Chen Geng's new invention, the Japanese army had palpitations and said that the firepower is strong and accurate!
In September 1940, the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army urgently ordered Chen Geng to lead his troops to seize the Japanese county, Yushe County, within three days. The battle was scheduled to be in full swing on 23 September.
The reason behind this urgent operation was that after the Japanese army occupied the county seat of Yushe, it was able to control important highways, which was equivalent to extending its hand to the Taihang Mountain, which was extremely threatening and could divide the anti-Japanese base area. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly cut off this poisonous hand of the Japanese army.
The county seat of Yushe was a stronghold set up by the Japanese army deep in the base area, and it was also a key hub for them to transport food and ammunition. The defenders of the castle were mainly the Fujimoto squadron of the Itazu Brigade of the Katayama Brigade, who were known for their bravery, with a garrison of about 220 people, and there were traitors in the castle to assist in the defense. The Japanese built eight large and small pillboxes on the city walls, with multiple layers of fortifications behind them, and Fujimoto's squadron boasted that its defenses were "impregnable".
At that time, the Eighth Route Army lacked siege experience and did not have sufficient fire support. Under these circumstances, Chen Geng led the cadres of the brigade and regiment to Yushe City to conduct a field reconnaissance.
The terrain of Yushe County is dangerous, except for a road that can be accessed in the north and east, the rest of the area is cut off. The focus of the Japanese defense was a large pillbox on the wall of the East Gate.
On the night of the 23rd, the troops secretly advanced to Yushe City according to the plan. However, when the 772nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment crossed the enemy's barbed wire, the barking of a dog alarmed the enemy, resulting in heavy fire from the Japanese army. Although the battalion put up stubborn resistance from the position, the two battalions attacking Xiguan also failed several times due to excessive Japanese firepower. Faced with such a situation, Chen Geng ordered a suspension of the offensive.
At dawn, Chen Geng led the cadres to the position to carry out close reconnaissance work. He carefully counted the gun holes and muzzles on enemy fortifications and calculated the angles of their firing. After returning, Chen Geng proposed a new tactical plan:
Against one light machine gun of the enemy, we will send two heavy machine guns to attack; To deal with one of the enemy's guns, the light machine gun and the special shooter work together. We will strictly follow this scheme to block the enemy's line of sight for firing. ”
Finally, he stressed: "Anyone who does not carry out the blockade mission in accordance with the regulations, once it causes enemy shooting, will be held responsible." ”
At half past three in the afternoon, the general assault began, and the sound of guns and grenades was deafening, constituting a loud roar. Due to the cooperation of multiple people, the Japanese army's shooting line of sight was blocked, so that all the enemy firepower was **.
In the face of the desperate counterattack of the Japanese army, Fujimoto Dog hurriedly released poison gas. However, the troops still resolutely advanced towards the center of the city, attacking the Temple of Literature and the Yushe Middle School.
The remaining enemy forces retreated to Yushe Middle School, where they continued to resist and strengthen the core fortifications and walls. The Eighth Route Army failed to attack several times, and the poisonous gas released by the Japanese army spread everywhere, resulting in almost all the commanders and fighters of the Eighth Route Army being poisoned.
Chen Geng again ordered a pause in the attack.
Chen Geng inspected the position again and found that the terrain in the northeast corner was dangerous, and there were fortifications right behind the enemy. He proposed to use the terrain to dig tunnels and plant explosives under enemy fortifications to carry out the blasting.
After continuous fighting, at 2:45 pm on the 25th, the excavation work of the tunnel was successfully completed. The soldiers loaded the explosives into a coffin, which was subsequently detonated. In the violent ** sound, the enemy bunker overturned in an instant, and the scattered rubble and flesh were mixed. Taking advantage of the chaos and smoke, the assault force rushed forward and threw grenades at the houses where the enemy was strong. Faced with a desperate situation, the Japanese squadron leader Fujimoto chose to commit suicide, while the rest of the Japanese tried to flee by cutting off his head. However, they unfortunately fell into the hands of Chen Geng's troops who had laid an ambush in advance, and they were all captured without a single soldier.