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

Chapter 174 Half an hour after half an hour! Why aren't the reinforcements here yet?!

Within the mining area.

The soldiers of the Independent Detachment have stormed into the mining area and begun clearing out the Japanese soldiers and puppet troops inside.

The Japanese troops relied on the defensive facilities in the mining area to resist step by step, delaying the Independent Detachment's advance and hoping to wait for reinforcements from Datong.

There is no room for shortcuts in this situation.

The soldiers of the Independent Detachment could only take down the Japanese defenses one point at a time.

"Hurry up, use the grenade launcher to take out the Japanese machine gunner in front."

"Go, use the Flying Thunder Cannon to blow up the Japanese pillbox in front!"

"Medical team, quickly move the wounded!"

"I've been shot! Don't worry about me, keep charging!"

"."

The complex terrain caused heavy casualties among the attacking soldiers, but the front line was steadily advancing.

The Japanese defensive fortifications were dismantled one by one, and their space for maneuver was gradually compressed.

The company's medical team provided first aid to the wounded soldiers on the front lines and carried out initial evacuation.

The stretcher team took turns transporting the wounded from the front line to a safe place in the rear.

Because the Japanese plane had previously exchanged a large amount of supplies with the Allied forces, and the captured high-ranking Japanese pilots had also exchanged some medical supplies with the Military Intelligence Bureau.

These wounded soldiers, unless they died directly on the battlefield, had a high chance of survival after being rescued and sent to the rear, where they were treated by the increasingly large independent detachment medical teams.

The talent training program established by Chen Ming is held in three-month sessions to train various special forces and technical personnel.

Each year, hundreds of medics with combat experience are sent out.

These medics may not be the most skilled, but they are unparalleled in their ability to save the lives of wounded soldiers on the battlefield.

As military doctors, their job is simply to save lives; they don't need to worry about the subsequent side effects.

Battlefield first aid is the most important thing to do to save lives. If you lose your life, then no amount of side effects matters.

"Hold on! Hold on!" the Japanese lieutenant colonel shouted hoarsely.

He watched as the independent detachment gradually eroded the front line, advancing towards his position.

The Japanese lieutenant colonel was already at the innermost part of the mining area. If the Eighth Route Army could even reach this place, it would mean that they had completely lost.

"Where are the puppet troops? Give me support! Don't retreat!" the Japanese lieutenant colonel shouted.

As soon as the battle began, the puppet troops were frightened by the offensive of the Independent Detachment.

With so many artillery pieces, they would believe you if you said this was the Central Army's Training Corps!
Even if they were cats with nine lives, they wouldn't dare fight a force like that!
"Sir, the puppet troops have retreated behind us."

The Japanese officer's face was stained black with coal, making his expression unreadable.

Even if he hadn't been blackened by coal, his complexion wouldn't have been very good.

They fought to the death in front, while the puppet troops who shouted "loyalty!" every day retreated to the rear, using them as shields.

Who wouldn't be furious seeing this?!

"Immediately organize a supervisory team and have these puppet troops hold their ground. Anyone who disobeys orders will be executed on the spot!" the Japanese lieutenant colonel ordered.

"Hai!"

The Japanese began to form supervisory teams, sending puppet troops to the front lines to hold off the offensive of the independent detachment.

Faced with the Japanese orders, the puppet troops could only dawdle and slowly begin to reinforce.

It wasn't that they wanted to go; they simply had no choice, as the key fortifications in the mining area were all in the hands of the Japanese.

If they don't go, the Japanese soldiers in those fortifications will point their guns at them.

These machine gun and artillery fortifications, normally used to suppress miners and prevent riots, could be used against the puppet troops in the mining area.

Even a few dozen Japanese soldiers could wipe out three regiments of puppet troops.

After all, without defensive fortifications, the number of people becomes just a number in the face of machine gun fire.

"Brother, are we really going to fight the Eighth Route Army? Their firepower is too strong; the Locust Army is being driven back in defeat."

"Even the Locust Army's tanks have been destroyed. If we go up there, we'll just be throwing our lives away!"

A puppet soldier asked a puppet soldier officer.

"We'll see. If the locust army reinforcements from the Datong direction arrive in time, we'll put in our best effort. Otherwise, if the locust army comes after us, we'll all be finished."

"However, if the Locust Army's reinforcements are not timely, we should surrender. I have heard that the Eighth Route Army treats prisoners of war well. As long as we surrender, our lives will not be a problem."

"That's what the puppet army officer said."

His plan was simple: if things went wrong, he would surrender, hoping to use the Eighth Route Army's policies to save his life.

If there is still a chance to salvage the situation, then continue fighting and wait for Japanese reinforcements from the Datong direction.

It's already 2:30, more than two hours since the battle started.

Datong is only about ten kilometers away from the mining area, and under normal circumstances, reinforcements should be arriving soon.

Therefore, with this mentality in mind, the puppet troops began to enter the fortifications to block the attack of the independent detachment.

But as soon as they clashed with the soldiers of the Independent Detachment, the puppet troops regretted their actions.

Something's not right. How come the Eighth Route Army is so fierce? One of their companies, which had just entered the fortifications, was wiped out before the water even made a ripple.

"Brother, we can't hold on any longer! The Eighth Route Army's firepower is too intense; the Locust Army's fortifications simply can't withstand it!"

"The Eighth Route Army also had a strange type of cannon. One shot could collapse any fortification. One of our platoons was buried alive by a single shot from the Eighth Route Army!"

A puppet army battalion commander, looking disheveled, ran back and shouted at the puppet army regimental commander.

"What? My entire company is gone so quickly, in just ten minutes!" the fake corps commander exclaimed in shock.

They weren't unfamiliar with fighting the Eighth Route Army, but this was the first time they'd wiped out an entire company so quickly.

Keep in mind that they were on the defensive, and with fortifications in place, their casualties were still so high!

“It wasn’t just one company. Our regiment alone lost a company of brothers. The Wang Mazi regiment next door was in even worse shape. They lost a battalion, and now they probably only have twenty or thirty men left.”

"That's what the puppet army battalion commander said."

The puppet regiment commander was horrified. Wang Mazi's regiment had lost a battalion, he had lost a company, and there had been losses on another regiment.

In other words, in just over ten minutes, more than 500 of their 3,000 puppet troops were killed by the Eighth Route Army!

"No, no, we can't fight like this! If we keep fighting, all the brothers will be wiped out!"

The puppet army commander panicked. At this point, he didn't care whether the Locust Army would blame him after the battle or when the reinforcements would arrive.

Save your life first!

If the fighting continues like this, his troops will be wiped out!
Without his soldiers, he's nothing, and might just end up dead in the street one day.

So the puppet army commander immediately ran back to report to the Japanese lieutenant colonel.

"Sir, the Eighth Route Army's firepower is too intense. The brothers can't hold on. How long until the reinforcements arrive?"

The Japanese lieutenant colonel looked at the puppet regiment commander who was terrified of the Eighth Route Army and his anger rose. He cursed the other party as a piece of trash.

They had over a thousand men, and they held off the main force of the Independent Detachment's attack for two and a half hours, yet only a little over five hundred of them were killed.

These puppet troops numbered over three thousand, yet they said they couldn't hold out for even half an hour!

However, the most important thing right now is to keep the enemy calm. He still needs to rely on the puppet army for defense and buy time until reinforcements arrive from the Mongolian military headquarters.

"The headquarters replied that the reinforcements would arrive in half an hour at most. Then we could launch a counterattack and attack from both sides with the reinforcements to wipe out these audacious Eighth Route Army soldiers."

The Japanese Lieutenant Colonel said.

The half hour he mentioned was obviously a lie.

Because the Japanese troops in Datong were scattered, it was impossible for them to regroup in a short period of time.

Especially now that it's nighttime, the assembly speed will be even slower.

The Japanese dared not provide support in batches; that would be a piecemeal tactic, a major taboo in military strategy.

Therefore, we can only set off after the troops have been fully assembled. Otherwise, if we fall into the trap of the Eighth Route Army's encirclement and reinforcements, Datong will be in danger!

In his telegram to the Japanese lieutenant colonel, Noon Saburo stated that reinforcements would not arrive until 8 a.m. at the earliest, and instructed them to hold out until then.

Upon hearing that reinforcements would arrive in half an hour, the puppet army commander considered the situation for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said:
"Understood. We will immediately resume the battle and hold out until the Japanese reinforcements arrive."

"Yoshi, your loyalty is absolutely top-notch! As long as you hold the mine until reinforcements arrive, the reward will be huge!" the Japanese lieutenant colonel encouraged.

"Serving the Empire is my bounden duty!"

The puppet army commander gave a grotesque salute, looking as if he were willing to risk his life for the Japanese.

Upon returning to their position, the puppet regiment commander immediately rallied his men.

"The Japanese commander said that the reinforcements would arrive in half an hour at most. As long as we hold the position, the Eighth Route Army will retreat when the Japanese reinforcements arrive."

"If we hold the position, the commander will reward us handsomely; if we lose the position, we will all be executed!"

The fake regimental commander shouted loudly.

Hearing that reinforcements would arrive in half an hour at most, the puppet troops felt more confident.

After all, they were puppet troops from the mining area, unlike puppet troops in other places who had fought against the Eighth Route Army for a long time and whose awareness had not yet matured. The Japanese had long held sway, and they were not psychologically prepared for the idea of ​​betraying the Japanese and surrendering directly.

So the puppet troops continued to hold their ground, already counting down the days.

"It's no use, Commander! The brothers really can't hold on any longer. How long has it been?" A puppet army battalion commander ran over, his face covered in blood.

"It's been ten minutes."

"How could that be? I feel like half an hour has passed."

The puppet army battalion commander spoke up.

During the time spent fighting the Independent Detachment soldiers on the front lines, the puppet troops suffered heavy casualties and died in battle, and each day felt like an eternity.

"Keep holding firm, reinforcements will arrive in twenty minutes at most," the puppet army commander said.

"No, brother, if we keep fighting, all the brothers will be wiped out! Let's retreat!" the puppet army battalion commander pleaded.

"I want to retreat too, but look at the heavy machine guns of the Locust Army behind us. If we try to retreat, they will kill us all. We can't retreat!" the puppet army commander cried out.

The only reason the puppet troops could fight so desperately was that the Japanese lieutenant colonel lied to him, saying that reinforcements were coming soon and there would be a reward for winning.

Another important reason is the supervisory team that followed.

If the puppet troops dared to retreat, the Japanese soldiers in the supervisory team would not show any mercy and would open fire with heavy machine guns.

If the puppet troops were attacked from both sides by the Independent Detachment and the Japanese, they would have no chance of survival.

Upon hearing what the puppet army commander said, the puppet battalion commander felt a pang of bitterness in his heart and could only grit his teeth and continue fighting.

Another twenty minutes passed.

When the time came and reinforcements had not arrived, the puppet army commander immediately found the Japanese lieutenant colonel to inquire about the situation.

"Almost there, almost there. The reinforcements are less than two kilometers away. The Eighth Route Army will be retreating soon," the Japanese lieutenant colonel continued to bluff.

The puppet army commander had no choice but to continue holding out.

Half an hour later, the fake army commander arrived again.

"It's almost time. The reinforcements have already engaged the Eighth Route Army. The Eighth Route Army is now facing a pincer attack and will soon be routed."

The puppet army commander continued to hold his ground.

Another half hour passed, and seeing that reinforcements had not yet arrived, the puppet army commander finally could not hold out any longer.

"Damn it, those Japanese devils think I'm an idiot. I don't think reinforcements are coming at all."

"If this keeps going, my entire regiment will be wiped out!"

The puppet army commander cursed angrily, and changed his address for the Japanese soldiers from "Taijun" to "little devils".

"How many brothers are left?"

"Brother, we only have three hundred men left. The Eighth Route Army's offensive is too fierce. If we keep fighting, we'll be wiped out!" the puppet army battalion commander lamented.

Of the more than 3,000 puppet troops, only a little over 1,000 remained after two hours of fighting.

Of these, 1,400 were killed or wounded by the Independent Detachment against the puppet troops, and more than 600 were killed by Japanese heavy machine gun fire due to cowardice.

This puppet army commander's regiment of over a thousand men has now dwindled to just one battalion.

Moreover, the independent detachment has now established a firm foothold in the mining area, and its offensive is becoming increasingly fierce. Within half an hour at most, these three hundred men will be wiped out.

"Brother, let's surrender instead. The Eighth Route Army treats prisoners of war well. If we surrender, we might survive," the puppet army battalion commander said.

"No, we can't surrender!" the puppet army commander said outright.

"We've done so many heinous things, if we surrender we'll have no chance of survival, the Eighth Route Army won't let us go."

"To surrender means certain death; we absolutely cannot surrender!"

The puppet army commander was very clear-headed; he knew that anyone could surrender, but he could not.

The number of miners who died directly or indirectly at his hands in the mining area is no less than several hundred.

With so many lives on his hands, he has to die whether he surrenders or not.

"What should we do then? If we retreat now, we will die at the hands of the Japanese like those six hundred men. If we continue to hold out, we will also die at the hands of the Eighth Route Army."

"I asked in despair," the puppet army battalion commander asked.

"Wait, let me think." With a life-or-death crisis looming, the pseudo-legion commander's mind raced.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him.

"I have a way to survive, it's very risky, but it's our only option," the fake legion commander said.

"any solution?"

Upon hearing his elder brother's words, the puppet army battalion commander's eyes lit up with hope.

“We’ll occupy the mine shaft and use the lives of the miners inside to blackmail the Eighth Route Army. I don’t believe the Eighth Route Army would be indifferent to the lives of so many miners.”

"If the Eighth Route Army doesn't agree, we'll blow up the mine and make the miners inside pay with their lives!"

The fake legion commander spoke.

“Brother, that’s tens of thousands of people! Blowing up the mine would be too heinous! I can’t do it.” The puppet army battalion commander was startled by his elder brother’s crazy idea.

The idea of ​​burying tens of thousands of lives in one fell swoop is insane.

He usually dealt with one or two foolish miners, and at most he killed five miners at once.

I never expected that my older brother would threaten me with tens of thousands of miners as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Don't dare? What time is it and you still don't dare? Haven't you done enough heinous things?"

"Our lives are the most important thing right now. As for those miners, what do we care about their lives?"

"As for committing heinous crimes, to hell with God! In this world, if you don't kill someone, someone else will kill you."

"Even if I die, it's none of anyone's business to judge me!"

The fake legion commander has gone mad.

"Quickly, gather the brothers and head to Mine No. 9 immediately. Plant the explosives and negotiate with the Eighth Route Army when they arrive," the puppet army commander ordered.

"Yes, if you don't let me live, I'll drag tens of thousands of people down with me."

Faced with the choice between the lives of others and his own, the puppet army battalion commander made a choice.

The puppet troops immediately abandoned their positions and rushed towards the mine from the flank.

Inside the mining area, it was usually the puppet troops who did the work, while the Japanese were responsible for supervision and defense.

Therefore, the puppet troops arrived at the mine in no time.

With the puppet troops no longer able to defend the area, the soldiers of the Independent Detachment broke through the Japanese fortifications and wiped out the Japanese forces in the core area.

On the battlefield, the Japanese could not allow the puppet troops to defend alone; they had to send some troops to defend alongside the puppet troops, serving to supervise and strengthen the defense.

The sharpshooters of the Independent Detachment were aiming at these Japanese soldiers.

During this period of combat, the number of Japanese soldiers had decreased from 500 to 200.

With the puppet troops completely withdrawn, these two hundred men were no longer able to organize a strong defense.

In other words, the mining area has complex terrain and numerous defensive facilities.

If this were in a plain or a mountainous area where no fortifications had been built beforehand, it would have been a force of over a thousand Japanese soldiers plus three thousand puppet troops.

Facing the main force of the independent detachment, which had superior troop strength, firepower, and fighting spirit, they would not have been able to hold out until now.

At 4:30 a.m., the Japanese soldiers in the mining area were completely wiped out.

The remaining 500-plus puppet soldiers gathered together and occupied Mine No. 9, the largest mine in the mining area with the most miners!

All the miners were forced down into the mine shaft; the number was around 2,300.

Because the Independent Detachment had a large number of members and was able to attack from all directions, many mines and miners had already been rescued by the soldiers of the Independent Detachment.

The puppet army commander's plan to occupy all the mine shafts in the mining area and threaten the Eighth Route Army with tens of thousands of miners was far from reality.

But it's enough.

"Listen up, Eighth Route Army soldiers outside! I have over two thousand miners under my command. If you continue your attack, I'll detonate explosives and collapse the mine, so they'll all be buried with me!"

"Stop the attack immediately! I demand to negotiate with your commander. If you don't let me, I'll detonate the explosives!"

The fake regimental commander shouted loudly.

"Stop! Don't fight!"

Upon hearing this, the battalion commander of the reinforced 1st Battalion, who was organizing the attack at the front, immediately halted the offensive.

He didn't know if these puppet soldiers were bluffing them, but he dared not gamble.

Because if he loses the gamble, more than two thousand of his compatriots could die because of his recklessness.

"Report the situation immediately and ask for the command headquarters' opinion."

"Yes."

When the news reached the command post, He Jianxin was furious when he heard that the puppet troops had threatened him with the lives of more than two thousand people. He slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"Damn it, these traitorous dogs are even worse than the Japanese devils!"

P.S.: Something came up today, and I only managed to write 5,000 words in two hours. Sorry, dear readers. ONR
(End of this chapter)