Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Chapter 172: Hit wherever you point!

As Li Yunlong expected, not long after he gave the order to hide, the Japanese planes arrived.

A formation of 6 fighters and 8 bombers flew from the east and attacked the positions that the Eighth Route Army had just dug outside the city.

Accompanied by a huge explosion, a sound like a landslide and earth-shattering explosion was heard, and clouds of mud and mist rose up.

"It should be the Japanese plane from Daguo Village Airport in Shimen City."

Li Yunlong narrowed his eyes slightly as he held up a telescope and watched the Japanese planes bombing the positions.

"Commander, how did you know the Japanese planes were going to bomb?"

Zhao Gang glanced at Li Yunlong and couldn't help but admire him secretly. The commander was really good at predicting things.

The power of the Japanese 50kg and 100kg aerial bombs is by no means comparable to that of 150mm artillery shells, let alone small-caliber mortar shells.

If the soldiers were still digging trenches and building machine gun and artillery fortifications on the battlefield at this time, they would have suffered heavy losses in the bombing.

Li Yunlong raised his lips slightly and said, "This is experience. Even if I tell you, you won't understand. Watch carefully and learn from it."

Zhao Gang said, "Not only did the Japanese air support fail to work, but the trenches dug outside the city by our New 1st and Independent Regiments also caused the Japanese to waste a lot of artillery shells. Even though they have a lot of aerial bombs now, they will show signs of fatigue after fighting for a while."

"Oh?" Li Yunlong asked, "Xiao Zhao, how did you figure that out?"

Zhao Gang said, "It's very simple. Japan is an island country with limited land and insufficient resources."

"Under conditions like these, it is difficult to support prolonged overseas operations."

"Once the battle line is stretched too long, it will be difficult for Japan to supply domestic resources, and the possibility of failure will increase."

"The Japanese have been preparing for this war for at least several decades."

"Now is just the beginning. The Japanese have sufficient manpower and combat supplies, but the longer the war goes, the more unfavorable the situation will be for Japan."

Zhao Gang talked freely.

At a time when many people are advocating the theory of national destruction, Zhao Gang has his own views.

"Not bad, Xiao Zhao. You are indeed a top student and intellectual at Yenching University."

After listening to Zhao Gang's words, Li Yunlong now looks at Zhao Gang with more favor.

This guy is not only well-educated, but his marksmanship is also among the best in the New First Regiment.

The first time I participated in a battle, I killed three Japanese soldiers from 250 meters away.

You have to know that Zhao Gang has only been in the army for a few months, but he has such good marksmanship, which is really rare.

A talented person with both civil and military talents.

When it comes to commanding troops in combat, Li Yunlong is far better than Zhao Gang.

However, in terms of overall view, Li Yunlong is indeed inferior to Zhao Gang due to his low level of cultural knowledge.

Zhao Gang said modestly: "My knowledge is nothing. I know all this but I can't kill the devils. To defeat the devils and drive them out of China, we still have to rely on force. Otherwise, everything is just empty talk."

Li Yunlong said, "But it sounds very reasonable. Next time during the group's night class, you can talk about it in detail. I'll go and listen then."

"This is."

Isn’t this the job of the political commissar?
But since it is the order from the leader, I can only carry it out.

After a dozen Japanese planes bombed the area outside Yangquan City, they flew back to Shimen City.

Li Yunlong looked at the watch on his hand. It would be dark in less than an hour. The Japanese planes were less effective in night combat. This should be the last wave of air support today.

However, just in case, Li Yunlong still planned to wait until dark before attacking.

What if during the attack, the Japanese planes from Taiyuan also came to support us?

That would result in huge losses, so we should try to avoid casualties if possible.

……

In the southeast of Shanxi Province, in the Zhuozhang River Valley and Hexi Village area.

The balance of battle has tilted significantly towards the Eighth Route Army.

"Co-captain."

A cavalryman from the 79th Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Army hurriedly rode over to report:
"Report, the main force of the Eighth Route Army has been spotted on the left wing and is encircling our troops."

Now it is very easy for the Japanese to distinguish the main force of the Eighth Route Army. If they wear a steel helmet, a gray wool coat, and rubber-soled shoes, they are definitely the main force of the Eighth Route Army.

"Nani?"

Colonel Kobayashi Hengyi's face changed when he heard this.

After three consecutive attacks, even the attack on Daijiazhai Heights with poison gas bombs, failed, the Japanese planes arrived.

At this time, the Eighth Route Army's artillery positions had already been moved.

The enraged Japanese planes launched a barrage of bombardments on the Daijiazhai Heights and the Eighth Route Army ambush positions on the north bank of the Zhuozhang River.

Under the cover of the dive attacks by Japanese fighters and bombers, Kobayashi Tsuneichi took the opportunity to order the 1st Infantry Battalion to attack.

The soldiers of the 772th Company of the 10nd Regiment defending Daijiazhai faced a Japanese force that was ten times larger than their own, as well as the Japanese air support. They held their positions for more than four hours and all died heroically.

However, before the Japanese could gain a foothold on Daijiazhai Heights, a main battalion of the 115th Regiment of the 689th Division arrived first and recaptured Daijiazhai Heights.

Daijiazhai Heights is related to the success or failure of the division commander's entire center-blooming tactics, and is related to the life and death of the main force of the 79th Infantry Regiment.

Seeing that they were about to capture Daijia Ridge but failed at the last moment, Colonel Kobayashi Hengyi was furious.

He personally led his troops to attack Daijiazhai again, but returned without success.

The main force of the Eighth Route Army that came this time not only has strong firepower, but also has a strong fighting will. Its combat effectiveness is much stronger than the previous batch of Eighth Route Army!
At this moment, Colonel Kobayashi Hengyi was reorganizing his troops and launching a new round of attack.

The regiment's guard company and the 1st Infantry Battalion, with a total strength of more than 1200 people, have suffered nearly half of them casualties.

But! Daijiazhai must be captured at all costs.

"Da da da…"

"Boom boom boom..."

There were intensive gunshots and explosions from the right wing, and an exchange of fire also took place on the right wing.

"kill!"

At the front Daijiazhai position, a battalion of the Eighth Route Army jumped out of the position, and the shouts of the Eighth Route Army filled the mountains and plains.

"Baga, retreat immediately."

Colonel Kobayashi Hengyi gave the order with a change of expression.

The Eighth Route Army actually wanted to encircle them from the left and right wings, attack head-on, and wipe them out in one fell swoop!
If you don’t run now, you’ll be killed!
"Hi!"

Before the Eighth Route Army's encirclement was formed, Colonel Kobayashi Hengyi led the remaining hundreds of defeated soldiers and fled towards Xiangyuan.

"Those damn devils ran pretty fast, what a pity..."

At the Daijiazhai position, Captain Han cursed as he looked at the direction the Japanese were fleeing.

"Captain, the 769th Regiment has arrived!"

A staff officer beside him pointed to the north bank of the Zhuozhang River with a smile on his face.

Captain Han hurriedly looked through the telescope and saw a red flag fluttering on the mountain road. Behind the red flag were Eighth Route Army officers and soldiers, all wearing steel helmets, gray wool coats, and rubber-soled shoes.

If it’s not the 769th Regiment, who else could it be?

"The Third Battalion will continue to defend Daijia Ridge to prevent the Japanese from returning."

Captain Han gave the order in a decisive tone:
"Other troops, follow me back to the Zhuozhang River Valley for the main attack!"

"Yes!"

……

"Brigade Commander, the 769th Regiment has arrived!"

Inside the brigade headquarters, a staff officer ran in quickly to report with a happy look on his face.

"Finally here!" The brigade commander looked happy and relieved at the same time.

The Japanese troops surrounded in the Hexi Village area of ​​the Zhuozhang River Valley are still resisting stubbornly.

The 771st and 772nd Regiments also suffered heavy casualties when bombed by Japanese planes.

It would not be a problem for the two main regiments of the 386th Brigade to defeat the remaining Japanese troops, but the casualties would be heavy.

But if the 769th Regiment had not arrived yet, he would have to order a general attack, because a large number of Japanese reinforcements were also rushing here.

At this moment, reinforcements from the two main regiments have arrived.

The total strength of the four main regiments was about 4 people, and there were only more than 1 Japanese soldiers left in the ambush circle.

The advantage is mine.

It's time to launch a general offensive!
"The general attack begins!"

After the 769th and 689th main regiments arrived at the designated location, the brigade commander issued the order for a general attack without hesitation.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

Amidst the mountain-shaking shouts of killing, the Eighth Route Army officers and soldiers rushed towards the devils all over the mountains and plains like tigers descending from the mountains.

The Japanese soldiers who had managed to survive regained their tough nature. They first fired at the Eighth Route Army with machine guns. When they saw that the Eighth Route Army had rushed to them, they stood up, raised their bayonets and launched a counterattack without any fear.

Hand-to-hand combat is about to break out!
On his way to escape, Colonel Kobayashi Hengyi encountered the 107th Infantry Regiment coming to reinforce from Xiangyuan.

Kobayashi Hengyi seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw, so he and the 107th Infantry Regiment charged towards Daijiazhai.

……

Yangquan.

As it got dark, the Independent Regiment and the New 1st Regiment sharpened their weapons and prepared to attack the city.

"Zhu Zi, place the mountain artillery and infantry artillery here."

In the trench position of the New 1st Regiment during the day, Li Yunlong spoke to Wang Chengzhu and arranged the tactics in a hurry.

On the other side, the independent regiment commander Kong Jie had led the main force of the independent regiment and seized Lion Head Mountain and Yangquan Station under the cover of night.

"The key to this battle lies in whether your artillery battalion's 75mm mountain cannon can blast through the city wall!"

Li Yunlong spoke to Wang Chengzhu with an expectant tone.

The trenches were surrounded by large craters caused by Japanese aerial bombs.

Wang Chengzhu licked his lips. "Don't worry, Commander. I've observed carefully during the day. Last time the Japanese 20th Division attacked Yangquan City, they used howitzers to knock down a section of the eastern wall. Although it's been repaired, it's definitely not as strong as the rest of the wall. I'll use 14 mountain cannons to target that single point and I'm sure I'll be able to bring down the wall."

新一团12门75毫米山炮，加上独立团2门75毫米山炮，一共14门山炮。

The ancient city wall of Yangquan is high and thick, five meters high. There is a wide horse path on the wall for carriages. The wall is built with glutinous rice juice and mortar, which is extremely strong. The intact and neat battlements reflect the tactical characteristics of the cold weapon era.

There is a moat outside the east city wall, but due to the passage of time, the moat has dried up and silted up, and the water from Taohe River cannot be brought in.

Li Yunlong looked satisfied: "You are quite observant, then let's bomb that point. Let me see tonight the results of your artillery battalion's two months of firing a basic number of training rounds."

"hey-hey!"

Wang Chengzhu chuckled and said confidently, "Indirect fire may not be accurate, but direct fire will hit wherever my soldiers point."

(End of this chapter)