"Order the troops to strengthen their vigilance, use mortars and light and heavy machine gun fire to counterattack, and kill the Eighth Route Army sneak attack troops around us!" the captain made a decision with a stern face.
The adjutant immediately replied: "Sir, I will make arrangements right away!"
The sound of gunfire and the explosion of artillery shells kept ringing around the Japanese and puppet troops' garrison, starting from dark and continuing without stopping until ten o'clock in the evening.
The Japanese captain was very lucky that the third company of the first battalion that attacked them was not equipped with mortars, and even if there were mortars, there were very few artillery shells, so they could not threaten them.
Otherwise, if the third company has mortars and chooses to use mortars for a sneak attack, even if the Japanese captain concentrates all the troops on the station and hits them with a barrage of shells, they can still cause heavy casualties.
"Sir, something happened at the stronghold?" Suddenly, a scream sounded outside the tent where the Japanese captain was, and then the tent curtain was opened, and the nervous and anxious figure of the adjutant appeared in the tent.
The captain got up from the only camp bed in the army. Before he could speak, the adjutant reported hurriedly: "Sir, there is an urgent call from Linfen City. The stronghold was attacked by the main force of the new regiment and suffered heavy losses. We paid a huge price for this.
The five hundred thousand kilograms of grain that arrived will probably be snatched back by the new regiment of the Eighth Route Army!"
"Then what are you waiting for? Assemble the troops immediately and return to the reinforcement base. Five hundred thousand kilograms of food must not be thrown away!" The captain ordered without thinking, grabbed his armed belt hanging on the camp bed and prepared to go outside the tent.
Walk.
"Wait a minute, sir!" the adjutant quickly stopped the captain who was about to leave!
"The brigade commander has sent reinforcements, and they are closer to the stronghold than us. The headquarters requires us to continue collecting food from the Eighth Route Army base area, and they will come to the stronghold to rescue!"
"They have cars, and they are closer to Linfen City. The reinforcement base is indeed faster than us!" The captain frowned and analyzed, and then returned to his camp bed.
The adjutant comforted him: "Please rest assured, sir, the brigade headquarters has dispatched troops to reinforce the stronghold. There will definitely be no accident at the stronghold. Don't worry!"
The captain, who was sitting on the cot, still frowned and showed no signs of relaxing.
"Sir, is there something wrong?" the adjutant asked tentatively, staring at the captain.
The captain did not hide anything: "I have a very bad premonition, and it is getting stronger and stronger. We are being plotted by the Eighth Route Army again. Ever since we entered the Eighth Route Army base area and started discussing, we have been led by the Eighth Route Army's actions?"
"Impossible! We decide which village to rob on any day. How could we be plotted by the Eighth Route Army?" the adjutant asked with disbelief.
"Also, if the Eighth Route Army was plotting against us, how could we grab so much food in such a short time after entering their base?"
The captain frowned and asked: "Stealing food? Tell me, did we steal the more than 500,000 kilograms of food stored in the stronghold?"
"We have not robbed food in the Eighth Route Army base area before. You have also experienced it. Is it as easy as ours?"
"Really?" The adjutant also frowned.
Then he analyzed with a look of sudden realization: "In the past, we used to rob food in the Eighth Route Army base area. With threats like this, we could only get 20% of our stipulated food tax at most. Even if we killed people in the Eighth Route Army base area and threatened them with their lives, we could only rob them.
To 50% to 60% of the prescribed food tax!”
"Is this intentional by the Eighth Route Army? Before we entered the village, the Eighth Route Army had already prepared food. When we arrived, we forced them a little and they gave us the food!"
The adjutant had already guessed it correctly, but a trace of confusion immediately appeared on his face.
"But, sir, what is the purpose of the Eighth Route Army doing this?"
"We have given the grain to us, so what do they eat? The Chinese people in the base area will not hate them. You know, that grain is half of their total harvest. After many people take out the grain, the remaining grain will not even be used by themselves.
The food rations are not enough!”
The brigade captain judged with certainty: "By taking the food back from our hands, they can return the food to the Chinese people. Not only that, the Eighth Route Army will also win the favor of the Chinese people and receive food from the Chinese people."
Feed the troops!”
"Do you still remember the first day we entered the Eighth Route Army base area to grab food?"
"The Eighth Route Army did not grab food immediately after we divided our troops, but instead grabbed food while our food transport troops were on their way back to Linfen. Do you know why?"
Seeing the adjutant shaking his head in disbelief, the captain immediately explained.
"Our entire food grabbing operation was under the supervision of the Eighth Route Army. The reason why they have not taken action is because they do not want the anger of the imperial army to be vented on the Chinese people!"
"We have received a sufficient amount of grain tax from the Chinese people, and the grain was taken away on the road far away from the villages in China. If the imperial army vents its anger on the Chinese people, the imperial army's indiscriminate reputation will quickly
Spread throughout Linfen. From now on, the imperial army will not be able to steal food from the Chinese so easily. The gain outweighs the loss."
"But the Eighth Route Army killed two birds with one stone. It not only snatched the food back from us and killed a large number of our soldiers, but also won the hearts and minds of the Chinese people, making them willing to give them food and expand their troops."
The expressions on the adjutant's face were very complicated, ranging from incomprehension to thoughtfulness.
He hesitated and continued to ask: "But, sir, since our entire food grabbing operation was under the surveillance of the Eighth Route Army, then the next day and the next few days, why didn't they grab the food back and just watch?
Let us deliver the food to the stronghold!"
"Because we have changed the way we transport food, the Eighth Route Army operating here does not have the strength to take the food back from us!" the captain replied with a frown.
"However, you have to understand one thing clearly. During this period, the Eighth Route Army did not do anything, but we did not pay attention."
"However, it is because we don't care that this situation has arisen."
The adjutant frowned and asked: "Sir, I don't understand!"
"Casualties, our casualties during this period!" the captain explained immediately.
"Although we only have dozens of casualties every day, the Imperial Army only accounts for half of them. However, the total number of casualties during this period is definitely a very impressive number, at least for the Eighth Route Army!"
I don’t know if I don’t want to, I’ll be frightened when I think about it.
The adjutant opened his mouth and was stunned for half a minute before answering: "More than 600 people. During this period, our casualties exceeded 600 people, half of which were imperial troops!"
While the adjutant was still in shock, the captain continued, and his words were shocking.
"If I guess correctly, the attack on the stronghold tonight must be a long-planned attack by the Eighth Route Army!"
"They knew that we suffered heavy losses and lacked troops, and then they chose to attack our stronghold tonight!"
"Since they have decided to attack, with the Eighth Route Army's combat style, they are at least 80% sure before they take action. Our stronghold will definitely be captured by the Eighth Route Army tonight. And after the Eighth Route Army captures the stronghold, the next target will definitely be us!"
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