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

Chapter 143 Take Luyang and then have breakfast!

After the independent detachment's battle report was submitted to the division headquarters, the division commander also called.

"Chen, I heard you've made a fortune. Congratulations!"

Ok?
Chen Ming's first reaction was to check the caller ID, but then he realized that this was during the War of Resistance against Japan, so what was the point of having a caller ID?

Why does the division commander speak in the same tone as the brigade commander?
If Chen Ming hadn't been with the brigade commander this morning, he would have thought the brigade commander was calling him.

"Who said that? We're so poor we're practically selling our pants. After a few days of fighting, we've emptied our savings," Chen Ming complained.

The division commander on the other end of the phone was also somewhat surprised.

"Was the call directed to the Independent Detachment? I have a feeling it's Li Yunlong on the other end," the division commander asked the person next to him.

After receiving an affirmative answer, the division commander understood.

In the future, we should limit Chen Ming's contact with Li Yunlong. They've both learned to play the victim. In the past, the Independent Detachment handed over supplies by the truckload.

"Enough with the nonsense. I don't want your supplies. Here's a mission for you," the division commander said.

The division commander did not take the spoils from the independent detachment, which had fought brilliantly in this battle.

They wiped out three battalions of Japanese soldiers in just a few days and liberated an important county town. They were a force capable of fighting tough battles.

However, in this operation, the division commander realized that the independent detachment had also suffered significant losses in personnel and supplies.

In order to maintain the independent detachment's formidable combat effectiveness, the division commander did not mention the surrender of supplies this time.

"Yes, please give your instructions, sir."

Upon hearing that there was a mission, Chen Ming immediately stood up straight.

"The Japanese have now sent another regiment of Japanese soldiers to reinforce Ping'an from the direction of Shuiquan. In addition to the regiment and battalion that were sent to reinforce earlier, the Japanese have withdrawn so many troops that their rear railway line and county town are now empty."

"Headquarters has decided to launch a sabotage operation against the Japanese on the Tongpu Railway and the cities along the line. Your independent detachment's mission is to hold off the two regiments and one battalion of Japanese troops that have come out for three days."

"That's what the division commander said."

"Yes, I guarantee I will complete the mission," Chen Ming loudly assured him.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ming began to think about the task given to him by headquarters.

Stopping two regiments and one battalion of Japanese soldiers is no easy task.

If the Japanese soldiers who went out to reinforce their troops learned that their home had been raided, they would definitely do everything in their power to return and provide reinforcements.

This is a Japanese regiment, not an infantry battalion; their firepower is far superior to that of an infantry battalion.

Last time, the 800 soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Independent Regiment held off an attack by a Japanese regiment on a favorable position. In the end, only 200 soldiers remained. This is a demonstration of their fighting strength.

This time, the goal is to stop the Japanese invaders in the area between Ping'an County and Shuiquan, where there is a wide highway connecting them.

With roads, the Japanese heavy weapons could move quickly, and tanks could also be used, making it much more difficult to block them.

Although the Independent Detachment is now strong and well-equipped, with high morale and combat effectiveness no less than that of the Japanese.

However, if faced with the Japanese invasion, which was reckless and costly, the losses would be difficult to control.

However, now that headquarters has given the order, Chen Ming should be thinking about how to complete the mission.

As for difficulties, we should solve them if we can, and if we can't, we should find a way to solve them.

Upon receiving the order, Chen Ming immediately convened a meeting with the commanders of the Independent Detachment and other brother units.

"The headquarters has ordered us to hold off the Japanese reinforcements for three days."

Chen Ming explained the mission to everyone.

"Commander, give the order. No matter what the mission is, our Fourth Regiment is determined to carry it out." Regiment Commander Zhang, the only unit from the 120th Division present, immediately declared.

“I have no objections. We will fight however the command tells us to,” He Jianxin said.

The other cadres also expressed their determination to carry out the orders.

After hearing everyone's statements, Chen Ming immediately spoke:

"We must stop the Japanese devils. Their house is about to be robbed, and they'll be even more anxious than we are."

"When the Japanese get desperate, they'll reveal a weakness, and that will be our opportunity."

"However, while we must fight back, we can't turn down the meat that's offered to us."

"After we wiped out the Japanese troops in Luyang, Luyang was left vulnerable. It was like a piece of fat meat being delivered to our mouths for free."

"While blocking the two regiments and one infantry battalion of the Japanese troops, I decided to send out a force to launch a night raid and capture Luyang before dawn."

After Chen Ming finished speaking, he immediately issued the order.

"I hereby order the Independent Detachment to reinforce the First Battalion and one battalion of the Second Battalion, and immediately move to the Ping'an County area."

"The 386th Brigade's Independent Regiment, the 4th Regiment of the 1st Independent Brigade, and a battalion of the 2nd Battalion of the Independent Detachment, plus an artillery company, rushed to Luyang overnight and captured this transit city."

"Yes, we guarantee to complete the mission!" the crowd shouted immediately upon hearing the order.

After the meeting, the troops began to move.

The soldiers of the Independent Detachment were known as the Iron Brooms, not only for their ability to sweep away the Japanese like autumn leaves, but also for their skill in cleaning up the battlefield.

Not long after the battle ended, all the spoils were quickly cleaned up and cleared away.

Upon receiving the mission, they immediately prioritized replenishing their weapons and ammunition from the captured supplies and set off for Ping'an County.

As for the remaining supplies, they were handed over to the local armed forces and the local people to help with their relocation.

After receiving their mission, the Independent Regiment and the Fourth Regiment understood Chen Ming's intentions.

Fighting against two regiments and a battalion of Japanese soldiers, with little advantage in terrain, was indeed a tough battle.

Chen Ming made the decision to divide his forces, sending his two regiments, along with the Independent Detachment and a main force battalion and an artillery company from the Second Battalion, to capture the sparsely defended Luyang overnight.

This is to take care of them.

With merits, supplies from Luyang, and reinforcements from the main force of the independent detachment, this mission was incredibly lucrative.

"Commander Chen is such a kind man! If anyone speaks ill of him in the future, I, Li Yunlong, will be the first to curse them to death!" Li Yunlong exclaimed happily.

Look at Chen Ming's way of doing things, how kind he is!

That was a county town that was originally garrisoned by an infantry battalion. How could it be lacking in supplies?
The Japanese troops sent from Luyang to reinforce the area were wiped out by the Independent Detachment at Shuangqu Town.

Luyang was a piece of fat meat laid out in front of the Eighth Route Army.

If they take Luyang, their Independent Regiment and Fourth Regiment will be able to feast to their hearts' content.

Not only can we make up for all the losses from the previous counter-sweep, but we'll also have a surplus!

Upon receiving the mission, Li Yunlong immediately met with Commander Zhang of the Fourth Regiment.

This time, Commander Zhang looked much better, and he didn't say anything sarcastic to Li Yunlong.

There are only two things that can make Commander Zhang happy: fighting the Japanese and capturing weapons, ammunition and supplies.

Now that he has both, he has no mind to dwell on the past.

When people are happy, they might even kiss a stray dog ​​walking by on the street.

After a brief discussion about the mission, Li Yunlong and Regiment Commander Zhang parted ways and returned to their respective units.

"Brothers, hurry up and follow me straight to Luyang, let's go eat meat."

After returning to the Independent Regiment, Li Yunlong loudly announced the mission to the soldiers.

"Yes."

The soldiers of the Independent Regiment were in high spirits.

Having just won a battle, and with the upcoming attack on the county town, meaning they'd be able to eat meat, they wished they could grow wings and fly straight to Luyang to wipe out the Japanese and take their Independent Regiment's weapons, ammunition, and supplies.

"Great! After we take Luyang, our Independent Regiment will have made up for all our losses," Zhang Dabiao said happily.

"Zhang Dabiao, where's your hat?" Li Yunlong asked, noticing Zhang Dabiao's bald head.

"I can't find it. I lost it during the war. When I went back to look for it, I don't know which little brat picked it up for me." Zhang Dabiao chuckled.

Li Yunlong sighed and rubbed his forehead. Zhang Dabiao was good in every way, except that he liked to throw his hat during battles.

But now is not the time to worry about these things. Soon, Li Yunlong will become a local tycoon; it's just a title.

After boosting morale, the Independent Regiment, the Fourth Regiment, and the Independent Detachment set off.

As for the wounded, the field hospital of the independent detachment was responsible for their treatment and transfer.

It was seven o'clock in the morning, just as dawn was breaking.

After a night of marching, the Independent Regiment, the Fourth Regiment, and part of the Independent Detachment finally arrived outside Luyang County.

With the addition of two regiments and part of the independent detachment, the total strength reached 2,500.

The two reinforced battalions of the Independent Detachment were both large battalions with more than 700 soldiers each, plus the 700 soldiers of the Independent Regiment and the 800 soldiers of the Fourth Regiment.

There was also an artillery company from the independent detachment. With so many troops, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they could easily take down a poorly defended county town.

Outside the county town.

"Commander, the soldiers have been marching all night. Should we have breakfast before we start fighting?"

A company commander from the Independent Regiment asked Li Yunlong a question.

Although Li Yunlong has been temporarily suspended from his post, he remains a figure of deep respect and admiration for all the soldiers and officers of the Independent Regiment.

The Independent Regiment only had one commander, Li Yunlong. "Why eat breakfast? Let's hurry up and take Luyang before we eat breakfast," Li Yunlong said.

The Japanese troops currently stationed in Luyang consist of only one company.

With so many troops and an artillery company, it won't take them long to take it down.

Before it gets completely light, the best course of action is to launch a direct attack and take the county town.

"Yes."

At 7:20 a.m., the sun had already risen.

The artillery of the independent detachment set up their cannons overnight.

After a short rest and adjustment, the artillery opened fire!

"Bang bang bang!"

"Bang bang bang!"

The sound of exploding shells disturbed the peaceful county town.

Upon hearing the sound of gunfire, the small vendors who were out early in the day in the county town immediately realized that war had broken out, and they quickly packed up and went home to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

The Japanese soldiers and puppet troops in the county town began to move quickly.

"Da da di—da da di—du ——————!"

"Come on!"

"Brothers, let's liberate the county town and have breakfast!"

The bugle call to charge was exceptionally loud!
After the shelling ended, the soldiers from the three units immediately launched a simultaneous attack from three directions.

The Japanese troops were depleted and unable to defend all directions simultaneously.

The puppet troops were also no match for the enemy; they were terrified after being bombarded by artillery.

The puppet troops responsible for guarding the city wall also ran back and reported to the puppet regiment commander that there were several thousand Eighth Route Army soldiers attacking the city.

If the Eighth Route Army can afford so many artillery pieces, then which of them isn't a highly capable and elite force?
Moreover, the presence of so many Eighth Route Army troops in Luyang indicates that all the Japanese troops who had left Luyang had been either wiped out or held back.

Otherwise, the Eighth Route Army wouldn't have dared to attack Luyang, because if the Japanese troops who went out of Luyang weren't wiped out, the Eighth Route Army attacking the county town would likely have been severely damaged when they returned to reinforce and counter-encircle it.

Therefore, the Eighth Route Army outside the city is definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Therefore, under the orders of their commander, the puppet troops held their ground in the camp and ignored all orders from the Japanese.

The Japanese sent messengers over several times, but they were all subdued by the puppet troops.

The Japanese company commander responsible for defending the city was helpless in this situation.

Normally, one company of theirs could easily take on an entire regiment of puppet troops.

If the puppet troops disobeyed orders, they were wiped out on the spot.

But now the Eighth Route Army is attacking the city. If they start fighting the puppet troops inside the city, Luyang will be lost.

Not only would they fail to eliminate these disobedient puppet troops, but the Japanese themselves would also lose the county town. They would be bogged down by the puppet troops and then completely annihilated by the Eighth Route Army that arrived.

The puppet troops also used this opportunity to curry favor with the Eighth Route Army and save their lives.

Therefore, the Japanese could only reinforce the city's defenses first, hoping to hold the county seat, while simultaneously requesting reinforcements from Taiyuan and ordering the Japanese and puppet troops in the surrounding strongholds to abandon their positions and prioritize reinforcements for the county seat.

However, all of the Japanese devils' delusions in Luyang could not be realized.

With such a small force, the Japanese soldiers could not withstand the onslaught of the highly motivated and numerous Eighth Route Army soldiers for long.

The county town was quickly captured, and a large number of soldiers poured into the town to begin clearing out the remaining Japanese soldiers.

As for the Japanese troops stationed in the strongholds around Luyang, they suffered heavy losses after leaving their strongholds and were ambushed by soldiers from independent detachments of varying sizes.

Under Chen Ming's orders, the main attacking force in this siege was the Independent Regiment and the Fourth Regiment.

The 2nd Battalion was reinforced with a former main force battalion and an artillery company to provide support.

Since the credit was already being divided, Chen Ming didn't mind dividing it more thoroughly, letting the Independent Regiment and the Fourth Regiment be the main actors in liberating the county town.

One is a unit under the brigade commander, and the other is a unit from the neighboring 120th Division. This time, in cooperation with the independent detachment, we should let the other side get some credit and benefits.

The Japanese troops in the Taiyuan direction were furious after receiving the telegram requesting assistance.

"Damn it! How could Luyang be attacked by such a large force of the Eighth Route Army? What were those troops in Luyang doing?!"

Yansong was urgently awakened and, upon learning of the situation in Luyang, was furious.

"Sir, we lost contact with the troops in the Luyang direction after our last communication at 8 p.m. last night," the Japanese officer said, bowing his head.

Last night at 8 p.m., the Japanese reinforcements from Luyang sent their last telegram to Taiyuan.

The report stated that they encountered a small-scale raid by the Eighth Route Army at night, but there was nothing unusual about it.

But a few hours later, the Japanese troops on that route did not send another telegram.

The Japanese soldiers in Taiyuan thought that the Japanese troops from that route were delayed due to the chaos on the battlefield.

So they asked again a few hours later, but still received no news.

Not long after, they received a distress telegram from Luyang.

"Baka! Why didn't you report it immediately after the communication was interrupted?!"

After hearing the Japanese officer's reply, Iwasatsu flew into a rage.

"Hai!"

The Japanese officer lowered his head, knowing he had made a mistake.

He never expected that the Japanese troops, who had two battalions of soldiers, would encounter any unexpected events.

With the strength of two battalions, even if they were attacked by the Eighth Route Army at night, they would definitely be able to send the message back.

The message didn't come back, so there must have been an unexpected event that prevented communication. They couldn't have all been wiped out by the Eighth Route Army, leaving no time to even send a telegram, could they?

Little did the Japanese officers know that Chen Ming of the Independent Detachment had a special skill: he destroyed the Japanese communication system the moment the shelling began.

The purpose was to confuse the Japanese and prevent them from understanding the situation on the front lines.

"Immediately send reconnaissance planes to investigate, and at the same time, immediately dispatch troops to reinforce Luyang."

Iwamatsu ordered.

"Hai!"

The Japanese immediately dispatched reconnaissance planes to locate the two battalions that were reinforcing Ping'an, while also observing the situation in Luyang.

Luyang County.

After two hours of all-out attack by the soldiers, Luyang was successfully captured.

When the puppet troops saw the Eighth Route Army invading their encampment in the county town, they immediately surrendered obediently.

After the troops stormed the city, the puppet army commander made a decisive move, leading his puppet troops to occupy the Japanese warehouse and wait for the Eighth Route Army to take it over.

Because the puppet army commander knew that the county town was definitely not going to be defended, and he knew very well what his men were like.

If they were forced to defend the city, facing several thousand Eighth Route Army soldiers, half of the road from the camp to the city wall might be lost.

The puppet troops cannot defend the city, and the Japanese forces are too weak; the county town is bound to fall.

Since they couldn't hold out, the puppet army commander naturally had to find a way to save his life.

If he surrenders directly, his ordinary soldiers will not be in danger and may even receive silver dollars as travel expenses to go home.

But as the commander of the fake legion, he was the ringleader and certainly wouldn't be let off so easily.

To save their lives, surrendering alone wouldn't be enough; the puppet army commander had to perform meritorious service.

He wouldn't dare to fight the Japanese, but he certainly had the guts to attack a warehouse guarded by only a small number of weak Japanese soldiers.

So, while the Japanese were all defending against the Eighth Route Army's attack, the puppet army commander led his troops to capture several important warehouses.

As soon as the Eighth Route Army entered the city, they immediately threw down their guns and surrendered with their hands raised.

"Hmph, keep an eye on him for now." Li Yunlong looked at the obsequious fake regimental commander with a cold expression.

He despises cowards and spineless people the most.

In the past, Li Yunlong would have shot this kind of person on the spot.

However, due to current policies, it is indeed not appropriate to deal with people like the puppet army commander who surrendered voluntarily and even made contributions in such a simple way.

Instead of helping the Japanese defend the city, the enemy occupied an important warehouse in the city during their attack, preventing the Japanese from destroying the supplies in a desperate move.

After they take Luyang, they can take over all the supplies in the county town.

According to policy, such cases should be handled leniently, so Li Yunlong simply ordered the other party to be placed under guard for now and dealt with later.

After dealing with the puppet troops, Li Yunlong approached the Japanese warehouse.

When Li Yunlong saw the mountains of supplies piled up in the warehouse, his face beamed with a smile like a chrysanthemum.

"Hahaha, I, Old Li, have struck it rich today!"

The other soldiers and officers, seeing so many supplies, also smiled broadly, their demeanor not much better than Li Yunlong's.

P.S.: I overslept, so I only have 5,000 words today.
(End of this chapter)