Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 264: Within half an hour! (Additional update, words, please vote)
"8th Company! Go!" Cheng Zhiqiang shouted loudly.

The Japanese had three lines of defense in Lijiaopo.

After fighting for several hours, the 772nd Regiment had broken through the two outer lines.

At this time, the only thing left for the Yamazaki Battalion was the circular position on the top of the hill.

However, after advancing to the main peak, the 772nd Regiment could no longer attack.

Lijiaopo is in a dangerous position. Only one side can be used for offensive operations. The other three sides are steep slopes, making it impossible to deploy troops on a large scale.

Faced with this situation, Cheng Zhiqiang could only go up one company at a time.

Even though he knew that the tactic of adding fuel to the fire was a taboo in military strategy, he could do nothing about it.

Watching the Eighth Route Army launch another attack, Yamazaki Yeping drew out his command knife and shouted, "Kill the chicken!"

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!".
"Da da da" "Da da da".
This time, the Yamazaki Battalion brought 4 81mm mortars and 27 grenade launchers.

Using the indirect trajectory of these 31 guns, the Japanese could form dense fire coverage in front of the positions.

Coupled with the barrage of bullets formed by 12 heavy machine guns and 27 light machine guns, the 772nd Regiment suffered heavy casualties, but was unable to advance at all.

After fighting hard for more than ten minutes, the 8th Company retreated again helplessly.

Brigade Commander Chen was holding a telescope at the front command post. When he saw the troops retreating, he could no longer bear it.

He walked to the table, picked up the phone and called the headquarters.

"Commander! The casualties of the troops are too great. I request to suspend the attack on Lijiapo."

"We can leave a gap, let the devils down, and then use mobile warfare to annihilate them!"

After hearing what Lieutenant Chen said, the deputy commander-in-chief refused directly.

"No! We must destroy the Yamazaki Battalion at Lijiapo!"

The deputy commander knew very well that once the Yamazaki Battalion was let go, it would be difficult to catch them again.

"Brigade Commander Chen, I'm telling you, even if we have to sacrifice all our troops, we have to overcome this tough challenge!"

"Commander, the Japanese are now surrounding us from all sides. If we continue to fight, it will be disadvantageous." Brigade Chen advised.

"Don't worry about how many devils are coming. You only have one mission, and that is to get ahead of them and kill this damn Yamazaki Battalion!"

"Repeat it to me!"

"Yes, kill the damn Yamazaki Battalion!" Brigade Chen could only stand at attention.

After hanging up the phone, although Chen Lu was helpless, he could only order the attack to continue.

The artillery regiment began firing at the position of the Yamazaki Battalion again.

"Boom!" "Boom!".
Seeing the increasing casualties in the army, Master Liu couldn't help but say:

"Boss, the casualties in the attack on Lijiapo are too great. The troops are falling one after another as they go up. Let's retreat first."

Now it was not only the 772nd Regiment that was attacking. Other troops had also launched offensives from the steep slopes, but none of them were successful.

Moreover, the blocking troops have now engaged in a firefight with the Japanese, and both sides have suffered casualties.

Of course, Master Liu knew why the deputy commander-in-chief was determined to wipe out the Yamazaki Battalion.

But we should withdraw now. We cannot waste all our forces in one place. We can always find an opportunity to destroy a large group of Japanese invaders later.

"No! We must not retreat!" the deputy commander-in-chief said firmly.

The Japanese raids were all divided and combined, a dragnet-style sweep.

Each group of Japanese soldiers is equivalent to a tooth on a rake.

The size of each Japanese troop group determines the thickness of the teeth.

The thickness of the teeth determines the size of the gap between the two teeth.

This was also the focus of the struggle between the Eighth Route Army and the Japanese invaders.

At present, the Japanese usually raid the base area in groups of one battalion.

In the Japanese organization, the battalion level had no artillery, so they moved very quickly and were the biggest threat to the Eighth Route Army.

If the Yamazaki Battalion can be quickly wiped out at Lijiaopo, the Japanese will realize that one battalion is not strong enough.

The Japanese would not dare to conduct a raid with battalion-level forces again.

Once the scale is expanded, not only will the Japs' movement speed slow down, but the distance between them will also increase.

That would be more conducive to the Eighth Route Army's movement.

On the contrary, if they had put in so much effort and failed to capture Lijiaopo, the Japanese would probably have carried out a sweep with squadron-level forces in the future.

By then, there will be no peace in the base area.

"My boss! If we continue fighting, we won't be able to afford the compensation!" Master Liu advised.

The 772nd Regiment was the fist force of the 129th Division. According to real-time battle reports, only 8 people were left in the first battalion, and the casualties of the second and third battalions exceeded 1/3.

If we continue to fight, I'm afraid the number will have to be cancelled.

Several other regiments participating in the battle also suffered hundreds of casualties.

Master Liu's heart was bleeding.

"I said no!"

"I tell you, Commander Liu, if you can't take Lijiaopo, I will revoke your unit number!" said the deputy commander angrily.

Ever since the Japanese began their counterattack, the morale of the military and civilians in the base has continued to decline.

If the Yamazaki Battalion were allowed to escape now, the morale of the Eighth Route Army would probably be even lower.

Without energy and spirit, our combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced when we meet the Japanese in the future.

"Send a message to Chen Chengxing! Ask him where the New Second Regiment is?! Ask him to rush to the battlefield immediately!" shouted the deputy commander-in-chief.

Not only does Chen Chengxing have many clever ideas for fighting wars, but the New Second Regiment is also the best-equipped unit in the 129th Division.

Since the 772nd Regiment cannot take Lijiaopo, let's send someone else.

Just as the deputy commander-in-chief was furious, Chen Chengxing had already called the front command.

"Mr. Si Jin, I'm Chen Chengxing. I'd like to ask what the situation is like at the front line? The new Second Regiment has arrived and can take over the attack."

"Why are you in such a hurry? When it's your turn, I will definitely let you go." Chen Lu said unhappily.

"I'm just worried about the casualties of our brother troops. They are all armed forces of our Eighth Route Army. I can't just sit back and watch, right?"

"Mr. Si Jin, I brought a secret weapon this time. If you let me go, I will definitely take over Lijiaopo within an hour!" Chen Chengxing promised.

"1 hour?" Chen Lu thought he had heard it wrong.

The 772nd Regiment has been fighting for such a long time but has not made any progress on the top of the mountain. Even if the New 1nd Regiment is so powerful, it is impossible for them to take it within an hour.

"Half an hour! Within half an hour! Take over Lijiapo!"

"There is no joking in the army!" said Lieutenant Colonel Chen seriously.

"If you can't take Lijiaopo, you'll chop off my head!" Chen Chengxing said affirmatively.

Are you kidding? If we use six 6mm mortars to fire for half an hour, we won’t even have to dig a pit for the Japanese.

"You can act now!"

Brigade Chen wanted to see how Chen Chengxing took over Lijiaopo in half an hour.

At the same time, the system voice sounded synchronously.

[Side quest released: Yamazaki Battalion. ]

[Mission objective: Capture Lijiapo and completely annihilate the Yamazaki Battalion.]

[Task Reward: A copy of random intelligence.]

After hanging up the phone, Chen Chengxing turned around and saw that the three people behind him were all stunned.

My jaw almost dropped to the ground.

Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang and Kong Jie now think that Chen Chengxing is crazy.

They knew that the New Second Regiment had a large number of people, but the terrain of Lijiaopo could not be solved by numbers alone.

"Everyone, I have something else to do. I don't have time to accompany you. I'll leave first."

Looking at Chen Chengxing's leaving back, Li Yunlong couldn't help but follow him.

He also wanted to see how the New Second Regiment took over Lijiaopo.

"Wait for me, I'm going too!" Kong Jie immediately followed.

Zhao Gang was the slowest to react. Before he could say anything, Li Yunlong and Kong Jie had already run away. Although Zhao Gang also wanted to go, the independent regiment had to keep some people.

Cheng Zhiqiang almost cried when he received Chen Lu's call.

"Si Jin, give our group another chance. I will definitely take down Lijiapo this time!"

The 772nd Regiment has been fighting for several hours, and the Yamazaki Battalion now has a maximum of 300 people.

If we retreat at this time, wouldn’t it be a waste of effort?

"What? The New Second Group? Why does Chen Chengxing get all the good things?"

"Si Jin! I can't figure it out!"

Who is the numbered group?
"If you can't figure it out, think about it slowly. Now execute the order immediately!" said Chen Lu.

The Yamazaki Battalion suffered heavy casualties, but its firepower was still there.

The 772nd Regiment has now suffered more than half of its men killed or wounded. If they continue to fight, they will not be able to capture Lijiaopo even if they kill all their men.

"Yes! Follow the order!" Cheng Zhiqiang said helplessly.

"Retreat!"
When the New 772nd Regiment took over the position of the nd Regiment, Chen Chengxing did not show a bad attitude like Li Yunlong.

The 772nd Regiment actually fought quite well, but the Yamazaki Battalion had the advantage of terrain and firepower.

Lying in the trench, Chen Chengxing held up a telescope and carefully observed the Japanese positions.

Li Yunlong and Kong Jie looked at each other and looked at Chen Chengxing, somewhat confused.

Didn't they say they would take over Lijiapo within half an hour? Why are they taking their time?

Moreover, only one battalion of troops was deployed in the entire Lijiaopo, and there was only one company on the front line.

As for the other troops of the New Second Regiment, except for the cavalry company which moved to a nearby hill, the other three battalions did not make any moves.

Could it be that the New Second Regiment has become so powerful? A single company can defeat the Yamazaki Battalion?

Then wouldn't the entire New Second Regiment be able to capture Taiyuan?
"Chen Chengxing, why are you keeping us in suspense? Why haven't you launched the offensive yet?" Li Yunlong couldn't help himself.

"Don't worry, I'll let you watch a good show for free today." Chen Chengxing said.

As long as the New Second Regiment can crush the Yamazaki Battalion this time.

If the Japanese want to break into the base area and carry out a large-scale sweep again, we will have to be very cautious.

The military strength must be at least half a regiment, and it must be equipped with mountain artillery. After all, no one dares to ignore the threat of heavy artillery.

This was crucial during the difficult two years that followed.

"Good show? What show?" Li Yunlong was a little confused.

If you look at it again, I will chop off your head.

"You'll know when the time comes." Chen Chengxing said with a smile.

"Commander, Battalion Commander Wang reports that the artillery position is ready." The communicator on the side reported.

"Let's start." Chen Chengxing ordered.

"Commander's order! Start shooting!"

"Old Chen, although your artillery battalion is very powerful, what's the use of it? The artillery regiment of the military region has not played any significant role." Li Yunlong said.

The standard depth of the Japanese trenches is 1.5 meters. As long as the Japanese hide inside, the killing effect of the 75mm mountain cannon is minimal.

It is possible that mortars could fire shells into trenches, but it would be good if only one out of five could get in. The Eighth Route Army could not afford such consumption.

Chen Chengxing did not answer, but retreated into the trench and covered his ears with his hands.

"What are you"

"boom!!"

There was a huge explosion.

"What's going on?" Li Yunlong subconsciously shrank his head.

Just by listening to the noise, Li Yunlong could tell that this was at least the explosion effect of a 10-kilogram pack of explosives.

And it's not black powder, it's at least an explosive pack made of fertilizer powder.

Could it be that Chen Chengxing has invented some weapon that can launch explosive packs?
"I suggest you squat down." Chen Chengxing said.

Although the killing radius of a 150mm mortar shell is 50 meters, some shrapnel can fly one or two hundred meters.

If Li Yunlong is in trouble, Chen Chengxing will have to suffer the consequences.

After hearing Chen Chengxing's words, Li Yunlong shrank back, but did not completely retreat back to the trench. His eyes were still fixed on the Japanese position.

A minute later, shells began to fall one after another.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!".
Looking at the artillery fire on the Japanese position, Li Yunlong's eyes widened.

This isn't a bomb! It's a heavy artillery! This is a heavy artillery!
Not only Li Yunlong, but also Brigade Chen, Division Liu and the deputy commander-in-chief who were watching the battle were all stunned.

Of course, the one who was even more surprised was Yamazaki Yehei.

He could never have imagined that the Eighth Route Army would have heavy artillery, and that the first actual combat would fall on his head.

We are just a small team, how can we have such honor?

Chen Chengxing didn't really let Wang Chengzhu fight for half an hour, because the New Second Regiment didn't have that many artillery shells.

Five minutes later, after each gun had fired 5 shells, the shelling stopped.

"Blow the charge!"

"Beep, beep, beep, beep"

"kill!"

"Kill!"

The first company rushed forward towards the Japanese position, while the other infantry companies of the first battalion began to charge from the foot of the mountain.

After 60 shells were fired, not all the Japanese soldiers on the position were killed, but there were not many left.

"Fight back! Fight back!"

"Kill the chickens!" the surviving Japanese officers kept shouting.

But the heads of those Japanese soldiers who were still alive were buzzing with pain from the explosions, and they could hardly hold their guns steadily, let alone shoot accurately.

The first company rushed into the Japanese position smoothly, and the three infantry companies following behind also rushed in smoothly following the gap opened by the first company.

"This play, is it okay?"

Chen Chengxing felt relieved as he watched the two sides engage in hand-to-hand combat.

"It's incredible, it's incredible."

Li Yunlong was drooling with envy.

But he also knew that this was not something he could think of, and he was afraid that Chen Dasi was already on his way.

"Old Chen, it would be better if you could give the Yamazaki Battalion to me. The Independent Regiment is still waiting to turn things around." Kong Jie complained from the side.

"There aren't many good things up there. Wouldn't it be good for me to let the independent regiment save a few thousand grenades? There will be plenty of opportunities to turn things around in the future." Chen Chengxing said.

"Alas, this is the only way." Kong Jie said helplessly. He dreamed of leading the independent regiment to turn things around.

A few minutes later, the system sound rang.

[The battle is over, battle evaluation: great victory!]

【Obtained 1352 honor points. 】

[Current Honor Points: 112400/300000.]

[Side quest: Yamazaki Battalion. Completed! ]

[Rewards are being distributed]

[Information obtained: Taiyuan Airport]

[The Japanese North China Front Army provided support to the First Army stationed in Shanxi with two reconnaissance planes and four bombers. The planes are now staying at the Taiyuan Airport (for detailed models, stay time and garrison details, please click to view).]

[Side quest released: Taiyuan Airport. ]

[Mission objective: While the main force of the First Army is sweeping the periphery, destroy the enemy's airport.]

[Task reward: skill points 0-3. ]

Just when Chen Chengxing was checking the mission, Brigade Commander Chen had already arrived on horseback.

(End of this chapter)