Chapter 361 Marshal, We Have Arrived at Huanggutun
December 3, 1941, 12:57.
"Major General, the 139th Infantry Regiment and the Cavalry Squadron have arrived in Yuanping, please wake up."
After several days of pursuit, Ishii Kaho, the old man, was exhausted.
In order not to lose the chain in the next decisive battle, he had to prepare emergency plans as much as possible in advance, so as to squeeze out some time to recuperate.
Hearing the call of his chief of staff, the old Japanese sitting in the co-pilot seat of the truck opened his eyes with difficulty.
At this moment, he was pale and sweaty, and vaguely felt like he had survived a disaster. It was obvious that he had a nightmare.
"I just had a dream. In the dream, the train I was riding was overturned by the bombs set by the guerrillas. Damn the Eighth Route Army, they really don't let me rest for a day."
"Pass my order! All levels of troops speed up the march and minimize the time they are exposed in the basin."
"At the same time, let the 139th Infantry Regiment strengthen the reconnaissance. Expand the original warning range to the limit of the radio station, and be sure to beware of the enemy's dive bombers!"
This dream, which was similar to the Marshal's arrival in Huanggutun, made Ishii Jiaho vaguely feel an ominous premonition.
As a senior officer who graduated from the Army University and has rich combat experience, he naturally knew that the Eighth Route Army was planning a decisive battle.
Considering that the opponent always launches the first wave of attacks by the Air Force, how to prevent air strikes naturally becomes the top priority.
At present, the strength of our own Army Aviation is limited, and it is almost impossible to snatch air superiority from the enemy. It is better to ask for help from ourselves than to ask for help from others. The only way to break the deadlock is to let all levels of troops be highly alert and concealed.
"Hi!"
After receiving the instructions from the highest commander of the brigade, the signalmen conveyed the order to the vanguard at the first time.
After confirming that there was no problem with her deployment, Ishii Kaho first took a big sip of water from the kettle, and then continued to think about how to attack.
As if thinking of something, the chief of staff Kimura Naoki said tentatively:
"Major General, are you too cautious? We are not insects of the Osaka Division, why do we have to drag on the way forward."
"If outsiders knew that our brigade was so timid, they would probably doubt the loyalty of the samurai to their brother country."
"What's more, the front is Xinkou."
The above conversation sounds extremely abstract, but it is indeed the idea of most soldiers of the 108th Brigade.
Nothing else.
Just because Xinkou has a very special meaning for the Japanese army.
In the shocking battle four years ago, Itagaki Seishirō led the troops headed by the Fifth Division to defeat the Republic of China defenders who were several times larger than themselves.
After this battle, the North China Front Army not only occupied most of the towns in Shanxi Province, but also destroyed the property accumulated by Yan Laoxi for many years.
As we all know, the Japanese always believe in mysterious things like luck.
The above-mentioned great victory, coupled with the tactics of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region deliberately showing weakness, led to the fact that all the middle and low-level officers of the 110th Division always believed in one thing.
Even if the enemy has a strong air force, as long as we can launch another Xinkou Battle, we will definitely be able to restore the glory of the past.
As for the defeat in Zhongtiao Mountain?
That was a sneak attack launched by the despicable and shameless Eighth Route Army, which was purely a villain's behavior.
If you have the ability, you can abandon the four-step filling line division of the Guosu defenders and fight a real battle with our six divisions on the plain.
The rebellious speech of his own chief of staff almost choked Ishii Kaho on the water he just drank. He frowned, as if he was staring at a drooling pig standing at the mouth of the pigpen. Are you worthy?
The Osaka Division is playing badly, and it is also a serious Type A division.
You are just a colonel chief of staff without real power. Who gave you the courage to comment at will?
At this moment, the Japanese major general even felt like he was shooting himself in the foot. It seems that too thorough brainwashing is not entirely a good thing.
"As long as we can retake Shanxi, the rumors from the outside world will naturally fall apart. Compared to the illusory honor, I care more about how to survive and win."
"By the way, don't forget to give"
Before the old Japanese finished speaking, a strange sound suddenly came from the horizon in the south.
Almost at the same time, the piercing air defense alarm also echoed over the 108th Brigade.
If the shrieking sound of the Jericho horn was the nightmare of Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union in the early and middle stages of World War II, then the unique roar of the Sabre engine was the shadow that Benzi could not get rid of in his heart.
"Enemy attack! Bombers!"
"Hide! Hide quickly!"
Although he had not seen those dive bombers like the god of death, Kaho Ishii opened the car door and ran to the side of the road without saying a word.
The whole set of actions was smooth and flowing, and you could tell at a glance that he had been bombed a lot.
As for the ordinary soldiers, they abandoned their baggage and hid nearby, without any attachment to heavy equipment and supplies.
After all, if things were lost, they could still be transported from the rear, and if it didn't work, they could even go to the preserved fruit store to rob them. But once the manpower was exhausted, they would completely lose the opportunity to start over.
After hiding in a safe place, Ishii Kaho didn't have time to take a breath, and picked up a telescope to observe the movements of the Eighth Route Army bombers.
"Signalman! Use the radio to contact the 139th Regiment quickly to confirm their current status! Then notify the division headquarters in the rear and let Lieutenant General Iinuma Mamoru prepare for battle!"
"Pass my order, the air defense squadron will meet the enemy immediately! I will never allow those Republic of China people to continue to shit on our heads!"
After speaking, Ishii Kaho found that she did not get a response, and the surrounding soldiers and staff did not execute her orders.
Just when the old devil was about to rage and curse, the chief of staff Kimura Naoki put down the telescope and said with an ugly face:
"Brigade commander, it seems... it seems that it is too late."
While the two were talking, dozens of Typhoon fighters had entered the combat position.
Since there was no large-scale air defense firepower network interference on the ground, each soldier of the Second Air Division had plenty of time to choose a target.
Accompanied by the first collective dive, nearly a hundred 227 kg and a small number of 454 kg bombs were thrown at the enemy's dense area.
In just one attack, the soldiers of each formation threw more than 20 tons of bombs, and the amount used was only close to Li Yunlong of four units in the original book.
As the bombs continued to fall, a series of explosions and flames enveloped most of the 139th Regiment, and the entire basin seemed to have become a huge pressure cooker at this moment.
The devils are the meat in the pot.
Faced with the sudden attack, a regiment of infantry immediately began to run for their lives.
Unfortunately, no matter how fast their legs run, they can't escape the killing range of the bombs in a short time.
Boom boom boom!
The pilots who can be selected for the Second Air Division are all elites. Under the organized and planned attack of their comrades, the 139th Infantry Regiment, which was still marching as usual a minute ago, was hit hard in an instant.
If it weren't for the regiment commander, Ryuo Shimoeda, who dispersed the troops as much as possible, at least half of the people would have died in the bombing just now.
After clearing the inventory of bombs, the next step is rocket shooting and machine gun piercing candied haws.
Although the accuracy of the Western gun of MK2 is not as good as the subsequent upgraded version, each Typhoon has a reserve of 560 rounds, which is definitely a good hand for torturing the devils.
Fifteen minutes later, the soldiers of the Second Air Division used up all the ammunition they brought on this trip. They passed through the Xinzhou Basin and flew away without looking back.
What bid farewell to everyone were the scattered small-caliber anti-aircraft guns and the wailing everywhere.
······
"Baga!"
"Shimoeda-kun died? Are you sure!?"
Although Ishii Kaho had made sufficient mental preparations, he still found it hard to accept the bad news. The old Japanese soldier held the collar of the signalman tightly with both hands, and the anger and irritability on his face were almost visible to the naked eye.
There are also differences between colonels. Shimoeda Ryuo is a brave and combative frontline commander, and one of his few confidants and capable generals.
The loss of such a regiment commander has a significant impact on their brigade.
"Hi!"
"The attack just now was the largest-scale attack by the Eighth Route Army Air Force since the Datong Campaign. Under that level of bombing, everyone is equal."
"Baga!"
Ishii Kaho slapped the signalman in the face with a big slap. Just as he was about to draw his command knife, the chief of staff beside him reminded him in time:
"Brigade commander! The top priority now is to retreat immediately!"
"Our whereabouts have been exposed. The Eighth Route Army's attack has always been a combination of punches. There will definitely be a second or even a third wave of offensive next."
The words of his own chief of staff made the Japanese major general regain his sanity.
At present, they are in a basin, and there are very few places to hide. According to past experience, the Eighth Route Army's air force is very fast in preparation and can return to the battlefield in an hour at the latest.
If it happens again, it is estimated that the entire brigade will be bombed into a regiment.
Thinking of this, Ishii Kaho quickly found a higher position. He first looked around with a telescope, and then took out a map from his arms and started to compare.
"Mr. Kimura, draft a telegram to Lieutenant General Iinuma immediately to report our brigade's experience."
"Order all levels of troops to reach Nanhuaihua and Lingshan as quickly as possible. The terrain there can effectively reduce the damage caused by enemy aircraft!"
"Keep moving! Fast!"
The Xinzhou Basin is 173 kilometers long and 12.5 to 42.5 kilometers wide.
With this length and width, even if the 108th Brigade is fully mechanized, it will not be able to retreat to a safe position within an hour.
Instead of running away with a large number of close-ground support aircraft, it is better to launch a charge in the direction of Taiyuan. At least there is still hope to gain a glimmer of life.
"Hi!"
Just as Ishii Kaho and her headquarters were preparing to return to the convoy, the piercing air defense alarm sounded again above the troops, and at the same time, twelve twin-engine fighters with not very good appearance appeared in the sky.
Unlike the previous dive bombers, these unfamiliar aircraft did not even look at the 139th Infantry Regiment, but went straight to the brigade command center behind.
"Team Fang! What a brilliant plan!"
"The Japanese will never expect that we will attack in two echelons. I think I have found a big fish, let's act quickly!"
Hearing this, Fang Ziyi looked in the direction of his team members.
In the northeast, there was a large convoy heading towards Taiyuan.
Unlike the common baggage convoys, those trucks did not tow heavy weapons, and there was a high probability that they were the enemy's headquarters.
"Okay!"
"Attention, all crews! Start the attack!"
After receiving the order, twelve twin-engine heavy fighters flew towards Ishii Kaho's convoy in a shallow dive. After descending to an altitude of about 1,500 meters, the soldiers opened the magazines and began to drop bombs.
Under the gaze of the devils, forty-eight napalm bombs fell from the sky.
The system-provided handsome warrior has a bomb load twice as large as the original British version, and can carry a full ton of bombs.
The napalm bombs used by Fang Ziyi and others this time, both in terms of power and loading structure, are very similar to the M69 developed by the ugly country in the late World War II.
Boom boom boom!
Compared with conventional bombs, this weapon similar to the M69 exploded with a louder sound, and huge balls of fire instantly engulfed the headquarters of the 108th Brigade.
The flames were raging, like hell on earth.
Hundreds of devils died in the high-temperature flames the moment the napalm bombs landed, and they were directly crushed to ashes.
Thanks to the loading of cluster bombs and the characteristics of colloid, a large amount of flames splashed around after the first wave of explosions, which looked like a hammer hitting a freshly baked iron embryo.
The Japanese, who came from the poor and patriotic, had never seen such a terrifying weapon, not to mention that this was the first time that napalm bombs appeared on the earth.
Just a small step slower, a ball of splashing flames touched Ishii Kaho's back. If he took off his coat decisively at this time, he might have a chance to escape.
Fortunately, it seems that considering the temperature, the Japanese major general did not take off his clothes at the first time.
He chose to roll on the ground, trying to isolate the air by squeezing, so as to extinguish the flames on his body.
"Ah!"
After a pig-killing scream, the napalm burned more and more viscous, and even ignited the dry grass on the ground, and the fire instantly spread to the entire upper body.
The thick cotton coat also became the best combustion aid for burning oil. The intense high temperature turned Ishii Kaho into a fireman.
In a hurry, the chief of staff Naoki Kimura did not hesitate to shoot, trying to extinguish the fire by destroying the burning conditions.
Then?
Two firemen.
From a humanitarian point of view, killing the firemen with one shot is the greatest relief. But the strict hierarchy made the Japanese in the command center dare not do it at all.
Even after trying many options, they could not put out the raging fire.
In the end, they could only watch their brigade commander and chief of staff being burned alive into Japanese barbecue. (End of this chapter)