jdhmnovel Chapter 1241 Guerrilla Warfare
Chapter 1241 Guerrilla Warfare
The Ludong Campaign lasted nearly two months before it was finally over. During the retreat, Ma Leizi killed more than 4 Japanese soldiers, including a Japanese major general.
However, the Japanese newspapers published a different account. They stated that they had broken through the defenses of the 4th Army of the 72nd Army Group and killed more than 30,000 soldiers of the 4th Army.
The news from both sides was published in their respective newspapers almost simultaneously. As before, the 72nd Group Army had all the necessary photos, from the soldiers to their helmets to their Type 38 rifles—almost all of them were freshly taken. If some people still don't believe it, we can even invite some internationally renowned figures over.
But things were different on the Japanese side. Their newspapers were full of dry, unfiltered reports, without a single photograph. Once these were published, anyone with a brain could tell who had won. Although the land was temporarily occupied by the Japanese, those 4-plus people had indeed died there, and that number was still rising.
For the Chinese people who had been brainwashed by the Japanese, this moment was even more exciting, because since entering China, we had never defeated the 72nd Army Group. Now it can be said that we have set a precedent, so these guys were so excited that they almost fainted.
In major cities across Japan, people were chanting victory slogans and engaging in various celebrations. Some high-ranking officials within the Japanese government also joined the military in spreading lies. International newspapers, however, remained completely silent.
The 72nd Group Army didn't say much about this. Although we did annihilate a significant number of them, according to some people, we also did lose a considerable amount of territory, which is also a fact.
When Li Shaoyi, far away in Hong Kong, saw these newspapers, he wasn't exactly thrilled. If the war had gone according to his plan, perhaps we could still have contained them in East China. Although our losses would have been enormous, we would have controlled most of the country. That would have meant fighting a regional war across the entire country, which would have allowed us to deploy resources with ease.
However, due to the Nationalist government's retreat and cowardice, our previous efforts, while not entirely wasted, were nearly so. The retreat of Ma Leizi and his men is practically paying the price for their previous erroneous command. Otherwise, the entire Fourth Army would have been absolutely capable of dividing the Japanese forces in North and East China into two factions.
After careful internal consideration, we can continue to do so, but that would mean the entire Fourth Army would likely be wiped out in the war, and we wouldn't even be able to hold onto the Jiaodong region. This would be strategically disadvantageous for the 72nd Group Army, so under these circumstances, we can only retreat temporarily.
However, Ma Leizi's telegram also stated that although our main force had retreated, the guerrillas we left behind in various places were very powerful. They were originally composed of local militia, and with the various advanced weapons we provided, if the Japanese did not have enough troops stationed in various places, they would become the weaker side.
According to our staff's analysis, the main force of the Japanese army cannot stay in one area indefinitely; they will definitely move to other places. When they leave, local troops will begin to be stationed in various locations.
However, these local troops are not very strong in combat, and their numbers are also insufficient. That will be the time for our guerrillas to shine. Maybe we can even recapture some county towns. At that time, the Japanese will have to redeploy their troops from the front lines. When their main force returns, our guerrillas will once again be scattered in the mountainous areas of southern Shandong.
Li Shaoyi had made the guerrilla warfare strategy very clear to his men. If you can win, fight them head-on. If you can't, run as fast as you can. We don't care about appearances, as long as we preserve our strength.
Furthermore, the primary mode of combat wouldn't be fighting on the main battlefield. Sabotaging railways, blowing up warehouses, or eliminating traitors during peacetime are all forms of warfare. The goal is simply to make life unbearable for the Japanese and their collaborators; that's how you complete your mission. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to fight them on the battlefield with live ammunition.
At first, no one could understand Li Shaoyi's operational concept. After all, we guerrillas were originally regular army soldiers who had retired. We knew that we couldn't lose an inch of land. Even if we lost some territory, we had to leave the Japanese heads behind.
The current method of warfare is like that of bandits, and many people still feel somewhat uncomfortable with it. However, once they start guerrilla warfare, these people quickly find it suitable. When the enemy is strong and we are weak, we can only concentrate our superior forces, giving them a punch here and a kick there, leaving these Japanese devils bewildered. Although the results of the battle on the day may be mediocre, when we settle accounts at the end of the month, our achievements will be considerable.
Li Shaoyi kept telling his men not to worry about the gains or losses of a single city or territory; it didn't mean much to them right now. After all, they were the weaker party, but the number of Japanese soldiers was limited. "Today we'll take out two of them, tomorrow we'll kill a squad leader, and by the weekend we'll have wiped out half a squad. That would be a merit for our guerrilla force, and we'd be rewarded accordingly."
When Ma Leizi retreated, he also gave orders to the guerrillas, telling them that their battle results would be calculated on a monthly basis. So if they couldn't get up there, there was no need to worry. They could find a place to hide themselves and slowly look for opportunities. Anyway, a month was still a long time. If it didn't work today, they could try tomorrow, and if it didn't work tomorrow, they could try the day after. They really didn't believe they couldn't find an opportunity in 30 days.
Whenever you find an opportunity, inflict heavy damage on the Japanese, then cut off their ears and helmets; anything else can be considered your spoils. Just take photos and keep them; the intelligence department will come to collect them periodically, and you'll receive a reward in the end.
One Japanese soldier, ten silver dollars! Brothers, let's do it!