In accordance with the orders of the superiors, this winter anti-sweeping operation. The independent regiment of the sub-division, in coordination with other local armed forces, was responsible for operations in several counties northeast of Lu. Li Ziyuan's unit operated on the spot in Hubei and was responsible for harassing and sabotaging the Japanese army's supply line to the Taihang Mountains through Hubei.

Because compared with several counties in the northeast of Lu, Hubei is the closest supply channel for the Changzhi Japanese army to enter the Taihang Mountains. If the communication in Hubei is not opened, the Japanese army in Licheng and several surrounding counties can only obtain supplies from the south and east. Of course, the road situation over there is better than that of Hubei, but compared to passing through Ludong and Hubei, the distance is a bit detouring.

No one thought that the Japanese puppet army dispatched from Hubei and even Hejiayu would ignore the harassment actions organized by the Ludong Army sub-district. Directly forced through the mountainous area in the eastern part of Hubei, and directly killed the core area of the Taihang base area. The painstaking deployment of the military sub-divisions was of no use in the end.

After that time, the Japanese puppet army no longer had any action in Hubei. Except for sending a group of spies to continuously reconnoiter further east by relying on these three strongholds, there was no other action. It did not take this road to sweep up the supply of troops from the southeast of Jin Province to the Taihang Mountains, but chose the Hanchang Highway in the south with better road conditions.

Although the Japanese army did not carry out any large-scale sweep of the Ludong Army Division during this sweep of the Taihang Mountains. But Li Ziyuan has always thought that things are not so simple. He has been on guard against the main force of the 36th Division that is currently sweeping in the Taihang Mountains, giving himself a return pistol and giving himself a bite from behind.

Especially when Liu Yanlai laid such a big bait for himself, it was impossible for the Japanese puppet army not to react. Li Ziyuan clearly knew that if he hit this grain train, the Japanese army might immediately draw troops from the east, and immediately retaliate when they turned around.

Although the garrison of these three strongholds is small, the locations are all very important. If these three strongholds are not uprooted, not only will they not be able to bring back the grain, but even their room for maneuver will be greatly reduced. In every way, I have to find a way to pull out one or two of these three strongholds.

Under the circumstance that a strong attack was impossible, Li Ziyuan still decided to take the encirclement point to send reinforcements. The first target was placed in Wangjiagou. First, although Wangjiagou is relatively close to the Qiaokou stronghold, it is still uninhabited because Wangjiagou was slaughtered by the Japanese army.

Although the Japanese puppet army was strategically important here, it set up a stronghold here and stationed some of its troops. However, the necessary supplies had to be brought from other villages in the surrounding area. Especially the water source, there is no water source on the south mountain of Wangjiagou. The domestic water of the Japanese puppet army in the Wangjiagou stronghold can only be solved by coming down from Nanshan to Wangjiagou Village, which is already in ruins.

You can go seven days without food, but you can't go without water for three days. The devil is also hygienic, and all the water, whether for cooking or drinking, only drinks the water that is brought back on the same day. This gave him the opportunity to attack, blocking the only well within a radius of more than ten miles from Wangjiagou, and he could force the Japanese puppet army to take the initiative to attack.

Didn't the Japanese puppet army force the captured people to carry water for them, which was very easy to do. Wangjiagou, a ruin, has no problem hiding a platoon of troops. As long as the people who fetch water for them are secretly controlled, and the puppet army who escorts the people is eliminated, these little devils can't think of it.

Of course, Li Ziyuan's real goal is not Wangjiagou. Wangjiagou is too close to Qiaokou, and even if it is captured, it will be difficult to hold on for a long time. His actions in Wangjiagou were just a trick to lure the snake out of the hole. His real targets were Hejiayu and Donglinkou to the north of Wangjiagou.

In particular, the relatively isolated Donglinkou stronghold, which is located at the junction of Ludong and Hubei. Although it is a little remote from the two strongholds of the Japanese puppet army stationed in Luoma and Qiaokou, it is quite important in terms of strategic location. It happened to be stuck in the route from Hubei to Ludong, and even bypassed the Luoma stronghold and went straight to the Baijin Railway.

In the case that he wants to make a move on the Bai Jin line, this stronghold control area will be the best way for him to transfer and retreat. Because as long as the position here is controlled by a few key points, there is no need to worry about the Japanese puppet army at the mouth of the horse and Qiaokou when retreating, which will pose a threat to their own transfer operations.

The first move to the Wangjiagou stronghold was to use the actions in Wangjiagou to confuse the Japanese puppet army in Qiaokou. And use the tactics of encirclement and reinforcement to solve the enemy of Hejiayu, who has the strongest strength and firepower among the three Japanese puppet armies. In order to seize the stronghold of Donglinkou, create a favorable condition.

It's just that Li Ziyuan is a little puzzled that he was reconnoitring on the periphery of the three strongholds, but he didn't find Liang De, who is currently operating in these three strongholds according to Liu Yanlai's intelligence. This cunning guy, Li Ziyuan has never been able to find out. On the periphery of Hejiayu and Donglinkou, Li Ziyuan even squatted for a whole day, but he was not able to find this guy.

The Donglinkou base was established in the area of the original 1st District. That is, the so-called Liangde's territory. According to Li Ziyuan's judgment, it is very likely that Liang De will be active in the Linkou stronghold east of Liangde. After all, he has been working here for several years, and he is quite familiar with the mountains, rivers, grass and trees here. But Li Ziyuan did not find any trace of Liang De in the Donglinkou stronghold.

However, the current situation is already ready to be launched. If Liang De is not found, then solve these three strongholds first. If Liang De is really like Liu Yan said, he is using these three strongholds as the starting point, not necessarily the grass of the three strongholds, scaring away him, the toad, maybe he may even take the sheep by the hand.

After returning to his station, Li Ziyuan immediately convened a meeting of cadres above the company level. After using some items to lay out a simple sand table of the situation in the eastern part of the entire northern part of the pot, he said the thoughts in his heart. Li Ziyuan made it clear that he would besiege Wangjiagou with a force.

At the same time, the main forces were concentrated to set up ambush reinforcements to the west and north of Wangjiagou, and the focus was not on the line from Qiaokou to Wangjiagou, but from Hejiayu to Wangjiagou. The Japanese puppet army in the stronghold of Wangjiagou first besieged the stronghold and did not carry out offensive operations. Of course, if the Japanese puppet army in Wangjiagou is dispatched, it will be to try to completely solve it in the shortest possible time.

Regarding Li Ziyuan's idea, He Sanliang pondered for a moment and said: "The key issue now is not to hit that stronghold first. The problem now is that the whole body will be moved, no matter which base is hit, the Japanese puppet army will mobilize the enemy who has fallen and Qiaokou to quickly reinforce it. With our own troops, we would not be able to eat so many Japanese troops in one bite. ”

"Detachment leader, we can't just look at the three strongholds and the enemy at Qiaokou, as well as the enemy who fell from the north and the enemy in Pingchuan Town. The reason why the Japanese puppet army set up these three strongholds under the condition that its own troops were not abundant was to strengthen the depth of the garrison in Pingchuan and form a three-dimensional blockade system in the eastern mountainous area of Hubei. ”

"These three strongholds of the Japanese puppet army, even if they are easy to defend and difficult to attack, but without the support of the Japanese puppet army behind us, there is nothing for us at all. I think what we need to see most is not the Japanese puppet army in the two strongholds of Luoma and Qiaokou, but the town of Pingchuan behind them. ”

"According to the current intelligence, the Japanese army has stationed a squadron in Pingchuan, as well as two squadrons of the so-called puppet Hubei and Ludong garrison wings, as well as puppet police and puppet self-defense regiments and other armed forces. Not counting the puppet army squadron and a Japanese squad at Luoma and Qiaokou, there were more than 500 Japanese puppet troops inside and outside Pingchuan Town alone. ”

"Since the end of the Japanese sweep in the summer of this year, the Japanese army has begun to greatly expand the puppet army in the entire Ludong territory. If you count the puppet army in Ludong, the puppet army in the entire Ludong and Hubei counties, together with the puppet police, as well as the puppet plainclothes team and other armed forces, has reached more than 2,000. ”

"From the point of view of weapons and equipment, the Japanese army has also significantly strengthened the configuration of these puppet armies. In July this year, the Japanese army partially disarmed the puppet Jinnan Jianguo Army, and incorporated most of the soldiers and some officers into the garrisons of the two counties. Detachment leader, it's not a big deal to hit that stronghold, but the problem is that it affects the whole body. It has a ripple effect that is difficult for us to deal with on our own. ”

"Although the Japanese army mobilized a considerable part of the Japanese army in the winter sweep of our Taihang base area, it did not mobilize the Japanese puppet army in Hubei. In other words, the Japanese army is not really relieved of Hubei, which has been declared by them as a so-called security area. ”

"It's not a problem to fight, but we must be cautious about how to fight. And there is another problem, that is, judging from the intelligence from all sides, the winter sweep launched by the Japanese puppet army against the Taihang base area has gradually come to an end. When we are fighting, we should also consider other directions for the Japanese puppet army to stab us in the back. ”

He Sanliang's opinion is also a key issue at the moment, if he hits any of the three strongholds first, he can't be cautious about the chain reaction that will be triggered. But Li Ziyuan believes that there are some things that cannot be said, that is, they are immutable. If he does not take a strong attack and takes the initiative to show weakness and complete the battle before the Japanese puppet army in Pingchuan reacts, there is still considerable hope.

Moreover, Li Ziyuan also has an important basis, that is, the enemy of Pingchuan needs to be guarded not only in the eastern mountainous area of Hubei, but also in the safety along the Baijin Railway in the entire Hubei. At present, the Japanese army is preparing to transfer the guns and the large amount of food forcibly requisitioned in other directions.

The safety of the Baijin Railway should still be the top priority of the troops left behind by the Japanese puppet army. At present, most of the Japanese puppet army is sweeping in the Taihang Mountain base area, and the main force is except for the part that stays in the base area and cooperates with the local armed forces to carry out anti-sweeping operations. There are also a considerable number of troops who have jumped out of the outside line to look for fighters.

At the end of October, the main force once again attacked the field airfield of the Japanese army in Changzhi. The main force jumped out of the outer line, and the Baijin Railway, which was an important communication line in the entire southeast of Shanxi, could not help but become an important target. The Japanese puppet army would not sit idly by and watch the attack on the Baijin Railway, regardless of the transfer of all troops to the eastern mountains.

That is to say, although the number of Japanese puppet troops in the entire Hubei is large, it is impossible to place all of them in the mountainous areas in the eastern part of Hubei. Moreover, the western plain area of Hubei also involved a large number of Japanese puppet troops. Although the Japanese puppet army in Pingchuan Town was large, it was not specifically aimed at the eastern mountainous areas.

At least a considerable part will stay in Pingchuan Town and ensure that the Baijin Railway in Hubei is unblocked. Besides, who said that he had five companies of troops in his hands? Wangjiagou is mainly a siege battle, and it does not need to invest too many troops. Li Ziyuan's idea was that Zeng Sheng's county brigade would also participate in the war. Moreover, the troops besieging Wangjiagou were mainly based on Zeng Sheng's county brigade.