Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 126 Wherever the army goes, the people welcome it wholeheartedly
2 month 11 day.

dawn.

At dawn, before the rising sun had dispelled the smell of blood in the air, Wang Feng arrived at the south bank of the Beifei River in a wooden boat.

Normally speaking, even if you are surrounded, the battle speed will not be so fast.

In trench warfare, it is normal for both sides to fight each other for a month or so with only one position.

And now, more than 10,000 Japanese soldiers were killed overnight.

After such high-intensity combat, the soldiers under his command were exhausted.

The unit that achieved the most results is still the First "Red Flag" Mountain Tactical Corps.

Zhang Hu's command post alone was moved four times within six hours.

The span reached ten kilometers.

The First Tactical Battalion, which had always acted as the vanguard, ran continuously for twenty kilometers.

All they did was move forward and shoot, without even time to rest and regroup.

The soldiers collapsed in the trenches exhausted, relishing the hard-earned rest time.

Wang Feng did not disturb them when he passed by, but just asked the kitchen staff to add more food.

Worthy of mention is the Japanese tank regiment.

After the three-dimensional combat map was upgraded, the visible radius of fifty kilometers was enough to detect the banks of the Xihe River.

The movements of the tank regiment were naturally under his control.

Now that we have discovered it, there is no reason to just leave it alone.

It just so happened that the heavy artillery unit was also located in the rear, so Wang Feng acted promptly.

The order to fire was given.

The Type 94 tank couldn't even withstand the continuous fire from heavy machine guns, let alone heavy artillery bombardment.

The violent shock wave can directly overturn the vehicle, and the crew members inside will also die in the vehicle due to the severe shock.

To be honest, Wang Feng didn't even have the desire to seize the Type 94 mini tank.

Not to mention whether there are qualified tank soldiers, the tank body was specially tailored for the Japanese, and ordinary Chinese soldiers would have difficulty even getting in.

Inside the position.

The bodies of the Japanese soldiers were piled up randomly. The closer you got to the pile, the stronger the pungent smell of blood became.

People who smell it feel a little dizzy.

The soldiers in charge of cleaning the battlefield poured gasoline on the bodies and set them on fire.

The fire spread rapidly, billowing black smoke rose up, and the burnt smell suppressed the bloody smell.

There was nothing interesting about dealing with the Japanese corpses, so Wang Feng turned and walked to the other side not far away.

There, neatly arranged were the brothers who had died on the battlefield.

As they were the attacking side, even though the Japanese army's resistance consciousness was low, they still paid a considerable price to achieve this victory.

Including the battle to encircle and annihilate the 18th Division the night before.

Two days passed.

The 51st Army suffered more than casualties. In an era of shortage of combat medicines, serious injuries were basically equivalent to a suspended death sentence.

There were countless people who were slightly injured, even the army commander Yu Xuezhen was hit by a bullet in the shoulder blade.

The 59th Army, as the main force in the attack, successively captured cities and strongholds and suffered heavy losses.

The entire army suffered more than 7,000 casualties, more than half of whom were slightly injured.

The 31st Army participated in the war for the longest time. When the th Division had not yet reached the south bank of the Xihe River, Liu Shiyi had already led his Bagui men in a bloody battle with the th Division on the banks of the Wohe River.

He subsequently participated in a series of battles.

The army suffered nearly 9,000 casualties, but due to its large size these losses were not serious.

The incomplete troops can be compressed and continue to fight.

As for the North China Battle Group.

The loss rate of the First "Red Flag" Mountain Tactical Corps reached 20%.

More than a thousand people were killed or injured.

Such low casualties are not due to the small number of battles.

Rather, it is the result of sufficient equipment and ammunition, well-trained soldiers, and powerful artillery support.

The First Reserve Tactical Corps suffered slightly greater losses, with nearly two thousand casualties.

In general, it is still within the acceptable range.

Although the industrial base in Changzhi area is still in its infancy, its production capacity is relatively small.

But there aren't many troops that need equipment.

After a while, by unlocking one or two national policies, we will be able to achieve complete self-sufficiency.

We can’t say we are very wealthy, but at least we won’t have to rely on human lives to fight future battles.

It would take at least half a year to train a soldier from a [rabble] to a [well-trained] soldier, if there is no fighting.

How long does it take to produce one cannon and one ton of shells?
Guns and bullets are cheap, but human lives are at stake.

Zhang Zizhong stood by and witnessed with his own eyes the sacrificed soldiers being buried in a large earth pit.

He looked sad, and there seemed to be tears in his eyes.

Wang Feng took two steps forward and consoled them: "These brothers who sacrificed their lives are all great. Wearing this military uniform, it is the best ending for them to die on the battlefield."

Zhang Zizhong sighed and said in a low voice: "These brothers are all brought from the northwest."

"I feel so sorry for their parents!"

As the old saying goes, a kind man cannot command an army.

There is always death in war. A veteran general like Zhang Zizhong should not take death lightly.

But I really can’t bear the special significance of this battle.

The brothers of the 59th Army used their lives and blood to clear him of the charge of being a traitor.

From now on, he is no longer known as "Zhang the traitor" in the eyes of the people.

Recalling the time when the final attack was launched, the brothers were fearless and shouted:

"Kill!"

"General Zhang is not a traitor! Our 59th Army is not a traitor!"

The fighting has stopped, but the shouting and screaming are still ringing in my ears.

The brothers not only died for their country, but also died to clear the stigma he carried.

Wang Feng stood aside, unable to understand Zhang Zizhong's complicated emotions.

But looking at the rows of corpses on the ground, I found many familiar faces.

He was a key officer during the old 414th Regiment.

"Alas" Wang Feng was speechless after seeing the scene before him.

There are no such things as elite soldiers who have experienced hundreds of battles.

The old batch of veterans died in battle, and new and young recruits would be tempered by the flames of war and transformed into a new batch of veterans.

The cycle goes back and forth, over and over again.

"Don't talk about becoming a marquis, for one general's success is built on the bones of thousands of soldiers"

After submitting the statistical battle report to the Fifth War Zone, Wang Feng began to deal with his own affairs.

The 108th Division of the Japanese Army marched south to Changzhi, where it encountered the 47th Army and the 386nd and rd Mountain Corps on the front battlefield. The th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army also launched a raid behind enemy lines.

Railway lines were destroyed and supplies became extremely unstable.

The Japanese offensive has shown signs of slowing down, but it is not yet to the point where they can rest easy.

Who knows whether Katsuki Seiji's First Army will suddenly mobilize another division to attack Changzhi.

But the possibility is very small.

On the one hand, Wei Lihuang in southern Shanxi and Yan Xishan still had nearly 100,000 troops under their command, and it would be very difficult to completely wipe out the scattered anti-Japanese bases of the Eighth Route Army behind enemy lines.

At present, the main goal of the North China Expeditionary Army is to open up the Jinpu Line as soon as possible and eliminate the flank threat.

Will not continue to devote a lot of energy to Shanxi.

Moreover, after Itagaki Seishirō retired, no one paid attention to the offensive route he proposed, which was to go through Shanxi to Hanzhong and finally to Sichuan.

This route is actually the route that Mongolia took to destroy the Southern Song Dynasty.

If it can be accomplished, it will cut off the retreat route of the entire Central Plains region. Whether in terms of strategic value or deterrence, it will be far greater than the attack routes from north to south or from east to west.

It's a pity that the tea has gone cold after the visitor left.
The current Shanxi First Army is responsible for more garrison tasks, and the garrison strength has also changed from an elite Type A division to a Type B division plus an independent mixed brigade.

The second aspect.

Zhengzhou and other places on the flank had not yet fallen. Attacking Changzhi too early would drive the local troops to the Fifth War Zone.

This is extremely contrary to the current combat concept.

However, Wang Feng did not pin all his hopes on guessing what the Japanese army was thinking.

Being strong yourself is the bottom line.

Second, the Third Reserve Corps is being established, the soldiers have been recruited, and the weapons have been distributed.

In the process of intensive training.

According to Wang Feng's estimate, the troops will be assigned to the formal combat sequence after they have reached [initial training].

But if the situation is really urgent, you can go to the battlefield immediately.

Army! Filling the line!
Just give me a gun and I can do it!

While he was thinking, Zhao Fangyuan strode in and handed him a booklet: "Sir!"

"This is the list of the first batch of students from Changzhi Military Academy sent by the rear."

Wang Feng raised his eyebrows, took it curiously, and glanced at it: "So many people?"

“Have they all been carefully screened?”

Zhao Fangyuan nodded: "Yes, the brother who came to deliver the letter said that the people in the five counties of Changzhi were very enthusiastic to sign up. A total of more than 10,000 people were counted, but in the end only these 1,000 people were recruited."

The recruitment and assessment was decided by Wang Fengding.

It is divided into three categories in total.

Knowledge, physical fitness, and ideological and political education.

The main emphasis is on ideology and politics. It is enough to be able to read and write. As for physical fitness, as long as you are not a sickly person, you can basically be admitted.

At worst, you can practice after you enter school.

The policy is lenient for admission and strict for graduation. If you fail, it is not too late to persuade you to withdraw.

As for other aspects, he is not Chiang Kai-shek, and the Changzhi Military Academy is not the Whampoa Military Academy.

Chiang Kai-shek was fond of students with fine bone structure and good looks, but was very pessimistic about those who did not meet the aesthetic standards and were ugly.

Even if you are admitted to school and graduate, you will not be valued.

Changzhi Military Academy doesn’t have so many strange rules and regulations. It’s not a beauty pageant, and everything is based on performance.

Wang Feng weighed the thick roster and said, "This is a good job. Send a message to Song Wenjie and give him credit for his contribution."

"We need to train these cadets well and give them more snacks. They will be our middle-level backbones in the future!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, some brothers in the army also want to go in for further studies, this?"

Wang Feng frowned: "After the battle in Xuzhou is over, we will arrange for admission in batches. Let the brothers wait for a while!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Understood!"

Wang Feng turned to ask another question: "What is the current situation of the battle in Xubei?"

This encirclement and annihilation campaign mobilized so many elite troops and progressed very quickly, taking only about a week at most, and should not have a big impact on the war situation in the north.

Zhao Fangyuan replied: "The Japanese army has not yet arrived in Linyi, but General Pang Bingxun's Third Corps has already entered the suburbs of Linyi and is ready for battle."

"With five regiments of troops, I don't think it's likely that we will win against two Japanese divisions."

"The Fifth War Zone Headquarters called and asked us to return to Xuzhou as soon as possible after a brief rest and hand over the defense of this place to the 57th Army."

Wang Feng responded, "In that case, pass the order down to quickly clean up the battlefield and set off on time at dawn tomorrow."

May 2, noon.

Su County is an important town in the south of Xuzhou.

The army marched into the city in a mighty manner.

The main road was already crowded with people welcoming the army into the city.

There were even colorful banners hung on the streets, and the bustling crowds made the scene even more lively than during the Chinese New Year.

After receiving the news of the great victory in Huaibei, the Fifth War Zone immediately sent a telegram to the whole country.

The whole country was shocked for a while, and people could be heard talking about this battle in the streets and alleys.

The annihilation of more than 30,000 Japanese troops was hailed by various newspapers and media as the first major victory since the Beijing-Shanghai Battle of Resistance.

Inspire the people!

"I have newly laid eggs. Commander Wang, take them back and have a try!"

"Hey, hey, hey, there's this! Don't go!"

"Sir, look at my daughter, she is eighteen this year."

The people along the way consciously made way for them, holding the prepared items in their hands and trying to pass them into the hands of the passing soldiers.

Wang Feng rode on a white horse and walked at the front of the army entering the city, enjoying a rare highlight moment in his life.

Is this what victory feels like?
It’s really cool.

Zhao Fangyuan rode up to him and frowned, "Sir, the villagers are so enthusiastic. Do you want to accept these gifts or not?"

Wang Feng held the reins tightly and thought for a moment, "Tell the brothers to take them all."

"After all, this battle was not the result of my efforts alone. It was all thanks to my brothers who fought bravely and selflessly."

"How is the preparation of the pension for the sacrificed brothers going?"

Zhao Fangyuan nodded: "I have sent someone to deliver the specific roster to the rear."

"Sir, isn't it a bit inappropriate to parade around like this?"

Wang Feng smiled and asked, "What do you think is the most lacking thing in the country right now?"

"It's confidence, the confidence to fight the Japanese invaders to the death!"

"Some newspapers and media, under the influence of the peace faction, are still promoting the theory of national destruction and genocide! The battle is not only on the front line, public opinion and the subjective consciousness of the people are also crucial!"

"If even the common people are pessimistic about the war and believe that Japan will completely occupy China, then there is no need to continue this war."

It’s not that he wants to be ostentatious. During wartime, it is important to grasp the relationship between the front and back stages.

It doesn’t matter that we were unknown in the past, as the results achieved at that time were not inspiring enough.

Annihilating a few Japanese regiments would not change the overall situation.

But things are different now. The Central China Expeditionary Army has been thoroughly hurt and can no longer mobilize any extra troops to continue advancing northward.

It's time to spread the word!
If we keep hiding behind the scenes, some newspapers and media might make some outrageous remarks.

Zhao Fangyuan seemed to understand something: "I see."

Wang Feng waved his whip and said, "Order all troops to speed up and pass quickly!"

(End of this chapter)