Chapter 145: Dividing Forces Means the Start of Battle

"Order the troops!"

"We will camp at Liuzhuang tonight; at the same time, send a telegram to Colonel Yamashita Kazuo."

"Occupy the two commanding heights of Liuzhuang immediately."

Guteng Changying issued the order, and his Adjutant went to relay it at once.

At the very front of the 31st Brigade, Colonel Yamashita Kazuo's regiment took the lead.

He raised the Telescope in his hand, watching the First Battalion as they used engineer shovels and hoes to level the road.

As the two battalions of the Yamashita Regiment headed toward Liuzhuang, the First Battalion repaired the road.

This was an insult to the soldiers of the Imperial Army.

After Zhang Tianyi's regiment held off the first wave of the devils' attack, the defensive line was temporarily stabilized.

Perhaps because they had not encountered any resistance since entering the Sichuan Army's defense zone, the little devils' vigilance had lowered.

Finding the entire village very quiet, the two battalion commanders did not have the slightest suspicion regarding this phenomenon.

Following Chen Li's order.

"All of you, run faster! Although we are a newly formed regiment, when it comes to fighting, you must give it everything you've got."

The two battalions of devils had never even considered that they would be ambushed.

This was the last Shortwave Radio, and now it had been destroyed by the Sichuan Army.

Because ever since entering the Sichuan Army's defense zone, every time the devils arrived at a village, they found that there was no one in the village.

The first round of firepower from the Sichuan Army made this group of devil soldiers howl.

Liuzhuang was close to the 124th Division, and the 1st Regiment Commander of the 124th Division might have already reached the outskirts of the village by now.

Because the devils' artillery unit had been keeping a close watch on the Sichuan Army at the commanding heights.

The two devil battalion commanders hurriedly directed their troops to counterattack, while simultaneously attempting to outflank the commanding heights.

Never mind people; there wasn't even a pig or a cow to be found.

The Light and Heavy Machine Gun on the hillside swept across the devil soldiers at the foot of the mountain.

The two devil battalion commanders who were directing the charge at the front.

"Division Commander, the 31st Brigade has split its forces."

They completely ignored whether there were enemy troops in their rear.

"Boom, boom!! ——"

The Light and Heavy Machine Gun fire from the Sichuan Army on the commanding heights shot down from a superior position.

Just a moment ago, Zhang Tianyi had been afraid of the devils' artillery, in case the devil artillery opened fire.

After Zhang Tianyi fired his gun, the soldiers of the 1st Regiment also opened fire on the devil soldiers.

"1st Battalion... continue repairing the road!"

"Put your backs into it!"

Seeing the Imperial artillery unit wiped out, and large numbers of the Republic of China Army appearing in the rear.

"Baka!"

Now it is Movement Warfare, racing against the little devils for time.

The 1st Regiment Commander of the 124th Division... Zhang Tianyi!

The two devil battalion commanders were hopping mad, their faces ferocious.

The little devils came to seize the commanding heights, and naturally, Zhang Tianyi would not agree.

On the hillside!

After Zhang Tianyi discovered the devils' artillery position, he was about to call for his own artillery.

This Communications Soldier was shot into a sieve, and at the same time, the Shortwave Radio was also smashed.

At the same time, the devil Communications Soldier, carrying the Shortwave Radio, was just preparing to call for help.

A cursing Yamashita Kazuo walked down from the commanding heights.

These two old devils widened their eyes, feeling that this was a trap specifically set for them by the Republic of China Army.

"Thirty minutes from now, the battle will begin; annihilate this brigade for me."

"Yoshi!"

Each commanding height was distributed with 800 men; the troop strength was a bit thin relative to the devils.

But, in the surrounding villages, the common people had all run away.

Yamashita Kazuo was very angry; that was, as a Regiment Commander, he was now actually doing roadwork.

Dense gunfire rang out, and one could see a large group of Sichuan Army troops, carrying machine guns, sweeping across the devil Mortar position.

If they left Liuzhuang, there were Sichuan Army troops blocking them outside.

This was very favorable for the 127th Division to launch an ambush.

Seeing the infantry being ambushed, the devils' artillery immediately moved to a position 500 meters in the rear.

Gunshots rang out, and before the devil company commander could react, he fell to the ground.

Now Bai Zhangsheng's regiment had wiped out the little devils' artillery unit, which greatly weakened the devils' firepower.

"Order the 2nd Battalion and the 3rd Squadron to head to Liuzhuang immediately."

"At the same time, send a telegram to the Regiment Commander, requesting tactical guidance."

"Our regiment will head to Liuzhuang immediately to occupy the commanding heights."

This meant that they had completely lost the opportunity to establish contact with the Yamashita Regiment.

"After this battle is over, I will have the 1st Regiment Commander of the 124th Division perform Sichuan opera face-changing for the brothers."

The 31st Brigade now had one Infantry Regiment remaining.

When the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Yamashita Regiment arrived at the outskirts of Liuzhuang.

"Tonight, the Brigade Commander intends to camp at Liuzhuang."

On the two commanding heights of Liuzhuang.

On this road, the remaining Japanese soldiers were all arranged in a long, single-file formation.

Mauser 98K Rifle, equipped with an Optical Sight.

The Japanese soldiers of the two battalions began to charge toward the commanding height on the right flank.

Now, within the ranks of the Sichuan Army 22nd Group Army, any soldier with good marksmanship was also equipped with a Mauser 98K.

His Adjutant Gongben Wuzang stepped forward: "Your Excellency Regiment Commander, orders from the Brigade Commander."

Zhang Tianyi shouted loudly.

Among them, the New 10th Regiment and one regiment of the 124th Division were responsible for annihilating Yamashita Kazuo's regiment at Liuzhuang.

"Liuzhuang... Liuzhuang... it is just ahead!"

"To actually adopt such a formation to block the Imperial Army's march."

"Order the troops, they must move into position for me within twenty-five minutes."

"Head to Liuzhuang immediately; we will cooperate with the 1st Regiment of the 124th Division to annihilate the Yamashita Regiment."

Machine guns, rifles, and Grenade Launchers, all greeted the Japanese soldiers.

"Quickly... capture this commanding height."

The two battalions of Japanese soldiers fell into the encirclement of the Sichuan Army.

"The Republic of China Army has no Bushido spirit at all!"

The team Yamashita Kazuo sent out to capture civilians did not find a single trace of the Zhongtu people.

"Baka!"

8 Mortars were quickly set up under the organization of the Japanese soldiers.

He guessed that this force that suddenly killed its way out might be Bai Zhangsheng's New 10th Regiment.

This would make the defense even more difficult.

Because Bai Zhangsheng failed to move into position on time, after Zhang Tianyi's 1st Regiment occupied the two commanding heights.

Zhang Tianyi aimed at the head of a Japanese company commander.

Just as they were wiping out the Japanese soldiers' mortars, suddenly, they saw the rear of the Japanese position.

"Baka!"

They began to construct a mortar position!

Upon hearing this, Chen Li said, "Good, good, good!"

"Well fought!"

Zhang Tianyi said without looking back: "Rifle!"

His Guard took out a K Rifle and handed it to Zhang Tianyi.

Bai Zhangsheng cheered the soldiers on.

On the hillside, a machine gunner of the Sichuan Army spotted them and fired a burst of bullets.

The commander of the New 10th Regiment, Bai Zhangsheng, looked at the running soldiers and shouted: "Brothers."

After Zhou Jishi saw the Japanese soldiers split their forces, he immediately got through to Chen Li on the phone.

"Right now, there is only one Infantry Regiment on the road, as well as engineer, artillery, and cavalry units."

There were no livestock such as pigs, dogs, cattle, or sheep; they had all been taken away by the common people.

The 127th Division, as well as one regiment of the 124th Division and the New 10th Regiment, immediately began to move toward the 31st Brigade.

However, the terrain was favorable to the Sichuan Army.

Upon hearing this, Yamashita Kazuo came to the map and took a look.

At this moment!

Through the Telescope, he discovered that these two battalions of Japanese soldiers were marching quite sluggishly.

In terms of firepower, the Japanese troops were currently at a disadvantage.

Especially the Sichuan Army's German-made MG42 General Purpose Machine Gun, which instantly suppressed the Japanese soldiers' Type 11 Light Machine Gun and Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun.

Facing such a predicament, the two Japanese battalion commanders did not know what to do for a moment.

(End of chapter)