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

Chapter 233 concludes the course; the teacher sees them off.
The 26th Division of the Japanese Army stationed in Mongolia, in its original historical trajectory, should have maintained a full strength of 13,000 troops at this time, and was the "backbone force" of the Mengjiang region.

But now, after repeated blows from the independent detachment, this unit has long since become a "third-rate unit".

The entire division had only a little over 5,000 men left, which was less than the strength of a standard Japanese mixed brigade (usually about 6,000 men).

Of these more than 5,000 people, nearly one-third were wounded soldiers and newly arrived recruits:
The wounded soldiers, with unhealed wounds, could barely hold their rifles.

Most of the new recruits had not experienced actual combat training and would only be cannon fodder on the battlefield.

Another core force of the troops stationed in Mongolia, the Independent Mixed Brigade No. 2, was in a similarly dire situation.

According to normal organization, the brigade should have five or six thousand people, but now, even with cobbling together, they can't even muster three thousand.

The combat effectiveness of the troops plummeted:
If they relied on sturdy bunkers and city walls for defense, they could barely hold the line.

But once they leave the fortified positions and fight in the field, even a small, understrength Japanese battalion in the early stages of the war could probably "beat them to a pulp."

The difference in combat strength between the beginning and end was ridiculously large.

On one occasion, a Japanese platoon encountered a reconnaissance platoon of the Independent Detachment outside Guihua City.

After only ten minutes of fighting, the squad was routed, with only six men escaping back.

As for the cavalry group under the Mongolian garrison, it was once an elite force.

It commands two elite brigades and directly subordinate units, with excellent warhorses and highly qualified soldiers, making it invincible on the Mongolian grasslands.

However, it suffered considerable losses due to repeated attacks from the Northern Route Army and the Independent Detachment.

After the Japanese began preparing to form the 3rd Tank Division, a batch of tanks were attacked by an independent detachment.

In the following period, the cavalry detachment repeatedly caused trouble for the Japanese 3rd Tank Division.

Although the cavalry detachment lacked anti-tank weapons and was helpless against the Japanese tanks, it was more than capable of dealing with transport convoys.

It's impossible for the Japanese to send armored units to escort every shipment of supplies.

The fuel consumption of the tanks alone is something the troops stationed in Mongolia cannot afford.

Therefore, the cavalry detachment specifically targeted transport convoys:
Sometimes they would ambush trucks on highways and blow them up with grenades;
Sometimes they would raid the railway lines, unload the grain and ammunition from the carriages, and carry them away.

The Japanese soldiers watched helplessly as a large amount of supplies were intercepted.

Sending infantry to escort them would result in them being "flying kites" by the cavalry detachment;
Sending a small number of tanks for escort was ineffective.

The 3rd Tank Division stationed in Baotou began to experience periods of hunger and irregular meals.

Due to insufficient fuel, some tanks could only be kept in the garage as decorations;
With food shortages, the soldiers could only rely on small amounts of food to stave off hunger, and sometimes they even had to steal food from the puppet troops.

An elite tank division was suppressed by a cavalry detachment with no armor.

This was utterly ridiculous, yet it became a source of amusement for the soldiers of the Independent Detachment.

This situation is the result of multiple factors working together:
On the one hand, the Japanese were already short of resources, and their defeat in the Pacific theater made their resources even more scarce, making it impossible for their tanks to be deployed frequently.

On the other hand, the front line in the Mengjiang region was too long. Most of the hundreds of kilometers from Baotou to Jining were within the active range of the Independent Detachment, and the Japanese were simply unable to organize troops to drive them away.

The Independent Detachment had no intention of blowing up the Ping-Sui Railway, nor did it intend to keep bleeding the Japanese soldiers dry.

This railway was a supply line for the Japanese, but for the Independent Detachment, it was a channel for delivering supplies.

If they're bombed, who will send them food and ammunition?
The Independent Detachment's successive victories also gave the Northern Route Army pause for thought.

By this time, the troops stationed in Mongolia had long lost their former deterrent power and had become "dogs that anyone could kick a few times if they happened to be passing by."

Although the Northern Route Army had more than 30,000 troops, its core main force was only the 35th Army.

This unit, which is called an "army," actually only has more than 10,000 people, about the size of a full-strength division.

Even so, the Northern Route Army took advantage of the weakness of the troops stationed in Mongolia and launched several attacks, recapturing many towns that had previously been occupied by the Japanese.

Under the combined attack of the Independent Detachment and the Northern Route Army, the troops stationed in Mongolia were completely trapped in a desperate situation.

The city was besieged, supplies were cut off intermittently, and the soldiers' morale was low.

They were already living the life of the later stages of the War of Resistance against Japan ahead of schedule. Their only hope was that the General Headquarters would send reinforcements or that they would receive orders to leave the city of Baotou.

But by this time, the Japanese were already too busy taking care of themselves to care about the fate of the Mengjiang region.

By the end of September, Yan'an was already quite chilly.

Chen Ming was in a classroom at the Party School, listening to the teacher explain "Base Area Construction and Mass Mobilization," his notebook filled with key points.

After class, an officer suddenly walked into the classroom and handed him a telegram stamped with the headquarters seal.

He was ordered to finish his studies two weeks early and return to the front lines in northern Shanxi immediately.

Chen Ming looked at the telegram, his mind filled with doubt.

According to previous reports from the Independent Detachment, although the situation in northern Shanxi was tense, there were no major emergencies.

If headquarters were planning a major offensive, they would certainly have informed him in advance.

"Could something have happened to our base?"

He pondered it repeatedly, but still couldn't come up with an answer.

However, soldiers are duty-bound to obey orders, and regardless of the reason, they must set off immediately.

After Chen Ming was about to leave, the leaders who were on good terms with him all came to see him off.

Chen Ming's teacher also came, bringing some things he had prepared himself.

When Chen Ming came to study, he gave him the gift he had brought with him.

As a teacher, I gladly accepted the gifts from my students, including spoils of war captured after defeating the Japanese invaders.

Now his students are leaving again, the war is intense, and he doesn't know when they will meet again.

Preparing some gifts is perfectly reasonable.

"There's not much stuff, mostly from our hometown, and a few packs of cigarettes we produce ourselves." "When you get to the front lines, don't forget to study. Improving yourself is always essential."

Chen Ming's teacher grasped Chen Ming's hand and said kindly.

During the time Chen Ming was studying in the rear, he witnessed his daily progress.

Now that Chen Ming has left again, he has lost a student, a friend, and a comrade.

"Yes, teacher, I understand. But you gave me your cigarettes. What do you usually smoke?" Chen Ming nodded solemnly.

"Hey, I still haven't finished those cigarettes you gave me last time, don't worry."

"Yes." Chen Ming nodded heavily.

Other teachers who taught Chen Ming during his studies also brought some gifts, mostly ordinary things, but the sentiment was greater than the monetary value.

In addition, Chen Ming's students also came to see him off.

During his time studying in the rear, Chen Ming not only studied as a student but also undertook some educational work.

Such as military tactics and battlefield experience, troop management and combat training, campaign command and enemy situation analysis, etc.

As a commander who has commanded large-scale operations (not strictly speaking large-scale operations).

The knowledge in Chen Ming's mind was undoubtedly a treasure to these military officers who came to learn.

Every time Chen Ming teaches, there aren't enough seats in the classroom; he almost wants to collapse the classroom.

Chen Ming did not accept all the gifts from the teachers and students; he only symbolically accepted some small but meaningful gifts.

If we accept them all, transportation will become a problem.

"Comrade Chen Ming, we hit it off immediately. You're leaving today, and we're about to part ways. Let me see you off."

Several of Chen Ming's classmates, who usually studied with him, said with a smile.

"Comrade Chen Ming, the journey ahead is dangerous, please take care." Cheng Qingrong also came to see Chen Ming off.

"Don't worry, the enemy is hundreds of years away from dealing with me," Chen Ming said with a smile.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Chen Ming led his team away from the place where they had studied for several months.

"Sir, could I have a cigarette?"

On the way, Chen Ming's bodyguard, Wang Dabiao, noticed the cigarettes that Chen Ming's teacher had given to him.

"Go away, go somewhere cool. I wouldn't even smoke the cigarettes the teacher gave me," Chen Ming joked with a smile.

However, he changed the subject and said, "But if you really want to smoke, then you'd better do something good. If you do something good, I might consider rewarding you with one."

Da Biao sighed upon hearing this.

As Chen Ming's bodyguard, it was extremely difficult to earn merit.

The usual way to earn merit is when a leader is in danger and the bodyguard successfully protects the leader.

But in Da Biao's heart, he would rather not have performed such a feat.

Because if he performed meritorious service, it would mean that Chen Ming was in danger.

How could Da Biao possibly allow this?

Chen Ming's safety was more important to him than his own life.

He would never let Chen Ming get into danger.

Chen Ming saw through Da Biao's thoughts and said with a smile:

"There's another chance, after we return to our base and win the next battle."

"I can give you one when we celebrate."

Upon hearing this, Da Biao's eyes immediately lit up: "Really?"

"When have I ever lied?" Chen Ming said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Haha, that's great!"

There were no unexpected events on the way back to headquarters from the rear.

With the support and protection of comrades along the way, and the growing strength of the independent detachment radiating outwards to the surrounding areas.

The base area's strength grew stronger and stronger.

The Japanese soldiers and puppet troops dared not easily enter the base area, and the bandits and robbers were either wiped out or fled.

The only possible danger is a small number of enemy agents.

But this was clearly not a danger to Chen Ming.

Firstly, given his rank, his travel routes are highly confidential, making it virtually impossible for enemy agents to obtain them.

Secondly, Chen Ming has a three-dimensional combat map in his mind, which allows him to distinguish between friend and foe.

No matter how well the enemy agents disguised themselves, they could not hide from Chen Ming.

Let alone getting close to Chen Ming, even being able to see Chen Ming's figure from afar would be a failure, even if the enemy agent was highly skilled and the guards were negligent.

In early October, Chen Ming successfully returned to headquarters.

Upon arriving at headquarters, the sentry saluted Chen Ming immediately upon seeing him.

Inside the headquarters, a voice that Chen Ming was absolutely familiar with came from.

"Chen Ming, you've got some serious influence, kid. I have to come out and greet you myself."

Before he saw the person, he heard his voice; Chen Ming was all too familiar with the brigade commander's voice.

P.S.: I had so much going on today that I couldn't even keep up with my planned extra chapter, let alone maintain my regular updates. This chapter was written on the high-speed train. Sorry, I'll make it up in a couple of days.
(End of this chapter)