Chapter 402 The Counterattack of the Ninth Division

"At present, the situation of our army is still relatively dangerous. Although it has received some reinforcements in terms of troops and supplies, the enemy's reinforcements have also not stopped. According to the news of the return of our army's reconnaissance cavalry, the enemy has come to another brigade in the southeast. At present, the number of the brigade is unknown, and it should be Liangjiang A brigade of the army. At the same time, in the west, the fourth mixed brigade reported that the enemy's second mixed brigade in Wuhu had news that they should be coming towards our army.

After a brief explanation by the combat staff, Pan Luanqing, who was beside him, first said, "Sai Quan, according to the opinion of the Ministry of Staff, waiting for tomorrow morning, we will take the initiative to launch an attack and launch a breakthrough from the enemy's replenishment with the 7th Division, and then divide the above two parts and break them each."

Lin Yongquan did not decide anything directly, but turned his head to Sun Hanchen, the commander of the 18th Brigade. Sun Hanchen was a veteran general in the Feng army. Although he was relatively close to Wang Shizhen and Wang Yingkai in his early years, he later completely fell to Zhao Dongyun like Chen Guangyuan and others and became an important early backbone general of the Feng army. He successively served as the management belt of the sixth standard and third battalion of the Third Association, and later served as the second standard belt of Jinzhou patrol and defense battalion. Later, the department was renamed the Fengtian First Mixed Association. He still remained as the second standard and unified belt. Later, the Fengtian Standing Army was established and served as the second assistant commander of the first town of Fengtian Standing Army.

After the first town of the Fengtian Standing Army, it was renamed the 9th Division of the Central Army, and the second association was renamed the 18th Brigade of the Central Army. He still remains as the commander of the 18th Brigade and has served until now.

is an old-qualified general in the Feng army, and his qualifications can be said to be no worse than those Feng army divisions.

Sun Hanchen saw Lin Yongquan's eyes and knew that Lin Yongquan wanted to transfer pressure to himself again. However, after working with Lin Yongquan for many years, he also knew the details of Lin Yongquan and knew that it was not a good thing if he insisted Lin Yongquan to make a decision.

So he immediately said: "Although our army is relatively tired, its morale is still good. My 18th Brigade is still in good condition. After tonight's rest, it has replenished enough ammunition and supplies, and is fully capable of launching an attack on the combination of the enemy's supplementary brigade and the 7th Division. At that time, as long as the 17th Brigade is contained, it will face the enemy. Army, then I have the confidence to take the troops to make a roundabout raid!"

"It's just that we have to make a detour in that direction?" Fang Qingkun next to him also asked.

"Naturally, it is a soft persimmon pinch. We will turn around to the right. At that time, we will cooperate with the 33rd Regiment of the 17th Brigade to defeat the 7th Division of the two rivers in the shortest time, while the 34th Regiment will contain the supplementary brigade of the 4th Division to ensure the safety of the left wing of our brigade!"

"According to our current military strength, I'm afraid it's still a little less!" Fang Qingkun asked again.

At this time, Lin Yongquan, who was beside him, also said, "Now the situation is relatively favorable for us. It's time for those Anhui troops to know our strength!"

The strength of the Feng army lies not in its strong defensive ability, but in its offensive ability. The main forces of the 3rd Division, 9th Division and 10th Division are famous for being good at attack.

After Lin Yongquan made a decision, the 9th Division quickly prepared. First, some new recruits were transferred from the rear to supplement the 18th Brigade, and then used this precious night to hoard a large number of combat weapons, especially ammunition.

In the evening, a mountain artillery battalion of the Ninth Division also successfully crossed the river. In the middle of the night, another mountain artillery battalion, which originally belonged to the first mixed brigade, began to cross the river. Limited by the two field artillery battalions originally equipped by the 9th Division could not cross the river in a short time, so in order to increase the 9th Division crossing the river After that, Meng Enyuan personally transferred the mountain artillery battalion of the first mixed brigade to the command of the Ninth Division. Otherwise, it would be difficult for the Ninth Division to provide sufficient firepower with its own mountain artillery battalion alone.

The equipment in the Feng army is very similar to the old Beiyang era. The artillery of each division is assigned according to a mountain artillery battalion and two field artillery battalions, while the mixed brigade depends on the situation. Some are equipped with a mountain artillery battalion, and some are equipped with a mixed mountain artillery and field artillery.

Considering that this artillery firepower configuration is not bad in the northern plains, but in the south, especially after entering the southern hills, water networks, mountains and other terrain operations, the mobility of field artillery is bound to be greatly limited. The command has begun to consider further increasing some southbound troops. The number of mountain guns has been reduced by reducing the number of field guns.

Otherwise, these two field artillery battalions and one mountain artillery battalion will be subject to great mobility restrictions in the southern region.

After receiving reinforcements from two mountain artillery battalions, the Ninth Division, which has crossed the river, finally has the ability to launch a separate attack, instead of being limited to fighting along the Yangtze River as before, in order to get artillery support from the north shore.

At 8 a.m. the next day, more than 60 75mm field guns deployed on the north bank of the Yangtze River fired one after another, which announced that the Ninth Division had officially entered the counterattack stage.

The reason why it did not launch an attack on the eve of dawn as before, not because the Ninth Division did not want to attack on dawn, but because the Ninth Division was not ready at that time.

It takes a long time to prepare to launch a division-level attack. It is not that Lin Yongquan said that the attack can be attacked. In order to prepare for this counterattack, the 9th Division was busy all night. In addition to transporting a large amount of ammunition, it also transported two mountain artillery battalions, a 120mm mortar battalion, across the river.

After these weapons and ammunition are transported across the river, some continue to enter the front line about five kilometers, which takes time.

By the time the ninth division was ready, it was past seven o'clock in the morning. It can be said that the ninth division was on duty and immediately launched an attack!

After the field artillery on the north coast opened fire, more than 30 mountain cannons and more than a dozen 120mm mortars and a number of 80mm mortars that had crossed the river and approached the deployed two mountain artillery battalions were also fired one after another. Almost in an instant, hundreds of shells fell from the Anhui army position opposite, and As the shelling continued, in just ten minutes, all kinds of artillery of the Feng army fired thousands of shells at the opposite Anhui position.

When the artillery continued to fire, the infantry regiment of the 36th Regiment of the 18th Brigade of the 9th Division on the front line also began to charge!

The attack of the Feng army is different from other warlord troops. Most of the attacks of other troops are based on battalions, and although they will be scattered when charging, in detail, they are actually the same as the old loose line tactics of the Franco-Prussian War, which are large and may be several kilometers long at the same time. Charge was launched on the front at the same time.

However, the offensive tactics of Feng army equipped with light machine guns on a large scale are different. Feng army's attack has always disliked large-scale comprehensive attacks, and generally plays key breakthroughs.

Specifically, it takes the squad light machine guns and 60mm mortars as the core. At the same time, the Feng army has a habit that front-line commanders like to concentrate their equipment, especially mortars and machine guns, to a certain force. However, they use this force as a sharp knife to tear through a certain point of the enemy's defense, and finally point with a line. Break through the direction of the enemy.

This tactic can often concentrate more than one regiment of machine guns and mortars in an infantry battalion, especially light machine guns. In the normal system, it is only one in each row, but in fact, in the actual combat practice of the Feng army, especially when taking a key breakthrough attack, it is often to pump the light machine guns of other troops and then enrich them. In the offensive force, there is a heavy machine gun in every squad.

Now the attack of the 9th Division is like this. Although the 36th Regiment, which is the main force of the attack, has less than 3,000 people, there are more than 100 artillery guns in the rear to provide them with artillery support. In addition, they have also concentrated more than 20 80mm mortars themselves, which rushed to the main attack force. The first battalion has a light machine gun in each squad, and each company has three 60mm mortars.

When the 9th Division strengthened most of its weapons and equipment to the 36th Regiment, the firepower of the 36th Regiment actually far exceeded that of the army of this era. In the face of such a fire attack, even a strong force such as the Fourth Division Supplementary Brigade is difficult to resist.

Yesterday, the supplementary brigade of the 4th Division of the Anhui Army allowed the 17th Brigade of the 9th Division of the Feng army to experience the fierce offensive of the 4th Division to sweep the south. However, the current supplementary brigade of the 4th Division has also tasted the strong offensive ability of the Feng army.

It's also quite funny. In fact, compared with their defensive ability, the 4th Division's supplementary brigade and the 9th Division are actually better at attacking. The only difference is that the 9th Division blocked the attack of the 4th Division's supplementary brigade, but the 4th Division's supplementary brigade failed to block the attack of the 9th Division.

Less than two hours after the 9th Division launched an official large-scale counterattack, the 36th Regiment of its forward offensive force has continuously for about one kilometer, destroying two defense lines of the 4th Division's supplementary brigade and killing and injuring at least 400 enemy troops.

And this is not the key. The more critical breakthrough of the 36th Regiment has cut off the connection between the 4th Division's supplementary brigade and the 7th Division of Liangjiang. The combination of the two has been broken by the 9th Division, and then the 35th Regiment of the 18th Brigade has also followed, further expanding the gap in this joint division.

By 12 noon, the Feng army had successfully opened a gap about one kilometer wide and rushed forward about three kilometers.

And this is not over yet. After receiving the news of the smooth attack of the 18th Brigade, the 17th Brigade led by Pan Luanqing also launched a large-scale attack on the front of the 7th Liangjiang Division.

As a cooperation, the 36th Regiment of the 18th Brigade began to attack to the right, and finally formed a two-sided attack with the 17th Brigade.

Maybe the total strength of the 9th Division participating in the battle is not as much as the 4th Division's supplementary brigade and the 7th Liangjiang Division combined, but after the 36th Regiment's breakthrough, it was successfully cut off from the 4th Division's supplementary brigade and the 2nd Liangjiang 7th Division, and formed a military advantage on some local key fronts.

Especially the 13th Regiment of the right wing of the 7th Division of the Two Rivers was attacked by the 36th Regiment, 35th Regiment and 34th Regiment of the Feng Army.

Although the Seventh Division of the Yangtze River is a force with high expectations, the equipment level and training are not bad, but it is the first time to participate in a large-scale war and is seriously inexperienced. In addition, the department has gone through many days of hard work and suffered heavy casualties. At this time, it is impossible to be attacked by the three regiments of the Feng army. It can resist.

In just two hours, the group completely collapsed!

After learning that the enemy's right wing collapsed, Pan Luanqing decisively joined the 33rd Regiment to further increase the offensive against the 7th Division of Liangjiang.

At this time, if you look at it from the map, the Feng army, mainly formed a huge arrow along Huaguo Mountain and Xishan. The 35th Regiment was behind the 36th Regiment, resisting the counterattack of the 4th Division's supplementary brigade in the area of Huaguo Mountain and Cihu. In addition, the 34th Regiment of the Feng Army launched a frontal attack on the 7th Division of the Two Rivers on the west bank of Yushan Lake, and the 33rd Regiment launched an attack on the 7th Division of the Two Rivers in the area of Rentouji.

The front line of fierce fighting spread almost more than ten kilometers wide.

In this fierce battle between the two sides, the 7th Division of the two rivers was defeated on the right flank, causing the 36th Regiment to make a rapid raid all the way to the southwest, which no one could stop it.

If the 36th Regiment of the Feng army is allowed to continue to detour to the southwest, then they will be able to make a detour behind the 7th Division of the two rivers. At that time, the whole 7th Division of the two rivers will be attacked from behind and completely fall into the encirclement of the Feng army.

"Damn it!" Lei Zhenchun angrily threw down the telescope in his hand and then turned over: "Order the 14th Brigade to turn towards me immediately!"

The adjutant beside him showed doubts after hearing this: "If you let the 14th Brigade retreat now, I'm afraid it will be chased by the enemy!"

Lei Zhenchun snorted coldly: "If you don't leave, you will have to be made dumplings!"

With the order of Lei Zhenchun, the Seventh Division of Liangjiang quickly withdrew from the front line. Naturally, it was inevitable to suffer huge casualties in the process of retreating. However, part of the casualties suffered was nothing compared with being surrounded and annihilated.

Lei Zhenchun was ready to leave, but Lin Yongquan wanted to leave him. He immediately ordered the 17th Brigade to launch a fierce attack and pursuit, and at the same time let the 36th Regiment speed up the detour and try to intercept the 7th Division of Liangjiang, which fled to the west.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Meishan, located three kilometers south of Yuhuahu, the 36th Regiment collided violently with the 7th Division of Liangjiang!

One wants to go and the other wants to escape, which leads to any retreat from both sides. Once they meet, they will try their best, and then a fierce battle breaks out.