Pulling Zhao Shixun to sit down, and after a few more chats about what had happened recently, Lao Wu took a letter out of his arms and put it in front of the two.

"There are two pieces of paper on this side, one of which is the recent battlefield information given to you by the column, and the other is a handwritten letter from your column Riesling, it just so happens that both of you have arrived, hurry up and take a look."

Hearing this, Zhao Shixun hurriedly took the envelope. During this period, the newly established independent column has not been able to get any more news from the column, and it is basically in a state of free range, and its understanding of the surrounding situation is basically limited to a few dozen miles.

Couldn't wait to pull the oil lamp closer, Zhao Shixun took out the letter paper and looked at it seriously.

The first one is very informative and is the latest battlefield intelligence. Not to mention a few hundred words, there are actually domestic and foreign ones.

Ten minutes later, Zhao Shixun handed the first piece of letter to Zhou Yu, then looked at Lao Wu and asked:

"So...... Did the Nationalist Government officially declare war on Japan? ”

As a former officer of the Nationalist Army, Zhao Shixun knew very well that due to various reasons, the Nationalist Government began in 918, despite the fact that the Japanese army had invaded half of China's land and fought a major war with the Chinese army for several years, and also blocked China's tens of thousands of kilometers of coastline. What is helpless is that the Nationalist Government has never officially declared war on Japan!

In other words, in the international arena, the conflict between China and Japan is still only a stage, not a full-scale war stage!

In Zhao Shixun's view, this state is simply a great insult to the Chinese soldiers!

"Well...... the Japanese sneak attacked the base of the US Pacific Fleet at the beginning of the month, and the Americans were hurt, and this is the war declared on the Japanese. After Chongqing heard that the United States had declared war on Japan, it did not take long for it to declare war on Japan. ”

Hearing this, Zhao Shixun was silent for a moment.

"What does your headquarters think about the current situation?"

Hearing Zhao Shixun's inquiry, Lao Wu touched his beard stubble, looked at the other party and said seriously:

"According to the analysis of the headquarters, the participation of the Americans in the war will be of great help to our Chinese anti-aggression struggle in the long run.

However, in the short term, due to the appeasement policy of Britain and the United States towards Japan in the early stage, the Japanese made rapid progress in the South Seas, and Britain and the United States were somewhat unable to resist. In other words, at least for now, we do not have the support of Britain and the United States.

In addition, the General Headquarters analyzed that Japan's military strength was limited, and once it invaded the South Seas on a large scale, it would inevitably transfer some units with rich combat experience from the Chinese battlefield, so that it would at least ease the urgent needs of our Chinese battlefield. However, I have heard that the Japanese began to massively expand their troops on the mainland a few months ago, and I think that the number of troops drawn from the Chinese battlefield will be very limited.

Moreover, according to the analysis of the headquarters, once the Japanese army launched a large-scale attack on Britain and the United States, it was bound to rush to end the operation in China. In this case, the Japanese will definitely intensify their war against China in the future, which means that the pressure you will face in the future may also be even greater, so the headquarters hopes that all units will be mentally prepared for a vicious war. ”

When Zhao Shixun and Zhou Yu heard this, they both frowned and nodded. Indeed, the analysis of the headquarters is correct, it is a fact that Britain and the United States entered the war, and the Japanese faced a two-front battle, but it is also a fact that the devil dog jumped over the wall in a hurry.

Hearing this, he nodded, and Zhao Shixun immediately picked up the second letter and looked at it.

The second is Lei Wancheng's handwritten letter, which is not much in content, basically a short and detailed order.

"Comrade Zhao Shixun of the independent detachment, Comrade Zhou Yu. From the day you receive the warrant, you two must immediately organize capable combat forces and carry medical personnel, and be sure to rush to Xujiagou in Lishan Town within three days to contact the special commissioner of the division headquarters there. Later, he was escorted to the 21st Regiment of the New Fifth Brigade of the Jinnan Loyal and Righteous National Salvation Army, and cooperated with all the work of the commissioner. Remember, your unit must strictly abide by the requirements and discipline of the Eighth Route Army on the anti-Japanese national united front, and must cooperate well with the work of the special commissioner.

The headquarters of the first column, commander Lei Wancheng, political commissar Jiang Hongfei. ”

Looking at the order issued to him by the column, not only Zhao Shixun, but even Zhou Yu frowned at the same time.

After confirming the order again, Zhao Shixun raised his head, looked at Lao Wu suspiciously, and asked:

"Brother Wu, the current station of our independent detachment is located in the west of Hengqu, not close to Lishan Town. And where should it belong to the scope of activities of the other troops of a column, it seems that there is no need for us to work far? ”

"Yes, Comrade Lao Wu, I don't understand why the column sent us to Lishan Town, nearly a hundred miles away, to pick up the 21st Regiment of the New Fifth Brigade? Besides, they are loyal to the National Salvation Army, so it stands to reason that they should be under the control of Chongqing? ”

Looking at the two people who were puzzled, Lao Wu Hehe Yile did not say it directly, but took out a cigarette and lit it unhurriedly.

"I knew you were going to ask."

Gently spitting out a cigarette, Lao Wu handed the cigarette case to Zhao Shixun.

"Zhou Yu is right, this army should indeed be under the jurisdiction of Chongqing. But what I am saying is something that you do not yet know. ”

After dusting off his cigarette ashes, Lao Wu continued:

"This new Fifth Brigade is the most recently established unit in the Fifth Theater of Operations, and its main composition is divided into two parts. One-third of them were the second-tier army routs who escaped the Yellow River after the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain, while the rest were newly recruited Zhuangding and some miscellaneous armed forces incorporated by the Fifth Theater.

The 21st Regiment was transferred from the south of the Yellow River to the north bank of the New Fifth Brigade only a month ago.

The original station of the 21st Regiment was from Jincheng to Lingchuan, and after being ordered to go north, it rebelled after being surrounded by Japanese troops in Yangcheng County, and became a local security regiment. ”

"Huh? Since they are puppet troops who have defected to the enemy, what are we doing with them? Shouldn't this be wiped out outright? ”

Hearing this, he glanced at Zhou Yu, Lao Wu signaled him not to worry, and then continued:

"The head of the 21st Regiment is called Fan Chengkun, and he is a person who knows how to play with money and women, and it is not surprising that people like him rebelled against the enemy. However, the vast number of patriotic officers and soldiers in this unit were not willing to follow Fan Chengkun as a traitor, especially He Zhendong, chief of staff of the 21st Regiment, who resolutely opposed defecting to the enemy and becoming a traitor.

So not long ago, He Zhendong took advantage of the opportunity of Fan Chengkun to deduct military salaries and beat and scold soldiers, and instigated the troops to mutiny against Fan Chengkun.

According to the information sent by our comrades who penetrated into the regiment, Fan Chengkun, the former commander of the 21 st Regiment, Hu Jiakui, the deputy commander of the regiment, and more than 40 of their cronies have been punished on the spot by mutinous patriotic officers and soldiers.

After the 21st Regiment was successfully controlled by Chief of Staff He Zhendong, he had already commanded the troops to break away from the control of the Japanese army. On the way back to the area controlled by the Nationalist Army, the 21st Regiment defeated the puppet army in Lishan Town and temporarily stationed there for repair. ”

"Lishan Town ......."

Hearing this word again, Zhao Shixun subconsciously took out a map he was carrying, unfolded it and spread it on the table.

"This ...... Over here.

It's not good here, Lishan Town is in the bag of the Japanese puppet army, how could they choose to stop there to repair, isn't this looking for death? ”

Pointing to the icon on the map, Zhao Shixun frowned and bluntly expressed his opinion.

Looking at Zhao Shixun, whose expression had changed greatly, Lao Wu snuffed out the cigarette butt, and then said affirmatively:

"Lao Zhao, you are right, the current situation of the 21st Regiment is indeed very dangerous.

But it's not that they don't want to go, it's that they can't.

When they were attacking the stronghold of the puppet army in Lishan Town, He Zhendong, the only chief of staff of the whole regiment, was accidentally shot and wounded, and he had lost his ability to command at this stage. And because their movements were too slow, the Japanese puppet armies in Jincheng and Yangcheng to the east had received the news and blocked their retreat to the east and south.

If they want to break through to the area controlled by the national army at this time, it is basically equivalent to sending them to death.

In other words, they are currently temporarily stationed in Lishan Town, but in fact, they have no choice but to do so. ”

"Oh? In that case, why should we go to respond, shouldn't it be the national army of the Lingchuan generation or the national army of the Fifth War Zone to respond? ”

Hearing this, Zhao Shixun also said his thoughts. Indeed, compared to the distant and weak column, the Kuomintang troops close at hand seemed to be the main force to respond.

Looking at Zhao Shixun with a puzzled face, Lao Wu coughed slightly, and then said bluntly: "Lao Zhao, you are right, the 21st Regiment is indeed the easiest to get the support of the national army at this stage.

However, the truth is much more than you expected, according to the news from our insiders. From the time of their uprising to the present, the 21st Regiment has repeatedly contacted the Nationalist troops of the Fifth Theater in five days, but until now there has been no response. ”

"No response! Why? ”

Hearing this answer, Zhao Shixun looked at Lao Wu with a frown, thinking that he had heard it wrong.

"Lao Zhao, you are from the national army, why didn't the other party respond to the request for help from ......the 21st Regiment, presumably you should know better than me in your heart."

Hearing this, he looked at Lao Wu with a serious face, and after a while, Zhao Shixun sighed helplessly.

"Indeed, ......, let them take the initiative to attack the Japanese army to rescue a cannon fodder force, that is absolutely impossible to happen."

Looking at Zhao Shixun with a gloomy face, Lao Wu patted him on the shoulder.

"Lao Zhao, the reason why the division headquarters wants your column to take immediate action to receive the 21st Regiment is precisely to save this anti-Japanese team.

Do you know that due to He Zhendong's injury and loss of command ability, the current 21st Regiment is already floating in the hearts of the people. Our comrades sent back news that a battalion commander named Deng Yong had already planned to defect to the enemy a second time in the face of a critical situation. It was only because He Zhendong's influence was too great and most of the officers and soldiers were unwilling to be traitors that he never dared to act. ”

"It is precisely because of this news that the division headquarters will urgently ask a column to immediately respond and do its best to pull this unit back into the anti-Japanese ranks!"

…… To be continued, thank you for your support, thank you for your votes!

(End of chapter)