Li Ziyuan has always believed that whether it is a mountain sports warfare or a mountain guerrilla warfare. The eastern mountainous area of Hubei is where its roots in Hubei are located, and it is also the most basic space for its survival. The mountains are their best protectors and their best natural combat positions.

If the eastern mountainous area is eaten away by the Japanese puppet army, it will be encroached on little by little. Not only will they lose the most basic living space, but it is also very likely that the western region, which has not long stabilized, will be tightly controlled by the Japanese puppet army again. The newly established relationships in the West are all wall-to-wall people. It's a bit of a storm, and these guys are likely to turn their faces at the first opportunity.

In the face of the current crisis, Li Ziyuan could only choose to fight a battle regardless of the unfavorable situation, at least to delay the speed of the Japanese army's encroachment to the east, so that they would not dare to advance eastward unscrupulously in such a self-believing that they had an advantage in troops and equipment in the follow-up encroachment operation.

However, before making up his mind, Li Ziyuan passed through a newly constructed blockade line between Hubei and Ludong by the Japanese puppet army. I went to the military sub-district and made a special report to the sub-district, asking the military sub-district to give me some reinforcements. At least launch some feints in other areas to contain and disperse the forces of the Japanese puppet army.

The little force in his hands is still insufficient to deal with the current situation. At present, the main force is being downsized, and it is heard that one brigade of the main force is about to be merged with the division, and the units under the division will be expanded to two regiments. His own strength was not enough to fight against the surrounding Japanese puppet army, and it became an option to ask for help from the military division.

It's just that Li Ziyuan's news is indeed not wrong, but the problem is that the plan formulated by the military region to localize some of the main forces has indeed begun to be implemented. At present, the troops assigned to the Ludong Army Sub-district are still fighting far south of Zhengtai Road and have not yet reached the territory of the Ludong Army Sub-district. In other words, the newly incorporated troops, not to mention Li Ziyuan, cannot be counted on even by military divisions.

At present, among the independent battalions of each county under the military sub-district, Li Ziyuan's Hubei Independent Battalion is the strongest independent battalion in the entire sub-district. Its weaponry, military quality, and degree of fullness of its structure even exceed the strength of a formed battalion of the main regiment of the division.

In the independent battalions of other counties, there is generally only one reinforced company or two formed companies at present. Most of the troops in the division are facing anti-encroachment operations and cannot be fully mobilized. The military sub-district can provide too much support to Li Ziyuan at the moment.

At least the main regiment of the division, it is impossible to transfer too many troops to him. However, in consideration of Li Ziyuan's plan and the situation he was facing, the head of the military sub-division transferred two companies from the main force regiment to Li Ziyuan after several studies, distributed a batch of mines made by the base area itself, and gave Li Ziyuan 15 boxes of grenades made by the base area itself.

The divisional commander, who admired and liked Li Ziyuan very much, not only gave him some support as much as possible. He also sent the chief of the divisional operations section to Hubei to prepare to sum up the experience of this battle. The real intention of the division's dispatch of the operations section chief to Hubei this time was that if Li Ziyuan could sum up some of the experience in this battle, it would be promoted throughout the division.

At present, all the counties under the Ludong Army Sub-district are facing encroachment by the Japanese army. It's just that because Li Ziyuan tossed too much in the first half of last year and the first half of 41 years, Hubei was listed as a key county by the Japanese army. At present, the entire Ludong Army subdivision is also facing the pressure of the Japanese puppet army, so the division commander sent the chief of the operations section to the territory of Hubei in person.

In the words of the divisional commander, the chief of the operations section only brought ears and no mouth on this trip, only summed up experience and did not express opinions, and was not allowed to interfere with Li Ziyuan's command. Let go and let the guys with many ideas fight this battle, and see if they can find the flaws in this tactic of the Japanese army.

Although the division only sent two companies of troops, Li Ziyuan also knew that this was already a division that was also carrying out the anti-encroachment struggle at the moment, and it could give him the greatest support. In addition, the chief of the divisional operations section went to the front line to sum up his experience, which made Li Ziyuan very cautious about this battle.

Many times, with cadres at the company level, they made detailed observations of the strongholds of the Japanese puppet army that penetrated their tentacles deep into the mountains, and finally chose the location for this battle. Li Ziyuan still decided to mobilize the Japanese puppet army in various strongholds by fighting the supply lines of the Japanese puppet army, so as to break the current stalemate by annihilating the enemy in the movement, and at the same time avoid falling into a fortified position.

Before the battle was launched, in order to keep it secret, Li Ziyuan even began to concentrate the three district squads until the end, plus the backbone militia of each district. Although the head of the division strictly ordered the chief of the operations section to interfere with Li Ziyuan's command. But for Li Ziyuan, who is still a little short of military cadres in his hands at the moment, you can't do anything if you come to the chief of the operations section.

He divided his current five infantry companies plus three district squads, and all the backbone militia into three divisions. He commanded two companies of the independent battalion as the force of the main battlefield. Ma Yongcheng and He Sanliang commanded a company plus two district squads, as well as most of the backbone militia to clamp down on the Japanese puppet army in the stronghold.

Liu Lianming's direct platoon plus the three district squads, as well as 30 key militiamen, monitored the puppet army stronghold in Hechuan. As for the divisional operations section chief, unfortunately, together with two companies reinforced by the main regiment, deployed in the direction of Pingchuan and Qiaokou, preparing to block the reinforcements of the Japanese puppet army dispatched from these two places.

But for Li Ziyuan, the forces used in this battle are definitely not static. His eyes were not only fixed on the highway from Luoma to Hechuan, but the entire combat target was placed on the entire Japanese puppet army in the mountains east of Pingchuan, all the large and small strongholds. Especially Hechuan and Luoma, reinforcements that may be dispatched from the two strongholds.

At the last operational meeting, Li Ziyuan opened the map of Hubei and distributed the combat orders and deployments in all directions. Pointing to Luoma, Pingchuan, Qiaokou, Hechuan and Dongjiagou strongholds on the map, he said: "This time, we will fight this battle, and it is a matter of whether we can gain a foothold in the eastern mountainous area of Hubei and not be squeezed out of Hubei by the squeezing tactics of the Japanese puppet army." ”

"Therefore, the commanders of the troops in all directions must be flexible and mobile. I would like to explain to you in advance that this battle may change from an ambush battle to an encirclement point to send reinforcements according to the change in form. My deployment is subject to change as the situation changes. ”

In other words, this battle will not necessarily be carried out strictly according to the battle plan. The situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly, and my battle plan is likely to change as quickly. Fortunately, our troops are capable, and it is not difficult to turn around. Therefore, from the moment we enter the battlefield, the correspondents of your various departments must be ready, and we must ensure that the communication between us is unimpeded. ”

"We don't have a radio in our hands, and those phones are just a fixture because we don't have enough phone lines. Therefore, I ask that you report any changes to your face as soon as possible. Because with the current situation in the mountainous area of the eastern part of Hubei, it is impossible for the Japanese puppet army to give us enough time to finish an ambush war. ”

"Judging from the experience of the previous failures in ambush battles, the strongholds of these horns formed by the Japanese puppet army in the eastern mountains of Hubei will be reinforced in the shortest possible time. Although we have received reinforcements from two companies in the division, and have mobilized almost all of the basic militia, there is still a big gap compared with the Japanese puppet army. ”

"It's because of that that that I don't really want to fight to the death. I will adjust the operational deployment at any time according to the development of the situation. That's why I've deployed all the blocking lines less than fifteen miles from the battlefield for this battle. But before I adjusted the deployment, the troops in charge of blocking had to stand on the ground even if they were all over Lao Tzu. ”

"Because behind you is our main battlefield. You are safe to withdraw yourself, but you leave the back of your brother's troops to the Japanese puppet army. Therefore, my request is to persevere to the end even if there is no order. If anyone feels that this battle can't be fought, bring it up now and I can change people. ”

After Li Ziyuan opened all the hole cards, the five company commanders and the two platoon commanders all shook their heads. The three company commanders under him naturally didn't say anything. The two company commanders sent by the division also received instructions from the head of the main regiment when they came, and they must obey Li Ziyuan's orders when they arrived in Hubei.

Therefore, although several company commanders and instructors did not understand his battle plan, no one raised any objections. But after Liu Yanlai glanced at the chief of the operations section who came from the division, he hesitated for a moment and said: "Lao Li, is this deployment of your battle a little too dangerous." ”

"This battle is not only very demanding on your command, but also on the commanders in all directions participating in the war. If you make a slight mistake in judgment, or if you are a little careless on the battlefield. There is a danger that all the troops in our northern territory will be served by the devils. ”

"You want to fight a battle to change the current situation, and I don't support that. But are you a little too risky in deployment? Once there is a blocking force in one direction, it is impossible to stop the reinforcements of the Japanese puppet army, and all the participating troops are in danger of being encircled. ”

Regarding Liu Yanlai's worries, Li Ziyuan pondered for a while, and said resolutely: "Old Liu, the overall situation at the moment, except for putting him to death and resurrecting him, I can't see any other way. If we don't tear through the devil's encroachment tactics, we can only be squeezed out of the pot little by little. ”

"We have paid so much price before, and the situation that has opened up is in danger of being completely lost. This battle, no matter what the outcome, we can only fight like this. For us, this battle actually means a ruin, and there is no way back. Even if we know it's a risky move, we don't have a better choice. ”

"We are the Hubei Independent Battalion, if we can't even hold our own basic living space, and we are forced out of the territory of Hubei, then what are we called the Hubei Independent Battalion? This battle has been won, and everyone still has a little capital to survive. Defeated, then don't talk about anything. ”

"Judging from the entire tactical deployment of the Japanese puppet army at the moment, either we are determined to fight this battle. or be forced out of Hubei and turn all the situations that have been reversed now. At the same time, the southwest gate of the entire Taihang base area was handed over to the Japanese army. ”

"Therefore, even if this battle is a dangerous move, there is no other choice for us. Unless we are willing to risk paying a heavy price and gnaw at the devil's stronghold one by one. But fight to the death, that's not my style. As long as I am the commander of this Hubei Independent Battalion for one day, I can only fight this battle. ”

"Lao Liu, your task now is that before the battle starts, my entire plan must be kept secret at home. This battle is only limited to you and Chang Juan, and none of the three district committees should be notified. In addition to keeping secrets, your task is to find out the spies sent by the Japanese puppet army to our base area as soon as possible. ”