Inside the former enemy headquarters of the guerrilla brigade about two kilometers west of Fangshan City.
Captain Zhang Xuan is arranging the division of troops.
"Comrades, if we want to encircle the point again for reinforcements and let the Japanese reinforcements take the initiative to get into our pockets, we must make the garrison in the city believe that the main force of the guerrilla brigade is outside Fangshan City and there are no other troops to fight for reinforcements."
"It's very difficult to do this, but it's not impossible."
"The troops ambushed the Japanese and puppet reinforcements and captured a total of six to seven hundred puppet troops. After mobilization, more than a hundred people were willing to turn their guns and join us in fighting the Japanese."
"I plan to keep all these people in Fangshan, and also keep the three battalions with the greatest casualties among the four main battalions."
"The baggage camp, the artillery battalion, and the recruit company will all stay together."
"Join the puppet prisoners who are willing to join us and attack Fangshan together to make the garrison in the city believe that you are the main force of the guerrilla brigade."
"The political commissar and the chief of staff stayed together to direct the battle."
"I will lead the security company and the 124th Battalion to ambush the reinforcements that Neji Okamura may send."
"After finishing the reinforcements, immediately turn around and reinforce Fangshan, and join forces with the remaining troops to capture Fangshan County."
Although the political commissar Li Wen is an instructor, he is also a person who has led soldiers and fought in battles. After thinking about it for a while, he made a decision: "Captain..."
"The total number of these troops is 1,500 to 600, and with the remaining hundreds of prisoners, it is not difficult to disguise themselves as the main force of the guerrilla brigade."
"But the little devils in the city are not vegetarians either."
"If we don't have strong enough offensive firepower and just rely on troops to make up the numbers, the Japanese and puppet troops in the city should be able to see the clues very quickly."
Zhang Xuan answered readily: "Firepower is easy to solve..."
"Ambushing the Japanese and puppet reinforcements, we captured nine heavy machine guns, ten mortars, four mountain guns, two infantry guns, and more than 30 light machine guns."
"In addition to the four mountain guns and two infantry guns that will be supplemented for the artillery battalion, I will leave you with two-thirds of the light and heavy machine guns and mortars."
"After the siege started, more than a dozen light and heavy machine guns, five or six mountain field guns, infantry guns, and three or four mortars were set up outside each city gate in Fangshan. They fired at the same time. The powerful offensive firepower could definitely deceive the people inside the city.
Japanese and puppet troops.”
Chief of Staff Feng Jiashan suddenly interrupted: "Captain, political commissar..."
"In addition to the ambush battle, we also captured a mortar, two heavy machine guns, and five light machine guns at the Xiashibao stronghold... They can also temporarily supplement the troops and participate in the battle."
Zhang Xuan continued: "I will take the remaining light and heavy machine guns and mortars to fight an ambush."
"The three main battalions are equipped with twelve heavy machine guns and twelve mortars, plus the trophies just captured, that is fifteen heavy machine guns and fifteen mortars."
"The number of light machine guns directly exceeds seventy."
"As long as the reinforcements sent by Neji Okamura do not exceed two brigades."
"With the light and heavy machine guns and mortars we have in hand, as long as we choose a good position, we can kill three to four hundred little Japs in one quick fire attack."
"If we can destroy the Japanese heavy machine gun squadron and mortar squadron as soon as possible, so that their heavy weapons cannot participate in the battle, our light and heavy machine guns and mortars can suppress them on the battlefield. Then this ambush
If we fight, we will win."
…………
Fangshan County Japanese Army Regiment Headquarters.
The commander of the regiment, Major General Kawaguchi, was like an ant on a hot pot, walking back and forth in the unreachable war room with a very anxious expression. He glanced at the entrance of the command department from time to time, hoping that the subordinates he had just sent out would come back soon.
"Sir..."
The subordinates whom Colonel Kawaguchi was waiting for had not yet arrived, but the telegraph operator appeared and hurriedly ran to everyone to report: "There is an urgent call from the Front Army Headquarters..."
"Your Excellency, the Commander, has dispatched a fully-equipped troop brigade and two cavalry squadrons from the Peking garrison to march urgently to reinforce Fangshan. He requires us to stand by and wait for reinforcements until the reinforcements arrive, and then kill the Eighth Route Army's siege troops to counterattack."
"Try to seize this opportunity to wipe out all the troops from the guerrilla brigade to avoid future troubles."
A smile quickly flashed across Kawaguchi Osaka's anxious face, but it did not last long before it was replaced by a serious expression again.
Although it is not far from Peiping to Fangshan, it still takes three or four hours to march all the way.
If he wanted to wait for reinforcements, turn defeat into victory, and kill the Eighth Route Army attacking Fangshan, he had to defend for four hours under the strong attack of the guerrilla brigade.
Although the guerrilla brigade has not actually launched an attack, judging from the strength exposed by their encirclement and reinforcements, it should not be difficult for them to capture Fangshan County.
Therefore, what Colonel Kawaguchi is most worried about now is that the Fangshan garrison cannot hold out for four hours under the strong attack of the guerrilla brigade.
By then, even if the reinforcements sent by the commander reach Fangshan, it will be a waste of lives for the Eighth Route Army.
What he is waiting for now is the latest battle report from the city defense force.
The Eighth Route Army has already reached the outside of the city and is repairing the fortifications, and may launch an attack at any time.
The sooner the city defense troops find out their strength and equipment, the sooner they can make plans, and even determine their main offensive defense line, and prepare in advance.
Of course, through the strength and equipment of the Eighth Route Army outside the city, he could also determine whether the guerrilla brigade was planning to attack Fangshan County.
It's still like attacking the Shibao stronghold. Attacking by force is false, but encircling the point and calling for reinforcements is true.
If this is the case, the real danger is not Fangshan County, but the reinforcements sent by Commander Okamura.
"Captain..."
As Colonel Kawaguchi waited anxiously, the long-awaited report from the staff finally sounded at the door of the war room.
Panting heavily, he ran in with his face flushed.
Before he could stand still, he hurriedly reported: "We have found out..."
"The Eighth Route Army attacking us seems to have no distinction between main attack and feint attack."
"A reinforced battalion has been deployed in each of the four directions of Fangshan County, with a total strength of more than 2,500 people."
"A large number of mountain artillery, mortars, light and heavy machine guns were also set up outside the city..."
"I made some statistics and found that there were twenty field artillery pieces and infantry artillery pieces in total, nearly twenty mortars, and twenty heavy machine guns..."
"The light machine gun targets are too small and cannot be counted for the time being, but the number must be astonishing."
"I saw with my own eyes the mountain artillery, infantry artillery, mortars, and heavy machine guns they set up outside the city..."
"Judging from the firepower configuration and troop strength, the main force of the guerrilla brigade should be outside the city."
"No..." Kawaguchi Colonel shook his head and retorted.
"When the Eighth Route Army relied on the Shibao stronghold to encircle the point for reinforcements, we judged that the total strength of the guerrilla brigade should exceed 3,500 people, otherwise they would not have the strength to fight on both sides."
"There are only 2,500 people outside the city, so where did the remaining 1,000 of them go?"
"If we go to call for reinforcements, although this small force cannot completely wipe out the reinforcements, if we fight to the end, we can still cause a lot of casualties to the reinforcements and block them for a lot of time. The time we need to hold on will be longer."
