People are shining their swords, secretly helping the Iron Triangle in Northwest Shanxi

Chapter 173 A blow to the little devil

"Boom boom boom!"

The Artillery Battalion under the 11th Preparatory Regiment began shelling. Six Bofors mountain guns and five Type [-] mountain guns started test firing successively.

Then a grenade was fired and quickly hit the target. For a while, deafening explosions came from the Japanese and puppet army positions one after another.

The bunkers began to be hit by armor-piercing shells, and the Japanese and puppet shooters inside were hit by shrapnel one after another and died on the spot.

The Seventh Battalion charged quickly under the leadership of regimental commander Chen Ziyun and battalion commander Zhang Fugui, and they quickly advanced towards the positions of the Japanese and puppet troops.

The light machine guns of each squad fired bursts, and the bullets accurately hit the exposed bodies of the Japanese and puppet soldiers.

The grenades in each row fired grenades and smoke bombs quickly to provide cover for the charging infantry.

A soldier with a [-]-style rifle immediately alternated to cover and advance.

In a group of three, they kept relying on the bunkers on the charging road and pushed towards the trench one after another.

Although the officers and soldiers of the Seventh Battalion repeatedly emphasized that Chen Ziyun would not need to lead them personally, they promised to take Zhuangmo Town before six o'clock.

But Chen Ziyun, as the team leader, naturally wants to do what he says, not to mention that now is the time for him to win people's hearts.

The battle started here in Zhuangmo Town, and the Seventh Battalion directly invested three infantry companies and one machine gun company to participate in the battle.

The remaining infantry company serves as a combat reserve at the back.

Two 81MM mortars and four Jin-made heavy machine guns in the machine gun company kept suppressing Zhuangmo Town and the two gun towers to the east.

Four heavy machine guns made in Jin Dynasty were erected in a favorable position, blocking the main exit of Zhuangmo Town.

Once the Japanese and puppet troops try to support the outer bunkers from the town, these Jin-made heavy machine guns will shoot immediately.

Two 81MM mortars are concealed on the commanding heights, and they are closely watching the situation of the two gun towers to the east.

If there are soldiers rushing to help from the gun tower, they will attack immediately.

When the battle reached [-]:[-], bunkers outside Zhuangmo Town were destroyed one after another.

Most of the Japanese and puppet troops who assisted in the battle in the trenches near the bunker were also killed.

As the squad leaders of each squad quickly rushed to the trench with their submachine guns, the few remaining Japanese and puppet troops were directly smashed into a sieve by Jinzao submachine guns.

At five o'clock, the blockhouses on three sides of Zhuangmo Town were destroyed, and dozens of Japanese and puppet troops were all wiped out.

The captain of the second lieutenant of the Japanese army who commanded the battle in the town immediately mobilized troops to launch a counterattack.

Three grenadiers in the town and two 60MM mortars in the gun tower began shelling.

A large number of grenades were fired at the Seventh Battalion, and then more than 80 Japanese and puppet troops were mobilized from the town and artillery towers, and quickly rushed towards the outer positions.

At the same time, more than a dozen light and heavy machine guns were in the town, and the gun towers fired fiercely, trying to cover the troops' charge.

The captain of the second lieutenant of the little devil had obvious intentions. He was going to take advantage of the fact that the Seventh Battalion had just won the outlying position and was not stable, so he directly charged over and started hand-to-hand combat.

Moreover, they also have light and heavy machine guns and grenadier mortars for cover, which can completely kill and injure Jinsui Army troops in large numbers.

But how could they have thought that the Jinsui army they were facing at this time had been strictly trained.

The Japanese and puppet troops fired grenades and mortars, and the three infantry companies of the Seventh Battalion quickly dispersed and concealed themselves.

A large number of Japanese and puppet troops attacked from the gun towers in the town, and they were directly hit by the machine gun company of the Seventh Battalion.

Four Jin-made heavy machine guns pulled the triggers one after another, and the 6.5MM bullets on the springboard were fired one after another.

A Japanese and puppet army along the road wanted to rush out of the town, but the dense bullets completely blocked their way to attack.

These little devils, the second devil began to be hit by bullets, and fell into a pool of blood one by one.

"Everything."

A round of grenades began to be fired from the Japanese 81MM mortar.

"Every day!"

The grenade quickly passed through the air, and the piercing sound soon sounded.

After some little devils with rich combat experience heard the sound, they immediately realized that mortar shells were coming.

But before these little devils could hide, the sound of "Kang Bang Bang" grenades falling on the ground sounded.

With the sound of the explosion, the shrapnel quickly spread around, and many Japanese and puppet troops who had just attacked from the gun tower were hit instantly.

Some wounded Japanese and puppet soldiers soon let out screams like killing pigs.

Within a few minutes, the artillery company of the Sixth Battalion, which was originally the supervisor of the battle team, was unwilling to be a spectator.

Four heavy machine guns and two mortars also fired.

At one time, there were eight heavy machine guns, and four mortars fired one after another.

More than 80 Japanese and puppet troops who attacked were hit by fierce firepower and suffered heavy casualties.

As for the light and heavy machine guns and grenade mortars in the town and the gun towers.

After their positions were exposed, the artillery observation post set up by the artillery battalion observation team contacted the Shanpao Company as soon as possible.

A group of shooting data was passed on, and Li Yang, the deputy battalion commander and company commander, began to pass it on.

The platoon leaders of each platoon got different data, they quickly worked on the map, and soon had accurate shooting elements.

"Boom boom boom!" Bofors Mountain Cannon roared again.

A grenade was fired, and the firepower of the Japanese and puppet troops began to be hit.

A [-]-type heavy machine gun in the town was still firing hard, and a little devil corporal kept urging the puppet shooters to fire with full firepower.

However, a grenade landed precisely on the heavy machine gun. With the sound of the explosion, the heavy machine gun was destroyed, and seven or eight Japanese and puppet troops fell into a pool of blood.

The two blockhouses to the east of Zhuangmo Town were hit by two Bofors cannons.

It is worth mentioning that the blockhouses in Zhuangmo Town were not destroyed before.

The troops commanded by Chen Ziyun did not come here to fight at that time, they mainly fought in the north.

Therefore, the bunker towers here are not newly built, and they cannot bear the blow of mountain artillery.

Not long after, the two blockhouses were instantly destroyed.

Chen Ziyun commanded the troops to seize the opportunity and rushed over quickly.

At the same time, he directly conveyed the combat order and asked all other troops to charge.

The shouts of killing resounded through the sky, and the four infantry companies and one machine gun company of the Seventh Battalion all participated in the battle.

Also participating in the battle were the Sixth Battalion Machine Gun Company and the First Mountain Cannon Company.

Zhuang Mo Zhen's Japanese and puppet troops gradually lost their ability to resist under such a force attack.

In particular, their light and heavy machine guns and grenadier mortars were suppressed. After the two gun towers were destroyed, there was no suspense in the battle here.

At [-]:[-], the Seventh Battalion wiped out about [-] Japanese and puppet troops, and easily took Zhuangmo Town at the cost of minor casualties.

It was at this time that the battle between Baizi Mountain and Crouching Tiger Mountain was still going on.

Monk Wei commanded the reconnaissance platoon to make rapid progress, and they had already broken through to the depths of the Japanese and puppet troops.

Wu Ziqiang's Fifth Battalion is still advancing, and the two troops have lost contact.

"Ying Zuo, this is the reconnaissance platoon built by Tuan Zuo himself. They...they are too powerful."

"Those sharpshooters used rifles with mirrors to shoot with perfect accuracy. The light machine guns of the Japanese and puppet troops were beaten so hard that they couldn't shoot."

"And their machine gun shooters, mortar shooters, who are they? I've never seen such powerful shooters and artillerymen in my life."

"Czech-style light machine guns fired bursts, and the guns bit the flesh. The exposed Japanese and puppet soldiers were shot to death one by one."

"Two 60-point guns, even if you shoot wherever you point, you can still hit every shot. My God, how can there be such a powerful artillery."

Several cadres followed Wu Ziqiang, and they followed the troops to advance quickly.

At this time, the high ground held by the Japanese and puppet troops was completely broken through.

Thinking about the battle scene of the reconnaissance platoon before, these cadres couldn't help but said with emotion.

"Our group seat is not simple. It must be extraordinary to be so valued by the travel seat."

"Individual combat ability, infantry command, artillery command, troop training, etc., there is nothing he is not proficient in."

"The reconnaissance platoon is a unit he personally built and trained, and its strength is definitely first-class."

"Look at the Artillery Battalion. When Liang Guoping was in command, the eight Jin mountain-making cannons were nothing more than powerful and prestigious."

"But now, the artillery battalion is built by the regiment, with six Bofors and five Type [-]s. They are all elite artillery units."

"Let's not talk about the Artillery Unit of the Central Army, even the Artillery Unit of the Little Devils can't compare with them."

Wu Ziqiang said enviously, in his opinion, if he had the ability to command Chen Ziyun's infantry, he would be able to replace Qian Bojun no matter what.

Unfortunately, he does not have such ability.

At this time, Wu Ziqiang also knew that what he could do was to fight under Chen Ziyun's command.

In the future, if Chen Ziyun is promoted, maybe he can take over Chen Ziyun's position.

Chen Ziyun didn't have to worry about the Fifth Battalion at all. Wu Ziqiang's abilities were limited, but his attitude was fine.

Here on the high ground, the reconnaissance platoon's operations continued.

After they came to the depth, they entered the flock like tigers, rampaging everywhere.

"Bang bang bang."

The Czech-style semi-automatic rifles pulled the triggers one after another, and an assaulter never missed a shot.

Two Czech-style light machine guns, two 60MM mortars, and eight Mauser sniper rifles provided them with cover.

The 40-man reconnaissance platoon demonstrated strong combat capabilities.

By six o'clock, there were a total of 100 Japanese and puppet soldiers killed by them.

The squadron leader of the Japanese lieutenant commanding the battle here on the high ground has already realized that something is wrong.

Knowing that the number of Japanese and puppet troops had dropped sharply to more than 100, the squadron leader of the captain wanted to quickly gather the troops and evacuate quickly.

But the reconnaissance platoon directly blocked their evacuation road, and the fifth battalion continued to oppress them head-on.

The remaining 100 days of the puppet army were completely annihilated, leaving only a matter of time.

Chen Ziyun's side is progressing fairly smoothly. They control the first-line positions of Zhuangmo Town, Baizi Mountain, and Crouching Tiger Mountain. Basically, there are no major problems.

However, the 358 regiment commanded by Qian Bojun encountered a hard nail on their side.

At six o'clock, the 358th Regiment and the troops directly under the brigade headquarters easily captured Qicun Town and Hesuo Town.

The field artillery company, guard company, and cavalry company directly under the brigade headquarters began to deploy in Hesuo Town, paying close attention to the development of the Japanese army in Xin County.

After the 358 regiment went down to the villages and towns, they took a short rest, and then began to advance towards the hilly area to the east.

It was only in the hilly area to the east that they directly encountered the 11th Independent Field Brigade under the Fourth Independent Mixed Brigade.

In Qicun Town and Hesuo Town, there were only a small number of little devils' troops. After encountering the main force of the Jinsui Army, they retreated quickly.

So the 358 regiment and other troops easily took these two towns, but in the hilly area, there were the main force of little devils.

It is worth mentioning that Chen Ziyun had good luck preparing for the 11th regiment.

Although there are more than 500 Japanese and puppet troops deployed in Zhuangmo Town, there are a lot of puppet troops here.

The only [-] Japanese troops, a small devil in an infantry squadron, were not attached to the independent mixed fourth brigade.

The little devil troops deployed here in Zhuangmo Town are independent and mixed Ninth Brigade troops belonging to the too far away area.

The Ninth Independent Mixed Brigade is responsible for the defense of the Taiyuan area, and Yangqu to the north of Taiyuan is the defense area of ​​the 40th Independent Infantry Brigade under it.

The area of ​​Zhuangmo Town is under the scope of Xin County, but originally Xin County's independent and mixed fourth brigade was going to advance to the Yangcun area to start a sweep.

Therefore, the 40th Brigade of the Independent Infantry deployed a squadron to strengthen a battalion of the puppet army for defense.

Even after the Eighth Route Army launched a large-scale sabotage operation, the squadron has not yet withdrawn.

As for the hilly area on the east side of Qicun Town, from here to the north is Yuanping City.

The independent and mixed third brigade in the original Pingcheng area is also the main attack direction at present.

The Independent Mixed Fourth Brigade was worried that the hills here would be used by the Eighth Route Army, so they specially strengthened the defense here.

The third and fourth brigades both bear independent mixed brigade numbers, but there is a big gap between them.

Tsuda Meiwu's independent mixed fourth brigade was organized according to field troops.

The independent field brigade under them has better weapon configuration than the field brigades under the general triple regiment field division and the special division.

For example, the 11th Independent Field Brigade stationed in the hilly area at this time has more than 300 people.

They had four infantry squadrons, one machine gun squadron, one artillery squadron, and one transport squadron.

In terms of heavy weapons, they have twelve heavy machine guns, two infantry guns, and two rapid-fire guns.

Each infantry squadron has nine light machine guns, nine grenade launchers, and about ninety rifles.

Moreover, the fortifications here in the hilly area were also strengthened by the little devils.

The Harada detachment was hit hard by Chen Ziyun's troops here, and then the little devil specially strengthened the defense here.

When blockhouses and gun towers were being built extensively in Xin County and Yuanping City, some materials were transported here, and relatively strong fortifications were built.

After Qian Bojun took Qicun Town, he wanted to prove himself, so he commanded the troops to advance eastward quickly.

The first battalion and the second battalion are attached to the artillery company directly under the regiment for attack operations.

However, they fought fiercely until seven o'clock, and the troops did not gain anything, but paid a certain amount of casualties.

After Chu Yunfei got the news, he didn't dare to delay, and came to Qi Cunzhen immediately.

After listening to relevant reports, Chu Yunfei immediately stopped the attack of the troops.

Of course, at this time, Chen Ziyun had already dealt with the Japanese and puppet troops on the highlands of Baizi Mountain and Crouching Tiger Mountain.

They easily controlled this line of positions and completed the combat deployment of the brigade headquarters.

At this time in Xinxian County, the Japanese army was independently mixed into the Fourth Brigade Headquarters here.

Major General Tsuda Mitake, head of the brigade, soon got a report from the 11th Independent Field Brigade, when he knew that there were Jinsui Army troops on the front lines of Qicun Town and Hesuo Town.

And this unit is equipped with a certain number of heavy weapons and artillery, Tsuda Mitake immediately thought of Chu Yunfei's independent 48th brigade.

"We didn't go to attack them, and now they're here to attack us."

"It's really a guy who doesn't know how to live or die. Contact the military headquarters immediately."

"Ask for the approval of the Army Command, and we will immediately launch a combat strike against the Jinsui Army, so as to quickly and completely annihilate it."

Tsuda Mitake said with a sneer that he felt that his brigade was fully capable of annihilating the Independent 48th Brigade.

Of course, the independent and mixed fourth brigade has been ordered to stand by on the spot. If they want to act, they must get approval.

Therefore, they must quickly contact the First Army Command and ask the commander of the army Shinozuka Yoshio to approve their combat plan.

But now the headquarters of the Little Devil's First Army is a bit chaotic.

In one afternoon, Shinozuka Yoshio finally got in touch with the independent mixed third brigade headquarters defending in the original Pingcheng area.

The head of the brigade, Shigeharu Liuxia, introduced the situation in detail, and the independent and mixed third brigade was hit by the main force of the 120th division.

At present, their subordinate ministries are barely able to hold their positions after being reinforced by a cavalry division of the Puppet Mongolian Army.

Moreover, there are many newly built steel-concrete bunker towers in the original Pingcheng area, which can directly withstand the impact of 75MM caliber artillery.

For the Eighth Route Army that lacks artillery, it is difficult for them to destroy it.

So up to now, the independent and mixed third brigade has reacted from being at a loss in the early stage and is able to carry out effective defensive operations.

However, Shinozuka Yoshio did not become optimistic because of this, because in one afternoon, the eighth independent mixed brigade did not get in touch.

The brigade was in charge of the Zhengtai Railway, and they were hit by the main force of the 129th Division.

At this time, not to mention the headquarters of the First Army, even the Major General Yoshishige Mizumoto, the head of the independent and mixed eighth brigade, was very confused.

His radio was destroyed in the shelling, and all telephone lines were cut.

At this time, their brigade headquarters could only stick to the county seat for defense and could not communicate with the outside world.

Yoshishige Mizuhara once tried to send communication soldiers to repair the line, but there was no news after the communication soldiers left the county.

The Headquarters of the First Army knew about the situation of the independent and mixed Eighth Brigade, but the First Division quickly came to report.

In the first lesson, a combat staff officer took a reconnaissance plane and checked the combat situation of the Zhengtai Railway in detail.

"Your Excellency, the Zhengtai Railway is currently in fierce battle except for the area too far away that has not been hit."

"This is a photo taken by a reconnaissance plane. There are battles between troops from both sides everywhere near the railway."

"I'm afraid that now it is the brigade headquarters of the eighth brigade, which is independent and mixed. They don't know the combat situation of their subordinate troops."

"Compared to the independent and mixed third brigade, we may need to quickly deploy troops and rush to the Zhengtai Railway to help."

"Otherwise, the Eighth Brigade will be merged independently. I'm afraid there is a possibility that it will be severely damaged, and the entire Zhengtai Railway may be completely paralyzed."

The head of the first class, the head teacher, came over anxiously, and quickly reported.

After Shinozuka Yoshio heard the report, he took the photo to check, and then his face was serious.

He came to the map and looked at the Zhengtai Railway, lost in thought.

At this time, the head of the second class came over quickly.

"Your Excellency, Commander, we have already contacted the Eighth Independent Mixed Brigade."

"However, the Eighth Independent Mixed Brigade is currently in Yangquan City, and they have lost contact with their subordinate ministries."

"The Yamamoto special team advanced all the way and reported some situations."

After saluting, the head of the second section, Dazuo, immediately handed the telegram to Shinozuka Yoshio.

In the afternoon, after being unable to get in touch with the Independent Mixed Eighth Brigade for a long time, Yoshio Shinozuka quickly dispatched the Yamamoto Special Team with wireless wires.

The Yamamoto Special Forces advanced rapidly all the way, directly came to Yangquan City, and assisted in establishing the connection between the Army Command and the Independent Mixed Eighth Brigade.

However, Yoshishige Suwon lost contact with the various brigades under him, and he didn't know the specific situation.

Shinozuka Yoshio read Kazuki Yamamoto's report, and his eyes began to lock on Xin County.

He knows that now it is necessary to quickly deploy the independent mixed fourth brigade to advance along the Zhengtai Railway to assist the independent mixed eighth brigade in operations.

Otherwise, once the Zhengtai Railway is paralyzed, the consequences will be more serious than the loss of a brigade.

The railway is the lifeline of transportation for the Japanese army, and the Zhengtai Railway is the hub connecting Tongpu and Pinghan.

This is the lifeline of the troops directly under the First Army and the Front Army. If this railway is paralyzed, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Your Excellency, the Shanxi-Sui Army Independent 48th Brigade has dispatched!"

"The Headquarters of the Ninth Independent Mixed Brigade was reported by the 40th Independent Infantry Brigade, and its front-line troops deployed in Zhuangmo Town were annihilated by the Jinsui Army."

"At the same time, the Fourth Independent Mixed Brigade also reported that the troops in the hilly area east of Qicun Town in Xinxian County were also attacked by troops from the Jinsui Army."

"Qicun Town and Hesuo Town have also fallen, but the 11th Independent Mixed Brigade dispatched the [-]th Independent Field Brigade to quickly defend the hilly area."

"According to all sources of information, it is Chu Yunfei's independent 48th brigade that appeared in the Xin County area."

Shinozuka Yoshio just wanted to mobilize an independent and mixed fourth brigade to fight, but at this time, Chief of Staff Kusuyama Hideyoshi rushed to report.

Kusuyama Hideyoshi's words instantly brought the atmosphere in the headquarters of the First Army down to freezing point.

Faced with so many eight-way troops attacking the little devil's ministries, their strength is already stretched.

The independent mixed fourth brigade was the only mobile unit they could mobilize, and Shinozuka Yoshio wanted them to join the battle quickly.

However, Chu Yunfei's Independent 48th Brigade took the initiative to attack, which was a blow to the little devil.

"Baga, Lu, they...they chose to attack at this time!"

"Chu Yunfei, Chen Ziyun, really hateful!"

Shinozuka Yoshio's face was gloomy. He looked at the map and said indifferently.

The independent 48th brigade appeared in the Xinxian area, and the independent mixed fourth brigade obviously could not be mobilized.

But the situation of the Independent Mixed Eighth Brigade is dangerous, and they urgently need reinforcements.

Under such circumstances, Shinozuka Yoshio could only temporarily draw troops from the independent mixed Ninth Brigade in the too far away area.

"Contact the independent and mixed fourth brigade, take defense in the north, and contain the Jinsui Army on the front lines of Qicun Town and Hesuo Town."

"Its main force quickly advanced to the front line of Zhuangmo Town, and quickly regained the position here, thus opening up the connection with Taiyuan."

Immediately afterwards, the First Army Command began to issue combat orders.

Chen Ziyun commanded troops to capture the frontline positions of Zhuangmo Town, Baizi Mountain and Crouching Tiger Mountain.

The connection between the independent mixed ninth brigade deployed in the area too far away by the little devil and the independent mixed fourth brigade deployed in Xin County was completely cut off.

The connection between the two departments was cut off, and it was naturally impossible for the independent and mixed fourth brigade to pass too far to quickly rescue the Zhengtai Railway.

So now, the First Army wants to deal with Chen Ziyun's 11th Reserve Regiment first, and restore the Zhuangmo Town area.

(End of this chapter)