Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Pengcheng, the North China Joint Front Command.

The howling north wind whipped up heavy snowflakes, making the blue bricks in the courtyard rustle and clatter.

It was the last heavy snowfall of the winter, at the end of the first lunar month.

This year's New Year was largely spent in war among the people and soldiers of North China, resulting in a significant lack of festive atmosphere for the first time.

"Squeak-"

The heavy door was pushed open with force.

Commander Qian Bojun of the Sixth Army Group strode into the command hall, enveloped in a biting chill.

He took off his snow-covered general's overcoat and casually handed it to the guard behind him, his high riding boots making a dull thud on the floor.

Qian Bojun's face still bore the lingering grime of gunpowder, and his eyes revealed the sharp edge of someone who had just won a great victory.

"Where is Your Excellency?"

Qian Bojun glanced around the busy operations hall and walked straight to Chief of Staff Lin Wei, who was tidying up the sand table: "Chief of Staff, the capital region has been completely liberated. I rushed back to report on my duties, but I didn't see you, Chief of Staff."

Lin Wei stopped putting and adjusted his glasses: "Brother Bojun, you still haven't changed your impatient nature."

Lin Wei smiled and pointed to the west side of the map of China on the wall of the hall.

Qian Bojun followed Lin Wei's finger and looked over the Yellow River, his gaze landing on a certain spot on the Loess Plateau.

His brows furrowed sharply, and a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes.

"You went to Shaanxi?"

Qian Bojun lowered his voice and asked tentatively, "Go see Hu Zongnan? No, we've already figured out Commander Hu's background."

That's not right. Why would Chu Yunfei take the initiative to see Commander Hu? If there's really something going on, he can just have Commander Hu come to see him.

Qian Bojun's pupils contracted slightly as he pointed to a special area on the map.

"Did they go to Yan'an?"

Lin Wei nodded slowly, his smile fading and replaced by a mysterious expression.

"This time, I am representing XX with full authority to discuss the next stage of joint resistance and reorganization cooperation."

Lin Wei leaned closer and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Accompanying you, Your Excellency, are several important officials from the mountain city, including Lin, Huang, Li, and Liu."

"Brother, the wind has completely changed. I reckon there's something big going on in Chongqing recently."

Qian Bojun gasped, too shocked to speak for a long time.

As a long-time subordinate of Chu Yunfei, he knew Chu Yunfei's personality all too well.

Previously, Chu Yunfei had always been extremely averse to and avoided such complex political negotiations that involved ideology.

"Your Excellency actually went in person?"

Qian Bojun clicked his tongue, filled with emotion: "I thought he was only interested in tanks and artillery in his life, but I never expected that when it really came down to it, he would..."

Lin Wei patted Qian Bojun on the shoulder.

"Times change."

Lin Wei said meaningfully, "At this stage of the war, it's no longer just about the guns and cannons on the front lines, but also about the post-war landscape. He has a long-term vision."

Lin Wei changed the subject, looking Qian Bojun up and down with admiration in her eyes: "I should congratulate Brother Bojun."

Lin Wei smiled and said, "In the Battle of Pingjin, you commanded the Sixth Army Group like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Facing the Japanese army's heavy fortifications, you made a decisive decision to abandon the old routine of besieging the city and attacking reinforcements, and strongly advocated for a heavy-armored advance to fight a decisive battle."

"This breakthrough in the center not only cleanly and decisively captured the capital region, but also demonstrated the readiness to cross the Shanhaiguan Pass at any time, completely intimidating the Kwantung Army."

"Operation Winter Storm has successfully concluded."

"Now, your colleagues in all the major war zones privately call you 'Tiger Commander'!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Bojun couldn't help but reveal a smug smile on his usually cold and hard face: "You flatter me too much, Chief."

"It's all thanks to the intense firepower provided by the joint command."

"Commander Qiu, if you push hundreds of Shermans through, even if I were a tiger general, or even if a pig were sitting in the command post, the Japanese devils in Beijing and Tianjin would have to give way!"

The two looked at each other and laughed, but the fighting spirit in their eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

……

In the blink of an eye, another three days have passed.

Snow stopped.

A jeep covered in yellow mud drove into the compound of the forward command post.

The car door opened.

Chu Yunfei, wearing a worn-out woolen military overcoat, jumped out of the car, looking travel-worn.

"Your Excellency!"

Lin Wei, Fang Ligong, and others were waiting at the door early in the morning.

Chu Yunfei simply nodded and tossed his coat to his adjutant.

After entering the command post, I found a washbasin and washed my face with cold water.

Then, he pushed open the door to the operations room.

"Brother Ligong, get ready for the meeting."

Chu Yunfei took the dry towel handed to him by his adjutant and wiped his face.

Fang Ligong handed over a cup of hot tea, keenly noticing the ease in Chu Yunfei's expression.

"Your Excellency, this trip seems to have gone very smoothly?"

Chu Yunfei took the teacup, took a small sip, and looked north through the window with his deep gaze: "We had a very thorough discussion."

"I frankly told them about the biases and shortcomings of the National Army in some of its previous policies."

"Since we want to build a real national defense force, we can't maintain confrontation forever."

"I made it clear that in future military reorganization and national development, we are willing to make corrections under joint supervision."

"Accept criticism and seek common ground while reserving differences."

"Only by truly uniting all anti-Japanese armed forces and all progressive forces into one force can we build a strong motherland."

Fang Ligong pushed up his glasses, a deep sense of respect rising in his heart.

This magnanimity and breadth of mind far surpasses that of the old bureaucrats in the mountain city who spend their days scheming and fighting for power.

"understood."

"I immediately drafted and issued relevant internal training guidelines."

"Let's go to the operations room."

……

The large operations room of the North China Front Command Headquarters.

With a constellation of generals, all the major commanders who participated in the Pingjin Offensive have taken their seats, except for Qian Bojun, Zhang Dayun, and others.

Chu Yunfei strode over to the head seat and sat down.

"stand up!"

At Fang Ligong's command, all the generals stood up and saluted.

"sit down."

Chu Yunfei pressed his hand down slightly: "Chief of Staff Lin, let's begin."

Lin Wei picked up a slender pointer and walked to the battle summary board in front of the sand table.

"Gentlemen."

Lin Wei's expression was solemn: "The Battle of Pingjin lasted only a little over a month."

"The Sixth Group, the First Armored Group, and other attached infantry groups under the North China Joint Command have completely eliminated the enemy in Beijing, Tianjin, and the surrounding areas of Beijing."

"The army has already deployed along the Shanhaiguan line."

He opened the folder in his hand and loudly read out a set of cold data.

"According to post-war statistics, our army suffered a total of more than 15,000 casualties in this battle."

"The enemy they faced included the remnants of the Japanese North China Area Army and the North China Pacification Army."

Lin Wei slammed his pointer heavily on the blackboard: "The total number of those killed or captured by our army reached over 63,000!"

A very low gasp of surprise suddenly rippled through the conference room.

A kill ratio of 1 to 4!

These statistics were achieved in a siege battle against a city with strong defenses; it was an overwhelming victory.

However, Lin Wei did not show much joy on his face; he turned to the second page of the document.

"Don't be too happy yet, everyone."

Lin Wei gave a wry smile and pointed to the list of spoils of war.

"Although we annihilated many enemy soldiers, the spoils we captured in the Beijing-Tianjin area were pitifully small."

"You could even say it's like scavenging for scraps."

Lin Wei read out a series of astonishing figures: "Less than 20,000 Japanese rifles were captured, and a third of them were old guns with rifling almost worn down."

"Only about fifty intact Type 92 heavy machine guns were captured."

"There were fewer than forty field guns and mountain guns in total, and most of them lacked spare parts; as for the most crucial supplies of food and fuel..."

Lin Wei took a deep breath: "Almost zero!"

"In the Japanese army's logistics warehouse, we only found some moldy sorghum flour and mixed feed that even rats wouldn't eat."

Zhang Dayun, the head of the operations section, added from the side: "Chief, it's not just about supplies."

Zhang Dayun said with a solemn expression, "Previously, there was feedback from the front line that in the later stages of the battle, the Japanese army's resistance had become almost frantic."

"Many Japanese soldiers didn't even have ten bullets on them, yet they strapped grenades and explosive charges to their tanks and rammed into them."

Chu Yunfei tapped his fingers on the table, his gaze cold and stern: "The Japanese army's war potential has been completely exhausted."

"Their supply lines inside the pass have been completely cut off by us."

"Without bullets or food, they could only eke out a living by that ridiculous Bushido spirit."

“Clearly, this is a sign of being at the end of their rope.” Qian Bojun, sitting to the side, raised his hand and said in a deep voice, “Sir, besides the Japanese army, we have encountered another enemy on the outskirts of Beijing and Tianjin this time.”

Qian Bojun's eyes held a complex expression: "The Manchukuo National Defense Army."

Upon hearing this name, the faces of the generals present turned somewhat grim.

"These traitors were forcibly driven into the interior of China by the Kwantung Army to serve as cannon fodder."

Qian Bojun recalled the situation at the front: "Their equipment was even worse than that of the Japanese army, and their morale was extremely low."

"They collapsed at the first touch, surrendering en masse."

"According to the interrogation, most of these soldiers at the lowest level of the Manchukuo army were young men who were forcibly conscripted from the local area."

"They were coerced by the Japanese militaristic ideology, and their families were held hostage by the Japanese army, so they had no choice but to go to the battlefield."

Qian Bojun looked at Chu Yunfei: "Your Excellency, we have captured nearly 20,000 prisoners of Manchukuo."

"How should we handle this?"

"Nonsense!"

Chu Yunfei slammed his hand on the table and shouted sternly, "They are oppressed compatriots, not incurable Japanese."

"Pass on my orders."

"The policy of uniformity must be strictly implemented when dealing with these prisoners of war from the Manchurian army."

Chu Yunfei set a very clear tone: "The ringleaders must be punished! Those high-ranking puppet army officers whose hands are stained with the blood of their compatriots and who are wholeheartedly serving as lackeys of the Japanese shall all be handed over to the military court for severe punishment. Those who deserve to be shot shall be executed without hesitation!"

"However, the lower-ranking soldiers and those who have been coerced into joining the cause must not be mistreated, and the killing of surrendered soldiers is strictly prohibited!"

Chu Yunfei walked to the sand table and looked at the vast Northeast land outside Shanhaiguan: "There are tens of millions of compatriots suffering in the Northeast, as well as 300,000 puppet Manchukuo troops."

"We need to use methods of disintegration and persuasion to win them over."

"Give the prisoners a full meal and send political officers down to screen and educate them."

"Those willing to turn their guns on the Japanese devils, will be added to our newly formed troops!"

"Those who are unwilling, give them some travel expenses to go home and farm, and register them to prevent anyone from cheating and becoming a traitor after returning home."

"Yes."

“We want to show the puppet troops outside the Great Wall that this Nationalist army that has fought back is here to rescue their heavenly soldiers, not to settle scores with them.”

After dealing with the prisoners of war from the puppet Manchukuo regime, the atmosphere in the conference room became increasingly tense.

Two confidential staff officers quickly stepped forward and tore down the original North China defense map.

A giant sand table depicting the entire Northeast region, covered in snow and marked with countless red Japanese flags, was prominently displayed before all the generals.

Chu Yunfei walked to the top of the sand table and picked up a specially made extended command baton: "The liberation of the capital region has only opened the door. What follows is the real fierce battle."

His piercing gaze swept over the senior generals present: "In order to completely crush the Kwantung Army, the High Command has formulated a grand strategy of a four-pronged counter-offensive!"

General Headquarters?
Fang Ligong and Qian Bojun exchanged a glance and shook their heads inwardly.

The General Staff does have capable people, such as strategic masters like Liu Fei, but nowadays the General Staff basically does not bear any important responsibility for formulating strategic plans.

The actual operational plans are all formulated by the joint command.

"The first route: a strategic detour!"

Chu Yunfei's baton was pointed directly at the northwesternmost part of the sand table, at the junction of the Inner Mongolian Plateau and the Greater Khingan Mountains, where the environment is extremely harsh.

"Commander Fu's Seventh Army Group has been carrying out this plan for over a month."

"Sixty thousand elite troops, braving temperatures of minus thirty degrees Celsius, made an extremely long-distance advance eastward along the Great Wall line from north to east."

A low but shocking gasp filled the conference room.

Everyone knows how difficult it is to resupply along this route.

No wonder Fu Yisheng's troops hadn't appeared on the North China front; they had gone to carry out such a difficult mission.

The group exchanged glances, already understanding the situation.

Yes, apart from the seventh episode which had been stationed in the bitterly cold land (Suiyuan), who could endure such a long snowy season?
"To support Commander Fu's 60,000 troops, this battle consumed one-third of the entire winter strategic reserves in North China!"

Chu Yunfei's tone was ruthless: "We even 'borrowed' a lot of winter supplies from the Soviet Union and sought a lot of their help."

"A few days ago, Commander Fu sent a secret telegram saying that they had crossed the Greater Khingan Mountains and reached their original attack positions, like a sharp knife hanging over the Japanese army's heads, ready to be plunged into the enemy's weak points at any time."

Chief of Staff Lin Wei adjusted his glasses and added a critical hidden danger: "However, the Seventh Army is currently facing a huge problem."

"They were too far away, completely beyond the escort radius of our fighter jets."

"Once an attack is launched, they will face the predicament of having no air superiority and being bombed unilaterally by Japanese aircraft."

"Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is urgently coordinating with the Soviet side."

Lin Wei's tone was somewhat heavy: "We hope to use their field airfield on the Far East border to provide nearby air cover for the seventh episode."

Everyone fell silent. Dealing with the Soviets was like asking a tiger for its skin; whether this matter would succeed or not was still uncertain.

"If the Soviets want to lend it, that would be best."

"Even if we don't lend it, the war will still have to be fought."

No one dwelled on the issue. Instead, the chief advisor abruptly withdrew his baton and slammed it heavily onto the narrow lifeline along the Bohai Bay.

"The second route!"

"This is our main offensive route, and also our primary attack route."

"Liaoxi Corridor!"

"This is the flattest and most important land route from the Central Plains to the Northeast since ancient times!"

"Starting from Beijing and Tianjin, we will head north along the Bohai Bay coastline, seize Shanhaiguan, pass through Huludao and Jinzhou, and head straight for Shenyang!"

Lin Wei stepped forward, holding a detailed troop deployment table in his hand: "The advantages of this route are extremely obvious."

"First, with the Beining Railway as a major logistical artery, it is sufficient to support the consumption of heavy weapons, massive amounts of ammunition, and hundreds of thousands of troops."

"Secondly, the terrain is flat, which is a natural arena where our armored and heavy artillery units can unleash their firepower to the fullest."

Lin Wei then changed the subject, using a red putter to draw two large X's on the two points of Shanhaiguan and Jinzhou: "But the disadvantages are equally fatal."

"Shanhaiguan and Jinzhou are absolutely vital strategic passes."

"The Kwantung Army had been operating here for many years, and its defense system was as solid as a rock."

"Moreover, our marching route is extremely long and narrow, with the Yanshan Mountains on one side and the Bohai Sea on the other."

"If a large group of troops is crowded together, it is very easy for them to be cut off and surrounded by the Japanese army."

Qian Bojun picked up the conversation, his gaze sharp as he looked at the main generals present: "Therefore, this requires our attack to be fast, accurate, and ruthless!"

"That's right, fast, accurate, and ruthless!"

Chu Yunfei: "Episodes 4, 15, and 88, plus Commander Qiu's armored regiment, a total of thirty elite troops!"

"As the hammer of this strategic decisive battle, we must smash open the Liaoxi Corridor head-on!"

"Episodes six and five serve as operational reserves that can be deployed at any time to fill gaps in the front lines, ensuring that the offensive never stops!"

Upon hearing that he had been placed in the main offensive position, Commander He Zhuguo in episode 15 suddenly stood up.

This was precisely the promise the General Staff had made to him before the reorganization.

His face, tinged with a Northeastern accent, was brimming with excitement: "Don't worry, Your Excellency! We Northeasterners will never disgrace you."

"The third option is a feint attack, and also a variable on the field."

Chu Yunfei's baton shifted again, landing in the direction of Rehe: "Northeast Advance Column, 30,000 men."

"Led by Bian Fucheng, the force will cut through the central and rear areas of the Liaoxi Corridor like a dagger, passing eastward through Chifeng and Chaoyang!"

"Their mission is singular: to cut off the enemy's retreat in Jinzhou and completely disrupt the Kwantung Army's rear!"

"As for the fourth route."

"This is the sea route for landing."

"But for now, this route can be put on hold."

Lin Wei shook his head with a wry smile: "Although we have ships to cross the river, we must rely on the support of the US Pacific Fleet's naval guns and amphibious transport ships to carry out large-scale cross-sea landings in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea."

"We submitted a joint operations plan to the Far East Command, but Washington and Stilwell have not yet given a clear response."

Sun Weiru couldn't help but snort coldly, slamming her fist on the table: "Americans are just too cunning."

"They want our expeditionary force to shed blood for them on Pacific islands, but they're unwilling to send their fleet to our Bohai Bay to help us land!"

"It's better to rely on yourself than on others."

"Even without American warships, we can still fight our way back from the Northeast on land!"

He placed his hands on the table and looked around the room: "What are your thoughts and suggestions on this operational plan? You can bring them up now."

The generals in the conference room began a tense discussion in hushed tones.

He Zhuguo spoke first: "Your Excellency, the Liaoxi Corridor is too narrow. The main force cannot spread out, and once the front is blocked, the supply train and troops in the rear will be crammed together."

"I suggest that strict echelon formations be established between the various army groups. Heavy equipment should be deployed first, followed by infantry to clear out the remaining enemy forces. The organizational structure must not be disrupted."

Sun Weiru, commander of the Fourth Army Group, also stood up and echoed: "In addition, our logistics artery depends entirely on that railway. The Kwantung Army will definitely blow up the railway before retreating."

Sun Weiru's expression was solemn: "We must directly integrate the assault troops responsible for emergency repairs into the front-line combat sequence, fighting and repairing simultaneously."

"good."

Zhang Dayun quickly jotted down these highly practical suggestions in his notebook.

"Your suggestions are very pertinent. The Operations Department will immediately incorporate these optimization details into the final execution plan."

Immediately afterwards, a commander from Tang Huaiyuan's Fifth Army Group stood up again and put forward his idea.
After two hours of intense deliberation and tactical maneuvering, this comprehensive counter-offensive plan, which integrates strategic flanking maneuvers, central penetration, and frontal assault, gained the absolute support of all military commanders.

"Since everything is fine now..."

Chu Yunfei picked up the tea, which had gone completely cold, and drank it all in one gulp.

He pressed the teacup heavily against the edge of the sand table.

"Raise the troops and prepare for war!"

"All units, replenish ammunition!"

"The day Jiangnan is completely cleared will be the day we send a telegram to the whole country announcing our departure from the pass." (End of Chapter)