Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 471 The Mother's Family Has Arrived

"How's Shandong doing?"

Since launching the third offensive against the Shandong G Army, the various units of the Guo Army have been virtually inactive.

Chang Ruiyuan and the others couldn't bear it any longer and called Gu Mosan back from Pengcheng.

“Principal, as long as we continue our efforts, we will be able to achieve the goals set by you at the Third Plenary Session of the Third Central Committee.”

"Completely defeat the G army within four months," Gu Mosan explained.

“I’m asking about the battle situation!” Chang Ruiyuan said.

Who can say for sure what the future holds?
When Chang Ruiyuan asked him a question, Gu Mo stammered and didn't know how to answer.

The hundreds of thousands of troops currently in Shandong are advancing at a pace slower than a tortoise.

However, if they hear that the G army is in sight, the troops will immediately retreat and regroup.

Often, after traveling for three or four days, they would turn back in just one day.

At this moment, Bai Jiansheng spoke up, saying, "Chairman, although the situation in Shandong is deadlocked, the overall situation is favorable to us."

"I'm just worried that the troops along the Yellow River are weak. If the Central Plains Army suddenly crosses the river and coordinates with the Army in Yimeng, we'll be at a disadvantage."

The main force of the Guo army was concentrated in northern Shaanxi and Shandong, while other places were stretched thin, especially along the Yellow River, where only a small number of troops were stationed.

"Chairman, should we increase our troop strength and focus our defenses on this area?"

Hearing Bai Jiansheng's words, Chang Ruiyuan didn't say anything, but Gu Mosan, who was standing to the side, spoke up: "From Fenglingdu to Quancheng, a thousand-kilometer Yellow River defense line."

"That's equivalent to an army of 400,000, isn't it?"

"Besides, he was in a triangular area, with the canal in front and the Yellow River behind him. It was a dead end."

"*** always thinks three steps ahead before taking one step. Would he really choose a path that leads to his death?"

Where will the additional troops come from? Won't they be transferred from Shandong?

For Gu Mosan, the military strength in Shandong was already somewhat stretched thin at this time.

If troops are deployed at this time, and the G army seizes the opportunity to wipe out several of his divisions, will he still be able to keep his position as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army?

"Hehe. Maybe I'm just worrying unnecessarily." Bai Jiansheng indicated that he didn't want to talk to idiots.

"No, no, no, we never take the opinions of the Ministry of National Defense lightly," Gu Mosan said with a smile.

Bai Jiansheng just gave a cold laugh and didn't say anything.

However, after listening to their conversation, Chang Ruiyuan came to a conclusion.

That means the G army won't cross the Yellow River.

However, if Chang Ruiyuan could guess the movements of the G army, he wouldn't have played Boom Beach.

Just as Chang Ruiyuan ordered all troops to intensify their offensive, while the Guo army troops were taking it easy,

At the end of June, four columns of the Central Plains Field Army suddenly crossed the Yellow River.

Although the 55th and 68th Reorganized Divisions of the Kuomintang army built many bunkers along the Yellow River defense line, these bunkers were practically useless when troops were scarce.

When the vanguard of the Nakano army set foot on the mudflats, the enemy troops responsible for guarding the area discovered that someone was crossing the river.

However, the opponent did not fight back desperately, but instead fought haphazardly before retreating.

Their retreat was so swift that even the rapidly advancing G army couldn't catch up.

Upon receiving the telegram in Nanjing, Bai Jiansheng immediately rushed to find Chang Ruiyuan:

"Chairman, telegram from Zhulu: The G army has crossed the river!"

"Okay, I understand." Chang Ruiyuan took the telegram and glanced at it, but he was not flustered at all.

“It’s not a bad thing that the G army crossed the river. This time, we must make sure they don’t come back.”

"Chairman, I suggest that the Southwestern Shandong Corps be established as soon as possible," Bai Jiansheng proposed.

If the G army suddenly crosses the Yellow River and coordinates with the G army in Shandong to attack the flank of Gu Mo's three armies, then we will be at a disadvantage.

"The Corps? Then who do you think should be the commander?" Chang Ruiyuan asked.

"Song Rongguang, the commander of the 66th Division, is more suitable."

The 66th Division was the only direct force in southwestern Shandong, and its combat effectiveness was guaranteed.

Bai Jiansheng felt that the person who made the suggestion was Chang Ruiyuan's confidant, and Chang Ruiyuan would probably agree.

However, Chang Ruiyuan was not in a hurry at this time.

“Song Ruike? I’ll go to Beiping for a few days and then I’ll think about it some more. You and President Lu from Pengcheng should also discuss it some more.”

"We'll talk about it after I get back from Beiping."

Chang Ruiyuan is now somewhat worried that Song Rongguang's lack of experience makes him unable to command respect.

"Don't worry, Chairman." Bai Jiansheng nodded helplessly.

However, Chang Ruiyuan was not in a hurry, but Gu Mosan, who was vying for supremacy, was extremely surprised.

Upon learning that the Central Plains Field Army had crossed the river with over 100,000 troops, he immediately transferred the reorganized 32nd and 66th Divisions from northern Henan, and the reorganized 58th Division from Xiayi, together with the 70th Division from Jiaxiang, to form the Southwestern Shandong Corps.

Then he sent a telegram to Chang Ruiyuan, confirming that Wang Youping would be the corps commander.

Once the formation of the corps was confirmed, Gu Mosan did not wait for Wang Youping to arrive and immediately ordered the Southwest Shandong Corps to send troops north.

At the same time, he also ordered Liu Ziliang to hold the line along Wan'an, Caozhou, Lanyi, and Donghun.

Meanwhile, Chen Chengxing, who had already crossed the Jinpu Railway, also received a telegram requesting the Second Division to cooperate with the Nakano Field Army in its southward operations.

"That's great, Lao Chen, it's your family!" Luo Ping said with a smile.

“Yes, Nakano’s southward advance means that the G Army’s main operations will shift from the inner lines to the outer lines.” Chen Chengxing nodded.

"The logistics transport regiment, which has only had a designation before, should be established, and the engineering regiment should also be fully staffed."

For operations within the interior, logistics, transportation, and bridge and road construction can be handled by civilian laborers supporting the front lines. However, when it comes to operations on the outer lines, civilian laborers cannot keep up, and the Second General Headquarters must have its own transportation teams.

"I will cooperate with Lao Chu in handling this matter." Luo Ping nodded.

"What are your plans regarding the telegram from your superiors? How should we coordinate this?" Luo Ping asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Chen Chengxing shook his head.

On the map, the movements of the Guo army in southwestern Shandong are clearly marked.

The enemy forces were divided into two routes, the western route consisting of the garrison troops of Taoqiu, Caozhou, and Beihaoyuan.

Two brigades each from the reorganized 32nd and 66th Divisions traveled north and joined the reorganized 70th Division to form the eastern route.

The 58th Division and the 199th Brigade of the 66th Division were reorganized and placed in a position to respond later.

Chen Chengxing could see through Guo Jun's intentions at a glance.

Their only intention was to hold Wan'an, draw the G army's attack, and then launch a pincer attack from both the left and right, forcing Nakano into a desperate battle.

The Western Route Army held its ground in several county towns, which was not a problem.

But when we got to the east side, something was wrong.

"Old Chu, what changes have occurred on the eastern front?" Chen Chengxing asked.

"We received news that Wang Youping took office yesterday, but there have been no changes to the arrangements yet."

“Apart from the 70th Division, which is continuing to move toward Lincheng, the other divisions are still stationed along the Qinglong Mountain, Baihu Mountain, and Fangyu line.”

"Seven brigades lined up in a row, there must be something fishy about this formation."

Don't be fooled by the fact that Chen Chengxing just added 3 skill points; the more he adds, the less he understands it.

"Has the enemy situation report arrived yet?" Chen Chengxing asked.

"not yet."

"Immediately send a telegram to the Military Region Enemy Situation Office to urge Director Chai."

"yes!".
Chen Chengxing stared at the map, lost in thought.

The enemy's three full divisions are using their ancestral long snake formation here, with huge gaps between them.

Chen Chengxing simply couldn't believe that this was the work of a corps commander.

You've laid out a long, winding line along the railway, which is convenient for transportation, but what's the purpose of laying out a long, winding line here?
Judging others by his own standards, Chen Chengxing felt that Wang Youping was up to some kind of trick.

Two hours later, Chen Chengxing received a telegram from the enemy intelligence department.

"Could there really be such a stupid army commander?" Chen Chengxing stared at the telegram in silence.

The enemy intelligence unit has already investigated the situation thoroughly.

There was no hidden meaning behind the formation; it was decided hastily.

When Chang Ruiyuan was in Beiping, he overturned Bai Jiansheng's proposal and instead appointed Wang Youping as commander.

However, at that time, Wang Youping was still in Shanghai pretending to be sick and getting dental treatment. After being recalled by Chang Ruiyuan, he stayed in his hometown of Sixian County and refused to take office for a long time.

It wasn't until Chang Ruiyuan and Gu Mosan lost their tempers that he rushed to southwestern Shandong, where he cobbled together a makeshift headquarters with Fang and Dong.

"Old Chen, it seems that Wang Youping's decision to line up seven brigades in a row was a hasty response," Luo Ping said.

They had previously discussed whether the Guo Jun team had any way to force Nakano to Wan'an, and then launch an attack from the east and west to pin down Nakano.

In retrospect, we overestimated Wang Youping.

"Yes, it's a telegram from the Nakano Command. Let's proceed according to plan, cross the canal, and coordinate the operation," Chen Chengxing said.

Nakano's plan was to attack the western front first, but Chen Chengxing couldn't reach it, and it wasn't really related to the Second Division.

Their mission was to coordinate operations on the eastern front.

(The red part represents the river; the drawing may not be perfectly accurate, but it's roughly correct.)

Fang and the headquarters.

"Commander Wang, the G Army's movements are a bit strange," said Lu Ziquan, commander of the 58th Reorganized Division.

Contrary to their expectations, the G army was not drawn to Wan'an, but instead launched simultaneous attacks on Wan'an, Taoqiu, and Beihao.

"What do you think their next move will be: the Dongdu Canal to support the Huaye forces along the Jinpu Railway, or will they head south to cut off the Longhai Railway and advance on Pengcheng?"

"The actions of the G Army are always unpredictable, so we dare not act rashly," Wang Youping said with a headache.

Unable to confirm the movements of the G army, he dared not rashly advance towards the south bank of the Yellow River.

Moreover, the 66th, 32nd, and 70th Divisions under his command were not his old units, making them difficult to command.

"In this way, the 70th Division will retreat to Luying Town, the 32nd Division will advance to Dushan Town, and the 66th Division will remain stationary at Baihushan."

Upon hearing Wang Youping's order, Lu Ziquan hesitated.

"Commander Wang, the movements of the G army are currently unclear, and our dispersed deployment is problematic."

"Should we call all the division commanders back to discuss this?"

The fact that the G army did not launch a coordinated attack on Wan'an as originally planned indicates that the strategy of advancing from both the east and west is essentially no longer feasible.

In that case, consolidating our forces is the safest course of action.

"No rush, let's wait until we've figured out the location of the G army before we talk about it," Wang Youping shook his head.

"The G army excels at mobile warfare. Once our army leaves its fortifications, it will probably be no match for them in mobile warfare."

"The core guiding principle now is 'stability'."

Wang Youping felt that although the various units were relatively dispersed, the 70th Division and the 32nd Division were only eight kilometers apart, and Baihu Mountain was only thirteen kilometers away from Fangyu.

If any of the units is attacked by the G army, friendly forces will arrive in an instant.

(End of this chapter)