The indiscriminate shooting of the Japanese and puppet troops caused huge casualties to everyone. The villagers participating in the operation became more and more chaotic, which invisibly made the troops' retreat more difficult.
After everyone had evacuated the battlefield, starting from the road and walking along the Eighth Route Army's retreat route for more than 300 meters, there were corpses everywhere, including soldiers and villagers, with villagers accounting for the majority.
At the garrison headquarters, bad news came one after another.
Wang Hong stood in front of Li Hao with a look of self-blame.
"The regiment commander's destruction of the blockade ditch and blockade wall was a task given to me by the regiment headquarters. I failed to complete it, and it also caused a large number of casualties, especially among the common people. I am fully responsible for this. I will send a telegram to my superiors now.
Request for punishment.”
"Otherwise I won't be able to give an explanation to the folks."
Li Hao had a heavy look on his face, holding a pen and writing and drawing on the paper. From time to time, he would pick up the battle report just sent by the army and read it, and then start writing and drawing again.
It took ten minutes for him to speak: "Political Commissar, this is not your fault!"
"We underestimated the little devils and the blockade trenches and walls they were building.
"I didn't expect that they could not only cut up our base area and divide our base area into small disconnected pieces, which can be destroyed one by one in the future, but also have so many functions."
"Look, tonight alone, the blockade trench has revealed three functions."
"One is to hide soldiers, one is to be used as a trench, and the other is to arrange it as a minefield to prevent us from destroying the blockade ditch and killing people by the way."
"Look at these sketches I made."
"The blockade trench is more than two meters deep. The little Japs can dig a few hiding holes on the trench wall, hide the troops in them when we are not paying attention, and then hide them well. When we get close to the blockade trench, they will suddenly come out.
Caught us off guard."
Wang Hong thought for a while and confirmed: "The Japanese and puppet troops who attacked us tonight must be hiding in these soldier caves."
"Before the operation started, each company conducted reconnaissance on the attack road section."
"If the Japanese and puppet troops were not concealed, they would definitely not be able to hide from the scouts."
Li Hao nodded and continued: "Let me talk about its second function."
"The blockade ditch is more than two meters deep. Without preparation, no matter how elite a soldier jumps in, it will take a lot of trouble to climb out."
"As for using it as a trench, I don't even have to think about it."
"The trenches are too deep. People can't shoot out even if they stand in them and hold up their guns."
"So once our people enter the blockade ditch, it will become our death place."
"As long as the Japanese and puppet troops drop a few grenades, no matter how many of us there are, we won't be able to withstand the explosion."
"So everyone never thought that the Japs would use the blockade ditch as a trench to fight against us."
"Now it seems we miscalculated and were caught off guard by them."
"They built the blockade trench. As long as you are prepared and each person brings a small ladder or a small bench, the blockade trench can be turned into a trench, and you can hide in the blockade trench and fight with us."
"There is also a blockade wall. Is this trick even more powerful?"
"The blockade ditch has a highway on one side and a blockade wall on the other."
"We launch the attack from the road side, because the blockade wall blocks it. We don't know anything about the situation on the other side of the blockade ditch. We don't even know when the Japs are coming for reinforcements."
"If the reinforcements coming are from our own people, the problem will be even greater."
"Because of the blockade wall, we can't see them and they can't see us. The two sides can't cooperate at all in fighting. They can only fight randomly and fight their own way."
Li Hao's face became more solemn as he spoke, and the faces of Hong Linfeng and Wang Hong also darkened.
"Captain, since the blockade ditch and blockade wall pose such a great threat to us, we can't let them build them."
"The blockade trenches and blockade walls that the Japanese have built must be destroyed at all costs."
Li Hao once again showed a helpless expression, shook his head and replied: "No way!"
"If nothing else, just one landmine can cause us heavy losses."
"Just like tonight, the Japanese planted landmines in the blockade ditch. When our people jump in, the mines will be triggered. Not only can it give an early warning to the nearby Japanese and puppet troops, telling them that someone is sabotaging or crossing the blockade ditch, but it can also use a large number of landmines.
Kill us."
"Coupled with the Japanese and puppet troops hiding in those troop hiding caves, no matter how many attack teams we send out, they will all return in vain."
Wang Hong showed an expression of approval: "The little devil's style of play is indeed very powerful, but there is another point we must pay attention to."
"The troops who withdrew reported that when they were fighting the Japanese and puppet troops, the Japanese and puppet troops did not attack them with all their strength, but allocated part of their troops and firepower to shoot and kill civilians participating in the operation."
"This didn't exist before."
"Even if there are ordinary people on the battlefield, they will ignore them and focus on our troops."
"I feel that the little devil's combat policy towards us has also changed."
"According to statistics, among the more than 800 people who were directly lost tonight, only more than 300 people were the main force and local troops, and the remaining nearly 500 people were villagers who participated in the operation."
"It is certain that after this defeat, if we take such actions again in the future, the people will not support us as much as before."
"This move is even more cruel!" Li Hao sighed.
"By killing people, they broke the courage of the villagers to resist them, and made the people fear them and not dare to go against them."
"First, some people will not dare to support our Eighth Route Army because of fear, which will affect the unity and popular sentiment in our base areas, and then undermine the military morale and morale of the troops."
Hong Linfeng was impatient and immediately asked: "What should we do?"
"It's impossible to just watch the little devils build blockade walls and blockade ditches and divide our base area into several pieces."
"Watching them mess up our base area undermines my foundation for dividing the Eighth Route Army."
"Here!" Li Hao pointed to Guanshan Town on the map and answered decisively.
"The key to all problems lies here. As long as we capture Guanshan Town and kill the Japanese and puppet troops inside, all problems will be solved."
"Political Commissar, the task of attacking the blockade ditch and blockade wall is suspended. The most important thing for you now is to minimize the negative impact of tonight's defeat on the base area. We must not let the little devils destroy the people's hearts and minds in our base area by killing people.
The goal of morale is achieved.”
"Chief of Staff, you continue to mobilize troops and supplies and prepare to attack the Guanshan Town stronghold."
"As soon as the heavy artillery battalion is in place, we will launch an attack and try to capture Guanshan Town in one battle."
"Without the support of thousands of days of puppet troops in Guanshan Town, the blockade ditch and blockade wall are just decorations, no matter how well they are built, and they are vulnerable."
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