In its initial stage, the Funiu Mountain Base Area was still internally unstable. Not only was it unable to support the main force in combat, but a large number of complicated tasks also involved the main force's energy.
It is said that this is the weakest time and the most dangerous time. In this case, if the Japanese and puppet troops launch a massive attack, the Eighth Route Army will basically not get the support of the people in the base area, and the main force will have no support when fighting. It will not have the advantages of location and people in fighting the Japanese and puppet troops. Once the main force is forced to leave the base area, it is normal for the people in the base area to rebel, and then the efforts to build the base area will be in vain. The people in the base area will also lose trust in the Eighth Route Army, and it will be much more difficult to re-establish the base area.
There is no doubt about the combat effectiveness of the advance detachment brought by Xu Dalong. If Xu Dalong and others can take advantage of the fact that they are still in the Funiu Mountains and work with them to resist a large-scale attack by the Japanese and puppet troops, it will have a great impact on the newly created anti-Japanese base areas. role.
Xu Dalong and others are about to leave. Of course, Ding Wei hopes that Xu Dalong and others can stay for a while and fight another tough battle with them. But they had just helped them capture the Japanese airport, so it would be too much to make such demands again.
Ding Wei was embarrassed to speak, so he thought of launching an active attack on the Japanese army, forcing the Japanese army to launch a large-scale attack on the Funiu Mountain base in advance. Xu Dalong's advance detachment is here. They cannot stand by and watch. They will definitely work with the main force of the Funiu Mountain Military Division to repel the attack of the Japanese and puppet troops. This will achieve Ding Wei's goal.
While Xu Dalong and others were in contact with the underground party and looking for targets that could be used to seize Japanese and puppet assets, troops from the Funiu Mountain Military Division launched an attack on the Japanese troops in Nanyang.
The Japanese troops in the direction of Nanyang were fighting with the Guojun troops retreating to the Dabie Mountains. The troops sent by Ding Weiren stabbed them in the back. The Japanese troops were so angry that they had to dispatch troops to launch a counterattack against the troops in the Funiu Mountain Military Division.
The 44th Brigade of the 22nd Division of the Japanese Army stationed in Nanyang was ordered to attack Ding Wei's base. The Japanese forward had passed through Fengnan County, and the battle was imminent.
Faced with the severe situation, Xu Dalong and others had to temporarily abandon their plan to seize Japanese assets and concentrate on cooperating with Ding Wei to engage in anti-mopping operations.
When discussing the battle plan, Ding Wei proposed that it would be best to fight this battle in enemy-occupied areas to prevent the Japanese troops from entering the anti-Japanese base areas and causing serious damage.
This makes the battle more difficult. The Japanese army had a huge force, and the Eighth Route Army was not familiar with the terrain and people's sentiments in the enemy-occupied areas. It can be said that the right time, place, and people did not give them an advantage, which can be said to be a taboo for military strategists.
Xu Dalong didn't think that much. He also believed that the Funiu Mountain Military Division had just been established, and if a battle broke out, it would definitely suffer serious damage. If the Eighth Route Army cannot protect the people in the base area, the people will also lose trust in the Eighth Route Army. It will be much more difficult to reopen the base area in the future.
Therefore, Xu Dalong also agreed to the operational concept of Ding Wei and others. As for the specific operational plan, Ding Wei and the leaders of the Funiu Mountain Military Division expressed their obedience to Xu Dalong's opinions.
After careful consideration, Xu Dalong felt that the Japanese army came to attack only one infantry brigade. The airport had been destroyed and the Japanese army could not get support from the air force. The main force of the Funiu Mountain Military Division could be deployed to fight. 10,000 people, plus the advance detachment led by himself, will not suffer in terms of military strength. Although he chose to fight in enemy-occupied areas, he believed that he was still certain.
In order to clarify the situation in the enemy-occupied areas, Xu Dalong listened to the information provided by the underground party, and then went to personally survey the terrain.
Ding Wei was also very active. He and the chief of staff of the military division accompanied Xu Dalong, escorted by the task force, into enemy-occupied areas to survey the terrain.
Xu Dalong and others spent a day and a half riding horses continuously for more than 100 kilometers, and finally selected a battlefield where they were ready to meet the Japanese 44th Brigade.
The battle plan formulated by Xu Dalong was for Ding Wei's troops to build defensive positions in the Cross Ridge area of the Funiu Mountain Military Division to block the Japanese attack, where they would fight a war of attrition and defeat the Japanese army.
The advance detachment carried out harassment operations against the Japanese army, exhausting the Japanese army and gradually weakening the effective strength of the Japanese army.
The Funiu Mountain Military Division left two regiments in reserve. When the time was right, they suddenly launched an attack on the Japanese army, and then launched a full-line counterattack to defeat the Japanese army in one fell swoop. If conditions permitted, they would completely annihilate the Japanese army.
Xu Dalong, Ding Wei and the leaders of the Funiu Mountain Military Division all have great trust in Xu Dalong, and they fully agree with the combat plan proposed by Xu Dalong.
Since the Japanese army launched the Henan Campaign, the Japanese 44th Brigade has made significant progress in its operations against the Guo Army. It has defeated the Ninth Army and the 11th Army of the Guo Army successively, causing tens of thousands of casualties among the Guo Army soldiers. It can be said that It’s a fruitful battle.
They looked down upon the Guojun troops, and even more looked down upon the Eighth Route Army, which was poorly equipped. After the 44th Brigade accepted the task of attacking the Funiu Mountain Army's anti-Japanese base area, they were full of confidence and felt that the task was very easy. Without sufficient pre-war preparations, they directly launched an attack on the Eighth Route Army's base area.
That morning, the leading troops of the Japanese army arrived at the cross slope and encountered a tenacious blockade by the Eighth Route Army. This kind of positional warfare was what the Japanese army liked to fight most. When they saw that the Eighth Route Army had given up their existing guerrilla tactics and wanted to fight the Japanese army, the Japanese commander was very happy and directly launched a fierce attack on the Eighth Route Army's position.
At this time, the advance detachment did not take action. It was not until all the troops of the Japanese 44th Brigade left Nanyang City that they launched an attack on the Japanese army.
In order to prevent the Japanese army from realizing the danger and retreating to Nanyang City, Xu Dalong did not invest the main force of the task force at the beginning, but only sent two cavalry squadrons to carry out harassment operations.
The Japanese army did not pay attention to this and continued to attack in the direction of Cross Ridge. After the main force of the Japanese army moved away from Nanyang City, Xu Dalong gradually invested more troops and joined in the harassment of the Japanese army.
Four cavalry squadrons participated in the raids and harassment operations against the Japanese troops. They used squadrons as combat units and took advantage of the rapid maneuverability of the cavalry to continuously attack the Japanese troops. Each battle target was very small and could eliminate dozens of Japanese troops. Even a few Japanese soldiers evacuated.
Since the losses caused by each attack were very small for the various Japanese troops that were attacked, the Japanese army did not pay attention and did not count casualties in the entire brigade. If you add up the losses of each unit, you will definitely be shocked. In the first day of the attack alone, the total loss of all Japanese troops exceeded 900 people, and almost an infantry brigade was lost.
At the cross slope, the Japanese army encountered a tenacious blockage from the Eighth Route Army, because they also went all out this time and threw in all the other troops except the reserve teams of the three regiments. Not only that, but the county brigades of the four newly established counties were also involved in the blocking operation.
Although the battle was difficult, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army held their positions tenaciously.
Although the Japanese officers and soldiers suffered heavy casualties and also caused heavy casualties to the Eighth Route Army, they still fought to the death.
The Japanese troops were so angry that they gathered under Cross Ridge and attacked the Eighth Route Army's defensive positions.
The brutal cross-ridge defense operation lasted for three full days, and the number of casualties of the Japanese and Eighth Route Army exceeded thousands.
The Japanese army did not expect that the battle would be so difficult. The amount of baggage they carried was insufficient, so they had to send a telegram to Nanyang City to ask the Japanese and puppet troops staying in the city to deliver supplies to the front line.
The four cavalry squadrons of the advance detachment continued to harass the Japanese troops.
Xu Dalong and Wei Monk led three special operations squadrons to the direction of Nanyang to attack the Japanese army's heavy supply convoy.
Wei Monk led three special operations squadrons to set up an inverted triangle ambush position, waiting for the Japanese army's heavy supply troops to arrive.
At this moment, the scout responsible for monitoring the enemy's movements outside Nanyang City reported that after the Japanese army's heavy supply regiment left the city, another battalion of puppet troops came out of the city. They are about 10 kilometers away from the Japanese baggage regiment in front. The Japanese baggage regiment has about 1,000 people. The total strength of the three special operations squadrons led by Wei Monk is only more than 500 people. If there is no other interference, it is still possible. He is sure to eat the Japanese army's baggage troops.
But if after the battle begins, the Japanese army is reinforced by a battalion of puppet troops, the outcome of the battle will be difficult to say.
Faced with the unexpected situation, Monk Wei asked whether to change the original ambush plan.
After Xu Dalong thought for a while, he told Monk Wei to continue executing the original plan. Xu Dalong would lead a squad of special forces members to intercept the puppet army in the battalion behind.
An hour later, the Japanese army's baggage troops arrived. Xu Dalong and a squad of special operations team members were lying in ambush on the hillside on the side of the road. They let go of the Japanese marching brigade and prepared to block the battalion of puppet troops that was following them.
Half an hour later, Wei Monk led three special operations squadrons to launch an attack on the Japanese army's baggage troops.
The puppet troops were also equipped with walkie-talkies. After receiving the order for reinforcements from the Japanese army, they immediately started a forced march.
Xu Dalong saw an officer riding a tall horse among the puppet army's march, and there were several people on horseback surrounding him. His eyesight was excellent, and he quickly saw clearly the facial expression of the puppet army officer, and also saw the rank of lieutenant colonel on his collar badge. He was certain that this person was the battalion commander of the puppet army.
Xu Dalong gently pulled the trigger, only to hear a "bang" sound, a bullet whizzed out and shot into the forehead of the puppet battalion commander.
The puppet battalion commander leaned back and fell off his horse. Almost at the same time, the special operations team members fired violently at the puppet army with a light machine gun, and other special operations members used sniper rifles to attack the puppet army officers.
The puppet troops encountered a sudden attack and a period of chaos. Some people sought cover, while others simply lay on the ground and fought back against their attackers.
The special operations team members had already selected the cover in advance. They shot from one place to another, and the puppet army officers and machine gunners were continuously shot to death.
Although the puppet army was outnumbered, most of their officers were dead and their machine gunners were killed one by one. They were unable to organize an effective counterattack. As the casualties continued to increase, some timid puppet soldiers could no longer bear it, so they turned around and ran away. None of the other puppet soldiers wanted to stay and take bullets for others. When they saw someone running away, they all got up and ran away. Not to mention that all the officers in the puppet army were wiped out. Even if there were still officers, they would not have the ability to stop these defeated troops.
Xu Dalong and others were too lazy to chase them. They just used sniper rifles to chase the fleeing puppet troops and continuously knocked them to the ground. It wasn't until these puppet soldiers escaped that they disappeared, then they turned around to support Monk Wei and his companions in their battle.
Although the Japanese troops have a certain degree of combat effectiveness, they are still vulnerable to the three special operations squadrons that look like wolves and tigers. By the time Xu Dalong and others arrived, the battle was over.
Xu Dalong asked the special operations team members to replenish their ammunition, and then sent a special operations squadron to escort the captured weapons, ammunition and other baggage to Cross Slope to deliver this batch of baggage to Ding Wei. He and Wei Monk led two special operations squadrons to the cross slope to fight against the Japanese invasion.
The Japanese 44th Brigade received a report of an attack on the baggage troops and sent an infantry brigade to reinforce them. As a result, they were attacked by an advance detachment of cavalry troops on the way and suffered heavy losses along the way. They finally broke out of the cavalry squadron and ran into two special operations squadrons brought by Xu Dalong and Wei Monk.
The special forces of the advance detachment cooperated closely with the cavalry. Under their attack, the Japanese infantry brigade was completely destroyed soon after.
The blocking station at Cross Slope has entered its fourth day. The Japanese army has suffered heavy casualties and is very tired. Their weapons and ammunition have been almost exhausted.
The Japanese offensive has slowed down greatly. Ding Wei felt that it was almost done, so he contacted Xu Dalong, hoping to launch a counterattack. Xu Dalong also felt that the heat was coming, so he issued the order to counterattack.
On the flanks of the cross slope were the reserves of the two regiments, which were recharged. After receiving the order to attack, they suddenly launched an attack on the Japanese army.
The Japanese army was caught off guard and was in chaos.
Ding Wei also seized the opportunity and ordered the Eighth Route Army officers and soldiers guarding the cross slope to launch a full-scale counterattack against the Japanese army.
Thousands of officers and soldiers of the Eighth Route Army and members of the county brigade, who had been suppressed and beaten by the Japanese army these days, felt very depressed. They finally waited until the moment of counterattack arrived, and the anger in their hearts suddenly vented. They shouted loudly, armed with sharp bayonets, and launched a fierce attack on the Japanese army.
The officers and soldiers of the task force also changed their previous harassment tactics, and launched a fierce attack on the Japanese army with the squadron as a unit.
(End of chapter)
