Rise from eight hundred.

Chapter 1462: East is not moving, West is moving (Part )

The heavily guarded Jiangxia City had been searched for nearly a month, and almost the entire city was dug three feet underground, but the culprit was still not found.

Even Yokoyama Isamu was in despair and could only report the results of the capture of two spies and the destruction of several Military Intelligence Bureau intelligence stations to the expeditionary army headquarters.

As for whether the expeditionary army headquarters believed that the few living "onions" were the murderers of Tanabe Moritake and Fujii Yoji, that was none of Yokoyama Isamu's business.

On the Chinese side, the 70th Army was implicated because the Major General of the 33rd Independent Brigade was involved in collaborating with the enemy. The army commander and the division commander were both transferred back to Shancheng to report on their work, and they did not return from Shancheng until two months later.

The 70th Army was also transferred from the Fifth War Zone and transferred to the First War Zone in September of that year.

However, the First War Zone did not receive any reinforcements, and the total strength of the troops dropped from 25 to 22.

Everything was normal for the Four-Line Group, as if the incident on June 6 had no impact on them. The only difference was that the Military Control Commission had more stringent surveillance over the area surrounding the Four-Line Group.

However, only a few people could see clearly that the surprise attack on Tang Dao on June 6, led and launched by the Japanese army, ultimately resulted in a four-way loss.

The Japanese lost more than 200 carefully trained elite soldiers and experts in the theory and practice of special operations, as well as two high-ranking generals. In addition, Jiangxia, a major city in central China, was in chaos for more than a month, causing many combat plans to be delayed or even terminated.

He was the player who suffered the most losses at this 'mahjong table' and almost lost even his pants.

In the mountain city, an infantry army of the Central Army was driven out of the Fifth War Zone, and the control over the Fifth War Zone was further weakened. General Li's control over the army belonging to the entire war zone was greatly strengthened, which was obviously not the result he wanted to see.

As for the Fifth War Zone, it actually did not gain any advantage. An elite infantry army was transferred away, but there was no new troop reinforcement. If the 11th Army focused on attacking western Hubei, the Fifth War Zone would probably have no choice but to retreat to the mountainous area and hold its ground.

And what about the Four Lines Group? In fact, they did not become the final winner.

From June to December 41, the Japanese army launched two offensive operations against the Fifth War Zone. However, the Sihang Regiment, an infantry regiment directly under the war zone headquarters, was always placed in the war zone reserve.

In other words, the Four-Line Regiment was left idle.

It was not until a long time later, when Tang Dao was about to lead his troops to leave the Fifth War Zone, and at a private banquet hosted by General Li to see Tang Dao off, that he revealed the real reason.

In mid-July 41, when General Li returned to Shancheng to attend a military meeting, the man personally talked to General Li.

Although it was not stated so clearly, the subtext was very simple. If the Fifth War Zone reused the Four-Line Regiment, the Little Zhuge of the Guangxi Clique would leave the position of deputy chief and serve as commander of the Tenth War Zone.

Although the deputy chief is only a deputy, he can make national strategic decisions and is one of the top people in the Military Commission.

The commander of the Tenth War Zone seems to be in charge of the defense of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces and has more than 200,000 troops under his command, but compared with the deputy chief, his power is not even a little bit less.

In order to maintain the status of the Guangxi clique, General Li had no choice but to submit and put the highly combat-effective Four-Line Regiment on the shelf.

Faced with this result, Tang Dao could only smile bitterly.

In fact, after finally finding the major general who had defected to the enemy and was hiding in the 70th Army, the four people at the headquarters of the Four-Line Regiment also had a dispute in the meeting on how to deal with the matter.

Ye Chenghuan and Zhuang Shisan felt that Tang Dao's bloody revenge was too radical, and if it went wrong the entire group would be doomed.

But Leng Feng stood firmly on Tang Dao's side. He believed that if they did not even avenge their brothers, they would be unworthy of being brothers. The cohesion within the Four Lines Group would be greatly reduced in the future, and it would be impossible for the Four Lines Group to maintain the combat effectiveness they once had.

It was still Tang Dao that had the final say.

What he considered was not only the unity within the Four-Line Group, but more the external pressure from the mountain city.

Tang Dao knew very well that blindly giving in would never bring peace to the situation, but would only allow the opponent to become more aggressive.

If he did not show his sharpest sword and set a bottom line for his opponents, they would test him frequently, and sooner or later they would use military orders to transfer him away from the Four-Line Regiment, further disintegrate the Four-Line Regiment, and finally send the completely disintegrated units of the Four-Line Regiment to the most dangerous battlefield.

Perhaps within a year or two, all these officers and soldiers who fought for the country will become part of that huge number of casualties.

Tang Dao had actually tried his best to restrain himself. He only chose to kill the businessman who was actually involved in the Japanese surprise attack and the Major General Commander of the 33rd Independent Brigade.

If it were not for the need to prevent the situation from escalating, at least two other senior generals of the 70th Army and all those on the Military Control Commission who knew about the incident but failed to report it would have been on the death list.

But that person finally made his choice!

"I have always had a question. If the Military Control Commission insisted on taking Leng Feng away that night, what would you do?" At the end of the banquet, Admiral Li suddenly asked.

"They can't take it away by themselves!" Tang Dao grinned slightly.

General Li was slightly stunned, took a deep breath and asked in a deep voice: "Why do you trust me so much?"

That day, after he received the news that the Major General Commander of the 33rd Independent Brigade was attacked and killed, and the Major General Inspector General of the Military Control Commission also came to inform him personally, he, who had experienced countless storms and waves, also felt that Tang Dao was going crazy.

Although the world is in a mess, many people resort to shady means to solve problems in private, but when things are put on the table, at least they pretend to abide by the rules.

Tang Dao acted just like a man in the martial arts world. If you kill my people, I must kill you back.

He could endure this for the sake of the Tang Dao and the Four-Line Regiment's fighting ability, but the man from Shancheng would never endure it.

General Li had even made the decision to abandon the Four-Line Regiment at that moment.

But Tang Dao sent him a telegram: "Please give me 2 hours!"

Thinking of the spirited young army colonel he had met in Xuzhou in the past, General Li pondered for a moment and finally called the theater chief of staff.

If not for anything else, just for the great military exploits that Tang Dao had made over the years, he gave them these two hours.

As a result, the situation changed 2 hours later, and the Military Control Commission actually received a telegram from Shancheng and withdrew.

  However, he could not understand. He and Tang Dao did not actually have a very deep friendship, and Tang Dao belonged to the Sichuan Army. He would never stand with the Guangxi Clique at the most critical moment, and there was no question of winning him over to his faction. Why was Tang Dao so sure that he could give him two hours?

"Although you are a politician, sir, you are not a pure politician. Deep down, you are a real Chinese." Tang Dao looked at the old man who had been wandering overseas for ten years but finally chose to return to his hometown, and gave a seemingly plausible answer.

In the eyes of politicians, there is only profit, and only the Chinese will take the military achievements in the war against Japan to heart.

Admiral Li's eyes flashed, and he smiled at Tang Dao, who did not give a clear answer.

From this point of view, the two are actually the same kind of people.

However, this did not affect Admiral Li's choice to give up the Tang Sword and the Four-Line Regiment for the sake of factional interests.

Because of their different positions and heights, each person has different responsibilities. Tang Dao has thousands of soldiers from the Four Lines Regiment following him, and General Li also has hundreds of thousands of Guangxi troops to fight with him. The old and the young are very clear about this, so they can be frank and not shy about it.

The Four-Line Regiment was artificially idled and could only train at its base, but the South Hebei Guard Regiment far away in North China had been thriving in the past six months.

Although they are closely related to the Four-Line Group, the head of the Security Group, Lei Xiong, is a genuine imperial guard. Suppressing one group of people and pulling another group is a common means of checks and balances used by political masters.

The Four-Line Group suppressed them, and the Guard Group naturally used means of winning them over. Wang Da, the Commissioner of the Ji'nan Administrative Office, basically did not interfere in military affairs except for administrative affairs, and all were handed over to Lei Xiong alone.

In mid-July 41, the Japanese North China Front Army finally began to tackle the major scourge of Zhongtiao Mountain, which lay across the Yellow River, and mobilized 7 divisions with nearly 7 troops to launch a fierce attack on the Chinese defense zone in Zhongtiao Mountain.

Except for the 4th and 5th armies of the four major Chinese garrison groups, whose defense lines were not breached because Tang Dao issued several warnings to them to raise their vigilance, the other two armies had their defense lines breached by the Japanese army several times within a week. Tens of thousands of troops were defeated or captured by the Japanese army, and the Zhongtiao Mountain defense line, which was originally connected, was cut into three sections by the Japanese army.

Even the morale of the two army groups that were still defending the defense line was shaken. Even Commander Zhao of the 38th Army began to consider a plan of retreating to Wangwu Mountain.

If a battle of this magnitude were to be fought and surrounded, it would not be as simple as the 3 casualties on Falu Ridge, but the lives of nearly people of two infantry divisions and an independent brigade.

Every household in Hu County had already hung white silk, and he could no longer bear to see the same thing happen again in that small county town.

The war situation had become extremely bad, and even Commander Wei, who flew from the mountain city to the war zone, felt powerless to save the situation.

Just when the morale of the remaining 16 Chinese troops was in turmoil, an army marched out from Wangwu Mountain, abandoning the Japanese front-line troops 20 miles away, and headed straight for Yuncheng.

It was a lightly armed force carrying only small-caliber artillery. Although the officers and soldiers were wearing camouflage caps made of branches, they were dressed in gray military uniforms and should have belonged to the first part of the 80th Army Group.

The Japanese front-line commander, Lieutenant General Ando Nijuzo, did not take the thousands of troops rushing towards his logistics base seriously. He ordered the Yuncheng garrison to guard the city strictly, and at the same time ordered an infantry regiment to pursue the troops.

The Chinese army was at most an infantry brigade, and sending an infantry regiment to deal with them was already the greatest respect for the new chief of staff of the North China Front Army.

Then, this infantry regiment was trapped alive by its own front chief of staff.

  The Chinese army that rushed to Yuncheng not only ambushed the more than 3000 Japanese troops that were pursuing them, but also used raindrops of mortars to tell the Japanese who said small-caliber artillery meant light equipment.

What’s the matter? A 150-caliber mortar that can be carried around by a packhorse is not as large as your 75-caliber mountain gun?

When the shameless Lei Xiong entered the Wangwu Mountain battlefield a week ago, he ordered all the soldiers to change into the uniforms of the 386th Army Group. In order to confuse the Japanese spies, he even stole the number of the 772nd Regiment of the th Brigade.

This time, the entire regiment was dispatched and most of the troops of the original Sihang Regiment's garrison battalion were transferred. The security regiment had more than 6000 soldiers. Both equipment and personnel combat effectiveness were far superior to ordinary Japanese infantry regiments. This regiment had twice as many troops as theirs. The Japanese infantry regiment was caught off guard and was beaten badly.

In just half a day, the colonel commander of the infantry regiment was forced to send a telegram of suicide, which frightened Lieutenant General Ando Jūzo, who was still busy commanding a decisive battle with the Chinese army, so much that his eyes almost fell out.

  If the reconnaissance planes had not confirmed that the Chinese troops rushing into a flame like moths would never exceed 5000 people, he would have even thought that a Chinese infantry corps had appeared in the rear. Otherwise, who could have surrounded and annihilated his entire infantry regiment in less than 4 hours?

"Baga! Order the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade to pursue the invading enemy and make sure to kill them all!" Lieutenant General Ando Nijusan relied on his large number of soldiers and generals to call for troops again.

  If one infantry regiment is not enough, then get another one!

An independent mixed brigade has two infantry regiments, an independent cavalry regiment, an artillery regiment, and an engineering regiment, with a total strength of nearly 2 people.

  The Chinese are definitely not good enough!

There is actually nothing wrong with this way of thinking. No matter how strong the security regiment is, it would probably have a hard time facing the attack of an independent mixed brigade.

Just then, after receiving the news that a mixed brigade was pursuing them aggressively, Lei Xiong immediately ordered the entire army to continue advancing towards Yuncheng with all their strength.

However, after approaching Yuncheng, the army ignored the Japanese army's logistics base which was nearby. The entire army turned around 15 miles away from Yuncheng and rushed towards Linfen.

This is the rhythm to run!

Did the Japanese army watch helplessly as a Chinese army that had defeated one of their infantry regiments fled away so openly? Under the guidance of the reconnaissance aircraft, 8000 Japanese soldiers also ran for their lives.

Although they were swinging their short legs, they ran with the momentum of a tiger that could swallow the world. If momentum could determine victory or failure on the battlefield, then the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade would definitely win.

As expected, on the third day they caught up with the Chinese army which was still fleeing northward. If they were assisted by an infantry regiment stationed in Linfen, they would be able to easily wipe out this exhausted Chinese light-armed force.

Major General Motomasa, commander of the 2nd Independent Mixed Brigade, sent a tactical guidance telegram to Ando Nijizo.

Anda Twenty-Three was a little hesitant at first. Linfen is the second largest city in Shanxi Province, and its geographical location is extremely important. Although it is too far away from Zhongtiao Mountain to be a logistics base, it is an important material transfer base and also the command center of the southeastern battlefield in Shanxi.

  As the front line urgently needs troops, there is only one infantry regiment stationed in Linfen at this time, which is already very weak. If reinforcements are sent to support the 2nd Mixed Brigade, wouldn’t there be only a thousand people defending the city?

But in the end, considering that a decisive battle was underway with the main force of China's Zhongtiao Mountain, the main forces of China's Second War Zone were all tied down, and the main forces of the 80th Army were also active in southern Hebei, northern Hebei and Shandong. In addition, they almost broke up with the Shancheng government in the incident in the first half of the year, and there was no possibility of them supporting Shancheng, and there was almost no threat to Linfen.

After much deliberation, Ando Nijuzo finally agreed to the suggestion of Major General Motomasa.

Therefore, Linfen City dispatched two infantry battalions, one on the left and one on the right, like the two big claws of a crab, to clamp down on the "young meat" of the guard regiment.

Once you are clamped, you will lose a little flesh at most, but you will definitely die.

However, when the two infantry battalions were less than 2 kilometers away from the battlefield, urgent news suddenly came from Linfen.

"A Chinese army with several thousand soldiers is rushing from Taiyue Mountain to Linfen!"

  Make a feint to the east and attack in the west? Besiege Wei to save Zhao?

These might be the two thoughts that emerged in the mind of Major General Ben Zhengduo at that time.

But no matter which one it was, it was extremely embarrassing for the Japanese army at that time.

Although this side can easily defeat the part of the Chinese troops that have begun to defend on the spot, there are only a few thousand people on the other side facing thousands of Chinese. If they are not careful, they may lose Linfen City.

But as the saying goes: Hesitation leads to defeat! Major General Ben Zhengduo decided to concentrate his forces to first defeat this Chinese army, and then to rescue Linfen. If things go well, he might be able to block thousands of Chinese outside the city of Linfen and add to the victory.

Influenced by the decisiveness of the talented major general, Ando Nijisan also agreed to this battle plan after hesitating for a long time.

Of course, the premise of this combat plan is that the army coming out of Taiyue Mountain can only belong to the 80th Army entrenched there. As we all know, the troops of the 80th Army in southeastern Shanxi are mainly lightly armed and can barely fight guerrilla warfare. This kind of siege on a big city is the first time since the Imperial Army occupied North China.

There is a 90% chance that it is a bluff, and even if the remaining 10% is true, they do not believe that the Chinese can capture Linfen, which is defended by thousands of people, without heavy artillery.

Then, just half a day after the security regiment and nearly 10,000 Japanese troops started fighting, urgent news came from Linfen again.

"The Chinese side used 150-caliber heavy mortars, 75-caliber mountain guns, and no less than 16 70mm infantry guns. The city's defense is in danger!"

  The Japanese generals and officers were all stunned!

Is this still the 80th Army in their impression?

That was the real 772nd Regiment. Wang Xiaoqiang had sent out all his main forces this time. The already strong 772nd Regiment now had 32 infantry companies, with 4800 infantrymen alone. If the artillery, baggage soldiers, civilian laborers, etc. were included, the total number of people in the regiment would exceed 7500.

The Japanese soldiers of an infantry battalion were already panicking due to the massive crowd of infantry. When more than 20 cannons roared, they were so frightened that even their hair stood up.

(End of this chapter)