coobybook Chapter 938 Shuinan Village
Chapter 938 Shuinan Village
One of our 105mm heavy howitzer battalions could easily chase down and engage the enemy's 75mm mountain gun company; these two are completely different things.
Two 75mm mountain artillery battalions could be used to suppress the enemy's Type 92 infantry guns, and 60mm mortars could be used to suppress the enemy's grenade launchers.
No matter how you calculate it, the advantage is on our side.
By the way, we also have a 120mm heavy howitzer battalion and a tank battalion, which means we completely overwhelm the enemy in terms of heavy firepower.
The only thing the Japanese could rely on was their strong city walls and fortifications. However, according to our intelligence reconnaissance, the enemy had very few reinforced concrete fortifications; most of their work consisted of earthen works, which simply could not withstand the sustained attacks of heavy howitzers and heavy mortars.
It's no wonder the enemy didn't take it seriously. In previous battles, they had an absolute advantage in artillery firepower and only considered offense, rarely taking a defensive stance.
Even in defense, given China's artillery capabilities, which are severely lacking in ammunition, they could not inflict much damage on their city defenses. Why bother spending time and resources building reinforced concrete fortifications?
After everyone had finished laughing, Chief of Staff Fang continued his introduction:
"This county town of Echeng is not particularly special, but there is a pass on its only route called Lan Pass, which is a strategic location that is fought over by military strategists."
"In order to better defend Echeng, our Jin-Sui Army had previously spent a lot of effort building Lan Pass, and the fortifications of the entire pass were quite complete."
“When the Japanese invaders were advancing rapidly, one of our regiments fought a bloody battle with the powerful enemy here for three days and three nights, and finally withdrew after suffering heavy casualties.”
"It was precisely because of this that our large force of tens of thousands of people was able to retreat smoothly."
Upon hearing this, everyone recalled that this was indeed one of the achievements that their Jin-Sui Army was proud of.
In fact, the Jin-Sui Army was very capable at the beginning of the war. Many excellent generals fell on the battlefield, which led to uneven combat effectiveness of the troops later on, and many officers were afraid of the enemy.
However, the generals of the Jin-Sui Army present had a completely different mindset at this moment. Before, it was called a forced retreat, but now it was called recovering lost territory.
Everyone was eager to fight back, ready to make a big splash. The Jin-Sui Army was determined to avenge their defeat at Echeng Languan.
Of course, this confidence also comes from the strength of our own artillery; otherwise, such a strategically advantageous terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack, would be a major headache for everyone.
At this moment, Commander Zhang stepped forward and loudly proclaimed:
"Commander, Chief of Staff, our First Regiment requests permission to take on the mission of attacking Languan. We guarantee that we can successfully recapture the lost territory."
He was making a big calculation in his mind. This was the first battle of their Jin-Sui Army's counterattack. If they fought well, he, Old Zhang, would become famous.
Languan Pass is extremely famous among the people of Shanxi. If this matter is accomplished, the greatest credit will definitely go to Commander Chu, but the second greatest credit will go to the regimental commander who led the troops into battle.
This is a great thing that will be recorded in the family genealogy, bringing honor to the ancestors, and even the local county annals will record it in detail.
In the past, no one would have bothered to fight for such a strategic pass. After all, without the cover of heavy siege artillery, attacking such a formidable fortress with light infantry would be suicidal.
Faced with the enemy's numerous fortified bunkers and their overwhelming superior position, even a large number of troops would not be of much use.
Back then, the Jin-Sui Army was guarding the pass. An enemy regiment launched a fierce attack for two days and paid a heavy price, but still failed to capture it.
In the end, it was only after the Japanese brought in division-level heavy artillery that they were able to barely capture the city.
This time, however, the roles have been reversed, with us attacking and the enemy defending, and even the balance of power remains largely unchanged.
Previously, our side had an infantry regiment, but now the enemy has a battalion. The defending forces are roughly the same size, and our side also has large-caliber heavy artillery and even tanks to support us, so our chances of winning are much greater.
However, as soon as Regiment Commander Zhang finished speaking, Regiment Commander Zhou of the Second Regiment became unhappy and also suggested that the Second Regiment should take the lead in the attack.
Such a thing is rare in the Jin-Sui Army. Many generals are afraid of the enemy like tigers, so how could they be like today, delighted at the prospect of battle and eager to fight?
Chu Yunfei was also very satisfied. He usually saw this kind of scene with the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. He didn't expect his subordinates to have such courage, which made him very gratified.
Finally, after a heated debate, Commander Zhang's First Regiment was awarded the vanguard mission, while the Second Regiment served as the reserve force.
Once everything was ready, a great battle broke out.
However, there are still many things to do before the battle begins, such as cutting off the connection between Languan and Goose City and disrupting the enemy's logistical supply, which is also crucial.
Between the two places lies Shuainan Village, next to a small river. As the saying goes, "The south side of the mountain and the north side of the river is yang, while the north side of the mountain and the south side of the river is yin."
This village is located south of a small river, hence the name Shuainan Village. The entire village makes a living by farming, and during the off-season, they also fish in the river. Although life is difficult, it is still much better than in other places.
But everything changed after the Japanese invaders came in. The villagers' meager grain was looted by the Japanese, and the puppet troops forced the people to hand over large quantities of fish caught in the river. Life was unbearable.
Fortunately, it didn't last long. With the rapid development of our base's industrial zone, a large amount of supplies and weapons were transported to the rural areas surrounding Goose City.
Although the large towns were still occupied by the Japanese, the vast countryside was our domain.
In particular, Shuainan Village, because of the river, can transport a lot of supplies directly from other places by small boats and then distribute them to other villages, making it a distribution center for supplies.
It is precisely because of this that we have always been a key target of the enemy, except that the strength of our guerrilla forces is no longer what it used to be.
There was once a puppet army commander in the city who, having somehow gotten wind of the situation, thought there was money to be made in Shuainan Village, so he sent a company of soldiers over to plunder.
Our intelligence agents in the city received the news and immediately sent it by telegram to their superiors nearby.
On the other hand, the E County Party Committee immediately mobilized more than 300 people from two militia companies of the county brigade to ambush the puppet army on the road they were sure to pass, with the support of a mortar squad.
They wiped out an entire puppet army infantry company. The few who escaped thought they had encountered the main force of the Eighth Route Army, and the puppet army commander never dared to target Shuainan Village again.
As for the Japanese side, the puppet army commander didn't dare to report it, since it was a private operation.
In reality, the closer the enemy-occupied area was to our base, the less informed the Japanese were of their situation.
Previously, the enemy's sources of information mainly relied on traitors and detectives who would come to the village to gather intelligence.
But now, with a large amount of Japanese equipment being transported over, even a small village has more than twenty militiamen, more than ten Type 38 rifles, two or three Mauser pistols, and a Type 91 light machine gun or a Czech light machine gun.