After receiving the telegram from the Second Division and the First Regiment, He Zhengdao, who was in charge of Youyu to command Shuozhou and Datong to regain the war, also seemed very calm. Seeing the battle-damaged telegram sent by the Second Division, He Zhengdao also nodded with satisfaction.

Annihilated a county town garrisoned by a Japanese infantry brigade, and lost less than 100 people. Even if hundreds of shells were consumed, in He Zhengdao's view, human life was far more valuable than shells. This battle is not a loss!

With the second division getting off to a good start, He Zhengdao quickly ordered that the first division could start attacking Pinglu in Shuozhou. In this place, the Japanese army also deployed the strength of an infantry brigade.

Even if the communication between Pinglu and Shuozhou was not interrupted, He Zhengdao believed that the Japanese infantry wing in Shuozhou might not dare to send troops to carry out rescue. If the Japanese troops in Shuozhou dared to go out of the city to reinforce, I believe that the first division would be happy to see this happen.

As the 1st Division also launched an offensive against Pinglu, Seishiro Itagaki, who had received requests for help from the two county towns of Shuozhou and Datong, said very painfully: "Compared with the attack and disturbance battle near Xinzhou and Taiyuan, this is the main attack position of the Eighth Route Army!" ”

Faced with the judgment made by Itagaki Seishiro, the chief of staff of the division also nodded and said: "According to the information we have before, this is the defense area of the independent column of the Eighth Route Army. It seems that the previous judgment of the division commander was still very correct.

A few years ago, the main force of the Eighth Route Army appeared in our other control areas, but only guerrillas appeared in Shuozhou and Datong. Now that the main force of the independent column has appeared, they are afraid that they will recover the two places in one fell swoop! ”

'How many troops do we have there?' If you send troops from Zhangjiakou, how long will it take to reach Datong? ’

As the commander of the Shanxi Dispatch Army, Itagaki had a certain understanding of the garrisons in various places. But when it comes to the deployment of troops in various places, he still needs to ask the chief of staff in order to make the most accurate judgment.

'In Shuozhou, most of the counties currently garrisoned by us have an infantry brigade. In addition, in Shuozhou, we also have an infantry wing. In addition to the puppet army, there are also some garrison troops, and the strength should be more than 10,000 people.

In Datong, the rest of the surrounding counties are almost as good as Shuozhou. It's just that the strategic location of Datong is very important, and we have deployed an infantry wing there, plus the 14th Independent Garrison, which has a little more strength than Shuozhou.

As for the current need to transfer troops from Zhangjiakou, after the destruction of the Pingsui Railway, reinforcements can only be carried out by land. According to the information we have, the current situation in Zhangjiakou is also unstable.

If the situation is correct, the Eighth Route Army should have sent the main force to Zhangjiakou before the battle. The infantry brigade guarding Zhangjiakou may not dare to send reinforcements, and they are afraid that it will be too late. ’

Listening to the report of the chief of staff, Itagaki Seishiro looked at Shuozhou and Datong on the map, and said half-loudly: "Independent column, He Zhengdao!" This person must be eliminated by all means, and this person's strategic layout ability is very terrifying.

Order the garrisons of Datong and Shuozhou to be deployed from now on. Even if all the jade is shattered, the main force of the Eighth Route Army that came to attack the city must be severely damaged. At the same time, a report was sent to the commander, hoping to send reinforcements to support the Datong garrison.

First blow up our most important railway supply line, and then pick the most unsuitable weather for combat. This He Zhengdao seems to be a military general who is good at winning by surprise. I hope that in the future, we can keep the strategic location of Datong! ”

From Itagaki Seishiro's words, the chief of staff could more or less hear that the other party was only afraid that he had given up his troops in Shuozhou. But at present, the main force of the division and regiment they sent to Xinzhou to quell the chaos was also dragged by the Eighth Route Army in Xinzhou and could not move.

Most importantly, when the main force of their division arrives in a certain county seat, the troops of the Eighth Route Army besieging those counties will flee away. If you send troops to pursue, you will often be ambushed by several times the number of troops.

The most troublesome thing was that the Eighth Route Army rarely fought them head-on, and often sent superior troops to attack their transport and supply lines. Without sufficient supplies, how could the main force of their divisions dare to go too far?

Staring at the battle map hanging on the wall, Itagaki suddenly said with some surprise: "Send a telegram to the troops in Suiyuan and ask them about the situation there." Ba Ge Ya Road, this He Zhengdao's appetite, I'm afraid it's not just Shuozhou and Datong! ”

'What does the division commander mean that they still want to recover Suiyuan? Earlier, I had a telephone conversation with Major General Takimoto of the Ninth Brigade in charge of public order in Guisui, but I did not find out about the activities of the Eighth Route Army troops in Guisui.

Compared with the snow in Shuozhou and Datong, the snow in Guisui and others is undoubtedly thicker now. Moreover, as long as the weather permits, our air force in Baotou will also take to the air to conduct reconnaissance, and nothing abnormal has been found. ’

'No anomaly, that's the biggest problem!' Isn't the Eighth Route Army afraid that our troops from Guisui will reinforce Datong? ’

Itagaki Seishiro, who said this, has always felt that compared with the recovery of Shuozhou and Datong, Guisui and Baotou are undoubtedly more suitable for the Eighth Route Army to receive. Even he has this view, isn't He Zhengdao, who launched the reconquest, unclear?

And the chief of staff quickly said: "Division commander, the railway from Datong to Guisui has not been repaired even now. Moreover, after the Eighth Route Army took Zuoyun, it was completely able to send troops to cut off the land contact line between Guisui and Datong.

Judging from the current offensive strategy of the Eighth Route Army, they should want to recover Datong first, and then counterattack Guisui and Baotou. In this way, they can occupy more advantages in the allocation of troops. Attacking three places in one go, do they have the strength? ”

Even if the chief of staff thinks that Itagaki Seishiro's guess is reasonable, it also needs to be based on the fact that the independent column has this strength. The combined troops of their three places also have at least more than 40,000 troops.

If the offensive and defensive forces were allocated, the Eighth Route Army would have to organize at least nearly 100,000 troops before it was possible to capture these places they occupied. With only one independent column, can they draw so many troops?

If He Zhengdao heard the words of this chief of staff at this moment, he would definitely tell him with a smile: "You don't know too much, the Eighth Route Army is powerful. On the surface, the independent column has more than 50,000 main forces, but the actual strength is close to 200,000.

Four main infantry divisions, two cavalry divisions, a divisional reconnaissance brigade, and a fully equipped artillery brigade. In addition to the garrison regiments and garrison brigades stationed in various places, if the guerrillas are added, the total strength will already exceed 200,000. ”

As the most powerful independent column in the Eighth Route Army, how dare He Zhengdao make such a strategic layout, how can he not have a certain degree of certainty? For the Eighth Route Army, if you have weapons, you won't have to worry about not being able to recruit soldiers!

Let the chief of staff say this, Itagaki also thinks that he will not think too much. If the independent column really dispatched 100,000 main forces to attack the three places under their control, then wouldn't he be worried about the safety of the base area?

It's just that they don't know at all that for the troops attacking Suiyuan, He Zhengdao specially asked the clothing factory to produce a simple but effective thing for them. Each warrior had a white cloak on his body.

As soon as the roar of airplanes is heard in the sky, the marching troops will take cover with the help of white cloaks. Looking down from the sky, the earth is white. Unless infantry reconnaissance is sent, it is difficult to detect the troops on the march with aerial reconnaissance alone.

Even if some small units and pilots of the little devils are found, they think that they are guerrilla squads active in Suiyuan. How could such a squad pose a threat to the heavily defended cities of Guisui?

At present, the main forces of the independent column that are cooperating with the reconnaissance brigade in the Suiyuan reconquest are more and more in motion. As for when the battle will start, it depends on the speed of He Zhengdao's advancement.

Once He Zhengdao successfully captured Datong, then it was time for the reconnaissance brigade and various units to launch a comprehensive recovery of Suiyuan. Before the battle starts, the reconnaissance brigade and its subordinate troops will be more careful to march in concealment and wait for the opportunity.

Regarding the Shanxi dispatch army has abandoned Shuozhou and is ready to fight with the Eighth Route Army, He Zhengdao is not clear. Received a telegram of inquiry from the Second Division about how to deal with the puppet army in Zuoyun City anyway.

Looking at the inquiry call sent by the second division, He Zhengdao hated these soft bones very much in his heart. But he also understands that there are many such soft bones in today's era. But the real soft bones are actually the officers and generals who command these soldiers.

After thinking for a while, he said: "Reply to the second division and agree to the request of the puppet army." The puppet soldiers who died in this battle were all given martyrs and buried. On its inscription, the establishment of the Snow Shame Independent Battalion is engraved, and the instructor of the Snow Shame Camp is Comrade Qin Wengang.

The wounded puppet soldiers were all sent to the rear for treatment. Those who sacrificed should find a place outside Zuoyun City to build a cemetery and bury them. Those who died in the Snow Shame Camp in the future will also be carried out in this way. As for whether to join the Snow Shame Camp, it is necessary to seek the opinions of the puppet army.

If there is a puppet army willing to retire, all units must not forcibly stop it. As for the first battalion commander of the Snow Shame Battalion, this Zhu Dachang served as it. As for the Snow Shame Battalion, it is directly under the jurisdiction of the reconnaissance brigade. The training work will be organized by the reconnaissance brigade at that time. ”

It can be seen from the telegram provided by the Second Division that the combat effectiveness of these awakened puppet troops is really extraordinary. And the Snow Shame Camp may be called the Dead Soldiers' Camp to some extent.

For He Zhengdao, the Snow Shame Camp can be regarded as a test of the loyalty of the puppet army. As long as they can make new contributions in the Snow Shame Camp, He Zhengdao will give them the opportunity to join other main forces.

Even nowadays, many troops will incorporate some puppet armies. But in He Zhengdao's view, these officers and soldiers who have been in contact with the little devil and must know how brutal the little devil is, may be able to gain an alternative army with brave combat.

Placing it directly under the jurisdiction of a reconnaissance brigade is undoubtedly a matter of placing it under the direct jurisdiction of a column. In this way, the specifications of the Snow Shame Camp have undoubtedly improved a lot. And those who know He Zhengdao know that the Snow Shame Camp will only be a sharp knife for the independent column in the future.

It can be seen from the word 'shame' that the officers and men who join this independent battalion need to wash away their shame. So how do you wash it? Undoubtedly, it is to kill more in future battles and wash away the shame of the enemy's blood! (To be continued.) )