Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 352 Joint Military Exercises?

Brigade Commander Chen was about to explain his attack plan to Su Yaoyang in detail when he said, "Regimental Commander Su, this is what I'm thinking..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped, as if a hunting dog had caught a subtle scent in the air.

The rustling sound, which had lasted for an unknown amount of time and sounded like countless drumsticks striking the hood of a raincoat, gradually diminished in volume and intensity. It transformed from a loud splash into a soft, sparse murmur.

Commander Chen's heart skipped a beat, and almost on the instinct of a veteran of the battlefield, he suddenly looked up at the sky.

The leaden-gray dome, though still low-lying, had been torn open with some gaps, and the rain lines became thin and sparse, no longer an overwhelming curtain of water.

He couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh," a hint of surprise flashing in his deep eyes... The sky... was about to clear.

This subtle signal, like a pebble thrown into a calm pond, quickly rippled through the surrounding exhausted and tense troops.

First, several guards around Commander Chen looked up as if they sensed something, then the soldiers resting nearby... one, ten, dozens... more and more gray figures stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes to the sky that had oppressed them for days and now seemed to be "deflated".

After a brief, almost frozen silence...

"Commander!" A slightly trembling voice, filled with disbelief and elation at surviving a close call, broke the silence.

"The rain...the rain has stopped, the rain has stopped!"

The sound was like lighting the fuse of a powder keg!

A soldier from the militia suddenly ripped off his helmet, feeling the last few cold raindrops fall on his forehead and nose.

He opened his mouth wide in disbelief, wanting to "taste" the sky directly.

When he realized that what was falling into his mouth was no longer the continuous rain, but the crisp air after the rain, his face, which had been pale from being soaked in the rain and taut with fear, instantly blossomed into an almost distorted, wild joy!

An immense, suppressed emotion was suddenly released, instantly sweeping across the entire unit!
"Thank God! This damn rain has finally stopped!"

"Damn those Japanese devils, I'm suffocating!"

"The sky has cleared! We can finally go all out and get things done!"

Cheers, shouts, and excited stomping erupted instantly, one after another, like a raging torrent breaking through a dam!

But this pure joy lasted for less than a minute before the officer scolded him back.

"gun!"

Chief of Staff Pi Ruoyu and several regimental commanders around him reacted almost simultaneously, shouting hoarsely at the messenger:

"Order the artillery regiment... immediately... set up the cannons!"
Each artillery position should move into position immediately, at top speed.

The observer... the observation post immediately went up the mountain and kept a close watch on the two peaks on the left and right, and marked the coordinates.

Hurry! All of you, hurry up!

Without the cover of the rain, those long-dormant heavy artillery pieces can finally be put to use.

"Fly...airplane!"

On the other side, Su Yaoyang also decisively issued an order: "Signal soldier, immediately send a telegram to Jinshaling Airport, Mengxian Airport and Jiuquhe Airport."

Highest priority! Order: Rain has stopped, visibility is now clear! 'Pirate' squadrons and bombardment groups, all on standby! Prepare for takeoff immediately. Target… the Japanese 27th Division positions near Panlong Ridge. Bomb them to death!

In an instant, everyone was roused by the sudden stop of the heavy rain.

Su Yaoyang and Brigade Commander Chen's eyes met amidst the chaotic and busy atmosphere.

Su Yaoyang's lips curled up: "Brigadier Chen, it seems even the heavens are eager to see us deal with these beasts!"

"Hahahaha!" Chen Geng burst into hearty laughter and said decisively:

"Then what are we waiting for? Issue my order: all units, take up your general attack positions!"

"Commander Su, as long as your artillery and aircraft can maintain air and artillery support, our 386th Brigade will handle the entire battle to capture these two hills."

Upon hearing Brigade Commander Chen's bold declaration of a "general offensive," Su Yaoyang unexpectedly laughed. He said, half-jokingly and half-seriously:

"What good thoughts are you having?"

He laughed and said, "We've been rolling around in this mud for half a day, and some of our brothers are dead or injured. You come here and think you can just take the credit? Don't you have any sense of chivalry?"

These words, spoken in a teasing tone, instantly diluted the tense and serious atmosphere on the battlefield.

Political Commissar Wang and Pi Ruoyu, who were standing nearby, couldn't help but laugh.

Su Yaoyang's smile faded, and he became serious: "Besides, Commander Chen, your army must have marched at breakneck speed to arrive on time, and they probably haven't even had a sip of hot water yet."

"If we hand over all the toughest challenges and the most crucial battles to you right away, what will people think of our Shanxi militia? Won't they laugh at us for only knowing how to hide in the back and snipe?"

He paused for a moment, then presented his proposal, his tone sincere and firm:
"Alright then, Commander Chen, let's not do that subcontracting thing where you take the lead and I provide support."

Just now, I deployed an infantry regiment to each of the two hills on the left and right sides.

My suggestion is that your unit also commit two regiments to join our existing attack sequence. Our forces could then be mixed and combined for a joint offensive. What do you think?

"A joint attack?"

Upon hearing this, Brigade Commander Chen's smile faded, and he habitually stroked his chin, falling into deep thought.

The phrase "joint offensive" seems perfectly reasonable at first glance, and could even be said to reflect the attitude of sincere cooperation between the two sides.

However, as an experienced commander, Brigade Commander Chen knew that in practice, this was precisely the most troublesome and prone to problems.

If they were two different units from the same army, that would be fine.

After all, military discipline, command orders, training subjects, and tactics are all consistent, so there won't be much of a gap when they cooperate.

But now these are two armies that have never fought together on the ground. There are too many problems involved in conducting joint operations.

Several key points flashed through Brigade Commander Chen's mind.

For example, in terms of fire coordination, some units stipulate that when their own machine guns are firing suppressive fire, infantry units are strictly prohibited from launching a charge rashly in order to avoid being exposed to the enemy's pre-set crossfire.

Some units, on the other hand, emphasize launching an attack the instant of machine gun suppression to seize advantageous positions.

These two drastically different tactical approaches, under an inconsistent command system, could easily lead to fatal friendly fire or missed opportunities if not handled properly.

For example, there's the core difference in squad tactics. Su Yaoyang mentioned the Shanxi militia's combat style in previous exchanges. Although it also borrowed the three-three system, its core revolves around the M1919 general-purpose machine gun or BAR automatic rifle in the squad. The other riflemen in the squad exist to protect and assist the machine gun's firepower output. It's a firepower-centric assault tactic.

But the Eighth Route Army was completely different.

Due to long-term weakness in firepower, lack of ammunition, and extreme scarcity of heavy equipment, the Eighth Route Army's tactics were mainly based on flexible and mobile guerrilla warfare and surprise attacks.

The military emphasizes hit-and-run tactics, making full use of terrain (such as narrow roads, steep slopes, and dense forests) to launch attacks at unexpected times and locations, catching the enemy off guard and rendering their heavy weapons (such as tanks and heavy artillery) ineffective.

Its core characteristics are: the battle is launched suddenly and ends quickly, with no lingering fighting.

The Shanxi militia and the Eighth Route Army had never before had the experience of two ground forces fighting together.

If the soldiers of both sides were suddenly mixed together now and made to fight a high-intensity assault, it would probably not only fail to achieve the effect of one plus one being greater than two, but would also lead to unnecessary problems due to command confusion and conflicting tactical ideas, and even cause chaos and casualties.

Brigade Commander Chen frowned deeply, his deep gaze sweeping between Su Yaoyang's smiling face and the Japanese-occupied hilltops in the distance.

As a top graduate of the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy and a senior general who emerged from a sea of ​​corpses, his strategic insight was naturally far beyond that of ordinary people.

After only a moment of contemplation, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and he instantly understood the deeper meaning behind Su Yaoyang's suggestion.

This isn't some kind of "brotherhood" or polite formality; it's clearly a generous gift! A generous gift that teaches through real combat!

Su Yaoyang wanted to take advantage of this battle to let the Eighth Route Army troops experience and participate in a regular positional war supported by modern firepower.

From artillery preparation and air suppression to infantry-tank coordination and infantry squad advance tactics under superior firepower... these are all practical combat experiences that the Eighth Route Army currently lacks due to equipment and resource limitations.

It was more of a "joint military exercise" than a "joint offensive".

This live-fire exercise, using Japanese positions and lives as teaching aids, was Su Yaoyang's way of letting the Eighth Route Army commanders and soldiers learn and experience firsthand the future model of three-dimensional warfare in the midst of war.

This gift is truly precious!

Having figured this out, Chen Geng's opinion of Su Yaoyang rose even higher. This man not only possessed formidable strength, but also a broad mind and a long-term strategic vision, making him far superior to ordinary warlords.

Without further hesitation, he solemnly cupped his hands to Su Yaoyang, his tone filled with sincere gratitude: "Commander Su, thank you for your kindness. I will accept it without hesitation!"

After saying that, Brigade Commander Chen immediately turned around and gave an order in an unquestionable tone to a communications officer who was already waiting behind him: "Pass on my order to have the First and Second New Regiments immediately cease their rest."

"Join the battle lines on the left and right flanks respectively! Order them to unconditionally cooperate with the Shanxi militia's fraternal units and work together to capture these two hilltops!"

"Yes!"

The messenger straightened his chest, loudly agreed, and then turned and ran off.

Soon, Brigade Commander Chen's order was swiftly relayed via radio and messengers to Ding Wei and Kong Jie, who were gathering their troops in the rear and preparing to have a drink of water and catch their breath.

"What the hell? You're saying the brigade commander ordered our men to infiltrate the Shanxi militia and cooperate with them in battle?"

Seeing the messenger who had just arrived, Kong Jie's loud voice almost lifted the tent not far away, "What is the brigade commander thinking? Can we fight the same way they do? This is just making things worse!"

As the former commander of the Independent Regiment, Kong Jie was straightforward and couldn't keep his thoughts to himself.

He knew his unit's tactical characteristics well. The thought of leading his men in a conventional positional assault, especially in coordination with a unit with completely unfamiliar equipment and tactics, made him instinctively feel that it was unreliable.

Faced with Kong Jie's questioning, the messenger who came to deliver the order simply repeated the brigade commander's original words with a stern face:
"Commander Kong, the brigade commander said, 'Shut up if you have any complaints, this is an order! This trip is for you to learn, not to show off! Anyone who dares to disobey orders or cause trouble with friendly forces on the battlefield will be in big trouble when I get back!'"

These blunt words instantly silenced Kong Jie.

He knew that once Commander Chen spoke in that tone, there was no room for negotiation.

In fact, as the rain stopped, the Shanxi militia's sporadic but continuous offensive also temporarily ceased.

Under Pi Ruoyu's orders, some troops that had already rushed to the mountainside and were entangled with the Japanese army, and even under the cover of fire from other units, took the initiative to disengage and temporarily retreat from the forward positions they had just occupied.

The entire battlefield entered an eerie calm before the storm, with only the shouts of officers and the roar of machine guns echoing through the valley.

On a relatively flat, open area about three kilometers from the front line, the positions of the militia's 1st and 2nd Artillery Regiments were bustling with activity.

The ground, soaked by rain for several days, became exceptionally muddy and soft, almost like a giant swamp.

The gunners were busy trudging through the mud, digging new artillery positions with entrenching tools and hoes.

This work was exceptionally arduous. Each stroke of the hoe brought up not dry soil, but a large chunk of mushy mud. The dug pits were quickly filled with seeping groundwater, turning into murky puddles.

The soldiers were covered in mud, sweat and mud mixed together, streaming down their faces, but not one of them complained.

They knew that for every drop of sweat they shed, their fellow infantrymen at the front might shed one less drop of blood.

Not far from the artillery position, a dozen Doug heavy trucks, fully loaded with 155mm and 105mm shells, were roaring like wild beasts.

The accelerator was pressed to its limit, producing a dull and labored roar.

Despite having thick anti-skid chains installed on the rear wheels, the wheels still frequently slipped and spun out on these extremely muddy roads, kicking up large amounts of mud.

The drivers' faces turned red as they gripped the steering wheel tightly and shouted instructions.

The surrounding soldiers rushed to help, finding stones, planks, and even chopped branches, desperately placing them under the wildly spinning wheels in an attempt to increase the meager friction so that these "steel behemoths" laden with death and destruction could be moved to the designated unloading point.

Zhang Zhihao, the commander of the 1st Artillery Regiment, was standing on a makeshift earthen slope, hands on his hips, observing the progress of the entire position.

He frowned as he watched the trucks struggling in the mud and the gunners busily at work.

He shouted at the several battalion commanders who rushed over: "I don't care what methods you use, whether you dig or fill it in."

"In half an hour, I must see all the artillery pieces in position, fully deployed, and firing data set!"

He pointed his finger forcefully towards Panlong Ridge, emphasizing his words: "You all better remember this! Every minute we delay here means another minute of danger for the Eighth Route Army brothers on Panlong Ridge who are blocking the Japanese retreat! Their pressure will increase!"

"Yes!"

Several battalion commanders responded in unison, without uttering a word of nonsense. They saluted and immediately turned and ran off to relay the order down the chain of command.

Under immense pressure that "time is life," the more than 1,000 officers and soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Artillery Regiments unleashed astonishing energy.

Some dug with their hands, some carried with their bodies, and some even took off their clothes to suck up the water accumulated under the blasting position.

Half an hour later, a miracle really happened.

After countless hours of sweat and effort, the two artillery regiments and dozens of large-caliber howitzers were finally set up. The dark muzzles, like lurking beasts, slowly raised their heads under the operation of the gunners, pointing towards the hills on both sides where the Japanese blocking force was located.

(End of this chapter)