Devil's Army

Leng Feng was making every effort to develop the strength of the First Anti-Japanese Army, but at this time the Eighth Route Army was in a considerable crisis.

Because since Tada Shun replaced Sugiyama Gen as the commander of the Japanese Army's North China Front in September and proposed the "cage policy", the Eighth Route Army, which mainly engaged in guerrilla warfare, had its room for maneuver greatly compressed.

Tada Shun's "cage policy" was a military strategy implemented by the Japanese army in North China during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Its purpose was to destroy the anti-Japanese bases in North China, consolidate their occupied areas, and provide a rear base for the "Southward Advance"; restrict the anti-Japanese army's mobile operations, and facilitate the Japanese army's regional search and suppression and mopping-up operations; politically strengthen the "ruling" role of the puppet organization, and economically impose a strict blockade on the anti-Japanese bases, isolating the transportation of food between the anti-Japanese bases, etc.

The specific measures of the "cage policy" used railways as pillars, roads as chains, and bunkers as locks. The Japanese army used the large, medium and small cities and railway and road traffic lines they occupied to build bunkers, blockade ditches, and blockade walls to divide the anti-Japanese base area into many small pieces. The Japanese army also built more than 3000 strongholds, multiple bunkers, more than 5000 kilometers of railways, and more than 6 kilometers of roads around the base area and in important internal traffic routes and important areas to form a network of blockade lines. The depth and width of the blockade ditch must reach more than meters, and water will be poured near the water source. All the traffic routes that can be passed between regions have strongholds and checkpoints. The Japanese and puppet troops checked pedestrians during the day, closed the road crossings at night, and posted sentries along the blockade ditches and blockade walls.

The "cage policy" severely restricted the activities of the Eighth Route Army and other anti-Japanese armed forces in the military field, increased the difficulties of the anti-Japanese base areas, and made the anti-Japanese struggle more severe; politically, it intensified the tense situation in North China, bringing great difficulties to the development of the Eighth Route Army.

However, the First Anti-Japanese Army firmly held the two bases, relied on its own efforts, and developed independently. The Japanese army's "cage policy" did not have a great impact on the First Army.

On this day, Deputy Commander Xu of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army went to Jixian County and discussed with Huilang and Wulang a good plan to break the Japanese army's "cage policy".

Gray Wolf was both happy and nervous about the visit of Deputy Division Commander Xu, because the Japanese blockade was very tight and it was not easy to travel back and forth.

Gray Wolf believes that cutting off the chains, pillars and padlocks of the "cage policy" will make it difficult for the mobile Japanese army to move forward. However, he also points out that the current military strength of the First Army and the Eighth Route Army is far behind that of the Japanese army, and it is too early to engage in a full-scale confrontation.

Given time, if the First Army's air force becomes stronger, it will be able to join forces with the Eighth Route Army to launch a counterattack against the Japanese army, and then drive the Japanese army out of North China and Northeast China.

"But at present, due to various reasons, the people in the base area can provide us with less and less help, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to obtain subsidies for food supplies," said Deputy Commander Xu frankly.

"The food supplies from our old base and Tangshan new base can already meet the needs of the troops and the people in the base, and there is even a surplus. We can provide some help to your troops."

"Okay, on behalf of the Eighth Route Army, I would like to express my gratitude to you!"

"We are all Chinese soldiers, so there is no need to express gratitude."

"When is the counterattack against the Japanese invaders expected to begin?"

"We must build a strong air force to gain air superiority before we can launch a counterattack against the Japanese invaders. Otherwise, without the cover of the air force, the casualties of the ground forces will increase significantly. In the first half of next year, our air force will be of a certain size. During this period, we will gradually recover some small counties and cities."

"At present, our Eighth Route Army is facing a serious shortage of food supplies. Can you help us solve this problem?"

"At present, transportation is a hurdle that cannot be avoided. You can notify the Eighth Route Army troops that are closer to our two bases to come to our base to replenish food supplies. Solve the food supply problems of as many troops as you can."

"Okay, I'll make the arrangements."

Deputy Division Commander Xu learned about the preliminary combat plan of the First Anti-Japanese Army for the next year, and he proposed to visit the Tangshan base. He had been there once before the Japanese army encircled and suppressed the Tangshan base, and now he wanted to see what was different from before.

"Deputy Commander Xu, you still have a troop training here at the base."

"You mean the Jidong Independent Brigade?"

"Yes, they asked to participate in the last battle to retake Tangshan, but I refused. They lack training, and fighting in such a large battle is just sending their heads to waste."

"Since they are assigned to your organization, they must accept your orders. Do they have any objections, Brigade Commander Gao?"

“Of course they had their opinions, but they still followed my orders. Let’s go and take a look at their training.”

Arriving at the Jixian recruit training base, Brigade Commander Gao was very happy to see Deputy Division Commander Xu and accompanied him throughout the training of the Jidong Independent Brigade.

"The soldiers have good military qualities." After watching the training of the soldiers of the Jidong Independent Brigade for a while, Deputy Commander Xu praised.

"After so many months of training, the Jidong Independent Brigade is a powerful force that the Japanese army will be terrified of no matter where they are!"

"Commander Tan, are you praising the high level of training of your troops?" Deputy Division Commander Xu said with a smile.

"That also depends on the quality of the soldiers you sent over!"

Gray Wolf and Deputy Commander Xu flattered each other.