On the official road that crosses by the side of Baohu Mountain, soldiers of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army are busy everywhere. Thousands of soldiers are like hard-working worker bees, and the scene is spectacular.

"Plant the mines, let the veterans who have business do it, and the rest of the people don't crowd on the official road, lest one accidentally detonate the mine!" Wang Mo shouted and ordered.

With Wang Mo's order, the soldiers of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance, who were originally crowded on the official road, withdrew to the positions on both sides, and a group of veterans who had planted mines quickly stepped forward to lay mines.

"Commander, if you plant mines, is this to give up the ambush and concentrate on blocking it?" Zhang Wei asked.

The rest of the officers of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army also turned their attention to Wang Mo, obviously having the same question. They are no strangers to landmines, and they all know that this thing has a greater role in deterring the enemy.

Watching the veterans gradually lay hundreds of mines on the official road, Wang Mo nodded and said, "That's right, judging from the current situation, it is unlikely that you can defeat the Japanese army in one fell swoop with an ambush. Although the Japanese army in Jimo County had already attacked with all their troops, they cautiously followed behind us and did not attack in a big way. If I'm not mistaken, the Japanese have already informed the Anglo-Japanese forces on the Qingdao side to retreat. ”

Hearing that the Anglo-Japanese coalition forces were about to run, Zhang Wei hurriedly said: "Commander, what are you waiting for, hurry up and chase it!" ”

"The pursuit is to be pursued, but we must first deploy to block the Japanese troops following from Jimo, otherwise the Japanese will seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack from behind, which is likely to severely damage our army. At that time, it was not us who surrounded the Japanese army, but the Japanese army who surrounded us. Wang Mo said in a deep voice.

Wang Mo didn't dare to despise the Japanese army anymore, after all, there were still more than 20,000 Japanese troops dominated by the 18th Division, which was much more than the 14,000 or so people of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army now. If one is not careful, he is likely to capsize in the gutter and turn the Japanese army into victory.

"One, two, three, push! One...... Two...... Three. Push! ”

Not far from the foot of Baohu Mountain, the sound of the artillery regiment's artillery regiment's neat trumpets was heard, and hundreds of artillery members were struggling to push one artillery cannon after another to a gentle place on the mountainside of Baohu Mountain. After careful measurement and selection, it was divided into artillery positions by artillery regiments.

Movement is heard. Wang Mo walked over with a group of officers from the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance.

Shen Huai, the commander of the artillery regiment, who was directing the artillery to carry the artillery, saw Wang Mo coming, hurriedly trotted in front of Wang Mo, and saluted: "Report to the commander, the artillery regiment is deploying artillery positions, please instruct!" ”

"Once Kamio Mitsutomi learned that we had divided our forces to intercept the Anglo-Japanese forces in Qingdao. Then the Japanese army will definitely attack in a frenzied manner, trying to break through the resistance of our army. The artillery regiment is the key to whether or not it can complete the combat mission of blocking, is Regiment Commander Shen sure? Wang Mo asked.

Without thinking about it, Shen Huai immediately responded loudly: "Please rest assured that the artillery regiment will definitely live up to the commander's trust and use the most intensive and fierce artillery fire to block the Japanese army!" ”

Wang Mo nodded, and said: "Baohu Mountain is condescending, and I believe that it can give full play to the power of the artillery regiment." However, don't just keep an eye on the official roads, but also the nearby mountain trails. Don't let the Japanese infiltrate and raid. ”

"Yes, humble, remember the commander's teachings!" Shen Huai replied awe-inspiringly.

At this time, the blue wolf of the secret service department hurriedly ran over and reported to Wang Mo: "Report, commander, the secret service personnel over there in Qingdao have sent information that the British and Japanese forces have begun to assemble on a large scale, and there are signs of getting rid of the German army and evacuating to Laoshan Bay. ”

In this regard, Wang Mo was not very surprised. On the contrary, he felt that the movements of the Anglo-Japanese forces were slower than he expected, and it was estimated that the German troops who were confronting them had made some moves.

Wang Mo's estimate was not wrong, originally the Anglo-Japanese coalition army wanted to quickly get rid of the German army, and then retreat to Laoshan Bay to temporarily avoid the Yimeng Autonomous Coalition army by boat. However. The Germans were not straw bales either, and when they saw that the Anglo-Japanese forces were about to run away, they did not hesitate to launch a harassing and sluggish offensive.

Although the German army in Qingdao was only about 4,000 people, in terms of combat effectiveness, it was not necessarily worse than the 10,000 so-called Anglo-Japanese troops. If the Anglo-Japanese forces withdrew regardless of the situation, they would only be severely damaged by the Germans in the pursuit.

Therefore. The Anglo-Japanese forces had to engage in frequent skirmishes with the Germans while retreating cautiously, for fear that the Germans would find an opportunity.

"Commander, I am willing to lead a division to stop the Orientals!" Li Jian unexpectedly did not strive for the combat mission of intercepting the British and Japanese forces, but asked himself to carry out the combat mission of blocking the attack.

Zhang Wei looked at Li Jian in surprise, he couldn't understand why Li Jian didn't fight for the combat mission of intercepting the British and Japanese coalition forces, which was obviously able to make a decisive decision on the situation of the battle.

Wang Mo looked at Li Jian with great appreciation, in fact, he had already had the idea of letting the first division carry out the blocking mission.

Although the Anglo-Japanese coalition forces on the Qingdao side may not be very strong in combat, they still have nearly 10,000 people, and if the Yimeng Autonomous Coalition forces want to encircle them and force them into a desperate situation, they will definitely not be able to do so with fewer troops.

Of course, it was also very difficult to face the onslaught of more than 20,000 Japanese troops on this side. However, if you take care of both, you can only take care of both ends in the end. Wang Mo is not a person who looks forward to the future, so he has long decided to let the first division, which suffered nearly half of the casualties after the Battle of Jimo, stay behind to block the attack, and the second division, which suffered small casualties, rushed to Qingdao to intercept the British and Japanese forces.

"What I mean is also to let the first division stay and block the attack. However, there are still more than 20,000 Japanese troops chasing after Jimo after all, and once they learn that our army will divide their troops to intercept the British and Japanese coalition forces, they will have to go crazy, can the first division withstand the onslaught of the Japanese army? Wang Mo said that although he had made such a decision a long time ago, he was still a little worried in his heart.

Li Jian solemnly assured: "Commander, rest assured, with the artillery support of the artillery regiment, the 1st Division will definitely be able to complete the task of blocking the attack!" ”

Wang Mo left the artillery regiment because it was inconvenient to carry it, and secondly, to provide strong artillery support for the blocking troops.

"If this battle can be won, the first division is the biggest hero!" Wang Mo said in a deep voice.

The rest of the people had no problem with this, because everyone understood that the first division would face such a frantic onslaught from the Japanese army, and it was inevitable that there would be heavy casualties, and it was not impossible to be crippled and defeated.

Li Jian didn't have any other expression, and said generously and forcefully: "Commander Xie! ”

Then, Wang Mo turned to face all the officers and ordered: "Next, I order!" ”

Hearing this, all the officers snapped and put their heels together, and stood solemnly in unison to listen to the order.

"All reconnaissance units immediately increase their sorties, and be sure to block the Japanese army's reconnaissance of our army! At the same time, the 2nd Division immediately assembled, leaving behind heavy machine guns, only light machine guns, no mountain artillery and field artillery, only mortars, and all the mules and horses to transport ammunition, and rushed to intercept the British and Japanese forces as fast as possible! ”

"Yes!"

All the officers responded in awe.

"In addition, Zhang Wei, you immediately pick out the fastest regiment as the vanguard, and rush over with light equipment to drag the British and Japanese forces, no matter what, you can't let them withdraw to Laoshan Bay!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Wei, commander of the Second Division of the Yimeng Autonomous Coalition Army, came out of the column and received the order.

After Wang Mo's order was issued, the war machine of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army accelerated again. The reconnaissance units were the first to move, and batch after batch of reconnaissance troops scattered out to the north and began to frantically strangle the Japanese reconnaissance units and cover up the movements of the main force of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance.

In this era, there was no ubiquitous satellite reconnaissance, and the Japanese army's spies in China were not as pervasive as they were during World War II.

Such an anomaly at the front line was quickly reported to the Japanese command, and both Terauchi Masatsuki and Kamio Mitsutomi were very puzzled by this.

"What are you trying to do, are you going to ambush us in front?" Terauchi Masatsu's face was ugly, and he was very disgusted with this kind of intelligence.

Shenwei Mitsutomi said with a solemn expression: "It is indeed very likely that the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army is preparing to ambush our army, but it is also possible that it has already divided its troops to attack Qingdao. The reconnaissance troops were simply unable to get close to the main force of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance, and it was really difficult to judge because they could not get any useful information. ”

At the mention of this, Terauchi Zhengyi was furious, and scolded with an angry face: "Waste, the reconnaissance troops are all waste, and they are far superior to the reconnaissance troops in China, but they can't break through the blockade of the people!" Such a waste is not worthy of being a warrior of my Imperial Japanese Army at all! ”

Since the 300 special combat members of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army joined the ranks of the reconnaissance troops, the Japanese army has never bargained for anything in the battle between the reconnaissance units of the Chinese and Japanese armies.

In mountain and jungle warfare, unless an overwhelming superiority is achieved in terms of troops, it is simply impossible to reverse the disadvantage in tactics and tactics if it is only two or three times the number of troops.

Although Kamio Mitsutomi didn't understand this, he also knew that it was impossible to find out the situation of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army purely by relying on the reconnaissance troops, so he said: "Your Excellency General, it seems that only by continuing to advance the main force of our army can it be possible to break through the blockade of the reconnaissance force of the Zhina people and find out the situation of the main force of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance. ”

"What if the main force of the Shina really ambushes us in front?" Terauchi Zhengyi asked with some concern, he hated the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army so much that he gritted his teeth, but he was also very afraid of the strong combat effectiveness of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance.

This is a very fatal problem, and Kamio Mitsutomi is also very worried, if the main force of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army really ambushes them in front, once they enter the ambush circle, it is likely to be completely routed or even annihilated.

After thinking cautiously and thinking about it, Kamio Mitsutomi said: "Your Excellency General, I suggest that our army can advance slowly and gradually, and launch a tentative attack on the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army, and slowly increase the intensity of the offensive, so as to test whether the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army has divided its troops. ”

For now, there is no better option.

"Okay, that's it!" Terauchi Masaki gritted his teeth and said viciously, "If the people of Shina really dare to divide their forces to intercept our allies, it is to seek death!" (To be continued.) )