Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 55 Going out again
10 month 13 day.

After occupying Yuanping, the Japanese army officially launched a full-scale attack on the Xinkou Defense Line.

As the core position on the front battlefield, Nan Huaihua was subjected to a frenzied siege by a large number of Japanese troops.

The burden of the battle fell on Hao Mengling's shoulders.

He led and commanded the 9th Army and the 19th, 35th and 61st Armies of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army to hold the main positions north of Xinkou.

Under the brave resistance of the entire army, the Japanese offensive temporarily slowed down, but they always kept their eyes on Nanhuaihua.

……

Yangqu.

Temporary 1st Brigade Command.

According to the troop deployment plan proposed by the theater command, the 1st Brigade, as an elite combat force, is not one of the three army groups, but belongs to the general reserve.

The supreme command was transferred to Fu Zuoyi.

After resting in the rear for half a month, the overall appearance of the Temporary 1st Brigade was completely renewed.

On the parade ground.

The soldiers below carried rifles on their backs, held their heads high, looked forward, and their faces were as strong as gold.

A murderous atmosphere permeated the field.

The brand new military flag fluttered in the strong wind. The soldiers stood straight, saying nothing, waiting for their superiors to arrive.

In just half a month.

The temporary brigade has undergone tremendous changes.

The conscription work in Yangqu and other places lasted only three days.

At first, the conscription work was not smooth.

The Japanese invaders had already reached Xinkou. Upon hearing the news, some people in Yangqu area immediately abandoned their homes and businesses and migrated south.

There were very few civilians stranded here, and all the young and strong people who were eager to fight and defend the country had joined other Shanxi-Suiyuan Army units very early.

The high-quality soldiers have almost been harvested by friendly forces, and the remaining civilians are generally less willing to voluntarily join the army.

The basic quality is also very poor.

But Wang Feng was not picky. As long as anyone wanted to join the 1st Temporary Brigade and had the courage to fight the Japanese invaders for their lives, he would accept them.

Poor physical fitness and malnutrition since childhood?
As long as you have healthy limbs and can pull the trigger, that's enough!

At the same time, in order to increase visibility and discover more potential recruits, Wang Feng directly ordered all troops to organize high-profile parades.

The flag of the Temporary Brigade fluttered in the wind in the streets, and neighbors came out of their homes when they heard the news.

"One trip for now?"

“I seem to have heard of it somewhere.”

"How foolish! Have you forgotten? This is our Shanxi anti-Japanese hero!"

"I remember now, it was the unit that fought against the Japanese at Pingxingguan!"

"If my son can fight the Japanese with such a unit, my Li family will be honored."

Looking at the soldiers of the Temporary Brigade crossing the streets in a heroic and high-spirited manner, the people nearby talked to each other.

Compared with other Jinsui Army units, the 1st Temporary Brigade was undoubtedly far ahead in terms of appearance and military posture.

News of the high-profile draft spread quickly, like a boulder dropped into a calm pond.

A large number of young and strong men of military age flocked to the temporary recruitment stations on the streets and alleys to write their names on the roster.

In addition to recruiting soldiers in the county, Wang Feng also did not neglect the vast rural areas.

In just three days, more than 4,700 people were recruited.

Not only did they make up for the 2,700-man shortage, but they also expanded the total number of troops to more than 11,000. All three regiments were now fully staffed, and with the added effect of the [Human Wave Assault] tactic, they had all reached the [Initial Training] stage.

If you want to reach the next level, you can only rely on gaining more experience from the battlefield.

Wang Feng organized the more than 2,000 extra soldiers into a new reserve force and handed them over to Deputy Brigade Commander Song Wenjie for command.

During the battle, replenish the shortfalls in the front-line troops and be vigilant against possible Japanese attacks from unexpected directions at any time.

During a truce, they are responsible for assisting the logistics troops in carrying ammunition or wounded soldiers, and cooperating with the front-line engineering troops in building and reinforcing fortifications.

The actual combat effectiveness of an elite reinforced brigade with such a large force is no less than that of an army-level unit.

Wang Feng came from behind and walked quickly towards the platform.

Zhao Fangyuan stood at attention and said, "Report to the commander, the entire brigade has assembled!"

Wang Feng cleared his throat: "Everyone."

Soldiers below: “Hello, sir!”

Then he looked around and saluted slightly with his right hand: "The battle is imminent, so I will be brief."

"The Japanese invaders' ambitions of aggression are obvious. They want to swallow up the 400 million Chinese people with their tiny country."

"That is absolutely wishful thinking. Our friendly forces have already blocked the Japanese invaders at the Xinkou line with their blood. This is when they need us!"

"Our superiors have asked us to support our friendly forces in Nanhuaihua and fight the enemy together!"

"We will fight the Japanese invaders on the road paved with the blood of our friendly forces."

"Our army will win this battle!"

The soldiers below raised their right arms and shouted louder and louder, rushing forward to confuse right and wrong.

"Must win!"

"Must win!"

"Our army will win!"

The extinguished flame in Sergei's heart was ignited by the atmosphere present. He recalled the passionate moments as a Soviet veteran and listened to the deafening shouts. A surge of blood rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

In the end, he couldn't help but shout:
"Ula!"

After a brief mobilization meeting, the entire army quickly set out and headed straight for Nanhuaihua.

Late at night, the troops were still marching quickly.

There was a sound of hurried horse hooves. Zhao Fangyuan jumped off his horse and walked to Wang Feng in panic: "Sir, a telegram just came in saying that Nanhuaihua has been lost."

Wang Feng frowned and replied softly, "Okay, I understand."

"Notify all troops to continue advancing along the original route. The communications squad is waiting for the telegram from the headquarters."

Wang Feng spoke in a calm tone and issued military orders quickly.

In fact, he had already prepared himself for the fall of Nan Huaihua.

The 9th Brigade, an elite unit under Seishirō Itagaki, was responsible for the attack.

Historically, he should have been transferred to attack Baoding, but due to some strange circumstances he remained on the battlefield in Shanxi.

"Order the 1300st Regiment as the vanguard to speed up and reach Jinshan Heights before daybreak!"

Zhao Fangyuan responded quickly: "I understand!"

Looking at the overall situation, Jinshan, as the only mountain range on the battlefield, is of great significance.

The 1300 high ground is the commanding height of Jinshan.

Whoever occupies this place will be able to seize the initiative on the battlefield.

The Japanese invaders have already occupied Nanhuaihua, and the next step must be Hill 1300.

(End of this chapter)