"I don't agree with all the mountain artillery shells being used here!" Political Commissar Li Wen was the first to stand up and object.
"As Battalion Commander Luo said just now, the turrets and bunkers in the Xiashibao stronghold are stronger than the masonry structures. Only by throwing cannonballs into the stronghold with all your strength can it be destroyed by sheer numbers..."
"This is only possible, not 100% destruction..."
"It means that even if the artillery battalion fires all the artillery shells we have worked so hard to save, we may not be able to capture the stronghold. This cost is too high and not cost-effective."
"If these shells are left outside the mountains to attack turrets and bunkers with ordinary masonry structures, three or four shells can destroy a target."
"The hundreds of artillery shells we saved are enough to destroy more than 100 gun towers and bunkers of the Japanese and puppet troops."
"Assuming that there are five little Japs in one turret and bunker, we can use these shells to kill six to seven hundred Japs outside the mountain!"
"This time it does not include the huge benefits that these shells brought to the infantry after destroying the gun towers and bunkers..."
"I think good steel is used on the blade..."
"Those hundreds of mountain field artillery shells must not be wasted here. They have a better battlefield to display their power."
Artillery Battalion Commander Luo did not refute the political commissar's analysis.
Because what he said was very reasonable. If the situation didn't require it, he wouldn't want to waste hundreds of mountain field artillery shells here.
The commander of the first battalion suddenly stood up...
"team leader……"
"The terrain in the southeast corner of the stronghold is relatively complex. The troops should be able to reach a position 150 meters outside the stronghold under the cover of the terrain..."
"At that time, the main force will use light and heavy machine guns and mortars to cover it. I will send several demolition teams to attack forcefully and try to use explosive packs to blast a gap..."
"No..." Before Zhang Xuan could speak, political commissar Li Wen shook his head and refused.
"I just looked at the southeast corner of the stronghold you mentioned..."
"Not counting the central turret in the stronghold, there are three machine gun bunkers alone..."
"A machine gun bunker holds two light and heavy machine guns, which adds up to six light and heavy machine guns..."
"The three gun towers in the stronghold are nearly ten meters high, and two of them can directly fire at our demolition team from a high position..."
"Do you think our troops can break through more than a dozen light and heavy machine guns to intercept them head-on?"
The first battalion commander immediately turned into a bitter face, shook his head and replied: "It's difficult..."
"Even if the demolition team breaks through by chance, they will have to pay a huge price..."
At this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly said: "Battle Commander Li..."
"The terrain in the southeast corner of the stronghold is indeed complicated..."
"The Japanese and puppet troops are guarding the gun towers and observing the surroundings from a high position... Are you sure that the troops can really reach 150 meters outside the stronghold without exposing the target!"
"Sure..." Battalion Commander Li replied confidently...
"There are several soldiers in the first battalion who have backgrounds as absentees and are particularly good at digging fortifications in small bunkers..."
"I asked them to move over first, use the terrain to expand the bunker, and then connect the bunkers into trenches. They could dig a trench half a meter deep in two or three hours at most."
"The excavated soil was then piled up to form a retaining wall on the side facing the stronghold. The troops bent forward along the trench. Even if the Japanese put the heavy machine gun on the top of the turret and fired, they would not be able to hurt the troops hiding in the bunker...
…”
Zhang Xuan laughed after hearing this and answered happily: "As long as you can build an offensive bunker 150 meters away from the stronghold, I will be sure to capture the Shibao stronghold..."
Li Wen quickly asked: "Captain...what can we do..."
"Flying thunder cannon..." Zhang Xuan replied blurtly.
"Although their maximum effective range exceeds two hundred meters, because the Xiashibao stronghold occupies high ground, we are on the side of the feint attack, resulting in the effective range of the thunder cannon being directly shortened to one hundred and fifty meters!"
"If the first battalion can dig the offensive bunker 150 meters away from the stronghold, the thunder cannon can throw the explosive package next to the bunker!"
"With the power of those explosive packets, even if they cannot destroy those bunkers, they can still use shock waves to kill the Japanese and puppet troops in the bunkers through the shooting holes."
"Without the troops, no matter how strong the bunker built by the Japs is, it is just a pile of useless stones..."
"I remember that our guerrilla brigade used flying thunder cannons the last time we went out to fight in the mountains. Although several months have passed and the troops have been equipped with a large number of mortars and mountain field artillery, they have gradually phased out those flying thunder cannons, but they have not thrown them away..."
Chief of Staff Feng Jiashan was the first to react: "They are indeed still there..."
"Captain, the method you mentioned is feasible..."
"The mine cannon throws explosive packets from low to high, and the effective range will indeed be shortened."
"But the slope around the Shibao stronghold is not steep. It will definitely be no problem to use the thunder cannon to throw the explosive package 150 meters."
"I know where those thunder cannons are. If I remember correctly, there were thirty or forty explosive packets left after using them last time."
"I'll bring people to transport them over now."
"The first battalion will build an offensive bunker immediately. Let me send the thunder cannon to repair the offensive position. After setting up the thunder cannon, we can launch an attack on the Shibao stronghold."
After the chief of staff left, Zhang Xuan did not immediately order the first battalion to take action. Instead, he spread out the map and called all the battalion and company commanders together to continue analyzing the map.
"Our goal is to severely damage the Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Peiping and catch them off guard. The greater the impact, the better, so as to attract the attention of Neji Okamura."
"Although the regional headquarters did not set us a specific action goal, I gave ourselves a goal."
Having said this, Zhang Xuan directly hit Fangshan County with his clenched fist.
Political commissar Li Wenxin understood and immediately asked: "Do you want to take Fangshan County?"
"This can really make a big splash. Killing the Japanese and puppet soldiers with just a swipe of your hands will not only attract the attention of Okamura Neji."
"But since the establishment of our guerrilla brigade, the number of Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Fangshan County has been increasing."
"Minus the Japanese and puppet troops blocking us on the front line..."
"There are also two fully-equipped infantry brigades of little devils in Fangshan County, a regiment of the Imperial Association Army, and other scattered troops, with a total strength of more than 4,000 people."
"We only have more than 3,000 people. It is very difficult to capture a county with more than 4,000 troops stationed there."
"How about changing the target?"
Zhang Xuan shook his head and answered firmly: "No..."
"Let's start with Fangshan County..."
"There are indeed more than 4,000 Japanese and puppet troops stationed in the city, but as long as we find a way, we can definitely kill a large part of the Japanese and puppet troops in the city before attacking the city."
"You want to gather around for reinforcements..." Li Wen reacted very quickly and instantly understood the hidden meaning of Zhang Xuan's words.
After taking a serious look at the map, he replied: "It is indeed possible..."
"The Xiashibao stronghold not only blocks the only way for the guerrilla brigade to get out of the mountain, but it is also a nail inserted by the Japanese and puppet troops into our base area. The Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Fangshan will definitely not watch us take it down."
"As long as the reinforcements they dispatch do not exceed 2,000 people, with the existing combat power of the guerrilla brigade and the right terrain selection, they are at least 70% sure of winning it."
