The morale of the 4th Battalion was not low due to the heavy casualties, but the Japanese army was different.
Before arriving, in order to boost morale, the 108th Division headquarters issued an extremely rare enemy situation report. Even the lower-level Japanese soldiers knew that the opponents they were about to face would not exceed a thousand people at most.
But they are an army of more than 8,000 people. Not only do they have tanks and artillery, but they also have drones coming to help. The old rival 921 Division also has all its main forces but not many troops in southeastern Shanxi. We also have an army of more than 10,000 people to encircle and suppress them. .
The 80th Group Army is very scary, but there is still the 109th Division to provide full support. The two divisions are fighting in the southeast of Shanxi where the main force is not present. On their own side, it is 8,000 versus 1,000. In the Chinese words, it is hand-to-hand. A matter of pinching.
This can be regarded as an innovation by Xia Xiong Yuan to break the tradition of the Japanese Army. Before anyone left the barracks, he informed everyone: Don't panic, we are either going to fight in a team this time, or we are going to fight a few wild monsters, while accumulating military merit. I can still make some money and come back to Missi Missi.
you do not say! Although no document has been formed and issued, the news coming from the mouth of the infantry battalion captain's assistant officer is: This time when entering the enemy's occupied area, all Chinese are enemies and can be killed and plundered!
The opponent has a small number of people, and after breaking through its base area, it can still burn, kill and loot at will. Isn't this irritating to the eyes of the 108th Division?
Coming to China to make a lot of money and improve the lives of themselves and their families are the big thoughts hidden in the hearts of many Japanese infantrymen.
Human beings themselves are a kind of profit-making creature!
There are actually many intelligent people in the world who can understand the word fame and fortune clearly. However, human society is like a whirlpool. How many people can escape from it?
Xiong Yuan used this move to boost the morale of the entire division. In fact, it can be seen from the side that the 108th Division is afraid of the Si Xing Regiment, an opponent who unexpectedly entered the Taihang Mountains.
However, the morale that had been artificially raised with great effort had not been maintained at the high point for a few days. In the past two days, the officers and soldiers of the 4th Battalion were hit hard with a stick.
In just one position, 400 infantrymen were injured or killed. A 'Glory Special Attack Team' formed by Brigade Commander Kuyeda Shiro, who personally went to the forward position to supervise the battle, saved more than a dozen wounded soldiers and more than 130 others. Now everyone is lying on the hillside to bask in the sun.
Shiro Kuyeda, who was quite serious and cruel by nature, looked at the retreating infantry with no expression on his face for nearly 20 minutes. Several colonel and junior officers around him remained silent for fear of this major general's brigade who had just taken office not long ago. The leader would take advantage of them to make way for the cronies he cultivated.
Yes, the good days of the 108th Division, which has been making rapid progress on the battlefield in North China since April, are over.
Since the battles of Licheng and Shentouling, the 108th Division has been losing troops and generals and has never looked back.
Until the end of the Battle of Southeast Shanxi, the front army headquarters asked the division and regiment headquarters to report the battle losses of various materials and personnel. Xia Xiong Yuan, who was already so overwhelmed that he was struggling to move forward, did not dare to conceal it anymore and could only report the truth.
In less than 4 months, the 108th Division lost one colonel, one lieutenant colonel each, and four majors, 5,600 officers and soldiers below the rank of colonel, 4,500 wounded officers and soldiers, and countless supplies of all kinds.
Good guys, Yuan Shangshan and Saburo Okamoto were both shocked at that time.
If they were not the commander and chief of staff, they would even think that the 108th Division had participated in some large-scale battle, otherwise half of the division would have been wiped out?
You must know that in the Battle of Songhu, where both sides invested millions of troops, more than 1,000 aircraft, and various heavy artillery, the total casualties of the East China Expeditionary Force were less than 50,000.
These two didn't know what the 108th Division was like. On larger battlefields like Licheng, Shentouling, and Xiangtangpu, the Four Lines Regiment would join forces with the 921st Division to attack them. Normally, both sides would stop fighting each other. At that time, the troublesome guy from the 683rd Brigade was hitting here and there with a hammer and a stick.
Today they ambush a patrol team, tomorrow they attack a transport team, and they even have the audacity to sneak into the city and assassinate senior local garrison officers and Chinese affiliated with the Imperial Army.
There were many casualties in the battle, but this piecemeal approach was even more troublesome. In the past four months alone, nearly a thousand casualties were caused by the 683 Brigade using this method.
As a result, the 108th Division could only stick to the city. The suburbs 3 kilometers outside the city were basically out of control. If the transportation was less than one infantry squadron to protect it, they basically did not dare to leave the city and could only barely maintain the traffic lines. The front army headquarters The so-called strategy and tactics of blocking the mountainous areas of southeastern Shanxi from the direction of the occupied areas are basically just strings tied to chicken butts - bullshit!
But for a leader like Shan Shanyuan, he doesn't care how miserable his subordinates are. He only knows that his subordinates did not do a good job. The 108th Division is already in such bad shape, how could it not make adjustments?
The lieutenant general division commander and other important generals in the army need to be adjusted and appointed in the base camp. He, the general commander, cannot move, but he can move the major general level. In a fit of anger, he adjusted two of Xiong Yuan's subordinates in August. The position of the heavy general.
To put it bluntly, two major general brigade commanders and four colonel commanders were replaced, which basically eliminated Xiong Yuan from the perspective of infantry command.
The two army major generals were promoted from the division commanders or chiefs of staff who were close to Yuan Shishan. In order to establish prestige, they also warned the infantry brigade commanders openly and secretly that the brigade would undergo internal position adjustments in the fall. .
'What the Front Army Headquarters wants are imperial soldiers who can fight, not those who just sit around and live in idleness! ' Kuyeda Shiro kept mentioning this at various meetings of the brigade headquarters.
Everyone knows that he is trying to establish his authority by pulling on the skin of the Front Army Command, but all Japanese officers also know that the Front Army Command is extremely dissatisfied with Lieutenant General Xiong Yuan, and it will be a matter of time before he is transferred. Follow your new boss around.
It's just that the new boss looks very unhappy now that the battle has ended like this! Didn't you laugh after you looked livid and didn't say a word for 20 minutes?
No, where is the joke? Why, too many soldiers died to reduce the burden on the supply troops, which were still well supplied?
Thinking of this, the Japanese military officers looked at the brigade commander who turned back and slightly raised the corners of his mouth, dumbfounded!
"Haha, you don't need to be nervous. I have seen the spirit of the officers and soldiers of the 104th Brigade in the past two days without fear of hardship and sacrifice. I will also report the truth to the division headquarters and the front army headquarters." Shiro Kumida tried his best to make His tone was soft, and after boasting a bit, he sighed slightly.
"Before I came to the brigade, I had heard about the reputation of our opponent. After this confrontation, it was indeed well-deserved. Not only does this unit have sophisticated weapons and equipment that are not inferior to our Imperial Army, but the most commendable thing is its tenacious fighting spirit. , If all Chinese armies are like this, I can almost conclude that even with the strength of the Imperial Army today, it will not be able to win this war. "
These words are slightly subjective, and may even increase the morale of others and destroy one's own prestige, but these officials all nodded slightly.
Indeed, the Si Xing Regiment is the strongest Chinese army they have encountered since they entered China. A small infantry regiment actually asked a division to inform them in advance that they were short of troops and nearly 10,000 troops dared to march into the mountains bravely. This in itself It is the kind of treatment that only the strong can deserve.
"Fortunately! They only have one such infantry regiment. Of course, such an army cannot be replicated. With their equipment and firepower, let alone a front army, it is a group army. With the current national strength of the Chinese people, they cannot last long. Maintain it." Shiro Kuyeda didn't look like a major general brigade commander at this moment, but instead looked like a general commander of the front army.
Of course, what he said is correct. With the Sixth Regiment currently equipped with a large number of submachine guns, semi-automatic rifles, 12.7mm heavy machine guns, as well as various mortars and mountain cannons, there will be a large number of MG42 light and heavy machine guns and even 107 rocket launchers put into active service in the future. , the ammunition required will be a terrible number.
If this kind of equipment is expanded to a group army of about 50,000 people, it will be a headache astronomical number, let alone hundreds of thousands of people at the front army level.
Not to mention that today's China cannot afford it, even Japan, which has accumulated strength for hundreds of years, cannot afford it, otherwise they would not have insisted on using single-shot bolt-action rifles as the main equipment of the entire army.
War is the biggest gold-eating beast!
Once a war breaks out, what soldiers on the battlefield will see is a barrage of artillery fire and bullets, but in the eyes of the politicians, they just want to throw money at them. If one billion or tens of billions is not enough, then hundreds of billions will be needed.
For the superiors, the lives lost in the flames of war are actually the cheapest!
The so-called justice or injustice is nothing more than the writing of the victor.
If you want to be righteous, you must win the final victory!
This is tragic, but it is true!
However, Shiro Kuyeda misjudged that most of the funding sources of the Four Troops were not obtained from government departments, but created by themselves.
The little butterfly from the future may not be able to conjure aircraft carriers and J-20 fighter jets and win the Patriotic War by crushing this era, but he has a vision and pattern that surpasses this era for nearly a hundred years, and even knows the direction of the future world pattern. .
Just like during the college entrance examination, everyone will study all the knowledge points given in the textbook and then wait for their luck. However, Tang Dao, the candidate, already knows those knowledge points that will be included in the test paper. He does not need to know the original questions, and the scope of study is also limited. Shrunk a hundred times.
Just a patent for penicillin is enough to bring Tang Dao one billion or even billions of dollars in revenue. In this era when aircraft carriers only require 40 million U.S. dollars to manufacture, this funding is enough for Tang Dao to build an unprecedented aircraft carrier. fleet. Of course, without port control, this kind of dream Tang Dao is just a thought, but it is still possible to build a powerful army on land.
Especially when the Pacific War breaks out in the future and the ChinMyanmar Highway is built, as long as the southwest jungle war is won, a steady stream of supplies will enter China through that blood transfusion channel.
A certain boss used the pretext of helping you hold back the main force of the Japanese army, and got help with a shy face. Tang Dao would use cash to smash it, and the arsenal of the American cowboys screamed to start work.
Like Shiro Kuyeda, Japanese army officers who hold the hope that the Four Elements Regiment cannot be replicated will be doubted by Tang Danzao's unprecedented rain of bullets in the future.
Really, they are too superficial!
But don't people just like to indulge in their own imagination?
“Your Excellency, the brigade commander, has enlightened his subordinates on the pattern of this national war. It is indeed worthy of celebration!” A captain of the Colonel Corps cautiously complimented.
Kumida Shiro is a general and has already entered the ranks of senior officers, while the colonel is only the highest level of mid-level officers. It seems that there is only one level difference, but there is a huge difference.
The attitude is cautious, but the subtext is to remind myself, my immediate boss, that winning the entire war is a matter for the empire's headquarters. The thousands of people we are facing here are still struggling to chew the hard bones! You'd better take care of your immediate future first!
Slightly squinting at this disgraceful guy under his command, knowing that he was dissatisfied with him for deploying the backbone of his flag-protecting squadron as a member of the 'Glory Special Attack Team', Kumida Shiro's face straightened: "Of course it's not just that, the battlefield in these two days , Although our brigade has made no substantial progress, I can already determine that this is the last strength left by the Si Xing Regiment."
He pointed at the 'Doorbolt' position a thousand meters away, and his eyes became cruel: "The competition for position No. 1 is so fierce at present. The commander of the Fourth Army Regiment must know our army's intentions, but the number of troops on its position is only There is no increase in strength, even if our Glory special attack team is equipped with explosives to blow up the trenches, and the defense of the position is already in danger, the strength of the troops has not increased. Maybe you can tell me, what does this mean? "
"This shows that the Chinese troops are close to depletion. This is their last strength. Your Excellency, the brigade commander, has a unique vision that is admirable!" A Japanese major suddenly realized, his eyes full of joy.
Flattery! Several Japanese military officers around him roared in their hearts.
But more of an annoyance, annoyance about why I was so shameless and flattered this guy first.
"Yo Xi! Mr. Kazama's answer is correct." Kuyeda Shiro looked softly and praised the infantry captain who tried his best to get closer to him. "A truly famous general is not one who defeats the enemy with superior force and equipment, but one who is good at finding opportunities from setbacks and winning the final victory. Mr. Kazama, you have this potential."
The Japanese Army is divided into two major factions, one is from civilians and the other is from aristocrats. The reason why aristocrats can be called aristocrats is that they are naturally a minority faction. In order to ensure that the troops have sufficient combat effectiveness, the Japanese high-level officials had to promote a large number of generals with civilian backgrounds. However, those low-level officers with noble titles did not take it seriously. Officers with low military ranks but noble titles still remained arrogant in the face of their superiors. Not uncommon.
The name Fengjian Wuhen is very beautiful. It is much better than his surname of Kumidian, who is of low origin. The most rare thing is that this person is from a small noble family, but he can still bow to him, a high official with a low background. , Kumida Shiro naturally extended an olive branch without hesitation.
“Thank you for the compliment from the brigade commander, I don't dare to accept it!” After the Japanese Army Major praised this, he immediately stood at attention and bowed his head respectfully, with a smile on his lips.
He didn't think much about whether he could become a famous general, but he definitely clung to the thick legs of the Major General Brigade Commander.
There are many nobles in the empire who are gold-plated in the military, but whether they can be promoted or not does not depend on their noble status. The opinions of superior officers are very important. When he becomes a general one day, the promotion of baron to viscount is basically a certainty.
What can you do if you temporarily bow your head to the common people for the sake of the glory of your family? The Japanese Army Major is definitely a pragmatist.
“So, under such circumstances, what do you think should be done at this time?” Kumida Shiro continued to put the question to his subordinates.
"Our brigade should continue to maintain the offensive, not only to continue to consume its few troops, but also to continue to suppress its psychology. Isn't there a proverb in the empire! No matter how hard the rock is, it will be damaged by wind, frost, ice and fire! No matter how majestic the mountain is, It can't withstand the vicissitudes of life! The enemy is a stubborn rock, so we are willing to destroy it for the sake of the wind and frost of the brigade commander!" Another Japanese Army Major said quickly.
Fuck! The Japanese army colonel who asked the question earlier almost lost his defense. If the situation was different, he would definitely take out the knife hanging from his crotch, no, it was the knife hanging on his waist and stab him to death, these two shameless infantry captains.
It's so shameless to open the door for Shameless. I'm so shameless. I have such shameless words at my fingertips, such as "I'm willing to do the wind, frost, ice and fire for you. Why don't you say I'm going to do a wave of ice and fire for you, the brigade commander?"
Just what to say! The look in his eyes is the same as that of his major commander, he really wants to be the wind, frost, ice and fire for you.
"Yo Xi! As long as you are determined like this, our brigade will definitely win this battle!" Kumida Shiro looked around and nodded with satisfaction.
"Moreover, the key to the decisive victory of this battle is not just on the front line. The Maeda Battalion has detoured 20 kilometers in the past two days and finally found a mountain ridge for light infantry to pass. I have sent two additional infantry squadrons to it at noon. Regional emergency march.
Gentlemen, at this time, do the Chinese still have the strength to send out troops to block the attack on their rear flank by our army of more than 1,500 light infantry? "
“Your Excellency, the brigade commander, you have all your plans, and the empire's military fortunes will be prosperous!” The last Japanese Army Major finally gave him a slap in the face.
It's shameless anyway, so one more person doesn't mean anything?
As for the captain of his colonel, under the command of the major general brigade commander, doesn't he know how to pose just by patting his butt?
The Japanese are not stupid. After two and a half days of fighting, they finally found an opportunity to break through the 4th Battalion's defense line, or in other words, hope for the future.
If the battle continues in the current situation, the strength of the 4th Battalion will be depleted to a certain extent, and the lone soldier will be the first to collapse, both in terms of strength and psychology.
The 104th Infantry Brigade, which has an absolute advantage in strength, will definitely be the victor.
Not only the Japanese understand this truth, but Shangguan Yun also knows it.
Including the two baggage platoons and an engineering squad assigned to the 4th Battalion, the total strength of the 4th Battalion is less than 1,500, and the two and a half days of fighting suffered more than 300 casualties. At this level of consumption, it can last for up to 5 days, which is a situation where the entire army is annihilated. .
"Telegraph the station and order them to initiate a full evacuation. All the officers and soldiers of our 4th Battalion are determined to fight until the last soldier survives and dies with the position, and we will buy them 90 to 100 hours at most! At the same time, we ask them to take away the seriously injured people who have been transported back, so as to I hope the regiment can rebuild the 4th Battalion someday! This is my only request, Shangguan Yun." Shangguan Yun calmly issued the military order after returning to the headquarters.
“What about the battalion commander, where is the regiment headquarters?” the communications platoon leader asked.
"Let's not talk about it for now! The regiment headquarters is fighting with a Japanese division, which is very stressful, but we can draft a message first and say sorry to the regiment commander and the officers. The 4th Battalion was gone just after it was built. In addition, Tell the regiment that the most glorious thing in Shangguan Yun's life is to be his company commander.”
The Army Major who calmly chose to hold on to his position even if the entire army was wiped out was filled with immense pride!
His pride comes not only from the fact that he once had an outstanding and brilliant subordinate named Tang Dao, but also from the group of brothers he has now.
Before issuing this order, the four company commanders and more than a dozen platoon commanders under his command expressed to him that they would not retreat until death!
ps: Updates have been resumed. Everyone who has monthly votes should vote for Feng Yue! Fengyue please!
Chapter end
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