At the beginning of the Japanese invasion of the base area, the soldiers and civilians did seem to be a little passive. On the one hand, the Japanese army has not been able to carry out "encirclement and suppression" in the base areas for a long time, and if it wants to fight, it often starts from the three divisions in the north, and by the time it hits the first division, it has already become the end of the crossbow. On the other hand, it was the new equipment and tactics of the Japanese army that really caught everyone by surprise. However, with the development of the war, the military and civilians in the base areas have shown good adaptability to the war.

As the saying goes, you have a good plan, and I have a wall ladder. Some nimble-minded grassroots commanders and fighters soon came up with a lot of "new style of fighting," causing the number of Japanese casualties to rise in a straight line.

The killing of Major General Tanaka was a surprise, and even Battalion Commander Huang didn't expect to catch such a big fish. In addition to this small unit, the other units were not idle, and there were all kinds of tricks in sneak attacks, ambushes, and beating sticks. On the same day alone, more than 3,000 Japanese puppet soldiers were killed and wounded, and the war supervisor Yamashita Fengwen was furious.

Okamura Ninji seemed to be an old god, and he didn't seem to be worried at all, and comforted him in turn: "Yamashita-kun doesn't need to be angry. Zheng Huzi's troops cannot be measured by the standards of ordinary Chinese troops. Jizhong is their lair again, and it is normal for it to be difficult to attack. ”

Yamashita Fengwen didn't dare to be presumptuous, and hurriedly said: "Sodosne, but it will be very disadvantageous for us to continue fighting like this." You know that the center of gravity of the empire cannot always be in North China. "Yamashita Fengwen's meaning is very clear, if you don't take this opportunity to beat Jizhong down, there will be no chance after the main force of the Japanese army goes to Nanyang.

"Sodosne!" Okamura nodded in agreement and sighed again. Since the destruction of the North China Railway System, the strategic value of North China has declined significantly. The value of North China is mainly in two aspects, one is the mineral deposits, and the other is the geographical advantage, that is, as an advance base for attacking Central China and Northwest China. But now, even if you dig up coal, you can't transport it back, so you can't use a car to transport coal! Not to mention the forward base, and in the current situation, it is a fool's dream to build a solid area in North China.

In this case, it is unlikely that Japan will invest on a large scale in North China, because even the Japanese consortiums that have been dancing happily have lost confidence. They would rather intensify mining in Kailuan, Benxi and other places. They are also reluctant to open new mines in North China.

However, Okamura is not a man who will easily throw in the towel. He froze and continued, "Yamashita-kun is right, we will face great difficulties next. However, the difficulties of the Chinese army were even greater, because they had to carry the huge burden of Jizhong. Not in a month. Victory will be ours! ”

Yamashita asked suspiciously, "Your Excellency General." Jizhong is the foundation for the survival and development of Zheng Huzi's department. What do you mean by baggage? ”

Okamura Ninji snorted coldly and explained, "It's very simple, it's the busy season of the three summers soon. For every day we delay, a large number of their farmlands will fail, and a large number of farmers will lose their homes...... These situations will overwhelm Jizhong, and he will be dragged down alive at the very least. ”

……

Hengshui, Chief of Staff Zhou happened to be analyzing the enemy situation. He knocked on the table and said, "I don't know if you have noticed it, the Japanese army has not been in a hurry to open up the Baoding-Cangzhou line recently, but has been fighting steadily step by step. I think the situation is already obvious, Okamura wants to prolong this battle and drag us to death, starve to death, and freeze to death! ”

Director Cai Wenzhi questioned: "The Japanese army is afraid that it can't afford to delay!" Okamura isn't afraid to drag himself down first? ”

Chief of Staff Zhou explained: "If we fight for three and five years, Okamura will naturally not be able to afford it, but now that the North China Front has received strong support from all sides of Japan, it will not be a problem for three or five months." But we don't dare to fight like this, after all, agriculture is our foundation, and if we delay it for a while, we will delay it for a year. ”

Political Commissar Cheng nodded approvingly, twisted his eyebrows and thought for a while, and said, "If we wait for the autumn harvest, we won't be afraid to grind with the little devils for a few months." I'm afraid I can't afford to delay the current farm work! ”

Professor Yang wrapped his head in a bandage and said with a heavy heart: "It's not just a problem of farm work. The little devil burned down dozens of villages in a frenzy, and now tens of thousands of villagers can only live in the tunnels, and something will definitely happen after a long time! In my view, this issue must be resolved as soon as possible. ”

Several other cadres also nodded again and again, and echoed: "Yes, yes, the humidity in the tunnel is too heavy, you can't stay in it for too long, otherwise you will get sick." ”

"If we let the situation deteriorate, we will collapse ourselves if we don't wait for the little devils to fight!"

……

After listening to everyone's discussion for a while, Zheng Weiguo said in a deep voice: "This is the case, there is no need to say more." Let's talk about how to get through this difficult time! ”

Political Commissar Cheng thought for a moment and said: "I suggest that the main force jump to the outer line as soon as possible to fight, and the local troops and militia in the base areas should contain and slow down the enemy, and gradually consume the enemy's strength. When the time is ripe, the main force will fight back, and together with the local troops, destroy the enemy and restore the base area. ”

As he spoke, he raised his head and looked at it, explaining, "This is also the plan we have drawn up before, and I think it is better to implement it as soon as possible." Although there are all kinds of difficulties in the main force jumping to the outside line to fight now, this difficulty is not insurmountable. Moreover, if it drags on like this, it will not only fail to effectively resolve the difficulties, but will further aggravate them. ”

Professor Yang immediately objected: "I don't agree! Lao Cheng, I still say the same thing, you let the main forces jump to the outside line to fight, what should you do in the base area? What about the 20 million fathers and villagers in the base area? Throw it all to the devil? ”

Political Commissar Cheng said with some annoyance: "Why did you lose it to the devil?" The Japanese army is coming at our main force, and the transfer of the main force will lead a large number of Japanese troops away, thereby reducing the pressure on the base area. What's so bad about killing two birds with one stone? ”

Professor Yang retorted: "What if the main force of the Japanese army is not diverted, but instead takes advantage of the situation to launch a fierce attack on the base area? How can you withstand it with just local troops and militias? When the time comes, the base areas that we have worked so hard to develop will fall! ”

Political Commissar Cheng was silent for a moment and said, "Now the enemy is strong and I am weak. It is impossible to win this battle without paying the price. It really doesn't work, I suggest a two-faced regime, white skin and red heart, and drag it out for a while. ”

Professor Yang insisted: "Even if you have to pay the price, you can't let the people in the base area bear it. What kind of army are we, if we see devils, we will turn in, what is the difference between them and Chang Kaishen's troops? My opinion is that we should still learn the fighting style of the Red Army, concentrate our forces to annihilate it all the way, as long as I can beat the little devil and hurt it, he will naturally retreat! Destroy the enemy to save yourself. At this time, you can't just think about saving your vitality. Sacrifices must be made! ”

Political Commissar Cheng said angrily: "If the sacrifice of troops can ensure the safety of the base area and the villagers." It's worth it if you run out of troops! But do we have the ability to do that now? If all the troops are gone, what will be used to fight for victory? ”

……

The more the two of them talked, the more angry they became, and they both twisted their heads to the side, ignoring no one. The other cadres are basically divided into two factions. Overall. The officials of the Executive Office all supported Professor Yang's view. I don't want to give up my base at this time; On the contrary, political work cadres believe that the enemy is strong and we are weak, and that hard work will not work.

In fact, both notions have made sense. There is no right or wrong. The so-called preservation of oneself and the destruction of the enemy are two aspects of the same goal, which seem to be mutually exclusive, but in fact rely on each other, and the key is to find a balance point in the middle. If we blindly pursue self-preservation, we will lose the courage to fight, fear the enemy like a tiger, retreat, and lose the meaning of existence; If you blindly seek to destroy the enemy, you will lose your strength and lose the ability to fight for a long time.

Zheng Weiguo suddenly found that Chief of Staff Zhou had been silent, so he asked, "Old Zhou, what do you think?" Now that everyone is not agreeing, let's talk about your opinion! When everyone heard this, they all looked at Chief of Staff Zhou.

Chief of Staff Zhou hesitated, raised his head and said, "My opinion is still the same as before, didn't Okamura Ningji want to drag us to death?" Then we'll drag on with the little devil for a while! "Yes, in the disagreement between Political Commissar Cheng and Professor Yang, another point of view has emerged!

Political Commissar Cheng questioned: "Chief of Staff, didn't you just say that it would be bad for us to drag it out?" ”

Professor Yang also objected: "Yes, Lao Zhou. Don't you understand that every day of delay will result in huge losses in the base areas! What's in it for us to drag on like this? ”

Chief of Staff Zhou explained: "I am thinking from a military point of view. I believe you have also seen that the Japanese army's offensive this time is really rare in recent years, and it can even be said to be unique. ”

"At this time, the Japanese army is at a sharp edge, and whether the main force jumps to the outside line to fight, or counterattacks on the inside line, I am afraid it is not the best choice. Therefore, I think we have to grind with the Japanese army for a while, and after their strength has seriously declined, we will decide whether to counterattack on the outside or on the inside, depending on the situation. ”

Political Commissar Cheng frowned slightly and said, "Well, what the chief of staff said also makes sense!" ”

Professor Yang asked, "How long will it take?" I'm afraid it won't work after a long time, and we won't be able to hold on to it on our own. ”

Chief of Staff Zhou smiled: "Hehe, it's not just that it's long, it's not good, it's not good. I analyzed the operational pattern of the Japanese army, and generally after a month, morale will drop sharply, and logistical supply problems will begin to appear, so I recommend that it be deployed in a month's time. Now, nearly a week has passed since the Japanese army launched the encirclement and suppression, and it will be enough to delay it for another three weeks. ”

"Three weeks." Professor Yang thought about it for a while, and felt that it was not unacceptable, after all, the people in this year can endure hardships the most, and they should be able to survive a few months. He asked Zheng Weiguo again: "What does the commander see?" ”

Zheng Weiguo thought for a moment and said, "Well, I think it's okay." Is it difficult to administer? ”

Professor Yang shook his head and said, "Of course, a month is not a problem, but I am afraid that the situation will be even more sinister after a month!" ”

Political Commissar Cheng also agreed: "Yes, now the Japanese army's trains are constantly bringing supplies from the northeast, and the wharves in Tianjin and Qingdao are receiving new recruits from Japan every day. However, our army had to fight hard with the Japanese army, and if it continued to develop like this, I was afraid that in a month's time, the disparity between the strength of the enemy and us would be even greater. ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded, and asked again, "What does the chief of staff think?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou said frankly: "Both of them have a reasonable opinion, so what we need to do next is to consume the strength of the Japanese army as much as possible, and at the same time restore the combat effectiveness of our army as much as possible." ”

Zheng Weiguo asked: "What about the specific measures?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou summed up and said: "Now that the Japanese army has aimed its main spearhead at our base areas in central Hebei, the pressure on Suiyuan, Zhongtiaoshan, northwest Shanxi, southwest Shanxi, Taiyue, Taihang, and other base areas has been reduced. These forces could be asked to launch some counterattacks as appropriate. Distract the Japanese army, accelerate their attrition, and increase the pressure of the war. ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded and smiled: "Well, this plan is feasible." I personally contacted Suiyuan and Zhongtiao Mountain, and asked Political Commissar Cheng to make arrangements for the Eighth Route Army and the Shanxi New Army in each base area. ”

In this time and space, after Yan Lao Xi'er went into the wilderness, Yan'an did not cancel the number of the Shanxi New Army, but reorganized the Jin Sui Army, which was commanded by President Xu Lao. At present, there are a total of seven divisions (semi-guerrilla) troops, which are stationed in the southwestern and southeastern base areas of Shanxi.

Political Commissar Cheng also nodded and said, "It's on me!" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou said: "Our army itself must also increase the intensity of attacks and harassment. It's not just small groups of enemy troops. Some of the enemy's important supply points are also included in the attack. Casualties cannot be overestimated at this time. As long as there is a chance, you have to clean up the little devils fiercely. ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded silently, in the past he had always advocated "asymmetric warfare", such as using snipers against the enemy's ordinary troops. Use artillery against enemy stations and important strongholds. Use special forces against enemy artillery. Like a sharpshooter versus a sniper. Artillery bombardment has always been required to be avoided as much as possible, because there is still a gap between the military quality of the officers and men and the Japanese army. But now it seems. The time has come to fight hard.

Professor Yang asked, "Then how to solve the internal problems of our base area?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou thought for a moment and said: "I am a layman in the construction of the base area, but I think there is some work, especially farm work, that cannot be stopped. The area attacked by the Japanese army can be covered by the militia, and then the villagers can be organized to rush to plow, plant, plant, and harvest. ”

Professor Yang nodded and said, "Okay! When I went back, I organized cadres to go to the villages and households to help the villagers resume production. ”

Zheng Weiguo saw that everyone was unanimous, and clapped his hands and said, "Okay!" Then let's follow this line of thought first. ”

……

Within a few days, the Chinese army in Suiyuan, Zhongtiao Mountain, and northwest Jin launched large-scale counterattacks. In fact, since the Japanese invasion of Jizhong, counterattacks have occurred one after another in various parts of North China, but the strength is too scattered. Now it is different, the unified dispatch of all theaters, and the wave of counteroffensive is becoming more and more ferocious, making the Japanese army a little unbearable.

In central Hebei and its vicinity, the main forces of the 41 st Group Army and the military and civilians in the base areas also intensified their attacks and harassments, and some small units even went to enemy-occupied areas to start guerrilla attacks, causing the Japanese army a headache.

Beiping, the headquarters of the North China Front. Yamashita Fengwen put down a chess piece and frowned: "The people of China seem to be very calm, it seems that our previous assessment of their war potential is inaccurate. Your Excellency, should we adjust our previous strategy? ”

Okamura Ninji laughed and said, "No need! Yamashita-kun, you're too worried. They just gritted their teeth and persisted, just like us. ”

Yamashita Fengwen said angrily: "This Zheng Huzi is really a difficult opponent!" He also tactfully reminded Okamura Ninji, saying: "Minister Tojo (referring to Hideki Tojo of the Army Corps) has just called and said that when he entered the palace this morning to meet His Majesty, His Majesty the Emperor was very concerned about the war in North China. ”

Okamura Ningji was stunned for a moment, put down a chess piece casually, and said with emotion: "I know that His Majesty is paying attention to us, but the war in North China is urgent. The deterioration of law and order in North China actually began with Zheng Huzi. There's Zheng Huzi there, and there's bad news there. Failing to nip his troops in the bud was the greatest dereliction of duty of the Northern Branch. Now that Zheng Huzi has grown up, how can he be eliminated in a hurry? ”

Yamashita agreed: "What His Excellency the General said makes sense, but ......"

Okamura Ninji interrupted, "I see what you mean. Saying that, he stood up and walked a few steps, and sighed: "Alas, well, it seems that the offensive on the front line will continue to strengthen, and the passage from Baoding to Cangzhou must be opened before next weekend." He also ordered: "Let the army aviation make more sorties several times a day, and the artillery units should not save shells, and all the villages of the people of China will be destroyed!" ”

The adjutant standing on the side hurriedly bowed down and said, "Hay! ”

Okamura Ninji knelt down in front of the chessboard again, pondered for a moment, and then took another step, smiling, "It's your turn, Yamashita-kun!" ”

Yamashita Fengfu stared at the chessboard and found that Okamura was actually planning to slaughter a big dragon of his own, and couldn't help but say in surprise: "Your Excellency the General will release the winner at this time?" ”

Okamura replied regretfully, "Well, now may not be the best time to do it, but there are many people in Japan who can't wait." I had to give them an explanation. ”

……

Hengshui, Second World War Zone Command. Zheng Weiguo and the others looked at the map with solemn faces, and several huge blue arrows were cutting into the base area from the east and west wings, and their troops were already approaching the heart of the base area.

Chief of Staff Zhou analyzed: "Obviously, both wings have increased troops, and Okamura Ningji wants to open the passage from Baoding to Cangzhou in one fell swoop. ”

Director Cai Wenzhi said curiously: "Strange, why did Okamura give up his previous style of play?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou shook his head and smiled: "How can I guess this, maybe he thinks that his strength is strong enough that he doesn't need to go around in circles with us." It is also possible that he was under pressure from the top of Japan. ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded approvingly and said, "I'm afraid the latter is more likely." If that's the case, I think I can fulfill him! ”

Chief of Staff Zhou said curiously: "How do you say it?" ”

Zheng Weiguo explained: "If the Japanese army is steady and secure, and the supply lines are protected with heavy troops, then it will be difficult for us to break the stalemate. On the contrary, if the Japanese army is in a hurry and advances quickly, won't our opportunity come? ”

Chief of Staff Zhou smiled: "The idea of the general seat is always unexpected. However, Okamura is our old rival, so I'm afraid that we won't be fooled easily. ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded and said, "Well, this old fox, it is impossible to expect him to be fooled." However, he can use the pressure on him in Japan to force him to comply. ”

"As long as Okamura gives in this time and achieves good results, it will be difficult to return to the path of steady progress. Neither the military ministry nor the government will agree. ”

Chief of Staff Zhou smiled: "Well, yes, when this style of play is protracted, the cost is high, I'm afraid Hirohito won't be happy!" ”

……

Subsequently, the troops in central Hebei took the initiative to abandon Renqiu and Hejian counties, so that the Japanese army temporarily opened the road from Baoding to Cangzhou. Moreover, the armies of the east and west routes successfully met, and cut the Jizhong base into two sections.

"Your Excellency, General!" Yamashita Fengwen walked in happily and said respectfully: "The military department has called, and it is a commendation call for you!" There are also words of encouragement from His Majesty the Emperor. ”

Okamura said lightly, "Well, please put it there!" I'm tired, Yamashita-kun. ”

Yamashita Fengwen was stunned for a moment, and wondered: "Your Excellency the commander doesn't seem to be very happy?" ”

Okamura shook his head helplessly and said with a wry smile: "Alas, what is there to be happy about swallowing the bait of Zheng Huzi?" He also asked, "Is the telegram asking me to open the Pingda Highway and the Deshi Highway as soon as possible?" ”

Yamashita Fengwen admired: "Your Excellency the general is really like a god, in addition to these, the military department also requires you to end the war in North China within two months and eliminate the main force of Zheng Huzi." ”

"Nani?" Okamura exclaimed, hurriedly grabbed the telegram from the table, and read it several times in a row, with a cloudy look on his face. After a while, he said, "The empire is going to war with Lucia?" ”

Yamashita looked around and saw that no one had answered: "Although our allies have not said it explicitly, according to the intelligence analysis we have received, a big war will soon break out between Germany and the Soviet Union. Many people in the country are calling for the complete elimination of Lucia by advancing east and west with Germany, so the war in North China must end as soon as possible. Only then will we be able to get more chips! (To be continued......)

PS: Khan, today it is the mountain people who die by themselves