It is already the eighth day since the Japanese troops stationed in Shanxi launched a major sweep against the Eighth Route Army in the Taihang area on the 12th.
At around six o'clock in the afternoon, from Xicun to the mountainous area where the New First Regiment was stationed, Lei Dasheng, commander of the Fourth Battalion of the Independent Regiment, and Xu Lienzhong, deputy commander of the New First Regiment, once again fought together, detoured, outflanked, and ate up a lone Japanese soldier.
Puppet Army.
Among them, more than 50 puppet troops and more than 80 Japanese troops were eliminated.
When the soldiers were cleaning the battlefield and seizing equipment and supplies, Lei Dasheng discovered a problem: "Deputy Commander Xu, I don't know if you have noticed, but this little devil's backpack is getting lighter and lighter."
"When we were cleaning the battlefield a few days ago, each Japanese soldier's backpack was quite heavy. It contained millet, biscuits, canned meat, dried fish, sugar, nutritional rations, etc. The heavier ones even weighed more than ten kilograms."
"Every time after wiping out the Japanese and puppet troops, our soldiers' favorite thing to seize is this kind of satchel. Why? It's full of delicious food!"
"This satchel is actually empty right now. There is nothing left in it."
Xu Lianzhong said with a smile: "The large-scale raid launched by the Japs this time is not short. Today is already the eighth day. According to our understanding of the Japs, a single Japs soldier is usually equipped with about six days of rations."
"A few days ago, the Japs had uneaten rations in their satchels, so they were quite heavy. Now it is enough to show that the Japs are about to run out of food."
Lei Dasheng said: "That's true. When the Japanese raid, in addition to the rations they bring for a few days, they often also use local materials to plunder the supplies of the folks in our villages they encounter during the raid." "In the follow-up, supplies will be transported from the rear of the sweep and the nearest strongholds to the frontline sweep forces. Before launching a major sweep at these strongholds, the Japanese will stockpile sufficient food in advance."
"But this time it's different. We moved the villagers in advance, leaving only empty villages for the devils, as well as all kinds of mines and traps we laid in the villages. If the little devils get in, let alone seize food,
You might even risk your life in it."
"The stronghold in the rear, this time after the regiment commander asked the main force to make a detour, it was completely cleared by the Japs. The transportation channels on the way were cut off by us. The Japs' frontline mopping up troops have no follow-up supply of materials." p>
"Think about it from this point of view, even if we don't launch a counterattack during this large-scale raid by the Japanese, the Japanese will have to retreat because they have no food."
While the two were talking, the communications soldier who came all the way from the West Village temporary headquarters reported to Lei Dasheng: "Report to the battalion commander, news came from the regiment headquarters, and the regiment commander ordered to switch from offense to defense before dawn the next day.
If we cannot win the Fourth Mixed Brigade and Ishii Regiment before then, we will have no choice but to give up."
After saying that, he saw Xu Lianzhong standing aside, and the signal soldier reported to Xu Lianzhong: "Deputy Commander Xu, the commander asked us to bring you a message. Our independent regiment is preparing to switch from offense to defense. Please do the same for your new regiment."
Corresponding adjustments and preparations."
The signal trooper reported the situation and left.
Lei Dasheng and Xu Lianzhong analyzed the orders from the regiment headquarters.
"Give up? It took a lot of effort to besiege the two groups of Japs in Xicun and Zhangjiazhuang... It seems that the Japs' reinforcements are coming in force. The regiment commander gave the order with this in mind."
Although he is unwilling to do so, Lei Dasheng will still choose to obey orders absolutely.
After all, the intelligence received by the regiment headquarters and the overall judgment are definitely more accurate and comprehensive than those of his fourth battalion.
"Deputy Commander Xu, as the Japanese army continues to reinforce Xicun and Zhangjiazhuang, once the Japanese and puppet troops are far superior to ours, if we divide our troops again and carry out roundabouts, it will be easy to be defeated one by one."
"The regiment headquarters should have received the exact news."
"You and I will continue to join forces and fight in roundabout ways, but I'm afraid we will have to stop temporarily."
Xu Lianzhong nodded, his expression solemn, "Okay, Battalion Commander Lei, I have also received news that Lao Ding is already on his way back to the regiment headquarters. Let's see what the regiment headquarters' arrangements are for how to fight in the future!"
"Be careful all the way!"
"Take care!"
Lei Dasheng and Xu Lienzhong said goodbye and each led their troops to shrink back from the joint operations area.
In the other two directions, after returning from the Japanese rear, Ding Wei divided the troops into two parts. One part of the troops was dedicated to transporting the large amount of equipment and materials captured in the ambush back to the new regiment's base, and the other part of the troops was
Continue towards the West Village.
The situation was almost the same with Li Yunlong. Old Li, who had made a lot of money, when he left the villages and counties in the Japanese-occupied areas, he only pulled more than 30 carts.
Along the way, the soldiers transporting supplies were almost exhausted. Fighting the Japanese was not so hard.
Fortunately, the soldiers' emotions were high, and they were so happy that they seized such a large amount of equipment and materials, and they didn't care about the fatigue.
Kong Jie's three main battalion commanders also arrived at West Village and the outskirts of Zhangjiazhuang.
Since there were the Japanese Fourth Mixed Brigade and Shijing Regiment outside Xicun and Zhangjiazhuang, it was inconvenient to transport supplies during the day. Shen Quan sent a communications soldier to report the situation to Kong Jie, and decided to transport the large amount of seized supplies back after nightfall.
Within the group.
Soon after, Chen Quan, Wang Leihu, and Wang Huaibao also received the order from the regiment headquarters passed by the communications corps:
Before dawn the next day, the independent regiment will switch from offense to defense. At present, the Japanese 4th mixed brigade in Nishimura and the Ishii regiment in Zhangjiazhuang have no choice but to give up if they can't take it.
The three battalion commanders sent scouts to investigate the situation in Xicun and Zhangjiazhuang, and also communicated with the comrades of the Fourth and Fifth Battalions stationed at various nodes.
The fourth mixed brigade of the Japanese army has only more than a thousand troops left due to the continuous deployment of troops to reinforce Yangquan. The Ishii regiment also only has more than a thousand troops, including many wounded soldiers.
But it is not easy to eat these two Japanese troops in one go.
Lao Guizi Yamaguchi Shubei and Ishii Haraichi were very cunning, and were surrounded by independent regiment soldiers using nodes, and they tried many times but failed to break through the node defense.
These two old devils directly took advantage of the danger and built fortifications on the mountains in the besieged area. They waited for reinforcements to arrive and refused to take the initiative to attack.
Yamaguchi, an old devil, took advantage of the unique topography of the mountain and built a counter-slope defensive offensive to guard against heavy artillery fire from the independent regiment at any time.
Coupled with the periphery of various nodes, Japanese reinforcements continued to arrive.
Soldiers at each node must always be on guard against Japanese troops on the periphery attacking the node defenses.
The main forces of the 4th and 5th Battalions went to the mountainous area for reinforcements, united with the troops of the New 1st Regiment and the New 2nd Regiment, and made detours to eliminate the Japanese and puppet troops.
There are not many troops left in Xicun, Zhangjiazhuang and Niukou Village, and they are not enough to forcibly eat up the Japanese Fourth Mixed Brigade and Ishii Regiment.
Kong Jie also did not want to launch a strong attack and cause unnecessary casualties.
In Captain Kong's view, if victory cannot be obtained at a smaller cost, then he would rather not win this victory.
The independent regiment fights not only for the final victory, but also to support the war with war and try to avoid the sacrifice of one's own side.
If we cannot win the current battle, the strength of the independent regiment will be greatly damaged. What will happen in the future battles?
For this reason, Kong Jie, who was analyzing the battle situation at the regiment headquarters, racked his brains.
In the evening of the same day, the monk returned with the comrades of the guard company and reported the battle situation to Kong Jie. The guard company, with the cooperation of local comrades and militia comrades, successfully destroyed the Japanese stronghold supporting the artillery units in West Village and Zhangjiazhuang, and captured
A considerable number of artillery pieces.
Kong Jie patted the monk on the shoulder and praised: "Well done, the battle was well fought. Monk, I will take credit for you later!"
After Kong Jie finished speaking, if this were an ordinary monk, he would have smiled crookedly.
At this moment, the monk was calm and remorseful.
"What's wrong?" Kong Jie asked.
The monk told the lieutenant general what happened with a depressed look on his face, and finally blamed himself: "Captain, if Jiang Huaimin hadn't conveyed the news back in time, I would have been tricked by the Japanese."
"If I focus the ambush on the enemy's lead bait, the enemy's follow-up artillery strikes will immediately cover it. By then, our guard company will not only be unable to complete the mission, but may even be killed by the Japanese artillery." p>
"Captain, it's my lack of command ability, please punish me!"
Looking at the stern monk, Kong Jie also felt a little emotional. I don’t know when the monk has matured a lot. He is no longer as arrogant as before, but more stable and humble.
"Monk, the battlefield situation is changing rapidly. Even the best commander may not be able to discern opportunities at every turn and seize them at all times."
"I am very happy that you can take the initiative to apologize. For this reason, I believe that sooner or later, monk, you will be able to take charge of your own affairs."
"I won't talk about the punishment, but I hope you will take this experience as a lesson and keep it in mind."
"As an excellent commander, you must think carefully when commanding operations at any time. You have to think thoroughly. Will things be as simple as they appear?"
"Well, there is a mission now. Bring your guard company. If you can successfully complete the mission, you will also destroy the Japanese artillery unit. Your guard company will be credited with the two battles. But if you fail to complete the mission,
When the time comes, I will punish you for both crimes."
The monk quickly straightened his body and responded: "Captain, just give the order. I promise to complete the task."
"Okay!"
Kong Jie nodded solemnly, then greeted the monk and rushed to the combat sand table.
After locking the combat area in the Zhangjiazhuang area, Kong Jie said: "Currently, the Japanese Army's Fourth Mixed Brigade and the Ishii Regiment are holding on to the danger and clinging to these two mountains."
"I have thought of many ways to kill these two Japs, and even considered fire attacks, but these methods are somewhat impractical and cannot guarantee the casualties of our troops."
"Now that you are back with the guard company, it suddenly inspired me that there is a way to take down the Ishii Regiment in one fell swoop."
The monk responded: "Captain, please tell me!"
Kong Jie pointed to one of the points on the sand table and said: "Here, the Zhangjiazhuang Shijing Regiment is stationed on the right wing of the mountainous area. More than 300 meters away, there is a weed field, half a person high. If you crawl forward, you can have a great effect."
Good concealment effect."
"If we want to capture these two Japanese troops and our main force attacks them, it will be very difficult, and the casualties of the troops will not be avoided."
"So I decided to use latent tactics and stealth tactics. What do you mean? Near dusk, I will order the main force to launch uninterrupted feint attacks against the Ishii Regiment to attract the attention of the Japanese army."
"What you, monk, have to do is to avoid the Japanese reconnaissance, lead the comrades of the guard company to lurk in this weedy field, wait for the opportunity, and take the opportunity to quickly launch an attack on the Japanese position."
"With a distance of more than three hundred meters, under the cover of night, in less than a minute, the soldiers of the guard company were able to approach the Japanese fortifications and start close combat."
"We only need to hold on for ten minutes, and our follow-up main force will arrive."
"At that time, we will be able to win over Ishii United in one fell swoop."
The monk understood the specific task and immediately patted his chest and said, "No problem."
Kong Jie smiled and said: "You kid, don't rush to make a guarantee. This mission is not as simple as you think."
"It is an absolutely dangerous task to send stealth troops to infiltrate and lurk at the front of the Japanese army's positions."
"What is tested is not only the quality of the latent troops, but also the willpower and spirit of the soldiers. The most important test is the commander's on-the-spot command and adaptability."
"During the entire lurking process, and before the battle breaks out, there is only one requirement: be quiet!"
"Absolute silence, even the slightest, may cause the entire team to be exposed and unable to make any sound."
"During the execution of the mission, the soldiers even have to breathe as slowly as possible."
"All commands during the process can only convey orders in sign language."
"When bullets hit the soldiers, they have to keep quiet even if their blood dries up; when fire burns on their bodies, they have to keep quiet even if they are swallowed whole. This is the absolute discipline in performing a latent mission."
"One voice may lead to the exposure of all soldiers in the guard company, and more than one comrade may be sacrificed."
"But behind this high risk, it also means that once the plan is successful, we can eliminate the Ishii Alliance at the minimum cost."
"Monk, how about it? After all I have said, do you still have confidence in completing this latent mission?"
"Reporting to the captain, yes! We have two shoulders and one head, who is afraid of whom? Don't worry, captain, our security brothers are all the best comrades. This latent mission, our security company will definitely give
You've got a great result!"
The monk spoke decisively, and an overwhelming domineering force came over him.
Kong Jie breathed a sigh of relief and praised: "What a boy!"
"Listen up, the next step is the specific combat deployment."
"Around 7:10, when the sky is about to end, I will order a feint attack on the Ishii Regiment."
"Before nine o'clock in the evening, you must lead the guard company to lurk in the weeds on the right side of the mountain, and then wait in absolute silence to cooperate with the main force's follow-up attack."
"The initial decision is now to start the attack at 11 o'clock in the evening, and the main force will be the first to bombard the Ishii Regiment's position."
"The bombardment lasts five minutes. After the five-minute bombardment is over, the main force will directly launch an attack."
"What your guard company lurking in the weeds has to do is to perfectly connect the point where the bombardment ends, and rush into the Japanese fortifications within a minute."
"In this battle, each soldier in your guard company is equipped with two shell guns to deal with night battles and close combat."
"In addition, the bombardier is equipped with six grenades and two incendiary bombs, and the shotgunner is equipped with an extra double-barreled shotgun."
"Work in groups of three, and fight together. Just as the bombardment has just ended, and the Japanese troops have been blown to pieces, your combat team quickly breaks through the Japanese fortifications."
"The bombardier first threw incendiary bombs into the trenches dug by the Japanese in the mountains and forests. With the help of this light, the shotgunners could attack the Japanese and puppet troops at close range at any time. The bombardiers and pistoliers simultaneously covered the remaining Japanese and puppet troops." p>
"All combat teams must not jump off the trenches easily. Just outside the trenches, use this tactic to quickly clear the trenches where the Japanese troops are."