Seeing the hesitation on the chief of staff's face, as if he was worried about something, the squadron leader took another telegram and continued: "The aviation force reported that they found traces of Eighth Route Army activities 40 kilometers southeast of the assembly area and launched an attack. The pilots saw
The Eighth Route Army fled in the bombing zone."
"The Eighth Route Army reconnaissance troops were seen at a stronghold more than 40 kilometers southeast of the assembly area."
"They are very vigilant. By the time our people kill them, they will have disappeared without a trace."
After finishing several telegrams in a row, the squadron leader mustered up the courage to express his judgment: "Sir, judging from the enemy situation reports sent by the aviation force and several surrounding counties, the remaining troops of the Eighth Route Army are hidden in the 40-meter square southeast of the assembly area.
Kilometers in the mountains.”
"What do they seem to be waiting for?"
The worry on the chief of staff's face disappeared, and he answered without thinking: "They are waiting for us to have a problem, and then they will defeat us with a fatal blow."
"I know!" The squadron leader immediately wanted to understand what the chief of staff was worried about just now.
"Sir, you are worried that the target of these Eighth Route Army is the assembly area!"
"The main force is outside. If these Eighth Route Army troops really plan to attack the assembly area, they are at least 80% sure they can capture it."
The chief of staff did not expect that a small squadron leader could see his thoughts, and replied with approval: "I am indeed worried about this problem."
Following the change of subject, he continued: "But now I'm not worried."
"These Eighth Route Army troops are still 40 kilometers away. Even if they start marching after dark, they will not reach the assembly area until two or three in the morning."
"This time is enough for us to react, return to the reinforcement assembly area in advance, wait there, and wait for the Eighth Route Army to fall into its trap."
"Immediately give an order to all strongholds on the southeastern defense line of the assembly area, and ask them to send out all reconnaissance troops and intelligence personnel to closely monitor all roads, trails, and mountain roads leading to the assembly area."
"As long as the Eighth Route Army marches to the assembly area, report it immediately."
"Send a telegram to the two brigade captains: The troops will continue to pursue the Eighth Route Army, but they must be prepared to retreat to the assembly area at any time."
"After receiving the order to retreat, no matter what you are doing at the time, you must retreat as soon as possible, otherwise military law will be imposed."
At the joint headquarters of the garrison, news from the battlefield is continuously sent here via radio and reconnaissance troops.
Captain Zhou received a piece of information. Within half a minute of reading it, his face lit up with joy. He shouted excitedly: "Captain Li, the little devil has taken the bait."
"The First Battalion of the Independence Regiment sent someone back to report: The Japanese and puppet troops have been following them, chasing them, and there is no sign of returning to the assembly area."
As soon as he finished speaking, communications platoon leader Zhou Liang rushed in: "Regiment commander, Commander Sun of the guard company reported that they were bombed by Japanese soldiers three hours ago and lost an infantry squad."
"The Japanese and puppet troops in the surrounding strongholds were under martial law an hour ago, and a large number of reconnaissance troops and agents were sent to blockade the mountain. No matter whether it is a road or a small road, there are people watching."
"Captain Zhou, the Japanese have indeed been fooled!" Li Hao was also excited.
After taking the telegram handed over by Zhou Liang and reading it again, he analyzed it carefully.
"It can be seen from Sun Jiawu's report that the Japanese still thought we were hiding in the mountains, and then they blocked the mountains. As long as we make any movement, they will know about it soon and prepare to deal with us in advance."
"Give me an order: tonight the troops will finish their meal at six o'clock, be dispatched on time at seven o'clock, rush outside the assembly area at ten o'clock, rest for an hour, launch an attack at eleven o'clock, and strive to end the battle within two hours, and get the
Get off to the assembly area."
After thinking for a few seconds, he looked at Captain Zhou and continued to order: "You give the order to the three battalion commanders of the Independence Regiment. If the Japanese and puppet troops chasing them start to retreat, the troops will immediately counterattack, using the guerrilla warfare and mobile warfare we are good at.
Their marching speed gives them the strength to kill them."
At ten o'clock in the evening, the Japanese chief of staff decided to withdraw his troops after fighting all day.
It's not that he doesn't want to fight, but the troops are too tired, and fighting at night is more beneficial to the Eighth Route Army.
If you let the troops hold on and continue fighting, you will definitely be the one who suffers in the end.
In order to avoid unnecessary losses, the chief of staff decisively stopped the troops.
"The troops camped and rested on the spot, and all the reconnaissance troops were sent out to keep an eye on the Eighth Route Army we were going to fight. Don't let them slip away."
"We are tired, and they must be tired too. They need to rest. We must find out where their camp is. We will kill them as soon as daybreak and strive to end the battle tomorrow."
"Send a telegram to the two brigade captains and ask them to rest and try to avoid night battles with the Eighth Route Army."
"Contact the Imperial Army troops southeast of the assembly area and ask them if there is anything going on there."
"If the Eighth Route Army is really waiting for an opportunity, it will definitely march from their defense area to the assembly area and make a surprise attack there."
"If there is no movement in the defense zone, it proves that I am overthinking it."
More than ten minutes later, the squadron leader who was part-time deputy ran over.
"Sir, the two captains called back: resolutely execute the order."
"The Imperial Army in the southeast of the assembly area also sent a telegram back. There is no sign of the Eighth Route Army passing through the defense area, and it is very quiet."
"Am I really overthinking this?" the chief of staff said to himself, frowning.
After thinking about it for a few minutes and still unable to figure it out, he shook his head and replied, "I don't want to anymore."
"No matter what their conspiracy is, as long as we kill the three Eighth Route Army units in front of us, we are not afraid even if there is a conspiracy."
"Order the troops to take time to rest, and we will attack as soon as daybreak."
Outside the Japanese and puppet army assembly area, Li Hao had been looking through the telescope for almost ten minutes.
When I first arrived, my brows were furrowed and my face was serious.
As he watched, his frown relaxed and his serious expression became relaxed.
Maybe it’s because the assembly area is in an occupied area and there are too many Japanese and puppet troops stationed there. It is also a temporary camp and cannot be attacked. The defense system of the entire assembly area is not perfect at all. There are loopholes everywhere, and it is not even as good as
A temporary camp on the battlefield where the Japanese and puppet troops rested at night.
A barbed wire fence surrounded the camp as a boundary.
The barbed wire fence has four entrances, front, rear, left, and right, and two machine gun positions were built using sandbags and trenches at each opening. Six Japanese soldiers, three machine gunners, and three riflemen were stationed inside, equipped with a heavy machine gun or a light machine gun.
Several machine gun positions were built with sandbags between the entrance and exit, and a light machine gun team was stationed in each.
The machine gun positions are all patrolled by patrol teams.
A total of eight six-person patrol teams walked back and forth along the barbed wire fence, rifles in hand, looking very vigilant.
If you observe carefully, you will find that many machine gunners and patrolling Japanese are already in a half-asleep state because they are too tired.
Inside the assembly area, there were tents everywhere.
There are several open spaces in the middle. In one of the open spaces, eight mountain cannons are placed in a row, all wearing gun jackets. However, the general shape of the mountain cannons is still revealed and can be seen clearly.
Next to them were large carts filled with artillery shells and mules and horses. At a glance, there were at least ten such carts.
A fence was built in the open space farther away, and more than two hundred war horses were surrounded inside, eating fodder leisurely.
There were two rows of more than twenty tents set up next to the fence, and the owners of these war horses must have lived inside.
As long as you kill the Japs in the tent, those war horses will lose their combat effectiveness and wait obediently to be captured by you.
The baggage, weapons and ammunition were parked in another open space, and the carts filled with supplies were parked neatly on the ground one by one.
The mules and horses are kept together for easier management...
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