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

Chapter 195 Deception and Sneak Attack

Wu Cheng's telegram was sent to the headquarters of the expeditionary army in Beiping.

Gangcun frowned deeply as he looked at the telegram reporting that the Eighth Route Army had deployed heavy artillery.

"Is the Independent Detachment really going to attack Wucheng?"

He became even more certain of this idea.

He originally thought that the Independent Detachment's main force would attack Wucheng to tie down their forces, and that they might not actually be going to fight.

But Gangcun had no choice but to go along with Chen Ming's idea, because if he didn't send more troops, the Independent Detachment might turn a feigned attack into a real one.

However, it now seems that the Independent Detachment's heavy artillery has been deployed, and the main force is very likely outside Wucheng.

Even with a tractor, heavy artillery cannot move very fast and its deployment is slow.

If the Independent Detachment only intended to launch a feint attack on Wucheng, it would not have carried heavy weapons such as 150mm heavy artillery.

Otherwise, if they were entangled by the Japanese army, the heavy artillery would be difficult to move and could very likely be lost.

Therefore, if Okamura were the commander of the Independent Detachment, he would never have deployed heavy artillery during the feigned attack on Takeshiro.

The loss of four heavy artillery pieces was too great for the Eighth Route Army.

Now that heavy artillery has appeared in Wucheng, Gangcun is basically certain that the main force of the Independent Detachment is in Wucheng.

"Order the troops heading to Datong to abandon their mission and instead attack towards Yangyuan and Yanggao to cut off the Independent Detachment's retreat."

"The 27th Air Group shall take off immediately to locate the heavy artillery positions of the Independent Detachment. Once the target is located, destroy it at all costs."

"The 33rd Division, the 55th Division, and the independent light armored vehicle units directly under the headquarters were transferred to conduct mobile operations in the Yangyuan and Yanggao plains."

"The 4th Cavalry Brigade, the 6th and 9th Cavalry Divisions of the puppet Mongolian Army, marched south along Xinghe and directly attacked the rear of Huai'an to disrupt the enemy's logistics."

Okamura immediately made arrangements.

He wanted to take advantage of the fact that his troops were currently concentrated in the mopping-up operations and that he had abundant combat supplies, and to maximize the annihilation of the Independent Detachment's forces on the plains north of Dongyan.

In the plains, his mechanized forces moved at a faster pace, and heavy artillery and aircraft also had room to play their roles.

Including the independent detachments already identified in the Yanbei Plain area, there are only about 10,000 troops.

Okamura didn't believe that with so many troops and a large number of heavy weapons, he couldn't defeat the more than 10,000 men of the Independent Detachment in the plains.

After the order was issued, the Japanese troops on all sides immediately changed direction according to the order.

This situation was reported to Chen Ming's command by fraternal units and local armed forces in various places.

"The Japanese couldn't hold back any longer. Knowing that we had deployed heavy artillery, they changed their battle plan and wanted to encircle and annihilate us on the Yanbei Plain."

Inside the command post, Chen Ming pointed to the map and said with a smile.

"Hahaha, now the main force of the Japanese army will all come to encircle and annihilate our troops, and all the supplies from Datong can be transported back."

"After we finish our feigned attack on Wucheng tonight, we'll withdraw immediately and leave the Japanese devils empty-handed. That old devil Gangcun will be furious."

Chief of Staff Wang Dafei spoke first.

"Old Chen, what do we do next? The Japanese have deployed at least 40,000 troops, along with a large number of armored vehicles and aircraft."

“Fighting in the plains is a disadvantage for us,” Political Commissar Zhang Zhengze asked.

Hearing Zhang Zhengze's question, Chen Ming smiled and said:

"There are over 40,000 Japanese soldiers. Although it wouldn't be difficult for our troops to wipe out the Japanese in one direction and then break through, it's unnecessary."

"We won't fight the Japanese. Instead, we'll lead them in circles, making them rush around putting out fires and running for their lives."

"Our next destination is here."

Chen Ming pointed to Jining on the map!
The Japanese troops participating in this sweep were mostly Class B divisions and mixed brigades, with few elite units.

Chen Ming's troops outside Wucheng were all the absolute elite of the independent detachment.

Our soldiers are of higher quality and better combat effectiveness than these Japanese soldiers.

If Chen Ming wanted to fight, he was fully capable of annihilating a Japanese unit and then breaking out.

However, such a situation carries considerable risk, as it could easily lead to a logistical disruption.

Previously, weapons and ammunition were scarce, and the troops were equipped with light weapons, so the need for logistics was not great.

Infantrymen, carrying only guns and a few days' worth of rations, can operate without logistical support for a certain period of time.

But the situation for the independent detachment is different now. In order to maintain its strong combat effectiveness, it has become more dependent on logistics.

After all, a mountain gun shell weighs more than ten pounds, and a mortar shell weighs seven or eight pounds. No matter how strong the soldiers are, how many shells can they carry?
Moreover, this feigned attack on Wucheng also mobilized a considerable number of vehicles to quickly transport artillery and troops.

Otherwise, how could the troops have reached Huai'an area and advanced directly to Wucheng in just one day?

Cars need fuel, artillery needs shells, and tens of thousands of soldiers need food supplies.

If the fighting continues on the Yanbei Plain, the Independent Detachment's supply lines will be stretched out, making them vulnerable to Japanese attacks.

At that time, the outcome of the Third Battle of Changsha might be repeated, except that the troops refined by the furnace would become an independent detachment.

The situation for the Independent Detachment is not what it used to be. Every decision must be made with caution, and there is no need to rush into a decisive battle against the Japanese.

When the Japanese suffered a crushing defeat at Midway in June, the mainland battlefield reached a turning point.

Only when the Japanese forces are in decline will the Independent Detachment truly shine.

In terms of protracted warfare, we should avoid a decisive battle with the Japanese, and instead bleed them dry little by little, weaken them, and then devour them.

Inside the command center, Chen Ming's idea was approved by Wang Dafei and He Jianxin.

"We've got the same idea. We'll head north to attack Jining, cut off Baotou and Guihua, and break two corners of the triangular defense formed by the Mongolian troops stationed in Datong, Wucheng, and Guihua. Then the Japanese will be left with only one corner."

Chief of Staff Wang Dafei said with a smile.

At the beginning of this year, Chen Ming said that for the next two years, their troops would focus their combat efforts on Yanbei, Suiyuan, Chahar, Rehe, and even the Xingan Mountains.

Then, they would threaten the Northeast from the south, waiting for the right moment to directly invade and seize territory and industrial equipment from the Japanese Kwantung Army.

We cannot afford to lose this hub of heavy industry so easily; we must reclaim it and preserve its potential for development.

After capturing Jining, the Japanese troops in Guihua and Baotou will be isolated, and the Japanese will lose control of the Mengjiang region.

At that time, the entire grassland will become their backyard.

"The Northern Route Army recently hoped that we would launch an offensive in the Suiyuan area to support the operations in Guihua and Baotou."

"Tell him that we can coordinate an attack to support their operations, but the Japanese planes are too troublesome, and the troops lack anti-aircraft weapons, which is not conducive to the operation."

"If the Northern Route Army can provide a batch of anti-aircraft weapons, we can launch an attack in the Jining area to support them."

Chen Ming spoke up.

Previously, when Ding Wei and Xu Desheng were active on the Ping-Sui Railway, the Northern Route Army had sent a message.

They wanted Chen Ming to send troops to help them eliminate the Japanese cavalry groups in the Baotou and Guihua areas.

At the time, Chen Ming was concerned that he could not let the Northern Route Army open up the Guihua Pass so easily, otherwise he would have to be wary of them when he fought in Rehe and Chahar.

However, the situation is different now. Chen Ming is followed by tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers. Even if Chen Ming sends troops to Jining to cooperate with the Northern Route Army, they still cannot break through the Guihua area.

The Northern Route Army's combat strength was considered among the top in the National Revolutionary Army, but its main force consisted of only the 73rd Division and the 101st Division, plus the guerrilla forces in Suiyuan.

They were also unable to withstand the Japanese troops.

Now Chen Ming is thinking of taking a chance and seeing if he can get some air defense support weapons from them to enhance the air defense capabilities of the independent detachment.

Air defense has always been a weakness of the independent detachment, and they were at a great disadvantage when facing Japanese aircraft.

Even if an anti-aircraft company was formed from the spoils of war at the Japanese airfield, its effectiveness was limited due to the scarcity of anti-aircraft weapons and the difficulty in replenishing ammunition.

If we could get some anti-aircraft weapons or ammunition from the Northern Route Army, that would be pure profit.

Regardless of whether the Northern Route Army agrees or not, Chen Ming will attack Jining.

It's all about exploiting an information gap; if you get the air defense weapons, you've made a pure profit, and if you don't, you haven't lost anything.

After discussing the operational objectives, Chen Ming made operational plans.

"Order: The three artillery battalions directly under the detachment shall launch an attack on Wucheng at 9:00 PM tonight and fire one basic load of shells."

"After the shelling was completed, the mountain guns were towed by mules instead of tractors and immediately returned to Huai'an to advance northward to Xinghe."

"After the artillery bombardment ended, He Jianxin's troops launched a feint attack on the outer defense chain of Wucheng. After 10 o'clock, they began to withdraw and followed the artillery units northward to attack Xinghe."

"After the Battle of Xinghe, the main force was directly assembled in the area east of Jining, awaiting orders."

"Ding Weibu, after cutting off the Ping-Sui Railway in the Xuanhua area, head north immediately without delay."

"He Jianxin's three infantry battalions and one artillery battalion from Datong will immediately march north to attack Fengzhen. After capturing Fengzhen, they will coordinate with the main force to attack Jining."

After the order was issued, all units immediately sprang into action.

He Jianxin's troops responsible for defending Datong were also mobilized, leaving only Ding Wei's three battalions to defend Datong.

The Japanese reinforcements were all drawn to Wucheng, so Datong naturally didn't need to leave too many troops behind.

This time, Chen Ming plans to mobilize nine battalions of the main force, along with the detachment's directly subordinate units, to attack Jining.

Chen Ming's three main forces combined totaled only 17 infantry battalions, of which Kong Jie's main force was still fighting alongside the brigade commander.

Mobilizing nine infantry battalions was already Chen Ming's limit.

Of course, these nine infantry battalions were not the entire force attacking Jining. With the addition of the brother units that cooperated with the independent detachment, the number would be double.

This will be another instance of a significant disparity in troop strength on a local battlefield!
The Japanese soldiers in Jining had absolutely no chance of survival.

At nine o'clock at night, under Chen Ming's order, the artillery positions of the Independent Detachment opened fire.

Although this shelling was not as shocking as when heavy artillery was involved, it was still very powerful.

The Japanese soldiers inside the outer defensive fortifications of Wucheng suffered heavy casualties under the bombardment.

Unlike the indiscriminate fire coverage in Datong, this time the artillery units of the Independent Detachment only received artillery fire for the first two minutes.

The subsequent attacks were all precision-guided, resulting in higher utilization of artillery shells and consequently, greater casualties.

At 9:10, the shelling ended.

The shelling killed two hundred Japanese soldiers and damaged some of their positions.

Looking at the casualty figures on the map, Chen Ming was not very satisfied.

Having used so many shells, only to kill more than two hundred Japanese soldiers, it's a loss no matter how you look at it, at least compared to the previous situation of the Independent Detachment.

However, considering that the Japanese had made preparations in advance and were hiding in their fortifications like cowards, it was already quite an achievement to kill more than two hundred of them.

After the shelling ended, under the cover of artillery fire, a company of He Jianxin's troops was almost inside the Japanese lines.

Although only one company was deployed, the three-three tactic was used, which widened the battle line.

With the support of mortars, grenade launchers, and demolition charges, the Japanese outer fortifications were taken down one after another.

Unlike Datong, Wucheng's fortifications were not meticulously reinforced over several months, and many of them were permanent structures.

The battle lines are advancing rapidly.

However, Wucheng now had more than 7,000 Japanese soldiers, a considerable force, and quickly organized a counterattack, recapturing the position.

It's ten o'clock sharp.

After repelling another attack by the Independent Detachment, a Japanese lieutenant on the position was still shaken.

This was his first time fighting against an independent detachment, and the intensity of the battle was incomparable to his previous battles against other units.

It was too dangerous. Just now, the Eighth Route Army on the other side almost sniped him with precision several times.

Fortunately, he was lucky; several times, there were unlucky guys who would "take the bullet" for him.

"Hurry up, hurry up, get back to the position. It won't be long before the Eighth Route Army attacks again."

The Japanese lieutenant shouted from inside the position.

Based on the combat situation over the past hour, the Independent Detachment's troops were repeatedly recaptured from their positions after being counterattacked.

They will reorganize their attack within minutes at most.

Five minutes have passed, and the Eighth Route Army's attack is about to begin.

The Japanese lieutenant was on high alert, but he did not see the Eighth Route Army appear in his field of vision again.

He was a little confused. Had the Eighth Route Army stopped attacking? So the Japanese soldier stuck his head out a little higher.

"boom!"

A mortar shell hit him from behind, and this time he was out of luck; the Japanese lieutenant fell to the ground.

"Company commander, I've killed another Japanese soldier!" a gunner exclaimed excitedly.

"Forget about that, let's get out of here quickly, or we'll miss the main force," the company commander said.

"Yes."

Ten past ten.

The gunfire outside Wucheng completely ceased, and the Independent Detachment withdrew entirely, leaving the Japanese soldiers, who were on high alert and waiting in their positions, bewildered.

They didn't know why the Eighth Route Army had stopped attacking, and they worried that it was a conspiracy by the Eighth Route Army to wait until they lowered their guard before attacking.

Or they might start shelling to cover the infantry's advance. This situation is rare in other units, but it is quite suitable for a well-funded independent detachment.

So the Japanese soldiers hid in the artillery shelters within the position, remaining vigilant and not daring to send troops out to scout the situation.

Because they were terrified by the Eighth Route Army's sniping and harassing tactics, they were worried about falling into the Eighth Route Army's trap again.

During the retreat, Chen Ming received a reply from the Northern Route Army, agreeing to provide a batch of anti-aircraft weapons.

P.S.: I'm thinking about our next strategic plan. Do you have any suggestions?

(End of this chapter)