Headquarters of the First Army in Taiyuan.

Communications staff officer Tadao Matsui hurriedly walked into the commander's office with the telegram.

Yoshio Iwamatsu is writing calligraphy and studying Chinese culture.

Matsui paused and said: "General, one of our military columns was besieged by the Eighth Route Army from Jingxing to Niangziguan. The Eighth Route Army's troops are no less than one regiment!"

"Nani?" Yoshio Iwamatsu looked shocked when he heard this, "Where is it specifically?"

Matsui quickly walked to a map hanging on the wall and pointed at the map with his hand.

"Here, Dragon King Tu, Major Watanabe has just sent a telegram asking for help!"

Yoshio Iwamatsu quickly looked at the map, his face suddenly darkened.

Fell into a trap!

Sure enough, the Eighth Route Army sneak attack on Zhengtai Road between Niangziguan and Yangquan was to attract the attention of the imperial army.

The real target of the Eighth Route Army is the military columns loaded with military supplies!

Yoshio Iwamatsu knew very well that those were thousands of tons of military supplies, and they must not fall into the hands of the Eighth Route Army!

"Order the 4th Brigade to rush to the rescue of Dragon King Tu!" Yoshio Iwamatsu ordered with an expressionless face.

"Hi!" Tadao Matsui paused and walked out.

Not long after, Miyano Michichi walked in with a solemn expression.

"Your Excellency, Commander, I heard from Matsui-kun that the Eighth Route Army was robbing military columns?"

"Yes!" Yoshio Iwamatsu said without looking back, his hands behind his back and his eyes fixed on the map: "I have sent the fourth brigade to help immediately."

"Your Excellency, Commander, I'm afraid it's too late for the Fourth Brigade to rush to the rescue." Miyano said in a deep voice, "Two mobile columns of the Fourth Brigade have been sent to the line from Niangziguan to Yangquan. The Eighth Route Army made a sneak attack on Zhengtai Road from Longwang Tu

At least 40 kilometers, and it will take at least 3 to 4 hours for the fourth brigade to gather its troops to rush for reinforcements. By this time, the fighting may have ended, and the Eighth Route Army has fled with supplies."

Although the Fourth Brigade has two fully formed regiments, there are only more than 2,000 people at the Yangquan headquarters. After subtracting the 2,000 mobile troops, the remaining 4,000 people are all scattered in the strongholds and gun towers from Niangziguan to Shouyang.

The troops are too scattered and it will take a lot of time to assemble them.

Iwamatsu Yoshio nodded: "Miyano-kun, what's your plan?"

Miyano said: "The Eighth Route Army sent out a feint attack force in advance, which shows that they are well prepared. It is inevitable that military supplies will fall into the hands of the Eighth Route Army."

"In this case, the Fourth Brigade Headquarters can be ordered to immediately move to Qianzhuang and Fenghuang Valley to block the Eighth Route's retreat!"

"Not only can the materials be recovered by then, but this band of robbers can also be surrounded and annihilated!"

"Miyano-kun, you mean..." Iwamatsu Yoshio said, "The Eighth Route Army that robbed the army came from the bandit area in southeastern Shanxi?"

"What's your basis?"

Miyano analyzed: "Your Excellency, Commander, there are two armored trains escorting the military train. Small-caliber artillery cannot cause damage to them, but the 105-caliber cannon can."

"Among the entire Eighth Route Army, only the 386th Brigade in the southeast Shanxi bandit area has two 105-caliber cannons."

"So I dare to assert that the one who robbed the imperial army this time must be the 386th Brigade, the most powerful bandit in the southeastern Shanxi bandit area."

"Hey!" Yoshio Iwamatsu said, "Immediately order the headquarters of the Fourth Brigade to move to Qianzhuang and Fenghuang Valley to block the Eighth Route Army's retreat!"

Michichi Miyano: "Hi!"

…

Zhengtai Road, the section between Yangquan and Niangziguan.

After receiving the order quickly, Taro Ito and Takeo Higashimura immediately led their troops to arrive.

The two majors almost became angry when they saw another stronghold being removed by the Eighth Route Army.

It is unbearable!

The Eighth Route Army simply treated them like monkeys.

The hot-tempered Takeo Higashimura bared his teeth and said: "Ito-kun, don't stop me, I'm going to catch up with those Chinese pigs and chop them all down to feed the dogs!"

Taro Ito said, "If you want to go, just go, I won't stop you."

"Are you going to chase me?" Taro Ito asked, "Don't tell me you won't chase me. There are no cowards in the Imperial Japanese Army!"

"Baga, you know nothing about the Eighth Route Army's sparrow tactics." Ito Taro angrily scolded, "Do you know why Commander Iwamatsu didn't let us chase? Because he was afraid that we would be ambushed by the Eighth Route Army!"

Takeo Higashimura shouted loudly: "Are we just watching the Eighth Route Army escape? What will we do if they come back again?"

Taro Ito narrowed his eyes and said, "I'm sure that after we leave, the Eighth Route Army will definitely kill another enemy."

Takeo Tomura calmed down: "What do you mean..."

"Since the Eighth Route Army can kill the carbines, so can we." Taro Ito said, "Let's pretend to retreat and circle back from the north of Shotai Road. The Eighth Route Army must not have scouts in the north. As long as the Eighth Route Army comes back, we will be attacked from both sides by you and me.

!”

"Hey!" Takeo Higashimura agreed happily, "Just do it!"

Immediately, Higashimura and Ito led their respective troops to retreat in the east-west direction.

Not long after, they turned back from the small road north of Zhengtai Road and lurked on the north side of the railway, waiting for the Eighth Road to take the bait.

However, they did not wait for the Eighth Route Army to come. They waited for orders from the commander of the 4th Brigade, Sano Tadayoshi.

After receiving the order, Takeo Higashimura and Taro Ito were dumbfounded and fell into the Eighth Route Army's plan!

At the moment, he didn't care whether the Eighth Route Army came to attack the railway stronghold, and quickly gathered his troops and rushed towards Longwangtu.

Ding Wei, who was 5 kilometers away, also received the news from the Independent Brigade, so he stopped thinking about the Zhengtai Railway and joined Cheng Shifa to prepare to intercept the Fourth Brigade that might cut off the Eighth Route Army's retreat.

…

Dragon King Tu, the two battalions of the special operations group were engaged in a fierce battle with the Japs.

It was almost getting dark at this time.

Under the cover of firepower from the armored train, the Japanese attempted to launch a counterattack in an attempt to defeat the special operations group.

A 105mm cannon has been aimed at the little devil's armored train.

The artillery battalion only brought one cannon this time. Unfortunately, the cannon was too heavy and difficult to transport.

The 150-caliber howitzer has been handed over to the column headquarters and has become the cannon supporting the column's artillery regiment.

Two 75mm anti-aircraft guns were also handed over, and two 105mm cannons were retained in the independent brigade.

As Yao Shangwu shouted to fire, the gunner immediately pulled the match rope, and then there was a muffled sound.

A muddy mist instantly rose from the artillery position, and the 18-kilogram armor-piercing projectile instantly rushed out of the gun barrel and shot towards the little devil's armored train.

The little devil's armored car has fierce firepower, but its maneuverability is so poor that it can only drive on rails.

But even so, let alone the guerrillas, if they encounter the main force without large-caliber artillery, there is nothing they can do against it.

But in front of the 105-caliber cannon, it was as brittle as paper. This shot hit the heavy machine gun compartment of the armored vehicle.

The armor-piercing bullet instantly broke through the armored vehicle's defense, entered the heavy machine gun carriage and exploded.

With a loud "boom", smoke and fire suddenly rushed out from the armored carriage, and the little devil inside was sent back to Japan in an instant.

The Japanese in the mortar carriage and guard carriage were also injured by the violent shock wave.

The little devil never expected that the Eighth Route Army actually had large-caliber heavy artillery. He wanted to escape in an armored vehicle, but the power system was damaged by a cannon and could not be started.

Immediately afterwards, an armor-piercing shell from the 105 cannon was fired, and the mortar carriage was destroyed in an instant.

Several Japanese soldiers in the guard car staggered out of the car, and the next second they were hit by flying bullets and fell to the ground.

"Report Major, the armored train behind has been destroyed!"

In the command car on the military train, Major Watanabe's expression changed drastically as he listened to the report from his subordinates.

"Nani?" Watanabe Masao looked in disbelief, "The Eighth Route Army actually has heavy artillery?"

Now he was really panicked. Both armored trains were destroyed, and the situation was very bad.

"Continue to ask for help from the headquarters!"

After a pause, Masao Watanabe continued: "Ask the headquarters if Watanabe Squadron is allowed to blow up military supplies if the squadron holds on until reinforcements arrive!"

There are a large number of artillery shells and grenades on the military train. Just detonate them and the entire military train and the materials on the vehicle will be blown up.

"Hi!" The little Japanese telegraph operator immediately put on his earphones and began to send a message to the First Army Headquarters.

Not long after, the little Japanese telegraph operator received a telegram from the headquarters: reinforcements were on the way, and they were waiting for reinforcements, and no supplies were allowed to be blown up.

Yoshio Iwamatsu also knew that the hijacking of the army was inevitable, so he listened to Miyano Michichi's suggestion and sent the 4th Brigade Headquarters to block the Eighth Route Army's retreat.

After all, Japan is a resource-poor country and cannot afford the destruction of thousands of tons of military supplies.

So Yoshio Iwamatsu and Michichi Miyano are still dreaming about snatching back the supplies needed by the general.

After seeing this telegram, Masao Watanabe was immediately heartbroken, and the headquarters acquiesced that the entire Watanabe squadron was shattered.

He knew very well that in the face of the Eighth Route Army's heavy artillery attack from both sides, no matter how strong his tactical command skills were, he would not have a chance of winning.

And judging from the sound of gunfire, this Eighth Route Army's light and heavy machine gun firepower is very powerful, and it is definitely not an ordinary Eighth Route Army.
To be continued...