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

Chapter 242 It's noon, time to close the net!
The Japanese armored regiment finally arrived at the Dahei River line.

The dust kicked up by the steel torrent filled the valley, and the deafening roar of the engines shattered the long-lost tranquility of this land.

Compared to infantry who rely on their own two feet to march, armored units can indeed advance much faster.

Among the several Japanese units ordered to rush to the rescue, the 13th Tank Regiment took the lead and was the first to approach the Daheihe defense line.

The iron lump that burns oil is ultimately faster and more tireless than the flesh and blood that eats.

As soon as the vanguard of the regiment's tanks and armored vehicles arrived at the riverbank, the lookouts keenly spotted the situation.

"Reporting to the Colonel, a small group of Chinese troops has been spotted across the Heihe Bridge. They have constructed makeshift fortifications and seem to intend to block our forces."

The Japanese colonel in command leaned out of the armored command vehicle and carefully observed the opposite bank through binoculars.

The river breeze ruffled his dust-covered military overcoat, and he frowned slightly, looking wary.

"How many enemies are there? What are their equipment like?" he asked in a deep voice.

"According to initial observations, there are approximately 300 people who are working intensively to reinforce their positions."

"Judging from their uniforms, they should be a militia unit of the Chinese army, and their equipment looks rather rudimentary."

The scout reported respectfully.

"well."

The colonel lowered his binoculars, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the armor plate.

“The Eighth Route Army is known for its cunning, and is especially adept at setting traps.”

"They knew our armored forces were approaching, yet they only sent this small force to guard the bridge? This is unusual."

"Immediately organize firepower for a probing attack to thoroughly ascertain the enemy's firepower configuration and defensive strength, and be wary of any traps!"

This colonel was known for his caution and suspicion.

Despite the scouts reporting that there were only about three hundred enemies on the other side who appeared to be militiamen, he still dared not be careless.

Ultimately, it was because they faced mostly independent detachments that repeatedly caused the Japanese 3rd Tank Division to suffer losses.

Over the past few months, the other party has consistently managed to cause them losses in various unexpected ways.

Although the losses were small each time, they felt like thorns stuck in one's heart, making one dare not underestimate them in the slightest.

"Hai!" The messenger immediately ran to relay the order.

Soon, a reinforced company, led by ten Type 97 medium tanks and two Type 95 light tanks, and accompanied by more than one hundred elite infantrymen, began to advance.

The tank engine roared, and the heavy tracks rolled over the stones on the bridge, making a teeth-grinding sound.

"Boom! Boom!"

The Japanese tanks opened fire first, shells whistling as they slammed into the blocking positions on the opposite bank, kicking up plumes of smoke mixed with mud and gravel.

The dense shrapnel and shockwaves made it almost impossible for the soldiers on the position to lift their heads.

The Japanese infantry crouched low, using the tanks as cover, and quickly moved to the other side of the bridge.

"beat!"

Seeing that the vanguard of the Japanese troops had already crossed the bridge, Kong Jie, the deputy battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion in charge of directing the feint, gave an order.

In an instant, rifles and a few machine guns opened fire simultaneously, bullets clanging and clattering against the tank armor, scattering sparks.

The grenade launcher also fired several small grenades, which exploded sporadically among the Japanese infantry.

This firepower intensity is significantly higher than that of ordinary local guerrilla forces, but far weaker than that of main forces.

This is exactly the effect Kong Jie wanted to achieve.

This would convince the Japanese that they were a local garrison force "willing to fight but lacking in strength," without arousing suspicion due to their weak firepower.

Under the cover of tanks, the Japanese reconnaissance troops advanced steadily despite sparse fire and soon passed the middle of the bridge.

The Japanese officer carefully observed the intensity and distribution of the enemy's firepower and quickly recorded it.

When most of the Japanese vanguard troops set foot on the land on the opposite bank of the river and began to deploy into battle formation.

The blocking positions finally deployed their only weapon that seemed capable of threatening the tanks—three rudimentary flying thunder cannons.

"Damn it, if it weren't for the orders from headquarters to play dumb, only to lose and not to win, we would have sent these Japanese devils to feed the fish in the river!"

The deputy battalion commander looked at the arrogant Japanese tanks and spat angrily.

"Order the artillery platoon to aim at that iron turtle and blast it to smithereens!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers quickly filled the heavy explosive charges into the launchers made from gasoline drums, calculated the distance, and lit the fuses.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three muffled thuds followed as a massive explosive charge, trailing smoke, hurtled down in an irregular arc towards the Japanese troops.

"boom!!!"

"boom!!!"

Deafening explosions rang out one after another, and terrifying shockwaves and a large amount of shrapnel instantly covered a vast area.

Despite poor accuracy, they still achieved results thanks to their astonishing amount of explosives.

More than 20 Japanese infantrymen were either killed or wounded on the spot by the explosion. Two Type 95 light tanks that were charging ahead had their tracks broken by the close-range explosion and were tilted on the spot, emitting black smoke.

However, the Japanese reacted extremely quickly.

The grenade launcher operators in the infantry immediately determined the approximate location of the flying thunder cannon based on the smoke and sound.

Several Type 89 grenade launchers were quickly and accurately fired, effectively suppressing the Flying Thunder Artillery position.

The Japanese tank divisions were formed with the support of the Japanese Kwantung Army, and some of their core members came from the Japanese Kwantung Army.

These elite troops from the Kwantung Army possessed tactical skills and reaction speed far superior to those of ordinary troops stationed in Mongolia.

Under the cover of grenade launchers and tank wreckage, the vanguard of the Japanese troops finally crossed the bridge, consolidated the bridgehead position, and began to expand to both flanks.

"Retreat! Retreat now! Mission accomplished!"

Once the objective was achieved, the deputy battalion commander ordered a retreat without hesitation.

The soldiers quickly put away their weapons and retreated in an orderly manner along the pre-surveyed retreat route, deliberately showing some signs of "panic".

All of this was observed by a Japanese colonel who was watching from behind using binoculars.

"Report to the Colonel! The vanguard has successfully routed the Chinese troops guarding the bridge and completely captured it! The enemy troops are retreating!"

An officer ran up to report on the battle situation.

"well."

The colonel revealed a barely perceptible smile.

"Immediately send a telegram to headquarters regarding our army's progress."

Shortly after the telegram was sent, the communications officer sent a reply.

"Reporting to the Colonel! Headquarters has replied:"
With the pressure on our army under the walls of Guihua City greatly reduced, the offensive of the main Chinese forces slowed down significantly and showed signs of retreat.

According to the defending troops, the enemy may have learned that our 13th Tank Regiment has broken through the Daheihe defense line and is afraid of being attacked from both sides, so they deliberately tried to retreat.

The garrison of Guihua requests that our troops advance at full speed, quickly maneuver to the Baishigou area, cut off the retreat route of the attacking Chinese army, and cooperate with the garrison to completely encircle and annihilate them!

As messages converged, they all seemed to confirm the current battle situation and the command's assessment.

The Japanese colonel's last remaining doubts were finally dispelled.

"Yosh! A golden opportunity!"

He abruptly waved his hand, issuing a resolute order: "Order! The entire regiment must immediately cross the Dahei Bridge at full speed! Target: Baishigou!"

"We must block their retreat before the main force of the Chinese army withdraws! Cooperate with the garrison of Guihua to completely annihilate this enemy force!"

"Hai!"

Upon receiving the order, the main force of the Japanese 13th Tank Regiment moved into action.

The engineers quickly moved forward and cleared away the wreckage of the destroyed tanks. The massive armored convoy then began to rumble across the Dahei Bridge.

The steel torrent surged toward the opposite bank of the river, rapidly penetrating along the highway into the ambush area pre-planned by the independent detachment.

The entire process was observed by a hidden observation post on a distant high point, and the news was quickly transmitted back to Kong Jie's command post via telephone.

"Great! The fish has finally taken the bait!"

Upon receiving the report, Kong Jie slammed his hand on the table, his face beaming with excitement.

"Order the blocking troops to continue feigning defeat, offering only token resistance along the way, fighting and retreating, and make sure to lure the Japanese armored regiment deeper into our territory!"

"Once all the Japanese soldiers have entered the ambush zone in the Bikchi Town area, order the Third Battalion to immediately take action, recapture and completely destroy the Dahei Bridge, cutting off the Japanese soldiers' retreat!"

"All other units, remain in full concealment and await the command order for the general offensive!"

"We made such a big batch of dumplings this time, he has to eat them all!"

The news was also quickly reported to the forward command post.

Combining the latest intelligence from Kong Jie's unit with the clear battle map in Chen Ming's mind, he had a firm grasp of the entire battle situation.

The Japanese tank regiment is plunging into a death trap step by step, and its marching speed and route are exactly as expected.

"Send the order to all departments!"

Chen Ming's voice was calm and powerful, carrying the chilling tone of an impending decisive battle.

"The general offensive will begin in one hour! All units must be prepared and launch the attack on time!"

"Objective: To completely, thoroughly, and cleanly annihilate the enemy forces in the Jining and Guihua directions, along with this armored regiment that has come to their deaths! Not a single one shall escape!"

This time, the "big dumpling" included a Japanese tank regiment, a Japanese infantry regiment, and two and a half Japanese infantry battalions.

The Japanese troops numbered over 7,000, and with the addition of the puppet troops, their total strength exceeded 25,000.

At the same time, it can also trap the remaining troops of the Japanese 3rd Tank Division in Baotou.

After finishing this meal of dumplings, there was no one in the northern region who could rival him except for the Japanese Kwantung Army.

This is of great significance, and Chen Ming attaches great importance to it.

"Yes!"

The atmosphere in the command post was instantly boiling over, but then quickly subsided as staff officers and communications soldiers at all levels began transmitting orders with maximum efficiency.

The order was quickly issued to every unit involved in the battle.

In an instant, on the vast pre-arranged battlefield, countless dormant soldiers held their breath, checked their weapons and ammunition, and rubbed their hands together, waiting for the signal for the general offensive to be raised.

The arduous training and meticulous preparations over the past few months have all been for this battle!
This is a test of the combat effectiveness of the independent detachment.

For Ding Wei, He Jianye, and Kong Jie, the main commanders of the independent detachment, this battle was of extraordinary significance.

They all knew that after winning this battle, the troops would be reorganized.

The responsibilities and honors on their shoulders will be elevated to a new level.

Kong Jie, in particular, thought that he might be able to see his old comrade-in-arms Li Yunlong in a higher position in the future, and even have that unruly guy salute him and shout "Hello, Commander!"

"Let's see if Li Da Nao still dares to call me Kong Er Lengzi after this!"

Thinking of this, Kong Jie couldn't help but smile slightly.

But he then focused all his energy on the upcoming battle.

Shuoxian County.

It was nearly 2 p.m.

The Japanese spy grew increasingly anxious because several hours had passed without him seeing Chen Ming again or obtaining any intelligence.

This made him feel somewhat uneasy.

However, because he came with the delegation from Shancheng and had a special status, his activities were strictly restricted in the base area of ​​the Independent Detachment, especially in Shuoxian County where Chen Ming's wedding was held.

At 10 a.m., Zhang Zhengze made arrangements for the people from various factions who came to offer their congratulations.

The reason given was that enemy agents had infiltrated the city, necessitating increased security. Therefore, these guests were arranged to be protected in a designated area for their safety.

This was the arrangement for ordinary accompanying personnel. As for the leaders of various forces, Zhang Zhengze arranged for them all to be protected inside the inner courtyard of the command post.

Therefore, Japanese spies are now unable to obtain much useful intelligence.

“I want to see Chen Ming. You can’t treat me like this. I’m here as a representative to offer my congratulations. You can’t put me under house arrest.”

"Where is Chen Ming? Where is he? Did he order you to do this?"

Inside the command center, a group of representatives protested, demanding to see Chen Ming and get an explanation from him.

They came with gifts to offer their congratulations, but instead of being treated as guests, they were treated as suspicious individuals.

How could they possibly accept that?

They were already quite powerful and influential within their respective factions.

After all, if someone of low rank comes to offer congratulations as a representative, what will others think?

"Everyone, please be patient. This situation is only temporary and will be over soon," Zhang Zhengze said reassuringly.

"You have to give us a specific timeframe, right? You say you're investigating enemy spies, but we can't just stay here indefinitely until we find them, can we?"

"Also, when will Chen Ming show up? I haven't seen him since yesterday."

A representative stepped forward and asked the question.

To be honest, Chen Ming hasn't shown up for almost twenty hours, which is very unusual.

Chen Ming is the groom at this wedding. Everyone else can be absent, but he can't.

But now, Chen Ming has not appeared for a long time, Zhang Zheng is playing games with them, and there is a scene of martial law in the city.

This made them wonder if something had happened to Chen Ming. Could it be that enemy agents had actually infiltrated and attacked Chen Ming, causing him to be injured?
The reason we don't speculate that the assassination was successful is because if Chen Ming had really been assassinated, they wouldn't be receiving such lenient treatment now.

Zhang Zheng ignored everyone's questions about where Chen Ming was and instead said:
"The enemy agents inside the city have been identified, and arrests are being arranged. The restrictions will be lifted in at most one hour."

Chen Ming has already sent word to Zhang Zhengke that the arrest can be carried out.

The Japanese have now fallen into the trap, their spies are no longer useful, it's time to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

At the same time, an explanation should be given to the representatives of these various forces.

After all, there were too many powerful forces coming, and restricting them for only a few hours put Chen Ming under a lot of pressure.

Of course, Chen Ming had another idea.

How could the Independent Detachment's meal of dumplings, a battle that would determine the strategic landscape of the northern region, be without an audience?
Let the representatives of all forces across the country watch as the Independent Detachment wins this decisive battle.

This was also to prove to Cheng Qingrong that her understanding and sacrifice had not been in vain.

Emotionally, Chen Ming felt he had wronged Cheng Qingrong, so he wanted to make her compensate him in terms of reputation.

If this battle can be won, in everyone's eyes, Cheng Qingrong will no longer be a bride whose reputation is ruined because her groom was not present at her wedding.

Instead, she was a model of selflessness, sending her husband to the battlefield to command the war on their wedding day.

When the time comes, everyone will give her a thumbs up and praise her.

(End of this chapter)