Chapter 683: Step by Step
Qiao Zhiya was still being attacked by the Li people on the way back. However, with the increase in casualties, the Li people's offensive quickly changed from the madness at the beginning to peripheral harassment, and they could not even approach the fifty-fifty Haihan militia. Within meters. This also caused the short-range and close-range weapons in the hands of the Li people to basically lose their offensive effect, and the threat they could pose became extremely limited. Rather than fighting, it is more appropriate to say that it is delaying the march of the Haihan Militia.
Qiao Zhiya was not interested in fighting at this time. After learning about what happened in the Shilu camp, he quickly figured out the general cause and effect of the incident. The early escapes and ambushes carried out by the other side were all designed to draw the main force of the militia stationed in Shilu out of the mining area, and then coerce the thousands of prisoners to rebel together by launching a riot in the mining area.
I have to say that this plan is actually quite feasible, because as long as the Shilu Mining Area moves fast enough and can capture several major camps and the Shilu Station, the only passage to the outside world, then even if the militia troops entering the mountain can After returning from the battle, they also faced the same problem of conquering fortresses such as prison areas and military camps. Because the Shilu garrison is located inland and there are no other threatening forces around, it is not equipped with heavy weapons at all. Although the soldiers are well equipped individually, it will obviously be very difficult to fight a tough battle.
In addition, the troops responsible for the pursuit did not carry much supplies when they set off. If the Shilu Camp was lost, they would have to face huge logistical problems. In addition, the thugs can capture many hostages in the camp, which will inevitably put the vigilante groups in a dilemma. When the time comes, we will send people to the east to dig out more railways. It will also be difficult for Changhua's militia to achieve rapid reinforcements. At least it will be difficult to transport heavy artillery into Shilu.
If these conditions can be met, then it is indeed feasible to organize an armed force to defend here based on the Shilu Camp and thousands of prisoners. At least you can slowly plan your next course of action before the local supplies are exhausted.
Unfortunately, God's calculations are not as good as those of humans. Although the first few steps went very smoothly, there were still many variables that the planners did not expect in the subsequent process. The number of prisoners coerced to participate in the riot was not as large as expected, and the attacks on prison areas, stations, and military camps where supplies for thousands of people were stored were all frustrated one after another, and no substantial results were achieved. Without access to weapons and supplies, just having a large number of people has no combat effectiveness. On the contrary, because the target is too large, it can easily become the target of the militia in the counterattack.
Qiao Zhiya was originally worried that the mining area would not be able to cope with the prisoner riots, but when he heard Gu Kai saying on the radio that the militia had defeated the mob's offensive, and that the main facilities in the mining area were still under his control, he felt relieved. A fully armed company with strong fortifications is enough to deal with thugs ten times their size who only have mining tools as weapons. Although these thugs are numerous, in front of a professional army such as the militia, they are actually no different from chickens waiting to be slaughtered.
Almost at the same time, the Executive Committee as far away as Sanya also learned about the prisoner riot in Shilu Iron Mine. However, due to the long distance, Sanya was unable to take effective assistance actions in a short time. Because Shilu claimed to have basically brought the situation under control, and with Gu Kai, the executive committee member, sitting in the area, the executive committee believed that the most appropriate response at present was to convene a rapid response force and rush to the local area for assistance as soon as possible.
This is not because the Executive Committee cannot trust the capabilities of the local garrison, but because this incident is so big, all those involved must be hunted down to avoid future troubles. In particular, the confessions obtained so far indicate that members of the Jinyi Guards of the Ming Dynasty may have participated in the planning, which also allowed the Executive Committee to link it to the two assassinations that occurred in Danzhou in the first half of the year and the recent one, because the entire Qiongzhou Island is currently Among the fugitive Jinyiwei officers whose identities have been confirmed, Zhao Ye is the only one who has slipped through the net. The chaos that occurred at the Shilu Iron Mine was most likely another of his masterpieces.
After the Danzhou assassination was solved in March, the Ministry of Security listed Zhao Ye as the most dangerous person on Qiongzhou Island, and posted reward notices in various towns in southern and northern Qiongzhou to encourage the public to report him. . However, Zhao Ye seemed to disappear out of thin air, and there was no news about him in the following months. Just when everyone thought that he might have died silently somewhere in the wilderness, a second assassination case broke out in Danzhou, causing the Ministry of Security to once again focus its attention on this haunting Jin Yiwei. On the officer. Danzhou even declared martial law for this reason, and was conducting strict checks on people entering and leaving the city and ports, hoping to catch this meddler as soon as possible.
However, Danzhou's big net didn't seem to catch him. If the information obtained by Shi Lu was true, then there was no doubt that the person behind the riot was Zhao Ye. As for how he colluded with the Li Dongs in the Qiongzhong Mountains in the past six months and drove them to work for him, there is no way to know for the time being.
If this person continues to escape, there is no telling how much trouble will occur in the future, so the executive committee has also made up its mind this time. No matter how difficult it is, Zhao Ye will be hunted down and brought to justice - of course, it doesn't matter whether he lives or lives. .
In view of the local environment, both the Executive Committee and the military believe that it is very risky to send nearby militia groups deep into the mountains, because they are just ordinary combat troops and have not received special targeted training. And it happens that there is a troop in Sanya that is very suitable for this task, namely the Anant War Battalion that just returned from the Ambrosia Islands a month ago.
The militia troops formed by Haihan in Annan were basically built according to Qian Tiandun's combat ideas, with mountain field combat as the main training direction. Their combat capabilities in unconventional environments are better than those of ordinary militia troops. The 1st Annan Field Battalion that Qian Tiandun personally led had already followed him to station in Fujian, and the 2nd Battalion was the unit that had previously been stationed at the Ambunas Islands.
After the formation of this unit, Mu Xiabai was in charge of the command. Before setting off to Amborna Island, it was determined that after the mission was completed, the entire unit would be transferred to Hainan Island for garrison, and Mu Xiabai would recruit a group of new soldiers from the local area. , together with some of the militia groups that were transferred from Hainan Island to form a new Annan Second Battalion, stationed in Cam Ranh Bay in the south of Annan.
For the personnel of this battalion, being transferred back to Hainan Island is undoubtedly a manifestation of their status improvement. This means that they are no longer the previous overseas corps, but the Haihan Militia in the true sense. Although all the soldiers in this battalion have obtained naturalized citizenship, and many of them have participated in last year's Liaoyuan Campaign, this is the first time they have truly set foot in Sanya, the core area of Haihan power.
The military transferred this unit back to Hainan Island in consideration of current actual needs. Although Haihan has now completely occupied the cities on the left and right sides of the island, in fact, about half of the large island is not under Haihan's direct control, which is the inland mountainous area of the island. Due to the closed environment, it is difficult for Haihan to achieve direct rule over the Qiongzhong Mountains in the short term. The mountain people in these places lack information and lack sufficient respect for Haihan, and will not obey Haihan's instructions. The military hopes to build a rapid response force suitable for local conditions based on the Annan militia to deal with various problems in the Qiongzhong Mountains. Of course, this is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Tactics and equipment must be improved according to the purpose of the operation, and the area and scale of deployment also need to be planned in more detail. However, before the military could incorporate this idea into the actual operation stage, something happened in the Shilu Mining Area. Compared with ordinary militia troops, the Annan Second Battalion, which has used mountains as its main training environment since its establishment, is obviously more suitable for the task of entering the mountains to pursue and suppress the remaining enemies. Therefore, the military immediately announced that the vacation status of the Second Battalion was cancelled, and all personnel returned to the camp. Prepare for war.
At the same time, the military has also strengthened the armed defense forces in the direction of Tiandu to prevent the Li forces from Qiongzhong from going south to attack Sanya. Although this possibility is very small, after all, the Tiandu area has concentrated the current major industrial units. Fang still didn't dare to be careless about this.
After the decision was made, the top brass of the Central Military Commission immediately summoned the acting battalion commander of the Annan Second Battalion, Annan-born officer Ruan Qianqian. Although Ruan Xiangqian's surname is Ruan, unlike the brothers Ruan Wenwen and Ruan Jinggui who have taken refuge in Haihan, he has no blood connection with the Ruan family that used to be in power in the southern part of Annan. He is completely a commoner with no background. During the civil war, he chose to flee north, and was then captured by Haihan and brought to Black Earth Port.
For Ruan Xiangqian at that time, there were only two paths for the future. One was to be a miner in the Heitugang Coal Mine, and the other was to join the Haihan Militia as a soldier like most young men. Although being a miner cannot be said to have no future at all, compared to joining the army, where you can obtain Haihan naturalized citizenship, earn more than twice as much as a miner, and have more opportunities for promotion, which path is more attractive to young people? Needless to say, big. Ruan Xiangqian's family were all separated during the war. For him, Haihan was a new life. For this reason, he even changed his name when he enlisted in the army to show his determination.
Until last year, Ruan Xiangqian was still only a squad leader, but his outstanding performance in Operation Prairie Fire allowed him to be promoted to the rank of platoon leader. This year, the Military Commission dispatched his troops to the Amborna Islands, and Ruan Xiangqian successively won military exploits in the battle to seize and defend the islands. After Mu Xiabai and Roger handed over the defense of the Ambuna Islands, they appointed Ruan Xiangqian as the acting commander of the Second Battalion.
Although he was just an agent, after returning to Sanya from the Ambrosia Islands, Ruan Xiangqian immediately received the admission notice of the Victory Port Military Academy. While his colleagues were enjoying their holidays, he had already received assault training at the military academy for more than half a month, which indicated that he was very likely to become one of the first batch of naturalized civilian officers to be promoted to battalion commander.
As for the commander in the true sense, the Military Commission has no intention of second-guessing him. Although Qiao Zhiya, the military leader, has turned to government affairs in the past two years, it seems that no one else in the military can be better than him in terms of familiarity with the local environment. After Annan's Second Battalion was transferred, it was a perfect arrangement for him to take over the command.
"The Military Commission's request for this operation is to eliminate all reactionary forces in the Qiongzhong area. Any copycats who collude with Jinyiwei must be cleared. Do you understand?" Yan Chujie conveyed the instructions to Ruan Zaiji with a solemn expression.
"Understood! I will do my best to complete the mission!" Ruan Xiangqian responded loudly.
"In addition to the Annan Second Battalion, the executive committee has also arranged other teams to act with you this time." Seeing Ruan Qianqian's puzzled look, Yan Chujie explained: "The local mountainous areas are mainly residents of the Li and Miao ethnic groups. Considering Since you are not familiar with the local environment, the Military Commission has specially dispatched a company to help you.”
The company Yan Chujie mentioned is indeed somewhat special. It is one of the few militia groups formed locally in Hainan whose main source of troops is young people from the Li and Miao ethnic groups. Among the more than 100 people in the company, more than 100 people are not of Han ancestry. The original intention of forming this company was actually to gradually bridge the rift between the Li and Miao tribes that had been fighting for hundreds of years. Judging from the effects after forming the army, the original intention of the military has been basically achieved. The purpose of the military's dispatch of this company was not actually to value their combat effectiveness, but to hope that this company could serve as an auxiliary role as a guide in the operation and assist the Annan Second Battalion in completing its mission.
In addition to military mobilization, the intervention of the Ministry of Security is also essential. After all, the arrest of the Jinyiwei officers has been handled by the Ministry of Security from beginning to end. Although the Ministry of Security has no exact information about Zhao Ye's whereabouts, currently only the Ministry of Security has the most personal information. To confirm Zhao Ye's identity, relevant personnel must be present.
If Zhao Ye is really the mastermind of the Shilu riot, then the current deployment of the Ministry of Security in Danzhou can be said to have basically failed, and it will not help if so many important officials are concentrated there. While the Executive Committee and the military were making preparations, the Ministry of Security had also called Danzhou and ordered Wang Baisuo and Zhang Qianzhi to stay there. Lin Nan and Li Qingyang immediately took a boat south to Changhua to obtain intelligence information nearby. After the subsequent combat troops rush over from Sanya, they will also cooperate with the troops to enter the mountainous areas to implement arrest operations.
Of course, like every military operation in the past, a link that cannot be ignored is logistics support. Going deep into the Qiongzhong Mountains has always been an unresolved problem for the Haihan military, the most important of which is supply. Most of the local areas are backward mountainous areas, and there is no established road network for rapid transportation of bulk supplies. Logistics supplies can only be transported to Shilu at most, and the remaining transportation lines after entering the mountains are more troublesome.
(End of chapter)