Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 78 If you are unlucky, your fart will hit your heels
Chen Chengxing’s prediction was very accurate. They had just reunited with the brigade headquarters when they were called over by the brigade commander.

"Chen Chengxing, Li Yunlong, you two did a great job. You completely wiped out this group of Japanese and puppet troops." The brigade commander said with a smile.

"Hey, there are only 300 Japanese soldiers here. As for those puppet Mongolian troops, their combat effectiveness is not even second-rate. So, can't we defeat them easily?" Li Yunlong said with confidence.

Chen Chengxing on the side just pursed his lips and said nothing. Chen Chengxing knew very well that after the brigade commander finished his next sentence, Li Yunlong would probably not be able to laugh anymore.

Although Chen Chengxing's insight was only level 1, he could still easily see the brigade commander's obvious purpose.

It was only now that Li Yunlong was overwhelmed by the cavalry company, otherwise he would have seen that the brigade commander had ill intentions.

Sure enough, the brigade commander's next words came.

"I want to congratulate you on your fortune," said the brigade commander.

"Small fortune, it's all small fortune." Li Yunlong is still grinning.

"Since it's just a small fortune, then stop talking nonsense. You have seized 182 military horses this time. Send me 123 sets of cavalry equipment, and you can divide the rest among yourselves." The brigade commander knew everything about the seizures of the New st and New nd Regiments.

The 123 sets of equipment that the brigade commander wanted were exactly the equipment for a Japanese cavalry squadron, and the brigade commander wanted to set up a cavalry company of his own.

Upon hearing the brigade commander's words, Li Yunlong's face immediately drooped.

"No, no, brigade commander, I still want to form a cavalry battalion." Li Yunlong begged for mercy. This time, all the cavalry equipment was allocated to the new regiment.

Although 182 sets of equipment are far from enough for a cavalry battalion, they are still much less than the 340 people in a Japanese cavalry battalion.

But Li Yunlong thought about it and realized that he could just get some more horses himself and then reduce the civilian and logistics of the cavalry battalion, so that he could set up the cavalry battalion.

If the brigade commander takes away 123 sets, there will only be 59 horses left, which is enough to not only build a cavalry battalion but even a cavalry company.

"You want to form a cavalry battalion for each regiment? Then don't I have to have a cavalry regiment?" said the brigade commander.

You should know that the 129th Division only has one cavalry battalion directly under its command.

"Based on your reputation as a brigade commander, even a cavalry division would not be an exaggeration." Li Yunlong apologized with a smile.

"But Brigade Commander, didn't we agree at the beginning that each of our core regiments would develop independently and rely on their own abilities? You can't go back on your word, can you?" Li Yunlong said.

"That's true." The brigade commander did not deny it.

"But are you developing independently now? Isn't it the unified military operation of the 129th Division? Hasn't your New st Regiment always been operating with the headquarters?"

"According to the regulations, all captured items must be turned over to the public. Have you turned them over? Or do you think 123 sets of cavalry equipment are too few and want to turn in those rifles and light machine guns as well?"

"Don't be so ungrateful, kid," said the brigade commander.

Li Yunlong was left speechless by the brigade commander's words.

"Well, a higher-ranking official can crush people. I'll have someone send it over in a minute." Li Yunlong said helplessly. If he continued talking, he would be left with nothing.

After the two left the brigade headquarters, Li Yunlong sighed all the way.

As they walked, Li Yunlong felt that he couldn't just let it go like this. He couldn't be the only one to suffer the losses, right?
Li Yunlong raised his head and prepared to talk to Chen Chengxing: "Old Chen, our previous seizures..."

Chen Chengxing seemed not to have heard what Li Yunlong said, but turned to Wei Dayong and said, "What? The political commissar wants to see me for something urgent? I'll go back now."

Then he trotted away.

Li Yunlong and Wei Dayong were the only ones left confused.

But soon Wei Dayong also left, leaving only Li Yunlong.

"Damn it, I spent the whole day hunting geese, but got my eye pecked by a goose!" Li Yunlong cursed after he realized what was happening.

What's the matter? Isn't the political commissar of the New Second Regiment in the base? You can't even think of a better excuse.

But Chen Chengxing refused to cooperate with him, and Li Yunlong had no choice. The equipment had already been distributed to each regiment. He couldn't just go to the New Second Regiment to steal it, right?
"When a person is unlucky, even his farts will hit his heels." Li Yunlong sighed to the sky.

Two days later, the division commander led the teaching regiment, the 2st Regiment and his direct subordinate troops to the outskirts of Fu'an and formally surrounded Fu'an.

After analysis, the division commander said: "The Japanese army has been hit repeatedly and is actually in a passive situation." "According to intelligence, there are about 2000 Japanese troops and more than 2 puppet troops in Fu'an City."

"With these troops, facing the 2th Division of less than 129 people, it is unlikely that they will take the initiative to attack."

Although the 129th Division did not bring over all its troops, the six regiments that participated in the battle, except for the independent regiment, could be considered fully staffed.

Numbered field regiments such as the 771st and 772nd Regiments have a strength of over 3500 men.

Adding the direct troops of the 386th Brigade and the 129th Division, even if the number is not as high as 2, it is almost there.

This does not even include the auxiliary local forces, the 385th Brigade that has already blocked the enemy's support in Suian and Suicheng areas.

"I think we should continue to adopt the tactics of 'siege and trap the enemy, force the enemy to abandon the city, concentrate our forces, and annihilate the enemy through movement'," said the division commander.

The 3000 Japanese puppet troops, with the help of Fu'an's city walls, were able to kill a large number of attacking troops.

The 129th Division attacked Fu'an to teach the Japanese a lesson and ensure the safety of the border government, not to fight a life-and-death battle with the Japanese in Fu'an.

Moreover, the Japanese are notoriously petty. After suffering such a heavy blow this time, they will definitely seek revenge.

If the troops suffered serious damage in Fu'an, the 129th Division would find it difficult to resist the Japanese's subsequent retaliatory raid, which would run counter to the original intention of the battle.

Only by ensuring sufficient threat will the Japanese dare not threaten the security of the border area from northwest Shanxi, otherwise the 129th Division can cut off their retreat at any time.

After subsequent discussion, the division of labor among each unit was clarified.

Among them, the teaching regiment, the division's direct troops and local troops continued to besiege Fu'an, forcing the Japanese to abandon the city and flee.

Of course, the division commander also specifically instructed that if the Japanese tried to escape from the city, they would be allowed to escape and the follow-up troops would ambush them.

The 771st Regiment, the 772nd Regiment and the 386th Brigade's direct troops, led by Brigadier General Chen, advanced northward to the Yanghekou area 20 miles away from Fu'an and set up a pocket formation.

The New 1st Regiment, the New 2nd Regiment and the Independent Regiment advanced eastward along the Tongpu Railway to block the Japanese troops heading towards Pinggang and Taiyuan.

Naosuke Chida stood on the gate tower of Fu'an City, observing the movements outside with a telescope.

"Colonel, according to intelligence, the one besieging our unit this time is the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, with a strength of 2 men," said Chief of Staff Tokugawa Kenji.

"The Eighth Route Army is really generous. They are not afraid of the collapse of the situation caused by the locust army eating them." said Takuto Matsui.

However, Takuto Matsui had to admit that the Eighth Route Army had seized the opportunity very accurately.

Now the First Army's large force of tens of thousands of people is fighting against Wei Junru's troops of the Guo Army in southern Shanxi, and is completely unable to take care of the small battle in northwestern Shanxi.

This means that Fu'an may not be able to obtain much reinforcement.

"Colonel, what should we do now? Without supplies, the troops may not be able to hold out for too long." said Tokugawa Kenji.

Although Fu'an's city walls are strong, its population is not large and its supplies are not abundant.

Especially after the Japanese occupied Fu'an, in order to ensure safety, they drove a large number of civilians out of the city.

Now, apart from the Japanese devils, there are also Chinese who are forced to serve the Japanese devils and puppet army traitors.

The Japanese had to ensure that these people could survive, otherwise all the chores would have to be done by the Japanese soldiers themselves. They couldn't ask the soldiers to do even the job of shoveling shit, right?

"The division commander has assembled troops in Suicheng. The Takeuchi Regiment has withdrawn to Suicheng. Reinforcements should arrive in a while."

"However, in order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the troops, you must immediately organize the confiscation of all supplies in the city, implement a rationing system, and try to extend the use time of the supplies." Chida Naosuke ordered.

"Hai!"

However, the development of things far exceeded Chida Naosuke's expectations. After the Takeuchi League withdrew to Suicheng, it was also prepared to support Fu'an.

However, the various units of the 385th Brigade had already turned the Japanese rear upside down.

The Takeuchi Regiment was exhausted just supporting the surrounding counties and towns, and could not spare much troops to support Fu'an.

(End of this chapter)