Rise From Eight Hundred

May 30, 1938!

On the 10th day of the Southeast Shanxi Campaign launched by the Japanese North China Front Army, according to the original plan, a total of ten armies in the four directions of east, west, south and north had broken through the Chinese army's defense line during this period of time and broke into the hinterland of the Taihang Mountains. While carrying out the final annihilation of the enemy who had no time to retreat, they could also carry out a "three-light" sweep of the Chinese mountain people in the Taihang Mountains.

At this time, the Taihang Mountains in China should have been a river of blood and corpses everywhere!

However, all three Japanese armies failed to achieve their pre-war plans. Only the 108th Division completed its tactical goals and destroyed the houses in several large towns in the Taihang Mountains, and also destroyed some seedlings planted in the mountains.

However, this is fine. The Japanese North China Front Army Headquarters had long considered the factors that would cause the battle to go wrong, such as obstacles to the attack and difficult marches due to bad weather. The 16th Division and the 2nd Mixed Brigade all prepared sufficient supplies before the expedition, and there were also aircraft groups dropping supplies according to the requests of commanders at all levels, so there was no shortage of ammunition, food, and medicine.

But what made Xiang Yue Qingshi headache was that, except for the 108th Division, which "smoothly" completed the combat mission and desperately retreated, the casualties of all the units were unexpectedly large. The 2nd Mixed Division alone suffered thousands of casualties, which made it impossible for the transport team he organized to transport so many bodies and wounded soldiers.

Even in a truck bed, the bodies had no dignity and were piled up like wood, and they could not transport all the casualties transported from the battlefield by various combat units.

Not to mention that the battle has not yet ended, even up to now, the number of casualties counted by various units has exceeded 12,000, which is close to one-third of the Xuzhou battle.

But that was a large-scale battle with 800,000 troops on both sides! Unlike here, both sides only invested more than 200,000. Even if the final battle really achieved all tactical goals as expected before the war, this huge number of casualties would be enough to shock the front army headquarters!

For this reason, as early as three days ago, Xiang Yue Qingshi, who was already somewhat exasperated, scolded the commander of the Second Mixed Brigade, Yamamoto, who suffered the most casualties.

Although the Second Mixed Brigade was not a direct unit of his First Army, and the number of deaths was something that the big boss of the front army headquarters should worry about, but now the Second Mixed Brigade was fighting under Xiang Yue Qingshi, and the shocking casualties had to be put on the head of him, the commander of the Eastern Route Army.

He was already dissatisfied with Yamamoto, the arrogant guy, and this guy was just a major general brigade commander, so there was no need to give him any face. How could Xiang Yue Qingshi, who had a big head, not vent his anger on him?

Yamamoto, who was already angry because of the heavy casualties of the headquarters and was scolded by his temporary superior, and the key was that he had no outstanding achievements to refute, what was your mood?

It is estimated that among all the Japanese general-level officers participating in the war in the entire war zone, he was the most aggrieved, no one else.

However, on the night of May 29, the Chinese army that had been fighting with his Second Mixed Brigade actually ran away. It was thought that they could not bear the huge casualties. This made the anxious Japanese Army Major General who was almost depressed feel better.

The Chinese defense line had been broken, and the road ahead of his Second Mixed Brigade was smooth. Even if the 108th Division ran away, it didn't matter. The Chinese mountain people living in the mountainous area of ​​nearly 100 square kilometers would all become his dead souls.

Victory is at hand!

Just as Yamamoto received the news from the front reconnaissance scouts that the Chinese army retreated more than 10 kilometers, according to the analysis of the marching traces, their main force was disintegrating into the deep mountains on both wings, and the mountains in the rear were much flatter than the previous fierce battle area. Even if they fought again, the difficulty would be much less. When he breathed a sigh of relief.

An infantry battalion deployed by Yamamoto in the rear for alert sent a telegram: a fierce battle broke out 20 kilometers away, and a transport convoy used to transport corpses and wounded soldiers was ambushed by the Chinese army and the entire army was wiped out!

Shanwen is definitely a qualified general. Even when the battle on the front line was the most intense, he never thought of calling on his elite infantry battalion deployed 10 kilometers away to guard his rear wing.

Even though various intelligence showed that the Chinese army in southeastern Shanxi had deployed all its division-level organizations, the only one that had not yet been discovered was an infantry regiment called the Four-Line Regiment. An infantry regiment had no more than 3,000 people. How could it pose a threat to his mixed brigade with more than 10,000 soldiers?

But Shanwen would not let his rear be empty. He firmly believed that it was extremely stupid and stupid to put his safety in the hands of others. Only guarding it by himself would be the most reassuring.

The battle lasted more than 10 days. It was precisely in the face of his caution that the rear wing had been stable. This was also one of the reasons why he dared to attack the enemy in front of him with all his strength.

But now, the enemy was found in the rear 20 kilometers away.

Looking at the telegram in front of him, Shanwen, who lowered his head and pondered for a few seconds, was suddenly shocked.

A major general of the Imperial Japanese Army certainly would not panic because a transport convoy was ambushed and wiped out. What frightened him was why the Chinese were active in an area that had been determined to be safe.

A transport convoy, in wartime, generally would have at least one infantry squad escorting it throughout the journey. Even if the Chinese wanted to ambush and kill them all, they would need at least one infantry company or even more.

"Order Major Weaver to immediately find out which Chinese army is responsible for this attack, and immediately expand the scope of reconnaissance to see which Chinese troops are moving on the rear flank of our army." Yamashita issued the military order with a gloomy face. .

Not only that, Yamashita once again went beyond the level to request Major General Eagle II of the Intelligence Section of the North China Front Army Headquarters, hoping to obtain more information about the deployment of Chinese troops in the southeastern Shanxi region.

The entire Second Mixed Brigade was originally using the infantry brigade as a unit to search and seize the defense lines that the Chinese army had completely abandoned and stride forward. However, this major general's brigade was uneasy because of an insignificant piece of intelligence. Under the order of the regiment commander, the advance was stopped and the troops entered a defensive state relying on the currently occupied fortification positions.

The Chinese can use more than 20,000 people to turn this place into a flesh and blood mill that consumes the lives of soldiers on both sides. The second mixed brigade can also do it. According to Yamashita's rough estimate, even if the Chinese gather an army of 50,000 people and are in a defensive state The second mixed brigade can also fight against it for more than half a month.

Of course, this was just the worst-case scenario that passed through his mind. It was hard for him to believe that a small Chinese army in southeastern Shanxi would deploy such a huge force. The 16th Division and the 109th Division alone had already held back more than 80,000 Chinese troops. , plus the more than 20,000 Chinese troops here, it is already nearly 100,000. This is the main reason why the Zhazha 108th Division can go deep alone.

Otherwise, how could He De, the 108th Division, become the first imperial army to break through the Chinese army's defense lines and enter its hinterland?

Unfortunately, the worst case scenario finally happened.

First, the captain of the infantry battalion that he left on the rear wing, Zhizao Futaki, telegraphed to him in great panic: "The enemy troops have fled from where the transport convoy was in pieces. It is impossible to determine which unit they are from China, but there are a large number of 9mm caliber bullet casings and Czech-made bullets left at the scene. Rifle shells. At the same time, the Chinese laid a large number of mines on the roads at all costs. This was also the main reason why the transport team consisting of 16 trucks and escorted by an infantry squad was completely destroyed.

In addition, 6 of the 8 elite squads sent by the brigade were attacked by the Chinese army, and all of them were killed without exception. The subordinates had reason to suspect that a large number of Chinese elite troops had gathered on the rear flank of our mixed brigade. "

If this was just a guess, Major General Yamashita just frowned at that time, but the intelligence coming from the North China Front Army's Intelligence Section at dusk gave him a blow to the head.

The 683rd Brigade under the Chinese 80th Group Army disappeared from the battlefield. Yesterday afternoon, the First Army Headquarters in Lucheng reported the information to the Second Mixed Brigade.

Even though the 683rd Brigade is called by the Japanese as the most powerful infantry brigade in the southeastern Shanxi region of China, an infantry brigade has limited strength and cannot pose any threat to the 2nd Mixed Brigade. The 108th Division is the only one. The best thing to pinch is that the Japanese generals, including Xiang Yue Qingshi, made almost unanimous judgments yesterday. The Chinese 683rd Brigade may be planning on the 108th Division with the Si Xing Regiment that has never appeared.

How could they have taken advantage of the 108th Division two months ago? It is perfectly normal to have such psychological logic.

However, when the message personally sent by Major General Takashi from the Front Army Intelligence Section arrived in the hands of Major General Yamashita, Major General Yamashita was really shocked and angry. His eyes went dark and he almost was sent away on the spot.

The Chinese side actually transferred an infantry corps from the Central Military Department into the Taihang Mountains 12 days ago, two days before the front army was still dispatching troops and generals to prepare to launch the Southeast Shanxi Campaign.

An infantry army has at least 30,000 soldiers.

In normal times, for the proud man like Yamashita, even if there were 100,000 Chinese people, not to mention a mere 30,000 Chinese, he would not frown. The front army has invested nearly 80,000 troops this time, and the Chinese side does not have 200,000. Even if they are bound to lose, these 30,000 more people are just here to die.

But after these six days of fierce fighting, he not only saw the steepness of China's Taihang Mountains, and how difficult it was to defend and attack, far beyond his expectation, but he also saw the terrifying tenacity of the Chinese soldiers who fought tooth and nail.

It could be said that his second mixed brigade conquered the opponent's defense line, but it would be better to say that the opponent retreated on his own initiative, and a similar line of defense might be created for him somewhere.

This battle was overwhelming, and it was a draw.

Another 30,000 will really cost you your life.

At least, in the mind of Yamashita, who has lost a lot of his pride, if these 30,000 people come to attack him, at least half of his second mixed brigade will not be able to return to their hometown.

However, compared to the Chinese quietly recruiting 30,000 people to enter the battlefield, the Empire made a mistake in estimating the number of Chinese troops participating in the war. What frightened Yamashita even more was that the Chinese actually hid themselves until now. Didn't show up.

It would be most reasonable if the Chinese used these 30,000 people to block the path forward of the 108th Division from the beginning. 30,000 versus 20,000, plus the legendary Four Lines Regiment with very strong combat effectiveness. It's a defensive state, so holding the line of defense shouldn't be a big problem.

But the Chinese did not do this. They just opened a hole and allowed the 108th Division to break into its hinterland and wreak havoc.

Finally, let it retreat calmly.

"Retreat calmly?" When these four words kept popping up in Yamashita's mind, Yamashita always felt that something was wrong.

"Maeda-kun, give me the battle report of those idiots in the 108th Division from the past few days." Yamashita tried his best to stay calm and said to his brigade chief of staff.

In order to make this battle go smoothly, Xiang Yue Qingshi came up with a new trick. He would report the important battle reports sent to the headquarters by three divisions and a mixed brigade to the rest of the divisions. This was to let the divisions understand the intentions of the friendly forces and adjust their tactics at any time according to the friendly forces' battle situation.

In the future, it will be called information sharing.

"The packhorses collectively had diarrhea

A large number of people were infected with dysentery, with an infection rate of one in ten

A small number of Chinese people continuously harassed the army, but were all repelled

Food reserves were reduced, and drinking water was insufficient due to disease problems

Chinese troops appeared on the way to evacuation, and our division accelerated the marching speed"

Yamamoto's eyes quickly swept over the battle report, and his eyes gradually became terrified, "No, the 108th Division was scared away by the Chinese."

The 108th Division suffered a major defeat two months ago and was supplemented with more than 4,000 new soldiers. Whether psychologically or practically, it was actually the weakest of the four directions. Logically speaking, if the Chinese want to make achievements in a certain direction, they are the best choice.

But they have evacuated smoothly and have now arrived in Licheng.

But how many Chinese troops were involved in this successfully evacuated imperial army? So far, only a small number of Chinese appeared in their battle reports, which means that the Chinese army with more than 130,000 troops is focused on the other three directions.

The 16th Division involved 40,000 to 50,000 people, and the 109th Division involved more than 30,000 people. Where are the more than 50,000 Chinese troops?

Where else can they be except his Second Mixed Brigade.

No wonder the 683rd Brigade can disappear from the defense line against the 16th Division, and no wonder the legendary most elite Four-Line Regiment can be missing all the time. It turns out that it is all because of the existence of this infantry army that was not in the plan.

After figuring out this section, Yamamoto did not feel relieved at all, but was shocked and sweating.

Because the Chinese target may not be someone else, but his Second Mixed Brigade.

A missing 683rd Brigade plus a 4th Brigade that never came out may not do much for his mixed brigade with 7,500 troops left, but what if the two infantry divisions that can still fight are added, or one more infantry division is added?

The ratio of the two sides' forces will reach 6 to 1 or even 7 to 1, which is definitely a data that will make any general's back shudder.

Even from the battle report of the 108th Division's smooth advance and smooth withdrawal, Yamamoto had a hunch that perhaps from the beginning of the battle, the Chinese commander had set his sights on his second mixed brigade.

In fact, compared with the other three divisions with 20,000 troops, his mixed brigade with 12,000 troops and a monopoly in one direction is indeed the weakest.

The front army is considering how to destroy the survival potential of the Taihang Mountains, but the Chinese are playing an ambitious idea.

They want to kill an imperial army in an organized manner and deal a heavy blow to the front army, just like they did in the Battle of Taierzhuang.

Thinking of this, Yamamoto discovered that despite the different geographical environments, the tactics were almost the same.

However, they all paralyzed the opponent first, making the opponent think that the opponent was already trapped and fighting, and then using the defensive terrain to make the attacker bite his teeth and attack, and he also put on a desperate posture, and threw a team of soldiers into a deadly situation without hesitation, forcing the opponent to do so, if for nothing else, just to consume the opponent's combat power to the minimum;

Finally, when the opponent's troops were exhausted and there was no reinforcement in a short time, he sent a huge force far exceeding the opponent to swallow it up in one bite.

Of course, the only difference from Taierzhuang was that the Chinese, who had already mobilized heavy troops to quietly approach him, left him a high ground that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

His Second Mixed Brigade could completely rely on this high ground to defend and wait for help!

Then, he gave the Chinese an unimaginable blow, letting them know that his Second Mixed Brigade was not the cowardly 108th Division that ran away when scared. If you want to kill them, you have to pay a sufficient price.

However, what made the Japanese Army Major General, whose eyes were full of shock and anger, entangled was that even if he dealt a heavy blow to the Chinese and made them pay a terrible price, so what?

Can his Second Mixed Brigade hold out until reinforcements arrive?

The 16th Division and the 109th Division are still fighting with the Chinese. They can't take care of themselves. Do they have enough troops to support them? As for the 108th Division, Yamamoto didn't dare to count on it. He even believed that as long as there was a Chinese infantry division to set up a line of defense, the group of cowards in the 108th Division would not be able to break through.

If other military forces sent other support and transferred a large army from Pingjin hundreds of kilometers away, it would probably only serve to collect the bodies for his Second Mixed Brigade!

At least within a week, his Second Mixed Brigade would not be able to wait for any support.

The original rough estimate that it could hold out for half a month under the attack of 50,000 troops was because it was false, but now that the authenticity is as high as 90%, Yamamoto feels that it is lucky to hold out for a week.

This mentality is like a couple in love. Xia Jiba said that they didn't have to pay, so when they swore, they would go through fire and water. But when the lava was right in front of them, there was no man left who could swear.

Ha, man!

To put it bluntly, the Second Mixed Brigade could use the terrain to kill 10,000 or even 20,000 Chinese. His Second Mixed Brigade was probably almost finished by then. Even his Major General Yamamoto's head might have been hung on the cliff of Taihang Mountain.

That's the rhythm of killing a thousand enemies and killing a thousand yourself!

Less than 15 kilometers away from the entangled major general, a certain regiment member was smilingly asking the chief officers of the 683 brigade: "Yamashita has these three options at the moment. Brother, Xiaoqiang, and Commander Xu, what do you think of Yamashita? What will you choose?”

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ps: I went out because of something else yesterday, so I didn’t update, sorry!