As night wore on, the telegraph was still ticking. "Chief, the Fei County Independent Regiment has called, and their answering location is at the Wangcun ferry in the northwest of the county seat, which is about 15 kilometers away from the county seat. The Independent Regiment decided to take the Wangcun Ferry and welcome us across the river. However, a Japanese army brigade is stationed in Fei County, and it will arrive at the ferry in 40 minutes to reinforce it. The Independent Regiment decided to make a feint attack on the county seat of Philadelphia with the main force, involving the Japanese troops, and creating conditions for the rapid capture of the Wangcun Ferry. "Report from the team leader." Continue to send a report and ask about the strength of the enemy army at Wangcun Ferry! ”

10 minutes later, I called back, there was a turret at Wancun Ferry, and I called to inform me that a squad of Japanese soldiers and a platoon puppet army were stationed in the turret. The turret is divided into three floors, with the Japanese army living on the top floor and the puppet army on the lower two floors. Xiao Ke pondered for a moment and said decisively: "If we can't quickly take the Wangcun Fort, the Japanese army will judge our intentions and order the Independent Regiment to cancel the battle plan and respond on the other side of the Fang River, and we will be responsible for taking the Wangcun Fort." ”

At about midnight, the special combat team escorted the puppet army to a location about 3 kilometers south of Wangcun. A small river flowed silently, silent, with the occasional wild beast chirping. In the dark, the detachment leader led 20 special combat personnel to prepare for their departure. "We appeared in the south, and the Japanese troops in the turrets would not have doubted. The Japanese army will definitely investigate. Just act according to the plan, act decisively and quickly, and after occupying the turret, do you understand that two red flares are fired? "Please rest assured, the chief, promise to complete the task!" After the captain finished speaking, he stepped on his horse.

The horses ran quickly along the dirt road towards the turret, and the sound of horses' hooves shook the ground. There are about a dozen households in Wang Village, and there is only one street. As soon as the horse team entered Wangcun, it attracted the attention of the Japanese sentries in the turret, and the Japanese soldiers and puppet soldiers were immediately awakened from their sleep and quickly entered into battle preparations. At this time, the Fei County Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army also arrived across the river and was waiting anxiously. The head of the Independent Regiment of the Eighth Route Army in Fei County is called Shi Meng, who is holding a telescope and looking anxiously at the gun tower across the river at this moment.

This operation to pick up Commander Schock was highly classified and known only to him and the commissar. At present, the political commissar led the men and horses to prepare a feint attack in the county seat of Fei County. Shi Meng received a telegram from Xiao Ke and had no choice but to inform the political commissar to cancel the battle plan. At this moment, he was in a very worried mood. Whether Commander Xiao can safely pass through the last blockade line is a heavy responsibility for himself. Deputy Commander Lu Zhengcao took special care of Xiao Ke and made sure to ensure that Xiao Ke passed through the blockade line safely.

Suddenly, there was a rapid sound of horses' hooves on the other side of the river, and the sound of horses' hooves shook the earth in the silence of the night. The searchlight of the turret was turned on, and the figures of Japanese soldiers appeared on it.

Shi Kai's heart rose to his throat, and after a while, more than a dozen war horses stopped in front of the drawbridge of the turret, and under the illumination of the searchlight, the figure of the cavalry was exposed. "The regiment commander is the Japanese patrol cavalry, numbering about 20 people, and it is difficult for our response plan to be exposed," a subordinate asked urgently. The subordinates know to pick up people here, but they don't know what kind of people they pick up. Seeing this situation, Shi Kai was in a hurry, and ordered the telegraph operator to make urgent contact, tell Xiao Ke about the situation of the turret, and at the same time order the troops to enter combat preparations and launch an attack in case of crisis.

The detachment leader led 20 special combat personnel to the front of the turret and restrained the horses under the bright light of the searchlight. They had been in battle for a long time, and they were very calm and waited for a reaction from above. A Japanese squad leader on the turret poked his head out, and when he saw that it was his own people, he asked, "May I ask which part of you are?" "We are the special combat team of the 10th Army, passing by here to rest!" The detachment leader replied in fluent Japanese. The Japanese squad leader was a little confused, the 10th Army withdrew to Xuzhou and Zaozhuang, but Shangfeng did not inform that a special combat team was coming.

The Japanese squad leader looked carefully, did not suspect this mysterious special combat team, and called the Japanese army headquarters in Philadelphia. The captain of the Japanese army was also confused when he received this news. Thinking about the three of us, let the Japanese squad leader confirm it carefully. There were deep ditches and drawbridges around the turret, and the Japanese squad leader ordered to lower the drawbridge and let the detachment leader go in alone to screen it, so as not to cause trouble. Soon, the detachment leader entered the turret and went up to the third floor, and the Japanese squad leader saw that the opponent's rank was squadron leader and that he was carrying a sniper rifle, so he immediately stood up and saluted.

After the two sides exchanged military salutes, the detachment leader handed over the ID and said: "We are on a special mission, and you have no right to know what the mission is." We'll rest here for a few hours and set off at dawn, you know? After confirming the documents, the Japanese squad leader picked up the phone again and reported to the captain that there was no doubt that this mysterious special combat team was his own people. After a while, the special combat team members entered the artillery tower, leaving 8 people on the first floor, 8 people on the second floor to deal with the puppet army, and the other 4 people went up to the third floor to deal with the Japanese army.

At this time, the Japanese squad leader still maintained an upright posture, looking respectful, and the other Japanese soldiers also stood up. The team leader pretended to be curious and looked around, and after seeing the four team members climb up to occupy a vantage point, he quickly pulled out his pistol. Seeing that the situation was not good, the Japanese soldiers hurriedly took their weapons. The special combat personnel were so quick that they did not allow the Japanese soldiers to react at all, and with accurate shooting, a squad of Japanese soldiers died in dozens of seconds.

There is no need to repeat the battle downstairs, the puppet army has already scared the ten souls to remove the seven souls, and they knelt on the ground and begged for mercy. At this time, Shi Kai, the commander of the independent regiment on the other side of the river, saw two red signal flares rising into the sky and suddenly realized and said with great joy: "The Japanese cavalry is dressed up by our people, and its combat effectiveness is too strong. After Shi Kai finished speaking, he got up and walked towards the ferry, he didn't know that the special combat team had a silencer on their pistols.

The two red flares dazzled in the night sky, and Shook saw this and ordered to move towards the ferry. The 10 special combat soldiers who stayed behind escorted the puppet army to set off, and the puppet soldiers were stunned by this silent sneak attack and discussed it in private. At this time, Xiao Ke and the special combat team members who stayed behind had already changed into the clothes of the Eighth Route Army, which was to avoid misunderstandings. After a while, the detachment leader led the horse team back and escorted Xiao Ke to the ferry quickly.

In the dark night, Shi Meng was extremely excited, and when he saw Xiao Ke's war horse crossing the river and landing, he hurriedly ran forward and raised his hand to salute: "Report to Commander Xiao, Shi Meng, the head of the Fei County Independent Regiment, and lead his troops to greet the chief here." Xiao Ke dismounted and shook hands with Shi Meng warmly and said: "Fortunately, Commander Shi, now is not the time to speak, there is a battalion of puppet army prisoners behind, you send troops to escort them to the designated area." "Please go first, commander, I'll give you an explanation and catch up." The Separate Regiment had a cavalry company, covering Shook to hide in the night.

At about 3 o'clock in the morning, the special operations detachment, escorted by a cavalry company, arrived at a small mountain village. The small mountain village had penetrated deep into the base, and Shook decided to rest here for a few hours. The sun rose a pole high, and everyone was ready to go. Xiao Ke ordered the detachment leader to send a report to the headquarters: Arrive at the base area safely, so as not to worry about the headquarters. The cavalry company commander looked at the weapons and equipment of the special combat team members, and his eyes were red with envy.

"Brother, you are the commander's guard, I didn't expect that everyone has a blocking rifle and a pistol, is this the configuration of the guard unit of the head of the headquarters?" The cavalry company commander asked. One of the team members smiled and said, "Brother, if the chief's guard is such equipment, it is too extravagant. To tell the truth, we are a special forces special combat team of the headquarters and a special escort to the Shandong base area. "You are the headquarters special combat team that terrified the Japanese army, no wonder you took down the Japanese artillery tower like a bag!" The cavalry company commander was excited.

The next day, accompanied by Shi Meng, the head of the Independent Regiment, and the political commissar, Xiao Ke and others arrived at the headquarters of the Independent Column in the base area. The headquarters of the independent column is located in a small mountain village in the core area of the Yimeng Mountains, and the mountain village has distinctive characteristics, almost all of which are stone masonry houses. The news that the headquarters had sent a commander spread far and wide, causing a sensation. Lu Zhengcao, deputy commander of the independent column, led the generals to greet him at the entrance of the village.

The comparison between the two forces is clear. Xiao Ke was wearing the uniforms of the generals of the Eighth Route Army, and the members of the special combat team were wearing camouflage combat uniforms and steel helmets, which were very eye-catching. The troops of the Eighth Route Army in Shandong, dressed in gray homespun uniforms, were mostly washed white, and many soldiers had patches on their uniforms. It is not difficult to judge by comparison how hard it was for them to persist in guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines.

Almost all the people in the mountain villages were dispatched to gamble on the demeanor of the Eighth Route Army's special combat team. Lu Zhengcao was extremely excited, and after greeting Xiao Ke, he shook hands with the special combat team members one by one, just like a seedling in a long-drought drought with nectar. Entering the courtyard of the independent column headquarters, Lu Zhengcao said emotionally: "Commander Xiao, the headquarters sent you to sit in the town, it seems that there is going to be a big battle, we have been looking forward to this day for a long time." ”

"Brother Lu, in the past few years, you have insisted on guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines, and the difficulties can be imagined, you are fortunate, tell me about the situation in the base area!" "Last year, the Japanese army brutally swept up, and the base area was reduced by three-fifths, and the establishment of six regiments of the troops under the Shandong Military Region was finally turned into three regiments. At the beginning of the year, the Japanese army stopped sweeping, and the troops were able to breathe. At the moment there are only 5 thousand people in 3 regiments. According to the requirements of the General Headquarters, the total strength of the independent column must reach two divisions, and at present we have integrated the county brigades, district squadrons, and even some militias, which are barely enough. ”

"The headquarters demanded that within half a year, the Shandong Independent Column should reach the establishment of five divisions, with the aim of speeding up the counteroffensive. The headquarters judged that the Japanese army was strengthening its defensive forces on the front line of Xuzhou in order to hold on to the Shandong Peninsula. In order to consolidate the Shandong Peninsula, the Japanese army will definitely carry out a large-scale sweep of the base areas in Shandong. At present, the troops retreating from Wuhan have arrived in Xuzhou and Zaozhuang one after another, and the main force of the Japanese army has returned, and it is inevitable to strengthen public security. ”

"At present, Su Yu led the First Corps to occupy Lianyungang and prepare for the attack on Xuzhou. Time is in a hurry, we must not only smash the sweep of the Japanese army, but also strive to destroy a large number of the living forces of the Japanese army! "Commander Xiao, but the weapons and equipment of the troops, I'm afraid they can't even deal with the Japanese sweep, let alone destroy the Japanese army." "You don't have to worry about this, the headquarters has already thought of it!"

As soon as Xiao Ke's words fell, a combat staff officer came in to report: "Report, the headquarters is calling, and a large-scale airdrop will start in 3 days, let us prepare in advance!" ”””