Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

A fierce battle.

It lasted for another two days and two nights.

The entire battlefield in Handan has been completely transformed into a massive furnace of blood and fire.

Every inch of land is being fought over repeatedly.

Every second, vibrant lives are lost amidst gunfire and bullets.

Chu Yunfei had just arrived at the frontline command post in Handan.

Before he could even take a sip of water, an urgent telegram from Chi Fengcheng's 30th Army was delivered to him.

He unfolded the telegram and quickly scanned it.

His brows furrowed even more involuntarily.

The telegram was filled with helplessness and embarrassment.

"To Chief Advisor Chu:"

"The unit was ordered to cooperate with the Eastern Expeditionary Column to attack the enemy in front of them, the Japanese Independent Mixed 7th Brigade."

"Despite the fierce fighting over the past few days, our soldiers have suffered heavy casualties and made slow progress."

"The reason for this is not that our soldiers are not brave, but that we lack ammunition and are unable to attack effectively."

Attached to the telegram was a long and alarming list.

The list above outlines the supplies the 30th Army urgently needs: 79mm rifle ammunition, Czech-made machine gun ammunition, 82mm mortar shells, and hand grenades.
Looking at those items marked with "urgently needed" or "out of stock".

Chu Yunfei could almost see the despair and helplessness of the soldiers on the front lines when faced with the Japanese army's fortified positions, a feeling that could only be filled with their own flesh and blood.

Chu Yunfei believed that Chi Fengcheng was good at playing dirty tricks.

But at this time, it's time to play it safe.

Chu Yunfei didn't believe it.

The end of the telegram.

Chi Fengcheng explained in an almost complaining tone why they had fallen into such a predicament.

"The department, nominally the Central Army, is actually a collateral branch."

"Previously, as it was under the command of the Fifth War Zone, the supply of various materials was always difficult."

"The few remaining resources in the war zone were mostly divided up by Guo Chan's troops, a direct descendant of the Central Army, and the main force of the Guangxi Clique."

"We are nothing more than scraps."

"When it was transferred to the First War Zone, it was completely ignored by everyone."

"Commander Wei himself is not even trusted by the Chairman and is too busy taking care of himself to care about us."

Upon seeing this, Chu Yunfei couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

He knew that what Chi Fengcheng said was true.

Within the National Revolutionary Army, factions were numerous and engaged in mutual infighting.

The "direct descendants" eat the meat, while the "outsiders" drink the soup.

It's an open secret that they can't even get soup.

Chi Fengcheng's "complaints" were both a plea for help and a disguised attempt to get closer to Chi Fengcheng.

We can't count on the mountain city.

We can only rely on Chu Yunfei and the Shanxi arsenal behind him.

It was most likely at Sun Lianzhong's behest. Although Sun Lianzhong was loyal, he was by no means stupid.

……

Chu Yunfei put down the telegram and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Throughout the command post.

It was incredibly noisy, like a boiler boiling water.

The staff officers were shouting themselves hoarse in front of the telephone.

He inquired about the gains and losses of each position on the front lines, and the specific casualties of each regiment.

On the huge map on the wall, arrows represent the positions of both sides.

It is constantly being modified and moved.

The air was thick with the smells of tobacco, sweat, and a unique tension that belonged to war.

Fang Ligong, Zhang Dayun, and even Chu Yunfei himself have been able to get only two or three hours of sleep each day for the past four or five days.

Even the adjutant Zhao Pengcheng who came with them.

He had just been taken away for meritorious service and temporarily placed in the General Staff to coordinate logistics and supplies.

Everyone was like a machine that had been wound up to its limit, operating beyond its capacity.

Because everyone knows it.

This battle is crucial to the entire third phase of the strategic counter-offensive.

We can only win, we cannot afford to lose!
Chu Yunfei walked to the map, looked at the stalemate on the battle line, and a resolute look flashed in his eyes.

The goal this time was to win quickly; we didn't expect to launch a full-scale counterattack at this point.

At least we need to wait until Luo Weiguo's 13th Army Group is reorganized before we have enough troops to deploy in various places.

Now, if we want to achieve a quick victory, a direct, forceful attack is not enough.

We must put even more pressure on Okamura Neiji!
Chu Yunfei turned around and gave an order to a confidential staff officer who had just found some free time not far away: "Qiu Hongtao, send a telegram to Commander-in-Chief Li of the Fifth War Zone in the name of the North China Joint Command!"

"We earnestly request that your war zone, considering the overall situation, take the initiative to launch a supporting offensive against the enemy in front of you!"

"There's no need for a full-scale attack; simply adjust your deployment and make it appear as if you're launching a major offensive!"

"The objective is singular: to tie down the Japanese 11th Army and prevent it from redeploying troops to reinforce North China!"

"Yes!"

After playing Li Zongren, Chu Yunfei turned his gaze to the other side of the map.

The 7th Army Group under Fu Yisheng.

He picked up a blank telegram sheet again and personally drafted a secret telegram to Shexian County.

……

Headquarters of the Seventh Army Group.

Fu Zuoyi received another telegram from Chu Yunfei.

After reading the contents of the telegram, even this veteran general, known for his composure, couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

"To Commander Fu:"

"The Battle of Handan did not proceed as smoothly as expected."

"The resistance of the Japanese 8th Division was more tenacious than expected."

"Based on the current enemy situation, Okamura Yasuji will inevitably further tighten his defenses after suffering initial setbacks."

"Handan has become a pawn for them, and their main force will surely move to their strongholds in the rear."

"To prevent the enemy from launching a counterattack from the flank and cutting off our retreat when our main force has captured Handan and is advancing into the interior."

"Yunfei dares to request that your 61st Army Group be entrusted with the important task of covering the rear and providing flank protection."

Upon seeing this, Fu Zuoyi's brows furrowed.

Should the 61st Army be sent to cover the rear?

This sounds like a thankless and arduous task.

But when he saw the second half of the telegram...

Fu Yisheng finally understood Chu Yunfei's true intentions.

"To bolster our army's morale and to deter the Japanese invaders, we earnestly request that the Deputy Commander allow the 61st Army to march out of Shanxi with great fanfare and launch an attack!"
Along the way, we should widely publicize the message, making sure the Japanese believe that reinforcements from North China are continuously arriving at the front!

Fu Zuoyi put down the telegram, feeling his heart pounding.

He got it.

Chu Yunfei, this is hardly a request for him to "cover the rear".

This is clearly an attempt to stage a ruse.

He intended for the 61st Army to use a feint to mislead Okamura Yasuji, making him mistakenly believe that the main force of the Nationalist army in North China had been mobilized in full force.

This forced him to abandon the outer positions, shrink his forces, and retreat to the second line of defense.

This move was quite clever, but whether it would succeed or not, Fu Zuoyi didn't know.

Now that the telegram had been sent, Fu Zuoyi had no reason to hesitate.

He knew this was his, and the entire Seventh Army's, only chance to achieve greater merit in this decisive battle for North China! "Men!"

"Have."

"Make arrangements to bring along every gong and drum that can be struck!"

"in addition."

Fu Yisheng glanced out the window: "Immediately contact Director Xu in Changzhi and tell him that according to Chief Advisor Chu's arrangements, we will be setting off in the next two days. Make sure to hold the most solemn and grand departure ceremony for us, and it would be best if it could be published in the newspapers as soon as possible."

"I want all the people in North China, and even the whole country, to know that our Seventh Army Group is about to go all out and use all its combat forces to fight the Japanese Eighth Division to the death on the front line in Handan!"

"Yes!"

At the front lines, the sounds of gunfire gradually subsided.

Night gradually enveloped the earth.

Inside the Handan front-line command post, however, the lights were still on.

Chu Yunfei stood in front of the huge sand table, staring at the jagged red and blue arrows that represented blood and fire, remaining silent for a long time.

Fang Ligong stood to the side.

He poured him another cup of hot tea and said softly, "Master Yun, General Fu Yisheng has replied."

"The 61st Army under Chen Changjie will march to the front line in a grand manner early tomorrow morning."

"Ah."

Chu Yunfei nodded, but did not turn around.

"Your 'feint' tactic was truly brilliant," Fang Ligong exclaimed sincerely. "If Okamura Yasuji knew that our army still had such a strong force to deploy on the battlefield, he would certainly not dare to linger in Handan and would take the initiative to shrink his defensive line."

however.

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunfei slowly turned around, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.

“Brother Ligong,” he picked up his teacup and blew on it gently, “do you really think that my move to mobilize the Seventh Army was just to scare Okamura Yasuji?”

Fang Ligong was taken aback: "Isn't that right?"

"The feint is only one aspect; it's an open and aboveboard strategy." A barely perceptible, cold glint flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes: "My real purpose is to force Li Tiejun to use Fu Yisheng to challenge Hu Zongnan."

"Forcing Li Tiejun?"

"Yes."

Chu Yunfei put down his teacup, walked to the sand table, and used his baton to slam down on the blue square representing the 76th Army.

“Brother Ligong, we’ve been partners for many years, so I’ll just say it frankly.”

"After the Battle of Shanghai, the 76th Army suffered heavy losses."

"In recent years, although we have been replenishing our supplies in the rear, and our equipment and personnel have been restored, we have not fought a single decent hard battle since."

"Hu Zongnan protected them like precious gems. He would never use them lightly unless it was absolutely necessary."

"Nobody really knows how effective this unit is."

“And this time.”

Chu Yunfei's voice suddenly turned much colder and harder: "The Battle of Handan has become so deadlocked."

"Of course, there were reasons such as the stubborn resistance of the Japanese army and the hasty actions of our army."

"But how much effort did Li Tiejun's 76th Army actually put into it, and how much shady dealings were involved?"

Fang Ligong remained silent.

He knew that what the chief advisor said was true.

Since the start of the war, the 76th Army has been "slacking off".

All talk and no action; it seemed like a big fight, but in reality, they weren't giving it their all.

It was obvious that they knew the Battle of Handan was a prelude to the relocation of Chen Zejun.

Li Tiejun wanted to claim credit, which is why he orchestrated the 24th Division's unauthorized actions.

Chu Yunfei's consciousness quietly sank into his mind.

"Three-dimensional combat map".

The true state of each unit is on full display.

[76th Army: Current organization level: 65%; Current combat losses: 1488 (952 killed in action)]

This number stung Chu Yunfei's eyes.

Ten days of fierce fighting resulted in fewer than 1,500 casualties.
Was it that the Japanese soldiers' marksmanship had deteriorated, or that the Japanese air force support was not timely enough?

Is this the kind of casualties one would expect in a battle of attrition?

[Newly Reorganized Fourteenth Chen Ze Army: Current Organization Status: 78%; Current Combat Losses: 2315 (1603 Killed in Action)]

[Newly Reorganized Sixteenth Unit under Guo Yanzheng: Current Organization Status: 71%; Current Combat Losses: 1542 (1117 Killed in Action)]

This is the kind of casualties that should be expected in a decisive battle!

They were facing the Japanese 8th Division.

This old Japanese soldier was once an elite member of the Kwantung Army!

This unit is also extremely powerful in combat.

In the ten days of fighting, their own casualties have reached more than 7,000!

Battle casualty ratio.

Although the Nationalist army still had the upper hand, this was enough to prove that it was a bloody battle of head-on!
In such a bloody battle.

Li Tiejun's 76th Army paid such a negligible price.
There's only one answer—Li Tiejun was leading his troops to go through the motions without putting in any real effort!

“Brother Ligong,” Chu Yunfei’s voice said, “Now, Chen Changjie’s real fresh force has appeared behind him.”

"In reality, it was about telling Li Tiejun, and also about Hu Zongnan behind him."

"You have to fight this battle, whether you want to or not!"

"We have to fight, whether we like it or not!"

"If you dare to shirk your duties and act cowardly again..."

"Okay!"

"Although I, Chu Yunfei, have no way to execute this senior commander of the first class of Whampoa Military Academy without going through a military court, I will let Chen Changjie under Fu Yisheng take the credit."

"In that case, it won't be me, Chu Yunfei, who will be embarrassed."

"It is not just Li Tiejun, but Hu Zongnan, and his entire Hu Zongnan Group!"

A few words.

Fang Ligong was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat when he heard this.

Chu Yunfei was determined not to give Hu Zongnan, this "disciple of the emperor," the slightest bit of face.

He's using Fu Zuoyi as a weapon to force Li Tiejun, this unruly "ox," to plow the fields!

"What about the 24th Division?" Fang Ligong asked tentatively.

"Stop it." Chu Yunfei's tone left no room for doubt: "Order Liao Ang to immediately halt the assault towards the southeast."

"The entire division shall rest on the spot and turn due south."

"I'm giving him a new task."

Chu Yunfei used his baton to draw a huge arc on the map, behind the Eighth Division.

"I don't care whether he can do it or not."

"I just want Liao Ang to make it look like he's going to cut off the Eighth Division's retreat!"

"As long as we fight hard enough, we can attract most of Okamura Yasuji's attention."

"Brother Ligong, do you think Liao Ang's unauthorized actions might be seen as a clever tactic by the Japanese?"

Fang Ligong smiled knowingly: "That's hard to say!"

Chu Yunfei looked at the small flags representing the main Japanese divisions on the sand table, his eyes gleaming with a hunter's excitement: "Last time when we received the Sichuan Army commander, what did the Sichuanese call their gathering?"

Fang Ligong paused for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "Is it called 'Da Ping Huo' or 'Chi Tuo Tuo'?"

"Correct!"

"This battle plan should be immediately submitted to the General Headquarters for record-keeping. The battle plan will be called 'Catch the Tuotuo'."

Chu Yunfei's word was enough to get the people below to work immediately.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dayun, who had been standing to the side, immediately began to study the specific coordinating combat units and the specific attack time.

At this moment, a cold smile appeared on Chu Yunfei's lips: "I'm going to make it look like I'm going to bring the Fifth Division and the Eighth Division together."

"I'd like to see if Okamura Yasuji dares to take the risk of two divisions being surrounded and severely damaged by our army, or even annihilated." (End of Chapter)