The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 39 Enemy Night 3
"Our light armored vehicle squadron also requested to participate in the battle. The attack cannot rely entirely on infantry. In normal times, we rely on our light armored vehicles and tank troops to attack the barricades and mop up the enemy infantry. The enemy soldiers were killed in rivers of blood and defeated." The light armored vehicle squadron. Captain Higuchi Koichi, the squadron leader, also said eagerly.

"Detachment leader, let our second squadron attack. The Chinese troops in Yanzhuang are nothing but chickens and dogs. We can eliminate them in two hours, and in three hours we can launch an attack on the enemy's main position at Dabaishui. attack!"

Another squadron leader said equally eagerly.

Di Bujiagui smiled and looked at the officers fighting for the main attack. On the one hand, their morale was high. On the other hand, the defenders of Yanzhuang were like meat on a felt board. Everyone thought they could cut it. You can eat whenever you want. In the final analysis, it was because of the surprise attack in the morning. The performance of He Wei's battalion was really terrible. In the eyes of the Japanese troops in the dike detachment, it was too much to say that the performance of this Chinese army collapsed at the first touch. , but it’s not much stronger.

Who can take a liking to a dilapidated army that has just been defeated?Even if they repelled the attack of the No. [-] Squadron of the Tsui Detachment in the afternoon, it was nothing more than a "death struggle."

With such a weak opponent, naturally everyone wants to take a bite. This is the credit in front of you, who can not grab it?

Tsubuzaki smiled and stopped the quarrel among the squadron leaders.

"Okay, I have already felt your fighting enthusiasm. Don't fight for a small Yanzhuang. It is just the last remaining enemy of a group of defeated soldiers. You should use your strength to fight against the enemy's front line at Dabaishui. On the main position, all squadrons will participate in the attack. I have made up my mind. Since the first squadron suffered a slight setback outside Yanzhuang today, it will be the one who unties the bell or ties it. The task of attacking Yanzhuang tomorrow will still be left to the second squadron. The first squadron and the fourth tank battalion reinforced by the Corps will soon be in place to cooperate with our attack. I will also assign the tanks to cover our attack to your squadron! Specific coordination matters will be discussed as soon as the support troops arrive!"

"Liao Jun, I hope you can drive away the defeated Chinese troops in Yanzhuang within two hours! Clear the way for us to attack the enemy's main position! Other squadrons will also attack the enemy's main position after taking Yanzhuang. I hope you can break through and conquer the enemy’s position with one strike tomorrow!”

Lia Jiuxiong hurriedly bowed: "Hi Yi! Thank you very much, Captain, I will fulfill my mission and capture Yanzhuang within two hours!"

The other squadron leaders also raised their command knives, all with fierce looks on their faces, and yelled with crazy eyes: "Break through with one blow! Conquer the enemy's position!"

Tsubuzaki closed his eyes with satisfaction. In his mind, he seemed to have seen the defeated Chinese army, annihilated by the powerful artillery fire of the imperial army and the tracks of the chariot...

...night, deep
Shanxi, with mountains and rivers inside and outside, has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. After the Japanese army captured Beiping and Tianjin, they attacked southward along the Jinpu, Pinghan, and Tongpu railways. From September 24th to 20th, the National Army occupied Jinsui in the World War II area. The main force of the army failed in the battle at Datong. In just 61 days, the Japanese army captured Tianzhen, Jining, Datong, and Yanggao. The main force of the Jinsui Army in the World War II area retreated to the front line of the Inner Great Wall. The commander of the 23st Army, Li Fuying, who failed in the battle, was shot. , the Battle of Pingxingguan broke out. By September [-], the Japanese army broke through the main defense line of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army at Ruyuekou, and the Battle of Pingxingguan was declared a failure again.

At the end of September 1937, Jiang Yuzhen, commander of the 9th Brigade of the 34th Army of the Shanxi-Sui Army, was ordered to lead his troops to defend Yuanping Town to prevent the Japanese troops from moving south. On October 196, the Japanese army approached Yuanping Town and was repelled by Jiang Brigade officers and soldiers.

On October 10, after the fall of Guo County, the Japanese army increased its troops to Yuanping, and Jiang Yuzhen led the entire brigade to defend the city.

On October 10, the Japanese army launched multiple attacks under indiscriminate bombardment from aircraft and artillery. The city wall fortifications of Yuanping Town were severely damaged. Jiang Yuzhen immediately ordered the troops to retreat to the streets, stick to the houses and start fierce street battles with the Japanese army.By the evening of the 10th, the troops ran out of ammunition and fought hard. Jiang Yuzhen and the entire brigade officers and soldiers died heroically.

日军占领原平后，未及逃离的700余名居民被枪杀。附近居民因协助姜旅运送伤员在炮火中死伤2 000余人。镇内大小商号300余家，民房1 200余间被焚毁。

After the fall of Yuanping, the main force of the Shanxi-Sui Army field force suffered heavy losses, and the entire army was forced to retreat to the front line of Mount Wutai and Dai County. The main force of the Japanese army pushed directly towards Xinkou in an attempt to capture Taiyuan. , is the barrier in northern Taiyuan.If you hold Xinkou, you can hold Taiyuan. If you hold Taiyuan, you can secure Shanxi and protect northern China.

By October 15, the Japanese army assembled a total of more than 1 people from the 14th Division, the [-]th Mixed Brigade, the Di Detachment, the Idao Detachment, and the [-]st Independent Mixed Brigade Mechanized Infantry Regiment to arrive at Xinkou and march towards China. Army No. [-] Corps conducted a tentative attack on the Baishui front line.

The Second Theater of the National Army urgently mobilized the Central Army, the Shanxi-Sui Army, the 15th Group Army and other units to reinforce Xinkou, and divided the combat area into three corps. The left-wing corps was the 20th Army of Li Mo'an, a direct line of the Central Army, and the right-wing corps was the Henan local army. The troops include Liu Maoen's No. 20 Army, the Central Army Corps includes Hao Mengling's Ninth Army and the Central Army's Li Xianzhou Department No. 20 First Division, as well as the Artillery No. 20 Eighth Regiment, the Artillery No. 26 Seventh Regiment, and the Artillery No. 52 Three Regiment. , the [-]th Artillery Regiment, a battalion of the [-]th Artillery Regiment, an artillery group composed of the artillery battalion of the [-]nd Division of the [-]nd Army, and a special attachment unit composed of an armored vehicle team and the [-]rd Battalion of the Army Armored Corps' Vehicle Defense Artillery, Strengthening points belong to the left, right and middle directions.

The No. 17 Army of the Shaanxi Army, the No. 19 Army of the Jin Army, the No. 30 Fifth Army of the Shanxi-Sui Army, the No. 60 First Army, the Independent Fifth Brigade and other units also arrived at Xinkou one after another. There were as many as seven armies, three A group of Chinese troops gathered on the Xinkou front line. The weak but tenacious Chinese Air Force also invested in two teams of reconnaissance aircraft, one team each of attack aircraft and one team of destroyers.

Some of these troops are direct troops of the Central Army of Chiang Kai-shek, wearing German-made steel helmets, grass-green military uniforms, and all Zhongzheng rifles. The Jinsui Army, which is composed of native sons of the three Jin Dynasties, has miscellaneous equipment, and the entire army does not even have a telescope. There is no former Henan Zhensong Army, but there are also red troops who are high-spirited, full of vitality, and haunt the mountains. They come from different factions, different places, different parties, use different weapons, and have been fighting for many years. Dead enemies, now they have all put aside the past and united for a common goal - to defend Xinkou!Defend Taiyuan!Defend Shanxi!Defend all of China!
Both sides have accumulated heavy troops and will start a desperate fight on the land of northern Shanxi.

(End of this chapter)