Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 347 The New Second Regiment Has Been Completely Annihilated by Me
"Commander, the 2nd Battalion has broken into the city through the breach and is now advancing deeper into the city."

"The First Battalion also entered the city by blowing up the city gates."

"Good! Order all units to advance steadily and surely, step by step!" Chen Chengxing stood up and gave the order.

"Make sure to use explosive charges for blasting as much as possible, and try not to travel along fixed routes."

"Have the supply teams deliver all the stockpiled rocket launcher shells to the front lines. We must ensure that all units have sufficient firepower!"

Urban warfare is dominated by machine guns and explosives.

Bolt-action rifles typically only offer one shot, and sometimes they are even less effective than bayonets.

"yes!".
After the Second New Regiment stormed into Luye City, the initial street fighting was extremely fierce.

The two sides fought over each house one by one.

However, after the various units completed their planned division, the New Second Regiment began to overwhelm the Japanese.

The puppet troops were only able to fire a couple of shots under the supervision of the Japanese soldiers.

They would surrender immediately once the Japanese soldiers moved or were killed.

Sometimes, when forced into a corner, the puppet troops would even kill the Japanese soldiers and then surrender with their hands raised.

They became traitors not for any small reason, but for the sake of the Chinese empire.

In the latter half of the night, the Second New Regiment's attack was instead largely hampered by the surrendered puppet troops.

Sometimes, it's really easier to just kill them.
As dawn broke, Chen Chengxing heard the system's voice.

[Battle over. Campaign assessment: A resounding victory!]

[Gained 43500 Honor Points.]

[Current Honor Points: 269365/300000]

"Finally, the upgrade is almost here." Chen Chengxing casually turned off the system.

For a long period of time, Chen Chengxing received honor points every day.

However, compared to 300,000, it is very small.

For Chen Chengxing, only a real battle can earn him a large number of honor points.

It's a pity that the mission wasn't triggered this time.

I don't know if it was because there were too few Japanese soldiers or because the puppet troops were too weak.

Just as Chen Chengxing was pondering, Xu Wu ran over.

"Commander, Luye has been captured! The Japanese have been completely annihilated, and all units are now cleaning up the battlefield!"

"I understand." Chen Chengxing nodded.

"Send someone to tell the political commissar to let the militia enter Luye and empty Luye within 24 hours!"

"Yes!" Xu Wu ran out excitedly again.

This was the first time the Eighth Route Army had captured a relatively large city.

The amount seized will definitely be much greater than in Ping'an County.

Within the jurisdiction of the New Second Regiment, the number of personnel in the county brigades and district squads alone was much larger than that of the main force.

Therefore, Luoping did not mobilize any laborers this time.

Only a portion of the county brigade and district squads were mobilized.

Then, some militia members from various villages around Luye who were not employed were added, bringing the total to twenty or thirty thousand.

"Bagaya road!"

Upon seeing Takada Takashi's farewell telegram, Shinotsuka Yoshio slammed his fist on the table and stood up.

"What is Saito's unit doing? Why haven't they broken through the Eighth Route Army's defenses yet?"

The fate of the garrison in the area was not that important to Yoshio Shinotsuka.

However, the severing of the Tongpu Railway made Yoshio Shinotsuka extremely uneasy.

Although the northern section of the Tongpu Railway is not that important, Suicheng's resources mainly rely on the Ping-Sui Railway for transportation.

However, the impact of this incident was extremely negative.

If the First Army doesn't make a statement, how will the North China Area Army view itself? How will the Locust Army view itself? How will the Eighth Route Army view itself?
Once the Eighth Route Army launches a full-scale counterattack, how should the First Army position itself?
The strength of the Eighth Route Army is still unknown to anyone.

However, Yoshio Shinotsuka knew that once the Eighth Route Army began to encroach on Shanxi, the First Army would have a hard time stopping them.

Upon hearing Yoshio Shinotsuka's words, Michifumi Yamaoka immediately explained:

"The Saito Regiment reported that they suspended their attack in the evening, in accordance with the infantry manual."

"However, after daybreak, they launched a new offensive."

"The latest report is that two 150mm howitzers have been deployed."

"But the Eighth Route Army fought extremely tenaciously, and even when faced with heavy artillery bombardment, they fought to the death and refused to retreat!"

"At a time like this, what are you talking about with the infantry manual!" Yoshio Shinotsuka was almost furious.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

The regulations of the infantry manual provided a perfect excuse.

Fortunately, after daybreak, Saito's team resumed their attack.

"The Eighth Route Army is really terrifying," Yoshio Shinotsuka muttered after sitting down.

He never expected that there would be someone in the Chinese army who would fight to the death in the face of heavy artillery bombardment.

"Order the Saito and Takeya regiments to intensify their offensive!" Yoshio Shinotsuka commanded.

Yoshio Shinotsuka was unwilling to report to the North China Area Army Headquarters unless absolutely necessary.

If the troops stationed in Mongolia are mobilized, it would indicate that the commander of the First Army is incompetent.

At this moment, the First Regiment that Yoshio Shinotsuka mentioned was watching the Fourth Division begin its relentless bombardment from behind the mountain ridge.

"Wow, is this the power of heavy artillery? It's several times more powerful than our 105mm heavy artillery."

"Even if a god came, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to withstand it!"

Everyone was stunned by the destructive effects of the newly deployed howitzers.

A single shot from a 150mm howitzer creates a crater four or five meters in diameter and one or two meters deep.

Moreover, the area within a 50-meter radius is a death zone.

Li Chishui was confident that the Independent Regiment could withstand the mountain guns and infantry guns that the Japanese had previously used.

But if it were those two cannons, Li Chishui felt that the Independent Regiment would probably be destroyed along with the position.

"Fortunately, the regimental commander reached an agreement with the Japanese. Otherwise, with this kind of fighting, the main force probably wouldn't have lasted a day," Ding Futong said.

"Commander, you said the 4th Division is so strong, why don't the Japanese transfer them to more important areas to fight?"

"What are you doing holed up in Shanxi?" Ding Futong was puzzled.

In Ding Futong's mind, doing business is one thing, but it shouldn't interfere with fighting a war.

"how could I know."

The 4th Division's thought process was completely different from that of the Japanese soldiers they knew.

"Perhaps the Japanese felt that the Eighth Route Army was too much of a threat, so they kept them in Shanxi to keep them under control."

After thinking for a long time, Li Chishui could only come up with this reason.

"Never mind that for now, let the comrades continue to reinforce the position," Li Chishui ordered.

"We can't afford to be caught off guard if the Japanese change their minds."

"Yes!"

Inside Luye City, a member of the guerrilla team looked at a piece of paper, pointed to a large mansion, and said:
"The chairman of the maintenance committee, Zheng Conghuang, is from this company."

Zheng Conghuang was a staunch traitor, and he didn't originally have this name; he changed it after the Japanese came.

"First row, advance!"

"Everyone else, come with me to the next place!" Sun Xun shouted.

As a major city along the railway line, Luye had quite a few traitors and Japanese trading companies in the city.

According to the commander's orders, everything that can be moved must be moved, not even a small stool can be left behind.

The Second New Regiment acted extremely quickly.

After the main combat units completed their control, the armed work team read out the crimes of the traitors, and the militia immediately rushed to transport supplies.

Of course, not all traitors were included in the scope of the house raids.

Those who usually behave well are naturally let off the hook.

However, although the new second regiment did not target these people, they started robbing themselves.

After all, all the traitors in Luye were raided, but his own home was spared.

That would be blatantly telling the Japanese that we have a problem.

Throughout the entire day, Lu Ye was filled with the noise of people from morning till night.

Along the seven or eight kilometers of road from Luye to the base, there were all sorts of vehicles: handcarts, horse-drawn carts, and carrying poles. Seeing the slightly chaotic scene in Luye, Chen Chengxing immediately shouted:
"Sun Desheng".

"Have!"

"Order the cavalry battalion to disperse and patrol. Anyone who dares to take advantage of the chaos to commit evil deeds shall be shot on the spot!" Chen Chengxing ordered.

There is never a shortage of people who take advantage of others' misfortunes in this world.

The soldiers of the New Second Regiment wouldn't do such a thing, but the local thugs and bullies might.

"yes!".
It wasn't until the early hours of the next day that Lu Ye's supplies were basically transported.

The Japanese command post and the homes of the traitors were all looted.

They even took the door flaps off and took them with them.

"Old Chen, the militia has all withdrawn, we should go too." Luo Ping came over.

At this time, only the 2nd Battalion and its direct subordinate units remained in Luye City.

The rest of the troops had already returned to their base with the militia.

Meanwhile, the battle on Chen Sijin's side was coming to an end, and the New Second Regiment could withdraw.

"How's the situation with the puppet troops?" Chen Chengxing asked.

“They’ve already changed their clothes,” Luo Ping said.

According to the account, the puppet troops, after changing into Eighth Route Army uniforms, were only there to make a show of force.

They could surrender at will as long as the Japanese came.

"Okay, let's retreat!" Chen Chengxing nodded.

"Sun Desheng, you will stay behind with the cavalry battalion to supervise these puppet troops."

"When the Japanese arrive, you can leave from the north and take a detour back to the base area."

"Yes!"

"Commander Li, the Grand Commander has ordered the First Independent Regiment to immediately retreat, rejoin the Second Independent Regiment, and return to the base area!"

A messenger ran up to Li Chishui and reported.

"I understand." Li Chishui nodded.

He was watching the 4th Division fire artillery, and he was incredibly bored.

Moreover, every now and then, they would have to use machine guns to fire a couple of bursts of bullets, which meant that there was only output and no input.

"Comrades! Retreat!" Li Chishui waved his hand and led his men out of the position.

"It's exciting! Fire the signal flare in two minutes."

"Eh."
Seeing the signal flare in the sky, Saito Tokuhide knew it was time.

"The First Battalion is forcibly crossing the Yunhe River!"

"Sappers, immediately begin repairs to the pontoon bridge!"

"Hayaku, Hayaku!"

Upon learning that there were no more enemies on the other side, the soldiers of the 4th Division displayed their bravery.

Everyone was eager to be the first to stand on the Eighth Route Army's position.

This is a great achievement.

Two hours later, the puppet troops standing guard on the city wall of Luye saw a yellow hue appear in the distance.

"Great! The Japanese are here! We're saved!"

"Look, the Eighth Route Army has fled!"

"Open the city gates! Welcome the locust army!"

"Sir! You've finally arrived!"
Seeing the crowds pouring out of the city, Saito's unit was on high alert.

Why haven't the Eighth Route Army left yet?
They were unwilling to fight against the Eighth Route Army.

However, the Japanese soldiers in Saito's unit quickly figured out the situation.

"Don't panic, these are the Locust Rebels!" Saito Tokuhide shouted.

"Immediately take control of the entire Luye area and place everyone under surveillance!"

"Hai!"

The Japanese soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and began to encircle Lu Ye from all sides.

The puppet troops noticed the Japanese soldiers' actions were somewhat chaotic, and they didn't know what they were up to.

Just as the puppet troops were at a loss, the deputy regiment of the Japanese army came over.

"Please do not panic! Because we do not know your specific identities, the Locust Army needs to verify them."

"Everyone line up in a column and report your names and unit numbers one by one."

Seeing the Japanese acting so seriously, the puppet troops breathed a sigh of relief.

They started queuing up to report.

After the report was completed, the puppet soldiers were immediately led aside.

"dig!"

The Japanese soldier handed over a shovel or pickaxe, pointed to a wasteland, and gave the order.

"Dig? Dig for what?"

“Brothers, don’t panic.” A clever man in the puppet army stepped forward.

“I used to do this job often; it’s to bury the bodies on the battlefield.”

"Brothers, we must dig deeper, otherwise there is a risk of a plague in the summer."

Upon hearing the explanation, the puppet soldiers suddenly understood.

They started digging the hole with great effort.
Two hours later, looking at the crowd gathered in the deep pit, the puppet troops realized something was wrong.

This is exactly the same as when they massacred civilians before.

"Sir! We're on the same side!"

The puppet troops' shout seemed to have triggered a switch, and the light and heavy machine guns that had been set up before began to fire bullets continuously.

"Da da da".
Screams and wails filled the deep pit.

"Yoshi! Our army has won another great victory." Saito Tokuhide grinned maliciously.

He's just regretting that all the civilians in Luye have fled, otherwise he could have made another fortune.

"Send a telegram to headquarters!"

"After my Saito unit surrounded Rono, we immediately launched an attack."

"After an hour of fierce fighting, they successfully recaptured Luye and completed the annihilation of the Eighth Route Army."

"Estimated enemy casualties: over 8,000!"

"Hai!"
Upon receiving the telegram in Taiyuan, Yoshio Shinotsuka was overjoyed.

"Great!"

"15,000 enemy soldiers were annihilated!"

With such heavy casualties, even if not all of them were from the main force, the Eighth Route Army in the Zhongyun Mountain area was probably wiped out by more than half.

The Second New Regiment, which was originally the biggest threat to Taiyuan, will no longer be a problem for them.

"It seems that the Fourth Division is still usable." Yoshio Shinotsuka nodded in satisfaction.

"Sir, although Saito's forces achieved a great victory at Luye, the original garrison at Luye was also almost completely wiped out."

“The next step is probably to defend Luye,” said Michifumi Yamaoka.

"Hmm, you've reminded me."

"Yamaoka-kun, what do you think about having Saito's unit split up and garrison Jino?"

Yoshio Shinotsuka has absolutely no spare troops at the moment.

However, after the Eighth Route Army suffered heavy losses in the Zhongyunshan area, the defensive pressure on Wuyi County and Xinkou was also reduced.

It shouldn't be a problem to have them split up their forces.

“I agree with the commander’s idea.” Michifumi Yamaoka nodded.

"Since the Fourth Division is so powerful, it would be good to let them share some of the burden."

"Moreover, after the Eighth Route Army of Zhongyun Mountain suffered heavy losses, Luyang no longer needs to leave a regiment to guard it."

"We can certainly redeploy troops to reinforce the defenses of Xinkou and Wuyi counties."

"It's settled then." Yoshio Shinotsuka nodded.

"Yamaoka-kun, just come up with an adjustment plan and give it to me for signature."

"Hai!"

(End of this chapter)