Songhu: Never Give Up

Chapter 106 Handover and Adjustment (Please order first, this chapter has 4 words)

Yunzaobang, the 527th Regiment’s defense zone, the Japanese had been quiet for a few days since the heavy artillery regiment was destroyed, and the Second Battalion took the opportunity to reinforce the fortifications;
Yue Qianli also returned to the position smoothly. Not long after he returned to the position, the Military Commission's commendation order arrived, an Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun, which was definitely the highest reward given by the government to school-level officers. Even the brigade commander Gao Zhisong, who came to announce the order, showed an envious expression.

"Captain Yue, congratulations. Everyone says you are a rich guy. You have to treat me well today."

As an old acquaintance and direct leader of Yue Qianli, Gao Zhisong was sincerely happy for him. Everyone likes subordinates who can fight like Yue Qianli. For example, Liao Lingqi was promoted to deputy brigade commander without any effort. As long as there is a vacancy, it is a natural thing for him to be promoted to brigade commander.

Personally, he and Yue Qianli had forged a friendship during the war a few years ago in the temple business. Now that his younger brother had made meritorious service, received medals, and was promoted to regiment leader, he naturally wanted to express his gratitude.

Yue Qianli had never expected to become a regiment commander after just one trip. Although he did not fight the Japanese for this, he was naturally happy to be promoted. He just said embarrassedly:
"Commander, you see, I can't offer you anything decent in this war-torn country. I have plenty of canned beef from the confiscated war, and some Japanese sake, but it's so weak, I'm afraid you won't be able to get used to it."

Gao Zhisong waved his hand and said:

"Forget about the celebratory wine. We are still at war. It would be embarrassing if the news got out. But you can open a few cans of beef so that Deputy Brigade Commander Liao and I can have some foreign food."

Liao Lingqi was in a very good mood after putting on the collar insignia of major general. Although the deputy brigade commander did not hold real power, the rank of major general was real.

As a direct descendant of Whampoa Military Academy, he had no worries about having a position later. Among the four infantry regiment commanders of the 88th Division, he was the first to come forward. Whenever there was a vacancy for a brigade commander, he would definitely be given priority.

"Qianli, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and put the Japanese beef can on the table. The brigade commander and I have hurried here and haven't had our meals yet. It's a good opportunity to hand over the work while we eat."

Liao Lingqi and Yue Qianli were not so polite. They were fellow natives from southern Hunan, so they naturally had no objection to Yue Qianli taking over his job. At least it would make their work smoother in the future.

The deputy brigade commander was more responsible for issuing long-distance orders. With Yue Qianli, a member of his own team, as the regiment commander, his words could be more effective.
Their visit to the Second Battalion was both to announce orders and to mark the handover between Liao Lingqi and his two former regimental commanders. During wartime, everything was kept simple, and the handover took place while they ate.

The new commander of the Second Battalion, Liao Jianping, was helping out on the side. He was also very happy, as the position of battalion commander that had been occupied by Yue Qianli for less than a year was finally given to him.

The handover was just a formality. Due to the tense war situation, they didn't even call Li Jie and Deng Zhuxiu over. They just gave verbal orders and notified them directly.

"Captain Yue, Deputy Brigade Commander Liao, you have successfully completed the handover. Let's use tea instead of wine to congratulate you!"

The three of them clinked their enamel cups together, then drank a glass of cold water. Liao Jianping was very considerate and refilled their cups.
After the procedure was completed, Gao Zhisong got down to business:
"Qianli, it is said that a new official will start with three fires upon taking office. The Japanese have only suspended their attack, but the Japanese in the two divisions on the north bank are not for show. Once they are adjusted, the new attack will only be more fierce.

The pressure on my 264th Brigade to defend will definitely increase, and I would like to hear your opinion as the new commander."

Yue Qianli thought for a moment and then said:

“There were no major problems with the previous defensive plan, and my 264th Brigade had no problem holding our position;

However, the defense of Yunzaobang was a big problem. Several divisions were lined up along the south bank of the river, forming a typical long snake with no depth at all.

If the Japanese cannot make a breakthrough in my defense zone, they may seek to make a breakthrough in the defense zones of other divisions;

If the long snake formation is broken at one point, the whole line will be broken. The 264th Brigade cannot stop the two Japanese divisions.

So my opinion is that the whole brigade should have a light front and heavy back force configuration, and a heavy front and light back firepower configuration. We should keep enough reserves. Once the defense line is breached, we should take turns to cover and withdraw from the position to prevent being chased and beaten by the devils. "

Gao Zhisong did not rush to express his opinion, but asked:
"You really don't think the national army can hold the Yunzaobang defense line?
We have more than 100,000 troops on the south bank, all of whom are elite troops of the National Government Army, and there is also the natural barrier of the river. It is not so easy for the two divisions of the Japanese to break through the Yunzaobang defense line. "

The two sides were arguing, so Yue Qianli naturally couldn't say too many discouraging words. He said tactfully:
"The Japanese have been increasing their forces. If two divisions are not enough, they will send a third division. I heard that the 101st Division and Shigeto's detachment are also landing. Once they complete the landing and reinforcements arrive, the Japanese will have three and a half divisions.
Plus, there are planes in the sky and heavy artillery on the ground. Over time, it is inevitable that there will be some mistakes. We should be prepared for the worst."

Gao Zhisong nodded, accepting his suggestion, and then talked about some defense issues, and then left the Second Battalion;
The war situation was tense, so he had to give the new commander Yue Qianli enough time to adjust.

After Gao Zhisong left, Yue Qianli officially took office. He first called several battalion commanders together for a meeting;

Li Jie, Deng Zhuxiu and others did not seem to have much resistance to Yue Qianli taking over the position of team leader. Instead, they were quite excited. The reason was that by following Yue Qianli, a local tyrant, they would not have to worry about food, drink, and defecation in the future. Yue Qianli, as the team leader, must treat everyone equally.

They were old brothers, and it was wartime, so Yue Qianli simply exchanged a few pleasantries and went straight to the point:
"Brothers, I will not make any major adjustments until the Yunzaobang battle is over. The rocket launcher platoon of the first battalion will be upgraded to a company and incorporated into the artillery battalion. The rocket launcher platoon will be directly under the artillery battalion.

Let me make a statement here. After the war, the personnel and equipment of the three battalions will be adjusted, the standards will be unified, and the supplies will be aligned with those of the first battalion.

The replacement team and baggage team of the original 1st Battalion were all transferred to the regiment headquarters. From now on, everyone is stirring the same pot. Absolute fairness is impossible, but I can guarantee that everyone is fair!"

Everyone applauded in agreement, and Li Jie immediately stated:

"Captain, we all believe in you. We are all soldiers of the 527th Regiment. You can't favor one over another. We are all here to fight the Japanese. Brothers are united and their strength is invincible!"

The deputy regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel Tian Xiyuan (fifth-term infantry), the third battalion commander Deng Zhuxiu and the artillery battalion commander He Qizhen (fifth-term artillery) all echoed the sentiments, and the thoughts of all officers above the battalion level in the regiment were unified.

"The Second Battalion has held on for several days. The brothers are very tired and have suffered heavy casualties. I decided to replace the Second Battalion with the First Battalion. The Artillery Battalion will assist the First Battalion in combat. I will have direct control over the use of rocket launchers. There are only more than 400 artillery shells left, and good steel must be used where it is needed most.

After the meeting, the Second Battalion and the First Battalion completed the handover, shared the experience and lessons learned in the defensive battle, and worked together to face the national crisis. "Everyone stood up to express their opinions, and it was inevitable to shout a few slogans. Sometimes the form is also the content.

After the meeting, Yue Qianli became a hands-off boss, while Liao Jianping and Li Jie went directly to the position to take over. The 527th Regiment made a smooth transition and prepared for a new battle.

At the position of the 1st Battalion of the 4th Regiment of the General Tax Police Corps, the regiment commander Sun Liren came to inspect the defense of the 1st Battalion. Although the Japanese attack had been suspended for a few days, the defense must not be relaxed. He had a premonition that the Japanese were planning a big move.

"Captain, this is dangerous. The Japanese may attack at any time. Why are you here?"

Sun Liren didn't take Zhao Tianci's protest seriously and waved his hand:
"I can stay wherever the soldiers can stay. Besides, if I don't come to check on you, how can I know if you are slacking off?"

Zhao Tianci is Sun Liren's West Point alumnus and the combat force leader of the Fourth Regiment, so they usually speak casually without using too much official language.

"How dare I, Captain? I eat, drink, defecate and urinate in the trenches all day, and my brothers are busy repairing and expanding the fortifications."

Sun Liren naturally saw this as well, and this was something that made him very satisfied. The other battalions were making fun of the First Battalion as being groundhogs, but Sun Liren not only praised the First Battalion, he also scolded the other battalion commanders. Now the Second Battalion is also working hard, but there is still a gap between them and the First Battalion.

“Tianci, I heard that you learned this habit of being a groundhog from your old classmate?

He made quite a fuss this time, and directly destroyed the Japanese heavy artillery regiment. No wonder the Japanese artillery preparations got stuck. In this way, my Fourth Regiment also owes him a big favor. "

Seeing the leader mention his boss Yue Qianli, Zhao Tianci smiled naturally and said:
"Captain Yue really takes civil engineering very seriously. He often tells us that the Japanese have fierce firepower, and that comparing firepower with them is like comparing treasures between a beggar and the Dragon King.
But the war still needs to be fought, so we can only work harder on defense, sweat more in peacetime and bleed less in war."

After listening to it, Sun Liren praised:
"What a great saying: more sweat in peacetime, less blood in war. It's very insightful. I think this saying can be promoted throughout the regiment.
Tianci, your news is a little delayed. He is now the colonel commander of the 527th Regiment and has been awarded the Blue Sky and White Sun Medal.

You are classmates. If you don’t work hard, you will fall behind! "

After listening to this, Zhao Tianci smiled and said:

"It's not excessive for the Japanese heavy artillery regiment to be replaced by a colonel. Commander Yue is a very capable person. The government should recruit talents regardless of their background and let those who are truly capable take on important tasks.

"Captain, I heard that you will be promoted to captain soon, congratulations, should I change my words?"

Sun Liren waved his hand and said:
"Let's wait for the order to come, so you have to work hard. I will feel at ease only when I hand over the Fourth Regiment to you."

Sun Liren seized the opportunity to paint a pie for Zhao Tianci. In fact, he had already received some gossip that his promotion order would come down in the next few days, but he would have to serve as the commander of the 4th Regiment for a while. If a successor was needed, Zhao Tianci was naturally the best candidate in his mind.

Zhao Tianci was also a smart man. He showed his gratitude to Sun Liren for winning him over in a just right way. It was common to form cliques in the Kuomintang government, otherwise one would not be able to survive.

“Tianci, I heard that you and Captain Yue had a good personal relationship during school. You learned how to form the special operations team from him, right?
His equipment has already been used in actual combat, so your equipment can’t just be used for decoration. I think this equipment can be very useful in critical moments of special operations. Just tell me if you need anything.”

Zhao Tianci quickly expressed his gratitude, and then raised the issue of financial difficulties. Sun Liren immediately decided to subsidize the special operations team by taking out a portion of the group's activity funds every month, doubling the daily living standard of the special operations team.
Even if this matter has been exposed, Zhao Tianci has given enough face to the regiment commander. This special operations team has been nominally taken over by the regiment headquarters, and the first battalion is at most in trusteeship, and the money is not so easy to get.

Zhao Tianci also knew what the commander meant. Without Yue Qianli's surprise attack on the heavy artillery regiment, no one would take his special operations team of more than 20 people seriously.

It’s different now. People are afraid of becoming famous just like pigs are afraid of getting fat. The special operations team must naturally be under the control of the regiment headquarters, and those who have a record of success will also be the regiment commander.

Then, accompanied by Zhao Tianci, Sun Liren made another round. When he was about to leave, the piercing air defense alarm sounded, and a large group of planes appeared in the clouds. The Japanese had been holding back for several days and released their big move...

The 305mm heavy howitzer can create a huge pit with one shot. No one can survive within a radius of meters. It is useless to hide in the anti-gun holes, as you will be shaken to death. The anti-gun holes can only protect against shrapnel.
Fortunately, the Japanese only had 10 such heavy artillery pieces, with slow firing rate and poor accuracy. Most of the shells fell in the open space. Moreover, the Kuomintang's defense line stretched for more than ten kilometers, so the Japanese did not have so many shells to consume.

Several divisions deployed on the front line paid a heavy price, with thousands of casualties in total. The Japanese infantry had not even been deployed yet, and the defenders had suffered heavy losses. This battle was not easy to fight, and it all depended on human lives.

As soon as the fire preparation was over, tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers from the 9th and 13th Divisions on the north bank of Yunzaobang launched a fierce attack on the positions of the Nationalist Army. For a time, the defense line was shaky and the defenders were under tremendous pressure.

In the defense area of ​​the 527st Battalion of the 2th Regiment, more than Japanese soldiers from the th Regiment rushed over in a large number. The entire battalion opened fire at full force, and a dense rain of bullets sprayed at the group of Japanese soldiers, knocking them to the ground one by one. Many machine guns were jammed.

"Damn it, are they just living like this? Tell the artillery battalion to bomb them to death with mortars!"

Li Jie still used the mortar group to stop the Japanese. With his order, 9 Type 20 mortars poured bullets at the Japanese at the fastest speed, knocking down the crazy Japanese one row at a time. However, they still could not stop the Japanese attack, mainly because their numbers were too small.

When dense swarms of Japanese troops swarmed onto the river bank, the 527th Regiment's most powerful weapon, the Flying Thunder Cannon, began to show its power, making the Japanese troops of the th Regiment learn what "no conscience" meant!
The 18th Regiment was one of the first regiments formed by the Japanese Army. It had its own heritage, participated in the Russo-Japanese War, and was always a pioneer in the invasion of China.

In the previous battle, the 7th Regiment was badly damaged. After Yoshikata Ryosuke scolded them, he replenished them with soldiers from the replenishment battalion and the baggage regiment, so they came with the same strong momentum this time.

The first battalion was also gathering strength and holding back their anger, so they fought to the death, and both sides suffered heavy casualties...

(End of this chapter)