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

Chapter 185 The 107mm rocket is born! The May Day sweep!
Li Yunlong managed to obtain over 260 guns, nine machine guns, two mortars, and two Type 92 infantry guns from the Japanese stronghold.

There were more than 10,000 bullets, more than 400 kilograms of explosives, more than 10,000 kilograms of grain, and some tobacco and alcohol.

This amount of supplies was a great fortune for a regiment, and Li Yunlong was overjoyed when he took inventory of the weapons.

Don't be fooled by his boasting that his battalion commander captured an infantry gun and told him not to report it and to keep it for himself.

But the truth is, if Li Yunlong were to capture an infantry gun, he would immediately go and see how to use it.

Two infantry guns are also very important weapons for the Independent Regiment today.

The Japanese have not yet suffered the disastrous defeat at Midway and have not withdrawn too many elite troops, so they still have combat power.

Only after the Japanese troops were withdrawn did the development of each unit experience a leap forward, and they captured more weapons and equipment.

The comparison is the worst thing. Compared to the Independent Regiment's spoils, Ding Wei captured weapons from more than two thousand people at once, including both light and heavy weapons, which made Li Yunlong so envious that he wanted to grind his teeth to pieces.

"No, I have to call Ding Wei and get him to settle things. The meat that was right in front of me actually got to Ding Wei; he has to give me an explanation."

Upon learning that Ding Wei had captured one of Chu Yunfei's battalions, which was taken right next to the Independent Regiment's garrison.

This made Li Yunlong see the battalion as his own prize, only to have it snatched away by Ding Wei.

Just as he was about to make a call, the Independent Regiment's phone rang.

"Who is it? Can't you see I'm angry?" Li Yunlong asked unhappily.

"Li Yunlong!"

The brigade commander's voice came from the other end of the phone.

Upon hearing the voice, Li Yunlong's expression immediately changed, putting on a dramatic face-changing act.

"Oh, Brigade Commander, it's you! I thought it was someone else calling Old Li."

Li Yunlong bent over, a fawning smile on his face.

"Such a temper, who provoked you, Commander Li?" the brigade commander asked with a smile.

"No, no, brigade commander, I was just joking."

"Nothing's perfect, Li Yunlong, congratulations on your fortune!" The brigade commander changed the subject and said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong thought to himself, "This is bad. The brigade commander is congratulating me on getting rich again."

"What kind of fortune are we talking about? We're practically begging for food," Li Yunlong said with a bitter face.

"Stop talking nonsense. Do you think I don't know how much you've pocketed this time? Two Type 92 infantry guns are practically begging for money?" the brigade commander said.

"No, brigade commander, why do you only congratulate me on getting rich and not Ding Wei? This time he got equipment for more than two thousand people, including both light and heavy weapons."

Li Yunlong said, feeling wronged.

"We'll talk about Ding Wei later. Now let's talk about yours," the brigade commander said.

"Brigade Commander, please don't! You, as a brigade commander, already have an artillery regiment. Don't be so fixated on my meager resources."

"Alright, alright, brigade commander, rank matters. I'll send an infantry gun to your brigade headquarters tomorrow."

Li Yunlong was ultimately defeated.

Everyone says Li Yunlong fears neither Heavenly King nor the Emperor himself, but the brigade commander is even more formidable than Heavenly King, and he's the one who deals the most damage to Li Yunlong.

After hanging up the phone, the brigade commander smiled broadly.

He didn't really want the Type 92 infantry gun; after all, the brigade commander already had an artillery regiment, so he didn't really care about a single cannon.

He called Li Yunlong to congratulate him on his fortune in order to protect him.

Without the brigade commander constantly keeping an eye on him, Li Yunlong's style would have been suppressed long ago.

His hoarding and monopolization of resources, coupled with Li Yunlong's fighting style, could be described as bordering on warlordism.

This is absolutely not allowed.

The brigade commander congratulated Li Yunlong on his fortune, saying that things would be different once he started procuring equipment from the Independent Regiment.

See, the spoils will be handed over. Although some disciplinary mistakes may be made in war, orders cannot be rigidly followed on the battlefield. Frontline commanders and soldiers should be flexible and adapt to the battlefield situation.

In that case, Li Yunlong's problem wouldn't be such a big problem.

After resolving Li Yunlong's matter, the brigade commander called Chen Ming.

"Chen Ming, congratulations on your fortune!" the brigade commander said with a smile.

The brigade commander didn't call Ding Wei directly because it wouldn't be appropriate; calling Chen Ming was just right.

"Hehe, Brigade Commander, I've made a small fortune," Chen Ming said with a smile.

"Is there anything wrong with this batch of equipment?" the brigade commander asked.

What he wanted to ask was whether there would be any problems with Chen Ming taking this batch of equipment, and whether it would give others something to use against him and cause trouble.

"Don't worry, Brigade Commander, there's absolutely no problem," Chen Ming said, patting his chest.

Ding Wei was quick-witted and meticulous in his work. After taking over Qian Bojun's battalion headquarters, he immediately secured the evidence.

Even if things get out of hand, this batch of equipment was seized from the puppet army, and has nothing to do with the Jin-Sui Army.

On the contrary, it is Chu Yunfei who should be having a headache now.

Those more than two thousand people are still in Ding Wei's hands as prisoners of war who defected to the enemy.

Chu Yunfei should find a way to bring these prisoners back.

After all, not all of those two thousand people genuinely wanted to become traitors.

As the main force battalion of the 358th Regiment, it still has combat capability.

Without this battalion, the strength of Chu Yunfei's 358th Regiment would be greatly reduced.

After hearing Chen Ming's assurance, the brigade commander breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I trust you to handle things," the brigade commander said with a smile.

"This batch of equipment is quite good, it has both light and heavy weapons, take a look." The brigade commander changed the subject and said.

We certainly can't treat Chen Ming the same way we treated Li Yunlong.

"Don't worry, Brigade Commander. My Independent Detachment uses weapons with the same type of bullets. Can we exchange this batch of equipment for some weapons?"

“After all, Ding Wei put in so much effort. If I give it all to you, it will be difficult for me to manage, and it will dampen the enthusiasm of the comrades,” Chen Ming said.

"No problem, I happen to have a batch of Japanese weapons on hand," the brigade commander said with a smile.

Although it's an exchange, there's no rule about a one-to-one exchange.

After resolving the issue of this batch of weapons and equipment, Chen Ming called Ding Wei over and told him about the situation.

"Of course there's no problem. I was worried that the caliber of these weapons and equipment wouldn't match the troops' weapons," Ding Wei said with a smile.

The independent detachment is very strong; even the caliber of its weapons has been standardized, which greatly enhances its combat effectiveness.

Standardizing weapon calibers can greatly reduce logistical pressure and improve supply efficiency.

It can also improve the efficiency of replenishing captured equipment.

Otherwise, if the military uses weapons and equipment from all over the world, the logistics department will be cursing.

Now that the independent detachment has the necessary conditions, it is essential to use weapons of a unified caliber, and the arsenal can also continuously replenish ammunition.

After dealing with Qian Bojun and returning to the regimental headquarters, Chu Yunfei began to handle matters concerning the First Battalion, and managed to contact Ding Wei.

"Brother Ding, when are you going to release my more than two thousand soldiers? With so many troops in your hands, I can't explain it to my superiors."

Chu Yunfei didn't mention weapons or equipment. Once the meat is in someone else's mouth, how can they easily spit it out?

The most important thing now is to get the more than two thousand soldiers back first.

"Brother Chu, what about those puppet army prisoners of war who defected to the enemy? I'm afraid it's not feasible right now. I'm currently screening them, and we can't release them for the time being," Ding Wei said.

"Brother Ding, this is my subordinate. It's not right for him to be imprisoned by your Eighth Route Army like this. Even if he needs to be dealt with, I should be the one to do so," Chu Yunfei said angrily, suppressing his rage.

I thought it was one thing for Ding Wei to take the weapons, but now he's even taken the pot! This is just too much!

“Brother Chu, that’s not quite right. These prisoners are all traitors who have defected to the enemy. I still have Qian Bojun’s letter of appointment, that traitor. These prisoners are puppet troops.”

"Your brother Chu is a very important person, how could you be the commander of a group of puppet troops?"

Ding Wei didn't take the bait at all, defusing Chu Yunfei's offensive with just a few words.

Ultimately, that letter of appointment was irrefutable proof that Chu Yunfei had indeed been attacked by Qian Bojun's troops.

With witnesses and physical evidence, even if the matter goes to the commander of the Second War Zone, Ding Wei can still speak with his head held high.

Listening to Ding Wei's explanation, Chu Yunfei sighed inwardly, realizing that he was indeed in the wrong.

“Brother Ding, many of these soldiers have been misled and coerced by that bastard Qian Bojun. They don’t genuinely want to defect to the Japanese. They still want to continue fighting the Japanese.”

“I don’t want that batch of equipment anymore. Consider it a thank-you fee for helping Brother Ding out of this predicament. But I hope Brother Ding can hand over those soldiers who still want to fight the Japanese to me. I will lead them to continue fighting the Japanese.”

Chu Yunfei's tone changed as he spoke.

“Brother Chu, I understand your difficulties. I am just trying to identify those prisoners who really want to become traitors, so that they will not remain in our troops as a hidden danger.”

"Don't worry, Brother Chu, I will definitely send those soldiers who want to continue fighting the Japanese back to you in half a month at most."

Ding Wei said with a smile.

"Then I thank you, brother," Chu Yunfei said.

After hanging up the phone, Ding Wei laughed heartily.

Look at Ding Wei and Li Yunlong's level of competence.

Li Yunlong took several hundred guns from Chu Yunfei and was chased around for an unknown amount of time.

Ding Wei took the equipment of Chu Yunfei's more than two thousand people, and Chu Yunfei should thank him.

Afterwards, Ding Wei selected some of the prisoners who were willing to join the Eighth Route Army to continue fighting the Japanese, and returned the rest to Chu Yunfei.

Looking at the more than 1,500 people who had returned, Chu Yunfei could only swallow this bitter pill.

It would be good if 1,500 people could come back. If we really take it too seriously, not a single person will come back.

At the Independent Detachment headquarters, Chen Ming received good news from the arsenal.

"Reporting to the commander, our arsenal has successfully developed a rocket. Please give instructions."

"I am Jia, the head of the R&D department of the arsenal, standing tall in Chen Ming's command post," he said.

After expending a great deal of manpower and resources, their arsenal finally lived up to Chen Ming's expectations and successfully developed the weapon concept proposed by Chen Ming.

"It really worked?" Chen Ming asked in surprise.

"Reporting to the commander, it's absolutely true. It has been developed and a sample has been produced, but it hasn't been tested yet. We're waiting for the commander to come and verify the results," Engineer Jia nodded and said affirmatively.

"Come on, take me to see it," Chen Ming said excitedly.

If they can really develop rockets, their independent detachment will have domestically produced long-range, high-powered weapons.

Its value is greater than that of the four 150mm howitzers that were captured.

After all, we couldn't produce the shells for the captured Japanese artillery, so every shell we fired was one less we could have.

Once the shells are all used up, the heavy artillery becomes nothing more than a lump of iron.

But weapons produced by ourselves are different; as long as the supply of raw materials is guaranteed, they can be produced continuously.

In addition, these are weapons developed independently, making them more suitable for the Eighth Route Army's situation.

Only what you own is truly yours, which is why Chen Ming was so excited.

After arriving at the arsenal, Chen Ming and Jia Gong turned on their flashlights and entered the cave where the arsenal was located.

To conceal its location and prevent bombing by Japanese aircraft, the arsenal was designed to be built inside a mountain.

The hardworking people of the base area hollowed out an entire mountain to house important equipment for the arsenal.

Within the arsenal, any source of ignition is strictly prohibited in any area where dangerous weapons are stored.

Electricity for lighting was supplied by two coal-fired generators.

Deep inside the cave was where the rockets were stored. To prevent any accidents, all sources of ignition on the group were confiscated, including Chen Ming's.

Upon reaching the depths, one's eyes are drawn to a launch pad resembling a rocket, along with six rockets, each 90 centimeters long and over 100 millimeters in diameter.

Da Biao's eyes widened at the sight of such a large shell.

"Are these cannons and shells? Why are they so big? And why are there so many tubes?"

Da Biao followed Chen Ming to see the Japanese 150mm howitzers and shells.

Compared to Da Biao, Chen Ming performed much better; he was worldly-wise.

He's seen not only rockets, but even Dongfeng express grenades.

If Da Biao were to see Dongfeng Express, his jaw would probably drop to the floor in astonishment.

"That's right, this is the rocket independently developed by our Fourth Military Sub-district's arsenal. The design originated from the commander's idea, and referenced the Soviet Katyusha rocket, as well as the 'swarm' that appeared in our base area."

"I'm so proud of it," Jia said.

"However, our caliber is smaller than that of the Soviet Katyusha rocket. We don't have the 132mm version; we only have the 88mm and 107mm versions."

“Any bigger and it would be too heavy, and traction would become a problem,” Engineer Jia continued.

“That’s right. Weapons that are adapted to local conditions and take into account the actual situation are the best weapons,” Chen Ming agreed.

Katyusha rockets are good, but they are too heavy, and the base doesn't have enough traction power to deploy them.

88mm and 107mm are just right; a good weapon is one that suits our actual situation.

"Let's go, push the weapon out and test its power," Chen Ming said.

"Yes!"

After receiving Chen Ming's orders, the accompanying personnel carried the rockets out of the arsenal and onto an open space.

Jia led his team to teach the soldiers how to install rockets, preparing for launch.

"Sir, please move to a safe area. The situation with the rockets is currently unknown, and I'm worried about potential accidents," Engineer Jia said.

"Okay." Chen Ming readily accepted the suggestion.

After all, the situation with the new weapon is still unknown. If he's stubborn and something goes wrong, he'll be unjustly killed.

After moving to a safe location, the rockets were deployed.

"let's start."

Chen Ming issued the order.

After the order was given, Engineer Jia installed the battery and pressed the switch.

"Whoa!"

Two rockets shot out, their target a small hill a kilometer away.

This time, the test is to assess the accuracy of the rockets.

The rocket, its tail flaming, hurtled straight toward the distant target and exploded near the hillside.

The soldiers responsible for observation ran out from the bunker behind the small hill in the distance and began to calculate the deviation distance of the rocket.

Those hiding in the bunker behind the hillside are unlikely to encounter any accidents, given the trajectory of the rockets, unless the rockets manage to flatten the hillside.

But obviously, rockets with a maximum caliber of only 107 mm do not have that power.

After the soldiers calculated the distance, they immediately relayed the information back via a makeshift telephone.

"Report: The first explosion was 43 meters off target, and the second explosion was 34 meters off target."

Upon receiving the deviation distance parameters, Engineer Jia clicked his tongue in astonishment:

"A deviation of tens of meters in a kilometer is quite large."

The Eighth Route Army was short of supplies and was trying to save resources wherever possible. The large deviation of the rockets was somewhat unexpected by Engineer Jia.

"I think it's pretty good. No weapon is perfect from the start; they all become excellent weapons through trial and error," Chen Ming said with a smile.

"I understand, sir."

"Next, let's test the maximum range," Chen Ming said.

"Yes."

Upon receiving the order, Engineer Jia began adjusting the angle of the rocket launcher, setting it to 50°.

Ideally, a 45° angle would allow for the farthest launch, but that's an ideal scenario without considering drag.

In fact, to achieve the maximum range, the launch angle needs to be greater than 45°.

After installation, Engineer Jia launched two rockets at once.

"Whoa!"

The rocket soared into the sky, hurtling towards the distance.

This time, the collection of speed measurement data took longer. It wasn't until half an hour later that the cavalry battalion soldiers responsible for searching for the impact points of the rocket explosions sent back the news.

"Reporting to the commander, the first rocket was fired 200 meters west of Yujiagou, and the second was fired 2 kilometers north of Xiaowangzhuang," the soldier reported.

Our military does not have equipment to test distances exceeding several kilometers, so distance measurement usually uses the reference point measurement method.

By using reference points and military maps captured from the Japanese, we can obtain specific data with a deviation of only a few meters.

The Japanese have been plotting against the mainland for decades, and the accuracy of their maps is unparalleled; they are even more accurate than those we draw ourselves.

However, Chen Ming had a map in his mind, through which he obtained precise data on the range of the rocket.

"Not bad. The Type 88 has a range of about 4.8 kilometers, while the Type 107 has a range of over 7 kilometers," Chen Ming said with a smile.

This data is already excellent.

It should be noted that the range of a 75mm mountain gun is only five or six kilometers, while the range of a 107mm rocket exceeds that of the mountain guns used by the Japanese.

Rockets can be used to suppress the Japanese artillery positions.

The two most important parameters of a rocket are range and accuracy. After testing these two important parameters, the test was almost complete.

Next, we need to check the condition of the launcher to see if there is any damage or bending that could affect its continued use.

When the final data was compiled and presented to Chen Ming, he highly praised the success of the arsenal.

The efforts of the comrades at the arsenal were affirmed, and they were encouraged to continue their efforts, make further improvements, and create a weapon that would strike fear into the hearts of the Japanese.

After offering encouragement, Chen Ming also made some suggestions based on his memory of the 107mm rocket.

"For the launcher and the gun barrel, can we adopt a detachable structure? Let's use the wisdom of our ancestors. The mortise and tenon structure is strong enough and easy to disassemble."

"When it comes to transporting them, the soldiers can carry a cannon barrel and carry it away. They can also use the cannon barrel to launch rockets independently, giving full play to the advantages of our guerrilla warfare."

"When the cluster is needed, it can be assembled and used at any time."

"If possible, see if we can test its use in extreme situations, and whether we can design a rocket that can be launched normally when there is a lack of gun barrels."

Chen Ming offered some suggestions.

As Jia listened to Chen Ming's advice, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Sir, your words are truly insightful and far-sighted," Engineer Jia said sincerely.

He was still thinking about developing weapons, while Chen Ming was already thinking about how to apply the weapons on the battlefield and the problems that might arise on the battlefield.

The rocket launcher is detachable. This design is not difficult and can be made in just one day, but its function is very important.

After the rockets were detachable, a large bundle could be broken down into many smaller ones, which soldiers could then carry away by hand or on their shoulders.

This way, we don't need to worry too much about the weight of the launcher, and we can develop rockets with larger calibers, more propellant, and a thicker, darker shape.

Meanwhile, detachable rockets can greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of guerrilla warfare.

Just imagine a guerrilla force of a dozen or so men; the Japanese didn't take them seriously.

But then the guerrillas pulled out a cannon barrel and a big, thick, black rocket.

This would immediately leave the Japanese dumbfounded; the Eighth Route Army guerrillas actually possessed weapons with power comparable to a 150mm heavy howitzer.

These weren't guerrillas anymore; they were like death squads of devils, specifically designed to take the lives of the Japanese devils!
"Haha, look how different it is when cultured people praise others. They're so different from us roughnecks," Chen Ming said with a laugh.

Chen Ming was quite pleased to hear Jia Gong's flattery, since different people's flattery would definitely have different effects.

Just like Chen Ming's personal agent Da Biao, praise makes him sound awesome and amazing, occasionally throwing in a word like "brilliant and mighty".

"Sir, you're too modest. If you're a roughneck, then I'm not even a roughneck," Engineer Jia said.

What he said was indeed correct.

Chen Ming currently holds the position of school principal, so he wouldn't really qualify as a roughneck.

"Haha."

"By the way, sir, the other weapon you mentioned, the gun designed by our arsenal, is also progressing very well."

"Although there are still many problems, by next year at the latest, the guns we produce ourselves will be finalized," Engineer Jia continued, bringing good news.

Chen Ming wanted to develop a semi-automatic rifle to be deployed on a small scale to elite troops, thereby improving their combat effectiveness.

So they got a few semi-automatic rifles from the Americans and the Soviet Union as samples for Engineer Jia.

Hopefully, he can use the weapons of other countries as a reference to develop a semi-automatic rifle that suits our actual situation.

"Incredible, truly incredible. To be able to develop our own weapon based on just a few prototype guns from other countries is truly remarkable," Chen Ming said.

He initially approached the task of developing a rifle with the idea of ​​giving it a try.

To Chen Ming's surprise, they actually succeeded.

"This is all thanks to the support of our leaders and the joint efforts of everyone at the arsenal. We have achieved what we have today, and the credit belongs to everyone," Engineer Jia said modestly.

"You have a high level of awareness, but the organization will not forget everyone's contributions; what belongs to someone will be given to them," Chen Ming said.

After inspecting the results of the new weapon, Chen Ming instructed the logistics department to provide full support to the arsenal's production and to improve the rockets as soon as possible.

The sooner this weapon appears on the battlefield, the more soldiers can be saved and more Japanese soldiers can be eliminated.

Not long after the incident at the arsenal, another crucial piece of intelligence reached Chen Ming's command headquarters.

According to intelligence gathered by agents in various locations, the Japanese troops are about to launch a major operation.

May was approaching, Chen Ming knew that.

The Japanese are about to launch a large-scale mopping-up operation, assembling three divisions and two brigades, totaling about 50,000 troops, plus puppet troops, equipped with 800 tanks, and with air support.

They adopted a tactic of encirclement and sweeping attacks, dividing their forces into multiple routes to compress the encirclement and gradually squeeze into the hinterland of the four counties of Shenxian, Wuqiang, Raoyang, and Anping.

This was the peak and the end of the Japanese counterinsurgency campaign.

During the May Day Great Sweep, the Japanese army built 1700 new strongholds and 4000 kilometers of blockade trenches, dividing the base area into more than 2600 pieces.

This was one of the darkest chapters of the stalemate, and also the last large-scale mopping-up operation launched by the Japanese.

After the May Day mopping-up operation, the Japanese suffered a crushing defeat at Midway and had to redeploy more troops to support the Pacific theater.

Various large-scale domestic war plans were cancelled, and a stalemate was created by using transportation lines and county towns for defense.

During this counter-offensive, Chen Ming felt he had to do something to thwart the Japanese strategic intentions.

Therefore, after consulting with headquarters, Chen Ming made the following arrangements.

"Order: Ding Wei's unit and He Jianxin's unit, secretly move to the vicinity of Datong and hide, awaiting further orders."

"Part of Kong Jie's troops moved to Meng County, making a show of advancing towards Pingshan, Jingxing, and Lingshou areas."

"The various guerrilla brigades of the Fourth Military Sub-district, in coordination with Kong Jie's troops, created a trend of the main force being pushed into the central Hebei region and the area around Shijiazhuang."

"The main force of the special operations brigade is transferred to the headquarters for defense and to protect the headquarters staff during their evacuation."

"Wang Gui, Li Yousheng, and Luo Jian, the three battalions, will take over the defense of the base area."

Chen Ming issued the orders and made the arrangements.

He wanted to use a feint, seemingly intending to push his main force into Hebei Province and thwart the Japanese army's strategic intention to sweep through the Hebei-Central base area.

In reality, it was to tie down part of the Japanese main force, preventing them from concentrating all their troops for a sweep, and forcing them to leave some troops to guard against the "main force" of the independent detachment.

Meanwhile, Chen Ming's main force was quietly moved to the Datong area, preparing to relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao.

While the Japanese forces and attention were focused on sweeping through the Jizhong base area, they swiftly captured Datong, forcing the Japanese to come to its aid.

At that time, the Japanese army's large-scale mopping-up operation, which consumed a lot of manpower and resources, would fail.

For a period of time afterward, the Japanese were no longer able to launch large-scale mopping-up operations.

At that time, the balance of power will be easier to shift.

"Sigh, why don't the Japanese come and sweep through my territory? Am I not active enough? I've already captured several Japanese cities on the plains, and they don't even bother to sweep through them when it's so easy to do so," Chen Ming sighed.

The base of the Mingming Independent Detachment contained many cities on plains, which allowed the Japanese to fully utilize the combat power of their mechanized forces.

Moreover, Chen Ming was very bold, openly placing his troops there to confront the Japanese.

This was a way of telling the Japanese, "I'm here, come and fight me."

However, the Japanese soldiers seemed to be so afraid of Chen Ming that they were unwilling to mention his name anymore.

In formulating the plan for the large-scale mopping-up operation, Chen Ming's troops were overlooked, and the target was instead set on the more easily swept, geographically flat central Hebei region.

Chen Ming had originally planned to prepare a feast at the base and wait for the guests to arrive.

However, since the Japanese aren't coming, Chen Ming reluctantly agreed to take the things from Datongli.

Chen Ming had been eyeing the various factories and abundant supplies in Datong for a long time.

Now that the Japanese are not paying attention to Datong, he has a great chance to take it over.

"Ask Wu Youdao about the progress of the tunneling project," Chen Ming said to the communications soldier.

"Yes."

An hour later, the messenger returned with the message.

"Reporting to the commander, the tunnel demolition team has sent word that the tunnel is progressing rapidly and they expect to complete the mission in ten days."

Upon hearing this news, Chen Ming smiled.

The current date is April 26th, so in ten days it will be May 6th.

It happened just before the Japanese army began the second phase of the central strangulation operation.

As soon as the Independent Detachment began its attack on Datong, the Japanese army's large-scale mopping-up operation plan failed.

At that time, the Japanese will have to come to the rescue of Datong, otherwise the consequences of the Independent Detachment taking Datong will be unbearable for the Japanese.

The independent detachment could capture Jining to the north, cutting off the Japanese army's connection with Inner Mongolia, or it could move south to directly concentrate its main force to launch an attack on the rear of the Japanese mopping-up troops.

The east could threaten Wucheng (Zhangjiakou), which is a central hub connecting various base areas in North China and an important strategic choke point.

The fact that the Japanese army stationed in Mongolia placed its headquarters in Wucheng proves its strategic importance.

Looking at the map, if we compare the map of China to a rooster, then Beijing and Tianjin are the rooster's neck, and Datong and Wucheng are the rooster's cervical vertebrae.

If Wucheng is also captured by the Independent Detachment, the Independent Detachment can take advantage of the situation to move eastward and control the Nankou-Juyongguan line, cutting off the Pinghan Railway, a major artery.

This directly separated the Japanese troops in North China from those in Central China.

At the same time, it can isolate Beiping and Tianjin, turning the situation in North China upside down and putting the Japanese in a state of collapse.

The strategic importance of Datong and Wucheng was too great, as it directly affected the Japanese army's layout in North China.

Once the Independent Detachment captures Datong and then threatens Wucheng, the Japanese North China Expeditionary Army will have to return to its aid, whether it wants to or not.

This was Chen Ming's plan to relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao.

P.S.: I couldn't resist going night fishing last night and caught two small crucian carp, so I only have 8,000 words today. Please vote!

Also, I went fishing at a black pit today, and that black pit is really damn black. I even prepared my filming equipment to record the moment I hooked a fish, but I didn't catch a single one after fishing for five hours.

However, I got a chicken from the owner, one of his own, and we had stewed chicken for dinner. The owner was worried that I'd upload the video online and ruin his reputation since I hadn't caught anything. So, it wasn't a complete loss; at least I didn't go home empty-handed and got a chicken to eat.

(End of this chapter)