For the Jinsui Army, the current war situation is not optimistic. With the collapse of the carefully planned Datong Battle, the fall of Laiyuan, Guangling and Lingqiu county towns is a foregone conclusion. The areas outside the Inner Great Wall have basically fallen into the hands of the Japanese army, and the defense task is heavy. Instantly pressed against the inner Great Wall defense line composed of Yanmen Pass and Pingxing Pass.
There is a saying in later generations that if you want to conquer Shanxi, you must first capture Taiyuan; if you want to capture Taiyuan, you must first conquer Yanmen.
How to conquer Yanmen?
The answer is to go around from the Pingxing Pass on the east side to the back of Yanmen Pass, forming a pincer attack from the front and back.
However, a new question comes, why is it Pingxingguan?
The reason is very simple, the level of danger is important, and Pingxingguan is not as dangerous as Yanmen.
From the perspective of the Japanese army, the Yanmen natural barrier located on Gouzhu Mountain is by no means a deserved reputation. It is basically impossible to break through the Yanmen defense line with a frontal attack. The only way is to retreat and seize Pingxing Pass and threaten the side of Yanmen Pass. Disintegrate the entire inner Great Wall defense line.
Secondly, there is another reason to attack Pingxingguan, and that is the Weidai Highway. This road is a vital logistics supply line.
Yan Xishan also understood this and ordered the defenders of the Inner Great Wall defense line to step up the construction of fortifications. Information about the war situation became clearer. Now the key point in the Inner Great Wall defense battle is Pingxing Pass. If it can be defended, the Japanese army will be blocked in the Taiyuan Basin. Otherwise, they could not hold on and the whole line collapsed, so they could only retreat and move south.
From a geographical point of view, Pingxingguan is actually a very interesting mountain range. Hengshan Mountain in the north and Wutai Mountain in the south both run northeast-southwest. Only Pingxingling, where Pingxingguan is located, runs north-south between the two mountains, forming a natural barrier. .
The pass itself is condescending and is a classic place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack, but compared to the natural barrier of Yanmen, it is still insufficient.
For a time, Pingxingguan became the focus of confrontation between China and Japan.
The war was approaching, and both sides deployed their troops and generals, kicking off the defensive battle of the Inner Great Wall.
At the same time, a miscellaneous unit with the Northeast Army designation arrived in Taiyuan. After receiving 500,000 rounds of ammunition and 200 machine guns from Yan Xishan, they were rushing by car to the front line of Pingxingguan.
"It can be seen that the situation on the front line is indeed very urgent. Otherwise, Yan Laoxi, a thrifty landlord and rich man, would not have given us 500,000 bullets and 200 light and heavy machine guns, and also let us take a car." Sitting in a jeep on the highway The chief of staff inside looked at the retreating Taiyuan City through the rearview mirror and joked softly.
"It is reported that the Japanese army has increased its troops and its total strength has exceeded 100,000. On the left is Hideki Tojo and on the right is Seishiro Itagaki. Of course Yan Laoxi is under great pressure, but even so, he is still very wary of us. "The middle-aged man sitting in the back row smiled and said in a calm and powerful voice: "No matter what Yan Laoxi thinks, we must achieve results in this battle."
"After the team was equipped with formal rifles and Type 37 mortars, the combat effectiveness has been greatly improved. This time there are 200 light and heavy machine guns and 500,000 rounds of ammunition. I believe we can compete with the Japanese invaders." The chief of staff nodded, his words firm.
As the first main force to complete reorganization, most of the weapons and ammunition produced by the Military Industry Bureau were given priority to the 115th Division, which raised the army's weapons and equipment to a higher level and reached the mainstream level.
The 115th Division has an average of 700 formal rifles and equipment, and a qualitative leap in heavy firepower. Counting old and new mortars, the average number of mortars per regiment is as high as 8.
What is the concept of 8 doors?
Heavy firepower is increased fourfold.
Although such firepower configuration and weapons and equipment are still inferior to the Japanese army, they are much better than before.
"I want to see if the Japanese army is really invincible."
…
The defense line of the Inner Great Wall was strengthened and the Japanese troops moved south in two directions. The Fifth Division of the Right Army occupied Hunyuan, Guangling and Laiyuan one after another, and the Chahar Mongolian Army on the left captured Huairen, Shanyin and Yingxian. Forming a tendency to encircle the inner Great Wall defense line from left to right.
On September 21, Yu County, the headquarters of the Fifth Division was established here.
"Takeshi Sakurada, Lingqiu County has been captured. How many days do you think we can capture Pingxingguan?" In the war room of the headquarters, Seishiro Itagaki stood in front of a high-precision war sand table, looking at him quietly with a pair of eyes full of traces of time. The Pingxingguan defense line located on the sand table said to Takeshi Sakurada, the division chief of staff beside him.
Taking Lingqiu County means that all the peripheral obstacles to Pingxingguan have been cleared.
Next, is a crucial battle.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, I think it only takes three days." Chief of Staff Sakurada Takeshi heard this and immediately answered without any hesitation.
Itagaki Seishiro was slightly surprised. He didn't expect Sakurada Takeshi to be so radical. He said with a smile: "Oh? Can you tell me why it only takes three days? You must know that this is a natural hazard where the Jinsui Army is heavily defended. Due to the dangerous terrain, most of our army's heavy Weapons and tanks cannot fight.”
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, the troops responsible for defending Pingxing Pass are the 84th Division and the 33rd Army. The 84th Division is affiliated with Gao Guici and is affiliated with the battle sequence of the Shaanxi Qin Army. It is a guest army. This unit has just participated in the Nankou Battle and has not yet been repaired and replenished. The strength of the troops is about 4,300, and their combat effectiveness is very poor. The defense area is Tuanchengkou. The 33rd Army is commanded by Zhang Chu and belongs to the battle sequence of the Shanxi-Sui Army. According to your judgment, the division commander, once a battle breaks out, the Shanxi-Sui Army is very likely to Sitting on the mountain and watching the fight between tigers and tigers, they refused to support the 84th Division, which was a guest army."
Chief of Staff Takeshi Sakurada, who was born in mainland China, had a calm face and a cool mind. He quickly explained the information about the enemy and ourselves, then picked up the baton and pointed directly at Pingxing Pass on the sand table; "This is the internal conflict of the opponent. From a geographical perspective, attacking Pingxing Pass is There are three routes in total, one is Weidai Highway, the second is Dongpaochi-Xipaochi, and the third is Tuanchengkou. Weidai Highway is a frontal battlefield with dangerous terrain, which is not conducive to the spread of our army's tank troops. The adjacent east-west movement The route of the pool is the same, but Tuanchengkou is different. The terrain here is relatively flat, which is conducive to the spread of attacks by chariot troops and heavy weapons."
"Very good, please continue." After listening to the analysis, Itagaki Seishiro gave a positive attitude.
"Based on the above situation, I made the following arrangements. First, arrange for three brigades and an artillery brigade to attack the front of Pingxingguan and Tuanchengkou in two ways, feint to attack the Pingxingguan position of the 33rd Army, and mainly attack the Tuanchengkou where the 84th Division is stationed. Second, seize the possibility that the Jinsui Army will not support friendly forces in the early stage, cooperate with the Army Aviation Forces in a fast attack, and break through the Pingxingguan defense line in one fell swoop." Takeshi Sakurada performed a combat deployment demonstration.
"Sakurada-kun, your combat plan is very good, but it is not perfect yet. A good general will not put his hope of victory on the enemy's intention not to support friendly forces. Also, if the 84th Division's defensive will is very tenacious, What? Three days is too little, don’t underestimate the Jinsui Army."
After listening to the entire combat plan, Itagaki Seishiro nodded with a smile. After giving his evaluation, he took the baton and pointed it at the north of the Pingxingguan defense line: "You see, this place is called Xihekou. My idea is to send an additional force from Hunyuan set out secretly, attacked Daying Town via Xihekou, and then detoured to the rear of Pingxing Pass. Do you still remember the Tamura Regiment that secretly detoured to attack Xuanhua?"
"Your Excellency, the division commander, is really powerful! Once this force gains a foothold in Daying Town, then the Pingxingguan garrison will be self-defeating and disintegrate in an instant." Looking at Daying Town on the sand table, Sakurada Takeshi's eyes widened. Eye.
Itagaki Seishiro smiled and said: "If the Jinsui Army allows us to stand firm in Daying Town, it is not impossible to break through Pingxing Pass in three days."
"Report, urgent call from the Special High School!"
At this moment, the Japanese military communications staff quickly entered the war room and handed over a top-secret message.
Itagaki Seishiro received this top-secret telegram. After seeing the contents of the telegram, a joyful light suddenly flashed across his eyes. Looking at Daying Town on the sand table, he couldn't help but sigh: "Sakurada-kun, even the God of China is helping us. , the headquarters of the Sixth Army of the Jinsui Army is in Daying Town."
It was confirmed by the Special High School that Yang Aiyuan's Sixth Army headquarters was established in Daying Town.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, please give the order!" Upon hearing these words, Takeshi Sakurada was stunned for a second, then immediately stepped back, lowered his head and bowed, his eyes full of fanaticism.
By defeating Pingxing Pass, one can enter the Taiyuan Basin, and by capturing Xinkou, one can occupy Taiyuan. By capturing Taiyuan, the Fifth Division can attack Sichuan from Shanxi southward, achieving a perfect replica of Mongolia's route to destroying the Southern Song Dynasty.
Endless glory begins here!
"Order, Miura Toshiji immediately leads the remaining three brigades and the artillery brigade to approach Pingxingguan and conduct frontal combat. The Sufan Regiment sets out from Hunyuan and goes south via Xihekou to attack Daying Town. Sakurada Takeshi, please contact Lu Hang Troops, I want the Sufan Regiment to dispatch bombers for coordinated operations at the same time as they arrive at Daying Town, capture Pingxing Pass in one fell swoop, and destroy the Sixth Army Headquarters of the Shanxi-Sui Army."
"Hi!"
Combat orders were issued one after another, and the Fifth Division, which had taken a short rest to regain its strength, showed its ferocious face again and began a new round of attack.
…
In the autumn of September, the sky was overcast with clouds, and the clouds of war shrouded the land of northern Shanxi. The sound of gunfire and explosions became the main theme between heaven and earth, resounding over Pingxingguan.
"Boom!" As the sound of propellers tearing the air in the sky gradually faded away, a fifty-kilogram aerial bomb hit the main position of Pingxingguan. The TNT explosive loaded inside was activated and ignited, releasing a huge amount of energy in a short time, and then passed through The explosion explodes in all directions.
Shock waves containing high amounts of energy spread in all directions, flames shot into the sky, and countless irregular metal fragments flew at high speed, destroying any object or... human body that stood in the way.
(End of chapter)
