Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 156 I want to save my energy for the next war. The Japanese army attacks at all costs.
Jing Village.

As a preset second-line blocking position.

Chu Yunfei chose this place after careful selection.

If the Japanese army wanted to attack Qin County.

Jing Village is a quiet little village standing quietly beside the road.

This is the place that these Japanese devils cannot avoid.

The young men stayed in the village to help dig trenches.

Women, children and the elderly went into the mountains with the help of the soldiers.

Bags of cement and various types of steel are continuously transported to Jingcun.

After the initial two days of repairs, the outline of the in-depth defense system began to emerge.

"Brothers, work harder."

The fourth battalion commander Wu Sizhong was holding a cigarette in his mouth. He stuck the shovel in his hand into the ground and sat on the ground beside him: "Lao Cao, what do you think this cement can do?"

The old Cao mentioned by the fourth battalion commander is named Cao Potian, with the courtesy name Yuncheng.

He is 1.88 meters tall and is a real Shandong man.

He has thick eyebrows, big eyes, a broad and fat body, and looks ferocious, like a fierce general in ancient times.

At this moment, the mattock in his hand was dancing vigorously.

The tool weighing more than six pounds looked like a toy in his hands.

In the area of ​​digging trenches and building fortifications.

Cao Yuncheng can do the work of three people.

Very efficient.

He stopped what he was doing and responded with a smile, "According to the regiment headquarters, it will solidify in about two days and will be able to withstand the Japanese's bullets and small artillery. As for the heavy artillery, I'm not sure."

"If you can't tell, then you can't stop it. What else can you say?"

Wu Sizhong took out a cigarette from his pocket and walked over to him, "Would you like a puff to wake yourself up?"

"I don't want it."

Cao Yuncheng waved his hand: "I'll take a break first. If I work for another 20 to 30 minutes, it will be completely dark."

"Do it overnight?"

Wu Sizhong frowned and looked up at the sky: "I don't know what the weather will be like today. It's a bit cold, but I don't know if there will be any daylight."

Jingle Bell.

The phone rings.

After a deputy battalion commander picked up the phone, he immediately sent a signalman to tell the two to go to the command post to answer the call.

The fifth battalion commander Cao Yuncheng answered the phone: "Hello~!"

"I'm Chu Yunfei."

Chu Yunfei's powerful voice rang out from the microphone.

Cao Yuncheng subconsciously stood at attention: "Report to the commander! I am Cao Yuncheng, the battalion commander of the 197th Battalion of the th Regiment."

"Captain Cao, I remember you."

"I also know that your Fifth Battalion is very good at positional warfare and has its own unique experience in building fortifications."

"I called here with one request. The Japanese army's actions are faster than we expected."

"The fortifications must be repaired within fifty-six hours."

"Yes, Commander Chu, please rest assured, I will complete the mission!"

Cao Yuncheng hung up the phone and looked at Wu Sizhong who was standing beside him. "It was Commander Chu who called... He said the Japanese were moving faster than we expected... He asked us to complete the repair of the fortifications within two days."

Wu Sizhong sat aside and scratched his nose with his thumb: "Two days is not enough."

After thinking for a while, Wu Sizhong suggested: "How about this, we borrow all the kerosene lamps from Nanguan Town and Qin County... What do you think?"

Cao Yuncheng nodded: "Good idea, I'll send someone to get it right away."

Jingcun was anxious.

Needless to say, Nanguan Town is the best.

There were originally no useful national defense fortifications in this place.

However, the 197th Regiment had already evacuated from Shouyang.

When performing the rear guard mission.

He was stationed in Nanguan Town for a period of time.

The idle soldiers had no chance to go to the town for entertainment.

There aren't many activities that can be done.

Digging trenches and building defense lines was one of the tasks.

Previously, due to the lack of materials, we could only use local materials.

The outlines of the fortifications already exist, and now all that needs to be done is to reinforce them.

The headquarters of the 197th Regiment at this time.

Li Kuishan, Qian Zhaoyou, and Second Battalion Commander Pang Junming were gathered in front of the battle map, conducting an intense sand table exercise.

Qian Zhaoyou and Pang Junming played the Japanese commander Sakata.

From the perspective of attacking the opponent.

Simulate what might happen in this battle.

However, Qian Zhaoyou and Pang Junming, the attacking party, had some slight differences in their tactical choices.

"The Japanese were slapped twice in a row by us, and they are now full of anger. They will never stop attacking and wait for support from follow-up artillery units just because of such a small loss."

"The smell of gunpowder is strong. No one knows how crazy the Japanese attack will be. Captain Pang, please don't forget how humiliating and exciting it is for the Japanese to annihilate an entire army."

Qian Zhaoyou emphasized again: "I think that if the Sakata Brigade fails in this attack, they will never stop their attack. We must prepare for the worst."

Li Kuishan nodded, and he also agreed with Qian Zhaoyou's point of view: "Although the Sakata Regiment is not equipped with a large number of barreled artillery, according to the intelligence of the brigade, its conventional indirect fire mortars should not be underestimated. Although most of our fortifications are located in the blind spots of direct fire, we must also beware of the Japanese 90mm mortars."

"But Commander, Chief of Staff, we cannot ignore that the Japanese commanders are all veterans who have received a complete military school education and have a lot of practical experience... If a commander loses his mind just when facing an old opponent, then he is not a qualified commander."

"I think the first step of the Japanese army must be to divide the battlefield so that we can't support each other."

The 197th Regiment was on high alert, and Chu Yunfei in the command center was already fast asleep.

He needs to reserve all his energy for the upcoming battle and make the best preparations.

The next day.

At daybreak, the first two battalions of the Japanese Sakata Regiment advanced towards Nanguan Town.

Because the search squadron was completely wiped out, the Japanese marched very cautiously.

Only after the infantry squadron responsible for reconnaissance has repeatedly confirmed safety will the subsequent large force continue to march.

I kept procrastinating until that afternoon.

Only then did they engage in fire with the position of the 197th Regiment deployed at the forefront.

After the attack started.

Nobutsu Sakata, who had been worried all along, let down his guard at this moment.

What he was afraid of was not that the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army would rely on the favorable terrain to block the attack.

But there is absolutely no trace of it.

That would be the worst case scenario for them.

After learning the detailed battle situation, Staff Officer Uratomo quickly issued the latest orders.

These Japanese devils buried the telephone lines underground and connected them directly to the frontier command post.

It is convenient for Nobutsu Sakata to understand the latest battle situation.

Based on previous intelligence.

The commander of the 78th Regiment, Colonel Kobayashi Tsuneichi, lost his entire regiment because of the forward-set command center.

Nobutsu Sakata is not stupid.

Naturally, he placed his headquarters in the rear, about six kilometers away from the front line.

Based on the information currently available.

This distance is far beyond the range of the 75mm mountain artillery equipped by the Chinese army.

Nobutsu Sakata is confident that he can handle it.

At the forefront, Li Kuishan deployed his most elite battalion.

The battalion commander of the first battalion, Yan Weiliang, was also a ruthless man who refused to leave the front line even though he was seriously injured.

In the previous defense battle of Niangzi Pass, his lower abdomen was pierced by the Japanese machine gun.

He insisted on commanding the battle and was only carried away from the front line after repelling the Japanese attack.

Afterwards, he joked with the other soldiers.

If only the Japs were a little more accurate.

His Yan family is going to be extinct!

Yan Weiliang also knew why the first battalion was placed at the forefront.

Li Kuishan hoped that they could deal a severe blow to the Japanese army in the initial stage in order to establish an advantage in subsequent battles.

A massive battle.

The forms of combat are often constantly changing.

It's not just about tactics and weapons and equipment data.

And the choices you make when the battle situation changes are also extremely important.

A qualified field commander, especially a mid-level commander.

The ability to make the "right" decision quickly is far more important than tactical choice.

When attacked by the Japanese, Yan Weiliang stopped the soldiers from using their best fighting style.

Instead, he hid in his position and pretended to be dead.

This made the company commander, platoon leaders and soldiers under his command quite dissatisfied.

Their battalion had always been on the offensive, so they took the initiative to catch the Japanese off guard.

Right now, we are blocked in the trenches by the Japanese soldiers, and we are not even allowed to fight back.

Is this still their first battalion?

Yan Weiliang still insisted on using the old method.

Strict orders were issued not to allow exposure of flanking fire at the first opportunity.

Only return fire with appropriate light machine guns and grenades.

The attacking Japanese soldiers made two consecutive attempts to attack.

Several 90mm mortars began targeted fire clearance.

There was an explosion.

The original light machine gun position was now silent.

The Japanese soldiers of the 1st Infantry Battalion immediately launched a full-scale attack under the command of their battalion commander Soichi Yanagawa.

This time the attack.

It is no longer a test of squad size.

Instead, they mobilized three squadrons to attack and seize two surrounding high ground at the same time.

This was the opportunity Yan Weiliang was waiting for.

He immediately called the mortar company and requested fire support.

At the same time, he ordered the four companies on the 131 and 132 heights to open fire at full capacity.

Not long after.

The Japanese soldiers who rushed to the mountainside were met with the first wave of fire attack from the first battalion.

The firepower that suddenly erupted was several times greater than before, and dozens of Japanese soldiers were killed in an instant.

This group of little devils seemed to have expected this.

Everyone lie down immediately.

He chose the nearest cover to hide and stopped the attack.

The grenade launchers quickly launched suppressive fire.

The several 90mm mortars they were equipped with immediately launched continuous targeted clearance operations against the positions of the first battalion.

It only took less than three minutes.

More than a dozen light and heavy machine guns were lost on the front line.

Yan Weiliang cursed angrily: "Damn little Japs! The enemy commander is risking his life to test my firepower."

The situation changed suddenly.

In Yan Weiliang's opinion, the Japanese devils on the opposite side simply did not take the lives of their soldiers seriously.

Use two infantry squadrons as bait to force them to expose their firepower.

For the Japanese commander.

These 300-odd elite Japanese soldiers are also a "price" that can be paid at any time.

Their fundamental purpose was to destroy the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army troops that were blocking them.

tricky!

It's quite tricky. These opponents are even more ruthless than the 20th Division that we fought against before.

At least, the Japanese soldiers of the 20th Division would make corresponding artillery preparations before attacking.

Instead of testing people's lives like this.

Just as Yan Weiliang was about to issue a new order.

Shells flew past overhead.

"Where's the cannon?"

Yan Weiliang was completely confused.

next second.

The phone rang and he picked it up quickly: "Hello!"

"I am Chu Yunfei. I have ordered the 30th Artillery Regiment to conduct a covering fire attack on the enemy's front line. Re-adjust the deployment immediately."

"Also, please report the situation on the frontline battlefield to me as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir!"

Yan Weiliang was shocked.

The battle had only been going on for less than half an hour.

At this critical juncture, their battalion had just fallen into a disadvantage.

The artillery support from the 30th Artillery Regiment has arrived.

Commander Chu's call was made to his forward command post.

Is it possible..
Commander Chu was observing the situation on the battlefield from some unknown location on the front line?
Or maybe he accurately predicted the tactical approach of this unit.

But, how is this possible?
There are so many Japanese troops active in the Shanxi area, and Commander Chu has never fought against the Sakata Regiment of the 4th Brigade before.

"Hey, Captain of the First Company, adjust the position of the heavy machine guns immediately and launch a counterattack?"

"Okay, okay, no problem."

"Be careful... Yes, we can't expose our firing points casually. We don't have many machine guns left."

"These damned Japs, yes, I'll call the regiment right away and ask them to send a few more machine guns over."

The artillery positions were destroyed.

This seemed to be within Sakata Nobutsu's expectations.

At this moment, he stood in front of the battle map with an expressionless face.

Based on the dozens of messages reported from the front line, accurately find the three most useful ones.

First, most of the enemy’s first-line firepower points have been destroyed.

Second, the enemy provided corresponding artillery support at the first opportunity.

Third, the two attacking infantry battalions had only suffered more than a hundred casualties.

Sakata Nobutsu said loudly: "Order, the First and Third Infantry Battalions, maintain a high-intensity offensive at all costs. Be sure to capture the high ground outside Nanguan Town before 3 pm."

"Also, send a telegram to General Xiangyue immediately and request the support of the aviation unit."

"Hay."

The old executioner Nobutsu Sakata was very calm.

The moment he learned that his opponent was Chu Yunfei's troops.

He has already made the corresponding preparations.

Occupy the two high ground currently occupied by the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.

It is equivalent to taking the initiative on the battlefield.

These two heights are the few commanding heights around.

It is also the fulcrum of the outer defense position of Nanguan Town.

Once lost.

This means that Nanguan Town will face the attack from the Sakata League.

The fighter jets he called for support immediately were able to destroy the enemy's artillery positions.

In the face of direct air threats.

It will also force the artillery positions to move continuously.

Nobutsu Sakata's command was impeccable, as Nanguan Town was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

He chose the most efficient and cold-blooded way of playing.

But how can there be no death in war?
As a commander, Nobutsu Sakata understood this.

Chu Yunfei naturally understood that some sacrifices were necessary.

An opponent like Nobutsu Sakata is extremely cold-blooded and can be said to have lost his humanity.

An opponent who has lost his humanity is certainly more difficult to deal with.

But defeating such a ferocious beast would also bring an indescribable pleasure to Chu Yunfei's heart.

It's like the moment when you catch a fish with your fishing rod.

Refreshing.

Under Chu Yunfei's command, the 30th Artillery Regiment continued to hide after a round of artillery fire.

Song Ming's troops in the heavy mortar battalion were under the personal command of Chu Yunfei.

Rush to Nanguan Town to strengthen the supporting firepower of the 197th Regiment.

Chief of Staff Fang Ligong on the side was constantly connecting with friendly forces.

Learn the location of the Eighth Route Army's encirclement and annihilation troops at this time.

Be fully prepared for the upcoming war.

The phone calls kept coming in.

The clerk in the confidential room was also very busy at this time.

Telegrams were sent back and forth continuously, and as soon as the battle started, the country entered a stage of saturation combat equipment.

"Commander Chu, the deputy commander called and said that all units have already entered their original combat positions."

"Reply: The Japanese search squadron was completely wiped out yesterday. Currently, the Nanguan Town garrison has been engaged in a firefight with the enemy Japanese Sakata Corps. Everything is going well and is proceeding as planned. It is expected that they will withdraw to the Jingcun line on the third day."

"Yes!"

Northern battlefield, front-line headquarters.

The Deputy Chief of General Staff now held the latest telegram in his hand and placed it in front of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief.

"The Sakata regiment will be the vanguard, while the Kasahara regiment equipped with a large number of heavy weapons will be in the rear. This is in line with their fighting style during the Wutai battle."

The deputy chief of staff sat aside and continued, "Today, the battle in Shexian has already started. Our Wang Detachment and Song Detachment attacked a part of the Japanese vanguard, killing and wounding more than 30 Japanese soldiers. They have now moved to the mountainous area to prepare for the next attack."

The deputy commander nodded.

The speed at which the Japanese troops moving westward gathered far exceeded expectations.

The Kimura Detachment was originally scheduled to set out after the encirclement and annihilation campaign began.

On the second day of the battle, they launched a fierce attack towards Shexian County.

Fortunately, all the troops had made preparations for battle in advance.

Except for Zhao Shoushan's 169th Division and Wu Shimin's th Division which were still on the way.

The various units of the Eighth Route Army and Zeng Wanzhong's Third Army have arrived at the Dongyang Pass line.

Of course.

Regardless of the 20th Division used as the main force by Kazuki Seiji.

It was the Kimura Detachment heading west.

For both China and Japan, this war is not the focus.

A small Nanguan town.

In fact, it attracted the attention of commanders at all levels from both China and Japan.

China side.

Whether it is the Eastern Route Army Headquarters, the Second War Zone Commander Headquarters, or even the Military Commission in Hengyang.

They were all paying attention to the battle situation in Nanguan Town, because their goal in this battle was to completely wipe out the 4th Brigade.

The reason why Commander of the North China Expeditionary Army, Hisaichi Terauchi, and even the Imperial Headquarters in Tokyo had to pay attention to this place was simply because this unit was named the 358th Brigade.

A ace main force in the Second War Zone commanded by Chu Yunfei.

That afternoon.

The Sakata Regiment still failed to break through the defense line of the Occupied 1st Battalion.

On the contrary, the frequent counterattacks by Yan Weiliang's first battalion caused considerable casualties.

In the afternoon, Nobutsu Sakata also received the most objective evaluation from the frontline commander.

The ratio of light and heavy firepower as well as the repair of fortifications are very ingenious.

The timing of the transition between offense and defense was also very accurate.

The most important thing is that there are some scattered foxholes on the mountain.

These soldiers had a strong will to fight. Even if they were wounded, they would detonate the grenades tied to their bodies and roll down the hillside to die together with their companions.

The Japanese soldiers didn't care about their lives, and the soldiers were not cowards who were afraid of death.

Li Kuishan believes.

The Japanese are cruel, so I will be even more cruel than them.

This is the Shaanxi Army.

Why is “Lengwa” called Lengwa?

It is because they are not afraid of death and because they dare to sacrifice.

The Japanese army launched a fierce attack for a whole day.

Neither of the two hills could be taken.

But the casualties of the first battalion were also heavy.

One-half of the troops have been killed or wounded.

Four hundred of them died in the battlefield, and there was no time to even transport their bodies.

Just when Yan Weiliang was about to request military support.

What he got was Chu Yunfei's order to retreat to Nanguan.
(End of this chapter)