Comrade, Your Ingredients Are Too Complicated

Chapter 17 The Beginning of Cangyun Ridge

 At present, the military factory of the Logistics Department is working hard to produce various types of bullets and grenades.

 Because the friction between the troops and the Japanese is getting more and more serious, and a large-scale battle may break out at any time, the headquarters decided to give priority to equipping the 129th Division with these weapons.

As the main force of the 129th Division, the 386th Brigade was at the forefront, ready to deal with the Japanese's big moves at any time.

Dark clouds are pressing down on the city, threatening to destroy it.

On the eve of the outbreak of the war, a chilling atmosphere filled the entire base area.

Both the soldiers on the front line and the comrades in the logistics department are ready to deal with the new wave of Japanese offensive.

 The soldiers have received newly replenished weapons and ammunition. If it were normal times, they would be as happy as if they had made a fortune.

 But now everyone knows that a fierce battle is coming, and each regiment commander is busy inspecting the troops, checking for leaks and filling vacancies to boost morale, and conveying the headquarters' new strategic arrangements.

 The Logistics Department is ready to quickly dismantle production equipment at any time, and is ready to move with the division headquarters and field hospitals.

  The reason why the Logistics Department and the field hospital were not transferred in advance is because the troops cannot do without the assistance of these two departments unless it is absolutely necessary.

 You cannot pull one hair, but if you pull it, your whole body will be affected.

During this period, both the deputy general manager and the division commander called Zhang Wanhe to tell Zhang Wanhe that when necessary, priority should be given to ensuring the safety of personnel, so as to leave green hills without fear of running out of firewood.

  In February 1940, the first commander of the Japanese army stationed in Shanxi Province, Yoshio Shinozuka, issued a new phase of instructions:

 Require all regiments stationed in the province to jointly encircle and suppress the Eighth Route Army troops entrenched in Jinzhong.

Soon the Japanese's movements were noticed by the division headquarters. After analyzing the strength of the enemy and ourselves, and based on our army's current combat policy, the division headquarters decided to stay away from the enemy for the time being.

 After all, the current troops do not have the ability to engage in head-on positional warfare with the Japanese, and the consumption of a major battle is not something the Eighth Route Army can afford.

 Although the base area has been prepared for transfer, due to the cage policy that the Japanese have been implementing, and the garrison of passes and gun towers have been specially strengthened for this raid.

They have set up many checkpoints, which makes the evacuation speed of comrades very unsatisfactory.

 Faced with the Japanese blockade on the opposite side, the Logistics Department could only take advantage of the moonlight to move.

 Fortunately, the logistics department does not have any large-scale equipment, and important chemical plants only use local production methods.

 The equipment used is very simple, and it doesn’t hurt to prepare it again.

 In less than two nights, the comrades had all retreated to a safe area.

 But the transfer of division headquarters and field hospitals was not so smooth.

 Equipments in field hospitals are hard-won, and these equipment greatly affect the speed of transfer.

And because of insufficient medicine, there are severely wounded people in field hospitals all year round.

Our army has never abandoned any of our comrades, and the speed with which we retreated with the seriously wounded can be imagined.

While approaching Cangyunling, the reconnaissance team of the Japanese first regiment discovered a retreating Eighth Route Army unit.

Based on subsequent observations and through equipment, wounded people, and clothing, the Japanese scouts determined that this unit must have a field hospital that the Eighth Route Army was moving to.

The commander of the regiment, Nobutetsu Sakata, acted decisively like a shark smelling blood and ordered an attack.

Even if they don’t have a numerical advantage, past experience tells him that their unit cannot be dealt with by the enemies at the front.

The weapons and equipment of the Eighth Route Army were far inferior to those of the Fruit Troops, and the casualty ratio between the Fruit Troops and the Locust Army was six to one.

He had no regard for the armed force composed of this group of farmers. The Eighth Route Army's field hospital was already a feat that he could easily capture in his heart.

This is how this flower of the Locust Army has been promoted step by step to where she is today by relying on her military exploits.

 Furthermore, from the beginning of this encirclement and suppression operation to the present, the Eighth Route Army has been avoiding fighting. Nobuyuki Sakata has determined that his regiment can completely crush this group of farmers who lack heavy weapons head-on.

In this way, the Bantian Regiment pursued and fought fiercely all the way, biting the retreating Eighth Route Army troops.

 In order to cover the transfer of division headquarters and field hospitals, the 386th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army left behind.

The shining sword of flowing water and the iron-clad Cangyun Ridge kicked off under such circumstances.

 The ministries immediately took action to seize the commanding heights of Cangyun Ridge.

 To rely on the favorable terrain and numerical advantages to block the Japanese army behind them on the spot.

 In Cangyunling, a place with strange mountains, the importance of the commanding heights is self-evident.

Sakata Nobutsu, as an experienced Japanese commander, would not let the Eighth Route Army seize the advantage.

 However, due to the rush of time, the three regiments of the 386th Brigade finally took the lead.

On the three hills of the main position of Cangyunling, Li Yunlong's new regiment quickly deployed the main force, seizing the time to build defenses and getting ready for battle.

His flanks were Cheng Xiazi's 772nd Regiment and 771st Regiment. The three regiments formed a horn.

Although he failed to seize the commanding heights, Sakata Nobutsu, who had expanded to the extreme, did not stop pursuing.

  He believed that these farmers had little fighting qualities, and even if they occupied favorable terrain, they would be defeated at a stroke.

 Facts quickly hit him in the face, and the attack on the main position of Cangyun Ridge did not go smoothly.

Although it was not to the extent of breaking one's muscles and bones, it also severely dampened the morale of the Sakata United team.

The defenses built by the three regiments of the 386th Brigade on the hilltop made this main position easy to defend and difficult to attack.

 Sakata Regiment's artillery superiority cannot play a decisive role due to terrain reasons.

The Eighth Route Army stood high and repelled several Japanese attacks one after another, and launched a fierce battle with more than 3,000 Japanese soldiers on the Cangyunling position.

 In order to delay time, they even launched thirteen attacks in a row, engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese.

 And they know the importance of counterattack.

 The purpose is to push the enemy back from the current charging position and expand the depth of defense.

 Seize advantageous defensive positions, recapture lost defensive points, and consolidate the solidity and integrity of defense.

 When allocating forces, strive to create an advantage in strength and firepower in the direction of counterattack.

Looking at the position that remained unconquered despite multiple charges, Sakata Nobutetsu was both angry and admired the fighting will of the opposing troops.

He did not expect that these farmers, who he initially ignored, would actually cause his regiment to lose hundreds of warriors from his younger brother's country.

If the enemy troops in front cannot be defeated in time, resulting in the smooth evacuation of the Eighth Route Army's field hospital, then he will become a shame to the entire Jin Province garrison.

Sakata Nobutetsu’s commanding ability was not affected by his anger. He was experienced in the battlefield and ordered:

 Under the cover of artillery, a part of the troops feinted from the front.

 The troops of the four squadrons were divided into two parts to outflank, attacking from the two sides with the weakest enemy troops deployed towards the main position of Cangyunling.

“Hey, in fact, the Japanese tactics are really bad. They just bully the Eighth Route Army because they don’t have heavy firepower. This tactic is a serious way of giving away food, whether it is to defeat Maozi or the old Americans.”

In his temporary command post, Nobutetsu Sakata used a telescope to look at his subordinates in action, slightly raising the corners of his mouth to reveal an arrogant smile.

Please collect it! Try to unlock a mile today!

 (End of this chapter)