Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Pengcheng, the North China Joint Front Command.

A huge rectangular military sand table occupied the center of the conference room, and the high-powered incandescent lights overhead illuminated the mountains and rivers on the sand table in great detail.

Chu Yunfei, dressed in a dark green general's overcoat, rested his hands on the edge of the sand table, his gaze sweeping over the vast territory awaiting recovery before him like that of a hawk.

Beside him, Lin Wei, the chief of staff of the joint command, and Fang Ligong stood side by side, their faces solemn.

Below the sand table, dozens of high-ranking commanders, including Qian Bojun, commander of episode 6, and Wang Zhonglian, commander of episode 31, sat upright, their breathing extremely low.

Zhang Dayun, the head of the operations section, walked briskly to the front of the sand table with a folder in his hand.

"Sir, esteemed officers!"

Zhang Dayun picked up the baton and quickly pointed out several key points on the sand table.

"Currently, all episodes have entered their designated attack positions."

"Logistical supplies and winter protection materials have been distributed, and artillery shells and ammunition produced by the military industrial clusters in the summer and autumn have been distributed to front-line troops."

Lin Wei nodded slightly and took over the conversation.

"The strategic goal of this 'Winter Storm' is to truly attack from two fronts."

Lin Wei's baton drew two sharp arcs on the sand table.

"On the southern front, the main force crossed the Huai River, reached the Yangtze River, and completely crushed the remaining resistance of the Japanese army in the Yangtze River Delta."

"On the northern front, the heavy armored groups must brave the wind and snow to launch a strong attack on the vital passage between Beijing and Tianjin, trapping and beating the enemy, and firmly blocking the Kwantung Army's southward advance!"

A low murmur rippled through the meeting room, and a fervent fighting spirit instantly ignited in the eyes of the generals.

In episode 31, Commander Wang Zhonglian suddenly stood up, his military chair scraping against the wooden floor with a sharp, grating sound.

"Your Excellency!"

Wang Zhonglian, looking slightly agitated, declared: "In the previous battles, our unit performed somewhat poorly. In this battle, our unit is willing to be the vanguard and undertake the main attack mission to the south."

"Alright, no need to express any opinions or compete for the main attack mission. The current situation and deployment will be scheduled and adjusted according to the issued combat plan. This plan may be adjusted at any time, after all, we also need to be able to adapt to changing circumstances in this battle."

"Yes!"

"I hereby announce the full activation of the strategic counterattack plan codenamed 'Winter Storm'!"

……

A week later, on the Rudong front in central Jiangsu.

The cold rain mixed with the sea breeze stirred up the muddy water in the trenches, making it extremely murky.

The command post of the 2nd Independent Regiment of the 88th Group Army of the National Revolutionary Army was hidden in a half-collapsed farmhouse.

Chief of Staff Chu Yunzheng vigorously wiped the mud off his face, leaned close to the phone, and grabbed the receiver.

"Yes!"

"This is the XX Regiment Command Post. Please give instructions!"

"I am Chu Yunfei."

Chu Yunzheng was jolted, and his hand gripping the microphone tightened suddenly.

Although they are cousins ​​of the same clan, it is extremely rare for the commander-in-chief to make a direct phone call to the regimental-level command post during a large-scale battle involving hundreds of thousands of people.

"Sir, the XX Regiment awaits orders!"

There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone.

"Is that Yun Zheng?"

Chu Yunfei's voice remained completely calm.

Chu Yunzheng straightened his back and answered loudly, "Reporting to Your Excellency, it is I!"

"it is good."

"Your regiment's original attack plan has been cancelled, and the new direction of attack is towards Juegang."

"Juegang is close to the Yellow Sea and is a key maritime supply point for the Japanese and puppet troops in this area."

"The terrain there is complex, with numerous bunkers and tight defenses; it's a tough nut to crack."

"But this thorn must be removed, otherwise the Japanese troops defending the flank will receive a constant stream of supplies."

Chu Yunfei's tone was chilling: "Your regiment must spare no effort to capture Juegang in the shortest possible time and cut off the Japanese army's retreat!"

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty!"

"Even if it kills us, our team will definitely take down Juegang for you!"

He slammed down the phone and turned to look at Yu Xian, the team leader who was squatting next to the sand table.

Yu Xian was also an elite graduate of the Shanxi branch of Huangpu Military Academy.

He became the commander of a main force regiment before he was thirty years old.

The two were classmates and best friends. One was calm and reserved, while the other was fiery and passionate. Together, they were a perfect match.

"Old Yu, this is a death order from the commander."

Chu Yunzheng walked to the sand table and pointed his finger sharply at the location of Juegang Town: "We must take this place before dark."

Yu Xian spat a mouthful of muddy saliva onto the ground.

"Then fight!"

"Let the Third Battalion lead the main attack, and the regimental heavy mortar company advance to provide support. Also, we should report to our superiors that if the attack doesn't go well, we should just use artillery shells to smash the town's gates!"

……

On the outskirts of Juegang Town, a joint defensive position of Japanese and puppet troops.

The puppet army battalion commander huddled behind a sandbag soaked by the rain, trembling with fear.

"Sir! The Nationalist army's artillery fire is too intense, the brothers really can't hold on!"

Ren Ping desperately wailed at Watanabe, the Japanese company commander who was holding up binoculars next to him.

Lieutenant Watanabe's face turned ashen. He suddenly turned around and slapped Ren Ping hard across the face.

"idiot!"

Watanabe drew his sharp sword, pressing the tip firmly against Ren Ping's chest: "Anyone who dares to back down a step will die!"

"The Locust Army's warships will soon arrive from the sea to provide support. As long as we hold the town, there will be a great reward!"

Before the words were finished, a piercing sound suddenly enveloped the entire battlefield.

"Fire! All personnel take cover!"

Lieutenant Watanabe roared at the top of his lungs and scrambled into the nearby air-raid shelter.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The terrifying barrage from twelve 81mm mortars accurately covered the machine gun positions at the town's entrance.

Following this was the roar of large-caliber heavy artillery.

These shells were directly supplied by the heavy artillery units under the command of the 88th Division.

The circular fortifications painstakingly constructed by the Japanese army over several months were instantly torn to shreds in a series of deafening explosions.

These shells seemed to have eyes, deliberately targeting the areas where the Japanese and puppet troops' firing positions were most concentrated and where their personnel were most clustered.

The charred mud mixed with severed limbs was thrown high into the air.

Taking advantage of the gaps in the cover provided by the extended artillery fire.

The soldiers of the 9th Company of the 3rd Battalion, like a pack of tigers released from their cages, quickly advanced forward, taking advantage of the shell craters and ruins.

"Alternate cover!"

"Three ranks, flank from the left side of the broken wall!"

The 9th Company Commander crouched low, his submachine gun spitting out scorching flames as he relentlessly suppressed the few Japanese machine gunners still putting up a stubborn resistance.

These new recruits, who have undergone rigorous training at the new recruit training base, are also able to keep up with the veterans' assaults.

This made the tactical skills of all officers and soldiers in the entire combat unit appear extremely high.

Using the three-three system of platoons and squads as the basic unit, they formed an extremely sophisticated network of cross-cover.

The machine gunners quickly used the broken walls and ruins to find firing positions, instantly establishing a suppressive position with no blind spots.

The assault troops, armed with Thompson submachine guns and Garand rifles, moved like sharp knives, decisively plunging into the depths of the enemy's defensive lines along the trenches.

Ren Ping just climbed out of the soil, spitting out a mouthful of mud and sand.

As soon as he looked up, he saw a group of Nationalist soldiers wearing dark green raincoats and with murderous intent in their eyes rushing towards him with bayonets at the ready.

He screamed in fright, dropped the tortoise shell pistol in his hand, and knelt down in the mud with a thud.

"Sir, spare my life!"

"Sir! Chinese don't fight Chinese!" The sergeant at the front didn't slow down at all, but instead reversed his rifle butt and smashed it hard into the back of Ren Ping's head.

With a muffled thud, Ren Ping rolled his eyes and fainted in the mud.

"Ignore him, keep pushing!"

"Don't linger in battle, advance straight to the core area of ​​the port!"

The Ninth Company Commander stepped over Ren Ping's body and continued charging deeper into the town, stepping over the enemy's corpses.

Inside the Japanese command post in the center of town.

Lieutenant Watanabe listened to the increasingly close, popping sounds of submachine guns and deafening shouts of battle outside, his eyes filled with despair and a beast-like madness.

He gripped the family heirloom sword tightly with both hands and roared as he charged out of the sandbag bunker.

"Your Majesty the Heavenly Locust, may I depart!"

He was met with a hail of bullets.

Watanabe didn't even have time to swing his sword before his body was instantly smashed into a bloody mess, and he fell straight down into a pool of blood.

As the battle intensified, the remaining Japanese and puppet troops in Juegang Town were completely wiped out in less than three hours.

As dusk fell, the setting sun shone like blood.

The military flag of a certain regiment, embroidered with a winged tiger, stood firmly planted on the dock pier of Juegang, braving the cold sea breeze.

Chu Yunzheng strode to the wreckage of the destroyed Japanese patrol boat and exhaled a long breath of stale air mixed with thick gunpowder smoke.

"Send a message to the forward command post!"

Chu Yunzheng gazed at the surging Yellow Sea in the distance, wiped the blood from his face, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Juegang has been completely occupied by our regiment. The Japanese army's water supply lines in the Rudong area of ​​Nantong have been completely cut off. Our group can now launch an attack towards Rudong and Qidong."

Pengcheng.

North China Joint Front Command.

"Your Excellency! We have just received the latest news."

The communications officer strode toward the sand table and handed over a newly translated telegram with both hands.

Chu Yunfei took it, glanced at it, and then handed it to Fang Ligong, who was standing next to him.

"The Juegang direction has broken through the enemy's defense line and occupied the Juegang area. The general offensive took less than six hours."

Fang Ligong pushed up his glasses, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

He picked up a long wooden lever and deftly knocked down several small flags representing the Japanese defensive positions on the sand table.

Then, a blue Flying Tigers flag was firmly planted at the location of the port.

"The attack was swift and decisive."

Fang Ligong stared at the sand table, his tone filled with barely concealed excitement: "Sir, once the port is breached, the Japanese and puppet troops along the Nantong-Rudong line will lose an important supply route."

"Their retreat route, which relied on Huang Haijin's flank, has been completely cut off."

His putter drew a huge encirclement in the Jiangbei area.

"If we maintain the current pace of advance and the advantage of artillery..."

"In at most two weeks, we will be able to completely wipe out the Japanese combat forces in the area!"

"The remaining Japanese troops north of the Yangtze River will be completely annihilated by us, like sweeping away garbage!"

Chu Yunfei looked at the blue arrows on the sand table, which were like mercury flowing across the ground, and his expression remained cold: "Brother Ligong, optimism is fine, but we cannot underestimate the enemy."

“That old devil Okamura Yasuji can naturally judge that Jiangbei cannot be defended. Since ancient times, to defend the Yangtze River, one must defend the Huai River. If we break through the Huai River line, he will definitely sacrifice pawns to save the king.”

"The main force of the Japanese army is very likely to accelerate the withdrawal of troops, abandon Jiangbei, and retreat to Jiangnan."

"They are trying to rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to wage a war of attrition against us."

"Send the order to all troops at the front!"

"The pace of the attack needs to be increased!"

"The attack is fast. The troops should ignore the remaining Japanese troops on the flanks and relentlessly pursue the enemy's main force, pushing them towards the river!"

"Kill as many as you can before they board the ship. We absolutely cannot let them cross the river and retreat comfortably!"

"Yes!"

……

Mountain City, the command center of the National Government Military Commission.

Dozens of high-ranking generals from the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Military Command, and the Ministry of Military Affairs gathered around the large operational briefing table.

Chief of the General Staff Bai Jiansheng, holding a long-handled command baton, stood in front of a huge national theater situation map that covered an entire wall.

"Chairman, colleagues."

Bai Jiansheng has a clear voice and speaks very quickly.

He pointed his baton precisely at that tiny punctuation mark on the coast of central Jiangsu.

"First-hand good news just arrived from the front."

"The 88th Regiment X has captured Rudong Juegang today, and it is estimated that more than 800 enemy Japanese and puppet troops have been annihilated, cutting off one of the Japanese army's flank water supply lines and retreat routes."

A burst of extremely suppressed yet undisguised excitement immediately erupted in the command room.

He Jingzhi nodded slightly.

Chen Cixiu stared intently at the map, his gaze burning.

Bai Jiansheng's baton swept southward in a sharp semicircle, encompassing most of the central Jiangsu plain.

"Based on the current overall battle situation, I will make the following situation analysis."

"Firstly, although the 'Winter Storm' offensive of the main force in North China has only been underway for a week, I can optimistically predict that we will win this battle because we not only have absolute air superiority, but also have an unprecedentedly abundant supply of artillery shells."

"at present."

"The main forces are cutting through and dividing the Japanese troops north of the river like slicing a watermelon."

"Within ten days at the earliest, or half a month at the latest, there will be no more organized Japanese field forces north of the Yangtze River."

Chang Ruiyuan leaned forward slightly and tapped his cane lightly on the ground twice.

"Jiansheng, tell me about the coordination between the northern route and the Pingjin direction."

Bai Jiansheng quickly shifted the command baton northward.

"The strategic containment on the northern front is the fundamental guarantee that Jiangbei was able to be cleared out so smoothly."

"The heavy armored group under Qiu Yu'an's command (actually only four regiments, with extremely poor training levels, using combat as a form of training) along with the seventh and fourteenth episodes, has become like a steel nail firmly driven into the throat of the Beijing-Tianjin border."

"The situation is now set in stone to trap and beat the dog."

Bai Jiansheng sneered: "The Kwantung Army is now in dire need of its own protection."

"With the land route for reinforcements to the south cut off, even if they wanted to send reinforcements to Central China by sea, they would not be able to break through our air force's interception and defense lines."

Chen Cixiu spoke up at the opportune moment, raising a crucial question.

"Chief of Staff, if the Japanese army north of the Yangtze River is completely annihilated, Okamura Yasuji will definitely rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to defend Nanjing and the southern Jiangsu area to the death."

Chen Cixiu's expression was solemn: "A forced crossing of the Yangtze River has always been a major taboo for military strategists."

"The Japanese will definitely deploy heavy firepower along the river, which will inevitably be an extremely fierce battle."

Bai Jiansheng put down his baton and placed his hands on the edge of the table.

“What Cixiu said is absolutely right.”

"The Japanese army is in dire straits. Their next move can only be a desperate struggle."

“Okamura Yasuji will surely order the destruction of all bridges and the confiscation of ships along the river, and retreat all his troops into the Yongbei Fortresses in Jiangnan.”

Bai Jiansheng turned to look at Chang Ruiyuan, who was sitting in the main seat.

"Chairman."

"The elimination of Jiangbei is a foregone conclusion."

"Although the North China forces are strong and well-equipped, the number of boats they have collected locally is far from sufficient to complete a large-scale crossing operation across the Yangtze River."

"The General Headquarters needs to provide logistical support at the overall level, and at the same time coordinate the elite forces under the South China Joint Command to launch a joint attack, making them the absolute main force in this operation."

"The initiative is now completely in our hands."

"Pass on my orders!"

Inside the command room, all the senior generals wearing star badges stood up abruptly, straightening their backs.

Chang Ruiyuan's voice boomed like a bell, reverberating throughout the command room: "According to the original plan, immediately mobilize all available inland waterway vessels, motorboats, and pontoon bridges for river crossing from the rear!"

"At all costs, transport them swiftly to the front lines via canals and land routes, and hand them over to the forward command for unified allocation." (End of Chapter)