Just as the 399th Regiment was preparing for the battle of Shuozhou, sharpening their swords and preparing their horses.
At the headquarters, a group of senior commanders were also having a heated discussion about this matter.
“Shuozhou is a key town in Jinbei. Once the 399th Regiment attacks Shuozhou, the Japanese forces in other places will likely not stand idly by. An endless stream of Japanese reinforcements will drag down the 399th Regiment!”
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“Not only that, Shuozhou still has half a battalion of Japanese soldiers and a Japanese artillery company. Although their strength has declined considerably, they are still not to be underestimated.
Plus, Shuozhou is a fortified city, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is not something the 399th Regiment can conquer in a short time.
And once the Japanese reinforcements arrive, it will be a waste of troops and effort!”
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“Yes, besides other places, the Japanese have a battalion scattered in the counties and townships around Shuozhou. If Shuozhou is in trouble, these Japanese soldiers will definitely not abandon the main force to pursue a secondary goal, they will definitely converge and reinforce them.
And this part of the reinforcements will also be the first to reach Shuozhou. With the addition of this battalion of Japanese soldiers, the Shuozhou garrison will be able to hold out for a longer time, enough to support the arrival of Japanese reinforcements from other places!”
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“No, I think the 399th Regiment’s plan to attack Shuozhou is very promising. The Japanese forces in the Shuozhou region are now at an unprecedented level of weakness. If we miss this opportunity, it will be almost impossible to wait for such a good opportunity again.
And once Shuozhou is recaptured, even if it’s only for a short time, it will have a huge boost to the morale of the entire anti-Japanese resistance.
This will far surpass the 399th Regiment's previous annihilation of an entire Japanese battalion!
And this will be extremely important for boosting the prestige of our Ba Lu Jun!
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“Not only that, Comrade Xiao Yun has also set his sights on the machine tools that are being held by the Japanese in Shuozhou city.
If things go smoothly, and with a little luck, maybe the 399th Regiment’s logistics will be able to become self-sufficient in the future, and the development of the Jinbei anti-Japanese base area will enter a fast lane.
This will greatly reduce the burden on our headquarters, and also set an advanced example and model for other units!”
The speaker was the deputy chief of staff, who had always had a very good relationship with Xiao Yun.
The senior commanders at headquarters were arguing, each with their own point of view, and none of them could convince the others.
So, they all passed the question to the deputy commander.
The deputy commander straightened his hat and said decisively.
“Since Comrade Xiao Yun and the 399th Regiment have the idea of doing something big, we, as the higher organization, need to do is trust them and provide necessary support.
Order, all units of the Ba Lu Jun enter a state of combat readiness. Once any Japanese forces from other places reinforce Shuozhou, they must do whatever it takes to block their reinforcements.
As for the half-destroyed regiment still in Shuozhou, it can only be left to Xiao Yun and the 399th Regiment to deal with.
Also, the artillery personnel promised earlier should be sent to Xiao Yun and the 399th Regiment as soon as possible.
They have captured four 92-type infantry guns and even formed an artillery battalion, so they are in need of artillery personnel. Our headquarters can’t let down the troops below!”
The deputy commander directly made the decision, approving Xiao Yun’s combat request, and even providing him with follow-up support.
This allowed him to focus his efforts on eliminating the half-destroyed 222nd Regiment, without having to split his forces to consider Japanese reinforcements from other directions.
Hearing the deputy commander say that Xiao Yun had even formed an artillery battalion, the senior commanders present couldn't help but gasp in amazement.
Currently, the entire Ba Lu Jun doesn't have many decent artillery pieces, but Xiao Yun’s regiment has formed an artillery battalion, they are truly rich!
No wonder he dared to attack Shuozhou, having these big guns makes him confident!
Considering this artillery battalion, the 399th Regiment is probably the most combat-ready unit in the Ba Lu Jun right now, isn’t it?
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The artillery personnel that headquarters was about to send was a real lifesaver for Xiao Yun.
Although he was also putting a lot of effort into training artillery personnel, it takes time to train a skilled artilleryman.
Even though he had specially allocated a lot of training ammunition for live-fire exercises, it still takes time to build up combat effectiveness.
This conflicted with his plan to quickly attack and eliminate the half-destroyed 222nd Regiment and take Shuozhou while the Japanese forces were weak.
Now, as long as those artillery personnel from headquarters arrive, his artillery battalion will soon be ready for combat!
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At headquarters, a group of people were being escorted by a group of soldiers towards the Jinbei region where Xiao Yun’s 399th Regiment was located.
These were the artillery personnel that the deputy commander had promised to support Xiao Yun with.
At this time, these people were somewhat unwilling in their hearts. After all, they were being transferred from headquarters to a unit below. In ancient times, this would be considered a demotion.
Of course, this wasn’t the main point. The main point was, what kind of decent artillery pieces could the units below have?
Headquarters has a few instructional artillery pieces, and they get to touch them and get a feel for them from time to time!