"Yo Xi, the chief of staff's analysis is very correct. Tubal Road has indeed made a very stupid decision to expand the army now!" Ono continued to say with an arrogant look.
Then he did not forget to add: "However, the large number of Chinese people joining the Eighth Route Army also reminded me that we must immediately recapture the strongholds we abandoned outside the city, reoccupy those towns, eliminate the Eighth Route Army operating there, or drive them into the mountains
!”
The chief of staff immediately reacted: "General, you are worried that the Eighth Route Army will operate in these places for too long, win over people's hearts, and encourage the Chinese people to resist us, which will not be conducive to our future occupation and control there!"
"Yo Xi! That's what I mean!" Ono nodded and affirmed.
The chief of staff also frowned and immediately affirmed: "General, what do you mean?"
"Send troops immediately to recapture the strongholds we abandoned outside the city. By the way, we will use these scattered Eighth Route Army troops to train troops and let the new recruits that the military headquarters has just added to us see blood!" Ono still had an arrogant expression on his face.
However, he didn't know that when he wanted to train with the Eighth Route Army, Wang Ping also thought of using the recruits in his hands who had not yet fully formed combat effectiveness to train!
The chief of staff, who knew the combat effectiveness of the new recruits, immediately worried: "Is it too early to send troops now? The Eighth Route Army has once eaten up the strength of one of our strengthened squadrons. And now we only have two infantry brigades that have initially formed combat effectiveness!"
"Can't wait!" Ono's face suddenly turned serious.
"As I said just now, the longer we delay in the county, the more serious the Eighth Route Army will destroy Laiyuan. I don't want the Chinese people in Laiyuan to be like the people in the Eighth Route Army's so-called base area, all siding with the Eighth Route Army. If it comes to this,
Unless we kill all the Chinese people outside the city, the battle to encircle and suppress the Eighth Route Army will definitely be very difficult!"
"However, there are so many Chinese people outside the city, and many of the supplies needed by the imperial army still need to be provided by them. It is definitely impossible to kill them all!"
"So, we can't delay any longer and must send troops immediately!"
The chief of staff still looked worried and said: "I am still very worried. The Eighth Route Army is too cunning! If it can kill one of our reinforcement squadrons and one battalion of the Imperial Association Army in one night, it is possible to kill two of our squadrons! According to the military headquarters
The incoming Eighth Route Army intelligence shows that they like to concentrate superior forces to ambush the imperial army!"
"Then let them ambush, and we can take this opportunity to fight them!" The serious expression on Ono's face immediately became arrogant. Not only that, after finishing speaking, an unnoticed sneer flashed across his lips.
The next morning, as soon as the gate of Laiyuan City was opened, a group of puppet troops, including many Japanese soldiers, rushed out of the city gate and quickly entered the bunker next to the city gate, looking ready to fight at any time.
Of course, these are qualifications that only the Japanese army has.
A few Japanese soldiers squatted behind the bunkers piled up with sandbags, holding crooked handles and 38-inch caps. Almost a platoon of puppet troops, like pacesetters, stood at the gate of the city with guns in hand.
The people who had already gathered at the city gate and wanted to enter the city had their own reasons, but the Japanese and puppet troops who rushed out dispersed them without giving any reason.
There is a small hill nearly 500 meters away from the city gate, where the surveillance and reconnaissance post of the reconnaissance platoon is located.
The changes at the city gate were not noticed by two sharpshooters with sniper potential.
We have been monitoring the city gate for two days, and the people who came out to guard the city gate in the morning were all puppet soldiers. Although the inspection of the people entering the city was very strict, they were still allowed to enter the city after all. It was unlike this morning, when they came up, they could not help but exclude those who wanted to enter the city.
The people dispersed.
The huge change made the two sharpshooters immediately realize that something was going to happen today!
Soon, Chen Hu, who was guarding here, was awakened.
Half an hour later, there was indeed new movement at the city gate.
A company of Imperial Army soldiers, carrying rifles and machine guns, lined up in four pairs and marched out of the city gate.
As soon as the puppet army of about a hundred people came out, the Japanese appeared.
Carrying rifles with bayonets on their backs, carrying crooked handles, grenade launchers, mortars, and a group of three carrying heavy machine guns, they walked out of the city gate in neat military appearance, showing off their power. After finishing, two companies of the Imperial Army,
Dragging thirteen carts, he followed last out of the city gate!
"A battalion of the Imperial Alliance Army, a Japs who strengthened the squadron, and baggage. The battalion commander deduced well that they must want to retake the abandoned stronghold outside the city first!" Platoon leader Chen Hu immediately made a judgment, and then said:
One of the cavalry messengers ordered.
"Go back to Xiaguan immediately and report to the regimental commander that the Japanese and puppet troops have come out. They are equipped with three heavy machine guns and three mortars!"
As soon as the communications soldiers left, Chen Hu ordered the remaining soldiers: "Comrades, our wait for two days has not been in vain. The rest of you will follow me to greet these Japanese and puppet troops who are leaving the city!"
After saying that, a pair of eyes became fanatical, and the faces of the ten subordinates also showed expressions of eagerness to try.
Before departure, Wang Ping gave them a special mission: During this training, as long as one person can earn five Japs, their level will be upgraded to squad leader after returning, and each person will be rewarded with 200 bullets and two cans of beef!
Therefore, as soon as they heard that they could fight the Japs, these people couldn't wait to rush around the Japs and hunt them down with the guns in their hands!
At this moment, squad leader Wei Qiang suddenly reminded: "Platoon leader, do you want to leave someone here to continue to monitor the city gate?"
Chen Hu slapped his head fiercely and replied: "Damn it, I almost ruined a big thing because of these devils. We must keep people. The leader has specifically told us that people can't be cut off here at the city gate. The devils are too cunning, and they might be behind.
There’s also a backup plan!”
"Squad leader, you stay with a soldier and a communication soldier from the communication platoon, continue to monitor the city gate, and report any situation immediately. The others will follow me to harass the Japanese, slow down their march, and buy time for the regimental commander to mobilize troops!"
Chen Hu and nine sharpshooters lined up and ambush behind a field bank more than 100 meters away from the official road.
Seeing everyone squatting on the ground, holding rifles, and staring at the front attentively. Chen Hu directly ordered: "Let's shoot the Japanese machine gunners and grenade launchers first. These Japanese are the greatest threat to us. One bullet per person, we will be beaten."
Just retreat!"
Soon, the Japanese and puppet troops appeared in four lines.
Among the nearly 300 Japanese troops, except for a few veteran officers who had suffered losses from the Eighth Route Army, they looked around with wary faces, as if they were facing a tense enemy.
Most of the new recruits hold the idea that the Imperial Japanese Army is invincible and that the Chinese army is a coward. During the march, it was as if they were showing off their power, without any vigilance at all!
