The deputy chief of staff quickly turned pale: "Sir, there is a lot of ammunition reserved in Shimen and Jingxing City. If it is really captured by the National Salvation Army, our troops stationed along the railway will definitely suffer a catastrophe!"

"The National Salvation Army can severely damage them by just hitting the shotgun. We must immediately shrink our troops while the National Salvation Army has not yet fully deployed to prevent the limited troops along the railway from being defeated by them one by one!"

The commander glanced at the dark night outside the combat room and said solemnly: "Even if you shrink your defense, you have to wait for dawn."

"The night is the world of the National Salvation Army and the Eighth Route Army. Mobile troops equipped with a large number of heavy weapons are not opponents of the National Salvation Army, let alone the stronghold garrisons with only two or three hundred people!"

"Relying on the stronghold to defend to the end, they still have the possibility of surviving."

"Give up the stronghold and fight with the National Salvation Army at night. They are just a piece of fat meat in the mouth of the enemy. They eat whatever they want, and there is no chance of surviving."

"I just hope that the national rescue army has limited strength. Even if their artillery strength is very strong, they will not be able to attack our strongholds in one night!"

"As soon as the sky is dawn, we will give up the small and medium-sized strongholds along the railway. All garrisons will gather at large strongholds along the route to ensure that each stronghold has one thousand garrisons!"

At 11 o'clock in the evening, news of attacks on major strongholds along the railway reached the military headquarters one after another.

The expression on the commander's face became more serious again.

Before the middle of the night, seven strongholds were attacked along the railway, and three of them had lost contact!

Even if the National Salvation Army only attacks these seven strongholds tonight, the Shanxi garrison will suffer more than 2,000 people.

But the commander's understanding of the National Salvation Army will definitely not have such a small appetite. Maybe as soon as the battle in front of him is over, the National Salvation Army will start to rush to the next stronghold and conquer another stronghold before dawn.

As soon as the commander's idea was expressed, the deputy chief of staff refuted: "Sir, you are too proud of the national rescue army!"

"They are not iron-clad. How could they run a long distance of more than ten kilometers just after a battle, and hurried to another battlefield to continue attacking!"

"Since the attack on Jinzhong, the National Salvation Army has been fighting for more than ten days in a row, and has not had any rest in the middle. It is already very tired. After a tough battle in the first half of the night, I must have been even more tired and I have absolutely no physical strength to participate in the second battle."

As soon as the deputy chief of staff finished his thoughts, the sound of a slap in the face sounded in the war room.

The intelligence officer hurried in and reported: "Sir, the intelligence personnel who are active along the railway report!"

"The National Salvation Army collected a large number of mules, horses and carts in towns and villages along the way. The troops used the large carts to rest while rushing on the road. The marching speed was very fast!"

The commander glanced at the deputy chief of staff and asked, "Do you still think I am highly respectful of the National Salvation Army?"

"They are too cunning!" The deputy chief of staff replied with a look of embarrassment.

This slap came too quickly: I just said that the National Saving Army did not have the energy to attack the tough again, and the National Saving Army's solution to this problem appeared in my hands.

Just as I was about to explain, I saw the commander wave his hand and said, "The joining of a big cart will not only help the national rescue army speed up the marching speed, but also be able to rush and rest while rushing. When I arrive at the battlefield, I will have the energy to participate in the battle immediately!"

"This situation is very unfavorable to us. If we don't break the deadlock as soon as possible, we will be conquered at least seven strongholds tonight!"

The deputy chief of staff racked his brains and thought for a long time and replied: "I disappointed the chief, and I can't think of any way to break the situation."

The commander's face became heavier and he shook his head and said, "Without the troops, I can't think of a way to break the situation. I can only fight head-on with the National Savior Army!"

"Immediately contact all the strongholds along the railway to prepare for artillery prevention in advance, and use the advantageous terrain in the stronghold to fight the National Savior Army to the end."

At the National Salvation Army's pacification headquarters, several combat staff lay on the table and wrote quickly, counting the results of the battle sent back by various troops one after another.

Every time I hear the word "good news", the war room will recall a burst of exclamation...

It was not until 11 o'clock noon that Tang Yufeng walked to Zhou Cheng with the list of statistics on the results: "Captain, we had a good harvest last night."

"A total of fourteen battalions participated in the war, captured 16 strongholds, eliminated 1,683 Japanese troops, and eliminated 3,128 puppet troops, including 1,986 puppet troops, seized 3,158 long and short guns, 86 light machine guns, 28 heavy machine guns, 19 mortars, and countless ammunitions of various types!"

"But we also pay a huge price!"

"The soldiers were so tired. Although they temporarily collected a lot of mules, horses and carts for transportation, the rest time was not enough for the soldiers to return to their pre-war state. Many soldiers were vigilant after going to the battlefield and were fired coldly by the Japanese and puppet troops!"

"There were 2,986 casualties in the fourteen main battalions and independent battalions, of which 2,245 were killed on the spot, and the remaining soldiers were injured and lost their combat effectiveness!"

Zhou Cheng was very heartbroken, but he didn't say much. He looked at Tang Yufeng and asked, "What's the matter with the Japanese army? If they don't shrink their defense, we will find a way to conquer a few strongholds tonight."

"There is no chance!" Tang Yufeng shook his head and replied: "As soon as the sky was dawn, the Japanese and puppet troops stationed in small and medium-sized strongholds began to move to large strongholds."

"Our troops originally wanted to take advantage, but they were caught off guard by the plane that the Japanese rushed over, losing two platoons in vain!"

A trace of disappointment flashed across Zhou Cheng's face: "If you don't have a chance, don't fight! Notify all participating troops to withdraw back to the defense zone!"

"Each battalion immediately reports its true situation to the regiment headquarters, the more detailed the better!"

At 6 pm, Tang Yufeng appeared in front of Zhou Cheng again.

Compared to noon, I feel much more depressed now and I report to Zhou Cheng with a heavy face!

"Captain, the losses of each battalion have been counted!"

"When fighting Jinzhong, there were a total of 2,500 people in the three main battalions, and there are less than 800 soldiers who can continue to fight now!"

"The only thing that makes me thankful is that the field hospital has more than 300 seriously injured people, otherwise the main force of the regiment would have been really damaged!"

"There are 312 people left in the mobile camp of one thousand people, and there are less than 400 cavalry troops with more than one thousand people!"

"The ten independent battalions have lost more than half, and there are still 4,258 people left to continue fighting, and there are more than 800 seriously injured people in the field hospital!"

"Before the war, there were 2,456 people left in the three mobile battalions with more than 6,000 people left, and more than 400 seriously injured people were lying in the field hospital, and all other soldiers were killed..."

"The tank battalion lost more than half of its losses, and the air defense battalion lost one-third of its troops and equipment!"

"At present, there are less than 8,000 people left in the regiment to continue fighting. More than 2,000 wounded people were lying in the field hospital. Even if all recover, our total strength cannot exceed 10,000!"

Zhou Cheng was very heartbroken, but people would die when they fought, and no one could change it. He could only shake his head and said, "If you can't break through, forget it!"

"The Japanese and puppet troops in Shanxi were severely damaged in this operation and could not retaliate against us in the next year, and the mission of the ten independent battalions was completed."

"I decided to cancel the ten independent battalions, and all the surviving soldiers of the ten independent battalions were incorporated into the main force and garrison!"

"The big waves wash away the sand. Although there are not many soldiers surviving ten independent battalions, they are all elite. By replenishing the main force, they can restore their combat effectiveness."
Chapter completed!