Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Chapter 328 The whole country is shocked!

Yamamoto's special forces were fleeing Liao County.

They were stopped by a battalion of the New 2nd Brigade of the Eighth Route Army.

However, the firepower of Yamamoto's special forces was too strong.

Even though the soldiers fought bravely, the battalion was unable to stop Yamamoto's special forces.

He forced his special forces team to tear open a gap and escape.

The battalion suffered more than 120 casualties, and Yamamoto's special forces suffered 8 casualties.

Simultaneously.

The Tiger Commandos, who were lying in ambush at the emergency retreat site planned for the Yamamoto Special Forces, received an order from headquarters.

Xiong Shanglin led the Tiger Commando Team to attack quickly and eliminated a squadron that was supporting Yamamoto's special forces.

The Japanese suffered 180 casualties, and two people from the Tiger Commando Team were slightly injured.

In the direction of Baijin Highway, with the destruction of the Japanese division headquarters and observation group, the remaining Japanese were suddenly left in a leaderless situation.

By evening, the battle was essentially over.

The Japanese and puppet troops in the encirclement were basically killed.

If the Japanese 123rd Infantry Regiment and the Engineer Regiment outside the encirclement had not run fast, they would have been almost surrounded by the Eighth Route Army reserve troops that had circled behind them.

These two Japanese regiments also suffered heavy casualties when attacking the New Third Regiment.

However, in an ambush area as long as 15 kilometers, if the troops are not particularly sufficient, there is no guarantee that all the Japanese will be killed.

A small number of Japanese soldiers fled from both sides of the road, but most of them stayed on the Baijin Highway.

The Eighth Route Army quickly retreated with a large number of captured weapons, ammunition and combat supplies.

the next day.

The 20th and 21st Divisions, which had marched overnight, arrived at the Baijin Highway.

Looking at the Baijin Highway littered with Japanese soldiers' corpses.

Lieutenant General Ushijima Mitsutomu, commander of the 20th Division, and Lieutenant General Washizu Touhei, commander of the 21st Division, broke through the defenses on the spot.

The Japanese dug several large pits on the Baijin Highway to burn their corpses.

It is said that the Baijin Highway was filled with a foul stench that day, and the stench could be smelled as far as 10 kilometers away.

Even the stage was dismantled, and the audience and supporting actors were killed.

After burning the Japanese corpses, the Japanese from the three divisions carried out a retaliatory raid in the guerrilla zone and then quickly returned to the occupied area.

……

"What do you mean?"

"The Eighth Route Army completely wiped out the Japanese 108th Division, killing its commander, Motojiro Taniguchi, and Lieutenant General Isotani, Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army?"

In the Luliang Mountains of western Shanxi, in the Operations Department of the Second War Zone Headquarters, Yan Laoxi was holding a meeting to plan the defense of western Shanxi. When he heard the news that the 108th Division had been completely wiped out, his face was full of horror.

Chief of Staff Chu Xichun, who came to report, also had his eyes wide open, his face full of shock.

Not only Chu Xichun and Yan Laoxi, but also Yang Aiyuan, Sun Chu and others were all in disbelief.
It’s so explosive!

Chu Xichun nodded, his tone shocked. "Yes, the Eighth Route Army Headquarters has already issued a telegram to the whole country, calling on the military and civilians to unite and defeat the Japanese invaders."

"That's a lie!" a combat staff officer's eyes and tone were filled with doubt. "The 108th Division is a special division after all. How could it be completely wiped out by the Eighth Route Army in such a short time? Back then, a single Japanese brigade defeated thirty of our divisions. How could the Japanese be so vulnerable?"

"This is true," Chu Xichun said. "Our Taiyuan intelligence organization just confirmed this news. Upon hearing the news, First Army Commander Yoshio Shinozuka fainted on the spot. Upon waking up, he immediately attempted to commit seppuku, but was stopped by his Chief of Staff, Mutaguchi Ren'ya."

Yang Aiyuan's face was filled with confusion and shock: "How on earth did the Eighth Route Army do it?"

After all, the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army had just experienced the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army some time ago.

The main force of the Sixth Army of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army went to attack Taiyuan, but was ambushed by the Japanese army on the Fenhe Plain.

Later, the intelligence department found out that the Sixth Army was ambushed by a Japanese infantry regiment and a cavalry regiment, plus a puppet army cavalry regiment.

The 6 main forces of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army were defeated by less than Japanese and puppet troops, and an entire cavalry division was lost. It was a disgrace.

However, Yan Laoxi was shameless enough to claim that the reason why the Eighth Route Army achieved a great victory in the Xinzhou battlefield, in which it severely damaged the 25th Brigade of the Japanese Army, was entirely due to the Sixth Army of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army's sneak attack on Taiyuan, which delayed the main force of the Japanese and puppet troops in Taiyuan.

He also took the opportunity to apply to Principal Chang for a batch of weapons, ammunition and combat supplies. However, Principal Chang was not so easy to fool. Chiang Kai-shek, who knew the real situation, ignored Yan Laoxi at all, which made Yan Laoxi so angry that he cursed at Chiang Kai-shek.

Just over a month after the Xinzhou battle, the Eighth Route Army wiped out an entire Japanese division on the Baijin Highway.

The 108th Division was not an ordinary division of the Japanese Army, but a fully staffed special division.

A few days ago, the main force of a Japanese division advanced towards western Shanxi, frightening the senior officials of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.

So Yan Laoxi held an emergency meeting today to strengthen the defense of the western Shanxi defense line and prepared to return to Qiulin Town.

"The intelligence department received information that it was an ambush," Chu Xichun said in a still shocked tone, "The main force of the 108th Division entered the ambush circle of the Eighth Route Army on the Baijin Highway."

Sun Chu asked doubtfully, "The 108th Division has more than 108 troops. The Eighth Route Army would need at least to complete the ambush. The Japanese are so well-equipped. Can the Eighth Route Army defeat the th Division?"

"Things are different now." Yan Laoxi was very clear about this and sighed, "The Eighth Route Army is now more powerful. Some of the Jinzhong troops and the main force of the 129th Division are much better equipped than the Japanese army."

Yan Laoxi has been operating in Shanxi for decades, and in some aspects of intelligence, he is even more capable than the Japanese army.

He already knew that the Eighth Route Army's weapons and equipment were so advanced because they were obtained by Li Yunlong.

The weapons and equipment produced by the aid channels behind Li Yunlong were much better than those of the Japanese.

The reason why Yan Laoxi wanted to bribe Li Yunlong to join him was mainly because he wanted the aid channels behind Li Yunlong.

but.

Yan Laoxi was rather stingy and was even more afraid of getting nothing, so he only promised Li Yunlong a blank check to become a division commander.

After all, with the strength shown by the Jinzhong base area today, the entire Jinsui Army cannot defeat it even if they are combined together.

Even though his letter had reached Li Yunlong's hands, Li Yunlong ignored him completely, and Yan Laoxi was helpless.

Yang Aiyuan asked tentatively, "Commander, what about Principal Chang's order..."

Ever since the Eighth Route Army won consecutive victories and grew stronger, Principal Chang, who was far away in the mountain city, began to get anxious and ordered Yan Laoxi to restrict the development of the Eighth Route Army. Yan Laoxi himself also had ideas in this regard.

In Yan Laoxi's view, the Eighth Route Army, the Central Army and the Japanese Army were all here to seize his territory and were all enemies. Whoever had the stronger military force would own Shanxi in the future.

Moreover, Yan Laoxi and the Eighth Route Army Headquarters were competing for the command of the Shanxi New Army.

Yan Laoxi narrowed his eyes, a hint of coldness in his gaze. "Send Principal Chang's order intact to the Eighth Route Army headquarters to stir up conflict between the Eighth Route Army and Principal Chang. As for command of the new army, we must strive to gain it. Warn all units to avoid friction with the Eighth Route Army as much as possible. We will not interfere with the Eighth Route Army."

The Eighth Route Army is currently too powerful, and Yan Laoxi feels that he cannot afford to offend it.

All the officers said in unison: "Yes!"

……

Shortly after.

Dagushan.

Headquarters of the 358th Regiment of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.

"What did you say?"

"The commander of the Eighth Route Army who completely annihilated the Japanese 108th Division on the Baijin Highway was Li Yunlong?"

Chu Yunfei, who was reviewing the Eighth Route Army's victory at Baijin on the sand table with Sun Ming and Fang Ligong, suddenly turned around after listening to a report from a staff officer.

His face was full of disbelief and shock.

"How could it be Li Yunlong? Isn't he in the Jinzhong base?" Fang Ligong's tone suddenly rose.

In Fang Ligong's opinion, Li Yunlong was uneducated and had never attended military school. Even though he won some battles, it was just his bravery. There was nothing commendable about his tactics.

But the person he looked down upon actually won such a great victory, a victory that had never been won in the whole country.

This made Fang Ligong feel very uncomfortable.

Chu Yunfei and Fang Ligong had similar thoughts. How could a peasant who had never attended military school be so powerful?
"This information was just sent by the headquarters."

The communications officer also had a look of shock on his face. After handing the information to Chu Yunfei, he turned around and left quickly.

"Brother Yunlong, you really impressed me."

After reading the information sent by the headquarters, Chu Yunfei couldn't help but smile bitterly, feeling a little envious and jealous.

He suddenly remembered what Li Yunlong had said to him the last time he'd delivered a letter to the Jinzhong base. Li Yunlong had said, "Brother Yunfei, with your military prowess, staying in the Jinsui Army is a waste of talent. Yan Laoxi is merely a warlord in a corner of Shanxi, not a wise leader. In the face of national crisis, I know Brother Yunfei is unwilling to get involved in factional disputes and only desires democracy, independence, and freedom. This aligns perfectly with the Eighth Route Army's ideals for the War of Resistance."

Chu Yunfei didn't take it seriously at the time, but now Chu Yunfei thought that Li Yunlong was trying to win him over and steal Commander Yan's girlfriend.

I'm sorry to disappoint Brother Yunlong. You, Brother Yunlong, have faith, and so do I, Chu Yunfei.

Then Chu Yunfei wrote a congratulatory telegram to Li Yunlong and asked the telegraph soldier to send it to Li Yunlong. In the telegram, Chu Yunfei praised Li Yunlong for killing and wounding more than 20,000 Japanese invaders in one battle, saying that he had the heroic spirit of Bai Qi in the Warring States Period and could be called the God of Killing in the Republic of China.

At the same time, the Eighth Route Army's "New China Daily" headline: The Eighth Route Army completely wiped out the Japanese 108th Division on the Baijin Highway and killed two lieutenant generals.

As expected, this headline immediately caused an uproar in the country as soon as it was released. Countless people took to the streets to set off firecrackers to celebrate, making it even more lively than the Chinese New Year.

After hearing that the commander of this battle was Li Yunlong, countless aspiring young people and intellectuals prepared to go to Shanxi to join Li Yunlong's troops.

(End of this chapter)