Xiaodian Town Defense Line.
Looking at the more than 2,800 Locust Army soldiers running back sparsely in front of them.
Masao Miyazaki, deputy chief of staff of the First Army, Kaoru Motosen, commander of the 14th Brigade, and Taro Nakayaga, commander of the 18th Brigade, were completely stunned.
The faces of these soldiers were pitch black, they had no fighting spirit, and they looked depressed.
The spirit of Bushido was hit by the ferocious bombardment and completely and ruthlessly crushed.
At the same time, the commander of the 3rd Puppet Division and his two brigade commanders were completely dumbfounded when they saw the dozen soldiers in front of them.
There are more than 6,000 troops in a division, but only a dozen soldiers returned. Where are the rest?
It took a while for the commander of the 3rd Puppet Division to accept the fact that he had become a bare division commander.
As for several Japanese major generals, they could not recover from their defeat for a long time.
This was the most frustrating battle between the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade.
The Eighth Route Army directly used more than 600 artillery pieces and more than 200,000 artillery shells to bombard the Japanese Taigu defense line and defeated the 14th and 18th Brigades.
The Eighth Route Army did not lose much troops at all.
It was very frustrating, but there was nothing I could do about it.
The 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade even used chemical bombs, but the Eighth Route Army soldiers had a gas mask, and even the army horses wore gas masks.
Can't beat it, can't beat it at all.
Especially Yuanquan Xin and Nakayaga Taro, their faces were as dark as the bottom of a pot.
Before the war, the two brigades combined had more than 10,000 elites.
But in less than a day, most of the more than 10,000 elites were bombarded to death on the Taigu defense line.
When retreating, the Eighth Route Army adopted Xu Jin's barrage tactics, which directly caused the formations of the Locust Army and the Locust Alliance soldiers to collapse and fall apart.
Especially the Locust Alliance Army, even its organizational structure was destroyed.
This is the difference between an elite force and a ragtag army.
The Japanese army is an elite force. Although those Japanese soldiers also collapsed in formation during the shelling, most of the surviving Japanese soldiers were able to reach the assembly point.
The surviving puppet soldiers had already fled.
The Eighth Route Army is so powerful, why should they stay and wait for death?
The same goes for most of the national army. With such a degree of retreat, the organization will be disbanded.
To put it mildly, it is called retreat or turn in; at worst, it is called escape.
Therefore, when the national army is surrounded by the enemy, it usually either surrenders or concentrates its forces to rush out without daring to break out.
It is easy to disperse, but it is difficult to gather the troops together.
The Red Army and the Eighth Route Army adopted the tactics of dispersion and breakout because the soldiers were elite and had strong organizational and cohesive force.
Seeing less than a regiment of Japanese soldiers in front of them, Motosen Xin and Nakayaga Taro were shattered.
Basically all the heavy weapons and baggage in the hands of these Japanese soldiers were discarded.
Without heavy weapons and baggage, morale has dropped to its lowest point. How much combat effectiveness does the army have left?
Miyazaki Masao comforted him: "Fortunately, the advance is fast. The Eighth Route Army has received a large amount of airdrop supplies. If the advance is slow, all the soldiers will not be able to come back."
However, the expressions of Motosen Xin and Nakayō Taro did not improve at all because of Miyazaki Masao's comfort.
The ones who were killed and wounded were not your soldiers?
Seeing the expressions on Motosen Kaoru and Nakayō Taro's faces, Miyazaki Masao didn't want to be too hot-tempered, so he turned around and walked towards the phone.
Then he called the office of the commander of the First Army.
…
"It's a pity that if we have a cavalry brigade in our hands, none of the Japanese from the 14th and 18th Brigades will be able to escape!"
In the division headquarters of the 129th Division, the chief of staff stared at the map on the table and said in a rather pityful tone.
Behind the Japanese Taigu defense line is the Fenhe Plain. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a flat plain.
The Japanese's 1st Cavalry Brigade usually operates in the Fenhe Plain. It is the second line of defense used by the Japanese army to block the Eighth Route Army's northward march.
However, according to reliable information, the 1st Cavalry Brigade has withdrawn from the Fenhe Plain and went north to reinforce the 1st Division.
Therefore, the current Fenhe Plain is very empty and is quite suitable for the use of cavalry and mechanized troops.
The 129th Division has a cavalry regiment, but it has been active in southern Hebei. For this battle, the division commander did not transfer the cavalry regiment.
Because of the huge gap in strength with the Japanese 1st Cavalry Brigade, the Cavalry Regiment was no match for the Japanese 1st Cavalry Brigade.
After all, Li Yunlong was not a god, so he could not have expected that the enemy would transfer the 1st Cavalry Brigade.
Compared with the equipment of the Japanese army, the troops of the 129th Division are well equipped, but they are not mechanized troops.
The division commander was very open-minded: "Each unit reported that the Japanese and puppet troops abandoned a large amount of baggage and heavy weapons when they fled. Even if the 14th and 18th Brigades were not completely wiped out, it would not be much different. .”
"The 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade have been completely defeated by us."
The reason why the commander of the First Army, Yoshio Iwamatsu, sent the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade to defend the Taigu Defense Line.
I also didn't expect that the Eighth Route Army would have so many artillery and artillery shells, and even large-scale airdrops of supplies.
If Yoshio Iwamatsu knew about these situations, he would never send the main force of the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade to defend the Taigu defense line.
To fight this way is to use the lives of soldiers to feed the Eighth Route Army's artillery shells.
After a pause, the division commander smiled broadly: "The artillery firepower is sufficient and the logistics supplies are sufficient. It feels comfortable to fight."
The division commander, who felt the powerful firepower of the Eighth Route Army for the first time, was in a happy mood.
The future marshal of the People's Republic of China, the division commander known as the God of Military, felt for the first time what a battle of wealth was.
It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality. Teachers are not exempt from the vulgarity.
The teacher already likes this feeling.
The division commander secretly lamented that with powerful firepower, sufficient logistics supplies, first-class soldiers, and his own tactical command capabilities, it would be difficult not to win the battle.
The chief of staff and other combat staff on the side couldn't help but raise the corners of their mouths when they heard this.
I have to say that the feeling of completely crushing the Japanese army with this kind of firepower is really refreshing.
The Chief of Staff reported: "Division Commander, according to the reports from each unit, the number of artillery shells that Boss Chen airdropped to us this time is two base numbers."
"Two base numbers?" The division commander was slightly startled, "That means more than 120,000 rounds of artillery shells?"
"Yes." the chief of staff replied, "Boss Chen left a message note, and more than 20,000 rounds of artillery shells were given free of charge by Boss Chen."
After the Japanese 14th Brigade and 18th Brigade were defeated.
Another large number of large transport aircraft came and airdropped once, and then all the two bases of artillery shells were transported.
"As expected of Boss Chen, he is generous with his actions!" The teacher pushed up his glasses, his expression was extremely satisfied, and his tone was filled with emotion.
Although these 120,000 rounds of artillery shells are equivalent to a free gift from Boss Chen, and they are delivered to your door.
However, Li Yunlong only applied for a fighter airdrop supply quota of 100,000 rounds of artillery shells for the left attack group, and Boss Chen gave more than 20,000 rounds of artillery shells.
Boss Chen is sending a signal to the Eighth Route Army: I have a lot of artillery shells. You can use them as you like. If there are not enough, continue to air drop them.
The chief of staff said: "This boss Chen is extremely rich and generous. This guy Li Yunlong has really found a treasure."
After a pause, the chief of staff asked again: "Commander, shall we continue the attack?"
"Of course we have to continue the attack!"
The division commander stared at the map and then said harshly:
"If the Japanese's 1st Cavalry Brigade is guarding the Fenhe Plain, I will have to think about it."
"The 1st Brigade of the Japanese Cavalry is not in the Fenhe Plain, so what are we afraid of?"
"Pass my order, all the troops will continue to go north. Let's go and meet the permanent fortification defense line built by that old devil Yoshio Iwamatsu."
Although the troops of the 1st Cavalry Brigade in Taiyuan only have more than 3,000 cavalry.
However, these more than 3,000 cavalry still pose a relatively large threat to the infantry on plain terrain.
Although the equipment of the 129th Division is now better, we cannot be careless.
The fortifications from Xiaodian Town further north to Taiyuan City were built by the Japanese relying on thickened reinforced concrete bunkers and gun towers.
This permanent fortification of thickened reinforced concrete bunkers and gun towers is said to be able to withstand bombardment from 150mm howitzers.
In this battle, the division commander brought a 150mm howitzer battalion with a total of 8 150mm howitzers.
In the previous shelling, the 150mm howitzer did not fire at the Japanese.
The headquarters is now extremely wealthy, with a directly affiliated 150mm howitzer regiment and a 203mm heavy howitzer regiment, both of which have now developed combat effectiveness.
These two artillery regiments are strategic-level units of the Eighth Route Army, so they were not used in this battle.
However, next time we really attack Taiyuan, these two artillery regiments will definitely be used.
After a pause, the teacher snorted again: "Let's go scare that old devil Yoshio Iwamatsu!"
At present, the Japanese troops in Taiyuan are not large, and the 14th Brigade and the 18th Brigade have been defeated.
There are only the 41st Division and the regiment directly under the First Army, as well as some garrison units.
The 33rd Division and the 37th Division are even more precarious. The 1st Cavalry Brigade is not in Taiyuan, so the division commander naturally dares to march straight in.
If the left attack group just withdraws like this, wouldn't it be an apology for Boss Chen's kindness?
"yes!"
the chief of staff shouted back.
As the order from the division headquarters was issued, the main force of the 60,000-strong Eighth Route Army surged into the Fenhe Plain and headed towards Taiyuan.
…
"Nani?"
"After the main force of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army occupied the Taigu defense line, is it continuing to march towards Taiyuan?"
Taiyuan.
In the operations hall of the First Army Headquarters, after listening to a report from a combat staff officer, the commander of the First Army, Yoshio Iwamatsu, was almost scared to death.
Is the Eighth Route Army going to attack Taiyuan?
Although, Iwamatsu Yoshio ordered the construction of a large number of permanent defense fortifications around Taiyuan City.
But Yoshio Iwamatsu also knew very well that the Eighth Route Army must have obtained relevant information about the Yongbei fortifications long ago.
Since the Eighth Route Army dared to attack Taiyuan, it showed that they had a certain degree of confidence.
According to the rules of the Eighth Route Army, every once in a while, a powerful weapon will appear in the hands of the Eighth Route Army.
Thinking of this, Iwamatsu Yoshio became more and more panicked.
Iwamatsu Yoshio paced back and forth in the operations hall, then looked at Hanatani Masaru and said urgently: "Kanatani-kun, immediately report this situation to the North China Front Headquarters and request emergency tactical guidance from General Okamura Neiji."
"Hi!"
Hua Guzheng suddenly paused.
(End of chapter)
