The commander stared at the map and asked: "Chief of Staff, how many troops can we assemble on the Datong front before noon?"
"Two regiments should be fine!" the chief of staff replied.
The commander immediately ordered: "Then send troops to these two regiments first. The troops will be assembled before noon. Then take the initiative to contact the garrison regiment operating in Datong, and divide the troops into Datong in company units to support the garrison regiment."
"After entering Datong, the two regiments must obey the command of Comrade Li Hao, otherwise military law will be imposed."
"After these two regiments set off, two more regiments will be assembled from the base area to move to the Datong line. Reinforcements will be sent at any time according to battlefield needs!"
"Chief of Staff, you personally go to the front line to supervise this matter, but you cannot interfere with Comrade Li Hao's command."
The political commissar suddenly said: "Commander, sending two regiments at one time and preparing two regiments to serve as reserves, won't it be a bit overwhelming?"
The commander shook his head and explained: "Political Commissar, you underestimate the garrison."
"Two years ago when we jointly attacked Datong, the main force of the garrison consisted of more than 3,000 people."
"Two years have passed. Their base area has expanded at least three times. Some time ago, they had excess weapons from us in exchange for supplies. Do you think their troops will expand along with them?"
"Do you still remember Battalion Commander Huang who exchanged supplies with us during this period? He used to be the commander of the main battalion of the garrison, and is now the commander of an independent battalion of the garrison lurking in Datong."
"You dare to cause trouble in the devil's belly, and also control the territory of several towns. You definitely can't do it without a thousand people."
"I learned from Camp Commander Huang that there are four or five such independent battalion garrison regiments."
"So I estimate that the garrison now has at least 8,000 people."
"We only have more than a thousand people in one group. If all four groups are sent there, we won't overwhelm the guests."
The political commissar took a breath and shouted: "Eight thousand people? Is this still a regiment?"
The commander calmly explained: "Of course it is, and it's nothing to make a fuss about."
"Northern Shanxi is too poor, with a sparse population and low food production, so the army has never been able to develop. When the main force reaches more than a thousand people, it will be overwhelmed."
"Like the Yizhong base area, there are plains everywhere in Shandong, the population is dense, and there is no shortage of food. A random main force group can have thousands of people."
"There are still some base areas. Because Chongqing has limited personnel for us, it is not unusual for a main force group to grow to ten or twenty thousand people."
"On the surface, we are fighting under regimental designation, but in fact our strength exceeds that of a main division."
Seeing that the surprised expression on the political commissar's face slowly returned to calm, the commander continued: "There is another reason why two regiments are direct reinforcements and two regiments are serving as reserves."
"The garrison must have gathered all its strength to attack Datong, so their base area will be empty."
"If the Japanese take the opportunity to kill them, it will be dangerous."
"Send more troops there. If the garrison regiment needs to split up and return to the base area to support the base, the reserves of the two regiments can still go up."
"Chief of Staff, just follow my order and call the headquarters back. That guy Li Hao is smart and he will understand it at a glance."
At the headquarters of the Japanese Army Brigade in Datong, the atmosphere became increasingly tense.
Last night, a retreat order was issued to all the strongholds outside the city. It is now noon, and no troops have entered the city yet.
The nearest stronghold in Datong is only ten kilometers away, so we should have climbed into the city.
But these returning troops seemed to disappear out of thin air, with no news at all.
"General, the garrison in the east of the city reported that there are Eighth Route Army activities outside the city..." A staff officer put down the phone and ran to the brigade commander to report in a panic.
The brigade leader became anxious and ordered as he walked out: "Go to the east of the city!"
Datong City is so big that it took nearly ten minutes to climb up to the top of the city by car.
About 700 to 800 meters outside the city, some Eighth Route Army troops were scattered about.
Some people were hiding behind raised stones and mounds of earth, holding guns on guard, others were observing the city, and others were writing and drawing in notebooks.
"They are investigating our city defense situation!" the brigade leader judged with a stern face.
The anger that was suppressed in his heart suddenly surged out. He held a command knife in one hand and a telescope in the other. He gritted his teeth and ordered: "What do the city defense troops do? Are they just watching the enemy observe our city defense layout?"
"Artillery, kill them for me!"
After giving the order, the brigade commander raised his telescope again, wanting to see with his own eyes that these Eighth Route Army soldiers were killed.
"Rumble..."
An artillery shell hit the middle of a reconnaissance team. Three Eighth Route Army soldiers were bombed at the same time, and one of the soldiers was blown away directly.
The brigade commander exclaimed in relief: "Just blow up like this and kill all the Eighth Route Army troops who emerged outside the city."
The shells flew out one after another, and everywhere the Eighth Route Army had been was filled with smoke.
During the explosion, the anger on the brigade leader's face calmed down significantly.
Staring at the deputy chief of staff, he continued to order: "Tell the city defense garrisons in other directions that whenever they find the Eighth Route Army operating outside the city, they will be killed by me with artillery..."
"Boom boom boom..."
Before he finished the order, a series of close-range explosions suddenly rang in his ears, and they came from within the city.
"Captain of the Protection Brigade!"
The guard captain reacted the fastest and rushed to the brigade commander's side immediately to ensure that if an accident occurred, he could knock the brigade commander down instantly.
Although the brigade commander had been in a high position for a long time and had not personally been on the battlefield for a long time, he had not forgotten the battlefield experience that was ingrained in his bones, and he was very dissatisfied and cursed.
"Why are you panicking?"
"The impact point is at least two hundred meters away from us. What's there to be nervous about? Just do what you have to do and don't crowd around here?"
Even so, the guard captain did not dare to slack off at all.
My nerves were always tense, so I specially found a few skilled guards to stand by and use my body to protect the brigade leader at critical moments.
As soon as the arrangements were made, a second lieutenant rushed over: "Sir, the artillery position was counterattacked by the Eighth Route Army's artillery fire..."
The artillery battle lasted for five minutes and ended with a disastrous defeat for the Japanese army.
There was only one full infantry brigade left in the city, with a twelve-gun mortar squadron. The brigade commander transferred some artillery pieces from the arsenal to make up twenty-four.
In fact, there are many mortars in the arsenal and even several mountain field guns.
But there are only so many gunners in a squadron. No matter how many artillery pieces there are, not only will it not increase the strength of the artillery, but it will also weaken it.
There are six mortars in each direction of Datong City to suppress the Eighth Route Army's offensive firepower.
Li Hao himself was active outside the east gate. The Huaiyuan Independent Regiment and Laishui Independent Regiment were not equipped with many mortars, but they captured many in Chentouling, more than twenty in total.
The two sides engaged in an artillery battle, and the Japanese army was bound to lose.
Upon learning this result, the angry brigade commander threw the telescope directly on the battlements, like a roaring lion, and cursed loudly.
"Bageya Road, when did the Imperial Army become so unbearable? The artillery strength is not as good as the poorly equipped Eighth Route Army!"
After he finished cursing, he stared at the deputy chief of staff and began to give orders: "Call air support immediately, I will blow up all the Eighth Route Army outside the city."
The deputy chief of staff wanted to remind the brigade commander that by the time the planes came over, the Eighth Route Army's artillery would have already moved away and disappeared.
When he hesitated to speak, the brigade commander continued to curse: "Why are you still standing there? Doesn't my order work?"
The deputy chief of staff could only swallow back the words that had reached his lips, and ran to give the order, faster than a rabbit.
He was all too familiar with the brigade leader's violent temper. His eyes were red and red, and he looked like a crazy gambler.
If you question his orders at this time, even if you are right, you will be scolded, and if you are unlucky, you will be slapped.
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