In fact, it was not only Asada and the Japanese who were stunned, but also the Long March Regiment of the Eighth Route Army.
The latent position of the Long March Regiment is behind the 1st and 2nd Battalions.
This is planned. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Independent Regiment will be the main offensive force, and the Long March Regiment will follow up and occupy. If necessary, the 1st and 2nd Battalions can be reinforced.
Before the war started, all the soldiers of the Long March were suffocating in their hearts.
Because the story of "the regiment leader being humiliated" has spread throughout the regiment... To be precise, it is not "the regiment leader was humiliated", but "the Long March regiment was humiliated".
"Have you heard? Our superiors asked us to just follow the first and second battalions!"
"What are you talking about? This is a war, let us follow the other troops?"
"That's right, can the independent group be so awesome? We are also the main group!"
…
"The leader said, let's put up a good fight and show the Independent Group, and let them look through the cracks in the door!"
The last sentence was generally recognized by the troops.
Therefore, the Long March Regiment had no intention of following this battle at all. They hoped to seize the lead of the 1st and 2nd Battalions and serve as the main attack when the battle started. Even if they suffered some casualties, they would still have to regain this face.
In fact, this is not just a matter of face, the military is quite taboo about being looked down upon by superiors.
This will not only affect morale, but also affect the development of the army in the long run... If you are looked down upon by your superiors, will you no longer be the main force in terms of equipment, ammunition, etc.?
If you can't fight this way or that way, you have to be the first in equipment. How can there be such a beautiful thing?
If this continues, how can the Long March Regiment gain a foothold in the Eighth Route Army?
So it is understandable that Zhao Liangzhi would have such an idea, but he didn't know that it was actually a misunderstanding... If Wang Xuexin looked down on the Long March Regiment, would he still let him cooperate with the 1st and 2nd Battalions?
If Zhao Liangzhi hears this, he is afraid he will say again: "Our Long March regiment is the main force and only one or two battalions are allocated to cooperate?"
This is really "speaking without intention but listening with intention".
The troops of the Eighth Route Army have a strong sense of self-esteem and honor, and misunderstandings may occur if anything is not explained clearly.
But after the battle actually started, the Long March regiment realized that something was wrong...
They followed behind and rushed forward. Using the word "forceful rush" to describe it is a bit exaggerated. After all, it was a battlefield and they were attacking the enemy's steel plant. The Long March regiment adopted a three-by-three system to cover each other and rush forward.
However, this speed can be regarded as a "violent charge" compared with normal combat, but it was unable to catch up with the 1st and 2nd Battalions in front.
The regiment leader Zhao Liangzhi was in the army with his guard company. He seemed to understand something when he looked at the corpses of the Japanese along the way. He lay in a hiding place and said to the political commissar next to him: "Political commissar, this matter... I may not be telling the truth.
, we... indeed just need to follow the first and second battalions!"
It was already getting brighter now, and what the political commissar saw on Zhao Liangzhi's face was full of unwillingness and helplessness.
The political commissar understood Zhao Liangzhi's thoughts. After decades of fighting, he thought that his troops would be ranked high among the Eighth Route Army... The main forces of the Eighth Route Army had only three divisions, six brigades, and twelve regiments. There were no establishments.
There is also a main force group, and all together there are only thirteen main force groups.
The Long March Regiment is one of them. No matter how bad it is, it can still be ranked thirteenth, right?
But now that the battle was going on... it instantly pushed Zhao Liangzhi's psychological position down a few levels: Look at the battles they are fighting, you can't catch up even if you slap your butt, you can't accept it!
The battle at the steel plant was faster than Wang Xuexin expected, and it ended in only thirty minutes.
In addition to the airport, fuel and ammunition that Wang Xuexin hoped for, this battle also produced a windfall... A total of twenty-three "Zero Fighters" and five "98 Light Explosions" were intercepted by the Eighth Route Army because they did not take off in a hurry.
Complete seizure.
The reason why it is said to be "relatively complete" is because when the Eighth Route Army rushed into the airport to fight, bullets were fired and shrapnel flew randomly. It is not sure whether there were stray bullets or shrapnel that damaged these aircraft.
That's why speed matters.
When your attack speed is so fast that the enemy has no time to react, it will be easier to fight and the supplies captured will be rich.
At this time, Wang Xuexin was unable to hear the good news because he was being bombed by Japanese "human missiles" at Liyuan Airport.
The fighter plane from Liyuan Airport took off twenty minutes ago.
The Japanese detected this situation immediately and reported it to Okamura Neji.
Okamura Neji couldn't help but be overjoyed when he saw this information.
"The Eighth Route Army's fighter planes actually flew eastward? And they were dispatched in full force?" Neji Okamura was a little surprised: "Are they still placing their hope on Anfeng Airport?"
No wonder Okamura Neji is so excited.
Those were more than sixty new-type Mao Xiong fighter planes.
If these fighter planes are flying to the front lines to fight Imperial warplanes, what will be waiting for them?
Liyuan Airport is about to be bombed, and more than fifty "human-guided missiles" are flying towards it.
Anfeng Airport was blocked by imperial artillery.
So, if these Eighth Route Army fighter planes fly to the front line at this time, aren't they looking for death?
Okamura Neji then thought about it and felt that the Eighth Route Army would not be so simple. They must have a way out.
After a moment of silence, he immediately ordered the staff: "Order the reconnaissance plane to immediately detect whether the Eighth Route Army has other airports!"
"yes!"
Okamura Neiji's idea is simple: If the Eighth Route Army dares to do this, they must have another temporary airport where fighter planes can dock for refueling. Otherwise, why should they fight against "zero war"?
Shinta Kono also saw the problem.
He said: "Is this the Eighth Route Army's... desperate move?"
Kono Shinta's idea was that the Eighth Route Army knew that if this continued, the airports would be destroyed one by one by the Empire, so they simply refused to retreat and directly took off for a decisive battle with Imperial fighter planes.
Okamura Neiji shook his head and said: "I don't think so! There is no need for the Eighth Route Army to go all-out!"
It's really not necessary.
Because time is on the side of the Eighth Route Army, and it is the Japanese who are eager to destroy the other side.
Moreover, the Eighth Route Army has always been very patient, just as they have been able to fight guerrillas in the mountains and deal with the imperial army for a long time.
It is hard to imagine that such a force would choose to fight the empire at this time.
Then Kono Shinta was surprised: "But, if that's not the case, it's not very likely that there is another airport, right? Our reconnaissance planes have been conducting reconnaissance in the sky..."
The airport is such a large piece of flat land, and the snow needs to be shoveled away. The reconnaissance plane can find it without much effort.
Therefore, Shinta Kono did not believe that the Eighth Route Army had another airport.
At this moment, the communications troop reported: "Your Excellency, General, the steel plant was attacked by the Eighth Route Army!"
Okamura Neiji just said "hmm", thinking that it was just harassment by the guerrillas.
However, the next second he suddenly realized: "Could the Eighth Route Army's temporary airport be our steel factory airport?"