Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Upon hearing Chief of Staff Gou Jitang's words, Tang Enbo felt his stomach, which hadn't ached for several years, react again.

He hurriedly picked up a piece of dried radish from the side and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Commander-in-Chief Tang, the situation of the 13th Army is extremely dire. They have used up two-thirds of their ammunition and suffered half their casualties. If they continue fighting without strong reinforcements..."

Gou Jitang sighed, not making his words too explicit.

But the implication was already very clear.

If this continues, our entire elite main force might be wiped out.

Of course.

The 31st Army Group did try to find other solutions.

To this end, they even tried to persuade Wei Lihuang's troops in the First War Zone to launch a feint attack by drawing the main force of the Japanese army back to defend.

But the results are obvious.

Wei Lihuang completely ignored the unreasonable orders from the mountain city authorities.

In fact, his First War Zone was also incapable of launching an offensive at this time.

They were able to preserve most of their strength in the gap between the Japanese-controlled area and the area controlled by the Wang Jingwei regime.

Wei Lihuang's abilities are already outstanding.

If it were any other incompetent war zone commander, the Japanese would probably have already worn them out.

The Lu-Su war zone is now practically defunct.

Yu Xuezhong and his troops had long since withdrawn from the Shandong region and gone to the First War Zone to seek refuge under Wei Lihuang.

In reality, the Nationalist army had already been driven out of Shandong by the Japanese in the previous 42 years.
The remaining "Nationalist Army" troops were not actually Nationalist Army troops.
anyway.

Just as Tang Enbo was racking his brains for a solution, Chen Daqing, who was standing to the side, also spoke up, his eyes occasionally glancing at him: "Commander-in-Chief, now there is only one person who can save the 13th Army."

Upon hearing this, Tang Enbo's body involuntarily trembled violently.

He slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyelids filled with pain and struggle.

He knew that the reason why the 13th Army was in such a desperate situation was entirely due to his own stubbornness and disobedience.

It was Tang Enbo's arrogance and recklessness.

He personally sent his most elite troops into the enemy's clutches.

As a rising star on the battlefield, Chu Yunfei was just a small regimental commander when he first emerged.

Tang Enbo was already famous throughout the world at that time.

Tang Enbo initially thought of recruiting Chu Yunfei into his ranks and training him well, believing that he might have a chance to become a division commander in the future.

In the blink of an eye.

It's only been a mere five years.

The life and death of his old troops actually rested on Chu Yunfei's shoulders.

This sense of absurdity gave Tang Enbo a feeling that something was not quite real.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Tang Enbo sighed slowly: "Send a telegram to the Joint Command, saying that I, Tang Enbo, admit that I made the mistake of advancing recklessly alone, and that I will apologize to the Joint Command and the General Staff after the war."

But my 13th Army is already completely surrounded by the Japanese invaders. These tens of thousands of soldiers and officers should not be sacrificed here. I request Commander Chu to send reinforcements!
-
North China Joint Command.

The sound of snoring came from the cot.

The people working subconsciously lowered the volume of their conversations.

In the corner, Zhang Dayun and Fang Ligong sat down in front of the chessboard.

"Master Yun's health seems to have declined considerably recently."

"Well, the adjustments to the front-line troops don't seem to be as timely as before. It seems that Lord Yun is more willing to hand over the work to his subordinates now."

Fang Ligong nodded slowly.

Chu Yunfei liked micro-management; when he was a battalion commander, he liked micro-management down to the rank of company commander.

Nowadays, communication equipment is more systematic and more advanced.

Chu Yunfei was able to micromanage a combat unit down to the regimental level, but only in this Changshan combined attack operation.

He did not show much enthusiasm for micro-managing frontline troops.

This made Fang Ligong and Zhang Dayun, two commanders who were close to Chu Yunfei, realize his change.

In fact.

Chu Yunfei's energy was originally split 60/40: the former was the energy and stamina consumed by using skills, and the latter was the micro-management battlefield.

And now.

As the commanders at all levels gradually rise in rank.

Strategic command skills, meritorious service, Qian Bojun, and Huang Baitao are relatively capable of taking on major responsibilities.

The secondary basic tactical units include a group of skilled fighters such as Pang Junming, Bian Fucheng, Cao Potian, Xue Jie, Chen Zejun, and Zhang Fugui.

At the next level, many military academy students and generals from the ranks gradually emerged.

It can be said.

Talented individuals abound, emerging like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Compared to the more conservative tactical thinking of Japanese commanders, they are now completely capable of holding their own in battlefield command.

Chu Yunfei naturally reduced his intervention at the front lines, allocating more of his energy and stamina to guiding the artillery and anti-aircraft artillery.

"Brother Ligong, it seems that one person's command habits are not so easy to change..."

Fang Ligong said with a solemn expression: "I am actually very worried about this matter. After the battle situation stabilizes, I will find some time to talk to the commander about his health. If it is really not good, I will share some of the burden. We can't let Lord Yun carry it all by himself all the time."

Zhang Dayun understood immediately and then slowly said, "Zhuo Tianyu is doing quite well in agricultural reclamation in the Northwest. I heard he has set up more than a dozen local construction teams there, and they are currently carrying out large-scale repairs to water conservancy facilities, aiming to turn the Northwest into a 'Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall'."

"It seems that managing those swamps and saline-alkali lands won't be easy, but that's alright. Yan'an is currently working on this, and the results are quite good. Let them exchange ideas more."

"In the Northwest, the main concern is the Soviets; their influence has gone a bit too far."

Thinking of this, a murderous glint flashed in Fang Ligong's eyes.

Those damned Soviets have repeatedly used the guise of land-based aid to deviate from the intended aid routes.

The real intention was to take this opportunity to survey the Northwest region.

In order to obtain more Soviet aid, we can only turn a blind eye at this stage.

To limit the Soviet Union's actions as much as possible, and to actively prepare for war, ready to turn against them at any time.

Zhang Dayun nodded slowly, without continuing the topic.

Right now, dealing with the Japanese is more important.

He immediately turned around and gestured to the operations staff officer next to him to hand over the battle reports of the past few days to Fang Ligong: "The process of this battle is still worth reviewing and summarizing."

In less than seven days, they captured Changshan, a key stronghold, and annihilated the Japanese 109th Division.

This arduous battle naturally had many remarkable aspects.

Zhang Dayun cleared his throat and slowly said, "In my personal opinion, the reason why this battle was able to capture such an important town as Changshan in just seven days is that Commander Chu mobilized all the heavy artillery except for the Nankou direction."

"It included forty 105mm howitzers and eight 150mm howitzers. Not counting other caliber artillery, these heavy artillery pieces alone exceeded the firepower of the Japanese army by several times."

"Moreover, our artillery range and accuracy are much higher than those of the Japanese army. With the assistance of the Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns that arrived in time, although we lost a few howitzers and suffered some casualties during the operation due to the untimely relocation, we were able to overcome the difficulties."

However, in the absence of air superiority, deploying a large number of field air defense units and heavy artillery clusters offers certain advantages.

Fang Ligong nodded in deep agreement: "This is why Lord Yun attaches such great importance to artillery power. I discussed this issue in depth with Lord Yun for some time before. He believes that controlling the air is the primary strategic offensive objective. If that is not possible, then heavy artillery units and field air defense units should be chosen as a secondary option." "Relatively speaking, the latter seems to have a lower production cost, but from a long-term perspective, if a country has the ability to produce fuel, then naturally the air force can perform better on the battlefield, whether it is a tactical or strategic offensive."

"It is said that the Germans had a dive-bombing aircraft that would swoop down from the sky with a piercing whistle, causing a certain degree of panic among the air defense forces and infantry on the ground. In addition, they were also equipped with a certain number of rockets and bombs, so this attack method was very effective."

In the absence of the capability and means to develop an air force.

Choosing to develop heavy artillery as a second-best option was a last resort.

In a high-altitude offensive operation, Chu Yunfei naturally preferred a 500kg bomb to a 150mm grenade.

The amount of explosives and their power on both sides are not even in the same league.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Dayun continued, "According to the reports below, flamethrowers have performed well in close-quarters urban warfare, but there are also corresponding risks, as there have been quite a few friendly fire incidents caused by flamethrower gunners being killed."

"I'm afraid these things will require further post-war analysis and will take some time. As of now, the three divisions that participated in the offensive have not yet submitted their casualty reports, so the numbers probably won't look so good."

"Yun Gong's previous idea was to withdraw the two divisions under Cao Potian's command first, what do you think?"

Fang Ligong nodded: "Yes, let's rotate them, be wary of a Japanese counterattack."

The intelligence officer strode forward: "Chief, Commander Fang, an urgent telegram from the 31st Army Group."

"Oh?"

Zhang Dayun was taken aback, and immediately stepped forward to take the telegram.

"To Commander Chu Yunfei, North China Joint Command"

"This humble official, Tang Enbo, has committed a crime against the country and is ashamed before the army. In this battle, due to his own selfish desires and the pursuit of military merit, he recklessly disobeyed the General Headquarters' order to 'advance in unison,' and recklessly advanced alone, causing our main force, the 13th Army, to be deeply surrounded by the Japanese invaders."

This is all my fault; I was incompetent in command and made terrible mistakes. I deserve to die.

"However, the tens of thousands of soldiers besieged in Nangong and Xinhe were all elites of the party and the backbone of the resistance against Japan, and they were innocent."

"This humble servant earnestly begs Commander Chu, that in consideration of our shared service to the nation, you may disregard my faults, prioritize the greater good of the country, and care for the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. Please extend a helping hand and rescue my comrades from this dire situation."

"After this battle, I, Tang Enbo, am willing to accept any punishment from the Military Commission, only asking that you, sir, send troops to rescue my 13th Army!"

Tang Enbo was a very proud person.

Under such circumstances, it's easy to imagine how dire the situation must have been for the 13th Army to humbly admit its mistakes and beg for help.

"Should we consult Lord Yun about this matter?"

Fang Ligong looked in Chu Yunfei's direction, pondered for a moment, and then slowly sighed: "Let Lord Yun rest more. Send a telegram to Shancheng. Also, the 13th Division is almost ready to move. The 5th Army Group should also advance northeast to draw the Japanese army's attention."

"Yes!"
-
Beiping.

Japanese North China Front Headquarters.

A communications officer, holding a telegram, strode into Okamura Yasuji's office.

His expression was quite unpleasant, and he didn't even dare to look Okamura Yasuji in the eye.

With slightly trembling hands, he handed over the thin telegram.

"Your Excellency Commander, this is the last telegram from the Changshan Division headquarters."

Okamura Neiji slowly turned around.

He didn't roar or curse.

That usually expressive face now held only a calm, stone-carved expression, frozen from extreme anger and humiliation.

He took the telegram, his gaze sweeping over the few words of farewell: "Great Japanese Brother, Itagaki, His Majesty the Heavenly Locust, and his ilk."

Okamura Yasuji crumpled the telegram in his hands, making a "crunching" sound.

Changshan has fallen.

Okamura Neiji spoke in a voice that was almost a soliloquy, hoarse, dry, and devoid of any emotion.

Chief of Staff Seiichiro Muto, standing to the side, kept his head down and dared not utter a word.

He knew that the fall of Changshan meant not only the loss of a strategic town, but also that he, Okamura Yasuji, had suffered a complete and utter defeat in front of Chu Yunfei.

Chu Yunfei's entire "Changshan Manor Joint Attack" plan was intricately linked, each step potentially fatal.

The feint at Pingxingguan, the siege of Handan, the fierce attack at Niangziguan, and the relentless assault at Nankou.

Everything was for the final capture of Changshan, in order to cut off the Pinghan Railway line they controlled.

And they, on the other hand, were like puppets on strings.

Led by the nose by Chu Yunfei, they stepped into the script that the other party had already designed.

Even the solution had already been decided long ago.

He, Okamura Neiji, is just a clown!

Chu Yunfei

Okamura Neiji chewed on the name in a low voice, a near-mad flame burning in his eyes: "He won the first half of the game, but does he think he has won the whole war?"

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with a wild, ferocious light and the final madness of a gambler.

"No! The war is not over yet!"

"He gave me a golden opportunity to annihilate an entire main force army group of the Chinese army!"

Okamura Neiji rushed to the huge battle map, and his command baton was no longer pointed at the already lost Changshan, but instead stabbed hard at the southern flank of the map.

The 12th Mixed Brigade was also en route to provide support from 170 kilometers away from the encirclement formed by the main forces of the Japanese 20th and 35th Divisions.

The outer perimeter of the encirclement.

It was the other units of the 31st Army Group that were fighting desperately to rescue them.

"Although we lost on the northern front, we caught a big fish, Tang Enbo, on the southern front!" Okamura Neiji's voice became sharp with excitement: "Although Chu Yunfei has taken Changshan, his most elite troops, led by Qian Bojun, are already at their last gasp!"

“A vacuum zone of 300 kilometers has emerged between him and Tang Enbo’s troops, and within this zone there is only one division of combat troops.”

He turned to look at the map and issued new battle orders, fueled by vengeful fury.

"Order!"

"The strategic focus of the army group is now to deploy all air force units to the southern flank immediately!"

"Our only operational objective now is to fight at all costs."

"Annihilate the entire 31st Army Group of China that we have besieged in the Nangong and Xinhe areas!"

Muto Seiichiro's heart skipped a beat: "Commander, do you mean we should abandon the counterattack on Changshan?"

"Counterattack?"

Okamura Neiji shook his head silently and slowly said, "What will we use to counterattack?"

"Use our exhausted remnants, or those disloyal collaborators?"

"To capture a fortified city held by the elite main force of the Chinese army, at least two main divisions of combat troops are needed."

"Even if it's already in ruins, it would be foolish to launch a counterattack immediately!"

"True victory lies in annihilating the enemy's manpower to the greatest extent possible!"

"If we can annihilate Tang Enbo's army group, it will be more important than losing Changshan. This will be a heavy blow to the Nationalist army in North China!"

"It will also turn Chu Yunfei's seemingly glorious victory into a strategic defeat!"

"He sacrificed Tang Enbo for the sake of the overall situation."

Okamura Neiji slammed his fist heavily on the command table: "Then I'll make him watch with his own eyes how this pawn he discarded will be devoured piece by piece by me!" (End of Chapter)