Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

finally.

After suffering heavy losses of nearly two-thirds of its troops, the 13th Army, with its remaining thousands of soldiers, finally escaped this hellish place.

When they joined up with Gong Yuxin's troops.

Every single one of them was like a defeated soldier, and many of the soldiers were already in tears.

The entire 13th Army, originally comprised of three divisions and a massive force of nearly 30,000 men, ultimately saw fewer than 7,000 successfully break through the encirclement.
This was the elite force that Tang Enbo relied on to start his business, develop his career, and survive.

Because of Tang Enbo's own stupidity, he suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Japanese invaders.

In contrast.

It was Song Xilian's 71st Army.

They were still pursuing the heavily damaged 35th Division at this very moment.

The purpose was to expand the gains made in the battle.

In fact, this battle can only be described as a lose-lose situation.

However, such a lose-lose situation was entirely acceptable to the Nationalist army.

The battle report was quickly relayed to the command headquarters via brief message.

Upon receiving the telegram, Zhang Zhizhong immediately rushed to the operations conference room of the command headquarters.

At this moment.

The war room, which should have been solemn and dignified, was now like a marketplace.

It was extremely noisy.

Chu Yunfei's attack had far-reaching consequences.

Almost every war zone was engaged in battle with the Japanese army, and all forces were basically active.

They used every trick in the book, both overt and covert.

"Chairman."

Chang Ruiyuan glanced at the telegram and then whispered, "Let's announce the news."

"Yes!"

Zhang Zhizhong cleared his throat and gestured for everyone to look at him: "Gentlemen, the latest news we just received is that the 71st Army under Long Muhan and the 13th Reserve Division under Gong Yuxin, in coordination with various units of the 31st Army Group, have successfully broken through the encirclement, supporting the 13th Army's breakout, and have successfully defeated a part of the Japanese 35th Division, annihilating several thousand enemy troops. The two sides are now back to a stalemate."

"According to aerial reconnaissance reports, the Japanese army captured a large number of laborers and built a large number of defensive fortifications behind their contact line. Therefore, Chu Yunfei judged that there was almost no possibility of further breakthrough."

He Yingqin was overjoyed, and then asked, "What is the casualty situation of the 13th Army?"

"The organization is relatively intact, with about 10,000 troops remaining."

Before the war, the 13th Army, including its directly subordinate units, actually had a combat strength of about 34,000 men.

In this battle, Tang Enbo lost more than 20,000 men.

Unfortunately, the troops under Tang Enbo's command were not ordinary soldiers, but the elite troops of the Central Army.

At this point in time, it would have been relatively easy for Tang Enbo to recruit soldiers in Henan and other places, unlike in 44.

If everything goes smoothly, the compilation and supplementation should be completed within a year.
But now that he's made such a huge mess, will Chang Ruiyuan still pamper him like before?

I'm afraid...it's unlikely.

Tang Enbo proved himself this time with his own strength. He did not have the ability or the thinking ability to conduct a campaign based on a grand strategic perspective.

He is only suited for small-scale campaigns, mobile warfare, and cunning tactics.

How to utilize people is an art.

Chang Ruiyuan was naturally aware of this as well.

"The situation has eased, and the Handan-Changshan line has entered a stalemate. The Japanese army is unable to attack, and our army is unable to counterattack. However, we have successfully cut off the Japanese army's Pinghan supply line, which is very beneficial for the continued fighting in the Fifth and Ninth War Zones."

"I remember that the 14th Army Group was still launching an offensive in the direction of Nankou?"

Chen Cixiu nodded slowly: "I called last night to inquire, and Commander Liu's intention is to take Nankou and secure the Northwest. Therefore, there is only one objective left in the battle, which is to capture the core position that the Japanese have been building for a long time."

south exit
This is the place where the Japanese army suffered even more casualties than the Chinese army when they attacked it.

In reality, no one had any hope of making progress in the Nankou direction.

Chu Yunfei's initial statement was simply to contain the main force of the Japanese army; he did not intend to achieve any breakthrough.

Now it seems that this was just an excuse, a pretext for continuing the attack. Now it seems that it was clearly meant to stab Okamura Yasuji in the back.

What is the actual progress of the Nankou project?
In reality, nobody knows.

But everyone present understood the importance of Nankou.

The saying that Suiyuan and Chahar are the front gate, Beijing and Tianjin are the back gate, the throat of North China, and the heart of western Hebei is no joke.

The gateway from Beiping to the Northwest region.

This area has complex terrain, with many high mountains and steep ridges, and numerous passes, making it one of the most famous natural barriers.

It runs parallel to the highway towards Zhangjiakou, connecting the north and south, northwest, North China, and northeast.

Zhangjiakou has already been liberated. If Nankou is also liberated, the Japanese army will no longer have the ability to launch an offensive.

The recapture of Nankou, a strategically vital location, is of paramount importance.

"Call and inquire about the situation in Nankou..."

Zhang Zhizhong gave Chang Ruiyuan a deep look, but unfortunately, he couldn't find anything in his indifferent eyes.

There are actually quite a few nuances to consider when sending a telegram to someone and how to inquire about their identity.

Nankou, the last core position of the Japanese army.

This time.

The 14th Reserve Division was not attacking the outer positions, but rather the southern pass in a narrower sense.

This is the last and most stubborn fang of the Japanese army on the Nankou defense line.

The entire mountain was almost hollowed out to construct a complex of fortresses made of reinforced concrete, heavy logs, and rocks.

Dozens of Type 92 heavy machine guns and rapid-fire cannons, positioned at different angles, wove together an impenetrable net of fire.

In such a place, how difficult it is to overcome all obstacles.

This battle can only be fought by Chen Zejun's troops, and it can only be fought by Chen Zejun's troops.

In the past two years, Chen Zejun's troops have been guarding the supply routes, and in terms of equipment...

It was already the top-tier Soviet-equipped unit in the National Revolutionary Army.

They possess not only 105mm howitzers, but even 150mm heavy artillery from the Soviet interwar period.

They were also equipped with four doors.

However, moving these large vehicles is quite difficult, though it's manageable in places like Shanxi where infrastructure has improved considerably.

In a place like Nankou, it would be extremely difficult.

The battle lasted a week before the 150mm artillery was finally deployed.

Previously, the 14th Army had attempted to attack this position.

The 85th Division suffered thousands of casualties here, almost losing their last drop of blood.

However, they were all driven back by the Japanese army's strong fortifications and fierce firepower.

Chen Zejun has been leading his troops in the attack for three days.

However, this was the Japanese army's last line of defense, and it wouldn't be easy to take it down.

"Sir, the heavy artillery has arrived at the front line and is ready to fire at any time."

"What are you waiting for?"

soon.

The sound of "whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!" cut through the air.

That wasn't the crisp sound of a 75mm mountain gun they were used to hearing.

Instead, it was a deeper, more powerful whistling sound.

Immediately following this was the seemingly impregnable Japanese fortification complex built at Nankou.

In an instant, it was swallowed up by a torrential downpour of steel!

"Boom! Boom! Boom--!" 105mm howitzers and 150mm heavy artillery.

At that moment, they simultaneously unleashed a deafening roar!

Each shell that landed felt like a small earthquake.

The Japanese army's proud reinforced concrete fortifications were easily smashed and overturned like biscuits under the direct hit of this level of heavy artillery!
The sturdy machine gun bunker was uprooted, thrown into the air, and then turned into clouds of dust.

The Japanese army's permanent defensive fortifications were quite cleverly constructed, and even the high-explosive shells of 105mm howitzers had difficulty destroying them.

But the Japanese soldiers inside were naturally dead under the impact of such powerful artillery shells!

The Japanese soldiers inside the switch didn't even have time to let out a scream before they were already bleeding from all seven orifices and dying.

Their internal organs had been reduced to fragments.
The shelling continued unabated for almost an hour.

The soldiers saw it with their own eyes.

That mountain, which they couldn't shake even after sacrificing thousands of lives, is now being erased from the earth bit by bit by an even more powerful force!
When the cannon fire stopped, the entire Nankou area was a scorched wasteland, almost unrecognizable from its original state.

Huge craters were everywhere, and blood almost stained the entire area.

Beep beep beep~!
No further words were needed; the whistle to charge had already sounded.

At the same time, there was the sound of bugles charging.

Chen Zejun and his 14th Reserve Division launched another attack.

"Brothers!" Without further ado, a regimental commander drew his pistol and pointed it forward: "Commander Chen is watching us!"

"Victory is within reach! All troops, charge!"

"kill!"

Thousands of fresh troops, like a flood bursting its banks, launched a final assault on the Nankou Heights, which were still belching black smoke.

They worked in shifts, taking turns providing cover.

The Mosin-Nagant sniper rifle was used to eliminate the remaining Japanese soldiers.
The PPS43, on the other hand, unleashed a deadly hail of bullets in close-quarters trench warfare.

The fierce battle lasted for a full six hours.

Three main regiments were rotated, and even the reserve team was filled by Chen Zejun.

The two sides were engaged in an unprecedented meat grinder operation.

evening.

The battle is over.

When the flag of the 14th Reserve Division was finally planted on the Nankou position.

This also marked the victory of the entire Battle of Nankou.

Inside the command post, Chen Zejun looked at the telegram from the mountain city command in his hand. After a long silence, he slowly ordered, "Send the telegram to the joint command post unchanged and inform Commander Chu that Nankou has been captured, the Japanese army is unable to fight back, our army has suffered more than half of its casualties, and two-thirds of its ammunition and shells have been used up, so we are unable to continue the attack."

"Yes!"

Behind the victory.

Naturally, they paid a bloody price.

The 14th Reserve Division suffered more than half its casualties.

The total number of casualties in the 14th Army Group exceeded 20,000.

Among them, the 14th Army, which was the main force in the early offensive, was almost decimated by this second-phase German-equipped refitted division.

All the assault troops had almost run out of ammunition and shells.

With the conclusion of the Battle of Nankou.

that's it.

A massive battle that swept across North China and involved millions of troops on both sides came to a tragic yet glorious end.

Chu Yunfei didn't give the troops much time to celebrate their victory.

One week later, in Changzhi, Shanxi.

The North China Joint Command convened all participating commanders for a post-war debriefing meeting.

The atmosphere inside the meeting room was solemn and respectful.

Chu Yunfei stood in front of a huge sand table. On the sand table, blue arrows stretched from the foot of the Taihang Mountains all the way to the heart of the North China Plain.

"Gentlemen," Chu Yunfei's calm and steady voice echoed in the conference room, "the nearly month-long counter-offensive in North China has now come to an end."

We have achieved a partial victory.

"In this battle, we recovered several counties, annihilated more than 50,000 Japanese and puppet troops, and captured countless weapons and equipment."

"More importantly, we completely shattered Okamura Yasuji's defense system in North China, firmly seizing the initiative in the war!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each of the generals present.

"This victory was hard-won."

"It belongs to every officer and soldier who fought and bled on every inch of land in Nankou, Pingxingguan, Handan, and Changshan!"

"Their achievements should be remembered by the Chinese people and passed down through history!"

immediately.

Without much preamble, the meeting moved on to reviewing the performance of each unit and awarding prizes.

"Long Muhan's 71st Army and Gong Yuxin's 13th Reserve Division cooperated seamlessly on the southern Hebei battlefield. They not only inflicted heavy damage on the Japanese 35th Division, but also broke through the defenses to support the remnants of friendly forces. Their tactical execution was resolute, and they deserve the highest credit!"

"Cao Potian's troops fought a bloody battle and recaptured Changshan within three days. Their will is commendable and their courage is admirable!"

"Zhang Fugui's troops launched a surprise attack on Niangziguan Pass, cutting off enemy reinforcements with lightning speed, creating a crucial prerequisite for victory in the entire battle!"

"Chen Zejun's 14th Reserve Division fought bravely and decisively in the final stage of the Battle of Nankou, making an indelible contribution!"

……

Chu Yunfei provided fair and accurate comments on the performance of each unit.

He was lavish in praising commanders who had rendered meritorious service.

A detailed list of awards was initially finalized at the meeting.

The document will be immediately reported to the Chongqing Command Headquarters after the meeting for approval and promulgation.

However, as the meeting drew to a close...

When the 31st Group Army was mentioned, the atmosphere in the entire conference room suddenly became heavy.

The smile vanished from Chu Yunfei's face.

He picked up a telegram from the mountain city, stamped with the seal of the Military Commission, and slowly read it aloud in a tone devoid of any emotion.

"Upon investigation, it was found that Tang Enbo, the commander-in-chief of the 31st Army Group, disregarded the unified command of the theater command during the Battle of Southern Hebei. In order to seize military merits, he defied orders and advanced recklessly with his own troops, causing his main force, the 13th Army, to be deeply surrounded and almost completely wiped out. This seriously damaged the overall strategic deployment of our army and caused our army to suffer unnecessary and heavy losses."

"It is hereby decided that Tang Enbo is removed from his post as Commander-in-Chief of the 31st Army Group, effective immediately."

"Considering his minor contributions during the previous War of Resistance, he will be dealt with leniently. He is hereby ordered to report to the First War Zone Headquarters immediately and be transferred to the position of Director of the Operations and Training Department. He will then reflect on his mistakes in seclusion and his future conduct will be observed."

This order, like a thunderclap, resounded in the ears of all the generals.

Everyone understood that this seemingly "lenient" punishment was in fact the most severe penalty. A commander-in-chief of an army group with hundreds of thousands of troops was stripped of his power and reduced to a figurehead "training director" responsible for training new recruits. His political and military career had come to an end.

Chu Yunfei issued the order, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and said in an icy voice:

"This meeting is both a celebration and a warning."

"I hope you all remember that a soldier's duty is to obey orders."

"At any time and under any circumstances, personal fame and honor must give way to the overall interests of the nation and the war."

"Tang Enbo is a cautionary tale."

"Today's meeting ends here; we will conduct a further battle debriefing tomorrow."

Although Tang Enbo managed to preserve some of his remaining forces, he lost everything.

Although the various units in North China failed to annihilate the two main Japanese divisions, they used a classic example of "feigned rescue and real attack" to severely damage the Japanese 35th Division at minimal cost, rendering it incapable of launching a large-scale offensive for the next six months.

In fact.

Chu Yunfei used Tang Enbo's political future and the blood of tens of thousands of soldiers to gain a more valuable strategic initiative for the entire North China battlefield. (End of this chapter)