under fire

The sky seemed to be getting brighter.

But it is not the normal alternation of night and day.

The searchlights swaying on the tops of the artillery towers shot out beams of light that illuminated the night sky.

After a team ran west for a distance.

Stop again.

Hidden in the windbreak on the spot.

The southern route taken by Xiao Hongying's team was relatively safe.

Although there are a large number of security forces setting up defenses twenty or thirty miles to the south, considering that the security forces move directly north, it will take at least until dawn.

The task to be completed is relatively simple: to launch a surprise attack on the enemy's supply team.

In the woods.

A captured pseudo-police officer squatted on the ground.

"Tell me, what's your name?" Zhang Xiaodao made a cut with the bayonet in his hand.

"My last name is Luo, and my name is Luo Ronghua. I have no choice but to work in the town police station to make a living. I am usually responsible for household registration, grain collection and tax collection, and I have never had any conflict with Mr. Eight..." The police officer who answered the question still spoke logically even though he was captured. It was obvious that he was knowledgeable and courageous.

The soldier holding a rifle on guard nearby grinned and laughed: "Ronghua Fugui, could this guy be Luo Fugui's lost brother?"

"Don't interrupt..." Zhang Xiaodao, who was asking the question, said in a dissatisfied tone, and then looked at the police officer: "Why are you running around on the plain so late at night? Tell me honestly what your purpose is?"

"In the middle of the night, the Imperial Army sent out an order saying that a group of Eighth Route Army soldiers were lurking thirty miles to the east, and required all nearby artillery towers and strongholds to strengthen their vigilance. Because a large number of personnel were out for the autumn mopping-up operation, there was a shortage of manpower, so our town police team also took on the task..."

"What mission?"

"Go down to the village to keep watch. If you find any trace of the Eighth Route Army, go to the nearby artillery tower and call your superiors to report."

"It seems... you are exactly the person we are looking for!"

"I joined the Japanese army just to make a living..." Luo Ronghua bowed and said, "I ran thirty miles in more than an hour. I really admire you, Master Ba. If you have any instructions, I will do my best!"

"Then tell me about the situation of the nearby garrisons first." These police officers were unmatched in their ability to speak differently to different people, and Zhang Xiaodao, who was questioning them, did not expose them.

He just nonchalantly warned: "If what you said doesn't match what the other police officers we caught said, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Luo Ronghua's heart trembled, and he quickly recalled carefully: "There is a security group stationed in Donggu Town. After years of continuous sweeps, the anti-Japanese forces in this area are not very active, and many of the blockade trenches and artillery towers built in the early years have been abandoned."

"You are in charge of household registration, so you must have been to the countryside often. Do you remember the approximate locations of those artillery towers?"

"The daily food and weapons rations of the security team are handled by our tax police to prevent the security team from falsely reporting expenses. I'm not bragging, I know everything..."

Zhang Xiaodao pointed at the map that Xiao Hongying had spread out on the ground: "Then tell me, which turrets are still manned... and how many troops are there..."

Luo Ronghua began to tell the story...

Xiao Hongying said nothing, and kept marking the location of each turret on the map, whether there were enemy troops, and the strength of the troops...

Luo Ronghua has a very good memory, and he even remembers clearly the person in charge of the security regiment stationed in a certain artillery tower.

After marking the approximate locations of the artillery towers on the map, Xiao Hongying finally raised her head and asked Luo Ronghua: "The Japanese raiders can only carry three days of dry food at most. Which route did the Japanese and puppet troops take to transport supplies from here to the south?"

"The western route is through the canal shipping. The Japanese transported the food to Donggu Town about ten days in advance. Now every morning the security team recruits civilians and mule carts to transport it south."

"Donggu Town?" The pencil in Xiao Hongying's hand stopped on a black dot surrounded by artillery towers.

The squad leader who was familiar with the area quickly added: "Donggu Town is about six miles west of the canal, and there is a road running east-west and north-south. The current location is about ten miles away from Donggu Town..."

Xiao Hongying waved her hand and told Luo Ronghua: "Go on..."

Soon, after questioning, Xiao Hongying folded the map and the interview record and stuffed them into an envelope, then turned around and shouted: "Communicator, send the map and detailed information about the enemy to the battalion headquarters!"

Middle road.

Hu Yi and his team were about three miles away from Donggu Town.

The big dog lay on the ground and handed the telescope to Hu Yi: "The scouts have caught more than 20 suspicious people. The Japanese may know that we are heading to this area, so they have strengthened the field defense!"

"If the Japanese really knew, then you wouldn't be able to catch those people...but would have to face the security team's guns!" After Hu Yi finished speaking, he took the telescope and scanned the vague outlines of the artillery tower in the distance one by one.

After hearing Hu Yi's words, Da Gou was stunned for a moment before muttering softly: "Damn... that makes sense!"

Hu Yi's vision stopped at a small town located in the middle of the artillery tower.

Slightly adjust the focus and carefully observe that there are three artillery towers standing on the edge of the blockade ditch in the east of the town, and there are suspension bridges on both sides of the artillery towers.

The middle artillery tower is located on the west side of the intersection of the blockade ditch and the main road. There is a large stone bridge on the blockade ditch. Perhaps because it is impossible to completely block the traffic, bunkers are built on both ends of the stone bridge.

Team after team of puppet soldiers patrolled along the blockade ditch with torches.

Nearby, soldiers who were conducting reconnaissance were crawling towards the edge of the blockade ditch.

After a while, Hu Yi put down the telescope.

Pull out your pocket watch.

With a click, the silver pocket watch case popped open.

The dial shows that it is already four o'clock, and there is only more than an hour until dawn...

"Report, according to calculations, the puppet army patrols turn back about once every half an hour."

"Reporting to the battalion commander, the southern line led by Red Commander has captured a police officer who knows the enemy's troop deployment." The communicator panted and took out a stack of papers: "This is the approximate distribution map of the enemy's artillery towers drawn by Red Commander based on the information known by Tongue."

Hu Yi turned and entered the tent that had just been erected in the low-lying area nearby. He turned on the flashlight and took a quick look at the markings on the Xiaohongying map. They roughly matched the location of the artillery tower he saw now.

The big dog who followed in muttered, "With the skills of the reconnaissance platoon, it's not a big problem to sneak across the blockade ditch and attack one or two artillery towers without being discovered, but it's almost impossible to occupy the artillery towers continuously without making any noise."

"As long as we can capture one artillery tower, it will be easy to take down the neighboring artillery towers with the prisoners in them. Therefore, the first artillery tower is the key!" Hu Yi stared at the big dog and shook his head: "Besides, some artillery towers have no soldiers stationed..."

Making a fool of himself again... Big Dog was a little embarrassed: "Chief Hu, can you talk to someone else next time?"

"Go on, only by learning from mistakes can we improve our reconnaissance and command capabilities..."

Big Dog said: "The enemy is obviously well prepared. I suggest we disguise ourselves and infiltrate the turret..."

"Tell me the details of the operation!"

"I didn't remember everything that was said in the meeting." Big Dog said with a sad face: "Can you let someone else say it..."

Hu Yi said in a cold tone: "As a commander, you must be responsible for the lives of your brothers!"

"According to the current situation, the telephone line used by the artillery tower for communication should not be moved for the time being, because once the call is unavailable, the enemy will find that there is a problem with the artillery tower." Big Dog really wanted to cry this time.

Unable to get more out of this guy's brain, Hu Yi stopped forcing him and turned around to issue orders: "Communicator, immediately ride your bike to inform Liu Yuanqing on the north road and the girl on the south road to approach here. Including the time you have to go there, you have less than half an hour!"

North of town.

Liu Yuanqing was also looking at the artillery tower with a telescope.

A squad leader whispered, "Coach Liu, a large number of Japanese soldiers have been looking for us. There are many artillery towers in this area, and there are too many puppet troops. We can't afford to fight them!"

Another squad leader interrupted: "The Japanese raids and counter-raids in different areas will definitely cause them casualties. As long as we can figure out the routes the Japanese use to transport the wounded or corpses,

"That's right. If we can't defeat the Japanese puppet army, we can just attack their wounded troops." "Why don't we leave it to our division?" The division exchange squad leader who was accompanying the team had just finished speaking when he saw several pairs of eyes looking at him. He quickly explained, "Although this is an enemy-occupied area, we have secretly deployed guerrillas and arranged spies in the village!"

"Everyone in the village has been evacuated. Are you sure there are still guerrillas and spies?"

"Uh"

Liu Yuanqing allowed his students to argue.

These grassroots commanders have never been to military school, but they are very good at fighting...

Seeing that the squad leader who came over from the division was speechless, he spoke up: "The plan is that Captain Hu disguises himself as a puppet soldier to take down a few artillery towers first, and we will follow up immediately, and then create a false appearance to escape to the west, leading the puppet army to pursue, so as to cover the battalion commander and his men's ambush.

It will take time for the Japanese to receive the news and rush over. If the puppet troops in the stronghold pursue us, we will continue to head west and cross the canal with the support of Li Xiang. After the Japanese know our whereabouts, if they choose to cross the canal and continue to pursue us, the enemy's autumn mopping-up plan will be disrupted.

If the Japanese don't pursue us, we can walk ten or eight miles upstream or downstream on the west bank of the canal, find a place to attack them, and continue to implement the interpenetration plan."

The squad leader was confused: "So, our current mission is not certain, but is constantly adjusted according to the actual situation?"

Liu Yuanqing nodded: "Even the plan I just mentioned can be adjusted if special circumstances arise."

"That is to say, if we encounter special circumstances, we can disobey orders?" The squad leader breathed rapidly.

This was clearly a battle order, but it was brought up as a question of whether or not to obey orders. Liu Yuanqing was furious: "Get lost!"

The two squad leaders left quickly.

The squad leader shook his head and muttered: "I finally understand something."

"What?" asked the second squad leader.

"A general is not subject to orders from the king when he is away from home!" said a squad leader with a smug look on his face.

"That's not right. How do we contact Li Xianglian?"

"Yes, how about we go and ask again..."

A dark figure on a bicycle came hurriedly: "Report, the enemy situation has changed, the battalion commander ordered the northern troops to assemble immediately and approach Donggu Town in 20 minutes."

Liu Yuanqing brought only a few people with him, and the team was assembled very efficiently.

Half an hour after Hu Yi gave the order, Xiao Hongying and Liu Yuanqing arrived one after another.

As soon as Xiao Hongying saw Hu Yi, she complained: "If I had known this would happen, we should have gone together."

Time is tight.

Hu Yi didn't waste time talking to Xiao Hongying and gave the order directly: "Battle goal, capture Donggu Town, rob or burn the enemy's granary.

"Liu Yuanqing escorted police officer Luo Ronghua and disguised himself as a police officer, crossing the blockade ditch from the east of the town, trying to take down the outer artillery tower without firing a single shot."

"Yes!" Liu Yuanqing stood at attention and saluted.

The police uniforms that Xiao Hongying brought back from Guan County Hospital the day before yesterday finally came in handy today.

"Big Dog, Li Laosi, sneak into the blockade ditch from both wings of the artillery tower and approach the artillery tower. If Liu Yuanqing's secret infiltration fails, cooperate with the strong attack to take down the artillery tower!"

"Yes!"

"Ten thousand small artillery platoons, full warehouse heavy machine gun groups. Set up positions behind Liu Yuanqing and provide fire support after the assault begins!"

"What about me?" Xiao Hongying was stunned for a moment, as if it was none of her business?

"Responsible for gathering the scouts scattered in this area. Cooperate with Wang Shun to transport supplies, and clear and forge traces left on the ground."

"Uh, yes!" Xiao Hongying's face turned red and she stared at Hu Yi fiercely.

In public, as an instructor, she must now obey orders first.

If he wanted to do anything tricky, he had to wait until he was alone with Hu Yi.

Hu Yi's arrangement was not complicated. With the current strength of the 9th Battalion, there would be basically no problem in storming the artillery tower.

But if there was any noise, Hu Yi felt that it was not a big deal. At most he could move westward and cross the canal before the Japanese arrived.

After dark, walk downstream along the canal, change your location, cross the river and then fight your way back.

The superiors had not issued any specific orders to the Ninth Battalion, and the operation had no specific objectives. The only goal was to disrupt the enemy-occupied areas.

In the brief interval after the searchlight swept across.

A group of dark figures with weed rings on their heads followed the route the scouts had crawled on and soon arrived about a mile south of the town's east artillery tower.

You can even hear the footsteps and voices of the patrol team ahead.

More than thirty people hid in the ditch in the ground. After a while, the patrol team walked away.

Every time the searchlight on the artillery tower swung over, the crawling black shadow would immediately stop on the spot. The yellow military uniform was basically the same color as the ground, so there was almost no need to worry about the people on the artillery tower seeing it from a mile away.

The first blurry figure slid into the blockade ditch, pulling on a rope.

The second one followed... Not long after more than ten people entered the outer blockade ditch, a dark shadow emerged from the opposite side of the blockade ditch.

Soon, a team of more than 30 people began to blockade the bottom of the ditch and approach the Dashiqiao artillery tower in the east of the town.

Time keeps passing.

The eastern sky has begun to turn northerly.

In the darkness before dawn, there was a sudden creaking sound.

The puppet soldiers on the top of the artillery tower listened attentively, and after confirming the direction, they immediately turned the searchlight and used the aperture to focus on the group of figures approaching.

Then he shouted to the turret below: "Platoon leader, a group of people on bicycles are coming on the east road. There are more than a dozen of them, and they look like police officers."

"Brothers, be alert immediately." The security platoon leader on the second floor of the turret shouted to the one below, then kicked his subordinate who was snoring on the table: "Wan Guan, call the superiors immediately to report!"

After saying that, he ran to the top of the turret with his revolver in hand.

"Don't shoot. I'm Luo Ronghua from the Household Registration Department of the police force. We found traces of the Eighth Route Army more than ten miles to the east. We need to borrow your phone to report to the Imperial Army!" There were more than ten Mauser pistols on the bicycles behind him, which could kill him at any time. Luo Ronghua didn't dare to act recklessly. He obediently followed Liu Yuanqing's instructions and shouted at the direction of the artillery tower.

"Hey, judging from the voice it's that wicked Luo Ronghua." The security soldier on the top of the artillery tower should know Luo Ronghua, and whispered to the pseudo platoon leader next to him.

"This bastard cheated and took away all my wife's money. I would recognize him even if he turned into ashes!" The pseudo-platoon leader's voice spread: "Mr. Luo, do you think you have found any traces of the Eighth Route Army? Where are they exactly?"

Luo Ronghua rode his bicycle and swayed to the stronghold next to the stone bridge and stopped. He shouted in the direction of the artillery tower: "Is it Brother Sanpao? This information is an important military secret. I advise you not to ask about it!"

All the light machine guns in the bunkers and turrets were pointed at the police officers who were coming over.

At this time, as long as Luo Ronghua shouted, more than ten soldiers including Liu Yuanqing would definitely not be able to avoid the dense bullets.

The big dog ambushed in the blockade ditch, as well as the thousands of small mortar grenade launchers and the full heavy machine gun support team behind it, were completely useless.

Luo Ronghua felt complicated. If those idiots in the security team opened fire, he would definitely die the fastest.

What he was thinking now was that no matter what happened next, he couldn't stay in this place anymore, and he had to find a way to move his family out of the town.

Liu Yuanqing followed closely behind Luo Ronghua, not thinking that the police officer who had surrendered to the Japanese in front of him would have the courage to not fear death.

If he really wasn't afraid of death, he wouldn't have surrendered to the Japanese and become a traitor.

As for taking down the artillery tower without firing a single shot, he also felt that it was not a big problem.

The Security Corps were not the Japanese, nor were they the surrendered nationalist troops. Their vigilance was far from being a bit low.

Until now, the three gunners guarding the turret had not even asked for the command.

In terms of combat effectiveness, it's OK to follow the Japanese and fight a favorable battle, but if you really encounter a tough opponent, you can basically say that you will be defeated at the first touch!

With a gun on his head, he can be a fence-sitter at any time. (End of this chapter)