PDLP Chapter 298 The storm is coming
Chapter 298 The storm is coming
Although Gu Changfeng was not sure of winning this battle, he was somewhat confident that he could kill the Japanese.
In the following time, he organized the people to transfer winter food and built shelters in the mountains and forests.
It was the coldest time of the year, and he didn't want the Japanese to invade Gaojia Town and the people in Gaojia Town to freeze to death because they had no shelter when they needed to evacuate.
It just so happened that he had a large number of confiscated quilts and clothes left over that he had not used. Now he put them to good use and distributed them all to the people.
The people became more and more grateful and fully supported the arrangements made by the independent regiment.
There is strength in numbers, and the people worked together very quickly. In just over ten days, the shelters in various areas were completely built.
In order to prevent the Japanese from raiding the mountains, the militia companies in each village were also busy. Besides training, they also went into the mountains to dig fortifications.
They all knew that the Japanese were coming with great force this time, and relying solely on the strength of the regiment was not enough. They had to work together to resist the Japanese.
Laiyuan City, temporary command post of the 115th Division.
Commander Yang said solemnly: "Comrades, headquarters has received accurate information that the Japanese attack will begin before the New Year."
"The number of Japanese soldiers will reach 7, and the number of puppet troops will reach 5, for a total force of 12. Their target is our Jinzhong area."
When these words came out, all the regimental commanders and political commissars looked at each other in bewilderment.
Although they knew that the devils would attack, what was the concept of 7 devils?
You have to know that Jinzhong is so small. The Japanese mobilized 12 troops. Is this crazy?
"Commander, the Japanese have mobilized such a large army, Laiyuan City must be their main target. Should we give up directly?" Ji Guangshun asked.
Commander Yang smiled wryly and said, "I shouldn't say such damaging words at this moment, but Laiyuan City must be abandoned."
Laiyuan was a strategic location, and being held by them for several months caused a lot of trouble to the Japanese.
But their advantage was that they mobilized the people to fight guerrilla warfare against the Japanese. There was really no need to defend the city, and they couldn't do it anyway.
"What should be done with the people in the city?" Chen Zhengrong asked.
There was no need to think about this. Commander Yang said directly: "Those who are willing to go with us will be transferred directly. Those who are not willing can forget it."
Some people are stubborn and just like to be obedient. Even if they have been governing for several months, some rich people still don't buy into their ideas.
There is no need to say, you should give up when you should give up.
Staff Officer Li hesitated for a moment and then said, "I estimate that the Japanese are targeting more than just Laiyuan City. The Independent Regiment is also a target. The Japanese will probably deploy heavy troops to encircle and suppress them."
"Several major battles that caused heavy losses to the Japanese were initiated by the Laiyuan Independent Regiment. They must be the Japanese's main target."
After Ji Guangshun finished speaking, he suddenly felt a sense of honor. Being able to make the Japanese so violent, this life was not in vain.
This made Master Yang smile, and he couldn't help but sigh:
"This guy is really amazing. In less than a year since he came here, he's killed nearly 20,000 Japanese soldiers."
"The Taiyuan Campaign mobilized so many troops, but only over 30,000 Japanese soldiers died, not to mention our own casualties."
"This guy is really good. He gets stronger and stronger. His military strength should exceed ours now."
He has experienced many battles, big and small. He fought against the Kuomintang before and now he fights against the Japanese. There are not many people he can admire, and Gu Changfeng is definitely one of them.
Ji Guangshun laughed and said, "He has even built an arsenal now, which shows how wealthy he is."
"The last time I went there, they had dozens of large warehouses just for storing supplies, and they were all packed."
As soon as these words were spoken, the topic completely veered off topic. All the questions asked were about the Laiyuan Independent Regiment, which made Staff Officer Li smile bitterly.
After about ten minutes, Commander Yang couldn't stand it any longer and coughed twice to attract everyone's attention.
"Although the Japanese attack was massive, we, the Eighth Route Army, are not to be trifled with."
"Therefore, this time we must prove to the Chinese people the courage of our Eighth Route Army to fight resolutely."
"Comrades, this mission is difficult, and headquarters has not issued any specific combat orders."
"The only requirement is to ensure the safety of the people and preserve our strength as much as possible while destroying the enemy's effective forces."
This time the Japanese offensive was too fierce. With the strength of the Eighth Route Army in Jinzhong area, it was impossible to fight the Japanese head-on. It would be considered good enough if they could survive this large-scale mop-up.
Of course, in terms of personnel, the Eighth Route Army definitely has more people than the devils.
However, in terms of weapons and equipment, the two sides are far behind, and this gap cannot be made up in a short period of time.
"Comrades, although there are no orders from headquarters this time, we should make full use of guerrilla warfare and ambush tactics, coordinate well with the masses, and implement the policy of fortifying the walls and clearing the fields."
"As long as we make the most of our strengths, the Japanese raid will naturally collapse on its own."
Staff Officer Li added,
His purpose was very clear, which was to slow down the enemy's offensive through these tactics.
As long as it drags on long enough, the Japanese logistics will definitely not be able to hold on.
This idea coincided with Gu Changfeng's, but Gu Changfeng did not intend to avoid it directly. He had to fight the Japanese first.
Just as everyone was about to disperse, the company commander guarding the east gate ran into the command center.
He saluted everyone first, then said happily:
"Division Commander, the Laiyuan Independent Regiment sent a batch of supplies, saying it's to support us. There are 15 trucks and two heavy artillery pieces."
He was so happy that he rushed into the headquarters without paying attention to the soldiers trying to stop him.
Under normal circumstances, he would definitely be reprimanded. If it was more serious, he would not be able to take over as company commander.
However, Commander Yang and everyone else who heard the news did not take it seriously and were all attracted by the company commander's words.
"Where are they and who is leading the team?" Ji Guangshun asked anxiously.
"The leader of the team is their first battalion commander, his surname is Huang."
The company commander had followed Ji Guangshun to Gaojia Town once, so he knew Huang Zhengkui. When the regiment commander asked about it, he told him directly.
Commander Yang lost his composure and was the first to walk out of the command center.
Just then, the convoy arrived at the entrance of the command department under the command of the soldiers defending the city.
Huang Zhengkui got off the car and saw Commander Yang of the 115th Division, the staff officers and the regimental commanders coming out, and he couldn't help laughing.
"Commanders, I'm just delivering supplies. There's no need for such a grand ceremony."
Ji Guangshun was amused and looked at Huang Zhengkui and said, "Old Huang, we are not here to welcome you, we are here to receive the supplies."
Since everyone knew each other, he didn't treat Huang Zhengkui as an outsider. They even called each other brothers when they were drinking.
"Haha, our leader cleared out a lot of supplies this time. He thought we wouldn't need that much for the time being, so he asked me to deliver it to you."
Huang Zhengkui explained with a smile.
This is also what Gu Changfeng instructed.
In fact, it’s not that they can’t be used, but Gu Changfeng feels that it would be better to enrich the Eighth Route Army instead of leaving these things in the warehouse.
Moreover, there are not many bullets in this batch of supplies, mainly surplus Type 38 rifles, helmets, and grenades.
As for the German heavy artillery, he exchanged it separately, and there were not many shells, just 100 rounds.
"This kid, it seems like he wants us to tie down more devils, haha."
Commander Yang saw through Gu Changfeng's intention at a glance, but he was still very happy.
They have to fight whether they have this batch of supplies or not. With this batch of supplies, at least their strength can be enhanced.
When Ji Guangshun heard the commander say this, he walked to Huang Zhengkui, put his arm around his shoulders and said.
"It seems your leader is planning to use us as permanent laborers. This salary is not enough."
This was a habit he had developed before. He never had too much supplies, so he would grab some whenever he had the chance.
What could Huang Zhengkui say? He could only laugh dryly and shut up. However, he knew that the two were just joking, so he didn't take it to heart.
Commander Yang smiled and looked at Huang Zhengkui and said:
"I accept your commander's kindness. This time, facing the Japanese invaders, we, the Eighth Route Army, will shoulder the responsibility and will certainly not hold you back."
He was really happy. With this extra batch of supplies, he would definitely be able to kill more Japanese devils.
And with two heavy artillery pieces, he would have more room to maneuver when deploying them.