Chapter 1251 The commander also underestimates the enemy
Looking at the translator, cold sweat continued to break out on his forehead.
The chief of staff probably guessed the translator's concerns: he must have heard something insulting about the imperial army that he couldn't say out loud.
In order to find out the true situation of Laishui, he ordered in a deep voice.
"You can say whatever the other party says. You can't hide a word. Even if it is detrimental to the imperial army, I will not hold you accountable."
"Thank you, Taijun..." the translator breathed a long sigh of relief.
After wiping the cold sweat on his forehead, he reported: "The person who answered the phone claimed to be from the Eighth Route Army, and he was also the leader of an independent regiment operating in Laishui..."
"He said that the imperial army's garrison in Laishui was too inexperienced. It was completely eaten up by the independent regiment in just one night, and the county seat was also captured..."
"I also asked the humble officials to thank the imperial army for the food and supplies they prepared for them in Laishui County."
"With this food, the Independent Regiment will not be short of food for at least two years."
The chief of staff became angry, his eyes became redder and redder, and when he was about to burst into flames, he finally couldn't hold it back.
He punched the table in front of him and cursed.
"Baga! This is simply an insult to the imperial army. I want to kill him..."
Then I hurried to find the commander.
"Sir, something happened on the front line!" the chief of staff rushed into the office and reported hurriedly.
"Laishui County was captured by the independent regiment, and all the garrison troops were destroyed."
The commander was studying the map, and his first reaction when he heard the news was disbelief.
Although the garrison in Laishui is not as good as that in Yixian, there are still more than 2,000 people in total.
The Eighth Route Army operating in their defense area only had an independent regiment with poor equipment and a combat effectiveness inferior to that of a squadron of the Imperial Army. How could it possibly capture Laishui County?
Knowing that the commander did not believe it, the chief of staff continued to report: "I just sent someone to call the Laishui Garrison Brigade and the call went through, but the person who answered the phone was a Chinese, and he claimed to be the leader of the independent regiment."
"The phone of the garrison headquarters is in the county. It is heavily guarded and has dedicated personnel on duty. Unless all the imperial soldiers there are dead, the Chinese have no right to approach the phone, let alone answer the phone and insult the imperial soldiers on the phone.
"
"The Chinese who claimed to be the leader of the independent regiment said on the phone: The imperial army's garrison in Laishui was completely wiped out by them, and there is no longer an imperial army in Laishui."
The commander couldn't sit still.
The problem of Yixian County being captured by the Eighth Route Army had not yet been resolved, and Laishui was occupied again.
If Yixian includes one-third of the road that the imperial army used to go south, and Laishui covers half of it, if it is lost for one day, a large amount of supplies will be unable to go south.
He frowned and thought for two minutes before giving the order: "Contact the aviation force and immediately send a fleet of aircraft to Laishui for low-altitude reconnaissance. Report any news immediately."
"The imperial troops from two infantry brigades were mobilized from the surrounding counties of Laishui, divided into two groups, and approached Laishui."
"These two troops must fight to the vicinity of Laishui before twelve o'clock noon."
"After the aviation force figured out the true situation in Laishui, the two troops rushed in for me, recaptured Laishui, and eliminated the independent regiment."
At the enemy headquarters of the Laishui County Independent Regiment, the leader put down the phone and saw several people staring at him with their mouths open, and immediately explained.
"Political commissar, didn't our superiors just order us to make a fuss about Laishui County and win two more battles to expand our results? I'll start now."
"Using a Japanese phone to scold the Japanese at the Japanese headquarters, the little Japanese on the other end of the phone will definitely not be able to bear it."
The political commissar immediately reacted: "Commander, you want to anger the Japanese and force them to send troops to counterattack Laishui. We are here to wait and see!"
"The one who knows me is the political commissar!" the regimental leader replied with a smile.
Grinning, he continued: "I deliberately announced my home address on the phone and told the Japanese that we were an independent group."
"Before the equipment change, the independent regiment was famous for its poor equipment and poor combat effectiveness. All the little devils within a hundred or two hundred miles around knew it."
"Now that we have changed our clothes, our combat effectiveness is several times stronger than before, but the little devils around us don't know that. They will definitely look at us with their old eyes and deal with us."
"Then our chance will come."
"Of course, the little devil is not stupid. He will definitely not believe my words. He will probably conduct aerial reconnaissance before dispatching troops."
"So we have to put on a show for the Japanese reconnaissance planes to make them despise us."
"You, the political commissar, will be responsible for this matter. Organize a baggage company, a recruit company, and some fellow villagers to rush to transport the grain we seized in the county."
"When you encounter a Japs plane, leave it behind and run away. The more chaotic it is, the better."
"The Third Battalion and the Seventh Company rushed to Liuzhuang, fifteen kilometers east of the city, and built blocking positions based on the favorable terrain. When they encountered the Japanese planes, they abandoned their positions and ran away."
"If there is a Japanese infantry attacking you, and the force is less than a squad, find a way to eat it."
"The troops were more than one squad, and the troops retreated while fighting, leading the Japanese to the vicinity of the county seat. I personally dealt with them."
"The Third Battalion and the Eighth Company went to Hutou Ridge, 13 kilometers north of the city, and built a blocking position based on the favorable terrain. The mission is the same as that of the Seventh Company."
"The Ninth Company is going to Xuejia Village in the south of the city. The mission is the same as that of the Seventh and Eighth Company."
"The three companies will set off now."
"The reconnaissance platoon will also be dispatched to monitor the two counties closest to us in squad units."
As soon as the telegram from the aviation arm of the Japanese North China Front arrived, the chief of staff rushed into the commander's office.
"Sir, the aviation force has completed the investigation. Laishui County has indeed been occupied by the Eighth Route Army. They are rushing to transport food into the mountains."
"In the east, north and south of Laishui City, the Eighth Route Army has established blocking positions relying on favorable terrain."
"The opponent's equipment is very poor. Facing the low-flying reconnaissance plane, there is no way but to avoid it."
"No heavy weapons were found in the three blocking positions being constructed."
"Judging from the color of the enemy's military uniforms: they are the Independent Regiment and some local troops. No other Eighth Route Army was found."
The Eighth Route Army was notoriously poor. Many troops could not even get enough cotton-padded clothes for winter, let alone uniforms.
In order to distinguish the main force from the non-main force, each base area can only find its own way and be self-sufficient.
Some used captured Japanese and puppet army uniforms to transform them, and some produced them themselves.
This resulted in the uniforms of the Eighth Route Army in various places being similar in style but varied in color.
Some military uniforms directly maintain the color of the captured Japanese and puppet army uniforms, while some military uniforms are dyed by themselves.
The Independent Regiment is isolated behind enemy lines, and its uniforms are produced and dyed by itself, which is more or less different from the nearby Eighth Route Army.
Therefore, the Japs can usually tell where the Eighth Route Army comes from, whether it is the main force, and which unit it belongs to by the color of its military uniforms.
The commander had no doubts about the investigation results and ordered on the spot: "Since Laishui County was captured by the independent group, this matter will be easy to handle."
"Although we don't know what conspiracy the independent regiment used to capture Laishui County and annihilate all the Laishui garrison. But we all know the strength of this independent regiment. It is very weak, not as good as an infantry squadron of the imperial army."
"Tell the frontline offensive troops that I not only require them to retake Laishui County, but also to annihilate the independent regiment. It is best to capture a few prisoners and find out how Laishui was captured by them."
"Hey, humble duty, go give orders now!"
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