Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 342 340 The Situation at Niangziguan: Man's Will, the Enemy's Rear Base Area and the Blocking War
At the Taiyuan Garrison Command, a group of civilian staff members are talking in the courtyard.

They were discussing the Japanese pilot prisoners they had just brought over.

It was because of the prisoners that they learned that the Taishan Independent Regiment had fought a brilliant aerial ambush, annihilating 10 Japanese fighter planes.

In the military intelligence room on the third floor, Fang Wen recounted the information that Fujimoto Teruya had provided.

The Jin army major staff officer who remained in Taiyuan frowned.

"Niangziguan is an important defensive line on our eastern front. The Japanese army has been launching a strong attack during this period, and the main attacking force is indeed the 20th Division."

He took out the map, unfolded it, and explained it to Fang Wen.

"Commander Fang, look, Commander Yan has set up defensive lines in both northern and eastern Shanxi in response to the defense of Taiyuan. In northern Shanxi, the main force is deployed at Xinkou and its two flanks. In eastern Shanxi, originally only the Jin-Sui Army was on the defense, but after Shijiazhuang fell, additional troops were sent to the reserve defensive positions around Niangziguan to assist in the defense."

Looking at the map, Fang Wen asked, "You mean you already know about the Japanese 20th Division's attack plan?"

"Yes, our army has deployed a large number of troops at Niangziguan, including five divisions of the 26th Route Army, three divisions of the 27th Route Army, three divisions of the 22nd Group Army, and two divisions of the 18th Group Army. Nearly 100,000 troops."

Fang Wen pondered as he listened to the major's words.

The defensive forces at Niangziguan Pass in eastern Shanxi were a veritable gathering of reinforcements from all directions.

The 26th Army was the Northwest Army.

The 27th Route Army was originally the Northeast Army.

The 22nd Group Army is a Sichuan Army.

The 18th Group Army was actually a new designation for the Eighth Route Army.

He asked, "What is the situation with the Japanese troops attacking Niangziguan?"

The staff officer replied, "I only know that the unit is the 20th Division. It was the same unit that attacked Shijiazhuang before, but I don't know the specifics. Fortunately, your prisoner can provide information on this."

It seems that bringing Fujimoto Teruya along was useful after all.

Fang Wen and the major staff officer went to the next room.

In that house, Gong Xiuneng was keeping watch over the prisoner Fujimoto Teruya. As a prisoner, Fujimoto Teruya was very obedient and stood motionless in the corner.

Fang Wen asked, "Now I'll give you a chance to tell me about the Japanese troops attacking Niangziguan."

Fujimoto Teruya answered honestly, "It's the 20th Division and the 31st Infantry Brigade of the 109th Division."

"Explain yourself clearly," Gong Xiuneng sneered.

The pain of the dislocated hand resurfaced in Fujimoto Teruya, and he quickly continued:

"The 1th Division has 1 troops, commanded by Kawagishi Bunzaburo, and two infantry brigades: the 39th Brigade, commanded by Takagi Yoshihito, and the 40th Brigade, commanded by Yamashita Tomoyuki. Including the 31st Brigade with 5000 men, there should be 5 men attacking Niangziguan from the east."

Fujimoto Teruya revealed everything he knew, including information about military equipment.

The major staff officer took careful notes of his description.

After recording the information, the major staff officer solemnly said, "This intelligence is very useful and can allow the frontline troops to make targeted adjustments. I will pass it on over there."

"Alright, we'll head back now." After saying that, Fang Wen led the prisoners downstairs and drove back to their camp by Jinyang Lake in the south of the city.

He was preoccupied with worries the whole way.

Through Fujimoto Teruya's account, he gained a deeper understanding of the Taiyuan defense battle from the enemy's perspective.

The Japanese army deployed 1.5 troops in eastern Shanxi.

In order to deal with them, troops from all sides gathered in the Niangziguan area.

But why do I feel a little uneasy?

As far as I can remember, it seems that Niangziguan Pass was not defended.

This is likely a major reason for the overall failure of the defense of Taiyuan.

Yes, that should be it.

The Xinkou defense line is currently in a stalemate and there will be no change for the time being; something must have happened at Niangziguan.

With that in mind, Fang Wen sped up and drove back to the camp.

Upon arriving at the camp, he immediately jumped out of the vehicle and instructed Gong Xiuneng: "Go and hand the prisoners over to the garrison for safekeeping."

After saying that, he quickly walked to the telegraph room of the base and personally sent a telegram to Xi'an.

The telegram was simple, requesting Pan Jiafeng to bring the Shrike over.

Two hours later, Pan Jiafeng piloted the Shrike and landed on the temporary runway at the base.

After refueling the plane, Fang Wen boarded the Shrike and took off.

He flew towards Niangziguan, east of Taiyuan, wanting to see what the situation was like there.

In less than 20 minutes, we arrived at Niangziguan, 110 kilometers away.

Fang Wen activated his mechanical senses to observe the situation below from high above.

The Great Wall stretches along the mountain, and there is also a small pass.

(Niangziguan Pass)

That is Niangziguan, the ninth pass of the Great Wall, guarding the western pass of Jingxing in the Taihang Mountains, and is the throat for entering and exiting Shanxi and Hebei.

Nearby, there is also a railway line that has been shut down, the Zhengtai Line.

The current situation is that the Japanese army has occupied the Zhengtai Railway.

They must capture Niangziguan Pass before they can attack Taiyuan.

Our defenses are not only on Niangziguan Pass and the Great Wall, but also on the nearby highlands and the rear reserve positions.

Under such circumstances, the Japanese military vehicles and tanks were rendered useless, and they could only climb the mountain ridge to build fortifications and confront the enemy.

Looking down at the Japanese troops marching on the mountain ridge, Fang Wen still couldn't understand how the Japanese army, without its superior military equipment, was able to capture Niangziguan Pass.

He then witnessed an ongoing battle.

A group of Japanese soldiers lay prone on one side of the ridge, poking their heads out to fire at the Great Wall opposite.

The defenders on the Great Wall also launched a counterattack, but due to the vastness of the mountain and the dispersed nature of the troops, the fighting between the two sides did not appear to be particularly intense.
On the other side, Fang Wen also saw a group of Chinese soldiers running across the mountain, making a detour.

Fang Wen had seen this style of combat before. It came from the Eighth Route Army, which had grown up during the five-year encirclement campaign. These soldiers had been raiding complex terrain for many years and had developed a strong style of mountain warfare, making them move through the mountains as if they were on flat ground.

Fang Wen deduced that they were probably going to launch a surprise attack on the Japanese army's supply lines.

Sure enough, the troops quickly ran to their ambush point, on a mountain ridge.

Below the opposite side of the mountain ridge, there was a narrow path, with dozens of mules and horses advancing under the watch of the Japanese army, transporting supplies for the soldiers fighting on the mountain.

The Eighth Route Army soldiers did not attack immediately, but waited until the mule caravan had traveled halfway before suddenly launching an attack from both the front and rear.

This attack left the enemy unable to advance or retreat, causing chaos and panic. Mules and horses were also startled and ran amok, and several Japanese soldiers were pushed off the mountain path in their haste.

Fang Wen, who originally wanted to help, decided against it after seeing the situation, believing that the Eighth Route Army soldiers could end the battle on their own.

He continued to circle in the air, conducting reconnaissance, piloting the Shrike.

The question still lingered in my mind: how did the Japanese army manage to breach Niangziguan Pass?
With a global perspective, he saw what he wanted to see.

The Japanese army divided the defensive positions into different routes, preventing these units from supporting each other, and then attacked them one by one.

Although the various units put up a fierce resistance, this division has created a strategic disadvantage. Once one position is captured, the others will also be affected. If this continues, even if Niangziguan can hold out, it will eventually become isolated and helpless.

Fang Wen lamented that not all troops possess the combat qualities developed through five years of fighting under harsh conditions like the Eighth Route Army. Relatively speaking, holding the line is the best defensive measure.

However, the Japanese army made adjustments to this defensive position, which ironically put them at a disadvantage.

Isn't there any way to deal with this?
It's not impossible, but the key is that coordination among various departments is required.

The fact that troops defending different positions belonged to different factions and could not communicate effectively with each other was a major reason why the situation deteriorated.

With a heavy heart, Fang Wen turned around and headed back.

This is not the main battlefield for the air force. The bombs dropped on the mountain will cause very little damage. In addition, the number of Taishan fighters and ammunition are limited, and they cannot be wasted here.

Twenty minutes later, the Shrike returned to its base in Taiyuan and landed.

With a heavy heart, Fang Wen asked Pan Jiafeng to fly the plane back, while he sat quietly in his room.

Sensing something was amiss, Gong Xiu knocked on the door and asked, "Commander, is something the matter?"

Since arriving in this era, Fang Wen has never had a close friend.

But at this moment, Fang Wen had the idea of ​​confiding in someone.

He opened the door and let Gong Xiuneng in.

"Gong Xiuneng, what will you do if Taiyuan ultimately falls?"

"Huh?" Gong Xiuneng looked bewildered, then thought for a moment and replied, "There's no guarantee of victory in war. If we can't hold out, we'll retreat and continue to fight the Japanese. One day, we'll drive the Japanese out of China."

Gong Xiuneng's words gave Fang Wen some inspiration.

This may be the thought behind those Eighth Route Army and National Army soldiers who stayed in the Japanese-occupied areas to continue fighting the Japanese army.

Yes, China wasted five years due to the civil war, while the Japanese army prepared for five years, which further widened the gap between the two sides. But as long as they did not give up, victory would eventually come.

Fang Wen understood why he was frustrated. As a time traveler who knew history and had so many advantages, he could only achieve small victories and could not change the overall direction. It seemed that all the preparations he had made for this purpose had become meaningless.

But Gong Xiuneng's words gave him a new idea.

It's not that I haven't changed anything, it's just that the changes are very small and cannot affect the overall picture.

But this change is ongoing, and one day it will transform from quantitative to qualitative, bringing this war of aggression to an early end.

He encouraged himself in his heart.

Persevere, never be discouraged, and don't let others' failures affect you. Even if Taiyuan falls, you must still fight with great spirit and determination.

After reconnaissance at Niangziguan, Fang Wen once again devoted himself to the defense of the Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division.

The two to three air raids per day left the Japanese troops on the other side extremely exhausted.

They couldn't even finish the construction.

The artillery positions set up behind the lines were repeatedly attacked by air, directly losing their heavy firepower support.

Faced with this situation, the Japanese army called for air support multiple times.

No matter how many planes the Army Air Forces sent to intercept them, the Taishan air raid formations would evade them.

When the Japanese air force prepared to bomb the positions of the Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division, Fang Wen's flight formation was able to appear in time and cause damage to the enemy's aircraft.

These are simply unsolvable maneuvers, as if the Taishan Independent Regiment's fighter jets could predict the future.

As a result, the Japanese troops on the other side of the river had no choice but to abandon their plan to establish positions across the river and instead retreat to an area 3 kilometers from the riverbank.

With the pressure on the Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division reduced, Fang Wen's air force turned its attention to other Japanese units along the Xinkou defense line.

The elusive air raid formations on Mount Tai, coupled with the guerrilla warfare of the 120th Division that disrupted the Japanese rear and transportation lines, and the presence of over 100,000 Nationalist troops, put the Japanese forces on the northern front in a passive position.

However, the defending troops on the Jin-Dong battlefield were unable to withstand the Japanese offensive.

With the loss of many positions, Niangziguan was eventually abandoned. Pingding, Yangquan and other places were successively occupied by the Japanese army. The defense of the Zhengtai Line was completely defeated, and the defending troops had to retreat towards Taiyuan.

As a result, the Xinkou defense line on the northern route also lost its value.

A military order was issued, requiring the defending troops to retreat towards Taiyuan and concentrate all forces to defend Taiyuan.

The order to retreat was issued to all units, including the Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division.

Fang Wen, however, was considering his own plans.

He decided that if Taiyuan could not be defended, he would establish a base area behind enemy lines in the Japanese-occupied zone.

Our destination is Fuping.

Therefore, it was necessary to send an advance force to Fuping County to begin the construction of a base area behind enemy lines.

Therefore, he summoned William and made arrangements.

"I have decided to send a 500-man guerrilla force to Fuping County. The terrain there is complex, and the Japanese will not launch a large-scale attack, making it suitable for establishing a base area behind enemy lines. The 3rd Battalion of the Independent Regiment will send 100 men, and the remaining 400 will be drawn from a Sichuan Army battalion. You have been to Fuping before and are familiar with the local situation, so you will lead the team this time."

William agreed without hesitation, but made a small request: "Of the 100 men drawn from the 3rd Battalion of the Independent Regiment, I want a company of them."

The Ganjun Company was the security team at Xiangxi Airport trained by William; they were all soldiers he had trained, and he was easy to lead.

Fang Wen naturally agreed to this request.

After this arrangement was made, the 500-strong force secretly transferred to the Fuping mountain area in five batches by gunboat.

The remaining Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division prepared to retreat from the Xinkou defense line.

The soldiers of the 3rd Battalion of the Independent Regiment did not react much, but the new recruits of the Sichuan Army in the Provisional 7th Division were very disappointed.

They stayed at the front for a while and got into the atmosphere, but they didn't engage in direct combat with the Japanese army, so they had to retreat in disgrace.

This was something they found hard to accept.

Fang Wen also felt that retreating to Taiyuan without fighting a single battle would not achieve the desired effect of actual combat training.

Therefore, he decided to launch a ground attack on the Japanese army before retreating.

This idea was reported directly to the Second War Zone Command.

Immediately afterwards, a staff officer came over from the command post.

The other party met with Fang Wen.

“Commander Fang, this retreat does indeed require troops to cover the rear. The area where the Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division are stationed is the southernmost point of the defense line and the last point of defense. But Commander Yan said that the Independent Regiment is an elite force, and he is worried that if you stay behind to cover the rear, the losses will be too great and will affect the defense of Taiyuan. How about we send another division to assist? You only need to hold out for half a day and you can retreat.”

Fang Wen was originally confident of winning a defensive battle, but adding a division would be even more effective.

"Alright, which division is it?"

"72nd Division of the 19th Army".

Fang Wen was stunned. Wasn't the 19th Army disbanded because of the Fujian Incident?

But then he realized it was a misunderstanding.

It wasn't the 19th Army from back then, but a designation of the Jin Army.

The division commander's surname is Li, but his combat capabilities are still unclear.

(End of this chapter)