After the telephone soldier finished speaking, the Japanese brigade commander's mind replayed the battle scene just like a movie, and he made a decision in his heart at the same time.
Looking at the chief of staff, he asked seriously: "The Eighth Route Army still has two cavalry platoons. It is very likely that there are ambushes hidden outside the city that we don't know about. If we want to continue to destroy the highway, we must first eliminate these enemies."
"Who wants to take the initiative to lead troops to attack, kill those Eighth Route Army, continue to destroy the road, and drag the independent Eighth Route Army brigade in the middle of the road, unable to return to the reinforcement base area immediately."
"Give our troops operating in their base areas more time to operate, kill more people, destroy more houses, and it is best to directly kill them so that the morale of the troops in their base areas will be shaken, rumors will spread, and the people will be completely disappointed with the Eighth Route Army operating around them."
A captain immediately stood up and asked for a fight: "Your Excellency, Commander..."
"Just two reinforced squadrons can kill the Eighth Route Cavalry."
"In case there is an ambush of the Eighth Route Army outside the city, the two reinforced squadrons are humble enough to lead them back to Baoding and escape unscathed. Please approve it, Commander."
Not to be outdone, another captain stood up and asked for a fight: "As long as a reinforced squadron is enough for a humble position..."
"But your Excellency, Commander, must give me more light and heavy machine guns."
"Cavalry are afraid of machine guns. As long as the troops are equipped with enough light and heavy machine guns, a squadron can easily destroy them."
The brigade commander finally chose to let the first brigade commander to fight lead the attack.
Compared with the attack force of one reinforced squadron, two reinforced squadrons are obviously more stable and have stronger self-protection capabilities.
Although the second captain only wanted a reinforced squadron, he did not consider how to retreat or reduce the casualties of the troops in the event of an accident during the battle.
Compared with the first captain, the second captain is more like an armchair strategist.
…………
Behind the bushes more than a thousand meters outside the east gate of Baoding.
The cavalry battalion commander was holding a telescope to observe the city gate.
The bait that the brigade commander asked him to prepare has been put out. As for whether the little devil will fall into the trap, no one is sure. The only thing they can do is to wait.
"The city gate is open..."
He didn't know how long he had been waiting, but a cry of surprise suddenly sounded in the battalion commander's ears. He was so frightened that he quickly raised his telescope and looked at the city gate.
The closed city gate suddenly opened a crack.
Several Japs quickly darted out from the crack in the door, rifles in hand, staring at the surroundings with vigilance.
After confirming that there is no danger nearby, start to spread out and expand the search area.
A few minutes later, the east gate of Baoding, which was only open a crack, was completely opened. The little Japs formed in two formations, holding guns, holding light machine guns, carrying heavy machine guns and mortars, and stormed out of Baoding.
The long queue dragged for more than two hundred meters.
After the Japanese evacuated the city, the open city gate was closed again.
The little Japs who left the city formed a battle formation directly at the city gate and quickly charged towards the cavalry battalion.
"Haha, the fish is hooked. The bait prepared by the brigade commander for the Japanese troops in Baoding is effective." The battalion commander held up his binoculars and observed the enemy's situation while analyzing happily.
"The little devil really doesn't want us to return to the base quickly. As long as there is a chance of survival, he wants to slow down our march by destroying the road."
"Just in time."
"Killing these two reinforced squadrons will definitely reduce the siege pressure we face when attacking Baoding in the future."
"Everyone mount up and prepare to fight. I will kill all the two reinforced squadrons sent by the Japs to the city."
After the battalion commander finished speaking, he was about to run towards the woods where the war horses were placed, but was stopped by the instructor and hesitantly reminded him.
"battalion commander……"
"The brigade commander threw out a random bait to the Baoding garrison, and the little devils in the city sent out two reinforced squadrons to die."
"How about we also prepare a bait for the Baoding garrison and see if they can take the bait?"
The battalion commander immediately became interested: "How to prepare?"
"Let the second and third companies and the firepower company dismount, use light and heavy machine guns and mortars to surround the Japanese troops leaving the city, and eliminate them bit by bit."
"The fourth company is ambushing at the gate of the city."
"If the Japanese army mobilizes troops from the city to support the Japs we are surrounding, the Fourth Company will attack and kill the Japs reinforcements. Then we will gather heavy troops to wipe out the Japs in the pocket formation. If we are lucky, we may be able to kill more.
A squadron brat."
"Surround the point for reinforcements?" The battalion commander instantly understood what the instructor was thinking.
Then he showed a thoughtful expression and analyzed carefully: "Encircle first and then attack... The troops didn't suffer any losses. Maybe we can kill one more little Japs from the infantry squadron. I think it's feasible..."
"Just do it..."
"Instructor, you are an infantryman and are good at sieges. I will leave the task of siege to you."
"Our cavalry battalion has been equipped with a firepower company since its establishment, equipped with four mortars and four heavy machine guns, but it has never been on the battlefield. Today is just the day for them to enjoy themselves."
"I will lead the fourth company to continue to lurk here to see if there is still a chance to kill another squadron kid."
…………
Japanese Army Baoding Garrison Headquarters.
The rapid ringing of the phone alarmed everyone in the headquarters again. The phone soldier grabbed the phone and listened for less than half a minute before covering the phone and asking anxiously: "Your Excellency, Commander, something has happened..."
"Report from the garrison in the east of the city."
"Less than a kilometer away from Baoding, the attacking troops were suddenly besieged by two main companies of the Eighth Route Army. The troops were equipped with mortars and heavy machine guns. The troops were suddenly attacked and suffered heavy losses."
"More than one remaining squadron was blocked outside the city by the Eighth Route Army."
"Because the heavy machine guns and mortars equipped by the attacking troops were destroyed immediately after being attacked, they were unable to break through the Eighth Route Army blockade."
"The troops stationed in the east of the city asked for instructions if they should send troops out of the city immediately to meet them."
After hearing this, the chief of staff exclaimed: "No... we have been fooled."
"The Eighth Route Army has more than one cavalry company operating outside the city, as well as a large number of infantry. We use a disabled cavalry company as bait to attract more of our troops to leave the city and then gather together to annihilate them."
"Your Excellency Commander..."
"We must not send troops out of the city any more. We may be besieged by the Eighth Route Army and fall into their trap of encircling the enemy for reinforcements."
After all, the brigade commander was the supreme commander of the Baoding garrison. He watched his troops being wiped out outside Baoding City, but he was powerless with the army in hand and could not rescue him. He felt so aggrieved that there are simply no words to describe it. He was very unwilling to do so.
He asked rhetorically: "Then we will just watch helplessly as the attacking troops were wiped out by the Eighth Route Army outside the east gate."
The chief of staff did not answer, but silence was the best answer.
If there are other Eighth Route Army ambushes outside the city, sending people out of the city now is tantamount to being arrested.
Compared with the loss of two reinforced squadrons, the Chief of Staff definitely does not want the Baoding garrison to lose even one more infantry squad.
