It is better to cut off one of his fingers than to injure ten of them. This is a common method used by the Eighth Route Army in counter-mopping up operations and is also commonly used by the garrison.
Nakata Yamaro studied the garrison in Taiyuan City for half a month and knew this very well.
If the garrison really has a troop hidden in their base area, they will definitely concentrate their forces and defeat them one by one. By eating a few mopping up troops, they will severely damage the independent mixed brigade.
As the brigade leader, Nakata Yamaro would never allow this to happen to him.
He raised his eyebrows and began to issue orders: "Chief of Staff, we must prepare for the worst."
"Three steps: First, order the blockade and all strongholds in the garrison base to send out scouts now. The intelligence department also takes action. We must find out before dawn how many troops the garrison has hidden in their base."
"The second step is for the staff to immediately formulate an evacuation plan."
"As long as we are sure that the garrison really has troops hiding in their base area, our troops sweeping the occupied areas will begin to shrink their defenses after dawn."
"Guarantee that each offensive force must have 4,000 people, and the troops will be divided into three groups to continue to encircle and suppress the remaining Eighth Route Army in the occupied area."
"A heavy artillery brigade, a tank brigade, an infantry brigade in reserve and a supplementary brigade form a mixed regiment. After dawn, they will go to the battlefield to reinforce the three-way mopping up troops on the front line anytime and anywhere."
"The third step: Immediately give orders to the remaining troops operating in the garrison base area to withdraw to their strongholds overnight and rely on the strongholds to defend."
"As long as we keep those strongholds, even if the garrison hides troops in their base areas, they will not dare to transfer them all to our occupied areas. Otherwise, their base areas will be left empty and completely exposed to us."
The headquarters immediately became busy.
The communications staff was busy instructing the telegraph operators to send telegrams, and the combat staff was busy formulating an evacuation plan...
Nakata Yamaro was not idle either, staring closely at the sand table and thinking about the next attack.
Although the accident has not yet been confirmed, he has already prepared for the worst.
So he has already started thinking about his next move.
As long as the Imperial Army shrinks its defenses and gathers the separated troops, it will immediately launch a new round of mopping up attacks and not give the Eighth Route Army a chance to breathe.
At six o'clock in the morning, just after dawn, the telegram that Nakata Yamaro wanted arrived.
"General, urgent report from the front!"
"The garrison has at least two thousand people hidden in their base area, including infantry and cavalry, and there are quite a few of them. They are well-equipped and powerful in combat, and they also use a large number of explosive bags and thunder cannons on the battlefield."
"One more thing. By the time we sent the telegram, we had lost contact with three more attacking troops operating in their base areas."
"The troops that were still in contact were also fiercely attacked by local troops of the Eighth Route Army and guerrillas, and their retreat was very slow."
"They judged that those troops probably would not have a chance to withdraw to their strongholds."
What Nakata Yamaro was most worried about finally happened.
Because he had already prepared for the worst, Nakata Yamaro reacted quickly and immediately ordered: "Why are you still standing there? Your retreat plan has already been formulated. Immediately give orders to the frontline mopping up troops according to the retreat plan."
"The troops retreated and assembled quickly, without giving the garrison regiments a chance to defeat us one by one and attack us."
"Contact the aviation force and immediately send aircraft to reinforce the battlefield, especially the garrison base areas and strongholds on the blockade. Cooperate with the remaining garrison at the stronghold to defend the stronghold at all costs."
"If you don't succeed, you will be benevolent. Without my order, not a single soldier in the stronghold can retreat."
"The heavy artillery brigade, the tank brigade, the sixth infantry brigade, and the supplementary brigade will be mixed together immediately to reinforce the front line."
"As soon as they arrive, we will launch a new round of attacks on the garrison groups operating in the occupied areas and continue to fight to kill them."
From the enemy headquarters of the garrison, communications platoon leader Zhou Liang rushed in with excitement.
"Captain, we have won the battle. The chief of staff has reported success. We have killed all the Japanese and puppet attacking troops who penetrated deeply into our base area."
"Okay!" Li Hao jumped up from his seat with excitement.
He read the telegram again word for word, and after confirming that there were no doubts, he immediately gave the order.
"After this defeat, the Japanese will definitely shrink their defenses and gather their scattered troops to avoid being defeated by us individually."
"Telegram to all battalions and companies: attack immediately, strive for the last chance to consume them, and attack the retreating Japanese and puppet troops at all costs."
"If you want to retreat under our noses, you can. But they killed so many soldiers and civilians in our garrison. This blood feud must be avenged, so we must leave something behind before leaving."
In the second battalion defense zone, battalion commander Zhang Yun didn't sleep all night.
Fighting for two consecutive days was too frustrating.
On the first day, because the Japanese had hostages in their hands, they led them by the nose and beat them. Not only did they lose soldiers, they also suffered huge casualties among the people.
On the second day, although the initiative on the battlefield was in his own hands, he took the initiative to attack the Japanese and puppet troops.
But their troops are too strong, well-equipped, and powerful in combat.
In the face of a powerful enemy, he also did not take any advantage.
The only good thing is that there were no casualties among the villagers.
Before two o'clock in the morning, Zhang Yun's whole person was covered with anger, like a powder keg, ready to explode at one moment.
As soon as the captain's telegram arrived, the anger on Zhang Yun's face disappeared, and he began to look forward to dawn.
At six o'clock in the morning, when the telegram from the regiment leader confirming the counterattack arrived, the expectant smile on Zhang Yun's face became even thicker.
"Instructor, have the other three companies received the order?"
"Got it!" the instructor affirmed.
"They are all equipped with low-power transceivers that we seized some time ago. They called back ten minutes ago. They already know the order."
Zhang Yun's eyes quickly shot out two rays of light, and then he began to issue orders.
"It's good to have it."
"I have been suppressed and beaten by the Japanese for the past two days, and today I can finally take revenge."
"The Japanese and puppet troops are eager to retreat. Faced with our harassment and sneak attacks, they will either cut off their warriors and leave some troops behind to entangle our sneak attack troops and buy time for the main force to retreat."
"Either ignore our sneak attack troops."
"If the Japanese choose the first option, our goal is to eat up the enemy's remaining troops. The more, the better."
"If the Japanese choose the second option, then we will use guerrilla warfare and mobile warfare to greet them and make their retreat path littered with corpses."
"The guerrillas must also take active action, strengthen the walls and clear the country in advance, and move all the civilians who must pass through the enemy's path to prevent the enemy from taking the civilians as hostages and threatening us."
"The troops will take action now."
"Whatever we were beaten yesterday, give it back to me today."
