Auspicious snow is more than just a sign of good harvest.
Under certain conditions, it is also conducive to military warfare.
"This heavy snow will not only be beneficial to our winter counterattack, but also the drought situation in northwestern Shanxi, which has been affected by drought this year, will also be greatly alleviated.
It's a good thing, Lao Kong, you have waited for this heavy snow after all."
Inside the detachment headquarters, Chief of Staff Xu Guoan was filled with emotion as he watched the heavy snowfall outside the window.
This heavy snowfall seems to be a special trip to comply with the weather and Kong Jie’s request.
Although the soldiers don't have any personal myths, because of the heavy snow, everyone's admiration for the old regiment leader is truly unbelievable.
Political Commissar Li Wenjie also laughed and joked, "In ancient times, Zhuge borrowed the east wind, and now Kong Jie borrows the heavy snow. Commander, you are so awesome!"
Kong Jie smiled and scolded: "Wenjie, it is said that when you see a virtuous person, you will think about others, and when you see an unworthy person, you will introspect yourself. There are many shining points in Lao Xu's body. If you don't learn from it, you just like to put high hats on others.
And I asked you to learn from me?"
Xu Guoan cried bitterly: "Old Kong, what does this have to do with me? I was so wronged!"
"This is snow in the twelfth lunar month, not June snow. Why are you so unfair?" Kong Jie said with a smile.
"Let's get down to business, now that the heavy snow has fallen, we should officially start this winter counterattack. To be cautious, let's plan it again to see if there are any flaws in it!" p>
Under the leadership of Kong Jie, in the detachment headquarters.
Kong Jie and the others once again entered into the preparation and analysis work before the winter counterattack.
This is an old tradition of a team.
Fight quickly and prepare for war slowly.
Before the battle officially breaks out, you must prepare everything as much as possible and take everything into consideration to ensure the greatest victory rate after the battle begins.
On the 21st, it snowed heavily.
Large snowflakes began to fall on the land in northwest Shanxi from the early morning, and they did not stop until the evening of that day.
The snowflakes that fell first worked hard to eliminate the damage, and also paved the way for those who came after, smoothing and lowering the final temperature of the entire earth.
Subsequent snowflakes fell one after another, gradually accumulating on the originally dark land, coating it with a layer of silver.
On the 22nd, the originally heavy snowfall became lighter and turned into sparse snowflakes. Thick snow has accumulated on the entire northwest Shanxi.
If you step on it, you can even reach your knees in places with deep snow.
The heavy snow came suddenly and violently, covering an even wider area. The entire base area of a team, including a large number of surrounding Japanese-occupied areas, Tan County, Yangquan, Shouyang and other places, were all covered in snow.
world.
"The academic momentum has slowed down, and it looks like it will stop soon. Lao Kong, it seems you are still waiting?"
In the headquarters, Xu Guoan, who was studying the war on the military simulation sandbox, said.
Kong Jie did not deny it: "The so-called snow is not cold, it is cold when it turns into snow.
I am waiting for the heavy snow to stop, and as time goes by, it will have the greatest impact on the Japanese army. At the same time, the snow itself will not be too soft, making it easier to use sleds for marching.
I think tomorrow morning is the best time to take action!"
"By the way, all the troops participating in this winter counterattack are all ready, right? I mean during the battle, while ensuring that the soldiers themselves are protected from the cold."
Political Commissar Li Wenjie replied with a smile: "Don't worry, Commander, everything is ready. According to the operational principles of this winter counterattack, you will not participate in the battle without winter clothes, and you will not participate in the battle without equipment for snow warfare. What we have built this time can be said to be
A snow combat unit.
In addition, all logistics work has been done in advance, and comrades from the migrant workers' corps are also involved.
The hidden logistics supply station has been built in advance along our scheduled march.
It can effectively ensure the logistics supply of our participating troops at any time.
The health personnel accompanying the army are also ready and equipped with snow transport vehicles. Once the wounded appear, they can be sent back to our nearest health center as soon as possible.
In order to cope with our winter counterattack, the research laboratory has prepared nearly a thousand doses of penicillin in advance and is ready for use at any time."
"Then I'm relieved!" Kong Jie nodded.
Taiyuan City.
Japanese troops stationed in the headquarters of the First Army in Shanxi.
This time the heavy snow covered so much that even Taiyuan was affected.
It's just that Taiyuan is more than a hundred kilometers away from Yangquan, so the snow here is much smaller than that in Yangquan.
Even so, the weather is still freezing.
Inside the headquarters of the Japanese First Army.
The little devils are still not used to the Chinese earthen kang, so they still use the traditional Japanese kotatsu for heating, that is, using treated pulp paper to wrap the extinguished coal, and then put a foot stove on top and spread cotton.
Be.
That's probably what it means.
At this moment, the Japanese commander Yoshio Shinozuka, who could not bear the severe cold, and the Japanese chief of staff Kitagawa were gathered around the kotatsu, studying the battle with the battle map on the table.
A cold wind came in through the crack in the door, blowing on the bodies of Yoshio Shinozuka and Kitagawa, as if they were being cut by a knife.
Beichuan quickly shouted: "Guard, close the door tighter!"
"Hi!"
Looking at the guards closing the door, Beichuan sighed: "General, the winter here is much colder than in our country.
Especially these three Jin areas are located in northern China and are very mountainous. Every winter, the weather is frighteningly cold.
Not to mention fighting, when the heating conditions are not sufficient, our soldiers have to endure the severe cold and survive this winter.
When the winter is cold, even this war seems to be frozen, and the frequency of the Chinese army's battles with our Empire of Japan will be reduced to a minimum."
This is indeed the case. The Japs launched spring raids, autumn raids, and even summer raids behind enemy lines.
But winter sweeps are rare.
Why?
Is it really too cold?
Cen Shen of the Tang Dynasty described it in a poem, "The snow has fallen on the camp gate one after another, and the red flag is still frozen in the wind."
Under the extremely cold weather, even the flag was completely frozen and could not be flipped. One can imagine how severe the cold has reached.
Let alone a war at this time, the soldiers on both sides might not have killed half of the enemy, but they themselves would have frozen to death in the snow.
Shinozuka Yoshio said: "Yes!
But the Chinese have a good saying, the heaven and the earth are not benevolent, and they regard all things as stupid dogs.
Under this heavy snow and severe cold, our Japanese Empire needs to suffer, and the same goes for their Chinese army.
Especially the Eighth Route Army units, which are located in remote mountainous rural areas, have very poor conditions. I heard that they don’t even have cotton-padded clothes for winter.
They lack the means to protect themselves from the cold, and this severe cold is even more of a nightmare for them."
Beichuan smiled and said: "The general is right, so every year after winter, our army will especially strengthen the economic blockade and military blockade of the Eighth Route Army base areas, including the guerrilla zones.
What we want is to make them lack the supplies for the winter. It is best to freeze them to death and survive them without a single blow!"
And will this be the case?
At this time, the Japanese occupied areas such as Shouyang, Yangquan, Tan County and other counties.
Due to the shortage of food and materials this year, the stationed Japanese field troops and the Japanese and puppet security forces were huddled in their houses and suffering from the cold after the heavy snow fell.
Toriyama Daiaki, the commander of the Japanese army stationed in Yangquan, was shivering at the headquarters, cursing and complaining about the severe cold weather in China.
As for the Japanese soldiers at the bottom, they basically have no conditions to keep out the cold.
In addition, the Japanese have been short of supplies this year and have not even issued new winter clothes.
I am wearing an old winter coat that was issued a few years ago and has been patched too much, barely able to keep out the cold.
In the severe cold weather, the soldiers' faces were all red from the cold, and their whole bodies were a little wilted.
Major Kawashima of the Japanese Military Police in Yangquan has a rosy face at the moment.
While other Japanese officers and soldiers were so cold that their teeth were fighting, he was so hot that his palms were sweating.
Why?
There is also a thick mink vest underneath the military uniform!
There is no need for a charcoal basin or kotatsu. This condition is not even matched by the captain of the military police, Toshio Minami.
While others were shivering from the cold, the three complicit brothers, Kawashima, Miki Ichiro and Qian Dekai, were eating hot hot pot in a restaurant.
"My dear, this winter is really extremely cold!"
Qian Dekai sighed after taking a bite of the hot dish.
Kawashima echoed: "Who says it's not?
In addition, our soldiers were not even issued winter clothes this year. In just these two days, many soldiers' ears were frostbitten.
I’m thinking about preparing a batch of cotton hats for the soldiers!”
"Anyway, no matter how cold it is today, it won't freeze the three of us even if it's freezing to others!" Ichiro Miki said cheerfully.
Blinking, Qian Dekai asked: "Kawashima-kun, if it's not until spring, we won't be able to continue our crusade against the Eighth Route Army, right?"
Kawashima nodded: "That's for sure. In such a cold weather, it's good if our soldiers don't freeze to death.
It is impossible to fight a war.
After the heavy snow fell, the gendarmerie also received orders from above. The focus of their work is to maintain security in the occupied areas, focusing on defense, suspending the crusade, and holding on until the spring of next year."
"Aren't you afraid of a surprise attack by the Eighth Route Army?" Qian Dekai asked.
Beichuan said happily: "In such a cold weather, the Eighth Route Army is probably shivering in the mountains! How can they have the spare time to come here for a sneak attack?"
"That's right, come and drink!" Ichiro Miki raised his glass with a smile.
……
The other side.
In the early morning of the 23rd, the heavy snow had basically stopped.
Just last night, the headquarters of each regiment of a team had received the order conveyed by the detachment headquarters:
At eight o'clock in the morning the next day, the winter counterattack against the Japanese army's remote towns and strongholds began.
The troops of each regiment quickly took action.
Independent Third Regiment Station.
Regiment leader Shen Quan has assembled all the troops of the Third Independent Regiment participating in the winter counteroffensive.
At this moment, he is making the final mobilization for the troops going to war.
In the cold weather, as the words came out, heat came out of Shen Quan's mouth.
Looking at the elite soldiers of the Third Independent Regiment standing neatly in front of him, Shen Quan shouted loudly: "Comrades, do you know what I thought of when I saw you all standing here today, standing in this cold winter? ?
Just four words - a new look!
Why do you say that?
Seeing our soldiers standing neatly in front of us, everyone is wearing newly issued thick cotton-padded clothes, velvet-added cotton shoes, and full of equipment. Each of them has a rosy face and looks like a big man who is being served. Master.
I feel so emotional!
What are you feeling?
I lament that just a year or two ago, how could we soldiers have such conditions at that time?
Not to mention cotton-padded clothes, cotton pants and cotton shoes, it would be good to have a jacket with a laminated layer, and if there are some hard knots of cotton wrapped inside the laminated layer.
As for all the equipment, don’t even think about it.
But even in such a difficult situation before, we were still able to beat him. The little devil was howling and screaming.
Now that our conditions are better, we have equipment, and we have enough winter clothes. When we hold guns and fight in this cold winter, our palms are so hot that we sweat!
Comrades, let’s talk among ourselves, such good conditions have been given to us, if we can’t fight the Japanese ruthlessly, can we be worthy of the materials our troops waste on us?”
"Can't, can't -"
The soldiers roared, and their voices echoed in the valley.
Chen Quan nodded with satisfaction, then picked a young warrior from the team and said with a smile: "Goudanzi, why are you smiling so happily?
I see you are carrying a lot of things on your back. Is it heavy? Don’t crush yourself."
The little soldier who was named scratched his head and said with a naive smile: "Captain, it's not heavy. I don't feel heavy at all. This is the weight calculated by our squad leader, and it will definitely not become a burden for us in battle."
"Then tell me, big guy, what kind of equipment do you have on you?"
Goudanzi giggled and said: "I won't talk about the cotton clothes, shoes, trousers and hat I wore. For this battle, the squad leader gave me a 38-gauge rifle and twenty bullets.
The squad leader said that I had only joined the team for half a year, so I was only given twenty bullets.
After I reach one year of military service, I will be issued sixty bullets according to the standard, and I will also be issued an American semi-automatic rifle.
In addition, there are two grenades, a bayonet, a pair of sleds, and two energy bars issued by the logistics, plus a small handful of candies. The squad leader said that eating two can supplement calories when it is too cold."
After hearing this, Chen Quan said happily: "Listen, comrades, everyone, listen, does Goudanzi's tone sound like he's being rude?
Everyone knows, if this was a guy wearing this equipment in the past, what would it look like to us?
Let me tell you, that’s a big dog owner!
If it's a kid, that's our favorite target to ambush.
Who made your kid so rich?"
The soldiers burst into laughter.
"Okay, let's go!"
After the mobilization was completed, the soldiers, filled with the excitement of fighting and killing the enemy, followed the regiment leader Shen Quan and set off according to the established route.
Looking down from above, the entire team, the soldiers were wearing camouflage coats deliberately covered with white cloth. Nearly 2,000 elites were moving on the snow. If they were farther away, at first glance, they seemed to have merged with the entire snow. Like one body.
The baggage troops followed behind, and all the supplies were pulled by sleds.
With the help of minimal friction on the snow, human-powered sleighs modified by the arsenal can transport these materials in the most labor-saving way.
Almost at the same time.
The Independent First Regiment and the Second Independent Regiment, under the leadership of their commanders, quietly marched toward the target area in accordance with the established combat route.
There seems to be a light snow falling in the sky, adding another third of artistic conception to this winter counterattack...