Just as the Second Army Corps was wiping out Cili's reinforcements, Liu Hua, Guan Xiangying and the Seventh Army Corps had quietly bypassed Cili County and joined up with the reconnaissance battalion that had come to investigate in advance.
"Xiaogang, are you familiar with the terrain from Cili to Shimen?" Liu Hua asked immediately as he looked at battalion commander Liu Xiaogang running over.
"Report to the commander of the army, the reconnaissance battalion has completed the reconnaissance of the terrain. We are very familiar with the terrain here." Xiaogang replied affirmatively.
"Well, okay, let's think about it and see if there is terrain here that can accommodate more than 10,000 enemy troops."
"Legion Commander, there is a place called Shiwanping, which should be able to do it." Xiaogang thought for a while and replied.
"Come on, political commissar, let's go over there and take a look. If possible, the battlefield will be in Shiwanping." Liu Hua turned to look at political commissar Guan Xiangying.
The political commissar nodded.
"Xiao Gang, lead the way. Let's go over and take a look now." Liu Hua immediately led the guards and ran towards Cili with the reconnaissance camp.
Finally, when the weather was twilight, several people arrived at Shiwanping. Standing on the top of the mountain, Liu Hua looked at the hazy road in front of him and smiled.
"Commander of the Army, this is such a good place! It seems that God is helping us." Looking at the Shiwanping that was about to become a battlefield in front of him, the political commissar sighed with emotion.
Indeed, when you look at it, the entire Shiwanping is like a big pot, with the road running through the middle. Surrounding the two ends of Shiwanping, there are two mountains with dense woods, which are officially used to hide troops.
A good place, and the entire road is five miles long, enough to carry more than 10,000 people...
"Political Commissar, it seems our battlefield is right here."
"Liu Battalion Commander, send a report to the main force and ask them to rush to Shiwanping quickly. Ask the commanders of each regiment and division commanders to ride over. We will hold a combat meeting here in an hour and send the report immediately."
"Political Commissar, let's go. Let's take a look at the terrain again," Liu Hua said.
Soon, an hour passed. Liu Hua, the political commissar, arrived at the temporary headquarters. Looking at the dozen or so people standing up in front of him, Liu Hua waved his hand: "Sit down, everyone. Where do you get so many rules?"
After all the personnel were in place, Liu Hua started the meeting: "Let the political commissar first inform us of the purpose of our battle and the current enemy situation!" Liu Hua said immediately after slowly starting the meeting.
"Comrades, the purpose of our battle this time, as many comrades here should know, is to completely and quickly eliminate Chen Quzhen, the king of Xiangxi, turn the entire western Hunan into our base area, and increase the room for maneuver in future counter-encirclement and suppression operations. For this time
As the battle progressed smoothly, Mr. He brought the entire Second Army to Xiangxi and took personal command. The mission of our army is to eliminate Chen Quzhen's reinforcements to reinforce Cili County, kill a large number of the enemy's effective forces, and prepare for the future attack on Shimen. I just got it
According to the intelligence of the cavalry company, the enemy's reinforcements consist of about three brigades attacking 11,000 troops. They have just left the county and are expected to arrive at Shiwanping at five o'clock in the afternoon. The combat goal of the regiment commander and I is to completely annihilate the enemy, so
We must be fully prepared, that’s all I have to say, now let the legion commander assign combat missions.”
"Comrades, the political commissar has reported all the situation to you. Whether you can fight this battle successfully depends on your performance. Now I give an order: a group should be ambushed in the woods behind Shiwanping, and all locals should enter
After the ambush circle, immediately attack to block the enemy and prevent the enemy from counterattacking. The artillery battery of the first division will be under your command; the second regiment will ambush in the woods to the south of Shiwanping. After the enemy's retreat is blocked,
, attack immediately, thigh the enemy's vanguard troops, build a position, don't let the enemy escape, the artillery company of the second division is under your command; the third and fourth regiments set up positions on the two hills on the east side of the road respectively, the fifth and sixth regiments are on
The construction of positions on the west side, the heavy machine gun battalion, the artillery battalion, and the artillery battery of the third division were all arranged by the political commissar; the seventh regiment, as the enemy decoy force of the entire army, must block the enemy layer by layer between Shimen and Shiwanping. Be careful not to
When using heavy weapons, you must let the enemy's reinforcements remain in the mind of underestimating the enemy. Your seventh regiment plays a big role in the success or failure of this ambush; the eighth and ninth regiments and the guard battalion, as the reserve team of the entire army, are on standby at any time, and must be ready at any time.
Follow the enemy's reinforcements; the sniper company hangs on the battlefield and snipers freely." Watching each regiment commander stand up, the order was quickly issued.
Looking at the cadres sitting at attention below, Liu Hua added: "Comrades, this time we are facing a bandit team, so we should not have the idea of underestimating the enemy. We must concentrate our firepower to kill the enemy in large numbers. Don't think about it.
In order to capture prisoners, no troops are allowed to attack without my order."
"Yes, legion commander, resolutely complete the mission."
"Okay. The wise sequence for this battle is me, political commissar, Division Chief Li Qing, First Division Commander... and so on. Also, comrades had better be mentally prepared for a long-term battle. Maybe after the ambush battle, they will
The next battle will begin immediately. The third reserve division must be well prepared before the war. You will go to the battlefield at any time. When you go back, you must do a good job in the ideological work of the soldiers and arrange the combat tasks well to avoid loopholes. In the afternoon
Everyone must enter the position and take cover before three o'clock."
"yes."
"Okay, let's break up the meeting."
Soon, the cadres left the temporary headquarters and rushed to their respective units, and the atmosphere of war in Shiwanping became stronger and stronger.
Just after Liu Hua issued the combat order, Commander Zhang had already expelled Shimen County with his many people. Although he had more than 10,000 people and they were in a group. Commander Zhang was still very cautious and sent all the troops
All the scouts were sent out, and they walked safely for nearly twenty miles. Suddenly, there was a burst of sparse gunfire from the front.
"Chief of Staff, go to the front and ask where the gunfire came from." Commander Zhang quickly asked the Chief of Staff in front.
"Reporting to the division commander, a Communist blocking position was discovered ahead. The vanguard company lost several brothers. The Communist army has about one company of troops." Just as the chief of staff was about to leave, a communications staff officer ran over.
It turned out that after receiving the order, the commander of the Seventh Regiment ordered the troops to hurry up and asked for help from the reconnaissance battalion of the legion. The strength of that company was the strength of the company Liu Xiaogang had just gathered.
"Order one of the vanguard regiments to capture the Communist positions. We have to hurry, we have to hurry." The division commander quickly finished the order.
Indeed, as Commander Zhang thought, under the attack of a avant-garde regiment, a company of communist troops in the footprints immediately "escaped". Soon, the enemy's reinforcements passed the simple position built by the reconnaissance battalion and marched towards Shiwanping.
Drive away.
But at this time, after half an hour of rapid march, the troops of the Seventh Regiment were continuously being separated. Less than 15 miles in front of the blocking position, about two companies of troops were building positions in full swing.