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

Chapter 133 Reinforcements from All Sides Besiege Ping An

Headquarters of the Japanese First Army in Taiyuan.

The newly appointed General Yansong received distress calls from two counties at the same time and immediately learned that the Eighth Route Army had launched a large-scale operation against Lan County and Ping'an County.

According to the information transmitted back by telegram, the enemy has deployed a large force with strong firepower, and the county town is in imminent danger.

We must send reinforcements.

"Take a look, these are telegrams from two counties."

Yansong summoned the officers of the First Army to discuss how to rescue the two besieged county towns.

Lanxian County and Ping'an County are the counties that absolutely need to be saved.

The two county towns are strategically located, serving as a dagger thrust into the heart of northwestern Shanxi, and can be used as a springboard and logistical hub for sweeping operations.

Once lost, the logistical pressure will be enormous if we want to sweep through the Jin-Northwest region again.

Because of the Pacific theater, the First Army had already withdrawn a large number of troops, and even most of its aircraft had been withdrawn.

There were no more bombers available in North China, only a number of reconnaissance aircraft left for reconnaissance purposes.

After losing Lan County and Ping'an County, it will be extremely difficult to take them back.

"General, the Eighth Route Army's timing in launching the offensive is extremely precise. It's timed just after we've redeployed our troops south. We no longer have any air power to use for bombing."

The commander of the Japanese 41st Division spoke first.

No sooner had they withdrawn troops south than the Eighth Route Army assembled its forces and launched an offensive against two county towns in northwestern Shanxi.

The timing of the Eighth Route Army's offensive was so opportune that he began to suspect there might be spies within the army.

"Despite the current situation, Lan County and Ping'an County must be rescued. This is the premise. Now we need to discuss how to rescue them."

Yansong spoke with absolute certainty.

After Iwamatsu set the tone, a group of Japanese officers began to discuss which reinforcements to send to the rescue.

"General, we only have three routes to send troops. One is the 26th Division headquarters in Shenchi County, which can go south to support Ping'an County."

"Instead, troops from the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade can be drawn from the Luyang direction to reinforce Ping'an."

"The third is to use mechanized troops to quickly reinforce from the direction of Shuiquan, via the highway between Ping'an County and Shuiquan."

"This road is the fastest route to send troops to rescue Ping An."

The commander of the 36th Division spoke first.

The other officers listened to the words of the 36th Division Commander and thought about it; they realized it was true.

Yansong was also pondering.

"We are going to attack the Independent Detachment's defense zone from the Shenchi direction. This force is very difficult to deal with, and the 26th Division is not part of our First Army. Asking them to come as reinforcements will take time, so we will not consider it for the time being."

Iwamatsu said.

During the Great Sweep, the 26th Division assisted the First Army in sweeping operations and was temporarily placed under the command of the First Army.

The large-scale mopping-up operation is now over, and the First Army has lost command of the 26th Division.

To get the 26th Division to reinforce Ping'an County, it would have to go through the North China Expeditionary Army Commander. By the time the procedures were completed, the battle would probably be almost over.

In addition, Yansong had just taken office and was in high spirits.

At this point, he couldn't bring himself to ask the 26th Division for reinforcements.

The First Army comprised three divisions, three brigades, and other units, totaling over 70,000 men.

With so many troops, how could they not be able to rescue the two county towns attacked by the Eighth Route Army?
"From the Luyang direction, we can send a troop northward from Luyang to reinforce Ping'an County, while cutting off the connection between Ping'an County and the Eighth Route Army in Lan County."

"Dispatch a regiment and an infantry battalion from the direction of Shuiquan, and send them to advance rapidly along the highway to reinforce Ping'an County as quickly as possible."

"If possible, we can drive the Eighth Route Army troops in Ping'an County southward to cooperate with the troops heading north from Luyang and wipe out this Eighth Route Army force that dared to attack the county town."

Iwasatsu made a decision.

"Hai!"

After the Japanese gave the order, the Japanese troops began to advance along the road using vehicles.

The Japanese 223rd Regiment plus a battalion was deployed from the Shuiquan direction; this was a unit of the Japanese 36th Division.

Two battalions of Japanese soldiers were dispatched from the direction of Luyang; these were troops from the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade.

The troops from both directions together make up two regiments, totaling over seven thousand men.

Yansong believed that such a large number of troops would be enough to resolve the siege of Lanxian and Ping'an counties.

After all, the battle was taking place in a county town, not in a mountainous area with rugged roads where heavy weapons were difficult to transport.

With the aid of heavy weapons, the 7,000 Japanese soldiers were comparable to the tens of thousands of Chinese troops.

Command Center in Beiyao Village.

As expected, Chen Ming received news that the Japanese army had sent reinforcements.

This time, the Japanese army was desperate. In order to rescue the two county towns, they actually transferred most of the troops stationed in Shuiquan, a key railway city.

They weren't afraid that other Eighth Route Army units would take advantage of the Japanese troops' weakened state to launch a major attack on the Japanese in Shuiquan.

After learning about the situation of the Japanese reinforcements, Chen Ming felt no emotion.

Despite being the commander of this operation, he has the support of headquarters.

Ultimately, this battle was commanded by headquarters; Chen Ming only needed to focus on winning the battles in Ping'an and Lanxian.

In addition to the troops sent out by Chen Ming, headquarters will also send troops from various lines to harass the Japanese rear and relieve pressure on the Ping'an-Lanxian area.

"After a night of fighting, the Japanese have captured all the outer positions of Ping'an County. Now the Japanese reinforcements are on their way. We must hurry and take Ping'an County."

"Order the troops to launch a general offensive towards Ping'an County at 6:00 AM!"

Chen Ming issued the order for a general offensive.

After the order was given, the First Brigade outside Ping'an City had already set up their formation.

Twelve Type 92 infantry guns, relying on the Tianzhushan position, began a fierce bombardment of the defending troops in Ping'an County.

The Tianzhushan position is a high ground outside Ping'an County, with a firing range that can reach Ping'an County.

As the artillery fire raged, the Japanese soldiers defending the city were blown to pieces, their cries of agony echoing through the air.

They never expected that the Eighth Route Army would have such fierce artillery fire, with twelve infantry guns firing at once.

In addition, scattered mortar positions outside Pingxian County also launched artillery bombardment towards Ping'an County from various directions.

The artillerymen in the artillery battalion primarily use mortars, and after so many battles, they can be said to be able to hit any target precisely.

The Japanese soldiers on the city wall were so crushed that they couldn't lift their heads.

Under the cover of artillery fire, the attacking soldiers began to approach the county town.

Inside the command post, Chen Ming and the others watched the attack on the county town and couldn't help but sigh.

"It's really spectacular."

"Yes, the machine gun emplacements in the Japanese fortifications on the city wall were taken out before they could even open fire. If it were a normal attack, this position would be a tough nut to crack, and I don't know how many soldiers would have been sacrificed."

"That was exhilarating! This is the kind of fighting that's truly satisfying!"

Everyone sighed in amazement.

For a long time, the Eighth Route Army lacked heavy weapons and artillery.

In the process of fighting the Japanese, facing the Japanese with heavy firepower far exceeding their own, they could only passively take hits and had to adopt guerrilla warfare, sabotage and other combat methods.

Now the balance of power has shifted, and it's time for the Japanese to experience the taste of being bombed.

The crowd looked at the roaring cannons and grew to like them more and more, even more than they liked their own wives.

For soldiers, nothing is more attractive than superior weaponry and equipment.

If their weapons are tough, they'll stand tall.

No wonder Chen Ming dared to attack the county town; with this equipment, they would dare to attack as well.

The brigade commander was the same; he looked at the artillery battalion of the independent detachment and liked it more and more. He was thinking about how to build a relationship with Chen Ming so that he could borrow it for future combat missions.

The artillery fire continued, and the stunned Japanese soldiers cried out in despair.

The Eighth Route Army's artillery fire was too intense; the city walls simply couldn't hold.

Left with no other choice, Hirata Ichiro had to force the puppet troops to hold their ground at gunpoint, otherwise the county town would be difficult to defend if the Eighth Route Army's artillery continued to bombard it.

"Quickly, quickly, climb the city wall immediately and strengthen the defenses."

Hirata Ichiro roared and pointed his gun at the puppet regiment commander.

"Sir, the Eighth Route Army's artillery is too powerful. If the brothers go up there, they'll just be throwing their lives away."

The fake legion commander had a bitter face, as if his mother had died.

He knew all too well the consequences of pushing forward in this situation. If he went up, by the time the Eighth Route Army's artillery ran out, his regiment wouldn't have many men left. The Japanese were using their puppet troops' lives to deplete the Eighth Route Army's ammunition!

"Get up on the city wall immediately. Disobeying orders means certain death."

Hirata Ichiro roared, and at the same time, the Japanese soldiers had already set up heavy machine guns.

If any of the puppet troops dared to say "no," they would immediately be mowed down by heavy machine guns.

In the eyes of the Chinese people, the puppet troops were traitors and did not deserve to be called human beings.

The Japanese soldiers viewed the same way; they didn't consider the puppet troops as human beings either.

Traitors have no human rights and are despised by both sides.

Even the death of a Japanese dog can be recorded, but no matter how many puppet troops die, they will not be recorded.

It can be said that the status of the puppet troops was even lower than that of dogs.

Forced by the pressure of the Japanese heavy machine guns, the puppet army commander gritted his teeth and led his troops up the city wall.

Going up now still gives you a chance to survive; if you don't, the Japanese heavy machine gun bullets won't be to be trifled with.

The puppet soldiers could still tell whether they would die sooner or later.

After the puppet troops were relieved of their duties, the defensive strength of the city wall was reduced by more than half.

It's acceptable to have the puppet troops fill in the gaps, but it's impossible to make them fight under artillery fire and bullets.

If the puppet troops really had the guts and courage, would they have surrendered to the Japanese?

"Order the reserve forces to immediately reinforce the west of the city and launch a fierce attack."

At the forward command post, He Jianxin noticed that the western defenses of the county town had been significantly weakened and immediately made adjustments to the siege strategy.

"The Japanese troops are running out of manpower. They've even sent puppet troops to defend the west of the city. This has given me an opportunity," He Jianxin said happily.

In this siege, the First Battalion chose to launch a strong attack from the front, that is, from the east, in order to combine feints and real attacks, forcing the Japanese to divide their forces and concentrate their strength to attack their weak points.

The eastern positions were also subjected to heavy artillery bombardment, forcing the Japanese to concentrate their forces on the eastern front.

With that level of artillery fire, it would be impossible for the puppet troops to advance; otherwise, the city would fall very quickly.

What Hirata Ichiro did was to allow the puppet troops to take over the other three sides except the east, so that more troops could be transferred to reinforce the eastern front.

The largest contingent was drawn from the west, leaving only a small squad of Japanese soldiers; the rest were all puppet troops.

With the addition of the puppet troops, the defensive strength on the west side immediately decreased significantly, and the Third Battalion, responsible for the feint attack, had already advanced to within a short distance of the city wall.

After receiving intelligence from the Third Battalion, He Jianxin made a decisive move and sent out the Fifth Battalion, which was a reserve force, in an effort to break through the western defenses in one fell swoop.

The western city wall.

Battalion Commander Yang Dong smiled as he watched his troops capture the position below the city wall.

Unexpectedly, the Third Battalion, which was originally just a feint attack to force the Japanese to split their forces and play a diversionary role, has encountered such an opportunity.

The Japanese actually let their puppet troops guard the city; I really don't know what they were thinking.

"Quickly, charge forward! This time, the credit belongs to our Third Battalion!"

Yang Dong shouted loudly, boosting morale.

Upon hearing this, the soldiers of the Third Battalion were instantly energized, roaring as they charged forward and quickly reached the foot of the city wall.

After rushing to a point not far from the city wall, the soldiers immediately began planting explosives, preparing to blow the city wall down.

When attacking a city, blowing up the city walls is far more effective than blowing up the city gates.

The city gates were key defensive points, and they were equipped with explosive-proof facilities, such as iron gates, barbed wire, landmines, and sandbag fortifications.

Often, the amount of explosives needed to breach a city wall is several times greater than required to blast open a city gate.

The city gate passage was narrow and could be quickly blocked with a small amount of debris, and there was also the obstruction of heavy machine gun positions.

A heavy machine gun is positioned behind the city gate, and no matter how many troops you have, you can't break through it unless you have a direct-fire cannon to take down the heavy machine gun position.

While the soldiers were setting up the explosives, the Japanese soldiers, knowing the intentions of the Third Battalion, began to launch a fierce attack on the soldiers setting up the explosives, disregarding their own safety.

However, how could Yang Dong, the battalion commander of the third battalion, possibly let go of the opportunity he had finally seized?

They immediately concentrated the battalion's firepower and opened fire on the Japanese soldiers, pinning them down so they couldn't raise their heads.

On the city wall, a puppet army battalion commander shouted anxiously, "Brother, the Eighth Route Army is going to blow up the city wall, what should we do?"

The puppet regiment commander, hiding in his bunker and too afraid to come out, immediately asked when he heard his subordinate ask, "How did the Eighth Route Army get to the city wall? Where is the Japanese officer?"

"There are now only seventeen left of the more than sixty Japanese soldiers. The Eighth Route Army's firepower is too strong, and the brothers can't hold on."

"What? Only seventeen left? No other reinforcements?" The puppet regiment commander looked incredulous.

There were more than fifty Japanese soldiers just fifteen minutes ago, how come there are so few left now?

"No, the Eighth Route Army's attacks from other directions are even fiercer. The Japanese officers have all gone to defend those directions, and there are no troops to be transferred over."

"The Japanese commander ordered us to strengthen our defenses. We will retreat once the Eighth Route Army arrives with reinforcements," said the puppet army battalion commander.

"Defense? Bullshit! This is sending our brothers to their deaths! The Japanese won't let go, forcing us to keep an eye on the Eighth Route Army's artillery fire. We surrendered to the Japanese to save our lives and make money, not to die!" the puppet army commander cursed angrily.

“Brother, it’s the Japanese commander. If they hear you shouting like that, they’ll be angry,” the puppet army battalion commander said.

"Damn it, I'm calling for the Japanese devils!" The puppet army commander slapped the puppet battalion commander on the head.

“The war can’t go on like this. I’ve figured it out. The Eighth Route Army that attacked the county town is definitely an independent detachment. Only they have such strong firepower.”

“The Independent Detachment is no ordinary Eighth Route Army unit. There are only six hundred Japanese soldiers in the county town, which is not enough to hold it. Now we need to think about how to save our lives.”

The fake legion commander came to his senses.

In the Shanxi-Northwest region, only the Independent Detachment of the Eighth Route Army possessed such powerful firepower.

That was a team that chased after the Japanese devils.

Their puppet troops usually only dared to bully civilians and guerrillas, but with the Japanese backing them up, they would sometimes fight against the Eighth Route Army.

But the puppet army commander would never dare to put them to the offensive of the independent detachment.

"Brother, what do you want to do?" the puppet army battalion commander asked, puzzled.

"Since continuing to defend the city is just suicide anyway, I can't let my brothers die in vain. I want to turn against them, I want to abandon the darkness and embrace the light," the fake legion commander said.

"What? Brother, you're going to betray the Japanese commander?" The puppet army battalion commander looked terrified.

"Still calling him Taijun? Still calling him Taijun? Still calling him Taijun?" The puppet army commander slapped the puppet army battalion commander on the head several times in a row.

He explained it so clearly, so why can't his brother understand it?
They joined the puppet army to make money, not to actually sell their lives to the Japanese.

"I am Chinese, they are Japanese devils, we are not on the same side. I am just abandoning the darkness and turning to the light," said the puppet army commander.

"Brother, I dare not," the puppet army battalion commander said hesitantly.

He was timid by nature and had been oppressed and manipulated by the Japanese for a long time, which had made him servile. He didn't have the courage to resist the Japanese.

"Useless!" The fake legion commander slapped him again.

He ignored the battalion commander and climbed out of the bunker to rally his confidants.

"After I fire my gun, you all immediately join me in fighting the Japanese. The county town can't be defended right now. The attacking force is the Independent Detachment. If you don't want to die, join me in killing the Japanese and surrendering."

The puppet army commander briefly explained the situation.

Upon hearing this, his confidants immediately became solemn, their eyes flashing with fear.

No wonder it was so difficult; it turns out the opponent was an independent column.

The reputation of the Independent Detachment was renowned among the puppet troops.

Upon learning that the enemy was an independent detachment, the remaining puppet troops immediately lost the courage to continue their defense.

Looking around, there were still sixteen Japanese soldiers, seven of whom were wounded, while the other side consisted of the Eighth Route Army soldiers with high morale.

The puppet troops made their decision.

"Let's do it. Anyway, continuing to defend the city is just waiting to die. We might as well take a gamble. The Eighth Route Army treats prisoners of war well. If we fall into their hands, at least we can live."

"They're just a dozen or so Japanese devils. We have over three hundred men here. What are we afraid of?"

"A puppet soldier said through gritted teeth."

His words resonated with the surrounding puppet troops, who all felt they made sense.

In this era, which soldier hasn't had blood on their hands? Killing a few Japanese soldiers was nothing to them.

So, after a brief discussion, the puppet army commander began to take action.

A dozen or so Japanese soldiers, seven of whom were wounded, were clearly no match for the siege of numerous puppet troops, especially since they were caught off guard by bullets coming from behind.

Before long, the Japanese soldiers on the city wall were captured.

After killing the Japanese soldiers, the puppet regiment commander immediately ordered someone to shout:
"Eighth Master, don't shoot! We surrender!"

(End of this chapter)