Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

The outskirts of Anyang.

Under the silent night sky.

The Eighth Route Army's "Eastern Expeditionary Column" completed a two-day, two-night mobile march.

Finally, at 7 p.m. that evening.

We have arrived at the designated assembly point.

The corps commander, Ding Wei, had just dismounted and rested not long ago.

A communications soldier, crouching low, delivered an encrypted telegram personally sent by Chu Yunfei.

The contents of the telegram.

This surprised Ding Wei and Li Yunlong and Kong Jie, who rushed over upon hearing the news.

"Commander Ding's Honor:

The Japanese invaders are brutal and have now changed their tactics, intending to annihilate our 40th Army.

The situation is critical and there is no time to lose.

The esteemed column is hereby ordered to, after a brief rest, to take advantage of your army's glorious tradition of 'night fighting and close combat' and launch a preemptive strike against the Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade 7th Regiment before dawn!

Chu Yunfei, North China Joint Command.

"So soon?" Li Yunlong was the first to exclaim, "We haven't even had a hot meal yet, and you're sending us out for a night battle?"

"This Chu Yunfei is really treating us like dirt!"

He originally intended to use the excuse of "troop fatigue".

To negotiate with those above, we need to at least slow down and take a break.

Ding Wei, contrary to his usual behavior, did not agree with him.

He simply frowned and handed Li Yunlong another "battle situation report" that had just been forwarded from the 40th Army.

Li Yunlong glared and was the first to shout, "What a joke! The brothers have been on the train for two days and marched for most of the night. They're exhausted and haven't even had a hot meal! Now you want us to go and take on the tough Japanese? Isn't this just giving orders blindly?!"

Kong Jie frowned as well, pointing to the map and saying, "Yes, Lao Ding. The Japanese 7th Mixed Brigade, although not a Class A division, is still a fully-equipped and well-mannered field force. We are unfamiliar with the terrain and the enemy situation is unclear. Launching an attack at night would be too risky."

Ding Wei did not speak immediately.

He simply placed another telegram on the map.

That was a "situation report" that had just been forwarded from the 40th Army.

The person who made the announcement was Ma Fawu, commander of the 40th Army.

“In the telegram, Ma Fawu said,” Ding Wei’s voice carried a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm, “that this afternoon, they withstood the fierce attack of the Japanese army and successfully repelled the enemy. Now, the fighting on the front line is ‘not very tense.’ He asked us to proceed directly to the front line as planned and join them.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong became even angrier.

"Damn it! This Ma Fawu is lying through his teeth!"

"If he really holds out, would Chu Yunfei allow us to launch a night raid right now?"

"I think this guy surnamed Ma is up to no good!"

Kong Jie nodded and calmly analyzed, "I think this Ma Fawu is trying to lure us to the front lines to hold off the Japanese frontal attacks for him. Meanwhile, they can take the opportunity to escape from the rear!"

Looking at the two almost completely contradictory pieces of information on the map, Ding Wei felt a surge of genuine admiration for Chu Yunfei.

Chu Yunfei didn't even deceive them, truthfully informing them that the 40th Army was in a very critical situation.

His seemingly "inhuman" order to launch a night raid.

"This Commander Chu."

Ding Wei muttered to himself, "His vision is truly extraordinary."

"Perspective my ass!" Li Yunlong was still cursing. "I just don't believe it!"

"We won't fight. What can he do to me, twist my head off?"

"I will call the command back right away and say that the troops are exhausted and need to rest. The order will be postponed. They will arrive at the front line to fight according to the original combat plan tomorrow morning."

As Li Yunlong spoke, he was about to go find the radio operator.

"stop!"

Ding Wei suddenly shouted, stopping him. For a moment, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie looked at Ding Wei with slight surprise.

"Old Li, Old Kong," Ding Wei said, looking at his two old comrades-in-arms, enunciating each word clearly, "This battle, we will not only fight!"

"And you have to fight better than everyone else!"

"In fact, Chu Yunfei was also giving our Eastern Expeditionary Column a chance to show itself."

This is also how we are putting ourselves in control of the battle.

Instead of being used as cannon fodder by Ma Fawu.

"If we were pushed into that meat grinder by the previous battle plan, fighting a positional war against the Japanese devils, how many of our heads could possibly fight them?"

Ding Wei's words were immediately clear to Kong Jie and Li Yunlong.

The two immediately realized what was happening and exchanged a glance.

Ding Wei didn't waste any time. Seeing that his two old friends had come to their senses, he immediately said, "We can discuss things normally, but this is wartime. Orders must be obeyed. Do you understand?"

Without saying a word, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie stood at attention and shouted, "Yes, sir!"

Ding Wei pointed to the location of the Japanese 7th Mixed Brigade on the map.

“The people of Chongqing look down on our Eighth Route Army, and that dog warlord Pang Bingxun also wants to scheme against us.”

"It seems like everyone thinks that our Eighth Route Army has only been able to fight guerrilla warfare and hide in the mountains in recent years, unlike the large-scale operations we had in the Xinkou and southeastern Shanxi battles, and that we are not up to par!"

"And we will use this battle to tell everyone, to tell the people of the whole country."

"Our Eighth Route Army not only has the courage and determination to fight head-on, but also the ability to win head-on battles!"

"Old Li, I know your troops are good at wielding broadswords, and Zhang Dabiao is skilled at night raids. In my opinion, this heavy responsibility should be handed over to your regiment. Do you have confidence?"

Li Yunlong's expression turned solemn, and he said in a clear voice with a serious look, "I guarantee to complete the mission."

"You go ahead and make preparations. I'll study which direction we should attack. Lao Kong, go back and tell us that we are obeying orders and that we are working hard to study the subsequent attack direction."

"Yes!"
-
"Your Excellency, the 27th Army is scheduled to arrive at its designated attack position in 36 hours, as planned."

Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow and asked in confusion, "What is Brother Jianyi doing? Why is the 27th Army marching so slowly?"

(Liu Jin, a graduate of the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy, is the current commander of the 27th Army and the former deputy director of education at the Northwest Guerrilla Cadre Military and Political Training Class. He has a personal grudge against Hu Zongnan.)
Qian Zhaoyou was silent for a moment, then explained in a low voice: "The telegram said that they encountered some trouble during their advance. When they passed through the neighboring defense zone, there was a minor friction, which caused some delay."

"Minor skirmish? With Chi Fengcheng's troops?"

"Yes," Qian Zhaoyou sighed slightly, "their marching routes overlapped considerably, leading to some disputes between the two forces regarding right-of-way."

Chu Yunfei's attention was mainly focused on the deployment and adjustments at the front line.

Although he occasionally paid attention to the support troops behind him, they did not take up too much of his time and energy.

"No firearms were used, right?"

"No," Qian Zhaoyou shook his head. "They were also afraid of making a big fuss, and the people below were quite restrained. But overall, the infrastructure in Hebei and Henan is far inferior to that in Shanxi. Much of our heavy equipment can only be moved quickly by road."

Chu Yunfei looked slightly helpless and rubbed his forehead.

The Shanxi model is difficult to replicate in other provinces.

Especially the areas that Hebei and Henan are currently vying for.

Large-scale infrastructure projects will inevitably attract the attention of the Japanese.

Although Okamura Neiji suffered a loss at his hands, Okamura Neiji was no fool.

In the war of maintaining order in North China, although he adhered to a policy of appeasement, he showed no mercy when it came to taking drastic measures.

They might use germ warfare or poison gas warfare.

It is unknown how many migrant workers will be harmed as a result.

"Sir, the 27th Army arrived at its designated position eight hours later than originally estimated, and this time difference cannot be made up for at the moment."

"The 27th Army was merely an icing on the cake; it was not the decisive force that influenced the victory of this battle."

Just as Qian Zhaoyou was about to say something.

A communications officer quickly stepped forward to report: "A telegram has arrived from the Eastern Expeditionary Column."

Chu Yunfei immediately asked, "Hmm, what did you say?"

"They are studying the direction of the night attack and have already dispatched troops to conduct reconnaissance..."

Chu Yunfei gestured for Qian Zhaoyou to go and rest.

He himself stood in front of the battle map.

Consciousness, on the other hand, had already been immersed in the three-dimensional combat map.

He needed to select a suitable night raid target for the Eastern Expeditionary Force to disrupt Okamura Yasuji's plans.

Huangmiaogou, located about 35 miles west of Anyang city, is indeed a good starting point.

Although this location is not considered important, it is still a link in the Japanese battle line.

Most importantly, only one company of Japanese troops was stationed here.

Based on Chu Yunfei's understanding of Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, and Ding Wei.

This size of Japanese army unit.

Regardless of whether any one of them is in command, they are confident that they can wipe them all out through a night raid.

The Japanese army had previously suffered several losses due to attacks that broke through the enemy's defenses from a single point.

There is a high probability that the deployment will be adjusted quickly.

In order to plug the gap, they could buy enough time to continue to escalate this massive campaign.

Thinking of this, Chu Yunfei immediately called out, "Someone come here!"

Not far away, a communications officer quickly stepped forward: "Lord Yun."

"Send a telegram to the Dongzheng Column, suggesting that they focus on the line between Shitang Village and Dading Village, and that their attack direction be changed from between the two villages to the line between Zhangjiagou and Shijiagou, and that they urgently construct fortifications to support the defensive operations of the 40th Army."

"Yes!"

Anyang frontline.
The temporary headquarters of the Japanese 5th Division was set up in a landlord's compound that had been forcibly occupied.

The room was brightly lit.

Division Commander Lieutenant General Yamamoto was carefully examining the battlefield situation before him, looking at a huge military map.

His face, with its strong, defined features, revealed little expression. Beside him stood several staff officers with equally serious expressions.

"Reporting to the Division Commander."

An operations staff officer pointed to an area on the map surrounded by layers of red arrows and reported: "The attack on the enemy in front of us by the 40th Army of the Chinese Army is progressing smoothly."

It is expected to be completed before noon tomorrow.

"Then we can completely break through the front lines, compress them entirely into Anyang City, and engage in the final battle."

Yamamoto Tsutomu nodded.

No words were spoken.

They already knew the situation of the 40th Army very well.

Insufficient manpower, outdated equipment, and low morale.

The commander was an old man nearing seventy, with one foot already in his coffin.

To eliminate such a force.

For him, the division commander who led the Empire's "Steel Army," it was nothing more than an appetizer, posing no challenge whatsoever.

What Division Commander Yamamoto was truly concerned about were other threats.

"Any unusual movements from the other Chinese troops? Have the expected reinforcements launched a swift attack?"

He spoke slowly, his voice deep and powerful.

The chief of staff stepped forward and pointed his baton at the other side of the map.

"Your Excellency, according to reports from our reconnaissance aircraft and forward intelligence network, the greatest threat to us at present is the Second Army Group of the Chinese Army, which may launch a strong attack on our forces from the west."

"The Second Army Group?"

A disdainful sneer curled at the corner of Yamamoto's mouth.

He was familiar with this designation.

“I remember that during the Battle of Xuzhou, our Taierzhuang advance detachment had fought against this unit.” He recalled: “Jigu’s 10th Division, with only an under-strength detachment, routed this so-called ‘Central Army’, causing nearly 20,000 casualties.”

"Yes, General. However, even the commander of the Jigu Division failed to capture Taierzhuang. The resilience shown by this unit in defensive operations is indeed commendable."

Yamamoto Tsutomu waved his hand to interrupt: "Just a bunch of rabble who can only rely on sheer numbers and rudimentary fortifications to hold out to the death."

A young staff officer reminded him with some concern, "Sir, according to unconfirmed intelligence, the Second Army has undergone initial reorganization, and one of its divisions has even received a considerable amount of Soviet equipment."

"Soviet weapons?"

Yamamoto Tsutomu snorted, his tone filled with the aloofness characteristic of Imperial soldiers: "So what?"

"Weapons, in the end, must be used by people."

"A flock of sheep, even if you give them tusks, will not become a tiger."

"Moreover, the Soviets are currently engaged in a fierce war with the Germans, and the weapons and equipment they are being given are mediocre and outdated."

He walked up to the map and began to analyze it to the staff officers present in an almost didactic tone.

"Look."

He drew a circle on the defense zone of the Second Army Group with his baton: "This unit, although nominally one of the main forces of the Central Army."

But in reality, he was always excluded from the inner circle by Chang Ruiyuan.

Their supply sequence has always been at the back. In the past two years, they have hardly participated in any decent large-scale battles.

On ordinary days, they are either suppressing bandits or getting into conflicts with other friendly neighboring units.

What kind of combat effectiveness could such a force possibly have?

"Secondly."

Yamamoto Tsutomu's command stick, following the map, pointed to the jurisdiction of the First War Zone: "They have just been transferred from the Fifth War Zone to the First War Zone."

We are completely unfamiliar with this combat zone we are in, both in terms of terrain and local customs.

"An army that is unfamiliar with the terrain and lacks popular support."

"No matter how many troops or how good the equipment, they are nothing more than a bunch of headless flies."

"so."

Yamamoto Tsutomu drew his final conclusion, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "There is absolutely no need to be so distracted by such a unit."

"What we need to worry about is Fang Ligong's elite combat group. There are at least four or five elite division-level tactical units around Handan that are eyeing us covetously. Once they launch an attack, our offensive will inevitably come to a standstill, or we will even have to switch to a defensive posture on the spot."

"In plains operations, it is quite unwise to confront the Flying Tigers without strong fortifications."

"so!"

"We only have one task right now!"

Yamamoto Tsutomu slammed his baton heavily into the location of Anyang City.

"With the fastest speed and the most intense firepower, tear Pang Bingxun's 40th Army to shreds!"

"As long as we deal with them."

"This will allow us to temporarily seize the initiative in this battle."

"At that time, we can launch a flanking attack on Fang Ligong's troops in the direction of Handan."

"If we retreat, we can hold the Anyang line and coordinate with the garrison in Handan."

"Anyone who tries to flank us will be crushed by our well-prepared steel defenses!"

Yamamoto's words filled the staff officers present with enthusiasm and confidence.

As Japan's most elite army division at present.

They had never actually experienced a truly devastating defeat.

Apart from the time when they were badly defeated by Chu Yunfei's troops during the counterattack in Linyi.

Whether it was Xinkou, Nanjing, Guinan, or the major battles that followed the southward advance.

The 5th Division could be described as virtually invincible.

PS: After Kunlun Pass, it was handed over to the Japanese again under Bai Jiansheng's command. The command of the entire Guinan Campaign was basically a disaster, and it was also the most serious campaign to deal with senior generals.

Facing the 88 episodes commanded by Fang Ligong, they were confident enough to challenge their allies.
-
Just as Yamamoto Tsutomu closed his eyes.

I'm going to take a short nap to recharge.

In preparation for tomorrow's decisive battle, which he saw as a foregone conclusion.

A sudden burst of gunfire, as rapid as popping beans, shattered the tranquil night sky.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The piercing screams rose and fell in the darkness, instantly shattering the tranquility of Shitang Village.

The Japanese outpost located in Shitang Village.

A standard reinforced company of Japanese soldiers, not yet fully awake from their sleep, was utterly routed by this sudden attack.

"Baka! Where did this enemy come from?"

The company commander roared at the top of his lungs, trying to organize an effective resistance.

But his answer was a hail of bullets raining down from all directions!
"Brothers! Give them a good beating!"

in the dark.

A rough and powerful roar rang out.

Like a tiger roaring through the mountains, it clearly reached the ears of every Japanese soldier.

It was Zhang Dabiao, the deputy commander of the Independent Regiment and commander of the First Battalion!
He personally led more than 300 specially selected commandos.

Like a sharp blade in the night, it silently crept up to the very noses of the Japanese army.

Then, they launched this swift and unexpected night raid!

These commandos.

Each and every one of them was an elite selected from the entire regiment.

They were almost a four-person combat team.

Two men used brand-new Type 79 rifles manufactured in Shanxi, while the other two used PPS43 submachine guns manufactured in Shanxi.

Among the three hundred men, there were also ten machine gun squads.

Each machine gun team carried a Czech-made light machine gun that had just been brought out of the arsenal.

This extremely luxurious firepower configuration was something they never dared to dream of before.

now.

This powerful firepower unleashed astonishing force on the narrow battlefield.

A dense hail of bullets.

In an instant, the several hastily organized Japanese firing positions were completely suppressed.

The Japanese grenade launcher was just about to fire a grenade.

He was hit in the head by a precise shot fired from the darkness.

The heavy machine gunner hadn't even had time to set up his gun when several whistling grenades blew him and his weapon into the air.

"Come on!"

After a brief but intense barrage of fire.

Zhang Dabiao was the first to leap from the ditch where he was hiding, carrying a light machine gun, and charged towards the Japanese position like a tiger descending the mountain.

More than 300 assault team members followed closely behind, shouting.

They surged forth like a burst dam, instantly overwhelming the Japanese army's weak defensive line.

both sides.

This was followed by an extremely fierce close-quarters battle and melee combat.

A Japanese soldier had just crawled out of his bunker when Zhang Dabiao smashed his skull with the butt of his rifle.

Another Japanese soldier charged forward with a bayonet.

However, an Eighth Route Army soldier used an entrenching tool to slice off half of his head.

The battle, from the very beginning, was one-sided.

This was a Japanese military company that was usually pampered and mainly responsible for "maintaining order and security".

Where have I ever seen such a fierce and reckless fighting style?
If we say that the Nationalist army's ragtag troops were armed civilians with third-rate combat power...

Before that, the 7th Mixed Brigade had mainly fought against the Eighth Route Army's advance guerrilla forces in Shandong.

In terms of combat effectiveness, to be honest, they're not even fourth-rate.

After playing too many low-level games, I was completely overwhelmed when I played high-level games.

Under the commando team's fierce and relentless attack.

Their will to resist was completely destroyed in just over ten minutes.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

The surviving Japanese soldiers abandoned the bodies of their comrades and scrambled to escape towards the main position behind them.

Zhang Dabiao stood on the newly captured position, watching the fleeing enemy.

A hunter's excitement gleamed in his eyes.

Zhang Dabiao is a man who is rough around the edges but meticulous underneath.

Based on the combat situation, it was immediately determined.

The Japanese 7th Mixed Brigade's defenses were even more lax than they had imagined!
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

"Company Commander, take your men and clean up the battlefield! Collect weapons and ammunition, establish temporary positions, and cover the main force that follows!"

"The rest of you, follow me and keep pushing forward. Let's see how far they can go!"

"Yes!"

Zhang Dabiao made a decision without the slightest hesitation.

Deciding not to give the enemy any chance to breathe, he led his most elite commando team.

They continued their fierce attack deep into the Japanese lines!

……

Meanwhile, in the temporary command post several kilometers away.

Li Yunlong was holding up binoculars at that moment.

He stared intently at the towering flames in the direction of Shitang Village and the faint sounds of gunfire.

A large, wild smile spread across his face.

"You bastard Zhang Dabiao! You didn't embarrass me!"

Li Yunlong abruptly put down his binoculars, grabbed the phone on the table, and let out a thunderous roar into the receiver.

"Listen carefully to me!"

"Zhang Dabiao has already kicked open the Japanese front door!"

"Now, it's our turn!"

"I command! The entire regiment, launch a full-scale attack!"

"Second Battalion, from the left flank; Third Battalion, from the right flank! Be like two pairs of pincers and clamp down on all the Japanese devils in front of you!"

"Artillery battalion!"

"Fire all the shells out!"

"No need to aim! Just follow the reconnaissance we gathered this evening and extend your firepower towards their main position!"

Li Yunlong's voice, as he gave orders over the phone, carried far into the quiet night: "Tell the brothers!"

"Tonight, we'll have breakfast on the Japanese lines!"

"If any of them becomes a coward, I'll skin him alive!"

"All troops attack!"

Following his order.

The main force of the Independent Regiment of the Eastern Expeditionary Column, which had been ready for battle for a long time, leaped out from its hiding place like a tiger released from its cage.

Hundreds and thousands of Eighth Route Army soldiers, bayonets at their feet, shouted.

They launched a massive, all-out counterattack against the Japanese army's seemingly long but actually vulnerable defensive line!
This night.

It's bound to be a sleepless night.

Both Okamura Neiji and Yamamoto Tsutomu believed themselves to be hunters in control of the game.

But they don't know.

Beyond their self-righteous calculations.

One unit was able to quickly move to the front lines via rail and road.

Due to political considerations and other reasons.

This unit is equipped with the latest and best weapons and equipment produced by various arsenals in Shanxi.

This is a formidable light weapon firepower.

Apart from the elite troops of the true Central Army, no other unit possessed this capability.

This naturally does not include any Nationalist troops stationed in the Anyang area.

Even the "Tang Enbo Unit," which was previously regarded as an elite force by the Japanese army and considered a major enemy by the Japanese army in North China.

There is no such light weapon firepower configuration.

This kind of equipment and reckless fighting style were simply beyond the ability of a second-rate unit like the 7th Mixed Brigade to react in time and counter.
After learning that Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment had launched a full-scale attack.

After making a quick phone call to Ding Wei for instructions, Kong Jie decisively led his troops forward to act as a flank cover force in the coordinated assault. However, he chose to attack the junction between the 5th Division and the 7th Mixed Brigade.

Lacking just a tiny bit of luck, the old Japanese soldiers of the 5th Division reacted much faster than the 7th Mixed Brigade, and their offensive was quickly contained. The two sides fought repeatedly along the Dongyao Town line under the dim moonlight.
Eastern Expedition Column Headquarters.

It seems no one expected that an ordinary night raid would reveal the true strength of the 7th Mixed Brigade.

The fighting capacity of this unit was far weaker than they had anticipated.

Staff Officer Li immediately suggested, "Why don't we send our troops up as well? If we can defeat the 7th Mixed Brigade directly, our Eastern Expeditionary Column will become famous throughout the country."

Ding Wei shook his head and refused, saying, "It's normal for the flank defense force to be defeated under such circumstances. Disrupting the Japanese deployment is already quite an achievement. Now that we've completed the orders from the joint command, we should choose a more cautious approach. In conventional warfare like this, one wrong step can lead to utter ruin. We only have so many resources left. If we lose them all, who knows when we'll be able to replenish them?"

Staff Officer Li wanted to persuade them further: "But the leaders want us to make a name for ourselves and achieve great things. If we miss this opportunity, we won't be able to encounter it again."

Ding Wei was determined to stick to his idea: "No one knows whether the Japanese army will turn the tables and choose to focus their attacks on our new force."

We can't afford to gamble, and we can't afford to lose.

"Let them finish the battle before dawn, use the terrain to build fortifications, tighten their defenses, and prepare for a defensive attack." (End of Chapter)