Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 547 Not even a word of support

Inside the Second General Headquarters in Chang'an, Luo Ping looked at the Guo army's situation on the map with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Is Chang Ruiyuan going all out? Five army corps, nearly 5 men, the entire Nationalist army in the Northwest has been mobilized."

"It seems that the battle of Xianyang is inevitable."

"The more the better," Chen Chengxing said. "But I'm afraid this is just data on paper."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that Hu Shoushan and the two Mas seem to be working together closely; in reality, they are at odds."

"Even if the battle of Xianyang breaks out, I estimate that he will watch from the sidelines, at most firing a few shots in the Xiegu Pass and Meixian area."

The coordinated operations of the Guo army have never gone smoothly.

In the past, even two units couldn't coordinate well; now, with three units, it's even more impossible.

"The North China Corps is almost here. This is Hu and Ma's last chance. They can't possibly stay still and pretend nothing happened, can they?"

Before the arrival of the two North China Army Corps, this is the last chance for the Guo Army to retake Guanzhong.

Moreover, without Guanzhong, the two Ma's territories would be constantly under the threat of the G army.

Luo Ping felt that whether it was Ma Sanyuan, Ma Zixiang, or Hu Shoushan, they should all be able to understand the situation.

“Sometimes, you really can’t place too much hope in the Guo army.” Chen Chengxing shook his head.

In response to the joint operation plan of Hu and Ma, the First Field Army had already retreated in large numbers in accordance with the instructions of the Central Committee.

The Jingwei Triangle area was completely open, creating the illusion of a weak defense for the enemy, in order to lure the Hu Ma troops in.

Ye Si's plan was simple: to defend against the Ma Clique army's attack from the northwest, with Xianyang as the core; and to defend against Hu Shoushan's attack from the south bank of the Wei River, with Chang'an as the core.

Once the two North China Army Corps arrive, they will encircle and flank them.

However, Chen Chengxing estimated that Hu Shoushan would probably wait until the Ma family army had gained an advantage before launching a large-scale attack.

As for when Ma's army will break through, Chen Chengxing can only say it will be in the next life.

And things unfolded much as Chen Chengxing had predicted.

The Hu-Ma allied forces consisted of five corps, but only the Longdong Corps led by Ma Jixiang actually participated in the attack.

When Ma Jixiang led his troops in two groups to the outskirts of Xianyang, the other four army corps were either completely still or standing still.

In particular, Hu Shoushan was supposed to coordinate a simultaneous attack on Chang'an from the south bank of the Wei River.

However, Ma Jixiang had already launched an attack in Xianyang, while Hu Shoushan's 18th and 5th Corps had only just arrived in Meixian, still two hundred li away from Chang'an.

"Commander, the 22nd Detachment reports that the Ma Clique's cavalry has appeared in Wujiabao and Zhongwutai areas, five miles outside Xianyang City."

Xianyang had never experienced any battles, and not only were there no fortifications, but even the city walls were in a state of disrepair.

This is why the Second Vanguard Regiment was able to decide the outcome in a single battle.

To prevent the Ma Clique army from using its speed to break into Xianyang, the 22nd Brigade, after taking over the city's defenses, chose to move its lines outwards and is currently working to repair Xianyang's defenses.

“Ma Sanyuan’s Ningxia Legion hasn’t moved yet; Weibei can be handed over to the 22nd Detachment,” Chen Chengxing said.

"Old Chu, tell Zheng Hua to give him a good beating. Don't worry about the ammunition. I'll replenish his supply no matter how many he fires."

Although Ma Jixiang had 40,000 men, it was impossible for him to take down the 22nd Detachment that was defending the city, even though the city was in ruins.

Moreover, Chen Chengxing was certain that after Ma Jixiang was beaten, Ma Sanyuan would definitely retreat without a fight.

Of course, if Ma Sanyuan really wants to get involved, the 24th Detachment can support Xianyang from Chang'an at any time, and the armored combined arms battalion can also join the battlefield at any time.

"By the way, has Hu Shoushan made any moves? Where is he now?"

According to Ye Si's plan, the first step was to lure the 300,000-strong Hu-Ma coalition army to Xianyang and Chang'an before launching a flanking maneuver.

"After the Ma Clique army arrived on the outskirts of Xianyang, Hu Shoushan's troops showed signs of moving forward, but it was not obvious."

"However, the enemy's 36th Army has come out from Xiegu Pass and is advancing eastward along the Wei River."

"The 36th Army has come out?" Chen Chengxing asked, somewhat surprised.

Although Chen Chengxing didn't know what Hu Shoushan was thinking, that didn't stop the Second Boss from dealing with them.

"Have the 23rd Detachment retreat a bit. If the 36th Army comes in, the 21st and 23rd Detachments will attack them from both sides."

"Yes!"

On the outskirts of Xianyang, at the Wujiabao position, the Longdong Corps led by Ma Jixiang launched an offensive.

After putting down the binoculars, Ma Jixiang said, "It seems that the G army was in a hurry and their fortifications are not complete."

"Send an order to the 8th Cavalry Brigade to send a cavalry regiment to launch an attack and see if we can use speed to break through the G Army's defenses."

Upon receiving the order, the 15th Regiment of the 8th Cavalry Brigade launched an attack on the Wujiabao position with shouts and cheers.

Although cavalry is the natural nemesis of infantry, the Second General Headquarters was not the Western Route Army of yesteryear, and it was equipped with all kinds of light and heavy machine guns.

Although the positions were not yet fully constructed, the light and heavy machine guns and the well-prepared trenches made it difficult for the Ma Clique army to advance an inch.

The casualties caused by the cavalry charge far exceeded Ma Jixiang's expectations.

With just one powerful charge, the original cavalry regiment of over a thousand men was reduced to less than half its original size.

The remaining cavalry only dared to move around on the perimeter and did not dare to advance any further.

However, due to the oppressive rule of the Ma family, they dared not retreat without orders.

Inside the command post, Ma Jixiang looked at the cavalrymen falling in droves, her face grim.

"Is there a regiment on the other side? How come their firepower is so intense?"

Regardless of Ma Jixiang's opinion, the opposing position could only accommodate a regiment of troops.

However, in his mind, a regiment shouldn't have such strong firepower.

"Officer, according to intelligence, it seems that Chen Chengxing's Second Division has entered Shaanxi. I think the enemy is very likely the Second Division's troops."

"What do you mean by 'Second General' and 'Eighth General'?! Even if he were an American, he shouldn't act like this!" Ma Jixiang said angrily.

"This must be the G army concentrating the firepower of an entire unit, just to make us afraid and back down."

"If we slow down our attack or retreat, they can take the opportunity to build fortifications."

"I won't give him that chance!"

"Pass on my order: the 190th and 248th Divisions will attack the enemy positions from both flanks. The 8th Cavalry Brigade is to be ready. If the infantry breaks through the gap, they will immediately rush in and tear apart the G Army's defenses."

"yes!".
"Brothers! The gates of heaven have opened! Attack!"

"The Heavenly Gate opens! The Heavenly Gate opens! The Southern Heavenly Gate has opened, so we can ascend to heaven!"

The Ma family army roared and launched a dense charge.

The 221st Regiment on the position was a little confused as they watched the chaotic, running Nationalist troops.

"What are you doing? What era are we living in? Why are you still doing close-quarters assaults?" He Qifeng, the commander of the 221st Regiment, was speechless.

Previously, it was cavalry charges; now it's infantry charges in dense formations.

Do you still think of them as you used to?

"chief of staff."

"To!"

"Call the artillery position and give them a heads-up."

"Yes!"

In addition to the regimental artillery battalion, the heavy mortar battalion of the detachment's artillery regiment was also reinforced with 6 120mm mortars.

As the 120mm mortars opened fire, the attacking Ma Clique army swept across vast swathes of territory.

Sometimes, a single shell can wipe out most of a company.

After fighting for only half a day, Ma Jixiang looked at the casualty figures and could no longer bear it, so she chose to cease fire and retreat.

Inside the temporary command post, Ma Jixiang was restless, feeling as if he and his father had been tricked.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Ma Zixiang is currently in charge of military and political affairs in the Northwest. Without the army, let alone a military and political leader, even someone who shovels latrines could be killed at any time.

Ma Jixiang turned her head and asked, "Where are Ma Sanyuan and Hu Shoushan's troops?"

“No news at all.” The chief of staff shook his head.

"They're all bastards!" Ma Jixiang knew exactly what those two were thinking.

However, given the circumstances, Ma Jixiang had no choice but to accept this fact.

"Officer, we absolutely cannot continue our assault tomorrow," the chief of staff advised.

“If our troops are wiped out, Ma Sanyuan and Hu Shoushan’s troops will be even less likely to come.”

"Do you have any idea?"

"Lord Siren, I have already sent people to scout the area."

At dawn the next day, the soldiers of the 211th Regiment were all astonished to see the hundreds of oxen in front of the Ma Clique army. "Where did the Ma Clique army get so many oxen?"

"What else could it be? I think the common people will probably suffer again."

For ordinary people, an ox is probably the most precious asset in their home.

But now Ma Jixiang has snatched it onto the battlefield.

After this battle, very few of these oxen will likely survive.

On the Ma Clique army's position, officers of various ranks of the Kuomintang army were giving their final speeches.

"Brothers! The area ahead is full of Han Chinese!"

"Kill more Han Chinese, and you'll enter heaven!"

"Brothers! Kill the Han people and enter paradise!"

"kill!".
With a burst of gunfire, the frightened oxen, driven by the Ma Clique cavalry, began to charge forward.

The cavalry, once again shouting and yelling, followed behind the cattle, with the infantry behind them.

In order to win the battle in one fell swoop, Ma Jixiang deployed nearly 10,000 troops at once to launch a strong attack on Wujiabao from all directions at the same time.

Even though the soldiers were reluctant, they had no choice but to pull the trigger and keep firing at the herd of cattle as they watched them charge forward.

However, relying on oxen and cavalry charges, the Ma Clique army successfully covered the infantry's arrival at the front line.

Moreover, many cavalrymen used the passage created by the cattle herds to quickly storm into the 221st Regiment's position.

Under the lie of 'going to heaven,' the soldiers of the Ma Clique fought extremely bravely.

Due to the disparity in numbers, the 221st Regiment was having some difficulty fighting.

However, the position remained firmly in the hands of the 221st Regiment.

Seeing that the troops launched repeated attacks but were unable to break through the stalemate, Ma Jixiang could no longer contain herself.

"Chief of staff, order the two mountain artillery battalions to open fire immediately to suppress the G army's infantry guns and heavy machine guns."

"Order the 100th Division to join the battle. Are you saying that our entire army can't even defeat a single regiment on the other side?"

The 100th Division was the most elite division under Ma Zixiang's command, and the weapons he obtained from Chang Ruiyuan were always prioritized for equipping the 100th Division.

Although this division was not American-equipped, it was still a fully Japanese-equipped unit, and it was also equipped with a considerable number of submachine guns and small cannons.

To Ma Jixiang's disappointment, even with the fresh reinforcements of the 100th Division joining the battle, the 221st Regiment's position remained secure.

The fighting lasted from morning till night, and only a portion of the cavalry managed to penetrate the G army's lines using the momentum of the oxen.

But after they went in, nothing happened. Although gunfire broke out at the G army's position, there was no disturbance.

Moreover, the gunfire only lasted for ten minutes.

As darkness fell, Ma Jixiang had no choice but to cease fire and retreat once again.

Just as Ma Jixiang was racking her brains about how to fight after dawn, Zheng Hua had already led two battalions each from the 222nd and 223rd Regiments out of Xianyang through the west gate.
Inside the Longdong Corps headquarters, Ma Jixiang rubbed his temples with a headache: "Chief of Staff, there are no more cattle nearby, so the fire ox formation can't be used."

"The Ringmaster need not worry."

"If the cow is gone, there are other things, aren't there?"

"Anything else? The rest are either donkeys, pigs, sheep, or dogs, which are even more useless."

"The clerk forgot that the most abundant thing around here is people."

"What do you think would happen if we drove a large number of Han Chinese civilians to the front lines?"

"Huh? People? Yes! There are still people!" Ma Jixiang suddenly perked up.

"Doesn't the G Army always claim to be the people's army? I'd like to see if they'll open fire when they encounter civilians!"

"Hurry up and order all units to arrest people. At least a thousand people are to be arrested."

"Yes!"

The chief of staff walked to the phone, ready to make a call to issue an order, when he suddenly heard gunfire outside.

Immediately afterwards, the phone in front of me rang.

The chief of staff grabbed the phone and immediately asked, "What's going on? Where are they firing?"

"I am from the 248th Division! Left flank! My left flank position has been attacked by the G Army! The G Army's offensive is fierce!"

"This is Ma Jixiang, don't panic!" Ma Jixiang answered the phone: "How many G troops are attacking?"

"Reporting to the Siren, it's too dark, and the exact number is unknown! However, judging from the gunfire, the enemy should have more than three thousand men!"

Upon hearing that there were three thousand people, Ma Jixiang flew into a rage: "Bastards!"

"Your entire division of over 8,000 men was defeated by a single regiment of the G Army and had to call for reinforcements?"

"Officer, the G army is too strong, and the brothers are really struggling to hold on!"

Previously, when they attacked the G army's defenses, they only felt that the G army's firepower was strong.

I never imagined that the G army would face so much pressure during their offensive after the role reversal.

While he was making the call, the outermost positions had already been breached by the G army.

"Useless trash! You must hold on! I'll send reinforcements immediately!"

After slamming the phone down on the table, Ma Jixiang thought for a moment and gave the order:

"Send a regiment from the 100th Division to reinforce the 248th Division, and strengthen the defenses of the remaining troops to prevent the G Army from launching a night attack from other places."

"Yes!"

Ma Jixiang's concerns were not unfounded. In the latter half of the night, the fighting on the left flank had not yet ceased when the right flank was attacked.

The fierce battle between the two sides continued until dawn the next day, ending with Zheng Hua's voluntary withdrawal.

When the battle ended and the inventory was taken, Ma Jixiang trembled with heartache.

In just two short days, his casualties have exceeded five thousand.

Moreover, nearly two thousand people from the 248th Division are still missing, including Han Youlu, the commander of the 248th Division.

It's obvious without even thinking that these people were kidnapped by the G army.

"Damn it! We can't fight anymore!" Ma Jixiang said through gritted teeth.
“From the start of the war until now, it has been our Longdong Corps that has been fighting, while the Ningxia Corps has been hiding in the back.”

"Until now, there hasn't been a single word of support, not even artillery support!"

Ma Sanyuan's actions were simply unbearable for Ma Jixiang. He did nothing but stand by and watch. Wasn't this just deliberately trying to annoy him?

"Then shall we cease hostilities and withdraw?" the chief of staff asked.

"Retreat fifty kilometers!"

“But we must withdraw quietly,” Ma Jixiang added.

He wanted to see if the G army would target Ma Sanyuan after he withdrew.

However, things didn't go as planned; Ma Sanyuan had been keeping a close eye on Ma Jixiang.

As the Longdong Corps began its retreat, the Ningxia Corps had already returned to Pingliang in a flash.

As for Hu Shoushan, upon learning of the withdrawal of the two Mas, he immediately retreated to Chencang without looking back.

However, the 36th Army, which was at the forefront, was severely beaten by the 21st and 23rd Detachments of the Second General Headquarters.

With Hu Shoushan and the two Mas' hasty retreat, the original plan to take over Guanzhong ended in a dismal failure.

Changan.

Upon learning that Ma Jixiang had run away, everyone felt somewhat bored.

Chen Chengxing and Luo Ping even set up a chessboard.

"This Hu Shoushan is really lacking in courage. Why don't you attack Chang'an?" Luo Ping said while playing chess.

"Old Luo, you overestimate Hu Shoushan. Compared to the boss's aggressive style of play, his style is at best like a chicken pecking at rice."

Chen Chengxing had previously predicted that Hu Shoushan would not launch a major offensive, but in the end, not only did he not launch a major offensive, he didn't even launch an offensive.

If the 21st and 23rd detachments hadn't taken the initiative, the 36th Army probably wouldn't have been able to catch them.

"Chang Ruiyuan said that Hu Shoushan is ambitious but lacks talent. I think that four words are a bit of a waste to describe him."

"In the past, on the Central Plains battlefield, the Shandong battlefield, and the Central China battlefield, it was like gods fighting, with countless wonderful battles."

"When I got to the Northwest, I ran into Hu Shoushan. It was like drinking a mouthful of swill; it was really unpleasant."

"Just when I was starting to get into it, this guy finished it again."

"Forget it, let's not talk about him anymore, it's a downer."

Chen Chengxing picked up a chess piece: "Move the knight."

(End of this chapter)