Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

General Marshall astutely pointed out the crux of the problem: "Yes, Mr. President. What we are most worried about now is not that the Chinese can't win, but that they are winning too quickly, so that the Japanese will choose to surrender prematurely, in North China, or even throughout the entire Chinese battlefield!"

President Roosevelt picked up the thread, saying, "And that would be a 'premature peace' that we cannot accept."

He looked at Marshall and laid bare America's deepest strategic concerns without any attempt at concealment.

“George, you understand what a premature surrender, negotiated on the Chinese battlefield, means for us.”

"First, our military industry and Lend-Lease related programs are only just beginning."

We need more time, through a continuous stream of aid, to deepen the dependence of our allies on us, thereby gaining greater influence in the postwar period.

"Secondly, our B-29 Superfortress bomber fleet, on which we have placed high hopes, still needs to utilize Chinese airfields to carry out several rounds of devastating strategic bombing raids on the Japanese mainland, in order to demonstrate our unparalleled air power to the world, especially to the Soviet Union."

If the war ends now, our "air superiority" theory will lack its strongest evidence, and our powerful military-industrial complex will be unable to have a suitable battlefield demonstration.

"Third, and most importantly," Roosevelt's eyes flashed with an unwavering resolve, "Japan must be occupied by the United States itself, and we must lead its postwar reconstruction and restoration of order! We absolutely cannot accept a 'dignified surrender' achieved through victory on the Chinese battlefield, a surrender that requires sharing the spoils of victory with the Chinese!"
In that case, the enormous price we pay for this war will not yield the greatest strategic benefits.

The air in the office became somewhat heavy due to this cold, strategic analysis.

General Marshall nodded and said, “I fully understand, Mr. President. We need this war, on our predetermined track, according to our timetable, toward the outcome we desire.”

“That’s right.” President Roosevelt made up his mind. “So what we need to do now is not to urge the Chinese to fight faster, but to make them slow down a bit.”

"However, based on the intelligence department's analysis of Chu Yunfei, he is unlikely to be willing to stop his counterattack."

Roosevelt nodded slowly: "Yes, so we should stop him with appropriate reasons, rather than using aid to blackmail him."

He turned to Marshall and gave him new instructions.

“Send a telegram to Stilwell immediately. First of all, in my own name, I extend my warmest ‘congratulations’ to the Chairman on their brilliant victory in North China.”

“But,” Roosevelt’s tone shifted, “after the congratulations, he should subtly convey our ‘goodwill reminder’ to the Chinese side.”

Tell them to be wary of excessive pride, to focus on consolidating their gains, and to avoid the risk of stretching the battle lines and running out of supplies due to excessive pursuit.

"At the same time, we informed them that we are accelerating the construction of transport ships and corresponding coastal gunboats to support their amphibious landing operations in coastal areas."

"In short, let him use all diplomatic language to make the Chinese understand that we support them in winning the war, but not in winning a 'decisive' victory right now."

"Yes, Mr. President."
-
South entrance.

At this moment, it has been transformed into a huge and cruel meat grinder.

An offensive from the Pingjin area to the northwest would require passing through this area.

An attack from the northwest towards the Gyeonggi region would also require passing through Nankou.

At this moment.

Every inch of this land seems to have been repeatedly turned over by artillery fire, and every rock is soaked with the blood of Chinese and Japanese soldiers.

The 14th Army Group, a formidable force tasked with leading the main offensive, is launching an admirable assault on various locations in Nankou, which the Japanese have been controlling for years, with an almost heroic and resolute determination.

The spearhead of the attack was naturally the 14th Army, the strongest unit in the army group.

At this moment, Chen Tie's temporary command post was less than seven kilometers away from the front line.

His command post was located in a mountain valley that had been half-flattened by artillery fire.

The command post after the rain was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood, and the air was thick with a nauseating odor.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the red marker on the sand table, codenamed "Hill 306".

Just hours earlier, in an effort to capture Hill 305 next to it, one of his main regiments had almost lost its fighting capacity.

"Commander," a operations staff officer said in a hoarse voice, his face still covered in dried mud, "the casualty report of the 85th Division has been submitted. In the battle of Hill 305, our army suffered 4171 dead and more than 300 seriously wounded. Our brothers almost risked their lives to fight for it."

The Japanese troops on Hill 305 numbered only one company at most.

More than a hundred people, they need to pay more than three times the price to occupy this good spot.

It is easy to imagine how difficult this kind of arduous battle was.

The bloody battle of Nankou back then.

Tang Enbo led his troops to resist the attack of the elite Japanese army. The Japanese army launched attacks with planes, tanks and artillery in turn. The reason why Tang Enbo's troops were able to hold out for so long was largely due to the geographical location and terrain of the Nankou area.

The difficulty of overcoming this challenge is self-evident.

The operations staff officer paused, then said with difficulty, "The Japanese defenses are far stronger than we imagined. The defense of Hill 306 can only be maintained on Hill 305. Should we temporarily halt our offensive and readjust our deployment?"

Chen Tie slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over all the officers in the command post who looked worried and anxious. He said, word by word, "Commander Chu entrusted the toughest challenge to our 14th Army, not because we have more artillery, not because we have more men, but because he believes that our 14th Army has the ruthless spirit to gnaw the bones of the Japanese devils to pieces!"

"I know this is a matter of lives. I know it's cruel." Chen Tie's eyes reddened slightly. "But this is our mission! It's a mission assigned to us by the Commander-in-Chief that we must complete!"

"Our goal is to maintain the current intense offensive and let the Japanese know that the Kinai region is under direct threat. Only in this way will they not be able to divert troops south to reinforce other battlefields."

Chen Tie took a deep breath, as if his words just now were actually meant to convince himself:

"Give me the order!"

"86th Division, take over the attack mission from the 85th Division! Target: Hill 306!"

"Tell the brothers, two hours of artillery preparation! Burst all our shells onto that hilltop! After the shelling, I don't care what methods they use—biting with their teeth, digging with their hands—I must see our flag flying high on Hill 306 before nightfall!"

"This is a death order."

"Anyone who dares to hesitate or retreat will be executed on the spot!"
-
At the forefront of Hill 306, in a trench that has been almost completely destroyed.

Li Delin, the company commander of the 3rd Company, 1st Battalion, 236th Regiment of the 86th Division, was wiping the lens of the binoculars in his hand with his dirty sleeve.

Sweat streamed down his young face, which was etched with determination.

The trenches were packed with soldiers about to launch their attack.

The veterans silently inspected the Type 24 rifles in their hands, their movements somewhat numb.

His eyes held a detached indifference to life and death.

"Fix bayonets and prepare to attack."

And those new recruits with youthful faces, who had only recently joined the ranks.

He nervously swallowed, his knuckles turning white from gripping the rifle so tightly that his fingers were white.

"Don't be nervous, all of you!" Li Delin shouted in a low voice. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the soldiers around him to hear clearly: "The Japanese devils are born of parents too. If they get hit by a bullet, they'll die just the same!"
"Those charging ahead, keep your backs down! Don't be stupid and charge forward with your chests out!"

He patted the shoulder of a soldier who looked only sixteen or seventeen years old, and the soldier trembled in fright.

"Hey kid, what's your name?"

"Reporting to the sir, my name is Wang Erzhu."

"Are you scared?"

".Afraid."

“It’s good to be afraid.” Li Delin grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow by cigarette smoke. “Being afraid will make you think about how to survive. Remember, stick close to the veterans. Wherever they run, you run.”

"If I tell you to shoot, you shoot; if I tell you to lie down, you lie down. If you survive, you're a hero, a regimental commander, a division commander, or even a higher-ranking officer."

Just then, the whistling sound of artillery fire during a test firing rang out.

"They're here!" Li Delin perked up and abruptly raised his binoculars.

Moments later, the mountain guns, field guns, and heavy mortars in front of them roared at the same time!

Hundreds and thousands of shells, trailing piercing whistles, rained down on Hill 306 ahead.

The earth trembled violently, as if it were about to be torn apart.

The explosion and thick smoke instantly destroyed the entire hilltop.

The Japanese machine gun emplacements, bunkers, and barbed wire were blasted to pieces by the fierce artillery fire, with earth and rocks flying everywhere.

However, everyone knows that this is just the beginning.

The artillery preparation lasted for a full two hours.

The moment the shelling finally stopped, Li Delin abruptly stood up from the trench, pulled out the loud Mauser pistol from his waist, and blew the charge whistle.

"Brothers! For our country! For our parents! Charge!"

"kill!"

The battlefield is a whole; attacking Hill 306 doesn't mean attacking only Hill 306.

Along the entire front, thousands of soldiers, like a flood bursting its banks, leaped from their trenches and launched a desperate charge toward the death hill and surrounding area that was still shrouded in smoke and fire.

However, just as they had advanced less than fifty meters, the remaining Japanese firing positions immediately opened fire.

“Da da da da—!”

Several Type 92 heavy machine guns, cleverly concealed behind camouflage fortifications, spewed out crisscrossing tongues of fire from different angles.

Bullets clashed through the charging ranks, instantly felling several soldiers.

"Take cover! Machine gun! Suppress them!"

Li Delin roared and immediately fell to the ground.

Many of the soldiers around him fell down in an instant.

Wang Erzhu witnessed firsthand that Company Commander Li, who had just been patting him on the shoulder, had half of his body torn apart by heavy machine gun bullets, with a large portion of his intestines spilling out, yet his eyes remained wide open, gazing towards the mountaintop.

Fear, like an invisible hand, gripped Wang Erzhu's heart tightly, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

"Stop fucking spacing out! Open fire!"

A veteran squad leader kicked him hard, waking him up.

"Throw the mortars! Knock out those machine gun positions for me!"

The veterans fought back with difficulty from within the shell craters, beginning a tenacious exchange of fire with the Japanese army.

The grenade launcher operators also began to unleash their power, firing grenades one after another at the Japanese firing positions.

The battle entered the most brutal close-quarters combat phase from the very beginning.

Every meter of progress comes at the cost of lives.

After Li Delin's sacrifice, there was no time for grief or sorrow.

The deputy company commander immediately took over command.

He roared as he commanded the remaining soldiers to continue their charge upwards.

They crawled forward, using every available cover, inching closer to the summit.

at last.

Twenty minutes later.

The remnants of the Third Company charged up the first trench of the Japanese army.

They were met by Japanese soldiers carrying Type 38 rifles with bayonets fixed.

"kill--!"

The soldiers on both sides clashed violently, like two packs of red-eyed wild beasts.

On the entire battlefield.

The dull thud of a bayonet piercing flesh, the crisp crack of bones breaking, the death screams, the heavy panting.
Wang Erzhu used all his strength to plunge his bayonet into the chest of a Japanese soldier who was even shorter than himself.

Warm blood splattered all over his face. The Japanese soldier stared wide-eyed, gripping him tightly, muttering something under his breath, before finally collapsing to the ground, powerless.

Wang Erzhu had no time to think, because another bayonet was already thrusting towards him.

He instinctively used the gun to block, rolled over, and dodged the fatal blow.

The battle continued, brutal and intense.

When they had completely cleared out the last Japanese troops from the mountaintop.

Of the nearly two hundred men who charged up in the entire Third Company, fewer than fifty are still standing.

Wang Erzhu slumped amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, trembling all over and panting heavily.

He looked at the corpses of his familiar comrades around him, and at the blue sky and white sun flag stained with blood, fluttering and crackling on the mountaintop.

He felt no joy whatsoever in his victory.

Chen Tie received a battle report from the 86th Division: "Reporting to the Commander, our division has successfully captured Hill 306!"

"What is the casualty situation?" Chen Tie's voice was completely calm.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a report in an almost choked voice: "The 236th Regiment that participated in the battle suffered more than half its casualties, and the 3rd Company was almost entirely wiped out. The estimated number of casualties has exceeded 800."

Chen Tie closed his eyes, his hand gripping the phone, veins bulging.

a long time.

He slowly opened his eyes, his red eyes devoid of any emotion.

Chen Tie turned to look at the red marker on the sand table, which was right next to Hill 306 and marked "Hill 307".

"Order."

Chen Tie's voice was icy cold: "After resting in place for one hour, continue the attack on Hill 307 and the surrounding area. Make sure our occupied territory is contiguous and guard against a Japanese counterattack." (End of Chapter)