Peiping, Japanese North China Front Headquarters.

Sugiyama Gen, Kasahara Yukio and other Japanese commanders did not sleep all night. They were always paying attention to the changes in the battle situation on the front line.

The Japanese army spent one night infiltrating more than 6,000 people into the rear of the Chinese army, successfully causing the Chinese army's defense line on the east bank of the Fen River to completely collapse. Nearly 30,000 Chinese soldiers broke into a rout and fled in panic towards the rolling mountains to the east.

But Sugiyama Gen and others were not satisfied with this result. What they wanted was to capture Jiexiu in one fell swoop and completely destroy the Chinese command center.

After just one night, the cavalry turned into infantry, but still failed to break through the Chinese defense line.

The Chinese troops between Pingyao and Jiexiu were extremely tenacious. The North China Front used aircraft, artillery and tanks to attack for several hours but still failed to occupy the position.

As time went by, the Chinese gradually recovered from the initial panic and disorder, the raid lost its suddenness, and its power was at least halved.

The weakness of the Japanese army's insufficient strength was gradually exposed.

The 41st Division and the 13th Independent Guards Corps would not arrive on the battlefield until the afternoon. Before these two new forces joined, it would be almost impossible to break through the Chinese positions.

Sugiyama Yuan rested on the back of the chair with his eyes closed. His brows were beating slowly, and sometimes they would wrinkle into a "Sichuan" shape.

At 11 a.m. on the 4th, the head of the intelligence agency, Seiichi Kita, rushed into the command room with some anxiety.

"It's not good... it's not good..." he whispered as he walked quickly.

Yukio Kasahara glanced at the still sleeping General, and made a silent gesture.

"Huhuhu..."

Nagaki Tasei took a few deep breaths to stabilize his mind and said in an urgent tone:

"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, we have just received information that a division of Jiangdong's commander-in-chief is taking a train from Quwo to the north. I'm afraid they have already passed Zhaocheng by this time!"

The entire North China Front Army, both officers and soldiers, would feel inexplicably frightened when they heard the name of Jiangdong or the Jiangdong Army.

Kasahara Yukio's heart skipped a beat, and panic quickly appeared on his face. His reaction was similar to that of Nagakita Seiichi when he first received the information.

"Koto...What's wrong with Koto?"

The word "Koto" woke up Sugiyama Yuan from his sleep. He sat upright and asked with bright eyes.

Kasahara Yukio quickly reported the latest information to Sugiyama Gen.

"General, do you want the troops to suspend the attack?

The fleeing Chinese also disrupted the organization of our offensive troops, allowing the troops to suspend the attack, take a breath, and wait for reinforcements to arrive before continuing..."

Sugiyama Gen rushed to the battle map and traced his fingers along the Tongpu Railway to Zhaocheng. His ugly eyes narrowed into slits and his fingers jumped irregularly on the map.

After hearing the information, the other headquarters staff also stopped what they were doing and looked at the General intently.

"Koto...Koto..." Sugiyama Gen murmured to himself.

After touching for about a minute, he raised his head and ordered:

"The bombing and strafing of Chinese army positions are suspended, and the aviation brigade is ordered to dispatch all fighters and bombers. Their mission is to patrol the railway south of Jiexiu. Once a northbound train is discovered, it will be destroyed directly without asking for instructions!"

"Hiyi!"

Kasahara Yukio received the order loudly, and then ordered the staff to convey the order.

"Time...time...I need time!"

This battle was carried out in a hurry, and many troops were not deployed at all. Sugiyama Yuan rubbed his forehead and said:

"The frontline troops are attacking me all the time, even if they are all broken into pieces, they cannot stop.

Wei Junru is in Jiexiu, as long as we capture Jiexiu, we will win this battle!"

…

Jiexiu.

"Sir, I just received news that the Japanese 41st Division and the 13th Guards will arrive on the battlefield in two hours." The intelligence staff reported loudly.

Wei Junru did not move. He first looked at his watch and found that it was almost two o'clock in the afternoon.

Jiangdong said he would be there in three hours, but now it is almost an hour late. Where is he?

"Sir, the 98th Army has withdrawn to the Luliang Mountains in the west in order to avoid being dumped by the enemy." The chief of staff said in a low voice:

"Although the 22nd Division, the newly formed 27th Division, and the Third Army fought tenaciously, they have been fighting fiercely with the Japs for 10 hours. Commander Wang Jun of the 27th Division and Commander Luo Wenfu of the 22nd Division called many times to request reinforcements.

With their current situation, there is no way they can stop nearly 30,000 little devils!

These divisions are from our hometown, if we fight them all..."

After listening to the chief of staff's words, Wei Junru also hesitated, but he quickly thought of the little Japanese's rat-catching operation.

The 5th Army and the 14th Army are rats, so who is he as the commander-in-chief? Does he have the head of a rat?

If this battle is won, the rat-catching operation will be a joke. From then on, the Japanese will never have the shame to call these two armies rats.

But if we withdraw now, tens of thousands of soldiers and Wei Junru will bear this shameful nickname, which they will never be able to wash away.

Thinking of this, he slowly took out the pistol from his waist and banged it on the table.

"A year ago, Xinkou was not defended and I left! Taiyuan was not defended and I left! The whole of Shanxi was not defended, but I still left!

Today...I, Wei Junru, will not leave! I will be in Jiexiu, waiting for the little devil!"

He grabbed the phone and loaded it with a click.

"Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy!"

Everyone present looked stern, with a look of determination in their eyes.

…

10 kilometers north of Jiexiu County, Nghe An.

Deng Shouzhong, the commander of the death battalion who captured Umezu Yoshijiro and Kushibubuchi Soichi alive. After the Second Battle of Taiyuan, he was promoted to the chief officer of the 1st Regiment due to his merit.

Deng Shouzhong's regiment arrived at Nghe An at 9 o'clock last night. Before the position was repaired, the Japanese cavalry troops roared in and killed them.

Deng Shouzhong calmly organized all the brothers in the regiment to resist step by step by taking advantage of the terrain. After fighting hard for two hours, they finally gained a firm foothold.

From the early morning of the 4th, the Japanese aircraft, artillery and tanks took turns in the battle, and positions were gained and lost many times.

The Japanese launched a desperate attack, but Deng Shouzhong led his troops to resist desperately, and the battle became fierce.

"Hey, hey, hey..." The regiment command post moved to a location less than 1 kilometer away from the forward position. Deng Shouzhong shouted to the other end of the phone, with a little pleading in his voice.

"Commander... Commander... We are almost exhausted. Give me some reinforcements. Even one platoon... one squad will do. You can't just watch brothers Xuanjun be destroyed!"

Wang Jun, the new commander of the 27th Division on the other end of the phone, also spoke very loudly, almost roaring:

"Deng Shouzhong, you fucking listen to me, there are no reinforcements. Now only I and two signal soldiers are left in the division headquarters. I have sent the cook!

I say it again, you are not allowed to retreat without an order, and you are not allowed to lose your position!

The Commander-in-Chief of the Guard is in Jiexiu County behind you. If you die, I will fill your hole. If I die, the Commander-in-Chief of the Guard will personally lead the team up!"

Wang Jun paused and took a deep breath of smoke-laden air.

"Whether it's a rat or a tiger depends on this battle! A scholar can't be killed! Do you fucking understand?

That’s it! Hang up!”

There was a beeping sound from the receiver of the phone. Deng Shouzhong put the phone down and shook his fist several times.

The loaded flower trap was placed on the table full of dirt and debris. He took off the steel helmet on the wall and put it on his head. He picked up the flower trap and finally took a look at the two communication channels in the regiment command post.

soldiers,

"One of you will stay on the phone, and the other will follow me!"

After saying that, he strode away from the "regiment headquarters" and ran along the communication trench towards the position where artillery fire was pouring.

"Buzz buzz..."

Still four to five hundred meters away from the position, the roar of an aircraft engine suddenly came from overhead.

"Commander, lie down! Japanese plane!"

The communications soldiers who rushed out shouted and rushed towards Deng Shouzhong.

The two of them lay nervously in the traffic trench, waiting for the earth-shattering moment to arrive.

"Buzz buzz..."

To their surprise, the sound of the plane overhead gradually faded away, there were no explosions around, and the ground did not tremble.

"Captain, the plane is heading south..."
Chapter completed!