newbobooks Chapter 314: The Encirclement Gradually Forms
Chapter 314: The Encirclement Gradually Forms
In the rear command post of Dazhai Mountain.
Gundam was standing in front of a huge map, his brows furrowed, his eyes sharply examining every mark on the map.
The phone suddenly rang, breaking the silence of the command center.
Gaoda quickly picked up the receiver and heard Zhao Gang's anxious voice on the other end of the line.
"Report to the commander. Today, the independent brigade fought a fierce battle with the Japanese army in the middle of Dazhai Mountain. The Japanese attacked our front positions regardless of casualties.
The Japanese suffered heavy casualties, and so did our soldiers. We are in urgent need of reinforcements..."
Gaoda's expression became more and more solemn. He held the receiver tightly and listened to Zhao Gang's narration.
He knew what the position of Dazhai Mountain meant to the entire battle situation. It was a strategic location that must not be lost.
After listening to Zhao Gang's narration, Gao Da said, "Zhao Gang, I will immediately send a regiment to support Dazhai Mountain. Listen to me carefully. The Dazhai Mountain position must not be lost before noon tomorrow."
"Yes, Commander." Zhao Gang answered loudly on the other end of the phone.
After the call ended, Gao Da turned around and said to Qi Tongwei beside him: "Political Commissar, Zhao Gang called me just now. The pressure on the front line of Dazhai Mountain is very high.
Today, the enemy's central army launched a fierce attack on Dazhai Mountain at all costs. I decided to let the reserve 23rd Regiment take over."
Qi Tongwei nodded heavily after hearing this and said, "Commander, Dazhai Mountain is very important and must not be lost. I agree with your approach.
The encirclement is about to be formed. If Dazhaishan is lost, the enemy's central army may be able to jump out of the encirclement."
Gaoda nodded, his eyes turned to the map again, and his fingers tapped lightly on the location of Dazhai Mountain: "Yes, Political Commissar. We must defend Dazhai Mountain. This is the key to our entire battle. The 23rd Regiment is an experienced unit, I believe they can complete the task."
"Political Commissar, is there any news from the New 1st Brigade and the Ping'an Brigade? Where are they now?" Gaoda asked.
Qi Tongwei shook his head: "Commander, I haven't received any calls back from the two brigades yet."
Gundam decisively issued an order: "Go and send another telegram to inquire about their location. You must arrive at the designated combat position before 10 o'clock tomorrow."
"Yes, Commander. I'll send the telegram right away." Qi Tongwei answered quickly, then turned and walked towards the direction of the communicator.
Gundam continued to stand in front of the large map, his eyes lingering on the enemy and friendly situations on the map, and he fell into deep thought.
The map shows that the Japanese army in the direction of Yun County and the Japanese army south of Yangquan are advancing vigorously. Although the Eighth Route Army, the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and the Central Army are doing their best to block them, the advance speed of the Japanese troops has not slowed down much.
He knew that if the independent column wanted to wipe out the two Japanese divisions in the middle, it had to act quickly and win quickly. It must not allow the Japanese in the other two directions to join up with the Japanese in the middle. The longer the time dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for the independent team.
Gundam was well aware of the importance of this battle. As long as the independent column could kill the two Japanese divisions in the middle, they would be able to win this defensive battle.
............
In the mountains.
The Ping An Brigade was marching quickly. The night was as dark as ink, with only occasional flashlight beams flickering in the woods.
In the marching team, Kong Jie rode his horse in the middle of the team, his eyes occasionally scanning the soldiers around him.
He saw that the soldiers' faces were all very tired; they had been marching for nearly a day.
Suddenly, the brigade's communicator hurriedly ran to Kong Jie and saluted, saying, "Report to the brigade commander, the column headquarters sent an urgent telegram asking about our location and requiring us to arrive at the designated combat position before 10 a.m. tomorrow."
Kong Jie frowned slightly. He knew that time was running out. "Communicator, call the column headquarters immediately. Our troops will arrive at the combat position before 10 o'clock tomorrow."
After receiving the order, the communicator quickly turned around and left, disappearing into the night.
Kong Jie raised his wrist to check the time. It was 9 o'clock in the evening.
He turned to the political commissar beside him and said, "Political commissar, how far are we from the combat position now?"
The political commissar quickly took out the map, checked it for a moment with the help of the flashlight, and said, "Brigade Commander, we are still 20 kilometers away from the combat position."
Kong Jie nodded after hearing this and said, "Order the troops to rest for an hour and replenish their energy before setting off again."
"Yes, Brigadier."
The political commissar quickly passed on the order.
As the order was given, the marching troops gradually stopped.
The soldiers found a slightly flat place, and either leaned against a tree or sat on the ground, breathing heavily, drinking water, and eating dry food.
Kong Jie dismounted, walked among the soldiers, and shouted: "Comrades, I know everyone is very tired, but our mission is not yet completed.
We must arrive at the designated combat position before 10 am tomorrow.
This is an order and also our responsibility.
After a short break, we will start again and we must persevere in order to win."
The soldiers listened to Kong Jie's words. Although they were tired, the light in their eyes became more determined.
An hour later, with Kong Jie's order, the troops set out again.
On the other side, the troops of the New 1st Brigade were also galloping quickly in the night.
Compared with the Ping'an Brigade, the soldiers of the New 1st Brigade seemed to be more energetic and spirited. This was due to the fact that the marching route they chose was relatively flat and did not have so many rugged mountains, so they got more rest time.
The communicator quickly found Ding Wei in the team: "Report to the brigade commander, the column headquarters called to ask about our location and asked us to reach the designated combat position before 10 o'clock tomorrow to encircle the enemy's central army."
Ding Wei responded quickly: "Communicator, call the headquarters immediately. The New 15st Brigade is only 9 kilometers away from the combat position as the crow flies. It will arrive at am tomorrow."
After receiving the instructions, the communicator quickly turned around and left, disappearing into the night and calling the headquarters back.
Both brigades were marching at full speed. During the long march of more than ten hours, the soldiers had less than three hours of rest, but no one complained.
As time went on, the encirclement began to form.
The independent column formed a huge network to attack the enemy's central army. Their goal was clear.
That is to rush to the combat position as quickly as possible, surround the Japanese, and make sure to catch the big fish of the Japanese army in the middle.
In the dark night, countless independent column soldiers marched quickly, their shadows stretched out in the moonlight.