~Date: ~October 17~

Gupyeong-ri is located about 10 kilometers southeast of Chu Mountain, an important town on the border between China and South Korea. From here, you can go north to Chushan, and to the south, there is a highway that can go directly to Unsan, a traffic point in northwestern Korea, through the Jiangnan Mountains, and if the squadron controls the road from Chushan to Unsan through Gupyeong-ri, then the rear road of the Japanese 15th Army deployed at the western end of the Yalu River defense line will be precarious. On the morning of December 12, a mixed unit composed of the 9th Assault Artillery Regiment, the 307th Infantry Regiment, and the 308th Infantry Regiment of the Chinese National Defense Force, under the personal command of Lieutenant General Liu Yuzhang, commander of the 52nd Army, assaulted all the way along the ice surface of the Zhongmanjiang River to Guipingli, and then engaged in a fierce battle with a Japanese infantry brigade stationed here.

However, before the Chinese army had time to breathe after continuous marching and fierce fighting, the first batch of Japanese counterattack troops appeared in the southeast ♀ branch of the Japanese army in Gupingli, which was the 113th Wing of the 106th Division of the Japanese Army, which had received an order to reinforce the Chushan-Weiyuan line the night before.

Originally, the 113th Wing was also going to go north with the main force of the 106th Division along the road from Yunshan to Chushan to reinforce the 55th Division in Chushan, but because of the distance from the station, it did not arrive at Gufeng Village southeast of Gupingli until 1:30 pm on the 12th. As soon as he entered the village, he encountered more than 100 remnants of the Japanese army who had retreated from Guping.

"Baga! Are you the Imperial Army of the Great Japanese Empire or not? was actually caught off guard by the people of China! Make no mistake, this is the front line...... How can the troops at the front be so unsuspecting! Where's your captain? Where is he? I'm going to ask him how he fights! ”

Roaring loudly was the Wing Commander of the 113th Wing, Tanaka Seido Osa, who was in front of him as a military officer of Uncle Nirvana, and at a glance he knew that it was one of the 6 million troops who had been mobilized to make up the numbers...... In fact, except for one wing of the 55th Division, which is from the elite 5th Division, the other two wings are all this kind of uncle-level devils, and their fighting power is very suspicious, otherwise they would not have been beaten all over the ground by the squadron in just half a night.

"Captain...... Your Excellency the Captain has ...... Already...... Seppuku became a god. I can't come to see Your Excellency. Uncle Jun Cao Tutu told Tanaka Shengdao the news of the suicide of the captain of the brigade to which he belonged.

Tanaka Seido frowned as soon as he heard this△ As a samurai, it is appropriate to lose the battle and seppuku...... But you can't be in such a hurry to die, why should you report the enemy situation before committing suicide! He sighed softly, looked at the uncle in front of him and asked, "Then you can talk about it." How many people are there in that team? What about combat effectiveness? ”

"It is reported that there are about 3,000 people in the Chinese army that captured Gupingli. There are also a dozen tanks, which are not very large, about the same as the Type 97. There is no turret though. A cannon of about 75mm caliber was mounted directly on the body. ”

"Assault Chariot!?" Tanaka Shengdao took a breath and said in his heart: "No wonder a brigade of the imperial army was lost like this, it turns out that this army still has assault combat vehicles, and it doesn't look like a small force that has infiltrated behind enemy lines......"

At this moment, the chief staff officer of the 113th Wing, Koyama Shaoza, hurriedly walked into the temporary headquarters and handed an urgent telegram from the division headquarters to Tanaka Shengdao: "Your Excellency Dazuo. The commander of the Matsuura Division ordered our wing to launch a counterattack on Guping-ri and ordered to capture Guping-ri within today's day. ”

Tanaka Seido Daisa, who received the order, also did not care about thoroughly investigating the enemy situation. They hurriedly deployed their troops. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the two battalions of the 113th Wing of the Japanese Army, supported by 4 75mm mountain guns, 6 70mm infantry guns and 2 37mm anti-aircraft guns, launched an attack on Gupingli from the Jiangnan Mountains in the south.

Just as Tanaka Seimichi's 113th Wing hurriedly went into the attack, the two infantry regiments and one assault artillery regiment commanded by Lieutenant General Liu Yuzhang did not find out the opponent's situation...... If you figure it out, it should be defended by the 113 Wing, and let the 3 regiments of the ** squadron attack! In fact, in real wars, there are very few examples of knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent, and in most cases, the two belligerents entered the battle field without knowing the enemy's situation, and ♀ the Battle of Gupyeong-ri, which is considered by later military history to be the first key battle of the Korean War, was such a chaotic layout at the beginning.

When the reconnaissance unit reported that an unknown number of Japanese troops had been discovered, his first reaction was to order the troops to set up a circular defensive formation. The 307th Infantry Regiment was deployed along a frozen creek called Fengshui Creek to hold the southern line of Gupingli; The 308th Infantry Regiment was deployed on a hillside about 1 km northwest of Gupingli; The 9th Assault Artillery Regiment was left in the town of Gupingli as a reserve, and Liu Yuzhang's temporary headquarters was also set up in the town office in Guipingli together with the regimental headquarters of the 9th Assault Artillery Regiment.

"Artillery fire!" With the order of the 113th Wing Captain Tanaka Seido Osa. 10 mountain guns, infantry guns, and more than a dozen mortars roared at the same time, stirring up a cloud of snow and dust on the position of the squadron, the shells exploded on the frozen soil, and sparks suddenly flew on the position of the 307th regiment.

"Fuck! It turned out to be a false alarm. Lin Yuanguo, the commander of the 307th Regiment, immediately estimated their strength through the intensity of the Japanese army's artillery bombardment, and as soon as he wanted to order the regimental artillery to counterattack□ Yuzhang's phone called: "Your 307 Regiment's artillery counterattack will hit Lao Tzu lightly, don't scare this little devil away, you know?" ”

Seeing that the squadron's counterattack artillery fire was not very violent, Tanaka Seido Osa pulled out his command knife and pointed forward, shouting the slogan of the charge, and nearly 1,700 Japanese infantry of the brigade poured out of the starting position in the mountains and forests, and began to charge with Type 38 rifles and crooked machine guns. The Japanese Type 92 heavy machine guns also moved up, erected on both sides of the charge formation for side fire support, and the Japanese junior officers wearing tweed uniforms and holding Oriental command knives rushed to the front of the line.

I don't know what's wrong, but the artillery of the Chinese army didn't open fire at this time to block the shooting. It wasn't until the Japanese army was about to rush to the south bank of Fengshui Creek that the machine gun fire on the Chinese position suddenly opened fire, making a piercing sound ♀ like the sound of a chainsaw turning at high speed. ♀ However, the Japanese stormtroopers were scattered, and the faces had just been defeated. The one behind immediately lay down and kept moving forward under the cover of terrain features.

Just when the Japanese infantry felt that they could compete with the Chinese army with their excellent shooting skills, the ground under their bodies suddenly trembled slightly, and then I don't know who shouted: "Tank!" The tanks of the Chinese army are coming! Hurry up and drag the anti-tank guns up! ”

Because the Japanese army already knew that the Chinese army in Guping had more than a dozen assault combat vehicles. Therefore, the two 37mm anti-aircraft guns had quietly moved behind the charging infantry, waiting for the Chinese tank to rise. However, the Japanese soldiers who operated the two 37mm guns were quickly stunned by the scene in front of them.

Above the assault front at a distance of about 2000 meters. About 120 unknown Chinese assault tanks formed a wedge-shaped formation, and thousands of infantry accompanying the attack escorted the vehicles with submachine guns or rifles, slowly crushing the more than 1,000 stunned Japanese soldiers......

"Aim! Fire! The Japanese squad leader who commanded the two anti-aircraft guns let out a desperate roar. His two-door 37mm top sky can also deal with a few medium tanks. Now there are more than 100 assault combat vehicles. I don't know how thick the armor of these small Chinese tanks is?

"Boom ......" two muffled sounds, two T-39 assault guns rushing to the front were hit at the same time, and the shells hit the 60mm armor steel arranged at a large angle of 60 degrees on the front of the T-39 assault gun, and immediately exploded, raising two clouds of smoke. However, the T-39 assault guns that were beaten were unharmed, and the two assault guns retreated. Under the instructions of the advancing infantry, the position of the Japanese anti-tank guns was quickly found, followed by two booms. Those two 37mm guns. There were also six artillerymen and a squad leader who fiddled with the anti-aircraft guns, all of whom took to the skies.

"Onboard! Onboard! There was a shout. Dozens of Japanese soldiers rushed towards the oncoming assault guns with Molotov cocktails, grenades and other strange screams.

"Click, click, ......." The anti-aircraft machine gun on the T-39 assault gun and the rifle accompanying the infantry opened fire at the same time, and dozens of Japanese soldiers were immediately caught in the rain of bullets, and they were beaten into blood gourds, and a few of them used Molotov cocktails to be even worse, and the people were not yet dead, and the gasoline flowing out of the ruptured Molotov cocktails was ignited by the bullets fired by the Chinese army, and there was another barbecue Japanese living person! It is said that the Chinese assault artillery soldiers who participated in this battle basically did not eat barbecue after they retired......

Seeing more than 100 Chinese assault guns leading thousands of infantry to wantonly slaughter the infantry of his two brigades, Tanaka Seido Osa was already a little hysterical. The 106th Division is the four-wing division with the strongest combat effectiveness in the 16th Army, and the 113th Wing is the core backbone of the 106th Division, with three infantry brigades and a mountain artillery squadron, all of which are fully manned, with more than 4,000 people!

I didn't expect to hit the steel plate headlong on the first day of the war, and it looks like all the jade is going to be shattered here! If the 113th Wing is shattered, then the Jiangnan Mountains behind them will have no troops to defend. Looking at the number of Chinese troops on the opposite side, it is not possible that it is the main force of the so-called Panzergrenadier Division, which allows them to control the Jiangnan Mountain Range, and the gate to Yunshan can be regarded as open! If Chushan in the north of Guipingli is captured by the Chinese army again, then the armored troops of the Chinese army will be able to follow the road to copy the rear road of the 15th Army, which is defending the western section of the defense line of the Yalu River! In this way, their 113th Wing is the sinner of the Japanese Empire!

Tanaka Osa held up the saber, and stared at the more than 100 flame-spewing tongues in front of him with blood-red eyes, which seemed to be the Chinese assault guns that were splitting the mud. Cursing loudly, urging his men to organize another suicidal assault to destroy the armored assault guns. Ignoring the steel behemoths and the Chinese infantry guarding them, the rain of bullets had killed hundreds of the marchers. Even if all members of his 113th Wing are broken, they must try their best to delay the speed of these terrible steel monsters advancing towards the Jiangnan Mountain Range, so as to buy time for the entire Korean army to adjust its deployment!

At the same time, the report of the defeat of the 113th Wing also reached the headquarters of the Japanese 16th Army in Heecheon.

"Baga! What is Junrokuro Matsuura doing! Actually confusedly used a wing of infantry to attack a panzergrenadier division of the Chinese army! Does he still think that the current Chinese army is the Manchu army of the Sino-Qing War! ”

Akakari looked at the thunderous General Umezu Mijiro, and his heart was also angry. The commander of the 106th Division, Junroku Matsuura, reported that the 113th Wing, the backbone of the 106th Division, encountered a Chinese Panzergrenadier Division south of Chushan and at the foot of the Jiangnan Mountains. Because the enemy situation had not been ascertained in advance, the 113th Wing mistakenly believed that it was an infantry regiment and more than a dozen light tanks of the Chinese Army that attacked and occupied Gupingli. Therefore, he blindly threw himself into a counterattack, and as a result, the two brigades were shattered. The next brigade also suffered heavy losses← less than a thousand men remained in the wing. At present, the 113th Wing has retreated to Gufeng Village, a key point in the Jiangnan Mountains, to wait for reinforcements, but it is estimated that it will not last too long.

"Tell Junrokuro Matsuura that Gufeng Village must hold out for two days, and at the same time draw at least one wing of troops to attack the northern front of Jinping-ri. The captain of the Tanaka Seido Wing was removed from his post and retained. Guilty of meritorious service. Umezu Mijiro held back his anger and began to adjust his deployment.

"Order the 60th Division and the 61st Division to take over the entire defense line from Dapingli to Changcheng, and transfer the 18th Division; The 18th Brigade of the 23rd Division was ordered to immediately go to Yunshan to deploy defenses. The 24th Brigade marched east to attack the west side of Gupyeong-ri. The 62nd Division of Jiangjie was ordered to be ready for mobilization at any time. ”

Chilu Li hesitated for a moment and reminded: "Your Excellency, the defense line from Dapingli to Changcheng covers the flank of the 15th Army. The 15th Army also held the main road on the west coast of Korea...... If the 18th Division is drawn out. It may be difficult to stop the onslaught of the Chinese army with only two newly formed divisions. ”

"We can ask the 15th Army to transfer a division to strengthen the defense line from Daeyong-ri to Changseong, and then transfer one of the two divisions assigned to us by the Korean Army Headquarters to the 15th Army, so that the transfer can be completed in the shortest possible time." Umezu Mijiro paused, and then said, "It's better to report this plan to the North Korean Army Command and ask Commander Okamura for approval before implementing it." ”

……

At this time, the news that Liu Yuzhang's detachment went around the Zhongman River to the rear of the Japanese Chushan defense line and captured Gupingli also reached the headquarters of the Beiyang Front Army in Shenyang's Beidaying.

Let's be honest. After fighting for most of the day, Luo Yaoguo and Bai Chongxi were not satisfied, and the resistance of the Japanese army was very stubborn. The squadron made slow progress, and although it captured some Japanese forward positions on the south bank of the Yalu River, it did not form a real breakthrough until the news of the capture of Gupingli came.

According to the original battle plan, on the first day of the battle, Guan Linzheng's 9th Army should achieve a breakthrough on the line from Chushan to Weiyuan and knock on the first door to Yunshan and Jiangjie; Chen Mingren's 10th Army was to break through the Japanese defense line in the area of Huishan and advance in the direction of Baektu Mountain, threatening the rear of the Japanese 17th Army and forcing it to retreat south. However, due to the strong defense line of the Japanese army and the stubborn resistance, even with overwhelming firepower and air superiority, the 9th and 10th armies have fought hard until now, but have not completed their tasks, but have suffered heavy casualties, and the two armies have suffered nearly 6,000 casualties and nearly 100 T-39 assault guns in less than 15 hours of fighting.

According to the information provided by the previous intelligence department, most of the Japanese troops defending the middle of the Yalu River defense line were newly built divisions on the third line, with a large number of recruits and poor equipment, usually a division was only equipped with an artillery brigade reinforced by an anti-aircraft gun squadron, and the combat effectiveness was not worth mentioning at all; A small number of fully manned second-line divisions, such as the 106th and 108th Divisions, were used as backbone troops.

But such 8 divisions actually withstood the attack of the squadron with tens of thousands of artillery pieces and mortars for fire support, as well as overwhelming air superiority!

Seeing such a battle situation, Luo Yaoguo couldn't help but think of the evaluation of the infantry combat effectiveness of the old Imperial Japanese Army by military historians in his previous life. In terms of individual tactical ability and combat tenacity, the Japanese infantry of this era was probably the best infantry, and even the infantry of fascist Germany could not be compared with them. Bai Chongxi explained in a low voice on the side: "Brother Fu Wen, the battle has just begun, although we have not achieved a breakthrough, but we have killed and injured a large number of Japanese troops, every Japanese position we have captured is surrounded by Japanese soldiers who have been killed, and the battle report of the Air Force also says that two Japanese divisions in transfer (two of the four divisions transferred from the Japanese 22nd Army to reinforce the front line) were bombarded indiscriminately by them, and the roads were full of destroyed weapons and equipment and Japanese corpses...... According to a rough estimate, after more than ten hours of fighting, the casualties of the Japanese army were always more than 20,000! If it continues to be consumed like this, in less than three days, their 8 divisions will be exhausted, and Okamura Ninji will have no other way but to transfer troops from the west coast of Korea, and our goal can be regarded as achieved. ”

Luo Yaoguo nodded secretly, Bai Chongxi was right, the current campaign to attack the central part of the Yalu River defense line was just to mobilize the two armies defending the west coast of Korea to go north, as long as this goal could be achieved, it would be considered a completion of the task. Just when Luo Yaoguo wanted to say two words to encourage the Beiyang Front, Chief of Staff Liu Fei suddenly shouted excitedly: "Auxiliary marshal, Jian Gong, good news, good news!" The 1st Division of the 52nd Army broke through behind the Japanese army in Chushan, occupied Guipingli, cut off the retreat of the 55th and 106th divisions of the Japanese army, and also captured Gufeng Village, an important pass in the Jiangnan Mountains, and annihilated the 113th Wing of the Japanese army! ”

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