The two brigades of the Japanese army were about to deal with the small unit of the Eighth Route Army in the woods, and suddenly they were hit by fierce fire behind them.

Li Gang led three companies of soldiers, under the cover of the powerful fire of the cavalry battalion outside the woods, after several battles with the enemy, finally broke out of the enemy's encirclement and joined up with the cavalry battalion led by Ma Ming outside the woods.

Ma Ming saw the soldiers of the three companies, and rushed out with only two companies, he slapped his horse and rushed to Li Gang's side and shouted: "Commander Li, do our soldiers still have the enemy in the woods?" Quickly order them to retreat. ”

"Battalion Commander Ma, the soldiers of the three companies have rushed out, you lead the cavalry battalion to suppress the enemy who is chasing out of the woods, I will lead the troops to quickly retreat to the west mountain of the military city, we must block the enemy's pursuit with firepower, and cover the rapid retreat of the troops who broke through."

Ma Ming heard Li Gang say that he had killed so many soldiers, and he roared angrily: "Bastard, why do you sacrifice so many soldiers? ”

He held a rifle that had been modified to be one size smaller than the ordinary Japanese army's 38 big cover, and shot the little devil outside the woods without stopping, Ma Ming pulled the trigger while ordering the soldiers of the cavalry battalion: "Retreat while blocking, don't fall in love, do you hear me?" ”

The soldiers of the cavalry battalion used the light and heavy weapons in their hands to shoot the little devils who chased them out of the woods.

The Japanese commander was standing outside the woods in the northwest direction, and when he heard the gunshots inside getting farther and farther away from them, the first group leader frowned and asked, "What kind of work?" How did the gunfire move southeast? ”

At this time, the Japanese squadron leader ran out of the woods in a panic, and before he could run to the captain, he reported loudly: "Report to Your Excellency, Captain of the Group, the Dirt Eighth Road has broken through the woods, and our Imperial Japanese Army is pursuing." ”

"Bastard, a group of rice buckets, there are less than four hundred Tuba Road, and my two brigades of Imperial Army soldiers will actually let all the Tuba Road that has been surrounded in the woods go, stupid pigs, a group of stupid pigs that should be killed."

The captain of the first brigade shouted angrily again: "Order the troops of the Imperial Japanese Army, pursue quickly, and must wipe out all the small units of the Eighth Route Army." ”

The Japanese troops pursuing Li Gang and them quickly assembled again and surrounded the cavalry battalion of the Eighth Route Army, which was covering the retreat of the troops.

Ma Ming found the cunning and vicious little devil, and adopted the encirclement tactics of compressing the periphery inward, trying to encircle the cavalry battalion, he turned around and saw Li Gang leading two more companies of soldiers, at the fastest speed, rushing to the west mountain of the military city, he decisively shouted: "All companies of the cavalry battalion, listen to my order, and immediately cross cover and withdraw from the battle." ”

The little devil who was about to surround the cavalry battalion, in the shock of the sound of horses' hooves, saw the cavalry battalion quickly rush out of the encirclement that was about to be formed, and soon caught up with the retreating Li Gang's troops.

At this time, Commander Pang, who led the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment and the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 5th Regiment to block the enemy at the position on the north hill of the military city, was commanding the troops in the front and on both flanks to strike at the attacking little devils with the most fierce firepower.

After a life-and-death firefight, the enemy's seventh attack was finally repulsed, and such a blocking battle was fought very fiercely, and the troops suffered heavy casualties.

The commander of the Fourth Brigade under the mountain, standing on a big rock outside the military tent, under the escort of the surrounding officers, was scanning the position of the Eighth Route Army in Beishan with a telescope, and the attacking Japanese army was repulsed again, he frowned and scolded: "Bastard, the Eighth Road is in the mountain peak position, just the strength of a division or brigade, and it will repel the attack of our Imperial Japanese Army seven times in a row, which is a shame for my Fourth Brigade." ”

He held the binoculars again, turned to the woods in the southwest direction where the guns and cannons were constantly sounding, and scolded angrily again: "The elite of the imperial army of the two brigades can't destroy the small forces of the Eighth Route Army that are attacking and harassing and pinning down, and they are extremely bastards, and they order the first and second brigades to settle the battle within half an hour and return immediately." ”

Major General Noda, chief of staff of the Fourth Brigade, took a step closer and said, "General Katayama, Dohachi should be a brigade or a division fighting against our Imperial Japanese Army.

In order to break through the blocking position of the Eighth Route Army as soon as possible, quickly encircle and suppress the Eighth Route Army's Jinchaji organ in the vicinity of Chengnanzhuang, and occupy Fuping City, our department has asked the headquarters of the North China Front of the Imperial Japanese Army for fighter reinforcements, why has there been no reply so far? ”

At this moment, the brigade communications staff officer handed a telegram to Chief of Staff Noda, the contents of which read: Quickly report on the troop deployment, firepower allocation, and strategy and tactics of the Eighth Route Army's blocking troops in the military city of Xishan and Beishan.

The commander of the Katayama Brigade frowned and asked, "What does the headquarters mean by such an inquiry?" ”

"Katayama-kun, General Okamura Ninji, commander of the North China Front, when fighting against the enemy in various units and theaters, the progress is unfavorable and requests for fighter reinforcements, we must find out these information about the Eighth Route Army with which we are fighting, so as to make a correct judgment and carry out the strike deployment, how can our brigade and regiment reply to the telegram?"

The commander of the Katayama Brigade looked at Chief of Staff Noda slyly, he didn't want to report any situation in the battle to General Okamura Ninji when the battle was unfavorable, and his cunning heart of not wanting to take responsibility, Chief of Staff Noda knew very well in his heart.

Chief of Staff Noda took the initiative to ask: "Katayama-kun, I will first draft a telegram based on the inquiries of the North China Front Command, and then submit it to you for approval. ”

"No, no, no, Noda-kun has a deep literary background, and the proposed telegram will definitely be considered word by word, I am very relieved, please make your own decision, and immediately reply to the headquarters truthfully."

When Noda heard that Katayama was a bastard, he actually said 'truthfully reply' to him in front of him, not only did he smile evilly: "Katayama-kun, I can understand your 'truthful reply' as ......." ”

"Hahaha, don't speculate, if you reply boldly, mine won't ask."

The headquarters of the Japanese North China Front soon received a reply telegram from the Katayama Brigade, and Chief of Staff Moritake Tanabe carefully read the telegram twice and handed it to General Okamura Ninji.

General Okamura Ninji took the telegram, glanced at Tanabe Moritake and asked: "Tanabe-kun, according to the reply of the Katayama Brigade, on the front line of the North Mountain of the military city, the only regiment of the Eighth Route Army that blocked the advance of the Katayama Brigade, whether the regiment commander Lei Jian was in command in person did not mention whether he was in command, once it was confirmed, he would immediately send fighter reinforcements." ”

"Okamura-kun, the troops, weapons and equipment, and combat tactics of the Eighth Route Army that have been recalled, are very similar to the Lei Jian who has been killed. However, without the accurate information fed back by my secret unit, it is difficult to determine whether the only regiment is in command or not, Okamura-kun, I, Tanabe Moritake, are really not able to make a conclusion. ”

Okamura Ningji pondered for a few minutes, and said in a very bad mood: "The Katayama Brigade was strongly blocked by the only regiment and the fifth regiment of the Eighth Route Army in the area of the military city, and it was unable to march to the front line of Chengnanzhuang and Fuping for a long time.

I ordered the Third Air Brigade stationed in Shijiazhuang to immediately send 24 fighters to reinforce the Katayama and Sakamoto brigades. ”

The Katayama Brigade received a telegram from the headquarters and learned that 24 fighters would be immediately sent to reinforce it, and immediately ordered the Japanese troops attacking the positions of the Eighth Route Army's single regiment and the fifth regiment in the north mountain of the military city to stop all operations.

He also ordered the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the Japanese Army, which led by Li Gang and three special companies, to surround and not fight Li Gang's troops, who had fled to the west mountain of the military city.

The two orders were very obvious to wait for the air support of the fighters, and then launch the most fierce attack on the positions of the Eighth Route Army in the west and north mountains of the Eighth Route Army, under the cover of fighter fire, with the intention of annihilating the only regiment and the fifth regiment that were holding the two positions in one fell swoop.

At this time, under the cover of the cavalry battalion, Li Gang's troops, who had retreated to the west hill of the military city after several battles with the enemy's firepower, saw that the large Japanese army besieging from the bottom of the mountain was encircling the Xishan position at the most frantic speed.

Li Gang ordered the soldiers of the three special companies he had brought with him, and now there were less than two companies left: "Speed up the construction of positions and prepare firepower to attack the attacking enemy." ”

He said to Ma Ming, the cavalry battalion who rushed to the position: "Battalion Commander Ma, the enemy has bitten our troops, and it seems that they will not let go easily, our plan to lure and contain the enemy has been successful, but I didn't expect to be besieged by a large number of enemies and retreat to Xishan, if we get rid of the enemy, this Japanese army that encircles and suppresses us will definitely reinforce the devils who attack the Beishan position, and the Beishan position will face greater military pressure from this, so it is ......." ”

"Commander Li, don't say so much, now that the situation on the battlefield is grim, you will give an order and tell me how the cavalry battalion will fight, and I, Ma Ming, promise to implement it firmly."

(End of chapter)