Seeing that Hong Linfeng and Captain Zhou nodded in agreement, Li Hao continued.
"The guerrillas, local troops, and two regiments of left-behind troops operating in Huaiyuan have a total strength of more than 800 people. They are not vegetarians."
"Yes, why did I forget about them? These people appear to be guerrillas on the surface. In terms of combat effectiveness, they are no less than many main forces." Hong Linfeng was the first to react.
In the garrison base area, although the training intensity of the guerrillas is not as good as that of the main force, as long as conditions permit and they are equipped with powerful enough weapons and equipment, their combat effectiveness can be at least half that of the main force.
The combat effectiveness of several guerrilla groups in Huaiyuan is not bad.
They have been living behind enemy lines for a long time, fighting constantly, and most of the guerrillas have actual combat experience.
The only thing the troops lack is weapons and ammunition.
During the Battle of Huaiyuan, this only problem was solved.
The troops can take as much weapons and equipment as they want as long as they know how to use them and can use them on the battlefield.
Today's guerrillas, each infantry squad is equipped with a light machine gun, the platoon is equipped with a heavy machine gun, and the guerrillas are equipped with a mortar platoon, which is several times more sophisticated than the equipment of many main forces.
The combat power is insufficient and the firepower is insufficient. This has always been the combat style of the garrison.
The combat effectiveness of the guerrillas is not bad to begin with, and with such good weapons and ammunition, the combat effectiveness will definitely increase.
When Hong Linfeng mentioned it, Captain Zhou also reacted and quickly added.
"In addition to several guerrillas and local troops, our two regiments also left many troops to guard the weapons and ammunition hidden outside the city."
"The main force has one platoon each, and there are also more than 400 lightly and seriously injured people from the Huaiyuan battle."
"After such a long time, there must be many lightly injured people who have recovered and returned to the team."
"With the two remaining platoons, we will definitely be able to gather two companies to join the battle."
"Two main companies and four guerrilla groups, with a total strength of more than 800 people. If used properly, more than 2,000 puppet troops can be on the road for one more day."
Seeing that both people agreed, Li Hao became more confident and made a decisive decision: "Then let's do this."
"Chief of Staff, send someone immediately to contact our troops staying in Huaiyuan to prepare for battle."
"Captain Zhou, you are the commander of the newly established Huaiyuan base area. Several guerrilla groups are your troops. You immediately give them an order: cooperate with the two main companies to delay the Japanese and puppet troops from capturing Huaiyuan County."
"We will start preparations now. In two hours, we will attack in platoon units with light equipment."
Peng Shaofeng is the captain of the Huaiyuan Tianqi Town guerrillas. Before joining the guerrillas, he was a platoon leader of the main force.
In the past, Peng Shaofeng would have been unable to lift his head when facing his former comrades.
Back then, I took three of my subordinates deep behind enemy lines to form the Tianqi Town guerrillas.
The team members were easy to talk to, and in less than three months, the three-man guerrilla force grew to more than a hundred people, which was equivalent to a company in the main force.
However, the equipment of the guerrillas was too poor. More than a hundred people were only equipped with twenty-three rifles, half of which were old sleeves with smooth rifling.
There is only one light machine gun and not even a bipod.
Ammunition is even more pitiful, with less than a hundred rounds for light machine guns and less than ten rounds per person for rifles.
Other guerrillas are either equipped with gunpowder guns, broadswords, spears...
Such strength has no comparison in front of a platoon of the main force.
Let’s take a look at our former comrades. As long as they didn’t sacrifice, they were at least the platoon leader of the main platoon. If they develop well, they have become deputy company commanders. Another comrade has become the company commander.
In comparison, I am definitely the least developed among all my comrades.
It's different now.
During the Battle of Huaiyuan, the Tianqi Town guerrillas exchanged their guns for guns. When they appeared in front of their former comrades, they could not only hold their heads up, but also walk with their heads held high.
The total strength is 180 people, equipped with a mortar platoon equipped with three 81 mm caliber mortars, a heavy machine gun company, four heavy machine guns, four infantry platoons, and a guard squad.
Each infantry squad is equipped with eight rifles and one light machine gun.
There is no shortage of bullets either. Each rifleman is equipped with fifty rounds of ammunition and three grenades or grenades, the machine gun is equipped with three hundred rounds of ammunition, the heavy machine gun is equipped with one thousand rounds of ammunition, and each mortar is equipped with twenty rounds of shells.
This is only the equipment of the troops. The guerrilla headquarters also reserves 30,000 rounds of various bullets and 150 rounds of artillery shells.
A veritable strengthening platoon.
This kind of strength can not only carry a company of the main force, but many main force battalions do not have as strong firepower as the guerrillas.
For more than half a month, in addition to executing missions, the one thing Peng Shaofeng did most was to train the troops, improve the combat effectiveness of the troops, and let everyone make good use of what they have in hand, so as not to waste such good equipment.
After one day's training, Peng Shaofeng dragged his tired body back to the headquarters when a soldier wearing an Eighth Route Army uniform walked in.
Peng Shaofeng knew him.
A platoon leader from the Independent Regiment stayed behind in Huaiyuan to guard weapons and ammunition.
During this period, I asked him to borrow many slightly injured veterans to help train the guerrillas.
Seeing him rushing in with heavy breathing and a serious expression, I immediately guessed what happened and asked quickly.
"Platoon Commander Wang, why are you so anxious?"
"The superiors have orders for us!" Platoon Leader Wang replied directly.
"Our independent regiment was ordered to stay in Huaiyuan and establish the Huaiyuan base area. Our regiment leader serves as the commander of the base area, Captain Peng. From now on, we are comrades who eat from the same pot and are all subordinates of the regiment leader."
"The regiment leader ordered us to prepare for battle immediately, bring all weapons and ammunition, and stop the Japanese and puppet troops who have reached Huaiyuan County in no-man's land at all costs."
"The main force will come back later, and then we will deal with the Japanese and puppet troops together."
Peng Shaofeng firmly believed what Platoon Leader Wang said and almost jumped with excitement.
Since the guerrillas changed their uniforms, although they have fought several battles, they have always cooperated with the main force to fight guerrillas, and they have rarely faced off against the Japs head-on.
Now that we have finally encountered such an opportunity to prove the combat effectiveness of the guerrillas, we will definitely not let it go.
Excited, he immediately replied: "Platoon Commander Wang, no one is more familiar with the terrain of Huaiyuan than our guerrillas."
"I request to lead the guerrillas first."
"You give me the first ten kilometers of highway that the Japanese will take after leaving the no-man's land, and use guerrilla warfare, mobile warfare, and mine warfare to slow down the march of the Japanese and puppet troops."
"I promise to let the Japanese and puppet troops leave for at least four hours."
Platoon Leader Wang thought for a moment and replied: "You are indeed the local snakes here. No one is more familiar with the terrain here than you. This matter will be done as you say. Captain Peng, your guerrillas will go up first, and then the other guerrillas will go up."
The team and our main force will go up again and cooperate with each other to complete the tasks assigned to us by the regiment commander."
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