under fire

Perhaps some people think that the puppet troops who defected to the Japanese were very weak in combat.

In reality, the puppet troops, supervised by Japanese soldiers, were far more effective than the Eighth Route Army.

The puppet troops are simple-minded; because they value their lives, they rarely fight desperately when attacking.

At this point, the defense is in a do-or-die situation, and they have no choice but to fight with their lives on the line.

Bullets poured into the darkness as if they were free, grenades were ordered to be thrown into the darkness, and machine gun fire never stopped once it began.
The Second Battalion launched a desperate attack, but the enemy's firepower was too intense, making it impossible to achieve the desired result of advancing fifty meters into the enemy's territory and then charging in with bayonets.

Gao Yidao had a keen sense of the battlefield situation, like a hungry wolf, and decisively ordered the attacking troops to break away from the puppet army.

The observers quickly determined from their reports that the attacks by both the canal detachment and the training team had encountered problems.

In Gao Yidao's eyes, the Canal Brigade's combat effectiveness was completely insignificant.

Although the training team, mainly composed of platoon and company commanders from the grassroots level, had decent combat effectiveness, their numbers were limited. He simply did not believe that the thirty-odd trainees led by Ma Liang would be a match for the Japanese.

So far, it has been basically determined that this attack, like the previous attacks on the Japanese fleet, has failed.

Failure is not terrible; the Japanese fleet still has more than two hundred miles to go north.

As long as you have men and guns, you still have a chance.

Qianzheng Village.

It is located five miles east of Donggu Town and eight miles from the canal.

Before dawn.

The Ninth Battalion infiltrated the village in batches. Before capturing Donggu Town, the Ninth Battalion had passed through this area during a forced march overnight.

At the time, I felt that this almost deserted village was a good place to temporarily set up camp.

Hu Yi sent a letter to Secretary Zhao of the district, briefly "reporting" to Secretary Zhao on the battle of ambushing and sweeping the Japanese and the temporary residence of the "guard battalion" in Qianzheng Village.

Last night's ambush by the "Guard Battalion" in the south ended before the reinforcements sent by Secretary Zhao even arrived on the battlefield.

The reinforcements brought back a large number of Japanese and puppet army uniforms.
There is also nearly one or two battalions of weapons and equipment.

Secretary Zhao felt that the fact that the "guard battalion" did not leave overnight was a double guarantee for protecting the winter granary of Donggu Town, as there was such a team near the important grain storage town in the district.

The fact that a battalion of soldiers could achieve a near-total annihilation of a company of Japanese soldiers plus two companies of puppet troops was completely beyond his expectations.

Just then, the district head of Luxi District rushed over after learning that the district had captured Donggu Town.

Secretary Zhao immediately convened an emergency meeting of district leaders in Donggu Town to analyze the aftermath of the "Guard Battalion's" ambush that resulted in the complete annihilation of the enemy.

After listening to Secretary Zhao's account of the guard battalion's actions over the past two days, the district head, who had just finished his anti-mopping-up operation, frowned deeply: "Donggu Town has a large amount of grain stored there. The guard battalion deserves credit for the victory in the autumn anti-mopping-up operation, but their lack of organization and discipline has posed a huge threat to Donggu Town's winter grain supply."

The head of the enemy work section was somewhat dissatisfied with the district chief's speech and immediately objected: "With the combat strength of our district's main force, it is impossible for us to win against those Japanese and puppet troops. Although the guard battalion ignored the fact that the district was a grain storage area and provoked the enemy, they were not aware of this beforehand!"

The district chief glanced at the head of the enemy work section, somewhat displeased: "Do you know that if this batch of grain is lost, it could bring utter disaster to the district?"

The division's logistics minister quickly smoothed things over: "Yes, they occupied Donggu Town without the division's consent, and we were truly unaware of it. Moreover, we now have complete control of Donggu Town, and it hasn't caused any serious consequences for the division's winter supplies plan."
The district chief, with a serious expression, took out a letter from his jacket pocket and handed it to the enemy section chief: "Before I came here, I brought with me urgent intelligence from our underground comrades in Liaocheng. The Third Special Police Brigade of the Japanese North China Command has left Liaocheng overnight. According to the district's intelligence officers, the enemy is very likely heading towards our area."

The head of the enemy work section was taken aback and quickly stood up: "I suggest that the regional command headquarters should be relocated immediately."

"We must move the grain in batches before the enemy arrives!"

"But how many people are needed to move more than a million catties of sorghum that were harvested?"

"Yes, even if each person can carry fifty pounds, it would still take twenty thousand people!"

"Don't forget we're near the canal; we can use boats for transportation!"

Secretary Zhao, who had remained silent until now, had a grim expression: "You mean we're going to hand Donggu Town back to the Japanese devils?"

The district chief was taken aback for a moment: "Old Zhao, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood! Right now, grain is more important than anything else. This batch of grain is not only the hope of our district, but also the hope of our fellow villagers!"

The canal detachment leader quickly stated: "Our men have taken control of all the watchtowers near Donggu Town. Even if we leave, Donggu Town will still be in our hands, and the watchtowers will be filled with our men."

The district chief's face darkened: "Have you all forgotten that the division's orders were to stop the enemy reinforcements crossing the canal to the west at all costs? In other words, our Canal Detachment is required to stop the enemy from crossing the canal to the west!"

Secretary Zhao looked at the district head: "Old Wang, right now the enemy is in the open while we are in the dark. The enemy coming from Liaocheng should be targeting the East Asian Allied Forces on the west bank of the river."

District Chief Wang shook his head: "Secretary Zhao, the great battle is about to begin. In addition, the Japanese recently released virucidal bacteria along the canal, causing heavy losses to the villagers. We cannot afford to lose our food!"

Secretary Zhao was silent for a moment: "Now, let's vote by raising our hands!"

The head of the enemy work section immediately stated: "I agree with Secretary Zhao's opinion. The newly established Jinnan Sub-district is launching a major offensive against the Allied Forces stationed in East Asia. The Japanese simply don't have the time to investigate a small town by a canal."

The canal detachment leader raised his hand and said, "I agree with Secretary Zhao's opinion!" Hearing the door creak open, Hu Yi opened his eyes.
The young girl who pushed open the door looked at Hu Yi and said, "Secretary Zhao of the district has passed by. Please wait outside."

The young girl didn't think too much about it; she just assumed that Secretary Zhao from the district came to thank Hu Yi for giving them a large number of guns.

That's why the little girl was very happy.

She even deliberately put on an embarrassed look on her face.

Secretary Zhao paced back and forth in the main room.

Upon seeing Hu Yi enter, he quickly relayed the news that a large number of Japanese soldiers were about to arrive.

The young girl sitting at the lower seat had her eyes light up. She had already learned from the message sent back by Zhang Xiaodao that the so-called Northern Special Police seemed to be the elite of the Japanese army.

So, after Secretary Zhao left in a hurry, she started rambling to Hu Yi: "How about we ambush the Japanese special police from the north?"

They even brought up the words of their instructors when they were studying at the division: "Strike the snake at its vital point. No matter how strong the Japanese are in combat, without the intelligence personnel of the Northern Special Police to keep an eye on them, the Japanese troops would be like headless flies even if they came."

Hu Yi remained silent.

"Blind the enemy before the battle, so that they are completely unable to understand the current situation, which will provide support for the Jinan Military Region's offensive against the Allied Forces."

Hu Yi was still immersed in the news that Secretary Zhao had just brought: the situation in the Jinan area on the west bank of the Yunhe River had suddenly changed.

The "guard battalion" was small in number and full of wounded soldiers.

Trying to delay a large contingent of Japanese and puppet troops from western Shandong across the canal to support the East Asian Allied Army on the plains is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

It is about 50 li northeast of Donggu Town.

On the dirt road, three three-wheeled motorcycles led the way, while more than twenty cars kicked up a trail of dust.

Inside the driver's seat of the third car.

The short, stocky middle-aged man leading the group was Lieutenant Colonel Kujo Masao of the Kujo family, a first-class noble family in the island nation.

This time, he brought with him a squad of over fifty elite officers from the Northern Special Police Intelligence Section, a squad of members from the Northern Special Police Action Team, and a mixed infantry company reinforced with firepower selected from the 63rd Division of the Imperial Army.

More than 300 people were on more than 20 vehicles, including two supply trucks with two Liaoning-made Type 14 77mm field guns that had been phased out by the Kwantung Army.

The elite Northern Special Forces, personally led by the commander, came from the Third Brigade and various special reconnaissance teams. Since its establishment, they have carried out fourteen elimination operations, leaving behind more than sixty enemy corpses and capturing more than three hundred anti-Japanese elements, mainly local Eighth Route Army soldiers.

Among them are one person at the district party committee level, two at the prefectural party committee level, three at the district party committee level, six at the county party committee level, and more than seventy people at the village and town party branch level and below.

With the conclusion of the Autumn Campaign in Western Hebei by the North China Front Army, the 18th Autumn Campaign has entered the later stages of investigation and statistics.

In order to rebuild its base area, the Jixi Military Region of the Eighth Route Army was attempting to obtain supplies from the Pingyuan Security Zone. Therefore, the 63rd Division and the 110th Division had imposed a strict blockade on the outflow of supplies from the Jixi region.

Unexpectedly, the local Eighth Route Army in southern Hebei actually assembled more than ten regiments and launched a major offensive against the East Asian Allied Army, which had surrendered to the Imperial Army.

The Eighth Route Army is acting so desperately because they are eager to obtain supplies!

Therefore, upon receiving the news, the North China Command immediately ordered the First Detachment of the Third Special Police Brigade, which was conducting reconnaissance, elimination, and propaganda work in the Tianjin area, to assemble and assist the East Asian Allied Army in crushing the offensive operations of the Eighth Route Army in southern Hebei.

More than twenty vehicles served as the vanguard, followed by a battalion of Imperial Army infantry from the 63rd Division and two regiments of the North China Security Army.

After more than a month of reconnaissance and elimination operations.

Kujo Masao discovered that the Eighth Route Army's fighting ability was extremely poor.

When facing those anti-Japanese elements, he even felt that the guns in the hands of the Imperial Army elites were completely useless!

In Kujo Masao's eyes, those Eighth Route Army soldiers were nothing but dirt chickens and clay dogs.

According to intelligence, the main force of the Eighth Route Army has been transferred westward. Therefore, Kujo Masao felt that this trip was a complete waste of the Imperial Army's precious gasoline.

In Hu Yi's eyes, the Northern Special Police's ambush of a large number of Japanese soldiers following them was like throwing an egg against a rock.

But the little girl had a different opinion; she thought that ambushing wasn't a problem at all.

Especially at this critical moment when they know that their brother units are launching an offensive against the East Asian Allied Forces, the "Guard Battalion" should do everything in its power to help.

When Hu Yilai refused, the little girl suddenly brought up Su Qing's matter on the west bank of the canal.

Hu Yi changed his mind without hesitation.

The little girl pouted; she had never seen Hu Yi change his mind so decisively.

…(End of this chapter)