Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Hunan Province, at the foot of Mount Heng (Nanyue).

This place is far removed from the smoke and scorched earth of the front lines in western Hubei.

In early summer, Mount Heng is a landscape of layered peaks and towering ancient trees. Clouds and mist swirl around the mountain paths paved with bluestone slabs, and the occasional distant chime of a bell adds to the solemnity and grandeur.

Inside a spacious military training hall hidden deep in a pine forest, the atmosphere was both solemn and enthusiastic.

On both sides of the long conference table, a constellation of stars gathered.

If a Japanese spy were to drop a bomb here at this moment,
The entire command structure of the Chinese military in China will suffer a devastating blow.

Above the main seat.

Chu Yunfei, dressed in military uniform with his top button fastened meticulously, stood upright with his hands folded on the table, his deep gaze sweeping over every face present.

On the left are Sun Lianzhong, senior commander of the Sixth War Zone; Wu Qiwei, commander of the Yangtze River Defense Force; and Wang Jingjiu, commander of the Tenth Army Group.

On the right are a group of military commanders who made outstanding contributions in the recently concluded bloody battle.

Wang Yaowu, commander of the 74th Army.

Fang Tian, ​​commander of the 18th Army, and Hu Lian, commander of the 11th Division, a valiant general under his command.

Chi Fengcheng, commander of the 30th Army, and Wang Zhen, commander of the 30th Division.

And Song Kentang, commander of the 32nd Army, Wang Jiaben, commander of the 79th Army, and others.

In addition, Zhao Pengcheng, as the recorder of this meeting, sat upright in the shadows behind Chu Yunfei, with a thick stack of battle reports piled up in front of him.

"Everyone."

Chu Yunfei spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it echoed clearly in the quiet hall.

"Yichang has been liberated! Congratulations!"

"The main force of the Japanese 11th Army was buried by us on the banks of the Yangtze River."

"This is another victory we have achieved since the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan."

"The soldiers will naturally be forever recorded in history along with this glorious war of resistance against Japan."

The generals all wore expressions of pride.

Especially Chi Fengcheng and Wang Zhen, who stood up straight, exuding the confidence of former "ragtag" individuals who had finally regained their pride.

"but."

Chu Yunfei changed the subject, his gaze becoming serious:

"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand."

"Behind this victory lies the blood of countless brothers."

"In this battle, we also suffered heavy casualties. The consumption of equipment and supplies, as well as the number of civilian casualties, are all significant."

"Junming, read out the battle reports compiled from all the units."

"Yes."

Pang Junming stood up and opened the folder.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became solemn, and everyone held their breath.

"The following is a summary of the combat losses and results of the participating units during the decisive phase of the Battle of Western Hubei:"

Pang Junming's voice was steady and powerful: "The 74th Army."

Wang Yaowu immediately sat up straight.

"To shoulder the heavy responsibility of infiltration, division and blocking of the 13th Division."

"The second count resulted in the killing of over 11,400 enemy soldiers and the capture of over 300 Japanese soldiers."

"More than 1,800 officers and soldiers were killed in action, and more than 1,200 were seriously wounded."

Upon hearing the casualty figures, Wang Yaowu's eyes twitched slightly.

The 74th Army contributed the most, but the victory was achieved at a ratio of one to one casualty.

"The 18th Army".

Fang Tian and Hu Lian looked solemn.

"They were tasked with direct defense and performed well during counter-attacks."

"A total of more than 8 enemy soldiers were killed, and more than 600 semi-permanent Japanese defensive fortifications were destroyed."

"More than 1,800 officers and soldiers were killed in action, and more than 1,200 were seriously wounded."

"Among them, the casualty rate of junior officers at all levels in the 11th Division exceeded 40%."

Chu Yunfei nodded slightly and looked at Hu Lian: "Brother Boyu, your platoon leader has changed, hasn't he?"

Hu Lian stood up, his eyes slightly red, and gave a standard military salute: "Reporting to the Chief Advisor, as long as we can defend the country's borders and drive the Japanese out, even if the entire 11th Division is sacrificed, we will not hesitate!"

"Sit down." Chu Yunfei waved his hand: "You have shown the might of the Central Army, and you have not disgraced Brother Cixiu or the Chairman."

Pang Junming continued reading: "The 30th Army."

Chi Fengcheng and Wang Zhen exchanged a glance, a hint of arrogance flashing in their eyes.

"To undertake the tasks of flanking assault and urban warfare assault."

"A total of more than 4,200 enemy soldiers were killed."

"More than 1,800 officers and soldiers were killed in action, and more than 1,200 were seriously wounded."

"There is another matter that needs to be emphasized: According to the report of Commander Chi Fengcheng, the 30th Army has captured various military supplies worth about three million silver dollars."

As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked.

Even Sun Lianzhong couldn't help but glance at him.

This casualty ratio is nothing short of a miracle in a battle of attrition.

"That was a smart move," Chu Yunfei commented. "This is the result of the military reorganization—using our brains to fight, instead of simply throwing lives away."

"The 10th Army Group and the 32nd Army".

Wang Jingjiu and Song Kentang bowed slightly.

"Responsible for blocking reinforcements from the perimeter and clearing out the remaining enemy forces. A total of more than 8,500 enemy soldiers were killed, while the total number of casualties on our side was more than 6,000."

"The river defense army and the 7th Army, and other cooperating units..."

As the numbers were announced one by one, the full picture of a grand battle was clearly revealed to everyone.

Finally, Pang Junming closed the file, his voice rising a few decibels:
The following is a summary of the overall operations in northern and western Hubei:

"During the battle, our army annihilated a total of 75,700 Japanese soldiers (including the results of air raids and naval strikes)."

"More than 800 Japanese soldiers were captured alive."

"More than 11,300 puppet troops."

"Our troops involved in the battle suffered a total of over 15 dead and over 000 seriously wounded."

"Overall, this was the battle with the closest casualty exchange ratio between the enemy and ourselves since the start of the war, and also the most brilliant results!"

A brief silence fell over the hall.

Nearly 70,000 soldiers died in battle.

This is not just a number, but also the story of nearly 70,000 broken families, and the passionate blood shed across the mountains and rivers of western Hubei.

Chu Yunfei slowly stood up and picked up the bowl of tea in front of him.

Everyone stood up.

"Everyone."

Chu Yunfei raised his teacup, his gaze sweeping across the verdant Hengshan Mountain outside the window:
"This first bowl of tea is dedicated to our brothers who are buried in Yichang, Shipai, Changyang and other places."

"Without them, we wouldn't have the opportunity to sit here and have this meeting today."

With solemn expressions, everyone raised their cups and poured the tea onto the bluestone ground in front of them.

"The second thing."

Chu Yunfei put down his teacup and looked at Fang Tian and Chi Fengcheng.

"Regarding the commendation for 'first ascent of the Yichang City Defense Command Headquarters'."

The atmosphere in the hall eased a little.

Fang Tian and Chi Fengcheng were both a little nervous, after all, everyone wanted to win the first prize.

"I've heard about it." A smile appeared on Chu Yunfei's lips. "It took two people to help plant that flag."

"One was from the 18th Army, and the other from the 30th Army."

“Since our brothers can fight side by side on the battlefield, we officers shouldn’t be so particular about it.”

"We reported this matter to the General Headquarters immediately."

"The General Staff made the decision that very night."

"The primary credit for the Yichang offensive phase of the Western Hubei Campaign."

"The 18th Army and the 30th Army are ranked equally!"

"The Chairman has given a special instruction that Regiment Commander Luo Weijun and Regiment Commander Zhao Tiezhu be promoted one rank and awarded the Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun!"

"Each member of the participating assault team will be rewarded with one hundred silver dollars!"

"Thank you, Chief Consultant!"

"In addition, the promotion and commendation of commanders in the other participating units will also be carried out gradually in the future. This is a big project, and those who have made contributions will definitely be rewarded according to their merits!"

Fang Tian and Chi Fengcheng saluted in unison, their faces beaming with joy.

This is not just an honor, but also a demonstration that the current command clearly treats the two different factions of the army equally.

Now, with the liberation of the Yichang area.

Fang Tian and others had also discussed this privately.

They even worried whether the river defense army would still exist.

Upon learning of the commendation order, Wu Qiwei, Fang Tian, ​​and the others were relieved.

"Alright, the merit record is done, and the compensation will be paid in full." Chu Yunfei sat down again.

As he moved, the atmosphere in the hall, which had been slightly relaxed due to the awarding of prizes, instantly froze again.

Chu Yunfei remained silent.

I just stared quietly at the teacup in my hand, as if it reflected the thousands of mountains and rivers of western Hubei.

a long time.

He suddenly spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority: "We'll have plenty of time to drink this celebratory wine later."

"The distribution of pension money is to appease the hearts of the living and to comfort the souls of the dead."

"But for us who are alive, especially the commander sitting here."

Chu Yunfei suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp as he scanned the entire room:
"Our mission is far from over."

"Victory often masks many problems."

"I've kept you all here today not to hear me sing praises, but to find fault with this campaign and identify its root causes!"

The whole audience was silent.

Wang Yaowu, Fang Tian, ​​Chi Fengcheng, and others immediately straightened their backs, took out their notebooks, and looked even more nervous than during the pre-battle mobilization.

Chu Yunfei's gaze first fell on Wang Yaowu.

"Brother Zuomin."

Wang Yaowu immediately stood up: "Yes!"

"The 74th Army, the iron army in the War of Resistance against Japan, truly lived up to its name."

Chu Yunfei said calmly, "But your casualties are too high, and your losses are quite significant, which worries me greatly."

"To annihilate 11,000 enemies, we will suffer 10,000 casualties ourselves."

"This is a life-for-life fighting style."

"I know the 74th Army is capable of fighting tough battles and is willing to fight with bayonets. But when it was cutting off the 13th Division's retreat west of Shipai, why did the 51st Division launch three desperate charges when it already had advantageous terrain?"

Wang Yaowu paused for a moment, then explained, "The Japanese counterattack was fierce at the time, and I wanted to overwhelm them with my momentum..."

Chu Yunfei pointed out incisively: "Momentum is important, but firepower is fundamental!"

"The 74th Army was equipped with so many Soviet and American machine guns and mortars, yet in mountain defense warfare, it still used the 'dense formation counterattack' tactic from plains positional warfare."

"This is using the lives of elite veterans to fill the enemy's grenade launchers!"

"If the 51st Division had been able to construct an inverted V-shaped crossfire network, letting the Japanese within 50 meters before engaging them, your casualties could have been reduced by at least 30%!"

Wang Yaowu was startled.

He was a top student at the Whampoa Military Academy and a renowned general in the War of Resistance against Japan.

After a brief deduction, I broke out in a cold sweat.

The 51st Division must have been blinded by rage at the time, neglecting to maximize the effectiveness of its firepower and only thinking about solving the problem with bayonets.

These battle reports all mentioned this, and I never expected that Chu Yunfei would actually read every single unit's battle report so carefully.

"You must remember this," Chu Yunfei said earnestly, "The 74th Army is a strategic mobile force. Your soldiers are treasures, not expendable resources. Learn to kill with firepower and terrain, not with flesh and blood."

"Turning the 'fierce tiger descending the mountain' into a 'nimble and swift cheetah' is the only way forward for the 74th Army."

Wang Yaowu took a deep breath and saluted solemnly: "Yes, Chief Advisor."

Immediately afterwards, Chu Yunfei looked at Fang Tian and Hu Lian.

"The 18th Army, the ace of the Civil Engineering Department, has the best tactical skills in the entire army, and I agree with that."

Before Fang Tian could even show a hint of joy, Chu Yunfei abruptly changed the subject:
“However, Brother Boyu, according to your battle report summary, your casualty rate for junior officers is as high as 40%.”

"What does this mean? Have you thought about it?"

Hu Lian's face paled: "This... is because officers at all levels of the 18th Army led from the front..."

"Leading by example is a virtue, but it can also be a hidden danger!"

Chu Yunfei tapped the table, his voice stern: "If the platoon leader leads the charge and is killed, the entire platoon will lose its command core, and the attack will immediately come to a standstill or even fall into chaos!"

"The 18th Army was like a precision instrument, but it relied too much on the parts called 'Whampoa Military Academy officers'."

"If we don't establish a sound system for non-commissioned officers (who are actually squad leaders and veterans) to act as commanders, and if we don't teach your squad leaders to think like platoon leaders."

"Once the battle becomes protracted and your officers are exhausted, the 18th Army, this machine, will be paralyzed!"

"The 18th Army's fighting style is very disciplined and precise, but it also often indicates its vulnerability."

Hu Lian and Fang Tian exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with thought.

They have always been proud of the "officers leading the charge".

In Chu Yunfei's eyes, this had become a fatal weakness.

But upon closer reflection, it's true that in the later stages of this offensive, there were indeed several companies that were forced to withdraw due to the death of their company commanders.

Chu Yunfei's words directly hit the Achilles' heel of the Central Army's elite troops!

after all.

The reason why this group of central army soldiers were able to crush various warlords was because of their three key tactics, the most effective of which was the officer suicide squad.

And now.

Chu Yunfei, who places the utmost emphasis on the quality of grassroots military cadres, openly opposes this tactic of leading the charge.

This clearly demonstrates that future military development will inevitably require further adjustments!
Finally, Chu Yunfei looked at Chi Fengcheng.

"The 30th Army fought the most actively, captured the most spoils, and controlled casualties the best."

A simple, honest smile appeared on Chi Fengcheng's face.

"But!" Chu Yunfei sneered, "they also have the worst discipline!"

Chi Fengcheng's smile froze on his face.

"I heard that during urban warfare, two battalions almost came to blows over a single attack route. Is that true?"

Chi Fengcheng looked at the division commander beside him.

Wang Zhen nodded silently.

Chu Yunfei continued, "To save trouble, the communications soldier actually used plain language to call for artillery support!"

"What would have happened if the Japanese army still had the ability to retaliate, and if their intelligence departments were still operational?!"

Chu Yunfei stood up and walked to Chi Fengcheng:

“Some people call your aggressive style of fighting ‘wolf tactics.’ Such fighting spirit is certainly good, but without a unified ‘alpha wolf’ signal, the pack will turn into mad dogs, which is not what I want.”

"After returning, we must strengthen communication discipline and multi-service coordination standards."

"I don't want to see your soldiers delaying battle opportunities next time because they're vying for credit!"

Chi Fengcheng's forehead was sweating, and he nodded repeatedly: "Yes, the chief advisor is right! I'll make changes as soon as I get back!"

After reviewing the three main forces.

Chu Yunfei turned around, looked at the map on the wall, and put forward the last, and most shocking, point of view for the generals present.

"Aside from the specific problems of each department, this battle exposed a common problem."

"That is—a disastrous performance of land-air coordination."

The generals were taken aback.

The air support in this battle was substantial; how could it be described as catastrophic?
"Our air force and American pilots are flying in the sky, but they can't distinguish targets on the ground at all."

"I received three reports that attack aircraft had to return with bombs because they could not confirm the boundary between enemy and friendly forces, or that they accidentally bombed friendly forces."

Chu Yunfei took a bright red strip of cloth from Zhao Pengcheng and threw it on the table: "This is my suggestion."

"From today onwards, all assault units at the regimental level and above must be equipped with an 'air liaison platoon,' which, in addition to carrying self-defense weapons, must also carry cloth!"

"To incite friendly air force attacks, they need to lay down red T-shaped cloths."

"When stopping, lay down a yellow strip of cloth."

"and."

“We immediately set about training ‘Forward Air Controllers’ (the prototype of FACs, laying the foundation for the future).”

"Move the radios that can communicate with the Air Force directly into the infantry regiment's command post!"

"This allows our frontline regimental commanders to directly shout at the planes in the sky."

"Instead of reporting up the chain of command like we do now, by the time the plane arrives, it's too late."

Quiet.

Deathly silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Chu Yunfei, as if they were looking at an alien.

Should the radio station be moved down to the regimental level?

Directly commanding aircraft?

Using a strip of cloth to indicate a target?
These unheard-of tactical concepts completely overturned their understanding.

In an era when even infantry-artillery coordination often goes wrong, Chu Yunfei has already begun to conceive of integrated command of "infantry, tanks, and air force".
Can they really do it?

a long time.

Sun Lianzhong, commander of the Sixth War Zone, sighed and led the applause.

"Chief Advisor..."

"A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of studying military strategy."

"If we had fought this war earlier, we wouldn't have lost half of our country!"

Fang Tian, ​​Wang Yaowu, and others also stood up.

His eyes no longer held merely awe, but rather a deep and heartfelt reverence. (End of Chapter)