Bright Sword: Leading the Special Operations Squadron to Fight the Japs

Chapter 287 Li Yunlong’s little thoughts

Ding Wei and his two companions each took an infantry regiment (lacking a battalion) and an artillery regiment, and strolled slowly, attacking the strongholds and artillery towers along the way.

Most of the Japanese soldiers in these strongholds and artillery towers had already fled, leaving only a few puppet troops.

When Xing Zhiguo's troops swept to Xiangning, they encountered a little resistance.

The Japanese and puppet troops from Xiangning, Jixian, Guantou and Weizhuang first fled to Linfen, but found that Linfen was blocked by a large number of independent columns. They had no choice but to return to Xiangning, where the fortifications were the most complete.

The reason why Xiangning was well-fortified was that this place was where the 772nd Regiment of the Eighth Route Army often operated. For safety reasons, the Japanese built the most complete fortifications inside and outside the city, making it the most solid fortress within a radius of a hundred miles.

There were more than 600 Japanese devils and more than 1,000 puppet troops gathered in Xiangning, and the number of infantrymen was comparable to that of Xing Zhiguo's infantry unit.

But Xing Zhiguo is no longer the same Xing Zhiguo. After all, he still has a fully staffed artillery regiment at his disposal.

Xing Zhiguo lay in a foxhole and looked at the fortifications outside Xiangning County with a telescope. There were reinforced concrete bunkers and sturdy artillery towers every hundred meters.

"These little devils used our Shanxi cement, Yangquan steel, and Linfen people to build their turtle shells so strong!"

"Commander, I have a fellow villager who is the battalion commander of the 772nd Regiment. He said that hundreds of civilians died just from building these strongholds!"

"Damn you little Japs! Get the artillery regiment ready to attack the bunker first!"

"Yes!"

Xing Zhiguo watched the communications soldier walking further and further away and touched his mouth. He used to be such a civilized person, but now why was he like Li Yunlong, talking in nonsense?

It seems that the Independent Column is really a big melting pot!

Xing Zhiguo continued to take out the telescope to observe, ready to see the effect of the shelling, but was interrupted by a burst of hurried footsteps.

"Report to the division commander, there is an urgent message from the column headquarters!"

Xing Zhiguo immediately put down the telescope, took the telegram, read it for ten seconds, and immediately shouted:

Order the artillery regiment to prepare first, and do not fire without my order!

After giving the order, Xing Zhiguo and his guards quickly retreated.

After waiting for about half an hour, two men dressed like the Eighth Route Army on horseback came galloping over.

The man had a round head and a round brain. He let out a "whoosh" and jumped off the horse.

"Old Xing, you're here!"

"Old Cheng, long time no see!"

The four hands were tightly clasped together. The person who came was none other than the commander of the 772nd Regiment, Li Yunlong's comrade-in-arms with whom he had a mutual love-hate relationship, Blind Cheng.

Blind Cheng looked Old Xing up and down, his eyes full of envy. The sturdy and warm military uniform, the latest helmet, and combat boots.

"Old Xing, you have upgraded your arsenal to a more capable position now? Last time you were in the military fortress regimental officer training class, you were the commander of an independent regiment. I didn't expect that you have become the commander of a main division now."

Blind Cheng looked at the soldiers around Xing Zhiguo again and again. They were all full of energy and vigor. The guards were all equipped with MP40 submachine guns, while the other soldiers were equipped with semi-automatic rifles. He was envious of them.

Xing Zhiguo did not speak. After all, it was no good to say anything now. It would be better to let Lao Cheng slowly accept the disappointment in his heart.

"Old Cheng, I received a telegram from Commander Li, asking me to wait for you and discuss with you the attack on Xiangning County."

Blind Cheng then pulled himself back to his senses and gave a bitter smile.

"Old Xing, I see that you have a strong army and horses, so why do you need our assistance? It seems that this is another trick of Li Yunlong, trying to give our 772nd Regiment some territory."

Xing Zhiguo touched his nose, that was indeed what Li Yunlong meant.

Xiangning was where the 386th Brigade often operated, and it was considered the territory of the 772nd Regiment. The independent column should not have been attacked there.

However, seeing that there were more than a thousand Japanese devils and puppet troops entrenched here, Li Yunlong couldn't sleep at all because he knew that if he didn't fight them, they would affect the logistics supply line.

Therefore, after much thought, we decided to ask the 772nd Regiment to attack Xiangning together, and then hand over to them the territories where they often operate. This way, we can eliminate the Japanese without hurting the relationship.

So there was a scene where the powerful independent column asked for help from the 772nd Regiment.

"Old Cheng, since Commander Li and our brigade commander have discussed this, let's just execute the order!"

Blind Cheng was not a pretentious person, and he immediately walked into the temporary command post of the 3rd Infantry Division.

"Old Cheng, how many troops do you have now and what about their equipment?"

"This time I brought all the troops here, more than 3,000 people. Each battalion has a sharp knife company equipped with semi-automatic rifles, and the rest are all Mauser or Type 38 rifles. There is only one artillery company."

The brigade commander kept a small portion of the semi-automatic rifles, pistols and cannons that Li Yunlong gave when he separated from his family, and handed the rest over to the headquarters for unified distribution.

Therefore, 772's equipment is currently mainly bolt-action rifles, and the artillery only has one artillery company.

"Old Xing, we don't have large-caliber artillery, but this time the 772nd Regiment is given the territory to attack. The task of attacking it will be handed over to the 772nd Regiment. Even if our soldiers have to use explosive packs to blow up the Japanese devils, they must uncover their bastard shells!"

Xing Zhiguo smiled, shook his hand and patted Blind Cheng on the shoulder.

"Old Cheng, don't be so anxious. You don't have large-caliber artillery, but our infantry division does!"

Xing Zhiguo immediately gave Cheng Xiazi a detailed introduction to the configuration of his artillery regiment, which shocked Cheng Xiazi.

I originally thought that Xing Zhiguo's infantry division had only replaced the latest semi-automatic rifles, but I didn't expect that there was also a formal artillery regiment with 60 105mm howitzers.

"Old Xing, you are so enviable! If I had known, I would have traded my position as the leader of the main regiment with you for the position of leader of the independent regiment! Alas!"

"It's the same when fighting the Japanese. In the end, it all depends on human will. For example, even if these weapons and equipment are handed over to those idiots, they are still no more than firewood sticks!"

"That's right. Okay, then you will command this battle. After all, you are the division commander and you can command artillery."

Xing Zhiguo was not polite and immediately issued a combat order.

Xing Zhiguo's 772nd Regiment was the main attacking force and moved all the troops to the south of Xiangning. After the independent column's artillery regiment had cleared the outer fortifications, the artillery continued to fire directly at the city walls, and the infantry began to charge again.

"Old Cheng, the enemy's bunkers don't look easy to deal with. After our artillery barrage, if there are any remaining bunkers, our artillery scouts will move in to observe and then call in artillery to bombard a single point. Don't rush forward!"

"Okay, then let's communicate via walkie-talkie!"

"Row!"

After Blind Cheng finished speaking, he mounted his horse again and left quickly, preparing to mobilize the troops.