Rise From Eight Hundred

This unexpected encounter almost exposed the Fourth Army Regiment to the Japanese army in North China during the march, but Shen Laoliu's experience and the strong combat effectiveness of the 3rd Platoon of the Reconnaissance Company made up for all this.

Within two days, there was no trace of Japanese troops within a radius of 10 kilometers.

 The four main battalions of the Si Xing Regiment entered the Zhongtiao Mountain defense line through the 20-kilometer-long hilly area that night.

The rest of the troops who arrived on the second day also quietly waited in the mountains for the next night.

The local people had heard the faint roar, but they had no idea that such a large army would pass by the edge of the village in the silent night.

At 5 o'clock in the morning on December 6, two chief officers, Tang Dao and Ye Chenghuan, came to meet Commander Zhao at the mountain pass.

Based on the current relationship between Tang Dao and Commander Zhao, Commander Zhao is naturally worried about the future of Tang Dao leading his four-pronged expedition to Central China. He rarely warned Tang Dao to be more cautious during breakfast. It was like a father warning about the upcoming expedition. The concern for his son who traveled far away made Tang Dao feel warmer in his heart.

After eating a very simple breakfast, Tang Dao was about to return to the regiment headquarters and lead his troops to continue westward. The battle situation was reported from the fifth theater. The Japanese army was approaching Yiling again, and Yiling had begun to retreat.

 Commander Zhao insisted on sending him off. Along the way, the old man and the young man exchanged their views on the current war situation in Central and North China.

"If the Ministry of Military Affairs wants to transfer the 4th Army Group, Brother Zhao, what will you do?" Tang Dao suddenly stopped and looked at the mountains with a faint look.

Although the war situation in North China is now stable, the shadow of the great defeat at Zhongtiao Mountain in time and space has never been removed from Tang Dao's heart.

Tang Daotai knew the main reason for the defeat in the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain. Some people said that the senior generals of Zhongtiao Mountain were corrupt and irresponsible. Others said that some troops oppressed and oppressed the people during the garrison, which was comparable to the Japanese invaders. Some people said that it was because of the Japanese invaders. The Japanese army's firepower was so fierce that the defenders simply couldn't beat it.

But in Tang Dao's view, these are only secondary factors at best, just tactical issues.

  The humiliating defeat in the middle of 1941 was purely a strategic mistake.

On the surface, the Second Theater Command has jurisdiction over Zhongtiao Mountain, Taihang Mountain and all troops north of the Yellow River. However, in fact, the command of Zhongtiao Mountain does not lie with the theater headquarters, but with the commander named Wei.

If the commander surnamed Wei is in Nakajo Mountain, his ability may not be enough to deal with Kamiokamura Koji, but it is more than enough to deal with a Japanese general of Shinozuka Geio's level.

Moreover, Zhongtiao Mountain has high mountains and dangerous roads, and the depth of the defense line can reach 20 kilometers. There are 200,000 troops and various defense fortifications built for more than 2 years. Even if there is no counterattack, the 100,000 Japanese troops want to defeat it, it will be thousands of times. Difficulties abound.

 But the problem lies with the commander named Wei. Before the war, he was not at his command post, but in the mountain city.

 How can a defense line without its own supreme commander, which can only fight independently, block the Japanese advance from all over the place?

Just like a large embankment, if one part breaks, the torrential flood will submerge all the fertile land behind the defense line, and no one will be spared.

The same was true in the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain. On the afternoon of May 7, 1941, 100,000 Japanese troops attacked Zhongtiao Mountain in four directions. The Japanese troops on the North Route took Yuanqu from Hengling Pass; the West Route troops marched eastward from Xia County, Wenxi and Zhangmao Avenues to invade Wangjiahe Taizhai Village; the East Route invaded Jiyuan and Mengxian County; the Japanese troops on the Northeast Front Line marched from Qinshui, They attacked Dong Feng in Yangcheng area.

Facing the fierce offensive of the Japanese army, most of the 200,000-strong Chinese army could not resist the Japanese army and abandoned the ground one after another.

The few troops fought desperately with the Japanese army, inflicting considerable damage to the Japanese army and suffering heavy casualties themselves.

For example, the Tang Huaiyuan Department of the 3rd Army, the Cunxingqi Department of the 12th Division, and the Samurai Min Department of the 98th Army were all outnumbered. All three generals died on the spot, and the positions were eventually occupied by the Japanese army.

After May 12, all defensive positions of the defenders were breached. The Japanese army divided the Chinese army's defense line into northern and southern parts, occupied Yuanqu, Jiyuan, Mengxian, Pinglu and other places, blocked all crossings of the Yellow River, and completed the attack on the Yellow River. The defenders of Zhongtiao Mountain were surrounded inside and outside.

 On May 13, after the defenders were divided and surrounded by the Japanese army, the Japanese army began to brutally raid various areas of Zhongtiao Mountain. In order to ensure that the main force would not be annihilated by the Japanese army, the Zhongtiao Mountain defenders left a small force to continue resisting, and the large force began to break through and retreat.

Led by its general, the 5th Army led the remnants of the 3rd Army, 14th Army and 94th Division to break through the Japanese blockade, crossed the Fenhe River and the Yellow River, and moved to Luoyang and Xin'an.

After the 14th Army fell in Yuanqu County, it broke out with the Gao Guizi Department of the 17th Army and headed north. On May 18, all units of the 14th Army entered Hancheng, Shaanxi and successfully broke through.

 The two main group armies withdrew from Zhongtiao Mountain, and other units also broke through and retreated.

 On May 27, the Japanese army completely occupied the southern Shanxi area north of the Yellow River, and the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain ended with a disastrous defeat for the Chinese side.

In that battle, the Chinese suffered 42,000 casualties and more than 30,000 prisoners, while the Japanese army numbered only a few thousand. The ratio of losses in the offensive and defensive battles was so exaggerated that it was shocking.

 This is why the person angrily called this battle the most humiliating battle for China in the Anti-Japanese War.

 But that person may just be blaming himself.

From the perspective of Tang Dao, the future little butterfly, that person bears the brunt of the responsibility for the failure of this battle.

In the spring after the New Year of 1941, the great changes that broke out in southern Anhui made that fear of the Eightyth Army obvious, and he no longer even pretended to do so.

The Japanese army, which keenly grasped this fighter opportunity, began to adjust its strategy, focusing on enticing the troops to surrender, supplemented by military strikes, which affected the will of many troops to resist. The one who strengthened surveillance on all armies, and those who were found to be suspected of being pro-80th Army, would be sent for training at the least, or thrown into prison at the worst.

The commander surnamed Wei who was stationed in Zhongtiao Mountain was also transferred back to house arrest because he had taken care of the 80th Army. The 4th Army, known as the iron pillar of Zhongtiao Mountain, was transferred to the south of the Yangtze River for divided use.

 Zhongtiao Mountain's most powerful commanders and troops were successively placed under house arrest and transferred away. Their own strength was severely weakened. This fiasco was already doomed.

This is also one of the reasons why Tang Dao, who has practiced on the sand table countless times in an attempt to win the game but feels powerless, is the most coldhearted towards that person.

 80,000 people! Just because of his factionalism, he became a victim!

"The Japanese army of 100,000 troops is on the side, and our 4th Army is the main force of the defense line. How can Commander Wei do this?" Commander Zhao obviously did not expect that Tang Dao would ask such an absurd question.

But based on General Zhao's understanding of Tang Dao, he knew that he would never take the target without aim. He immediately frowned and thought for a while before replying: "If it was an order from the Military and Political Department, our 4th Army, even Commander Sun, would not be able to do so." Those who resist will most likely be forced to obey military orders.”

"Then, if I tell Uncle Zhao that if the 4th Group Army leaves, the Japanese army will launch an attack on Zhongtiao Mountain in the future, and the Zhongtiao Mountain defense line will be defeated, what will you choose, Uncle Zhao?" Tang Dao seemed to have already known Commander Zhao's answer, and once again Throw a question.

 Commander Zhao suddenly stopped in his steps and stood there blankly, his heart filled with turmoil.

This is the first time that Tang Dao calls Commander Zhao by the name of his elder when he is in military uniform again, which shows that Tang Dao is willing to do so.

 But what can he do?

He had actually told Tang Dao very tactfully just now that once the Military and Political Ministry's military order was issued, other group armies could find other reasons to negotiate with the Military and Political Ministry or delay it, but only the 4th Group Army did not have this qualification.

That's because, four years ago, it was precisely because of the night attack launched by his commander-in-chief of the Northwest Army and the Northwest Army that he was imprisoned and forced to cooperate with the Eightyth Army to form an anti-Japanese joint front. To a certain extent, , their Northwest Army is also a thorn in that man's side, and he wishes that their Northwest Army would be finished.

Disobeying orders before the battle gave that person a reason to raise the butcher's knife.

These generals had to choose to bow their heads not only for themselves, but also for the fate of tens of thousands of Northwest soldiers.

But as a general, he is more aware of the importance of the Zhongtiao Mountain defense line to the current war situation in China. Once Zhongtiao is lost, the Japanese army will have hundreds of thousands of troops on the thousands-mile Yellow River defense line. His hometown of the Northwest Army will be completely exposed to the Japanese army. Under the shining bayonet.

There are their elders from their hometown in the northwest. Compared with them, perhaps the lives of tens of thousands of them are not that important.

"It is difficult to disobey the military and political orders of the Ministry of Military Affairs! Even if Commander Sun and I fight fiercely, I may only get more violent suppression from those people. Besides, even if my 4th Army Group is not included in the Zhongtiao Mountain Defense Line, there are still 200,000 people. It should be no problem to resist the Japanese attack." Commander Zhao's eyes were full of confusion and struggle, and he spoke quietly after a long time. Tang Dao could only sigh slightly.

He could not criticize the choice made by the general in front of him. Anyone else would have confidence in Nakatōyama, which has been carefully constructed for more than two years and is known as the "Oriental Maginot" defense line.

But they may have forgotten that the real Maginot was also captured? Not to mention pirated ones.

 In the final analysis, the key to determining the outcome of a line of defense or a battlefield is not how strong the fortifications are or how sharp the weapons are, but also the people, who have a fighting will comparable to steel.

 This point will undoubtedly be demonstrated in the future Snowfield War and Southwest War!

"How about delaying it for one to two months?" Tang Dao could only do the next best thing.

The Japanese army will launch an attack on Zhongtiao Mountain in the second month after the 4th Army is transferred. Even if the 4th Army has already left its position, if they can return quickly to support them if they are not far away, the battle will still be lost, but The addition of 40,000 troops will at least allow more viable forces to cross the river, preventing the tragic situation that occurred in the past.

"I can only promise you to do my best!" Commander Zhao nodded without hesitation this time.

“I’m not someone’s soldier. I’ve already received military orders. What’s wrong with just dawdling? If he wants to kill my head right now, then I’ll hang the Blue Sky Medal around my neck and let him chop it off.”

The toughness of the man from the northwest was undoubtedly evident at this moment, but the heaviness in Tang Dao's heart had not gone away at all. This was already one of the greatest efforts he could make at the moment.

 In fact, before leaving, he, Commander Liu of the Eightyth Army and Lei Xiong all communicated and expressed concerns about the Zhongtiao Mountain defense line.

Especially regarding the Wangwushan defense line, he remembered clearly that the first hole to be opened in the entire Zhongtiaoshan defense line was Wangwushan.

The Chinese defenders stationed at Wangwushan were the first to collapse, and eventually the Chinese defense line, which formed the "One-Word Long Snake Formation", was completely divided into two by the Japanese army.

The Eightyth Group Army assured that if the Japanese army mobilized its forces to launch a fierce attack on the Zhongtiao Mountain defense line, they would not sit idly by and do nothing. They would definitely mobilize their forces to attack their logistics supply lines to support the front line.

Lei Xiong even promised that the garrison brigade would be on alert. If the battle at Zhongtiao Mountain was about to begin, he would definitely lead the main force back to the Taihang Mountains to fight the enemy fiercely.

 Although Tang Dao, who was about to leave North China and was about to leave North China, felt deeply powerless as he obeyed fate in everything he did, this was the limit of what he could do.

 Fortunately, even though the battle of Zhongtiao Mountain was defeated and the Japanese army was already on the edge of the Yellow River, the Japanese navy finally went crazy and stabbed the American cowboy in the back yard.

The Pacific War began, and the Japanese base camp had to deploy elite troops from the Japanese North China Front to garrison on various islands to contend with the angry American cowboys.

　　The Japanese army could not cross the great river that feeds the Chinese nation! If it weren't for this bottom line, Tang Dao would still have to stay in North China even if he was not the leader.

Perhaps this topic was a bit heavy, so on the way back, an old man and a young man deliberately avoided the war and talked about some lighter topics.

"Here, I can't let you call me Uncle Zhao in vain. Besides, I'm giving it to my little grandnephew, not you." Commander Zhao held a longevity lock and ordered Tang Dao to accept it.

“Don’t worry, what I use is furniture, not military pay. At most, I don’t have to worry about being scolded when I go home and be questioned by your aunt!”

Obviously, the longevity lock was not made just after hearing that Tang Dao was coming. It must have been made for several months. It is made entirely of gold, with a piece of white jade that is as warm as fat inlaid in the middle. Not to mention priceless, it is worth thousands of oceans. Absolutely worth it.

 Even if he used his lieutenant general's salary as Commander Zhao said, he would have to go without food and water for half a year. This also shows the deep friendship this veteran has for Tang Dao.

"Okay, then I will accept it for Shanhe. One day, I will ask him to kowtow to you a few times. Just this lock, plus the words you engraved yourself, will be enough for him to marry a wife in the future. "Tang Dao is also a straightforward person. Seeing this person say this, he readily accepted it.

"Haha! After all the calculations have been made twenty years later, except for you Tang Tuanzuo, I have never met anyone else. If I can really live to that day, tell that little guy Shanhe for me, my uncle will still have you He gave me a big red envelope and hooked up Brigadier Cheng, and I promised him that he would also be broke. When he gets a wife, he won't have to sell locks for money like his stingy father said." Commander Zhao laughed.

 The previous haze has been swept away because the Tangshan River, which has almost reached its 100th anniversary, has been swept away!

This is perhaps the happiest topic for Chinese soldiers at this time. There are successors. Their generation has almost died, and Tang Shanhe's generation should also have grown up.

 China will not perish and its resistance will not stop. This is the belief of their generation of soldiers, and newborns are their hope.

This may be unfair to the ignorant Tangshanhe people, but there has been no fairness in this world from the moment you were born.

If Tang Shanhe's uncles didn't resist, he might not even have a chance to grow up.

 Farewell to Commander Zhao, Tang Dao led his troops to cross the Yellow River in a week, and another 10 days to cross Shaanxi Province and reach Hanzhong.

The speed of marching 30 kilometers per day made Commander Li of the Fifth Theater District, who was extremely concerned about the movements of the Fourth Army Regiment, speechless. He even called Tang Dao to ask Tang Dao to slow down a little to avoid unnecessary losses caused by the lack of men and horses.

However, the marching speed of the Fourth Army Regiment did not slow down. After setting foot on the Sichuan-Shaanxi Highway, the marching speed increased again, and it only took 12 days to reach the outskirts of the mountain city.

At this point, the Fourth Army Regiment took 28 days and less than a month to reload and march 1,000 kilometers, creating a miracle that was not too big or too small.

You must know that this is not running on the main road. Not only do you have to pass through a war zone, but you also have to cross some of China's most famous mountains and the big river. It even requires a certain degree of confidentiality.

In order to confuse the Japanese army, after the Fourth Army Regiment arrived in Shaanxi Province, the Ministry of Military Affairs and Political Affairs sent a secret telegram, ordering an infantry brigade from the 10th Theater District to be transferred back to the mountain city for defense.

This coded message was deciphered by the Japanese army on the third day after it was sent. The deployment of an infantry brigade did not arouse the vigilance of the Japanese army. On the contrary, it was in line with the current war situation.

Yiling has basically been conquered, and the eastern gate of the Chinese mountain city has been lost. The correct answer is to increase troops on the Yangtze River defense line outside the mountain city.

Therefore, the four regiments who put away their military flags and disguised their armband numbers as that of the infantry brigade not only created a miracle of march, but also miraculously reached the mountain city without being discovered by the North China Japanese Army. mountain city.

 This long-distance march will also be hailed as one of the most successful long-distance troop projections in the history of the Anti-Japanese War in future tactical discussions.

It was also because of this extremely successful long-distance troop projection that it created an extremely brilliant defensive victory after the defeat in the Battle of Yiling.

A village located thirty miles upstream of Yiling, named after a huge stone that resembles a token in the mountain.

Here in Shipai, the Yangtze River suddenly turns right for a full 110 degrees, acting as the dividing line between the turbulent upper reaches and the smooth middle reaches.

Due to its special terrain, the natural stone tablets guarding the Yangtze River have become a battleground for military strategists of all ages.

 Throughout the dynasties, anyone who wanted to attack a mountain city along the river would have to break the stone sign!

  . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PS: My daughter has a holiday tomorrow, and there are still 37 days left for the college entrance examination. She is under great psychological pressure. Fengyue will go out with her to relax tomorrow. I specially ask for a day off. I wish all book friends a happy Labor Day! (End of chapter)