The atmosphere at the Laiyuan City Defense Regiment Headquarters is very good, and everyone has a smile on their face.
When the Japanese independent mixed brigade was counting losses, good news for the three battalions also arrived.
The results are gratifying.
Not only did they eliminate a large number of Japanese and puppet troops, seize a large amount of equipment and ammunition, but also captured nearly 3,000 puppet troops.
They have all completed recruit training in the hands of the Japanese army and are the best supplementary soldiers to supplement the main force.
As long as they are mobilized to join the Eighth Route Army, the garrison will have more than 2,000 new troops. It will definitely be more confident when facing the Japanese independent mixed brigade.
Communications platoon leader Zhou Liang suddenly rushed in, holding a telegram in his hand.
"Captain...reconnaissance company urgent call."
Hong Linfeng took the telegram and just glanced at it, his face lit up with joy.
"Captain, the Japanese independent mixed brigade has joined the battle."
"Six infantry brigades, divided into three lines, equipped with a certain number of artillery and tanks, were dispatched half an hour ago and marched towards the area where the three main battalions were active last night."
"In addition, their heavy artillery brigade has also moved. There are a total of twelve heavy mountain cannons. They are moving with the Japs. Judging from the marching direction, they should be heading towards the third battalion.
"The Third Battalion is right between the Second Battalion and the Special Agent Battalion. If you go there, you can not only attack the Third Battalion, but you can also reinforce the two wings at any time and attack the Second Battalion and the Special Agent Battalion."
The smile on Hong Linfeng's face disappeared and was slowly replaced by seriousness.
The Japanese army's independent mixed brigade participated in the war, and the goal of the garrison regiment's efforts to establish a guerrilla zone was achieved.
This is a very happy thing.
So after seeing the telegram, Hong Linfeng's first reaction was joy.
However, after seeing clearly the specific strength of the troops participating in the independent mixed brigade, he couldn't laugh anymore.
They have many troops, good equipment, and strong combat effectiveness...almost all advantages lie with them.
In front of the garrison, it can definitely be called a behemoth.
Facing such a powerful opponent, even though the defense team had won countless battles, Hong Linfeng still had no confidence at all.
Political commissar Wang Hong also had a serious look on his face. He took the telegram and read it once before becoming sullen and silent.
He must have thought about going together with the chief of staff.
Li Hao spoke in time: "I know what you are worried about?"
"The disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves is too great, and we are afraid that the three battalions in the guerrilla zone will not be able to hold on."
"What I want to tell you is that they will hold on even if they can't."
"The reason why the political commissar is asked to prepare so many supplementary troops is for this purpose. When the three main battalions in the guerrilla zone wipe out a company, the supplementary troops will go up to a company and drag the independent mixed brigade into the guerrilla zone at all costs."
"Only in this way can the base area we just established be saved from being destroyed."
Wang Hong thought for a moment and replied: "Captain, we all understand the truth, and I completely agree with your idea."
"The Japs hate our garrison to the core. Once they are allowed to enter the base area, they will definitely burn, kill, loot and torture, and commit all kinds of evil."
"In order to avoid the destruction of all life in the base area, we will not hesitate even if all of our garrison team is exhausted."
"But the strength of the independent mixed brigade is too strong. I'm worried that if all the main troops and all the supplementary troops are used up, they will still be unable to defeat them in the end."
"The current situation is that the Japanese can concentrate all the forces of the independent mixed brigade to deal with our three main battalions operating in the guerrilla zone."
"And because our garrison was encumbered by nine strongholds in the hinterland of the base area and on the blockade, we were unable to concentrate our superior forces to deal with the Japs. The trade-offs meant that the overall and local advantages on the battlefield were with the Japs."
Hong Linfeng's face became more and more serious, and he immediately said: "I agree with the political commissar's analysis."
"In order to prevent accidents from happening, I think we must prepare for the worst before starting this battle."
Li Hao shook his head and said in denial: "There is no worst plan."
“We must fight this battle even if it is easy to win, and we must fight it if it is not easy to win, and we must win it.”
"There are hundreds of thousands of villagers standing behind us, and we must not let anything happen to them, so we have no way out."
Seeing that both partners were sullen and silent, Li Hao changed the subject and continued: "But you don't have to worry too much, the matter is not as serious as you think."
"As long as we choose the breakthrough point, we have at least a 50% chance of winning this battle."
The three of them started working together when Li Hao was still the battalion commander.
Both Hong Linfeng and Wang Hong knew his personality and character very well.
Never make fun of the war, tell the truth.
Since he said he was 50% sure, it must be true.
Hope rekindled on the serious faces, especially Hong Linfeng, who stared at Li Hao and asked: "Captain, do you already have a solution?"
Li Hao did not deny it, pointing to a large area on the sand table that had been marked as a guerrilla zone.
"The frontal width of our guerrilla zone is 100 kilometers and the depth is 50 kilometers. The Japanese army rushed in with so many troops at once, and the room for maneuver of the three main battalions was too small."
"It is certain that the three main battalions will fight many tough battles with the Japanese in the guerrilla zone, resulting in heavy casualties and great pressure. This is inevitable."
Hong Linfeng said: "What I'm most worried about is that some troops will be eaten by Japanese troops on the battlefield."
"The Japanese army has a strength advantage. They have aircraft reinforcements during the day and heavy artillery to participate in the battle at night. Once a troop is held back by them, if they cannot end the battle quickly and disengage, they will most likely be surrounded by heavy Japanese troops and then eaten."
"As long as the entire army is not wiped out, the backbone is still there, the replacements are in place in time, and they are led by veterans, they will still have combat effectiveness and can continue to deal with the Japanese and fight?"
"If the troops are killed by the organic formation, and all the cadres and veterans are killed, even if we send twice as many reinforcements, the troops will not be able to form combat effectiveness, and they will not be able to continue to participate in the battle."
Li Hao affirmed: "Such situations will definitely occur, and there will be quite a few of them, so we must remind the three battalions to be mentally prepared in advance. We must not go head-to-head with the Japanese unless it is absolutely necessary."
"As long as they can hold on in the guerrilla zone for half a month, reinforcements will arrive."
"Besides, not going head-to-head with the Japanese does not mean that we will be cowards. We still have to take the initiative when it is time to take the initiative."
"For example, tonight."
"The independent mixed brigade is setting off now, bringing with it a large number of heavy weapons. If we send out guerrillas to destroy the road, their marching speed will definitely slow down and they will not be able to reach the battlefield before dark."
"This means that the advantage on the front line is still on our side."
"Immediately call back to the three main battalions: the troops cannot wait for the Japanese independent mixed brigade to attack, passively defend, and wait for death."
"We need to strike first."
"The guerrillas and local troops cooperated with each other to destroy the roads and slow down the advance of the independent mixed brigade."
"The main force should seize the time to rest and take the initiative to attack after dark."
"Take the company as a unit, bring all heavy weapons, and capture all nearby strongholds before the independent mixed brigade arrives, and wipe out all Japanese and puppet troops."
"Let the independent mixed brigade rush to the battlefield and become a lone army. Without troops familiar with the terrain to cooperate with them, they will become blind."