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

Chapter 242

"Boom boom boom."

The 12th Reserve Regiment transferred the Eighth Battalion, and the Ninth Battalion rushed to help the Tenth Battalion.

Qian Bojun intends to stick to his position and completely intercept the little devil's troops.

However, after the mobilization of these troops, the Japanese army immediately assembled three infantry artillery and six mortars to start shelling.

These nine cannons continuously fired grenades and cannonballs, as the shells fell to the ground.

There was an explosion, and the officers and soldiers on the move were shelled, causing heavy casualties.

This time the little devils attacked very fiercely, and they seized the weakness of the 12th reserve regiment to relax their vigilance.

After all, the 12th Reserve Regiment was not attacked all afternoon, and even Zhang Fugui felt that the Japanese army might have withdrawn.

Even though Qian Bojun realized that something was wrong, he felt that even if the Japanese army launched a night attack, it would not start after seven o'clock.

Before the regiment headquarters could convey any orders, the little devil called.

Three infantry squadrons assembled to attack on the south side, and the riflemen quickly approached the tenth battalion's position under the cover of night.

Then they launched a sudden attack, which caught the Tenth Battalion by surprise.

The tenth battalion's machine gun company had four Type [-] heavy machine guns and two infantry guns were also suppressed.

Two of the heavy machine guns were directly knocked out by the infantry guns carried by the little devil after the firepower was exposed.

The Japanese army continued to attack fiercely, and the troops of both sides fought fiercely on the south side of the county seat.

Various weapons continued to shoot, and the 12th regiment prepared for casualties suffered a lot.

The battle lasted until after nine o'clock in the evening, and the Japanese army fought for about two hours.

As the reserve I2 regiment began a comprehensive defense and stabilized its position, the firepower of the whole regiment began.

The Japanese troops could not continue to break through, they fired smoke bombs quickly, and the three squadrons alternately covered and evacuated from the battlefield.

At ten o'clock, the county town of Lancheng returned to silence, but the 12th reserve regiment suffered more than 200 casualties, of which more than [-] were killed.

And some of their heavy weapons were completely destroyed.

After Qian Bojun and Zhang Fugui received the report, they showed serious expressions on their faces.

The brigade headquarters sent a telegram to inquire about the situation, but they didn't dare to report it truthfully, they just told them that they won the county and were still fighting fiercely.

In fact, up to now, the casualties of the Little Devils have not exceeded 40 people, and they completely hold the initiative in the battle.

Qian Bojun and Zhang Fugui began to arrange troops to strengthen vigilance, and at the same time, the two were actively discussing countermeasures.

But preparing for the 12th regiment's operation in Lancheng, the little devil soon got the news.

At present, the Ninth Brigade is independently mixed and is directly responsible for the defense near Taiyuan.

The troops stationed in Arashi City were also selected by Major General Koshiki Toranosuke, head of the Independent Mixed Ninth Brigade.

The Japanese army has a habit of saying whether it is a shortcoming or an advantage.

That is, they will strictly abide by various regulations, which makes them inevitably a little dull.

However, these regulations also contributed to their series of achievements.

For example, according to their regulations, after each battle, whether it is success or failure, they will summarize.

Up to now, the First Army Command judges the combat effectiveness of the independent 48th brigade according to the special level, which is a level that has never appeared before.

On October 25th, the base camp of the Japanese army and the headquarters of the dispatched army sent reprimand messages one after another, and a series of personnel transfers were carried out.

Naozaburo Okabe, commander of the Garrison in Mongolia, Shinichi Tanaka, chief of staff, and Hideyoshi Kusuyama, chief of staff of the First Army, were dismissed successively.

They were completely responsible for Xin County's defeat, and the little devil naturally didn't need to hide it.

Xin County suffered a disastrous defeat, the independent and mixed fourth brigade was completely annihilated, and the news that more than 8000 reinforcements stationed in Mongolia were also annihilated has already spread.

The independent 48th brigade achieved such results, coupled with the judgment of super combat effectiveness, it is enough for all Japanese troops to take it seriously.

Lancheng is located in the area to the west of Taiyuan, which can be regarded as an important barrier for Taiyuan.

And continue to head west from Lancheng, and you will be able to meet the troops of the Jinsui Army.

That was the junction of the Seventh Army of the Jinsui Army and the Independent 48th Brigade.

The independent mixed Ninth Brigade dispatched troops to Lancheng. They dared not neglect such an important position.

The head of the brigade, Major General Koshiko Toranosuke, transferred the most elite three infantry squadrons from the brigade and gave them a series of reinforcements.

Three infantry guns, six mortars, and twelve heavy machine guns.

Moreover, Koshio Toranosuke selected the most capable Kojima Major in his brigade to personally command these troops to fight.

In Gujiao County, west of Lancheng, there are more than 100 heavy soldiers who can provide combat supplies to Lancheng troops at any time.

At this time, in Taiyuan City, the headquarters of the First Army is here.

At around ten o'clock in the evening, after receiving the report, Koshiro Toranosuke quickly came to the military headquarters.

But at the military headquarters, he didn't see Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka, but only saw the new Major General Chief of Staff Masaaki Hanagu.

Huagu is in his 40s, with a long face and big mouth, full of flesh, like a fierce god.

He was an intelligence officer, and he was also one of the organizers of the 31-year incident outside the customs.

This time he came to serve as the Chief of Staff of the First Army, mainly for the purpose of dispatching the General Command of the Army.

At present, the organization that commands all the troops in the pass is the General Headquarters of the Japanese Army Expeditionary Force.

Hisao Nishio served as the commander-in-chief of the general, and Seishiro Itagaki served as the chief of staff of the lieutenant general.

Although Nishio Shouzo's qualifications are relatively old, Seishiro Itagaki is a rising star in the Japanese army and has a great reputation.

Itagaki Seishiro personally arranged for Huagu Zheng to serve as the Chief of Staff of the First Army. His intention was to win over Yan Laoxi and let the Jinsui Army join the Japanese army.

At present, the First Army has a clear division of labor. The commander of the army, Shinozuka Yoshio, is in charge of operations, and the chief of staff of the army, Hanaya, is in charge of intelligence.

"Your Excellency the Chief of Staff."

After seeing Hanaya Masa, Koshiki Toranosuke immediately saluted and said.

The two chatted, and after knowing that Yoshio Shinozuka was resting, Koshiki Toranosuke reported the situation in Arashi City in detail.

Hanaya came to the map to look at it, and directly asked Koshiko Toranosuke to direct the battle by himself.

After all, Yoshio Shinozuka is currently personally in charge of the Lijiapo area operation. This is the main force of the Eighth Route Army, and it is very important.

During this period, Yoshio Shinozuka was also in command for a long time and did not get a good rest.

Now if he is woken up because of the battle in Lancheng, Hua Guzheng feels that he is making a fuss out of a molehill.

But just as Koshigi Toranosuke was about to leave, Yoshio Shinozuka, the commander of the First Army, appeared.

"Any combat situation of the Independent 48th Brigade needs to be reported to me as soon as possible."

"Whatever I'm doing, keep me informed quickly."

"This force is unusual and we must treat it strictly."

With a serious expression on his face, Shinozuka Yoshio spoke directly.

"Hi, Your Excellency, Commander." Hanaya Masa and Koshiko Toranosuke immediately replied with a salute.

Immediately afterwards, they began to discuss at the military headquarters.

After knowing the battle situation in Arashi City, Shinozuka Yoshio immediately issued a battle order.

He asked Koshio Toranosuke to increase troops to Arashi City and find a way to defeat the 12th regiment.

In addition, here at the army headquarters, four 105MM mountain guns were specially deployed to strengthen the use of the independent mixed ninth brigade.

Koshiro Toranosuke left the army headquarters and quickly deployed.

Hundreds of troops quickly advanced towards Lancheng. These troops were mainly artillery, and there were also some infantry.

They have four 105MM mountain cannons, four [-]-style mountain cannons, and four [-]-style field cannons.

Oshio Toranosuke's idea is very simple, to use these artillery advantages to assist the infantry in defeating the 12th reserve regiment in Arashi City.

Of course, this is also a no-brainer choice, because the troops they can currently deploy are very limited.

The 36th Brigade under them was directly assigned to the command of the Independent Mixed Third Brigade.

The remaining troops not only had to undertake the defense of the relevant area, but also dispatched some to fight in Lijiapo.

Up to now, the first army has drawn more than 16 troops from the three divisions in southern Shanxi, as well as the independent mixed ninth and 1th brigades, and assembled quickly.

These troops will advance towards Lijiapo from two directions in the northwest to participate in the decisive battle here.

The 110th Division and other troops directly under the North China Front Army also mobilized more than 1 troops and assembled quickly.

They will advance towards Lijiapo from the southeast, thus encircling the main force of the Eight Routes here on all sides.

The Independent Mixed Ninth Brigade had no extra troops to deploy, so it could only deploy artillery to help them.

As for the terrain of Lancheng surrounded by mountains, once these artillery are in place, the situation can be imagined.

Time passed bit by bit, and it was early in the morning on November [-]rd.

The winter in Jin Province is still very cold. Inside and outside the county seat of Lancheng, the 12th Reserve Regiment has built a complete defensive position.

Qian Bojun and Zhang Fugui discussed repeatedly, and they felt that they still had to stick to the county seat to ensure control of it.

Otherwise, they would not even be able to take down the county seat, and they would not be able to explain to Chu Yunfei.

And this time they are willing to fight in Lancheng, just because they want to raise their price.

In their view, if the reserve I2 regiment achieves results under its command, then they will also rise with the tide.

Whether it's Yan Laoxi or the little devil, they will naturally attach importance to them.

It's just that they didn't expect that the Japanese army here in Lancheng would be a soft persimmon, but they encountered a hard stubble.

"Tuan Zuo, the internal and external fortifications have been reinforced. It is not impregnable here, but it is easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"If the little devils come to attack again, we will definitely make them pay a heavy price."

"They are unwilling to charge us a high price, this time let them know how good we are."

"In the Independent 48th Brigade, not only Chen Ziyun can fight, but also us."

At eight o'clock in the morning, Zhang Fugui came to Qian Bojun with an excited face and reported.

Qian Bojun was roasting by the fire, drinking hot tea, and finally felt relieved after hearing the report.

He was planning to report in the afternoon, and the preparation I2 regiment captured Lancheng County and defeated the Japanese army.

When Chu Yunfei got the news, he would definitely send the main force over there. After all, the Independent 48th Brigade had to support the Eighth Route War.

As long as the main force of the brigade comes over, the 12th reserve regiment will not have to worry about casualties again.

Even if the little devil continues to fight, the main force of the brigade will carry it.

Qian Bojun must be sure of this battle achievement!
However, while Qian Bojun was imagining endlessly, the Japanese army began to shell the county town.

Eight mountain cannons, four field cannons, and three infantry cannons fired first.

A grenade hit one after another, and there was a deafening explosion.

The fortification positions built by the 12th regiment are indeed quite strong, and the 75MM mountain artillery can resist it.

But in the face of the 105MM mountain artillery and 75MM field artillery attack, these fortifications were timid.

Some positions and fortifications were destroyed one after another, and the soldiers who had been busy all night had a lot of physical energy.

Their ability to respond in all aspects has naturally declined.

Being so shelled, they again paid casualties.

Some areas that were heavily shelled even began to appear chaotic.

At nine o'clock, six mortars fired continuously.

These six mortars are the 82mm mortars that the little devil selected from the inventory of the captured trophies.

A series of grenades were shot out one after another. These were the trophies of the Japanese army, and they naturally did not worry about wasting them.

The grenade hit the sky and covered the sky, and the explosion sounded one after another.

At 09:30, three Japanese squadrons continued to attack from the south.

At the same time, the artillery unit began to extend its shelling towards the city, but the little devil didn't care.

The shrapnel fired by the four 105MM mountain cannons brought huge damage to the 12th reserve regiment.

Countless steel balls and steel nails continued to spread, many soldiers fell to the ground, and bright red blood continued to flow.

The house where Qian Bojun lived was hit by a grenade.

At ten o'clock, Qian Bojun was covered in dust and his face was dark.

With a flustered expression on his face, he quickly issued an order to retreat.

The preparatory I2 regiment began to abandon the county seat and gradually moved to the north.

But the Japanese army would not miss this opportunity, and the artillery launched a cover strike.

Four 105MM mountain guns and four 75MM mountain guns fired shrapnel one after another.

The four 75mm field guns fired grenades continuously, and the three infantry guns advanced the bombardment, firing shrapnel shells continuously.

As for the six 82mm mortars, the barrels were red, and the grenades fired had lost their accuracy.

The Japanese army began to pursue in groups, and they quickly attacked in small groups.

Qian Bojun and Zhang Fugui, as well as many officers of the reserve I2 regiment, quickly experienced the scene of fighting in 37.

At eleven o'clock, the 12th regiment was almost in a state of herding sheep.

Fortunately, the battalion commanders and company commanders kept gathering troops, which ensured the orderly transfer of troops.

At twelve o'clock, they withdrew from the Lancheng area.

At this time, their total casualties were close to 600, almost equivalent to one-third of the whole regiment.

The number of officers and soldiers killed in battle was even more than 200!
On the contrary, the total casualties of the Japanese army in Lancheng were only more than 60 people, and only more than 20 people were killed in battle.

In this battle, the 12th regiment was a disastrous defeat!

As for Lancheng, it was also the first time that the independent 48th Brigade suffered a defeat!

More than 12 troops from the 1000th Reserve Regiment evacuated towards the station in embarrassment, and some ammunition was also discarded.

Of the twelve Type [-] heavy machine guns in the regiment, four were destroyed and two were discarded in Lancheng.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Chu Yunfei got the report.

He immediately took Fang Ligong and Lin Zhiqiang to leave the brigade headquarters.

Seeing Qian Bojun, Zhang Fugui was the first to appear on the road, and Chu Yunfei's face was ashen when the troops followed him in a panic.

"Travel seat..."

Qian Bojun and Zhang Fugui came to Chu Yunfei with fear on their faces.

They just yelled for a seat, and Chu Yunfei kicked Qian Bojun's body.

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(End of this chapter)