Resistance against Japan: Starting with the local militia

Chapter 70 Preparing for Retreat

"Communications officer, quickly notify Political Commissar Zhao to come over," Tang Weiguo ordered.

"Yes, Captain."

At this moment, Political Commissar Zhao is directing the logistics team of the Independent Regiment to transfer weapons and supplies.

"Everyone, be careful and act quickly." Zhao Xiaogang kept a close eye on things from the side, occasionally stepping forward to lend a hand.

"Report, Political Commissar Zhao, Regiment Commander Tang has asked you to go to his location."

"Huh? To his command post?" Zhao Xiaogang asked.

"It's not the command post. Regiment Commander Tang is here. He's in the back carriage right now." The communications officer pointed behind Zhao Xiaogang.

This is what Zhao Xiaogang noticed earlier: a group of militia soldiers had appeared on guard in front of a train carriage behind him. Zhao Xiaogang knew without guessing that Tang Weiguo was in that carriage.

He then instructed a person in charge of the logistics unit on what he was doing and headed toward the heavily guarded carriage.

"What happened that requires so many soldiers to defend it?" Zhao Xiaogang asked curiously as he walked over.

When the militia soldiers on guard saw Zhao Xiaogang approaching, they let him pass and go into the train carriage.

"Commander Tang, what's going on? Why such a big commotion?" Zhao Xiaogang pointed to the soldiers outside the door.

"Political Commissar Zhao, open the box and take a look before you speak," Tang Weiguo said, gesturing for him to open the box and take a look instead of replying directly.

Zhao Xiaogang walked over curiously and casually opened a box.

"Holy crap, gold! Commander Tang, this is fucking gold!!!!"

Even the usually mild-mannered Zhao Xiaogang swore at this moment.

"Haha, this is the first time I've seen Political Commissar Zhao with this expression. Yes, Political Commissar Zhao, since we're partners, I won't hide this from you. We'll make money together, so I urgently called you over here to let you know about this. There are 10 boxes in total, and I didn't hide a single one."

“My idea is to immediately transport this batch of gold back to my militia’s base, and then you can send someone to take away the gold that belongs to you.”

"Here are 10 boxes of gold. As previously agreed, I will keep 7 boxes, and you can take the remaining 3 boxes."

"Okay, we'll do as Commander Tang says." Zhao Xiaogang replied without hesitation, afraid that Tang Weiguo would change his mind, since this was TND Gold.

"Okay, Political Commissar Zhao, please speed up the transfer of supplies. It is estimated that a large-scale Japanese reinforcement force is on its way, and we need to evacuate as soon as possible."

"Okay, Commander Tang, don't worry." After saying that, Zhao Xiaogang hurriedly returned to his post and sped up the work of directing the handling of supplies.

At this moment, Niu Dali led the reconnaissance battalion over.

"Reporting to the regimental commander, the reconnaissance battalion is in position."

"Alright, now I'm giving you an urgent task: immediately move the boxes in this carriage back to the Wolong Mountain base. No one is to open the boxes without my order."

"When the box was transported back to Wolong Mountain, people were assigned to guard it closely until I returned."

"Yes, Captain, I promise to complete the mission."

"Alright, set off immediately," Tang Weiguo ordered.

"Yes, Captain."

Then, under Tang Weiguo's watchful eye, the soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion tied the metal boxes together with ropes, and then, in groups of four, they hurriedly returned to their Wolong Mountain base under the cover of night.

Tang Weiguo breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Niu Dali and his group disappear into the night. He then began to inspect the situation on the military train.

He saw Tang Xiaolong directing the soldiers of the mountain artillery battalion to dismantle the Japanese infantry guns in an orderly manner. The 10 Type 92 70mm infantry guns on the train were basically dismantled.

"How much longer will Xiaolong need?" Tang Weiguo asked.

"Commander, give me another 10 minutes, and I'll be able to disassemble them. Then I'll have the artillery battalion carry these infantry guns back."

"Alright, your current task is to bring these 10 infantry guns back to me safely," Tang Weiguo said sternly.

"Yes, Commander, we guarantee that the goods will be transported back to our base intact."

"Communicator."

"arrive."

"Notify Regiment Commander Li and Tang Xiaohu to resolve the battle as soon as possible and assemble at the military train station."

"Yes, Captain."

At the train station, Li Yunfei was directing the Independent Regiment to cooperate with Tang Dazhuang's Second Battalion to encircle and annihilate the remaining Japanese soldiers inside the station.

"Report, Commander Li, Commander Tang has ordered us to deal with the Japanese soldiers in the train station as soon as possible, and then assemble at the military train station."

"Okay, tell Commander Tang that we'll finish the battle in ten minutes."

"Yes, Commander Li."

"These little devils are still trying to fight like cornered beasts. Notify the whole regiment that after the artillery has fired all its shells, the entire regiment is to charge."

"Yes, Captain."

At Li Yunfei's command, the artillery unleashed a final barrage of fire on the Japanese. The moment the artillery fire ceased, the Independent Regiment's bugle call sounded. Li Yunfei led the soldiers of the Independent Regiment in a charge towards the Japanese.

"Battalion Commander, the Eighth Route Army is charging!"

"rush."

On the other side, Tang Dazhuang decisively ordered his entire battalion to charge. He had also received Tang Weiguo's latest order to end the battle as soon as possible.

On Tang Xiaohu's side, the remaining Japanese soldiers held their ground at the fortifications near the bridge. The Japanese company on the other side of the bridge was unable to provide support because the bridge had been destroyed. Other Japanese soldiers who wanted to cross the ice to provide support were also unable to cross the river due to the ice being broken, and could only stand on the other side, raging helplessly.

The Japanese troops on the other side of the bridge could only provide artillery support to the Japanese garrison at the bridgehead to suppress Tang Xiaohu's attack.

"Battalion Commander, the Regiment Commander has ordered us to end the battle as soon as possible."

"okay, I get it."

"I was originally planning to conserve artillery shells, but it seems we won't need them. Notify the artillery company to launch a barrage attack on the remaining Japanese troops."

"Yes, battalion commander."

Immediately following, another round of intense artillery fire roared towards the Japanese positions. Taking advantage of the fact that their own side's artillery fire had not yet ceased, Tang Xiaohu and Zhou Liansheng led their soldiers to sneak up from the front and back.

Once the shelling ceased, Tang Xiaohu immediately led his team in an assault, leaping into the Japanese-built fortifications and catching the Japanese soldiers who were taking cover from the shelling completely off guard. The remaining Japanese soldiers inside the fortifications were quickly wiped out.

At this moment, Tang Xiaohu turned around and used the heavy machine gun that the Japanese had set up to fire at the Japanese soldiers on the opposite side of the bridge.

The Japanese soldiers were stunned by the sudden barrage of bullets coming from their own fortifications; the front-line soldiers fell dead instantly. However, this gave the soldiers in the back ranks ample time to react. Then, the Japanese soldiers on the opposite bank unleashed a furious barrage of fire at Tang Xiaohu.

"Hehehe, I'll play with you guys for now." Tang Xiaohu immediately ordered the troops to retreat, and before leaving, he didn't forget to blow up the fortifications that the Japanese had built.

Li Yunfei's Independent Regiment and Tang Xiaohu's militia returned to the assembly point at almost the same time.

"Report, Commander, the First and Fourth Battalions have completed their mission."

"it is good."

"Commander Tang, the Independent Regiment has completed its mission."

"Okay, everyone has worked hard."

"Now we announce the new mission. The First Battalion, the Second Battalion, the Third Battalion, and the main force of the Independent Regiment shall immediately replenish their equipment and ammunition on the spot and prepare for the next phase of the operation."

"Yes, Captain."

"Finally, Old Li can use the Japanese equipment too!" Commander Li said as he directed the soldiers of the Independent Regiment to change into Japanese weapons.

After the militia and independent regiments replenished their equipment, the weapons on the military train were basically unloaded, and the mighty column returned to its Wolong Mountain base along the mountain road it had come from.

"And at that moment, the distant rumble of car engines could be faintly heard."

"Reporting to the regimental commander, the Japanese reinforcements from the county town have arrived. I estimate there is a large battalion of them," the soldier in charge of the outermost perimeter reported to Tang Weiguo.

"Commander Li, it seems we have another tough battle ahead of us," Tang Weiguo said with a smile.

"Fighting in the mountains, Old Li doesn't know how to write that," Li Yunfei said with a smile.

“Okay, proceed according to plan,” Tang Weiguo said.

Subsequently, the main force of the militia and the Independent Regiment retreated to the rear.

Not long after they withdrew, Fujino Kiichi led a large contingent of Japanese soldiers to arrive.