Devil's Army

Chapter 1992 Attack on Shaoxing 1

When the Third Squadron of the First Navy arrived at the outskirts of the Zhoushan Islands, the First and Second Squadrons of the First Navy were already attacking the Zhoushan Islands.

The Third Squadron then launched a fierce attack on the Zhoushan Islands from the direction of Dayu Island.

The Japanese army faced immense pressure, having to contend with both the bombing raids by the air force and the artillery fire from the naval vessels.

Their artillery, deployed on various islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago, was simply ineffective.

Their artillery would soon be subjected to air raids by the Devil Forces' air force and bombardments by the Devil Forces' naval guns.

Soon after clearing the Japanese beach fortifications in the direction of the Yongjiang River estuary, the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Navy began its beach landing.

The fierce battle began on the beachhead and advanced deep into the Zhoushan Islands.

The Second and Third Squadrons of the First Navy also successively cleared the Japanese beach fortifications and advanced into the depths of the islands of the Zhoushan Archipelago.

Under the pincer attack from three sides by the three companies of the First Battalion of the First Army, the Japanese troops on the islands of the Zhoushan Islands had nowhere to hide and most of them were annihilated.

A small number of captured Japanese soldiers were forcibly conscripted as laborers to clean up and repair the damaged fortifications and buildings in the Zhoushan Islands.

With the recapture of the Zhoushan Islands, a Japanese naval base in Zhejiang was also destroyed.

At this time, the Japanese navy in Zhejiang consisted of only small groups operating around Wenzhou and Taizhou. They no longer posed a threat to the First Fleet of the First Army Navy.

The combat-capable Japanese naval fleet at Yokosuka suffered heavy casualties in this naval battle and was unable to attack the First Fleet of the First Army Navy in a short period of time.

While the Independent Brigade was attacking Ningbo, the 12th Brigade also launched an attack on Shaoxing, another important city in eastern Zhejiang.

At that time, Shaoxing was the core military and transportation hub in eastern Zhejiang.

From a geographical and military perspective, Shaoxing is located in the middle section of the Hangzhou-Ningbo Railway, bordering Hangzhou Bay to the north, Xiaoshan and Hangzhou to the west, and Ningbo to the east. It was a key node for the Japanese army to control the eastern coast of Zhejiang and the eastern section of the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway.

After its fall in 1941, the Japanese army used it as a base to radiate outwards to Zhuji and Shengxian, building a western barrier for the occupied areas in eastern Zhejiang.

From an administrative and economic perspective, Shaoxing belonged to the Zhejiang East administrative system and mainly served as a transit point for the Japanese army to plunder grain and minerals from Zhejiang East.

Therefore, the Japanese army imposed strict defenses on Shaoxing.

The 1st Regiment of the 12th Brigade advanced from the Dongshushan Pass in Xiaoshan towards Shaoxing.

The Dongshushan Pass is located southeast of Xiaoshan city, at the intersection of the Hangzhou-Ningbo Railway and the Xiaoshan-Shaoxing Highway, flanked by gentle hills. The pass contains railway tunnels and highway bends.

The Japanese army constructed defensive fortifications on the high ground on both sides of the pass and the railway tunnel.

The 2nd Regiment of the 12th Brigade advanced along the west bank of Guazhu Lake via the Xiaoshao Highway.

The road is narrow, with one side bordering the lake and the other side being a high embankment.

The soldiers of the Second Regiment could not spread out their forces when they arrived here, so they could only advance in two columns.

The Japanese army ambushed the soldiers of the Second Regiment on the high ground of the dike and in the reeds.

The two sides engaged in fierce fighting on the Xiaoshao Highway.

The 3rd Regiment of the 12th Brigade advanced along the Qianqing Railway Bridge.

The Qianqing Railway Bridge spans the Xixiaojiang River and is a key node for the Hangzhou-Ningbo Railway to enter Shaoxing. The bridge has steep slopes at both ends.

The Japanese army had built fortifications on the steep slope, using the high ground to block the advance of the Third Regiment.

The 4th Regiment of the 12th Brigade advanced along the Xialuqiao Gorge.

Xialuqiao Canyon is located at the border of Xiaoshan and Shaoxing, and the ancient Xiaoshao Road passes through the canyon.

The mountain walls on both sides are steep and covered with dense forest, allowing only one person or one horse to pass at a time.

The Japanese army had built fortifications on both sides of the canyon, stubbornly resisting the advance of the Fourth Regiment. Moreover, there were several mountain paths within the canyon that allowed the Japanese troops to support each other.