Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Chapter 435: Make the Japs fear insufficient firepower!

Anhua County.

Headquarters of the 14th Division of the Japanese Army.

"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, I just received news that Chu Yunfei has led the main force of the 358th Regiment from Dagu Mountain to Jiangjunling in Ping'an County."

Chief of Staff Colonel Akira Ishihara reported to Commander of the 14th Division, Masataka Iseki.

"What?" Jingguan Changlong frowned slightly. "Did the 358th Regiment go to Jiangjunling?"

Jingguan Changlong is very familiar with the place called Jiangjunling.

This is the place where the Imperial Guards Mixed Brigade and the 4th Brigade were annihilated.

He received an order from the commander of the First Army, Yoshio Shinozuka. Shinozuka believed that the 358th Regiment was not worth mentioning, but its commander Chu Yunfei was a dangerous person, so he ordered the 14th Division to find an opportunity to destroy the 358th Regiment and kill Chu Yunfei.

With the strength of the 14th Division, it would be easy to defeat the 358th Regiment.

However, before defeating the 358th Regiment, we must first understand the 358th Regiment's defense in Dagushan.

We must move with lightning speed and wipe out the 358th Regiment in Dagushan before the New st Regiment can react.

After all, if the New 14st Regiment intervened in the th Division's attack on Dagushan.

Then the 14th Division will not only fail to defeat the 358th Regiment, but may even be stabbed in the buttocks by the New st Regiment.

Chu Yunfei also noticed the appearance of Japanese scouts around Dagu Mountain.

So he decisively led the 358th Regiment to Jiangjunling to avoid disaster.

Jiangjunling is an important defense line of the New 14st Regiment of the Eighth Route Army. The 358th Division would certainly not dare to attack the th Regiment at Jiangjunling.

"Hi." Colonel Ishihara lowered his head. "This morning, scouts discovered that Dagu Mountain was deserted. Following the traces of the main force of the 358th Regiment, the scouts found Jiangjun Ridge and discovered the 358th Regiment's base near Jiangjun Ridge."

"idiot."

Jingguan Changlong was so angry that he cursed, but he also had to admire Chu Yunfei for being such a cunning man.

They ran away at the slightest sign of trouble, giving the 14th Division no time to react.

Chu Yunfei led his troops to Jiangjunling, and Jingguan Changlong had no way to deal with him.

The 14th Division now has few combat supplies and is unable to even dodge the New st Regiment. How can it dare to attack Jiangjunling?

Not long after, Colonel Ishihara came again to report a piece of news: "Division Commander, the 27th and 28th Brigades report that some unidentified personnel, suspected to be Eighth Route Army scouts, were spotted near Anhua County and Heyuan County."

Upon hearing this news, Lieutenant General Jingguan Changlong of the Brotherhood felt extremely stressed.

All signs indicate that the New 14st Regiment of the Eighth Route Army is likely to attack the th Division stationed in Anhua and Heyuan counties.

Jingguan Changlong naturally would not take ordinary Eighth Route Army soldiers seriously.

However, the three regiments of the Eighth Route Army in Northwest Shanxi possessed firepower equivalent to that of eight artillery regiments.

The 14th Division had only one field artillery regiment. Although each infantry regiment had a mountain artillery company, a rapid-fire artillery company and an infantry artillery company under its command, the Eighth Route Army was also equipped with a large number of mortars at the battalion and company levels.

In terms of artillery firepower, Jingguan Changlong was very weak and could not be compared with the Eighth Route Army at all.

At this moment, the communications staff sent a telegram: "The locust army will mobilize heavy troops and a heavy artillery brigade to northwest Shanxi to destroy three regiments of the Eighth Route Army. The 14th Division must defend Heyuan and Anhua counties and ensure the smooth flow of the Kilometer and Beitongpu roads."

War requires supplies. Without railways and roads to transport combat supplies, the combat effectiveness of the First Army will be greatly reduced. Before launching a large-scale offensive, Yoshio Shinozuka must first ensure that the supply channels are unobstructed.

Otherwise, due to insufficient supplies, the Eighth Route Army might not be able to be eliminated, but would suffer heavy losses instead.

After reading the telegram, Jingguan Changlong was not happy at all. The Eighth Route Army's intelligence capabilities were simply abnormal.

Jingguan Changlong said to Colonel Ishihara with a worried look on his face, "The Eighth Route Army will probably know about this situation in advance. If I were Li Yunlong, I would definitely attack the 14th Division first and cripple it. Then the rest of the battle would not be so difficult for the Eighth Route Army."

Colonel Ishihara's eyes tensed up, and he hurriedly asked, "Your Excellency, Division Commander, what should we do?"

Jingguan Changlong paced back and forth in the division headquarters with his hands behind his back. After thinking for a while, he said, "We must do three things well. First, send a large number of scouts to Ping'an County. The scouts should carry radios. If any abnormal situation occurs in the New 1st Regiment of the Eighth Route Army, we will know immediately."

"Secondly, combat requires ammunition supplies. To prevent our transportation lines from being cut off, please ask the headquarters to mobilize 14 tons of combat supplies for our 1000th Division."

"Third, we must strengthen morale and build fortifications. In particular, we must have the engineers construct a large number of underground fortifications similar to those used by the Eighth Route Army to counter the possible large-scale attack by the New 1st Regiment of the Eighth Route Army."

Even if the North China Front Army and the First Army Command wanted to launch a large-scale attack on northwestern Shanxi, they would even send a heavy artillery brigade.

However, the battle in northwestern Shanxi had just ended, and the mobilization of Japanese troops and combat supplies, as well as the formulation of combat plans, would take time. It would take at least a month and at most three months for the Japanese army to be fully prepared and then launch an attack on the Eighth Route Army in northwestern Shanxi.

Before that, the 14th Division had to defend Heyuan and Anhua counties, and protect the Beitongpu Railway from falling into the hands of the New st Regiment.

Currently, there are some problems with the morale of the 14th Division. Although the 14th Division is a Type A Division, the officers and infantrymen who can become its division all have a high understanding of the Bushido spirit and are determined to be loyal to Tianhuang.

However, after fighting so many battles with the Eighth Route Army with more defeats than victories, with officers and soldiers around them constantly dying on the battlefield, it would be a lie for the surviving Japanese soldiers to say they were not afraid.

In particular, the artillery of the Eighth Route Army frightened the Japanese troops of the First Army, including the troops of the 14th Division.

"Hi."

Colonel Ishihara lowered his head and said, "I'll arrange it right away."

……

Taiyuan.

Japanese First Army Headquarters.

Not long after, Yoshio Shinozuka received a telegram from the commander of the 14th Division, Masataka Iseki.

"Mutaguchi-kun, immediately dispatch one thousand tons of combat supplies to the 14th Division and send them to Heyuan County in two trucks."

Yoshio Shinozuka called Mutaguchi Ren'ya and gave him an order.

After the battle in northwest Shanxi ended, Mutaguchi Ren'ya and other officers who were under house arrest were released and restored to their posts.

"This matter is entirely up to you to arrange. Do not tell anyone else about the itinerary of the combat supplies, including me."

If the combat supplies sent to northwest Shanxi were robbed, Mutaguchi Ren'ya would still be the biggest suspect of the First Army.

"Hi."

Mutaguchi Ren'ya bowed his head and said, "Please rest assured, Commander. I will ensure that 1000 tons of combat supplies arrive safely in northwest Shanxi."

……

A week later, the new group had completed most of the delivery.

Now, whether it is Jinzhong or the New 8st Regiment in northwestern Shanxi, the ammunition reserves of various calibers of bullets, artillery shells, grenades, etc. have reached base numbers.

In addition, the new regiment expanded with a mountain artillery battalion and an air defense battalion. The mountain artillery battalion was equipped with 36 75mm Bofors mountain guns.

The anti-aircraft battalion is equipped with 40 20mm machine guns and 20 40mm twin-mounted anti-aircraft guns, which can fully utilize the firepower.

In addition, a new tank battalion was formed, with Sun Desheng as acting battalion commander, equipped with 18 M4 medium tanks and 16 M24 light tanks.

At regimental headquarters, Zhao Gang, after reviewing the weapons and ammunition inventory handed over by Logistics Staff Officer Wang Shoujin, beamed, "Old Li, our regiment is damn well-off! Including the troops in northwest Shanxi and the air defense battalion, we now have a total of eight artillery battalions."

The new group is so wealthy now that even Zhao Gang, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, couldn't help but swear.

目前新一团在晋西北的部队有2个山炮营，3个防空营，1个120重迫击炮营，1个105榴弹炮营，1个152榴弹炮营。

If the four artillery battalions in Jinzhong are added, there will be a total of 4 artillery battalions.

"Old Zhao, look at how little you've accomplished!" Li Yunlong said angrily. "Just eight artillery battalions make you look so proud. When we have planes and warships in the future, won't you be overwhelmed by our admiration?"

Although he said so, Li Yunlong couldn't help feeling proud and complacent after reading the list.

Of course, Captain Li still felt that the firepower was insufficient and the ammunition reserves were insufficient.

After all, the New 1st Regiment and even the Eighth Route Army are indeed several times richer than before, but compared with the entire Japanese army, the gap is still as big as a chasm.

With a chuckle, Li Yunlong's tone turned stern: "However, with the current equipment and ammunition reserves of the New 14st Regiment, it is enough to give the Japanese th Division a fear of insufficient firepower."

The New 8st Regiment has 12 artillery battalions in northwest Shanxi, plus the four artillery battalions of the Independent Regiment and the New rd Regiment, which makes a total of artillery battalions.

The size and firepower of each artillery battalion are not inferior to those of the Japanese field artillery regiment.

Not to mention the two tank battalions, the artillery firepower of each tank battalion is not inferior to that of an artillery regiment.

Zhang Dabiao, Wang Shoujin, and several staff officers standing by all had their mouths grinning from ear to ear.

"Old Li, do you have a plan to attack the 14th Division?" Zhao Gang's eyes lit up.

(End of this chapter)