Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Changjin Lake, a Hundred Battles, a Hundred Victories

Chapter 119 Kong Jie: This battle was too rich!
The Independent Detachment suffered heavy casualties and a high rate of attrition after this counter-sweep operation.

Excluding those who died or were injured and needed treatment, and not counting local armed forces, Chen Ming now has less than four thousand troops still capable of fighting.

This is also what distinguishes our army from other armies; the policy of establishing Party branches at the company level makes the organization of the troops more efficient.

Including this counter-sweep operation, the Independent Detachment has won a major victory in terms of casualty ratio.

Despite such heavy casualties, the Independent Detachment did not collapse like ordinary troops. Instead, influenced by the great victory, they transformed the grief of losing their comrades into a belief in avenging them.

Of the available troops, Kong Jie's First Regiment, which suffered the least losses, still has more than 1400 soldiers available to participate in the battle.

The Second Independent Regiment still has over 400 men, and the Third Regiment still has over 500 men who can participate in the battle.

However, due to the special nature of their combat missions, the direct subordinate units of the independent detachment did not suffer as many casualties as the main force regiments.

Especially for artillery battalions, which have special combat missions, apart from the depletion of some artillery shells, there were almost no personnel losses, and they retained their full combat capability.

Because the special operations brigade had the best personnel among the independent detachments and was equipped with excellent weapons, it did not fight on the main battlefield and suffered few casualties.

Sixteen soldiers were killed and twenty-seven were wounded, but the team still possessed considerable combat strength.

The cavalry battalion also maintained a high level of combat effectiveness during the counter-sweeping operations.

The Fourth Battalion, which had not yet been reorganized, did not engage in large-scale combat on the main battlefield because it was responsible for covering the transfer of non-combat personnel, and the combat effectiveness of the troops was well preserved.

It was precisely because the combat effectiveness of the detachment's directly subordinate units was relatively intact that Chen Ming was confident in attacking two county towns at the same time.

The combined number of Japanese troops in the two county towns was less than five hundred. Even with the protection of the city walls, taking them down wouldn't be a problem, given Chen Ming's elite artillery battalion and special operations brigade.

On the outskirts of Shenchi County, under Chen Ming's orders, Kong Jie led more than 1,400 soldiers from the First Regiment, along with two companies from the artillery battalion and a company from the Special Operations Brigade, to ambush around Shenchi County.

Kong Jie is a very experienced military commander, and Chen Ming entrusted him with full command of the battle of Dashenchi.

Niujialing.

Have all the troops arrived at their designated combat areas?

Inside the temporary command center, Kong Jie asked the group a question.

"Reporting to the regimental commander, the first and second battalions have arrived, and the third battalion will arrive in one hour."

"The two artillery companies are in position, and the special operations squadron soldiers, with the help of the Shenchi County Armed Work Team, have successfully infiltrated Shenchi County."

The chief of staff of the first regiment reported.

"Alright, this battle at Shenchi is the first time we've liberated a county town since we came to northwestern Shanxi. We must fight this battle brilliantly and not let our First Regiment lose face," Kong Jie said loudly.

"This time, the First Battalion is responsible for attacking the south of Shenchi County, the Third Battalion will make a feint attack on the east and west, and the Second Battalion will lie in ambush on the north side of Shenchi for the time being."

"Once the main force of the Japanese army is drawn away by the First and Third Battalions, the special forces soldiers and guerrilla teams inside the city will cooperate to blow open the north city gate, and the Second Battalion will take the opportunity to rush into the city and dismantle the Japanese defenses."

"The final assault is scheduled for 5 a.m. tomorrow."

Kong Jie issued the combat order.

He adopted a strategy of surrounding three sides while leaving one side open, using the strongest battalion to launch the main attack and drawing the main force of the defending troops inside the city to the south for defense.

The Second Battalion launched feint attacks from the east and west to tie down the defending troops and force the Japanese to move more of their forces away from the north.

With only two hundred Japanese soldiers and three hundred puppet troops in Shenchi County, it was impossible for them to deploy too many troops to face the fierce attack of the First Regiment and two artillery companies.

At most, we can only deploy a small detachment plus a platoon of puppet troops; otherwise, the pressure from the other three directions will be too great.

Unlike other Eighth Route Army units, the artillery battalion of the Independent Detachment did not lack guns and food; its firepower was extremely strong.

Of all the Eighth Route Army troops, apart from the headquarters' artillery regiment (14 Japanese mountain guns, two Soviet field guns, plus mortars), the artillery battalion of the Independent Detachment had the strongest firepower.

In this operation, Chen Ming was assigned to two of the four artillery companies in the battalion to cooperate with the First Regiment.

It includes 4 Type 92 infantry guns, 24 mortars, plus the 8 mortars assigned to the First Regiment itself.

Kong Jie was able to deploy a total of 36 artillery pieces this time.

This firepower configuration is equivalent to a regimental-sized mobile artillery unit.

Unfortunately, the two mountain guns they purchased were too heavy to move, so Chen Ming ordered them to be sealed up and retrieved after the sweep.

Otherwise, the first regiment might have been able to secure the support of a mountain gun.

With powerful artillery support and such a rich treasury, Kong Jie was brimming with confidence in attacking Shenchi County.

Of course, not all of these artillery pieces could be used to attack the county town; some of them also had to be used to attack the strongholds around the county town.

Even so, the Japanese were already under tremendous firepower and had to concentrate their forces on the main attack direction in order to withstand the attack of the First Regiment.

Once the troops at the North Gate are weakened, the combined strength of the special forces and the armed work team will allow them to easily take down the Japanese troops at the North Gate, blow open the city gate, and allow the ambushed Second Battalion soldiers to enter the city.

This is Kong Jie's battle plan.

After the order was issued, the various units began to move out.

Instead of immediately attacking the county seat, Kong Jie ordered his troops to first send small groups to attack the surrounding strongholds before launching an offensive. This was intended to draw the Japanese troops inside the county seat to reinforce the strongholds, replicating the Battle of Shouyang, and thus reducing casualties in the attack on the county seat.

At the same time, they destroyed roads and bridges to slow down the time it took for Japanese reinforcements to arrive.

The Japanese had stationed a large battalion in Shenchi County, including a company in the county seat, with the rest scattered in the surrounding strongholds.

Eight in the morning.

Kong Jie's small detachment began to launch frequent attacks on the Japanese strongholds.

The intensity of combat in northwestern Shanxi was not as high as in southern and eastern Shanxi, where our army was active.

The Japanese strongholds were mostly built of brick and stone, and their defensive capabilities were much weaker than those in southern Shanxi.

Facing the first regiment with its superior weaponry and equipment, the battle was not too difficult.

In many of the strongholds garrisoned by puppet troops, the mere sight of an infantry gun would often frighten the puppet troops into surrendering.

When facing infantry artillery, apart from large strongholds built of reinforced concrete and some medium-sized strongholds, the rest of the strongholds have become immovable coffins.

The puppet troops surrendered to the Japanese in order to save their lives and make money. Faced with the threat of infantry artillery, they didn't care whether the Japanese would retaliate later.

The supplies in the pillbox belong to the Japanese; your life is what matters.

After a day of attack, the puppet army strongholds around Shenchi County were basically cleared out, while the Japanese army strongholds were not captured in large numbers.

To lower the Japanese soldiers' guard, Kong Jie only deployed one infantry gun.

And the result was exactly as Kong Jie had predicted.

When the Japanese reported their stronghold to the commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 12th Regiment of the 26th Division of the Japanese Army, which was defending Shenchi County.

Based on his extensive experience dealing with the Eighth Route Army in northwestern Shanxi, the Japanese battalion commander immediately made a judgment.

"The Eighth Route Army is in a hurry this time. They even brought out their trump card, the infantry artillery, as bait, hoping to lure my main force into pursuit and then allow the main force of the Eighth Route Army to take the opportunity to move away."

"Tell the soldiers below that this is just a small unit of the Eighth Route Army. The Eighth Route Army has no ability to produce infantry shells, and the shells for this infantry gun are limited. Don't bother with them."

The Japanese battalion commander confidently believed that this was a bait thrown out by the Eighth Route Army, using infantry artillery to make the Japanese army think that the main force of the Eighth Route Army was here.

This would attract a large Japanese force to sweep and pursue them, allowing other Eighth Route Army units to take the opportunity to move and avoid the large-scale mopping-up operation.

The Japanese battalion commander was very clever. Based on his judgment, the Eighth Route Army's infantry gun had no more than ten shells.

This is why the Eighth Route Army, despite its lack of weaponry, was willing to use infantry artillery as bait.

For the Eighth Route Army, which couldn't produce its own infantry guns, a gun without ammunition was practically worthless, just scrap metal.

The Japanese battalion commander mentally completed a logical loop regarding the First Regiment's small-scale attack on the pillbox.

However, since the Eighth Route Army had sent out small groups of troops with infantry artillery as bait, he couldn't refuse.

The Japanese battalion commander immediately gave the order.

"Order Shenchi County to send out a squad and a company of puppet troops, and Xinzhuang stronghold to send out a squad and a company of puppet troops."

"Pursue this group of Eighth Route Army soldiers and recapture the lost infantry guns."

The Japanese battalion commander didn't want the Eighth Route Army's feint to succeed, but he also wanted to recover the infantry gun and achieve a win-win situation.

Although the infantry guns were not lost by their regiment, once they were recovered, they could be used to trade with other units that had lost their infantry guns.

Other units that lost infantry guns kept quiet about it for fear of being punished.

If he can recapture this infantry gun, he can use it for trade and develop his network of connections.

The Japanese battalion commander thought to himself with a smug satisfaction.

After the Japanese battalion commander gave the order, troops were dispatched from Shenchi County and Xinzhuang stronghold to pursue the platoon of soldiers from the First Regiment who were carrying an infantry gun.

The soldiers monitoring the Japanese stronghold immediately reported to Kong Jie that the Japanese had mobilized troops.

"Well, the Japanese devils still couldn't hold their temper and lured them out so quickly."

"An enemy of more than three hundred men, this is a big piece of meat. If we take it, our First Regiment can make a small fortune."

"Order the 3rd Battalion, 1st Platoon, to retreat to Nanzhuangzi Village with infantry artillery, and lure the Japanese there. Remember, don't run too fast and leave the Japanese too far behind."

"Third Battalion, First Artillery Company, immediately set up an ambush position in Nanzhuangzi Village and wipe out this group of Japanese soldiers."

Kong Jie immediately issued the order.

He intended to use the defeat of this force of over a hundred Japanese soldiers and over two hundred puppet troops as an appetizer for the First Regiment's liberation of the county town.

Nanzhuangzi Village is not far from Shenchi County, so the Japanese soldiers wouldn't be too vigilant.

If the Japanese were ambushed there, and if the Japanese reinforcements in the county town were to arrive, Kong Jie could directly mobilize troops to attack the county town and cut off the Japanese reinforcements' route.

(End of this chapter)