After a few minutes, the captain spoke and analyzed with a stern face: "The garrison is too cunning. It is obvious that we suffered such a big loss in today's battle because we fell into the trap. We will definitely not make the same mistake again in the future."
"Send a telegram to the division commander immediately. I want aircraft support to destroy the Eighth Route Army's offensive positions after dawn to prevent them from attacking us again tonight."
"Also, report our casualties and request support."
"Last point, all units are on heightened alert. Without my order, no one can leave their position, nor can they stick their heads out of the trenches."
"Especially our flanks and rear must be on heightened alert."
"The garrison is too cunning. According to intelligence, they also have a mysterious force with very powerful combat capabilities. There are fightings everywhere in Datong right now. The defense line around Datong is ineffective. It cannot be ruled out that they will send a small number of elite troops over the mountains and ridges to the rear of the position and
Attack us from the flank, or hide around the position and shoot us coldly."
The next night, although the Japanese captain was well prepared, he was finally fooled by the garrison's endless feints and lost more than 200 people.
More importantly, the division headquarters stationed in Datong did not send any reinforcements.
The captain became anxious and incorporated all the extra artillery, baggage and machine gunners in the position into the infantry to make up for his increasing shortage of troops.
At the enemy headquarters in front of the garrison, Li Hao was very dissatisfied with last night's attack.
Sitting at the table with a frown on his face, he studied the Japanese defense map of Caoziling hand-drawn by the commandos over and over again, hoping to find one or two breakthroughs to consume more Japanese soldiers.
"Captain, would you like to let the independent company and the special agent company come in?" Hong Linfeng suggested.
"They have detoured back behind the Caoziling defense line and found the Japanese artillery position."
"According to the investigation, in order to make up for the losses of the front-line defense troops, the Japanese command headquarters took almost all the troops that could be transferred from the artillery positions."
"Now the artillery position only has a reinforced infantry team and less than 300 gunners. If they are allowed to participate in the battle, they can take down the Japanese artillery position in half an hour at most. Then cooperate with the main force to attack the Japanese position from front to back. We can definitely take it in one night."
Li Hao shook his head and replied: "Their mission is indeed to cooperate with the main force in making dumplings, but now is not the time."
"We did kill a lot of Japanese and puppet troops in the past two nights, but we also suffered heavy losses."
"More than 300 people were sacrificed and injured, and a large number of shells and explosive charges were consumed. Many of the mine cannons, artillery pieces, light and heavy machine guns were all destroyed by the Japs."
"When the general offensive is finally launched, the losses of the troops will definitely be greater."
"We paid such a high price to finally eliminate more than a thousand Japs in Cao Ziling. It's such a loss."
Hong Linfeng frowned and asked: "But the Japs on the mountain are becoming more and more cautious and will not be fooled at all. Apart from using independent companies and special agent companies to attack front and rear, I can't think of any other way to continue to consume a large number of their troops and attract other Japanese soldiers."
The puppet troops are coming for reinforcements."
"Let the armor be connected!" Li Hao made a decisive decision.
"In two nights, we must have killed more than 500 Japanese soldiers."
"As long as we kill a few hundred more people tonight, if the Japanese army wants to stop us at Caoziling, they must mobilize troops from Datong to reinforce Caoziling, or dispatch Japanese and puppet troops from Laiyuan, Guangling, and Yuxian to attack us from both front and rear."
"No matter what the Japanese army chooses, we will be the final winners."
Hong Linfeng was confused for a moment, frightened by Li Hao's decision, and then reminded him anxiously: "Captain, be careful!"
"Excluding the losses outside Hunyuan City, the armored company only has three tanks and three armored vehicles left."
"The Japanese troops on Caoziling are equipped with a large number of artillery. If they send out tanks now, they will definitely suffer losses."
"These tanks are the treasures of our garrison. We cannot produce them ourselves. If they are lost, they are gone."
Li Hao replied firmly: "Execute the order."
"Those chariots are indeed the treasures of our garrison, but if they are left unused in the regiment, no matter how powerful the treasures are, they are just a pile of scrap metal."
"Only by going to the battlefield and exerting all their effects can they become real treasures."
"Taking a step back, even if they are really destroyed on the battlefield, they have proved the value of their existence by killing the Japanese."
"And now only the tank company is the bait that can seduce the Japs into using our feint attack as the main attack, creating opportunities for the artillery to surprise them."
At eight o'clock in the evening, the attack began on time.
The Japanese captain stood on the high ground, looking at the battlefield with the roar of artillery, with a very serious expression.
"Sir, the Eighth Route Army offensive force has appeared again!" the deputy captain reminded.
The captain replied solemnly: "This time we can't be fooled again no matter what."
"The artillery opened fire and let me watch the Eighth Route Army's attacking troops and blow up their true purpose to see whether it was a real attack or a fake attack."
"The infantry continues to hide in the artillery hole to avoid possible artillery attacks from the garrison. No one can come out in advance without my order."
"Chariot..." As soon as he finished speaking, an exclamation sounded in his ears.
Then the captain saw a scene that frightened him. His eyes instantly widened and his mouth opened with a stunned and shocked expression.
A tank and two armored vehicles formed a row, broke out of the smoke-filled offensive position, and charged towards the mountains.
Dozens of Eighth Route Army troops followed closely behind, holding rifles and light machine guns, using the tanks as their own bunkers to prevent them from being hit by stray bullets flying from the blocking position.
The battlefield was so big that the artillery not only had to shoot, but also had to avoid counterattacks from the heavy artillery battalion of the garrison. The possibility of hitting three tanks moving at high speed was almost zero.
In the blink of an eye, the three tanks charged towards the mountain for more than fifty meters.
Not a single one of the dozens of Eighth Route Army troops fell behind and still followed closely behind.
"Sir, the garrison has even dispatched its chariots. This must be a real attack." The vice-captain reacted from the shock and made his own judgment.
"I suggest that the troops enter the position immediately. If they don't come out, it will be too late."
"The chariots are too fast, and there are many infantrymen behind them. They are overwhelming all the way. The light and heavy machine guns can't stop them at all. The mountain artillery and field artillery can't catch up behind the position. We can only let the infantry go up and destroy those chariots."
The captain thought so too, but his opponent was too cunning. He did not make a decision right away. Instead, he frowned and struggled for the last time before making a decision.
"Sir, a guard post spotted the Eighth Route Army moving behind the position." A second lieutenant rushed over and reported.
The deputy captain immediately said: "Sir, I am 100% sure now that this is the real attack of the garrison."
"Chariots provided cover, infantry assaults, and troops detoured behind us to cooperate, attacking us from both front and rear."
"Give the order quickly, or it will be too late."
The captain no longer hesitated: "Order the troops to enter the position immediately, resolutely repel the attacking troops of the garrison, and destroy the three tanks."
"The security forces have stepped up their vigilance to prevent the enemy from attacking us from behind."
"Especially the artillery troops, they must be the first target for sneak attacks by the garrison regiment's outflanking troops."
