Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 345, Section 343: Fang Wen attends the Taiyuan Military Conference; Japanese special forces infiltrate.
Fifteen Japanese warplanes circled in the air, but they returned empty-handed once again. The Taishan air raid formation, which had been over the Hutuo River just half an hour earlier, withdrew ahead of schedule again.

Fang Wen and his squadron were like ghosts in the sky; if he wanted to, the Japanese army simply couldn't intercept them.

The frustrated Japanese fighter squadron wanted to vent their anger on the ground troops.

However, this time they were only there to intercept aircraft and did not carry bombs. Faced with the firepower blockade of the Independent Regiment's triangular air defense positions, they ultimately did not rashly dive and straf the enemy.

Once the Japanese warplane formation had left, Wu Yingzong immediately reported the situation to Fang Wen, who was returning to Taiyuan.

It was already 5 p.m., and dusk was approaching.

The Japanese army is still recovering from the suffocating smoke bomb attack.

It's time to prepare for retreat.

Immediately afterwards, the Independent Regiment's artillery positions, along with the three Type 16 105mm heavy mountain guns brought by the 72nd Division, began firing continuously at the Japanese positions.

(Type 16 105mm heavy mountain gun manufactured in Shanxi, a domestically produced artillery piece from Shanxi)

After continuous shelling, the Independent Regiment, the Provisional 7th Division, and the 72nd Division launched a feint attack.

The Japanese army had just suffered a crushing defeat and had not yet recovered. They hurriedly organized their forces for defense, but after a series of unsuccessful attacks, the Independent Regiment withdrew.

As a result of this bombardment and attack, the Japanese army was on high alert.

The blocking forces should also retreat.

Under the cover of darkness, the troops began an orderly withdrawal, first removing half of their forces from the positions, and then gradually retreating.

At 10 p.m., only one company remained at the joint position to keep watch.

Until then, the Japanese army had not discovered that the Independent Regiment had already retreated, which shows that the daytime battle had really affected them.

That night, more than 10,000 soldiers marched 30 kilometers and finally arrived at the outer defense line of Taiyuan in Yangqu County.

It was 4 a.m. on November 4th.

Yangqu North Station on the Tongpu Railway.

The now-defunct station was fortified with numerous fortifications, becoming an outer defensive point in the Battle of Taiyuan.

The troops stationed here are a part of the 19th Army of the Jin Army.

The sentry who had just taken over the night shift stood yawning at the roadside checkpoint.

The sound of horses' hooves in the distance alerted the sentry, who raised his gun in preparation.

As the sound drew closer, an officer dressed in Jin army uniform rode up on horseback and pulled on the reins in front of the sentry post.

"The 72nd Division has completed its blocking action and the troops are about to arrive here. Call your commander over."

Since they were all from the 19th Army, the sentry was very polite and immediately rang the horn. The garrison commander came out of the station.

The man and the officer on horseback actually knew each other.

He chuckled and teased, "Isn't this Company Commander Ma of the 72nd Division's cavalry? I heard you were holding off the Japanese, what brings you back?"

The officer jumped off his horse and said proudly, "We have successfully completed the blocking mission and won a great victory. Our division alone annihilated hundreds of Japanese soldiers, plus captured and seized a number of prisoners."

To prove his point, he also produced a Japanese-made pistol and other miscellaneous items for display.

The other party was extremely surprised upon seeing these.

"You really won a battle? With your 72nd Division alone?"

“One division alone is definitely not enough, but this time we have the Taishan Independent Regiment and the Provisional 7th Division of the Sichuan Army, especially the Independent Regiment, which is incredibly powerful. They have planes, artillery, tanks, and armored vehicles. Even their infantry rifles have scopes, so they can see the enemy firing from a great distance. Let me tell you, I’ve really seen through this ambush.”

That wasn't clear enough, which piqued the interest of the garrison commander at the station. He pulled him aside to sit down at the roadside checkpoint and asked for more details.

Listening to the officer recount his experiences in yesterday's ambush battle with great enthusiasm, the Jin soldiers were truly amazed.

At this moment, the main force that had retreated arrived.

The vanguard consisted of the tank company of the independent regiment, followed by infantry units, armored command vehicles, supply vehicles, and artillery vehicles.

Behind them were the Provisional 7th Division and the 72nd Division.

After negotiations with the garrison at the outpost, nearly 2 people each chose a spot at the station and sat down to rest.

The captured Japanese soldiers were concentrated in the station warehouse and kept under strict guard.

The Taishan Independent Regiment successfully withdrew, and Fang Wen in Taiyuan received a telegram from Wu Yingzong immediately.

This news quickly reached Taiyuan, and the Second War Zone Forward Command immediately sent someone to invite Fang Wen to attend a military conference.

Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen led Gong Xiuneng in a military vehicle into Taiyuan City.

Today, the forward command post of the Second War Zone is located in the Taiyuan Garrison Command, where the leaders of various troops are gathered.

Fang Wen met with the Sichuan Army generals of the 22nd Group Army, but didn't recognize most of them.

So he and Gong Xiu quietly waited in a corner.

After a while, an officer came over and said, "Please proceed to the conference room on the third floor. The meeting on the deployment of defense equipment for the Taiyuan area is about to begin."

After the officer finished speaking, he walked up to Fang Wen and said, "Commander Fang, you can't bring guards to a meeting of this level. You go up first, and I'll arrange for your bodyguard to rest."

Fang Wen nodded and followed the generals upstairs.

The group of generals entered the conference room on the third floor. In the middle of the conference room was a large sand table, and everyone sat on chairs around the sand table.

Fang Wen also found a seat and sat down, waiting quietly.

After a while, the general who was presiding over the meeting came over.

Commander Yan of the Second War Zone, Commander Wei Lihuang of the Northern Front, and Commander Huang Shaohong of the Eastern Front.

Upon seeing the three of them enter, all the generals stood up to greet them, and Fang Wen also stood up.

Commander Yan said, "Due to the setbacks on the eastern front, the Japanese 20th Division is approaching Taiyuan, and the defenses on the northern front have become ineffective. Therefore, it is necessary to readjust the deployment and concentrate forces to defend Taiyuan. Commander Wei will explain the specific arrangements to everyone."

Commander Wei walked to the sand table and pointed to one side with his baton.

"The 15th and 17th Armies form the right corps, with Liu Maoen, the commander of the 15th Army, serving as the corps commander. They are stationed at the Laishuiyan, Chuantaoli, and Yaozishang lines."

“第19、第61军，第35军。及第21、第47、第54、第72、第73师为中央兵团，第19军军长王靖国为兵团长，驻防西黄水、育龙镇至周家山一带阵地。”

"The 14th Army, along with the 68th, 71st, and 94th Divisions, formed the left corps, with Li Mo'an, the commander of the 14th Army, serving as the corps commander. They were stationed in positions from Guanxiangpo to Xiqingshan and from Dongyan Village to Tianmen Pass." "The 5th, 23rd, and 28th Artillery Regiments formed the artillery group, with Liu Zhenheng, the artillery commander, serving as the commander. They established artillery positions in Fenglouge, Yangqu Town, and Langang Village."

"The 85th Division, the Independent 5th Brigade, and the 529th Brigade serve as the general reserve force, stationed in Taiyuan, Xincheng Village, and Xindian Village, ready to support various locations at any time."

"In addition, the defense of Taiyuan also has air forces, which will be supported by the Sixth Air Group."

At this point, Commander Wei looked at Fang Wen.

"Here, I have one more thing to announce. The Taishan Independent Regiment, the Provisional 7th Division of the 22nd Army Group, and the 72nd Division of the 19th Army together completed the Xinkou blocking operation, allowing our units to successfully withdraw to Taiyuan. Furthermore, during the blocking operation, they not only blocked the enemy but also launched a counterattack, annihilating more than 1000 Japanese soldiers, capturing 187 Japanese soldiers, and destroying a large amount of Japanese military equipment and supplies, demonstrating the might of the Chinese army."

These words caused an uproar in the audience.

In a single battle, more than 1000 Japanese soldiers were annihilated, which can be considered a very rare victory.

But how exactly did they do it?

Not only did they want to know, but the three people in the forward command also wanted to know.

Commander Wei looked at Fang Wen and smiled, "Commander Fang, could you tell us about yesterday's situation so we can learn some experience from fighting the Japanese?"

With everyone watching, Fang Wen nodded and walked over.

He picked up a baton and pointed it at the area of ​​yesterday's blocking battle on the sand table.

"Yesterday, we blocked the Japanese army here. The Japanese army first tried to cross the river at the downstream defense line, but was defeated by our army. Then, they crossed the Hutuo River at the front crossing, and the battlefield shifted to the defensive positions of the 72nd Division."

Fang Wen recounted the battle in a calm tone.

He demonstrated a completely new way of fighting to the generals in the conference room.

Air, ground, deep-penetration artillery, and tank coordination brought together the most advanced military equipment in actual combat, and they worked together very well.

That's exactly why we won.

After listening to Fang Wen's recount of the battle, the generals went from being full of hope to feeling helpless.

That was completely impossible for them.

It requires too much money to invest; those with the resources are unwilling to spend it, while those without the resources cannot obtain it. Even those who are willing to invest, like the Jin army, cannot do what Fang Wen did.

It can be said that Fang Wen of Taishan Airlines is a special case in war, which others cannot imitate.

A flash of disappointment crossed Commander Wei's eyes. He then asked, "Were the bombs your air force dropped yesterday poison gas bombs? The Japanese sent a note through the British saying that our use of poison gas bombs violated international law."

Fang Wen couldn't help but feel angry: "They were the ones who used poison gas. During the defensive battle, the Japanese army used a grenade launcher to fire a poison gas shell, which poisoned more than a dozen soldiers of the Provisional 7th Division. They are still receiving treatment. The bombs we dropped only contained a lot of smoke, which would cause breathing difficulties."

At this moment, Commander Yan stepped forward and said, "Alright. Regiment Commander Fang, don't be angry. Even if it were poison gas, it wouldn't be unreasonable to use it on the Japanese army. I was just asking casually. Your Independent Regiment's arrangement in the defense of Taiyuan is to join the reserve headquarters and support various places. Also, can your air force cooperate with the Sixth Group in combat?"

Fang Wen nodded: "No problem. But I have a request. The Provisional 7th Division should also be included in the reserve brigade. The Taishan Independent Regiment has too few troops and needs the cooperation of the Provisional 7th Division in many situations. As for cooperating with the 6th Battalion, where is their base? I need to go and meet with them to talk."

“No problem. The Sixth Detachment is currently stationed at Zhoujiakou Airport. If you want to go there, I will send a telegram to inform them,” Commander Yan replied.

Through battle after battle, Fang Wen and his Independent Regiment have gradually gained a reputation among various generals.

They are no longer the 'merchant armed forces' that ignored everyone.

The meeting then moved on to the details, including how the various garrisons would coordinate, the transportation of supplies, and the frequency of telegram communication.

Fang Wen also communicated with several generals of the general reserve, especially the 85th Division stationed in Taiyuan.

Three hours later, the meeting ended, and the generals left the meeting room to return to their respective units.

Fang Wenze found Gong Xiuneng and drove him back to the garrison. He then telegraphed the Third Battalion of the Independent Regiment and the Provisional Seventh Division to return to the garrison.

The plan is to arrange for the troops to join the reserve brigade after they return, and then fly to Zhoujiakou Airport to discuss cooperation with the Sixth Detachment.

But he was unaware that something related to him was brewing in Xinkou.

Xinkou, the defensive position during the defensive battle.

The Japanese army had already occupied this area, but they left it intact and preserved it completely.

Until a Japanese transport plane arrived here.

A group of people then jumped off the transport plane, opened their parachutes, and landed on the riverbank.

This is a group of well-equipped soldiers, physically strong and efficient.

After landing, they immediately gathered by whistling and then found a local Japanese officer to show him their identification.

The documentation states that they are a special operations team dispatched by the Army's Special Higher Police with a special mission.

Afterwards, they followed the officer to inspect the blocking position and analyzed the various traces on the position.

The special forces captain then summarized:

"Judging from the marks on the positions, the Taishan Independent Regiment has at least six infantry guns, as well as many mortars and an unknown number of anti-aircraft guns. Their infantry use 7.92mm short bullets, which are well-made and may have been purchased from abroad."

"In addition, there are two heavy tanks. Judging from the indentations, they weigh several times more than our Type 94 tanks and have strong defensive capabilities."

The team member added, "They also have two types of aircraft: fighter jets and a type of circling and firing seaplane. The fighter jets can reach speeds of over 460 km/h, with a top speed that could even exceed 500 km/h, and they are very agile. As for the other type of circling and firing seaplane, although it does not fly at high speeds, it has very thick bulletproof armor that can withstand 7.7 mm bullets and has extremely strong ground attack capabilities."

The captain was bewildered: "Fang Wen, how did he do that? This equipment is designed specifically for us. Our troops have absolutely no ability to resist his independent regiment."

Another team member disagreed: "It's not that they are completely incapable of resisting. At least the Taishan Independent Regiment only has so many people. That's all the army they can assemble. It's impossible for them to decide a war."

"Really? The power of Shanghai's thermobaric bombs and armored seaplanes already demonstrates that it poses a significant threat to us. And now, it has used another new type of weapon. Let's go and take a look at the bombing site."

After the captain finished speaking, he led the team to the bombing site of the suffocating incendiary smoke bomb.

There, they spoke with the soldiers and officers who had been bombed and learned about the situation at the time.

The captain frowned: "So, this is a weapon with a large area and the ability to cripple an army's combat capability in a short time."

"But it doesn't last long, and it's affected by the wind in open areas. Not every commander is as capable as Fang Wen of making timely and correct command decisions."

The team member's words made the captain realize something very important.

"That's the problem. We overlooked something. How did he manage to evade our fighter interception so accurately? Also, the battles in Texas and here were perfectly commanded on the battlefield, which I believe was also his command. In that light, he is a very talented military commander."

Upon hearing this analysis, the captain immediately became serious: "This is the most threatening one. We cannot let him continue. Now, prepare to carry out the Special Higher Police's assassination order and eliminate him."

Immediately afterwards, these special operations soldiers, specially trained by the Japanese Special Higher Police, took off their military uniforms, changed into the clothes of local civilians, and then mingled with the crowds fleeing to Taiyuan and headed south.

(End of this chapter)