Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 352 Where's the cannon?

"Charge them! Charge them now!"

Lu Chen brandished his pistol, continuously pushing his soldiers upwards.

He knew, of course, that he couldn't take the Eighth Route Army's position.

But he dared not let the fighting stop.

Once the offensive stops, the label of defeat will immediately be placed on their heads.

As long as you keep going, the battle continues.

As for the lives of the soldiers, that was not within his consideration.

The platoon in charge of the attack was already cursing under their breath.

But we had no choice but to take action.

After all, the regiment only had three heavy machine guns, all mounted at the back and pointed at their backs.

If we dare to retreat, we'll probably be killed by our own people first.

"kill!".
The Jin-Sui Army shouted to encourage themselves and then charged forward quickly.

They weren't particularly brave; they just wanted to get to the area that had been bombarded by the Eighth Route Army as quickly as possible.

Once they could get into the crater, they would be more than halfway safe.

The rest was just a matter of exchanging fire with the Eighth Route Army for ten or twenty minutes, and then taking the opportunity to retreat.

Inside the bunker, the third company commander looked at the Jin-Sui Army soldier who had fallen headfirst into a shell crater and wouldn't come out, and found it amusing.

"Damn it, is this the kind of army the Jin-Sui Army is?"

"How did they manage to hold those counties in southwestern Shanxi against the Japanese invasion?"

"In my opinion, the Third Company could easily chase them down like rabbits with a single counter-charge."

Hearing the company commander's mockery, the soldiers around him also laughed.

"Company commander, I know about this," a soldier said.

“Once when I went to the brigade headquarters, I heard the brigade commander say that the Jin-Sui Army seemed to have made some kind of deal with the Japanese.”

"It was by blockading the base area in northwestern Shanxi that we received preferential treatment from the Japanese."

This was the first time anyone had heard of this.

"Isn't that practically being a traitor?" the crowd exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s normal. Otherwise, why would the Jin-Sui Army keep clashing with us?” the third company commander said.

"The fighting strength of the Jin-Sui Army is no match for the Eighth Route Army."

The soldiers nodded in agreement.

"Someone, pass on my order: the Jin-Sui Army must not fire on any light or heavy machinery unless they come within fifty meters."

"Let the comrades practice their marksmanship!"

"yes!".
Seeing that the Eighth Route Army's firepower had weakened, Lu Chen did not make any rash moves.

For him, maintaining the status quo is the most advantageous option.

After all, the Eighth Route Army had deliberately reduced its firepower, and who knew if they would be attacked again if they charged forward.

And the Eighth Route Army's mortars are still there.

The Jin-Sui Army's playful offensive did not change much even after the 347th Regiment arrived.

The commander of the 347th Regiment wasn't stupid either; he could tell what was going on just by looking at the battlefield.

Those dozens of large bomb craters are still on the ground.

The Jin-Sui Army's offensive did not change until the morning of the third day.

With the arrival of the Jin-Sui Army artillery regiment, Yan Xishan arrived at the forward command post.

He wants to personally oversee and command the operation.

"Order the artillery regiment to launch a fire attack on the Eighth Route Army's firing positions that have been marked over the past two days!"

Yan Xishan put down his binoculars and gave the order.

"Yes!"

Yang Xingru picked up the phone next to her.

"Receive the artillery regiment!"

"I am Yang Xingru, this is Commander Yan's order."

A few minutes later, the prepared artillery regiment began to fire its ammunition.

"Boom!" "Boom!"
The 23rd Artillery Regiment is currently the only fully-staffed artillery regiment in the Jin-Sui Army.

A total of 36 Shanxi-made mountain guns bombarded the Third Company's position relentlessly.

The non-concrete fortifications on the position were gradually removed.

Standing atop the south gate of Taiyuan, Chen Chengxing gazed at the battlefield engulfed in flames and sighed:

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

"I never imagined that the Jin-Sui Army still had such a substantial foundation."

Before the Japanese surrendered, the Jin-Sui Army only had a few counties left to control.

Its area is less than half that of the Jin-Sui Military Region.

Even so, Yan Xishan was still able to hide a full-strength artillery regiment, which is truly admirable.

"Old Chen, I think the Third Company is at a disadvantage. Should we provide support?" Luo Ping suggested.

The First Regiment and the Supplementary Regiment arrived overnight.

The main force has been replaced from defensive and guard duties.

The new Second Regiment now has sufficient troops at its disposal.

They could easily drive those two regiments of the Jin-Sui Army back.

"We need to teach the Jin-Sui Army a lesson," Chen Chengxing nodded.

"Weiguo, send an order to the 3rd Battalion (213th Regiment), tell them to move into the southern position and give them a good beating!"

"yes!".
Once the 3rd Battalion was fully engaged in combat, the Jin-Sui Army troops participating in the attack were immediately battered and bruised.

From launching the attack to fleeing in disarray, the entire process took less than five minutes.

Yan Xishan stared at the Eighth Route Army's position, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"Is this the Eighth Route Army?" Yan Xishan's voice was filled with disbelief.

This situation never occurred when the Jin-Sui Army fought against the Japanese army.

This reminded him of the Japanese 5th Division's attack on Shanxi in 1937.

The Eighth Route Army's current performance is in no way inferior to that of the Japanese army at that time.

Whether it was a rifle or a machine gun, the bullets never left the Jin-Sui Army soldiers.

"Sir, it now appears that the Eighth Route Army had planned this all along."

"Otherwise, it would have been impossible to transfer all the elite troops to the vicinity of Taiyuan."

"As soon as the Japanese surrendered, they immediately seized Taiyuan."

Yang Xingru put down the binoculars and suggested with a serious expression:
"Sir, I suggest we retreat first and wait for a better opportunity!"

According to intelligence, Eighth Route Army troops continued to arrive in Taiyuan.

With such fighting strength, even if the main force of the Jin-Sui Army arrived, it would be difficult to capture Taiyuan in a short period of time.

If the Eighth Route Army were to have some crooked ideas, they might do what the Japanese army did and launch a flanking attack.

The Jin-Sui Army in front of the position would immediately collapse and scatter.

He and Commander Yan might both fall into the hands of the Eighth Route Army.

Yan Xishan did not respond to Yang Xingru's suggestion.

He could clearly see Taiyuan City right in front of him, but he couldn't get any closer.

This feeling is something most people can't understand.

Taiyuan, that's his root.

Ever since he lost Taiyuan eight years ago, he has dreamed of taking it back.

At this moment, he was closest to Taiyuan.

"Sir, our army should accept the Japanese surrender first, otherwise it may be seized by the Eighth Route Army."

Yang Xingru reminded them again. Although the agreement between China and Japan stipulated that the Japanese army could only surrender to the Kuomintang.

But as time goes on, no one can guarantee what will happen.

If the Eighth Route Army had obtained weapons from the Japanese and puppet troops, the difference between their weapons and the weapons they acquired would have been twofold.

"Withdraw!" Yan Xishan gritted his teeth and said.

He decided to first restore his strength, and then find a way to retake Taiyuan.

Chairman Chang, you don't want Shanxi to fall into the hands of the Eighth Route Army, do you?
Chen Chengxing wasn't particularly excited as he watched the Jin-Sui Army gradually withdraw from their positions.

He knew very well that Yan Xishan would not give up Taiyuan unless absolutely necessary.

In the eyes of these old warlords, no matter how strong the Eighth Route Army was, it was still no match for the foreigners.

They won't come to terms with reality until they've suffered setbacks.

"Old Luo, the matter is temporarily settled. Taiyuan cannot remain under lockdown."

"You shall take the lead and restore order to Taiyuan."

"Our priority is to ensure that people's daily lives are not disrupted," Chen Chengxing said.

Life is nothing more than the mundane necessities of daily life. As long as these things go smoothly, Taiyuan can remain stable.

"No problem, I'll take care of it right away." Luo Ping nodded.

Once the higher-ups send someone to take over Taiyuan, he will be able to extricate himself from the situation.

In the following period, Shanxi returned to calm.

Both sides have stated that the conflict in Taiyuan was a misunderstanding.

But anyone with eyes to see knows that a major war could break out at any moment.

After retreating, Yan Xishan did not give up the idea of ​​attacking Taiyuan.

The Jin-Sui Army began to absorb the former Shanxi puppet troops, and its strength expanded rapidly.

At the same time, the Eighth Route Army continued to eliminate Japanese and puppet troops who refused to surrender.

In order to retake Taiyuan, Yan Xishan also obtained a lot of supplies from Chiang Kai-shek.

For a fighter who had spent seven and a half years of the eight-year War of Resistance against Japan, not to mention the Eighth Route Army, even Chiang Kai-shek would scorn him.

However, for Chiang Kai-shek, Yan Xishan's willingness to take the initiative to attack the Eighth Route Army was a great thing.

He was happy no matter which side was defeated, whether the Jin-Sui Army or the Eighth Route Army clashed head-on.

Of course, Yan Xishan wasn't stupid; he only wanted Taiyuan.

Yan Xishan ignored Chiang Kai-shek's secret telegram, which demanded that a knife be planted in the Communist army's base areas.

Two days later, Chen Chengxing and his regiment waited at the North Gate of Taiyuan.

A dozen minutes later, Sun Desheng arrived from the north with a cavalry company.

Yesterday, Chen Chengxing received a telegram that a plane was about to land at Taiyuan North Airport.

Chen Chengxing immediately deduced that these were high-ranking Eighth Route Army officers who were meeting in Yan'an and were about to risk returning.

Therefore, a cavalry battalion was dispatched to provide support.

Judging from the number of people, the rest of the men must have returned directly to their respective military regions under the cover of the cavalry.

After the cavalry arrived at the city gate, several men stepped out from the ranks.

"Commander, Political Commissar, Staff Member!" Everyone immediately saluted.

"Chen Chengxing, you've done a great service!" the division commander said with a smile.

Although we still don't know how Chen Chengxing took Taiyuan.

But with Taiyuan, the entire situation in Shanxi came alive.

This is a significant positive factor for the upcoming Chongqing negotiations.

"It's all thanks to our comrades," Chen Chengxing said with a smile.

"Hehe. Let's go and see this historic city!" the division commander said.

"please!"

Just as Chen Chengxing was about to take the lead, he noticed someone tugging at his clothes.

Turning his head, it was none other than Chen Sijin.

Chen Chengxing gestured to Luo Ping, who immediately stepped forward to lead the way, while Chen Chengxing lagged behind by two steps.

"Chen Chengxing, I'm asking you, where are the Japanese weapons?" Chen Sijin whispered.

"The new Second Regiment completed its re-equipment using the guns and ammunition of the Fourth Division."

"But don't worry, Commander, the weapons that have been replaced have been stored away and are ready to support our allies at any time."

"The weapons in the Taiyuan arsenal are all untouched."

Chen Chengxing patted his chest and assured him.

With full Japanese equipment, who would still care about the Hanyang rifle?

"Who the hell asked you about guns?"

"I asked about the cannon! Where is the cannon?" Chen Sijin said, dissatisfied.

Why would a military commander like him ask about thousands of guns?

No matter how many people are in your new Second Regiment, there's no way one person can carry two guns.

Will those weapons eventually have to be separated?

"Hehe. I just established an artillery battalion with six battalions under it. All the artillery pieces have been incorporated into the artillery battalion and are currently undergoing training."

Chen Chengxing gave an awkward laugh.

The artillery battalion has three field artillery battalions, with a total of thirty-six Type 90 75mm field guns.

Two mountain artillery battalions, six Type 94 mountain guns, and twelve Type 41 mountain guns.

An anti-tank battalion, equipped with twelve Type 1 47mm anti-tank guns.

"You're just a small regiment, and you've set up an artillery battalion?"

"Then does that mean I have to start an artillery brigade?" Chen Sijin's eyes widened.

Chen Chengxing is a dishonest guy.

"An artillery brigade isn't enough. Didn't I say before that with your status, it wouldn't be excessive to establish an artillery column?"

"Don't give me that nonsense!" Chen Sijin waved his hand.

"You can start working on the artillery battalion first, but let me tell you something."

"Without my order, you are not allowed to fire a single shell!"

"Especially the field artillery battalion!"

The Central Committee has decided to reorganize the entire army, but the specifics are yet to be determined.

It's not a good idea to directly withdraw the artillery battalion now; it's better to leave it in Chen Chengxing's hands for now.

It's not too late to make the transfers once the situation is determined.

"Oh, I see," Chen Chengxing said dejectedly.

It seems he has little chance against these heavy artillery pieces now.

"Don't be discouraged, kid. I have some good news for you."

"The Central Committee has decided to carry out the reorganization. You've done a great job this time, and the leader is very happy."

"You should be able to get promoted to a minor official position," Chen Sijin said with a smile.

"So, does that mean I can become the commander of the corps?" Chen Chengxing became excited again.

"You're dreaming!" Chen Sijin said irritably.

"I'm just a squad leader, do you think you can sit on equal footing with me?"

"Of course not, I'm just happy for you," Chen Chengxing said with a forced smile.

"Let's wait for the notification." After saying that, Chen Sijin caught up with the division commander and others ahead.

He doesn't know what the next step will be.

Chen Chengxing thought about it for a while, but ultimately couldn't figure it out.

I could only walk a few steps faster to keep up with the pace.

(End of this chapter)