Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Myanmar.

Allied Joint Command.

When the commendation order from the mountain city and the telegram officially establishing the "Special Operations Brigade" were delivered.

The atmosphere in General Stilwell's office, however, was rather strange.

He placed the telegram back on the table, a rare look of dissatisfaction and confusion appearing on his resolute face.

"Special Operations Brigade?"

General Stilwell complained to his adjutant, a young colonel, "Guerrilla warfare? Small-scale infiltration? This is a strategic regression!"

His voice was laced with an unnamed anger.

While Chu Yunfei was in North China directing the second phase of the counterattack operation in the Second World War zone.

Following their previous plan, Stilwell began to seek more aid and support within the United States.

In their vision, if possible, they would form at least four armored divisions in Southeast Asia.

Yes.

Four armored divisions.

Stilwell's goal was to crush these Japanese bugs with a massive horde of light tanks.

He walked up to the battle map that was placed on the wall.

It was marked with different colors and outlined his grand plan for a counterattack.

Among them, the thick blue arrow representing the future armored group assault is quite eye-catching.

Stilwell pointed at the map, seemingly talking to himself, or perhaps chatting with Clayton Abrams, the commander of the armored regiment beside him: "I'm communicating with Washington day and night, urging them to send the latest production tanks to Southeast Asia."

My plan for the expeditionary force, just as we are about to implement in North Africa and Europe, is a true decisive battle with a reinforced armored spearhead at its core, involving deep penetration and infiltration!

"This is the correct way to conduct modern warfare! To utterly annihilate the enemy with steel and fire!"

He whirled around, his blue eyes blazing with fury: "And now? It seems the Chinese High Command is training a bunch of 'jungle rats,' preparing to play hide-and-seek with the Japanese in the mud! This is a waste of our precious time."

Clayton Abrams cautiously reminded him, "General, General Zhou Weiguo's counter-ambush this time was indeed flawless, annihilating the Japanese army except for elite small units at a very low cost."

“I admit, it was a brilliant tactical victory.” Stilwell’s tone softened slightly, but he remained stubborn: “But that was just a side issue!”
That's just cleverness!

Victory in war depends on overwhelming strategic superiority, which relies on well-equipped armored and artillery units.

It relied on air superiority and national strength.

Training combat units with light weapons firepower advantages in small-scale battles cannot substantially change the course of the war.

This kind of thinking is not the operational method of our U.S. Army, and it should certainly not become the mindset of this Chinese Expeditionary Force, which is about to launch a full-scale counter-offensive.

Clayton Abrams served as the commander of the armored forces.

Naturally, he quite agreed with Stilwell's ideas.

He immediately shared his opinion from the side.

Thus, a discussion about future warfare models unfolded within the joint command headquarters.

at the same time.

Japanese Army, North China Area Army Headquarters.

Just hours earlier, Okamura Yasuji had been gloating over his timely intervention in halting the 20th Division's southward advance.

But now, an urgent telegram from Handan requesting help has poured ice water on him, chilling him to the bone.

obviously.

No matter where he transferred the 20th Division, it was destined to be split up and used in different ways.

The areas of Nankou, Pingxingguan, and Handan are all in a state of emergency.

Only the battle at Niangziguan continued as usual.

This, in turn, drew the attention of Okamura Yasuji.

"Commander!" Intelligence officer Seiichiro Muto presented a document, his expression grim: "This is Major General Taisuke Sawajiri's urgent telegram requesting assistance, as well as all the information we compiled overnight regarding Gong Yuxin, the commander of the 13th Reserve Division of the enemy we are facing."

Okamura Neiji took the document and quickly scanned it.

When Taisuke Sawajiri used phrases like "the disparity in troop strength is enormous, the defense line is in grave danger, and without reinforcements, Handan will be difficult to defend" in his telegram, his heart sank.

He then opened Gong Yuxin's file: "Gong Yuxin is a young and promising general in the Jin Army of the Second War Zone. He was highly regarded by Chu Yunfei because of the Battle of Nanguan Town."

He once served as an operations staff officer under Chu Yunfei, and was later promoted to commander of the main infantry regiment.

A year ago, he was promoted to commander of the 13th Reserve Division for his military achievements.

He has been awarded several medals, including the Baoding and Yunhui Medals, by the Shancheng government.

Sources say this person was once one of Chu Yunfei's Thirteen Bodyguards.

Its subordinate 13th Reserve Division.

The core members are mostly veterans from the war zone, well-equipped, and their overall combat capability is roughly equivalent to that of a special division.

Okamura Neiji slowly put down the document, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.

He finally realized that he had once again fallen into Chu Yunfei's trap.

Pingxingguan is a feint!

Nankou is a diversionary tactic! Meanwhile, the direction towards Handan...

This seemingly insignificant place is situated on a vast plain.

This is the key area in Chu Yunfei's all-out counterattack.

Clearly, Chu Yunfei intended to use a point-to-slope approach to completely disrupt the Japanese army's deployment throughout North China.

This leaves them exhausted and unable to provide quick support.

"Damn it, what a Chu Yunfei!"

Okamura Neiji practically spat out those words through gritted teeth.

His clenched teeth made the chief of staff standing beside him feel slightly uneasy.

He knew that any hesitation at this moment could lead to the fall of Handan, which in turn could trigger the complete collapse of the entire North China Front Army's defense line.

"Commander, our main support troops have been dispatched to the Pingxingguan direction," Muto Seiichiro whispered to him from the side.

"I know!"

Okamura Neiji slammed his hand on the table, a glint of a mad gambler flashing in his eyes. "Order the 20th Division, which was originally scheduled to march south to reinforce the 33rd Division, to recall all its troops."

He walked to the map, circled the location of the 20th Division in red, and drew an arrow pointing directly to Handan.

"Order them to turn around immediately and rush to the aid of Handan at all costs!"

"Tell them to stop the 13th Reserve Division of China and be wary of their reinforcements."

Seiichiro Muto was horrified: "Commander!"

"In that case, Tang Enbo's Chinese army will definitely not let this opportunity pass! They will surely seize the opportunity to counterattack!"

"I know!"

Okamura Neiji's voice was hoarse and desperate: "But now, we have no choice!"

"Now that the fire is at its most urgent, we must first put out the one that is burning the hottest!"

"Compared to the peaceful relationship with Nankou, Handan's defenses are weak, and we absolutely cannot afford to lose it!"

"Since Chu Yunfei wants to decide the final outcome of this battle with a high-stakes gamble, then I'll gamble with him to the very end!"
-
Fifth War Zone, Headquarters of the 31st Army Group.

Commander-in-Chief Tang Enbo's mood at this moment contrasted sharply with Okamura Yasuji's somber expression.

Holding a newly received frontline reconnaissance report in his hand, he beamed with barely suppressed elation, his laughter echoing throughout the command post.

"Haha! Heaven is helping me! It really is heaven helping me!"

He handed the report to his chief of staff beside him and said excitedly, "Look! Look! The Japanese 20th Division has suddenly withdrawn! They are turning north, and judging by the direction, they are going to reinforce the Shanxi front."

Upon hearing this, the generals in the command post...

At first, there was surprise, but then bursts of excited discussion erupted.

"Commander-in-Chief, why did those Japanese suddenly withdraw their troops?"

"It must be Chu Yunfei!"

"It must be because their offensive is too fierce!" a division commander excitedly analyzed. "That old devil Okamura Yasuji can't hold on any longer and has to rob Peter to pay Paul, so he's drawing troops from our side to put out the fire!"

Tang Enbo slammed his hand on the desk in front of him, his eyes gleaming with ambition and aspiration.

"That's right! Chu Yunfei has given us an incredibly generous gift!"

His gaze swept over every general on the field, and his voice boomed like a bell: "Gentlemen, Okamura Yasuji is too busy to take care of himself."

"And the enemy we face is already at his last gasp!"

"Their defensive line is too long and their forces are too weak; they are no match for us."

"This is the best opportunity for our 31st Group Army to make a name for ourselves and achieve great things!" He turned around abruptly, waved his hand at the huge battle map, and was full of vigor.

"Give me the order!"

"All units of the army group, immediately halt the construction of planned defensive fortifications! Shift to an offensive readiness posture across the entire front!"

"Tell the soldiers below to bring out their best weapons!"

"In this battle, we will not only recover lost territory, but also demonstrate the might of our 31st Army Group!"

"Let the Chairman and the gentlemen of Chongqing see for themselves which unit in the Fifth War Zone is truly the backbone of the nation!"
-
Pingxingguan Front Line.

Inside the newly established headquarters of the 71st Army.

A trace of worry always lingered on the face of Army Commander Song Xilian.

He stood with his hands behind his back before the enormous battle map, his gaze sharp as he carefully considered the enemy's defensive position.

Chu Yunfei's seemingly reasonable "inspection of the artillery positions"

Let him feel it.

This second phase of the strategic counter-offensive in the Second World War zone had a deeper strategic intent.

"Maintain the offensive momentum, contain the enemy in front, and create conditions for the main battlefield at Nankou."

Song Xilian repeated in a low voice the order that Chu Yunfei had conveyed through Fang Ligong, his brows slightly furrowed.

In his view, this veteran general, a graduate of the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy and a veteran of countless battles.

The order itself is full of contradictions.

Using the elite troops of the 14th Army Group to launch a strong attack on Nankou, the most fortified area of ​​the Japanese army in North China, was a risky move, almost a gamble.

This allowed him to carry out a harmless "diversionary tactic" in a secondary battlefield like Pingxingguan, where his elite 71st Army was the top force of the National Revolutionary Army.

In his view, this was tantamount to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, a tremendous waste of combat power.

"Reporting to the commander!" An operations staff officer stepped forward and pointed to several marks on the map: "According to reports from our forward reconnaissance units, although the Japanese troops in front of us have received some reinforcements, overall, something seems a bit strange."

Upon hearing this, Song Xilian immediately focused his attention on the map: "Tell me, what's strange about it?"

"Their reserve force, the original independent mixed brigade, which was deployed on the front line, has retreated to a position about ten kilometers to the southeast."

The garrison forces at its forward positions are still the original military police and garrison troops, and the troop density is even lower than we expected.

Their artillery fire did retaliate at the time, but it was scattered and ineffective, seemingly just a bluff.

Song Xilian nodded slowly and immediately ordered, "Dispatch reconnaissance troops to conduct infiltration operations and find out exactly what our opponents are doing."

Based on the information currently available.

The 27th Army and the 71st Army together fought against the Japanese 36th Army and the 2nd Mixed Brigade, achieving a troop ratio of 1.5:1.

Along the entire front, and in some local battles, the ratio of superior forces could reach 3:1 or even 4:1.

Under these circumstances, how could the Japanese possibly hold their ground?
That night.

The reconnaissance unit had already reported the specific findings of their investigation.

Although there was a lot of barbed wire in front of the Japanese positions, in many places it seemed to be just for show.
Even those seemingly fortified firing positions were not adequately manned or equipped with a sufficient number of light and heavy machine guns.

Clearly, the Japanese army did not deploy many troops in this direction, but these old devils were still quite elite.

After obtaining this information.

A bold idea quickly formed in Song Xilian's mind.

Okamura Yasuji, that old fox, has very likely identified Pingxingguan as their key breakthrough point.

Therefore, he did not place the reinforcements on the front line, but instead used them as a second-line defense force.

After they launch their attack, take advantage of the situation to launch a counterattack.

This resulted in the Japanese front-line positions in the Pingxingguan direction appearing to be "outwardly strong but inwardly weak," appearing extremely vulnerable.

For them, this was essentially a "golden opportunity."

Think of this.

Song Xilian stopped worrying about what Chu Yunfei's overall plan was all about.

As an excellent battlefield commander, he keenly sensed an opportunity to win.

Chu Yunfei's order was to "maintain pressure," and a devastating attack was undoubtedly the most effective way to apply pressure!

He hurried back to the command post and grabbed the phone at the headquarters of the 27th Army.

"Receive Commander Fan Hanjie!" Song Xilian's voice left no room for doubt.

The phone number was entered quickly.

"Brother Ren Gong!" Song Xilian got straight to the point, "The enemy facing our troops is outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and their weaknesses have already been exposed! I intend to launch a general offensive against the enemy's Sanmeng Mountain position with the full strength of my 71st Army in one hour! In this battle, your army needs to act swiftly and launch a fierce attack from the right flank to crush the enemy in one fell swoop!"

Fan Hanjie on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback by Xi Songlian's sudden and decisive action, but as an equally experienced general, he immediately understood its value. Without any hesitation, he said, "Brother Xi Lian, rest assured! Your unit will launch the main attack, and my 27th Army will certainly provide support from the side, tearing open a breach in the enemy's defenses for you!"

After hanging up the phone, Song Xilian turned around and faced all the officers in the command post, his voice firm and resolute.

"Give me the order!"

"Artillery regiment, all artillery pieces, target the main Japanese position at Sanmeng Mountain! Conduct at least 45 minutes of artillery preparation."

"After the shelling ends, the 87th Division will launch a general offensive from the front! The 91st Division, in reserve, is ready to be deployed at any time to expand the gains!"

"In this battle, the Japanese army is outnumbered, and our army will surely win. I don't care about the casualty figures; I just want our flag planted on the hilltop!"

"Tell the brothers, let the other units see how our elite main force, handpicked by the General Headquarters, fights!"

"Yes!"

Inside the command post, all the officers responded in unison, and a surge of fighting spirit was instantly ignited.

An hour later, at various front lines in Pingxingguan.

The 75mm mountain guns of the 27th Army and the 105mm howitzers and 75mm mountain guns of the 71st Army roared out almost at the same time.

Shells rained down on the Japanese positions, including those at Sanmeng Mountain.

Caught off guard, the Japanese army hastily responded, and its scattered artillery fire was quickly suppressed by the superior artillery fire of the National Revolutionary Army.

The moment the artillery fire spread, the officers and soldiers of the 71st Army, like tigers released from their cages, launched a tidal wave of attacks on the Japanese positions.

They are well-equipped, highly trained, and their fighting spirit is far superior to that of other units.

After suffering devastating artillery bombardment and subsequent fierce attacks, the Japanese frontline garrison's will to resist quickly crumbled.

The battle lasted less than two hours.

The main position of Sanmeng Mountain was thus declared to have changed hands!
obviously.

We made the right bet; the Japanese really didn't have many troops!

Song Xilian did not choose to stop, but seized the opportunity of the Japanese army's defeat and immediately ordered his troops to pursue them.

"Order all units to immediately clear the battlefield!"

"Full speed ahead! We must continue to expand our occupied territory and threaten the Fuping direction before the Japanese reinforcements can react."

"Yes!"

The 71st Army and the 27th Army.

Two elite Nationalist forces, like two sharp knives, advanced rapidly into the depths of the Japanese army's collapsing defenses.

The Japanese defenses were breached, and their army collapsed like a house of cards.

That's equivalent to two days!
Song Xilian personally led the 71st Army and the 27th Army in an attack, advancing nearly 100 li and recapturing the two county towns of Laiyuan and Fuping!
They will also occupy the entire line of Sanmeng Mountain and Tenglong Mountain, located 50 kilometers south of Fuping.

The news shocked the entire North China Theater!
Even Chu Yunfei couldn't help but praise Song Xilian's decisiveness.

The timing was excellent.

Just as the battle in the Handan direction was nearing its end, a full-scale offensive was launched.

Even if the Japanese army wanted to provide support, they simply did not have the extra troops.

As for the puppet troops, they couldn't even buy time when facing elite units like the 13th Reserve Division, the 27th Army, and the 71st Army.

It only took three to five days.

Chu Yunfei's tactical deception had a series of consequences.

At least, Okamura Yasuji is unable to make further adjustments to the deployment in the short term.

The 27th and 71st Armies will also stabilize the defensive line.

The Japanese counterattack thus became a false proposition.

Song Xilian stood on the streets of Laiyuan, which had just been liberated.

As people spontaneously took to the streets, waving signs to celebrate their victory in protest.

At that moment, he smiled knowingly.

At this moment, all doubts I had about Chu Yunfei's strategic thinking completely vanished. (End of Chapter)