Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 538: Take him out and execute him.

With the southern offensive slowing down, and the fact that the American and British fleets not only showed no intention of joining the battle but had already withdrawn, the Second Division received orders to advance on Miura Town.

However, this short stretch of road, only forty kilometers long, caused the Second General Manager a great deal of trouble.

"Damn it, there are just too many ditches and canals around Shanghai!"

Looking at the river that had reappeared before him, Chen Chengxing wiped the rain off his face, feeling utterly helpless.

Although they were all small rivers, the artillery could not cross them, and most of the bridges over these rivers were also unsuitable for trucks and heavy artillery.

To cross the river, the only options besides building a pontoon bridge are to take a detour via the main bridge.

Looking at the small river in front of him, Chen Chengxing could no longer hold back: "Old Luo, the artillery is in your hands. I'll lead the infantry ahead."

"Take the staff headquarters and the guard battalion with you."

"Okay!" Chen Chengxing nodded.

The Kuomintang army has now fully recaptured Shanghai, so the artillery units don't need to worry about not having infantry protection.

The ammunition soldiers of the Second Artillery Corps are now equipped with weapons such as submachine guns or carbines.

To make the journey easier, Chen Chengxing didn't even ride in a carriage, but instead rode on horseback.

They then marched at full speed, and in the early hours of the next day, Chen Chengxing led his troops across seven or eight rivers in the rain to reach the Pudong battlefield.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the 51st Army of the Kuomintang also arrived at Sanpu Town.

At this time, Wang Bingkun, the commander of the 51st Army, was unaware that a crisis was imminent.

"Chief of Staff, according to my estimate, the G Army should arrive in this area tomorrow or the day after. Hurry up and capture some able-bodied men," Wang Bingkun ordered.

Although the 51st Army is a large army, it was decimated during the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, and now only about 6,000 men remain.

However, after returning to Shanghai, in order to receive salaries without working, he reported 15,000 people to Tang Keqin.

It was precisely because the 51st Army had 15,000 men on its books that Tang Keqin sent them to Sanpu Town when he learned that another G Army was marching in this direction.

However, Wang Bingkun was not too worried at the moment. It was raining, the roads were muddy, and the conditions were harsh.

According to his estimate, the G army troops that are advancing in this direction will not arrive at Miura Town for at least one or two days.

This period of time was enough for the 51st Army to capture one or two thousand able-bodied men.

However, to Wang Bingkun's surprise, he received a report from the front lines just as the troops began conscripting men.

When the troops were capturing able-bodied men, they engaged in a small-scale firefight with the G army.

At the same time, Chen Chengxing also received a report that the vanguard assault battalion had engaged in a brief firefight with a small group of Kuomintang troops.

"Commander, according to the prisoners' report, the enemy's 51st Army is ahead. They also just arrived in Miura Town last night."

"What's the situation with the fortifications in Sanpu Town?" Chen Chengxing asked.

"Those prisoners didn't know that after arriving in Sanpu Town, they came out to conscript men," Chu Yunfei said.

"However, according to the prisoners, there are permanent reinforced concrete fortifications in Miura Town."

"I originally thought I would have to pass Dongping before I could fight Guo Jun, but I didn't expect to run into him here."

"Send orders to the 23rd Detachment, instructing them to boldly infiltrate, cross Sanpu Town, and penetrate behind Guo's army, cutting off the connection between the 51st Army and the 12th Army!"

"yes!".
Wang Bingkun was initially quite pleased with himself for not making any move after the G army arrived, but then he suddenly received a report that the enemy had appeared behind him.

"Oh no! Oh no!" Wang Bingkun's expression changed drastically.

The appearance of the G army on your back means you will not be able to receive support from friendly forces.

"Commander, the reconnaissance unit reports that the G Army forces appearing behind us number at least seven or eight thousand." The chief of staff was almost in tears.

Is it really necessary to send seven or eight thousand people to blockade them when they only have a small force of six thousand?

Wang Bingkun thought for a long time but still dared not break through: "Let the troops enter the bunkers and hold them to the death, and assign all the captured able-bodied men to the front-line bunkers."

"Also, immediately send a telegram to the garrison command requesting immediate support!"

He only has so few men at his disposal. If he can hold out using the fortifications in Sanpu Town, he might be able to put up a fight with the G army.

But if it were to go out and fight the G army in the field, he really wouldn't dare to say that.

"Yes!"

Inside the headquarters, after receiving 23 telegrams, Chen Chengxing issued the order to attack.

Faced with the Second General Headquarters' attack, the 51st Army was no match at all, and its outer positions were repeatedly defeated.

In less than an hour, the attacking force advanced to the outer streets of Sanpu Town.

Inside the bunker, the KMT soldiers watched the KMT troops moving forward, their legs trembling.

"Platoon Leader G is here!"

"I saw it, don't shout!"

Platoon Leader Guo thought for a moment: "We've reached the final moment; it's time to use our ultimate move!"

"Go, drive all those able-bodied men outside and make them go to the front of the bunker. Let's see how the G army can attack then!"

"yes!".
Looking at the people huddled in front of the bunker, trembling with fear, Xu Wu gritted his teeth.

"Beasts! They're all beasts!"

"Damn it, what's the difference between them and the Japanese devils?!"

"Captain, this is very disadvantageous for our attack," Li Chishui said with a headache.

Although this move was despicable, it was like punching the Second Boss right where it hurt.

"Report it to the headquarters."

This is no longer a decision that the 21 teams can make on their own.

Upon learning of Guo Jun's despicable actions, the officers at the brigade headquarters were furious and began to hurl insults at him.

"Alright, stop cursing. Cursing won't kill them." Chen Chengxing waved his hand.

Chu Yunfei said with a headache, "Commander, if the 51st Army does this, we can't use our most powerful heavy mortars to attack the bunkers."

Although howitzers and mountain guns did not follow, 120mm mortars managed to catch up due to their lightweight design, though they had fewer shells.

But this move by the Kuomintang army rendered the mortars unusable, and even the rocket launchers became unusable.

After all, the rocket launcher explosions all occurred outside the bunker.

"Form a demolition team and throw grenades at close range."

Faced with this despicable tactic by the Kuomintang army, all the frontline troops could do was get close and throw grenades into the bunker to clear it out.

Faced with the G army's attack, the KMT troops inside the bunker continued to fire.

Hearing the gunshots, the people in front of the bunker covered their ears and huddled on the ground, their screams of terror growing louder.

Because of the obstruction of the civilians, the soldiers could only carry grenades and launch attacks in a dispersed manner.

Seeing that all the men who went up were knocked down, the battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 211th Regiment at the front line was furious. He wished he could immediately exterminate the KMT troops in the bunker.

But now he can only resort to piecemeal tactics.

"Group Two! Charge!"

The civilians in front of the bunker watched as G Army soldiers charged up and were knocked down, only for new soldiers to keep charging forward. They couldn't understand what was going on.

At that moment, they clearly sensed the difference in the G army.

Despite the relentless attacks of the soldiers, the 51st Army's bunkers were constantly being destroyed, even when they resorted to underhanded tactics.

Moreover, as time went on and the civilians were rescued one by one, the remaining bunkers bore the brunt of the Second Commander's wrath.

120mm shells kept falling on the 51st Army's bunkers.

The reinforced concrete bunkers of the Kuomintang army could withstand infantry guns and small-caliber anti-tank guns, but they could not withstand 120mm mortar shells.

If even one shot hits, the top of the bunker will be blown off. Watching the bunkers being taken down one by one, Wang Bingkun was extremely anxious.

When will the reinforcements arrive?!
"Commander, Commander Tang has ordered us to hold our ground. He will send several planes to provide support."

"Airplanes? What use are airplanes to me!" Wang Bingkun roared. "Can airplanes fly into bunkers or trenches?!"

"What I need are soldiers! Soldiers who can be deployed to the front lines!"

"We may not have any soldiers for a while," the chief of staff said helplessly.

"Fuck you!"

"How can we fight without soldiers?!"

Wang Bingkun had already forgotten how he reported the salary without actually working, and Tang Keqin still believed that the 51st Army had 15,000 men.

According to Tang Keqin's estimate, these 15,000 people are enough to last for five to seven days.

"Damn it, we can't wait any longer, or we'll be trapped like fish in a barrel!"

"Pass on my order: have the brothers hold out until nightfall, then we'll head north, through Changqing, and retreat back to the city!"

"Commander, without General Tang's orders, if we retreat like this, it might be difficult to explain."

"Explain? Explain what? When we retreat, report that our casualties exceed two-thirds! Does Commander Tang not agree to our retreat?"

The chief of staff realized: "That's a good idea!"

No matter how many people there were before, this is all that will be left after this battle.

"Go and get ready," Wang Bingkun waved his hand.

"Yes!"

"Commander, the artillery position reports that they are running low on shells."

"Then let's stop the shelling and have each brigade send out demolition experts to carry out close-range demolitions."

Unlike before, the Kuomintang army no longer has civilians as a shield in front of their fortifications, and the light and heavy machine guns of each detachment can provide necessary fire support.

As the G army advanced faster and faster, and the bunkers in Sanpu Town were being taken down one after another, Wang Bingkun could no longer hold back.

"We can't wait any longer, break through! Break through immediately!"

"Commander, the brothers haven't all gathered yet!"

"Never mind, let's go now!" Wang Bingkun said urgently.

He had already discovered that the G Army was expanding to both flanks, and if this continued, the 51st Army would be trapped.

Impatient, Wang Bingkun led about two thousand men northward in haste. His target was Dingjia Wharf, where a main force regiment of the 37th Army was located.

Less than 20 minutes after leaving Sanpu Town, the reconnaissance unit covering the rear called via walkie-talkie.

"Commander! Commander! The G army's attack is too fierce, the brothers can't hold them off!"

"We must stop them!"

"We can't hold them off anymore! Our brothers have been scattered!"

"Damn it! Useless!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Bingkun shouted, "Brothers! Speed ​​things up!"

The 51st Army began to run wildly, disregarding their formation.

At this point, whoever runs the fastest can escape, while those who run slowly will only become stumbling blocks that slow down the G army.

The 721st Regiment of the 7th Army at Dingjia Wharf stared wide-eyed at the rapidly advancing G Army.

"Commander! What do we do?!"

"What to do? What to do! How should I know what to do?!"

Seeing the 51st Army leading the G Army charging towards them, Zou Zhiyu, the commander of the 721st Regiment, could only give the order:
"Artillery battalion, open fire and support the 51st Army!"

He didn't have the guts to attack the 51st Army directly, so he had no choice but to support the 51st Army.

Seeing the 721st Regiment providing fire support, Wang Bingkun breathed a sigh of relief.

That's exactly what he needs. With fire support, he can smoothly enter the 721st Regiment's position.

Even with the support of the 721st Regiment, the 51st Army still lost over a thousand men before reaching the position.

The Second Company then surrounded Dingjia Wharf, and the soldiers would wait for the heavy machine guns, mortars, and infantry guns to arrive before launching an attack.

Inside Dingjia Wharf, seeing that the G Army had paused its attack, Wang Bingkun collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

The 51st Army now has less than a thousand men left.

Wang Bingkun was panting when Zou Zhiyu rushed over with a group of men.

"What's going on?! Why did you lead the G army here?!"

Wang Bingkun stood up angrily and said, "Did we lure them here? The G Army came on their own! If you're so capable, go out and make the G Army leave!"

"Damn it! A mere colonel dares to talk to me like that!"

"Don't you know how to salute your superior?!"

Zou Zhiyu was furious: "Salute? Do you deserve it?"

"You, a dignified army, come to my regiment seeking help? How dare you call yourself an army commander?!"

"You son of a bitch! Are you tired of living?!" Wang Bingkun pulled out his gun and pointed it at Zou Zhiyu.

If I dare not shoot the CCP army, why wouldn't I dare shoot you?

Wang Bingkun's drawing of his gun immediately triggered a chain reaction, with the 721st Regiment and the 51st Army instantly pointing their guns at each other.

Just as tensions were running high, a shell landed at Dingjia Wharf.

Zou Zhiyu's expression immediately changed drastically.

"The G army has launched an attack!"

"Quickly! Quickly! Counterattack! Counterattack immediately!"

"Artillery support!"

At this point, Zou Zhiyu had no time to argue with Wang Bingkun. If they couldn't hold their ground, both he and Wang Bingkun would become prisoners.

However, to Zou Zhiyu's dismay, although his position had gained a thousand men, the effect was even worse than losing a thousand men.

Originally, the 721st Regiment was determined to resist, but when they saw that the 51st Army had all retreated to the rear, the soldiers on the front line of the 721st Regiment could no longer hold back.

Once that anger dissipated, the defenses crumbled completely.

"Commander, the 51st Army and the 721st Regiment at Dingjia Wharf have been completely annihilated, and the commander of the 51st Army has also been captured."

"Why capture him?" Chen Chengxing said irritably, "Pass on my order: all senior officers of the 51st Army are to be executed on the spot!"

Luo Ping had no objection to Chen Chengxing's decision.

People who use ordinary citizens as a shield will be ignored no matter how much you complain.

"yes!".
After taking Dingjia Wharf, the Second General rested briefly, and the next day, just as dawn was breaking, he set off again to advance.

They advanced relentlessly, and two days later, the Second General Headquarters joined forces with the X Army in the Cambridge area.

This place is close to the core position of Wusongkou, and Kangqiao Town is just ten kilometers ahead.

Once Kangqiao Town is captured, the Second General can use artillery to blockade the ferry crossing.

Faced with the G army's relentless attacks, Tang Keqin could only provide full support.

Currently, a large amount of gold and silver supplies from Shanghai are being continuously transferred to Frog Island through the Wusongkou Port. This area must not be blocked by the Kuomintang army.

Just a quick note: Please don't call out the names of the characters in this book directly, especially don't write their full names in the comments. This will trigger AI detection and result in your work being cut.

(End of this chapter)