Spy Shadow: Command & Conquer

Chapter 1946, Take it down!
Geng Tingshi told Zhang Yong an important piece of information.

This meant that a large number of Japanese troops were gathering in the Chuzhou and Bengbu areas. Some of their vanguard had already reached Luzhou (Hefei).

The objective is self-evident: to launch a major offensive against the Dabie Mountains.

The Japanese invaders were definitely tactically astute. This encirclement was the best way to relieve Anqing.

If a fierce attack is launched against the Fifth War Zone of the National Revolutionary Army, the Fifth War Zone will absolutely not be able to withstand it.

After all, the Fifth War Zone currently has very few main force units of the National Revolutionary Army.

The 48th Army has been transferred back to Guangxi Province.

Currently, the only relatively strong fighting force is the 46th Army of the Guangxi Clique.

The Seventh Army, with its strongest fighting force, was stationed in Anqing. The 31st Army, a second-rate unit, was also in Anqing.

Therefore, at present, Commander Li's forces are very weak. Whether they can stop the Japanese invaders from attacking from Luzhou is unknown.

"Bengbu..."

"Huainan..."

Zhang Yong seemed to be deep in thought.

This large encirclement by the Japanese invaders will severely damage the Fifth War Zone.

It must be said that comprehensive national strength is a very difficult concept to grasp. It cannot be leveled out by some ingenious strategy.

The militaristic Japanese invaders, when driven to madness, could still muster a formidable military force.

You can conquer Anqing.

It is indeed possible to cut off the Yangtze River waterway in the short term.

However, I launched a fierce attack on your Fifth War Zone, and you were ultimately forced to abandon Anqing.

Otherwise, the entire Fifth War Zone would be wiped out.

The Japanese invaders were now very clear about the internal contradictions within the National Revolutionary Army. Their approach was to address the root cause.

With a fierce attack on the Fifth War Zone, Chiang Kai-shek would absolutely not make any effort to save it.

Chiang Kai-shek was more than happy to use the Japanese invaders to weaken the Guangxi warlords.

The Fifth War Zone can only save itself.

"Forget about these frustrating things. How's your team's progress?"

"It's going fairly smoothly. It's currently underway in Jiangbei and Huainan."

"That's good. There's plenty of time in the future."

Zhang Yong nodded.

Then arrange for ammunition replenishment.

It was delivered by a mule and horse caravan. It was handed directly to Geng Tingshi to take away.

Geng Tingshi's team was too small to carry much ammunition. The situation in the vicinity was also very complicated.

The enemy and our forces are intertwined. The Japanese could appear at any moment. It's unsafe.

"Our detachment commander asked me to tell you that our army will take the initiative to attack in Huainan, Jiangbei and other places to harass the Japanese invaders' operations as much as possible."

"Thank you!"

"I'll stay behind with my team and fight alongside you."

"Need not."

Zhang Yong shook his head, indicating that it was unnecessary.

Since the enemy situation has changed significantly, his plans will also change accordingly.

Taking Anqing shouldn't be too difficult.

He has a brigade, five thousand men are enough.

The extra teams should be used elsewhere.

Especially the Jiangbei Detachment of the New Fourth Army.

Not good at positional warfare.

They should make use of their strengths.

They harassed the Japanese invaders in their rear and attacked their weak points.

They established bases behind enemy lines, which then became a major threat to the Japanese invaders, greatly depleting their resources.

"Commissioner Zhang..."

"Anqing will soon be free of fighting. We won't need so many troops anymore."

"Ok."

Zhang Yong and Geng Tingshi shook hands and said goodbye.

The battlefield is a dangerous place. Situations can change in an instant. This is not the time for chatting.

Right now, we still need to seize every minute to kill the Japanese invaders.

It's estimated that the Japanese will not be transporting troops by water for the time being. The decoy has failed.

The Japanese invaders are now employing a strategy of encirclement, a tactic of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," attempting to force Anqing to withdraw its troops.

Since that's the case, let's do it!
We are fighting on a larger scale. Let the battle be even more intense.

"Cavalry company, march!"

"Yes!"

He returned with the cavalry company.

As soon as he returned to the command post, Xia Wei came to greet him.

His expression was grave. He had clearly learned that the Japanese were mobilizing troops and preparing for a fierce attack on the Fifth War Zone.

The war is about to start.

It's no longer just a small area of ​​Anqing.

Instead, it affected the entire Central Plains.

The eastern part of the Fifth War Zone was the main battlefield in ancient times where people vied for control of the Central Plains.

Bengbu, Huainan, Suxian, Xuzhou, Shangqiu...

Each of these locations was a strategic point of contention for military strategists.

"Commissioner..."

"I know it all."

"Damn Japanese invaders!"

"Take the Seventh Army back to its original unit. Leaving the 31st Army for me is enough."

"But……"

"Excuting an order!"

"Yes!"

Xia Wei readily agreed.

He did indeed receive an urgent report from the Fifth War Zone.

The situation is now very clear. The Japanese invaders have transferred a large number of reinforcements from Jinan and other places.

Two divisions were also transferred from the front lines of the Third War Zone. They marched north, crossed the Yangtze River, and arrived at Chuzhou. Then they joined the attack on the Fifth War Zone.

There were also a large number of independent mixed brigades, all of which were drawn out by the Japanese invaders to besiege the Fifth War Zone.

The Japanese invaders nowadays are like mad dogs, tearing and biting relentlessly.

"Shaolong..."

"Commander-in-Chief Xia, please speak frankly."

"If things don't look good, head north immediately. We'll meet you in Lu'an."

"clear."

"I, Xia Wei, will never leave Liu'an before you return. Even if I die in battle, someone will stay behind to wait for you."

"it is good."

Zhang Yong and Xia Wei shook hands.

Xia Wei immediately assembled the team and hurriedly returned.

With the withdrawal of the Seventh Army, only the 31st Army remains around Anqing.

"Commissioner".

Army Commander Pan Guocong looked serious.

He could certainly sense the intense smoke of a major battle burning brightly.

Anqing was the trigger.

The Japanese invaders will take even larger military actions.

What started as a small-scale battle for a city has now escalated into a struggle for control of the Central Plains.
"Commander Pan."

"arrive."

"We will try to take Anqing in half a day."

"Yes."

Pan Guocong mechanically agreed.

I'm a little nervous. Half a day? Is that okay?
The Japanese fortifications were indeed very strong! Only 155mm grenades could break through them.

If we launch a direct assault, the casualties will definitely be enormous.

But to achieve victory, a price must be paid.

"Give me a regiment."

"A regiment?"

Yes. A regiment.

"doing what?"

Pan Guocong asked, somewhat dazed.

What can a regiment do? Main attack? How could that be enough?

There were still many Japanese soldiers stationed there...

"Take Anqing."

Zhang Yong answered calmly, raising his eyebrows.

The news brought by Geng Tingshi was not one of pressure, but rather one of jubilation.

Are the Japanese invaders going to launch a major offensive in the Central Plains?
Great! Welcome!
He couldn't wait to do it!
In the last Battle of Xuzhou, I was still a bit too weak.

I'm stronger now than before. I can definitely fight the Japanese invaders for control of the Central Plains with greater ease and freedom.

"Commander, how can one regiment..."

"That's enough. The remaining troops will continue to contend for supremacy in the Central Plains."

"what?"

Pan Guocong was in a daze again.

He indicated that he couldn't keep up with the specialist's train of thought at all.

Take Anqing with just one regiment?

"Excuting an order!"

"Yes!"

Pan Guocong hurriedly made arrangements.

Soon, a main force regiment was drawn out.

Approximately 1,500 men. It was one of the strongest regiments in the 31st Army.

"Wei Donglin!"

"To!"

"Prepare to launch the attack!"

"Yes!"

Wei Donglin had been itching to get started for a long time.

The special agent battalion he brought was no pushover. Finally, it was time to make our move.

"Bring along the heartless cannon."

"it is good!"

Zhang Yong waved his hand.

Then he took out a Garand semi-automatic rifle.

No more pretending.

I'm not performing anymore.

Ready to get to work.

Since the Japanese invaders are expanding the battlefield, then let them come!

"Commissioner, you..."

Pan Guocong was stunned.

Judging from Zhang Yong's expression, he's going to take action himself!

They've even grabbed rifles. Are they planning to personally shoot the Japanese invaders? That's far too dangerous!

"set off!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Yong ignored him and strode forward.

It's been a long time since I've had a good, satisfying fight against the Japanese invaders. Today, I must have a hearty meal.

With lofty ambitions, we feast on the flesh of the barbarians.

Dry!
"on!"

"on!"

Wei Donglin led the special agent battalion to follow.

A regiment from the 31st Army, led by Zhang Yong himself, was also in high spirits.

incredible!
The commissioner himself took up his gun and went into battle.

Without any orders, all the soldiers seemed to be injected with adrenaline.

"on!"

"on!"

Nationalist soldiers swarmed forward.

Many people took the initiative to rush ahead of Zhang Yong.

I don't have any particular ideas. I only have one thought: to shield the Commissioner from bullets.

Such a brave commissioner must not be sacrificed.

Even if they all fight to the death, the one who falls in the end will be the Commissioner.

"boom……"

"boom……"

The howitzers began their intensive bombardment.

Shell after shell crashed heavily onto the Japanese positions.

"puff!"

"Rumble..."

"puff!"

"Rumble..."

An even more deafening explosion followed.

This is a heartless 800mm caliber cannon. It launches a 10kg explosive charge.

After several system improvements, its launch range has exceeded 300 meters, which is quite impressive. However, accuracy remains somewhat unpredictable.

Like the 107mm rocket launcher, this thing also focuses on random landing points.

Nobody knows where it will explode.

However, no matter where it explodes, its power is extremely terrifying.

Even hundreds of meters away, the ground will shake violently.

The Japanese invaders' defensive fortifications absolutely could not withstand it.

It's important to know that the explosive charge contained a full 10 kilograms of RDX explosive.

Its main feature is that its power has no upper limit.

The Japanese soldiers inside would all be killed by the shockwave. Not a single one would survive.

In terms of sheer destructive power of the shockwave, it's more terrifying than a 155mm howitzer. Within a 50-meter radius, there were no survivors.

"Come on!"

"Come on!"

Amidst the flames of the explosion, Nationalist soldiers swarmed forward.

The positions bombarded by howitzers and artillery were basically devoid of any surviving Japanese soldiers.

Even if the radar map occasionally shows one or two red dots, they are buried deep in the ruins. A little while later, they will silently breathe their last. Advancing through artillery fire.

The ground was scorching hot.

Gunfire is suffocating.

The greatest difficulty in advancing was not the Japanese troops' interception, but the thick layer of loose soil and the intense smoke of gunpowder.

The former can submerge up to your knees, making it difficult for you to pull your leg away.

The latter will suffocate you. Your throat will feel like it's on fire.

But Zhang Yong ignored it.

Keep going.

No command required.

All you need to do is take action.

As long as Zhang Yong continues to advance, the surrounding Nationalist soldiers will automatically converge and then charge forward.

As long as he doesn't stop, no Nationalist army will stop.

Will he stop? Of course not.

Unless the Japanese invaders have been basically annihilated.

"idiot……"

"he came!"

"he came!"

Yoshio Hongo knew he was in trouble.

The Nationalist army finally launched a general offensive. Their doom had come.

The staff officer didn't have time to report the news.

Because the front lines have completely collapsed, there is no way of knowing the details.

what?
communication?

It's been cut off for a long time.

The entire position was leveled.

"boom……"

"boom……"

The explosions at the front lines were extremely intense.

Even during the day, large clusters of firelight can be seen. They are very bright.

Yoshio Hongo's heart was sinking lower and lower.

How to do?
Seppuku?
maybe.

He stared blankly at the Japanese officers around him.

All the Japanese officers had their heads hanging down.

Frustrated.

despair.

In the end, they all walked forward silently.

The order from the expeditionary force headquarters was absolute; retreat was impossible. Therefore, their only option was to fight to the death.

Yoshio Hongo also walked forward in despair, to face his final death.

"boom……"

"boom……"

Amidst the flames of the explosion, Zhang Yong continued forward.

He was surrounded by Nationalist troops. They had successfully broken through the Japanese lines.

The Japanese defensive positions were indeed fortified. However, they couldn't withstand the Commissioner's personal intervention. He managed to blast them open one by one with large explosive charges.

"Da da da……"

"Clap clap clap..."

The gunfire was scattered and not particularly dense.

The main reason was that the Japanese invaders did not have the opportunity to fire their guns.

Most of them were stunned by the overwhelming explosions. How could they possibly be conscious enough to fire a gun?
Although Zhang Yong was carrying a Garand semi-automatic rifle, he never actually had a target to fire at. The Nationalist soldiers around him always got there first.

"Kill Jiji!"

"Kill Jiji!"

A wave of Japanese invaders appeared ahead. There were about three hundred of them.

They were likely the main force of the Japanese invaders, attempting to launch a counterattack. The two sides clashed in the narrow streets.

"Da da da……"

"Tattoo..."

The firing of various light weapons was a chaotic mess.

Everyone was frantically unleashing their ammunition.

The gun barrel is red-hot...

The gun butt was smashed...

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

Zhang Yong finally had the chance to fire.

Raise the gun.

Fire based on instinct.

Specializing in targeting Japanese strongpoints. Machine gunner.

There were also Japanese invaders with Japanese flags on their bayonets.

One shot at a time.

One shot at a time.

Like a heartless killer.

"Ding!"

Finished punching a leaky clamp.

Replace it with a new one immediately.

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

Keep shooting.

It resembled a precise combat machine.

"Ding!"

Another clip popped out.

So we got a new one...

"Ding!"

Yet another one...

Yet another one...

Finally, the battle was nearing its end.

A few scattered red dots were hiding behind the wall.

So he pointed.

"Suddenly..."

"Suddenly..."

The Surrotun machine gun beside him immediately opened fire.

Smash the Japanese invaders and the walls together. All the red dots disappear.

Replenish ammunition.

Release the ammunition directly to your side.

The battle just now consumed a lot of ammunition, especially machine gun bullets.

The group quickly unpacked the boxes of ammunition and then covered themselves with them.

Keep going.

The Nationalist soldiers beside him dragged along a Solothurn machine gun, following closely behind.

Then they encountered the Japanese invaders again...

It was the nearby Japanese troops who came to reinforce and try to block them.

Fierce battle...

wipe out.

Replenish ammunition.

It's like an assembly line operation...

Keep going.

Then they encountered the Japanese invaders again...

The remaining Japanese troops continued their stubborn resistance...

Fierce battle...

wipe out.

Replenish ammunition.

Keep going.

Then they encountered the Japanese invaders again...

Fierce battle...

wipe out……

"pier!"

"I see the dock!"

"The dock is just ahead!"

"We've reached the riverbank! We've reached the riverbank!"

"We won!"

Suddenly, the Nationalist soldiers in front shouted excitedly.

The Nationalist troops behind immediately surged forward. Sure enough, they saw the mighty Yangtze River.

ecstatic.

Overjoyed.

They successfully broke through the Japanese invaders' defenses and reached the riverbank.

In other words, it means that Anqing has been captured.

"idiot……"

There are still remnants of Japanese invaders along the riverbank.

There aren't many left. Less than a hundred people.

Was the person leading the team a lieutenant?
There were no other officers.

He's probably been beaten to death. Where did he die? Nobody knows.

The battle was so fierce just now, who knows how many Japanese soldiers died? The swarming Nationalist troops trampled the Japanese corpses into a bloody pulp.

"and many more……"

"and many more……"

The Japanese lieutenant shouted, attempting a final struggle.

The other Japanese soldiers remained expressionless. They clearly hadn't recovered from their defeat; they hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

They thought they could hold out for ten days or half a month. In the end, it was taken down in just a few hours.

Almost all of the Japanese invaders were questioning the meaning of life.

"Fire!"

Zhang Yong uttered two words.

The Japanese invaders did not surrender.

Since that's the case, then let them all die.

"Suddenly..."

"Suddenly..."

The Suloton machine gun roared to life.

There were also various other weapons. All sorts of ammunition were being unleashed.

Soon, the remaining Japanese invaders were torn to pieces.

It also had a 12.7mm Breda heavy machine gun.

This was unique to the Guangxi Clique army. It was an Italian product. Not as famous as the M2HB, but its power was not weak either.

Originally designed as aircraft machine guns, Zhang Yong discovered that they were also quite effective in use by the army. Therefore, he equipped some of these guns to the Guangxi clique troops as well.

"Chichichi..."

"Chichichi..."

The bullets swept across the ground, clearing it.

The bodies and fragments of the Japanese invaders were all swept into the river. The river turned a deep red with blood.

"Chichichi..."

"Chichichi..."

The bullets continued to skim across the river.

It pierced through the surging waves, crashing all the way to the opposite bank of the river.

Until Zhang Yong raised his hand.

Only then did they stop firing.

The radar map shows that there are no more red dots in the vicinity.

There are still some scattered remains in the ruins behind, but they are no longer worth mentioning.

"quick!"

"quick!"

Several Nationalist soldiers carrying the Kuomintang flag rushed into a house.

The Japanese flag was still flying on the roof of that house.

Soon, the Nationalist soldiers appeared on the roof, kicked the Japanese flag in half, and then planted the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag instead.

A river breeze blows. The Kuomintang flag flutters in the wind.

"Ouch!"

"Ouch!"

The excited Nationalist soldiers roared in unison.

Victory!
They annihilated the Japanese invaders!
Anqing has been captured.

They have strangled the Japanese invaders' strategic choke point!

Simply setting up a Breda machine gun on the riverbank can block the entire river surface.

Japanese transport ships should not even think about passing through Anqing.

"Commissioner..."

Pan Guocong quickly came up from behind.

Looking at Zhang Yong's face, which was covered in soot, I didn't know what to say.

Finally, stand at attention and salute.

Perhaps only this gesture could express his respect.

This commissioner is truly amazing. He used just one regiment to breach Anqing in just three hours.

No wonder the Japanese invaders were so wary. It was truly terrifying.

Zhang Yong raised his hand in return.

Then look at the time.

Okay.

It took three hours from the start of the battle to reaching the riverbank.

But this is just the beginning.

The real focus is on conquering the Central Plains!
[To be continued]

(End of this chapter)