Rise From Eight Hundred

The siege of Colonel Shigenobu Yoshigu and more than 2,000 imperial officers and soldiers of the 503rd Infantry Regiment was actually far less of a blow to Saburo Okabe than the defeat on another battlefield.

Compared with the counterattack of Zishan's three fronts and four regiments, which will not invest more than 5,000 troops, the battle that really determines the fate of the 1st Division on the evening of March 16 actually depends on the confrontation between China and Japan on the northwest plain. Two armies.

Compared to the three battlefields in Zishan that were already in full swing, on the plain about 6 kilometers away from Zishan, before 12 o'clock in the evening on the 16th, everything was basically quiet, not to mention silent.

But this kind of calmness, for the Chinese and Japanese officers and soldiers in the trenches, they all know that it is only temporary, and no one knows when this false tranquility will be broken.

Hattori Akitaro has not slept for two days. As the supreme commander of the First Division here, he is very aware of the importance of this line of defense. Only if he holds this line of defense, the Chinese army will not be able to attack 20,000 people. The rear wing of the division's main force was outflanking, but this devoted Japanese Army Major General knew that because of his importance, he could not leave before the main force of Zishan evacuated. He and his army must become the last force of the entire division to evacuate. .

The evacuation time given to him by Division Commander Okabe Saburo was after 11 o'clock on the evening of the 16th!

Hattori Akitaro did not fully follow Saburo Okabe's military orders. At 9 o'clock after nightfall, the Chinese completely stopped the excavation operation that originally lasted three days and three nights. This abnormal signal made Hattori Akitaro feel extremely uncomfortable. A good hunch, maybe the Chinese general attack will be tonight.

Therefore, after entering 11 o'clock, Hattori Xiaotaro did not follow the original evacuation plan and only ordered an infantry brigade to withdraw from the position and join a baggage squadron staying behind the position to evacuate backwards.

There are still 4 infantry brigades and a tank squadron on the position, as well as all infantry artillery squadrons and mountain artillery squadrons.

If the Chinese launch an attack in the early morning, more than 4,000 elite imperial officers and soldiers will definitely crush their ambitions. Looking at the flashes of fire and thunder-like explosions coming from the Purple Mountain battlefield a few kilometers away, Hattori Kotaro secretly felt cruel in his heart.

It has to be said that Hattori Akitaro is indeed a veteran with rich battlefield experience. Just from the signal to stop digging trenches, he can basically judge that China is preparing a big move. He will not hesitate to give up the perfect time to withdraw the main force, but also keep the main force in the battlefield. It dealt a heavy blow to China on the battlefield.

Indeed, in the trenches that were no more than 180 meters away from the Japanese trenches, the Chinese soldiers all had grenades on their waists, and the ammo belts hung diagonally were filled with yellow-orange bullets. Except for a few, they were lying in their fighting positions and staring. There were observation posts in front and a few infantrymen chatting in low voices. Most of the soldiers were resting against the inner wall of the trench with their rifles in their arms.

The 16 infantry companies located in the frontline trenches all received the regimental military order from the signal corps: to suspend excavation, the entire army rests, and waits for the general attack order!

Although at 6 pm each person had already had dinner with two white flour steamed buns and a bowl of broth, at 11 pm, the cooking teams of each company once again brought each person a steamed bun filled with fat and a boiled egg. It’s considered a snack in the evening.

"Hurry up and go to bed. The general attack won't be so early!" An experienced veteran picked up the steamed buns and killed them three times, five by two, and reminded the recruits around him of the eggs. At the same time, he conveniently put the boiled eggs in his pocket. He smiled with satisfaction and said: "This is a rare thing. It can just fill your belly after the battle."

"Brother, how did you know?" the recruit asked curiously. Except for the brigade headquarters, no one knew when the general attack on the Japanese position in front of them was going to be.

"Stupid! If the general attack is launched in two hours, then there is no need to give us extra food! Just this big steamed bun and two big pieces of fat meat, it will take at least 4 hours. If the Japanese want to escape, they will definitely We have to run in batches at night. In order to reduce our casualties, the leaders deliberately gave the Japanese more time to leave the position first. We can capture this position with minimal casualties." The veteran glared because the battle was about to begin. The recruit, who was excited and nervous and couldn't sleep, finally patiently explained to him.

"Then we didn't let a lot of Japanese go free for nothing?" The recruit was still a little confused.

"Run? I'm asking you, who can outrun our 683rd brigade with just their feet? I'll let him run for three hours to see if they can outrun us, if they can't bear the scraps of metal." The veteran was confident. answer.

"Understood!" The recruit nodded.

"If you understand, then go to sleep. Only when you have enough energy can you fight the Japanese." The veteran closed his eyes and snored slightly in less than a minute.

Although the new recruits were still nervous and excited, with the veteran's calm performance, his heart gradually calmed down. In addition, it was really hard to dig out the earth these past few days, so he fell asleep not long after closing his eyes.

Ten percent were veterans who had experienced a large-scale transfer of thousands of miles, 30% were four-year soldiers and three-year soldiers, and the remaining 60% were said to be new recruits, but in fact, it ranged from half a year to two years. , the extremely reasonable personnel composition is very similar to the composition of the Japanese divisions that initially entered the Chinese battlefield. This is the main reason why the 683 Brigade can be called the strongest infantry brigade of the Eighty Group Army. Coupled with a full set of German weapons and equipment, the 683 Brigade If you are not strong enough, God will not agree to it.

"Chief, I think the little devils are already ready to retreat. I don't know how far they will run. Otherwise, if we advance the time of the general attack by half an hour, I guarantee that we will catch them until they run out of breath." From the Japanese position In an underground command post less than 400 meters away, Wang Xiaoqiang anxiously reassured Brigadier Cheng who was facing the darkness.

"Do you really think the Japanese on the other side will run away?" Brigadier Cheng turned his head and looked at Wang Xiaoqiang, who was eager to fight, with a calm expression.

"The little devil commander opposite is a powerful character." Wang Xiaoqiang shook his head. "It's not good, he has the whole army in full formation and is waiting for us!"

"Oh? Then you, Madman Wang, have realized this, so why are you still thinking of launching a general attack half an hour in advance?" Brigadier Cheng asked with a smile.

"Hehe! In the past, the little devil's equipment was still the same, but now! We have already replaced our guns with cannons. We can't stop our charge with just a three-eight-piece cover and a pheasant neck. Even if he has thousands of small The Japanese are guarding the trenches with wide eyes, and all the commanders and fighters of the 772nd Regiment and I are confident that we can break through the defense line in front of us within 20 minutes and kill him with blood!" Wang Xiaoqiang replied proudly.

"Okay! It's a good thing to have confidence and determination. It's not in vain that I ordered you, Madman Wang, to make the 772nd regiment the main attack group of the brigade." Brigadier Cheng was obviously very satisfied with Wang Xiaoqiang's statement.

Even though it's all a battle, whether or not you have a good idea of ​​the enemy's possible deployment is a completely different matter. The lunatic warrior takes into account the possibility that the opponent's entire army is ready, but still maintains a determination to win. That's both self-confidence and confidence. It's determination.

This is why the five infantry regiment commanders under Brigadier Cheng each have their own strengths in combat, but whenever there is a critical moment, he will not hesitate to choose the mad warrior to be his vanguard.

It’s a preference and an affirmation!

Wang Xiaoqiang is a sword, and he can dance with it when he is showing off his skills, but if he is required to clear a bloody path for the entire army, then he will definitely move forward.

As the saying goes, the commander will lead the troops. After the 772 regiment lost its commander Ye, who was both civil and military, two years ago, its strength has not declined but has increased. In the past two years, its record has been ahead of the 771 regiment, which was once on par with them. And the 686th Regiment, the first main regiment of the 511th Division.

"However, you are now the leader of a regiment, and the leader of a large regiment with nearly ten thousand people. If you were placed under that person, you would have to be a major general-level division commander. Don't think about it when thinking about the problem. Just think about the battlefield in front of you. Then think about why the brigade headquarters set the time for the general attack to 3:30 in the morning, and then answer me after thinking about it." Brigadier Cheng smiled and asked Wang Xiaoqiang a difficult question.

Wang Xiaoqiang had no problem with tactics. No matter what time it was, the Japanese defense line had to be fought. It was just a matter of risking one's life.

But this time is the best time for Brigadier Cheng to get stuck after going through nearly ten deductions and communicating with Tang Dao several times.

After being silent for a while and smoking two cigarettes, Wang Xiaoqiang finally gave his answer: "The reason why the brigade headquarters set this time is, firstly, because this is the time when the human body is most likely to become sleepy, especially because the Japanese army suspected me The army will launch an attack at any time, and there is no way to enter such a state of deep sleep;

Two: The Japanese army may have had a fluke mentality. After 12 o'clock, they still saw no movement from our army, so they deployed some of their main forces to retreat quietly. This also virtually reduced the attack pressure and casualties for our army!

Three: Give our officers and soldiers more ample rest time to recover their physical strength!

That's probably all. Brigadier, there are so many twists and turns in your head that I really can't think of them. "

"You are dishonest. Since you became the regiment commander, you have made more twists and turns than when I first met you! Why, you are afraid that you will become bald all of a sudden and it will appear that I am a brigade commander. This level of skill is immediately apparent to you, the commander, right?" Brigadier Cheng looked at Wang Xiaoqiang with a half-smile on his face.

"Conscience of heaven and earth, chief, I swear to God, I don't have the connections like Lao Xu and others, so I really can't flatter you." Wang Xiaoqiang argued with a grimace.

The brigade chief of staff on the side was having a hard time holding back his laughter. Wang Xiaoqiang is really a living treasure. If you swear, you swear, why did you take Commander Xu and other senior commanders out to block the gun? Believe it or not, Madman Wang, that’s all. If the word reaches the ears of those regimental commanders, they will collectively tear down the door of your 772 regiment headquarters.

"It's not that you, Madman Wang, can't take the photo, it's because you don't want to take the photo! Hurry up, I'll give you a chance to flatter me, and tell me the most important reason. What's on your mind like a monkey, I can still I don’t know.” Brigadier Cheng turned his head and looked into the darkness, the corners of his mouth raised slightly.

What he was happy about was not that he was being flattered by his first general, but that he was finally relieved to let his proud subordinate go.

The 921 Division Headquarters has made a decision that after the Zishan Battle, the Japanese army will not launch a large-scale attack in southern Hebei for a long time. In view of the good development trend in southern Hebei, the 921 Division will learn from the Si Xing Regiment. Promote the Jinan model to other base areas.

The 683rd Brigade will be stationed in Taiyue Mountain to establish the Taiyue Military Region. The military region will be centered on Taiyue Mountain. The base area will be the triangle between Tongpu Road, Baijin Road, and Lintun Highway, and will govern a total of 32 counties.

By then, the 772nd Regiment headed by this madman general will become the patron saint of hundreds of thousands of people in 12 counties. With the ability he has shown now, it is completely enough.

"Hehe, I don't know if what I said is right or not. I think the biggest reason why you chose this time is to make the Japanese commander on the opposite side uncomfortable and unable to sleep. This person's brain doesn't rest well! He will be confused, and once he is confused, he will make mistakes!" Wang Xiaoqiang said with a chuckle.

"What do you think? Chief of Staff, I mean that Wang Fengzi is Zhang Fei who can embroider, rough but delicate! Otherwise, do you think that the commander of my 683rd Brigade, Tang Tuanzuo, who is as smart as a ghost, has the closest relationship with him? That's because of the attraction of the same kind!" Brigade Commander Cheng smiled and looked at the Chief of Staff.

The Chief of Staff gave Wang Xiaoqiang a thumbs up!

"The more intense the fight on the Four-Line Regiment side, the quieter our side, the longer it drags on, the more the opponent can't figure out our rhythm, and make the opponent anxious, and people will make mistakes when they are anxious!" This is the summary speech made by Brigade Commander Cheng after he held a brigade combat meeting at night and set this time point.

It was in such torment that Hattori Akatarou waited from 11 o'clock to 2:30 in the morning. The opposite position was still silent, and there was no intention to launch an attack.

Finally, Hattori Akatarou, who could no longer wait, made a decision to withdraw another infantry battalion. If the Chinese did not move by 4 o'clock, Hattori Akatarou would personally lead another infantry battalion to evacuate the battlefield.

The last batch of people to evacuate the battlefield would be after 5:30. At that time, all heavy weapons and equipment had been moved away, and the more than 1,000 people composed of light infantry would see whether the marching speed was fast enough.

Hattori Akatarou's wishful thinking seemed good at least at that time, but at 3:30 in the morning, Hattori Akatarou, who had packed up and was about to leave the front-line command post and join the infantry battalion that had begun to leave the trench, suddenly heard a sharp whistle from the sky.

The pale Japanese Army Major General looked up and saw shooting stars flashing in the sky, like a beautiful meteor shower!

But that is not for making wishes, but for bringing death!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Amid the brilliant flames and the shocking explosions, Hattori Shotaro was stunned.

In this psychological duel, he lost completely!

The Chinese were extremely cunning in using time to make him make mistakes, and they again withdrew 1,000 people from the position, but there were less than 3,000 infantrymen, and the fatal thing was that an hour ago, he also withdrew 4 infantry artillery squads and 2 heavy machine gun squadrons.

This is because he knew that heavy equipment could delay the marching speed the most during the retreat, but he was reluctant to discard these heavy equipment, so he had to evacuate early.

This means that the two infantry battalions still on the position and the infantry battalion that had just left the position and planned to assemble had only 12 heavy machine guns and 2 infantry guns to provide them with fire support.

Fortunately, there was still a tank squadron that had not left, and the 57mm howitzers of the 6 97 medium tanks and 40 7mm heavy machine guns could provide some support to the infantry.

Without these, Hattori Akitaro really wanted to die.

But Hattori Akitaro still underestimated his opponent. This time, the 683rd Brigade really took out its heavy firepower, 12 150mm mortars, 12 Type 41 75 mountain guns, 12 75mm Bofors mountain guns, plus 82 mortars equipped by each regiment, and 80 "flying thunder guns" quietly built in the front-line trenches.

It is far from the legendary 10,000 guns firing at the same time, but it is definitely more than 100!

Especially the 80 flying thunder guns on the front line, although the range is very short, the farthest can only be thrown to 250 meters away, but that is enough.

The job of the 5-kilogram explosive pack is to destroy the front-line fortifications and the infantry in the front-line trenches.

More than 10 minutes of artillery preparation, not to mention mortars and mountain cannons, the 683rd Brigade's group of "crazy" native artillerymen fired 800 explosive packs for the Flying Thunder Cannon alone, which is 4,000 kilograms of explosives. The 683rd Brigade bought a little bit from the Sihang Regiment Military Factory every month and accumulated it for a whole year. All of this was used up in 10 minutes.

Even a regiment commander like Wang Xiaoqiang, who has seen the world, was heartbroken by his subordinates' style of pouring ammunition like it was free!

How to say it! It's good this way, so that these bastards can live to be scolded by me. I can't scold them to death after the war, and Wang Xiaoqiang can comfort himself.

Hattori Xiaotaro underestimated his opponent and overestimated his own people.

When hundreds of cannons came at them, the raging hot air waves shook the front-line infantry, and even the various types of tanks half-surrounded by fortifications were shaking violently. The armored soldiers of the Japanese tank squadron were not stupid. When they saw such artillery fire, they judged that the front-line infantry would definitely not be able to hold the trenches.

If the infantry could not hold, it meant that the Chinese would soon approach their tanks that were 400 meters away as fixed firepower points. The scene of the 1st tank squadron being set on fire by the Chinese with simple Molotov cocktails a few days ago was still vivid in their minds. They were still waiting here. What else could they be if not super stupid?

"All tanks will leave the fortifications immediately after the artillery fire stops, and mobile support the imperial infantry fighting the Chinese in various areas!" The captain of the tank squadron issued a military order with a sullen face.

Mobile support, fighting the Chinese, the two key points seem to be fine. Those who understand will naturally understand, and those who don't understand, then die!

Therefore, the 22 tanks of the 2nd Tank Squadron, which Hattori Shotaro had high hopes for, had already lost their will to fight in an artillery battle that broke out on the battlefield.

How could they resist the charge of 6,000 elite Chinese infantrymen who had been resting all night with only 3,000 light infantrymen? Their heads?

At 4:10 a.m., Hattori Shotaro sent a farewell telegram to Okabe Saburo in despair, saying that the Northwest Plain defense line had been breached and the entire army would be annihilated!

At that time, it had only been 40 minutes since the Chinese fired the first shell!

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

By dawn, only gray uniforms were cleaning the battlefield, which was covered with feces-yellow corpses, and occasionally gray uniforms would fall to the ground.

The recruit knelt in front of his squad leader. When the defense line was broken, the veteran fired two shots and killed two devils in the trench, but several machine gun bullets from 100 meters away also hit his chest. The recruit could not stop charging until the battle was over. He returned to the battlefield and found the squad leader who had done a simple bandage.

The new soldier took out the crushed boiled egg from the old soldier's pocket and put the broken yolk into his mouth. The old soldier smacked his lips tremblingly and made a barely audible sound: "Smell!"

The new soldier's face, which was blackened by the smoke, was washed out with two white marks. He struggled to carry his squad leader, who was no longer breathing, on his back.

On the battlefield filled with smoke, the new soldier's desolate and tragic roar rang out: "Forward! Forward! Our team is moving forward!"

That was the first military song he learned from his squad leader after joining the army!