At this time, the headquarters security regiment and the 22nd Regiment transferred from Shanxi were responsible for security work around the headquarters. In addition, there were also security forces from various subordinate agencies. However, the forces were too scattered to form effective combat effectiveness.
In terms of the level of weapons and equipment alone, the headquarters guard regiment is far from the main regiment of the Eighth Route Army. Many soldiers still use Hanyang-made weapons with smooth rifling.
The weapons and equipment that Zhou Weihan had previously handed over and those obtained from the trade with Isamu Terauchi were supplemented by the headquarters to form new units in each military division.
Despite the deputy chief of staff's insistence on staying to confuse the Japanese army, the boss could only keep the 22nd Regiment, which had a relatively strong combat effectiveness.
Since the Japanese raids, the headquarters organization has been transferred four times in three days. The comrades in the organization and the directly affiliated teams are extremely exhausted.
However, one good thing is that the materials and documents are all packed and have not been taken out from the mules, horses and baskets, so you can leave as soon as you want.
The boss and the deputy chief of staff made specific arrangements and immediately ordered the Telecommunications Office's commonly used radio station to send a report to the Tainan Military Region. Then, without waiting for a reply from the Tainan Military Region, the boss led the headquarters agencies to retreat toward Shexian County.
In the mountainous area of Xijing Town, the deputy chief of staff stayed with only some comrades from the staff office and the commanders and fighters of the 22nd Regiment.
Of course, Dong Jiang stayed with 48 soldiers from the reconnaissance company and personally escorted the deputy chief of staff.
On King of Hell Mountain, Zhao Gang, who was left behind, received the telegram from the headquarters and immediately forwarded the telegram to Zhou Weihan. At this time, Zhou Weihan had led his troops to the southeast of Lucheng for rest.
Looking at the contents of the telegram, Zhou Weihan's hands trembled and he thought to himself Dong Jiang, you must protect the safety of the deputy chief of staff.
There are strict regulations on radio communication within the Eighth Route Army. For example, the code books of the regiments under the Tainan Military Region can only be contacted by the radio station directly under the military region on Yamawang Mountain.
The Tainan Military Region can only contact the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, the 129th Division Headquarters and surrounding military regions at the same level only through the radio station directly under the military region on Yamawang Mountain.
The Little Devils are much better at detecting radio signals than the Eighth Route Army and the National Army. Although this is troublesome, it is highly safe.
"I never thought that the situation around the headquarters would be so severe. Fortunately, Lao Zhou, you had the foresight to keep the Second Regiment in Shexian County!" Xing Zhiguo said with a clear heart.
The retreat to Tainan was proposed to the headquarters by Zhou Weihan before the big sweep began. However, this plan was regarded by the headquarters as the last escape route, which shows that it was extremely urgent at this time.
"Since the radio station carried by the boss and his team has been silent and cannot be contacted, let's ask the second group to rush to the scheduled location in advance to respond!" Xing Zhiguo suggested.
"If that's not enough, tell Xu Dali that the Second Regiment cannot stay put and ask him to personally lead the Second Regiment across the Handan-Chang Highway to the northwest of Shexian County to meet with the headquarters!" Zhou Weihan ordered.
"Understood, I will arrange it myself!" Xing Zhiguo responded.
...
And just after the headquarters organs were withdrawn, the deputy chief of staff breathed a sigh of relief and asked: "Are there any abnormalities in the northeast, northwest, and southwest directions?"
"Chief of Staff, there is no abnormality found in these three directions so far. A small Japanese army is hidden in the mountains. It is difficult to find its traces, but the main force of the Japanese army has not appeared either!" Liu Tianming, the leader of the 22nd Regiment, said.
.
"It doesn't matter that we haven't found the main force of the Japanese army, it means that the Japanese army has not determined our specific location, otherwise they would have surrounded us long ago!" the deputy chief of staff said with a smile.
In order to prevent being discovered by the Japanese advancing team following them, the deputy chief of staff specially arranged for the soldiers of the 22nd Regiment to be distributed in three directions along the Japanese marching route.
"Company Commander Dong, don't act like you're facing a formidable enemy!" the deputy chief of staff signaled Dong Jiang to relax.
Dong Jiang smiled bitterly. Zhou Weihan told him before coming that he would not dare to relax for a moment.
"The commonly used radio station left behind must maintain normal communication and not let the Japanese army discover any abnormalities. For show, we have to give the Japanese army a complete set!"
At the same time, the Masuko advancing team was hiding in Laoyagou, which was more than ten miles away from the deputy chief of staff and others.
Laoyagou stretches for fifteen miles from east to west, with crisscrossing ravines and treacherous terrain. The advance team followed the headquarters to this point, but lost track of it.
"Baga, you're dead, you're dead. Didn't you say you know the way?" Masuko Shigeo, the captain of the advance team, stepped forward and slapped the traitor leader.
The traitor leader covered his swollen face, nodded and bowed, and turned his eyes for help to his immediate boss, Amamiyao.
Amamiya is a member of the Military Police. Although according to his military rank, he is only a commander, he is not afraid of the lieutenant Masuko Shigeo at all. What's more, the advancing team's continuous achievements are inseparable from the dozens of traitors under him.
Agent's Guidance.
"Mashiko-kun, you have seen what is going on in this place called Laoyagou. Now we need the help of these Chinese people to get out of Laoyagou. Do you understand the various stakes?" Amamiya said in a pitiful voice.
"Then as soon as possible, if the Eighth Route Army command organ escapes, you and I will not be able to escape accountability!"
In the afternoon of that day, these little devils walked out of Laoyagou with great difficulty.
The headquarters agency had a large number of people accompanying them, and most of them had baggage. The march was soon discovered by Masuko's advance team.
"Report to Taijun, there is Lookout Mountain in front of us, the terrain is towering. If the Eighth Route Army is really here, it will be easy for them to find their traces!" the traitor leader said flatteringly.
However, Masuko Shigeo couldn't wait to send people to investigate ahead, eager to determine the specific location of the Eighth Route Army headquarters.
The secret hand set up by the Deputy Chief of General Staff at Wangwang Mountain really worked. The traitor disguised personnel entered Wangshan Mountain for investigation, but the secret soldiers of the 22nd Regiment saw it clearly.
After confirming that the enemy was not alerted, the soldier quickly came back to report.
"Okay, we can finally solve this serious problem. As long as we eliminate them, it will be like beating the eyes of the Japanese army!" the deputy chief of staff said with a smile.
"But before we eliminate the Japanese advancing team, we have to give them a good show of concealing the truth. Otherwise, the Japanese army can easily guess that the headquarters agencies are evacuating to the Tainan area!"
"Liu Tianming, we will soon send someone to gather the soldiers. I will ask the comrades from the staff office to lead the way. The soldiers of the second and third battalions will march from Lookout Mountain towards the northwest. Remember, you are in small numbers now, but you need to make some noise.
Big, march faster. If that doesn't work, just make more trips until you are discovered by the Japanese advance team. Then immediately march to the northwest, then circle around Wangshan Mountain from the north, and then go to the southeast of Wangshan Mountain!"
"The first battalion will stay behind to cover you and destroy the Japanese advancing team!" the deputy chief of staff said coldly.
Liu Tianming quickly understood what the deputy chief of staff said, and then said: "Chief of Staff, I will lead the first battalion to stay and destroy the Japanese advancing team. I will ask the political commissar to lead the second and third battalions to escort you to withdraw first!"
"You can stay, but I still have to see what these Japanese soldiers are like!"