The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 310 Gathering (Two Chapters Combined)

On October 29th, the day after the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment annihilated the Japanese special forces led by Yamamoto Ichiki, it was a little after 8 a.m.

At a mountain pass three miles outside Zhangjiayu Village, Annie stopped.

Turning to Hu Biao and Mina beside him, he gave them a very straightforward instruction: "Alright! That's enough for now. You two have a lot to do."

That's right! Today, Annie will be bringing Qiu Kuiyong and a dozen or so other people.

They returned to Taiyuan with two large truckloads of "Flying Tiger" brand cigarettes, not staying a few more days as originally planned.

The main reason for their hasty departure was that they all suspected the Japanese would launch an attack on the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment ahead of schedule, so Annie rushed back.

Before the Japanese attack, gather some crucial supplies and send them over.

They also wanted to gather more intelligence to provide for Hu Biao and his team's decision-making.

Upon hearing this, Hu Biao, knowing that this was not the time for sentimental talk, nodded decisively and uttered the following:
"Alright, then I wish you a safe journey, and please be careful along the way and after you arrive in Taiyuan."

Nodding, before leaving, Annie thought of something and then gave Hu Biao another piece of advice:
"I felt something was off about that company of the Jin-Sui Army. The quality of its soldiers was far superior to that of other Jin-Sui Army units."

During this period, many of their wounded soldiers were unable to leave and needed to stay in Zhangjiayu to recuperate. Please keep an eye on them to prevent any further trouble.

“No problem! I’ll pick a few of the smarter brothers to keep an eye on them.” Hu Biao solemnly agreed.

Then, Annie hugged Hu Biao and Mina separately, then turned and strode away.

Throughout the entire process, he didn't look back even once; he merely raised his hand and waved it twice, and his back view actually looked quite carefree.

Hu Biao and his sister-in-law only turned and left after Annie's figure had completely disappeared from sight.

However, after the two reached the entrance of Zhangjiayu village, they greeted each other and then went about their own business.

The difference is that before getting busy with important matters, Hu Biao went to the pigsty first to see how the old sow was doing and whether she was living a good life.
The reason for this was that if it weren't for the old sow's sudden madness that night, which led to the accidental discovery of Yamamoto Ichiki and his group's infiltration ahead of time.

Although these Japanese soldiers would still be spotted by sentries before they even got close.

Hu Biao and his men wouldn't let these Japanese soldiers kill them in their sleep.

However, they absolutely could not gain a superior position, and the casualties of the Subei Independent Regiment might even double, and they still wouldn't be able to completely retain this group of Japanese soldiers.

Therefore, a sow that has made such a great contribution should definitely not be killed for meat.

Not only was she raised again, with good food and drink provided every day, but at Annie's suggestion, they were also preparing to find her a strong and healthy boar.

Well! I'm worried that the old sow might feel empty, lonely, and cold living alone.

Mina, meanwhile, called to the thirty-odd villagers who were waiting at the village entrance, and together with a number of hoes, baskets, and other tools, as well as a cart pulled by four mules, they headed towards a ravine several miles away.

Mina did not go to Taiyuan with Annie this time, mainly because of the Japanese Type 95 fighter plane.

After Chaozi, the Wizard, and the others carefully examined and analyzed the plane, they were basically certain that they could repair it with a success rate of over 60%.

Then a crucial question arises: even if the plane is repaired, someone still needs to fly it.

Given the limited pool of candidates, Mina, who had completed all the flight theory courses but had little actual flight experience, became the best choice.

Mina was quite looking forward to the idea of ​​being able to fly a plane and strafe and bomb the Japanese.

The only problem is that before she can repair the plane, she has to build a road to pull it out of the ravine and construct a long and level runway so that it can take off and land.

"What a disaster! I, the CFO of a large company in the modern world, am instead leading a bunch of people to fix up the Earth."

As she swung the hoe, Mina couldn't help but complain...

Oh right! Aren't there plenty of men here at the regimental headquarters? Why is Mina, a girl, being made to do this kind of work?

All we can say is that in order to make as many preparations as possible before the Japanese invaders arrive, in recent times, the women of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment have been treated like men, and the men like livestock.

The other gentlemen have some more important things to do now.

To put it simply, it means that we need to develop some combat and evacuation plans in advance, and then select some reasonable ones to execute based on the actual situation, so as not to be caught off guard.

Chemical plants and arsenals need to operate around the clock to produce and stockpile all kinds of equipment to the greatest extent possible.

We need to make arrangements for the evacuation, relocation, and hiding of our fellow villagers.

It's not just the Zhangjiayu regimental headquarters; even the four battalions deployed outside—the first, second, and third battalions plus the special operations battalion—are extremely busy these days.

(Some places previously referred to the special agent battalion as an independent battalion; this is a correction.)
On the very day that Colonel Yamamoto Ichiki was killed, Hu Biao sent two large fat pigs to each battalion.

Along with the large fat pig, besides a small radio, were also the details of the skirmish that took place in Zhangjiayu the previous night, and the deduction that the Japanese might attack even faster.

Finally, tell them to accelerate development and build as many troops as possible, no matter how many.

Upon hearing the above orders, Lao Yu, Mr. Nanze, Van Gogh, and the others, who had been holding back their big moves and whose situation was already somewhat out of control, immediately perked up.

Good grief! I've been waiting for you to say that, you damn fool. I hope you won't be shocked to your core...

Around 9 p.m. that evening, in Taiyuan, some situations were also taking place that were closely related to the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment.

In a conference room in what was once Yan Xishan's office, now the headquarters of the Japanese First Army stationed in Shanxi Province, a high-level meeting is underway and has been going on for quite some time.

The person who chaired the meeting was Yoshio Shinotsuka, the lieutenant general and commander of the First Army.

The attendees included almost all of the senior generals of the First Army.

The reason why they appeared here at almost the same time is quite simple.

On one hand, the death of Yamamoto Ichiki and the annihilation of his special forces were a severe slap in the face to the entire First Army.

Compared to other units, having just won the Battle of Wuhan, the First Army was simply a joke.

On the other hand, the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment developed too quickly. According to intelligence, when Hu Biao and his men first arrived in Pingding County, there were only about twenty of them.

In just two months, their strength has grown to the point where they can annihilate an elite special forces unit.

If the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment had been given more time to develop, who knows what it would have become, or how much of a threat it would have become?

In any case, the attendees had reached a consensus that the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment must be dealt with as soon as possible, and they should not be allowed to continue to develop.

This high-level meeting, which lasted for more than three or four hours, finally came to an end.

After taking a sip of water, Yoshio Shinotsuka began to speak, as if summarizing:
"Lord Okamura of the North China Area Army has agreed to my request and will temporarily send the 37th Division of the 11th Army to Shanxi Province to solve the problem of our army's severe shortage of troops."

The 27th Division will depart soon and is expected to arrive in Shanxi Province by train within half a month.

However, due to the considerable casualties suffered by the 27th Division during the Battle of Wuhan, the soldiers were also quite exhausted after months of continuous fighting.

Therefore, after they arrive in Shanxi Province, they will only assist with some local defense tasks. Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment will need to be dealt with by our First Army ourselves.

After saying this, Yoshio Shinotsuka paused for a moment.

Looking at Major General Fujioka Takekumura, the commander of the Independent Mixed 9th Brigade, who was in his forties, he gave him a deep look before solemnly asking:

"Brigade Commander Fujioka, this mission is entrusted to your brigade. Are you confident in completing it?" "No problem at all, Lord Shinotsuka, you can rest assured." Upon hearing this, Fujioka Takeoka stood up abruptly, puffing out his chest and answering confidently.

All of this stemmed from his confidence in the combat capabilities of his Independent Mixed Ninth Brigade.

Although this unit had only been established in Shanxi Province for a short time, its organizational structure was smaller than that of a regular division, with an independent infantry battalion having only more than 500 men.

However, it still had five independent infantry battalions, three artillery companies, and some other auxiliary units.

When all of them are added together, the Independent Mixed Ninth Brigade has a strength of more than 5000 men.

Furthermore, it had many veterans transferred from other divisions of the First Army as its backbone, and each of the new recruits who were added had undergone ten months of basic training.

Anyway, their mixed brigade is quite good at fighting.

Especially in mountain warfare, he was particularly skilled, making him the most suitable commander for fighting in mountainous areas like Pingding County.

In addition, they will receive full support from the Imperial Air Force stationed in Shanxi Province during this operation.

If necessary, they could even receive support from the North China Area Army and more air force units, giving them a significant advantage.

In comparison, no matter how powerful the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment was, it only had the strength of a single regiment.

The key issue is that they were all new recruits, and their weapons were quite inferior, with ammunition likely severely insufficient due to difficulties in replenishment.

Considering all of the above, even if Fujioka Takekuma had no idea how he could possibly fail in independently forming the Ninth Brigade.

War, after all, is a head-on contest, and victory cannot be achieved simply by the skill of a particular commander.

After considering all of the above, Takeoka Fujioka added another sentence:
"Including the arrival of the 27th Division and the time required for preparation and assembly after our troops' rotation."

"Lord Shinotsuka, I can assure you that our army will begin its march from Taiyuan on November 20th; within two weeks at most, you will hear the news of the annihilation of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment."

“Good, very good.” Upon hearing Fujioka Takekuma’s assurance, Shinotsuka Yoshio expressed with a relieved expression:
"When the Independent Mixed Ninth Brigade departs, I will definitely hold a farewell banquet for you all, and then I will wait for news of your victory here in Taiyuan."

During this conversation, all the high-ranking Japanese officers present wore genuine smiles.

It seemed that at this moment, they could already see the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment annihilated, and Hu Biao, the Tiger of Shanghai, and his comrades being killed like defeated dogs...

******
In the following period, as winter approached, the weather in Shanxi Province grew colder day by day.

However, on this land of Shanxi, known as the land of mountains and rivers, anyone with even a little bit of sensitivity could almost smell the gunpowder in the air.

In particular, all parties involved knew that a battle between the Japanese and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment was about to begin.

Perhaps on the entire Chinese mainland, the scale of this battle was insignificant, but in Shanxi Province, it could have a huge impact on the subsequent landscape.

Immediately, different thoughts and plans arose in their minds.

Under such circumstances, time flew by, and the start of the great battle drew ever closer.

On November 6, the vanguard of the Japanese 27th Division, a total of 2600 men, arrived in Taiyuan via the Zhengtai Railway. Yoshio Shinotsuka and other high-ranking officers of the First Army personally went to the train station to welcome them.

From that day onward, Japanese reinforcements and equipment continued to arrive in Shanxi Province.

After their arrival, they relieved the Japanese troops in various parts of Shanxi Province by rotating their troops with the Independent Mixed Brigade 9, allowing the Japanese forces participating in this major battle to begin assembling in Taiyuan.

Late that night, Hu Biao and his men finally finalized a detailed plan for their battle against the Japanese.

Looking at the makeshift ashtray on the table, made from a large bowl filled with cigarette butts from "Flying Tiger" cigarettes, and the thick smoke filling the room.

Since arriving at the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, Zhao Zheng, who had been developed into a heavy smoker, was still quite unaccustomed to it.

He thought to himself, quite speechless: How did I become such a heavy smoker in such a short time? It must be because that guy Hu Biao keeps spouting that twisted logic of 'If you don't want to inhale secondhand smoke, then inhale firsthand smoke.'

No wonder his friends always called him "that deadbeat" behind his back; there's a reason for it.

Amidst these complaints, Zhao Zheng opened a window in the room.

A moment later, a gust of cold wind mixed with snowflakes flew into the cave, making Zhao Zheng shiver from the cold, but also invigorating his spirit, which had been waning due to prolonged thinking.

His mind cleared up, and he remembered some issues he had previously overlooked. He immediately spoke up:
"Old Hu! In this battle against the Japanese, although the troops in our party's various base areas cannot openly cooperate with you, they will certainly help as much as possible."

However, the strength of our Party is ultimately limited, so could you perhaps contact the Jin-Sui Army and the Central Army in the Zhongtiao Mountains?

Even other civilian forces should be mobilized to help our Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment and alleviate some of the pressure we face.

Upon hearing this, Hu Biao shook his head and said:
"No need! People who are willing to help will lend a hand even without asking; as for those old men who are unwilling to help, it's no use even if you beg them on your knees."

So let's not worry about them and just focus on doing our own thing.

Upon hearing this answer, Zhao Zheng wanted to object.

However, upon closer reflection, he reluctantly realized that this was indeed the case; just as he was about to say something more, Hu Biao spoke first, making a very unexpected request:

"Old Zhao! Although we haven't been partners for long, I feel that you are really a good match for my personality, Hu Biao."

There's one downside: how can a grown man not drink? If word gets out, the other allies will laugh at him.

Well then, the battle plan has just been completed, and it's not too late.

I'll go open a can of groceries, get some raw garlic, and then we can have a couple of drinks to unwind.

"Hey! That damn bastard, he's still thinking about getting me into a drinking habit." Zhao Zheng thought to himself, feeling quite helpless.

However, after thinking carefully for a few seconds, he still answered solemnly:

"After this battle is over, I'll definitely have a good drink with you, Old Hu..."

On the morning of November 19th, a day earlier than originally planned, all personnel of the Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade No. 11, accompanied by Yoshio Shinotsuka and other high-ranking officers of the First Army, officially set off from Taiyuan City.

Because they were an infantry unit composed entirely of mules and horses, their speed would not be very fast under normal marching conditions.

It is estimated that we will be able to reach Pingding County around dusk on the 22nd.

Such a large force of five or six thousand men, making such a commotion when setting out and marching, could not possibly escape the watchful eyes of those who were interested.

Therefore, all parties received this message immediately.

Regardless of how other forces would react upon receiving the news, in Zhangjiayu, the headquarters of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, Hu Biao finished reading an urgent telegram in his hand.

An order was issued immediately:
"Immediately send a telegram to the First Battalion, Second Battalion, Third Battalion, and Special Service Battalion, instructing them to have their local villagers prepare for evacuation, implement a scorched-earth tactic, and lead all combat troops to Zhangjiayu for assembly."

A short while later, Mr. Nanze looked at the telegram in his hand, slammed his hand on the table excitedly, and shouted:

"Damn it! After holding back for so long, the time has finally come for our Third Battalion to dazzle that damn bastard and everyone else with our golden eyes."

He then rushed out of the battalion headquarters and shouted at the top of his lungs, "All communications platoon members, assemble!"

立刻去分头通知三营、警卫连、机枪连、工兵连、特务连、辎重连、补充连；还有附属第1、2、3、4、5、6、7游击队。

"Take all your gear and come back to Zhangjiayu with me to report for duty..."

(End of this chapter)