Seeing that the squadron leader's face was getting heavier and heavier, the deputy captain mustered up the courage to suggest: "Sir, I humbly suggest that we give up the extra supplies of the army."
"All the ammunition carried by the soldiers was also abandoned and destroyed on the spot."
"Since everyone started marching with ammunition on their backs, our speed has obviously slowed down."
"My humble position has calculated that according to the current marching speed, we will definitely not be able to enter Laiyuan City at six o'clock, and the time will be delayed by at least an hour and a half?"
"This means that we have to march for nearly two hours without aircraft cover. The Eighth Route Army will definitely not miss this opportunity to attack us."
"If they are strong enough, they can take the opportunity to annihilate us all."
The squadron leader shook his head and objected with a stern face: "No, your method won't work."
"In just one hour, we have lost more than 40 mules and horses. There are still five or six hours to go, and the Eighth Route Army will definitely continue to shoot mules and horses in the baggage train."
"If a mule or horse dies, destroy the extra ammunition. By the time we get all the way to Laiyuan, we will have blown up all the ammunition transported by the baggage train."
"The order given to us by our superiors is to send the ammunition transported by the baggage team to Laiyuan City at the minimum cost. If the ammunition is gone, what is the point of going to Laiyuan City?"
The squadron leader silenced his deputy with just a few words and was unable to refute.
After racking his brains and unable to think of any other solution, the deputy could only look at the squadron leader and asked with a look of helplessness: "Sir, besides giving up the extra ammunition to ensure the troop's marching speed, I can't think of any other solution."
"No, there is another way!" A murderous intent suddenly flashed across the squadron leader's face.
"We have aircraft cover above our heads, so the Eighth Route Army will definitely not dare to assemble and will have to use guerrilla warfare to fight us. Even if some of the escort troops take the initiative to attack, they can only stare at it and cannot threaten the safety of the attacking troops."
"I decided to send out two infantry squads, one on the left and one on the right, to guard the two wings of the baggage train. They would conduct reconnaissance along the way and prevent the Eighth Route Army from approaching the road and shooting the mules and horses of the baggage train."
The deputy was not optimistic about this method and immediately reminded: "Sir, sending troops to investigate and advance on our flanks can indeed protect the baggage train, but the marching speed of the troops will definitely slow down. Even if there is no accident in the middle, we still have to
You can't enter Laiyuan City until eight o'clock in the evening."
"There was no aircraft cover for the last two and a half hours because it was dark."
"If the Eighth Route Army gathers heavy troops and takes the opportunity to intercept us, not only will all the ammunition of the baggage train be lost, but the entire escorting force may also be destroyed."
The squadron leader did not deny: "Relying only on our own strength, there will indeed be this risk."
"But we are not alone in the garrison base area."
"There are more than 2,000 troops stationed in Laiyuan City. They can dispatch at least half of their troops to meet us."
"As long as the total number of escort troops exceeds 1,000, the Eighth Route Army operating around us will not be able to do anything to us no matter how powerful it is."
"Set up the radio station immediately. I want to send a telegram to the Laiyuan garrison."
At the Japanese Army Command Headquarters in Laiyuan City, after listening to the telegram requesting help from the escorting troops, a major immediately stood up and objected: "Sir, I don't agree to send troops to pick up the baggage train."
"The Eighth Route Army is watching us eagerly outside the city. If they break out of Laiyuan City without aircraft cover, they will definitely pounce on us like a pack of wolves, consuming our troops. Maybe they will also prepare a pocket formation, etc.
Let’s go drill and catch them all.”
A major who agreed to send troops retorted: "It is possible for the Eighth Route Army outside the city to use guerrilla warfare to use sneak attacks to consume our troops, but it is absolutely impossible to swallow up our troops."
"The intelligence department has repeatedly confirmed that there is only one battalion of the Eighth Route Army operating outside the city."
"Even if they have heavy artillery support, it would be impossible for them to wipe out more than a thousand of us with one battalion."
"To put it bluntly, even if the Eighth Route Army had strength, we would not give them that much time to deploy troops."
"The response force set out at three o'clock in the afternoon, met with the baggage train more than ten kilometers away from Laiyuan City, and then protected the baggage train and marched back to Laiyuan."
"From leaving the city to entering the city, we will not spend more than five hours outside the city. For more than two hours, we have planes cruising in the sky, keeping an eye on the nearby Eighth Route Army to prevent them from gathering and mobilizing."
"This means that after the Eighth Route Army learned that we were leaving the city, it only had three hours to mobilize its troops and then attack us."
"Even if they are well-trained and well-equipped, they will not be able to severely damage us in such a short period of time."
"So I agree to send troops to support the supply train."
"The ammunition they brought is enough for us to consume for more than a month."
"Although there will be casualties when the troops go out of the city to support them, it is completely within our tolerance. Moreover, we can bring back so much ammunition, so we will not lose money."
The colonel, who had been listening to the discussion among his subordinates, finally made up his mind.
"Nakamura-kun's analysis is very good. I don't believe that a battalion of the Eighth Route Army can complete its assembly within three hours and then severely damage us."
"Since the casualties of the attacking troops are within our tolerance, and the ammunition brought by the baggage team is large, then this loss is worth it."
"I have decided to hand over the reception task to Mr. Nakamura. I will give you two infantry squadrons and two Imperial Association military camps. We will leave the city on time at three o'clock and bring the baggage team into the city at the minimum cost."
After the escort force dispatched the search team, both sides of the road directly became a restricted area for the independent battalion, and there was no way to get close.
Although Zhao Wen was unwilling, he could only accept the reality, change his tactics, and order his troops to watch the Japanese and puppet search teams.
D.
After the escort troops began to conduct reconnaissance and searches on both sides of the highway, the marching speed of the baggage train inevitably slowed down.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would arrive at Laiyuan City at least two hours late, and during these two hours they would be marching at night without aircraft cover.
Zhao Wen decided to change the battle plan.
First fight guerrillas with the Japanese and puppet search troops, slowly wear them down, and then deal with them after dark.
At 4:30 in the afternoon, there was still an hour before the Japanese plane left the battlefield.
Seeing that nearly one-third of the Japanese and puppet troops had been killed or injured on the road, Zhao Wen began to think about how to deal with the remaining Japanese and puppet troops.
Suddenly, the communications soldier who was following the instructor came into his field of vision, breathing heavily and rushing over in a hurry.
"Report to the battalion commander that something happened in Laiyuan City."
"At three o'clock sharp, more than 300 Japanese soldiers and more than 600 puppet troops suddenly rushed out of Laiyuan City and marched towards the baggage train."
"I came over on horseback, faster than the Japanese and puppet troops. According to their marching speed, we can meet up with the baggage train in another hour."
"The instructor ordered the first company to take the initiative to attack, and the activities were waiting for opportunities around the Japanese and puppet troops."
"The Second Company continues to stay outside Laiyuan City, monitoring the remaining Japanese and puppet troops in Laiyuan City."
"Battal Commander, they must be here to pick up the transport team!" the third company commander judged.
Then he frowned into a big "Sichuan" and continued: "Once the two armies merge, the Japanese and puppet troops escorting the baggage train will exceed a thousand people, and the strength is more than twice ours. Then we will attack the baggage train.
, is like pulling out a tooth from a tiger’s mouth.”
"Not only are the casualties high, but the possibility of success is also very low."