Bright Sword: Starting from the Improved Grenade

Yangqu County, Taiyuan Front Committee Headquarters.

"The Taiyuan Airport has been captured. Engineers have already started repairing the airport. Our fighters and bombers are on their way."

Brigade Commander Chen opened the door and walked into the headquarters, showing the telegram he had just received to the two people in the room.

"What a coincidence! We have good news too!"

Chief of Staff Zhou of the Northwest Shanxi Military Region looked at Brigade Commander Chen who walked in and raised the telegram in his hand.

"Just yesterday, the three brigades of the Seventh Column of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army in northwestern Shanxi moved from south to north and broke through the first line of defense in the southern and northern areas of Taiyuan City."

"We annihilated a total of 12,000 Japanese and puppet troops."

"So, Taiyuan is now an isolated city and is completely surrounded by us!"

Brigade Commander Chen said happily: "It seems that the first stage can be declared over. Now we have to start the second step, liberating Taiyuan."

"Ok!"

Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Shanxi-Suiyuan Joint Defense Army, Deputy Commander Xu nodded, stood up and walked to a huge map.

"Ever since we defeated the Japanese's 20th Division, they have been strengthening Taiyuan's defenses."

"They built more than 5,600 bunkers outside Taiyuan City, forming a large and deep circular defense system."

"The Japanese army also deployed a division, two brigades, and the 12th Division of the Imperial Army in Taiyuan."

"And various miscellaneous puppet troops, about 5,000 people."

"It seems that Taiyuan is not easy to fight!"

Brigade Commander Chen frowned. There were more than 5,600 bunkers here. Even if they could take them down, they would not be able to attack the city once they reached Taiyuan.

"It's not easy, but we have to fight. The purpose of the headquarters establishing our front-line committee is to capture Taiyuan!"

Deputy Commander Xu pointed to a mark on the map and said with a smile, "But we don't need to be too nervous. Do you see this?"

"Dongshan?"

Brigade Commander Chen looked at the map with a thoughtful expression.

"Yes, it's Dongshan!"

Deputy Commander Xu nodded: "I just discussed it with Staff Officer Zhou."

"Dongshan is high up and is the main barrier of Taiyuan City, but its defense is not as good as the front battlefield in the southeast of the city."

"The Dongshan defense line only has four key points: Niutuzhai, Xiaojiaotou, Naoma and Shantou. As long as we take over the Dongshan defense line, we can bombard Taiyuan city from a high position."

"Then we can launch a psychological offensive to undermine the puppet troops' determination to resist in Taiyuan City."

At this time, Chief of Staff Zhou added: "We will continue the siege for a few days. When most of Shanxi has been recovered, the city of Taiyuan will be almost out of ammunition and food."

"Then we will concentrate our superior forces and launch a fatal attack!"

"Well, that's a good idea."

Brigade Commander Chen nodded: "Let's do it this way!"

At the same time, Commander Shinozuka in Taiyuan City also felt a hint of death.

"How is the war situation in various places?"

"very bad!"

Kusunokichi shook his head and said, "Although we built many bunkers, Jincheng and Linfen were both lost under the strong attack of the Eighth Route Army."

"Now our troops have retreated to the major cities of Jiexiu, Xiaoyi, Fenyang and Jinzhong."

"And Xinzhou and Shuozhou in the rear also called to say that they had discovered a large-scale gathering of the Eighth Route Army!"

"idiot!"

Commander Shinozuka yelled angrily, "What's the situation with the troops stationed in Mongolia? I sent a telegram a long time ago asking them to come to support me. Why haven't they made any move yet?"

"They said they encountered the Eighth Route Army guerrillas on the way here, and there were mines all along the way, so the support time might be delayed."

Kusunoshi Hideyoshi explained with a grim expression.

"asshole."

When Commander Shinozuka heard this reason, his face turned red with anger: "What a bunch of cowards, a little mine stopped them."

Upon hearing this, Kusunokichi Hideyoshi fell silent. Rather than being stopped by a landmine, he believed that the Mongolian troops were scared and did not dare to come.

.............

Zhangjiakou, headquarters of the Mongolian army.

"Commander, are we really not going to help Commander Shinozuka?"

Chief of Staff Toyojiro Inamura looked at Commander Shigetaro Amakasu and asked.

"What are you going for?"

Amakasu Shigetaro said calmly, "Before he left office, Okabe-kun told me about the current strength of the Eighth Route Army."

"With our limited military strength, even if we can solve Shanxi's predicament, it will only result in a serious loss of vitality."

"Don't forget, our mission is to be responsible for the security of Inner Mongolia, southern Chahar and northern Shanxi. The crisis in Shanxi has nothing to do with us!"

"But Commander Shinozuka is the commander of the First Army after all. Wouldn't it be bad if we just ignored him?"

Inamura Toyojiro hesitated.

"What's wrong?"

Amakasu Shigetaro said nonchalantly: "Our immediate superior is Commander Tada, not Commander Shinozuka."

At this point, Amakasu Shigetaro smiled and said, "Also, they have been fighting till now, and there has not been a single telegram from the North China Headquarters. This is very telling."

"Report, the Baotou Special Agent Agency of the Second Section of the General Staff has received news that the Eighth Route Army's newly formed armored division in Baotou is gathering!"

At this time, a communications soldier hurried in and said to Shigetaro Amakasu.

Inamura Toyojiro frowned and said, "Commander, this armored division is getting stronger and stronger. A few days ago, there was intelligence that they seemed to have transported a very powerful weapon."

"What weapon?"

Amakasu Shigetaro asked.

"do not know!"

Inamura Toyojiro shook his head: "Ever since we gave up Baotou, the secret service there has suffered a serious blow."

"The people who are in charge of gathering intelligence now are still the locals who were initially recruited. Although they are not conspicuous, they have no access to the Eighth Route Army's training grounds."

"It looks like we're in a lot of trouble!"

After thinking for a while, Amakasu Shigetaro ordered, "Send a telegram to the North China Headquarters and tell them that the Eighth Route Army in Baotou has made unusual movements. Let's see what the headquarters says!"

"Yes."

To Shigetaro Amakasu's surprise, this telegram received a response so quickly.

Looking at the telegram sent by the North China Command, which said the word "restraint" and asked him to transfer the 26th Infantry Division, the main force of the Mongolian Army, back to the base camp.

Amakasu Shigetaro put down the telegram with a serious expression on his face and said to Inamura Toyojiro: "It seems that we will not receive support from the North China Front Army in the future."

On July 7, the Shanxi First Army, which had no support at all, was defeated piece by piece by the Eighth Route Army.

At this time, the Taiyuan Front Committee felt that the time was ripe and began to mobilize the troops who had been well fed and rested for many days to attack Taiyuan.

Before the battle began, Brigade Commander Chen came to the front line, set up a loudspeaker and made a final appeal to the defenders of Taiyuan City to surrender.

After shouting a few words, Brigade Commander Chen put down the microphone and said, "Okay, let's start the attack!"

Soon, bombers began to take off from Taiyuan Airport and dropped huge bombs on the bunkers outside Taiyuan city.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

The violent explosion caused the earth to tremble slightly, but Brigade Commander Chen was not very satisfied with the effect.

"Let the bombers switch to incendiary bombs. Aerial bombs are not very effective."

"Yes."