If everything goes well, we should soon receive a telex report from Colonel Jiro Uemura, commander of the 29th Infantry Regiment.

However, more than ten minutes later, what came was not the Czech news, but the sad news of the loss of an infantry brigade.

"Bang!!!"

After receiving the bad news radio telegram from the 29th Infantry Regiment, Lieutenant General Taro Nagata slammed the telegram in his hand on the table. The vibrating sound attracted several Japanese staff officers in the military tent and looked at Nagata.

Taro.

Seeing this, Chief of Staff Taketo Kenzaburo of the 36th Division secretly waved his hand to the Japanese staff officers who were looking at them in the military tent to continue working.

Kenzaburo Taketo then picked up the telegram that Taro Nagata had slapped on the table and read it. After reading it, Kenzaburo Taketo felt depressed.

They also quickly lost more than 2,000 troops when they attacked Dabei Mountain and Xiaobei Mountain.

However, when Uemura Jiro made a surprise attack, the defending troops of the New Regiment of the Eighth Route Army in Laoye Ridge concentrated their firepower and destroyed an infantry brigade. This was not the right thing to do!

"Jiro Uemura underestimated the enemy."

Putting down the telegram, Taketo Kenzaburo said helplessly: "Division commander, what should I do next after asking for instructions from Uemura Jiro?".

"Should we order Uemura Jiro to withdraw? Judging from the actions of the enemy troops at Laoye Ridge, the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army defending Laoye Ridge must have known that the imperial army was going to raid Laoye Ridge, and they had made defensive preparations in advance.

!”

After a pause, Taketo Kenzaburo continued, "If we continue to attack Laoye Ridge, I'm afraid we won't have many chances to win."

"Should we let Jiro Uemura command the remaining infantry brigade and return here?"

Hearing this, Taro Nagata frowned and said, "Underestimating the enemy, underestimating the enemy, will instantly destroy the strength of an infantry brigade."

"How did you beat this loser Jiro Uemura?"

Seeing this, the division chief of staff Kenzaburo Taketo advised: "Division commander, the matter is over, what should we do with the troops on the right flank now?".

"Should they continue to attack Laoye Ridge?"

Taro Nagata did not speak immediately, but stared at the map on the table.

"I originally thought that Laoye Ridge on the right wing is closest to Jinghai County, and Uemura Jiro can command the assault force to quickly capture Laoye Ridge while the enemy troops defending Laoye Ridge are not paying attention. Now, I am afraid that the possibility of capturing Laoye Ridge is no longer possible.

Big."

Pointing to the map, Nagata Taro said solemnly: "But it won't work if we withdraw the troops on the right flank."

"What if the enemy troops defending Laoye Ridge consist of more than just one battalion?"

Upon hearing this, Kenzaburo Taketo, the chief of staff who was familiar with Taro Nagata, immediately said: "Division Commander, do you think that once the troops on the right wing are withdrawn, if the enemy troops defending Laoye Ridge have more than one battalion, the enemy troops will start from Laoye."

Ling followed in a roundabout way and counterattacked our right wing?".

"This is not impossible. I have also heard about the combat power of the New Regiment of the Eighth Route Army. Especially Li Yunlong, the leader of the New Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, is very courageous. Now Laoye Ridge is his territory, and he was attacked by the imperial army.

, the other side will definitely lead troops to reinforce Laoye Ridge, and if Li Yunlong counterattacks my flank, then our right wing will be attacked."

Taro Nagata said solemnly: "Therefore, Jiro Uemura cannot retreat and needs to maintain the attack on Laoye Ridge."

Seeing this, Taketo Kenzaburo felt that Nagata Taro's consideration was very reasonable.

"Commander of the division, please call back and order Uemura Jiro to command the roundabout troops and continue the attack on Laoye Ridge!"

Kenzaburo Taketo said in a solemn voice.

"Let's do this for now!"

Taro Nagata waved his hands and said in a bad mood.

"Yes, division commander."

Seeing this, Taketo Kenzaburo waved his hand and motioned to the communications staff on the side to immediately follow what he had just said and send a telegram back to Jiro Uemura, the captain of the 29th Infantry Regiment.

The communications staff of the division and regiment waited for less than a minute before he hurried back and reported in a low voice to the chief of staff Kenzaburo Taketo: "Chief of staff, our communications corps intercepted the signal sent by the 303rd Regiment of the enemy's Shanxi-Sui Army.

Clear code radio, this is a translated telegram."

"knew."

After taking the telegram and looking at it, Taketo Kenzaburo waved his hand and said.

"yes!"

The communications staff officer of the division headquarters immediately walked over.

Taro Nagata also saw it and asked, "Mr. Taketo, what's going on?"

"Division commander, our communications troops intercepted the clear-code radio sent by the 303rd Regiment of the Shanxi-Sui Army. This is the translated telegram."

Kenzaburo Taketo saw that Taro Nagata had already seen the telegram in his hand. He had no choice but to hand it to Taro Nagata and said by the way: "Division commander, don't be angry."

"Xu Rui, you know it so quickly."

After receiving the telegram and reading it in doubt, Nagata Taro was contrary to Taketo Kenzaburo's expectation. He was not furious, but said with a gloomy face: "It seems that Xu Rui's command has made contact with the New Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, and the other party

Obviously, we already know about the imperial army’s raid on Laoye Ridge.”

"Division commander, our people have sent troops to inspect all the places near Jinghai County that can be used for covert investigation. How did Xu Rui know that we sent troops to make a roundabout raid?"

The chief of staff of the division, Kenzaburo Taketo, said solemnly, also a little puzzled.

"Jinghai County was captured by Xu Rui's troops and took more than ten days. It is very possible that the other party planted lurking scouts in the mountains and forests around Jinghai County!"

Taro Nagata analyzed: "Perhaps, our inspection was not careful enough, so after walking 700 to 800 meters to the south, the troops that were divided and detoured on both sides were seen by the enemy's lurking reconnaissance personnel outside the city."

"So, Xu Rui may have known about our division of troops and detours, and he was prepared in advance. No wonder the new defensive regiment of the Eighth Route Army in Laoyeling would deliberately show weakness, making Jiro Uemura underestimate the enemy and send one infantryman at a time

The brigade attacked Laoye Ridge, but encountered a powerful firepower covering attack from the enemy defending Laoye Ridge!"

Regarding Taro Nagata's analysis, Taketo Kenzaburo could not agree 100%, but after thinking about it, he felt that there was about 90% chance that it was caused in this way.

Therefore, Kenzaburo Taketo said solemnly: "The division commander, Xu Rui, used the clear code radio to mock and insult us. This is obviously his intention to anger us."

"certainly."

Taro Nagata showed weakness and was annoyed by Xu Rui's explicit ridicule, but he was not angered by the position and ordered his troops to attack Dabei Mountain and Xiaobei Mountain.

After all, for being able to hold the position of division commander, Nagata Taro still has some poise and will not be easily angered and directly order the imperial army to attack the enemy's well-defended mountainous areas.

"Do you want to respond to the enemy's ridicule?"

Pointing to the telegram, the division chief of staff Kenzaburo Taketo asked Taro Nagata.

"No need!"

Taro Nagata shook his head and said: "Why bother to have a radio war with Xu Rui?".

"Contact the troops on the left flank and see what their situation is now?"

Pointing to the map, Taro Nagata said to Kenzaburo Taketo.

"According to the time, at this time, the two brigades of the 27th Infantry Regiment on the left flank, under the command of the commander of the regiment, Miyatake Kazuo, should have almost arrived at Jiangjun Ridge."

Kenzaburo Taketo said, "The distance from the left wing to General Ridge is about half an hour longer than the distance from the right wing! Division commander!"

"Then contact Gongzhu Kazuo immediately and let him pay attention. The 2nd Battalion of the 358th Regiment of the Jinsui Army stationed at Jiangjun Ridge may have received a warning from Xu Rui and is ready for battle."

Taro Nagata said solemnly: "Although there is a gap between Xu Rui and Chu Yunfei, the commander of the 358th Regiment of the Jinsui Army, Chu Yunfei has fought many times with the imperial army, and he is a relatively hostile enemy of the imperial army among the Jinsui Army.

Army Commander."

"So, division commander, do you think that since Xu Rui already knows about our roundabout attack on Laoye Ridge, he will also guess that Jiangjun Ridge will also encounter our roundabout attack?"

Kenzaburo Taketo said solemnly, "Therefore, Xu Rui will definitely warn Chu Yunfei and strengthen the defense in the direction of General Ridge!"

"That's right!"

Taro Nagata said solemnly: "But now we have no way to order the roundabout troops that have almost arrived at Jiangjun Ridge to withdraw, and we cannot defeat the defending troops of the New Regiment of the Eighth Route Army at Laoye Ridge."

"But with more than 2,000 people, if we attack Jiangjun Ridge, the chance of capturing it is very high. I ordered the 27th Infantry Regiment Captain Miyatake Kazuo to attack cautiously. It is best if we can capture Jiangjun Ridge."

Seeing this, the division chief of staff Kenzaburo Taketo nodded while looking at the map and said: "Yes, division commander." He immediately sent someone to send an order to the captain of the 27th Infantry Regiment.

At this time, the battle between the 303rd Regiment of the Jinsui Army and the 30,000 Japanese army commanded by Taro Nagata at the foot of Jinghai County had attracted the attention of Chang Kaishen, who was staying at his official residence in Huangshan on the outskirts of Jiangcheng, far away from northwest Shanxi.

"Is it true that 30,000 Japanese troops have arrived in Jinghai County?"

Seeing that the battle had reached almost 11:30 in the morning, Chang Kaishen asked Dai Li, the leader of the military commander who was reporting, in surprise.
Chapter completed!