under fire

Chapter 1642: Two slippery counties

The middle-aged man finally couldn't help but get angry: "Your independent regiment, without orders from superiors, has repeatedly attacked the county town in the enemy's war zone, which has attracted great attention from the Japanese!"

"What a bullshit! You don't dare to do anything because the Japanese are paying so much attention to you?" Qi Laoqiu raised his voice: "In the past, the Eighth Route Army went out from Taihang and fought all the way to Shandong Province. How many counties did it fight? When did our Eighth Route Army become fearful? Feet?"

Bullshit? What does it mean? not understand.

The middle-aged man became angry: "You think I don't want to attack the county seat? However, under the current situation, what will happen even if the county seat in the enemy-occupied area is captured? Can we hold it?"

"After the victory?" Qi Lao Qi was stunned for a moment: "That is something that the local anti-Japanese government should consider."

"Brother Comrade, if you capture the county town, you can indeed replenish guns and ammunition from the puppet army, and you can also get food." The middle-aged man shook his head slightly: "But have you thought about the many consequences of attacking the county town?"

"Robbing the rich and giving to the poor! You can also rob the local tyrants and evil gentry who wear the same pants as the Japanese." The old bandit Qi had a simple idea. He attacked the county town. The main purpose was of course to seize supplies from the Japanese traitors.

As for the consequences, you want me, a big fella, to think about that stuff?

The middle-aged man shook his head: "One of the conditions for the Eighth Route Army and the National Army to cooperate in the fight against Japan is that we cannot attack the local tyrants to divide their land!"

"What? You can't even touch those traitors?" Qi Lao Qi was stunned.

Seeing that the old bandit Qi was dumbfounded, the middle-aged man also looked helpless: "Then let me tell you the consequences: Even if the county town is successfully captured, the most we can do is disarm the puppet troops in the city and remove the guns and ammunition from the warehouses of the puppet troops and traitors. food."

The middle-aged man's tone began to become serious: "Then we must move after the Japanese get the news and call us. After we leave, what will happen to the little Japanese? Of course, they will definitely retaliate against the people in the county and even mass murder. .”

"What if I capture the county seat and have a way to hold it?" Qi Lao Gang rolled his eyes.

"Hold?" The middle-aged man shook his head: "It is absolutely impossible to hold on in the enemy's war zone. Otherwise, do you think that with the combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army, although it cannot fight the Japanese directly, it can send people into the city in advance to ambush, and then cooperate with the inside and outside to attack and kill a few There is absolutely no problem with this county town! The problem is that it cannot be defended, Captain Qi."

At this point, the middle-aged man added again: "Because the Japanese have planes and cannons. If we insist on holding on, the people in the county who will be injured in the end will be the people in the county."

"Hey, do you know about the Soil and Water Conservation Corps?" Qi Lao Qi changed the subject.

"What? The Soil and Water Conservation Corps?" The middle-aged man recalled quickly: "You mean the Soil and Water Conservation Corps to the west of An County? The Soil and Water Conservation Corps where the leader Sun Youshang died?"

"What? You said Sun Youshang died? How did he die?" Qi Laoqiu did not receive the news of Sun Youshang's death.

"I don't know the specific situation." The middle-aged man interrupted Old Bandit Qi: "Tell me, how can you hold on to the county seat after taking it?"

"Hey, the Eighth Route Army can't hold it, but the puppet army can."

The middle-aged man fell into deep thought after saying this.

Hua County.

The members of the rotation training team who entered the county in advance and the scouts of the 18th and 20th regiments were ready.

According to the plan, the firewood that had been prepared in each yard needed to be lit separately to send an attack signal to the troops outside the city.

"Heroes, you are all heroes! If you want military rations, I will save the money from my mouth and send it to you; if you want to fight, I will send my son to your team to serve as a soldier, but why do you still burn my house? "Uncle Zhou, the landlord of the anti-Japanese fortress, felt sorry for his house and property and begged in tears.

Several other families nearby also couldn't figure it out. As for what "inside should cooperate with outside, sound in the east and attack in the west". They all understood.

But not if my house is burned down.

The dozen or so soldiers were immediately speechless after listening to the words of the uncles.

The soldiers of the 18th and 20th Regiments knew very well what a "fortress household" meant.

They would rather sacrifice their lives than betray the Eighth Route Army.

The masses who supported the Eighth Route Army in resisting Japan by selling iron.

Since the uncle does not agree and does not have time to do ideological work to understand them, he would rather sacrifice himself than harm the interests of the masses.

More than a dozen team members gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

The rotation team members suggested finding another place to burn the wealthy family's house.

The scouts of both regiments disagreed: "Do you really care what I said?"

"That's reasonable, but war is cruel," the rotation training team member said anxiously.

"Uncle, they also understand this truth, but they find it difficult to give up their wealth. Our Eighth Route Army has never burned down a fellow villager's house."

There was no other way but to set fire to the house. It was too small to light the quilt in the villager's house. The county wall was too high and could not be seen from outside the city.

The folks in the city are really poor. They don’t even have extra firewood. Otherwise, they can just find an open space and light a few fires.

For a moment, I couldn’t think of any other way to go!

More than ten people had two opinions. There were not enough members for rotation training, so the vote by show of hands failed.

The scout team members had already reached an agreement: they could not make the uncle sad or chill the heart of the "fortress household". The rotation training team members looked at each other and had to give up the "arson" plan.

outside the city.

The temporary headquarters of the 18th and 20th regiments were lying in wait.

The agreed time has passed, but the "light of fire" in the city has not yet been seen.

The two regiment leaders predicted that something might happen to the soldiers and rotation training team members who went into the city to conduct reconnaissance.

Immediately prepare to launch a strong attack.

The commander of the 18th regiment pointed at the map: "According to the plan, our 1st and 3rd companies will feign an attack from the east gate, while the 2nd and 4th companies will attack in depth from the north and south flanks to the west."

The leader of the 20th regiment nodded: "Ten minutes after the battle started, my 1st, 2nd and 3rd companies will attack from the west gate! The 4th and 5th companies will advance deep from the east. Let's see who among us can break into the county first!"

The ambush site of the rotation training team is relatively close to the west gate of the county.

The time has passed the agreed signaling time.

When Ma Liang received a storm order from the 20th Regiment Headquarters.

His heart felt like it was falling into an ice cave. He didn't know what went wrong with the rotation training team members sent into the city.

Although he was determined to oppose the strong attack, he was soft-spoken and could not speak at all.

He had no choice but to come to the side of the first company commander who was preparing for the attack and ask for a fight: "Captain Zhang, do you think you can lead the surrendered puppet troops to lead the battle and trick them into opening the city gate?"

The first company commander spoke calmly: "You rotation training members have delicate bodies, and I dare not let you take risks."

The rotation training team members and reconnaissance team members who entered the county in advance could not even set a fire.

Although the tone did not reveal the intention of blaming the rotation training team members who were familiar with the local situation, there was anger in the words.

Ma Liang did not explain too much and said in a sincere tone: "If there is an accident, I will bear all the responsibilities."

"Haha, I am a company commander, so what I say does not count. You have to go to my regiment commander for this matter." Captain Li refused directly. Can you, Captain Ma, afford it? Hehe, if something happens in my position, can I get away with it?

The battle is about to start. Now go find their leader. Isn't this nonsense?

five minutes later.

Suddenly a torch lit up in the clearing.

More than ten troops wearing puppet army uniforms got on the west city highway and headed to the west gate with great fanfare.

The first company commander, who was arranging combat tasks, immediately began to scold his mother: "Hey, damn it, I am the main direction of attack. If the turtle training team dares to mess around, I will give you endless punishment!"

"Captain Ma said that they once captured Hua County," the instructor next to him reminded.

"Bragging. Who can't do that?" The company commander smashed his fist in front of the wet soil after the rain: "During the Long March, I even captured Zun Yi City."

Unseen in the darkness of dawn.

More than a dozen men in black swam across the moat silently while using the city wall's searchlight to shine on the team that appeared in the west.

After landing, they immediately set up a warning and quickly approached the base of the city wall on both sides of the west city gate.

The team leader took off the rope from his back and prepared to climb the city wall.

"Captain Li, will we cause trouble if we do this?" A team member lowered his voice.

"That's right, the order just issued by the 20th Regiment doesn't seem to have given us an order to join the battle, right?"

"Hey, you're causing trouble. We agreed that we would conduct reconnaissance. Aren't we on a reconnaissance mission now?" Captain Li chuckled and checked the iron triangle hook wrapped in cloth again.

"Yes, there's nothing to be afraid of. Even if we are held accountable later, we will bear the responsibility together with Captain Ma."

In the queue heading towards the west gate.

As a prisoner, the puppet platoon leader with a bayonet on his back sighed in his heart, these Tubal soldiers dared to attack a county where a regiment of regular troops was stationed.

When the fight breaks out later, you have to find a place to hide while these Tubalu are not paying attention.

(End of this chapter)