Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 152 Send Them Away (asking for monthly tickets)
At Mazhuang Heights, upon learning that Chen Chengxing and Li Yunlong had taken Erxian Bridge and opened up the retreat route for the 386th Brigade, Brigade Chen was overjoyed and said, "I knew Chen Chengxing would be fine!"

"Pass on my order, all troops must retreat in an orderly manner and block the enemy at every level!"

"Except for weapons, ammunition and important documents, bury everything else on the spot or throw it away directly to facilitate a successful breakout!"

"The cavalry company will immediately move out from Mazhuang and attack the flank of the 32nd Regiment. Don't fight too long, just leave after the fight is over!"

Now the Japanese 32nd and 45th Regiments are still at war with the 386th Brigade. If the troops want to retreat smoothly, there must be no chaos. Otherwise, once the Japanese chase them, the troops in chaos will collapse directly.

However, due to the terrain of Mazhuang Heights, the special forces battalion could not retreat directly. Once the heights were occupied by the Japanese, they could immediately attack the retreating special forces battalion.

At this time, attacking instead of defending is the best option.

After receiving the order, the cavalry company set out immediately, made a circle from Mazhuang and headed straight to the rear of the 32nd Regiment.

"Captain, we received a report from the sentry that the Eighth Route Army cavalry broke out from Mazhuang and headed northeast," Suzuki Shunji reported.

"Cavalry? The Eighth Route Army wants to attack our rear positions!" Murakami Isamu said affirmatively.

Since the emergence of heavy machine guns, it has been impossible for cavalry to attack infantry positions head-on. The only thing they can do is use their high mobility to attack weak positions.

As all the main forces of the 32nd Regiment are on the front lines, the rear positions are now their weakest point.

"Let the troops temporarily shrink their defense line to prevent attacks from other Eighth Route Army units. Transfer the 1st, 4th, and 7th squadrons to quickly return to support the rear positions." Murakami Isamu ordered.

Facing the harassment of cavalry units, it is difficult for an infantry squadron to defend comprehensively. After all, the cavalry are too fast and they have the initiative on the battlefield.

If you want to protect the baggage in the rear, you must draw troops to form a complete defense circle.

The cavalry company was very fast, and even though they made a big detour, they still reached the rear of the Japanese before the Japanese infantry arrived.

Seeing that the other side was not prepared, the cavalry company naturally would not miss this opportunity.

"Cavalry Company! Charge!"

"kill!".
Faced with the fan-shaped attack of more than one hundred cavalrymen, the Japanese baggage train was dizzy.

At the critical moment, the Japanese 1st Squadron arrived in time and immediately formed a temporary defense line.

However, after learning that the Japanese reinforcements had arrived, the cavalry company did not stop at all, but rode their horses rumbling towards the Japanese artillery positions.

When Murakami Isamu learned about this situation, he was furious, but it was already dark and there were not many things the cavalry could do at night, so he could only dispatch another squadron of troops to support the artillery position.

However, the cavalry company that attacked the artillery position this time did not launch a charge like they did at the baggage train. Instead, they dismounted and launched a feint attack on the periphery. When they learned that the Japanese had sent reinforcements again, they immediately rode away on their horses.

By the time the Japanese support arrived, the cavalry company had already returned to Mazhuang.

Brigade Chen also took advantage of the Japanese's retreat to lead his troops and determine the order of breakout.

"After crossing the bridge, the 3rd Battalion of the New st Regiment will cover the local government and go west to Dongping Village; the nd Battalion of the New st Regiment and the brigade's baggage troops will go to the east of Jing County via Shangzhuang and Sunjia Village, and the cavalry company and artillery battalion will cover the brigade headquarters and go to the northeast of Qi County for rest and recuperation."

"Wait until the troops are stable and then reunite." Brigade Chen said to everyone.

"If we encounter enemy obstructions on the way to break out, we must advance without retreat and charge forward resolutely!" said Brigade Chen in a serious tone.

After leaving the encirclement of the Japanese army, you may encounter Japanese and puppet troops in various strongholds on the way. At this time, you must not waste time. If the Japanese are chasing you from behind, you may be bitten.

After finalizing the specific arrangements, each unit immediately set off, with the special forces battalion responsible for covering the rear. They must not allow the enemy troops behind to catch up before breaking out of the encirclement.

"Go! Go!"

"Don't stop! Get out of here as fast as you can!"

The breakout of the various units of the 386th Brigade went smoothly. The 32nd and th Battalions of the New nd Regiment had divided the nd Regiment into two parts, north and south. As for the nearly one-kilometer-wide area in the middle, the st Battalion had also carried out a clearing operation.

"Commander, the brigade's special forces battalion has evacuated, and it's time for us to leave too," said Xu Wu.

"Send a message to the Second and Fourth Battalions, prepare to retreat! The mortar positions support the final fire attack on the left and right to cover the evacuation of the Second and Fourth Battalions." Chen Chengxing ordered.

The 386th Brigade had already left, and next it was the New nd Regiment that broke contact with the Japanese.

"Yes!"

A few minutes later, after a rapid fire, the mortar was immediately disassembled and loaded onto horses, and then it ran away with the first battalion.

The second and fourth battalions also decisively broke contact when the Japanese were hit by artillery shells.

Upon learning that the Eighth Route Army had escaped, Murakami became furious.

"Baka! The New Second Regiment has gone too far! I must take revenge!" Murakami Isamu cursed angrily.

"Where is the right column now? Let them intercept the Eighth Route Army immediately!" Murakami Isamu ordered.

This was his last insurance. The Eighth Route Army broke out to the southwest, right on the mopping-up route of the right column.

"Uh, Captain, I just received news that the right column has been wiped out." Suzuki Shunji said in embarrassment.

After hearing what Suzuki Shunji said, Murakami turned around bravely and looked over.

Murakami's eyes were red as he asked word by word, "What's going on?"

"According to reconnaissance, the right column was probably collectively poisoned in Xiaojia Town, and then ambushed by the enemy, and eventually wiped out," Suzuki Shunji explained.

No one knows yet that many officers and technical troops of the right column, including Kotaro Yoshino, have been captured.

Several soldiers in charge of reconnaissance discovered a burial site outside Xiaojia Town and found the bodies after digging it up.

They also estimated that the entire army was annihilated based on the scope of the burial site.

"Baga! Chase! Chase! I want to fight to the death with the New Second Regiment!" Murakami Isamu roared.

Now he understood how the New Second Regiment suddenly appeared here. They must have fallen into the trap of the New Second Regiment in Xiaojia Town. After annihilating the right column, the New Second Regiment rushed to Erxianqiao.

"Hai!" Seeing that Murakami Isamu was about to explode, Suzuki Shunji did not dare to say anything more and immediately went to gather troops and prepare for pursuit.

After taking a breath, Murakami Isamu said to the telegraph soldier beside him: "Send a telegram to the division commander immediately, explain the situation of the right column, and request to send a water supply unit to perform an autopsy!"

"If the Eighth Route Army uses biological weapons, I will make them pay the price!" Murakami Isamu said gritting his teeth.

Apart from biological weapons, Murakami Isamu couldn't imagine what could cause so many people to lose their combat effectiveness in a short period of time, and at the same time.

In order to hunt down the New 2nd Regiment, Suzuki Shunji decided to abandon the baggage train and the entire army went into battle lightly. Heavy weapons such as heavy machine guns, infantry guns, and mountain guns were all dismantled and transported by mules and horses.

Although this is troublesome, it must be done. If the 403rd Regiment does not bring heavy weapons and only has light weapons to chase them, it will not be able to fight against the New nd Regiment at all, and they will be attacked by artillery.

Half an hour later, the scout from the rear of the New Second Regiment came running to report: "Commander, the Japs are catching up!"

"Ah?" Chen Chengxing couldn't believe his ears.

Why are the Japanese so crazy at this time of night? They have never chased at night before.

"How many people are there?" Chen Chengxing asked.

"It's hard to see clearly in the dark, but there should be less than 2 people," said the scout.

"Two thousand? The 403rd Regiment alone caught up?" Chen Chengxing asked in surprise. The battle between the New Second Regiment and the Japanese was not long, but both sides suffered more than two hundred casualties.

The number of the 403rd Regiment at this time exactly matched the number described by the scout.

"Tell Ma Zhiyuan to send more men behind the Japanese to see if there are other troops following them." Chen Chengxing ordered.

If it was only the 403rd Regiment that was chasing, Chen Chengxing would not be afraid at all, and could even find an opportunity to defeat the enemy.

"Yes!"

Ten minutes later, Ma Zhiyuan came back on horseback.

"Commander, the ones chasing us are the 403rd Regiment. The other devils are still crossing the river." Ma Zhiyuan jumped off his horse and reported.

"Haha. The 403rd Regiment is really not afraid of death." Chen Chengxing said with a smile.

"In that case, let's send them off."

"Ma Zhiyuan, rush to the brigade headquarters as quickly as possible and ask the brigade commander to lead the special forces battalion and the artillery battalion to move to the Guzhuang area east of Qiao Town. I will lead the Japanese there." Chen Chengxing ordered.

After the battle of Erxianqiao, the mortar shells of the New Second Regiment were basically used up. Although there were still a few hundred shells for the infantry artillery, the New Second Regiment could not produce them on its own. If they were consumed in large quantities, it would be disadvantageous for future battles.

So Chen Chengxing prepared to use other means to kill this group of devils.

Last year, the Japanese invaders massacred the entire village in Guzhuang. The villagers around here felt that the place was filled with evil spirits and no one dared to go there.

When Chen Chengxing led the New Second Regiment north to Erxianqiao, they passed through there. The corn stalks planted by the people in the farmland were still standing.

This gave the New Second Regiment an opportunity. Chen Chengxing prepared to burn the Japanese to death, which would also be a way of avenging the people of Guzhuang.

"Yes!" Ma Zhiyuan immediately mounted his horse and chased after the brigade's retreat route.

"Zheng Hua, the task of luring the enemy is given to the second battalion. I will lead the first and third battalions to Guzhuang to prepare an ambush position." Chen Chengxing instructed.

The Third Battalion of the New Second Regiment was the best at guerrilla warfare to lure the enemy, but now the Third Battalion is not here, so the Second Battalion, which is better at night combat, can only do it.

"Yes! I guarantee to complete the task!" Zheng Hua said.

The ancient village was originally near the planned retreat route, and it was just a matter of turning a corner.

The Second Battalion only needs to slow down the speed of the Japanese and buy time for the main force to build an ambush position.

This is only on the plains. If it were in the Zhongyun Mountains, the New Second Regiment could set up an ambush on any hill or valley.

At the brigade headquarters, after hearing what Ma Zhiyuan said, Brigade Chen laughed and said, "Chen Chengxing has a really big appetite. After eating half of the regiment, he wants to eat another half of the regiment."

"This is not a good thing. The more the New Second Regiment eats, the more our 386th Brigade will eat." Chen Can said on the side.

"That's true." Chen Lu affirmed.

"Order the troops to turn around and rush to Guzhuang as quickly as possible!" Brigade Chen ordered.

An hour later, when Brigade Chen and his brigade headquarters arrived at Guzhuang, Chen Chengxing had already selected an ambush position with the first and fourth battalions.

"Chen Chengxing, what are your plans?" the brigade commander asked directly after entering the temporary headquarters of the New Second Regiment.

"Brigade Commander." Seeing Brigade Commander Chen coming in, everyone stood at attention hurriedly.

"Okay, stop being so polite and just talk." Chen Lu waved his hand.

For Brigade Chen, it would be better to kill one Japanese soldier than to salute him a hundred times.

"Commander, come and take a look." Chen Chengxing pointed to the simple diagram he had just drawn.

"Guzhuang is not a big village, so it doesn't have a lot of land, and the village is separated from the farmland by a road. There is a road to the south and west of the farmland in Guzhuang, and to the north is a water diversion canal dug by several local villages."

"Although this area is not a standard quadrilateral, it is roughly the same overall. It is about 1.2 kilometers long from east to west and about 2.5 kilometers long from north to south."

"This gives us the opportunity to encircle the Japanese," said Chen Chengxing.

There are ditches on both sides of the roads in the plains. You only need to dig a traffic trench on the road, and it will immediately become two trenches.

The road itself is about 20 to 30 meters wide, and there is no obstruction. A few heavy machine guns mounted at the back can completely block the road.

Although the width of the water diversion channel in the north is less than 5 meters, its slope is extremely steep and the water depth is about one and a half meters. The only bridge nearby is the highway bridge in the west.

As for other small bridges built by the people, they had been blown up by Chen Chengxing.

The water is so deep that the big man from Ji Zhong would not be in danger of death if he jumped in, but the Japanese would probably be drowned if they jumped in.

Any Japanese with a normal brain would not choose to force their way across the canal.

"As long as the Japanese deploy their battle line in the fields, we can burn down their entire camp." Chen Chengxing told the brigade commander his plan.

This was also the reason why he asked the brigade commander to come over. The troops of the New Second Regiment were somewhat stretched to maintain the siege on all four sides.

Although the special forces battalion has only more than 500 soldiers, it is enough to easily block the canal line, and the cavalry company can provide support as a mobile force.

"Your plan is good, but it may not be easy to launch a fire attack," said the brigade commander.

Although the fields in Guzhuang were full of dry corn stalks, the Japanese could have urgently built firebreaks, which would have made them look miserable but would not have been enough to kill them.

"Hehe. When we were in Xiaojia Town, the New Second Regiment seized all the supplies of half of the Japanese regiment, including generators and gasoline. This time when I went to support Erxianqiao, I brought a lot of gasoline." Chen Chengxing said with a smile.

When the wind is not strong, if you want the fire to spread quickly, you need something to help with combustion.

Although Chen Chengxing did not bring much, it was enough to divide the farmland in Guzhuang into more than a dozen pieces. When the fire started, it would be difficult for the Japanese to put out the fire at the same time.

Once the fire broke out, even if the Japanese forcibly opened up a safe zone, it would be useless because the thick smoke and lack of oxygen would be enough to kill them.

"Since you have a plan, just do it." Chen Lu nodded.

Regardless of whether this matter succeeds or not, it will not cause any major harm to the 386th Brigade.

It was just a Japanese force of less than 2 people. Even if the fire attack failed, the New nd Regiment and the brigade's troops could still fight back.

Seeing that the brigade commander agreed, Chen Chengxing immediately asked, "What about the special forces battalion?"

"Okay, you will be in unified command of the special forces battalion, artillery battalion and cavalry company. I won't interfere with you." Brigade Chen said unhappily.

"Thank you, Brigade Commander!" Chen Chengxing said excitedly.

Chen Chengxing originally thought that it would be good enough to get the special forces battalion, but he didn't expect that the brigade commander would also transfer the artillery battalion and the cavalry company over.

"Don't thank me yet. You have to fight well in this battle," said the brigade commander.

"Don't worry, Brigade Commander." Chen Chengxing assured.

Even if the Guangxin Second Regiment could fight against this group of Japs, with the addition of the artillery battalion, how could they be defeated?

(End of this chapter)