Songhu: Never Give Up

Both the enemy and our side were digging fortifications in the Horseshoe Valley. An ambush turned into a positional battle. The remnants of the 104th Regiment got a chance to catch their breath, but the regiment commander, Osamu Yamamura, was not happy at all.
He said to Major Hanada with a gloomy face:
"Hanata-kun, there are at least tens of thousands of Chinese on the mountains on both sides. They are fully capable of destroying us. Don't forget that they can fight the Imperial Army in a one-to-one battle with guerrilla columns. There must be a conspiracy here!"

Major Hanada no longer doubted it and said with deep conviction:
"Sir, based on my research on the guerrilla column's past battles, they should be surrounding a point and attacking the reinforcements?"

"Nani, siege and attack? The 58th Regiment is equipped with a cavalry regiment and an artillery regiment. It is already a detachment. Does the guerrilla column have the appetite for such a fight?"

Major Hanada was not sure of his own judgment, but he still insisted on his point of view and said:
"It's always better to be cautious. Various signs indicate that they are just surrounding the enemy and attacking their reinforcements. Although I don't know where Yue Qianli's confidence comes from."

Yamamura Osamu nodded and said:
"Yoshi, it's better to believe it than not to believe it. Immediately notify the 58th Regiment Headquarters and remind them to work carefully."

Major Hanada took the order and left with a "Hey", while Yamamura Osamu continued to think about how to break the impasse. Since meeting Yue Qianli and the guerrilla column, Yamamura Osamu has also learned to think twice before acting.

On the main road east of the Horseshoe Valley, a large army of mules and horses was slowly approaching the Horseshoe Valley, with a large number of cavalry guarding on both sides of the main road;

A squadron of Japanese infantry was responsible for clearing the way ahead, and also served as part-time engineers. Whenever they encountered a damaged road, they would stop and harvest the crops urgently.

13师团的炮兵联队下辖2个75毫米山炮大队、1个105毫米野炮大队，另外还装备了6门高射炮和4门反坦克炮，都时用骡马保障；
If road conditions permit, a single mule can pull a 75mm artillery piece, while a 105mm howitzer requires two mules and horses to pull it.

If transported by mules and horses, 75 6mm mountain cannons alone would be needed, so the Japanese army was equipped with a large number of mules and horses. Without mules and horses, they would have difficulty moving.

More than 60 artillery pieces alone require hundreds of mules and horses to support them. If we add the mules and horses that pull the shells and food, an artillery regiment alone will require nearly 500 mules and horses.
Although one horse can be used to pull the horse when the road is good, both mules and horses must be prepared.

When Division Commander Ji saw the Japanese army of mules and horses from a distance, he could not help but swallow his saliva. He was going to make a fortune this time.

Lao Yue had already made an agreement with him that the brothers would do business together and split the spoils equally.

Lao Ji likes such straightforwardness. He said to Chief of Staff Jian Fenglin:
"Chief of Staff Jian, look at how good the horses are. Half of these tall Japanese horses and sturdy mules and horses belong to our 77th Army. Tell the brothers to take it easy. If a general is killed, he will be worthless."

Jian Fenglin looked around and said:

"Commander, do we really want to give half to the guerrilla column? We are an army and contribute the most. I think a 30% to 70% split will be enough."

Ji's division immediately frowned and said:
"Chief of Staff Jian, how could you say such ungrateful words!

Our Northwest Army has always acted in an upright manner. This stage was set up by the guerrilla column, and our 77th Army was only a minor role.

Commander Yue was generous enough to give us 77% of the profits. Even if he doesn't give us any, the th Army still has to help us. Don't forget that it was the guerrilla column that blocked the devils for us. I don't want to hear such nonsense in the future!"

Chief of Staff Jian's face turned red and white, and he quickly explained:

"Of course I know Commander Yue is a man of honor. I am not just saying this because I am afraid of being poor. Their Central Army is much more generous than our Northwest Army."

Master Ji said with a cold face:
“Even if you are poor, you must have ambition, lest you be looked down upon!

You also know that they are the Central Army. Have you ever seen the Central Army willing to split the profits 50-50 with the miscellaneous troops?
I'd be very lucky if I didn't use you as cannon fodder!"

"Watch your mouth. The Japs have already entered our pocket. We can start now. We must first defeat their cavalry.
The infantry must charge quickly, don't let the devils blow up the artillery, this is a treasure!" As Ji Xingwen issued orders one after another, the 179th Division began its attack on the devils;

He first sent a regiment to infiltrate between the 58th Regiment and the Artillery Regiment, completely destroying the road and blocking the passage for the two units to approach each other.

Then they sent a small group of troops to harass the devil's cavalry and lure them into pursuit;

At first, the commander of the cavalry regiment, Colonel Kazuya Nojima, was disdainful of answering them. He just sent a small number of cavalry to drive them away from the main road and stopped. He still knew that his mission was to protect the artillery battalion.

Unexpectedly, the Chinese bandits (disguised as the reconnaissance battalion) who were attacking by surprise did not know what was happening and ambushed them again, killing more than a dozen cavalrymen this time;

Colonel Nojima was not used to their misbehavior and sent a squadron of cavalry in pursuit. The bandits used the same old tricks again and fled into the valley after they succeeded.

The cavalry squadron pursued closely, but ended up running into the pocket formation of the 179nd Regiment of the th Division. They killed dozens of cavalrymen with a burst of gunfire and surrounded the remaining dozens of cavalrymen.

The fierce battle soon reached the ears of Colonel Nojima, and before long a small number of cavalry broke out;

Colonel Nojima was informed that the First Squadron had been ambushed by the Chinese, more than half of them were killed or wounded, and the rest were being beaten up. There were thousands of Chinese people.

Colonel Nojima was so angry that smoke came out of his nose. A bandit group of a thousand people dared to annihilate their entire squadron. This was something he could not accept.

A cavalry regiment has only 8 squadrons and more than 1 cavalrymen. The loss of a squadron is no trivial matter.

So he left one battalion behind to continue guarding the artillery regiment, and personally led another battalion (lacking a squadron) to attack the nameless valley.

This is a gully running from north to south, which is only wide enough for a few horses to run side by side. It is less than two kilometers deep. Such gullies can be found everywhere in Dabie Mountains.

When the Japanese First Battalion of hundreds of cavalry entered the nameless valley, they were besieged by the 179nd Regiment of the 2th Division. The dense grenades from both sides of the valley blew the Japanese soldiers and horses to the ground.

Colonel Nojima luckily escaped the disaster, but his retreat was blocked. The valley was littered with corpses of men and horses. After the battle broke out, he could not care about the life or death of the horses. This was a battlefield, and the most important thing was to kill the Japanese first.

"Bagayalo, you've been fooled by the Chinese!"

"Quickly, withdraw to protect the artillery regiment!"

I have to say that Colonel Nojima's reaction was really quick. He actually guessed that the Chinese's real target was the artillery regiment.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Intensive gunfire was heard from the direction of the main road, and faint shouts of killing could be heard.

What Colonel Nojima was most worried about had happened. The artillery regiment had obviously been attacked, and the number of troops was not small.
And they were trapped in the encirclement of the Second Regiment. As the valley was too narrow, it was littered with corpses of men and horses. The war horses could not speed up at all, and they became sitting ducks for ambushes.

"Bagayalu, kill the chicken for me!"

Colonel Nojima commanded the remaining cavalry to break out by force, but they ran into a crossfire network formed by more than a dozen light and heavy machine guns. This kind of side fire was the most lethal to cavalry.

In a short period of time, dozens of cavalrymen were killed or injured, and the first cavalry battalion's attempt to break out was repelled again. Colonel Nojima smelled the scent of death. (End of this chapter)