Songhu: Never Give Up

After the 33rd Regiment lost a battalion in an ambush, it had only about 2 soldiers left, while the 523rd Regiment also had more than 2 soldiers. They had captured 4 artillery pieces, 6 heavy machine guns and dozens of Type light machine guns, and their firepower was not much weaker than that of the Japanese.

The most important thing is that they occupied the advantageous terrain and their fighting style was able to restrain the Japanese. The regiment commander Wei Mingzhang was a backbone officer from the guerrilla column system, and his tactical system was exactly the same as that of the guerrilla column, so the Japanese could not gain any advantage at all.

During this period, the 3rd Battalion, as a reserve force, even launched a short counterattack from the right wing, almost destroying Koizumi's squadron and eliminating the threat on the right wing in one fell swoop;
Then the 3rd Battalion launched a counterattack against the Japanese from the right ridge. Colonel Yamada had to send out the last two mobile squadrons to block them. At this point, the Japanese troops were almost exhausted, with only one infantry squadron left to guard the regiment headquarters.

The two heavy machine gun squadrons and artillery squadrons of the Japanese were all involved in the battle, and the more they fought, the more frightened Colonel Yamada became;

They were carrying out a roundabout combat mission, penetrating deep into the defenders' territory. There was no reinforcement, but the Chinese reinforcements could arrive at any time. He began to feel scared, and the more he fought, the less confident he became, but he was too embarrassed to admit defeat.

Major Kubota saw the embarrassment of the brigade commander, so he jumped out to persuade him:
"Sir, the commander of the wing, we can't fight any further. The opportunity has been lost. Fighting further will only result in more casualties.

It is better to give up the roundabout tactics, break away from contact with the Chinese, and look for another opportunity."

Colonel Yamada was waiting for this opportunity to take advantage of the situation, so he nodded and said:
"Yoshi, what Kubota-kun said is absolutely right. The purpose of the outflanking operation to contain the defenders has been achieved, so let's let the Chinese go.

Order the troops to immediately break contact with the Chinese and get back to work! "

Although the old Japanese soldier Yamada was very concerned about his reputation, he was also a decisive person. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, he took the initiative to give up the mission of fighting in a roundabout way to the south. The two battalions took turns to cover each other and evacuate the battlefield, even taking away the wounded and some bodies.

The defenders did not pursue the Japanese, and they retreated calmly, which showed that they still had strength and their combat mission had been overfulfilled, so there was no need to create any more trouble.

The 33rd Regiment's second attack ended in failure, with more than 500 casualties. Together with the more than 800 people annihilated before, the number of casualties was close to half, and they lost more than they gained.

The 523rd Regiment also suffered more than 500 casualties, especially the 2nd Battalion guarding the Luohan Temple, where more than half of the casualties occurred. However, the 523rd Regiment won the battle and shattered the enemy's flanking combat mission, which was much more brilliant than the results of the battle in another time and space.

After the 16th Division's intention of a flanking operation was thwarted, the 33rd Regiment retreated to Gushi City, and the pressure from the north was relieved.

On the southern front, the battle of Heishi Ferry was still in full swing. The troops of Seya Detachment that had crossed the river were suppressed in the small area surrounded by the "bow back" and "bow string";
Unable to advance, yet unwilling to retreat, they could only launch attacks on the "Bowstring" blocking line again and again. They were repelled by the defenders three times in a row, resulting in heavy casualties.

The three Japanese soldiers from Akita, Yoshioka, and Fukuoka gathered together again to discuss countermeasures. After two days and one night of fierce fighting, they no longer had the arrogance they had before, and everyone's expression became very serious;
Major Akita spoke first:
"Gentlemen, I have to admit that the guerrilla column is much more difficult to fight than we thought. Now our three battalions can no longer break through the defenders' defense line.

They still have a lot of reserve troops in the back mountains. I suggest asking the general for tactical guidance."

Colonel Yoshioka agreed and took over the conversation:

"We not only need the support of air warriors, but also need to increase ground firepower and infantry. We need to accomplish our goal in one battle and use the heavy firepower of the Empire to destroy Black Stone Crossing!"

The three old Japanese soldiers quickly reached a consensus that it would be difficult to break through the defenders' defense line with their remaining thousand or so men.

At the 10th Division Headquarters, Lieutenant General Yoshio Shinozuka, the division commander, had a gloomy face. Having just been promoted to division commander, he was eager to make achievements. He did not want to be like his predecessor Rensuke Isogai, who was transferred from the front-line command position due to defeat.
The battle on the eastern foot of Dabie Mountain made Shinozuka Yoshio very angry. Now he asked him for tactical guidance, and he couldn't help but scolded:
"Bakayaro, is this still the powerful Tenth Division?
A small crossing of the Black Rock actually made the two major generals of the empire hesitate. Could it be that Mr. Seya's spine was really broken in Taierzhuang?"

Chief of Staff Di Bujiagui had also experienced the humiliation of Taierzhuang, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say:

“Your Excellency, the division commander, Yue Qianli’s guerrilla column is far stronger than those miscellaneous troops in Taierzhuang. They are the elite of the Central Army of the Huaxia Government, with a total strength of nearly 3.

In the southern battle of the Battle of Xuzhou, they withstood the attacks of the 3rd and 13th Divisions north of the Huai River for two months. Such a strong force cannot be taken lightly and must be used with all our strength. "

Shinozuka Yoshio seemed to realize that his attack was too broad. He couldn't make too many enemies since he had just arrived, so he changed his face and said:
"Yoshi, Yue Qianli's work, this is indeed a strong enemy. Only by defeating such a strong enemy can the Tenth Division make a comeback;

Since Mr. Seya and Mr. Setake are determined to fight the guerrilla column at Kuroishi Ferry, the division headquarters will provide them with sufficient air fire support.

Tell you guys, if we are going to fight, we must win. I will coordinate the air support they need. I just want the Black Stone Ferry!"

Di Bujiagui turned away with a chuckle, and Shinozuka Yoshio's expression became serious again. It was time to change an obedient chief of staff. At Heishi Ferry, a large number of ships continuously transported the Japanese reinforcements to the south bank. The defenders pretended not to see it and did not fire to stop them.
The defenders' artillery shells were very valuable, and they also reported the Japanese reinforcements to the column headquarters. Lao Yue suggested that letting them come would result in too many casualties, so it would be more cost-effective to lure the enemy deep into their territory.

Gao Zhisong also breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the most in-depth instructions from the column headquarters. The casualties in a positional battle with the Japanese were too high, so it would be more convenient to send them into the mountainous area to fight.
Just when he was worrying about not being able to find a reason to retreat, the Japanese sent a large number of reinforcements to Heishifu. He finally had an excuse, so he ordered the 1st Battalion to abandon the core position of Heishifu and retreat to the back mountain.

After receiving the order, Liao Lingqi immediately organized a follow-up, leaving only one company behind. Such a large movement naturally could not be hidden from the Japanese, so they excitedly sent hundreds of people to pursue;

Gao Zhisong had already prepared a backup plan. When the Japanese were chasing him, the artillery battalion, which had been silent for a long time, started to use its power again and launched a barrage of bombardments at the Japanese pursuers.

The Japanese finally faced up to the reality and watched the defenders retreat. They had no heavy firepower and pursuing them would mean giving away their lives. Fortunately, the most difficult period had passed, and the most important thing was to control Heishi Ferry.

Not long after the defenders evacuated, air support coordinated by Yoshio Shinozuka arrived. Dozens of planes came with murderous intent and dropped tons of bombs on Kuroishidu.

Due to poor information flow, the commander of the fleet had no idea that the defenders had evacuated, and it was difficult to clearly distinguish the positions of the enemy and ours, so many bombs fell on the Japanese positions, causing Major Akita to point to the sky and curse:
"Bakayalu, you have lost your conscience. I will report your atrocities to the commander."

The result was another string of bombs and dense machine gun bullets. Major Akita finally realized the situation and squatted in the trench, allowing himself to be ravaged.

Gao Zhisong was very glad that he had evacuated Heishifa in advance, escaped a disaster, and watched a good show. He couldn't help but say to Liao Lingqi:
"Lao Liao, Lao Yue is really amazing. He seemed to know that the Japanese were going to bomb us. When I first received the order, I was a little reluctant and reluctant to give up the position. Now it seems that as long as I listen to Lao Yue, I will not be wrong."

Liao Lingqi looked at the horribly destroyed positions at the foot of the mountain and said with lingering fear:
"If we withdraw a little later, at least 30% of our brothers will be killed or wounded. Practice has proven that with Old Yue in command, we can not only win the battle, but also our brothers will be helped by God."

The two of them flattered each other without any respect, which was a sign of personality cult.

"Personal worship is unacceptable. I am just guessing!"

Inside the column headquarters, facing pairs of admiring eyes, Yue Qianli was unusually humble. Of course, this was only limited to words, as he was already overjoyed in his heart, and the smugness on his face betrayed him.

"Old Yue, the Second Detachment has already set up defenses in the mountains deep inside Heishifu Town, and the First Detachment is also retreating westward. The Japanese will definitely take advantage of the victory to pursue us. What should we do next?"

After the fun, Chief of Staff Chen Zhongyuan asked about an important matter, which was also the answer that the first and second detachments were waiting for.

Yue Qianli thought for a moment and then said:

"Simple, set up defenses in echelons, block the enemy layer by layer, lure the enemy deep into our territory, each of the two detachments will leave a part to block the enemy, while the main force will retreat in two directions, west and southwest.

In the battle at Heishifa, the Japanese had artillery support and could call in aircraft. Once their main force went deep into the mountains, it would be difficult for their artillery and baggage to catch up. Once the battle line was stretched, our chance would come. "

Chen Zhongyuan and others had long since adapted to Yue Qianli's combat thinking. This was just mountain mobile warfare.
If one part is used to block the enemy, the main force can set up an ambush on another part of the enemy at any time, or attack its baggage and artillery. The combat method is much more flexible.

The guerrilla column was happy, and the Japanese were in a good mood as well. Although they lost hundreds of men in the bombing, it was nothing for a division. The most important thing was to successfully capture Heishi Ferry.
As the guerrilla column retreated in large strides, the main force of the Japanese finally succeeded in breaking through Heishifa and then pursued westwards.

The guerrilla column was blocked at every turn and suffered a series of defeats, which greatly emboldened the devils' arrogance.
They had no intention of stopping, and they divided their troops into several groups and pressed forward step by step, their target being Lihu County deep in the Dabie Mountains.

This county was formerly called Jinzhai and was the base of the Red Fourth Front Army. It was later captured by Wei Junru and renamed Lihuangcheng. There is a wide range of red genes here, not to mention fighting the Japanese.

The guerrilla column and its direct-affiliated troops retreated to Lihu first and began to mobilize the masses to build a defense line.

Although the people of Lihuang did not identify with the National Army, when the country was in crisis, they still chose to support the guerrilla column and helped them repair fortifications. Some even signed up to join the army. The people of Dabie Mountains never let their country down.

After the guerrilla column gained a foothold, they waited quietly for the arrival of the Japanese.

(End of this chapter)