Rise From Eight Hundred

"Yo! The Chinese are really here!"

This is the first sentence that the Major General of the 31st Infantry Brigade of the 109th Division in Shecheng, Gu Teng Changying, said after receiving the distress telegram from the 14th Division's baggage regiment.

"It's worth it that I personally brought an infantry regiment here!" This is the second sentence after Gu Teng Changying showed an excited expression on his face.

Gu Teng Changying's cruel and brutal heart can be seen. Not only is he ruthless and ruthless to the Chinese anti-Japanese soldiers and civilians, he is even indifferent to the attacks on his friendly forces, and even regards it as a means to gain military merit.

That's right, since the front army headquarters sent a message to the 109th Division Headquarters, ordering them to place an infantry brigade headquarters in Shecheng and to transfer two infantry battalions to Shecheng to deter the Chinese troops hidden in the mountains around the Handan-Changcheng Line, Gu Teng Changying has made his own plans.

As early as the battle of Niangzi Pass, his 31st Infantry Brigade had met the 921st Division, but both times the 921st Division ambushed his 31st Infantry Brigade, which made the Major General Brigade Commander of the Japanese Army humiliated and humiliated. The Japanese Major General Brigade Commander vowed to get up from where he fell.

For this reason, he specially studied the tactics of his old opponents. There was nothing new to say, but sneak attacks, sneak attacks again, and ambushes by taking advantage of the enemy's light and our dark, and the dangerous roads in the mountainous areas.

He even learned about the resumes, personality traits and past battle records of several senior commanders of the 921st Division, from the division commander, deputy division commander to the brigade commander.

In his words, "In Shanxi Province, no general knows the 921st Division better than me!"

It is precisely because of this understanding of the 921st Division that Gu Teng Changying has firmly judged since the moment he received the transfer order that the 921st Division, which had just tasted the sweetness in the battle of Shentouling, would never let go of the big fat piece of meat of the 14th Division's baggage regiment.

'The reason why people like to eat cabbage is that they have never tasted the taste of meat! 'This is also the 'famous saying' that Gu Teng Changying often says.

Don't say that although this person is cold and cruel, he has a thorough psychological analysis of human creatures.

The reason why the top leaders of the 921st Division have a strong urge to fight this battle is to weaken the combat effectiveness of the 14th Division. The large amount of supplies loaded in the huge baggage convoy is actually a huge driving force. If he gets a lot of money, the living supplies needed by the army this year may not become the most troublesome problem for the chief officers of various departments.

Therefore, with this judgment, Gu Teng Changying brought not two infantry battalions, but a whole infantry regiment, and specially transferred a tank squadron and an artillery battalion from the division, which was a heavy firepower composed of 15 tanks and 12 75 mountain guns.

Gu Teng Changying believed that with such heavy firepower as support, his infantry regiment was enough to compete with a Chinese infantry division.

He even did a tactical deduction after arriving in Shecheng. If the Chinese wanted to ambush the convoy of the 14th Division's baggage regiment, they would inevitably divide their troops to block the imperial army coming to support them as they did in the past, but this time they had to divide their troops in two directions, one direction to Shecheng and the other to Licheng.

Such a result can only lead to their dispersion of the limited forces. An infantry division has only more than 10,000 people, divided into three parts, and no more than 4,000 people in each direction at most.

With only a few thousand people, even if they occupied the high ground first, Gu Teng Changying had enough confidence to believe that the flesh and blood of the Chinese could not stop the bombardment of his tanks and artillery.

In his opinion, the Chinese's adventure of trying to get something out of the fire could only end up with them getting burned and seriously injured.

As for the "something", Gu Teng Changying didn't take them seriously. That was a headache for the insidious villain Tu Feiyuan.

"Where was the location where the 14th Division was ambushed?" Gu Teng Changying suppressed his sly joy and began to look for the location where the convoy was attacked on the map, which would also help him determine where the Chinese would place the blocking position.

The cavalry squadron he sent out a day or two ago was not just for show. It was a detailed observation of the topography on the road from Shecheng to Licheng, and all the observation reports were already imprinted in his mind.

It can be said that for this attack, which he judged to be 70 to 80 percent likely, Gu Teng Changying had made sufficient preparations.

"Yangjiashan, Zhanghe." As the combat staff reported the telegrams from Major Moriki one by one, Gu Teng Changying's eyes wandered on the map and finally locked on a place.

"Laoya Mountain!" Gu Teng Changying confidently pointed his finger at a certain place on the map. If the Chinese wanted to block our brigade's rescue, they would definitely choose this place as the blocking position.

There is nothing special about the terrain of Laoya Mountain. In fact, many people think it is not the best location for a blocking position.

Along the direction of the road, there are cliffs on one side and undulating slopes on the other. The vertical height of the highest slope relative to the road on the flat road is only about 160 meters. Although this gentle area is convenient for the deployment of the formation of their own troops, it also gives the attackers a lot of room.

The combat staff looked surprised, but Gu Teng Changying didn't waste much time to explain to him. He ordered directly: "Order the Toyama Regiment to send troops according to the original reinforcement plan!"

The Japanese army, which had been prepared for a long time, took only five minutes to line up and leave the city. The huge roar of the 15 tanks in the leading tank squadron made the mountains seem to tremble.

No one, including Tang Dao, expected that this person would be so decisive and resolute. He didn't leave a single soldier in Shecheng and directly turned Shecheng into an empty city.

The 769th Regiment, which was deployed several kilometers outside Shecheng and was ready for battle, was like a punch into a pile of cotton in the face of this sudden situation, and was certainly confused.

"The Chinese know that our army has strong firepower, so they will naturally not deploy troops on steep mountains with narrow areas for our army to consume artillery shells. Moreover, because of concerns about our empire's air support, they must set up defense lines in wide areas to delay time and prevent our troops from supporting the 14th Division surrounded by them.' This is what Gu Teng Changying, who was sitting in the jeep, said to his important general, the colonel commander of the 69th Infantry Regiment, Sasaki Xiaoyong.

"The Chinese tactical thinking is actually very correct, spending the least casualties, trying to delay time, and giving the greatest support on the main battlefield.

But their commanders may not have thought that the 14th Division's baggage regiment is very important to the 14th Division, but it is not as important to us as they think.

The reason why my brigade came here with all our strength is not to help the 14th Division, but to eat up the Chinese who dared to block our way forward.

When the battle is over, I will hang all the bodies of the killed Chinese on the cliffs on both sides of this road, so that the Chinese will know the price of attacking my imperial army. "

At that moment, the cruel light flashing in Gu Teng Changying's eyes made Sasaki Xiaoyong feel a chill in his back.

His boss actually used a large convoy of the 14th Division as bait. Only in this way can he hunt thousands of Chinese.

"But there is still one thing I don't understand?" Sasaki Xiaoyong put away the fear in his heart and asked carefully.

"Sasaki-kun, you want to ask why I completely gave up Shexian County and attacked with all my strength, right?" Gu Teng Changying raised the corner of his mouth and answered his trusted subordinate.

"Hi! Please forgive my stupidity! "Sasaki Xiaoyong bowed his head respectfully.

"Then I want to ask Mr. Sasaki, if the Chinese attack Shecheng, what are they planning to do?" Gu Teng Changying did not answer directly, but asked in return.

"Based on my understanding of the Chinese army, they should want to kill and injure our imperial soldiers and seize all kinds of supplies from our army!" Sasaki Xiaoyong thought for a moment and answered.

"That's it. Our troops came to Shecheng this time just to protect the passage of the 14th Division's baggage regiment. Not only are we not carrying much supplies, but we are also traveling with the army. There are no imperial officers and soldiers in the city except the Chinese. What's the point of the Chinese occupying it?" Gu Teng Changying smiled slightly.

"If the Chinese really dare to come, then I can say that I am more than happy. That small town will become a nightmare for all Chinese. I will use artillery to turn that small town and all Chinese into ashes!

Unfortunately, I'm afraid the Chinese are not that stupid!

Believe it or not, in the mountains not far from Shecheng, there may be a part of the 921st Division lurking. They are waiting for some of my troops, and then they will attack the city with a bluff, which makes me feel very difficult to make a decision and even exhausted on this mountain road.

Now, if they have the guts, they can come and attack my retreat. I will let them know what it means to "steal a chicken but lose a rice bowl"! "

"Your Excellency, the brigade commander is wise! "Sasaki Xiaoyong looked admiring.

As the saying goes, a word awakens a person from his dream. Sasaki Xiaoyong instantly understood that his infantry regiment had avoided the dilemma of dispersing troops and fighting on two fronts. Gu Teng Changying's all-out move was simply indescribable.

He even used himself as bait to lure the Chinese troops ambushed around Shecheng to attack.

However, the 69th Infantry Regiment with 15 tanks and 12 artillery pieces will let any enemy know what toughness is. If you have bad teeth, you will really lose a mouthful of teeth.

Of course, Sasaki Xiaoyong also knows that his own infantry regiment has no power. The brigade commander relied on more than 3,600 imperial infantry and 12 artillery pieces. The front army aviation far away in Yuancheng prepared at least 12 bombers under the coordination of the front army headquarters.

Those air threats that the Chinese could not resist could bury the Chinese in their mountains with 500-pound bombs.

The Japanese commander who used friendly forces as bait, even himself, was probably the only one Tang Dao had ever seen in his life.

Tang Dao never underestimated his opponents, but after the war he still admitted that he underestimated Gu Teng Changying. ruthless.

Compared with this guy, the several Japanese army colonels he had encountered and killed were simply good kids.

However, Gu Teng Changying probably didn't expect that the opponent he was going to face was not the senior commanders of the 921st Division who he thought he had studied thoroughly, but a tough soldier from the future who had fought all the way from Songhu.

The two commanders, who were both confident and unaware of their opponents' backgrounds, met on the battlefield an hour and a half later.

Because of Gu Teng Changying's judgment, the Japanese army was on the march before Lao Yashan. They kept a high speed and after arriving near Laoya Mountain, they used a 89 tank and three 94 tanks to lead the way, and an infantry squad followed as a pioneer to conduct fire reconnaissance on the mountains and forests along the way.

This completely failed Tang Dao's previous plan to have the engineering company bury mines on the main road to give the Japanese vanguard a head-on attack.

The infantry mines buried by the engineering company without anti-tank mines could not hurt the 89 tanks at all. Apart from adding a few limited pits on the road, the thick-skinned 89 tanks even had their most fragile tracks intact.

The Japanese engineers who followed up repaired the road at a very fast speed, allowing the cars carrying Japanese infantry to pass smoothly.

"How is it? The Chinese have run out of tricks." Gu Teng Changying received the report that the road ahead had been successfully repaired and the large army was able to continue to advance, and his face showed a smug look.

He had long expected the Chinese army's tactics of using mines to destroy the road. In order to prevent the Chinese from using a large number of explosives to attack, the vanguard team he sent out carefully observed the grass on both sides of the road and would hardly leave such an opportunity for the Chinese army.

The first contact between the Chinese and Japanese armies did not break out at Laoya Mountain, but at Zhaojiaguai, which was located before Laoya Mountain. It was a very dangerous road. The road was sandwiched between two mountains, but it was only 300 meters long.

Wei Donglai's Steel Company No. 7 was ordered to meet the engineer platoon that was going to deploy mines here, and look for opportunities to attack the Japanese vanguard.

Tang Dao's original plan was to attack layer by layer and continuously delay the Japanese army's marching speed. The tactical purpose of the Four-Line Regiment this time was not to fight hard with this Japanese army, but to try to buy time for the main battlefield, so that after they annihilated the Japanese army's convoy, they would have enough time to transport the precious supplies to the mountains.

Because the Japanese vanguard team was too arrogant, after encountering continuous mine explosions, they did not retreat but advanced, and even expanded the range of infantry search of the bushes on both sides to more than 30 meters from the roadside.

Basically, they completely exposed their figures to the guns of the Steel Seventh Company lurking on the hillside a hundred meters away.

Such a good opportunity, how could Wei Donglai let it go?

Although the Japanese army had a 89 tank and two 94-type tanks ready for battle, the Steel Seventh Company had just been awarded the military flag not long ago, and its morale was at a high level, so they would not be afraid of this.

"Fight!" Wei Donglai, who was in a simple trench, pulled the trigger first.

Although the German twenty-shot rifle, which is standard for company-level cadres, has a large muzzle jump, it has a fast firing rate. The horizontal muzzle jumps and sweeps out nearly ten bullets in two seconds, forming a fan.

A Japanese infantryman fell down!

Then there was a burst of gunfire. The 7th Steel Company is now the main company. The squad leader, deputy squad leader, and precision shooter are basically drawn from the veterans of the other infantry companies. Half of the recruits have also experienced the last battle of Dongyang Pass. Their fighting spirit is a step higher than half a month ago.

The continuous firepower of 15 semi-automatic rifles, 10 submachine guns, 20 Mauser pistols, and 10 light machine guns formed a terrifying rain of bullets a hundred meters away.

At least 20 Japanese infantrymen were hit in this round of rain of bullets, and the remaining 20 Japanese soldiers were also knocked down in the grass, and they could hardly form a decent resistance.

However, the two Type 94 tanks reacted quickly, relying on their thick skin and strong flesh to withstand bullets, and the 7.7mm heavy machine guns equipped roared desperately, firing at the 100 meters away where the smoke was already filled.

Two 7.7mm heavy machine guns were nothing to the Steel 7th Company with simple bunkers, but when the 57mm gun of the Type 89 tank was also aimed at the position, it was a bit overwhelming.

Although the Japanese tankers could not see the specific target clearly because of the smoke, it was a headache for the officers and soldiers of the Steel 7th Company to let them bombard like this.

With just three shots, several people were injured by the flying shrapnel.

If these three tanks dared to go down the roadbed and attack the hillside, the Steel 7th Company would not be afraid of them. Before leaving, each company made more than a dozen Molotov cocktails, just for individual soldiers to deal with these big iron blocks.

But the three tanks may have orders, and they had no intention of attacking upwards, so they stayed in place and used tank guns and machine guns to cover their infantry.

One side had strong light firepower and the advantage of terrain, while the other side had heavy firepower that could destroy both. For a while, there was a stalemate, and no one could do anything to the other.

The Japanese infantry suppressed in the grass also found shelters under the cover of their tanks, or retreated behind the tanks and fired at the mountainside.

The casualties of the 7th Steel Company also increased. In less than three minutes of shooting, 5 people were injured and 1 was killed.

"Cancel the original plan and order the 7th Steel Company to withdraw to the main position! Since the Japanese want to fight hard, let's fight." Tang Dao frowned and gave a decisive order after receiving Lei Xiong's call.

In this era, light infantry is not equipped with any RPG. It's okay to give the opponent a surprise club, but if you go to fight against steel behemoths like tanks in positional warfare, it's like ramming your head into the mountain. Tang Dao will not do such a stupid thing.

"What? Thirteen members of the vanguard squad were killed and 11 were injured on the spot? There were only a hundred attackers?" Gu Teng Changying, who was full of pride, took a breath of cold air when he received the report from the front.

He had specially assigned a medium tank and two light tanks to the vanguard squad. With such a protector, the Chinese army of only a hundred people caused such heavy casualties to the vanguard squad within a few minutes of fighting. How strong was their light firepower?

The eyes of the Japanese Army Major General Brigade Commander became solemn. He seemed to have to re-examine the opponent who was about to go to war.

This was not the style of the opponent he was familiar with.

Perhaps he could get a glimpse of the truth from the weapons and ammunition calibers used by the opponent.

No matter what Gu Teng Changying thought, in the first contact between China and Japan, the mine warfare of the Tang Dao did not play any role, wasting the few mines in stock, and Gu Teng Changying's vanguard squad suffered heavy casualties.

It was a draw, and no one took much advantage.