Traveling through 1937, starting from the Battle of Songhu

Chapter 323 The Arrogant Devil Brigade Commander

Huangtuling, as the Japanese entered the canyon, gunfire rang out within a few kilometers.

The 1st and 25th Regiments attacked head-on, while the 2nd and 3rd Regiments launched a joint attack from the west, south and north, and the encirclement was completely formed.

Da da da!

The dense machine gun fire caused many of the Japanese and puppet soldiers to fall down as soon as they came into contact.

Then various Hanyang rifles, Zhongzheng rifles, and the Japanese's Type 38 rifles were heard one after another.

In the valley about one hundred meters wide, the Japanese and puppet troops who were suddenly attacked were looking for shooting positions to exchange fire with the Eighth Route Army soldiers.

The Eighth Route Army had a wide variety of guns, especially the soldiers of the 25th Regiment. Many of them were holding old guns with the rifling worn out, some even had old rifles like the water-jet rifle.

Although their guns were inferior, their morale was not inferior. The 2500 soldiers of the th Regiment advanced one after another. When the people in front fell, the people behind took their place.

Relying on this spirit of fearlessness of sacrifice, the Japanese were nailed to the spot and unable to break through.

In the independent courtyard between Huangtuling and Shangzhuangzi, the Japanese brigade commander Abe Nobuhide sat down calmly. He was not at all worried about his subordinates being besieged.

In a head-on battle, there were more than 7000 Imperial Army and Imperial Auxiliary Army. It would be a dream for the other side to defeat them.

The result is obvious. The Eighth Route Army will definitely lose a few teeth of its own, without any surprise.

Therefore, Abe Nobuhide was happy to watch the show at the temporary command center and command the front-line troops in battle.

As an expert in mountain warfare theory research, Abe Nobuhide, who had just been promoted to lieutenant general, needed military merit and urgently needed to use it to gain a foothold in the military.

Although he had just been annihilated by the Eighth Route Army, he was extremely arrogant and did not take the Eighth Route Army seriously. Even before setting off in the morning,

He wrote in a letter home: "When we are fighting, it is the most leisurely and interesting. China has gradually weakened. If we make another effort, it will surrender."

The content of the letter was still condescending and did not take the Eighth Route Army seriously at all.

However, with 7000 troops under his command, Abe Nobuhide did have the capital to be arrogant. Under the fierce siege of various regiments on the front line, the Japanese remained unmoved and were very difficult to deal with.

On the battlefield, soldiers of the Japanese and puppet troops continued to fall, but even more soldiers from each regiment fell. If this continued, the 115th Division would definitely not be able to fight for long.

"What the hell is the artillery regiment doing? Quickly notify them to shoot down that bastard Japs!"

Chen Zhengrong's eyes were red at this time. Seeing the machine gunners on his side being killed by the Japanese one after another, he couldn't help but sob with heartache.

Their position was on the left side of the first line in front, connected to the 25th Regiment.

With the help of their iron turtles, the Japanese soldiers felt very comfortable when fighting against the Eighth Route Army grenadiers and machine gunners.

The two sides had only been fighting for more than an hour, but Chen Zhengrong's regiment had lost more than ten machine guns and more than twenty grenade launchers.

If the fighting continued, his regiment's heavy weapons would almost be exhausted, and Chen Zhengrong couldn't help but feel anxious.

A few kilometers away, at the artillery position of the 115th Division, the two German heavy artillery pieces did not fire at this time.

Even in response to Chen Zhengrong's request for help, the commander of the artillery regiment only ordered the mortar and infantry guns to fire, and the two heavy artillery pieces were hidden at this time.

Of course, this was also the order of Commander Yang. There were not many shells for the two heavy artillery pieces. If they were to produce more, they would be used up in a short time.

Commander Yang didn't want to find himself in a critical moment with heavy artillery but no shells.

"Prepare for three rounds of rapid fire!" the artillery battalion commander gave the order.

Boom boom boom!

With the order from the commander of the artillery regiment, more than twenty mortar infantry guns roared and the shells whistled towards the Japanese in the canyon.

One shell after another fell into the group of Japanese and puppet troops, and the explosion caused instantly blew away many of them.

The firing rates of mortars and infantry guns are not slow, and one round will be followed by another after one round is finished.

After the Laiyuan Campaign and the complete annihilation of nearly 115 Japanese and puppet troops, the 3000th Division still had a good supply of artillery ammunition.

Even without using heavy artillery, the artillery regiment was able to temporarily suppress the Japanese offensive.

"Bagayalu, fight back, quickly, destroy the enemy artillery position."

Since the regiment commander Kenkichi Tsujimura was killed by the Eighth Route Army, the Japanese officer leading the team was replaced by the battalion commander Colonel Tadaharu Midorikawa.

Tadaharu Midorikawa is almost the same as Norihide Abe, and they have similar personalities. They also look down on the Eighth Route Army soldiers in front of them.

Although this would be suppressed for a short time, with his current strength, breaking through the blockade in front would only cost him a small price.

Now he doesn't want to evacuate so quickly. The brigade commander is watching from behind, and this is his time to show his ability.

Boom boom boom!

The prepared Japanese artillery launched a counterattack on the artillery positions of the 115th Division. Fortunately, the artillery of the 115th Division reacted quickly.

After three rounds of fighting, they immediately chose to move their position, so the Japanese counterattack this time was of no use.

Inside the Eighth Route Army's temporary command post, Division Commander Yang paced back and forth anxiously.

The situation has now reached a stalemate. The Japanese don't want to break through, and they don't want to let the Japanese go. Both sides are angry at this time.

The Eighth Route Army has more soldiers and the Japanese have stronger firepower. Now both sides are competing in endurance.

"Report to the division commander, news has come from the front that the Japanese are determined to give us a good fight at Huangtuling, and the casualties among the regiments are not small."

Li's words left Division Commander Yang silent. After a long pause, he spoke again, "Hold on for a few more hours, and then notify the other regiments to evacuate at night."

It was almost four o'clock. Winter nights come early, so about two hours was enough.

Staff Officer Li nodded and said, "I'll go notify the regiments."

In fact, the tenacity of the Japanese was beyond their expectations. They were ambushing and the Japanese were the targets of the ambush. Even Commander Yang was feeling quite uncomfortable after the fighting.

Of course, it was not a half-cooked meal. Judging from the battle reports from the front, the Japanese and puppet troops suffered heavy casualties.

On the battlefield, after Chen Zhengrong handed over the command to the commanders of each battalion, he began to check the surrounding area.

He had to find an opportunity, otherwise if he just held on for two hours, there would definitely be heavy casualties. He didn't want the team he had worked so hard to assemble to be crippled by the Japanese.

Chen Zhengrong, holding a telescope, went up the mountain to observe under the escort of guards.

At 4:30, Chen Zhengrong, who had been observing for more than 20 minutes, suddenly smiled and pointed in the direction of Shangzhuangzi. He said, "Dapeng, notify our regimental artillery company to go up the mountain quickly."

He had just discovered through the telescope that there were many traces of Japanese activities near the independent courtyards of Huangtuling and Shangzhuangzi.

So he was ready to take a gamble. If it was the Japanese command center, then there would be hope, and there would even be a chance to wipe out all the Japanese and puppet troops in the canyon.

You know, if the Japanese commander was killed, there would definitely be a lot of chaos among the Japanese on the front line, and then this opportunity would come.