Devil's Army

Chapter 1982: Zhejiang Government Army Participates in the War

While the First Anti-Japanese Army and the New Fourth Army in Zhejiang were engaged in fierce fighting with the Japanese army, the Provisional 33rd Division of the Nanjing Government Army stationed in southern Zhejiang and the Zhejiang Security Regiment launched an attack on the Japanese army from Yongjia, Yueqing and Pingyang.

The commander of the Japanese 22nd Division had no choice but to order the Japanese troops stationed in that area to lead the puppet troops to block the Nanjing government army's attack.

Meanwhile, the 28th and 50th Armies of the 10th Army Group of the Third War Zone, stationed in western Zhejiang, launched an attack on the Japanese forces in Hangzhou and Jinhua from Yuqian, Tianmu Mountain, Xiuning County, western Kaihua County, and western Chun'an County.

At that time, the troops stationed in Zhejiang were from the Third War Zone under General Gu Zhutong. General Gu Zhutong was a general with strong patriotism and a firm determination to resist Japan.

Seeing that the First Anti-Japanese Army and the New Fourth Army of Zhejiang had launched a full-scale war against the Japanese army, he also ordered his troops to launch an attack on the Japanese army.

The Japanese troops in Zhejiang were in a dangerous situation due to the combined attack of the devilish troops, the New Fourth Army, and the Nanjing government forces.

Commander Uemura took a risky gamble, picking on the government forces, whom he considered an easy target, in an attempt to disrupt the coordinated operations of the Chinese armed forces.

He arranged for parts of the 70th and 22nd Divisions to hold off the attacks of the devilish troops and the New Fourth Army from their fortifications.

A detachment of the 70th Division advanced toward Tianmu Mountain, attempting to encircle the 62nd Division of the 28th Army of the Nanjing Government.

Part of the 62nd Division of the government army retreated to Tianmu Mountain, where they desperately resisted the Japanese attack by taking advantage of the mountain's rugged terrain. The main force moved to the triangular area of ​​Hangzhou, Jiaxing, and Huzhou to avoid the sharp edge of the Japanese attack.

The 2nd Battalion of the 22nd Division of the Japanese Army encircled the 50th Army of the Japanese government forces located in western Kaihua, western Chun'an, and Xiuning.

Zhang, the commander-in-chief of the Independent Brigade and the overall commander of the Zhejiang battlefield, soon learned that the Japanese army had heavily amassed troops to encircle and suppress the government forces.

Although the Zhejiang government forces fought the Japanese army for a long time, they failed to drive the Japanese army out of Zhejiang.

The Japanese army in Zhejiang also failed to eliminate the government forces, and a delicate balance was maintained.

However, Brigade Commander Zhang still coordinated with the Anhui Air Force and ordered them to arrange fighter jets to support the government forces.

Soon, the Anhui Air Force dispatched fighter jets to launch a fierce bombing campaign against the government army's 62nd Division attacking Tianmu Mountain, the main force of the Japanese 70th Division attacking the government army's 50th Army, and the main force of the 22nd Division.

The government troops were stubbornly resisting the Japanese attack from their mountain fortifications when a group of warplanes suddenly flew in from the sky.

The government troops thought it was a Japanese plane, but they did not choose to take cover. Their mission was to prevent the Japanese from breaking through their defenses and encircling their main force.

To their surprise, the aircraft quickly swooped down on the Japanese troops and artillery positions that were attacking them, and began to bomb and strafe them.

With the support of the First Air Force, the government forces were more confident in resisting the Japanese offensive.

The government's 28th and 50th Armies saw that the 1st Air Force was coming to their aid. They held off the Japanese attack, halted their withdrawal plan, and prepared to counterattack.

At this time, the 3rd Brigade of the Southern Independent Division of the 1st Army, the Independent Brigade of the 1st Army, and the 12th Brigade mobilized their main forces, broke away from the Hangzhou and Jinhua battlefields, and began to carry out a counter-encirclement against the Japanese army.

Soon, the Japanese army discovered that the devilish troops were setting up a grand scheme to wipe out their 70th and 22nd Divisions' main forces.

Commander Shimomura, at the Hangzhou headquarters, urgently ordered the main forces of the Japanese 70th and 22nd Divisions to abandon their attack on the government's 28th and 50th Armies and seek an opportunity to break out.