Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

On the positions of the Provisional 51st Division.

Division Commander Lin Maohua and his soldiers were completely dumbfounded.

They had never fought such a luxurious war in their entire lives!

That manor they couldn't approach, even after losing hundreds of their brothers.

At this moment, under the bombardment of heavy artillery, it was as vulnerable as a sandcastle.

"Master's seat."

Chief of Staff Yu Yongrui was so excited that his face turned red as he waved his arms: "The Japanese devils are stunned by the bombing. If the brothers go up there now, it's like harvesting corn."

Lin Maohua snapped back to his senses and roared in a hoarse voice, "Pass on my order! The entire division shall launch a general offensive immediately!"

As mountain artillery shells exploded into walls of fire 250 meters in front of the attack line, the officers and soldiers of the 51st Provisional Division, like a tidal wave, leaped out of the trenches, shouting, and rushed towards the position that had already been reduced to scorched earth!
……

"Report!" The communications officer's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Since the shelling began, the enemy in front of us has offered no substantial resistance. Preliminary estimates suggest that their combat strength has decreased by at least 30 percent."

Within a three-dimensional combat map.

Chu Yunfei could clearly see that the 34th Infantry Regiment of the Japanese 3rd Division had dropped to 40% of its organizational capacity.

Its combat strength has plummeted from over 1,700 to 1,200.

The Japanese combat forces on this site are visibly decreasing.

Stilwell also raised his binoculars and looked towards the battlefield.

He could naturally see that on that land ravaged by artillery fire, the Chinese soldiers' charges encountered almost no decent resistance.

The soldiers easily crossed the once insurmountable death zone, rushed into the village, and engaged in street fighting with the remaining Japanese troops.

"Report! Commander Lin has personally led the division's reserve force to charge up!"

"He said he would personally cut off the head of the Japanese regimental commander and present it to Your Majesty."

Chu Yunfei nodded slightly, signaling Stilwell to return to his temporary command post.

Four hours later.

As the last wisp of smoke dissipated, a flag of the Republic of China, with a blue sky and a white sun, slowly rose over the ruins of Yingshan County.

The liaison officer sent by the Provisional 51st Division also delivered this last battle report to the temporary command post.

"Report to the Chief Advisor!"

"My Provisional 51st Division successfully recaptured Yingshan five minutes ago!"

"The entire 34th Infantry Regiment of the Japanese Army was annihilated, and its commander, Makoto Tase, was killed on the spot!"

"The command sword is on its way; the division commander intends to present it to Commander Chu."

Chu Yunfei chuckled and withdrew his consciousness from the system: "Your division commander should keep this command sword; it represents the honor of your Provisional 51st Division."

The regimental commander's sword was, in effect, a symbol of his battle achievements.

Lin Maohua was trying to curry favor with Chu Yunfei, and he knew that Chu Yunfei was indispensable in winning this battle.

But Chu Yunfei actually looked down on these things.

This achievement is no longer of any practical significance to him; leaving it to the Provisional 51st Division would be a way to further curry favor.

At the very least, in this major battle in northern Hubei, there must be a unit that he can command.

"Staff Officer Li, I need to have a short meeting with Mr. Stilwell next..."

"Yes, I resign from my humble position."

After Staff Officer Li left, Chu Yunfei's consciousness once again immersed itself in the system, and he opened the base construction module.

[Base Area Name: Shanxi Anti-Japanese Base Area (Core Area: Southeast Shanxi)]

[Current base level: Lv.max (Level 5 is the highest, and it unlocks the trait buff quest; completing it will grant a special buff)]

Current total population: 457 million

[Estimated Gross Domestic Product: 186 Million (Fiat Currency)]

[Current estimated total annual income: 3700 million (fiat currency)]

Current tax revenue capacity: 88%

[Currently estimated number of recruits: 11 (out of 44)]

[Current development status of the base area: 21 (out of 100)]

[Current pillar industries of the base area: tobacco industry; mining; military industry]

Current literacy rate: 50%

Current stability: 80%

[Special: Base area pillar industry resources increased by 10%, and work efficiency of all industries increased by 10%]

[Special buff missions for the current base are now available.]

[Mission Requirement: Submit "proof" (3/5) to an enemy faction officer of colonel rank]

The Japanese 34th Infantry Regiment had at least three colonels, one regimental commander, two battalion commanders, and the chief of staff was usually a major.

It seems highly likely that one of them escaped.

Once the mission is completed, the special buffs of the base will inevitably increase.

If production efficiency can be improved again, the improvement in the military industry will be enormous.

Even a 5% reduction would be enough for Changzhi's military industry at that time to produce enough weapons and equipment to equip an ordinary Class B infantry division.

It would be incredibly difficult for a colonel to kill him in a small-scale battle on a regular day.

Only in such large-scale battles is it possible to annihilate the enemy's main force in an organized manner, and only then is it possible to complete the characteristic enhancement tasks in the base area construction module.

Inside the temporary headquarters.

A battle map hanging high in the sky.

Chu Yunfei, Stilwell, Zhao Pengcheng, Bradley, and several other staff officers stood in front of the map.

On the map.

This is a schematic diagram of the Japanese offensive operation plan as deduced by Chu Yunfei.

Chu Yunfei stood in front of everyone and continued his introduction:
I make that judgment.

The next objective of the Japanese 11th Army was undoubtedly to strengthen the Yangtze River's transportation capacity, enabling ships near Yichang to navigate downstream, while simultaneously annihilating enemy field armies on the right and north banks of the Yangtze River from Dongting Lake to the opposite bank of Yichang.

Its operational policy – ​​the operational area is roughly divided into three parts.

Each district concentrated its superior forces to eliminate the enemy in that area one by one. During this period, ships in Yichang were allowed to sail to Hankou.

As for combat forces.

The Japanese army was able to mobilize at least three divisions, one independent mixed brigade, and even more combat troops drawn from other divisions for this major battle in northern and western Hubei, which is estimated to be at least 100,000 combat troops.

The specific unit numbers should be the 3rd Division, the 13th Division, the 39th Division, the 17th Independent Mixed Brigade, the 58th Division, part of the 14th Division, part of the 34th Division, etc.

When the topic of combat forces came up, Stilwell couldn't help but interrupt: "Chu, with the Japanese mobilizing so many troops, won't that leave their defenses weak? The Ninth War Zone could then launch a counter-offensive."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Stilwell, although the Ninth War Zone has achieved some good victories (referring to the Third Battle of Changsha), they do not currently possess strong offensive capabilities. In addition, due to terrain limitations, our army will also need to overcome unfavorable factors such as high mountains, dense waterways, and poor supply lines if it wants to conquer the areas garrisoned by the Japanese. The Japanese army, on the other hand, only needs a small number of troops to hold key locations."

"Once the battles in western and northern Hubei are over, they can naturally launch a counter-offensive to retake them." "As for why so many combat troops have been mobilized, it is because of the existence of two elite offensive armies of the Sixth and Ninth War Zones. The 18th Army belongs to the Sixth War Zone, and the 74th Army belongs to the Ninth War Zone. Although these two armies are not at their peak at this stage, with the full strength of an army and the cooperation of friendly forces, they are enough to confront a Japanese Class A division head-on."

Stilwell nodded, acknowledging Chu Yunfei's statement.

The Flying Tigers were once one of the operational attack forces directly under the General Headquarters.

Its combat power was extremely strong, and various combat units that were almost on par with it, such as the 71st Army, the 74th Army, and the 5th Army, fought the entire battle.

The 18th Army also performed well in the early stages of the War of Resistance against Japan, and had a record of fierce battles against the main force of the Japanese army in the Battle of Wuhan and the Battle of Changsha.

And in the three-dimensional combat map.

Chu Yunfei could clearly see that the Japanese army had begun a new round of mobilization and intended to reinforce Xinyang.

If the scale of the next campaign increases further.

Therefore, it is not unreasonable for Chu Yunfei to stay at the front line to oversee the situation.

However, the area of ​​northern and western Hubei is located at the junction of the Fifth and Sixth War Zones.

The Fifth War Zone was under the jurisdiction of the North China Joint Command, and the Sixth War Zone was under the jurisdiction of the South China Joint Command.

In terms of identity, it is truly an extremely awkward situation.

Moreover, Chu Yunfei was only assisting in this operation; the real commander was Li Pinxian.
Chu Yunfei seemed completely unconcerned about this, pointing to the situation and deployment of the Sixth War Zone on the combat map.

"Currently, the 11th Army has occupied the beachhead positions south of the Yangtze River, including Huarong, Shishou, and Mituo Temple. The counterattack of the 6th War Zone has been ineffective, and it has switched to a defensive posture."

In preparation for the decisive battle to come, the command will inevitably continue to adjust its deployment.

The feng shui of the area extends from the Wanlin River estuary west of Dongting Lake in the east, along the south bank of the Yangtze River to the vicinity of Shipai Fortress, then to the north bank of the river, turning northeast, from Nanjin Pass through Hengdian to the vicinity of Yicheng. It is flanked by Dongting Lake and the Han River, and faces the lakes and marshes west of Dongting Lake.

The Yangtze River and the rugged, low-lying terrain of the Jing Mountains, with the Shipai Fortress as its apex, extend westward and southeastward to the lower reaches of the Han River, forming a V-shaped defensive position.

Under Chu Yunfei's command, Zhao Pengcheng quickly recorded the exact location of the defensive line.

Chu Yunfei cleared his throat and continued, “Mr. Stilwell, my Sixth War Zone currently has the 10th, 26th, 29th and 33rd Army Groups under its command. Together with the river defense forces upstream and other garrison units, the total combat strength is eleven armies and thirty divisions. In addition to the river defense forces and other garrison units, there are also three advance columns, two independent brigades, and the 32nd Army directly under the General Headquarters.”

The estimated combat force is approximately 250,000.

Note: The current commander of the 18th Army is Fang Tian. The 18th Army is under the command of the River Defense Army. At this time, Wu Qiwu is concurrently serving as the Commander-in-Chief, and Guo Chan has already resigned.

As for my Fifth War Zone, the forces that could participate in this operation were the main force of the Guangxi Army: the 7th Army, the 39th Army, and the 48th Army of the 22nd Army Group, totaling about 100,000 troops.

The ratio of combat forces between the two sides is 3:1.

If the current standoff is maintained, our side has a strong ability to control the battlefield.

If the Japanese army switches to offensive operations, our army can easily cope with it. After containing their first offensive, we can easily seize the initiative on the battlefield and launch a full-scale counter-offensive.

Therefore, I have transferred the 8th Artillery Brigade and the 8th Mountain Artillery Regiment from North China to the Fifth War Zone's controlled area.

The 6th Artillery Brigade, which was formed by the General Staff based on the 122mm heavy artillery provided by the Soviet Union, was also on its way to provide support.

It is foreseeable that once a full-scale counter-offensive is launched, our army will be able to successfully recover the established strategic objectives.

Stilwell stroked his chin, quite puzzled: "Chu, since so many combat troops have been mobilized for the war, how will you ensure logistical support? As far as I know, you are in dire need of ammunition, shells, and food."

Chu Yunfei nodded: "The General Headquarters plans to dedicate all of the last two batches of American aid to this campaign, and has consulted with the North China side."

"So, you agree?"

Chu Yunfei remained noncommittal, then continued, "Judging from the strength comparison on paper, as long as the entire army is of one mind, we will naturally be able to achieve the final victory in this battle."

Stilwell was speechless for a moment.

Are people of one mind?
How could the main force of the Guangxi clique in the Fifth War Zone possibly be of one mind with the main force of the Sixth War Zone?

Seeing that Chu Yunfei had made up his mind, Stilwell was somewhat helpless for a moment.

Battles of this scale, regardless of victory or defeat, would severely limit the Japanese army's combat strength and cause Japan to consume a large amount of war resources.

The problem is that Stilwell wants Chu Yunfei to go to Siam, to Pearl City, or even to the Pacific Ocean to command American troops in a bloody battle against the Japanese.
Clearly, Chu Yunfei was unwilling, and even preferred to be in deep danger to use the war to consolidate his internal power.

Stilwell came here this time to tell Chu Yunfei something else.

"Chu, in order to further reduce the Japanese army's war potential, the War Department has formulated an operational plan to bomb the Japanese mainland. Another purpose of our visit is to build a large number of airfields in North China."

Chu Yunfei said earnestly, "Mr. Stilwell, I still remember last April when American bombers flew over the Japanese mainland and dropped bombs on Tokyo, the Japanese capital."

"That was headline news in major newspapers around the world!"

Stilwell instinctively puffed out his chest: "The airports in Zhejiang are our Shangri-La!"

From a military perspective, the U.S. military does not have any air bases in the Pacific capable of bombing the Japanese mainland.

Even the largest long-range bomber in the United States does not have the range to fly from Hawaii to the Japanese mainland.

In order to ensure that the bombers could return to the aircraft carrier, they would have to approach Japanese waters, which was naturally impossible.

So American pilots are flying one-way tickets to hell.

Their original plan was to utilize the B-25's maximum range to force the bombers to barely land at Chinese airfields.
The plan was well-conceived, but the actual outcome was not so pleasant.

All the bombers that carried out the Tokyo bombing mission were lost.

A plane made an emergency landing in the Soviet Union, and the crew members were detained by the Soviets.

One person was killed in a parachute jump, two went missing, and eight were captured by the Japanese army.

The remaining bombers all crashed near Quzhou Airport in Zhejiang, China.

Of the 64 crew members, only five survived.
This is why the Americans stopped causing trouble afterward, and it wasn't until 44 that LeMay's barbecue came about.
As for the "Shangri-La" that Stilwell mentioned.

Chu Yunfei understood what he was talking about.

This was also what President Roosevelt said in an interview, meaning "the most remote place".

This bombing is also known internationally as the "Shangri-La Bombing".

Those who carried out this bombing mission.

He was also the Lieutenant Colonel Doolittle (Dutrell) who became world-famous for this.

After returning to the United States, instead of facing a military court, he was promoted to brigadier general by Roosevelt and awarded the Medal of Honor.

The Tokyo air raids were the first recorded air raids on the Japanese mainland, severely damaging the confidence of the Japanese people.

The United States' actions are clearly a declaration to the world: the United States is the most powerful country in the world and can do whatever it wants. The Japanese who dare to challenge their dignity will not only be bombed but will also lose the war.

Currently, the war to liberate North China is progressing smoothly.

The strategic plan to bomb the Japanese mainland has been frequently mentioned by the U.S. War Department and has now been formally approved by Roosevelt.

Stilwell's trip was also aimed at accelerating the progress of the war and facilitating the concrete implementation of related plans.

He had indeed discussed this point in depth with Chu Yunfei and others last year.

“We have built new airports in Handan and Rongyang, which have been completed and delivered. In order to welcome the strategic bombers of our allies, we have also expanded the Changzhi military airport to ensure that more than 20 bombers and 24 fighter jets can be parked at any time.”

Chu Yunfei wholeheartedly supported the Americans' plan to bomb the Japanese mainland.

He also demonstrated his support through his actions.

When Stilwell heard about Chu Yunfei's extensive preparations, he was quite grateful: "Thank God I met you, Chu. I believe that in this Far East region, only you possess such a forward-thinking strategic vision."

Chu Yunfei was also thinking to himself, as long as Stilwell didn't allow the B-25 bomber squadron that came to provide assistance to participate in such an operation.

He would fully support whatever the Americans wanted to do, since the bombings targeted Japanese industrial workers, weakened Japan's war potential, and resulted in the loss of American pilots and bombers. (End of Chapter)