This time, the Japanese army mobilized a large number of Japanese puppet troops to launch a sweep in the Ludong area. It can be said that he came specifically to seek revenge on Li Ziyuan. Solve this is known as the biggest security hazard in the Ludong region, and they are the number one saboteur in the Ludong region, and even in the Shangdang region.

Moreover, the Japanese army is on the frontal battlefield, planning a large-scale battle. The Japanese First Army stationed in Shanxi, as well as the 62nd Division stationed east of the Tongpu Line and south of the Zhengtai Line, were also among the troops scheduled to participate in the battle. In addition to retaliation, a large part of the Japanese army's operation was to clear the rear bases during the southward operation.

The Japanese army that fought south was guaranteed that the supply lines would not be harassed in any way. and the collection of food and other materials, which can be carried out smoothly. The imminent outbreak of a major war and the uneasiness in the rear were absolutely unacceptable to the Japanese army. In particular, this battle was very important for the overall strategy of the Japanese army.

The goal of the Japanese army's sweep this time was quite clear. The first is to clear the eight roads in the Ludong area, especially Li Ziyuan's department. Therefore, the actions of the Japanese puppet army this time became extremely cautious. When the Japanese puppet armies of all walks of life advanced towards Ludong, they were all close together.

Even if you camp at night, even if you don't have enough houses in the village, you would rather sleep in the open when the weather is cold, and you will definitely not disperse your troops. Many lessons have taught the Japanese army that even if the two armies are separated by only one mountain beam. But as long as there is the slightest gap, the extremely cunning guy dares to attack.

Moreover, before this sweep, the Japanese puppet army had already detected the expansion of Li Ziyuan's department. After learning that Li Ziyuan's troops were now strong and strong, the regimental headquarters of the 62nd Division of the Japanese Army immediately made up their minds. It is necessary to rush to Li Ziyuan's department and completely eliminate it before it fully forms its combat effectiveness.

Otherwise, once the strength of the current force of more than 2,000 people is completely formed, it may be able to do something even more destructive. With the strength of two companies, he dared to ambush more than 100 Japanese troops, and if he waited for his two thousand men to form a combat effectiveness, he would not have to fight Changzhi again?

In the face of the severe enemy situation in front of him, according to the orders of the military region and the military division. Li Ziyuan left two companies under the command of Du Baosheng, and cooperated with the county brigade, which had been upgraded to the Hubei Independent Battalion, to hold on to the inner line. He took the main force of the regiment, looking for a gap to jump out of the core area swept by the Japanese puppet army, and prepared to switch to the outside line of operations.

Li Ziyuan rushed before the enemy on the southern front entered Huguan, and followed the lofty mountains and mountains at the junction of Huguan and Hubei. There is no contact with anywhere along the way and all the villages are avoided. Copy the path and carefully avoid all the Japanese puppet troops. All the way at the speed of a forced march, jumping out of the core area swept by the Japanese puppet army.

After jumping out of the core area of the sweep from the shallow mountainous area south of Pingchuan, bypassing Pingchuan and the route of the main sweep of the Japanese puppet army. Li Ziyuan made a very bold decision, and the troops were inserted into the vicinity of Hubei County at the speed of a rapid march to hide and wait. Look for an opportunity to attack Hubei County. The tactics of encircling Wei to rescue Zhao were adopted, and the Japanese puppet army that entered the mountainous area in the eastern part of Hubei was transferred back.

Regarding Li Ziyuan's decision, He Sanliang and the three battalion commanders did not object. Although Qian Peng disagreed, he still conditionally chose to reserve his opinion when almost all the military cadres supported Li Ziyuan. The deputy head of the regiment has never been in place, so Li Ziyuan's somewhat risky decision was basically passed.

At this time, Hubei County, although the main force of the Japanese puppet army had already entered the mountain, did not relax its guard. With the experience of Li Ziyuan's previous attack on Changzhi City, this time when the Japanese army entered the mountain, it adopted the method of echelon follow-up and gradual pull-out. The puppet security independent division, as well as a reinforced squadron of the Japanese army, were all reduced to Hubei County.

The necessary defensive troops were left behind, and only then did they begin to enter the mountains in echelons. On the outskirts of Hubei County, the Japanese puppet army also shrank a considerable defensive line. Give a part of the stronghold to the pseudo-self-defense group with only a wooden stick or a few spears to guard. Wait until the sweep is complete, and then take back these strongholds. The rest of the troops were all withdrawn to Hubei County.

Hubei County is the baggage base of the Japanese puppet army's sweep of the eastern mountains, where a large number of food, ammunition, medicine, and a large number of transport vehicles are now hoarded. In view of the previous sweeps of the Taihang Mountains, the Eighth Route repeatedly jumped to the outer line and then attacked the supply line after the lesson.

Therefore, the Japanese puppet army was in Hubei County, in addition to most of the Japanese squadron, leaving a reinforced battalion of the puppet army to defend. The city wall of the county seat was only repaired last year. Not only did the walls become stronger, but many fortifications were built. In order to ensure the safety of the rear of the Japanese puppet army that swept into the mountains, the Japanese army also made its greatest efforts.

When Li Ziyuan jumped to the vicinity of Hubei County, the last wave of the Japanese puppet army entered the mountains to sweep the troops, and with the cooperation of three armored vehicles, they had just set off. And Li Ziyuan, after avoiding the last wave of departing Japanese puppet troops, did not order an attack hastily. Instead, between the county seat of Chengdong and Pingchuan, he rested for most of the day in a forest that was not too dense.

In order to keep the arrival of the troops a secret, Li Ziyuan ordered no one to enter and leave the woods at will. All troops were not allowed to light fires, smoke, or even move around. Units with mules and horses must be optimistic that the mules and horses are not allowed to neigh. If there are civilians entering the woods, they will be seized first and then spoken.

Under Li Ziyuan's strict order, there were more than 1,000 ambushes in the woods that could not be seen outside the woods. When the troops were hiding in the woods, a few people went into the woods to collect firewood, not knowing that there were fellow soldiers in ambush here, and they were all politely detained. A few children who came to cuddle grass were all left behind.

It was not until the second half of the night that Li Ziyuan commanded the troops to avoid several strongholds on the periphery of the Japanese puppet army and quickly rushed to Hubei County, which was fifteen miles away. And these fellows and children have always been with the army. Li Ziyuan's order was to give the villagers a certain amount of compensation after the battle was over, and to let them go.

After carefully arriving outside Hubei County along the way, I looked at the dark Hubei County under the night. Li Ziyuan put down the binoculars in his hand and said to He Sanliang beside him: "The little devil launched a sweep of Ludong at this time, because Ming's hope of letting us have a peaceful year this time has been disappointed again. ”

"Since he let us have a bad year, they don't want to have a good year. He wants to eat Lao Tzu in one bite, and Lao Tzu will copy his back road and hometown now. Tell the troops to rest for half an hour, and no one is allowed to smoke or light fires. At five o'clock in the morning, the siege operation was launched on time. Strive to take Hubei County before the sky is completely bright. ”

"The 7th and 9th companies of the 3rd Battalion, the 4th Company of the 2nd Battalion, and the main force of the artillery company, under the command of the 3rd Battalion Commander, will make an all-out attack on the East Gate. The 5th Company of the 2nd Battalion reinforced the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion and launched an infiltration attack at the North Gate. The main force of the first battalion was attached to a platoon of the regiment's heavy machine gun company, and a platoon of the engineer company and two platoons of the guard company of the reinforced regiment were placed between Hubei County and Pingchuan to serve as a blocking support. ”

"Tell Song Weiye that before he received the order, even if the sky fell, he had to resist Lao Tzu. We can't copy the devil's back road, let others copy our back road. The reconnaissance company was sent out to me to guard the outlying strongholds of the Japanese puppet army. When my side starts, they will sweep away several strongholds on the outskirts of Hubei County as quickly as possible. ”

"Tell the troops, after storming the city, give me the fastest way to sweep the whole city. The devil wants to raid our lair, so let's give him a way to come and not be rude, and smash their lair to a pulp. There are comings and goings, and this is called fighting. ”

After receiving Li Ziyuan's order, He Sanliang nodded very steadily, and quickly conveyed his order. Before the battle started, Li Ziyuan was very patient and observed Hubei County. Although he couldn't see anything clearly in the night, Li Ziyuan still saw a lot of things he wanted to know by taking advantage of the puppet army searchlight on the city.

Facing Hubei County, Li Ziyuan felt that he had no difficulty in defeating Hubei County. Of course, the city wall of Hubei County was somewhat difficult for him. But who says you have to climb the walls to siege a city? Entering the city through the cave in the city gate, no one can say that it is wrong.

The troops were in a bit of a hurry when they moved, and there were no ladders to prepare to ascend the city. Li Ziyuan has a mountain cannon in his hand, so he doesn't believe that this mountain cannon can't knock on the city gate? He had in his hands light and heavy machine guns with ample ammunition, as well as several mortars and infantry guns. Although it may not necessarily penetrate the fortifications on the city, there is no problem in suppressing the enemy's firepower.

Li Ziyuan looked at the sky, and then looked at the hour hand on his watch. said to He Sanliang beside him: "Old He, I think I can start now." The sooner we start here, the faster the Japanese puppet army in the mountains will withdraw. Tell Zhou Tong that his first shot will directly blow up the city gate for me. ”

"Mortars and heavy machine guns, you must suppress the fire of the Japanese puppet army on the head of the city. As soon as the city gate was blown open, all three battalions would give me bayonets, and all light and heavy machine guns would be pushed down to the front line. Don't feel sorry for the bullets, take Hubei County as the first priority as soon as possible. ”

He Sanliang heard Li Ziyuan's order to attack, he turned back to Shen Ping, the commander of the third battalion beside him, and Zhou Tong nodded very calmly. Shen Ping, the commander of the third battalion who received the order, did not say a word, and personally led his troops to adopt prostrate tactics, approaching the city gate little by little.

His battalion belonged to a heavy machine gun platoon and two Soviet-made light machine guns reinforced in the regiment, and with the cooperation of the mortar platoon of the artillery company, they had already aimed at the city. As soon as the machine gun on the head of the city goes off, the ready* can be fired as soon as possible.

When the sky began to light slightly, as Zhou Tong's raised right hand slashed downward, a cannon sound came from a bush less than three hundred meters away from the Hubei City Gate. As this cannon sounded like a signal, the snipers led by Da Li also knocked out the searchlight on the city head as soon as possible.

And in the east and north of Hubei County, dense gunfire also sounded almost at the same time. Hubei County, which had not yet woken up from its sleep, was suddenly awakened from its sleep by the dense gunfire around it. But the Japanese puppet army at the head of the city was not slow to react. Less than three minutes after the cannon fell, a dense burst of gunfire rang out over the city.

Zhou Tong's cannonball, the first shot accurately hit the east gate of Hubei. It's just that what Li Ziyuan and Zhou Tong didn't expect was that the accurately hit cannonball actually didn't blow up the city gate. Just blew the upper half of the city gate into a big hole. The lower half of the key city gate is as stable as Mount Tai and still standing there.