Rise From Eight Hundred

The battle in southeastern Shanxi actually ended earlier than the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain.

On January 18, the main forces of the three major divisions of the Japanese army had basically withdrawn from the mountainous area, and only sporadic small-scale battles remained.

After counting, the 80,000 Japanese troops who invaded southeastern Shanxi suffered more than 20,000 casualties, and their loss rate was close to the main battlefield where the fierce fighting was in full swing in Zhongtiao Mountain.

Especially the ambitious 108th Division of Sakai Naotsugu, not to mention nearly 5,000 casualties, and an infantry regiment was trapped in the Taihang Mountain area as a whole. Although there was still a radio station for contact on the 18th, the high-level officials of the Japanese North China Front Army had long been desperate. More than 3,800 of their troops were not classified as missing as usual, but were directly included in the ranks of the dead.

This is actually quite scientific. When the Chinese New Year was over and spring was about to begin, the traces of the last remnants of the infantry regiment were discovered by a herbal farmer in Taihang Mountain, and reported to the Four-Line Regiment. The Four-Line Regiment sent a mountain infantry company led by the new company commander Gu Xishui and a part of the reconnaissance company to encircle and suppress.

The entire battle lasted only one hour, and the remnants of the Japanese army, which were like zombies, were completely wiped out. After counting, there were only more than 370 people left, including two Japanese majors!

The colonel commander was nowhere to be found, and the only 5 Japanese prisoners who were still alive were asked, and they got a horrifying answer.

The Japanese army colonel who died of illness before the Chinese New Year did not avoid the tragedy of becoming a reserve grain because of his colonel rank.

All that could be found were a pair of colonel rank collar badges buried deep underground and a command knife.

Facing the five devil-like Japanese prisoners with empty eyes, even Gu Xishui, who was always wise and courageous, did not know how to deal with them.

It was Tang Dao who sent a secret telegram, established contact with the Japanese 108th Division through the intelligence officer in Licheng, and requested to exchange prisoners.

The 108th Division, eager to obtain information about the 132nd Infantry Regiment in the mountains, was forced to compromise. In exchange for the release of 100 captured Chinese resistance personnel and intelligence officers, they got back these five fat Japanese soldiers.

How to maximize the benefits, Tang Tuanzuo has always been in control.

Of course, if these five Japanese soldiers are alive, the real and cruel scene in the mountains will not be covered up. When it spreads out, it will have a great psychological impact on the Japanese army. That is the time bomb that Tang Dao buried for the Japanese army.

Its fuse is in the hands of Tang Dao, and it depends on when Tang Dao is willing to ignite it.

Even if Sakai Naotsugu is decisive enough and quickly kills these five people after knowing the truth, it is too late.

When rumors are not supported by the truth, that is the truth!

On the 27th, Tang Dao, who was responsible for supporting the 46th Independent Brigade and Leng Feng's troops, led his troops to return to the Sizhou Mountain area in triumph. The Second War Zone of China sent a telegram to the whole country to announce: "The Japanese invasion of southeastern Shanxi and southern Shanxi was completely crushed. Our military and civilians in the two places killed and wounded more than 70,000 Japanese soldiers at the cost of 80,000 casualties!"

When this statement came out, not only the whole of China was shocked, but even the Western world was also surprised.

The number of 70,000 Japanese soldiers killed and wounded is incredible for China at present.

The Patriotic War has been going on for more than a year and a half. China has also experienced several large-scale battles such as the Battle of Songhu, the Battle of Xuzhou, and the Battle of Central China, in which both sides invested nearly one million troops. The number of 70,000 casualties is common for the Chinese army, but for the Japanese army, it is the first time in history.

In particular, the Second War Zone did not hide its own casualties. The total casualties of the military and civilians were about 80,000, which was definitely a huge loss, but if compared with the 70,000 casualties of the Japanese army, it means that the losses of both sides were similar.

In addition, China included the losses of the people for the first time. You know, for this New Year's Day offensive, the Japanese side implemented a terrible high-pressure policy against the civilians in the occupied areas of southern Shanxi. Anyone suspected of collaborating with the enemy was killed.

At least 10,000 people who did not have time to evacuate were also massacred. If the civilian losses are put aside, this may be the first time that China and Japan have fought a complete draw in a large-scale battle!

If the ratio between China and Japan reached 2:1 like the Battle of Songhu, it would be fine, but this time the Japanese side dispatched 260,000 troops, which was slightly more than the Chinese garrison troops in these two areas.

After all, on paper, the 921st Division of the 80th Army stationed in Taihang Mountains was 50,000, and the 4th Regiment was 3,000. The total number of the two armies did not exceed 20,000.

Of course, both the Japanese and the Chinese Military and Political Departments knew clearly the tricks in this, but the Chinese Military and Political Departments could not bring it to the table, and the Japanese side was too embarrassed to say it.

No matter how many people there are in the 80th Army and the 4th Army, you actually sent out 80,000 people from the 3rd Army, but you still got beaten like a dog? Why not just say that they have 100,000 people? That will definitely make the Westerners who have been waiting to see the Japanese laugh so hard that they will explode.

The Great Japanese Empire wants to save face, so it has to swallow its anger.

However, the news was too explosive, so the Western media in Shancheng and many domestic media did not report it immediately.

Waiting for the news from the Japanese is one thing, but more importantly, it is necessary to wait for the Chinese military to hold a press conference.

The words of the old sly commander of the Second War Zone of China cannot be guaranteed to be 100% accurate.

This wait lasted for nearly a week. In the face of the Chinese Second War Zone's loud "boasting", the Japanese North China Front Army refuted China's exaggerated results, but concealed the number of casualties of its own officers and soldiers, saying that it was a military secret. This made the Chinese and Western media begin to believe the cunning and stingy old man.

Then, on February 3, the Chinese side held a grand press conference in Shancheng, inviting nearly 40 Chinese and Western media. The Chinese general who attended was actually Minister He of the Ministry of Military Affairs. The high standard was the first time in nearly a year.

I don't know what the Chinese military was thinking. In such a cold winter, the press conference was not held indoors, but in a small square.

In order to prevent Japanese spies and secret agents from making trouble, the clearing operation began the night before yesterday. Around this small square, two layers of sandbags were built inside and outside. A fully armed infantry battalion surrounded this small square that could accommodate hundreds of people.

Even the external defense has been placed at 700 meters. Unless someone can accurately kill the target with one shot from this distance, the venue is absolutely safe.

This safe distance was changed by the Shancheng security department only after Commander Xue of the 9th Corps mentioned an incident in which a colonel had accurately killed the enemy at a distance of 500 meters when he returned to Shancheng to report on his work.

Although it is magical that a person can be shot in the head from a mile away, this actually happened on the battlefield. It would be fine if we didn't know about it. If we knew about it and didn't change it, causing the military and political ministers attending the press conference to be in danger, it would be a responsibility that no one could bear.

The Chinese and foreign reporters who entered the venue went through three rounds of searches before they were able to enter the core venue. When have those "foreign uncles" and "foreign ladies" been treated like this? Not to mention the complaints, even the arrogant gentleman from the Gaul Empire has publicly stated that if the Chinese side cannot give people news that makes people's eyes shine, don't blame him for the black humor he has long been accustomed to.

To put it bluntly, this arrogant gentleman with a rumpled dress had already prepared a mockery.

Then, the media reporters who entered the venue were blinded.

They finally understood why the Chinese side prepared this press conference in the open air.

Because there were too many real objects.

On the square with a radius of nearly a thousand meters, there were rows of Japanese military officers and lieutenants, as well as command swords with exquisite patterns, and more, photos!

There were photos of Japanese military officers and lieutenants who were killed, and each photo had the name and serial number of the officer.

There were also photos of piles of captured weapons, including rifles, machine guns, heavy machine guns, and even Type 41 mountain cannons lined up.

In order to make Chinese and foreign reporters sure that these captured weapons were not fake, heavy weapons such as mountain cannons were basically arranged in a row, and then a panoramic lens was used. If one lens could not fit, several rows were arranged, and those with good eyesight could count them themselves.

This was filmed by a government-sponsored plane that flew to Chang'an, and then trucks were used to send reporters from several major radio stations and newspapers controlled by government departments to the Zhongtiaoshan war zone. Military ranks and command swords were also transported back with the plane.

It can be seen that the Chinese side not only carefully approved the results of the war, but also held back their anger. Didn't you say that we Chinese like to exaggerate the results of the war and falsely report the results? Then I'll slap you in the face with facts.

Chinese and foreign reporters were directly blown up. They didn't even bother to listen to the emotional speech of Minister He next to the microphone. They all asked their entourage to send telegrams with their quickly written simple news drafts.

In the future, whoever has traffic will have wealth. In this era, it is no exception. The first opportunity represents traffic and status. Whoever takes the lead will be the top card in the news industry.

These things are enough to prove the great results achieved by the Chinese side in this battle. The Japanese may not only suffer heavy casualties, but even retreat in some local battlefields. Otherwise, how could the Chinese have so many officers' rank collar badges and even corpses?

"The Oriental dragon may be opening its eyes!" The title of the article sent by the arrogant Gallic gentleman to the Baal Daily was enough to make the people of the Gallic Empire re-examine the ancient East.

"An important battle that reversed the war situation in the ancient Eastern country!" The headline of the news media controlled by the Rockefeller Foundation raised the height of this battle by ten points.

This special issue reprinted from the war zone briefing made Tang Tuanzuo's eyelids jump, but whether it was because the American reporter was exaggerating too much, perhaps only Tang Tuanzuo himself knew.

Anyway, Tan Tai Mingyue, who was sitting under the oil lamp and writing the invitation list, was very focused, without even raising his eyebrows.

"Do you think you should invite Miss Laura? After all, your cooperation is quite pleasant. On this happy day of our wedding, no matter whether she can come or not, we can't lack etiquette!" Tan Tai's slightly frowned eyebrows were delicate and sharp.

"Don't write the invitation. It's not good if someone with ulterior motives sees it. I'll let Chief of Staff Gong convey it on our behalf. What do you think?" Tang Dao said to his fiancée calmly after careful consideration.

"Okay! Miss Laura is really a friend of the Chinese people. I read this news. It really won a lot of reputation for China in the international community. I really want to thank her in person." Tan Tai Mingyue nodded and said.

Then she looked at Tang Tuanzuo, who would become her husband in half a month, with some surprise, and asked with concern: "Why are you a little red, are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"No, the fire is too strong, I feel a little hot, just right, I'm going to do some boxing to loosen up my muscles." Tang Dao took off his cotton coat and shouted outside: "Dayu, come, walk with me for a few moves."

Hearing Tang Dao's call, Xia Dayu ran out of the small house next to him and looked at the heavy snow in the yard, with a confused face!

Commander, what's wrong with you?

Dan Tai Mingyue smiled under the oil lamp.

Don't you know your husband? Her husband is a straight man, and even she can only be active to turn passive. Even if the little princess of the Rockefeller family is interested in him, it's too late.

And Dan Tai Mingyue is confident enough. The love she and Tang Dao fought for in the war cannot be replaced by appearance and family background.

However, even though she was so confident, she felt a sense of jealousy and stabbed the Tang sword several times. Looking at her husband, who was only wearing a shirt outside the window, beating poor Xia Dayu in the heavy snow, she rolled her eyes.

These two deserved to be frozen. Who told the superior to be like a flower that attracts bees and butterflies at all times, while the orderly didn't know how to turn into a bee to slap?

Xia Dayu: I asked to be transferred to the front-line infantry battalion, away from this "devil couple".

Not only did the foreign media hype up the battle in southern Shanxi in China's second war zone, but the entire Western world also turned its attention to this ancient oriental country that they once thought would definitely lose.

Some Western people who originally sympathized with China attributed the victory of this battle to their donations, thus gaining an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

According to statistics, since the US newspapers published the results of the Second Chinese War Zone, the American people donated nearly 500,000 US dollars in just one week, and Chinese groups in various parts of the United States raised funds to purchase two squadrons of fighter planes and sent them directly to the Chinese Embassy in the United States.

It’s fine at the public level, but the US top leaders also began to frequently meet with Chinese diplomats to express their recognition of the bravery of the Chinese army on the Chinese battlefield.

The Japanese side was extremely passive, and its ambassador refused two consecutive invitations to complete the ministerial meeting.

The imaginative signal released by this loose and hard really made the Japanese side furious, but they could do nothing about it.

Although there was a proposal to go to war in Southeast Asia within the Japanese cabinet, the developed industry and rich mineral resources of the United States have always been something Japan was extremely afraid of. Without the right opportunity, Japan did not have the confidence to touch the world's largest manufacturing factory.

The saying "weak countries have no diplomacy" was simply interpreted vividly by the Western world at this time.

Of course, from the underlying logic, for the Western countries, Japan launched a full-scale war against China, which actually made them very unhappy. They did not want to abandon their interests in China. Only when China did not perish too quickly and become a vassal of Japan, could they gain more benefits on this land.

A China that could stand up to Japan but could not continue to be strong was the result they most wanted to see.

Only in this way could they continue to suck blood from this land with 40 million people, like a vegetable field full of leeks.

But for China at this time, how much darkness and filth there was was no longer important. What was important was that I won this time, and the Japanese were not invincible.

It was impossible to destroy China in March, and it was impossible in three years. We could fight for three hundred years!

What the Chinese wanted was confidence!

Compared with the sensational West, China was calmer.

The people in the non-occupied areas who received the news of victory were just college students who held a victory parade as usual, and the faces of the common people were a little more happy, and soon it seemed as if nothing had happened.

It's just that this New Year is different from the past. No household in the occupied area hung up red lanterns representing joy and victory. This was rare in the past two years.

Because it costs money, which is difficult for most Chinese people who are in extreme poverty at this time!

But this New Year, even if they would rather stay hungry on New Year's Eve, they have to hang up red lanterns.

It represents hope and a beautiful vision for the coming year.

Only with continuous victory can the war not burn to the hometown and relatives can return.

At this time, China has recruited more than 6 million soldiers. Not to mention that every household has a son, there is always one in ten households wearing military uniforms.

In provinces with a sparse population like Shaanxi Province, for example, the county where the original 17th Division was stationed, the county has a population of only more than 100,000, but it has more than 10,000 soldiers, and every household has a soldier.

How can elderly parents not want their sons to return home early?

After a year and a half of desperate war, they finally saw hope.

Governments at all levels also showed some performance. For example, in Sichuan Province, which contributed the most grain, the county governments expressed that they would deliver 20% more grain next year than last year, and they would strictly guarantee the number of people required by the higher authorities.

Although the people in the occupied areas could not obtain news information from the outside due to the deliberate blockade by the Japanese army, the Chinese underground intelligence personnel had been instructed long ago, and slogans saying "Victory in the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain" were posted in rural areas and cities.

This piece of news of victory, coupled with the fact that trucks full of Japanese wounded soldiers had been seen long ago, made people full of reverie and excitement.

Undercurrents surged in the Japanese-occupied areas.

The 80th Army, which was active in the Jin-Cha-Ji area, was obviously easier to recruit than before. In northern Hebei alone, one regiment of the 80th Army recruited nearly 2,500 young and strong men to join the army at the beginning of the New Year, and the scale of the army expanded rapidly.

This is the change brought about by confidence.

The pessimism of defeat that had filled all walks of life after the Central China War was not only swept away, but also could only grow in the dark.

However, in this environment where everything was going well, a defection incident that shocked the whole country occurred.

The Japanese finally breathed a sigh of relief from the completely passive situation after the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain.