Devil's Army

Chapter 1980 Attacking Hangzhou

The Japanese troops were in hot pursuit.

Suddenly, intense gunfire erupted from the woods on either side of the haystack.

The trees on both sides of the grassy path are not only lush, but also taller than the path itself.

The Japanese troops were subjected to fierce fire from the 4th Regiment, which was positioned on higher ground, but they could not see any enemy soldiers, putting them at a significant disadvantage.

The Japanese troops, having recovered, quickly organized a counterattack, but were suppressed by the soldiers of the Fourth Regiment.

After half a day of fierce fighting, the Japanese army failed to break through the Qingcaoduo defense line of the Fourth Regiment and had to return to Shanghai in frustration.

To the Japanese major's dismay, just as the Japanese troops returned to Shanghai, Commander Hata Shunroku ordered them to rush to Zhejiang to provide reinforcements.

The major slowly put down the telegram and reluctantly ordered the troops to turn around and continue advancing towards Zhejiang.

Before the Japanese troops even entered Zhejiang territory, they were suddenly attacked by the Pudong Detachment of the New Fourth Army.

The Japanese major vented his anger on the New Fourth Army's Pudong Detachment, ordering his troops to encircle and annihilate it.

Unfortunately, it was already dark by then. After the New Fourth Army's Pudong Detachment successfully launched a surprise attack, they quickly escaped the Japanese pursuit by taking advantage of their familiarity with the terrain.

After daybreak, the scouts of the Fourth Regiment quickly discovered that the Japanese troops in Shanghai had returned.

At this time, the Fourth Regiment not only reinforced its fortifications and dug anti-artillery tunnels, but also laid landmines in front of the position.

It would be extremely difficult for the Japanese army to quickly break through the Qingcaoduo defense line.

Meanwhile, the Independent Brigade of the Second Army Group, which was advancing south, took the lead in eliminating the Japanese and puppet troops' strongholds north of Hangzhou and began its offensive towards Hangzhou.

At that time, Hangzhou was not only a key node in the Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo defense line, but also the core of Japanese rule in Zhejiang. It was the core stronghold for Japanese control of Zhejiang and the surrounding areas.

The Japanese army established a puppet regime here and set up military police, intelligence agencies, and other institutions to carry out colonial rule and plunder local resources.

In addition, Hangzhou served as a command and supply base for Japanese military operations in western and eastern Zhejiang.

In the early stages of the occupation, the Japanese army that occupied Hangzhou belonged to the Central China Area Army. The core garrison unit was the 18th Division, whose headquarters was located in the former Japanese Consulate in Hangzhou. It included the Ushijima Unit, the Tsuchibashi Unit, and the Yamaguchi Unit, which were stationed in places such as Jiaoren Street, Nanshan Road, and the train station, with a total strength of about 1.5 men.

By the middle of the occupation, Japanese troops had undergone multiple rotations and adjustments.

For example, Songdian Village in Fuyang was once home to the 35th Regiment of the 22nd Division of the Japanese Army. Later, it became the garrison of related units of the newly formed 17th Division of the 15th Army Corps of the Japanese Army.

When the First Army recaptured Hangzhou, the city was mainly garrisoned by the 70th Division of the Japanese Sixth Army.

The Japanese 70th Division suffered considerable casualties in the two battles during its invasion of Yushan County and Guangfeng County in Jiangxi Province.

While it won't cripple them, their troop strength and combat effectiveness have been diminished.

When the Independent Brigade attacked Hangzhou, the main force of the Japanese 70th Division focused its efforts on dealing with the Independent Brigade's attack. The security and defense of Hangzhou were left to the puppet troops.

At the outset of the Hangzhou Campaign, the First Army Air Force intervened forcefully, launching fierce aerial bombardments of Japanese fortifications, strongholds, and barracks, putting considerable pressure on the Japanese forces.

However, the importance of Hangzhou made the Japanese army hesitant to give up easily.

They no longer dared to live openly in military camps or gather blatantly. Instead, they hid in bustling urban areas and residential districts.

When troop movements and assembly were taking place, they had to look up in the sky to see if there were any enemy aircraft. The fighting was both frustrating and humiliating.

As Japanese reinforcements from Jiangsu and Shanghai failed to break through the 15th Brigade's defenses, the situation in Hangzhou became increasingly unfavorable for the Japanese forces.