Canteen System Assistance Notes

Among them, there is the 1st Column of the Northwest Field Army (Teaching) of the Eighth Route Army, which was separated from the Baishan and Heishui areas, participated in the Battle of Western Mongolia after reorganization, and was replenished for the second time; there are three field divisions reorganized from the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division of Zhao Shengling's troops; there are several field armies with rich experience in the struggle in the Taihang and Taiyue bases and tacit cooperation with local troops; there is also the Guanzhong New Training Field Army, which has the title of "newcomer", has undergone a year and a half of full training, and has been squeezed and rubbed back and forth with the National Army.

The soldiers of these troops are holding new or old weapons, full of confidence and ready to go.

"call!"

The door of the Soviet office in the border region was thrown open, and Dmitri Anatolyevich Midi-Vedovsky was like a fat bear launched from an air cannon.

- and he ran into the office. But he was unlucky and stepped on his right foot with his left foot.

He tripped over the threshold, and his slightly fat body couldn't stop charging forward, so he fell to the ground with a bang.

"Sokka!"

Xiongski didn't care about the pain. After cursing, he jumped up from the ground like a blind bear ready to hit someone.

-As a result, the strong Maozi gene was fully utilized, and he bumped into the

The file basket on the chair made a loud noise, and all kinds of documents flew all over the floor.

"Comrade Dmitri! What happened?"

"No, no, no! Leave me alone! Valenko! Valenko!" Xiongsky ignored the papers flying all over the floor and shouted, "Comrade Valenko, the telegraphist!" "I'm here!" A young man rushed out from the next room with a radio monitoring headset hanging around his neck.

"Tpoa! Poa! The Chinese comrades launched Operation Fposa just an hour ago!" Xiongski threw the briefcase in his hand like a baseball. "It's just like Operation Foehn in Suiyuan! Damn it! Send a telegram to the embassy and inform Comrade Roshen!"

Yes! This briefing on the campaign has only been held for a few days. How come the Chinese comrades are moving so quickly? "And, Ilyich! Ilyich! Where are the other members of our delegation?"

Report! Comrade Dmitri, today is a day off. The comrades of the delegation took a bus to Fushe City early in the morning. Today they said they plan to have a dinner at the 'Old Roman Scallion Noodles' restaurant... "Oh my God!"

Xiongski slapped his forehead in pain, making a snapping sound. "Then quickly take people to capture them... Wait!" "Comrade Dmitri?"

"So, Comrade Ilyich, you call the Fushe Public Security Bureau right away and have them take the International Brigade's military police comrades to the 'Old Roman Scallion Noodles'—well, they said on the phone that there were about 10 drunks ready to cause trouble there—and I'll go and explain later..."

"Hurry! Hurry!"

Chapter 598: The hammer falls, and the weight of the blow is revealed

On February 28th, the Japanese troops in Shuozhou perished like this:

The Communist troops directly across the Sanggan River launched a sudden attack. After preparing their artillery fire, they used tanks to cover pontoon troops building a bridge, suddenly rushing across the Sanggan River and breaking through the Japanese defenses along the river. Parts of the Japanese 65th Division (formerly the 16th Independent Mixed Division) and the 52nd Division (formerly the 3rd Independent Mixed Division) responded with infantry and artillery, intending to wait for the Eighth Route Army's advance to penetrate further before launching a counterattack to close the gap. However, the artillery was harassed by the Communist air force and was slow to deploy, allowing the Eighth Route Army's armored spearheads to penetrate the defenses.

Afterward, the Japanese fought hard along the Sanggan River, but were unable to stop the Communist offensive along both banks. Finally, amid the roar of a virtual "Communist 12mm heavy howitzer," the 52nd Division's headquarters bowed several times toward Tokyo, burned a virtual flag, and sent a farewell telegram.

However, just one day later, they didn't even send a farewell message. After sending the enemy engagement telegram to Jinyang City, the Japanese troops in the entire Shuozhou area seemed to evaporate from the radio range, disappearing without a trace. "What happened? Can anyone tell me what happened in Shuozhou!"

Lieutenant General Shinozuka Yoshio roared in the air-raid shelter, but it was a pity that it was useless. While the First Army headquarters was hastily moving from the air-raid shelter used for the exercise to the headquarters building, his subordinates had tried many methods to contact the troops in the north, but none of them could be used immediately.

The telephone and telegraph lines were down, no one was replying to the radio messages, and the reconnaissance plane was still grounded due to a mortar shell hitting its wings. How could the messenger riding a Mazda at full speed cover a hundred kilometers and reach the front line?

Besides, we might encounter communist guerrillas on the way.

I'm afraid we can only understand the situation after the remaining soldiers retreat from Shuozhou...

So what exactly happened in Shuozhou?

In fact, it was similar to what the Japanese army had imagined during their simulation.

The Eighth Route Army indeed used artillery fire as cover, tactical aircraft as assistance, and mixed assault waves of armored tanks and infantry as spearheads. They were methodical and there was no drag at all.

However, the Eighth Route Army didn't choose to cross the Sanggan River first, targeting the weakest section of the river's defenses. Instead, they attacked Shanyin County, located north of the Sanggan River. As a crucial bridgehead on the Japanese defenses, the Eighth Route Army gave the 65th Division neither the courage nor the opportunity to fight a desperate battle. A single M3 howitzer regiment, composed entirely of 54mm guns, unleashed four rounds of firepower on the Japanese frontline and deep positions, a total of an hour-long preparation fire. Then, it was a pure display of infantry 4-meter kung fu.

The Japanese defense line collapsed.

But the situation was far from over. Ying County, located east of Shanyin and south of the Sanggan River, was met with T26Es covered in "leek boxes" and "Big Bullens" packed with infantry. With the support of the 75mm SU-5-M1 self-propelled mountain gun, the 52nd Division's defenses were instantly shattered.

Immediately afterwards, the two armies turned to the southwest together, without paying any attention to the towns and defense lines that had been destroyed. Instead, they quickly turned and rushed towards Shuozhou. It was at this time that the 52nd Division, with its headquarters in Shuozhou City, sent a second telegram saying "We have encountered the enemy."

But how could the Eighth Route Army simply attack Shuozhou, a place with leaks on all sides and not conducive to defense?

Almost at the same time as the battle to break through the Sanggan River defense line began, two field divisions located in the former northwest Shanxi base rushed out from Pinglu and Shenchi.

The artillery battalions of the two field divisions worked together, pouring nearly 1,500 American 75mm mountain artillery shells into the heads of the Japanese vanguard troops. Then the Eighth Route Army launched a general attack on Shuozhou City - in three directions at once.

As a result, the 52nd Division's headquarters was destroyed, and most of its troops, along with part of the 65th Division, were surrounded and on the verge of being annihilated by the Eighth Route Army. Only a small number of Japanese troops, far from the battlefield, were able to abandon their heavy equipment and weapons and flee south.

However, even with such a fight, the Japanese army was still mentally prepared.

After all, the Eighth Route Army's "Special Mechanized Division" that came from the Suiyuan area was powerful and powerful, and even the Mongolian troops were instantly defeated by them. The 52nd Division and part of the 65th Division in the Shuozhou area served as a human early warning, blocking the first wave of the Communist Army's advance, and were targets that "could be abandoned as a last resort."

The Japanese 67th Division (formerly the 18th Independent Mixed Division) in the Xinzhou area began to mobilize, drawing troops from Fanzhi Pass, Daixian, and Yuanping, preparing to block our forces from Ningwu, Yanmen Pass, and Ruyuekou, preventing them from crossing the Hengshan Mountains. Simultaneously, the First Army telegraphed the North China Front Army, requesting that the headquarters coordinate with the 4th Division, currently confronting our forces on the Zhangyuan front, to advance with all their might, diverting our attention and reducing the pressure on the First Army.

But at this moment, the Japanese 53rd Division (formerly the 4th Independent Mixed Division) on the Zhengtai Line sent another urgent report: "Yangquan County is under fierce attack by the Communist Army! The enemy's attack is fierce. Many commanding heights outside the city have changed hands. The battlefield is raining bullets. Four points in the sky, six points in the falling bombs!"

This was a catastrophic situation. Yangquan was a key town on the Zhengtai Line. Its fall would completely sever the Zhengtai Line, leaving the entire Shanxi Province with only one escape route eastward through the Zhongtiao Mountains. To this end, the Japanese army had stationed an entire division around the small town of Yangquan, using their overwhelming superiority to occupy a ring of hilltops around it, effectively blocking any possible enemy artillery attacks.

But why are the enemy's shells already hitting the city now???

Fortunately, while the telephone line from Jinyang City to Yangquan was down, the railway telephone on the Zhengtai Line was still working. After some maneuvering, the First Army's headquarters finally called the 53rd Division headquarters. "Sir! The Communists are bombarding our units with heavy mortars exceeding 15cm. We've lost most of the surrounding commanding heights. They're also using incendiary devices!"

A staff officer answered the phone. The already low-quality call now emanated a deafening crackle, suppressing the officer's frantic shouting into the microphone. All around, incendiary projectiles with a maximum range of 100 meters were turning the Imperial Army troops in the hilltop fortifications into screaming torches. Once a commanding position was cleared, short-barreled 160mm shells weighing over 40 kilograms would be fired from the short-barreled mortars behind the mountain. They would arc across the surrounding mountains of Yangquan in an extremely high arc, landing in the already engulfed Yangquan.

"What happened! What on earth happened!"

The First Army's staff officer nearly crushed the microphone, hoping his shouting would drown out the explosion: "How many enemies are there, and from which direction?"

"Sir! They are endless, coming from every direction!"

As if choked by the smoke and dust, the 53rd Division's Chief of Staff coughed violently, then grabbed the phone and shouted at the top of his lungs, "The enemy appears to have over 10 regiments, attacking us from all directions. We request tactical guidance..."

Zizizizizi... The call was disconnected. In the First Army's staff headquarters, the desperate noise finally turned into a terrifying silence.

"Tactical guidance? Tactical guidance! Why are all of you asking the military for tactical guidance? These idiots, don't they have any sympathy for the military's predicament!" In the General Staff Headquarters, the Chief of Staff of the First Army, Xi Da Tiao Pang (surname Xi Da Tiao), shouted angrily.

Just now, the telegram sent to the North China Army finally received a reply: almost all the strongholds along the line from Peking to Xinxiang, including the 57th Division (formerly the 8th Independent Mixed Division) in Qingyuan, the 110th Division in Shimen, and the 50th Division (formerly the 1st Independent Mixed Division) on the Handan-Chaoge line... have been pinned down and attacked by troops from various bases of the Eighth Route Army. It is difficult to assemble them, let alone withdraw troops to rescue them.

Even the 4th Division stationed in Zhangyuan was reportedly attacked by the Communist Army's firepower and needed to strengthen its defense and was unable to attack.

The entire North China Army was practically at the end of its strength, unable to mobilize any mobile units. The only mobile unit, the 4th Cavalry Brigade (a downgraded and rebuilt unit), was currently in Shandong Province, preparing to attack the Communist airfields. "What a bunch of fools! They don't even know how many Communist troops there are, yet they want tactical guidance!"

Chief of Staff Nishi-Ojo slumped into his chair in frustration. He had been transferred here in December of the year 1942, succeeding his predecessor, Kusunoki Hideyoshi. Prior to his appointment as Chief of Staff, he had served in the Imperial Ministry of Commerce and Industry, serving as the "Ministry of Commerce and Industry Material Coordination Officer" assigned to the army. His daily life was a comfortable one, as he bullied the Minister of Commerce and Industry to secure more supplies for the army. But now, a transfer order had sent him to the front lines of impoverished China, a desolate and war-torn land.

Then, just a few months later, before Major General Nishidaijo could find a way to make his living conditions more comfortable, such a big event and big responsibility as the enemy army attacked occurred: the feeling of being thrown into the blame made him very unhappy.

"The First Army can't actually send out a tactical guidance unit? Nonsense! How could this be possible?"

The staff worked relatively quickly. After reviewing all available forces within the First Army, a lieutenant colonel emerged from the staff team to report to the chief of staff.

The arrogant Xi Da Tiao kicked the lieutenant colonel and said, "Idiot! How can I create an army if I don't have one? The Empire pays you, do you still need me to tell you this?" "Hurry up and find a solution!"

Although he'd rarely been on the front lines—his last real command position was as Chief of Staff in the Imperial Guards Division—Nishidatiao Pang was at least a graduate of the 35th class of the Army University, so he possessed some basic qualities. He gazed at the sand table on his desk, analyzing it diligently: Currently, both northern and central Shanxi are under heavy attack, and the Communists' intentions are clear: they want to close the gates of the Zhengtai Line and strategically encircle our forces...

We must counterattack! We must break this encirclement! Although the previous exercises had not envisioned such a dire situation, it was clear that only a counterattack could create a chance of survival! "Report to Your Excellency, a new telegram!"

"Think!" Looking at the ordinary staff officers rushing into the command room from the telecommunications room, Xida Tiao Pang suddenly felt annoyed again. Forget it, he thought, the current situation is already terrible, it probably can't get any worse.

Your Excellency! The 37th Division in Yuncheng has sent a telegram reporting that Communist troops in the Hejin area have advanced eastward, and those in Yicheng have also advanced westward. As of the time of this telegram, the Communists have already broken through our garrisons in Xinxiang and other areas and occupied Tieling Pass!

"The Communist Army is cutting off our army's connection with southern Shanxi Province and the Hedong region!"

Chapter 599: Yang in the North and Liu in the South, both are Eighth Route Army

The scale of the battle in Jin Province was so huge that it was obviously beyond the ability of one, or even a group of commanders, to handle it easily.

Therefore, there were two teams in the front committee of this operation responsible for front-line command: Yang Jisheng and Guan Youwei in the north worked together with Nie Yunzhen and Guan Zhixiang to command the new forces of the Eighth Route Army, while Liu Mingzhao and Zhang Hao formed a duo on the southern line, continuing the style of the old partner combination.

Yang Jisheng's command style had already been demonstrated in the Suiyuan Campaign. Having fought against the Japanese army in the Anti-Japanese United Army area for many years, he attached great importance to flexible changes of formations and emphasized fierce assaults in the early morning and dusk with the coordination of artillery fire. At the same time, his flexible thinking made him good at grasping the enemy's weaknesses and was good at using bold penetrations to hit the opponent's weaknesses with heavy punches. Although the Eighth Route Army's internal march in the Daqingshan base caused a large number of tanks to be damaged, they still defeated the 26th Division in the end.

This is a battle command style he has never displayed in another time and space. What is the combat style of Liu Mingzhao, the "One-eyed God of War" of the People's Liberation Army?

In the original time and space, this red veteran who fought from the Xinhai Revolution to the War of Liberation had numerous military exploits. He directly and indirectly commanded a series of battles including the night attack on Yangmingbao, the ambush in Qigeng Village, Changshengkou, Shentouling, Xiangtangpu, the anti-"Nine-Route Siege", Zhengtai Yuliao, etc., and in the War of Liberation, he partnered with the political commissar of the same generation, led the Second Field Army to implement the Central Committee's resolutions with a fearless spirit of sacrifice, led his troops to leap thousands of miles into the Dabie Mountains, turned passivity into initiative on the battlefield, and broke the enemy's idea of ​​dragging, encircling, and exhausting the liberated areas.

In this series of battles, Liu Mingzhao was good at using alternating real and fake actions to mobilize, confuse and pull the enemy, causing the originally tight enemy to reveal flaws. At the same time, he concealed his own intentions and launched attacks on the enemy's weak points, completing the goal of using the weak to defeat the strong and reviving a dead end, thus realizing the "impossible" battle concept.

But what if Liu Mingzhao had the military strength and technical equipment to form an advantage over the enemy and was in the strategic initiative?

I'm afraid that this Sichuan provincial general, who graduated from the Frunze Military Academy, will reveal a bit of Soviet-style "violence" in addition to his quirky and changeable style.

In southern Shanxi, our army occupied the Hejin Triangle, east of the Yellow River. This was once the defense zone of Zhao Shengling's 38th Army of the National Revolutionary Army. The gently rising terrain from the riverbank to the basin, coupled with relatively sufficient fortifications, enabled the 38th Army to hold off the Japanese for several years.

Continuing eastward, the Zhongtiaoshan area originally controlled by the National Army had fallen into the hands of the enemy after the Battle of Zhongtiaoshan. The Japanese 36th Division controlled this area. Although the headquarters of the 36th Division was located in Xinxiang, the terrain of Zhongtiaoshan was relatively closed. After the Japanese army captured it, they took control of Henglingguan, Yuanqu and other places, and were able to complete the defense with fewer troops. Over the years, they fought back and forth with our army.

Instead, both sides won and lost.

But in the Changzhi Basin further north, the situation is different.

Here, the Japanese 35th Division, taking advantage of the gaps between our army and Yan's forces during the February Incident, broke through the Nationalist blockade of Jincheng and captured nearly the entire Changzhi Basin. This was Shanxi Province's other major grain-producing area, alongside the Fen River Valley. The 35th Division seized fortifications previously constructed by Sichuan troops and patrolled the basin, repelling our attempts to reclaim control.

That lone victory was once touted as another great victory of the North China Army during the period of Itagaki Seishirō. However, nearly two years later, the 35th Division had already become exhausted and could only survive in Changzhi, Yangcheng and Jincheng, struggling to maintain the stability of the transportation lines.

Therefore, when the offensive in northern Shanxi started, Liu Mingzhao arranged for the Class B field division, which was reorganized from Wu Mianzhi's 98th Division, to surround Yangcheng first with light and heavy mortars.

Although the headquarters did not allow it, Neiji Kazemura really wanted to bring out the 35th Division. However, perhaps because they had gradually become "peaceful" with the Eighth Route Army in the past two years, Japanese merchants could pay taxes and pass through the border to supply the Imperial Army, and the Japanese army still held a glimmer of hope that they could "harvest 42 years' worth of food before leaving."

But, all this is probably just fantasy.

The Japanese troops in Jincheng quickly gathered forces to come to the rescue, but Liu Mingzhao arranged a division to besiege the city in a massive manner, and arranged nearly 10 local independent regiments to provide reinforcements around it. As soon as the last bit of troops of the 35th Division left Jincheng, they quickly fell like the balance in a wallet during the big shopping season.

This was a scenario the Japanese had imagined countless times: the 35th Division, at the end of its strength and depleted, was the weakest target the Communists wanted to crush first. And sure enough, the Communists did attack them! If the Japanese forces in Jincheng were allowed to be depleted and those in Yangcheng surrounded and annihilated, the remaining troops of the 35th Division, deep within the Changzhi fortifications, would be saved only by Amaterasu.

It seems that the Communist Army in southern Shanxi is really aiming to wipe out another division!

The First Army hastily assembled the 36th Division, preparing for the long journey to rescue Yangcheng. The 35th Division in Changzhi also received orders to hold their positions until the 36th Division arrived, not to move rashly or fall prey to the Communist army's strategy of encircling and attacking reinforcements. Furthermore, the troops were to be prepared to launch a fierce assault toward Changzi once the 36th Division approached, and after crossing Gaoping, to continue their counterattack against friendly forces. This was the only way to achieve the campaign's goal of a safe transition.

And it was at this time that Liu Mingzhao finally revealed his unparalleled precision and violence: a battle group composed of three border/Guanzhong field divisions, with independent armored units and artillery regiments under artillery columns, rushed out from the Hejin triangle and headed straight for Xinjiang and Houma in the east.

At the same time, the Taihang Base Field Division in Yicheng also followed the order and moved. They broke through all the way and attacked fiercely in the direction of Quwo, breaking through all the way to the Tieling Pass area!

The Japanese army was not prepared at all for the Eighth Route Army's surprise attack from the Hejin Triangle to the east!

For a long time, according to the Japanese army's thinking, if the Eighth Route Army wanted to break out of Hejin and launch an attack, they would definitely attack to the south, and after breaking through Wanrong County, they would seize Gufeng Mountain - because by occupying this place, they would have the tactical initiative: whether they continued to use armored forces to attack Yuncheng in the southern Shanxi Basin, or used the advantage of panoramic view and artillery to suppress a large area, or if they were defeated by the counterattack of the Imperial Army and needed to retreat, they would have a solid support point.

As a result, the Japanese army accumulated a large number of troops on Gufeng Mountain and attempted to build major fortifications there. The Eighth Route Army was also not ambiguous, frequently using artillery attacks and small-scale attacks on Japanese transport convoys to prevent the Japanese army from comfortably building fortifications. This also made the 37th Division in the front pay more attention to this "key point".

But why is the Communist army attacking to the east now?

It was not until the field artillery squadron stationed at Tieling Pass was critically attacked by light bombers and defeated by the "15cm heavy howitzer" in the subsequent exchange of fire, and the garrison's farewell telegram died halfway through, that the commander of the 37th Division, Yuichiro Aino, and the commander of the 1st Army, Yoshio Shinozuka, finally sensed some danger.

When General Okamura Neiji, the leader of the North China Front Army, received this report, he was immediately dazed and sweating. "What a greedy fellow! A mere snake, do you think you can swallow an elephant?"

Unlike his two subordinates, he saw more—so much so that he glimpsed Liu Mingzhao's campaign ambitions: the roads to northern Shanxi had been severed in the previous battle, and the Zhengtai Line in central Shanxi was being cut into several sections by the Communist Army. And in southern Shanxi, the Communist blockade of Tieling Pass not only sealed off the southern Shanxi route but also completely severed the previously independent Zhongtiao Mountains, Changzhi Basin, and the southern Shanxi Valley.

Their goal was not to replicate the victory of completely annihilating the 26th Division once or twice, their goal was to destroy the entire First Army!

Huhuhuhu… Okamura Neiji took a few sharp breaths, finally calming down quickly. The calmer he became, the more he realized that the Communist Army's seemingly audacious plan did have some feasibility. "What's the plan reported by the First Army? Just mention the southern Shanxi direction," he turned to ask the trembling staff officer beside him.

"Hi! Report to you! The First Army plans to withdraw troops from the 41st Division in Pingyang and advance from north to south with the 37th Division in the north and south to jointly counterattack Tieling Pass. After breaking through the Communist blockade, the two divisions plan to merge into one, slowly retreat, and defend Pingyang." The young staff officer picked up a long telegram and reported loudly, "The 36th Division will speed up its march and reunite with the 35th Division after rescuing it. If necessary, it can pass through the Zhongtiao Mountain area from east to west, attack the southern Shanxi Valley, and rescue the 37th Division; if not, it can strengthen the defense of Zhongtiao Mountain to prevent the Communist Army from breaking through."

"Draft a telegram, planning the following adjustments."

Okamura Neiji thought for a moment and gave the order. The Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Ando Nijusan, who was standing beside him, immediately came over and took over the position of the junior staff officer: "Your Excellency

Your instructions."

"The 36th Division in Zhongtiao Mountain immediately abandons its original rescue mission. At all costs, charge westward, striving to cross Hengling Pass and penetrate the valley of southern Shanxi.

"The 37th Division is forbidden from attacking Tieling Pass and should instead detach its troops for security. The main force should regroup after entering Jianxi and attack Jiangxian. After capturing Jiangxian, it should maintain garrison position and cover the main force of the division as it passes through Hengling Pass and reunites with the 36th Division... After reuniting, it should turn eastward."

"The 41st Division is strictly forbidden from leaving Pingyang City and must instead defend it strictly. As I recall, Pingyang City's walls are thick and wide, and even a 10mm howitzer wouldn't be able to devastate them... Let them hold their ground and wait for the next opportunity."

"Hi!"

"Also, Adachi-kun, the frontier army will soon send reinforcements to reinforce your unit. The reinforcements are..."

Okamura Yasuji choked. His gaze wandered across the vast map of North China, finally settling on Shandong Province, which stretched like a foot toward the ocean. He took a few deep breaths and was about to speak, but hesitated at the last moment. Finally, the Japanese commander seemed to have made up his mind. He extended a finger and pointed at Weihaiwei, at the eastern end of Shandong Province.

"It's the 28th Division of the Kwantung Army!"

Chapter 600: Qi, Lu and the Three Jins, the battlefield

(Update)

The battle was advancing rapidly, and the situation was developing rapidly. The Japanese reinforcements still needed some time, but the Eighth Route Army's battle pace did not stop at all. In the short term, the First Army could only rely on its own strength and struggle hard.

The battle on the northern front was generally quite normal. Aside from the First Army's impressive firepower density and coordinated attack, and the unexpectedly strong impact of the hammer, the situation generally matched the Japanese's initial predictions. As a result, while the Japanese forces defending Ningwu and Yanmenguan were being crushed by the Eighth Route Army, the 67th Division (formerly the 18th Independent Mixed Division) was able to gather its two remaining regiments and begin establishing a strong defensive position in the Xinzhou area, with Xinkou as its core, in an effort to prevent the Communists from advancing further south.

At the same time, the 67th Division also ordered Japanese battalions and squadrons that were able to gather their forces and return south as quickly as possible. Furthermore, if conditions permitted, they were to destroy any railways and roads along the way.

However, the 67th Division and the First Army did not hold out much hope for the actual execution of this order. After breaking through the Ningwu Pass and advancing towards Yuanping, the Communist troops unexpectedly paused and did not advance further. The First Army's staff officers speculated that the Communists were waiting for engineers in the rear to repair the railway damaged by shelling and blasting, and then to use steam locomotives to transport tanks, heavy howitzers, and other heavy equipment southward before launching the final offensive.

During this period, the idle Communist troops would obviously counterattack along the road from Yuanyuan-Lingqiu-Fanzhi-Daixian to Yuanping, and wipe out all the Japanese troops in the entire Hutuo River Valley.

.....It's alright, but when marching and fighting, one should not be soft-hearted."