment and the New Second Regiment should be around 20,000."
"Currently, we have indeed received no information on the whereabouts of the Eighth Route Army's Independent Regiment and New Second Regiment."
When Tanabe Moritake said this, Youmo Jingsan suddenly felt something in his heart: "I remember a few months ago, Li Yunlong led his troops to ambush the mobile detachment of the 37th Division by taking a detour along Wutai Mountain, Beitahang and other places..."
Okamura Neiji said solemnly: "If the forces of the Eighth Route Army's New Second Regiment and the Independent Regiment have detoured southward at this time, and the target is the 33rd Division or the 37th Division, the 33rd Division or the 37th Division will definitely We will be trapped in a situation where we are surrounded from the north and the south.”
Okamura Neji also thought of a worse situation.
The Eighth Route Army wanted to eat the 33rd Division or the 37th Division.
As for why it is not Taiyuan, it is because Taiyuan is difficult to defeat. Even if a new regiment of the Eighth Route Army goes south to attack Taiyuan, it will not be able to defeat it in a short time.
After staring at the map for a while, Okamura Neiji spoke urgently: "Tanabe-kun, immediately bypass the First Army Headquarters and order the 33rd and 37th Divisions to immediately abandon Shouyang and Yangquan and turn towards Taiyuan. Enter."
"Hi!"
Tanabe Shengwu suddenly lowered his head.
…
Since the war started, the North China Front Army Headquarters has guessed the strategic goals of the Eighth Route Army.
But it's too late.
Li Yunlong led the 1st, 2nd and 3rd combined battalions of the new regiment, as well as the 1st cavalry battalion, and had already arrived at Yangquan City.
The defense focus of the 37th Division is almost entirely in the south, with only a few checkpoints, gun towers and bunkers set up in the north.
With the current combat effectiveness of the new regiment, it is almost effortless to capture the checkpoints, gun towers and bunkers of these Japanese and puppet troops.
Next to a turret destroyed by a bazooka rocket launcher, Li Yunlong stood with his hands behind his hands and looked at the telegraph soldier Chen Baoshan: "Pass my order. Before the enemy can react, the 1st Cavalry Battalion is dispatched to quickly block the four gates of Yangquan! "
At this time, the forward troops of the new regiment were only 3 kilometers away from Yangquan.
The sound of the bazooka destroying the Japanese gun towers here will definitely be heard by the Japanese in Yangquan City.
It's just that the Japanese in the bunkers and artillery towers didn't know how many people from the Eighth Route Army came.
The Japanese will definitely not be able to figure out the true and false status of the Eighth Route Army in a short period of time.
Because of the dim moonlight, the new regiment marched without lighting torches.
As Li Yunlong's order was issued, more than 700 cavalrymen of the 1st Cavalry Battalion lit torches one after another, and then, led by Cao Jiang, the commander of the 1st Cavalry Battalion, rumbled towards Yangquan City.
Li Yunlong stared and continued to order: "The 1st Synthetic Battalion will immediately follow the 1st Cavalry Battalion and reinforce the 1st Cavalry Battalion to surround Yangquan City."
"Combined the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, bypassed Yangquan City, and went straight to the three lines of defense of the 37th Division."
"In a word, all the troops will complete the encirclement of the son of a bitch 37th Division in the shortest possible time according to the combat plan!"
"Yes!" Chen Baoshan quickly ordered with a walkie-talkie.
As the order from the regiment headquarters was issued, not only the cavalry of the new regiment started running at full speed, but also the infantry of the new regiment.
He ran towards Yangquan at an extremely fast speed.
"Look, Lao Li, there's a fight over in Yangquan."
Not long after, the sound of artillery boomed from the direction of Yangquan City. Zhao Gang pointed in the direction of Yangquan and said.
Li Yunlong raised the telescope and looked at it, listened carefully for a while, and said in a happy tone: "Haha, God help me, this means that the headquarters of the 37th Division is still in Yangquan City."
Judging from the sound of gunfire, those fighting with the 1st Cavalry Battalion were definitely the main force of the 37th Division.
The commander of the 37th Division, Adachi Twenty-san, had just received a telegram from the commander of the North China Front, Okamura Neiji.
Order Anda 23 to immediately abandon Yangquan and lead the main force of the 37th Division to turn towards Taiyuan.
However, as soon as the forward troops of the 37th Division left the West City Gate and were about to go to the station to take the train back to Taiyuan, they collided with the 1st Battalion of the New Regiment Cavalry on the spot.
The 1st Cavalry Battalion used superior firepower to temporarily push the Japanese back into the city.
Subsequently, the Japanese assembled a brigade of troops and left the city from the west gate to counterattack the Eighth Route Army cavalry, and the battle became intense.
But soon, the 1st synthetic battalion of the new regiment, led by Zhang Dabiao, arrived quickly.
A dense rain of shells hit the Japs, leaving more than 300 corpses behind, before the Japs were beaten back into Yangquan City.
…
at the same time.
The 4th, 5th and 6th combined battalions of the new regiment, as well as the 2nd Cavalry Battalion, suddenly appeared in Shouyang County.
Under the command of deputy commander Xing Zhiguo, more than 10,000 people from the 4th and 5th Combined Battalions surrounded the Japanese of the 33rd Division outside the city.
The 6th Combined Battalion and the 2nd Cavalry Battalion quickly surrounded Shouyang County.
The division headquarters of the 33rd Division is still in the city. Now even the 33rd Division can't escape if it wants to! (End of chapter)
