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

Chapter 186 Brigade Commander: I want to be Chen Ming's subordinate!
Such a large-scale operation by the Independent Detachment was naturally intercepted by the Japanese intelligence department.

Or rather, the unit led by Kong Jie never intended to hide, so it's normal that their whereabouts were discovered by the Japanese.

Kong Jie's main force, along with several guerrilla brigades from the Fourth Military Sub-district and troops from other units, brought the total strength to around 30,000.

However, the main force still comes from the brother units.

With such a large force, Kong Jie had no experience commanding such a large number of troops.

Commanding troops in battle is a hurdle when the number reaches 10,000. Many officers can lead a few thousand men into battle, but once the number reaches 10,000, they immediately lose their ability to command.

Moreover, this time he will be commanding not only the independent detachment, but also other brother units that are cooperating with him.

It involved more than ten military units, and Kong Jie really didn't have the ability to coordinate so many troops and command such an important feint attack mission.

Among the troops dispatched by the brother units this time, there were also brigade-level units (not the Third Division and Sixth Brigade).

To put it in the brigade commander's words, letting Kong Jie command them was simply a matter of being utterly unqualified.

Of course, if it were Chen Ming, this wouldn't be a problem. However, Chen Ming is in charge of the Datong campaign and doesn't have the extra energy to devote to this.

The straight-line distance between Datong and Shimen is 370 kilometers, so the only way to command is by radio.

Chen Ming was preparing to attack Datong this time, so he secretly mobilized troops and planned to launch a feint attack, intending to catch the Japanese off guard.

If the frequent radio communications alert the Japanese, all our efforts will be in vain.

Therefore, the person in command this time is the brigade commander.

With the brigade commander in charge of Kong Jie, along with the troops from the Fourth Military Sub-district and the supporting units, they were fully qualified.

The brigade commander's qualifications and abilities are beyond question. The brigade with the most outstanding combat record during the War of Resistance Against Japan, which forced the Japanese to paint "Specially for Fighting the 386th Brigade" on their armored vehicles, is the best proof of this.

If the brigade commander is in charge, then Kong Jie and the troops of the Fourth Military Sub-district are naturally under the brigade commander's command.

The same applies to other units; a brigade commander, a second-level military region commander, is more than capable of leading them.

At the same time, the brigade commander has another advantage: the brigade commander shares the same surname as Chen Ming.

When giving orders, you can deliberately leak some information to the Japanese soldiers so that they know that the commander in charge this time is Commander Chen of the Eighth Route Army.

This would mislead the Japanese into thinking that the main force of the Independent Detachment was really here.

really.

When Kong Jie's troops arrived at their designated battle position, they captured the Japanese stronghold and pillbox on the outskirts of Jingxing County.

The Japanese soldiers in Jingxing immediately reported the situation.

"Report! Urgent telegram from Jingxing!"

The voice of a Japanese staff officer came from the command post in Shimen.

The telegram was received by Okamura, who was in charge of the Japanese-led sweep.

"Has it finally arrived?" Okamura said, looking at the contents of the telegram.

The telegram stated that a unit of the Eighth Route Army launched an offensive on the outskirts of Jingxing, eliminating 73 strongholds and more than 100 blockhouses overnight.

Looking at the contents of the telegram, Okamura located the attacked position on the map.

"To think that you can threaten Shimen and make me abandon this sweep that I've been preparing for for months is simply wishful thinking," Okamura said, looking at the map.

Although the Japanese did not target the Independent Detachment during their large-scale mopping-up operation, it did not mean that they did not consider the potential impact of the Independent Detachment on the operation.

In addition to the three divisions and two brigades that the Japanese army deployed, they also stationed some troops in the surrounding cities to prevent the Eighth Route Army from reinforcing Shanxi Province.

The main force of the Japanese 27th Division was deployed along the Shimen line.

"Immediately dispatch reconnaissance aircraft and intelligence personnel to confirm the situation of this Eighth Route Army unit," Gangcun ordered.

"Hai!"

At noon the next day, Okamura received intelligence obtained by the reconnaissance unit.

"Report: It has been confirmed that the Eighth Route Army forces dispatched this time number over 30,000. Among them, personnel from the Special Higher Police discovered Kong Jie, the commander of a part of the Eighth Route Army's Independent Detachment."

"It was also confirmed that the Eighth Route Army commander who led this unit was surnamed Chen."

A staff officer reported.

Gangcun listened to the report and nodded.

"More than 30,000 people, that's practically the entire force coming out."

"Order the troops outside Shimen to abandon small and medium-sized strongholds and retreat to the city and transportation routes to build defenses."

"The remaining sweeping forces will remain unchanged and continue to operate according to the predetermined plan."

"At the same time, the 29th Flight Group is on standby, ready to be dispatched immediately to destroy the heavy artillery if the Independent Detachment uses it."

"In addition, troops from the Sakamoto Detachment of the 26th Division of Datong (with two battalions as the core) will be transferred south to cooperate with the encirclement operation."

Okamura gave the order.

Using the main force of the 27th Division to defend the Independent Detachment is sufficient for defensive battles.

Although the Japanese were unwilling to face the Independent Detachment, it was in the field, and the quality of the Japanese soldiers was not as good as that of the soldiers in the Independent Detachment.

In addition, they did not have a significant advantage in firepower, so the Japanese could not win.

However, defensive battles are different. Relying on fortifications, the Independent Detachment would have to use several times the number of troops to forcefully attack these heavily fortified positions.

But Okamura used an entire division to build a defense system based on the strategic location of Shimen.

With heavy troops deployed, Okamura was confident that even if another independent detachment like this came, he would not be afraid.

He wanted to use a division to garrison the fortified city and bleed the Independent Detachment dry!

However, now that the main force of the Independent Detachment has arrived in Shimen, Datong no longer needs to send so many troops to confront the Independent Detachment.

The Japanese troops were already short-handed, and the troops used in this sweep were drawn from other places.

The two battalions of the Sakamoto Detachment in Datong have become a force to be reckoned with.

Since the main force of the Independent Detachment is gone, there is no need to send so many troops to Datong. One regiment plus two brigades of puppet troops, totaling more than 10,000 people, is enough.

After the Japanese troops withdrew, the brigade commander led his troops to successfully capture the outskirts of Jingxing.

"Wow, Chen Ming is really good at developing his troops. If I hadn't personally commanded one, I would never have imagined that he was so rich."

The brigade commander laughed heartily inside the command post.

The brigade commander was pleasantly surprised to see the troops he was commanding in this independent detachment.

As soon as he gave the order, the soldiers charged forward with great enthusiasm, their positions perfectly coordinated, their firepower network tightly integrated, and their infantry and artillery working together as a unified force.

The soldiers were the elite of the elite, with extremely powerful firepower and formidable combat strength.

In just one night, they destroyed more than two hundred Japanese strongholds and pillboxes without any hesitation.

The brigade commander was thoroughly entertained, exclaiming that this was how battles should be fought!
"No wonder Chen Ming was so bold as to attack Datong while simultaneously dividing his forces."

"If all the troops under my command had this level of firepower and elite status, I would dare to attack Taiyuan!"

The brigade commander remarked with emotion.

He was thinking to himself that he would be willing to sit in Chen Ming's position, or for Chen Ming to sit in his position, or even be Chen Ming's subordinate brigade commander.

For a commander, the training level of soldiers and their weapons and equipment are their primary concerns.

These are the two most important components of combat effectiveness.

The combat effectiveness demonstrated by the independent detachment this time truly impressed the brigade commander.

This is the combat power demonstrated by Kong Jie's unit, which ranks third in combat strength among independent detachments.

The other two main forces of the Independent Detachment, Ding Wei's Independent First Battalion and He Jianxin's Reinforced First Battalion, did not come.

In particular, He Jianxin's reinforced First Battalion, the strongest unit in the independent detachment, boasts a luxurious configuration of seven infantry and two artillery pieces, making it a sight to behold.

In addition to the main force, Chen Ming also has an armored company, a heavy artillery company, a special operations brigade, and a sharpshooter brigade.

These directly subordinate units are elite forces that make countless people drool with envy.

This scorpion poop is truly one of a kind!

Chen Ming was even more capable than him, which made the brigade commander a little jealous, but also very happy.

The cadres I personally mentored have now become capable and prominent figures, and this sense of accomplishment is more exciting than any aphrodisiac.

"Kong Jie, you played well, you didn't embarrass me. Keep up the good work."

Inside the command post, the brigade commander looked at the commanders he had led this time and specifically praised Kong Jie.

"It's all thanks to the brigade commander's excellent command. I, Kong Jie, am a rough man who only knows how to follow orders. I just do whatever my superiors tell me to do."

Kong Jie said honestly.

Kong Jie was very happy to be praised by the brigade commander, but being an honest man, he wouldn't get cocky.

This personality trait also determined Kong Jie's fate: he was neither arrogant nor conceited, he obeyed orders, and he followed the rules.

These kinds of cadres can get along well anywhere. Although they may not be as popular with leaders as those troublemakers, they are still trusted by them.

"Not bad, not bad." The brigade commander smiled and patted Kong Jie on the shoulder.

This scene made Li Yunlong, who was standing next to him, feel very jealous.

I thought it was one thing for Chen Ming to steal the brigade commander's favor, but now it seems Kong Jie is about to climb over him too.

Commander, Commander, didn't you like Old Li the most? How could you change your mind so easily?

Kong Jie captured over eighty strongholds and pillboxes this time, didn't he? Our Li Yunlong isn't bad either.

During last night's raid, our Independent Regiment also captured more than thirty strongholds and pillboxes.

Now Kong Jie is a married woman, and it's Old Li who is your direct subordinate unit, Brigade Commander.

The brigade commander had no idea what Li Yunlong was thinking. To him, if you could fight, he would like you.

Or rather, any general would like a subordinate who is good at fighting.

Kong Jie is now a better fighter than Li Yunlong, so as the commander in this operation, the brigade commander naturally prefers Kong Jie.

"Brigade Commander, what's our next move?" Li Yunlong asked.

The brigade commander glanced at the map and said:
"Although we made a big move last night and attracted the Japanese's attention."

"But that's not enough. We must do something bigger to completely draw the Japanese devils' attention."

"The next phase of the mission is to capture these two counties and demonstrate the formidable offensive capabilities of our troops!"

The brigade commander pointed to two county towns on the map, namely Pingshan and Lingshou.

These two county towns are located to the northwest and north of Shimen, serving as a natural barrier. Taking these two towns would directly threaten the Japanese forces in Shimen. Only by capturing these two county towns could the Japanese be completely diverted to their positions, thus aiding Chen Ming's counter-offensive against Datong and the Jizhong base area.

Inside the command post, everyone looked at the location the brigade commander pointed to and pondered.

"Brigade Commander, let our Independent Regiment launch the main attack on Pingshan. I, Old Li, guarantee that we will take Pingshan in a spectacular fashion."

Li Yunlong spoke first.

Pingshan's strategic location is more important to Shimen than Lingshou's.

Pingshan County guarded the western gateway to Shimen, acting as a direct barrier and controlling the northern section of the Zhengtai Railway and the main route from the Jingxing mining area to the base area.

Moreover, Pingshan has a strategically important and easily defensible terrain, making it a tough nut to crack than Lingshou.

Li Yunlong now wanted to prove himself to the brigade commander and win back the commander's favor, so he naturally volunteered to take on the most difficult task.

Unlike Li Yunlong, who volunteered for the mission, Kong Jie did not take the task, but simply stated that he would carry out the orders given by the brigade commander without fail.

For Kong Jie, what is rightfully his will be his, and no one can take it away from him; what is not rightfully his, no one can take away even if they try.

The brigade commander did not agree to Li Yunlong's request to take on the mission.

Some tasks won't be assigned just because you volunteer; they require a comprehensive evaluation.

The brigade commander knew Li Yunlong's fighting style very well: he was daring, capable, and resourceful. Although he had a strong fighting spirit, he often achieved unexpected results.

However, after each battle, the casualties of the troops were very high and difficult to control.

If Kong Jie's elite troops weren't there, that would be one thing; everyone goes through the same thing.

To fight an industrialized country with an agricultural nation requires bloodshed and sacrifice; victory must be won with blood.

However, now that we have the strength, we must avoid unnecessary sacrifices.

Sending Kong Jie's elite troops with powerful firepower to attack Pingshan would reduce casualties and allow them to capture Pingshan more quickly.

After all, Kong Jie's troops were superior to Li Yunlong's troops in both experience in offensive operations and firepower.

After careful consideration, the brigade commander issued the following order:
"I order that Kong Jie's main force attack Pingshan County at noon tomorrow."

"Li Yunlong's main force will attack Lingshou County at noon tomorrow."

"The remaining units shall withdraw from the outlying strongholds of the two counties and coordinate their operations to block the Japanese reinforcements."

Li Yunlong was immediately displeased after the brigade commander gave the order.

"Brigade Commander, why? Kong Erlengzi's firepower is stronger than our Independent Regiment's, but our Independent Regiment's soldiers are just as good. Why let Kong Erlengzi lead the main attack?"

Seeing Li Yunlong complaining, the brigade commander picked up his riding whip and shouted:

"Li Yunlong! Stop trying to bargain with me. Otherwise, I'll give you my seat and you can order me around!"

Li Yunlong looked at the riding whip in the brigade commander's hand, felt a chill in his heart, and immediately became obedient.

"Brigadier, that's not what I meant. I meant..."

"What do you mean?" the brigade commander retorted.

"Yes, yes, yes, I, Old Li, will obey orders and guarantee to capture Lingshou in cooperation with Kong Jie." Li Yunlong said deflated.

Kong Jie was secretly delighted to see Li Yunlong's discomfiture.

Isn't Li Yunlong supposed to be fearless and invincible?
As soon as they see the brigade commander, they become like Sun Wukong seeing the Buddha, instantly turning into obedient children.

It's true what they say, one thing can subdue another!
After Li Yunlong, the troublemaker, was subdued, the other commanders proceeded without incident and began to carry out their missions according to orders.

Inside the stone gate, Gangcun reviewed the reports from various units and had a bad feeling.

"Something's not right. Why has the main force of the Independent Detachment stopped moving after taking the positions on the outskirts of Jingxing?"

Okamura became suspicious.

This is not in line with the independent detachment's consistent combat style.

If we follow the independent detachment's combat style of being as immovable as a mountain and as swift as thunder.

Once they made a move, they launched a continuous offensive with lightning speed, often ending the battle in a short time, leaving the Japanese reinforcements unable to arrive in time.

This time, however, the independent detachment troops outside Jingxing stopped moving after capturing the outer positions.

It should be noted that, in order to guard against the Independent Detachment, the Japanese immediately went on the highest level of alert after the brigade commander launched the surprise attack.

Throughout the day and night, all the Japanese soldiers were armed and waiting, without rest, in order to prepare for the offensive of the Independent Detachment.

But after waiting for a whole day, the "Independent Detachment" did not make much of a move.

This made Gangcun doubt whether the Eighth Route Army near Shimen was actually the main force of the Independent Detachment.

"Sir, perhaps the Independent Detachment's attack this time is a feint, and their real objective is not Shimen?" a Japanese staff officer said.

You can say the Japanese were bad, but you absolutely cannot say they were incompetent; the Japanese officers were quite capable.

Clues were found in Chen Ming and the brigade commander's combat style.

Although the brigade commander was trying his best to imitate Chen Ming's command style in an attempt to confuse the Japanese.

However, Chen Ming has a cheat code, which allows him to directly obtain information about the battlefield through the map, saving him a lot of time.

Without Chen Ming's advantages, the brigade commander could only first ascertain the enemy's situation before making arrangements.

Launching an attack rashly without understanding the enemy's deployment is tantamount to playing with the lives of the soldiers.

The brigade commander would never do something like that.

This made the Japanese soldiers at Shimen realize something was wrong, and they became wary.

After all, troops can change, but a commander's style is difficult to change in a short period of time.

Looking at the map, Okamura pondered: if this was just a feint by the Independent Detachment, then where might their real target be?

What exactly are the independent detachment's intentions?

Okamura looked at the strategic locations on the map and pondered.

"Given the Eighth Route Army's marching speed, the maximum distance they could cover in a day and a night could exceed 100 kilometers. Adding the daytime, the range would be much larger."

"Baoding, Zhengding, Xingtai, Niangziguan, Hengshui, Handan—which one is the Independent Detachment targeting?"

Looking at the military strongholds within a 150-kilometer radius of Shimen, Gangcun pondered the possible objectives of the Independent Detachment.

They say you learn from your mistakes, and he had suffered countless times from the Independent Detachment's long-distance raids relying on their own two iron feet.

Therefore, when he was thinking, he always considered the maximum range of movement for an independent detachment.

As for Datong, Okamura considered it, but quickly gave up.

Datong is about 370 kilometers away from Shimen, almost 400 kilometers. Even if all the soldiers of the Independent Detachment grew wings, they couldn't fly over there.

After much deliberation, Gangcun set his sights on Baoding, a strategically important location.

He put himself in the commander's shoes. If he were the commander of the independent detachment and wanted to launch a feint attack on the Japanese army, he would most likely choose a more distant location.

This would lower the Japanese army's guard, since it was not a wise choice to go the long way around during a long-distance raid.

"Order the Sakamoto Detachment of the 26th Division to move towards Baoding," Okamura issued the order.

Just then, a Japanese staff officer strode into the command post.

"Report: According to telegrams from the surrounding troops, a large number of Eighth Route Army soldiers have been found to have gathered along the Pingshan-Lingshou line, numbering around 20,000."

Upon hearing the staff officer's report, Okamura immediately took the telegram to examine it, a smile spreading across his face.

"Has it finally arrived? It seems I was worrying too much."

"Order the Sakamoto Detachment to halt its movements and await further orders."

Outside Pingshan County, Kong Jie's troops had already cleared all of the Japanese strongholds outside Pingshan County by the morning.

The fact that the task could be completed in a morning was because the Japanese had reduced their troop strength, leaving only a portion of their puppet troops to defend the stronghold and prevent it from being wiped out by the guerrillas.

Faced with Kong Jie's elite troops, the puppet army was like mice seeing a cat; as soon as they heard the news, some ran away and some surrendered.

Kong Jie's troops successfully cleared the obstacles to the attack on Pingshan County, and can now directly attack cities like Pingshan County.

Meanwhile, the speed of Li Yunlong's Independent Regiment was also very impressive.

In order to salvage his image with the brigade commander, Li Yunlong became determined and secretly resolved to surpass Kong Jie.

Otherwise, of the three old comrades-in-arms in the Jin-Sui Iron Triangle, he was the worst.

Li Yunlong was very clear about Ding Wei's abilities, and it was normal for him to shine on another platform. Li Yunlong didn't have much of a reaction to this.

However, the last time Li Yunlong called Ding Wei, he wanted to take a look at Chu Yunfei's batch of equipment.

It turned out that the equipment had already been exchanged with the brigade commander, and if Li Yunlong wanted it, he should ask the brigade commander for it.

Isn't this making things difficult for Li Yunlong?

If Li Yunlong had actually dared to congratulate the brigade commander on his fortune, he wouldn't have received so many congratulations from the brigade commander.

As for the weapons that the brigade commander exchanged with the independent detachment, Li Yunlong dared not even think about them.

Those weapons went directly into the Independent Detachment's warehouse. If you wanted to get your hands on those weapons, you could only go to Chen Ming.

Li Yunlong was quite afraid of Chen Ming. Last time, Chen Ming suspended him from his post, and it was only after the brigade commander pleaded on his behalf that he was reinstated.

Li Yunlong could accept that Ding Wei was more capable than him.

However, Li Yunlong absolutely could not accept that Kong Erlengzi was more capable than him.

There's a saying that goes something like this: I'm afraid my brother will suffer, but I'm also afraid my brother will drive a Land Rover.

If Kong Jie were to climb over him, Li Yunlong would lose all confidence when he and his two old comrades-in-arms get together for drinks and brag.

Therefore, during the morning's battle, the soldiers of the Independent Regiment were in high spirits and cleared out the outer strongholds of Lingshou County at an even faster pace.

They also captured the outer perimeter of Lingshou, making it possible to launch an attack on Lingshou County at any time.

"Reporting to the regimental commander, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth battalions, and the regimental artillery company are all in position and ready to launch an attack on Lingshou County at any time."

Zhang Dabiao reported to Li Yunlong.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's assemble the troops and wipe out the Japanese devils in Lingshou County!" Li Yunlong said.

“It’s not good for the regimental commander. It’s only ten o’clock now, and the command has given us the time to attack at twelve o’clock. If we attack now, the brigade commander will blame us,” Zhang Dabiao said hesitantly.

"Opportunities on the battlefield are fleeting. Waiting for orders to fight will be too late. I'll take responsibility for anything that happens. Order the troops to fight hard!" Li Yunlong shouted.

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)