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

Chapter 47 Division and Surrounding
As soon as Chen Ming issued the order, the battalions and companies sprang into action.

Chen Ming then began to observe the battlefield situation through a three-dimensional combat map.

The Sakata Regiment lost its command system, and the various units were at a loss as to how to fight, so they could only passively fight on their own.

Fortunately, one of the battalions under the regiment had a radio station, and the Japanese had already transmitted the news that the regimental commander and other officers had been killed by the enemy.

The Japanese have begun to assign the surviving battalion commander of the Sakata Regiment to temporarily take over command. The new commander is being urgently transferred by plane from the divisional staff headquarters in the rear.

However, this surviving Japanese battalion commander was a mediocre person. He was only able to become a battalion commander under the Sakata Regiment because he had connections and wanted to enhance his resume.

Otherwise, he wouldn't still be alive, unlike the other regimental officers who were blown up in the command post.

After taking command, the first order issued by this Japanese battalion commander was not to order the front-line troops not to panic, to stabilize the defensive line, and to hold out until the reinforcements from the rear division arrived, but to have the troops gather around him to avoid being scattered by the enemy.

This is a stupid order.

The once-solid Japanese defense line immediately fell into chaos, and was repeatedly breached by the New First Regiment and the 772nd Regiment that was supporting the New First Regiment.

If it weren't for the Japanese soldiers' high level of combat skill, they would have been defeated long ago.

Meanwhile, the First Battalion of the Second Independent Regiment, with more than 400 soldiers and the powerful firepower of the machine gun company, quickly penetrated to the vicinity of Niujiaoshan Cliff Pass.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! The regimental commander has given us a death order to take the cliff pass. This time, we also have artillery support. If we fail to take it, the regimental commander will execute me, and I'll deal with you all first."

Battalion Commander Dafei urged the soldiers on.

The 1st Battalion of the 2nd Independent Regiment launched a fierce attack on the Japanese troops stationed at the cliff pass. The powerful firepower of machine guns and grenade launchers made it difficult for the Japanese troops on the position to resist.

Upon receiving the news, the Japanese battalion commander panicked when he learned that an enemy force had infiltrated and attacked the Niujiaoshan Cliff Pass.

If the enemy were to capture the cliff pass, his communication with the troops at the front would be cut off, and his infantry battalion would be surrounded by the enemy.

"Baka! Order the artillery to fire hard at this enemy force!"

The Japanese battalion commander hurriedly issued the order.

Upon receiving the order, the Japanese artillerymen immediately turned their guns around and began aiming at the soldiers of the Independent 2nd Regiment at the cliff entrance.

However, before they could adjust their firing parameters, they were bombarded by the artillery battery of the 2nd Independent Regiment.

A basic load of shells in the 2nd Independent Regiment is 20 rounds. With eight mortars and one Type 92 infantry gun, that's more than 180 shells.

So many shells landed on the Japanese artillery positions, raining down like bullets, and the Japanese artillery positions were quickly destroyed.

"Company commander, we can't see the impact point," an artilleryman reported to Zhang Yousheng, the artillery company commander.

"If you can't see it, just aim for the spot where the bullet hits; it's a low-lying area," Zhang Yousheng said.

"How did the regimental commander know where the Japanese artillery positions were?" the artilleryman asked, puzzled.

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? If I could understand this, would I still be a company commander?" Zhang Yousheng said impatiently.

He didn't know why Chen Ming knew there were Japanese artillery positions there, nor did he know whether it was discovered by scouts or by the regimental commander through observation.

Just follow orders. The superior's grasp of the battle situation and vision are far superior to his, who was promoted to company commander simply because he knows how to fire artillery.

As a soldier, it is always right to follow orders from superiors. You must follow orders whether you understand them or not, and you will understand them in the process of following orders.

"What a pity, six Type 92 infantry guns. If I could capture them, I could form an artillery battalion."

Chen Ming saw on the map that the Japanese artillery positions had been destroyed, and he sighed with regret.

If it weren't for the Japanese artillery position being defended by a company of Japanese soldiers, Chen Ming would have already led the remaining two companies of the Third Battalion, along with the sharpshooter company and the guard platoon, to bring the artillery back.

Although Chen Ming's unit could defeat a company of Japanese soldiers.

Even if they win, what then? Once the Japanese realize they can't win, they'll destroy the artillery to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

Therefore, in order to prevent the enemy from continuing to fire artillery to support the front line and reduce casualties among the front-line troops, Chen Ming had no choice but to order the artillery position to be blown up.

When Dafei learned from the artillery company that the Japanese artillery positions had been destroyed, he was relieved of his worries and launched an even more ferocious offensive.

Artillery support arrived, and countless shells bombarded the Japanese soldiers on the cliff.

The Japanese soldiers on the cliff never expected that the Eighth Route Army would have such fierce artillery fire; they didn't even bother to dig ear holes for firing their cannons.

Under the bombardment, they quickly suffered heavy losses. After several rounds of shelling, the soldiers of the First Battalion rushed up the cliff as soon as the shelling stopped and wiped out all the remaining Japanese soldiers.

"Great, that's wonderful! Dafei didn't disappoint me." Chen Ming had a happy smile on his face.

The First Battalion occupied the Niujiaoshan Cliff Pass, cutting off the Japanese troops' front and rear lines, preventing them from connecting.

After losing command from the rear, the divided Japanese troops could only fight independently.

"Immediately send a report to headquarters: My Independent 2nd Regiment successfully broke through the Niujiaoshan Cliff Pass at 2:05 PM and divided the Japanese troops. Request headquarters to dispatch troops to surround and annihilate the remaining Japanese troops."

Chen Ming spoke to the communications soldier.

"Yes!"

The communications soldier, his face beaming with joy, quickened his pace to find the telegraph operator to send a message.

When the telegram reached headquarters, the commander, who was pacing back and forth in the temporary operations command room, immediately grabbed the telegram, quickly walked to the map, and found the location of the Niujiaoshan Cliff Pass.

"Good, good! Chen Ming did a great job! He boldly infiltrated behind enemy lines, destroyed their artillery positions, and cut off communication between their front and rear units."

"Now the troops can fight freely."

The division commander and other staff officers also saw the contents of the telegram and the situation on the front lines, and their faces were filled with surprise and delight.

"Now we can divide up the regiment that surrounds the Japanese, and we have a high chance of wiping them out."

"Yeah, we originally only planned to take a bite out of them and then retreat. But Chen Ming's infiltration hit the Japanese right in the throat, and they're all done for. We're probably going to be in for a big meal this time."

Suppressing his excitement, the boss knew the opportunity was too good to miss and immediately issued operational orders.

"Send me a telegram with the following order: Independent 2nd Regiment, you must hold the Niujiaoshan Cliff Pass position to buy time for the main force to annihilate the Sakata Regiment."

"New First Regiment, 772nd Regiment, ignore the Japanese on the flanks, thrust straight into the center of the Japanese lines and encircle and divide the Japanese forces at Cangyunling."

"The 16th Regiment and the 771st Regiment, together with the New 1st Regiment and the 772nd Regiment, will concentrate their superior forces to first eliminate the divided Japanese troops, and then, together with the Independent 2nd Regiment, eliminate all the surrounded Japanese troops."

"In addition, order another regiment of the 385th Brigade that has retreated to the rear to provide reinforcements for the 36th Division of the Japanese army to block the enemy in the rear, and make sure to buy time for the troops to annihilate the Sakata Regiment."

The commander gave the order, but after thinking about it, he felt that it was not safe to use a regiment to delay an entire Japanese division.

Although only one regiment of the Japanese 36th Division can currently support the Sakata Regiment, the other units and the Independent Mixed Brigade 4 are in other directions and cannot provide reinforcements in time.

However, it was still too difficult for a single regiment of Japanese soldiers, coupled with division-level support artillery, to hold them off with the strength of a single regiment.

"Send up the two battalions of the Special Service Regiment and the withdrawn Independent Regiment to assist the 385th Brigade in blocking the Japanese reinforcements."

"The rest of the special operations regiment participated in the encirclement and annihilation of the Sakata Regiment."

The boss added.

"Boss, if we send out the Special Service Regiment and the Independent Regiment, headquarters will have no troops to protect it."

One of the advisors spoke up to offer advice.

"I can't worry about that anymore. We finally have a chance to wipe out an entire Japanese regiment. I'd love to personally take up my gun and go to the front lines," the commander said.

That's all the troops we can mobilize right now; it will be difficult for the rest of our forces to get here in a short time.

"Yes."

When the communications soldier went to send the message, the commander looked at the map, his eyes fixed on the location at the mouth of Niujiaoshan Cliff.

This position is crucial; Chen Ming really gave him a pleasant surprise.

They actually managed to infiltrate this position, capture the cliff pass, and destroy the Japanese artillery positions, creating an opportunity to annihilate the Japanese Sakata Regiment.

He knew this, and the Japanese soldiers certainly knew it too; therefore, the soldiers at the Niujiaoshan Cliff Pass would inevitably be attacked from both sides by a large number of Japanese soldiers.

"Independent Second Regiment, you better hold on for me!"

The boss thought to himself.

PS: I won't be asking for votes today. I've been a bit busy lately, so I'll be back to updating every two days for a few days. I'll give you all a big surprise later. Guess how much it will be?

(End of this chapter)