After saying these few words, Yang Zhen raised his head and looked at the remnant sun in the sky, which was as red as blood and was about to disappear below the horizon, and said in silence: "There are some things I think you, as my subordinates, should have the right to know. Although we defeated the Japanese puppet army in front of us, the Japanese puppet army on the other two roads was attacking us from east to west. Although we won the first battle, the passive shape we faced was not fundamentally alleviated. ”

"Now we have two options. If we now leave behind our brothers who have lived and died together, and evacuate with the wounded and recruits, we will have a glimmer of life. If we leave the brothers of the two companies that are going to be caught in a bitter battle to live and die together, the battle that awaits us will be a battle of life and death for us. ”

After saying that, Yang Zhen turned his head to look at the several company commanders and instructors who were standing beside him, waiting for him to assign tasks, and said: "I don't want to hide these things from you, for me personally, I can't let me give up my brother who once lived and died with us." ”

"I'm either not leaving, or I'm going to leave with my brothers. Do you have the confidence to stay with me to pick up Chief of Staff Guo and Deputy Chief of Staff Wang? And finally thwart this encirclement and suppression of us by the devils? ”

"Of course, if any of you are unwilling, you can go after the political commissar now, and I, Yang Zhen, will definitely not force you to stay. Because I don't have the right to take everyone with me, I know it's a fire pit, and I have to jump into it. Please rest assured, if I survive this battle, I will never retaliate against those who are leaving. ”

Yang Zhen's voice fell, and several company commanders and instructors looked at each other before a company commander said: "Commander, how do you say how to fight, we will resolutely obey the order." Fight with you, even if the shape is sinister, we have a bottom in our hearts. Besides, no matter how sinister the current shape is, can we still be sinister in the concentration camp of the devils? We've all broken out there, what's the point of this little difficulty right now? ”

After he finished speaking, the rest of the company commanders and instructors also said nonsense: "Commander, what do you say?" We have been preparing for this day since the day we became soldiers, and if we are still afraid of death, what kind of soldiers should we be? ”

Auscultating the nonsensical answers of several company commanders and instructors, Yang Zhen smiled slightly and said, "Okay, since everyone has made up their minds, then I will deploy." ”

Yang Zhen pointed to the road in the valley and said to Cheng Zishan, the commander of the heavy machine gun company of the second battalion, and Gao Jiliang, the instructor who had been following his actions: "Zishan, you and Jiliang each brought three heavy machine guns and ambushed them on the mountainside on both sides of the mountain road. ”

"There are more than 1,000 Japanese puppet troops in this direction. According to their tactical requirements, there are not enough people on this not too wide mountain road. If the little devil wants to adopt squeezing tactics, it is necessary to adopt the mountainside, the top of the mountain and the mountain road to advance parallelly. ”

"The terrain here is a terrain of two mountains and a ravine, which can be said to be a natural battlefield for ambushes. However, although the terrain here is favorable to us, the mountain is not very gentle, and the vegetation on the rest of the mountain is not dense compared to the rest of the place, except for the hill at our feet. ”

"Most of the mountains here are overgrown with weeds or shrubs, and there aren't many tall trees. At the foot of the hill is a dense bush and birch forest. Therefore, I concluded that the Japanese puppet army was bound to adopt the tactics of multi-way squeezing, not only pursuing from the mountain road, but also taking the mountainside and the mountaintop. ”

"Your task is to wait for Chief of Staff Guo to lead the team to withdraw, as soon as the Japanese puppet army appears, you will use firepower to suppress the Japanese puppet army on both sides of the mountainside and on the mountain. Don't worry about saving bullets, now is not the time to save bullets. ”

After that, Yang Zhen said to the two infantry company commanders and instructors beside him: "The devil is afraid of an ambush, and he will not enter the woods." If you take the mountain road alone, you can't use the devil's forces. As I said just now, judging from the tactical characteristics of the devils sent by the chief of staff, they will definitely divide their troops to pursue them on the mountainside or on the top of the mountain. ”

Even if their tactics changed, in order to avoid an ambush, he had to send some of his troops to march from the mountainside or from the top of the mountain. In this way, the bushes on both sides of the mountain road under their noses are not necessarily taken seriously. ”

"Each of you leads your troops in ambush at the foot of the hill on either side of the road, but do not go into the birch forest. Remember never to go into the birch forest. ”

"I took a look, and the foot of the mountain was only twenty meters away from the mountain road in a straight line. That's enough distance for you to throw a grenade into the devil's march. And the bushes are thick enough for you to hide. ”

"Remember, the devil's spearhead is not allowed to fight. Spare their spearheads and beat his marching brigade. When throwing grenades, remember to remove the safety bolt and then throw it after three seconds. ”

"The devil is coming, don't rush to fight first. Even if the machine-gun fire on the mountainside starts first, don't move. I will arrange for someone to plant explosives on the mountain road, and when the explosives have exploded, I will order the artillery to concentrate their fire on his marching brigade. ”

"Your task is to throw all the grenades you have on hand as soon as the cannon stops, leaving not a single one. In a moment you go and send out all the grenades we carry, and each soldier can take as many as he can. ”

"After the grenades were gone, they were swept away with machine gun and platoon gun fire. But there was no order not to attack, and to try to kill and injure the devil with firepower. It's about to get dark, so greet them with grenades first, and the devils may not be able to touch your exact location. ”

After explaining to the two company commanders, Yang Zhen said to the last remaining infantry company commander, instructor, and Li Mingrui beside him, who had not yet been assigned tasks: "Give you a few tasks, do you dare to do it?" ”

Li Mingrui and the two of them glanced at each other and realized that this must be a special task entrusted to him, and hurriedly said: "If you don't dare, as long as the commander gives instructions, we will fight that." Even if there is no sword mountain and sea of fire, there is no second word. ”

"Okay, that's what I'm waiting for. The task I'm going to give you is a little more dangerous, but it's not too difficult. After a while, you go and bring me the devil's artillery. How, do you have the confidence and certainty to complete this task? ”

The three of them did not hesitate for a moment because Yang Zhen explained this task, which can be regarded as a somewhat tricky task, and did not even frown when they heard the order, and said in unison: "Please rest assured, commander, we will resolutely complete the task at any cost." ”

Although all three of them knew that it was not an easy task to destroy the artillery positions usually arranged in depth with infantry, and even this task could be described as life and death for them. Although they knew that this task was very arduous and that they might pay a great price, or even the annihilation of the entire army, the three of them might have trusted Yang Zhen, but they still did not hesitate at all.

Yang Zhen nodded with satisfaction and said, "Okay, as a commander, you have to have the pride of taking the rank of general in a million army." Soldiers, especially a commander, need not only courage, but also courage, and have the courage to be willing to cut off the emperor and dare to pull the emperor off the horse. When the narrow road meets, the brave wins. ”

After Yang Zhen said this, he changed his tone and said, "But I'm not letting you fight to the death. Each and every one of you is the essence, and I am reluctant to sacrifice you here in vain. Although the artillery that destroys the devils is important to us, I will not let you die lightly. ”

Speaking of this, Yang Zhen turned on the flashlight, pointed to a point on the map, and said: "Don't set up an ambush here, try to get as close to the direction of the chief of staff as possible." ”

"Behold, about five miles from here, there is an open field between small mountains. According to the situation reported by the chief of staff, the devils on this road carried six mountain guns. This is the only place where so many artillery pieces can be deployed at the same time. When it gets dark, the devil is afraid that we will touch his night screws, and he will not disperse the artillery, but will definitely arrange it in a centralized manner. You lie in ambush on the edge of this open field. ”

"Do not contact the Chief of Staff, do not expose your targets, and take shelter in the bushes on either side of the open field. Remember, it is absolutely not allowed to go up the hill and set up an ambush. And one thing, even if the devil steps on the top of your head, as long as they don't find it, they are absolutely not allowed to shoot. ”

"When you attack, don't wait for the cannon to fall. As long as there is an explosion on our side, you will immediately attack and knock out the devil's artillery as quickly as possible. According to the general law of marching, in the marching column of the devils, the artillery is bound to go behind. Your mission is to destroy the devil's artillery as soon as the battle begins, in order to minimize our casualties. ”

"In addition, I have assigned to you the submachine guns and fast and slow machines of the guard platoon and the whole army. Don't spread them apart, use them in a concentrated manner, and do your best to achieve local superiority in firepower. After blowing up the devil's artillery, don't stop and attack from behind the ass of the Japanese puppet army. The action must be fierce and fast. Remember when I taught you the Three Fierce Tactics at the Old Black Top's Secret Camp? ”

Seeing that the three of them were nodding, Yang Zhen continued: "Just remember, when the time comes, you must play these three fierce tactics." ”

Speaking of this, Yang Zhen raised his head and looked at the sky that had gradually darkened and said, "Judging from the sky, the battle we are about to face is destined to be a night battle. However, although it was a night battle, we must not take the devil's artillery lightly. Defeating the fire threat of the devil at the first time can be said to be crucial to whether this battle can be won or not. Well, do you have the confidence to complete this task? ”

Hearing Yang Zhen's last words, several people looked at each other and said in unison: "Please rest assured, we will resolutely guarantee the completion of the task." ”

Yang Zhen didn't explain anything about the expressions of several people, he knew that the three people in front of him would not let him down.

After sending Li Mingrui and his party away, he turned his head and said to the engineer platoon leader Qu Qian, who was one of the last remaining officers around him: "How many explosives do we still have in our hands?" ”

Qu Qianqian, who was more fond of using his brains and was pondering Yang Zhen's tactical arrangements, heard Yang Zhen's question and hurriedly said: "Report to the commander, since the retreat from Weihe County, after continuous use, in addition to Director Peng taking away some of it, we now have less than two hundred kilograms of explosives on hand." It's not a lot, but I think it's enough to implement your tactical vision. ”

As a veteran who experienced the shocking explosion with Yang Zhen in the Wudaolingzi Iron Mine, and as one of Yang Zhen's proud disciples in the secret camp of the Old Black Dingzi Mountain, although Qu Xiangqian was a little distracted before, he had been pondering the tactical intention of Yang Zhen's deployment. But after Yang Zhen's words fell, he immediately understood what Yang Zhen meant.

Yang Zhen, who was still very satisfied with Qu Qianqian's reaction speed, knew that there was no need to say much about this subordinate who loved to think. Yang Zhen turned on the flashlight in his hand and pointed to a large piece of weathered stone wall at the foot of a mountain that was the only one that stood out within the visual range of the entire mountain road, and said, "You pressed fifty kilograms of explosives under that stone wall." Wait for the devil's marching brigade to come over later, and blow him up. Remember, your mission is the same as everyone else's, the devil's spearhead will leave him alone, just blow up his marching brigade. ”

"Plus, you buried all the explosives you had left on hand on the mountain road. However, it is necessary to calculate the equivalent and killing range of each burial site. It is necessary to kill and injure the devils on the march to the greatest extent, and not to accidentally injure the brothers who are ambushed in the bushes on both sides of the mountain road. ”

After the explanation, Yang Zhen said to Qiu Jintang, the commander of the artillery company who was waiting for him to explain his task: "You take someone to estimate the meter ruler and firing range immediately while there is still a trace of afterlight." When the battle is in a moment, you will give me all the shells you have on hand, and do not save a single shot. After the explosives explode in the front row, I will see your cannon sound. "Commander, all the shells are out, are you okay? Our carrying capacity is limited, and we have brought less than 300 shells with us in this battle. After a few combat uses, especially after the battle just now, we now have less than sixty shells left. If it's all gone, what will happen to the next battle? ”

"Have you forgotten the days when we were in the secret camp of Lao Heidingzi Mountain, when the wood was used as a mortar? Commander, without artillery, we can still do a fake cannon training with that wood, and without shells, you can't let me take turns with mortars to smash devils, right? Hearing that Yang Zhen had all the shells on hand out, Qiu Jintang was a little distressed.

As a member of the mortar company of the 41st Army of the former Sichuan Army who participated in the defense of Tengxian County, Qiu Jintang, who was captured during the breakout of Tengxian County, was the only person in the army who was born as a veteran artilleryman. When they participated in the defense of Tengxian County, the only mortar they participated in the battle was only a few dozen shells in the town of Tengxian County. He has been an artillery soldier for several years, and although he has fought a lot of battles, the number of shells he has in all previous battles has never reached a base.

For Qiu Jintang, who has experienced the pain of lack of ammunition, every shell is as precious as an eyeball. So many day-made mortar shells were seized at once in Weihe County, and he used to be excited to hold a mortar shell with a fuse unloaded when he was resting for two days in a row. If Guo Bingxun hadn't been afraid that something would happen to him and forced him to send the shell back, it is estimated that it would not be long before he would have a habit of sleeping with the shell.

Hearing Qiu Jintang's words, although he knew that it was not a bad thing for this guy to feel sorry for ammunition, Yang Zhen still said with some tears and laughter: "I said, why don't you use your brain?" The shells are gone, and as long as the troops are there, we can capture them again at any time. If there are no more troops, what's the use of keeping more shells? ”

"The most important thing we need to do now is to reduce the casualties of the troops in the battle as much as possible. Shells are expensive, but compared to these shells, our fighters are more precious. Go ahead, the guns of the devils are getting closer and closer, and we don't have much time left. As long as the troops are there, our shells are exhausted this time, and we will capture them again. ”

Yang Zhen said that when it came to this point, even if Qiu Jintang felt sorry for the shell, he didn't dare to say anything more. Without arguing any more, Qiu Jincheng silently saluted Yang Zhen with a military salute, took the flashlight handed over by Yang Zhen, turned around and went down to arrange it according to Yang Zhen's instructions.

The truths that Yang Zhen said, he had dealt with devils in Teng County, and he didn't know that he didn't suffer less from devil shells, he just felt sorry for these hard-won shells. Because in his opinion, if the troops continue to wander around the deep mountains and old forests all day long, there will really be no place to replenish the shells when they run out.

After Qiu Jintang went down to arrange, Yang Zhen, who had just looked calm in front of his subordinates, listened to the sound of gunfire getting closer and closer, but he was very anxious in his heart. Guo Bingxun has not been able to reach him since the last telegram.

Although I know that the radio station of this era is still very cumbersome, it is not as convenient as the walkie-talkie used in later generations, and it does not delay the contact between each other when marching and fighting at close range, and it cannot be turned on at all when marching, especially when fighting and withdrawing like now.

Now the connection is broken, perhaps because Guo Bingxun, who is retreating to this side, is unable to set up a radio station. But Yang Zhen was deeply worried about Guo Bingxun, and kept praying in his heart that the blocking troops led by Guo Bingxun would appear in front of him as much as possible.