Songhu: Never Give Up

After the Japanese successfully occupied the frontier position, their morale was greatly boosted, and then they rushed to the main position with a roar. The defenders opened fire with all their light and heavy firepower, and the dense rain of bullets pressed the Japanese to the ground, unable to raise their heads, and corpses were everywhere;
Lieutenant Colonel Takuma Tanabe had never seen such fierce firepower. One of the important reasons why the Japanese liked to fight positional warfare with the Chinese was because the firepower of both sides was not at the same level, so they could suppress the Chinese.

Now the firepower of the defenders was no weaker than theirs, and bullets were fired at the Japanese like they were free, and every group that rushed forward fell down;
The dense firepower made the Japanese's Bushido ineffective. No matter how fierce the Japanese were, they would be killed by one bullet.

When the difference in firepower between the two sides was not large, the advantage of earthworks was evident. The casualties of the attacking Japanese were much higher than those of the defending army.

Even Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe, who had the heart of a beast, began to tremble. If the fighting continued, he would become a captain without any troops.

"Bakayarro, where did a small guerrilla group get so much heavy imperial firepower? Is this still a guerrilla group?"

Captain Nakamura gave Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe a reasonable explanation for his confusion, which stunned Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe and he cursed:
"Bakayalu, this is a crime against the empire!"

He could only curse to this extent. Those who handed over their equipment intact to the guerrilla column were all first-class divisions. It was not his turn to speak yet. Anyone could crush him to death like crushing an ant.

He had heard of the reputation of Yue Qianli and the guerrilla column, and knew more gossip than Captain Nakamura;

When he learned that the opposing defenders were the famous guerrilla column, his previous arrogance disappeared, replaced by a solemn expression, and he directly said to Captain Nakamura:
"Nakamura-kun, let the warriors withdraw. We will launch a new offensive after the artillery battalion arrives. We must treat the guerrilla column differently."

The 12th Army's autumn sweep was not well prepared. They were stimulated by the European battlefield and the hasty offensive launched by Iida Sadamira, the new commander.
Their understanding of the guerrillas was very limited. The commander, Lieutenant General Sadamira Iida, was a core member of the "Futabakai". He graduated from the Cavalry Department of the Army Academy and also majored in cavalry at the Army University.

After graduation, he followed the core members of the "Erye Society" to engage in conspiracy and intrigue. He gradually emerged with the help of the September 18th Incident;
During the Great Wall War of Resistance, he was promoted to commander of the Cavalry Brigade and briefly experienced the actual combat atmosphere. Then he returned to the General Staff Headquarters. Before serving as commander of the 12th Army, he was commander of the Guards Division.

Before he became the commander of the 12th Army, he had almost no combat experience and almost no knowledge of Yue Qianli and the guerrilla column;
Before launching the autumn security war, he was too lazy to understand his opponent, who was just a group of guerrillas, so everyone from top to bottom had no clear understanding of the enemy situation and they were fighting with their heads covered.

Mid-level officers like Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe had heard some rumors about Yue Qianli, but they only had a vague understanding of him. They only knew that they were very powerful and had fought back and forth with the Class A divisions.

No matter how arrogant the old Japanese soldier Tanabe was, he did not dare to compete with the A-class division, so he became cautious and placed his hopes on the artillery battalion.

Not long after, the mountain artillery battalion arrived. The eight 8mm mountain guns and eight Type 75 infantry guns gave Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe enough confidence, and he spoke more confidently, saying to several squadron leaders:
"Gentlemen, artillery is the god of war. In front of the powerful artillery fire of the Imperial Army, the Chinese can only be reduced to ashes.

After the artillery preparation is completed, rush forward and kill all the Chinese you see!

The brigade commander is watching us, please make sure the battle ends before dark!"

After Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe finished speaking, he bowed to the Japanese soldiers, which was tantamount to asking them to fight to the death. The Japanese soldiers were well aware of this tradition.

When the Japanese heard that the mountain artillery battalion would help, their morale soared and they all expressed their determination to Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe and shouted slogans loudly, which gave Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe some confidence.

In the defending positions, the soldiers were rushing to reinforce the fortifications, and every artillery attack would blow the trenches to pieces;

As soon as the Japanese stopped their attack, the defenders, under the leadership of the squad and platoon leaders, restored and reinforced their fortifications. This was already written into the infantry drill manual of the guerrilla column.

The company commander Xia Chenhui shouted at the top of his voice:
"Brothers, be quick, this is a life-saving gadget!
Zhang Dashan, you are being lazy again, be careful or I will pull out your lazy muscles. "

Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this. Zhang Dashan was not angry at all, but felt very proud.

In the first company, only the veterans could be scolded by the company commander. Ever since he killed several Japanese soldiers in the battle, his status in the company skyrocketed, so high that the company commander even named and scolded him, which was at least the treatment of a deputy squad leader.

After being scolded, Zhang Dashan put away his lazy thoughts and swung the shovel with great vigor, like a Hot Wheels, as if he had endless energy.

At this moment, Xia Chenhui heard the sound of a shell breaking through the air and shouted:

"Everyone run the fuck up - anti-cannon!"

"Boom boom boom..."

A row of shells rained down, making the battlefield dusty. Fortunately, it was the first round of correction shells, and they were not very accurate, but there were still several casualties.

Others quickly drilled into the nearest anti-artillery holes, and the Japanese artillery launched a fierce bombardment on the defenders' positions after a slight adjustment.

The shells rained down like raindrops, destroying the fortifications that the defenders had finally restored, and the trenches were blown down piece by piece;

Those with bad luck were hit directly at the anti-artillery hole, and a squad of soldiers hiding inside were either killed or injured.

Simple anti-gun holes are more for defending against shrapnel, and are not very effective against direct hits from shells, unless they are specially reinforced;

Therefore, on the battlefield, one often has to rely on being strong enough. Zhang Dashan is one of them. When the guerrillas were suppressing bandits, the shells falling behind him did not hurt him at all. The same is true now.

He hid in the anti-gun cave and prayed to all the gods he knew, which worked well. He and his classmates were lucky enough to escape death.

A shrill whistle sounded from the battlefield, and the new squad leader Cai Xin shouted:
"The Japs are coming, come with me and beat them up!"

After Cai Xin shouted, he rushed forward first, and the others followed closely behind. As soon as they reached their battle positions, dense crowds of Japanese soldiers rushed up, and their ferocious faces could be seen clearly.

The Japanese had a good coordination between their infantry and artillery, almost charging on the artillery points. The light and heavy machine guns of the defenders frantically sprayed bullets at the Japanese, trying to prevent them from approaching.
Although the Japanese suffered heavy casualties, they still managed to rush into the position. The soldiers from the first and second companies also rushed out of the trenches to meet the Japanese.

The two torrents collided with each other, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and soldiers from both sides fell to the ground like rice fields swept by a strong wind. War showed its cruelest side.

Zhang Dashan stabbed a Japanese soldier to death in the melee, but before he could feel happy, another soldier's bayonet pierced his body.

At that moment, his facial muscles were deformed with pain, but he still swung the butt of the gun in his hand and hit the Japanese on the head.

The devil's head exploded instantly, and Zhang Dashan fell down contentedly, but he did not die, he just gritted his teeth and held on;
As he lost too much blood, his eyes went dark and he passed out. More and more people fell on the battlefield, layer upon layer, and both sides were blood-thirsty and fought for their lives;

The Japanese had never seen the Chinese fight so ferociously. They finally became frightened, some began to run away, and then the whole group was defeated.

The morale of the defenders was greatly boosted. They already had a great advantage in terms of manpower and had received special assassination training. When they showed that they were even more fearless of death than the Japanese, the Japanese's defeat was a natural result.

Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe could hardly believe his eyes. They actually lost to the guerrillas in hand-to-hand combat, and it was a complete defeat.

"Bakayaluo, what a bunch of cowards! They have brought shame to the Imperial Army!"

"These cowards don't deserve to live. Fire! Blast them to death!"

Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe was completely overwhelmed and ordered an indiscriminate bombardment of the defenders' positions, without considering the possibility of accidentally bombing his own people.

The defenders had long been prepared for this move by the Japanese. After defeating the Japanese, they did not pursue them, but retreated quickly into the trenches.
When the Japanese artillery shells whizzed into the defenders' positions, most of the defenders retreated into the nearest anti-artillery holes, preventing the Japanese from succeeding.

The firepower of the garrison brigade was still no match for that of the standing division, and a dozen artillery pieces were not enough to overwhelm the defenders, so both sides had to build infantry to force the fight, and a battalion of troops was far from enough;

Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe accepted this cruel reality. After retaliating against the defenders, he did not launch an infantry charge. Instead, he asked the brigade headquarters for tactical guidance.

Being scolded was inevitable. After receiving his call for help, Major General Mizuno Nobuyuki greeted almost all of his family, and then sent the 42nd and 43rd Battalions to reinforce Dongxiling, under the unified command of Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe.

"Bakayalu, tell that loser Tanabe that I will give him one more day to defeat Dongxi Ridge before dark tomorrow, otherwise he will have to apologize to the Emperor!"

Although Major General Mizuno cursed, he still sent reinforcements to Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe, and two battalions, in order to avoid the tactic of adding fuel to the fire. Lieutenant Colonel Yamashita, the chief of staff, could not help but flatter him:

"Your Excellency General, this is a brilliant move. It is like a lion fighting a rabbit with all its strength. Three infantry battalions in positional warfare are enough to defeat a Chinese army.

Although the guerrilla column is stronger than the regular Chinese army, it is more than enough to break through the defense line of Dongxi Ridge. "

Mizuno waved his hand and said:
"Mr. Yamashita, you underestimate the determination of the guerrilla column to protect the arsenal. The Imperial Army will send more troops, and so will they.
Dongxi Ridge is a place that the guerrilla column must defend, and they will definitely send more troops. This is exactly the effect I want.

As the Art of War says, "Use the right tactics to win the battle and the unexpected to win the victory." The attack on Dongxi Ridge would be successful as long as the main force of the guerrilla column was completely tied down.

At that time, we will send another brigade to make a detour from the flank, sneak across the Dongxi River, and head straight to Changling Town in Cao County to destroy the guerrilla column's base in the Southwest Shandong Military Division in one fell swoop."

Lieutenant Colonel Yamashita looked astonished, and complimented him in an exaggerated manner:

"General, this is brilliant! This is a stroke of genius.

According to intelligence, the regular army of the Luxi South Military Division has about 3 people, and even with some militias, it is no more than 5 people;

As long as the imperial army can contain the main force of the guerrillas at Dongxi Ridge, there will only be a few militias left in the rear, and one battalion is enough to sweep across southwest Shandong."

Major General Mizuno looked pleased and said ostentatiously:
"This is called repairing the plank road in the open while secretly crossing Chencang. Order the 44th Infantry Battalion to prepare to cross the river. The rest depends on Tanabe-kun's performance."

Lieutenant Colonel Yamashita started to flatter him again, saying things like "he is as good as a military god" and "even the famous generals in ancient times cannot compare to him", but Mizuno Nobuyuki liked to hear it because he thought the same way.

At the core position of Dongxi Ridge, after receiving reinforcements, the Japanese became confident again and launched a fierce attack on the defenders' positions;

The offensive was overwhelming, wave after wave, and the defenders responded calmly, pushing the Japanese in front of their positions, and both sides suffered heavy casualties.

The battle lasted until the morning of the next day. The third battalion of the defending army located on the top of the mountain also sent reinforcements to the positions on the mountainside several times. During this period, it also launched two counterattacks, causing a lot of casualties to the Japanese. Both sides almost tried their best.

As Major General Mizuno's deadline drew closer, Lieutenant Colonel Tanabe became a little anxious and deployed all his troops to the battlefield after noon;
The defenders also fought back with all their might. There was only one infantry company left in the reserve force, and all the troops were exhausted. The opportunity that Major General Mizuno had been waiting for appeared.

That afternoon, when the battle between the two sides was at its peak, the 44th Infantry Battalion of the Japanese army crossed the Dongxi River from the right wing of Dongxi Ridge and, using a large-scale roundabout tactic, headed straight for Cao County, the military sub-district headquarters.

"Commander, the Japanese are coming in full force. Send our First Battalion to stop them. I promise not to let their conspiracy succeed."

Yue Wanli, the captain of the first battalion who had always been used as a reserve force, asked Deng Zhuxiu for help, saying that the enemy and our side had equal strength and it would not be a problem to choose a strategic location to stop the Japanese.

Deng Zhuxiu was not in a hurry to make a decision, but said to Yue Wanli in a mysterious tone:

"Wanli, Cao County still has enough troops to protect itself. The enemy's target is the military factory in Changling Town, so let them in.

Use Changling Town to hold the Japanese back, and when they lose all their fighting spirit, you can lead the First Battalion and the Artillery Battalion, and with the cooperation of local troops and militia, you can defeat them."

Yue Wanli's eyes lit up after hearing this. This was indeed a better way than stopping the Japanese. He immediately flattered him:
"Commander, this is great! If we cannot encircle and annihilate this group of devils who have penetrated deep into the base area, it will cause great harm to the soldiers and civilians in the base area.
We can easily surround and annihilate them by luring them with the bait of Changling Town, but the risk is a bit high. Once Changling Town is lost, the military factory will be in danger!"

"Wan Li, you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb. The military factory guard battalion is the elite of the column, commanded by Captain Song of the guard battalion. It is no problem for them to stop a garrison battalion of the Japanese.
On the contrary, I will give you the task of encircling and annihilating the devils. You must not let a single devil go!"

After hearing this, Yue Wanli immediately issued a military order to Deng Zhuxiu, which consisted of only six words - guarantee the completion of the mission.

The First Battalion is the absolute main force of the military sub-district, and Changling Town is also the model base built by the First Battalion. Yue Wanli is so familiar with the terrain around Changling Town that it is most appropriate to entrust this important task to him.

After Yue Wanli left, Deng Zhuxiu's mind returned to Dongxi Ridge again. The main battlefield must not be lost.

(End of this chapter)