Canteen System Assistance Notes

Among these troops that can come to the rescue quickly, the mecha team directly under the cavalry group outside Lucheng is the fastest and has the strongest combat power: in the Lucheng battle of Fu Yisheng's troops in the original time and space, the Fu troops who entered the city were met with a coordinated counterattack by Japanese tanks and infantry. Fortunately, they evacuated in time and avoided losses.

".In this situation, your Corps should strengthen reconnaissance and vigilance to guard against Japanese tank units attacking the siege troops, and adjust deployment accordingly. According to pre-war intelligence, the enemy tank unit should have no fewer than 50 light tanks, mainly Type 97 and Type 95 tanks, deployed at the junction of the mountainous area and the plains north of Lucheng. The specific possible locations are as follows..."

The Central Committee had naturally long considered this possible sudden enemy situation. Therefore, when reviewing the pre-war plan, Chairman Mao, General Zhu, and others drafted a special telegram, reminding the commander of this battle, Yang Jisheng, commander of the Mobile Corps and the Training Division, to be wary of this Japanese tank unit that could potentially reverse the course of the battle. Based on Xiang You's intelligence, the Mobile Corps' staff also formulated a corresponding battle plan based on the possible battlefield situation:

If enemy tank units appear in the north of the city, the mobile corps should seize the opportunity when the enemy is not yet firmly established and launch an offensive in an active manner.

If the enemy tanks have already formed an offensive formation and launched an attack towards the north of Lucheng, the flanking forces of the mobile corps should immediately report the situation to the siege forces, and rely on the outer positions to organize defense and launch a defensive counterattack.

Given that our army's firepower was obviously stronger than that of the Japanese army, the staff cautiously believed that if the battle was launched in the first way, the armored vehicles of both sides would be mixed together and engage in close combat, making it difficult to exert firepower; in the second case, the mobile corps could rely on artillery and air force to provide fire support, and counterattack in one fell swoop after the enemy's attack momentum weakened, which would have a better exchange ratio.

We don't have many tanks, and even fewer tank crews, so why not fight more cautiously?

This idea is very safe and in line with conventional combat thinking - but as a commander, Commander Yang Jisheng does not think so. This old Anti-Japanese United Army soldier who is used to running in the white mountains and black waters has his own profound and unique understanding of battlefield maneuvering and positioning.

After reading the report submitted by Chief of Staff Liu Xingchang, he pulled this hot-tempered Soviet student together, found Nie Heting of the Air Force and Zhu Dunzhong of the Artillery Column, and together they revised and came up with a new combat plan.

Attack the enemy at the beginning? Intercept the enemy midway? Defend and counterattack?

Now that our legs have been replaced by wheels and tracks, why should we still be bound by the front and rear of the battlefield and the traditional offensive and defensive postures?

—―—-———-

East of Lucheng, a massive stream of vehicles circumvented the city's buildings, barreling along the dirt and gravel roads. Artillery fire rumbled through Lucheng, but the group showed no sign of stopping. "Maintain speed. Once you reach the northeast of Lucheng, turn due west, then north! Air Force comrades, the enemy tanks are in the valley north of the city!"

After submitting the plan to the Military Commission, Yang Jisheng handed this extremely bold idea to an equally bold person - the commander of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Training Division, Wang Jinglong. Who is Wang Jinglong?

This man was just a 30-year-old from Penglai, Shandong Province, an ordinary member of the Chinese Communist Party and former commander of the 10th Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army. When he was commanding the Anti-Japanese United Army, he defeated 700 Japanese and puppet troops with just over 200 men, and then immediately led his troops to encircle and annihilate more than 300 Japanese soldiers and police. In 1939, he even dared to have more than 100 men disguise themselves and infiltrate the marching Japanese and puppet troops, and then suddenly launched an attack and wiped out more than 100 of the enemy.

This man, who was so daring yet so attentive to details, was now standing in the passenger seat of the "Big Bren" armored personnel carrier, regardless of his status, leaning against the ring mount of the DP machine gun, and shouting loudly into the radio: "All convoys, do not stop! If the vehicle breaks down, pull over! If the tank track breaks and flies off, pull over on wheels - BT tanks can run without tracks!"

"Brigade Commander! The BT tank wheel and track conversion takes time..."

He was so full of energy, while the staff beside him was disheveled in the wind blowing in his face.

The brigade's three most important staff officers and a communications trooper were huddled in the rear passenger compartment, carrying a stack of communicators. The vehicle jolted relentlessly along the dirt road. The communicators had inflatable swimming rings to cushion the impact, but the crew members had only their buttocks to support them. These unfortunate individuals were carsick. They felt as if their heads were crammed into their stomachs, tossed up and down by the vehicle's undulations, their brains swirling like a jellyfish.

"The BT with the lost tracks needs to move to the side..."

"Turn left along the mountain ahead, go around the ridge, and head north for ten kilometers!"

The brigade commander ignored all this. He simply glanced at the terminal refreshing its location information and short communication messages, pressed the call button, and shouted. The effective base station positioning within 30 kilometers gave him the pleasure of being in control of the overall situation, and the commander's increased strength only strengthened his confidence: the 1st Training Division's reconnaissance battalion, the 5th Artillery and Howitzer Division's training battalion, and a BT tank battalion under the armored forces system.

"Comrades, whether we can stop the Japanese tanks at home depends on us!"

Wheels spun, tracks squeaked. A 15-kilometer battle depth equated to just over 20 minutes for motorized troops advancing at a speed of 40 kilometers per hour. Units of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Training Division advanced, crushing several small Japanese and puppet troops attempting to stop them along the way, and quickly penetrated directly north of Lucheng.

"Haihe 0O, this is Haihe 99. We've found the enemy tank unit's base along the telephone line. Repeat, Haihe 99 has found the enemy tank unit's base. Please receive the location."

The reconnaissance battalion running ahead of the team finally brought the news that Brigade Commander Wang had been dreaming of. The terminal at the brigade headquarters uploaded the enemy's position and basic situation: three enemy tanks were found in map square H15, north of Kaizhou Yaozi, advancing in a column along the dirt road from north to south and were heading out of the valley.

These three tanks were likely the enemy's "combat-ready" vehicles, ready to be activated at any time, and were also used for daily training. For a tank unit, warming up, starting, resupplying, and reassembling the vehicles wouldn't be as quick as these vehicles! The 1st Brigade of the 1st Training Division was currently less than 4 kilometers from Kaizhou Yaozi—in other words, Brigade Commander Wang Jinglong's incursion had successfully trapped over 50 enemy tanks, both large and small, within their base!

From the front of the convoy came the sounds of .45mm and .82mm gunfire, billowing smoke and the clatter of tank ammunition exploding. The radio reported victory with jubilation—the BT5s and heavily armed Brens of the Mobile Reconnaissance Battalion had unleashed .45 and .82mm caliber shells, blasting the three Japanese tanks that were trying to figure out what was happening to them.

"Brigade Commander! Should our tank battalion charge in?"

Seeing their comrades ahead already reaping the rewards, the commander of the assigned tank battalion was eager to join the fray. His 36 BT5 and BT7 tanks had raced for a dozen kilometers, showing a decent serviceability rate. "We can charge in and catch the enemy off guard!" "Charge in? What are you tanks doing charging into a small valley?"

Unexpectedly, the previously fierce and aggressive Li Kui-like brigade commander suddenly changed. He unhesitatingly rejected the tank battalion commander's suggestion, "The tank battalion should continue northward and completely seal off the Shiguaizi Pass to prevent the enemy tanks from escaping over the slope. As for the enemy tanks inside..."

Brigade Commander Wang Jinglong snapped his fingers:

Didn't the 5th Howitzer Division's training battalion bring in a lot of cadets? They were previously practicing with that Polish 155mm cannon, the 1917 model—now, what a perfect target this is, it would be a shame not to use it for proper practice! As for us, we'll just squat at the mouth of the col, waiting for the Japs to emerge and surrender...

"Or die!"

Chapter 476: Dance of Suiyuan

(Update)

Generals always miss the glorious past and tend to indulge in their shining military medals: this is especially true for the cavalry group stationed in Mongolia, which once had a glorious history.

In terms of Japanese military history, this unit's predecessor can be traced back to the 1st Imperial Japanese Cavalry Brigade. That unit, where Akiyama Yoshifuru achieved the "Miracles of Cavalry" during the Russo-Japanese War, had its bloodline dispersed during subsequent reorganizations and integrations. One of these bloodlines, through this cavalry group, was transferred from the Kwantung Army to the Mongolian Army, stationed in Lucheng.

The 13th and 14th Cavalry Regiments, along with the newly transferred 71st and 72nd Regiments, comprised four powerful units equipped with cavalry artillery and cavalry machine guns. Although each unit comprised only a few thousand troops, their high mobility and formidable penetration capabilities made them unmatched in Suiyuan.

Yes, these Japanese soldiers were proud and proud. They even looked down on the Mongolian garrison, whose lineage could only be traced back to Hideki Tojo, believing that the blood flowing in their veins was the true blood of Japanese cavalry. They were enamored with their swift-moving horses' hooves and loved the even more indestructible mecha tracks—"Hey, have you heard? The headquarters might transform us into mecha troops driving tanks!"

Then, this Japanese cavalry group with a glorious history and noble bloodline only survived for half a day under the attack of the Eighth Route Army battle group.

The 14th Cavalry Regiment, located south of the Wulansu River, encountered the 21st Division of the Northwest Field Army, a Class A field division from Huinong. The latter showed no complacency towards this unit of over a thousand men, meticulously carrying out artillery preparations before launching a fierce attack. They also used boats to transport a battalion from the enemy's flank and rear, making a second landing and encircling the entire 14th Regiment in Wutla Front Banner.

The 7th Cavalry Regiment, stationed in the Salaqi area east of Lucheng, was penetrated by the 51st and 52nd Divisions of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Field Army, which had crossed the river at Wuyinniu Ferry. These two Class-B Field Divisions, reorganized from the Nationalist 38th Army and led by former Army Commander Zhao Shengling, coordinated with a reinforced armored tank battalion. They initially launched a small cavalry attack intended to support the Japanese troops in Lucheng, then repeatedly used tanks to charge into the cavalry formations, painting the battlefield west of Salaqi red.

The 13th Cavalry Regiment, located in Guyang, north of Lucheng, fared better, but its area was relatively isolated. Any communication with the outside world required transit through Lucheng—or else, it could only reach the area possibly controlled by the Japanese by marching eastwards through the Gobi Desert for 140 kilometers. These more than a thousand men were essentially trapped.

As for the cavalry group headquarters in Lucheng, it was completely crushed under the frontal attack of Yang Jisheng's mobile corps. At the same time, the 72nd Cavalry Regiment, responsible for defending the Jiuyuan area west of Lucheng, encountered the 11th Division of the Northwest Field Army crossing the river from Zhaojun Tomb. Under the devastating rain of 75mm and 122mm howitzers, the 72nd Cavalry Regiment was charged by infantry in company and platoon units and was beaten and fled in dismay.

What was even more desperate was that when the commander of the 72nd Regiment abandoned all heavy weapons and half of his troops and desperately ran to the top of Lucheng City, he was on the earthen wall.

All I saw was the fluttering red flag.

Finally, the colonel calmly threw away his cavalry rifle, grabbed his saber, and charged with a howl. Then, he was shot by rifles and fell off his horse - along with those invincible honors, he died.

At noon on July 27, 1941, except for the group of futures dead people from the Northern 13th Regiment who were still on guard, the fighting around Lucheng area had basically come to an end.

The mobile corps, responsible for the main attack, expended around a hundred 155mm shells and a dozen armor-piercing and armor-piercing rounds, reducing the mechanized regiment in Shiguaigou, north of the city, to smithereens, eliminating the last threatening force around Lucheng. According to the plan, they would transfer the defense of Lucheng and subsequent operations to the 21st Division of the Northwest Field Army, which had been transferred from Wulansuhai. They would then embark on an eastward march, accompanied by the bulk of the 11th Division of the Northwest Field Army (a portion of the 11th Division would temporarily remain behind to await the arrival of the 21st Division), which would assist in the assault.

They would join forces with two divisions under Zhao Shengling's command, forming a new attacking corps and, in coordination with allies, launch an attack towards Qingcheng, or the pseudo-Houhe Special City area, further east. (Qingcheng is now the capital of Meng Province.)

However, this mighty army had no idea that they would soon come up empty-handed.

Soon, on the 26th, the 15th Division of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Field Army, which had set out from the Tokto area and advanced covertly, sent a telegram to inform them of the situation on their side.

They had already traveled about 50 kilometers by mule and horse, reaching the outskirts of Qingcheng. These field troops, reorganized from the main force of northwestern Shanxi, sent out their own scouts and quickly discovered that the only defenders in the area were the 2nd Division of the puppet Mongolian Army, approximately 1200 men, and part of the 2nd Battalion of the 11th Regiment of the 26th Division of the Japanese Army, who were assisting. According to locals, some time ago, the Eighth Route Army in Wuxiang had been deployed to attack the puppet Mongolian troops, and many Japanese soldiers had been withdrawn and assembled northward to assist the stationed puppet Mongolian Army's 8th Division in "maintaining public order."

As of today, the Qingcheng area contains only about two Japanese squadrons and two battalions of artillery, totaling no more than 500 men. The puppet Mongolian army, though numbering 1200, is only about as strong as one Japanese squadron... Investigations indicate that the Japanese are currently massing their forces throughout the city, and are suspected of moving westward to reinforce Lucheng...

"Due to the enemy's limited manpower, after discussion and resolution by the Division Party Committee, our division has decided to abandon the original plan to block reinforcements and immediately launch an attack on the enemy in Qingcheng. Peng and Li of the 1st Division of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Field Army. At the end of the telegram were the call signs representing the 15th Division's Commander Peng Shaohui and Political Commissar Li Jingquan!"

"What? The phone in Lucheng is unreachable, and they won't even reply to telegrams?"

"Hi, Commander, the Telegraph Office only received a telegram from the Cavalry Group at 9:37 am, reporting that Lucheng was attacked by the Communist Army, and ordered all cavalry regiments to return to rescue.

"Takahashi Shigekiyoshi, Chief of Staff of the Mongolian Army, looked bewildered. "I

Fifteen minutes later, I called back to inquire about the details. After that, the Cavalry Group did not respond, and the 11th Regiment of the 26th Division was unable to contact its subordinate battalion. I guess..."

"Guess what?" Commander of the Mongolian Army, Shigetaro Amakasu, rubbed his temples, trying to relieve his headache.

"The General Staff speculated that perhaps the cavalry group headquarters came under attack by the Communists. Perhaps..." Takahashi paused, a sudden urge to laugh emerged. He shook his head, dismissing a thought he himself considered ridiculous. "Sir, it's more likely that General Baba was personally leading the resistance, making it difficult for him to send a message. The Communists simply used their usual tactics to cut the telegraph and telephone cables."

"Humph!"

The Commander stood up and patted the table: "The Cavalry Group is around Lucheng. Even if we don't count the cavalry and mecha regiment of the group headquarters, there are still four cavalry regiments guarding it.

Recently, two battalions of the 26th Division were withdrawn to reinforce.

They met with an accident this morning? Even if the Imperial Army came to attack, it would be impossible for them to be unable to send telegrams.

"What about the reinforcements?" he continued.

"The 71st and 13th Cavalry Regiments of Salaqi and Guyang have already set out to provide support," the Chief of Staff breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had already taken care of this matter in advance. "Just now, the 11th Regiment of the 26th Division ordered its 2nd Battalion in Houhe Special City to lead the 2nd Division of the Mengjiang Combined Army by train to provide support."

"That's not bad. Such a large cavalry group was wiped out just like that. This isn't some Western magic trick!"

Amakasu Shigetaro's expression finally brightened. The scenario of the cavalry group's annihilation had never crossed their minds, not even a consideration. However, as the cavalry group's superior, the commander still ordered reinforcements despite his subordinates' attack.

Besides these troops, have the 26th Division prepare. Since the Communists dare to launch an offensive, they must have a backup plan. Regarding Mr. Yano, how long will it take to assemble the troops? "The 26th Division is responsible for defending the railway line from Yunzhong to Jining, as well as the surrounding rural areas. It will take approximately three days to assemble and deploy."

"Tell them to hurry up!"

"Hi!"

Ah, generals always reminisce about the battlefields of the past, and even more so, they want to fight a war they are familiar with. But most of the time, this stubborn nostalgia cannot bring much change to the objective environment, nor can it prevent a fast-paced battle from being gradually mastered by a learning army, and then severely smashed on the head.

1941年7月27日下午1点15分，75毫米山炮和100毫米迫击炮的落弹如雨，青城，又或者是伪"厚合特别市"的日伪军，遭到了晋绥野战军15师的猛烈攻击。

Chapter 477: Interlude of the War: Chuikov Visits the Set

"Vassily Ivanovich Chuikov, Davarish, hello."

"Tan Shiming, Comrade Cuikov, hello."

The two hands clasped hands politely, and then the two parties who were greeting each other immediately left the road outside the house and walked towards the inner room.

"How's the situation at the front? How's the situation on your side?" Chuikov asked Commissar Tan directly in fluent Chinese, "Is Xiongski here? I'm here to help solve the problem - is there anything I can do to help?"

"Comrade Midi-Vedov isn't here. He's been at the supply station in Gaojing lately, arranging the convoy's return trip to deliver supplies to the Soviet Union. The battle on the front is going smoothly, or rather, a little too smoothly. As for the situation here..."

Commander Tan swallowed and pointed toward the inner courtyard gate. Chuikov noticed that even though the heavy wooden door was tightly shut and he was still some distance away, the clamor and bustle inside was still like a volcano about to erupt, emitting large amounts of smoke, poisonous gas, and lava.

He shifted his focus outside. Hmm, this compound was covered in camouflaged anti-aircraft netting, densely packed with cables, and the radio antennas were also camouflaged. There were also security posts around the perimeter, so there was basically no problem. But why were there so many wires here? Was this really a frontline staff headquarters?

"What's going on here?"

"Well, Comrade Cuikov, you'd better look at it yourself." After saying that, Tan Shiming took matters into his own hands and pushed open the door. The next second, Cuikov felt like the quacking of ten thousand ducks was ringing in his ears.

As of 30 seconds ago, Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov thought he had a relatively good understanding of the Chinese military.

He visited China three times, serving as a military envoy to the embassy, ​​a military advisor to the National Revolutionary Army, and a negotiator in the Sino-Soviet conflict. During this time, Chuikov rose from deputy regimental commander to army group commander, and accumulated rich military experience.

In the second half of 1940, he was sent to China for the fourth time as the Soviet Union's last attempt to rescue the Nationalist government. As a senior military advisor, he participated in the construction of the Nationalist Army's "29th Reinforced" troops and independent artillery brigades.

Therefore, he was confident that he could still evaluate the Chinese army relatively objectively - its troops were mainly infantry, and the grassroots officers and soldiers often had the qualities of hard work and perseverance; but their supplies were insufficient, morale was very low, and its commanders at the battalion and company levels and above were rampant with corruption, and there were few people who could scientifically judge the situation and command the troops.

Moreover, the command center in the mountain city often concealed the situation on the front line from the advisory group, or simply provided false information for the sake of "face" - making it impossible for the advisory group to make correct decisions, and ultimately having to take the blame.

Cuikov, who was well versed in Chinese social etiquette, soon realized that the officials in Shancheng hoped that they would no longer assist the National Army in formulating plans for fighting against Japan, but would rather just train the troops honestly and then hand them over to the National Army: the Shancheng government and Chiang seemed to no longer care much about fighting back against the Japanese army, but only hoped that these troops could play a role in attacking the Chinese Communist Party.

Therefore, in such an army, the staff department may have some highly qualified professionals, but the majority are just useless people who just sit there and do nothing. Over the years, Chuikov felt that he could judge the combat capability of a unit by observing the operation of a staff department.

Presumably, the Eighth Route Army, which was able to annihilate an army group of the National Army in the February Incident, eliminate nearly one and a half divisions of the Japanese Army in the Taihang Mountains counterattack, repel the Japanese Army's large-scale encirclement and suppression in the Hebei-Central region, and launch an effective counterattack, should have had a well-organized and efficiently functioning staff.

But the scene before me is this—

"Your divisional artillery only fired two rounds, hitting only one target at most! You received two truckloads of artillery shells, so how could you be short on ammunition? Could your tricycles carry that many shells?" This person was furious, clutching the microphone. "Only keep two bases of your own 75mm rounds, and give the rest to the joint logistics truck team. Right, Team 17A is with you, right? Give them to them, they're short on shells!"

"What? You found 10 boxes of 25-pound shells and two boxes of pistol ammunition? Which damn loser... where is he? Report the location, H4, oh, there's a red pole marking the point, right? Okay, okay... Send someone to watch over there first, I'll contact the logistics team..." This was another voice shouting, covering the microphone, "A temporary mission has been added to the 3rd seat, H4 grid, 10 boxes of 25-pound shells and 2 boxes of 9-Pa!"

"Building fortifications? Building a camp? You need Beret? You're kidding! Why are you requesting Beret? The General Logistics Department doesn't have time to deliver Beret to you! Rejected, rejected, you won't get any!" This person is about to eat the phone. Stop busying the line. Bye! What else do you want to say? Huh? Beret has already been delivered to you? Shit!"

Uh. Efficient, rigorous, and well-organized... In the staff room, the telephones rang one after another, all kinds of paper were flying, and the typewriter was clacking out the four-cornered characters of the Chinese telegram on the telegram paper. The blackboard on the wall was inlaid with rows of small light bulbs, which were extinguished and lit here and there amid the noisy shouting.

Chuikov felt that the fantasy in his mind was shattered, but he had served in the Soviet army for a long time and quickly reacted: No, this situation is not right!

This place is clearly a communications center, with dense information exchanges. It sounds like they're coordinating logistics--so, this is probably a logistics staff headquarters--but...why is the density of communication related to logistics so high?

Why is the proportion of voice communication so large in these exchanges?

This high density of voice communications caused chaos in the staff, but to some extent, this kind of "chaos" was something the Soviet army could not do!

"Davarishitan, I have a question for you," Chuikov said seriously. "How did you install the telephone lines so quickly? From what you've told me, the battle had only just begun, less than a day before the front-line troops were able to use the telephone to contact the rear. Did you train so many telephone operators?"

"Telephone operators? No, we use walkie-talkies—each logistics unit is equipped with one. They can call the logistics station with a telephone, and then pass on the information," Tan Shiming replied. "The logistics unit is about the size of a company or battalion. Our level is relatively low. In addition to trucks and motorcycles, the unit also uses a lot of animal and human power."

Walkie-talkies? Equipped to every battalion and company-level logistics unit? The quality is relatively low?

"With so many walkie-talkies, they should be given priority to the frontline combat troops, comrade!"

There was a hint of sadness in Chuikov's tone. The Nationalist Army might only be equipped with radios at the regimental level, and walkie-talkies that could communicate with voice were even rarer. No, even the Soviet Army probably didn't have enough communication equipment of this level!

"Logistics operations don't actually need to be so detailed. Each unit should prepare a logistics plan in advance based on the battle plan and ensure its execution, Dawarishitan. If you have extra walkie-talkies in stock, why not give them to the frontline troops?"

"However, the logistical needs of the front lines are dynamic and cannot be fully covered by pre-war plans. I believe that since combat is essentially about serving objectives, logistics must also adapt to the dynamic combat process, which is why there is also such a need for sufficient communications."

Tan Shiming glanced at the list in his hand, a little surprised by Chuikov's reaction. He organized his words and replied, "Most of our combat troops have walkie-talkies installed at the company level."

It's already been equipped at the company level, at the company level...

Seeing that Cuikov was momentarily speechless, Political Commissar Tan Shiming asked, "Comrade Cuikov, based on your experience, is there anything we can improve about our logistics? This is the first time we've organized a proactive campaign, and there are many things that can't be anticipated based on textbooks alone. If you could offer us some suggestions, that would be great."

Emmmm.…...

"Dawarishitan, I think your staff is working too hard. If this continues, people will make mistakes under pressure, and logistical errors will mean unnecessary sacrifices for the soldiers on the front lines."

Chuikov thought for a moment and organized his words. "Perhaps we could get students from the General Staff College to help. They could cover for the current staff, giving them at least a break. As for the chaos here, I think logistics is a mathematical discipline. Perhaps you could find some mathematicians to help."

"Besides... besides..."

Finally, he hesitated for a while and finally said what he was thinking.

"I would like to make a personal request: After this battle, can the Chinese comrades help us obtain some walkie-talkies that can be used for making calls?"