Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 482 Push me as close as you can (Bonus chapter, please vote)
"Open the door! Open the door quickly!"

The local security forces were already weak in combat, and they were simply no match for the fierce artillery fire and infantry charges.

Airports and train stations were successively lost.

However, when they tried to retreat into the city, they were shocked to find that the city gates had been blocked.

This caused an uproar among the security forces, who immediately called the provincial government.

Upon learning that the thousands of security troops deployed outside the city were blocked, Liu En immediately rushed to find Zou Yunzhang.

"Commander Zou, the city gates are sealed off! The security brigade can't get in!"

“I know, that was my order,” Zou Yunzhang said calmly.

"Ah? Why is this?"

"Let them stay outside the city, with the city walls providing cover from their firepower, so they can inflict greater casualties on the G army."

Zou Yunzhang already looked down on these security forces, and letting them wear down the morale of the G army would be more advantageous for the subsequent battles.

"no!"

“Leaving the security forces outside will do more harm than good, and I absolutely disagree!” Liu En said urgently.

As the direct leader of the security forces, wouldn't he be unaware of the true nature of the security forces?
If we just leave them outside the city like this, let alone deplete the Kuomintang army, they would already be doing the party and the country a favor if they didn't immediately defect to the Kuomintang and turn their guns on Bianliang.

"Open the city gates immediately!"

"Liu, the resident host"

"I am the supreme commander of Bianliang. I now order you to open the city gates immediately!"

Zou Yunzhang had no choice. He knew, of course, that opening the city gates would lead to no good, but he had to open them now.

If it is not opened, and Bianliang falls, the responsibility will definitely fall on him.

Zou Yunzhang ordered his troops to remove all the sandbags blocking the city gates and let the security forces in.

With the city gates wide open, the retreating security forces disregarded everything else and immediately surged into Bianliang.

The regular troops, who originally wanted to maintain order, were also scattered and broken up by the fleeing soldiers.

Since the Guo army was so accommodating, how could the soldiers of the Second Division let them do useless work?

The assault company immediately followed the fleeing soldiers into Bianliang, and three colored signal flares shot into the sky, signaling the breach of the city gates.

At this moment, Liu En also realized that something bad had happened: "Commander Zou, order your troops to immediately retake the city gate and drive the G army out of Bianliang!"

“Liu, the battlefield isn’t something you can just decide as you see fit. I can’t guarantee whether we can retake the city gate.”

Zou Yunzhang was well aware of the fighting strength of the G army outside. They had already occupied a city gate, and would inevitably pour their forces into this area.

His troops all had their own defensive positions, so it was impossible for them to commit a large amount of resources to fighting for the city gates.

That would only lead to neglecting one aspect and causing other city gates to be breached as well.

"We must take back the city gate. I will organize the security forces now to organize resistance within the city."

After saying this, Liu En hurriedly returned to the provincial government and then directed the 2nd Security Brigade to protect the provincial government with the Post and Telecommunications Building as their base.

Looking at Liu En hurrying away, Zou Yunzhang spat out a mouthful of disdain.

"Pass on my order to concentrate artillery fire on Xiaonanmen. Only a small contingent of the G army has entered the city. As long as their retreat is cut off, they can be annihilated immediately."

"The Chairman has already sent reinforcements. We just need to hold out for a few days, and the reinforcements will arrive."

"yes!".
Seeing that no new signal flares were being launched, Xu Wu couldn't hold back any longer and immediately rushed to the front line.

"First Battalion Commander, why isn't your assault battalion launching an attack?!"

"The bunkers on both sides of the doorway have not yet been destroyed, and the enemy's light and heavy machine guns are blocking the way, so the soldiers can't raise their heads."

Xu Wu immediately turned his head and saw that the shooting from both sides of Xiaonanmen was indeed continuous.

"Two bunkers and they're already unable to raise their heads?"

"Is it that the soldiers can't hold their heads up, or that you, the battalion commander, can't hold your head up?!"

"Why can't the assault company get up there?! Why can't the demolition team get up there?!"

"I'm telling you, you must organize an assault company for me as soon as possible. If Xiaonanmen falls, I'll shoot you!"

At that moment, inside the headquarters, Chen Chengxing also received a call from the field command.

"Chen Chengxing?"

"It's me, Commander."

"The three colored signal flares that shot into the sky really excited me for a while, but the fact that the assault battalion failed to advance in time made me anxious again."

"Commander, you've been exhausted since we crossed the Yellow River to the south. Go and get a good night's sleep. I promise we'll take Bianliang."

Large-scale troop operations are extremely mentally taxing. Taking a break during the siege is beneficial for subsequent command.

"How can I sleep now? Enemy forces from all directions, east, west and south, are already approaching Bianliang. The situation has changed."

"Bianliang has become the target of everyone's attacks. The stalemate on the Xiaonanmen city tower has lasted for an hour. We need to break this deadlock as soon as possible."

"The blocking forces of each column are now engaged in firefight with the enemy reinforcements, and they are paying a heavy price every minute."

"Second Commander must break through Xiaonanmen as soon as possible!"

"Rest assured, Commander, we guarantee that we will take Bianliang within three days!" Chen Chengxing said, standing at attention.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Chengxing thought for a moment, handed over the command post to Luo Ping, and then set off for the front line.

"Xu Wu, what's going on here?"

"Commander, there are still several blocking positions centered around bunkers near Xiaonanmen. I am currently selecting assault companies."

"Which company did you choose?" Chen Chengxing asked.

"The main force was the 2nd Company of the 1st Battalion, and I transferred a platoon from the 3rd Company of the 3rd Battalion to reinforce it."

"In addition, I specifically selected twenty demolition experts from the 2nd Company and appointed the instructor as the demolition commander."

“Okay, it’s our nature for the instructor to lead the way in delivering explosives.” Chen Chengxing nodded.

After speaking, Chen Chengxing walked up to the assault team and the demolition team and checked their conditions one by one.

From their determined eyes, Chen Chengxing could see their unwavering belief in victory.

When they reached the end of the demolition team's group, Chen Chengxing suddenly stopped.

"Liu Jian, you are the demolition commander. Whether the Second Division can break into Bianliang depends on you."

Liu Jian fought his way up from the Jin-Sui region, rising from a clueless recruit to his current position as an instructor.

"Don't worry, Commander, we guarantee the mission will be accomplished!"

"Hmm, I notice your explosive charge is a bit different; it's bigger than theirs?"

"Yes, it weighs thirty-three pounds." "Why wasn't a brace used?"

"Commander, I'm a mobile demolition expert. When it's my turn, I'll use my arms as a support!"

Chen Chengxing's body trembled, and his eyes welled up with tears as he looked at Liu Jian and the soldiers beside him.

Chen Chengxing patted Liu Jian on the shoulder and said nothing more.

The soldiers' morale was already at its peak; they didn't need any further motivation from him.

"I command! Commence the general offensive!"

"The field artillery regiment and howitzer battalion shall immediately open fire on the enemy positions at Xiaonanmen!"

Wang Chengzhu, who was already prepared, immediately ordered the artillery to fire rapidly.

The Guo army's Xiaonanmen position was covered by artillery fire.

The assault team, under the cover of artillery fire, launched a fierce attack forward.

The heavy machine guns inside the bunker began firing again, and the assault team made slow progress in the face of intense firepower.

Seeing this, Chen Chengxing immediately ordered, "Xu Wu, move your mountain guns and anti-tank guns forward!"

"How close?"

"Push it as close as you can, ideally onto the assault company's shoulders! Get it into his firing port!"

Regardless of whether the bunker can be destroyed, as long as the shells explode, they can affect the enemy troops inside, or at least obscure their vision.

Using the smoke from the explosion, the demolition team split into three groups and began their operation, needing to clear a path for the assault team.

The enemy's firepower was extremely fierce. Although visibility was obstructed, several heavy machine guns still formed a dense barrage of bullets from their pre-marked firing positions.

The demolition team members fell one after another into pools of blood.

Although the demolition team successfully eliminated several firing positions, the core bunker at Xiaonanmen was still firing bullets continuously.

Seeing that the attack was not going well, Liu Jian carried his 33-pound explosive pack and charged forward with the third group of soldiers.

Under the enemy's intense firepower, the soldiers fell one after another.

Liu Jian was also hit by two stray bullets in the leg.

However, he did not stop. Under the cover of the assault team's machine gun, he desperately crawled to the machine gun bunker.

Using all his might to stand up with the help of the fortifications, Liu Jian braced himself against the explosive charge with his shoulder.

After glancing northwest, Liu Jian immediately detonated the explosive charge.

"Mother, your son has been unfilial."

"boom!!"

"Comrades! Charge with me!"

The assault company commander led the charge towards the wide-open South Gate.

There were also bunkers along the main streets of the city, but the troops that had stormed in earlier had already drawn most of the defenders' attention.

The assault team's first target was the city gate tower, which was situated high above the city.

A few minutes later, three signal flares shot into the sky again.

"Good! We've taken Xiaonanmen!"

Chen Chengxing immediately picked up the phone next to him and dialed number 24.

"The 21st column has already breached the South Gate. You will now enter the city through the South Gate! Proceed rapidly into the interior, and send a portion of your forces to attack the West Gate to support the C column's entry into the city!"

By dawn, the 21st and 24th detachments of the Second Column had all entered Bianliang, and the C Column, with the support of the 24th detachment, broke through the west gate.

Seeing the rapidly changing situation, Zou Yunzhang paced back and forth in the division headquarters, desperate to relieve himself.

"Damn it! It's all Liu En's fault, that good-for-nothing! He gave such damn bad orders!"

Although they had found someone to shift the blame to, the 66th Division was also in danger.

"Commander, the G army has broken through several gates, and I'm afraid the brothers can't hold on any longer," the chief of staff said solemnly.

They had fewer troops to begin with, and their combat effectiveness and firepower were inferior to those of the G army.

Now that the most crucial city wall defense has been lost, it looks like disaster is imminent.

"Even if we can't hold on, we must persevere!" Zou Yunzhang commanded.
“Tell the brothers that a large number of planes have taken off from Shangdu and Pengcheng, and reinforcements are also marching rapidly towards us. If we can hold out for two more days, we will be victorious.”

"There will be a great reward then!"

"yes!".
Unlike the security forces that kept sliding to their knees, the 66th Division still chose to resist even at this point.

However, the main force of the Second General Corps had already entered the city, so no matter how much the 66th Division struggled, it couldn't make much of a splash.

Faced with the Second General's explosive breakthrough, the Kuomintang army's defensive fortifications were frequently attacked from the flanks.

Moreover, it wasn't a firefight between machine guns and rifles; the soldiers of the Second Division would immediately use rocket launchers as soon as they saw a firing point.

If the distance is a bit far, then ask the platoon leader to use the mortars that have been assigned to lower levels.

If it's far away and there's a bunker, then they'll call in infantry guns and anti-tank guns that are following along.

Demolition teams are only used when facing solid reinforced concrete bunkers.

Meanwhile, the artillery of the 66th Division in Longting was also carrying out continuous bombardment, but Zou Yunzhang only had two howitzers and eight Type 8 field guns at his disposal.

Compared to the more than two hundred large-caliber artillery pieces in the hands of the G army, they were simply not enough.

Although the Kuomintang army mobilized more than forty aircraft to participate in the battle, the 66th Division was still defeated and forced to retreat.

By evening, most of Bianliang's urban area had fallen into the hands of the Second Division and the C Column.

All Zou Yunzhang had was Longting and the surrounding urban area.

As for the security forces, only the provincial government building remains standing.

Zou Yunzhang was restless inside the division headquarters.

"chief of staff."

"exist!"

"Order all troops to immediately abandon the city and retreat to Longting. We will hold our ground and await reinforcements!"

"Execute it immediately!"

"yes!".
At this moment, Chen Chengxing received another call from Ye Si.

P.S.: I recommend this book, "Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul," which is considered a masterpiece of the Korean War.

I plan to start reading the Korean War story in the middle of next month, so you can read them together.

(End of this chapter)