Chapter 233: Ningji Okamura: A Tiger in Trouble Is Bullied by a Dog!

After dealing with Anda 23, Division Commander Hu Zi led the guard battalion to the Third Army's base without stopping.

The situation here is much worse than everyone imagined. The defense line is filled with smoke and corpses are everywhere.

Scattered lightly wounded soldiers are carrying stretchers in groups of two, and the number of seriously wounded soldiers is beyond imagination. The wailing and painful groans echoed above the position.

Even though the battle has been over for nearly an hour, the work of cleaning the battlefield is still not over.

Seeing a group of Eighth Route Army soldiers coming to their own defense zone, the wounded soldiers of Guo Su stopped their work one after another. They tried to straighten their backs and excitedly paid the highest respect to the friendly forces.

In this era of continuous war, many generals have descended from the land of China, and there are a few that are particularly dazzling.

They came to save the Chinese nation and are the light of hope for the vast working people.

They dispersed the demons, ghosts, wolves, tigers and leopards all over the land, and held up a blue sky for the people in the stormy days.

And the bearded division commander was a particularly shining star among the many generals.

Although many of the preserved soldiers saw him for the first time, his iconic big beard and pipe had already exposed his identity.

In the harmonious atmosphere, he greeted the preserved soldiers very cordially and naturally, without any grudges because of the fact that the two camps and the other side had just missed a group of devils.

Five minutes later, the top leaders of the Third Army came after hearing the news.

After meeting, everyone saluted almost at the same time, without considering those cumbersome polite words.

After seeing the most powerful man in northwest Shanxi with his own eyes, Commander Tang was full of emotion.

He had seen a photo in which the man in the photo was wearing a warlord-style uniform, with a gold-rimmed gold-buttoned belt and a saber, which was completely different from the Eighth Route Army in front of him.

As a preserved officer, it was hard for him to imagine what kind of perseverance made a person give up the Hanyang Military Factory and a life of wealth and glory.

"Hello! On behalf of all the soldiers of the Third Army, I would like to thank you for your support!"

"If it weren't for your Eighth Route Army, the west side of Zhongtiao Mountain would have been lost! It's a pity that we still let some devils break through the defense line, and we are ashamed of the supplies you airdropped."

Looking at the tragic situation of almost everyone on the battlefield with injuries, Division Commander Hu Zi stood in awe.

Just now on the road, he roughly estimated that there are only 3,000 people left in the three divisions of the Third Army at most. It is said that even the division commanders have one dead, one injured and one disabled.

There is no rout under such a large number of tragic casualties, which is very rare among preserved fruits.

"Although I can't read a lot, I can tell which friends are worth making and which are bastards."

"Your Third Army is great. After replenishing the troops and resting, it will definitely be a powerful force again. When the time comes, we will have guns and cannons, and we will definitely beat the devils to tears."

But Division Commander Hu Zi's words of comfort did not work. Commander Tang looked bitter as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

"In this battle, our army suffered heavy losses, and almost all the old equipment we brought from Yunnan was destroyed."

"I am afraid that after the war, not only will the Third Army not be replenished, but even I, the army commander, may be demoted in name only. Maybe my military career will be over."

Commander Hu Zi obviously knows the inside story of the preserved fruit. After all, as long as you are not a direct descendant, you will face the possibility of being betrayed and deducted at any time.

Moreover, he hates the bald man from the bottom of his heart, because he is the murderer of his family.

"Old Tang, you are a soldier with guts!"

"Will you not stand up for the common people when you see them being bullied? If you see ordinary people who are powerless suffer and become a coward, you will become an accomplice!"

"What if you are treated unfairly after you go back? Then come to me in northwest Shanxi!"

"One person can only save ten or a hundred people if he fights for justice. Our troops fight for justice for the people of the world! It is to change the fate of millions of people!"

The words seemed to awaken the fighting spirit of Commander Tang. He grabbed the hand of Commander Hu Zi with his eyes shining!

"That's right! I will get off the bald pirate ship sooner or later!"

After the conversation, the two discussed the follow-up arrangements.

Due to the serious reduction in the number of personnel of the Third Army, almost all the surviving soldiers were injured and had long been unable to fight again. Commander Hu Zi decided to send two basic regiments to send the other side to the Yellow River ferry, so that the soldiers could return to Henan Province to recuperate.

The 120th Division continued to advance eastward, striving to join the 129th Division in the northeast line as soon as possible.

······

The Jin faction is a local force in SX Province. Although Yan Laoxi has lost a large area of ​​land, he is still alive and well, and his intelligence network and espionage work have always been well maintained.

In addition, Ji County is very close to the west side of Zhongtiao Mountain, so they have been paying attention to the whole battle.

When the 120th Division descended from the sky, the existentialist master first denounced the intelligence chief for being incompetent, allowing tens of thousands of people to pass through his territory quietly.

Then he sent his capable general, Xiliang fierce general Chu Yunfei!

This is not because Yan Laoxi is determined to resist the Japanese and support the united front. It is that he found that the Eighth Route Army is too fierce, and it has the momentum to eat up two Japanese divisions.

If he does not participate in the war now, he will have nothing to do in Shanxi after the devils are driven away.

Wangyuan, the position of the 358th Regiment of the Shanxi Suiyuan Army.

"Commander, we have been waiting for three hours. Will the devils really come?"

"What if we get nothing, and then Commander Yan blames us, you and I can't afford it."

The words of his chief of staff did not make Chu Yunfei feel any urgency. He knew the importance of the geographical location of Wangyuan Village.

This place is known as the heart of Zhongtiao Mountain. As long as the Japanese fleeing on the western front want to cross the mountains to join the 41st Division, they will inevitably pass through here.

In those days, the Fourth Army defeated the enemy in Wangyuan.

Chu Yunfei chose the same tactics as the defenders back then. He placed the artillery on the hillside of Wangyuan Highland and arranged three infantry battalions on both sides of the artillery.

On this steel line, there is a Maxim heavy machine gun every three or five steps. Not to mention the individual quality of the soldiers, this posture alone is terrifying enough.

Such resources are also due to Yan Laoxi's preference for Chu Yunfei.

The current 358th Regiment has nearly 5,000 people, which can be regarded as a division-level unit even in the Central Army. The troops are not only well-equipped, but its artillery battalion is also equipped with 7 75mm Bofors mountain guns.

"Brother Ligong, just wait and see. As soon as the artillery fire from the north stops, I will start calculating the time."

"It's not easy for the Japanese to travel this way. Let's not talk about their wounded soldiers and supplies. The 30-meter-wide Xier River alone is enough to make them suffer."

"It is estimated that in another 15 minutes, the enemy will plunge into our ambush circle! This time I want to see if that Li Yunlong can be better than me!"

Fang Ligong shook his head helplessly. After returning from the New Second Regiment, his regiment commander was like a demon, and he kept talking about the commander of the Eighth Route Army every day.

Especially the Browning pistol, which can be wiped three times a day, is more important than a token of love.

Just as he was about to persuade them, a scout ran over to the two of them. The other party did not salute, but crouched down and began to report.

"Commander, a large group of Japanese appeared. It is expected to enter our ambush circle in ten minutes. Brothers are ready for battle!"

The fish finally took the bait, and Chu Yunfei showed a satisfied smile.

Ten minutes later, nearly a thousand exhausted Japanese soldiers came to the high ground. They were the remnants of the army led by Ota Sanji and Okawa Changwu.

The two led a regiment of infantry to attack the position of the Third Army. After two hours of fierce fighting, they finally broke through successfully.

"Mr. Okawa, don't always be cautious. We have left the dangerous battlefield and everyone is safe now."

"I have sent a telegram to the headquarters and the 41st Division. Commander Gangcun also agreed that our regiment should retreat on its own. Even Lieutenant General Shimizu Nori will send someone to meet us."

"Next, just save dry food and make sure you don't get sick."

Although his own colonel's words made sense, Okawa Changwu always had an ominous premonition, as if there was a man-eating beast staring at him in the shadows.

The devil took out his telescope and scanned the telescope high ground. It was a pity that it was late and he couldn't see anything clearly.

At this time, Chu Yunfei stared at the devil who was slowly advancing. He waved back to signal the soldiers to get ready.

"Go! Before the Japanese find us, the death squad will charge down!"

"There is no need to save bullets for light and heavy machine guns, mortars and mountain guns. I demand that the Japanese be reduced by half in the first round!"

After receiving the order from their regiment commander, nearly a hundred burly soldiers rushed down the mountain with their backs bent. They each held a Jin-made Thompson and a large number of grenades on their chests.

These soldiers are the elite assaulters of the 358th Regiment, and their equipment is all for close combat.

The defending army of Guosu also fought in the Wangyuan Battle that year. It's a pity that their death squad didn't have a submachine gun, so they could only rush down with a box of grenades in their hands.

On the battlefield, Maxim and Czech light machine guns were ready. The black muzzles pointed at the unsuspecting Japanese, waiting for the superiors to give orders to tilt the firepower.

"Fire!"

Swoosh!

Several flares were launched into the air, and the ambush officially began.

As a quick shooter, Chu Yunfei seemed to have awakened the memory of shooting at the gate in his previous life. He pulled the trigger first, and a 7.92×57 mm bullet hit a Japanese soldier steadily.

In an instant, the muzzle flames flickered on the hillside, as if a searchlight unit suddenly took action, and an overwhelming metal storm rushed towards the enemy.

Due to the lack of natural shelters on the path at the foot of the mountain, the firepower of the 358th Regiment on the hillside was not compromised at all.

Faced with the sudden attack, nearly a thousand Japanese soldiers could only run away.

Looking at the soldiers who were hit by bullets and fell in front of him, Okawa Changwu responded immediately. He tried to organize an effective and organized counterattack force, but the water-cooled Maxim and Bofors mountain guns did not give him a chance at all.

Boom boom boom!

The artillery battalion of the 358th Regiment fought more and more smoothly, and the hit rate of the shells became higher and higher. Shells exploded in the crowd, and the Japanese infantry could only scatter.

On the battlefield, Chu Yunfei smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the chaotic enemy.

For this perfect ambush, he gave himself full marks in his heart. His troops were the superior side from beginning to end, and the enemy did not organize a large-scale counterattack at all.

A group of scattered soldiers, the Jin-made Thompson of the suicide squad alone can solve it.

After only a few minutes of fighting, the Japanese soldiers at the foot of the mountain suffered heavy casualties, and even the fireworks from the muzzles could not be seen, and they almost completely lost the ability to counterattack.

"Bring me my Thompson submachine gun! (Fang Tian Huaji!), everyone, charge! Kill these Japanese beasts!"

Chu Yunfei took the weapon handed over by the guard platoon leader, and rushed towards the remaining Japanese soldiers at the foot of the mountain with a submachine gun.

Fang Ligong, who was standing by, looked at the agile back, and it seemed that his regiment commander was becoming more and more unfamiliar. He held a telescope and whispered to himself:

"You are a top student who was admitted to the fifth term of the Whampoa Military Academy at the age of 16. How did you become so reckless?"

······

Taiyuan, the headquarters of the First Army.

All the prominent figures of the entire North China Front Army gathered here, and everyone waited silently. At this time, the atmosphere in the combat meeting room was very solemn.

"Commander, telegram from the front line."

"The 36th and 37th Divisions and the 16th Independent Mixed Brigade were bombarded by the Eighth Route Army. The specific casualties are unknown, but it is likely that they have been wiped out."

"I have ordered the signalman to continue to contact the other party, but I have not received a response yet."

Hearing the report from Iwamatsu Yoshio, Okamura Ningji felt unreal. He heard every word of the telegram sent back from the front clearly, but the combination was so incredible. It was as if he was in a dream, but now he had to accept the reality.

Thinking carefully, the old devil's back was instantly wet with sweat.

If he hadn't changed his schedule temporarily, he might have died under the bombardment of the Eighth Route Army, and now there was only a light name on this thin telegram.

"Bombardment? Is it a mortar?"

"Could it be that two lieutenant generals and one major general of the country were touched by the enemy three kilometers behind them without noticing?"

After hearing a series of questions from his commander, Iwamatsu Yoshio raised his head. The old face in front of him, with dark blue eyes and extremely haggard, made him a little stunned.

How high-spirited he was when he led six divisions, four independent mixed brigades, and a flying group to attack Zhongtiao Mountain.

But how confident he was at that time, how embarrassed he is now.

Although the attack on Zhongtiao Mountain caused heavy losses to the Guosu defenders, they were also successfully ambushed by the Eighth Route Army.

At present, two reorganized Type B divisions, two independent mixed brigades and one cavalry brigade have been lost. Counting the locust army that was destroyed on other fronts, the entire North China Front Army has lost at least more than 40,000 warriors.

The Third Air Group was also completely destroyed, and the aircraft transferred from the Kwantung Army and the Central China Front Army were also damaged.

Under the premise that the local area now gives priority to the supply of naval deer, there is no chance to replenish the fighter planes for a while, and it is likely that the Eighth Route Army's air force will ride on their heads and shit.

I almost forgot that there is a batch of 105mm howitzers, this caliber is already a treasure of the brother country.

In addition to two lieutenant generals, several major generals, and several senior officers became the last straw that broke the camel's back for Okamura Yasuji. This series of major failures basically announced the end of his career.

Iwamatsu Yoshio shook his head vigorously, trying to keep himself awake. He knew that he couldn't get into trouble at this sensitive time, otherwise he would definitely be used as a punching bag and would definitely not have a good ending.

"According to the information provided by Colonel Tiantian Sanji of the 36th Division, the Eighth Route Army should be using a rapid-fire barreled gun, and its shell power can even be comparable to that of the 105 howitzer of our country."

"The maximum range is no less than 7 kilometers, and the accuracy and mobility are not bad."

"Commander, based on the sequence and data of the opponent's active weapons. I boldly predict that the enemy is likely to use the French 75mm cannon."

Okamura Ningji sighed deeply, then took off his glasses, closed his eyes and pressed his eyebrows.

Regarding the French weapons used by the Eighth Route Army, our country has invested a lot of energy in investigating some time ago. Intelligence personnel have visited almost the entire Vichy France, but they have never found anything.

If it is really a French gun, then there is a big problem.

A barreled gun with decent mobility, long range, high accuracy and strong power. If this kind of killer weapon is mastered by the Eighth Route Army, the cage policy will be a joke.

There is no need to build any bunkers or artillery towers. Brick and stone structures will definitely be destroyed with one shot. Soldiers should stay in the county town, otherwise they will be bombed as soon as they go out.

In addition to the new weapons suspected to be rockets, is there any place for the locust army of the brother country in the whole North China?

Thinking of this, Okamura Ningji couldn't help but envy Shinozuka Yoshio who retired in his native land. At least he can barely be considered to have retired at the height of his career, at least he will not end up with a disgrace in his later years, while he will most likely be nailed to the pillar of shame.

"How many barreled guns does the enemy have? Do you have specific information?"

He regretted asking this question as soon as he asked this question. How powerful is the Special High Technology Department? If he really had the ability to find this data, the two divisions on the western front would not have been annihilated.

What's more, what money does the Eighth Route Army have? Their guns must have been researched and built by themselves. Even if there is data at this stage, with their ability, they can't catch up with the subsequent developments.

"I don't know, but it's likely to be no less than 100."

After thinking for a while, Okamura Neiji came to the map.

Now he has two choices, either admit defeat and let the remaining four divisions retreat immediately to stop the loss in time. Or bet on his career and bet that the Eighth Route Army's artillery shells are insufficient.

After all, artillery shells are not so easy to produce. It has only been seven months since the Hundred Regiments Campaign. Who knows, the enemy is also all-in, playing psychological warfare with him.

But at this moment, a communicator rushed into the combat meeting room.

"Commander! Lieutenant General Shozo Sakurai of the 33rd Division sent a telegram for help! They were attacked by the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army and the mysterious enemy in Zhongtiao Mountain!"

"The situation is urgent now, and we need the support of the Army Aviation and the 41st Division!"

"Colonel Ota Yamaji sent a farewell telegram. They were ambushed by the Shanxi Suiyuan Army in Wangyuan Village, and now all of them have died!"

The sudden bad news made Okamura Neiji's eyes go black. He staggered to sit on the chair, and then a large mouthful of black blood spurted out of his mouth.

"A tiger in a flat land is bullied by a dog! Yan Baichuan! I can't coexist with you!"

"Pass my order! Mobilize all available troops and the Army Aviation! At all costs! Save the 33rd Division for me!"

9K, 1K short, round it up to 10,000 a day.

I will make up for the missing 1,000 words tomorrow. I really tried my best, and my fingers are smoking.