Chapter 341

The fighting in this region had become intense, and the Tangshan Position, held by the 66th Army, was already teetering on the brink of collapse. The 66th Army’s two divisions were originally positioned to support one another like the horns of a bull, capable of providing mutual cover in times of war. However, following the diversion of forces to support the Longtan front, a gap had emerged in the northern sector, which was under the personal command of Commander Ye. Meanwhile, on the southern front, the entire division under Divisional Commander You had become the primary target for the 13th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army. At the divisional headquarters, Divisional Commander You was overwhelmed. The Japanese had gone to great lengths to break through the Tangshan Defense Line; out of the two brigades belonging to the 13th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army, one had been sent to the battlefield north of Tangshan, while the 26th Brigade—the force threatening the south—was Commander You’s greatest concern. The enemy had launched fierce assaults from several defensive points, and with the support of their Air Corps and heavy artillery, the intense bombardment was capable of leveling half a hilltop in one go.