In order to prevent the strategic intention of attacking Baotou from being exposed in advance, Fu Zuoyi asked the 34th Division to be dispatched on the night of the 21st and march at night. This requirement presented a big problem for the soldiers. The weather outside the Seychelles is extremely cold, especially at night, and it is definitely not news that people freeze to death in minus thirty or forty degrees. Although some of the soldiers of the 34th Division are from the northeast and are relatively cold-resistant, there are also many in Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan, which freeze them enough to choke.

"Ah, it's cold!" The soldiers were shivering from the cold, and felt that their whole bodies were about to stiffen, and they said that they were marching in a hurry, but the speed was getting slower and slower.

"Hurry up, pull one by one, don't stop, you can't keep up if you stop!"

Despite such cold, Master Zhao Yunxiang was sweating in a hurry. It's not hot, it's fearful, I'm afraid that I won't be able to complete the task and affect the overall situation; second, I am afraid that I will not be able to complete the task in time and drag down the friendly army; Third, I am afraid that the troops will be greatly reduced due to frostbite. Fortunately, this kind of thing doesn't happen, at least not widespread. This is mainly due to the increasingly powerful logistics system in Jizhong, such as cold-proof clothing and antifreeze ointment, which can be supplied in a timely manner.

In later generations, China had four major fur bases, two of which were in Jizhong, namely "Jinshu Lu, Yinli County". Shulu is the Xinji market of later generations (the place of governance is not in a town), is the largest fur processing base in China, and Zhoucun in Shandong Province, Zhuma Town in Henan Province is equally famous, when it is called "a set in Hebei, a village in Shandong, a town in Henan". They are all large market towns in northern China and are large economic regional trade centers. The town of Xinji was clearly marked on the map of the Qing Dynasty as the "China Fur Groceries Distribution Center".

Lixian Liushi Town is also a fur market with the same name as Xinji, known as "the history of merchants from all over the world." You can get the world's skin with one step". Moreover, in addition to being the leather capital of China, Lixian County is also a strong textile county. The textile industry in this county alone is enough to provide military uniforms for hundreds of thousands of troops.

As for the antifreeze ointment is a specialty of Baiyangdian, wiping the face, hands, feet, joints and other parts that are prone to frostbite have a miraculous effect, apply a little on the body before the march, there will be a "warm baby" effect.

In addition to excellent hardware, Zheng Weiguo also worked hard in terms of software, that is, in the management of troops, requiring officers at all levels to cherish their soldiers. It is strictly forbidden to beat, scold and abuse. If misconduct leads to an abnormal attrition of troops. It is punishable severely. Therefore, although the march was extremely difficult, there was no phenomenon of soldiers being abandoned, and there was no phenomenon of desertion without permission. I'm afraid that the Eighth Route Army can't compare to this.

With the concerted efforts of all the officers and men, the 34th Division rushed overnight. Through hardships. After the last, they finally arrived near Baotou at dawn on the 22nd.

Seeing that Baotou City is already in sight. Division Commander Zhao Yunxiang finally breathed a sigh of relief, and quipped: "It's so dangerous, I almost missed the military aircraft incident!" I made a military order in front of Chief Fu. If you can't complete the task, you still have the face to go back. ”

Chief of Staff Fan Zixia joked: "When the time comes, Chief Fu will tear up and kill the horse, and you don't have to worry about it!" ”

While he was talking and laughing, a scout suddenly hurried back and reported: "Division, Senza, Baotou enemy army dispatched!" ”

Zhao Yunxiang and Fan Zixia were taken aback, thinking to themselves, could it be that our covert march was accidentally exposed? How good is that? So he hurriedly asked: "How many troops did the enemy dispatch, and are there any enemy ambushes nearby?" ”

The scout hurriedly said: "There are not many troops out of the city, there is only one cavalry squadron, a few tanks, and a few mountain guns!" ”

Zhao Yunxiang said in surprise: "It's just like that, it shouldn't be coming at us!" But be careful, and inform the troops to get ready for battle immediately! ”

To the surprise of the soldiers, the unit did not rush at them, but went in the other direction. Later, it was learned that because of the raid on Salazi by the Second Cavalry Army, fierce fighting broke out between the two sides in that area, but the national army did not have many troops, and it was mainly cavalry, and it has now retreated. This caused Lieutenant General Kojima Yoshizo, the commander of the cavalry group stationed in Baotou, to have the illusion that the Nationalist army was attacking and harassing with small forces.

In order to eliminate these "small units that do not actually exist," Lieutenant General Kojima ordered his mobile forces, including a cavalry squadron, to form a so-called "crusade team" with tanks and artillery in the early morning of the 22nd, that is, before the full-scale attack of the national army. And under the command of the captain of the Kumagawa wing, he drove out of the city with a swagger.

As a result, the Japanese army's strength in Baotou was even more embarrassed, and the most important mobile forces were transferred. But Lieutenant General Kojima Yoshizo was still immersed in the dream of "impregnable" fortifications, and did not realize that a large Chinese army was approaching the city walls.

Seeing the rare opportunity, Division Commander Zhao Yunxiang immediately organized troops to prepare for a surprise attack into the city, and ordered Ma Biao's 341st Regiment to be the main attack, Xia Yunting's 342nd Regiment and Li Shijing's 343rd Regiment as the countermeasures. The 341st Regiment is the former 33rd Brigade, which is the old unit of Division Commander Zhao, and all major tasks will be handed over to them. In fact, this unit has never disappointed everyone, and every time it has done its job exceptionally well, leaving the brother troops speechless.

Thanks to the good nutrition and strict training in peacetime, the fighters quickly recovered their physical strength, and even a little bit of excitement before the battle. But the coolies who acted as guides were a bit miserable, and most of them had not yet fully recovered, and extreme marches like this were literally killing them. But as soon as I heard that there was going to be a war, I still tried my best to persevere.

Ma Biao, who was the head of the vanguard regiment, was a little unbearable, so he persuaded: "You guys should rest for a while, just draw a picture for us later, don't go to the front line." It's too dangerous to fight, and if you're not careful, your life will be gone! ”

But everyone refused, saying that they had to find a little devil to avenge this. A young man named Wang Youliang said: "The terrain is too complicated to draw pictures. If you touch it wrong, you will touch the devil's machine gun fire, so you must go there yourself. Few of us who live in the desert are afraid of death. As long as I can burn and kill the little devils raised by the son of a bitch and beat them away, my life is worth it! ”

Therefore, under the leadership of Wang Youliang, the soldiers of the regiment took the lead and quickly infiltrated the fortification group outside Baotou City. Under the whip of the Japanese invaders, Wang Youliang was forced to build fortifications here for several months. I managed to escape after the last resort, so I know everything here very well. He led the soldiers of the 341st Regiment to skillfully break through a group of pillboxes without a Japanese puppet army garrison, and also bypassed this section of the power grid without electricity. According to the post-war investigation, it was found that this was the only loophole in Baotou's overall defense circle.

In this way, the soldiers of the 341st Regiment did not fire a single shot, and soon came to the Shuiba Cave, which is the most suitable for climbing in the northwest city wall of Baotou. Why is this the best place to climb? Because there is a hill near this section of the wall, which passes through the wall. Because it was still early, most of the Japanese puppet troops were still sleeping, and there were only a few puppet Inner Mongolian troops in Mongolian robes patrolling the city.

Ma Biao looked at the city wall and found that no one had noticed them. So the fighters were immediately ordered to erect ladders. Prepare for a raid. The soldiers of each assault company also neatly assembled the ladder, and then quietly went to the city wall. Three-meter, two-meter, one-meter...... Click, finally on board!

Everyone's eyes flashed with irrepressible excitement, and they were ready to charge. Who would have thought that at this time, a ladder suddenly slipped and fell. It turned out that the walls were covered with a thick layer of ice. A slight tilt will slide away. Where have the warriors climbed over the wall in the snow and ice before? There is no experience in this area at all.

Several fighters hurried to help. But the ladder was more than ten meters high, extremely heavy, and once it fell, it was heavier than a big tree. As a result, the fighters not only failed to hold on. Instead, he was brought down by the ladder. The ladder more than ten meters long fell to the ground with a thud, and it was estimated that even the deaf people standing in the city could hear the sound.

There was a loud bang, not to mention the puppet Mongolian soldiers patrolling the city, and even the soldiers of the 341st Regiment were startled. The head of the regiment Ma Biao was even more frightened into a cold sweat. As long as the two Mongolian soldiers in the city fired warning shots, then the surprise attack would definitely fail. And not only did the surprise attack of the 341st Regiment fail, even if the main force of the 34th Division came, it might not be able to take Baotou.

"The ancestors are slabby!" Commander Ma Biao was angry and angry, and was about to take his brothers to attack desperately.

Unexpectedly, the two puppet Mongolian soldiers at the head of the city saw that there were national troops under the city, not only did they not shoot, but also shouted excitedly: "Hey! Are you Chinese? ”

Commander Ma Biao was stunned for a moment and replied, "Yes, we are Commander Fu's troops!" "The 34th Division still has to be kept secret in principle when it comes to Suiyuan, so it is called the 35th Army to the outside world. Of course, the agents of the national army in Suiyuan should still be able to find out that Zheng Huzi is thinking about how to give the chairman an explanation!

As soon as they heard that it was indeed the national army, the two puppet Mongolian soldiers replied with surprise and joy: "Great! Brother Guojun, we are also Chinese, everyone is Chinese, and Chinese do not fight Chinese. Don't go up from here, for the walls are frozen over here, and the ladders cannot be put up. Come up from this side, it's easier to come up from this side. ”

Captain Ma Biao immediately made a decision and decided to choose to trust them, because the worst result would be nothing more than exposure. In fact, they have been exposed, so what is there to be afraid of?

"First battalion, prepare to climb the wall!"

"The rest of the ministries, strengthen their vigilance!"

"Yes!"

The two puppet Mongolian soldiers also did not live up to the trust of Commander Ma. With their help, the soldiers of the first battalion soon all climbed up. It turned out that section of the city wall was rougher, and the ice was not so thick, so it was much easier to climb than there before. It didn't take long for an entire battalion of soldiers to go up.

"Thank you so much, two Mongolian brothers! Go back and ask Commander-in-Chief Fu for credit! As soon as the commander of the regiment went up, he immediately stepped forward and shook the hands of the two Mongolian soldiers to express his gratitude.

The two Mongolian soldiers smiled innocently and asked expectantly, "Brother Guojun, are you here to counterattack Baotou?" ”

Head Ma Biao nodded vigorously.

The two Mongol soldiers burst into tears of joy and exclaimed, "Wonderful! You can rest assured, this place is guarded by our Mongolian and Japanese soldiers during the day, and half of the troops are sent by the family. But at night, the Japanese were afraid of cold and tiredness, so they only left a few people, and the rest were defended by our Mongolian soldiers. When we went to work at night, we saw dozens of Japanese soldiers resting near the city gate with guns and fires, and they were defenseless. So we will show you the way in front, and you will follow behind. The Japanese army asks for the password, and we will reply, and if you get close, you will charge, and you will ensure that there is no problem. ”

What else can be said about this, Commander Ma Biao immediately accepted the suggestion of these two patriotic Mongolian soldiers and reported the situation to Zhao Yunxiang, the commander of the 34th Division.

Subsequently, the 341st Regiment took the 1st Battalion as the vanguard, and the 2nd and 3rd Battalions followed. Following the two Mongol soldiers, they smoothly blended into the vicinity of the northwest city gate. During this period, I could occasionally bump into some patrolling Mongolian soldiers, but none of them fired a warning shot, and even gave them a thumbs up in surprise and joy.

Some people may doubt that the consciousness of these puppet soldiers is not so high, right? In fact, this phenomenon was caused by the brutal occupation policy of the Japanese army in Suiyuan. Although Suiyuan established a puppet Inner Mongolian regime and later established the so-called Mongolian-Xinjiang United Autonomous Government, it was all manipulated by the Japanese behind the scenes. All decisions made by the puppet government must be approved by the commander of the Japanese forces in Mongolia, and the Mongols actually had no real power and no independence at all.

And the original so-called pseudo-Inner Mongolia independence. It was mainly made by the Mongolian nobles and the likes of King De. Nor are they nationalist in their aim. Instead, they thought that they were controlled by the Nationalist Government everywhere, and they were very unhappy, and they tried in vain to get out of the country independently and establish a puppet Inner Mongolia state ruled by the aristocracy.

At that time, ordinary Mongolian herders. I don't feel much about the national issue. Because the Inner Mongolian people in Suiyuan basically live on their own way of life. The Mongols herd their herds. The Han people planted their fields, and the well water did not interfere with the river water, and the two sides were safe. As a result, after the establishment of the Mongolian-Xinjiang United Autonomous Government. Not only were the Mongols dumbfounded, but even the advocates such as King De were stunned.

In the economic aspect, the lifeblood of finance, transportation, post and telecommunications, resource development, and trade in native and livestock products in Mongolia and Xinjiang is monopolized by Japanese-funded companies or government-run companies and institutions controlled by the Japanese. With the prolongation and expansion of the war and the increase in military expenditures, Japanese imperialism further intensified its search for the people in the occupied areas of Chahar in Suiyuan.

The Japanese invaders also forcibly implemented the policy of planting and purchasing opium at low prices in the Mongolian region, forcibly purchasing agricultural and animal husbandry products at low prices, strictly prohibiting trade exchange and export, and even strictly prohibiting the consumption of rice and white flour, and rationing adulterated and moldy "heterozygous noodles."

The puppet Mongolian government also carried out economic plunder through a variety of taxes. There have been opium tax, salt tax, unified tax, customs duty, land tax, deed tax, tobacco and alcohol tax, stamp duty, tooth tax, business tax, livestock tax, slaughter tax, bucket tax, tea tax and so on.

The Japanese were afraid of the Mongol rebellion, and imposed the so-called armor protection system and the ten-family joint sitting system to strengthen the fascist rule. When these ordinary people resisted slightly, the Japanese army immediately went to suppress it by force, adopting the three-light policy of bloodshed, which made the people hate.

Under this cruel persecution, the Han and Mongolian people in the Japanese theater could hardly eat, could hardly survive, and were forced to join the puppet Inner Mongolia army or local puppet army and civilian regiments, and were used as cannon fodder.

The Japanese occupation forces brutally plundered Suiyuan through institutional and military means, and both the Han and Mongolian people were oppressed by the Japanese in every possible way, and their lives were miserable. Compared with the period of the Nationalist Government, the period of Japanese control was ten times worse. Not only are the Han people complaining about their misery, but the Mongolian herders are also almost unable to survive.

Seeing that the Japanese were so vicious, even many Inner Mongolian nobles who originally supported the so-called independence began to have extreme hatred for the Japanese. It can even be said that except for a very small number of Mongolian nobles, the Han and Mongolian people in Suiyuan Province all have extreme hatred for the Japanese invaders.

Even the leader of the puppet Inner Mongolian regime, King De, laughed at himself and said: "Even if a puppet government is established, it doesn't need to be so obvious!" ”

Later, King De couldn't stand the oppression of the Japanese, so he took the initiative to contact the military commander Dai Li, and tried to escape to Chongqing, but was discovered by the Japanese. Since King Toku, who was the head of the government, was not easy to kill, the Japanese only killed a few of his deputies and put him under house arrest until 1945.

This time, the 34th Division was stealthy and stealthy, and there may not be many people alarmed along the way. But Fu Zuoyi's army marched to Baotou during the day, marching for such a long distance before and after, and marching with a large army of tens of thousands of people, in fact, it couldn't be concealed at all. However, when the nearby Han and Mongolian masses saw the arrival of the national army, not only did they not report to the Japanese army, but they were overjoyed one by one and received them warmly.

This is a question of popular support. Well, gossip and get down to business! Let's move on to the situation of the 341st Regiment.

With the help of the soldiers of the puppet Mongolian army, the vanguard of several hundred people quickly touched the northwest gate. Sure enough, dozens of Japanese soldiers were cowering and roasting near the city gate, rifles and machine guns were set up on the side, and only a few Japanese sentries were holding 38 large covers and their faces were blue from the cold. Hehe, the low temperature close to minus 30 degrees made these Japanese soldiers complain.

These little devils probably never dreamed that the national army would attack the city in this cold weather, and even mixed up under their noses. One of the sentries shivered with cold, and when he saw two Mongol soldiers approaching, he only listlessly asked for a password. Finding that the password was correct, the Japanese sentry took the 38 big cover and turned around.

Burst! As soon as the guy turned around, one arm grabbed his throat in an instant, and then a dagger stabbed him in the back of the heart. The Japanese sentry didn't even snort and died.

Subsequently, the soldiers of the 1st battalion assault company swarmed up and easily eliminated all the dozens of Japanese troops at the northwest gate with pistols, grenades and bayonets. Those little devils were roasting the fire, and after the attack, Zhang Huang was at a loss, and he didn't have time to make an organized resistance. In just three or two strokes, all of them were done, and only a few of the soldiers of the assault company were slightly injured.

However, the sound of gunfire and grenades still alarmed the Japanese troops in the city, and most of the Japanese puppet soldiers woke up from their sleep. Because they didn't know what was going on in the road, let alone how many Chinese troops were killed in the road, the Japanese army was extremely alarmed. They were all running around in the city and in the barracks.

In addition to the Japanese puppet army, there were hundreds of Japanese policemen and exploration teams (who came to Suiyuan to colonize and open mines), as well as the owners and employees of military stores. These people are even more unbearable. They were so panicked that they fled in the low temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius, wearing only a shirt or putting on a cloth shoe, and some climbed on the back of a mule without even putting on a saddle. Some even threw away their guns and carried a bayonet with them.

Captain Ma Biao took a look,, a great opportunity to beat the water dogs! So he immediately ordered: "A battalion is advancing quickly through the city to destroy the enemy's vital force!" ”

"The three battalions stayed, ready to receive the large army into the city!"

"The second battalion comes with me, the turtle son, let's go catch Kojima Yoshizo!"

"Capture Yoshizo Kojima alive!" The warriors roared and immediately rushed forward! (To be continued......)