binnovel Chapter 343 Raid on the Japanese Position
Chapter 343 Raid on the Japanese Position
After learning that the Japanese cavalry unit in front had been completely wiped out, Zhang Wenwu also brought the division headquarters personnel in the rear to the battlefield in front.
"Division Commander, the Japanese cavalry units have been completely wiped out by us. According to current statistics, the Japanese cavalry on the north side are all here. The first phase of the combat mission has been completed. I have asked the troops to be ready and to move immediately to the Japanese positions on the north side of the Xiangzao Highway." Li Zhengying also ran to Zhang Wenwu and gave a brief report.
Zhang Wenwu looked at the Japanese corpses scattered all over the ground, nodded and said, "Very good, Captain Li, leave one company to clean up the battlefield, and the rest of the people will attack the Japanese infantry positions. The fight in Xinye will start soon. We must occupy the Japanese infantry positions as quickly as possible to block the Japanese reinforcements coming from the south."
Li Zhengying knew that time was running out, so he immediately led his troops to set off quickly. Zhang Wenwu looked at the time. It was already one o'clock in the morning, and there was only one hour left before the attack on Xinye. His troops now only needed to occupy the Japanese infantry positions.
However, the Japanese army also had a defensive position on the south side of the Xiang-Zao Highway, and he had to judge whether to continue moving south to capture that Japanese position based on the actual situation at that time.
Hao Jian is now leading the suicide squad officers and soldiers who have changed into Japanese military uniforms and walking at the front of the entire attacking force. Li Zhengying is leading the remaining officers and soldiers following at a distance of 200 meters behind. Soon they will stage a good show of chasing the remnants of the "Japanese army".
Five hundred meters north of the Xiangzao Highway, there is a Japanese defensive position. The defense unit here is the 116rd Battalion of the th Regiment of the th Division of the Japanese Army.
Major Kensaku Oda, commander of the 3rd Battalion, was sleeping soundly in the command post in the center of the position. He was very satisfied with the combat mission of his battalion this time.
In the previous Changshoudian offensive operation, the 116th Regiment and the 104th Regiment were the two main forces responsible for the attack, and the th Regiment was divided into two groups to cooperate with the two regiments in the offensive operations.
It was originally thought to be a very easy sneak attack, but because the Chinese army had prepared in advance, it ended up being a frontal breakthrough. Fortunately, although some troops were lost later, they still managed to break through the Chinese army's defensive positions in Changshoudian.
After that, his brigade took on the defense and support mission on the north side of the Xiang-Zao Highway according to the pre-war plan, which was a very easy job.
When the wounded soldiers who were evacuated from the front line passed by his position these two days, Major Kensaku Oda also saw the miserable condition of these wounded soldiers. He also understood how hard the 58th Regiment that attacked Xinye in the front fought and how heavy the losses were. This made him even more grateful for his current combat mission.
Major Kensaku Oda is also very concerned about his battalion's current defensive positions. He personally and seriously guides the troops in digging the defensive positions, and personally takes charge of the deployment of firepower points in all directions.
The reason why Major Kensaku Oda took this defense mission so seriously was to get the brigade commander and the division commander to recognize his work, so that he would not be pulled to the front to attack the Chinese army.
As a mid-level commander of the Japanese army, Major Kensaku Oda knew too well the current actual situation of the Japanese Army. After two years of fighting, the combat troops are now filled with a large number of new recruits who lack actual combat experience. Although the number of combat troops is the same as at the beginning of the war, the actual combat capability is a world of difference compared to that at the beginning of the war.
The only good thing is that the combat effectiveness of the Chinese army on the opposite side is declining faster, and the new recruits they recruit are at least veterans who have undergone recruit training or have retired before.
It was said that the Chinese army was reinforced by farmers and ordinary people who had never touched a gun before, which allowed the Japanese army's combat effectiveness to firmly suppress the Chinese army.
Not to mention that this time it was their own troops conducting a defensive operation, allowing the Chinese army to attack their defensive positions with almost no artillery support was basically the same as committing suicide.
Moreover, not far to the south of the Xiang-Zao Highway, there is the defensive position of the Second Battalion, and they can get reinforcements in a very short time. The Chinese army must launch an attack with at least an entire division of troops to occupy the defensive positions on their side.
But the Chinese army is now unable to take care of itself, so how can it have a force of this size to launch an attack on its own positions? Therefore, this defensive operation is just a relaxing and happy camping trip for its own brigade.
At 1:40 in the morning, the northern sentry post of the Third Battalion's defensive position discovered the situation. They saw a group of officers and soldiers in Japanese military uniforms running towards the position in panic.
Hirano Kinroku was a new recruit who was added to the army after the Battle of Three Towns. For a new recruit like him, the task of standing guard at night fell on a rookie like him.
Hirano Kinroku rubbed his eyes which were a little difficult to open, hoping that time would pass quickly. At two o'clock, he could be replaced by another new recruit who was recruited at the same time and go to sleep.
Suddenly, Hirano Kinroku discovered that there were some dark shadows in front of the position approaching him quickly, which made him nervous even though he was about to fall asleep.
The Chinese army attacked? No, that's not right. The cavalry regiment is stationed to the north. I didn't hear anyone from there saying that the Chinese army launched an attack.
Cavalry? That's not right. The cavalry are so arrogant. They ride tall horses when they go out, as if they are afraid that others don't know they are cavalry. These moving figures in front are obviously running on two legs.
Hirano Kinroku felt that it was probably not the Chinese army, but most likely his own friendly troops. He decided to wait until he could see more clearly before taking any action. If he opened fire rashly, Sergeant Oshima would give him a severe lesson, and a slap in the face was very painful.
When the figures in front gradually became clear, Hirano Kinroku put down the rifle he had been aiming. He saw clearly that the people running were his friendly troops.
Hao Jian was also very puzzled. He was almost running into the Japanese position, but why didn't the sentry on the Japanese position shout to him? There was something wrong with this plot.
Just when Hao Jian was hesitating whether to shout first, the voice he had been thinking about day and night finally came from the Japanese position opposite.
"Which unit are you from? This is the command." Hirano Kinroku shouted loudly to the group of Japanese officers and soldiers about 50 meters ahead.
(Thanks to Lei Shi who loves to eat beauty porridge, Manabe Kazu who stands out, the director of Shenlong Library, Wei Guogong who only eats dumplings without vinegar and loves to eat beef jerky for their gifts! Thank you all for your support and encouragement!)