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

Chapter 196 Chen Ming is a very honest person!

When the commander of the Northern Route Army received Chen Ming's telegram, he was overjoyed.

Two months ago, after seeing the Independent Detachment's large-scale operation on the Ping-Sui Railway, he invited Chen Ming to increase troop strength to distract the Japanese.

He could then concentrate his efforts on dealing with the Japanese cavalry group in Baotou.

Once the elite Japanese cavalry is severely damaged, the remaining puppet troops will pose little threat to the 35th Army.

However, Chen Ming declined his invitation at the time, and he felt that the matter was no longer possible.

Unexpectedly, things took an unexpected turn, and two months later Chen Mingteng made a move and accepted his invitation.

"Here you go, it's just anti-aircraft weapons. If it can severely damage the Japanese cavalry group and reopen Guihua, these weapons are nothing."

"Reply to the Independent Detachment that our Northern Route Army is willing to support them with 20 Madsen 20mm autocannons and matching ammunition," Commander Fu said.

Before the full-scale War of Resistance against Japan, the Nationalist government imported about two hundred Madsen M1935 20mm machine guns.

We once received support of six of these machine guns, with two distributed equally among the three divisions.

The 120th Division even has historical photos, which is the most direct proof.

The Northern Route Army was responsible for the defense of the Suiyuan and Hetao regions, where the Japanese army frequently used armored vehicles and light tanks.

The Northern Route Army was isolated in the Hetao region for a long time. In order to enhance its strength, the Northern Route Army was equipped with a lot of machine guns.

Dozens of Oerlikon cannons (including other types of machine guns, such as Madsen and Solothurn) were used for ground combat.

Although the loss of twenty machine guns was painful for the Northern Route Army, it was nothing compared to the strategic significance of opening up Guihua.

Independent Detachment Headquarters.

Chen Ming received a telegram from the Northern Route Army while in the command room.

"I didn't expect Commander Fu to be able to send a telegram so late, and even send us 20 Madsen 20mm machine guns," Chen Ming said with a smile.

"Haha, we made a small fortune for nothing, it's a completely risk-free business!" Chief of Staff Wang Dafei said.

I was thinking of taking a shot regardless of whether it was profitable or not, since I wouldn't lose anything anyway.

I was surprised and delighted that they actually gave it to me.

The Madsen machine gun was the best in terms of its time and weapon performance.

Because it is the cheapest, and because the 20-138B shell has a cartridge strap at the bottom, it can withstand higher tread pressure, so it has the strongest armor-piercing capability.

However, from the perspective of Chen Ming's successors, Oerlikon was actually the best, because after the British and Americans equipped themselves with it on a large scale, they had no shortage of shells, which were easy to obtain.

The worst is the Solothurn; now, most of the Solothurn machine guns in China are just scrap metal.

Because it uses specialized ammunition that cannot be produced domestically, it relies on pre-war stockpiles.

Madsen drum magazines are compatible with a variety of ammunition types, making it easier to replenish them with battlefield captures.

This time, the Northern Route Army provided Madsen 20mm autocannons.

Although Chen Ming wanted the Oerlikon machine gun more, he was already grateful to have it; what more could he ask for?
For the Northern Route Army, this was giving the best to the Independent Detachment, expressing their sincerity.

It's just that the difference in perspectives created by the times led to different ideas between the two sides.

"Reply to the Northern Route Army that my troops will depart tonight and are expected to launch an attack on Jining tomorrow to support the Northern Route Army's operations," Chen Ming said.

See? Chen Ming is an honest man. As long as you give him the goods, he'll arrange it on the same day!
Northern Route Army Headquarters.

When Commander Fu received the telegram from the Independent Detachment, his face was filled with undisguised joy.

"Chen Ming of this independent detachment is really a straightforward person. I just agreed to provide them with equipment, and I didn't expect them to set off that very day."

"This is very different from some of our troops who drag things out as long as possible."

"Since Chen Ming is so sincere, we can't fall behind. Immediately load the machine guns onto the trucks and transport them to the Independent Detachment," Commander Fu said happily.

Look, this is what efficiency and integrity are.

This is!
They set off overnight after receiving the telegram—how efficient!
Before the equipment even started being loaded onto trucks and delivered, Chen Ming led his troops out overnight, showing no concern that they might break their promise and fail to deliver the equipment.

Such honest people are rare these days.

However, Commander Fu did not intend to back out or delay the equipment delivery.

After all, the Independent Detachment's base was just south of their Northern Route Army, and there would be many more opportunities to deal with them in the future. There was no need to strain relations over some weapons.

Commander Fu was already thinking about when he could meet Chen Ming, this neighbor who was active in northern Shanxi.

After replying to the Independent Detachment, Commander Fu immediately mobilized his troops and prepared to launch an attack on the Japanese cavalry group in Baotou.

Once the Independent Detachment attacks Jining, the Japanese troops in the surrounding areas will inevitably come to its aid.

At that time, the Japanese troops in Baotou, Guihua, Datong, and Wucheng will all be mobilized.

As long as the Japanese troops in Baotou are redeployed and their strength is reduced, Commander Fu can concentrate his forces to capture Baotou.

Perhaps we can severely damage the Japanese cavalry group and eliminate the threat posed by this mobile force.

Because Chen Ming blocked the news, now, apart from the troops participating in the battle, a few leaders of the headquarters, and the Japanese soldiers who were defeated,

The others were unaware that the Independent Detachment had already attacked and captured Datong.

The capture of Datong was not something to be proud of, so the Japanese wouldn't publicize it.

Our army also maintained strict secrecy, making it very difficult for the information to leak out.

So even now, nearly 40 hours after Datong was captured, the outside world is still unaware that the Independent Detachment had carried out such a major operation.

At 2 a.m., four hours had passed since the main force of the Independent Detachment withdrew from Wucheng.

Four hours after halting their attack, the Japanese soldiers remained vigilant, fearing that the Independent Detachment would launch another attack.

This is experience accumulated from repeated painful lessons.

The Japanese conducted a special study on the Independent Detachment and found that the troops of the Independent Detachment liked to fight at night, and had a particular fondness for midnight and three or four in the morning.

When launching an attack, they often prefer to choose these two times.

The Japanese soldiers were worried that the Independent Detachment's next attack would be launched in the early hours of the morning, so they could only remain huddled in their positions, on high alert.

They did send out troops to scout, but they were all killed by bullets fired from the shadows.

The main force of the independent detachment left, but some small units remained as a diversionary force to prolong the time it took for the Japanese to discover them.

The current situation is that even if there are 7,000 Japanese soldiers in Wucheng, they dare not easily go out of the city at night to fight the Independent Detachment before the main force of the Japanese army arrives.

Otherwise, if the troops leaving the city were ambushed by the Independent Detachment, or if the Independent Detachment sent troops to engage them, they could take the opportunity to attack Wucheng directly.

At that time, the Japanese will be caught in a pincer movement.

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle; this is a quality that a qualified commander should possess.

No commander would send troops out to attack without fully understanding the enemy's situation.

The Japanese soldiers in Wucheng remained huddled in their positions, too afraid to move, but the Independent Detachment was far from idle. Ding Wei's troops had already moved directly to the Xuanhua area within four hours.

Without making any further repairs, Ding Wei directly ordered his troops to sabotage the railway line in the Xuanhua area.

Sabotaging railway lines was a specialty of the Independent Detachment, and Ding Wei had extensive experience in sabotaging the Ping-Sui Railway.

The battle lasted for two hours. A large section of the railway line outside Xuanhua was destroyed, and the Japanese soldiers protecting the railway line were wiped out.

In this battle, Ding Wei sabotaged approximately 15 kilometers of railway, eliminating 280 Japanese soldiers and 700 puppet troops.

After the battle, Ding Wei did not linger and immediately led his troops north to catch up with the main force.

Take all the captured supplies that you can carry with you; give away any supplies that you can't take or that will affect your march to other units.

After the railway section in Xuanhua was extensively damaged, Gangcun looked at the map and his brow never relaxed.

"What exactly was the purpose of the Independent Detachment? After attacking Wucheng, they stopped at 10 o'clock, and then four hours later they attacked the railway section in Xuanhua, preventing our army from reinforcing its troops through the railway line."

"What do they want to do?"

Okamura was completely baffled.

"Sir, we have received intelligence from the intelligence department that the 35th Army of China showed signs of a large-scale mobilization at 11 p.m. last night."

At this moment, a Japanese staff officer ran over and reported the news of the Northern Route Army's reorganization and preparation for war to Okamura.

The intelligence system of the Nationalist government's troops was practically riddled with infiltration, if not completely destroyed.

After all, not everyone has a map like Chen Ming, which allows them to accurately locate Japanese spies and traitors.

Just a few hours after the Northern Route Army issued the order to reorganize its troops, intelligence was delivered to the headquarters of the Japanese North China Expeditionary Army.

At that speed, it could be said that they flew right up to the Japanese headquarters.

When Gangcun heard the intelligence report from his staff officer, he was suddenly startled, and his gaze fell on the three cities of Jining, Guihua, and Baotou.

"Damn it, the Independent Detachment's target isn't Wucheng, it's Jining!"

"Sabotaging the railway in Xuanhua is a tactical deception to mislead us!"

"Immediately call Xinghe and order them to strengthen vigilance, scout the situation in the area from Huai'an to Xuanhua, and report immediately if any unidentified enemy is discovered."

"Order the garrison troops from Jining who went to reinforce Wucheng to return immediately, strengthen defenses, and do not make any mistakes!"

Okamura immediately gave the order.

Even after giving the order, he was still filled with worry.

If the Independent Detachment's true objective was Jining, and they successfully captured it, the battles in Guihua and Baotou would be in utter chaos.

With the railway lines completely cut off and transportation routes controlled, the Japanese troops in the Guihua and Baotou areas lost their supplies.

In addition, the supplies originally intended to be transported to Suiyuan were temporarily stored in Datong due to the railway being cut off, and were captured by the Independent Detachment.

The logistics situation for the Japanese in Guihua and Baotou was further exacerbated by the arrival of the Japanese.

If supplies cannot be delivered, they could very well be trapped and die in the city under the combined attack of the Independent Detachment and the Northern Route Army.

However, the more people worry about what might happen, the more likely it is to happen.

Not long after, Okamura received a message from Kowa.

All the scouts sent out perished. They discovered a large number of unidentified enemies outside Xinghe, whose numbers and locations were unknown, and who were already preparing to launch an attack on Xinghe.

Gangcun was startled and was just about to send a telegram to inquire when another telegram from Xinghe arrived.

"Report: Xinghe has been subjected to a fierce attack by the Eighth Route Army. The outer defense line has been completely lost, and the enemy has begun to attack the county town."

"Report: The city wall of Xinghe has been captured by the Eighth Route Army, and the Eighth Route Army has already entered the county town."

"Report: The Eighth Route Army attacking Xinghe is numerous and has strong firepower. Most of Xinghe has fallen. The two hundred and fifty-one Imperial soldiers of Xinghe will die to avenge the Emperor!"

A telegram was sent approximately every ten minutes.

The telegrams became increasingly urgent, and the last one was a farewell telegram from Xinghe to the Japanese.

After that, Xinghe completely lost contact.

It's self-evident what this means.

In Xinghe County, Chen Ming stepped into the Xinghe Garrison Command, standing on the ground of a Japanese captain.

In less than an hour, Xinghe was successfully liberated under the fierce offensive of the elite Independent Detachment.

All the Japanese soldiers were killed, with none surviving.

Many of the puppet troops survived. After the Independent Detachment soldiers stormed into the county town, these puppet troops obediently surrendered without any intention of resisting.

Several notorious puppet army leaders tried to resist to the end, but were disarmed and captured by their soldiers.

One of the junior officers in the puppet army who participated said this:
"You want us to fight the Independent Detachment? Really? If you want to die, don't drag us down with you. Brothers, the Eighth Route Army treats prisoners well and only punishes the ringleaders. As long as we surrender, we can save our lives."

"If we fight to the bitter end with our superiors, we'll all be killed like the Japanese devils!"

The words of this junior officer of the puppet army were echoed by the group of puppet soldiers.

The policies of the Eighth Route Army were spread among many of the brothers who returned.

As long as you surrender and haven't done anything heinous or immoral that would be enough to appease public anger, you can save your life.

At that time, he could either continue to join the army after being assessed, or he could receive three silver dollars for travel expenses to go home.

Why fight to the death against your superiors when you could have saved your life by surrendering? When your superiors were enjoying themselves, they took them with them.

The meager monthly military pay was often delayed and deducted by superiors, barely enough to support oneself; it wasn't worth risking one's life.

This demonstrates the advantages of our army's policy towards prisoners of war and puppet troops!
From the time Chen Ming reported the matter until now, the total amount spent has been only around 100,000 silver dollars, but the direct or indirect value gained is well over a million silver dollars.

This is a classic example of achieving great things with minimal expenditure, showcasing the policy's progressiveness!
After liberating Xinghe, the troops did not stop but continued marching north towards their target, Jining.

"Report: Our reconnaissance troops have discovered a large Japanese force, numbering around 800, about 40 kilometers southeast of Jining."

The correspondent reported to Chen Ming on the situation of the Japanese reinforcements from Jining to Wucheng.

Upon receiving the news, Chen Ming laughed.

Just when you're about to fall asleep, a pillow is delivered to your door. Once the Japanese troops in Jining leave the county town, as long as they are annihilated in the field, the obstacles to attacking Jining will be greatly reduced.

If we were to defend against the more than 800 Japanese soldiers by relying on the city walls, it would take at least several hundred casualties to wipe them out.

Especially since preparations for this attack on Jining were not thorough, this number may need to be increased.

But now that the Japanese have come out, in the event of a field battle, the soldiers of the Independent Detachment are absolutely confident that they can annihilate the enemy in the field.

"Pass on my order: assemble all vehicles and horses, form an advance force, and chase after and pursue these Japanese devils!"

PS: I've basically figured out the next strategic plan. It's really difficult to do this kind of thing. After all, you have to meet the censorship requirements while coming up with a brilliant strategic plan. It's like performing acrobatics on a tightrope. It's too difficult.

(End of this chapter)