While the train was rumbling toward Yuncheng, the independent group in Yuncheng was also busy.
Li Yunlong ordered the first battalion to be divided into several directions to launch continuous feint attacks towards the Japanese positions.
Needless to say, the purpose of the feint is to attract the attention of the Japanese to cover the train, and secondly to keep the Japanese nervous and unable to rest.
However, the effect of the latter is not very good, because the Japanese in the Takemura Brigade are experienced veterans, so this kind of interference will not cause them much trouble.
As for the Japs' poison gas bombs... Since the Eighth Route Army's offensive force is not large and the impact is not very strong, Wang Xuexin believes that the Japs will not use gas bombs. After all, this thing still costs money and is risky to use. As long as it can be blocked in conventional combat.
No need to use it.
Wang Xuexin was still at Li Yunlong's headquarters because he felt that there were new changes in the battlefield situation.
Wang Xuexin looked at the map and said: "The artillery used by the Japanese to attack chemical bombs with gas bombs is usually the Type 94 90mm mortar. This thing has a range of 3.8 kilometers, which means..."
Li Yunlong immediately understood the meaning of Wang Xuexin's words. He nodded slightly and said solemnly: "If we want to ensure the safety of Yuncheng and the people, we can't just defeat the enemy like the previous plan! Now!
In this situation, we must drive the Japanese to a distance of 3.8 kilometers and hold on to it, otherwise, their gas bombs will hit Yuncheng City!"
Zhao Gang couldn't help but frowned: "But, 3.8 kilometers away... it's a plain. There are bunkers, gun towers and tunnels in Yuncheng, but there is nothing there. How can we defend it then?"
Li Yunlong sighed and said, "If you can't defend it, you have to defend it! Otherwise, if the gas bombs are fired into the city, it will be all over!"
Zhao Gang is not denying this.
In fact, as a political commissar, he certainly knew the importance of the people. The problem was that as a result, the Eighth Route Army's previous arrangements in the Yuncheng area were useless, and they were forced to confront the Japanese on the plains outside the city. At that time...
Zhao Gang said: "If we stand 3.8 kilometers outside the city, won't we fulfill the enemy's wish and turn this battle into a war of attrition to strangle our army's effective strength? Moreover, the enemy may have an advantage over Dayun City.
It’s still big!”
What Zhao Gang said is correct.
Previously, the commander was worried about the Japanese fighting a war of attrition in Yuncheng. Now the Japanese have forced the war of attrition to move outside the city. This situation is even worse for the Eighth Route Army.
This does not include the possibility that the Japanese would use poison gas bombs.
Wang Xuexin thought for a while and then said: "Regiment leader, political commissar, I think we can make some preparations for this battle in advance."
"What preparations?" Zhao Gang asked.
"First of all!" Wang Xuexin said: "Since the Japs at Position 9 can fire gas bombs, it means they have complete anti-gas equipment. We should find a way to hand over a batch of them for emergencies!"
Zhao Gang pointed his finger in the air and agreed: "Yes, if we also have gas masks, the Japanese poison gas will not work, and it will not be so easy to attack our defense line!"
"Secondly!" Wang Xuexin continued: "The focus of our defense should be the upper hand, not the front!"
Li Yunlong nodded in agreement. There was little point in guarding the front when the enemy was armed with poisonous gas bombs. Only upwind could deliver a fatal blow to the Japanese. Therefore, only by getting upwind could the Japanese throw rat traps.
But in other words, once the upwind position is lost, it means the entire line of defense is lost.
There is another problem: there are upwind points, one after another, all the way to Luliang Mountain. How to defend every upwind point has become a problem again.
However, if we want to defend Yuncheng, we have to do this, otherwise the final result will be that Yuncheng will be devastated and become an empty city.
"Finally!" Wang Xuexin said: "It is still the coordination of infantry and artillery. There are 17 field guns in the city with a range of 18 kilometers. They can effectively provide cover for the defenders outside the city, and also make the Japanese unable to move forward with confidence without heavy artillery cover!
"
Li Yunlong and Zhao Gang nodded helplessly.
This is also problematic. Although heavy artillery can provide cover, its shells are limited. Although a lot of them have been captured, the Eighth Route Army cannot produce them on its own. It is a situation where it is sitting on nothing.
But now there is no other way, we can only take one step at a time.
Just as several people were discussing countermeasures, the communications soldier shouted: "Captain, the train has been stopped!"
Li Yunlong was stunned and asked: "Where are you stopping?"
"It's still five kilometers away from here!" the correspondent replied: "It's a transfer station for the Japanese!"
It turns out that Wang Xuexin missed something.
Although the Japanese did not dismantle the railway line, it was impossible for the train to drive directly to the front line. It would be easily blown up by enemy artillery fire, and the supplies might be seized and used by the enemy.
Therefore, trains usually stop at a transfer station five kilometers away from Yuncheng, where the materials are unloaded and then transported to the front line by manpower or cars.
In this way, it is not surprising that the train was stopped at the transfer station, which was the terminal station for the Japs, and the Japs even brought people forward to move supplies.
At this time, the monk felt a little embarrassed.
He originally wanted to force his way through.
Forcibly breaking through is one way, but the trains in this era are slower... In fact, the freight trains of the Japanese are already quite fast, with a maximum speed of about 50 kilometers per hour. The Asia Express train built by the Japanese on the South Manchuria Railway has a maximum speed of
The operating speed also reaches 130 kilometers.
If this were a train from the late Qing Dynasty in China, its speed would be 20 to 30 kilometers per hour, which is not as fast as a modern electric donkey.
But the speed of 50 kilometers per hour is not enough. Five kilometers takes at least four minutes. The Japanese only need to make a phone call to the Japanese guarding the railway ahead, throw a few grenades and blow up the railway, and it will be all over.
Therefore, the monk did not dare to act rashly and could only wait in a hurry on the train.
Fortunately, the puppet platoon leader named Li Changguo was clever. He rolled his eyes, got out of the car and said to the Japanese: "Taijun, these goods cannot be unloaded here!"
Immediately, a translator came up and asked: "Why can't we unload here? There is a battlefield further ahead. Do you want to drive up and die or what?"
Li Changguo explained awkwardly: "You think I do? But...there are 'special shells' in these goods. The superiors have told me that they must be sent to the front line immediately. Can this be delayed?"
When the translator heard "special shells", his scalp went numb.
Not everyone can unload this thing, and the entire transfer station will be destroyed if you are not careful.
What's more, the fighting on the front line was indeed lively, and the troops were in urgent need of "special shells" to save their lives, so they explained to the Japanese with a frightened face and then let them go.