Captain Yamahara Ichiro of the 220th Regiment said: "I have heard that Xu Dalong has a special forces team. When they go out to fight, in addition to carrying a large number of pack horses, each person also carries a large canvas bag on his back. It can hold dozens of kilograms of supplies, which greatly enhances their ability to continue fighting. Do you think we can also follow their example?"
Hirota Hongyi nodded and said: "This is a good idea. Let's also process some backpacks so that each soldier can carry a batch of supplies with him."
Yamahara Ichiro was very happy to see Hirota Koki adopt his suggestion.
He said: "In this case, I will notify the logistics department to process this batch of backpacks."
Next, in order to get familiar with the troops as quickly as possible, Yamahara Ichiro arranged for the main officers in the regiment to entertain Hirota Koki, and accompanied Hirota Koki to inspect every squadron and above unit in the regiment.
The branches of Zhou Mingde's trading company are now almost all over Shanxi. There is a grain store and a cargo station in Kaiyuan County. While they are engaged in business operations, they are also responsible for collecting intelligence.
Recently, the Japanese army has been moving more frequently, mainly to prevent the Eighth Route Army from continuing to attack from Licheng County. Regarding this point, the intelligence station has already reported to the superiors.
Li Yunlong, Xu Dalong and others had already grasped the movements of the Japanese army, but there was a new situation that attracted the attention of the scouts.
Wang Chunming is a clerk in a grain store and actually a scout of the intelligence brigade. On this day, he came to the cloth store to purchase a batch of white cloth, which was used to make flour bags.
He happened to encounter the Japanese army purchasing a large amount of canvas from it. He didn't understand what the Japanese army was going to do with the canvas, so he followed them quietly.
Wang Chunming saw the Japanese army sending these canvases to a tailor shop. After the Japanese army left, he used the excuse to go there to cut a new suit of clothes. He learned from the sidelines that the Japanese army wanted to process them into something similar to the ones worn on the backs of the special forces members of the Mawushan Guerrilla Brigade. kind of backpack.
This situation confused Wang Chunming because Japanese soldiers usually carried a military blanket behind their backs, and these backpacks were obviously used to carry other supplies. This shows that a Japanese army must carry a large amount of supplies to perform some special mission.
Wang Chunming bribed the clerk in the store and learned that the number of backpacks processed by the Japanese army had reached 5,000. This shows that roughly the same number of Japanese troops have to carry these backpacks and go out to perform missions.
This matter was probably no small matter. Wang Chunming returned to the contact point and reported the information to the head of the intelligence station. The webmaster then reported to Zhou Mingde, who in turn reported to Zheng Xirong.
Licheng County, Mawushan Military Division Provisional Headquarters.
Xu Dalong, Li Yunlong, Zhang Dabiao and others listened to Zheng Xirong's report, which attracted their great attention. Everyone believed that this Japanese unit was going to perform a secret mission and speculated on their destination.
Zhang Dabiao said: "I guess the Japanese army is going to the mountainous areas. If it is in the plains, the Japanese army has a large number of mules, horses and vehicles, so there is no need for people to transport supplies."
Li Yunlong nodded and said: "Zhang Dabiao, what you said makes sense. I think the Japs are probably targeting the mountains around Licheng County. Now that the two sides are going to start a war here, they must be operating in this generation.
If this is the case, their main goal should be to cut off our transportation line, that is, to control the road from the base area to Licheng County. If our transportation lines are cut off and weapons, ammunition, oil and food cannot be transported, the troops staying in Licheng County will be in danger. The Japanese army will definitely send heavy troops to attack our army directly, and then we will be in trouble. "
Xu Dalong admired Li Yunlong and Zhang Dabiao's sensitivity to the battlefield. He said: "Regiment commander and chief of staff, you are right. The Japanese army must be targeting the road behind us. As for where the Japanese army will appear, This is not easy to judge.
The highway passing through the mountainous area is dozens of kilometers long. At any place, as long as the hills on both sides of the highway are occupied, the highway can be controlled. "
Zhang Dabiao said: "It is not difficult to discover the Japanese army's intentions. There are only a dozen hills on both sides of the road. We might as well put a group of surveillance posts on each hill. If the Japanese army is discovered, we will report it to the headquarters at any time. By reporting, we can grasp the movements of the Japanese army.”
Li Yunlong smiled and said: "Do you think this little devil is stupid? According to the number of backpacks they ordered, the Japanese army has about four to five thousand people, and it should be a reinforced infantry regiment. When these little devils enter the mountainous area, they are trapped in We are surrounded by our army. You said, if we block the attack of the main force of the Japs, we will concentrate the main force to surround the Japs who have entered the mountainous area and eliminate them. Such a big piece of fat is not free of charge."
Xu Dalong, Zhang Dabiao and Zhao Gang also laughed together. The little Japanese went deep alone and wanted to cut off the Eighth Route Army's transportation line, which was equivalent to a piece of fat on the lips of the Mawu District Military Division.
If you can destroy a strengthened infantry regiment of the Japanese army, this will definitely be a great gain. Everyone immediately started discussing the battle plan around this intention.
Zhao Gang said: "Since the little devil has the intention to cut off our transportation line, I will seize the time and organize the logistics department to transport more weapons, ammunition and oil to ensure the use of the troops. Make sure there is enough time to eat This group of Japanese troops entered the base area."
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Zhang Dabiao suggested that a large number of trenches should be dug in the northwest of Licheng County to block the main attack of the Japanese army and ensure that the Mawushan Military Division could mobilize troops to annihilate the Japanese army that penetrated deep into the base area. To this end, he hoped to transfer two county brigades from the base area to assist the troops in building fortifications.
Xu Dalong sent someone to call Wang Sanqiang over and gave him a temporary task to guide the people of Licheng County in digging tunnels. He also transferred two county brigades to specialize in digging tunnels.
The Mawushan base area continued to expand. Whether it occupied towns or villages, it was difficult for the Japanese army to recapture it. One of the important reasons was that every time the Eighth Route Army occupied a place, it immediately began to dig tunnels. With the tunnels in place, it would be very difficult for the Japanese army to enter the base area.
Now that everyone has planned to stay in Licheng County for a long time, the work of digging tunnels here has been put on the important agenda. Wang Sanqiang was the best at digging tunnels, so Xu Dalong simply gave him the task.
Li Yunlong believed that the Japanese army sent a force deep into the base area to cut off the transportation lines. They must cooperate with the main force to launch an attack on Licheng County. This is a big war. He suggested that a few more regiments of troops be drawn from the base area to participate in this battle.
Xu Dalong agreed. Since the 40,000 main troops of the Mawushan Military Division were transferred away last time, and now they have to defend a huge base area, the number of troops felt a bit tight for this war. He suggested that Chu Yunfei simply send two regiments of troops to participate in this battle.
Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, and Zhang Dabiao had no objections, so Xu Dalong sent a telegram to Chu Yunfei, explaining the intention of this battle and asking him to send troops for reinforcements.
Chu Yunfei always responded to Xu Dalong's requests. He soon agreed to personally lead two infantry regiments and a mountain artillery battalion to participate in the battle in the direction of Licheng County.
This time, the Mawushan Military Division and the 358th Brigade of the Shanxi-Sui Army mobilized a total of 12 infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, a mountain artillery battalion, five county brigades, the Mawushan guerrilla tank brigade, the cavalry brigade, and the artillery brigade. The total strength is more than 41,000.
While the Mawushan Military Division was seizing the time to prepare for war, the Japanese army was also actively preparing for war. In order to annihilate the main forces of the Mawushan Military Division gathered in the Licheng area, Shinozuka Yoshio mobilized all the main forces of the Japanese 113th Division and 109th Division and the independent mixed 11th Brigade in this area. , a cavalry brigade and a tank regiment of the Chahar Expeditionary Army, the total strength of the Japanese army reached more than 52,000 people. At the same time, the 2nd Division of Huang Xiejun was also mobilized, with approximately 9,000 puppet troops participating in the war. These puppet troops were mainly used to protect the safety of transportation lines and assist the Japanese army in transporting supplies.
Hirota Koki, with the cooperation of the 220th Regiment Captain Yamahara Ichiro, took the time to train the troops. In order to understand the terrain conditions of the mountainous area, he personally disguised himself as an ordinary citizen and went to the mountainous area for reconnaissance under the guidance of a guide. He soon became familiar with the road into the mountain and the terrain on both sides of the road.
At noon that day, Hirota Koki, the captain of the wing, the wing auxiliary and others were having a meal. Hirota Koki was thoughtful while eating.
The captain asked: "Hirota-kun, what are you thinking about?"
Hirota Hongyi said: "I have seen the terrain of the mountainous area in this area, and the road into the mountain has been selected. I am very confident that we will complete the task of controlling the mountain road. The only thing I am worried about now is that we will control the mountain road." After reaching the mountains on both sides of the road, the enemy will send out aircraft to bomb. The vegetation on the mountains is sparse and the troops have nowhere to hide, so they may suffer heavy casualties."
Yamahara Ichiro said: "I am also worried about this problem. My idea is that our troops should not concentrate on one or two mountains, but should control more mountains. The troops will be relatively dispersed. If we encounter enemy air attacks, we will suffer losses. Just smaller.”
Hirota Koki said: "Your idea makes sense. Although our troops are relatively dispersed, we are defending on the top of the mountain, and the terrain is very favorable. If the enemy wants to capture our position, they will definitely pay a heavy price.
Not only that, with our troops dispersed, the enemy has many more targets to bomb. Aerial bombs are very expensive, and I imagine they don't have many of them to consume. "
When the officers were talking, Hirata Hiroshi, the commander at the same table, was always listening carefully. When he heard that his superiors pinned their hopes of dealing with the enemy's air force on the insufficient number of enemy aerial bombs, he felt frightened and at the same time a little sad. This is purely to exchange the lives of the Yellow Army soldiers for the enemy's aerial bombs.
Although he also believed that the enemy would not have so many aerial bombs, this was just a guess. If the enemy makes a desperate move and concentrates resources to build a large number of aerial bombs, the consequences will be unimaginable.
He believed that instead of waiting for the enemy's air force to bomb, it would be better to take the initiative to destroy the enemy's air force.
Hirata Hirota was not sure whether his idea was appropriate or not, and he thought about it over and over again. When the two officers ended their conversation, he plucked up the courage and said, "Your Excellency, Wing Commander, I have a suggestion. Is it feasible?"
Hirota Koki said: "Everyone is discussing about this battle now. If you have any suggestions, just say it without any scruples."
Hirata Hiroshi said: "Since we can cut off the enemy's transportation lines, which means that the entire regiment can secretly attack the enemy through the mountainous areas, why can't we send a small force deep into the enemy's occupied area to Destroy their airport? By destroying the enemy’s air force, wouldn’t it save the Yellow Army’s warriors from being bombed by enemy planes?”
Hirata Hiroshi's suggestion made Hirota Hiroshi and the co-captain feel bright.
Hirota Koki said: "This idea is very good and creative. I think we can study it carefully."
The co-captain agreed with this idea at first, but later he felt that it might not be feasible.
He said: "I heard that the First Army Headquarters once organized an advance team to destroy the enemy's airport. As a result, they were besieged by the enemy before they reached the airport and the entire army was destroyed. The Eighth Route Army's base area was very strictly guarded. If we send a small force in, it will probably be very difficult."
Hirata Hiroshi felt a little uneasy when he heard what the captain said.
He said: "Your Excellency, your Excellency, the Commander, I'm just trying to make a fool of myself. Please make your decision, Your Excellency, the Commander."
Hirota Koki supported Hirata Hiroshi. He said: "I think this opinion is very pertinent. Let's study it carefully after eating. If we send an advance team to complete this task, what will happen to us? What difficulties are there? And how to overcome them? If it is truly feasible, we will report this plan to the First Army Headquarters and ask them to provide us with special equipment."
The wing commander actually hoped to destroy the enemy's air force. He said: "In this case, I also agree to study this matter."
After eating, Hirota Koki and others came to the war room and had a full discussion on sending troops deep behind enemy lines to destroy the enemy's airport.
They came to the conclusion that a Japanese army with a strength of about one squadron should be organized to perform this task. Even if it was unsuccessful, it could cause panic to the enemy's rear and facilitate the entire regiment's action to block the road. From a large perspective, it is conducive to the smooth progress of this battle.
The wing leader also wanted to make a great contribution. He knew that if he could defeat the enemy's air force, the credit would be too great, so he did not want this credit to be shared by others.
He said: "Mr. Hirota, I don't think there is any need to report this matter to the First Army Headquarters. We can allocate capable personnel from my regiment to organize an advance team to complete the task of attacking the enemy's airport. "
Hirota Koki mainly relied on the 220th Regiment for this battle. He could not pour cold water on the commander of the Regiment, so he said: "In that case, I agree with you. So who will lead this army?"
Hirata Hiroshi, the commander of the regiment, has a delicate face and looks a little shy, but in his heart he is a very determined militarist, more fanatical than those big and rough warriors.
He felt very honored to see the two co-captains adopt his suggestion.
When Hirota Kouki asked about the candidate for the advancing captain, he immediately stood up and said: "Your Excellency, the captain, I humbly request to carry out the mission of attacking the enemy's airport."
Hirota Koki had no objection. He said: "Since you proposed this plan, it is naturally best for you to complete it. But in the end, your captain will make the final decision."
The captain still has great trust in Hirata Hiroshi. After all, they get along day and night and know him very well. He also believes that Hirata Hiroshi is a qualified candidate to carry out this mission.
He said: "Since Hirota-kun also agrees with you to perform the task, I solemnly entrust you with this glorious and arduous task to complete."
Hirata's face flushed with excitement, and he said firmly: "Thank you to the two captains for your trust. I promise to complete the mission."
The determination has been made. Neither Hirota Koki nor the commander Hirata Hiroshi have reported to the First Army the idea of sending an advance team. They hope to bring a huge surprise to the commander Yoshio Shinozuka. Therefore, they decided to wait until Hirata Hiroshi's attack was successful before reporting to Shinozuka Yoshio.
Just when Li Yunlong, Xu Dalong and others made the combat deployment and prepared to fight the Japanese army, they suddenly received a telegram from the commander, requesting the Mawushan Military Division to dispatch three more regiments of troops to the Luliang Military Region to strengthen the area. of troops.
After hearing the news, Xu Dalong was very depressed, Li Yunlong was so angry that stars appeared in his eyes, and Zhang Dabiao wanted to cry but had no tears. Even Zhao Gang, who always resolutely obeyed orders from his superiors, looked unhappy.
Li Yunlong said: "What has happened to us here in Mawu Mountain? We have to hand over the weapons and ammunition we have obtained, and the money we have obtained has to be sent upwards in large sums. Everything must be sent upwards. The troops we have worked so hard to bring out, They will also be taken away by others. Not only must most of the eggs they lay be given away, but now even the old hens will be taken away. How will we fight this battle in the future? If this continues, I will give up."
Xu Dalong, Zhao Gang and Zhang Dabiao were not happy either. Everyone had gloomy faces and didn't know what to say.
Li Yunlong said: "This is not possible. I will go to the Taiyue Military Region to find the commander now. This is unreasonable."
Zhao Gang knew that Li Yunlong had a bad temper and was worried that he would mess up things if he didn't hit the point.
He said to Xu Dalong: "Captain, the superiors have a very good impression of you. I think you should go to the military region headquarters, talk to the leaders about our difficulties and the specific development needs of our place, and ask the superiors to cancel This order."
Xu Dalong nodded and said: "Without further delay, I will set off now."
At this moment, the commander sent another telegram, saying that he had now gone to the Mawushan Military Division Headquarters and asked Xu Dalong and Zhao Gang to go back and meet him.
Li Yunlong is very shrewd. It seemed that his superiors knew that Li Yunlong had a bad temper and was not easy to talk to, so he planned to clear things up with Xu Dalong and Zhao Gang, two people who were easy to talk to. If this is the case, it seems that this matter is difficult to recover.
Li Yunlong said: "Brother Dalong, Lao Zhao, I will go with you. If the superiors always do this, I will not work as a commander. Whoever wants to do it will do it."
Xu Dalong also got a little angry this time. He said: "Captain, you better not go. I know what to do and what to say. Zhao Zhengwei and I are about to set off now. The Japanese army may attack Licheng at any time. We will launch an attack in the county direction, and you and the chief of staff will stay here and do whatever you want according to the original battle plan."
Li Yunlong and Zhang Dabiao still have great trust in Xu Dalong. They also know that Xu Dalong's reputation is greater than that of the two of them among their superiors. It would be better to leave this matter to Xu Dalong, so they said nothing more and concentrated. energy to deal with possible attacks by the Japanese army.
