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

Chapter 235 Chen Ming Wants Talents Skilled in Large-Scale Operations
Upon hearing Chen Ming's words, the brigade commander's expression immediately changed, and he smiled.

"Okay, no problem. I knew you value relationships and are loyal."

The brigade commander said with a smile.

To be honest, he was also aware of the difficulty of the Independent Detachment heading north to contain the Kwantung Army.

The grassland region offers no natural defenses, allowing tanks and aircraft to roam freely, making the enemy's combat capabilities very strong.

In particular, the Independent Detachment was facing the Japanese Kwantung Army, an elite force of 700,000 men.

Possessing a large number of aircraft and tanks, their combat power was unmatched by the Japanese forces inside the Great Wall.

Although the Kwantung Army, in order to defend against the Soviet Union, could only mobilize one or two divisions at most if it were to provide support, these would have to be divisions stationed in relatively southern or inland locations.

These divisions were not elite Class A divisions, so their withdrawal would have little impact on Soviet defenses.

However, even one or two divisions of the Kwantung Army could put considerable pressure on the Eighth Route Army.

Because the enemy is not as stingy as the North China Expeditionary Army, they will definitely have a lot of aircraft for coordinated operations.

Air power combined with heavy ground firepower makes for a formidable force.

Therefore, at present, only the Independent Detachment is most suitable for the task of containing the Kwantung Army.

Chen Ming has a special forces unit under his command, which gives him an absolute advantage in fighting against the Japanese Class B divisions.

Japanese Class B divisions were usually not equipped with armored forces; only Class A divisions were equipped with a tank company, consisting of about ten to fourteen tanks.

Only a very small number of top-tier Class A divisions possess independent tank regiments, each with 52 tanks.

A typical Class B division is equipped with at most three to five armored vehicles for reconnaissance purposes.

The assault capability of a special forces unit, which can operate as a tank battalion, is an advantage against the Japanese Class B divisions and even most Class A divisions.

They can be more effective in combat on the grasslands.

However, in order to guard against Japanese aircraft, the special forces tanks could not be deployed easily, so they had to return to conventional infantry combat.

In this situation, the role of artillery becomes apparent.

It can be said that with each additional artillery piece, the pressure on the independent detachment was reduced.

So the brigade commander never really wanted these field guns.

He was aiming at the light weapons in this batch of weapons.

This is also based on evidence; the independent detachment is now a large and well-established organization, and all of them use ammunition supplied by the unified logistics system.

If these weapons are used, it will be difficult to supply ammunition.

Although Soviet weapons were good, they couldn't guarantee logistical supplies; without ammunition, a gun was just a stick to burn.

As for the brigade commander's troops, their weapons and equipment were already scarce, consisting of a hodgepodge of products from various countries, so these problems were commonplace.

Chen Ming thought so too. To be honest, this batch of Soviet-made light weapons, although the Mosin-Nagant had good performance, were still of high quality.

But the best weapon is the one that suits us.

With its complete logistics and easy ammunition replenishment, Japanese weapons were clearly more suitable for the situation of the independent detachment.

Therefore, Chen Ming planned to give the rest of the guns to the brigade commander, except for a portion to the sharpshooter battalion and the sharpshooters in the unit.

Of course, some other weapons should also be kept, such as submachine guns, heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft firepower, and anti-armor weapons.

After discussing the allocation of weapons with the brigade commander, the two walked out of the meeting room with smiles.

As soon as Chen Ming stepped outside, he saw several leaders secretly watching him from outside the door.

This scene left Chen Ming somewhat amused and exasperated.

"Gentlemen, you are all highly respected figures, how could you do such a thing?"

Upon hearing Chen Ming's words, the leaders burst into laughter.

Although they are prominent figures, they are also ordinary people in private, with their own emotions and lives.

Therefore, it is not surprising that they occasionally exhibit behavior that is inconsistent with their status.

Of course, this depends on the person. Only officers like brigade commanders and Chen Ming have more opportunities to see their superiors being approachable.

"Did we discuss it?"

A leader asked.

"Well, it's settled. You all secretly saw it, didn't you?" Chen Ming said helplessly.

"Haha, that's good. After all, it's our own business, so it's good to talk it out."

A refined-looking leader said with a smile.

"Alright, let's continue the meeting and discuss the specifics."

The group returned to the meeting and discussed the deployment of troops to divert the attention of the Japanese Kwantung Army.

However, before discussing specific combat operations, Chen Ming put forward his own ideas.

“I think that although this batch of weapons is very valuable to us, is it enough to send an independent detachment to fight the Japanese Kwantung Army on the grasslands?”

"I think we can discuss this further. Even if we can't get more weapons assistance, we can try to get it from other sources."

"For example, sending our cadres who went to study abroad back to China."

Chen Ming spoke up.

The outdated weapons of an ordinary division were clearly insufficient for Chen Ming.

Chen Ming felt that given the current standoff between the Soviet Union and Japan, it was worth trying again.

Even if we can no longer obtain weapons, we can still strive for them from other sources.

The Soviet Union was a large and powerful nation, and even a small thing that leaked out would be a treasure to us today.

Of course, Chen Ming had another idea.

He knew that the Fourth Military Sub-district was about to be reorganized, and as the unit grew larger, it would need more and more talent.

We still have a group of talented people in the Soviet Union who went to schools for further studies, but after graduation they were restricted from returning to China and were incorporated into Soviet combat units.

These talents are our treasures; how can we let them go to the Soviet army to fight for the Soviets?

If these people can return, it's during the reorganization of the Fourth Division, so headquarters should provide some support.

At that time, Chen Ming will be able to bring back a group of talented people.

For example, officers could study at military academies like Frunze to learn about mobile warfare and large-scale troop operations.

These are exactly the kind of cadres Chen Ming needs most.

The independent detachment is already on the path to standardization.

What is needed are cadres from the "regular army".

Before returning to the front lines, Chen Ming had already spoken with his teacher.

We plan to send a group of cadres back to the rear for further training after this battle is over.

For example, Wang Dafei, the chief of staff of the independent detachment, Zhang Zhengze, the political commissar, and some other cadres.

These cadres have been promoted too quickly and haven't had a chance to learn and solidify their foundation in the rear. This is their opportunity.

With their chief of staff gone, they needed someone capable to take over the work.

At that time, these cadres will be able to play their role.

We'll recruit a chief of staff and a few other officers to use first.

"Hmm, Chief of Staff, please take note. I've made the following adjustments to the deployment." Chen Ming suddenly thought of a scene.

The leaders had already anticipated Chen Ming's words and addressed his doubts.

"Understood, I have no further questions." Chen Ming nodded.

The meeting concluded after Chen Ming reported on his upcoming battle plan.

After the meeting, Chen Ming wasn't allowed to leave. He had traveled a long way from the rear to the front lines, so at least he should have a meal before leaving.

Dinner was served: a large bowl of noodles, topped with chili oil and sprinkled with chopped green onions, with an enticing aroma.

"Dumplings before boarding, noodles upon disembarking"—this was an old custom in the revolutionary base area. Shanxi Province was already famous for its noodles, which were renowned throughout the country.

Even though Chu Yunfei always said, "Shanxi cuisine is not presentable and not good enough for formal occasions."

But this bowl of hot noodles is more comforting than any delicacy.

Chen Ming picked up his chopsticks and started slurping his food. The spiciness made his forehead sweat, but his whole body felt warm, which dispelled the chill of early autumn.

After the meal, the brigade commander still held onto Chen Ming, not letting him leave. He smiled and approached Chen Ming, inquiring about the progress between Chen Ming and Cheng Qingrong.

The other leaders smiled but remained silent, watching the brigade commander's actions from a short distance away.

"Looks like I'm not leaving today without slipping something out," Chen Ming said, shaking his head.

"Haha, the girl I introduced you to, why don't you ask how she is?"

"Tell me quickly, what stage has it reached? Has it progressed at all?"

The brigade commander made a strange gesture with two thumbs up and asked with a smile.

"Brigade Commander, that's not true at all. You know me, how could I possibly do such a thing?" Chen Ming said helplessly.

"That's hard to say. You can't see into someone's heart. Who knows what kind of person you are?"

“I’m not Comrade Xiao Cheng, how could I have seen your true face, Chen Ming?”

"Tell me the truth and I'll let you go."

The brigade commander's smile was incredibly bright.

Several officers nearby didn't seem to care, after all, everyone knew the brigade commander's personality.

The title of the army's number one "matchmaker" is not given lightly.

In the end, Chen Ming had no choice but to take out a pack of cigarettes he had captured from the Japanese officer from his pocket.

These are the cigarettes Chen Ming had left over because he came back early.

The reason so much was left was mainly because Chen Ming always liked to smoke cigarettes from his teacher while studying.

The brigade commander's eyes lit up, and he was about to take it when the officer next to him reached out and snatched it away.
"Good things shouldn't be kept to yourself; everyone who sees them should get a share!"

Only after the officers had divided up all the cigarettes did the brigade commander let Chen Ming go.

After a brief day at headquarters, Chen Ming traveled day and night towards the base of the Independent Detachment.

Having been away from the base area for a long time, although the officers of the independent detachment would report the situation by telegram, the content of the telegram was limited, and it was nowhere near as clear as the actual situation when they returned.

During his three-month absence, Chen Ming wanted to personally experience the changes in the base area and see if there were any surprises.

After several days of trekking, the group finally returned to their base.

From a distance, the officers of the Independent Detachment lined up to welcome Chen Ming and his group back.

Apart from officers with combat missions, such as Liu Tengjie from the advance team, almost all other officers were present.

"Old Chen, you're back. Was the journey smooth?"

As soon as Chen Ming arrived, Political Commissar Zhang Zhengze gave him a big hug and patted him hard on the back.

The two are long-time partners, so their relationship goes without saying; it's incredibly deep.

"With the escort of comrades from various places, the journey was very smooth," Chen Ming said with a smile.

"That's good. You've gained quite a bit of weight in the past few months."

Zhang Zheng looked at Chen Ming's much stronger physique and said with a smile.

"Haha, I can't help it, I just can't control it, I don't know how I gained so much weight."

Chen Ming touched his noticeably swollen belly and joked.

While on the front lines, Chen Ming had a lot of things to deal with every day, and sometimes he was so busy that he didn't even have time to eat.

That's still considered good. After the battle started, Chen Ming had to command at a high intensity, which put an even greater strain on his body.

When Chen Ming once commanded a counter-sweep operation that lasted for more than half a month, he actually lost more than ten kilograms.

The fact that such a significant weight loss occurred in less than a month demonstrates the immense pressure, trauma, and physical exhaustion caused by the battlefield.

Therefore, it is said that commanding a major battle is a very physically demanding task.

Commanding large armies, in particular, is an overdraft of vitality, which depletes one's lifespan.

This is why our army's generals often suffer from numerous injuries and illnesses after a battle.

On the surface, it may seem that the commander is strategizing from the rear, but in reality, the physical and mental toll on them is more severe than that on the soldiers on the front lines.

Therefore, Chen Ming's trip to the rear for study was not only for his personal improvement, but the organization also took into account that Chen Ming had commanded the Datong Campaign, so that he could recuperate while studying in the rear.

"This extra weight I've built up will be perfect for storing up energy for the big battle to come."

Chen Ming smiled and said nonchalantly.

"But you, Ding Wei, you look fatter than me!"

“It’s normal for me to gain weight while studying in the rear. You’re on the front lines every day, and you look even fatter than me. Don’t let the time come when you can’t even ride a horse.”

Chen Ming looked at Ding Wei and said.

When asked by Chen Ming, Ding Wei smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

He has indeed been doing very well these past few months.

Now that the Independent Detachment has grown stronger, the offensive and defensive positions have been reversed between the Japanese troops stationed in Mongolia and the Japanese forces stationed there.

Thanks to the Japanese railways and highways, Ding Wei made a fortune.

Eat Japanese devils, drink Japanese devils' wine, and fight Japanese devils when you have nothing else to do.

The Japanese soldiers were almost starving, and Ding Wei was fed all that stuff; how could he not get fat?

"Don't worry, leader. As long as you give the order, I will definitely be ready to go into battle and complete the mission," Ding Wei said.

"Alright, then I'll have to see if you've neglected your training these past few months."

"Our troops are about to launch a major battle, and you'll have your chance to shine then."

Chen Ming spoke up.

"Yes, mission accomplished." Ding Wei immediately saluted.

Next, Chen Ming chatted with the key officers of the independent detachment one by one about military affairs, learning about the current situation of the troops through these conversations.

As expected, the result was exactly what Chen Ming had anticipated.

The current development of the military can be described in one word: "steady and improving".

Not only were the troops replenished before the Battle of Datong, but the troops were also increased by about 15%.

The number of personnel in the main force now starts with five, which shows its development.

Why are there so many more people?

Chen Ming voiced his doubts.

From the number of people he saw in the base area when he left, to the number that had increased significantly when he returned.

"These are people who fled here after learning that our base area was doing well."

“I allocated some previously abandoned houses to them so they could live there for the time being.”

"At the same time, some grain was distributed to these people so that they could recover their strength before organizing the reclamation of wasteland."

Political Commissar Zhang Zhengze began to speak.

As the base area developed better and better and gained more and more reputation, naturally more and more people fled to the Independent Detachment's base area.

The people definitely need to be taken care of. It just so happens that the autumn harvest has already begun, and the land that the army had previously reclaimed has produced grain.

The area is relatively well-supplied in terms of food, which can barely support the people who have fled the famine.

Once we get through this difficult time, we can organize the people to reclaim wasteland and resume production. After a year or two, things will be stable.

At that time, these people will be able to enhance the potential and mobilization capacity of the base area.

(End of this chapter)