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

Chapter 81 Chen Ming's Version of "Li Mei Barbecue"

"Commander Chen, I've heard so much about you. We've seen the equipment of the Independent Second Regiment, and to be honest, we're quite envious," Commander Zhang exclaimed.

"They were all captured from the Japanese. Whatever equipment we needed, the Japanese would make it for us. The Japanese were our transport captains."

"Look, this time more than a thousand Japanese soldiers have brought us equipment again."

Chen Ming responded with a smile.

Chen Ming's words amused the two regimental commanders, who were impressed by Chen Ming's confidence.

"Comrade Chen Ming, you should assign combat missions. Although our weapons and equipment are not as good as those of the Independent Second Regiment, we will never hesitate to fight the Japanese."

The two regimental commanders made their statements.

"Alright, then I'll take your chances," Chen Ming said with a smile.

Next, Chen Ming formulated the combat mission, ordering the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Independent Regiment to lure the main force of the Japanese to the vicinity of Huanglong Cave.

The force consisted of three main battalions, one artillery battalion, and several companies directly under the regiment, totaling more than 2,300 soldiers, who were tasked with defeating this group of Japanese soldiers.

Two companies from the Fourth Battalion, in coordination with the 714th Regiment, cut off the Japanese retreat route and logistics, while the 716th Regiment and one company from the Fourth Battalion attacked the vanguard of the Japanese.

This is a classic tactic of cutting off the head and tail and attacking the middle, relying on accurate intelligence and terrain advantages.

Chen Ming's possession of a three-dimensional combat map is his greatest advantage in terms of intelligence and terrain.

After the operational deployment was announced, the various units began to move.

The Second Battalion, tasked with drawing the enemy away while fighting and retreating, has led them to the vicinity of Huanglong Cave.

Behind the high ground on both sides of Huanglong Cave, the most elite battalion of the Independent Second Regiment was tasked with the ambush.

Through the binoculars, the battalion commander had already spotted a group of Japanese soldiers passing through Huanglong Cave.

"Battalion Commander, aren't we going to attack?" asked Luo Jian, the company commander of the second company of the first battalion.

Looking at the passing Japanese troops, He Jianxin said, "Don't worry, there are only about two hundred Japanese soldiers here. They are the vanguard. The main force is still behind."

The Japanese army typically marched in small groups, with a large force following behind. They used a small number of troops to clear the way, and if they encountered a battle, the Japanese troops in the rear could provide support.

After the vanguard of the Japanese troops passed through, the soldiers of the First Battalion continued to wait.

The vanguard of the Japanese troops that had already passed through engaged in combat with the Second Battalion at Lujiapo's position.

As the battle broke out at the front, the Japanese communications officer immediately reported it to Kawasaki.

"Reporting to the commander, my advance troops have located the main force of the Chinese army and engaged in combat."

"The enemy has built defensive fortifications at a place called Lujiapo ahead, with a force of about 1,200 men."

The Japanese communications soldier reported.

Upon learning this, the Japanese battalion commander immediately took out a map and examined the terrain.

"Good heavens, more than 1,200 men, that should be the enemy's main force. Order the troops to split into two groups and encircle the Chinese army at Lujiapo in a pincer movement."

"The artillery units will set up artillery positions, and when the battle begins, we will let the Chinese army experience the baptism of imperial artillery first."

Kawasaki immediately issued the battle order.

"Hai!"

Upon receiving the order, the Japanese troops immediately split into two groups, one going up and the other going down, bypassing the high ground of Dagetu and encircling the positions of the 716th Regiment and the 2nd Battalion.

Among them, due to the difficult road conditions, the lower flank consisted of only three hundred Japanese soldiers.

The main Japanese troops all traveled from Huanglongdong Road to the Lujiapo blocking position.

Through the three-dimensional combat map, all of the Japanese army's combat deployments were like a naked girl in Chen Ming's eyes, with no secrets whatsoever.

He immediately ordered:
"Order: When the main force of the Japanese army passes through Huanglong Cave, the artillery positions shall immediately open fire and use the newly developed napalm bombs to strike the main force of the Japanese army."

"First and third battalions, immediately launch an attack on the main force of the Japanese army in the direction of Huangyadong."

"The second battalion will hold off another group of more than 300 Japanese soldiers, making sure to block their retreat. We will wait until the main force has wiped out the Japanese soldiers in Huanglong Cave before we can encircle and annihilate this group of Japanese soldiers."

"At the same time, a platoon from the sharpshooter company and the regiment's direct machine gun company was separated to form a spearhead force to take out the Japanese artillery positions."

"Whenever possible, the safety of the artillery must be ensured."

These are eight mortars, four Type 92 infantry guns, and four Type 41 mountain howitzers. Chen Ming is extremely envious!

If we take it, the firepower configuration of the Independent Second Regiment will be upgraded to another level.

After the order was relayed to each battalion and company, the soldiers of the Independent 2nd Regiment were all ready.

In the direction of Huanglong Cave, after a large force of Japanese troops entered the designated ambush site, Chen Ming ordered the artillery positions to open fire immediately.

"Ready, two rounds of rapid fire! Don't be stingy with the shells, we can always make more. Let the Japanese devils taste our secret weapon!" Artillery Battalion Commander Zhang Yousheng shouted excitedly.

This time, they brought out all their napalm bombs, a full two hundred of them.

With so many shells, the Japanese devils are in for a rough time.

"Bang bang!"

Shells whistled out of the mortar barrels, and all sixteen mortars fired simultaneously.

As the shells landed among the Japanese troops below Huanglong Cave, they exploded, and napalm splattered everywhere, staining the Japanese soldiers.

In an instant, the road beneath Huanglong Cave was engulfed in flames.

Many Japanese soldiers were engulfed in flames, which could not be extinguished by water or soil, and even brushing them off was impossible. These were napalm bombs containing ammonium nitrate; the only way to put out the fire was to wait until the fuel burned out.

At that point, it seemed there was no need to put out the fire.

As the shells continued to explode, the Japanese soldiers' psychological defenses were quickly broken down, and cries of agony filled the air.

They could tolerate bullets hitting their bodies and shells exploding in their bodies, because they were used to it.

But this was the first time I'd ever had a barbecue.

Water and fire are merciless, and the power of fire is a fear etched into the very bones of humankind.

The Japanese battalion commander was stunned for a moment when he saw his troops suffer such a terrible attack.

What kind of weapon is this? It's terrifying!
He shouted at the top of his lungs, telling the troops not to panic and to organize a counterattack immediately.

But the Japanese soldiers, already roasted, had no interest in following his orders.

On the ambush position, He Jianxin was shocked to see the Japanese soldiers barbecuing below.

"Goodness, that's powerful! Those Japanese devils are really in for a world of trouble now."

Napalm bombs are far more powerful than ordinary mortar shells, and they achieved amazing results in their first combat use.

A Japanese squad of over 600 men collapsed completely after just two rounds of bombing.

Seeing that the Japanese troops' formation was in disarray, He Jianxin was not about to miss the opportunity to beat the drowning enemy to a pulp—no, the opportunity to set the Japanese troops on fire.

He immediately ordered his troops to attack.

"Hit me!"

As soon as the order was given, the soldiers of the First Battalion immediately launched an attack. The heavy machine gun company's fifteen heavy machine guns roared and spat fire, relieving the suffering of the Japanese soldiers below.

Rifles, grenade launchers, and grenades were being fired down at the Japanese soldiers below.

In an instant, the First Battalion of the Independent Second Regiment, the strongest and best-equipped unit, unleashed powerful firepower.

The Japanese soldiers below, whom everyone knew, were wiped out in droves.

Before the napalm had even burned out, only a handful of the more than 600 Japanese soldiers remained.

He Jianxin immediately ordered his troops to launch an attack, wipe out the remaining Japanese soldiers, and at the same time salvage the equipment, lest the good weapons and ammunition be burned to ashes.

In the Battle of Huangyadong, at the cost of 31 casualties, the battalion successfully annihilated more than 600 Japanese soldiers.

On the Japanese artillery position, upon hearing the Independent 2nd Regiment's artillery battalion open fire, the Japanese artillery immediately adjusted their firing parameters, preparing to strike the Independent 2nd Regiment's artillery position.

Before the gun carriages were even properly adjusted, the spearhead force organized by Chen Ming, following the route planned by Chen Ming, charged straight into the Japanese artillery positions.

More than two hundred Japanese defensive troops, along with artillery, immediately shouted "Enemy attack!" when they saw the spearhead team that appeared out of nowhere.

The sharpshooter company was a unit of just over 100 selected from the entire regiment's 3,000 personnel, making it the most elite unit in the Independent Second Regiment.

The Japanese defense force of over two hundred men, along with artillery, was wiped out by the sniper company's bullets before they could put up much resistance.

They couldn't even destroy artillery; whoever moved first would be shot.

"The regimental commander ordered that his artillery must be brought back. How dare you beasts bomb my Independent Second Regiment's precious weapon?"

Li Yong, the sharpshooter company commander, disdainfully kicked a Japanese soldier who was holding explosives and about to light them, but had been shot in the head.

"Quickly, notify the brothers of the Third Battalion to come and take over our artillery. My guns are almost fully loaded," Li Yong ordered.

The rifle in his hand was covered with dense lines.

He draws a line for every Japanese soldier he kills, and now the line is almost full.

"Yes."

When the elite team relayed the message to Wang Gui, the battalion commander of the Third Battalion, Wang Gui looked extremely embarrassed, as if he had just eaten a spicy snack.

Their 3rd and 1st battalions besieged the Japanese troops at Huanglong Cave, but because the 1st battalion was on higher ground north of Huanglong Cave, where the terrain was gentler, they were able to hold their ground.

The Third Battalion was located on a high ground south of Huanglong Cave, where the terrain was steep and difficult to charge.

When he saw the First Battalion begin their charge, Wang Gui also ordered a charge. However, due to the steep road, not only did they fail to catch up, but more than twenty soldiers were injured in the fall.

While the other battalions were engaged in fierce fighting, the Second Battalion had already clashed with the more than three hundred Japanese soldiers.

The elite team also successfully breached the Japanese artillery positions and captured the Japanese artillery pieces intact.

Even the two regiments responsible for assisting their regiment engaged in battle with the Japanese.

In this ambush at Huanglong Cave by the First and Third Battalions, the First Battalion became the main attacker, while he became the supporting attacker and gained nothing.

Now he's going to be laughed at by the other battalion commanders.

However, despite his grim expression, Wang Gui did not dare to underestimate the news from the elite team and immediately dispatched a company to guard the artillery captured by the elite team.

If anything goes wrong with these cannons, the regimental commander's whip won't hold back.

After severing a company, Wang Gui no longer cared about the spoils from Huanglong Cave; as long as there was a battalion, they wouldn't be lost.

He immediately led the remaining men and followed the spearhead team to support the Second Battalion, which was besieging more than 300 Japanese soldiers.

We have to hurry! If we don't catch this last, fresh opportunity, the Japanese will be wiped out.

P.S.: The holiday is over. Here are two chapters totaling 6000 words today. Please vote! The protagonist will level up in two days. Guess how many troops he'll be able to command then? Also, here's the battle map.

(End of this chapter)