The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 387 The Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment Departs (Two-in-One Chapter)

"It's all over, it's all over now!"

I heard that when Hu Biao was in Shanghai, he seriously offended two big shots, Chen Xiuzhi and Bai Jiansheng; judging from their attitude today, they are obviously here to cause trouble.

"Given his idiot temper, I hope he doesn't start a fight later."

As the group walked out of the military camp to welcome the four big shots who had arrived overnight, the thug, a young man who was only 19 years old and had just joined the team, muttered something in a rather worried tone.

Although his voice wasn't loud, he managed to make sure that the other transmigrators nearby could hear him clearly.

Upon hearing this, no one seemed worried at all. Instead, after exchanging glances, they all shared the same thought:
"This thug is a complete newbie, but he lacks social experience. However, it's not a big deal. He'll grow up after being beaten down by society a few more times."

Hu Biao and Commander Bai's men got into a fight? Impossible.

Because Commander Bai and his men would never do something so degrading.

For these powerful figures, as long as there is enough benefit, they are willing to turn a blind eye to insults; to deliberately come looking for trouble is to underestimate their shrewdness.

That's exactly right! Soon after, the young thug was dumbfounded.

Hu Biao led his group hurriedly to the entrance of the military camp and gave a military salute to the four bigwigs who were looking at the camp with great interest.

He said in a fearful tone, "Greetings, Commander Bai, Commander Chen, Commander Li, and Commander Zhang."

"We have been extremely impolite not to greet you, sirs.

As soon as they lowered their salutes, Bai Jiansheng, who was addressed as Commander Bai and was probably a bigwig in the Guangxi clique, stepped forward and grasped Hu Biao's right hand with both hands.

He said enthusiastically, "Commander Hu, and all the brothers of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, thank you for your hard work."

Your steadfast defense of Gaofeng Pass, a strategic location, for many days prevented the Japanese from advancing an inch, which can be said to have made a great contribution to the victory in the Battle of Guinan.

I had wanted to come and visit the brothers for a while, but I was too busy with military affairs to find the time. I hope Commander Hu won't mind.

As soon as Commander Bai finished speaking, another person, Chen Xiuzhi, who was called Commander Li Chen and was probably a big shot in the Civil Engineering Department, also stepped forward.

He grabbed Hu Biao's other right hand and said affectionately:
"It's been more than two years since we parted ways in Shanghai. Commander Hu's demeanor has only grown stronger."

The other two, Li Jisheng and Zhang Fakui, although they did not go up to hold Hu Biao's hand and speak to him warmly, nodded in this direction from a distance, their expressions quite pleasant.

Hu Biao, that guy, didn't have a trace of his usual arrogant and unruly attitude, like he was the boss of the world.

With a look of fear on his face, he said with unusual sincerity, "In front of you officers, what am I, a mere regimental commander? If you don't mind, you can just call me by my courtesy name 'Yitong'."

We didn't work hard! We were just fulfilling our duties as soldiers.

On the contrary, it is the officers who have to command hundreds of thousands of troops in battle and have traveled such a long distance overnight; they are the ones who are truly exhausted. Please come and sit down at the regimental headquarters as soon as possible, and don't look down on the meager conditions here.”

After saying that, he turned around and started cursing at them:

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and boil water to make tea, and make good tea. Also, tell the cooks to hurry up and cook some food, and arrange some clean rooms. The officers and men have traveled such a long way, they must be hungry and tired."

"Unification! That's too kind of you. Then let's try the food of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment first; as for rest, let's leave that for now."

Commander Bai said with a smile, appearing very easy to talk to.

Then, amidst laughter and conversation, Hu Biao led several high-ranking officials towards the regimental headquarters.

Good heavens! This scene, so intimate, like that of an uncle and nephew, left the 19-year-old thug completely dumbfounded.

After a long pause, he finally muttered, "Damn it! The adult world is so complicated..."

After a long exchange of pleasantries, tea, and a meal, it was already 3:30 a.m. when everything was finally settled, and only then did we get down to business.

One second later, Officer Bai, who was chatting with Hu Biao about the differences between Hunan and Guangxi cuisine, suddenly became serious.

Suddenly, his entire demeanor changed completely, transforming him from a kind elder into a decisive and ruthless leader of the Guangxi clique, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops.

Indeed, every figure who has left a great mark on history is no ordinary person.

Looking at Hu Biao, Commander Bai asked the most crucial question of their visit: "If the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment were to be deployed to participate in the siege of Kunlun Pass, how long would it take to capture it?"

Hu Biao and his colleagues had already discussed this issue.

So after glancing at his wristwatch and confirming the time, Hu Biao gave his answer without hesitation:
"Two days, just two days."

It's 3:32 AM on the 25th. If we prepare to set off now, we guarantee we can capture Kunlun Pass before dawn on the 27th.

Upon hearing the astonishing answer, Officer Bai and the other three were visibly moved.

No other reason than that they had already conducted a simulation based on the battlefield situation on their way here.

Even if they didn't want to admit it, the Japanese had already built a lot of fortifications at the high ground of Jieshou and the main position of Kunlun Pass.

And this is because they received reinforcements twice in a row, and now they still have two or three thousand troops.

If the attack had continued under normal circumstances, the best outcome for the Nationalist army would have been if they had captured Kunlun Pass within ten days.

It also requires the participation of the 1st and 200th Divisions, who will launch a fierce attack at all costs, with the determination to cripple the enemy.

More importantly, intelligence indicates that the Japanese Southern China Area Army is preparing to mobilize more troops from areas such as Guangzhou to provide support.

Currently, these Japanese troops are basically preparing to assemble and allocate fuel and ammunition.

It will take ten days to capture Kunlun Pass, and by then these Japanese reinforcements might arrive, which will greatly affect the subsequent operation to recapture Nanning.

Therefore, let alone being able to capture Kunlun Pass eight days ahead of schedule, even five days would be extremely crucial for subsequent operations.

Therefore, even with their composure, they couldn't remain calm for a moment. Zhang Fakui widened his eyes and solemnly said to Hu Biao:

"A military word is no joke! Hu Yitong, are you really confident?"

"If you can meet some of my conditions, I, Hu Biao, am willing to sign a military pledge, and if I fail to do so, I am willing to be subject to military law," Hu Biao replied calmly.

In contrast to Hu Biao's composure, Commander Chen urgently uttered a single word: "Speak."

War is not a dinner party, and Hu Biao knew that this was a critical moment, not a time for politeness or modesty. He immediately stated his demands without reservation:
"First of all, the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment only has about three thousand men in the Guinan region. It is definitely impossible for us to attack Kunlun Pass on our own."

Therefore, the Fifth Army must fully cooperate with us in the operation.

Our role was like a sharp knife, helping to carve a gap in the Japanese army's turtle-like formation.

"Okay, I guarantee the Fifth Army will fully cooperate with you." Without the slightest hesitation, Commander Chen readily agreed; if he couldn't command the Guangxi clique's troops, how could he not command the Fifth Army, which was part of the Central Army?
Does he really think his position in the Nationalist government was all fake?
After nodding, Hu Biao continued to make more demands:
"Secondly, the Japanese fortifications in Jieshou were already extremely powerful. If we also have to face Japanese air raids during the attack, then we can only fight at night."

Even if a god came, he wouldn't be able to take Kunlun Pass in two nights.

Therefore, during these two days of daytime operations, I don't expect any air support, but at the very least, I want to prevent the Japanese air force from carrying out indiscriminate air raids.

Faced with this request, the four officers, especially Chen and Bai, remained silent for at least two or three minutes.

Commander Bai nodded and agreed, saying, "Okay."

The main point is that if we want to meet Hu Biao's requirements, it is clearly impossible to do so with the limited ground-based air defense firepower of the Fifth Army. We must deploy the air force.

Originally, in this operation in Guinan, given the importance of this supply route, Principal Bald was willing to go all out and planned to commit all of his limited air force forces to it.

If all kinds of aircraft are added together, the fleet can reach a scale of about a hundred aircraft.

Unfortunately, due to factors such as fuel shortages and weather conditions, only 59 aircraft are currently in service at the front-line airfields, including some bombers. There are only about thirty fighter planes, mostly Hawk 75s, I-15s, and Gladiators, which are somewhat outdated by today's standards.

If they were to face the Japanese air force, which had been equipped with many Zero fighters, the casualties after World War I would likely be enormous.

In order to capture Kunlun Pass as soon as possible and to recover Nanning City and restore the transportation route, such losses are probably not worth considering.

Seeing that the other party had agreed to the second condition, Hu Biao continued:
"Thirdly, our ammunition reserves may not be enough, especially the 7.63*25mm pistol rounds used in submachine guns, so we must replenish them in large quantities as key firepower for the assault team."

The tactic of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment to concentrate a large number of submachine guns and pistols to tear through the Japanese defenses with dense firepower was nothing new, so this requirement was not only reasonable but also relatively easy to meet.

This time, it was Zhang Fakui, the commander of the Fourth War Zone, who made the promise:

"Sure! We'll give you 50,000 rounds of submachine gun ammunition first, and the number of subsequent resupply will not be less than that."

After they finished speaking, the four of them exchanged glances and patiently waited for Hu Biao to make further requests, since they had come here together today.

Before leaving, he was prepared to be ripped off by Hu Biao and his accomplices.

Even though they had anticipated that Hu Biao would make some demands that they couldn't make on their own and that they would need to persuade the bald-headed principal before they could finally get things done.

For example, the bald-headed principal had been intentionally or unintentionally suppressing Hu Biao's military rank, the organization of his troops, and some of the awards and honors that the Nationalist government should have given him.

It will probably take a lot of effort to get Hu Biao and his partners to take action.

The reason is that the troops under their command are currently unable to quickly break through the situation, so they must send the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment as a fire brigade to help them take over Kunlun Pass.

To avoid dragging on for too long and affecting the subsequent operation to retake Nanning.

Unexpectedly, after giving them a deep look, Hu Biao said, "Alright! That's all for these three requirements."

Whenever you send troops to take over the Gaofeng Pass defense line, our Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment will set off.

"Starting from the moment we set out, we will definitely capture Kunlun Pass within two days, or 48 hours. I can pledge this as a military order."

Hu Biao's decisiveness surprised several of the bigwigs.

In fact, Hu Biao also wanted to make more demands. In fact, before Commander Bai and his group arrived, they were discussing in private how many demands they should make during their meeting.

If they don't agree, then just give them the cold shoulder.

However, when the time came, they thought about weapons and equipment, military spending, and these wouldn't be a problem once they had channels to sell technology.

Every day of delay meant the loss of thousands of Nationalist soldiers, a loss that eroded the strength of the resistance against Japan—a simple truth.

Compared to military ranks and unit designations, personal honors are not so important.

More importantly, even if they don't ask for it, in order to gain some benefits in their subsequent transactions with the foreigners, would the bald principal really dare to refuse to give a single penny?
After a moment of silence, Commander Bai asked, "What are your plans for unification after this battle?"

This question was a bit strange. Actually, Commander Bai really couldn't understand why Hu Biao was being so easy to talk to this time, so he indirectly asked a question that he had been concerned about:

After this battle, will Hu Biao stay in Guangxi Province and not leave?

After all, this guy was too good at recruiting troops, and the people of Guangxi Province regarded him as one of their own, yet they were unwilling to join the Guangxi faction.

If they really want to stay and refuse to leave, it will be a huge problem.

I can now strongly feel the same frustration that Yan Laoxi from Shanxi Province felt last year, a feeling like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

"Don't worry, Commander Bai. China is so big, we want to go see other places later." Hu Biao could naturally hear the other party's worries, so he simply told him his determination to leave after the fight.

It's best not to say it! Hu Biao's credibility is still quite good, and Commander Bai has no more problems.

He said, "The 170th Division of the Guangxi Army is only a dozen miles away. I will immediately send a telegram to inform them to come and take over the position at Gaofeng Pass."

With this, both sides finalized all the arrangements for the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment to be officially deployed and join the battlefield.

It was from this point onward that Hu Biao and the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment became the best firefighting team on the battlefield, a fact acknowledged by Principal Bald and many bigwigs in the Nationalist government.

Even in the hearts of foreign military observers like Bill Eulton and Andrei, a seed was planted.

And as time went on, this seed continued to sprout and grow, triggering even more subsequent developments...

******
A few minutes before 5 a.m., a regiment of the 170th Division arrived at Gaofeng Pass in a forced march.

Without any time to waste, Hu Biao and his men immediately got to work, handing over the positions to the officers of the 170th Division; they also quickly explained some of the local defense experience and techniques to the officers of the 170th Division.

After finalizing the decision to send troops from the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment, Commander Bai and the other three leaders did not return immediately.

So during this process, they silently observed the handover between the two sides, and saw how Hu Biao and his men, though in a hurry, were doing their best in the handover.

A strange thought arose in my mind: Could there really be people in this world who are not interested in fame or fortune, but only in fighting the Japanese?
Such a large commotion at Gaofeng Pass was naturally discovered by the Japanese soldiers below the mountain immediately.

Thinking that the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment was about to launch an attack, they immediately moved into their fortifications and prepared for battle; they also sent several telegrams to Nanning City, creating an extremely chaotic and panicked scene.

At 6:12, it was already bright outside, and the sun was about to rise.

By this time, Hu Biao and his men had not only completed the handover of positions with the 170th Division, but everyone in the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment was also ready to depart, and they had lined up in battalion and company units on the training ground.

Before leaving, Hu Biao originally wanted to say something to encourage his brothers.

The content basically revolves around the idea that without a country, there is no home, the importance of capturing Kunlun Pass for this battle, and the extreme danger of this battle.

But looking into those determined eyes, he knew there was nothing more to say.

During this period of rest and reorganization, while the surrounding area was engulfed in fierce fighting and Gaofeng Pass remained completely silent, the brothers had been burning with pent-up anger.

In the end, he merely shouted out with all his might, "The Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment departs, target Kunlun Pass..."

Under such an order, Old Ma, now a major and battalion commander of the First Supplementary Battalion, led his men to jog.

Then, the second and third battalions, and so on, followed by the guard company, the supply company, and other units.

Amidst the dense footsteps, every member of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment stood tall with their chests held high, as if they were attending a grand banquet rather than a life-or-death battle.

Perhaps influenced by this state of mind, even the middle-aged, greasy man, Lao Ma, who was leading the race, was particularly excited.

Suddenly, he raised his voice and started shouting: "The winds rise, the mountains and rivers tremble, the founding of the Whampoa Army is a great success, get ready to sing."

Actually, Lao Ma originally wanted to lead the singing of another song, which is the one called "Forward Forward Forward~".

However, before singing it, I realized that this song had already been created and was a military song exclusively for our party's army. Singing it might cause trouble.

On short notice, they switched to a Nationalist army song called "Man Jiang Hong".

Even so, when thousands of officers and soldiers of the Northern Jiangsu Independent Regiment sang this military song in unison, it was still filled with a tremendous momentum.

The sight of the 170th Division members, including Commander Bai and other high-ranking officers, singing along filled them with a sense of awe.

Especially when they saw Zhou Yaozu, a thin, half-grown boy, carrying a rifle taller than himself and leading an old ox.

Singing military songs, their young faces radiating fearlessness, they marched past them, heads held high, toward the battlefield.

Commander Bai and several other high-ranking officials were even filled with guilt, but for them, this guilt would soon vanish...

(End of this chapter)