usatvline Chapter 357: The 1st Army's Escape
Chapter 357: The 1st Army's Escape
In the center of Taiyuan City, the smoke of battle gradually dissipated.
Gaoda, Qi Tongwei and others drove slowly into the city center in a jeep.
Li Yunlong and Chu Yunfei were directing the soldiers to clean up the battlefield.
The fighting in the center of the city was extremely fierce. The bodies of Japanese soldiers were everywhere, and occasionally the bodies of senior Japanese officers could be seen.
Li Yunlong said to Chu Yunfei beside him with a smile: "Old Chu, this is the first time I, Li Yunlong, have seen so many Japanese officers. I didn't expect that we would wipe them all out this time. I feel so happy just thinking about it."
Chu Yunfei also smiled and said: "Brigade Commander, this time our 388th Brigade has made a great contribution. No provincial capital city in the whole of China has been recaptured. We have created a miracle."
"Hahaha, agreed."
Suddenly, Li Yunlong turned around and saw the Gundam jeep. He immediately trotted forward and saluted: "Report to the commander, the 388th Brigade successfully captured Taiyuan City and killed the commander of the First Army, Shinozuka Yoshio,..."
Then, Li Yunlong took Shinozuka Yoshio's sword from the guard next to him and handed it to Gundam: "Commander, this is the sword of the Japanese lieutenant general. It is very, very rare."
Gaoda took the saber and nodded with satisfaction: "Not bad, Lao Li.
I accept your kindness. Hurry up and clean up the battlefield, and do your best to rescue the injured."
"Yes, Commander." Li Yunlong replied.
In the following period of time, Gaoda, Qi Tongwei and others began to visit and comfort the soldiers of the 388th Brigade in Taiyuan City.
They moved among the soldiers, expressing gratitude and praise for the contributions of each soldier.
"Good job, brothers!"
Gundam shook hands with each soldier and patted their shoulders.
The soldiers listened to the words of Gundam and the commanders, and although they were tired, they all had smiles of satisfaction and pride on their faces.
They know that their efforts have been recognized and that their victory has brought hope to the country and the people.
the other side,
Inside the Eighth Route Army Headquarters.
The chief's face usually looked calm and serious, but today, there was an excitement in his expression that was difficult to conceal.
"Chief of Staff, report this good news to the central government immediately."
"Yes, Chief."
The chief of staff accepted the order, turned around and quickly left the office.
As the news spread quickly, people all over China were shocked.
People were talking about it in the streets and alleys.
The headline on the newspaper read in large letters: "The Eighth Route Army recaptured Taiyuan, and the commander of the Japanese First Army was killed."
........
at the same time,
In the North China Front Army Headquarters.
Commander Okamura Neiji stood in the center of the command center, his face livid and his eyes burning with anger.
He frantically swept the furnishings in the headquarters to the ground, with documents and maps scattered everywhere.
"Bagaya road!"
"asshole!"
All the Japanese staff officers stood in the command center trembling, not daring to say a word, for fear of becoming the next target of Ningji Okamura's anger.
They lowered their heads and tried to avoid eye contact with Ningji Okamura.
The Japanese chief of staff plucked up his courage and stepped forward quickly.
"Commander, the capital of Shanxi has been captured by the Eighth Route Army.
The commander of the First Army was also killed by the enemy. The situation in Shanxi has changed dramatically.
We must respond quickly, otherwise the rest of the First Army will be at risk of being wiped out."
After listening to the chief of staff's words, Ningji Okamura's anger was gradually replaced by calmness.
The loss of Taiyuan was a heavy blow, but the First Army still had 70,000 to 80,000 troops in the Shanxi area. If they did not act quickly, these 70,000 to 80,000 people would be in danger.
There was a flash of determination in Ningji Okamura's eyes. He knew that Shanxi could no longer be defended.
He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and began to think of countermeasures.
After thinking for a moment, he gave the order to retreat without hesitation: "Chief of Staff, pass the order down, the First Army troops in Shanxi area quickly retreat and leave Shanxi area."
"Hai."
The chief of staff quickly turned around and went down to convey the order.
As the order was issued quickly, the Japanese troops in the entire Shanxi region fell into chaos.
They abandoned their heavy weapons and equipment, traveled lightly, carrying only the most basic weapons and supplies, and left the Shanxi area as quickly as possible.
The Japanese soldiers who were fighting with the Eighth Route Army also began to evacuate quickly. They no longer engaged in meaningless battles, but chose to preserve their strength.
All the Japanese soldiers knew that they had completely lost their control of this area. If they did not leave, they would be completely wiped out by the Chinese army.
The remaining 70,000 to 80,000 troops of the First Army, led by officers, quickly retreated towards the Changzhi area.
The Datong area is no longer accessible, and Niangzi Pass has been occupied by the Eighth Route Army. Now the only place they can retreat to is the Changzhi area.
"We have to speed up. Changzhi is our only way out."
"Hurry up, hurry up, don't fall behind!"
In order to support the retreat of the First Army, the North China Front Army dispatched a large number of air forces.
They attacked the pursuing Eighth Route Army troops, trying to slow down their pursuit.
At the same time, ground forces were also taking action, heading to Changzhi area to support the evacuation of the First Army.
"Your Excellency the Commander, our air force has already begun operations, and ground forces are also rushing to Changzhi." The Chief of Staff reported to Ningji Okamura.
Ningji Okamura stood in the command center, his eyes fixed on the Changzhi area on the map:
"Tell the air force to cover the safe evacuation of the First Army at all costs."
"Hai."
The chief of staff quickly conveyed the order.
In the Changzhi area, the Japanese ground forces began to build a temporary defense line. They dug trenches and set up roadblocks in preparation for the upcoming Eighth Route Army pursuit troops.
As the great retreat progressed, the entire First Army began a frantic escape.
Luggage was discarded and supplies were abandoned, just to escape the pursuit of the Chinese army more quickly.
Seeing this, the Chinese troops in other directions immediately seized this rare opportunity and attacked the Japanese desperately.
They knew that there were not many opportunities to strike back at a fallen enemy, and if they didn't strike now, the enemy would really run away.
"Brothers, hit them hard! We can't let the devils get away like this!"
A regimental commander of the Central Army waved his pistol and commanded his troops loudly.
The Central Army and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army were dispatched one after another. They took advantage of the terrain and numbers and pursued the Japs relentlessly all the way.
Artillery fire and bullets rained down on the Japs' retreat route, making their escape even more difficult.
All the soldiers were very excited and excited. In the past, the Japanese had chased and fought them, but now it was finally their turn to chase and fight the Japanese.
This role change made them feel unprecedentedly excited.
"We were always hiding before, but now let's see where they can run to!"
A soldier of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army said to his comrade beside him while loading bullets.
After a 2-3 day escape, the First Army successfully evacuated nearly 5 troops, and the rest of the Japanese were eliminated on the way of retreat.
Immediately afterwards, various forces began to occupy the county town after the Japanese retreated and took over the weapons and equipment left behind by the Japanese.
The generals of the Central Army and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army were all grinning from ear to ear. They had gotten a huge bargain, not only defeating the Japanese but also obtaining a large amount of weapons and equipment. These equipments were so good that they could not be bought with money.
The Eighth Route Army in various parts of Shanxi also took quick action, began to take over the weapons and equipment left behind by the Japanese and occupied the territory.
With the retreat of the Japanese invaders, the situation in Shanxi Province underwent earth-shaking changes.