kingnovel Chapter 471: Taking over the main position of Kunlun Pass
Chapter 471: Taking over the main position of Kunlun Pass
However, the attack of the First Honor Division at night was not very smooth. The Japanese army took advantage of the terrain advantage of Kunlun Pass and had already built relatively complete defensive fortifications. The Japanese army, which was in a dominant position, successfully suppressed the attack forces of the First Honor Division with dense rain of bullets, and repeatedly defeated the attacks of the First Honor Division.
Seeing that the attack progress of the First Honor Division was very unsatisfactory, Commander Du of the Fifth Army ordered the army's artillery units to desperately fire all kinds of shells at the Japanese positions on Kunlun Pass where the firing parameters had been marked long ago.
For a moment, huge columns of dust rose from the ground on the Japanese positions on Kunlun Pass, and the entire position was almost turned over by various types of artillery shells like a plowed field. Then the First Honor Division launched an attack on the Japanese positions on Kunlun Pass. Then the firepower on the Japanese positions continued to suppress the offensive forces of the First Honor Division, and the artillery units of the Fifth Army continued to bombard the Japanese positions on Kunlun Pass, over and over again.
The attack of the First Honor Division was still progressing very slowly despite the support of artillery. The main position of the Japanese army on Kunlun Pass was built very solidly and cleverly. In addition, the Japanese officers and soldiers knew that the situation was very bad and they were in a desperate situation of fighting with their backs against the wall. This made the defense and resistance of the Japanese officers and soldiers extremely tenacious.
At the same time, the Japanese troops on Kunlun Pass already knew that they were surrounded by the Chinese army. If the Chinese army occupied too many main positions, they would have no way to survive. Therefore, the Japanese troops on Kunlun Pass began to launch fearless counterattacks against the attacking forces of the Fifth Army, which resulted in constant changes in control of many positions.
However, the strength of the Fifth Army's attacking force was still far greater than that of the Japanese army at Kunlun Pass. The two sides fought fiercely until seven o'clock in the morning on the 19th. After repelling the Japanese army's third crazy counterattack, the attacking force of the 200th Division took advantage of the situation to pursue the retreating Japanese army. This pursuit made the Japanese army unable to react and the 200th Division's troops tore a hole in the defense line of the main position.
The officers and soldiers of the 200th Division quickly rushed into the main defense line of the Japanese army through the torn gap, disrupting the defense line of the Japanese army. When the attacking troops of the First Honor Division saw the chaos in the main position of the Japanese army, they immediately launched a full-scale charge, dividing and surrounding the Japanese troops on the main position.
Seeing that their main position had been breached and they had no way to regain control of the main position on their own, the remaining Japanese troops retreated to several small hills in southern Guan to hold on and wait for help.
After a day and night of fierce fighting, the Fifth Army's attack force finally occupied the Japanese main position at Kunlun Pass when the sun rose. After receiving the news that the main position of Kunlun Pass had been occupied, Commander Du felt much more at ease.
Now, as long as the remaining Japanese troops in front of them are completely eliminated, Kunlun Pass will be completely recovered. Then he can free up his hands to cooperate with friendly forces to attack Nanning in the south, so as to successfully complete the combat plan for the counterattack in southern Guangxi assigned by Commander Bai.
Therefore, Commander Du ordered the attacking troops to rest and replenish, prepare for the final attack on the Japanese army's last defensive position, and completely eliminate the Japanese troops at Kunlun Pass within two days.
Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi, commander of the 5th Division and supreme commander of the Japanese Yongqin Corps in Qinzhou City, received a telegram requesting help from the Japanese troops at Kunlun Pass. He first reported the news that the Chinese army had launched a full-scale attack to Lieutenant General Ando Toshiyoshi, commander of the 21st Army.
Then, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi, commander of the 5th Division, ordered the 21st Regiment of the 21st Brigade, led by Colonel Miki Yoshinosuke, to immediately send reinforcements to Kunlun Pass. They were determined to defend Kunlun Pass and stop the Chinese army in front of Kunlun Pass.
At the same time, the right-wing flanking force of the Fifth Army, led by Qiu Fengzi, commander of the newly formed 22nd Division, had successfully detoured behind the Japanese troops at Kunlun Pass, occupied Wutang and Liutang, and prepared to block the Japanese reinforcements.
Colonel Miki Yoshinosuke, commander of the 21st Regiment of the Japanese Army, led his troops to advance rapidly towards Kunlun Pass. When the vanguard of the Japanese Army arrived at Wutang, they were stopped by the troops of the newly formed 22nd Division who had been waiting there for a long time.
Colonel Miki Yoshinosuke, the commander of the regiment, was very surprised that his troops were blocked. When did the Chinese army occupy Wutang? There was no news or intelligence before. Did the Chinese army fall from the sky?
However, the commander of the regiment, Colonel Miki Yoshinosuke, had no time to think about these trivial matters. He knew that Kunlun Pass was in imminent danger and he had to rush his troops to Kunlun Pass. If Kunlun Pass was occupied by the Chinese army, there would be no favorable defensive terrain between Kunlun Pass and Nanning.
The regiment commander, Colonel Miki Yoshinosuke, did not take the Chinese troops that appeared in Wutang too seriously. You know, in order to reinforce Kunlun Pass and hold it afterwards, the commander of the 5th Division, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi, allocated a large number of vehicles and artillery to his regiment. In front of their absolute superior firepower, the Chinese army's blocking line of defense was nothing to be afraid of.
Immediately, the regiment commander, Colonel Yoshinosuke Miki, ordered the artillery units to quickly set up artillery positions and the infantry units to prepare to attack the Chinese army's defense line in Wutang. He wanted to use the most intense artillery coverage and infantry attacks to achieve a rapid breakthrough.
In less than an hour, the attacking artillery of the 21st Regiment of the Japanese Army bombarded the defensive positions of the newly formed 22nd Division, followed by a fierce infantry attack charge. For a while, the sound of gunfire was deafening on the Wutang side.
The attack of the 21st Regiment of the Japanese Army was fierce, but the officers and soldiers of the newly formed 20th Division fought calmly and repelled three attacks in succession. The defense line on the Wutang side was still firmly blocked in front of the 21st Regiment of the Japanese Army. This made the commander of the 21st Regiment of the Japanese Army, Colonel Yoshinosuke Miki, who was full of confidence at the beginning, a little exasperated.
Just now, the commander of the 5th Division, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi, sent a telegram asking him where his troops had advanced to now, and told the regiment commander, Colonel Miki Yoshinosuke, a very bad news that the main position on Kunlun Pass had been occupied by the Chinese army. The division commander, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi, ordered him to take his troops to quickly retake the main position of Kunlun Pass. However, he was still unable to move in Wutang, which made the regiment commander, Colonel Miki Yoshinosuke, very anxious.