Songhu: Never Give Up

"Old Yue, based on the tactics you used in the guerrilla column and the guerrilla warfare theories you told me, I guessed that you might be my comrade;

I didn't expect you to show your hand today. Aren't you afraid that we will report you? You should be more careful next time!"

Yue Qianli waved his hand and said:
"I trust you. In the past, we were on the front lines, relying only on military discipline and the government's support to keep fighting.

The guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines will be far more brutal than the frontal battlefield. An army without faith, unable to mobilize, rely on, and arm the masses will not be able to hold out. Only people’s war is the basis for victory.”

Zhao Tianci and Li Daomin immediately expressed their intention to join the organization. Yue Qianli and Wang Jianfei looked at each other and said:

“According to the procedure, you will have to undergo a period of testing, but the current situation does not allow me to develop step by step;
We have to do special things specially. You should write an application first, and Comrade Wang Jianfei and I will be your introducers. We will go through the procedures of joining the organization on the front line before you set off, and then we will set up a three-member branch to secretly lead the political and military work of the entire detachment.

The first batch of development targets will be officers above the level of battalion commander. They must be fully investigated and it is better to have no one than to have someone of inferior rank. The structure of the base will be established before the end of the Battle of Wuhan. The name of the base will be Luxi Anti-Japanese Base..."

Yue Qianli then explained in detail some of the policies, ways and methods for establishing a base area, including the establishment of a local government, the establishment of a three-level military structure of field troops, garrison troops and militia, and the reduction of rent and interest.

Many of their policies are consistent with those of the Eighth Route Army, and they even take bigger steps and are ahead of the Eighth Route Army. This is not a big deal.

After all, all the troops are still in the exploratory stage in establishing a base, and Yue Qianli has successful experience from another time and space, which allows him to avoid many detours. These experiences were gained at the cost of countless blood and lives, so there is no reason not to use them.

Before they knew it, they were chatting until late at night. Yue Qianli also passed on to them all the theories of guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines that he had learned in later life. All that remained was to digest and improve them through practice.

After daybreak, Wang Jianfei returned to Da Niujiaoling to continue commanding the battle. The column was divided into two parts. Zhao Tianci and Li Daomin led the remaining troops to stay in Kaifeng, waiting to meet up with the replenished detachment, and then head north.
Yue Qianli led the main force of the column south to join the first and second detachments, and then they launched a counterattack against the Japanese in Zhongmu and Wei.

Zhongmu, independent detachment blocking position

The Japanese attacked wave after wave, as if they were full of energy. Under the command of their commander Duan Yulin, the independent detachment responded calmly and blocked the Japanese from the 14th Infantry Brigade of the 27th Division outside the core position, resulting in casualties on both sides.

At this time, Duan Yulin had received a secret message from Yue Qianli, saying that the first and second teams had secretly rushed to the area west of Zhongmu to set up an ambush. They only needed to feign defeat and lure the enemy in.

This was an ambush under mobile warfare. The first and second teams had set up an inverted figure-eight pocket in Hujia Bay. Duan Yulin, who had been suppressed and beaten by the Japanese for several days, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Duan Yulin had already discovered that the Japanese had intensified their offensive because the old Japanese soldier Kenji Doihara had gone to the front to supervise the battle.

They were eager to break the Third Detachment's blocking so that they could go south to participate in the Battle of Wuhan. This was an opportunity!
At the 14th Division Headquarters, Lieutenant General Doihara, who had just joined the 27th Infantry Brigade, was discussing the battle with the brigade commander, Major General Tateyo.
This time, Kenji Doihara came to supervise the battle and brought a heavy artillery battalion with him. He said confidently:
"Mr. Guan Yu, the defenders of Zhongmu only have one detachment. After the initial consumption, there are only 5 men left at most. They are short of supplies and their morale is low.
On the other hand, the 27th Brigade still has 9 people, and with the heavy artillery battalion I brought with me, it has an absolute advantage in both manpower and firepower.

The battle of Zhongmu has dragged on for too long. Even His Majesty has cast his eyes on us. Whenever our imperial army sees the guerrilla column, we will do our utmost to annihilate it. It is time to launch a general offensive. The whole army should move forward to annihilate the enemy in Zhongmu in one fell swoop!"

Major General Guan Yu's blood boiled when he heard this. He had also been waiting for this moment, so he asked:
"Doihara-kun, if the defenders are defeated and flee westward, should we pursue them? And to what position should we stop?"

Kenji Doihara thought for a moment and said:
"The Pinghan Line is the boundary. For the sake of safety, it is not advisable to enter the area west of the Pinghan Line for the time being."

Major General Guan Yu knew that the area west of the Pinghan Line was a heavily fortified area in China's First War Zone, and he and his brigade would not dare to act rashly.

The time for the general attack was set at 2:00 p.m. Major General Tateyo kept deploying troops according to Kenji Doihara's request, gathering a large number of troops and supplies, including more than a dozen tanks and dozens of light and heavy artillery pieces.

The 2nd and 59th Regiments were deployed on the left and right, ready for the assault. The 59th Regiment was eager to regain its ground after its reconstruction, and each of them was eager to give it a try.

When the clock pointed to 14 o'clock, dozens of artillery pieces fired rows of shells at the defenders' positions. A large number of fortifications were destroyed. The defenders were defeated before the ground attack was launched. Naturally, this scene did not escape the eyes of the Japanese.

Major General Tateyo excitedly said to Kenji Doihara:
"Doihara-kun, the Chinese have suffered sporadic defeats, and the heavy artillery brigade has made great contributions!"

Kenji Doihara, who was very experienced in actual combat, also saw the clues. This was the beginning of a complete defeat. It was time to strike while the iron was hot. He immediately gave the order:
"We can use the tank unit as a vanguard, lead the warriors of the 2nd and 59th Regiments to attack with all our strength, and defeat the enemy's independent detachment in one fell swoop!"

After suffering too many defeats at the hands of the guerrilla column, Kenji Doihara was eager to get back at the lord. As one of the most famous generals in the Japanese army, he was ashamed to be beaten by a junior Chinese.

Major General Guan Yu immediately ordered the chariots and infantry to start the attack. They almost launched the attack by stepping on the artillery points. The offensive was very fierce.
The defenders fired a few shots sporadically, but they were unable to stop the Japanese's iron torrent. The tanks completely ignored the defenders' firepower and rushed forward at full speed, with thousands of infantrymen following closely behind them in a menacing manner.

Before the tanks got close, the defenders began to collapse. First, a small number of them fled, then entire battalions and companies, and finally the entire line was defeated, and they ran away from a long distance.

"Bagayalu, you want to run?"

"Kill the chicken and give it to me!"

"Ban Zai! Chase them and kill all the Chinese..."

The Japs also liked to fight when the wind was favorable, and they did not even need to wait for the brigade headquarters to order a pursuit. Officers at all levels took the lead in chasing after them. They had long been enraged by the independent detachment, and they had finally defeated them, so naturally they would not let them go easily.

The tank troops even stepped up their horsepower to catch up. The battle was as easy as an exercise. Major General Tateyo and Kenji Doihara also showed a smile of victory on their faces. (End of this chapter)