Show the sword, start from the guerrillas

According to Gangcun's analysis, this time the attack on Ping'an County or Yangquan was just a bluff by the Eighth Route Army and would not have any impact on his mopping-up plan.

But, but, but, the telegram for help just sent made Gangcun no longer dare to keep the original idea! After all, the Eighth Route Army had many harassment battles, which happened almost every day, and more than once. But the loss of hundreds of people and an artillery battalion at once was extremely rare or the only time!

Damn, an artillery battalion was lost. Although it was the old model of Type 41 mountain cannon, not the new model, it was still a mountain cannon! The key is that it was organized. Right outside Yangquan City, in front of the entire city’s citizens and the defenders, the Eighth Route Army, with a few arrogant attitudes, forcibly eliminated the accompanying infantry, killed the artillery, and took away the mountain cannon...

Gangcun couldn’t even imagine what the Chinese people would think when they saw this scene.

Gangcun had a set of methods to deal with the Chinese. For example, he divided the Chinese people into three categories and divided them into three areas, and implemented different methods to deal with them. For example, in the occupied area, the policy was relatively mild, and some Chinese were reused as officials such as maintenance presidents to manage the people here.

People should be taxed for doing business, but they should not be killed or beaten at will. Of course, this was just one of his policies, the same as the Three Alls Policy implemented in the base area.

To put it bluntly, the strategy of assimilating one group of people, winning over another group of people, and eliminating another group of people is what our ancestors left over.

The devils have been promoting how powerful their imperial army is in the occupied areas, and that the Eighth Route Army and the Central Army are both vulnerable and are no match for them. He wants to use this brainwashing method to consolidate the stability of the rule in the occupied areas. At least, he wants to make the people here different from those in the guerrilla areas and base areas, so that they will not support the Eighth Route Army.

But the battle of Yangquan completely shattered this policy, at least in Yangquan City! Just south of the railway at the edge of the city, where the people could see it, the Eighth Route Army first bombarded with artillery, then attacked with infantry, and finally eliminated the soldiers and took away the artillery... It can be said that it was extremely harmful and insulting!
This is clearly like slapping the Imperial Army in the face twice, and as if that wasn't enough, spitting on them twice, and even asking you if you feel comfortable!
Although the slap was not on his face, and the battle did not take place near Peking, Gangcun felt extremely uncomfortable! But what could he do if he felt uncomfortable? Sending reinforcements? How could Gangcun not know the military situation that Nakajima Tokutaro could control?

Therefore, Gangcun was very conflicted! Mainly for Beiyue District, he had accumulated supplies and troops for several months, and he was about to start the security war in two days, but he had to support Yangquan!
Gangcun was very clear about the status of Yangquan. He didn't care about the principle that distant water could not quench nearby thirst. He only knew that even if Yangquan was taken by the Eighth Route Army, he would take it back! Even if he had to give up the Pingliao Highway, a transportation line deep into the Eighth Route Army base, he would still control Yangquan!
Although the Pingliao Highway only runs from Ping'an County to Liao County, even though there is the Changliao Highway to the south, the Japanese can only stop at Liao County because the base of the Eighth Route Army is to the south.

Once Yangquan was occupied by the Eighth Route Army, the result would be that the entire Zhengtai Line would be physically divided into two, and the First Army troops stationed in Taiyuan would be physically separated from the main occupied areas in North China! Although the devils still controlled the Tongpu Railway, the northern section of the Tongpu Railway, including the Pingsui Railway to the east, happened to be the location of the Northwest Shanxi base, and the Beiyue District was always threatening this side.

In fact, from the Eighth Route Army's base and the traffic lines controlled by the devils, we can see the devils' discomfort, and we can also understand why the devils gave up the main attack direction in the south and fought a security war.
First, the Tongpu Railway, from Puxian on the south side of Zhongtiao Mountain to Datong in the north, then this railway line connected to the railway line formerly known as the Jingzhang Railway, later renamed the Pingsui Railway. Let's take a look at what bases are there on this line? The Jinchaji Base, including the Beiyue District Base, directly threatened the northern section of the Tongpu Railway, including the entire Pingsui Railway.

Well, there is a Daqingshan base to the north of the Pingsui Railway. The cavalrymen of the base are just south of the railway line. And who is in the southern section of the Tongpu Railway? That's right, it is the base in the Taiyue District. The brigade commander is active here and can threaten the enemy's railway line at any time. By the way, there is also a Ping (Beiping) West base, which directly threatens the northern section of the Pinghan Line and the eastern section of the Pingsui Railway.

Then the Zhengtai Line was under the threat of our base throughout the entire process. Whether it was the Taihang District, the Beiyue District, or the Ji-Zhong Base, they were all targeting this side.

Pinghan Line? In 38, the Eighth Route Army conducted 12 large-scale sabotage operations, and this railway has hardly been operating normally! As for the Jinpu Railway? The Railway Guerrillas simply operated directly on the railway line, and there were also large areas of bases on this line.

In short, the Japanese are now basically confined to the railway lines they control and several surrounding counties in North China, and their actual control is not that strong!

All of this is the result of the Eighth Route Army’s repeated battles, the sacrifices and efforts of countless people, and the joint development with the people!

So, Yangquan was threatened, and in an extremely embarrassing way, what could Gangcun do? He could only suppress his anger and personally issue orders to all places - full support!
Thus, a dramatic scene appeared on the battlefield of the New Second Regiment!
Sunjiazhuangzi is a small village to the north of the headquarters of the New Second Regiment. There are only a dozen households, that is, a large family with the surname Sun living here. As the battle started, the comrades of the New Second Regiment had already led the Japanese here. They saw that 300 meters ahead was the battlefield arranged by Lao Kong for the Japanese. As a result, the signalman on the Japanese side received an order.

So, Kong Jie and his men watched helplessly as the Japanese soldiers covered each other and retreated alternately, and they actually wanted to escape! At the same time, the team deployed at Yangtou Cliff saw that the Japanese reinforcement convoy was about to arrive, but the car turned around and went back!

"This is strange. Did the Japanese know we had an ambush? And they withdrew?" At Sunjiazhuang, Kong Jie was completely confused and asked the question.

"Captain, what should we do? Should we give chase?" someone asked.

"Report to the regiment commander, this is the latest news from the Beishan detachment!" At this time, the signalman arrived in time and sent the situation in Yangquan to Kong Jie. (End of this chapter)