Anti-Japanese War: I have a million soldiers and you call me a division commander?

"Report to the Brigade Commander. The 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army has sent a telegram. They are planning to ambush the Japanese Itagaki Division's supply train at Pingxingguan to support the front lines in Shanxi Province. They request our brigade's artillery support in the battle."

But just as Chu Feng took the telegram and was about to take a look at it, the communications company commander hurried over with a telegram.

"Okay!"

Listening to the telegram in the hands of the communications company commander and looking at the telegram from Commander Yan of the Second War Zone, Chu Feng couldn't help but smile: "It seems that our brigade has become a hot commodity."

Chief of Staff Wang Tiezhu laughed upon hearing this: "Nowadays, our Commander Yan is interested in anyone who can carry a gun in order to protect Shanxi Province and his own territory."

"Our 1st Independent Brigade fought in two battles and wiped out over 5,000 Japanese soldiers. It was because we followed orders but not announcements that he could not directly order us to the Xinkou battlefield. Otherwise, I'm afraid we would have already gone to the Xinkou battlefield and engaged in a positional battle with the Japanese."

At this point, Chief of Staff Wang Tiezhu seemed to have an idea and said, "Brigade Commander, I think this is a good opportunity. Although the troops are undergoing reorganization, our combat effectiveness has not decreased. I think we can take the troops out for a walk and let the new recruits see some blood."

When saying this, Chief of Staff Wang Tiezhu's mouth curled up slightly. Obviously, he was not worried at all that the army would suffer from too many new recruits.

As the chief of staff, he is in charge of the troops' training and he knows the troops' combat effectiveness very well.

The training time was not long, only five days, but at this time, the three infantry regiments and one artillery regiment at the core of the Independent 1st Brigade had completed the initial personnel reorganization.

Although the number of new recruits added to each regiment was about 3,000, which had an impact on the combat effectiveness of the troops, in order to ensure the combat effectiveness of each regiment, the new recruits were not dispersed, but were all concentrated in an infantry battalion and a baggage battalion of each regiment. The remaining two companies were all composed of veterans.

The personnel were not organized according to a scale of 1,200 people, but rather 800 people per battalion. It would not be too late to restore the normal organization after the new recruits were trained.

Therefore, the combat effectiveness of the three infantry regiments can be maintained at around 70%.

Judging from the number of personnel in each infantry regiment of the Independent 1st Brigade and the configuration of weapons and equipment, they can fight back and forth with a small Japanese regiment without being at a disadvantage.

"hehe!"

Listening to the chief of staff's words, Chu Feng also smiled and said, "Okay, let someone notify Dayong and Lao Li. Let's come back and have a meeting to discuss how to send troops to cooperate with the troops who want to go to the front battlefield and give them the most advantageous support."

"By the way, send a telegram to the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army and tell them that I will send a regiment and a heavy artillery battalion to support them in this battle."

"By the way, please ask the brothers of the Eighth Route Army to take care of our new recruits. Let them feel the atmosphere of the battlefield, hear the noise, and see the blood."

For Chu Feng, the Pingxingguan Battle was a good opportunity to train his troops. This training was not about fighting, but about allowing the recruits to feel the atmosphere of the battlefield.

The Eighth Route Army is playing the leading role in the battle. If I interfere, it will only make things worse. It will be enough for me to just cooperate.

Upon hearing this, Chief of Staff Wang Tiezhu nodded vigorously and said, "Okay, Brigade Commander, I'll send the telegram right away!"

Watching Wang Tiezhu leave, Chu Feng turned and entered the brigade headquarters, and began to stand in front of the battle map, looking for his target on it.

Ten minutes later, Li Mingqiang, Ge Dayong and Wang Tiezhu came back.

"No more nonsense, let's get straight to the point!"

Looking at his three partners, Chu Feng smiled and said, "The 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army is preparing to ambush the supply corps of the Itagaki Division of the Japanese Fifth Division at Pingxingguan. They request that we send troops to cooperate in the battle."

"I've already sent Tiezhu a telegram back, preparing to dispatch a regiment, along with new recruits from various regiments, other newly recruited soldiers, and an artillery battalion to participate in this ambush."

At this point, Chu Feng looked at Li Mingqiang and said, "Old Li, you will lead the team this time. Our goal is to let the new recruits feel the atmosphere of the battlefield. After the battle, they will go to the battlefield to see the blood and cruelty of the battlefield and get used to the smell of gunpowder."

"As for those participating in the battle, it was the artillery battalion of the First Regiment, the artillerymen of each battalion company, and the First Artillery Battalion. The rest of the First Regiment was responsible for teaching the new recruits and giving them a vivid observation lesson in actual combat conditions."

Hearing Chu Feng's words, Li Mingqiang nodded without hesitation and said, "No problem, Brigade Commander!"

He joined the 1st Independent Brigade, but he was also a member of our party, so going on a business trip to our party's troops was a professional match.

"Ok!"

Seeing Li Mingqiang's agreement, Chu Feng tapped his fingers on the battle map and said, "Supporting the Eighth Route Army is one thing. In order to relieve the pressure on the front battlefield, my idea is this."

"I led the reconnaissance battalion, the engineering battalion, the chemical defense battalion, the flight squadron, and a transport force consisting of 100 vehicles, and quietly infiltrated the Japanese airfield in Yungang."

"Our flight base is still under construction, but the runway has been completed and can accommodate aircraft takeoffs and landings. So we're thinking of capturing the Japanese airfield and seizing their planes, as well as the fuel, ammunition, and other supplies stored there."

"On the one hand, our flight squadron no longer has the awkward situation of having people but no planes, and our flight squadron can be considered officially established."

"On the other hand, destroying this airport will prevent the Japanese planes from wreaking havoc over the battlefields of Daixian and Pingxingguan in a short period of time, reducing the pressure on the troops on the front lines and achieving the goal of supporting the front lines."

At this point, Chu Feng paused slightly and said, "This is still the first step. After all, it would be a bit of a waste if we don't mobilize such a powerful force as the 1st Independent Brigade."

"So I plan to have Dayong lead the Second Regiment and the Second Artillery Battalion south to recapture Yuan County, and then head west. We'll attack Ying County. We don't need to capture Ying County, a feint will suffice. The more momentum we create, the better."

"Tiezhu led the Third Regiment and the Third Artillery Battalion to attack northwestward, pretending to attack Huairen County. They coordinated with the Second Regiment to cut off the enemy's retreat, forcing some of the Japanese to return for reinforcements, thereby reducing the pressure on the front lines."

"At the same time, the Third Regiment also has a mission, which is to support the troops I lead in attacking the airport. If necessary, Tiezhu, you need to lead the troops directly to Yungang and force the Yungang defenders to retreat."

"As for Chu Family Fort, leave the air defense battalion and the guard battalion to guard and maintain the fort."

At this point, Chu Feng smiled and said, "This battle was a continuous battle. It was also the first time that our 1st Independent Brigade split up and cooperated with each other. There will be more such situations in the future."

"The more people there are, the stronger we will be. Splitting up our forces will become the norm. This will also be a test and a learning opportunity for you to lead troops independently."

After resting for more than twenty days, Chu Feng was itching to try. Since he was going to send troops, he might as well go big, no matter how many enemies he had to kill.

But at the very least, the entire northern Shanxi region must be turned into a mess, so that the Japanese will have the illusion that their retreat may be cut off at any time.