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

Chapter 153 Ding Wei's Good Days
In warfare, the best strategy is to win hearts and minds.

Sometimes, psychological warfare can achieve better results.

Thanks to the efforts of the comrades in charge of propaganda, the puppet troops' belief in following the Japanese to the bitter end gradually collapsed.

The defeat in the Third Battle of Changsha signaled that the Japanese were bogged down in a quagmire on the domestic battlefield.

The Japanese were simultaneously at war with an industrial powerhouse across the ocean, and the puppet troops were well aware of the large number of elite troops they were transferring from the mainland to the Pacific theater.

Chen Ming intentionally spread the message that after the Japanese withdrew their elite troops, in order to maintain the balance of the mainland battlefield, they would send puppet troops to their deaths.

The fact that a large number of Japanese troops withdrew while the puppet troops remained in their strongholds and were ordered to hold their ground and await reinforcements is the best evidence of this.

At the same time, in addition to our army's policy, for ordinary soldiers, as long as they have not done anything immoral, their past acts of defecting to the Japanese will not be held accountable.

Surrender is not shameful; as long as one actively accepts reform, one can still become a hero of the War of Resistance.

If you want to continue joining the army to fight the Japanese and become a hero, the Eighth Route Army welcomes you. They can even write to your family, saying that you are now a hero who has joined the army to fight the Japanese and are a real man.

Those who didn't want to continue fighting and wanted to go home were also given travel expenses by the Eighth Route Army, and they were allowed to go home.

No matter what you choose, it's better than continuing to follow the Japanese, being despised by everyone for the rest of your life, having your parents and relatives gossip about you, and not even being worthy of being included in the family genealogy after you die.

Chen Ming's policy toward prisoners of war and puppet troops, which he had been implementing for the past two and a half years, has yielded remarkable results.

Although some of the puppet troops, after leaving with travel expenses, would continue to surrender to the Japanese, there were even instances of them being repeatedly captured, released, and swindled out of money.

Many grassroots soldiers and political officers did not understand or felt indignant about these stubborn puppet troops, believing that they should be shot directly.

But Chen Ming didn't care at all. Because of their different perspectives, they naturally had different viewpoints.

The troops paid for the travel expenses of these repeatedly captured and released puppet soldiers, which seemed like a loss.

However, from a macro perspective, after these puppet soldiers successfully swindled travel expenses several times and returned to their puppet army, some of them would feel smug and couldn't help but show off to those around them.

In this process, the Eighth Route Army's policies spread unnoticed.

This is a classic example of achieving great things with little money.

Through the propaganda of these puppet troops, they will know that if they cannot win a battle against the Eighth Route Army, they must surrender decisively.

This way, not only could I save my life, but I could also get a few dollars for travel expenses. Such treatment was better than risking my life for the Japanese.

How much money do the Japanese soldiers get paid a month? Is it worth risking your life?

With a large number of puppet troops defecting, the Japanese army's control over areas outside cities plummeted, leaving them almost entirely reliant on cities and transportation lines for defense.

With the main force of the Independent Detachment tying down the Japanese troops' attention, local armed forces and guerrillas made significant progress.

In the previous large-scale mopping-up operations by the Japanese, guerrillas and local armed forces suffered heavy losses, and many unit numbers were wiped out.

However, after this period of time, these local troops and guerrillas regained their strength by seizing weapons and supplies from the puppet army.

Some guerrilla and local armed forces that were quick to build up their ranks and had clever commanders saw their numbers multiply several times in just half a month.

The speed at which this team was built was comparable to the speed at which Chen Ming started developing his team from a small district squad.

After the area around the city was mostly cleared, Chen Ming arrived at the front-line command post.

Chen Ming's arrival means that the Independent Detachment is about to make another big move.

Liangzi Township, Ying County.

Upon learning of the leader's arrival, Ding Wei came to greet him early in the morning.

Looking at Ding Wei's noticeably fatter face, Chen Ming said with a smile:

"It seems you, Commander Ding, have been doing well lately. Look at all this stuff; it's even more lavish than my headquarters."

Ding Wei was not one to mistreat himself; the command post served him canned beef and fine Fenjiu liquor, making his life incredibly comfortable.

He looked several pounds heavier than when Chen Ming last saw him.

Hearing Chen Ming's teasing, Ding Wei replied with a smile:

"The Japanese themselves delivered the supplies to us. They practically brought the food to our doorstep, so why wouldn't we eat it?"

"Haha, I knew you, Ding Wei, wouldn't suffer a loss. Releasing you is like Sun Wukong entering the Heavenly Palace, turning the Japanese defense zone upside down."

"Give me a report on the current situation of the troops," Chen Ming said.

Chen Ming knew that, apart from Kong Jie, who was an honest man, the rest of his men were all cunning and shrewd.

When asked to report their organizational affiliation, everyone kept it a secret, especially Ding Wei and He Jianxin.

If Chen Ming hadn't come in person, he wouldn't have been surprised if an artillery battalion had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Upon hearing Chen Ming's question, Ding Wei began to report.

"Reporting to the commander, during the period when the First Independent Battalion was operating in Ying County, it destroyed 78 Japanese strongholds and pillboxes, and eliminated more than 600 Japanese soldiers and more than 300 puppet troops."

"More than 1,200 rifles, 48 ​​light and heavy machine guns, 4 mortars, 36 grenade launchers, more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition, and a number of hand grenades were seized."

"The troops have gained 870 new soldiers, and have also seized more than 17,000 silver dollars, 11 catties of gold, 1,700 cartons of cigarettes, and more than 1,300 catties of liquor."

Ding Wei said with a smile, looking radiant.

The soldiers Chen Ming added to the First Independent Brigade were all top-notch soldiers.

As soon as the battle began, the difference between those soldiers and the original soldiers of the First Independent Battalion became immediately apparent.

Chen Ming is an expert in training troops; no wonder the Independent Detachment was able to develop so well and achieve so many impressive results in the past.

You won't know the difference without comparison!

Ding Wei believes that while he may not be the best at leading his team, he is at least above average.

Compared to Chen Ming, it's like comparing heaven and earth.

Moreover, the artillery battalion that Chen Ming supplied to the Independent First Battalion was also very powerful.

When Ding Wei led the First Independent Battalion, even with the old resources left by Li Yunlong, they were considered well-off if they could produce a few mortars during battles.

However, Chen Ming supplied the Independent First Battalion with the firepower of an entire artillery battalion in one go, allowing Ding Wei to fully enjoy the firepower advantage.

It was with these soldiers and weapons that the First Independent Battalion directly defeated a Japanese battalion supporting a stronghold in the Ying County area, while suffering relatively few casualties.

Chen Ming listened to Ding Wei's report, his eyes narrowed as he smiled at Ding Wei.

"So, the three Type 92 infantry guns in the warehouse of the Independent First Battalion weren't captured by your Independent First Battalion, right? Then I'll take these wild infantry guns with me."

"Hey, wait a minute, I haven't finished yet. Also, the First Independent Battalion captured three Type 92 infantry guns in a battle with a battalion of the Second Independent Mixed Brigade of the Japanese."

Ding Wei, sweat beading on his forehead, quickly replied.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ming's intelligence network was so advanced that he had spotted the three infantry guns they had hidden in the warehouse. Since Chen Ming already knew, Ding Wei had no choice but to report the truth.

Otherwise, the Independent 1st Battalion would definitely not have been able to protect those three infantry guns.

"I thought these cannons were wild. You guys, when I ask you to report your troop strength, you all act like you're hiding your offspring. Do I need your equipment?"

"We're asking you to report your organizational structure truthfully so we can understand the unit's combat capabilities and make better arrangements," Chen Ming said with a smile.

"Yes," Ding Weili said, standing at attention.

"Alright, the First Independent Battalion has now added more than 800 soldiers. Let's go check on their combat effectiveness."

"I, Chen Ming, have high standards and high requirements. The Independent Detachment does not accept cowards. Not just anyone can be my soldier."

Ding Wei chuckled: "Then you can rest assured. These soldiers have all been tested on the battlefield. Some of them are puppet troops who killed Japanese soldiers and surrendered, while others are soldiers selected from local armed forces and militia. Their combat effectiveness is not a problem."

"As long as you give the order, all the soldiers of the First Independent Battalion will carry it out without hesitation, even if the enemy is a Japanese Class A division, the soldiers will not even flinch."

"If anyone dares to hold us back, I'll fire them without you even having to tell me."

Chen Ming smiled and patted Ding Wei on the shoulder, then said:
"Talk is cheap. You can only know if you're a mule or a horse by taking it out for a spin. I'm giving you a mission: take out more than 800 Japanese soldiers in Hunyuan. Only after you've taken Hunyuan will I believe what you, Commander Ding, are saying."

With over 5,000 soldiers, the First Independent Battalion was more than capable of taking down a county town garrisoned by over 800 Japanese soldiers.

If Ding Wei can't even handle this, he shouldn't be the captain of the First Independent Brigade. He should just get out of here so Chen Ming can find someone more capable to take his place.

Upon hearing that there was a combat mission, Ding Wei stood at attention, saluted, and said loudly and forcefully:

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

Ding Wei was overjoyed; he had finally received the mission to liberate the county town.

The other two reinforced main brigades of the Independent Detachment had both contributed to the liberation of the county town, while Ding Wei's First Independent Brigade had not been incorporated into the Independent Detachment for long.

So far, they haven't achieved any significant results.

Ding Wei wasn't comfortable sitting in that position as the captain of the reinforced brigade!
If he doesn't produce some results, the other officers in the independent detachment will think that Ding Wei is an outsider who is more likely to succeed.

Although Ding Wei has sufficient qualifications and ability, his performance record is also very important.

Don't expect others to respect you if you haven't achieved impressive results.

The reason why Chen Ming was able to win the support of all the soldiers in the Independent Detachment was because he won battle after battle, starting from the district squad.

From a small district squad of a dozen men to a major threat to the Japanese, who wouldn't give a thumbs up and praise him as a hero and a famous general?

Upon receiving the order, Ding Wei immediately commanded his troops to move towards Hunyuan County and launch an attack.

Hunyuan County has a unique topography. Although it is located on a plain, it is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only a large plain to the southwest.

The entire Hunyuan County is a protruding part of the Datong Basin, extending deep into the mountains.

In attacking Hunyuan, the Japanese could utilize the terrain of the plains to support their mechanized forces, but it would be quite difficult to use the terrain to launch a blocking attack.

But Chen Ming still chose to attack Hunyuan.

Now that the Japanese have transferred their elite troops to the Pacific theater, coupled with their defeat in the Third Battle of Changsha, the Japanese are at a weak point.

The Independent Detachment had been operating between several Japanese county towns for so long; in the past, the Japanese would have already mobilized a large force to encircle and annihilate these troops.

But now, instead of deploying troops to encircle and suppress them, the Japanese have instead withdrawn their forces into the city, which is proof of their weak and ineffective defenses.

Attacking Hunyuan, a city on the plains, could make the Japanese think that the Eighth Route Army had changed its previous guerrilla tactics from relying on mountainous areas and was now fighting them in the plains.

If it's difficult to deal with the Eighth Route Army in the mountains, would we still be afraid of them in the plains?

Chen Ming wanted to embolden the Japanese, lure them into sending troops, besiege their strongholds, and eliminate the remaining forces of the troops stationed in Mongolia, thus clearing obstacles for the strategic layout in northern Shanxi, Suiyuan, Mongolia, and even the Xing'an Mountains.

Two days later, the First Independent Brigade reached the vicinity of Hunyuan County.

Compared to other Japanese cities on the plains, Hunyuan County's defenses were relatively weak.

This weakness only applies to the reinforced battalion of the independent detachment; for other battalions, attacking county towns is still a pipe dream.

Let's say we send Li Yunlong. Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment now has more than 4,000 men, only 1,000 fewer than the First Independent Battalion.

If Li Yunlong were to attack Hunyuan, the Independent Regiment would be unable to take it even if they fought tooth and nail.

However, for any one of the three main battalions of the Independent Detachment, taking on a county town defended by fewer than a thousand Japanese soldiers was not a big deal.

With its firepower and troop quality, it was comparable to the Japanese regiments, except for the lack of heavy artillery.

After moving to Hunyuan County, the First Independent Brigade only rested briefly before launching an attack on the county.

The artillery advanced, and the infantry pushed forward to capture the front lines of the county town. Once they were within range of the flying thunder cannons, they launched explosive charges directly at the Japanese soldiers' heads.

Although its range is not as long as that of ordinary artillery that relies on blasting to fire shells, it makes up for its lack of range with its power.

A bomb weighing over ten kilograms is a deadly weapon on the battlefield, capable of detonating a large area.

Such immense power had a great psychological impact on the Japanese and puppet troops.

Imagine you're on defense, your comrades are shooting right next to you, and suddenly a burning explosive charge lands beside you.

You reacted quickly and darted out, hiding behind thick cover, waiting for the explosive charge to detonate before coming out again.

My comrades are gone; all that remains is a section of the collapsed city wall and bits of flesh at my feet that are indistinguishable from human remains.

This situation causes immense psychological trauma to the soldiers.

The Japanese and puppet troops, who had never experienced such a scene before, were so frightened that their legs went weak and they couldn't move.

A large number of puppet troops were too frightened to climb the city wall, even after the Japanese forced them up with machine guns and even killed many of them on the spot.

They would rather be shot than be blown to pieces by the Eighth Route Army's explosives, and then have to put their bodies back together in jars.

When Hunyuan County was attacked by the Independent First Battalion, the Japanese troops in Datong received the news, but they did not send reinforcements to Hunyuan County.

The Independent Detachment had been very active before, and the Japanese knew that there were at least tens of thousands of elite troops of the Independent Detachment operating in the vicinity of Ying County, Hunyuan County, and Shuo County.

However, when the First Independent Battalion attacked Hunyuan, only more than 5,000 soldiers of the First Independent Battalion appeared. The other units of the Independent Detachment mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

Before finding the main force of this "vanished" independent detachment, the Japanese troops in Datong and Shuoxian would not easily take action.

"Let the garrison at Hunyuan continue to hold their ground; reinforcements will arrive soon."

The commander of the Japanese Independent Mixed Brigade No. 2 gave the garrison of Hunyuan County only this one order.

P.S.: Defense over, thesis completely settled, updates will resume tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)