Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 69 Arrival at Niangzi Pass

When the train pulled into Yangquan Station, it was already noon on October 10.

On the train, Wang Feng received battle reports from the front line.

The Xinkou Campaign was at a stalemate, and Terauchi Hisaichi was anxious and frequently sent reinforcements to the Niangziguan front.

Up to now, the main forces of the Japanese invaders are the 20th Division and the Xiyang Detachment, with a total of six infantry regiments, one cavalry regiment, a field artillery regiment, and an engineering regiment.

The 20th Division was formed to be stationed in North Korea. Its strength was slightly inferior to that of the th Division, but near Shijiazhuang, Terauchi Hisaichi dispatched three bomber squadrons specifically for ground support.

Japan lacks resources, and its overwhelming cluster bombing is rarely used.

Once this tactic is adopted, it means that the situation has reached a point where it cannot be delayed any longer.

The organized bomber squadrons mostly used the Type 97 heavy-duty bomber.

It is very different from the fighter jets parked at Yangmingbao Airport.

Wang Feng had experienced this once before in Tuanchengkou, where a large number of aerial bombs poured down and the infantry on the ground had no power to fight back at all.

On October 10, the Japanese army was divided into two groups. One group occupied a large area on the north side of Niangzi Pass and pointed their swords directly at the pass.

Another route goes around the south side of Niangzi Pass to behind the defenders.

The Japanese army's tactics were clear - a feint attack from the front and a flanking maneuver.

Huang Shaohong dispatched the 129th Division to support the south.

Part of the 129th Brigade under the 386th Division fought with the Japanese army and was defeated in less than a morning.

The Japanese army approached deep into the position.

My wife is in danger!
After the train stopped, the carriage door slowly opened.

The soldiers took their equipment and got off the vehicle in an orderly manner.

Wang Feng did not get out of the car. He called his guard company commander and whispered something in his ear.

The guard captain's eyes widened suddenly: "I obey your command!"

Wang Feng waved his hand: "Go ahead."

This was the first time he led his troops to the front line by train, so he needed to be more careful.

Although local troops had cleared the station before the military train arrived, there were still many Japanese spies hiding in the dark.

Perhaps this military train had been targeted by Japanese spies since it set out from Jinzhong.

Fortunately, Wang Feng was careful and took a look at the three-dimensional combat map before getting off the car.

There are densely packed small red dots on it, which are the enemy's signs.

A rough count shows there are about a dozen.

The guards had already gone to deal with it. Looking at the red dots disappearing one by one on the three-dimensional map, Wang Feng's heart dropped to the ground.

It's time to get off the bus.

The fighting situation at the front was tense and Huang Shaohong was supervising the battle on the front line. There was no warm welcome ceremony. After leaving the station, Wang Feng led his troops to station on the outskirts of Yangquan.

Yangquan is a good place.

The metallurgical industry occupies a leading position in the country.

It is extremely rich in mineral resources and is known as the "hometown of coal and iron".

Mr. Sun also visited Yangquan and left behind the famous saying "Use Pingding coal to cast Taihang iron".

If Wang Feng were to plan the industrial area, he would definitely focus on developing Yangquan.

evening.

Inside the tent.

Wang Feng leaned his hands on the table and studied the battle map in front of him in the dim light.

How serious is the current war situation - on the entire eastern battlefield, the only key point left is Niangzi Pass.

From a strategic point of view, it is impossible to defend Niangzi Pass alone.

Instead, they guarded the entire area, including Xuehua Mountain, Falu Ridge, Jiuguan and other places.

A single pass is not enough to support the enemy, and it is easy for the Japanese army to attack from both sides. At that time, they will not be able to escape, and will be completely annihilated. Zhao Fangyuan walked out of the tent, holding a telegram in his hand, with a tired look in his eyes: "Sir, there is a call from the top!"

The job of the General Staff is to share the worries of the superiors, handle all kinds of communications and telegrams, and provide advice to the military superiors on war.

As the Chief of the General Staff, Zhao Fangyuan has a heavier workload. Since he received the mission of Yangmingbao Airport, his rest time has not exceeded three hours a day until now.

The march in enemy-occupied areas was very tense, so after returning, we immediately organized the troops to reorganize and recruit new soldiers.

As soon as the battle over there was finished, it seamlessly connected to the battle situation at Niangzi Pass.

Even an iron man can't stand this kind of torture.

Wang Feng smiled and said: "Fang Yuan, you have to pay attention to physical exercise. You have only just started."

"Thinking back to when I was in the Whampoa Military Academy."

Reminded by his superior, Zhao Fangyuan scratched his head: "Sir, Deputy Commander Huang asked us to move towards Baimujing to prevent the Japanese army from invading the rear of Niangzi Pass."

Wang Feng immediately bent down, took out a pen and drew a small circle around the cypress well.

Wang Feng quickly asked, "Which unit is closest to Baimujing?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "It is General Zeng Wanzhong's 3rd Army."

Wang Feng was surprised.

Yunnan Army?

Zhao Fangyuan realized that he had missed something, and quickly added: "There is also a part of the 129th Brigade of the 386th Division, but I don't know the specific number."

Wang Feng frowned even more tightly.

386th Brigade. Could it be Li Yunlong?

"Gather your weapons and set out under cover of darkness."

Battle of Xinkou.

Not only did Seishirō Itagaki suffer repeated setbacks in his frontal attacks, but he also lost all of the elite troops of the Fifth Division, leaving only three or four thousand remnants to rest in the rear.

Army Lieutenant General Kunisaki Noboru was captured. Such an incident at this critical juncture was no different from a slap in the face of the Emperor.

On the battlefield behind enemy lines, the occupied areas were also torn apart by the Eighth Route Army.

Pingxingguan and many places in Weixian were recovered, and the supply line was facing serious threats.

The soldiers fighting the Chinese army on the front line are almost running out of food.

Itagaki Seishirō had already failed once in the Battle of Pingxingguan. The Japanese military had given him another chance, but now the battle at Xinkou was not going well, and he needed to send troops towards Niangziguan to turn the tide of the battle.

The Japanese military had completely lost trust in him.

Itagaki Seishirō was transferred back to the country and transferred to the reserve force.

His military career was basically over.

He was replaced by Seiji Kazuki and the newly formed First Army of North China.

The army-level organization was a temporary organization created by the Japanese military to adapt to the needs of large-scale combat.

When the First Army was first formed, it was mainly aimed at fighting on the Pinghan Line.

However, Itagaki Seishirō suffered a defeat in Shanxi and had no choice but to move to the Shanxi battlefield.

The First Army is composed of the troops currently on the Shanxi battlefield, mainly the Chahar Task Force of the Kwantung Army, as well as the 20th Division and Xiyang Detachment fighting on the Niangzi Pass front line.

The entire Japanese army in Shanxi was incorporated into a unified command system.

Compared to Itagaki Seishirō, Katsuki Seiji is much less famous.

There is even a feeling of being unknown.

But being less famous does not mean that one’s commanding ability is weak.

On the contrary, compared with Itagaki Seishirō, Katsuki Seiji pays more attention to details when commanding battles.

In this respect, he is very similar to Commander Lin of the Eighth Route Army.

As soon as Seiji Kozuki took office, he began to shrink the offensive on the Xinkou line.

(End of this chapter)