Devil's Army

Chapter 1773: Stopping the Japanese Army in Jiaozuo 1

The soldiers of the Third Regiment had to fight against the Japanese infantry under the Japanese artillery fire.

After more than an hour of fierce fighting, the Japanese attack was repelled again, but the two battalions of the Third Regiment suffered heavy casualties.

The commander of the third regiment then ordered the first and second battalions to abandon their positions and retreat.

After two days of attack, the Japanese army in Zhengzhou finally occupied the Guangwu area and then continued to march northward.

The Japanese troops in Zhengzhou continued to move north, passed through the Wangwu area and arrived at Heishitougou near Yanmen Pass.

Yanmen Pass is located about 20 kilometers north of Dai County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province. It is an important pass on the Great Wall with dangerous terrain, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack.

The Heishitou Valley in Yanmen Pass is low in the south and high in the north. The bottom of the valley is full of rocks. The road goes up along the valley. There is a stone bridge at the south end connecting it to the external highway. There are cliffs on the west side and steep slopes on the north side.

The two battalions of the 3rd Regiment of the 1st Brigade and the retreating 1st and 2nd Battalions built defensive fortifications on the slope. Artillery positions were also constructed in the hidden areas at the top of the slope.

When the Japanese army arrived here, they were ambushed by the Eighth Route Army, so they sent out the vanguard to search and advance cautiously.

When the vanguard of the Japanese army entered Heishitougou, the third artillery regiment on the top of the slope immediately opened fire.

The messy rubble at the bottom of the Black Stone Ditch was blown away by artillery shells, increasing the casualties of Japanese soldiers.

The Japanese artillery counterattacked the three artillery regiments on the top of the slope, but was suppressed by the devil force's air force from time to time.

In the past two days, the Japanese army was suppressed by the Devil Force's air force and fought very hard. The battle went on until the evening but they still failed to break through Heishitougou.

The battle also entered a stalemate.

When the Japanese troops in Jiaozuo arrived at Litun Village, Xiuwu County, they were ambushed by soldiers from the 4th Regiment of the 1st Brigade.

Litun Village is located on the ancient official road from Xiuwu to Boai. Due to long-term erosion, the road has become a trench more than one meter below the ground level.

In addition, the village is surrounded by a wide river and tall, solid earthen walls, allowing for both attack and defense.

The First and Second Battalions of the Fourth Regiment set up an ambush along the left side of the official road and the earthen wall.

The third and fourth battalions set up an ambush along the right side of the official road and the earthen wall.

That morning, when the vanguard of the Japanese army entered the official road, the soldiers of the Fourth Regiment lay on both sides of the road, waiting for the order to attack.

When the Japanese troops in Jiaozuo entered the 3-kilometer-long official road, the commander of the Fourth Regiment issued an attack order.

Soldiers from the Fourth Regiment on both sides of the official road suddenly opened fire on the Japanese troops on the road.

The Japanese army was caught off guard, and since they were attacking from above, they were at a great disadvantage in terms of terrain.

The Japanese artillery outside the official road quickly launched a fierce bombardment on the positions of the Fourth Regiment on both sides of the official road, but was counterattacked by the artillery of the Fourth Regiment.

The two sides exchanged fierce attacks back and forth.

The Japanese commander then organized a suicide squad, equipped with a large number of machine guns, and launched a fierce attack on the positions of the Fourth Regiment on both sides of the official road.

During this period, the First Army's air force flew over to provide support from time to time.

The First Army's air force effectively restrained and blocked the Japanese attack.

Due to the lack of strategic depth on both sides of the official road, some positions were occupied by the Japanese army under continuous attacks.

The commander of the Fourth Regiment then ordered his troops to evacuate the positions on both sides of the official road and the earthen wall, and retreat to the mountainous area in the north of Xiuwu County, which had a wider strategic depth.

This area is located at the tail end of the Taihang Mountains, with numerous peaks such as Zhuyu Peak and Yuntai Mountain, with an average elevation of over 500 meters. Most slopes face south and southwest, with gradients exceeding 20°. The mountain ranges are connected by canyons, resulting in steep slopes and deep valleys.

The commander of the Fourth Regiment left behind a rearguard force to block the Japanese army, and the main force withdrew here in turns to build a new line of defense.