At the same time, Li Qing, the chief of staff who received the telegram from the central government, immediately began to use the mule and horse carts that had been collected, and ordered the soldiers to start transporting all kinds of supplies day and night. Of course, the order of transporting various materials is still very particular. That is, first of all, to transport all kinds of medicines that are in short supply to the troops of the Eighth Route Army in various places, as well as all kinds of large-caliber artillery shells that cannot be imitated in the base areas, followed by all kinds of weapons and corresponding ammunition, and finally food and all kinds of oil.

The whole transportation process, with the help of nearly 10,000 recruits who had just joined the army, was carried out in an orderly manner without a trace of chaos. When the next day came, the highway between Tianjin and Ezhou, which was dozens of kilometers long, was almost completely covered by a long line of transport composed of various means of transport and soldiers... Of course, in order to prevent the convoy from being attacked by the air of the Japanese army during the transportation. In the meeting of Commander Liu Hua, Chief of Staff Li Qing mobilized nearly 10,000 young and middle-aged people and a large number of guerrillas, and in the entire Pingjin area, all of them set fire to piles of wet thatch... For a time, the entire Pingjin area was completely covered with billowing smoke from the burning of thatch. Although the reconnaissance planes dispatched by the army dutifully carried out patrols and reconnaissance every day, they did not achieve any results when they were completely covered in thick smoke.

After solving the problem of transporting materials, Liu Hua, as the commander, finally put his mind at ease. began to set his eyes completely in front of him, which had been completely surrounded by more than 10,000 soldiers, and Beiping City, which could be captured at any time. At the same time, according to the city defense map of Beiping City in front of him, he began to formulate a specific battle plan for the first round of attacks....

At this moment, it was already one o'clock in the morning in the dead of night. After a day and a night of fierce fighting and fierce firefights, the entire city of Beiping finally fell into a short period of tranquility. Soldiers on both sides took advantage of this short rest time to replenish their physical strength in battle. At the same time, it is also necessary to prepare for the upcoming new offensive.

In the temporary headquarters, after about ten hours of supplementary sleep. Commander Liu Hua was already standing energetically in front of the huge military map, with the help of the dim lights in the headquarters, looking at the huge Beiping city defense map hanging on the wall. Analyst At this moment, the enemy and the enemy, the specific distribution of the enemy situation... Similarly, Bruce Lee, who was appointed by Liu Hua as the temporary chief of staff of the former enemy headquarters, also stood next to the map, quietly looking at the dozens of telegrams sent by various units in his hands... At this moment, Liu Hua raised his head and asked Bruce Lee, the temporary chief of staff beside him, "Brigade Commander Li, how is the situation of the various units now?" ”

"Commander, according to your orders, all the troops, except for the necessary vigilance forces. The rest of the fighters are resting and accumulating their strength for the next battle. In addition, thanks to the efforts of the logistics troops for several hours, the ammunition consumed by the various units has now been fully replenished...."Bruce Lee looked up and said.

"Well, let me know about the specific casualties and the number of enemies destroyed by the four main regiments in the battle of one day and one night. Only by knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent can one win a hundred battles..."Liu Hua nodded and continued to ask.

"This is a battle report sent by several main regiments to the command when it was dark." As he spoke, Bruce Lee had already pulled out a few of them from the pile of telegrams in his hand and placed them in front of Commander Liu Hua, and then continued: "According to the telegram, the four regiments lost a total of 439 soldiers in the blocking battle of attacking the airport and the subsequent siege battle, of which 249 were directly killed. The 3rd Brigade and 7th Regiment lost a total of 586 people, and 370 people were directly killed. The 3rd Brigade and 8th Regiment lost 419 men and lost 168 people. In addition, the 2nd Brigade and 5th Regiment lost a total of 319 people in the battle of attacking the airfield, of which 120 were directly killed, and the 6th Regiment of the 2nd Brigade lost 248 people and 110 people were directly killed. Two regiments of the Guards Brigade suffered direct losses of 895 people and 591 casualties ... That's how it is...."

After reading a few telegrams in his hand, after listening to Bruce Lee's explanation, Liu Hua couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Because, in the battle of one day and one night, although he lost almost 3,000 troops, he directly sacrificed almost 1,500 soldiers. However, after all, all the fortifications and pillboxes and turrets arranged by the army outside the city were occupied by themselves. The entire city of Beiping, after losing the fortifications outside the city, has become a completely isolated city at this moment....

"Well, the fighters are all good. Brigade Commander Li, inform you that you must sort out the bones of the sacrificed soldiers. When the time comes, all of them will be transported back to the base area, and then they will be buried in a unified manner. Also, those wounded soldiers, after they are healed, they are veterans of our army. So, you must take care of them and give them the best medicine to ensure that they are cured...," Liu Hua said.

"Commander, I have already ordered it to go down. Because it is night, there will be no air raids by the Japanese army. I have sent a regiment of guards to collect the remains of the soldiers who died on the battlefield. As for the seriously wounded, I have already sent a battalion of troops to transport them to Tianjin for treatment in the carts we have captured, so you can rest assured..."

"I'm relieved. Otherwise, we are really sorry for the soldiers who died and were wounded on the battlefield. By the way, Brigade Commander Li, how did we get after a day and a night of fighting. According to your estimates, at this moment, how many defenders are there in the entire city of Beiping? Regarding Bruce Lee's advance arrangement, Liu Hua nodded with satisfaction. Then, he continued to ask.

"Report to the commander, according to the report of Brigade Commander Luo. With the cooperation of the armored brigade, the Second Brigade completely annihilated all the infantry, logistics personnel, and pilots of the Beiping airfield after four hours of fighting. In addition, according to the statistics of the four regiment commanders, the regiments attacked to the position under the city, and each regiment destroyed a total of about 4,000 enemies. Therefore, in the whole battle so far, the total number of our army annihilated is about 8,000 people. However, Commander, there is a situation that is very important. Brigade Commander Bruce Lee took out a telegram and said to the commander Liu Hua in front of him.

"What's the situation?" Seeing Bruce Lee's facial expression suddenly changed slightly. Liu Hua's brows also furrowed quickly, and he hurriedly asked.

"According to the reports of the four regiment commanders on the front, in the process of attacking the outer defense line of the Japanese army, they discovered. The Yue army defending the outer defense line of Beiping City was not the real infantry of the Yue army. Rather, it was the army headquarters, thousands of armed expatriates hastily assembled before the arrival of our army. Therefore, although we have wiped out almost 8,000 troops, excluding the logistics personnel in the airport and the original garrison, and excluding these armed expatriates, there are less than 4,000 little devil infantry who really died in our hands..."Bruce Lee replied cautiously.

"What, all armed diaspora. I really didn't expect that before he died, this Tada Jun would be able to think of such a way to leave the real elite troops in his hands in a key position. It seems that we still underestimate this Tada Jun. However, in any case, now that we have surrounded Beiping, tonight, no matter what, we must give the army in the city a little color. Liu Hua replied with an unhappy face while being surprised.

"Commander, give the order. After several hours of rest, the warriors are now in good spirits and waiting for you to give the order to attack the city? Hearing the tone of Liu Hua's words, Bruce Lee said.

"Okay, since that's the case, then don't blame us for being polite, tonight, let's let our old opponent, Tada Jun, take a good look at the current combat effectiveness of our reading division. Brigade Commander Li ordered all units to launch a tentative attack on the city gate in front of them under the cover of artillery an hour later. I will only give you an hour, and I must find out all the firing points arranged by the army on the city wall in front of me, so as to facilitate the artillery attack of the heavy artillery regiment in the future. ”

"Yes, Commander, I'll go and deliver the order right away..."After waiting for a long time, and finally waiting for the commander to give the troops the order to attack the city, Bruce Lee's heart can be said to be very happy, and he replied excitedly, turned around and prepared to rush out of the command headquarters to convey the new order issued by the commander.

"Wait a minute, Brigadier Li. You arrange, before the battle begins, I am going to go to the front line and directly command the siege of the troops. After all, Beiping is not like Taiyuan, which is not so easy to occupy. If I don't go to the front line, I won't be reassured. In this way, we will go directly to the 2nd Brigade and 4th Regiment in the direction of the airport, and you prepare. Commander Liu Hua continued.

"Yes, Commander, I'll make arrangements right away..." So, more than 100 cavalry soldiers, half an hour later, surrounded by Commander Liu Hua and Guard Brigade Commander Bruce Lee, with the necessary radio stations, rushed to the gate outside the East Gate of Beiping, in the temporary headquarters of the Fourth Regiment, in less than ten minutes..."Yang Jinghua, commander of the armored brigade, and Xu Ying, commander of the Fourth Regiment, came to report. Commander, it's dangerous outside, let's go to the headquarters first, it's safer there..."With a group of nearly 100 cavalry, they stopped neatly outside the headquarters. In the headquarters, two people hurriedly ran out, saluted Liu Hua who was riding on a war horse, and replied loudly.

"Well, Brigade Commander Yang, Regiment Commander Xu, let's go to your headquarters first," as he spoke, Liu Hua quickly jumped off his war horse and entered the dim temporary headquarters under the leadership of two people... Entering the dim command center, Commander Liu Hua, who didn't care about resting, held up a lantern hanging on the wall of the headquarters and looked at the map of the city defense of the east gate of Beiping drawn by the scouts of the four regiments on the wall according to their own observations. At the same time, he asked Xu Ying, the head of the fourth regiment behind him.

"Commander Xu, the troops still have ten minutes to go, and they are about to launch a tentative attack. I don't know if you are ready, but whether you can find out all the light and dark firepower points arranged by the Yue army at the east gate in an hour-long tentative attack, so as to provide more accurate coordinates for the artillery attack of the heavy artillery regiment later. ”

"Commander, don't worry, when the time comes, I am going to transfer a main battalion and a company of Brigade Commander Yang's armored brigade to launch an attack on the east gate together... Here's what we think..."In this way, Xu Ying pointed to the map hanging on the wall, and began to face the commander Liu Hua beside him, patiently explaining the results discussed between himself and Brigadier Yang Jinghua a few minutes ago. "Good way, but I just don't know if the little devils in the city will be fooled... Well, it seems that the time is almost up, Commander Xu, the lookout of your headquarters is there, today, I want to watch the battle in person. But don't worry, I will never interfere with your command..."Liu Hua nodded, took a pair of mirrors, and said with a smile on his face.

At this moment, outside the command headquarters, on the position of the four regiments, almost 500 meters away from the city wall, more than 400 soldiers of a battalion were rapidly assembling under the orders of their respective commanders. At the same time, the various artillery pieces attached to the four regiments have raised their muzzles. As for the three tanks that assisted in the attack, they had already come to the front of the position with a huge roar of engines, and the three black hole barrels on the turret were facing the huge city gate of the east gate five hundred meters away... As the direct commander of the entire battle, the regiment commander Xu Ying, after arranging Liu Hua and others in the headquarters. With his personal guards, he came to the forefront of the position, prepared to command the troops, and launched a tentative attack on the city wall in front of him. In the shortest possible time, all the light and dark firepower points arranged by the army on the city wall were tested.

A series of dull artillery sounds sounded, and the mortars and tank guns attached to the four regiments immediately launched a fierce artillery bombardment at the east gate of Beiping. The flying cannonballs, like rain, fell exactly on the city wall, in the dark city gate.

The dense explosion sound of "boom, boom...", immediately broke the silence on the battlefield. Huge fireballs began to rise on the city walls. One by one, panicked little devils scurried back and forth in the middle of the shells that kept exploding. The little devils who were sticking to the city wall directly opposite the fourth regiment immediately fell into chaos after being suddenly hit by artillery fire. However, the puppet army hidden in the hollowed-out city walls was not threatened in any way. In the angry scolding of the devil soldiers, they came to the shooting hole and prepared to block the attack... A few minutes of artillery preparation was quickly over. With the last shell, an explosion occurred on the city wall, knocking a ghost soldier hiding at the battlement of the city wall to the ground. The three tanks that had already been ready for a long time started...."Rumble..."A roar of engines sounded on the battlefield. Three tanks, spitting black smoke, rushed out of their positions like three steel monsters.

"A company, follow behind the tanks, immediately attack...", an order sounded. An infantry company, more than 100 fighters, carrying their own weapons, quickly ran out of the trench, followed closely behind the tank, and slowly drove towards the tall and majestic city wall a few hundred meters away....

"Da-da-da... "Just as the soldiers had just rushed out of the trenches, the city walls, which had just been covered by artillery fire, were shot in a dense rain of bullets. Bullets flew and the three tanks in front of the fighters thumped. However, the three tanks, relying on their rough skin and thick flesh, did not stop at all, and still continued to move forward ....

"All light and heavy machine guns immediately open fire and suppress the firing points of the Yue army on the city wall..."Looking at the exposed firing points above the city wall, the regiment commander Xu Ying immediately ordered. Dozens of light and heavy machine guns on the positions of the four regiments simultaneously fired at the firepower points on the city wall that had just been exposed. Suddenly, the army, which was still very arrogant just now, immediately died down under the suppression of the dense rain of bullets... Three tanks and more than a hundred soldiers looked at the light and heavy firepower points of the Yue army that were desperately suppressed on the city wall. At the right time, they seized this favorable opportunity and accelerated the speed of the troops' charge. Preparing to force the city wall, the army still did not fire at the light and dark fire points to counterattack....

"Baga, the cunning Eighth Route Army, they actually have tanks..."Next to the city gate, in a dark fort built by directly hollowing out the city wall, the captain of the Yue Army, who was in charge of the defense of the east gate, looked at the tanks that were getting closer and closer, and scolded loudly.

"Captain, the current firepower points on the city wall have been suppressed by the Eighth Route Army. Is it an order to machine guns in the bunker, immediately open fire. Otherwise, the Eighth Route Army, under the cover of tanks, will rush in front of us..."Looking at the captain with a serious face in front of him, the adjutant reminded in a low voice.

"Bageyalu, I really didn't expect that as soon as the battle began, we would be forced to expose all the hidden firepower points on the city wall, Bageyalu..."The captain clenched his fists again and scolded hatefully. Turning around, he ordered to the group of officers behind him: "Order, all light and heavy machine guns on the city wall, immediately open fire to block the infantry of the Eighth Route Army behind the tank... The battle defense artillery squad was ready for battle, and as soon as the tanks of the Eighth Route Army rushed to a position of 200 meters, they immediately opened fire. Strive for the complete destruction of the three tanks in front of us. ”

Suddenly, the hollowed-out city wall revealed black holes. The barrels of light and heavy machine guns, under the spurt of the puppet army machine gunners hidden in the bunker, stretched out from the shooting holes..."Da da da..." A dense burst of gunfire rang out, and dozens of tongues of fire appeared on the city wall. A series of scorching tongues of fire, condescending, aimed directly at the more than 100 fighters of the company who followed behind the three tanks and were responsible for the first round of tentative attacks.

(To be continued)