Others show their swords, I show my missiles!

Originally, our army planned to draw its sword and point directly at the strategic location of Shimen the moment the Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade 1st set foot on the land of Qi and Lu, in order to force the Japanese pirates to return for support and thus disrupt their overall deployment.

This decision is as firm as a rock and will not waver in the slightest.

The heavy armored combined regiment at this time is no longer what it used to be. It has stood out from the former independent brigade and was promoted to the 1st Armored Column of the Western Frontier Cheetah Army.

The soldiers under his command are all brave and good at fighting, well-equipped, and their morale is as high as a rainbow.

The armored soldiers who had been training in batches before have already honed their iron-blooded character. Although their operational proficiency and coordination have yet to be improved, they are already able to deal with emergencies calmly.

More importantly, the overhauled tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other heavy equipment have been re-equipped to provide powerful firepower support for these recruits.

This greatly increased the overall strength of the 1st Armored Column, increasing its troop strength by one third.

Therefore, the 1st Armored Column not only had the ability to attack Shimen, but also could allocate part of its forces to cooperate with Li Yunlong's troops to jointly annihilate the Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade 1st.

This change made the original strategy of "luring the tiger away from the mountain" more flexible and evolved into a tactic of dividing and encircling.

Commander Fan Yingming of the 1st Armored Corps was fully aware of the importance of this battle. He decisively ordered two newly formed heavy armored brigades, led by Political Commissar Zhao Xiaobo, to penetrate directly into the heart of the enemy!

Zhao Xiaobo was given the task at a critical moment, and he was fully aware of the difficulty and danger of this journey.

But he also understood that this was a great opportunity to demonstrate his abilities.

He led two heavy armored brigades and rushed towards the enemy's hinterland like an unstoppable iron stream.

Even if we cannot completely wipe out the Japanese Independent Mixed 1st Brigade, we must delay this stubborn enemy and buy precious time for the main force of the 1st Armored Column to attack Shimen.

At this moment, under the fierce attack of Li Yunlong's troops, the Japanese Independent Mixed 1st Brigade had fled to Cheng'an County like a stray dog.

They attempted to take a break here and regroup.

However, they did not know that the iron fist of our 1st Armored Column was quietly approaching.

This independent mixed brigade, like a snowball, expanded to the size of two divisions.

Even if they are defeated soldiers, they are still a force that cannot be underestimated.

On the other hand, our army’s 1st Armored Column, although a column in name, is actually a regimental-level organization.

Even with the recent expansion, the two heavy armored brigades under Zhao Xiaobo only have a total of over 3,000 people.

Moreover, the two brigades under Zhao Xiaobo's command are not main forces, but are mainly composed of new recruits; most of their weapons and equipment are refurbished old equipment.

But it is this seemingly inconspicuous force that shoulders heavy missions and responsibilities.

Fan Yingming sent Zhao Xiaobo to Cheng'an County for a reason.

Zhao Xiaobo was originally from Raoyang County, Hengshui District, Hebei Province. He joined the revolution shortly after his marriage and engaged in underground work in Cheng'an County.

Due to betrayal by a traitor, his wife was unfortunately arrested and sacrificed.

Zhao Xiaobo is quite familiar with the terrain of Cheng'an County. This trip can not only help him strike at the local Japanese puppet forces and kill his enemies with his own hands, but also allow him to use his understanding of the terrain to better command the battle.

Therefore, he was the best choice to serve as the military commander of the Eastward Group.

At the same time, the main force of the 1st Armored Column, led by Commander Fan Yingming, swept towards Shimen like a storm.

The new type of mine-clearing machine developed by Li Yunlong was the pioneer. In conjunction with the mine-clearing vehicle, mines exploded wherever they passed.

When the troops penetrated deep into the enemy's hinterland, there were no more mines. The main force of the 1st Armored Column was like a wild horse running wild, as if entering an empty land.

The main force of the 1st Armored Column marched more than kilometers overnight, like a flash of lightning across the night sky, and quietly arrived in the north of Xingtai, just a stone's throw away from Shimen, before dawn.

Here they waited for the right moment to strike a fatal blow to the enemy.

At this time, the Japs were still immersed in their dreams and were completely unaware of the arrival of our army.

Many strongholds along the way were blown to ashes while they were sleeping, leaving them no chance to even call for help.

Even if a few data points discovered enemy situations, the hastily reported information was mistaken for harassment by local armed forces and failed to attract sufficient attention.

Just when the devils were still dreaming, a shocking news broke the silence.

A signalman hurriedly reported to Shantun Ningci: "Report to the commander! An armored unit suddenly appeared south of Shimen!"

This news exploded in Shantun Ningci's ears like a bolt from the blue.

He raised his head suddenly, and a hint of astonishment and anger flashed in his eyes.

"What? Armored forces? How is this possible!" Shantun Ningci muttered to himself in disbelief.

"Didn't the PLA's armored forces suffer complete destruction in the bombing of Omanrek?" a staff officer asked in astonishment.

"Baga! The Omanriks are still so unreliable. They mistakenly bombed Panlong before, causing us to lose an elite division and a large number of Great Plaster Warriors; now I don't know which unit they mistook for the PLA's armored unit!"

Shantun Ningci threw the report on the table and said angrily.

A staff officer shook his head and said, "I guess the Russians' bombing didn't hit any effective targets, otherwise there wouldn't be no news at all."

Before Shantun Ningci could recover from his shock, another urgent telegram arrived: the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade had suffered heavy losses in Liaocheng and was retreating hastily to Cheng'an County.

The staff officers were also bewildered. They had never expected that our army would suddenly launch an attack at this time; nor had they expected that the tens of thousands of troops of the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade would be defeated overnight.

This series of blows made Shantun Ningci look livid. If it wasn't too late, he would have definitely had a "Shan-style rice bowl"!

Hata Ushichi was not around and there was no one to comfort it, so it had to adjust on its own.

So Shantun Ningci took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He knew very well that Shimen's strategic position could not be lost. Once lost, the entire North China region would be seriously threatened.

"Sir, we must take action immediately!" a staff officer said anxiously, "Otherwise Shimen will be in danger!"

Yamato Neiji tried to calm himself down.

An idea flashed through its mind: recall the troops fighting against our army in northeastern Shanxi to resolve the crisis in Shimen.

But as soon as this thought came to his mind, he denied it.

The battle in northeastern Shanxi is equally important. Once the troops are withdrawn, not only will all previous efforts be wasted, but the enemy may also take the opportunity to expand their victory.

If the retreat turns into a rout, the war situation in North China will deteriorate to an unpredictable degree.

Just when Yamamoto Ningji was in a dilemma, the signalman brought news again: Commander-in-chief of the Chinese Expeditionary Army, Hata Ushichi, called to ask about the progress of the Shimen battle.

Yamamoto Ningci immediately reported the current situation in detail to Hata Ushichi and asked whether troops could be transferred from northeastern Shanxi to provide support.

After listening to Yamamoto Neiji's report, Hata Ushichi was silent for a moment, and then gave instructions:

"We don't seek victory, but we seek stability. Shimen cannot be lost, and northeastern Shanxi must also be stabilized. Your unit must weigh the pros and cons and make the most beneficial decision for the overall situation."

Yamamoto Ningji was fully aware of what Hata Ushichi meant. After weighing the pros and cons, he finally decided on the plan of "not seeking results, but seeking safety."

It ordered the Japanese troops in northeastern Shanxi to urgently return to Shimen for support, and at the same time strengthened the defensive fortifications around Shimen in preparation for the upcoming decisive battle.

After issuing the order, it looked at the sky outside the window, its heart still full of anxiety and uneasiness.

After thinking for a while, he issued another order:

"Immediately send the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade north!" Yamamoto Ningci gave a decisive order, "Attack the armored unit that suddenly appeared from behind! At the same time, order the 110th Division to strengthen the outer defense and hold on until reinforcements arrive!"

However, it was too late.

Shantun Ningci only received the news when the main force of our 1st Armored Column was fighting fiercely with the Japanese 110th Division's troops outside Shimen like a tiger descending from the mountain.

The sky was filled with gunfire and smoke.

Where had the Japanese devils of the 110th Division and the local Yellow Shoe Army ever seen such fierce artillery fire and such mighty tanks?

They were confused by the sudden attack and the battle line kept shrinking towards the stone gate.

In fact, if Fan Yingming had not intended to stop, Shimen could have been taken down in one go!

But now is not the time to liberate Shimen, as our army's control power cannot reach deep into the heart of Hebei Province.

The reason for attacking Shimen was that we could find another way to resolve the crisis in northeastern Shanxi.

Shantun Ningci looked at the battle reports that were flying in front of him like snowflakes, slumped in his chair, feeling powerless.

It knows very well that it has missed the best time to respond.

The only thing we can do now is to defend the stone gate with all our strength and wait for reinforcements to arrive.