Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 431 Could it be that I didn't want to take the position? (Bonus chapter, please vote)

"Brigade Commander Luo, what's the situation with the 3rd Reserve Brigade?!" Dai Zhiqi called the shopkeeper.

"Commander! The G Army has launched an attack from several directions simultaneously! The offensive is fierce! Our troops have suffered heavy casualties!"

Luo Jingde immediately cried out in distress and then prepared to request reinforcements.

However, before Luo Jingde could even ask for backup, Dai Zhiqi had already given the order:

"Brigade Commander Luo, ignore the other defense lines and concentrate all your forces to attack north! Only an attack can save the 3rd Reserve Brigade now!"

"I command you to do everything in your power to retake Fengshan!"

The safety of the 3rd Reserve Brigade and even the entire 69th Division now rests entirely on Fengshan Mountain.

If they can recapture Fengshan before nightfall, the 3rd Reservist Brigade will still have a chance to catch their breath.

Conversely, if they fail to capture Fengshan, not only will the 3rd Reserve Brigade be in danger, but the entire 69th Division will also be on the brink of death.

"Master's seat!"

Upon hearing Dai Zhiqi's words, Luo Jingde was speechless.

What kind of talk is this? Did we not take back Fengshan because we didn't want to?

At this point, the 3rd Reserve Brigade is already doing its utmost to prevent a complete collapse of its lines, let alone organize a counterattack.

"Brigade Commander Luo, don't overthink it! Organize a counterattack immediately!" Dai Zhiqi interrupted Luo Jingde's explanation.

Although Dai Zhiqi had not yet seen the specific battle report of the 3rd Reserve Brigade, he could guess that it was pretty close to the truth.

However, with the 11th Division retreating, Dai Zhiqi is now resorting to desperate measures.

Dai Zhiqi didn't care about the actual situation of the 3rd Reserve Brigade at all. In his view, even if the 3rd Reserve Brigade died, it should die on the way to the charge.

Even if it only buys the 69th Division a little buffer time, it's still good.

After hanging up the phone, Luo Jingde was in the command center, desperately needing to relieve himself and scratching his head.

"What do you mean, Brigade Commander and Division Commander? Can we have the 60th Brigade come to our aid?" Chief of Staff Shi Yonghua asked from the side.

"A backup? The division commander ordered us to attack Fengshan!" Luo Jingde said irritably.

He originally called to ask for help, but ended up getting a deadly mission.

"Attack Fengshan?! We're going to attack? How are we going to attack?!" Shi Yonghua's eyes widened in disbelief, completely dumbfounded.

"How the hell should I know!" Luo Jingde slammed his hat on the table.

After pacing around the command post several times, Luo Jingde finally gave the order:

"Go and gather all the troops that are still mobile, and prepare for a counter-offensive!"

"If we can drive back the G army in the north, we can take the opportunity to push back. If not, we can only leave it to fate."

"Rest assured, Commander, I will personally lead the charge!"

After saying that, Shi Yonghua saluted Luo Jingde and hurriedly walked out.

Watching Shi Yonghua's departing figure, Luo Jingde sighed.

The fate of the 3rd Reservoir Brigade hinges on this final push.

On the other side, the routed soldiers of the 11th Reorganized Division, who had been counterattacked, retreated all the way to the Jiangtouzhuang position, where they finally regained their footing under the cover of the remaining troops.

"Commander, the artillery unit has safely withdrawn to Jiangtouzhuang. No artillery pieces were lost, but some shells were not loaded onto the trucks in time."

Hearing that the artillery had returned, Hu Ziqi visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"The shells don't matter, as long as we bring back all the artillery pieces."

Knowing that the G army had launched a counterattack, Hu Ziqi kept thinking about the dozens of artillery pieces at the front line.

If he loses these artillery pieces, he'll be in deep trouble; he might even face a military court.

Moreover, it remains to be seen whether the 11th Division will be able to acquire new American artillery.

As for the lost shells, Hu Ziqi didn't care much about them.

When it's time to report to higher authorities, just say that they were all fired at the G army's positions.

As for how it was launched, there's no need to explain it in such detail.

"Commander, the G army has reached the outer defensive positions. Should we reorganize the counterattack?" Xiao Rui asked.

Because the G army was pursuing for a long distance, their formation was somewhat chaotic. If they were to counterattack at this point, they might be able to gain some advantage.

Hu Ziqi looked at the situation outside, thought for a moment, and then shook his head.

"It's getting dark, and continuing the fight will be disadvantageous for our army."

"Order the front-line troops to strengthen their defenses and wait until dawn before launching a counterattack."

Although the 11th Division did not suffer heavy losses from the G Army's counterattack, the psychological pressure has not yet been relieved.

If a counterattack is organized immediately, the true strength of the 11th Division will not be fully utilized.

"yes!".
Inside the Second Command Post, Xu Wu walked over with a summary telegram from various departments.

"Captain, reports from all units: the 11th Division has completely collapsed! Our unit has annihilated over 700 enemy soldiers and captured over 500."

"The lines of the 3rd Reserve Brigade of the 69th Division were also broken by our army. The enemy organized a counterattack, but it was repelled by the 203rd Regiment."

"The enemy forces inside the shop have now been cut into several parts, and various units are encircling and annihilating them."

"I understand. Tell them to speed up the clearing operation, and to request artillery support if necessary." Chen Chengxing nodded.

Although the last jump by the 3rd Brigade before their deaths was somewhat unexpected by Chen Chengxing, it was unlikely to cause any significant disturbance.

After glancing at his watch, Chen Chengxing issued several more orders.

"Xu Wu, relay my order: the troops attacking the 11th Division shall immediately retreat, and the 3rd Company shall reinforce the defensive line and prepare for defense."

“201团、204团、209团向北进攻付家庄，配合206团夹击敌整60旅。”

"The 212th Regiment is advancing northeast to Renhewei, coordinating with the J and B columns to attack the 69th Division from both sides." Although the field headquarters did not report the situation of the other routes, Chen Chengxing could still tell from the words that the situation was probably not optimistic.

However, once the 69th Division is completely encircled and separated, we should be able to wipe them out in about a day.

When that happens, the 11th Division will inevitably retreat, and the nearly 100,000 troops here will be able to support the other routes.

Upon receiving Chen Chengxing's order, all units immediately began operations.

An hour later, the 201st, 204th and 209th Regiments arrived at Fujiazhuang.

Faced with the powerful pincer attack of two forces and three regiments, the one battalion of the Guo army defending Fujiazhuang was completely powerless to fight back.

The three teams took over Fujiazhuang in just half an hour, as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, and completed the cleanup.

When Guo Jianhui, the commander of the 60th Brigade, learned of the fall of Fujiazhuang, his expression immediately changed drastically.

"Damn it! How did the G army get here so fast?"

G Army just finished fighting the 11th Division, don't they get any rest?

"Commander, the situation is very bad." Zheng Zhipeng, deputy brigade commander of the 60th Brigade, looked very grim.

"We are now surrounded on all sides, and the G army is probably about to launch a general offensive."

"I know that. Order the troops to immediately consolidate their defensive line and switch to full-scale defense. We'll make further plans after dawn," Guo Jianhui ordered.

Since the main force of the G army has entered Fujiazhuang, it means that the number of G troops on the southern front has decreased.

If they can hold out until tonight, the 60th Brigade still has a chance.

"yes!".
As the reorganized 60th Brigade shifted to full-scale defense, the two forces, together with the East China 8th Division advancing from the north, completed the encirclement.

The reorganized 60th Brigade followed in the footsteps of the 3rd Reserve Brigade.

Moreover, with the 3rd Reserve Brigade completely wiped out, the 203rd Regiment and the Artillery Regiment also surrounded the area in the middle of the night.

In another direction, the battlefield situation at Renhewei began to become somewhat complicated.

The 69th Division headquarters and the reorganized 41st Brigade sandwiched the J Column in the middle.

However, they were then encircled from the north and south by the 212th Regiment and the B Column, along with three East China divisions that had crossed the Yi River.

At the headquarters of the 212th Regiment, the operations staff handed a piece of intelligence to Xu Zhiqiang, the commander of the 212th Regiment.

"Commander, the branch has sent intelligence that the number of Guo troops in Renhewei should be around five thousand."

Xu Zhiqiang reached out and took the document, which described the current known situation of Renhewei.

In addition to the 69th Division's directly subordinate units, there is also the 267th Regiment, with a total strength of about 5,000 men.

“5? Barely enough to be a match for the 212th Regiment.” Xu Zhiqiang closed the document and handed it back to the operations staff officer.

"Pass on my order: reinforce the regimental artillery company to the 1st Battalion, and have the 1st Battalion launch the attack!"

"yes!".
"Boom!" "Boom!"
After a burst of artillery fire, the 1st Platoon of the 1st Battalion launched a feint attack.

The KMT troops on the position were well aware of why the KMT only deployed one platoon.

However, facing two such elite units, the Kuomintang army was simply unable to completely suppress them with only light machine guns and rifles.

Left with no other choice, the defending troops had to open fire with their concealed heavy machine guns.

The artillery company of the 212th Regiment was waiting for the enemy's heavy machine guns to open fire.

The artillery reconnaissance team, which was well-prepared, immediately opened its eyes wide and carefully searched for enemy targets.

As time went on, the Kuomintang's heavy machine gun positions were discovered one by one, and then destroyed by concentrated fire from several infantry guns.

Two hours later, when no more heavy machine guns were firing from the Guo army's position, the 212th Regiment immediately launched a general offensive.

With the help of their own heavy machine guns, the 212th Regiment's attack went quite smoothly.

In just over ten minutes, the vanguard had already rushed onto the front-line positions of the Guo army.

"Damn it! How could the front line be breached so quickly?!" Dai Zhiqi was both shocked and furious.

Although the 267th Regiment was a remnant force, it was also the original main force of the 69th Division.

Its combat effectiveness is no less than that of the infantry regiments of the 41st Brigade and the 3rd Reserve Brigade.

"Commander, Renhewei is under attack from all sides by the G Army, and the 267th Regiment's forces are completely scattered," Chief of Staff Yan Ming said solemnly.
"And the unit to the west should be the main force of the second regiment of the G army. With only one battalion of the 267th Regiment, it is probably no match for them."

"Damn it! Even if Chen Chengxing himself came, the G army shouldn't have been able to take over the position so quickly!" Dai Zhiqi roared.

"Pass on my order: have the artillery battalion immediately provide fire coverage to the front-line positions!"

"Now?" Yan Ming looked shocked.

"Commander, there are still many of our brothers holding on the front lines. If we bombard them now, they probably won't survive!"

"The G army has already stormed the position, and the remaining men are no match for the G army in bayonet fighting."

"Since we're going to die sooner or later anyway, we might as well take the G army with us."

The casualty figures of ordinary soldiers were not within Dai Zhiqi's consideration.

"This..." Yan Ming said with a hint of helplessness.

The soldiers at the front lines were indeed going to either die or surrender, but that was a completely different matter from having artillery shells fired at their own men.

"Nonsense, just relay the order! Tell the artillery battalion that anyone who disobeys will be dealt with according to military law!" Dai Zhiqi shouted.

"yes!".
The artillery battalion was very helpless upon receiving the order, but military orders were absolute, and they dared not disobey.

A few minutes later, the shell was fired.

【Congratulations, battalion commanders, you've struck it rich!】

[There's no point in keeping those monthly passes; send them all to the branch.]

(End of this chapter)