PFC Chapter 153 The Birth of the Black Eagle
Chapter 153 The Birth of the Black Eagle
Mengshan, formerly known as "Dongmeng" and "Dongshan", is also known as "Yadai". It is located in the northwest of Linyi City, Shandong Province, in the hinterland of the Yimeng Mountain Area. It is the largest mountain and the second highest peak in Shandong. It is a branch of the Taiyi Mountain Range. It has a total area of 1240 square kilometers and 1000 peaks over 14 meters high. The famous ones include Guimengding, Yuhuangding, Wanghailou, Yuzhufeng, Menglianggu, Wucaishan, Daqingshan, Moyungu, etc. The main peak is Guimengding, with an altitude of 1156 meters.
Mengshan Mountain is located between 117°35′-118°20′ east longitude and 35°10′-38° north latitude, spanning four counties of Linyi City, namely Pingyi, Mengyin, Feixian and Yinan. It runs from northwest to southeast, stretches for 75 kilometers, and has a total area of 1125 square kilometers. Its main peak, Guimengding, is the second highest peak in Shandong Province. The Mengshan Mountain Range originates from Mount Tai, stretches from northwest to southeast, stretches for 75 kilometers, spans Pingyi, Feixian, Mengyin, Yinan and other counties, and covers an area of 1125 square kilometers. Together with the Taiyi Mountain Range in the north, it forms the backbone of the low mountain and hilly area in central and southern Shandong.
On June 10, 1938, a piece of heavy news came out from Mengshan and quickly spread throughout the southern Shandong region within a few days:
The Black Diao, a bandit with mysterious origins, and the Condor Heroes, who had helped countless anti-Japanese forces, led their troops to station in Mount Meng, preparing to invite heroes from all over the world to fight against Japan together.
The Mengshan area was fine. Once the news reached southwest Shandong, many teams expressed a strong desire. Southwest Shandong was all plains. Although the Japanese Washizu Division focused on transportation lines and town nodes, it issued countless bounty orders. As long as they found guerrilla reports, they would send troops to clear them out. Once confirmed, the reward was always generous.
The guerrillas' lives were becoming increasingly difficult. Except for a few teams that hid their troops among the people, the others suffered more or less losses, especially Cui Weike's Weishan Lake guerrillas, who had followed Black Eagle for many times. At their peak, there were nearly two hundred people, but now there are only more than eighty left. This was even though they had no shortage of guns and bullets, but they had fought the Japanese several times and suffered huge losses.
Cui Weike guessed that Black Eagle was Leng Qiang. After learning that Leng Qiang was recruiting soldiers in Mengshan, he could no longer sit still and was mobilizing his men:
"Brothers, it has been almost three months since you all followed me, Lao Cui, to fight the Japanese!"
The eighty-plus team members were in a heavy mood. They had suffered too much loss in this period of time. The old team members were still okay, but especially the new ones. Once they were surrounded, they were like headless flies and had no idea where to run. Seeing that the captain seemed to have something to say, many team members wondered whether the team was going to be disbanded or split up into small units.
"In less than ten days, we have fought three large and small battles and lost more than a hundred brothers. We can't win the battles and there is no place to hide. We can't stay here anymore. Lao Cui, I have an idea and would like to seek everyone's opinions."
"Captain, do you have a solution? Tell us quickly if you have one! We will obey your orders. If we continue fighting like this, our Weishan Lake guerrillas will be wiped out."
“I wonder if you still remember the Black and White Eagles?”
"Of course I remember. It was Madam White Eagle who treated my injuries. What's wrong, Captain? Are they back?"
"They haven't come back yet, but they are recruiting soldiers in Mengshan and preparing to set up a team to fight the Japanese. Lao Cui has some ideas and would like to get everyone's opinions. What do you think, should we go and join Black Eagle?"
A group of more than 80 members were somewhat excited. That was a ruthless team that could fight the Japanese! Not only could they fight the Japanese, but they were also extremely rich. They looked down on the Type 38 rifle, the Type 92 rifle, and even the melon grenade and mortar. They were all old members of the team and knew that it would be hard to die if they followed the Black Eagle to fight the Japanese.
A few local team members were still hesitant, but most of them were withdrawn from northern Shandong. After all, they were away from home to fight the Japanese, so there was no harm in fighting anywhere!
All the team members expressed their opinions, and in the end, except for a few who were reluctant to leave home, they all expressed their willingness to obey the captain's orders and go to Mengshan to join the Black Eagle team.
Cui Wei Ke did not force it:
"Since most people agree, let's leave tonight. I won't force Lao Cui who doesn't want to go. We are all brothers who have been through the same bomb crater. I still have some dollars here. Share it with the brothers who are planning to stay! Go home and live a good life, and come find me when I, Lao Cui, come back."
Finally, twelve members left the team. They were all local members. They had families with elderly and children to support and did not want to go too far. Cui Weike gave each of them twenty dollars as severance pay. After receiving the money, the twelve members left reluctantly and left all their weapons and ammunition. Although the guerrillas were wealthy, one more bullet meant one more hope of saving their lives.
Cui Weike ordered the remaining seventy brothers to take immediate action, dig out all the weapons and ammunition that had been buried before, take away everything they could, and prepare to move to Mengshan overnight.
There are three or four other similar teams, including Huang Shanhe, who had only met Hei Diao once. Although they had only fought the Japanese together once, Huang Shanhe had great respect for Hei Diao. He was a boss who cared for his subordinates and personally participated in the battle, and a boss's wife who loved her subordinates and personally treated them. Southwest Shandong was already having trouble making it, and if you didn't go to such a team, you would be crazy not to go.
Of course, there are also teams that scoff at this. They think that the bosses are doing well, but they are going to be punks for others. No matter how capable you are, I will not care about you. The team can recruit new ones after the battle, and they can rob weapons and ammunition if they are gone. They are all heroes who fight against the Japanese, and there is no shortage of unruly ones.
At the Fifth War Zone Command in Zhengzhou, Li Yunyan was reporting the situation of the Lone Wolf Commando to the commander-in-chief. Hearing that Leng Qiang had transformed into Black Eagle and was going to recruit soldiers in Mengshan, Li Zongren was a little surprised. Since he wanted to lead the team, why didn't he follow him? If he followed him, a division commander couldn't escape! Judging from Leng Qiang's attitude, whether it was towards the Sichuan Army or the National Army of the Fifth War Zone, he had the intention of making friends!
Although he had doubts in his heart, Li Zongren still ordered Li Ergou to train the special operations company and continue to fight under the name of the Lone Wolf Commando. The Japanese army must not be allowed to know that the Lone Wolf Commando was going to form a team, otherwise the Japanese army would definitely send heavy troops to destroy the Lone Wolf Commando in the bud.
Seeing that Li Yunyan was still waiting for his call back, Li Zongren asked Bai Chongxi next to him:
"Do we still have any remnant troops over there?"
Bai Chongxi immediately understood what his brother meant:
"Now the national army's anti-Japanese forces in Shandong and northern Jiangsu are led by Yu Xuezhong and Shen Honglie. They have a lot of troops, but they have been severely compressed by the Japanese army and are basically active in the mountainous areas."
"Forget it, let's not contact them. Sniper's injury is almost healed. Ask the special operations company if there are any soldiers from Shandong Province who want to develop behind enemy lines. If so, let Sniper take them back! And bring some weapons and ammunition as well."
"Brother Delin, didn't you want to keep this sniper god? Why did you change your mind?"
Li Zongren sighed:
"We in the Fifth War Zone owe him too much. They have just formed a team and must be facing many difficulties. It is better to give timely assistance than to add icing on the cake! In the future, we may need to rely on him for advice and help. Just consider it as my investment in him.