pdf-ebookys #127 - On the verge of breaking out
#127 - On the verge of breaking out
To ensure that Ren Zhong could smoothly pass through the Japanese stronghold, the Brigade Commander assigned the first battle of the campaign to Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment, essentially dispatching the Independent Regiment to escort Ren Zhong!
In addition, the Independent Regiment's mission was quite flexible. They would launch a surprise attack westward from Heyuan, directly breaking through the Tongpu Railway west of Heyuan! They would disrupt the Japanese transportation lines in the Hongcheng area west of Heyuan as much as possible.
Li Yunlong, who had been holding back for months, deployed his main force this time, not only bringing out Zhang Dabiao's Heyuan Guerrilla First Detachment and the old First Battalion but also the Second Battalion and the Cavalry Company.
Only the Third Battalion was left to Kong Jie and Zhao Gang to guard Yangcun's old nest and defend the headquarters.
This deployment involved over a thousand men, marching westward in a mighty force. Although they were traveling through mountainous areas, the Independent Regiment didn't encounter large enemy forces, avoiding major engagements. However, there were still many small actions along the way. Through scattered attacks, they cleared out the Japanese strongholds along the hundred-li stretch from Nangou to Xing Tang Temple!
More than a dozen large and small strongholds were knocked out as practice. Old Li felt it was a waste to just use mortars, flying thunder cannons, and RPGs for training at home, so he held back and used them in a large-scale raid. This time, he took the opportunity of the westward raid to directly find Japanese strongholds for actual combat training!
Due to the swiftness of their actions, and having cut the telephone lines before the operation, Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment almost completely wiped out the Japanese strongholds within a hundred li along the way. The Japanese gendarmerie in the county town was still in the dark.
In two days and one night, the Independent Regiment's achievements shocked Ren Zhong!
These mountainous strongholds, the larger ones, had a Japanese squad plus a puppet army platoon of forty to fifty men, while the smaller ones had a few Japanese soldiers paired with a dozen puppet soldiers stationed there.
Under normal circumstances in historical time, these strongholds, if they had built blockhouses, would require at least a company-level regular force to fight for several hours to capture.
But now, there was no need for such trouble. Once the telephone lines were cut, an RPG rocket launcher would take out a small blockhouse with one shot, and then the assault team would rush up, resolving the battle in ten minutes! Then, the work of cleaning up the battlefield and gathering the puppet soldiers would be handed over to the working team following behind!
It didn't delay Ren Zhong and the others from hurrying on their way at all!
In this way, they advanced victoriously all the way to Xing Tang Temple in Hongcheng.
"Old Li, now that we've reached here, the Independent Regiment will face tough battles next." Looking at the mountain village ahead and the gradually shortening mountain peaks, Ren Zhong, who had become familiar with this terrain in the main world, knew that they were about to cross the mountains and enter the valley.
"Old Ren, are we about to leave the mountains?" Li Yunlong didn't ask how Ren Zhong knew. Anyway, based on the crude map and the distance they had traveled, he could only roughly tell that they had reached the vicinity of Hongcheng.
"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, we'll be out of the mountains after walking two or three more li." Ren Zhong said with some emotion. They had traveled more than a hundred li in two days and one night, even though he was still riding a horse and hadn't participated in the battle, he was still a little overwhelmed.
The area between his legs was also chafed and somewhat swollen.
However, these things were not for outsiders to know.
"Old Ren, in your opinion, should we attack directly or rest here for one night?" Li Yunlong asked.
It wasn't that he didn't know how to fight, but along the way, Li Yunlong found that Ren Zhong was quite familiar with the route here. Ren Zhong chose the places to stop and go, and basically, there were no mistakes.
"Our target, Zhao City Station, is thirty li away. It's not far from dark now. Let's rest here for a while and set off at 10 o'clock tonight. We'll rush all the way and arrive at the target in about 2 hours. As for how to fight, it's up to you, Old Li. I don't know much about that."
"Okay, let's have the comrades rest and eat first. Dabiao, send someone to block the entrances and exits of the village. No one can enter or leave tonight. Shen Quan, you send someone to borrow stoves from the villagers and boil some hot water for the comrades to have a hot meal." After Li Yunlong's instructions, the team of over a thousand people entered the village in an orderly manner.
"It will take 2 hours to get to Zhao City Station, which is around dawn. At this time, most of the Japanese and puppet troops should be sleeping in the barracks. According to the information previously scouted by local comrades, Zhao City Station has a squadron of Japanese and a battalion of puppet troops stationed there, defending 4 blockhouses and 2 bunkers in the station warehouse respectively. Normally, a squad of Japanese and a platoon of puppet troops are on duty guarding the blockhouses, while the bunkers in front of the warehouse are guarded by a Japanese squad each." Li Yunlong pointed to a hand-drawn sketch, which was obviously information secretly obtained by the underground party at great risk.
"Shen Quan, I'll leave the barracks to your Second Battalion. All 6 mortars will be assigned to you. Be sure not to let them have the opportunity to rush out and enter the station warehouse to set it on fire." Li Yunlong pointed to the approximate location of the enemy's barracks and said to Shen Quan.
"Dabiao, you take the First Battalion to contain the 4 blockhouses, and I'll lead the Guerrilla First Detachment to knock out the two bunkers in the station warehouse first and take the warehouse! Understand?" Li Yunlong pointed to the blockhouse positions above and turned to Zhang Dabiao.
"Understood!" Shen Quan and Zhang Dabiao said in unison.
"Commander, what about our Cavalry Company?" Sun Desheng watched for a long time and felt that there was nothing for him to do, feeling a little uncomfortable.
"Old Sun, your task is to take advantage of our attack to escort Old Ren safely across the Fen River, break through the Fen River's west bank blockade and enter the mountainous area, and then turn back to attack the possible reinforcements sent by the Japanese. Zhao City Station is not far from the county town. This round trip of yours may coincide with the arrival of Japanese reinforcements. Your Cavalry Company's mission is very important. Because the Japanese are likely to come in railway armored vehicles. The RPG rocket launchers and rockets assigned to your Cavalry Company must be used sparingly. Don't use them all up attacking strongholds. You'll be dumbfounded when you have to fight armored vehicles."
Li Yunlong pointed to the route Ren Zhong and the others were about to leave on the simple map, as well as the strongholds above.
Sun Desheng's Cavalry Company would have to advance 10 li westward, during which they would need to break through the two Japanese blockhouse lines on the west bank and also rush back to fight the reinforcements, which was indeed a difficult task.
"Don't worry, the Cavalry Company guarantees to complete the mission!" Sun Desheng said loudly.
"Old Ren, tonight, we brothers will part ways in battle. Take care of everything!" Li Yunlong was rarely serious, with a bit of sentimentality.
"Old Li, we will definitely meet again soon, victory is certain!" Ren Zhong did not participate in their combat suggestions. He was very clear about his mission.
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After the raid on Zhao City Station starts, Li Yunlong and the others will go all out to fight, while he will break through the Japanese blockade and continue westward, carefully selecting the kindling for the upcoming Dawn Plan.
He would fight on another front to drive away the Japanese.
The Independent Regiment was equipped with 4 RPG rocket launchers and 6 82mm mortars of heavy firepower, plus 56 semi-automatics distributed to the squad leaders of each squad, and 4 grenade launchers concentrated for use in each company.
Its firepower was the strongest among the main regiments in the base area. Ren Zhong was not worried that they would not be able to take Zhao City Station.
However, Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment's mission was not only that, they had to undertake the destruction work of the railway nearly fifty li from Zhao City Station, which was quite dangerous.
The Tongpu Railway, like the Zhengtai Railway, was a core transportation line for the Japanese. The Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade No. 16 was responsible for the security of this section of the railway. The strength of Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment was still very dangerous in the face of a brigade.
Third update!