Before the war, Xu Ming first judged the situation, and decided what means to use.

On the good side, because of the two victories in Wuhu and Mingguang, his troops were full of confidence and high morale; Bullets and shells were also plentiful; The people were very supportive, donated a large number of materials, and set up hundreds of stretcher teams.

On the downside, the Japanese firepower must be very strong this time, and its own artillery is still difficult to contend with; The time for the formation of its own units is too small, and it has been less than five months since the training began at the end of last year, and the time for formation has only been more than a month, and the coordinated operations of various units are very problematic.

This is the biggest problem, if his troops can be as elite as the original security regiment, and the more than 3,000 devils in the Liangjiao detachment can run out of one-tenth, Xu Ming dares to write his name upside down.

If it was possible, how much he hoped that his troops would not fight until half a year after the formation of the army, but the devil launched the war before the 107th Division grew, or even before the whole of China grew. War doesn't wait until you're ready.

Xu Ming put aside this unrealistic idea and wrote down the advantages and disadvantages of both the enemy and us one by one.

Suddenly, a report from the guards came from outside the door: "Commander Qin of the 641st Regiment has arrived." ”

Xu Ming hurriedly went over to open the door in person, Qin Lieping's face was gloomy, and he seemed to be very unhappy in his heart.

Xu Ming knew what was going on, and he didn't dare to say it. He made Qin Lieping a cup of tea, and then handed over a "Three Forts".

"Lieping, you came just in time, let's calculate how your troops will defend Magang."

Qin Lieping didn't take Xu Ming's words, but lowered his head and said, "Master, I'm here to ask for punishment." ”

In the First Battle of Myeongko, nearly half of the Japanese soldiers were killed, and most of the rest were wounded. The results were indeed very brilliant, but the headquarters of the two corners of the wing finally came out, and half of the devils also ran back. This battle cannot be regarded as total annihilation, but only heavy damage or defeat.

There was no total annihilation of the enemy, and the failure of Qin Lieping's troops was a very important reason, and some people had already complained privately that if the 641st Regiment appeared on both sides of the Japanese army at the first time, the two-cornered detachment would not say that it could run out of half of it, and it would be an eye-opener if it could run out of one-third to one-quarter.

When Xu Ming heard this, he reprimanded these people. He has a very good relationship with Qin Lieping, and he also appreciates Qin Lieping's character very much, and it is impossible for him Xu Ming to really deny his six relatives. Moreover, he also has such an idea, the winner is not blamed, if it is a defeat, maybe he will have to deal with it, since he has won, must he be punished?

"Lieping, things are over, we have won after all, besides, the mistake of the 641st regiment is not without reason, the team has just been formed, interspersed in the middle of the night on unfamiliar terrain, and there is no prior exercise, there are gunshots everywhere, and you can tell which one is right and which one..."

"Division commander, this is by no means a reason, under the same conditions, Regiment Commander Xie has completed the task."

"Division, the army has just been formed, the rewards and punishments are clearly too important, if I am not punished because of our relationship, I, Qin Lieping, ask to quit the military."

Xu Ming was taken aback, "Lieping, don't be like this, don't be like this." With Qin Lieping's resolute and fierce temperament, quitting the military like this didn't cost his life.

Looking at Qin Lieping's resolute expression, Xu Ming saw that things could not be changed, so he had to say: "In this way, change positions between you and Zhao Ren, Lieping, it's just that it will be difficult for you to make meritorious contributions and be promoted in the future." "The supplementary regiment does not have many opportunities for meritorious service, and in peacetime it is the most tiring in training and the busiest in work, and the troops are scattered and supplemented to other teams during war.

Qin Lieping nodded, knowing that this was the limit of what Xu Ming could accept, Xu Ming was good at everything, but he was too soft-hearted.

"Master, has the matter of assisting the 41st Division been decided?" Qin Lieping asked with hopeful eyes.

This matter is very annoying to Xu Ming, his own strength is not enough, and he has to take out a part of it to support the 41st Division, which part of his own troops is the meat of his heart, and he is really reluctant to use it for others.

"It's not decided yet, it's hard to determine who will lead the team, Lieping, why are you asking this, don't you want..."

Qin Lieping got up from his chair and extinguished the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray, "Master, I ask for reinforcements!" ”

The next day, Xu Ming announced the results of the handling of Qin Lieping at the officers' morning meeting, Qin Lieping was transferred to the supplementary regiment as the head of the regiment, and the head of the 641st regiment was served by Zhao Ren. This decision greatly shocked the officials present, everyone knows the relationship between Qin Lieping and Xu Ming, just one command error, the head of a regular regiment was taken down, although he is also the head of the supplementary regiment, but compared with the original, it is equivalent to a concubine and the main house...

And when Xu Ming announced that Qin Lieping would lead the team to support Dingyuan's 41st Division, everyone's expressions were very complicated. The atmosphere inside the 107th Division is very good, everyone can help each other, even if there is no good fight here, it may not matter much, but in the place of others, things are not easy to do.

Zhao Ren stood up, "Shizao, I ask to lead the team to support friendly forces, I didn't participate in the last battle, I hope to give a chance." "And for good reason.

Peng Cong also found another reason, "Don't fight for this kind of thing, I'll go, your temperament is not suitable, everyone is dead-headed, and I will deal with the relationship without me." ”

Even Xie Jinyuan said that as an officer from the Central Army, he had an advantage in Dingyuan that others did not have.

Qin Lieping is very grateful, everyone knows that going to Dingyuan is a pit, but he, Qin Lieping, is a dignified seven-foot man, and he must not accept the charity and sympathy of others.

"Thank you very much for the kindness of the brothers, I have already asked for the master seat last night, and I, Qin Lieping, am determined to wash away my past mistakes with my military exploits!" Qin Lieping did not back down.

Qin Lieping is a regular regiment leader, and the transfer decision is not up to Xu Ming, although Zhao Ren has begun to be in charge of the 641 regiment, but nominally, Qin Lieping is still the head of the 641 regiment.

When Qin Lieping led 2 battalions and a group of affiliated troops to Dingyuan, Ding Zhipan was very happy and grateful to Xu Ming.

He originally thought that Xu Ming would be very worthy of him if he could send some weapons, and Dingyuan was really going to lose, and the responsibility would not be attributed to Xu Ming, he knew the pressure Xu Ming was facing. This time, more than 2,000 people can support him, as well as more than a dozen heavy machine guns and a lot of mortars, which is considered to be benevolent and righteous to him, and the original 41st Division has only 6 heavy machine guns!

Ding Zhipan invited Qin Lieping to a big meal, and after eating, he drank a lot of wine, which made Qin Lieping's heart numb.

Qin Lieping was not unable to drink, but he was dissatisfied.

The Japanese army is coming at any time, and the 41st Division's defense is very lax, this unit has just been transferred from Lu'an, and it stands to reason that soldiers and officers should quickly familiarize themselves with the battlefield situation and build fortifications. Comparing this with the 107th Division, it is almost two extremes, in Mingguang, division commander Xu Ming, deputy division commander Chen Huizhi, and chief of staff Zhang Shaofang personally took the lead and picked up sapper shovels to dig trenches.

There are only a few trenches of different depths dug in the fortifications here, and the trenches are actually straight, and the various bunkers are also very unstable, not to mention the enemy's heavy artillery, even the mountain artillery cannot resist.

Qin Lieping walked to a heavy machine-gun bunker, which was not made of stones, but made of small stones and plaster.

Qin Lieping kicked it heavily, and the bunker was actually kicked out of a big hole.

The division commander Ding Zhipan looked embarrassed, and one of the accompanying regiment commanders was called Qi Runcai, who was Ding Zhipan's nephew, seeing that Qin Lieping was so faceless, he said sarcastically: "Commander Qin, so majestic!" Good strength! After that, the devil will be handed over to you to kick. ”

"Shut up", Ding Zhipan was furious.

"How do you kid speak, Head Qin personally came to support us, what kind of cool words did you say! If the fortifications are not repaired, it is our own brothers who are killed and wounded! Look at your position, what kind of mess it has become..."Ding Zhipan immediately reprimanded loudly, and that Qi Run was trained so that he couldn't find the north.

After training his nephew, Ding Zhipan whispered to Qin Lieping: "Little brother Lieping, this guy is my nephew, you have a lot of adults, don't be like him." ”

What else can a large number of people do, Qin Lieping said helplessly: "Master Ding, according to your law-abiding, can Dingyuan keep it?" ”

"I'll tell you the truth, I..." Ding Zhipan stopped halfway through his words and took Qin Lieping to an office, leaving only a few cronies in the room.

"Commander Qin, hold Dingyuan, my old Ding is not sure at all!" Ding Zhipan said what was in his heart.

Qi Runcai was even more angry, "He, Li Delin and Li Heling, one is the commander-in-chief of the theater and the other is the deputy commander-in-chief of the theater, why should they send our troops here as cannon fodder." Aren't there four army groups? Why did you only ask our 41st Division to come here to die? ”

Ding Zhipan did not reprimand again, and it could be seen that he was also dissatisfied in his heart.

Fortunately, the 138th Division of the Gui Army fought a battle in Chihe, otherwise, the 41st Division would have run away early. But in this way, the 41st Division was still very dissatisfied with this drudgery.

Qin Lieping frowned, this is a bad fear of the enemy, in Mingguang, the Japanese army is equally strong, but the 107th Division is thinking about how to strike the enemy all day long.

Ding Zhipan finally spoke: "San Yanzi (Qi Runcai's nickname), don't say it, I, Ding Zhipan, plan to throw away my old life in Dingyuan, and others will be promoted and make a fortune, that is someone else's business." ”

Qin Lieping had no choice but to comfort everyone, "Master, although the Japanese army is strong, it is not invincible. ”

"Oh, please explain it in detail." Ding Zhipan and everyone in the room were dazzled.

"The total strength of the Japanese army is only about 40,000, and the losses last time will not be replenished so quickly, and the commander-in-chief Liao Lei of Hefei has also contained them, and I think the Japanese will use up to 20,000 troops in the southern section of the Jinpu line."

"Last time, the devil was defeated in Mingguang, this time he must have pounced on Mingguang, and I think the Japanese army in Dingyuan is probably only seven or eight thousand."

Qin Lieping's analysis is the result of the collective research of Xu Ming and other officers, and it should be said that there is a basis. But when Ding Zhipan heard this, he was bitter for a while.

At that time, it was generally believed that if a ragtag army wanted to hold its position, it would not be possible to do it without two or three times the number of troops. Even if the enemy is only seven or eight thousand, the 41st Army plus reinforcements is just 10,000 people.

"Captain Qin, what do you mean...", Ding Zhipan looked at him with a hopeful gaze.

"I advocate offense as defense."

"What!" Everyone in the room was startled, and the one who jumped the most was Qi Runcai.

"Captain Qin, you're crazy... Oh, no, think about it again, we are here now, the strength is similar to that of the devil, attacking and defending, it's not the old birthday star who hanged himself, and he didn't die fast enough! ”

Even Ding Zhipan said: "Is it sure to take offense as defense?" ”

Qin Lieping did not flinch, and said firmly: "The art of war is cloudy, attacking it unprepared, taking it by surprise, the Japanese must think that our army is shrinking the defense, we can give them an initiative to attack!" ”

*************

If the Second Battle of the Southern Section of the Jinpu Line had anything in common with the first, it was that the Japanese army was still the first to ignite the flames of war at the Chihe River.

On April 3, the Japanese Numata detachment carried out a forced crossing in front of the **Chihe River defense line and Daliu Town. In the evening, the Japanese army successfully smuggled in Lotang Town, the right flank of the squadron, and then outflanked the defenders of Dingyuan, in an attempt to cut off the retreat.

Awl Mountain, a hill southwest of Lotang Town, is so inconspicuous in the gray night.

But in this inconspicuous place, there is a great army hidden.

The loss of Lotus Pond was not the negligence of the squadron, it was a trick for the devils, and at the same time that the Japanese army was successfully smuggling, every move of the Japanese army was also closely monitored.

The Japanese army never dreamed that their vanguard had just advanced in the middle of the night, but stepped into the ghost gate.

In order to ensure the success of the operation, the troops of the 641 regiment plus the elite drawn by Ding Zhipan, a total of more than 5,000 people, under the fierce attack of the squadron, only less than half of the devils fled back, and the leading captain was also killed.

**Victory in the first battle, morale boosted.

But then, there was a disagreement within ** about the battle plan.

Qin Lieping advocated that the goal of winning the first battle had been achieved, and the morale of the defenders had greatly increased, so they should block the attacking Japanese army step by step, delay the pace of the main force, and then be ready to counterattack at any time with mobile forces, which was a copy of the 138th Division's Chihe blocking battle. The terrain in the Dingyuan area is very complicated, there are many rivers, and the first defeat of the Japanese army is to be exhausted in this and again blocking battles.

But the officers led by Qi Runcai disagreed and advocated a large-scale counterattack.

"Commander Qin, aren't you afraid, the devil is like this, why don't you rest and watch us make meritorious contributions."

"Master, when the goal is achieved, don't make any extraneous branches, the time is not ripe to take the initiative now."

The two of them changed roles and argued in front of the division commander Ding Zhipan.