There is a reinforced regiment, a garrison, an artillery brigade, and a brigade of Imperial Army troops stationed all year round, with a total strength of more than 8,000 people.
But not all of these eight thousand people were stationed in Cangzhou City.
Many Japanese and puppet troops were separated from surrounding counties and transportation thoroughfares, resulting in only 5,000 garrison troops remaining in Cangzhou City.
Despite this, these 5,000 Japanese puppet troops were still a behemoth to the local Eighth Route Army.
The main force of the Eighth Route Army operating here is about one brigade, with a full strength of 5,000 men.
However, there is a serious shortage of heavy weapons. Although the entire brigade has three main regiments, each main regiment only has one mortar company and one heavy machine gun company.
The only mountain and field artillery are all concentrated in the artillery battalion directly under the brigade headquarters.
Although it is a battalion-level organization, the entire battalion is equipped with only seven mountain field guns and infantry guns combined, which is not even enough for two artillery batteries.
Of course, poor equipment is not the biggest problem facing the local Eighth Route Army.
After all, they belong to the main force. No matter how poorly equipped they are, they can still get one rifle per man.
The real problem is lack of ammo...
Especially cannonballs.
If all the money is emptied, each mortar can only get fifteen shells, and the mountain cannon can't even get ten shells, which is not enough to fight a medium-sized battle.
With such strength, let alone attacking Cangzhou, they might not even be able to capture a small county next to Cangzhou.
In order to avoid unnecessary battle losses, the local Eighth Route Army rarely took the initiative to attack strongholds heavily defended by the Japanese and puppet troops. They usually waited for the Japanese and puppet troops to leave the strongholds and then set up ambushes outside.
But the devils are not stupid either.
When the North China Front Army suffered heavy losses and was out of strength, they were basically trapped in their strongholds and county towns. As a result, the local Eighth Route Army had not won a victory for a long time.
At five o'clock in the morning, the brigade headquarters received an order from the headquarters, which gave people an inexplicable feeling.
Why intercept the Cangzhou garrison at all costs and prevent them from marching northward into Pingjin...
The little Japanese is staying well in Cangzhou. He has food and drink to eat, plenty of ammunition, and the city has a high wall. Why should he evacuate Cangzhou...
Only fools do this.
But the orders of the divisional headquarters must be carried out.
As a result, the main forces scattered in various places were like a pack of wolves smelling blood, and they rushed towards Cangzhou to kill...
…………
The former enemy headquarters of the Eighth Route Army.
Looking at the increasingly brighter sky outside, Captain Chen couldn't help but speak.
"Brigadier... Why do I feel that the Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Cangzhou will not be dispatched? Our trip is probably in vain..."
"The little devils have suffered too many losses from ambush battles. Unless something big happens somewhere, they will never leave their base rashly and give us a chance to ambush them."
"The divisional headquarters is hundreds of kilometers away from here, how can it possibly know every move of the Cangzhou garrison..."
Before Brigadier Tian could speak, Cao Zhengwei frowned and reminded: "Old Chen, what did you say?"
"Do you think the commander would joke with us on something as important as marching and fighting?"
"Since the headquarters said that the Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Cangzhou will be dispatched, they will definitely be dispatched."
"Although the division headquarters is far away from here, it is precisely because of this that the headquarters oversees the entire division and knows many things that we don't know, so we concluded that the Cangzhou garrison will send troops north."
"Don't be anxious, just wait a moment."
Brigadier Tian followed up: "My thoughts are exactly the same as those of the political commissar. The commander will never joke with us about the war."
"Didn't you guys always complain that the little Japs were hiding in the garrison every day, making you unable to fight even if you wanted to?"
"Now the opportunity has come..."
"After we actually fight with the little devil, you must not let me down."
"The commander said that as long as we successfully stop the Japanese and puppet troops dispatched from Cangzhou, if the troops consume one bullet in the battle, the divisional headquarters will compensate us with three bullets."
"When the troops use one artillery shell, the divisional headquarters will compensate us with three artillery shells."
"All the trophies captured by the troops in the battle belong to us, and the divisional headquarters will not take a single bullet."
"So once the Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Cangzhou leave the city, you have to take out your property for me and beat them severely. You must wipe out the Japanese and puppet troops who have left the city in Cangzhou."
"If too many Japanese and puppet troops leave the city, we might be able to capture Cangzhou City along the way..."
"Brigadier..." An exclamation suddenly rang out from the headquarters, interrupting Brigadier Tian's unfinished words.
"The Japanese and puppet troops stationed in Cangzhou are really dispatched..."
"Two full infantry brigades, an artillery battalion, and a regiment of the Imperial Army, totaling more than 3,500 people, set out from the north gate and headed north in a mighty manner, with an unknown destination..."
The three regiment commanders, who had been impatient for a long time, immediately showed eager expressions and rushed to challenge: "Brigadier Commander..."
"The first regiment is ready for battle. Let's go ahead... We will ensure a good start and severely damage the Japanese and puppet troops leaving the city."
Captain Zhang of the Second Regiment was not willing to lag behind and asked for a fight: "Our Second Regiment is also ready for battle..."
"The second regiment is equipped with more heavy machine guns than the first regiment. Brigadier, political commissar, let us go..."
"The stronger the firepower of the troops, the more Japanese and puppet troops will be killed in the first round of rapid fire attacks, and the greater the result will be."
"The result of our attack will definitely be better than that of a group..."
Before the remaining commander of the third regiment could speak, he was interrupted by Brigadier Tian, who frowned and ordered: "What are you grabbing..."
"The total number of Japanese and puppet troops leaving the city is 3,500, and Guangshan has twelve field artillery pieces. Every regiment in our brigade has a chance to attack..."
"Old Yu from the Second Regiment was right just now..."
"Our first battle with the Japanese and puppet troops will definitely catch them off guard. The stronger the troops' firepower in the first round of raids, the greater the damage they will cause to the enemy."
"So all three main groups participated in our first raid against the enemy..."
"The main force of the second regiment, the first and third regiments, the heavy machine gun company and the mortar company, each dispatched twenty light machine guns...Immediately rushed to the Buddha Hall Forest to set up an ambush. I wanted to fight the Japanese and puppet troops there.
Raid battle."
…………
Tianjin Pier.
The gunners brought by Huang Yu and the gunners brought by Li Yunlong totaled more than a thousand people.
It was divided into three parts by Huang Yu.
Every four hundred people were equipped with thirty large-caliber heavy artillery, and artillery positions were arranged separately at the Tianjin dock.
A total of ninety large-caliber artillery pieces were pointed at the sea, waiting for the arrival of the Japanese naval fleet.
At this moment, except for the gunner who was adjusting the artillery firing angle and still stayed at the gun position, the other gunners were all transferring artillery shells back and forth in front of the artillery position and warehouse.
Thirty rounds of shells for each heavy gun were Huang Yu's gift to the Japanese naval fleet.
