"Comrades, the retreat order from the regiment commander has arrived..."
In a yard close to the front line in the north of Baoding City, the battalion commander of Huang Qi's temporarily formed commando team was doing pre-war mobilization for a new round of offensive.
"But Deputy Commander Li bought us one hour to attack."
"He said: How much more benefits we can get back in Baoding depends on everyone's progress in the next hour."
】
"The more positions our colleagues take, the more Japanese and puppet troops they eliminate, the more loot they capture."
"Thunder cannons, grenade launchers, and mortars were all targeted by me."
"Fire where there are enemies. Don't save ammunition for me. Just free up the mules and horses that transport ammunition to transport loot."
"The commando team's eyes widened. They rushed forward whenever they saw an opportunity."
"But we must strengthen our vigilance, control casualties, and not fight to the death."
"The artillery is ready...to fire..."
"Boom boom boom... boom boom..."
Explosions with different sounds soon sounded in the north of the city, with flames rising into the sky and smoke filling the air.
Intensive firefights sounded on the battlefield at the same time.
In a short while, seven or eight courtyards were occupied by the city's garrison.
The commando troops were divided into three groups and quickly charged forward with mortars and grenade launchers, aiming directly at the ammunition depot of the garrison in the north of the city.
A small ammunition depot dedicated to the garrison in the north of the city.
…………
At the temporary headquarters of the Japanese army in Baoding, Neji Okamura also heard the sudden intensification of firefights in the north of the city.
The deputy chief of staff asked on the spot: "Your Excellency, Commander."
"The returning troops have been completely wiped out by the main force of the Duer Regiment."
"The purpose of the Eighth Route Army's encirclement and reinforcements has been achieved. Why don't the siege troops retreat?"
"Maybe they want to come again to support us."
"Maybe the troops were lucky enough to reach the north of the city, giving them hope of completely occupying Baoding and making them reluctant to leave."
Okamura Neiji snorted and replied: "It would be fine if you really can't bear to leave."
"If the mopping up troops suddenly return outside Baoding City, they will become a turtle in a jar and let us destroy them."
"But I guess the Eighth Route Army commander wouldn't be so stupid?"
"It's even more impossible to encircle the site twice and call for reinforcements."
"We are not fools and will not make mistakes twice on the same issue. Otherwise, my position as commander of the North China Front will be in vain."
The deputy chief of staff became more and more confused as he listened, and continued to ask: "Then why don't they retreat and instead strengthen their offensive?"
This question made Okamura Neji silent for a while before answering.
"They probably want to make a profit before retreating."
He turned around and ordered to the combat staff: "Immediately mark the attack direction of the Eighth Route Army in the north of the city on the city defense map."
Three commandos, three arrows.
Okamura Neiji held the baton in his hand, slowly extended forward along the arrow, and soon stopped at the arsenal in the north of the city.
Issues that I had not understood before suddenly became clear, and I suddenly realized them.
"Right here..."
"The ultimate goals of the three attacking forces point here."
"The Eighth Route Army wanted to capture the arsenal in the north of the city before retreating and capture the weapons there to make up for their battle losses."
"Immediately send someone to contact the garrison in the north of the city and blow up the arsenal in the north of the city immediately."
"No, the contact speed is too slow. Send engineers directly to blow it up. The faster the better. We must destroy it before the Eighth Route Army seizes the arsenal."
…………
"Rumble..."
A ball of orange-red flames suddenly spread rapidly from the center of the arsenal in the north of the city to the surroundings, and finally rose slowly and spread in the air, forming a huge mushroom cloud, lighting up the entire north of the city.
Li Yunlong angrily smashed his fist on the battlement and cursed with a heartbroken face.
"This bitch like Okamura Neji is really difficult to deal with."
"As soon as the commando team took action, they guessed that I was going to attack the arsenal in the north of the city."
"I would rather destroy it myself than leave it to us."
"It's a shame there are so many weapons and ammunition."
"Ruthless and decisive enough, I, Li Yunlong, will not be unjustly defeated by him."
"Inform the commandos to suspend the attack."
"The arsenal in the north of the city has been bombed. If we continue to attack, we will get nowhere. We might as well get the loot captured in the occupied area first."
"An hour and a half later, the troops evacuated Baoding as planned."
"The Queen of the Wangdu Guard Regiment."
…………
At the Japanese temporary headquarters in Baoding, a long-lost smile finally appeared on the solemn face of the deputy chief of staff.
He rushed to Okamura Neji and said happily: "Your Excellency, Commander."
"You are simply like Zhuge in this world."
"The real purpose of the Eighth Route Army in the north of the city to suddenly strengthen its offensive is to make a fortune before leaving."
"We blew up the arsenal in the north of the city, and they switched from offense to defense and gradually evacuated Baoding."
"After repeated confirmation by the scouts, the total number of Eighth Route Army troops attacking Baoding was less than 1,000."
"The retreating troops only had 800 people at full strength. They also brought a large number of wounded, heavy weapons, and trophies. The marching speed was very slow, and only more than 300 people were arranged to rear."
"Although Baoding City was breached, the Baoding garrison only lost a total of more than a thousand people."
"Including the temporarily recruited armed expatriates and retired soldiers, there are more than 1,200 people in the city."
"The humble officer wants to take two strengthened squadrons out of the city to take revenge. Give them a good beating. Maybe we can turn defeat into victory and inflict heavy damage on them."
Okamura Neji listened very carefully.
As the direct commander of this sweep, he wanted to save the situation more than anyone else.
Don't want to miss the slightest chance.
But after careful consideration, he decided to give up the opportunity.
Shaking his head: "It's too risky."
"The current Baoding garrison cannot afford any losses."
"No one can lead troops out of Baoding unless they are 100% sure."
The deputy chief of staff immediately showed a wry smile. No matter how powerful a commander is, he cannot guarantee that he will win 100% of the time.
Okamura Neji wants to have a 100% chance of winning.
Tell him clearly: not a single soldier in Baoding can leave the city to pursue.
I had to give up the idea of sending troops and watched the Eighth Route Army withdraw from the battle with their loot.
…………
In a village five kilometers northeast of Pingyang Town, Kong Jie was sitting on an ammunition box and gasping for air.
The troops traveled for several hours but never encountered the second wave of reinforcements sent by Pingyang Town.
It was almost here that I received the news: "The second wave of Japanese reinforcements have returned to Pingyang Town."
As a result, they ran dozens of miles in vain.
Before my butt was still hot from sitting, the cavalry company commander who had arrived here in advance suddenly ran over.
"Captain..."
"There is a situation at the Japanese and puppet troops' garrison, and they seem to be retreating."
"We are attaching heavy artillery to the back of the car to refill tanks and armored vehicles with fuel."
"There are still soldiers packing supplies and ammunition..."
"The injured were also loaded onto cars and baggage trucks."
The tired expression on Kong Jie's face suddenly disappeared, and he looked at the map analysis spread by the guard on the ammunition box.
"There are only five or six thousand Japs and one or two thousand puppet troops left in Pingyang Town. After deducting the artillery and baggage troops, there are at most four thousand infantry left."
"If they don't retreat and run away, Okamura Neji will lose all the money he spent in launching this big raid."
"But our base area is not where they can come and leave whenever they want."
"Order: The 23rd Battalion will immediately launch operations as a company unit."
"Destroy the only way for the Japanese and puppet troops to withdraw to Baoding and slow down their march."
"If conditions permit, while ensuring your own casualties, you can use guerrilla warfare and mine warfare to sneak attack them along the way and continue to consume their troops."
"The opportunity to beat up a drowned dog is rare."
"If you kill one more kid here, you will have one less opponent in the future."
…………
The deputy commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army's former enemy headquarters had not been able to sleep well for several days in a row.
Not only was the North China Front's massive sweep of the Wing Center unprecedented, it was also personally directed by Okamura Neiji. Even though the Wing Center base was supported by two battlefield veterans, Kong Jie and Li Yunlong, he still couldn't let go.
Whenever I have free time, I take the chief of staff to study anti-mopping operations in the wing, hoping to help them a little.
Tonight was no exception.
I stayed up until about two o'clock in the morning with the chief of staff before going to bed.
As a result, just over an hour into his sleep, the staff officer on duty shouted in surprise at the door.
"Chief..."
"Good news...great news..."
"We won the counter-sweep in the wing..."
"Captain Kong's good news: The Japanese and puppet troops sweeping up the base area in Yizhong are no longer able to continue fighting and are preparing to retreat..."
The deputy commander opened the door and rushed to the headquarters. The chief of staff came after hearing the news and said happily when they met.
"Chief..."
"Kong Jie and Li Yunlong really took down such a huge counter-mopping operation."
"I am now eager to know how they severely damaged the Japanese and puppet troops."
"Okamura Neiji gathered more than 20,000 troops and swept them to the Yizhong base area."
"Kong Jie has less than 10,000 troops."
"The equipment advantage, troop advantage, firepower advantage, and even terrain advantage are all in the hands of the Japanese and puppet troops."
"That old devil Okamura Neji even showed up in person."
"It's incredible that they still severely damaged the Japanese and puppet troops in such a short period of time and won the big sweep."
The deputy commander smiled and replied: "There is no rush."
"When the Japanese and puppet mopping up troops completely withdraw from the base area and return to Baoding, we will ask Kong Jie to report the entire counter-mopping up process."
"To be honest, I know Kong Jie's method of defeating enemies better than you do."
"Kong Jie and his troops are not the only ones in North China to use tunnel warfare to fight the Japanese."
"If tunnel warfare plays a big role in counter-mopping up, I will not only reward them, but also promote their tactics on a large scale."
Speaking of this, a bold idea suddenly came to the deputy commander's mind.
"Do you think we have a chance to go to Yi Zhong Base?"
"seeing is believing."
"The army has won such a big victory. There must be a lot for us to learn from it. We can also go to see Kong Jie and Xiao Huang and discuss with them the raid on the Tianjin dock."
I used to think that this idea was a fantasy, but after watching the development of Kong Jie's base in Yinzhong, I feel more and more that it is possible for them to accomplish this.
"By the way, confirm Li Yunlong's whereabouts."
"This guy is a war veteran. It would be a waste to stay at the Yi Zhong Base and serve as Kong Jie's deputy."
