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

Chapter 68 The advantage is mine
As soon as the order was given, the soldiers of the Third Battalion, who had been lying in ambush, immediately sprang into action, thrusting straight into the rear of the Japanese troops and blocking their retreat back to the county town.

They then began constructing their positions and awaited orders.

When Chen Ming saw that the Third Battalion was in position and the First Battalion had arrived at the designated location, and that the more than 400 Japanese soldiers who had left the city had completely entered the encirclement of more than 1,500 people, he gave the order for a general attack!
"Order the troops to launch a general offensive!"

The order was given, and a conspicuous red signal flare rose into the sky.

Upon seeing the signal flare on the artillery position, Zhang Yousheng immediately gave the order to fire.

"Four-wheel rapid fire, quick!"

Before the battle begins, artillery positions must unleash concentrated firepower in the shortest possible time, which is especially suitable for light infantry units that lack heavy firepower.

To achieve tactical suppression and damage, while also psychologically intimidating the Japanese.

One rapid-fire round consists of five shells, and four rapid-fire rounds must be completed within one minute.

The 2nd Independent Regiment's eight mortars can unleash more than 160 shells on the battlefield in just one minute.

This is all that the Independent Second Regiment has left. They only have 180 shells left, and once they're gone, that's it.

boom!
boom!
The distinctive sound of mortars firing rang out in the darkness, and shells flew into the sky, only to fall back into the Japanese ranks due to their weight.

The Japanese battalion commander, hearing the sound of shells whistling through the air, immediately realized it was artillery fire and roared:
"Avoid the cannon fire!"

However, by the time you can hear the sound of shells cutting through the air, it's too late to react.

Before the more than four hundred Japanese soldiers could even take cover from the artillery fire, the shells exploded in the crowd.

Within a minute, the Japanese troops were bombarded by 160 shells.

Although the accuracy of rapid firing is a bit worse, the quantity is huge!

Even if some of the shells missed their mark, the sheer number of shells still inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese.

Within a minute, the Japanese soldiers, numbering over 400, inflicted heavy casualties on them: 98 dead, 78 seriously wounded, and 121 slightly wounded.

Total casualties exceeded 70%!

If the Japanese hadn't been more cautious and spread out their troops rather than forming a dense formation, this round of shelling could have caused more than 90% casualties.

After four rounds of rapid firing, the cannon barrel overheated and could no longer be fired.

But now it's the infantry's turn to take center stage.

"Order the First Battalion, the Third Battalion, and the militia to immediately launch an attack on the remaining Japanese troops!"

After seeing the Japanese casualties on the map, Chen Ming knew that the time for a general offensive had come, and immediately issued the order for the general offensive.

After the order was relayed to the First and Third Battalions, the soldiers of the two battalions, along with the local armed forces assisting in the operation, a force of nearly 1,500 men, began to encircle and attack the remaining Japanese troops.

Only a little over two hundred Japanese soldiers remained who were still capable of fighting.

With 1,500 to 200, the advantage is in my hands!

"Charge! Fight the Japanese devils!"

The soldiers of the Independent Second Regiment launched a fierce offensive, especially the Third Battalion, which ambushed and cut off their retreat. They watched as their comrades bled from their wounds, but because they had to hide, they could not make any moves and ultimately sacrificed themselves.

They were filled with a burning desire to annihilate these Japanese devils and avenge their fallen comrades.

Not long after the Japanese troops were ambushed, they heard the bugle call that belonged only to the Eighth Route Army. They immediately planned to fight and retreat, returning to the county town to defend it.

But they hadn't retreated far when they discovered there were enemies behind them!
"Baka! Why are there enemies behind us?"

The Japanese soldiers racked their brains trying to figure out why the enemy had suddenly appeared behind them, cutting off their retreat. They had been very cautious along the way, using firepower to scout suspicious areas and potential hiding places, but had not found the enemy.

But this enemy behind them suddenly appeared right under their noses!

Did all the Eighth Route Army soldiers know the art of burrowing underground?
The Japanese soldiers clearly did not expect how firm their faith was; it was a belief that transcended the physical body!
Caught between the front and rear troops, the remaining Japanese soldiers were in dire straits.

The battle lasted less than an hour before the Japanese force of over four hundred men was completely wiped out.

The Independent Second Regiment, along with local armed forces, suffered a total of over 380 casualties in this annihilation battle.

After the battle ended, Chen Ming immediately summoned the radio operator.

"I sent a telegram to the brigade headquarters that my Independent 2nd Regiment annihilated the Japanese army's Shouyang Station and surrounding strongholds at 1:50 a.m., and at 3:00 a.m., it surrounded and annihilated more than 400 Japanese troops who were supporting Shouyang County."

"Currently, only the Japanese military police remain in Shouyang County, with a few Japanese soldiers numbering about one hundred, and puppet troops numbering over five hundred. Please provide instructions from the brigade headquarters."

Chen Ming instructed the telegraph operator to send the battle report to the brigade headquarters.

Although Chen Ming only needed to issue one order, the troops could easily attack the county town and Shouyang County would be within their grasp.

We'll report back later; it'll be a surprise for the brigade commander.

However, if we report first, the brigade commander will know that the Independent Second Regiment is ready to attack the county town.

If the brigade commander takes the county town on orders, the brigade commander will be even happier.

Chen Ming wanted to leave an image of obedience and following orders with the brigade commander and headquarters leaders, unlike Li Yunlong who could suddenly surprise them.

Just like when Li Yunlong attacked Ping'an County, headquarters only found out at the very end, and the boss was furious.

In the end, if he hadn't captured the county town and earned merit, Li Yunlong would have received a severe punishment for the casualties he caused in attacking Ping'an County.

However, if we take a different approach, imagine that on Li Yunlong's wedding day, the Japanese launched a surprise attack, and the political commissar was injured. When Li Yunlong assembled his troops, he found that he had nearly 10,000 men, equipped with both light and heavy weapons, and was ready to attack the county town.

After reporting to headquarters, given the boss's personality, do you think he could get Yamamoto to leave?

With headquarters mobilizing other troops and weapons to provide support, there is a greater chance of capturing the county town with fewer casualties.

Li Yunlong not only did not make any mistakes, but actually made a great contribution.

Chen Ming's plan was to report to the brigade headquarters, obtain permission, and then attack the county town. After all, the county town was already a piece of meat in his mouth, ready to be eaten at any time.

The battle report will then be: Under the leadership of the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division, the Independent 2nd Regiment captured Shouyang County on August 20th, seized a large amount of supplies, and dealt a heavy blow to the Japanese army!

After the telegram was sent to the brigade headquarters, the chief of staff immediately gave it to the brigade commander.

Upon seeing the report submitted by Chen Ming, the brigade commander's fatigue vanished instantly.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

The brigade commander's three consecutive "Great!"s were enough to show his delight.

"That kid Chen Ming really makes me proud!"

"Yes, this is a good start for the operation against the Japanese supply lines organized this time," the chief of staff said.

"But this kid actually asked for permission first, instead of just attacking the county town and then asking for permission. That's quite a change. It seems he was right to go and learn from him," the brigade commander nodded and said.

"Reply to Chen Ming, agreeing to the Independent 2nd Regiment's attack on the county town. However, after capturing the county town, do not stay for too long. After transporting the supplies, withdraw immediately. I will dispatch other units to provide alternating cover for the Independent 2nd Regiment's retreat."

(End of this chapter)