And what made Li Ziyuan even more speechless was not only the casualty number that was almost to the point of breaking his muscles and bones in this battle, but also the passivity of intelligence in this battle. The Japanese army has actually touched under their noses, and they have not yet discovered it.

This is undoubtedly a serious blow to Li Ziyuan, but it is also a serious blow to Liu Yanlai. This indicates that there must be a problem in the middle of their intelligence system. It is very abnormal that a large group of Japanese troops was stationed in the stronghold from Pingchuan to Qiaokou, and no information came out.

In fact, this time it was so passive, but it was not all due to intelligence problems. However, the Japanese army's secrecy methods this time were too strict, and they used the previous encroachment tactics to effectively cover up their own troop movements. From the very beginning of the encroachment operation, the Japanese army had already begun to deploy this final sweep.

Using the previous encroachment plan to cover up, he deployed most of his troops almost step by step. At the same time, since entering the final deployment stage of this sweep, the Japanese army began to impose strict martial law on Hubei County and Pingchuan. In this transfer of Japanese troops, the puppet army was not informed at all.

At the same time, as early as more than a month ago, the propaganda mouthpiece of the Japanese puppet control in the Changzhi area was vigorously propagating the puppet Shanxi Provincial Office, which should make greater contributions to the public order of the whole of Shanxi. We should expand the Chinese's own security armed forces more and undertake most of the security work in the area under their jurisdiction. A certain amount of smoke bombs were released early to confuse the opponent's intelligence system.

At the same time as these fanfares and propaganda, the Japanese puppet army reorganized the armor protection system in the entire southeastern control area of Shanxi, and at the same time, it also vigorously conscripted the national militia and formed a puppet armed force such as the ** self-defense regiment. Even the 36th Division is still in Changzhi, openly awarding Japanese-style firearms to the recruited puppet army recruits, and this series of smoke bombs can be said to be unkind.

The Japanese brigade that entered the line from Pingchuan to Qiaokou not only wore a puppet army uniform, but even set off with bare hands. All the weapons and equipment were secretly transported to the Pyongcheon station a few days ago through a fire train. After the wagon, which was loaded with weapons and ammunition, was thrown to Pingchuan, it was kept under the strict supervision of the Japanese army itself.

This Japanese brigade, dressed in the uniform of the puppet army, was armed on the spot as soon as it arrived in Pingchuan. And entered the Qiaokou stronghold in batches, almost silently. Not to mention that the Hubei County Party Committee did not find out this information, even the enemy engineering system of the Ludong Army Sub-district failed to find out the movement of the Japanese army.

Because Li Ziyuan lost several battles before, he thought that he had a spy inside. And for the Japanese army, the puppet army is even more untrustworthy. In order to keep the secret of this operation, Li Ziyuan did not inform any local cadres except Liu Yanlai and Chang Juan. The Japanese army has maintained the greatest secrecy from the puppet military and political system.

It was only after the troops mobilized by the Japanese army entered the various bases as the starting point that the puppet army generals knew the Japanese army's battle plan. In the morning of the same day, the Japanese army finally conveyed the order to the officers at all levels of the puppet army to carry out a sweep in the eastern mountainous area of Hubei. But what the whole battle plan was until Li Ziyuan's side started, and the puppet army didn't know at all.

All they knew was their own troops, which would be assigned to the Japanese army as a squadron. After such a set of strictly confidential means, Liu Yanlai did not find out the Japanese army's sweeping plan this time, and even the line from Pingchuan to Qiaokou was stationed, and a Japanese brigade was stationed, which was not unexpected news.

Because of the local puppet army, all of them were controlled after the Japanese army was stationed. Even the puppet garrison in Qiaokou was disarmed and imprisoned in the stronghold, and no one was allowed to leave even half a step. Even in the vicinity of Pingchuan Town and Qiaokou stronghold, martial law was extremely strict.

Whether it is the Hubei County Party Committee or the enemy engineering department of the Ludong Army Sub-district, the source of intelligence mainly relies on the puppet army. This time, the Japanese army even hid the puppet army, and it was inevitable that there would be mistakes in intelligence in this regard. Who made it difficult for the Chinese to penetrate the Japanese and obtain intelligence on their actions from within the Japanese army.

Although the Japanese are not monolithic, there are also quite a lot of internal problems. However, it was not easy to buy people from within the Japanese army to provide information, and it could even be said that it was almost impossible to succeed. Therefore, most of the sources of intelligence against Japan are still people planted in the puppet military and political system.

Li Ziyuan calculated very well this time, and kept his tactical intentions almost secret until the last moment of the battle. But the Japanese army, which was also painstakingly calculated, also used all kinds of cover to catch Li Ziyuan off guard, and it can even be said that they almost achieved the goal of encircling Li Ziyuan's headquarters and finally solving it completely.

But for Li Ziyuan, there was a problem with the intelligence system at this time, and he also knew that it was not the time to track down. At present, the most important thing is how to transfer back the Japanese troops who are preparing to carry out a sweep in the eastern mountains. After getting some information through interrogating the captives, Li Ziyuan has been thinking about it constantly.

Seeing that winter is approaching, if the mountainous area in the eastern part of Hubei is too damaged by the Japanese army, then this winter will be the most difficult winter for yourself. The destructive nature of the Japanese sweep, Li Ziyuan is quite clear. Therefore, transferring the Japanese puppet army, which was about to sweep the mountainous areas in the eastern part of Hubei, back to the western part of Hubei has become a problem that Li Ziyuan must think about.

After returning to the mountainous base area in the eastern part of Hubei, Li Ziyuan thought about it and left behind the three companies of the troops, and one reinforced platoon of the second and third companies that had been crippled. With the addition of 30 basic militia members, the second company was temporarily formed into a complete formed company, and two infantry companies reinforced by the division. He was handed over to the chief of the divisional operations section to be responsible for the command and stayed in his own core base area.

With the most complete company as the backbone, two infantry platoons were quickly reorganized into a reinforced company. Only part of the light machine gun was carried, the heavy machine gun and the mortar that had run out of shells were not carried. After replenishing the ammunition, take a detour to the ladder and go out of the mountain.

Li Ziyuan's intention this time is very clear, the Japanese army's sweep of the eastern mountainous area of Hubei this time is so painstakingly managed. Then there will be no such casualties to give up the idea of continuous sweeping. Not to completely stun on the south wall, and to resolutely not look back is the Japanese character.

Although he ate one of the formed squadrons of the Japanese army, he also defeated two of their squads. However, these Japanese troops are far from the point of breaking their bones in terms of the number of troops mobilized by the Japanese army so far. With their own understanding of the Japanese army, they would not give up easily and prepared for such a long time of sweeping operations.

If you want to shorten the time and intensity of the Japanese army's sweep as much as possible. In order to alleviate the damage caused by the Japanese army's large-scale sweep to the mountainous areas in the eastern part of Hubei, then it is necessary to jump out of the outside line to find fighters to transfer the Japanese puppet army back. The most important thing is that Li Ziyuan feels that the Japanese army has mobilized so many troops, I am afraid that it will not be completely aimed at himself.

Hubei is the southwest gateway of Licheng, and the easternmost area is only separated by a mountain from Licheng. In the territory of Licheng, there are a large number of organs and logistics units of the military region and the headquarters, as well as the field hospital of the headquarters. I am afraid that in addition to cutting down the grass and rooting itself, a large part of the Japanese army's sweep of itself may also be the smoke created by the follow-up sweep of Licheng.

I didn't want to find a way to give the Japanese army a salary from the bottom of the kettle, and when the time came, let the Japanese army go straight into the territory of Licheng through Hubei. Then at that time, the rear organs gathered in the territory of Li Cheng will suffer too great losses. Although he is only a local armed force, he does not undertake field tasks. But as a soldier, there are some things that you still have to do again.

Completely defeated the Japanese army, Li Ziyuan did not have this ability. But Li Ziyuan is still thinking about how to minimize the loss. Therefore, on the one hand, Li Ziyuan sent people to report his judgment to the military sub-district. On the one hand, he decided to jump out of the outside line, capture the fighter plane, and stab him in the soft underbelly of the Japanese puppet army.

Fully mobilize the Japanese puppet army deep into the mountainous area in the eastern part of Hubei to buy time for the higher authorities to adjust their deployment. Li Ziyuan believed that the Japanese puppet army's sweep of the eastern mountainous area of Hubei, once it was really opened on a large scale, the true intentions hidden behind it would not be impossible for the superiors to see it. As long as he restrains the Japanese puppet army for a period of time, his superiors will definitely make a real deployment.

It's just that Li Ziyuan doesn't know that the sweeping operation of the 36th Division is still not an isolated operation. Rather, it was strictly implemented in accordance with the operational plan drawn up by the entire North China Front Army. It's just that compared with the actions on Zhengtai Road and Pinghan Road, the 36th Division, which was in charge of the southeast area of Jin, put the first stage of the attack on him first.

This time, it was not only the 36th Division that was engaged in the sweep of the southeastern area of Shanxi, but also the 37th Division transferred from Yuncheng by the Japanese army. and some of the troops directly under the First Army, plus almost all the puppet armies in the southeast of Jin. From the Zhengtai, Nantongpu Railway, and Handchang Highway in several directions, a large-scale sweep was carried out in the Taihang Mountains at the same time.

As for the actions of the 36th Division in the territory of Hubei, it was only a part of the whole operation. If it weren't for the fact that the 36th Division had also transferred a part of its troops, it launched a sweeping operation against the Taiyue Military Region at the same time. The entire Ludong Military Division, especially his Hubei territory, is probably under even greater pressure.

The actions of the Japanese puppet army in Hubei are just a starting signal. Although in the eyes of the 36th Division, Li Ziyuan's guy is a headache. But on the chessboard of the entire First Army, Li Ziyuan was nothing more than an insignificant pawn. The main energy of the people is still on capturing the main force of the Eighth Route Army in the southeast of Shanxi.

It's just that the strategic location of the Hubei region is important, and Li Ziyuan has been tossing so happily in the entire 40 years and the first half of 41 years. brought a serious threat to the Japanese puppet army in the entire Ludong area, so that he gloriously climbed to the top of the 36th Division's sweep.

Regarding Li Ziyuan's idea, although the head of the divisional operations section disagreed. But before coming, the division commander and political commissar confessed, so that he finally agreed to Li Ziyuan to temporarily form a battalion with these three companies before the completion of the outer line operation, and stay to protect the core base area in the mountainous area in the eastern part of Hubei, as well as the wounded in this battle.

With the reserved support of the veteran Red Army chief of the divisional operations section, Li Ziyuan took a reinforced company composed of two platoons and three companies, plus most of the personnel of the platoon and fire platoon directly under him, and went out of the mountain south of Pingchuan after making a detour to the ladder. However, Li Ziyuan didn't go too far, so he rushed to the outskirts of Pingchuan and secretly lurked.

At this moment, a large number of Japanese troops were stationed everywhere from Pingchuan to Qiaokou. On the highway from Pingchuan to Hubei County, Japanese military vehicles constantly drove by. At the same time, a large number of materials were transported from Hubei County and Pingchuan to the two bridgeheads of Qiaokou and Luoma.