Bright Sword: Iron Will 66

Chapter 66: A Mute Eating Coptis

Taiyuan

Second War Zone Headquarters.

Yan Laosi leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, resting. The triumphant news of the Yangmingbao Airport victory, including the capture of the Japanese Lieutenant General Kikuoka, had already been sent to the Nanjing government, awaiting Chiang Kai-shek’s commendation. The war funds that had been previously stalled would surely be granted now.

Knock knock knock!

A knock came from outside the door.

“Enter!”

Chu Xichun entered, carrying a telegram. His face was grim as he slowly approached. Looking at the relaxed Yan Laosi, he opened his mouth slightly and said with difficulty, “Commander…”

“Telegram from Nanjing.”

Yan Laosi remained calm and collected, secretly delighted. “Read it!”

Chu Xichun took a deep breath: “This telegram informs the Second War Zone Command that the North China Combat Group is being formed in Shanxi, Suiyuan, and Chahar, and will be under the command of the Fourteenth Army Group.”

Halfway through the telegram, Yan Laosi sensed something was wrong. “What combat group?”

He had intended to act as an intermediary, waiting for the Nanjing government to offer terms before discussing the rewards for the temporary First Brigade. He hoped to profit from the difference.

Unexpectedly, the Nanjing government bypassed his Shanxi Defense Army and directly contacted the temporary First Brigade to bestow rewards, only incidentally notifying the Second War Zone Command.

Yan Laosi hastily asked, “What about Wang Feng?”

“Did he accept the…the organization of this combat group?”

Chu Xichun sighed and slowly said, “According to reports from the front, half an hour ago, the temporary First Brigade arrived at Xinkou Town.”

“Wei Lihuang personally went five miles out of the city to greet him, and the two went to the Fourteenth Army Group headquarters in the same car.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Laosi felt extremely frustrated.

Wang Feng’s attitude clearly showed he had sided with the Central Army. After the formation of the united front, the barriers between the various warlord armies had become very thin. The term “Shanxi Defense Army” was no longer officially used. Now, they were uniformly called the National Revolutionary Army. The various warlord leaders had transformed into war zone commanders. However, their troops still had intricate connections with the warlords.

Wang Feng’s actions could not be described as betrayal or changing flags, as that would be too harsh.

“Where’s Sun Chu!”

“Tell him to come see me immediately!”

Yan Laosi called out Sun Chu’s full name directly.

Chu Xichun shook his head: “Sun Chu left fifteen minutes ago in a special car to supervise the battle at the front.”

“He must have left Taiyuan city by now.”

Yan Laosi stood up and slammed his fist on the desk, pacing back and forth in the room. His face flushed, and he breathed heavily. The young officer he had placed his hopes in had silently bypassed him and secretly accepted the Nanjing military and government’s organization.

Chu Xichun stood silently beside him. Not only Sun Chu, but he himself, and even the entire staff department, felt that Yan Laosi had mishandled the situation. Since he had decided to win over the temporary First Brigade and had already provided sufficient weapons and equipment – having already invested – he was unwilling to be completely selfless. He had tried to be clever in the telegram, resulting in Chiang Kai-shek exploiting a loophole. The capture of a Japanese lieutenant general—such a great achievement—was not reported. Not only Wang Feng, but even Sun Chu and Yang Aiyu, veteran generals of the Shanxi Defense Army, were inevitably disheartened. The organizational structure itself was not the problem; losing a capable general was the real loss!

Yan Laosi sighed, “What about the war funds? Has the Nanjing government reached a decision?”

The temporary First Brigade’s defection to the Nanjing government was a fait accompli, beyond redemption. In his rage, he remembered the war funds. Ultimately, Yan Laosi only cared about organization and funds. These two were the foundation of his dominance in Shanxi. With a formal organization, he could receive full military pay from the military and political department and place his confidants in the army. As long as there were his confidants in the army, the Shanxi Defense Army could exist in name only. But the temporary First Brigade had a temporary designation, a number as easily created as the North China Combat Group. Without the military and political department’s recognition, the temporary brigade’s salary had to be paid out of Yan Laosi’s own pocket. Ten thousand soldiers were nothing. The war had progressed to the point that the Shanxi Defense Army still controlled a large part of Shanxi, and its abundant manpower was sufficient for recruitment. The only constraint on expansion was insufficient funds.

Yan Laosi kept comforting himself.

“Over 100,000 Shanxi Defense Army soldiers. I don’t believe I can’t find a capable general!”

“Throughout history, those who defected have never had a good ending. The Nanjing government is already struggling to supply its own elite troops.”

Chu Xichun shook his head, his expression bitter. Chiang Kai-shek was determined to use the war as an opportunity to eliminate dissidents and would never allow the Shanxi Defense Army to grow stronger.

Yan Laosi stood by the window, clenching his fists. The formation of the North China Combat Group had been approved by the Military Commission, with official documents issued by the military and political department. Everything was legal and compliant, making it difficult to make further progress.

After leaving the Fourteenth Army Group headquarters, Wang Feng got into a jeep and quickly headed towards the outskirts of the city. The jeep drove through the city. This was the front line, with few civilians remaining, and patrol soldiers were everywhere.

“Good sir!”

“Good sir!”

Wang Feng didn’t lower the car window, but the flag of the Fourteenth Army Group headquarters was planted on the car, and the passing soldiers all stopped and saluted. The jeep turned at an intersection, followed by several trucks. Wang Feng turned his head and glanced back. He looked down at the list in his hand, given to him by Wei Lihuang before he left. It was a second gift, now on the trucks behind him.

Wei Lihuang had been in the Central Army for decades and was well aware of Chiang Kai-shek’s methods. The soon-to-be-formed North China Combat Group, though formed under orders from the military and political department, still had a temporary designation. Its subordinate units lacked formal numbers and could not receive salaries from the Nanjing government. Wei Lihuang wasn’t sure if Wang Feng would transfer elsewhere in the future, but he still used the pretext of mobilizing funds to withdraw three months’ worth of military pay from the Fourteenth Army Group’s logistics department and provide it to the North China Combat Group. This was not just for Wang Feng, but also for the ten thousand soldiers who had fought bloody battles with the Japanese. Soldiers sacrificed their lives for the country and national survival. If they couldn’t even receive their basic pay, it would chill their hearts. In addition, a considerable amount of food and supplies were also provided.

Back at the camp.

Sergey had reorganized his troops and was waiting for orders in the command room. Upon seeing Wang Feng approach: “Commander!”

“General Wei Lihuang sent a batch of bullets; the logistics unit is checking the list.”

Wang Feng nodded slightly and sat on the rosewood chair.

“Sergey, what are your thoughts on the square division and the triangle division?”

The so-called square division refers to the ’44 system’ division. A World War I Russian infantry division was a typical square division. A division comprised two brigades, four regiments, and sixteen battalions. The triangle division was a ‘33 system’ division. Taking the US Army division in World War II as an example, a division included three brigades, nine regiments, and twenty-seven battalions. Later, in some cases, the brigade level was even abolished, directly becoming a division with three regiments and nine battalions. Currently, the temporary First Brigade was a typical ‘33 system’ division. But Wang Feng was having trouble deciding whether to set up a brigade level unit.

Sergey frowned and pondered: “Commander, according to the current situation, the square division may no longer be suitable for the current situation.”

Wang Feng was surprised and asked back, “Unsuitable?”

Square divisions and triangle divisions each had their advantages and disadvantages. In the current situation, the square division had a high frontal strength and was more suitable for human wave tactics. He originally thought Sergey would give the opposite answer.

“Currently, our equipment situation no longer requires relying on piling up numbers to gain firepower density.”

“The command flexibility of the triangle division may better utilize our high reinforcement rate advantage.”

Sergey gave very pertinent advice. Although he was an instructor of human wave tactics provided by the system panel, objectively speaking, he was also a real person. There is nothing unchanging in the world. Nothing can be rigidly applied by simply copying it. As things develop, there are no unchanging tactics in the military. Sergey had been learning and continuously improving his theories. This was also the duty of a combat staff officer.

Wang Feng smiled. He had already made up his mind. Under the command of the North China Combat Group, he would not add brigade-level units. The headquarters would directly command three mountain infantry regiments. Each regiment would still have three battalions, but changes were made below the battalion level. An additional infantry company would be added to each battalion. In this way, each battalion would have about 1,000 men, equivalent to a Japanese infantry battalion. Including various direct units, a regiment would have about 3,500 men, equivalent to a castrated Japanese regiment. The entire North China Combat Group would be roughly equivalent to a Japanese three-regiment division in terms of numbers. However, due to various factors, its combat effectiveness would only be equivalent to two Japanese regiments. This was already superior to many friendly troops.

On the 18th, at dawn.

Wang Feng led the remaining two regiments of the North China Combat Group to Jincheng.

At noon.

Zhao Fangyuan, Kong Zhiyong, and the other three regiments’ soldiers retreated from the Yangmingbao Airport area.

In the command center.

Zhao Fangyuan walked over with a smile: “Commander! Mission accomplished! We cut off the enemy’s airport!”

As everyone was talking and laughing, Sergey came in with a telegram.

“Commander! Urgent telegram from the Second War Zone!”

Wang Feng frowned. It was agreed that the North China Combat Group would be allowed to prepare in Jincheng for some time, but just after they arrived, a combat order arrived. Moreover, the telegram came directly from the Second War Zone, bypassing the Fourteenth Army Group.

Sergey summarized: “Commander, the eastern battlefield is in crisis!”

“The commander-in-chief requires our troops to arrive at the Niangziguan line within three days!”

Niangziguan?

Wang Feng frowned, his heart sinking. What had to come, would come…

Yan Laosi had never planned to defend Niangziguan in the first place. The previous dispatch of Huang Shaohong to guard the Niangziguan line was just a perfunctory move, and the soldiers sent were old, weak, sick, and disabled. Now that something happened at Niangziguan, dispatching his troops to put out the fire…perhaps there was some personal vendetta involved.

Wang Feng quickly asked Song Wenjie: “How is the reorganization of the various units going?”

“This morning, we just recruited a batch of new recruits, barely enough to fill the vacancies for a battle, but the troops haven’t had time to train.”

Wang Feng sighed helplessly: “Supplement the main force with reserve soldiers, and let the new recruits undergo on-the-job training in the reserve force!”

If Niangziguan fell, the Xinkou defense line would collapse.

(End of Chapter)

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