Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Outside Yingshan County, behind a hill whose top had been half-shaved off by artillery fire.

This is the temporary command post of Lin Maohua, the commander of the Provisional 51st Division.

Several staff officers were huddled around a rudimentary map spread out on an ammunition box, arguing in hushed tones, while a communications soldier nearby nervously cranked the handle of a hand-cranked telephone.

The wind was cold, carrying a pungent smell of gunpowder and damp earth, which crept into my neck and raised goosebumps.

Lin Maohua raised the binoculars in his hand, the lens tube cold, and pressed them against his eye socket.

In the distance, the outline of the village called "Wenzhuang" appeared and disappeared amidst the billowing smoke.

The Japanese machine guns occasionally spat out their gunfire from behind the ruined walls, emitting a muffled and chilling roar.

In the second assault that just ended, two companies of brothers sacrificed their lives in this open area less than 300 meters away.

"Ask Zhuang."

Lin Maohua put down his binoculars and exhaled a long breath of white air, which condensed into a ball in the cold air and lingered for a long time. He rubbed his sore eyes, his voice filled with a deep sense of helplessness: "We can't even crack the rammed earth wall."

The chief of staff, Yu Yongrui, stood beside him with his hands behind his back; his slightly plump figure appeared somewhat bulky in the cold wind.

He gazed at the deadly trap in the distance, filled with emotion: "Commander, the caliber of our division's precious mortars is too small. Hitting this kind of fortification is no different from scratching an itch."

Special ammunition is even more precious. We fired two smoke rounds just now, but before the brothers could rush up, the wind blew them away.

"To get close enough for a demolition, you have to pay with lives; the casualties would be too great."

Lin Maohua remained silent, but took out a crumpled cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and did not light it.

He really couldn't understand.

"Tell me, how exactly did the Nationalist army in North China conquer those fortified cities?" He seemed to be talking to himself, yet also asking Yu Yongrui beside him, "Could it be, as my colleagues complain, that they really couldn't fight without heavy artillery?"

This problem, like a thorn, is stuck in the heart of every non-direct subordinate general.

Yu Yongrui spread his hands, his face full of bitter self-deprecation: "Who knows?"

"We're capable of leading and training troops, and our brothers have mastered the light infantry tactics promoted by Chief Advisor Chu, such as the three-man system and alternating cover. The principles are the same."

He paused, then pointed ahead: "The Japanese have a firepower network right there, and our firepower is inferior to theirs."

"Continuing to fight like this is purely wasting our own reputation and interests, Commander. This battle is not worth it."

The words "not worth it" struck a chord with Lin Maohua.

He knew perfectly well that it wasn't worth it.

If someone is killed, who will replace them?

If your unit number is crippled, the people in Yamashiro will remove it without batting an eye.

By then, Lin Maohua would be all alone.

"Master's seat."

Yu Yongrui leaned closer, lowering his voice even further: "Our provisional division sounds like a division, but compared to those favored sons, it's like being raised by a stepmother. Now that Commander Li has been promoted to North China, this Fifth War Zone... sigh, if we don't hold back, we're afraid we'll be the first to be disbanded."

Lin Maohua was in a great internal struggle.

His telegram had been sent to the Fifth Theater Command, requesting tactical guidance.

Logically speaking, since Chu Yunfei was coordinating the entire battle, he should have been able to see it.

How will he respond? Will he issue a strict order like other superiors, demanding "at all costs and within a specified time," or will he have other methods?

Just as he was struggling with an internal conflict.

A communications soldier, crouching low, rushed out of the trench with a strange expression on his face: "Commander! An urgent telegram from Chief Advisor Chu!"

"Ok?"

Lin Maohua's heart skipped a beat. He turned around abruptly and snatched the thin telegram from the communications soldier's hand.

Yu Yongrui immediately came over and curiously peeked over.

The telegram was short, only two lines long, but it left both of them stunned in place.

"Change the offensive strategy to a pressure-based operation, compress the Japanese control area around Yingshan as much as possible, and eliminate all strongholds around Yingshan within four days without having to attack the city."

No need to besiege the city?

Lin Maohua and Yu Yongrui exchanged a glance, both seeing deep confusion and bewilderment in each other's eyes.

What kind of play is this?
"Focus on the periphery, but don't take the main force" means that they only need to tie down one Japanese regiment?
Yu Yongrui cautiously suggested, "Commander, do you think we should consult with Commander Li first?"

Lin Maohua pondered for a moment, carefully folded the telegram, and put it into his jacket pocket.

A mixture of doubt and a strange expectation lingered in his mind: "Old Yu, send a telegram to Acting Commander Li and ask for the opinion of the headquarters."

He put on his military cap, pulled down the brim, and said, "I'll go take a look ahead."

"Yes, Commander! The Japanese planes have been circling overhead. Please be careful."

"Ah."

……

The temporary headquarters of the Seventh Army was located on the small hill that Zhang Gan called "Hidden Dragon Abyss".

Chu Yunfei was standing in a makeshift observation post made of ammunition boxes and camouflage netting, holding binoculars and looking down at the entire battlefield.

The battle between the 7th Army and the Japanese army was a small-scale operation, more like a tacitly coordinated battle.

The two sides were practically ready to fire their guns into the air.

Zhao Pengcheng quickly walked up behind him and handed him a steaming cup of ginger tea.

"Sir, the telegram requesting instructions from the Provisional 51st Division has been forwarded by Acting Commander Li Pinxian, though the wording is clearly hesitant."

Chu Yunfei put down the binoculars, took the teacup, but didn't drink it.

The rising steam from the cup blurred his calm, expressionless face.

He knew perfectly well what Li Pinxian was hesitating about: "He's afraid I'll take his troops and power. If the Provisional 51st Division is wiped out, the Ministry of Military Affairs will cancel their designation."

Chu Yunfei said calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

He turned around and walked to the battle map hanging on the camouflage net.

This map is a hundred times more detailed than Lin Maohua's, with the latest enemy and friendly situations marked on it in red and blue pencils.

Chu Yunfei's gaze did not linger on that small point in Yingshan County.

His vision covered the entire Central China region.

In his mind, a three-dimensional sand table was unfolding.

The main force of the 3rd Division of the Japanese 11th Army, the main force of the Guangxi Clique, and the remnants of Wang Jinzai's troops.

The movement of each piece is crystal clear.

Yingshan was never the main battlefield.

The mission of the Provisional 51st Division was never to capture cities and strongholds, but only to draw away the main force of the Japanese army.

Since the Japanese army captured Ying County in 38, it has never been liberated by the National Revolutionary Army.

The Third Division was a proper Class A division and a main force, so it was impossible for them to easily abandon Yingshan.

“Sir,” Zhao Pengcheng looked into Chu Yunfei’s deep eyes and asked in a low voice, “Commander Lin and the others probably don’t understand your intentions.”

"If you can't figure it out, beat him until he does."

A cold smile curved Chu Yunfei's lips. He had already seen the weaknesses in the Japanese army's defenses at Wenzhuang through the system map, and he also saw Lin Maohua's troops hesitating and wavering.

He turned to look at Zhao Pengcheng.

"Proposed electricity".

"Yes!"

"Send it to Lin Maohua."

Chu Yunfei's voice was calm and clear, each word like a precisely calculated command: "Tell him that my unit has coordinated with the main artillery forces in North China, and their support is on its way and is expected to arrive within a week."

Zhao Pengcheng's hand, which was taking notes, suddenly stopped, and he looked up incredulously: "When did you transfer the troops?"

"Before the battle, I had Liang Guoping make preparations, and a week ago I transferred a mountain artillery regiment to western Henan, which is only 280 kilometers away from here. At their marching speed, a week is more than enough time."
-
Five days have passed in the blink of an eye.

During these five days, Zhang Gan's troops clashed with the Japanese army several times, but these battles were more like superficial probing operations.

Chu Yunfei didn't urge him, because he knew the situation himself.

Before the high command finalizes the operational plan.

He came here simply to coordinate operations.

Now, the Jianghan Plain has been occupied by the Japanese army, and the main force of Wang Jinzai's troops has been preserved.

Although Wang Jinzai disobeyed the orders of the General Headquarters, his actions indirectly attracted the Japanese invaders, and his advance was directed towards the core of the Guangxi clique.

Under these circumstances, no matter what happens next, the central government of Chongqing will be the beneficiary.

As for the operations of the Provisional 51st Division, Chu Yunfei only occasionally inquired about the progress, without urging them to hurry.

In offensive operations without heavy weaponry, there's no need to rush.

the other side.

Mountain city, command headquarters, large operations conference room.

On the huge battle map, red and blue arrows representing the positions of the enemy and our side are intertwined, like a game of chess that has been disrupted.

This should have been a minor, insignificant battle.

But now, no one dares to think that way anymore.

After all, the Sixth War Zone's river defense forces and the main forces of the Fifth War Zone have been mobilized as a result.

Army Chief of Staff Bai Jiansheng's expression was unusually calm.

He simply stared silently at the blue arrow on the map, which had already left the main battlefield and was moving towards the heart of the Dabie Mountains, his knuckles turning slightly white from gripping it so tightly.

Bai Jiansheng did not slam the table or roar. He simply spoke slowly and calmly, introducing the situation on the spot: "Wang Jinzai's troops refused to obey the military orders of the war zone commander's headquarters, nor did they obey your orders, Chairman. His wolfish ambitions are obvious."

"His rash actions disrupted Chief Advisor Chu's established strategic plans and the coordinated combat plans of the Fifth and Sixth War Zones."

"Now that the Japanese army has adjusted its deployment, our army has lost its best opportunity. If we continue to attack now, we are just using our flesh and blood to crash into the Japanese army's steel defense line."

A sharp nail was thus firmly driven into the territory of the Guangxi clique by Chu Yunfei, or rather by fate.

Chang Ruiyuan secretly admired him. He loathed Wang Jinzai, this unruly "Tiger Wang," and wished he could get rid of him as soon as possible.

But at this moment, this tiger has become an incredibly useful chess piece.

Zhang Wenbai then stood up and reported: "Chairman, the operational plan for the 'Jianghan-Suizao Campaign' has been officially drafted!"

He presented a document stating: "The minimum operational objective of this campaign is to recapture Yingshan and Xinyang."

Bai Jiansheng was naturally aware of this.

He even drafted much of this battle plan.

Because of Wang Jinzai, a battle to relieve the siege was forcibly elevated to the level of a theater-level strategic counter-offensive!
It involves combat troops in two regions, North China and South China, and two theater commands.

In reality, the true main force was the Guangxi clique's main force from the Fifth War Zone.

At this moment, all the pressure instantly fell on the shoulders of Li Pinxian, the newly appointed acting commander of the Fifth War Zone.

"strangeness."

Yang Jie, the deputy chief of the General Staff, pointed to the red arrows on the map that had just been adjusted, his brows furrowed: "After severely damaging the combat troops of our Sixth War Zone in the Jianghan Plain, the main force of Yokoyama Isamu's 11th Army not only failed to pursue the victory or return to Xinyang, but also chased after Wang Jinzai. If it follows his current marching route, it is very likely that he will plunge into the Dabie Mountains!"

“It’s as if,” Yang Jie carefully chose his words, “it’s as if they were determined to wipe out Wang Jinzai’s remaining troops at all costs!”

This discovery struck everyone as absurd.

In order to pursue and annihilate a remnant army of less than 10,000 men, they disregarded the exposure of their flanks and abandoned the initiative of the entire battle.
Has Yokoyama Isamu gone mad?
"Chairman, gentlemen, I think we may have overlooked one point."

"For the Japanese army today, the military significance of the outcome of a battle may no longer be the primary concern."

He picked up his baton and pointed it heavily at the location of "Jinling".

"Not long ago, Chief Advisor Chu's surprise attack on Nanjing destroyed the Fumin Hospital set up by the Japanese army in Nanjing."

"We all know about this, but what the Japanese officers and soldiers on the front lines and the Japanese people know is that Nanjing, the capital of the Wang Jingwei regime and the location of the headquarters of the expeditionary army, was attacked by Chinese troops, and the Japanese army lost face!"

His baton moved slowly, then landed on "Chahar": "The Northeast Advance Army's liberation of the Chahar region has made the lie of the 'Greater East Asia Holy War' a huge joke."

The series of defeats had led to a dangerous spread of war-weariness within Japan and defeatism within the military.

Xu Cichen then added, "Therefore, what Yokoyama Isamu needs most right now is not a piece of territory, nor how many of our main forces he can defeat."

"He needs a victory! A victory that will wash away the shame, boost morale, and have immense symbolic significance!"

He slammed the end of his baton heavily into Wang Jinzai's blue arrow, producing a dull thud.

Who is Wang Jinzai?

"He's a fierce general who gave the 11th Army a hard time on the Jianghan Plain!"

"The more renowned his name and achievements were, the more glaring they became in the Japanese war reports!"

"Therefore, Yokoyama Isamu's goal was very clear from the beginning!" Xu Cichen said, emphasizing each word. "He wanted to wipe out Wang Jinzai's troops to prove to all the Japanese army that they were still capable of winning battles and annihilating any enemy troops that dared to offend them. Just like the attack on the Dabie Mountains two months ago, this was a purely political act of revenge."

These words are really eye-opening!
The entire operations room was instantly filled with a moment of sudden realization.

At this moment, all the illogical and insane actions of the Japanese army found the most reasonable explanation!
This is something the Japanese have often done before.

Bai Jiansheng slowly sat down, picked up the already cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

The frustration he felt at being schemed against did not lessen in the slightest.

Chu Yunfei's plan threw Wang Jinzai, a hot potato, onto the fire that was shared by the Guangxi clique and the Japanese.

Whether it was a coincidence or intentional, no one can say for sure.

Does this imply anything by Chang Ruiyuan?

Bai Jiansheng believes there is a high probability that it is.

The Japanese devils haven't been driven away yet, and Chang Ruiyuan has even begun to prepare to deal with their Guangxi clique.

He now felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

"Healthy Life. Healthy Life"

Bai Jiansheng snapped out of his daze and quickly stood up: "Chairman."

"Is there anything else you'd like to add regarding this operation?"

Bai Jiansheng shook his head decisively: "No, Chairman. The battle plan for the Xinyang Campaign is almost flawless. We are just waiting for the 8th Mountain Artillery Regiment and the 6th Artillery Brigade to be in place. Everything is ready except for the final push. I believe that with the concerted efforts of all my officers and soldiers, we will surely win this campaign."

Chang Ruiyuan nodded with satisfaction: "In that case, let's adjourn the meeting!" (End of Chapter)