As the saying goes, before the soldiers and horses arrive, food and grass go first.
While the frontline troops were still cleaning up the outlying strongholds of Shimen, the soldiers and civilians in the Taihang base area also launched extensive front-line support movements under the call of the local government.
Horse-drawn carriages loaded with various artillery shells, gunfire and siege equipment marched through the Taihang Mountains, followed closely by long fleets of rack carts and handcarts, on which were piled solidly what the common people saved from their mouths.
food.
The stretcher team was all composed of good young men, working in teams of two, carrying the stretcher with light steps.
In just two days, more than 6,000 local armed forces and militiamen and more than 10,000 civilians were mobilized to transport more than 6,000 artillery shells, 400,000 rounds of various types of ammunition, and 20,000 kilograms of explosives to the frontline troops.
More than 50,000 kilograms of siege equipment and staple and non-staple food items were transported.
"Is it safe along the way?" Zhou Weihan asked a local cadre next to him while riding on his horse.
"It's very safe. Before we set off, we were worried about meeting the Japs. Who knew that the comrades of the main force blocked the Japs in the stronghold and the county town, and they were so scared that they didn't dare to come out!" The local comrades laughed.
"I'll have to work hard for you this time!" Zhou Weihan said.
"Assisting the main force in the battle is what we should do. Don't worry, the people here are all young and middle-aged people. They are all good at digging ditches and shoveling soil. One night we dug right in front of the little devil's eyes!"
At first, the Shimen defenders deliberately concealed the news of the defeat in the battle around Shimen. As the Eighth Route Army appeared in the suburbs of Shimen, people in Shimen City were panicked for a while.
The fall of Daguocun Airport, Yunpan Mountain and other places shocked the Shimen defenders even more after news spread to Shimen.
Nowadays, the Shimen city is in chaos. All soldiers and civilians are prohibited from going out. The streets are full of patrolling military police. The Shimen defenders directly bypass the consulate in Shimen and recruit young and middle-aged people in the immigrant area to expand their troops.
Inside the Shimen Defense Headquarters, many little devils gathered together.
The leader was none other than Yamanaka Koichi, the commander of the 108th Infantry Brigade of the 110th Division. In addition to a number of Japanese military officers, those present were also the director of the Shimon Secret Service, Toyozo Ishida, and the consul, Yoji Sawada.
"The dispatched army headquarters ordered that our garrison at Shimen need to hold on for at least ten days. Now the Eighth Route Army has arrived at the city. After the fall of Jingxing, Huolu, Yuanshi, and Luancheng, the Eighth Route Army on the west side then occupied the Daguocun Airport.
Yunpan Mountain and other places face our fortifications outside the city!"
"Fortunately, the Eighth Route Army does not have enough troops to encircle Shimen from all sides, but the Imperial Army has nearly 4,000 combatable troops, supplemented by the security army and the overseas Chinese armed forces, and the strength can reach 10,000 people. This is good news. Here
During this period, everyone still needs to work together. The military police are responsible for the order in the city. All residents in the city are not allowed to move around at will, and all commercial activities are suspended!"
When it came to the armed expatriates, Yamanaka Koichi specifically apologized to the consul Sawada Yoji: "Sawada-kun, the matter is urgent. The safety of Shimen must be given priority in everything at the moment. The imperial army's previous actions towards the expatriates were slightly...
That’s rude, I hope you can understand, of course, the recruitment work also requires the cooperation of the consulate!”
"Hi!" Although Sawada Yoji had a lot of dissatisfaction in his heart, he still stood up and responded for his own safety: "Yamanaka-kun, as the consul of the Imperial Japanese Consulate in Shimen, in order to ensure the safety of all overseas Chinese, I have the right to know the Imperial Army
concrete actions!”
"As far as I know, the Eighth Route Army that appeared in the suburbs of Shimen is not the Tubal Army in the past. The gunfire coming from the Daguo Village Airport today shows that it is an organized artillery unit with a large number. There are many expatriates in the city.
People are in panic, but the imperial army prohibits overseas Chinese from going to Peking to escape the war!"
"Excuse me, what is the rationale for this? And how will the imperial army ensure the safety of the foreigners in the city?"
As soon as Sawada Yoji said this, many Japanese military officers present immediately glared at him. Civil servants and military attachés in Japan have always disagreed with each other.
"Please tell the overseas Chinese in the city that they must have confidence in the Imperial Japanese Army. Under the management of the Imperial Army, although Shimen has no city walls, it is like a war fortress. Even if the Eighth Route Army has artillery, there is absolutely no possibility of entering the city!
"
"Fighting for the Japanese Empire is the responsibility of every overseas Chinese. This is a national war. From young adults to women and children, no one can avoid it!" Yamanaka said in a deep voice.
Yunpan Mountain sounds impressive, but it is not a mountain. It is only about 30 meters high. The top area is about the size of two basketball courts. It is located south of the Zhengtai Line and west of Shimen. It is more than a kilometer away from the Shimen Waishigou position.
distance.
After the Japanese army occupied Shimen, Yunpanshan became a stronghold connecting Shimen and Daguocun Airport. After capturing Daguocun Airport, the assault regiment was ordered to capture the Yunpanshan stronghold.
When attacking the Yunpanshan stronghold, the Japanese armored patrol cars came along the circular railway in Waishigou. Unexpectedly, the assault regiment suffered a lot of casualties for the first time.
At about six o'clock that afternoon, Zhou Weihan led a group of frontline personnel to the suburbs of Zhimen. Without Zhou Weihan's trouble, some local cadres led by the team took the initiative to resettle the militiamen and fellow villagers.
"Where's Wu**?" Zhou Weihan asked.
"Commander **, Wu ** took several regiment leaders to Yunpan Mountain. He said he wanted to take advantage of the dark to observe the Japanese defenses outside Shimen!" a staff officer from the headquarters replied.
Although the Eighth Route Army had some understanding of Shimen's defense system, it was only on a local scale. This is why Wu ** was eager to take people to Yunpan Mountain for observation.
Yunpan Mountain,
"Old Wu, have you seen anything?" Zhou Weihan asked impatiently as soon as they met.
"This time it's troublesome. Look, just from the southeast, the Japanese army has two lines of defense outside Shimen. There are many bunkers. Even if the shells are all used up, how many bunkers can be pulled out? I'm afraid they won't all be taken in the end.
It’s up to you to pay for it with your life!” Wu** said with a heavy expression.
Zhou Weihan took the telescope. In the field of view of the telescope, Waishigou was like a winding python surrounding the entire stone gate. The terrain outside the ditch was open and flat.
"No fight. If you follow the normal fighting method, you will have to pay a big price just to get close to the enemy's position!" Zhou Weihan nodded and said: "But now that the support has arrived, let's go back to the meeting first!"
"What kind of support? Where will the troops support come from? We can't mobilize the troops left behind, right?" Wu** asked doubtfully.
"Local armed forces and militias are also soldiers, so don't underestimate their role. When I go back to the division headquarters, I brought back an artillery regiment, as well as corresponding artillery shells and various types of bullets. The superiors are bleeding a lot this time!