On June 10, Zhukov commanded the Soviet Red Army to launch a major counterattack against the Japanese army in Nomenhan.

Under the cover of aircraft, artillery and tanks, the Soviet Red Army was overwhelming and it took less than two days to completely encircle the Japanese 23rd Division.

The arrogant Kwantung Army felt the power of the torrent of steel for the first time. In just two or three days of fighting, four Japanese colonel-level officers were killed, and all tanks and artillery were lost.

Under the constant heavy firepower of the Soviet Red Army, the 23rd Division soon only had four brigades.

At the critical moment when the entire army was annihilated, more than 2,000 of the 23rd Division's most "loyal" soldiers to His Majesty the Emperor stood up. They were covered with grenades and used suicide attacks to tear a gap in front of the Soviet Union's steel torrent.

In the bloody rain, the remnant soldiers of the 23rd Division broke out of the encirclement in embarrassment.

The war situation in Nomenhan took a turn for the worse, and the commander of the Kwantung Army had no choice but to mobilize troops from within the pass again.

Also on the 10th, the units of the One Division arrived at their designated positions. They followed Jiangdong's order and opened fire on the enemy in front of them.

The war in Northeast China was eroded, gunfire broke out again in Shanxi, and the North China Front Army was devastated. There was even an extreme shortage of troops for a period of time.

The reinforcements requested by Umezu Yoshijiro have not yet arrived, but the 37th and 38th Divisions have successively requested tactical guidance.

After weighing the left and right, Umezu Yoshijiro moved the 39th Brigade of the 20th Division to the south, while the 40th Brigade, which had only one regiment, headed to northwest Shanxi to maintain security in the occupied area.

Jiangdong soldiers were pressing down on the border. In order to ensure that the Licheng area was not lost, Umezu Yoshijiro ordered the Fourth Division's troops to enter Shanxi by telegram.

But the call back from the Fourth Division was:

"Our department is fighting with the Japanese army. In order to ensure the safety of the railway line, we have no troops to send!"

Umezu Yoshijiro was so angry that he almost vomited three liters of old blood.

In fact, the Fourth Division's reply was not all lies. Countless guerrillas and local militia teams appeared almost overnight on the Henan and Hebei sections of the Ping-Han Railway.

The resistance forces in these places did not have a direct confrontation with the 4th Division. They dug up trains, blew up railway tracks, burned supplies, and beat up traitors... All actions that could hit the invaders were being carried out. I felt that the soldiers of the 4th Division could not even sleep well for a day.

Neither could sleep.

Under such circumstances, out of considerations of maintaining railway safety and its own interests, the Fourth Division was naturally unwilling to send any more troops to Shanxi.

To be able to make the Red Party's team so active, Jiangdong paid a heavy price.

The price he offered Ye Qingshan was two regiments of Japanese-style equipment, plus a battalion of Chinese-made mortars and artillery shells.

Of course, the redemption of these equipment must wait until the end of the Battle of Licheng.

Ye Qingshan applied, and the Central Military Commission later agreed to Jiangdong's exchange.

The Red Party is always paying attention to Jiangdong, and they naturally know that the Lingchuan arms factory has been completed and put into production.

This cooperation is to draw closer relations with Jiangdong and prepare for greater interests in the future.

In addition to the harassment by the guerrillas, the Military Intelligence Office also sent people as businessmen to contact the Fourth Division.

The war will not end for a while, but business cannot stop for a day.

Although the officers of the Fourth Division had suspicions and suspicions about the businessmen from Shanxi, this did not prevent the two parties from conducting equal and mutually beneficial business transactions.

The people in the Military Intelligence Department can be said to be talented and courageous people. With their sharp tongue and a small box of gold, they successfully reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with the Fourth Division.

Jiangdong purchased grain worth about 50,000 oceans from the Fourth Division at a price that was about 30% higher than the market price. The first batch of money and goods will be handed over before June 15.

After that, the grain business will continue, and each transaction will be based on 50,000 yuan.

After the business was settled, the Major, Lieutenant Colonel and other officers of the Fourth Division smiled as brightly as chrysanthemums. They shook hands enthusiastically with the people from the Military Intelligence Office of the One Division and said words such as "high quality and affordable price".

After walking out of the Fourth Division's frontline headquarters and arriving outside the camp, a Japanese captain who saw him off asked cautiously:

"Do you want weapons? Except for artillery, we can give it to you at a very affordable price..."

The person from the Military Intelligence Office subconsciously reached for his waist, but there was no pistol there.

He thought that the deal just now was just a lie by the kid, and now the other party was ready to take action against him.

But after waiting for a long time, he didn't see hundreds of swordsmen rushing out of the surrounding woods. He also saw the Japanese captain's serious face and a little expectation in his eyes. Only then did he believe that the other party really wanted to resell arms.

The comrade from the Military Intelligence Department suppressed the shock in his heart and whispered:

"I have to go back and discuss it with my boss, but don't worry, this matter... will work!" After he finished speaking, he slyly hit his eyes twice, pretending to be an authentic peddler.

"Yoshi, we are waiting for your good news!"

The Japanese captain enthusiastically sent the comrades from the Military Intelligence Department out of the camp and onto the streets.

After the breakup, the brothers from the Military Intelligence Office saw Japanese soldiers squatting in twos and threes on the street. None of these Japanese soldiers had guns. They had all kinds of strange products in front of them. When they saw Chinese people walking by, they

He would also warmly invite people to come over and take a look.

"Who the hell are these people? Tsk tsk tsk..."

After leaving the city, the comrades from the Military Intelligence Department thought about what they had seen today and couldn't help but marvel.

The soldiers of the 4th Division sell items they brought from their hometowns or seized on the battlefield. For them, as long as they are not on a mission, the stall must be set up.

As for bulk goods such as food and arms, they are sold uniformly by the senior leaders of the division, and the benefits are distributed step by step.

These things are already tacit "secrets" within the Fourth Division.

When the food is sold, it is reported to the superior that it has been eaten. When the arms are sold, the war damage report is reported.

Anyway, the higher authorities will definitely allocate new supplies to them as soon as possible. If not, the 4th Division will be even happier.

They finally have a reason to stop going to the battlefield and do business in a down-to-earth manner!

But after all, it is a Category A division, and its combat power can be used, but it cannot be dispensed with.

Therefore, the supplies needed by the Fourth Division will be met under normal circumstances, and their business can continue uninterrupted.

In the Japanese army, most of the divisions were formed by farmers and miners. They had blind faith in the emperor and had no doubts about militarism.

But this is the only Osaka 4th Division. Because the soldiers are all formed by small businessmen and hawkers, and due to some historical reasons, the emperor is not a god-like figure in their hearts, so they will naturally not blindly follow him.

The 4th Division is like a strange flower that blooms, looking different and out of place in the crazy Japanese army.

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The "businessman" from the Military Intelligence Department returned to Lu'an and reported what he saw and heard, which surprised everyone in the Military Intelligence Department, including Song Li.

It's one thing to hear Jiang Dong talk about it, but it's another thing to actually happen.

After receiving the report, Jiangdong approved 100,000 yuan with a stroke of his pen, and handed over the business of the 1st Division and the 4th Division to the Military Intelligence Department.

After solving the threat on the flanks, Jiangdong devoted his main energy to the frontal battlefield.

On June 11, gunfire in Zhuozhang River defense line, Licheng, Xiangyuan and other places became more intense.

Lieutenant General Anda 23, the commander of the 37th Division, saw tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers opposite him. These soldiers were building fortifications and cutting down trees on the other side of the river, and seemed to be preparing to forcibly cross the Zhuozhang River.

Because of the obstruction of a squadron of the Hunter Brigade, the Japanese scouts had no chance to approach the sole division position on the south bank of the Zhuozhang River. Anda 23 naturally had no way to accurately determine the exact number of the enemy in front of him. He could only rely on previous intelligence.

Instinctively, he thought that what was in front of him was the Second Brigade of the Unique Division.

The strength of the 2nd Brigade of the Unique Division is about the same as that of the 37th Division, both at about 15,000 people. However, according to intelligence, the firepower is more than twice that of the 37th Division.

In the face of such a strong enemy, Anda 23 was not sure of holding the Zhuozhang River, so he sent telegrams to the First Army Headquarters over and over again requesting tactical guidance.

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If Anda Twenty-Three was just anxious, then Lieutenant General Wu Chuannan, the commander of the 36th Division in Xiangyuan City, could be said to be scared.

Currently, there are only two infantry regiments and one field artillery regiment under the direct command of Wu Chuannao, and the two infantry regiments are not in one place yet, and the troops are scattered across a front that is dozens of kilometers wide.

The southern source of the Zhuozhang River is not a raging river. It cannot act as a natural barrier. There are dozens of places where one can easily cross the river if Wu Chuannan can count them on his finger.

Opposite him is Jiangdong's absolute ace, the First Brigade!

And according to reports from frontline soldiers, the heavy artillery regiment mentioned in the intelligence was located south of Wangqiao Town, which made Wu Chuannan even more difficult to calm down.

Jiangdong's heavy artillery regiment not only has 105mm howitzers and cannons, but also 150mm large-caliber howitzers, and such large-caliber guns are not one or two, but an entire battalion.

If Jiangdong's heavy artillery regiment is a tiger, then the 36th Field Artillery Regiment can only be a mouse. They are far inferior to the opponent in terms of range and power.

The Japanese army also had a heavy artillery brigade, but Nomonhan, which was thousands of miles away at this moment, could not provide any support to the 36th Division.

"Buzz buzz..."

The huge roar of the aircraft engine sounded in the sky above Xiangyuan City. Wu Chuannan, who was in a nervous state, hurriedly ran out of the headquarters and stood in the yard looking up at the sky.

Five bombers, escorted by two fighter jets, rushed southward with overwhelming force.

"The warriors of the Army Aviation must give way. That man's heavy artillery regiment will be wiped out in ashes!"

Looking at the bombers gradually moving away, Wu Chuannan clenched his fists subconsciously.

In order to find out the exact position of the heavy artillery regiment, Wu Chuannan's elite reconnaissance team was completely destroyed.

If the air attack succeeds, Wu Chuannan is sure to hold on until reinforcements arrive.

vice versa!

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Liu Dagui is the commander of the newly formed Second Artillery Regiment. Unlike the First Artillery Regiment, his regiment is full of Japanese-style equipment.

The most numerous of them are the little devil's mountain cannons, with more than 20 of them.

Large-caliber howitzers and cannons were seized and repaired from the Japs. There were only five in total, and there was a serious shortage of shells.
To be continued...