From the vast plain to the west of Meixian County to the foot of the mountain, since the cavalry and encirclement and suppression troops were attacked by the Eighth Route Army, the Japanese recruited civilians to build many new strongholds: gun towers and bunkers. Even in the winter, they did not stop digging blockade ditches, trying to move from south to north. The blockade trenches gradually formed a network blockade system.
The focus of the blockade was on Lushuipu and Luoye Village. After the telephone lines were pulled up at the gun tower stronghold, in addition to Li Youde's troops, the Japanese also transferred a small team to garrison the gun tower in shifts.
The security forces from the county seat were directly pulled out and stationed at the newly built stronghold gun tower near the county seat.
The land that was originally a quasi-security zone in the eyes of the Japanese has now become a security zone in the eyes of the enemy.
In the eyes of the Japanese, by blocking the two routes out of the mountain for the Independent Regiment, the Independent Regiment would be trapped and die in the mountain!
This was used to isolate the Eighth Route Army from its influence on the common people in the plains.
After the New Year, the cold winter still has no rain. As natural disasters intensify, man-made disasters continue to increase.
For the Eighth Route Army in the mountains, the difficulties faced are absolutely unprecedented.
In enemy-occupied areas, people starve to death every day.
Up to now, people in Chongqing are still indifferent to the situation in the disaster area. Maybe in their eyes, since you have become a Japs and obedient citizen, then you go to the Japs for food!
They even forget that the common people in enemy-occupied areas are still their compatriots.
The Eighth Route Army watched the people struggling on the verge of death and tried their best, but there was almost no way to solve the unprecedented famine.
The grain transport team raised by the superiors finally arrived at Sanjiaji, but the 30,000 kilograms of grain allocated to the independent group were a drop in the bucket! Not to mention anything else, the Independent Regiment alone received more than 5,000 victims. Each person weighed six pounds, which is good for ten days and a half. Moreover, according to the arrangements of the superiors, most of this batch of food had to be transported. Come out of the mountains and deliver them to the victims.
The independent group's breakfast was changed to two meals, which were all sparse. The training of the soldiers was also reduced accordingly. If they had nothing to do, they would study or sleep.
In the Sanjiaji troops, except for a few people who knew that the division had arranged for people to restart the enemy agent investigation, the station was no different from usual.
Captain Lu was in a very depressed mood, his bad mood hanging directly on his face.
After looking at the sand table with his legs crossed for a long time, he was already depressed enough. He turned to look at the political commissar who had just returned and was holding a teapot: "Old Ding, Minister Zhang of the Political Department has brought people to Dabeizhuang."
"What?"
"Investigating the incident where we were poisoned."
"What do you mean by doing this at this juncture?"
"The girl went to the division to participate in an operation. I will tell you in detail later that she met the head of the intelligence section of the headquarters. I don't know how she mentioned the poisoning. After analysis, it has attracted the attention of her superiors. If nothing else happens, I estimate there will be results this afternoon.”
"It would be great to be able to uncover the spy. Isn't that a good thing? Why are you looking so grim?"
"I think so too, but I don't feel at ease!" Captain Lu stared with blood-red eyes: "By the way, how is the situation at the Ninth Company when you go out this time?"
The political commissar suppressed his inner happiness: "Not very good!"
"When did you learn to lay an ambush? Look at the flesh on your face moving. If you want to laugh, just laugh."
The political commissar smiled slightly: "The Ninth Company has assembled a team of more than a thousand people. If we add the militia, I think it will soon exceed 2,000!"
"What?" Commander Lu stood up and pressed the political commissar on the stool next to the sand table: "Tell me, what's going on?"
"The number of the Ninth Company itself has not changed much, and the water conservancy self-defense regiment, uh, even the security regiment has not changed much. It's just that they are all in the drinking station. Even Lao Meng has set up a militia. Kaojiu, who originally opened a gambling house at the foot of the mountain, , and even opened gambling dens into provincial capitals."
"Gambling hall? This is a violation of discipline."
"Don't worry, they are not from our Eighth Route Army at all. By the way, where is Hu Yi? Aren't they back?"
"Don't worry, let me tell you something. We are arranging for people to go to friendly forces for exchanges. I plan to arrange for Hu Yi to lead the team. What do you think?"
The political commissar was stunned for a moment: "Not very good."
"Why?"
"He's only a company commander. Don't tell me you don't know what the level of his friendly forces is?"
"Isn't it the 24th Army?"
"Just? I also know that they are a group army. You send a company commander to communicate with their group army?
He is on the same level as our Eighteenth Group Army of the Eighth Route Army. It’s a shame that he has also fought tough battles with the Japanese on the frontal battlefield. Although he sent people to our independent regiment for exchanges, he slapped us in the face. It means that our skills are inferior to others. Can't blame others.
You arrange for Hu Yi to go, and then you yell to others: Ah, the commander of the Independent Regiment has sent a company commander to communicate with you. People are not allowed to think that our Eighth Route Army intends to kill people? "
Commander Lu listened to the political commissar's long speech: "Hey, I have temporarily promoted Hu Yi to staff officer. Do you have any objections?"
The political commissar had a dark line: "Then get rid of this staff officer again? Will Hu Yi think for himself? Huh? I think you will lose your face directly to the war zone this time and become famous throughout the army!"
"I heard that his direct troops were defeated no less than ten times by various opponents!"
"But people have the ability to quickly gather the defeated troops every time they are defeated. Not only do they not suffer much loss, but the team becomes stronger and stronger. This is also a skill."
Commander Lu curled his lips: "Their commander is a well-known veteran. He doesn't dare to offend his superiors, but he is very good at preserving his own strength. Every time the battle begins, he orders the troops to run away. In terms of running away, it is better to run away." Comparable to others, he has earned himself the reputation of a 'roly-poly'.
"Our superiors asked us to unite. Although our neighbor suffered repeated defeats, at the beginning of the War of Resistance, he once ran into the Japanese 10th Division that broke through the 29th Route Army's defense line. They defeated our soldiers in Cangxian County. With the prestige and prestige of the army, the unit changed from its usual cowardly behavior and took on the enemy in a bloody battle, blocking the arrogant 10th elite Isoya Division for seven days and seven nights!
By the time the unit was ordered to retreat, more than half of their troops had suffered casualties. It is said that the regiment with the greatest losses had only more than 300 people left after more than 2,000 people fought hard. Therefore, I suggest you look at a person more comprehensively. "
"how do you know?"
"Every time you go to the division for a meeting, have you never been to the library? Isn't there the Eighth Route Army's analysis of each opponent?"
"I have the skills, so tell me about our neighbor's situation."
"After the Battle of Taierzhuang started, the Japanese main force, the Banyuan Fifth Division, moved south from Qingdao and pounced aggressively on Xuzhou. At this time, all the troops with some combat effectiveness around Commander Li in the theater had been sent out to fight, leaving only Pang Bingxun and Qin Dechun. , Miao Chengliu, three miscellaneous generals.
Commander-in-Chief Li had no choice but to call up the taller one among the dwarfs and send Commander Pang, who was more capable among the three, to intercept Sakagaki's division. Commander Li was originally a helpless move, but he did not expect that it had an unexpected effect. Seishiro was a China expert and had already heard of Pang Bingxun's reputation as the "roly-poly". He underestimated the enemy and sent only one brigade of troops to "drive" Pang Bingxun away. As a result, he was beaten so hard that he couldn't find the north and retreated in embarrassment.
Ban Yuan was not convinced and sent another regiment to launch another fierce attack on Pang Bingxun's position. Pang Bingxun showed no sign of weakness and commanded the troops to fight bloody battles for five days and nights, but did not allow Ban Yuan's division to move forward.
At that time, there were no fewer than dozens of Chinese and foreign journalists and military attachés from allied countries who were watching the battle in Xuzhou. No one could have imagined that one of the best "Japanese troops" would be defeated by a little-known "no-name" Chinese army. For a while, the newspapers were overwhelmingly spreading the word and cheering. All around.
Sakagaki Seishiro couldn't help but became angry and had to concentrate the main force of the Fifth Division to attack. Later, Pang Bingxun's Third Army had more than 13,000 men and more than 8,000 casualties. The scene was horrific. Seeing that the reinforcements were delayed, Pang Bingxun even sent electricity to the war zone, determined to coexist with the position.
At this critical moment, General Zhang Zhong, who had a grudge against Pang Bingxun, led the 59th Army to the battlefield and rescued Pang Bingxun and the remaining troops of the Third Army, less than 5,000 people. It can be seen that he fought desperately with the Japanese army. "
"So, this person is an expert in foreign wars and an outsider in civil wars?" Captain Lu was fascinated by this and muttered: "You have underestimated our neighbor. Forget it, you better go ahead!"
Ding Deyi just put down the empty teapot: "Do you think I can walk away now?"
Captain Lu thought it was impossible for me to go there in person: "Then what do you think we should do?"
Ding Deyi held his broken vat and looked at the sand table leisurely, without raising his head, and replied lightly: "Isn't Minister Zhang here? We have small heads and can't bear such a big hat. Let him think of something!"
(End of chapter)
