Devil's Army

Chapter 2123 The Battle of Longjing County 1

Soon after, the air force returned to support other battlefields.

The soldiers of the Second Battalion, having lost air cover, were once again subjected to fierce bombardment by Japanese artillery and tank guns.

Before the smoke from the Japanese artillery fire had even cleared, the Japanese infantry launched a fierce attack on the Badaohe position.

The soldiers of the Second Battalion fought tenaciously against the Japanese army until dusk, but were eventually forced to retreat due to heavy casualties.

In order to stop the rapid advance of Japanese tanks, the soldiers of the Second Battalion dug up the road during their retreat.

They also planted explosives on a railway bridge spanning a river.

After daybreak, the Japanese army occupied the Badaohe position and continued their advance.

The Japanese tanks were quickly blocked by the dug-out road.

The Japanese battalion commander ordered engineers to repair the road while simultaneously commanding the infantry to continue advancing.

The Japanese troops quickly arrived at the railway bridge. Due to the limited load-bearing capacity of the railway bridge, the Japanese tanks could only cross the bridge one by one, and the speed of passage suddenly slowed down.

When the first Japanese tank and the vanguard crossed the railway bridge, a series of loud explosions were heard as the railway bridge was blown up by the soldiers of the Second Battalion.

The Japanese army's first tank and its vanguard and rearguard were cut off and encircled and annihilated by the soldiers of the Second Battalion.

The Japanese rearguard and tanks quickly crossed the frozen Bada River and launched a fierce bombardment and firing attack on the soldiers of the Second Battalion on the opposite bank.

The remaining mortars of the Second Battalion continued to bombard the Japanese tanks and infantry crossing the river.

Due to insufficient preparation, the Japanese tanks kept sliding sideways on the slippery ice, which greatly reduced the accuracy of their artillery fire.

Japanese soldiers kept slipping and falling on the smooth ice, ending up with bruised faces and swollen noses, looking utterly pathetic.

Because the 2nd Battalion's blocking fire was far less fierce than at the beginning, Japanese tanks and infantry still managed to reach the other side of the Eighth River one after another.

The battalion commander then abandoned the Japanese vanguard that was about to be annihilated and led his soldiers to retreat into the dense forest.

The Japanese battalion commander then split his troops into two groups, one advancing towards Longjing County and the other continuing to pursue the officers and soldiers of the Second Battalion.

The forests of Badaohe have numerous trails for gathering firewood and paths leading to Korean villages.

Taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain, the soldiers of the Second Battalion moved and ambushed along various woodcutting paths and village trails, causing the pursuing Japanese troops great distress.

The soldiers of the Second Battalion also took the opportunity to harass the Japanese army's supply lines.

At this point, the remaining forces of the Second Battalion were no longer capable of engaging the Japanese in a defensive battle. They could only resort to guerrilla warfare to continuously harass the Japanese rearguard.

The Japanese army then deployed a large number of soldiers to defend the entrances and exits of the Eighth Pass, making it increasingly difficult for the Second Battalion to launch a surprise attack.

The main force of the Japanese army then arrived in Longjing County and launched a fierce attack on the county seat.

Longjing County (Yanbian) was a key transportation hub on the border, and the railway was the only passage for the Japanese army to invade eastern Jilin, which they were determined to capture. Therefore, the Japanese army launched a fierce attack from the very beginning.

The soldiers stationed in Longjing County were from the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the 1st Regiment and soldiers from the 2nd Regiment who had retreated from Helong County.

Under the fierce bombardment of the Japanese army, many city gate fortifications in Longjing County were destroyed.

In order to stop the Japanese artillery bombardment, the seventh deputy brigade commander called for air support.

Soon after, three bombers and two fighters from the First Army roared in and launched a fierce bombing and strafing attack on the Japanese tanks and infantry attacking the city.

Upon hearing the roar of the aircraft, the Japanese artillerymen immediately lost their previous arrogance and ceased their bombardment.

The Japanese tanks, which had been so menacing, turned around and hid in the bushes like defeated roosters.