On the fourth day when Li Ziyuan led this Japanese army around the mountains, he had already moved to the junction of Licheng and Hubei, a relatively gentle mountainous area. is also tired of this kind of mouse teasing cat game, and Li Ziyuan, who is also ready to collect and prepare to jump out of the line and look for his own troops, is obviously a little lucky.

Li Ziyuan expected that the Japanese army, which was stimulated by himself, would definitely mobilize the surrounding troops to encircle him through the radio. Therefore, he was ready to give up and withdraw into Hubei with his troops, looking for his old troops to lean together, so as to find a rare opportunity to rest and recuperate.

After all, after a few days of fighting, the Japanese army chasing behind him was exhausted, and the battalion he was carrying was also exhausted, and he was also in urgent need of rest. In this way, he was either surrounded by other Japanese troops who rushed over from the surrounding area, or he himself was also dragged down.

But he didn't expect that the Japanese troops around him would move far faster than he thought. Just when Li Ziyuan felt that he had pulled this Japanese army far enough away from the core area where the military region was located, it was time to get rid of them and was preparing to get rid of this Japanese army.

The position of the alert troops he had placed in front of him, as well as his left flank, was suddenly heard almost simultaneously with a dense burst of gunfire. The gunfire was not only the sound of the Type 92 heavy machine gun, but also the explosion of mountain artillery and infantry shells from time to time. Hearing the dense gunfire in front, Li Ziyuan immediately reacted, this was the other Japanese troops around him who outflanked him after receiving the report.

Li Ziyuan, who reacted, knew that under the situation of unknown enemy conditions, it was quite dangerous to move rashly. So after taking a general look at the surrounding terrain, he decided to wait until after dark. The commander immediately went up a hill on the right flank and quickly built field fortifications.

As soon as Li Ziyuan went up the mountain, the platoon commander he placed in front of him led his troops back from the front to fight and retreat. After seeing Li Ziyuan, the platoon commander directly reported that there was a puppet army of more than 700 people inserted from the direction of Huguan in front of them, and they had blocked the route of their transfer to Hubei.

This puppet army is extremely well-equipped, not only are all Type 38 rifles. It also carried three 92 heavy machine guns, two Type 41 mountain guns and two infantry guns. The platoon commander saw Li Ziyuan's look of disbelief, but he patted his chest to ensure that all he encountered was a puppet army.

The platoon commander's voice of assurance had just fallen, and before Li Ziyuan could answer him, the deputy battalion commander on the left flank also rushed back to report. On their left flank, more than 300 Japanese troops and more than 500 puppet troops were also found, cutting off their retreat route to Ludong. That is, at least judging by the current situation, they have fallen into the center of the Japanese encirclement.

Hearing the report of the two people, Li Ziyuan stabilized instead. He immediately unfolded his troops, preparing to fight a battle here first, and then drag it out until after dark before breaking through according to the situation. And he himself carried a telescope and climbed on a prominent position, observing the surrounding enemy.

The surrounding Japanese puppet army advanced quite quickly, and just as Li Ziyuan's troops had just completed their deployment, the Japanese puppet army that had arrived one after another around the area had already surrounded this hill. Looking at the newly arrived Japanese puppet army, Li Ziyuan shook his head. The enemy encountered by the platoon commander who was on guard in front was indeed wearing a puppet army uniform. But judging by the momentum and equipment, it will definitely not be a puppet army.

This puppet army is full of spirit, and the full set of Japanese-style tactical movements is extremely proficient. Moreover, the weapons are all original Japanese Type 38 rifles, and the officers are also wearing Japanese-style sabers. The light machine guns carried were all Japanese Type 96 light machine guns, and there was not even a single crooked handle.

The pack horses carrying heavy weapons are also all Japanese horses, not Mongolian horses or local inferior horses commonly used by puppet armies. The arrogant momentum displayed during the march is not something that the puppet army has. The two 41-type mountain guns and the two 92 infantry guns were also impossible for the Japanese army to equip the puppet army.

Although the Japanese army relied on co-optation or bribery of quite a lot, those who had milk is a mother of the local miscellaneous armed forces or local snakes, and formed a large number of puppet armies. But generally they are given to the captured Chinese army weapons, and a very small number of them think that the elite puppet army is only issued with Japanese-made weapons and equipment.

But in heavy weapons, basically a couple of light machine guns, it is already quite good. The Japanese are very stingy and will not be willing to take out their weapons to arm those dogs. Anyway, the number of weapons captured by the Chinese army is very large, and it is enough to arm these puppet troops.

Maybe mortars will give some, but the Japanese army will never give them such offensive weapons as mountain artillery and infantry artillery. For the Japanese army, although these dogs are all raised by themselves, they still have to prevent them from biting themselves again, right? Even for some puppet soldiers, it was enough for the Japanese army to get some guys who could make a sound.

It's like the old tatters of the Murata 22 rifles that the 36th Division once equipped the pseudo-Hubei garrison. Anyway, you can scare the common people, as well as the militia and local armed forces of the Eighth Route Army who only have earthen artillery and earthen guns. If you really go to war, most of the time these puppet armies really can't count on it.

Li Ziyuan seized a lot of those old-fashioned Murata-style rifles with special bullets, and in the end, a few bullets, along with some rifles, could only be distributed to the militia in a few villages. Even the newly formed Hubei County Brigade did not dare to issue such a weapon without a source of bullets.

Although these puppet soldiers are all wearing the uniforms of the puppet garrison, it is impossible for the Japanese to distribute such sophisticated weapons to the puppet army. The Japanese army also knew that the puppet army had always been regarded by the Eighth Route as an important source of equipment and ammunition for replenishment. Equipping the puppet army with too good weapons, isn't that asking for trouble for yourself?

Equipping the puppet army with sophisticated weapons is equivalent to giving the sophisticated weapons directly to the Eighth Road through a second-tier dealer who is not good at business. Therefore, even those who are in the hardcore puppet army, the Japanese army will not issue too good weapons. And the control of ammunition is quite strict, preventing these guys who dare to sell everything for money from directly selling ammunition to Balu.

However, the cunning Japanese army also often used the Eighth Route to fight the puppet army with relatively weak combat effectiveness to supplement the characteristics of weapons and equipment. often let the Japanese army change into pseudo-military uniforms, luring those places who don't have much experience to be deceived, which once caused a lot of losses to the Eighth Road.

It's just these small tricks of the Japanese army that can deceive those inexperienced local armed forces. Generally, the battle-hardened old Eighth Road is easy not to be fooled. On the contrary, it is easy for these Japanese soldiers who disguise themselves as small puppet troops and lure the Japanese soldiers who are hooked on the Eighth Road to be eaten in turn. After being swallowed up several times and finally getting nothing, I finally gave up this somewhat cost-effective approach.

But this time, the Japanese army didn't know what to do, and not only picked up this tactic that had caused them heavy losses. also invested so many troops at one time, and acted in the Taihang Mountains with such a swagger, for fear that the Eighth Route Army would not know that this puppet army was made up by the Japanese army.

What kind of famous tricks the Japanese army played, Li Ziyuan has not seen through it for a while. But as soon as Li Ziyuan took a look, he could see that except for more than 20 people with fast and slow machines on their backs, this puppet army was not only made up by the Japanese army, but even all veterans. It also looks more elite and well-trained than the Japanese army that has been biting behind him.

What kind of unit is this Japanese army, Li Ziyuan is a little unclear. From this Japanese army dressed as a puppet army, the arrogant momentum on the body, and the posture of a veteran who has served for at least two years at a glance. At least on the battlefield in Shanxi, I have not encountered such a Japanese army. Seeing this puppet army of Xibei goods, Li Ziyuan knew that he had really encountered a hard stubble this time.

But Li Ziyuan, who has already been surrounded, can only fight this battle head-on when he has been surrounded. No matter what the real identity of this Japanese army dressed as a puppet army is, they are all little devils anyway. Now that he has been surrounded, there is no other way to choose.

Li Ziyuan commanded the troops to unfold, and the three Japanese puppet armies under the mountain had also completed their convergence. Compared with the Japanese commanders who were planning how to fight this battle, the first thing that the Japanese army that pursued Li Ziyuan did was to ask for water and dry food from the newly arrived friendly troops to solve their own food and drink problems.

The commander of the three Japanese units, muttered for a long time. It was decided to pursue Li Ziyuan, but it was the exhausted Japanese army that temporarily rested and was responsible for protecting the flanks and back of this battlefield. As for Li Ziyuan's troops on the mountain, the Japanese army disguised as a puppet army was responsible for solving the problem.

Li Ziyuan, who was trapped on the mountain at the moment, looked at the Japanese troops who were surrounded by two thousand, but he was not nervous compared to the battalion cadres he was carrying. Taking advantage of the gap in the Japanese army's adjustment of the deployment before the attack, in addition to allowing the soldiers to build more machine gun fortifications, they also dug some artillery holes in the anti-slope position.

In terms of troop allocation, because of the lack of troops in his hands, Li Ziyuan directly gave up the leg of the mountain according to the terrain. The first-line positions were placed on the two high ground on the left and right of the mountainside, as well as on the main peak position on the front. In the distribution of troops, the method of putting less on the table and more on the part of the army has been adopted.

He placed most of his forces on the anticline in order to save his forces from as few Japanese artillery fire as possible. This kind of refueling tactic is the best choice for Li Ziyuan at the moment. At present, the reinforced battalion under his command can only be organized into two infantry companies after downsizing, plus two separate infantry platoons.

In the case of insufficient troops, the result of wanting to hold there is that in the end, it cannot be held there. Therefore, Li Ziyuan gave up the two very important mountain legs, and concentrated his troops and firepower on the mountainside and the ridge line. For his own flank protection, Li Ziyuan only sent a squad to use as a vigilance.

At the moment, he really flanked himself and couldn't draw too many troops. And on the hill where he is located, the terrain is like a chair. The left wing is a cliff, and only the right wing connects with the rest of the mountains. However, the ridge on the right flank was narrow and steep, which was good for defense and bad for attack.

Based on this terrain, Li Ziyuan judged that the Japanese army would still choose to break through head-on at least in the first two rounds of attack. There will also be some measures on the right wing, but it will only be used as an assist direction. However, Li Ziyuan put a lot of effort behind his back.

Li Ziyuan put the two independent platoons at hand, commanded by the deputy commander of the battalion, all behind his back to protect his back. The Japanese puppet army surrounded by three roads far exceeded its own strength by several times. If you are not careful, you will be easily outflanked by the Japanese army.