Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 285 Becoming a Landlord for a Day
That evening, Chen Chengxing led a large force of nearly 6 people and left Xiangling Village in batches.

The troops crossed the Pingwu Highway overnight and entered Zhanshan.

The Third Battalion was responsible for blocking the Fourth Brigade, so it had to advance from the western foot of Zhanshan Mountain to Erlang Mountain.

Eventually, a 50-mile-long blocking line will be set up starting from the Nanzhuang area.

We will make sure the Japanese soldiers of the Fourth Brigade suffer heavy losses.

The rest of the troops continued south along the road between Zhanshan and Jiaozishan.

This area was originally the area that the 22nd Regiment was responsible for sweeping, but now they have moved to the Jiaozhen area.

The second regiment arrived at Woniuling smoothly on the second night.

From this place, go another 3 miles forward, and you'll be out of the mountains, where there will be flat land.

However, the first thing Chen Chengxing faced in order to get out of the mountains was a pillbox that was stuck in a key position.

This pillbox was built by the Japanese army using concrete specifically to blockade the New Second Regiment of Dayun Mountain.

This pillbox, together with the Xiguan stronghold, blocked all the roads leading out of the mountains from the southeast for the Second New Regiment.

This also prevented the Second Regiment from harassing strongholds near Taiyuan.

Without destroying the Japanese pillboxes, the main force cannot advance along the road.

Moreover, the terrain here is extremely treacherous, and even if the Second New Regiment wanted to cross the mountain, they couldn't.

"Commander, I'll take this mission. I guarantee I'll capture the pillbox within an hour," Xu Wu said.

Upon hearing Xu Wu's words, Chen Chengxing rejected his request to join the battle without hesitation.

"According to the militia's previous report, this pillbox is made of concrete and there are more than 30 Japanese soldiers inside. How are you going to take it?"

The hill where the watchtower is located is even more precipitous than Lijiapo was back then.

Add to that the sturdy fortifications, and even if the First Battalion had broken a mouthful of teeth, it would be difficult to bite through it directly.

Normally, the Eighth Route Army would rely on tunnel blasting to destroy such pillboxes.

However, Chen Chengxing doesn't have that much time right now.

"Tell the mountain artillery company to move all six mountain guns to within one kilometer of the Japanese pillbox."

"Aim and fire straight at me!"

"Let's be landlords today, and beat them all up!"

"I refuse to believe we can't take this pillbox!"

The Japanese were short of resources and couldn't afford to equip the concrete pillboxes with much steel reinforcement.

Moreover, the Japanese army's concrete pillboxes were normally only 50-80 centimeters thick.

Although Chen Chengxing didn't have armor-piercing shells, he had enough high-explosive shells to take down the pillbox.

This is because the Japanese army's mopping-up operations prevented the Second New Regiment from deploying its heavy artillery.

Whether it's the Type 14 105mm cannon or the Type 88 75mm anti-aircraft gun, one shot is enough to destroy this pillbox.

The barrel of the mountain gun was still too short, and the muzzle velocity of the projectile was too slow, making it unsuitable for attacking fortified positions.

Hearing Chen Chengxing's words, everyone gasped in astonishment; this was quite a large sum of money.

Previously, during the attack on the Jingjing Coal Mine, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region used mountain artillery to bombard the Japanese concrete pillboxes at the most critical moment.

Half an hour later, the artillery units, having completed their preparations, first fired illuminating flares with mortars, and then began to attack the pillbox.

"Boom!" "Boom!"
The soldiers were not in a hurry; instead, they re-aimed after each shot.

The Japanese pillboxes couldn't be moved, and they didn't have any weapons that could threaten them, so everyone could remain calm and composed.

At this moment, the Japanese soldiers inside the pillbox could no longer sit still.

With shells raining down relentlessly, they felt as if death was counting down.

No matter how sturdy the pillbox was, it couldn't withstand continuous artillery fire.

"Baka yarou! How can the Eighth Route Army have so many cannons!" the Japanese squad leader gritted his teeth.

Judging from the sound alone, this must be at least an artillery company.

"Kill the chicken for me! Kill the chicken for me!"

The Japanese squad leader could only order his troops to fire outwards.

Whether or not they can hit the target, as long as they open fire, it will at least boost the morale of the soldiers in the pillbox.

If they were just left to die, the soldiers might collapse in front of the pillbox.

"Da da da" "Da da da".
Seeing the Japanese soldiers' futile struggle, the onlookers burst into laughter.

It feels so damn good to bully people!

Ten minutes later, with the explosion of another shell, the Japanese pillbox collapsed with a roar.

"Everyone, launch a surprise attack on Nantun Town!"

"Yes!"

By this time, the puppet troops in Nantun Town had already been thrown into chaos.

When the Japanese pillbox was hit by artillery fire, it immediately called Taiyuan.

Taiyuan's principle was to get support from the locust-fighting army in Nantun Town.

However, before Ge Erhu, the puppet army commander, could decide how many men to take, the pillbox suddenly lost contact.

"Commander, what's going on? Did the Eighth Route Army cut the telephone lines? Or has the pillbox been captured?"

The adjutant beside him, Ma Hai, put down the phone and asked with some confusion.

He was just asking what was going on.

"Damn it, how would I know?" Ge Erhu said irritably.

Regardless of whether the pillbox has been destroyed or not, he is in a lot of trouble now, a very big problem.

Why would the Eighth Route Army attack a mountain pass's blockhouse if they had nothing better to do? And why did they use multiple artillery pieces?

It goes without saying that it's all for the sake of coming out of seclusion.

Once the Eighth Route Army leaves the mountains, Nantun Town will be the first to be hit.

"What did the Japanese in Taiyuan say? Will they send troops to support us?" Ge Erhu asked.

"The Japanese neither said they would provide support nor they wouldn't; they just told us to defend Nantun Town while sending troops to support the attacked pillboxes," Ma Hai said.

"What nonsense are the Japanese spouting? Holding Nantun Town, and they still need to support the pillboxes?"

"Fuck you, I might not even be able to do one!" Ge Erhu roared.

Do you really think he's some kind of outstanding general of our time?
"Commander, what should we do now?" Ma Hai asked.

"How the hell would I know?" Ge Erhu said helplessly.

"Tell the brothers to take up their defensive positions immediately and hold out until dawn no matter what." "We'll make further plans after dawn," Ge Erhu said after a moment's thought.

Since the pillbox has lost contact, let's assume it's dead and focus on holding Nantun Town first.

The puppet troops crawled out of their beds late at night, cursing as they entered the fortifications.

"What's the commander up to? Why is he acting so strangely in the middle of the night?"

"You do not know?"

"what happened?"

"The blockhouse at the northern mountain pass has been attacked by the Eighth Route Army, and our superiors have ordered us to provide support."

"Support? How did support end up on the wall?"

"Hey, you really want to go and provide support? The Eighth Route Army has quite a few artillery pieces!"

"No, no, let's just stay here and defend the city."
The puppet troops chose to remain in Nantun Town.

In any case, at least there's a city wall here that gives them some sense of security.

As for whether the Eighth Route Army will use artillery to destroy their brick-built stronghold when they arrive.

That's not something they should be concerned with.

Less than half an hour later, the puppet soldiers on the city wall rubbed their eyes.

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared outside.

"The Eighth Route Army is here!!"

"Fire! Fire!"

"Bang!" "Bang!"
Seeing that the puppet troops were already on guard, Zheng Hua immediately gave the order:

"Stop attacking!"

"Surround Nantun Town!"

This puppet army had several hundred guns, and Chen Chengxing couldn't just let it go.

If the Second Battalion and the cavalry company that arrived first could not succeed in the surprise attack, they would have to surround Nantun Town to prevent the puppet troops from escaping.

Upon hearing the gunshot, Ge Erhu, who lived in the town, immediately rushed out of the regimental headquarters.

"What's going on? Where are the shots coming from?!"

"Commander, the Eighth Route Army has appeared at the North Gate!"

Ma Hai rushed over.

"How the Eighth Route Army arrived so quickly?" Ge Erhu's face turned ashen.

"how many people?"

“The brothers didn’t see it clearly, and the Eighth Route Army didn’t launch an attack either,” Ma Hai said.

"No attack was launched?" Ge Erhu's face regained its color.

"The Eighth Route Army must not have many members; this should just be a small group of fleeing troops."

The Eighth Route Army's offensive has always been fierce, but now that they have been blocked, they immediately retreated, which means their fighting strength is definitely not strong.

“Tell the brothers not to be afraid!”

“As long as we hold our ground and don’t come out, the Eighth Route Army can’t do anything to us,” Ge Erhu said.

"yes!".
After Zheng Hua directed the Second Battalion to complete the blockade, Nantun Town became quiet again.

However, before the puppet troops could catch their breath, the follow-up troops of the New Second Regiment had already gradually closed in.

"Go and call out," Chen Chengxing ordered, putting down his binoculars.

If Nantun Town can be captured without bloodshed, that would be the best outcome for the New Second Regiment.

“I’ll go,” Sun Desheng volunteered.

Sun Desheng spurred his horse forward, and as he approached the city wall, he raised a tin megaphone and shouted:

"Listen up, puppet troops in the city! We are the Second New Regiment of the Eighth Route Army. If you know what's good for you, surrender now! The Eighth Route Army treats prisoners of war well!"

"The puppet troops in the city! Did you hear me?!"

Ge Erhu and Ma Hai, who had already arrived at the north city wall, heard Sun Desheng's shouts clearly.

"Commander, what should we do?" Ma Hai asked.

"Ignore him. The Eighth Route Army is being chased around by the Japanese. Do you think they would dare come to Nantun Town?"

Ge Erhu felt that the outside was just a small group of Eighth Route Army soldiers and not worth considering.

"Fire!" Ge Erhu ordered the soldier next to him.

"Huh? Commander, just ignore these Eighth Route Army soldiers. Firing now would offend them," Ma Hai said.

The reputation of the Second New Regiment of Dayun Mountain was known to everyone in northwestern Shanxi.

If you offend them, you'll have to sleep with one eye open from now on.

"You don't know anything. If we fire a shot and the Eighth Route Army retreats, we can ask the Japanese for credit."

"Repelling the main force of the Eighth Route Army is a significant achievement," Ge Erhu said.

Even if the Heavenly King himself came today, the main force outside is the Second New Regiment of the Eighth Route Army.

"Besides, we've already fired one shot, so one more won't make a difference."

"Fire! Shoot at the place where they're shouting! Fire now!"

Ge Erhu had no idea that there was any difference between the two versions.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
Sun Desheng, who was about to shout again, suddenly heard a gunshot.

Immediately afterwards, the horse that Sun Desheng was sitting on stumbled and fell to the ground.

After scrambling to his feet, Sun Desheng immediately rushed to the side of the horse.

On the horse's right foreleg, there was a gun barrel gushing blood.

"You son of a bitch!" Sun Desheng's eyes were bloodshot.

Once a horse's leg is injured, the chances of recovery are very low.

Moreover, even if it recovers, it will no longer be suitable as a warhorse.

"Commander! Commander! Kill them!" Sun Desheng ran back to the position as fast as he could, wanting Chen Chengxing to avenge him.

Those were his beloved relatives and friends, his brothers and sisters.

Although the cavalry company now has replacement horses, each horse is extremely precious.

Sun Desheng absolutely could not swallow this insult.

(End of this chapter)