northernbook Chapter 1076 Change of Plan
Chapter 1076 Change of Plan
"You mean when I came up with this plan, two Japanese brigades had already started moving east and west?"
Ma Leizi said somewhat speechlessly, "I originally thought I had started this plan relatively early, since both sides' forces were concentrated on the battlefield in front of us and wouldn't be thinking about the surrounding areas for the time being. It seems we still have a gap to close with them."
When Li Shaoyi left, he told him that our advantage over the Japanese was our weapons and our familiarity with the surrounding environment.
But these Japanese soldiers are all cunning and shrewd, they've been fighting for quite some time, and they're all graduates of military academies, so we must not underestimate them.
At the time, Ma Leizi didn't take it seriously. After all, back in Qingdao, neither the Japanese naval nor the army soldiers got any advantage from him. Instead, they were severely beaten by him, and those guys were still thinking about revenge.
"The order was given yesterday, and the two armies should begin their operations this afternoon. However, our intelligence department has given our superiors a suggestion: even if they gain the upper hand, it is still a good opportunity for us. The defenses north of the provincial capital are too dense, while the east and west flanks are actually good points of attack."
The guy from the intelligence department is called Honey Badger. He came from the other side of the river, looking travel-worn, but he brought them important intelligence.
"Attack them when they're unprepared?"
Ma Leizi's eyes lit up. In any case, there were only two brigades, and they had just left their main force. Even if they arrived at their destination, their strength was not very strong. They would need at least two or three days to rest and regroup.
"To put it another way, we have a strong and well-equipped army right now. Their entire Second Army, all gathered together, is like a whole carcass of pork. If we wanted to eat it, we wouldn't know where to start, and we might end up with a mouthful of grease. But these two infantry brigades are different. They've already left the main force by at least 150 kilometers, and possibly even further. If we act quickly enough, we can wipe out these two infantry brigades, and even if we have to retreat immediately, wouldn't we still have nothing to lose?"
Honey Badger's words made Ma Leizi realize that there would be too many problems if they went to attack. If they got caught up in the melee with them and their mobile forces were tied up, it would not benefit them at all. But if they could take advantage of the situation and wipe out the two infantry brigades first, then there would be a lot more fun.
When the Second Army was first established, it was blocked by Ma Leizi on the banks of the Yellow River. Then, the two field infantry brigades that were separated from it were wiped out. This news was quite interesting. Was the Second Army going to open up the Jinpu Railway or to give Ma Leizi some credit for his war?
"Have you figured this out? If these two infantry brigades were to engage my men, approximately how long would it take for their reinforcements to arrive?"
The key to Ma Leizi's success is timing; they can't engage in close combat with the majority of the enemy's forces, as this would be extremely disadvantageous for them. However, if the enemy's reinforcements are slow to arrive, we'll have enough time to wipe out these two infantry brigades.
"At their pace of movement, about eighty li per day, and at our retreat speed, you should have at least twenty hours of fighting time."
Honey Badger did a quick calculation, though it also depended on how far the two infantry brigades would advance; the Japanese headquarters reportedly covered 150 kilometers. However, a general in the field may disobey orders from the emperor; if we could lead them further away, the safety would be much greater.
“I understand what you’re saying completely. I’ll immediately send out two reconnaissance teams, one on the left and one on the right, to find a way to cross the river first. You have your men act as guides for them. Their task is to lead these two infantry brigades as far as possible. Twenty hours is not a short time, but when it comes to large-scale military operations, we need to allow for more time.”
Ma Leizi is very cautious in his actions. The whole country is on edge right now. If we win a battle, it will be a great encouragement to everyone. But if we lose, Ma Leizi's military career will probably come to an end. There are so many people in the 72nd Army who are eager to get promoted. They won't give Ma Leizi two chances now.
"Please rest assured, sir, I will arrange for someone to act as a guide immediately. We have quite a few liaison personnel on the north bank, all of whom are equipped with communication equipment, including information on the Japanese army. I will compile a document as soon as possible and give one copy to you and one copy to the two reconnaissance company commanders."
Although the north bank of the Yellow River had fallen, our intelligence personnel did not withdraw. With the cooperation of the local people, they conducted the most careful investigation of various Japanese intelligence sources.
"When working behind enemy lines, one must be careful in everything."
After giving a brief instruction, Ma Leizi immediately searched his mind for the people to carry out the mission, and his two strongest infantry companies were immediately put on the table.
The first infantry company at the airport, commanded by Xiang Hong.
Wang Zuye, the company commander of the reconnaissance company of the Dengzhou Garrison Regiment.
The two had already arrived in the provincial capital, but because they were a bit slow in getting there, the fighting around the capital had already ended, leaving them with nothing to do. They wandered aimlessly around the nearby military camps.
After receiving Ma Leizi's call, the two men each got on their own motorcycles, which were two-wheeled ones. Nowadays, there are many military units around the provincial capital, and neither jeeps nor trucks can travel that fast. Only these two-wheeled motorcycles can get them to the command post in fifteen minutes.
"Hey, holy crap! What are you doing here? This isn't a mission, let's have the two of us compete for it!"
Wang Zuye had just turned off his motorcycle when he turned around and heard an annoying voice. In the large-scale competition behind them, the two companies had fought seven times. Wang Zuye won four times and lost three times, while Xiang Hongxiao suffered a loss once.
“What’s wrong with a little competition? This is the real battlefield, not those useless things in the rear. Don’t think that just because you beat me once, this mission is yours. Let me tell you, brothers, when you go back, you will learn from your mistakes and fix all the loopholes that needed fixing.”
Xiang Hong said, hands on his hips.
"You're useless, yet you lost to me once. If you were useful, how many times would you have to say it? Don't be so unconvinced. What did I tell you before? Our company is better than yours. Right now, the commander needs someone, and you're just a substitute at best."
Wang Zuye chuckled and said that the two were about to have a full-blown fight. Xiang Hong was cracking his knuckles as he loosened his hands, while Wang Zuye threw his jacket on the motorcycle. It looked like they were about to start fighting right in front of the headquarters. Of course, they had done this kind of thing many times before...