Rise From Eight Hundred

"The Ministry of Military Affairs requires the Second War Zone to take the initiative to attract the main force of the Japanese North China Front Army and prevent the Japanese North China Front Army from reinforcing the Central China battlefield in large numbers?" Tang Dao asked Gu Xishui.

"Yes, Deputy Lei Tuan and Director Ye asked me to convey this before we came to pick you up. The Second War Zone Command has convened all the group army commanders to hold a military meeting, and the deputy commander-in-chief of the 80th Group Army has already set off for LY." Gu Xishui replied.

"It seems that this battle will be fought in advance." Tang Dao looked at the mountains in the distance and sighed slightly.

Originally, the battle he was planning would be best to wait until the MG42 machine guns, anti-tank rifles and German 40mm anti-aircraft guns were equipped to the troops. After the Four-Line Regiment had improved its armor-breaking, assault and air defense capabilities by two levels, it would be guaranteed to be foolproof.

But not everything in the world is subject to his will. The famous Jiangxia Battle has already begun. China has deployed 1.1 million troops in Anhui, Henan, Jiangxi, and Hubei provinces, while the Japanese Central China Expeditionary Force has deployed 14 divisions, 120 ships of various types, and 300 aircraft of various types. The number of troops directly participating in the battle reached 9 divisions with 250,000.

In November 1937, although the Chinese government nominally moved west to Shancheng, the government agencies and the military command were actually in Jiangxia. Jiangxia was actually the military, political, and economic center of the country at that time. This battle could not be lost.

Of course, it is not impossible to lose. Since the preparation for the Jiangxia Battle, the military command has already set a strategy of trading space for time, using terrain and fortifications, and resisting and consuming the Japanese army and killing a large number of Japanese troops.

In fact, it was also successful. This large-scale battle in the past lasted four and a half months. It was the longest battle since the Anti-Japanese War. A total of 40,000 Japanese soldiers were killed and wounded, which greatly consumed the Japanese army's manpower and became the turning point of China's War of Resistance against Japan from strategic defense to strategic stalemate.

The current situation on the Chinese battlefield is that the North China Front Army, which was divided into two routes, was blocked at the last line of defense in Shanxi Province, while the Central China Expeditionary Army was advancing to several provinces in Central China.

The Chinese military command's idea was to use the terrain advantage in Jiangxia to consume a large number of Japanese troops, while the strategy of the Japanese headquarters was to hope to destroy China's core resistance forces in one fell swoop, 1.1 million troops! If they could eat them all in one bite, perhaps China would no longer be able to effectively organize such a large-scale army to form a resistance, and this big piece of fat meat in China could almost be put into the pot.

Who would have thought that the stubborn ruts of history had changed slightly.

In the Battle of Xuzhou a few months ago, although the Japanese army finally occupied Xuzhou, in terms of casualties, the two sides only fought a draw. In addition, the victory in the Southeastern Shanxi Campaign not long ago, even a Japanese major general was killed, and the morale of the Chinese army was greatly boosted.

In just the first month of the war, the Japanese Central China Expeditionary Force felt that it had hit a wall.

Before the general offensive, it was still only an external battle. The Chinese army, no longer obsessed with the gains and losses of a city or a place, did not fight the Japanese head-on but fought flexibly. In one month, the Japanese army lost more than 10,000 people. Although the army's strength reached 9 divisions and 250,000 people, it still felt that the strength was not enough and had to ask for help from the headquarters.

In the end, the Japanese headquarters could only ask the newly defeated Japanese North China Front Army to send the 14th Division and the 18th Division, two main divisions, to the south to support the Jiangxia battle.

But this is also not an easy task. The total strength of these two divisions is as high as more than 50,000. If the Japanese army occupied Zhengcheng, it would be easy to say. Relying on the Pinghan Railway, it would be nothing more than running a few more special trains to transport them.

Unfortunately, not only was Zhengcheng still in the hands of the First War Zone of China, the Yellow River Bridge was also bombed, and there was a Chinese group army in the Zhengcheng to Xinyang section that was closely guarded to prevent the Japanese army in North China from reinforcing the battlefield in Central China.

However, the intelligence received by the Chinese side has shown that the two Japanese divisions have left their respective bases, indicating that they still have to go south to reinforce the battlefield in Central China.

250,000 Japanese troops attacked and felt exhausted. What would happen if tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people came?

As a last resort, the Military and Political Department could only issue a secret order to the Second War Zone, requiring them to launch a certain scale of counterattack against the Japanese army in North China no matter what, and try to delay the main force of the Japanese North China Front Army. The Japanese army in Jiangxia with two additional divisions can still hold on for a while, but two more cannot come.

"Telegraph to Deputy Commander Lei, Director Ye, and Director Zhuang of the regiment. From today on, the Four-Line Regiment will enter a state of combat readiness. All battalions and companies should prepare 15 days of military rations and the required ammunition. All personnel shortages in each department should be filled as soon as possible." Tang Dao ordered Gu Xishui.

"Yes!" Gu Xishui obeyed the order solemnly.

The soldiers of the reconnaissance company beside the two looked at each other, and they couldn't help but show excitement on their faces.

In the last battle in southeastern Shanxi, Tang Dao only ordered the battalions and companies to prepare 10 days of field military rations, but this time he asked them to prepare 15 days. That only shows one thing, the scale of this battle must be not small.

The bigger the battle, the more opportunities there are to make military exploits.

After the last battle in southeastern Shanxi, although Commander Tang was away from the regiment due to important matters, the regiment still completed the work of awarding medals and bonuses under the leadership of officers such as Lei Xiong and Ye Chenghuan.

A large number of award certificates and gold, silver, and bronze medals represent the glory of the soldiers, and the white cash proves the value of the soldiers' desperate efforts.

Moreover, for the first time, the Fourth Rank Regiment won a special merit above the first-class merit. However, the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Rank Regiment were only envious but no one felt jealous.

In fact, Lao Suanpan, Yang Bicheng and Tu Dou, who were able to stop a Japanese infantry squad with the strength of three people and kill a Japanese lieutenant left and capture a Japanese major general, relied more on luck than strength. Otherwise, no matter how magnificent the medals were, they could only hang on their graves.

Fortunately, the three crazy soldiers survived. The deputy commander, chief of staff and director of the political department of the Four-line Regiment pinned the medals on their chests.

The three special merit medals not only used a large amount of pure gold, but also inlaid with jade seized from the Japanese. It is said that the actual value of the three medals alone is more than 800 oceans. The special merit certificate is also awesome. It was applied by the Four-line Regiment Headquarters to the temporary command headquarters of the Southeast Shanxi Campaign, and the general of the 80th Army Group, who served as the commander-in-chief, was signed in person.

Although this is a medal issued by the Four-line Regiment, it has a completely different meaning with the certificate signed by a general commander.

And the two inhuman guys who participated in that small-scale but significant battle also received a lot of treatment.

Needless to say, Hammer has no medals, but as a formal soldier of the Four-Line Regiment, his rank was raised by one level, becoming a real sergeant.

A sergeant-level military dog, the new recruits who have been in the army for no more than three months have to call Hammer squad leader when they see him, and the veterans have to call Hammer brother.

And the half-grown wild boar 'Guaiguai', who was sure to be made into bacon in the past, now relies on this military exploit to follow his big brother Hammer and get into the system, becoming a formal soldier of the Four-Line Regiment.

What's even more amazing is that 'Guaiguai' loves to follow his big brother Hammer. After Hammer came back from a business trip, he followed Hammer every day in the reconnaissance company. So, Deputy Lei waved his hand and assigned 'Guaiguai' to the reconnaissance company, making him a scout.

The company commander Lao Hei and the deputy company commander Gu Xishui didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If you say that the wild boar 'Guaiguai' was fierce and bit several Japanese in that battle, it's nothing to keep it.

But since this guy came to the reconnaissance company, he almost lost all the people in the reconnaissance company. His daily life is eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating. His military salary of less than 10 yuan can hardly support him.

It doesn't matter. At most, if each person in the reconnaissance company saves a bite, it can still feed him.

The word "fat" always feels wrong, but the soldiers in the reconnaissance company are definitely not bad.

But this guy actually likes to be self-reliant. Once he feels hungry, he will stretch out his big head covered with coarse hair and act cute everywhere. If someone strokes his pig head, he must hold the person's trouser legs and won't let go. If he doesn't give him a steamed bun or a big pancake, he won't buy it even if Brother Hammer comes.

The key is that this guy also likes to run to the health company, specifically looking for the nurses in the health company, so that the health company spreads rumors that there is a rogue pig in the reconnaissance company, who specifically pulls the pants of female soldiers...

Gu Xishui had to go to the health company to explain to the nurses and ask them not to stroke the obedient pig's head anymore, otherwise the pants will be pulled off and the reconnaissance company will not admit it.

This is why the love story of Gu Xishui and Yao Mei'er is a legend in the Medical Company. If other company commanders had said this, they would have been driven away by the female nurses in the Medical Company.

How cute is "Guai Guai", why are you saying it so badly? If you have the ability, don't come to the Medical Company to apply medicine when the tough guys in your reconnaissance company are injured during training.

The two chief officers of the reconnaissance company are still worried about Guai Guai's affairs, and the regiment has also issued a bonus subsidy of 200 yuan to Guai Guai.

This is definitely a golden pig! The officers and soldiers of the reconnaissance company instantly fell in love with this little pig who likes to "harass" female nurses.

This matter needs to be said from both sides, and someone must apologize! Maybe if you go there more times, you can solve the lifelong affairs of the single dogs in the reconnaissance company!

You know, the regiment has strict regulations. Unless it is an injury or official business, no one can go to the medical company's station at will. Violators will stand at attention for 6 hours.

In front of the white ocean, the "lazy and greedy" little wild boar quickly became the favorite of the reconnaissance company.

Even though the reconnaissance company actually reaped a lot of rewards in this southeastern Shanxi campaign, with 2 first-class military merits, 5 second-class military merits, and 18 third-class military merits, the average bonus for the whole company was nearly 50 oceans.

If it were placed in the entire Four-Line Regiment, the entire regiment could issue a bonus of more than 300,000 oceans, averaging nearly 40 oceans per person, equivalent to 4 months' salary for many recruits.

Apart from anything else, just in terms of bonus distribution, the Four-Line Regiment is well-deserved as the first rich infantry regiment in the Second War Zone.

But no one complained about the lack of military merits and money. The upcoming war did not scare this group of Chinese elites, but excited them.

The devil's head is synonymous with military merits and money.

Five days later, Tang Dao returned to the headquarters of the Four-Line Regiment with 276 officers and soldiers of the 542nd Regiment. Lei Xiong, Leng Feng, Li Jiujin and others had already greeted them outside the gate with more than 50 officers and soldiers of the original 542nd Regiment who could come.

The meeting of old comrades was a lively occasion.

One had just escaped from the military camp where he had been trapped for 9 months, while the other had fought bloody battles on the battlefield for half a year. Of the more than 100 comrades who were forced to separate because of their own choices, only half of them are still alive, and more than a dozen of them are missing arms and legs.

"Shangguan, welcome home!" Lei Xiong took the lead in hugging his old comrade.

However, what followed was not just a restrained military salute. Many people held hands and laughed until they cried.

Even a restrained soldier like Shangguan Yun touched the empty sleeve of a lieutenant who was smiling but had tears in his eyes, and tears flowed down his face.

He used to be his signalman. Later, he was urgently added to the infantry squad because of the war situation. Although he became a second lieutenant from a private in just half a year, he lost an arm. What does this mean to a soldier?

Qin Ruoyu burst into tears. The only three people in the infantry squad that he didn't take away can still hug him. As for the rest, even if no one told him the answer, he knew it in his heart.

Because, on the way to the headquarters of the Four-Line Regiment, Shangguan Yun and the three company commanders had already asked Tang Dao to call all the old brothers of the 542nd Regiment who did not perform combat missions to come and meet them.

More than a dozen disabled soldiers who had to retire to the second line due to injuries are here. Those who can't come will never come.

The soldiers of the Four-Line Regiment who stood quietly and watched them silently around them, no one advised them to restrain themselves, just watched silently until everyone vented their grief.

"Salute to the comrades and brothers who returned to the team!" With a low roar from Ye Chenghuan.

The sentry, with his hand on the trigger, held the gun tightly against his straight chest. That was the military salute of a soldier performing military duties!

The rest of the Four-Line Regiment, including Tang Dao standing at the front, all raised their right hands and saluted in a standard military salute.

"Salute to my fellow brothers!" Shangguan Yun was the first to straighten his body, hold his head high, and salute his former communications soldier and the Four-Line Regiment who came to line up to welcome him.

Yes, just as Ye Chenghuan said, this time they joined not some friendly army, but the Four-Line Regiment, an honorary infantry regiment created by these people with their lives and blood. This is their home.

Since then, the Four-Line Regiment has ushered in another elite who have fought hard battles. More than 270 iron-blooded veterans are the skeleton, enough to support a complete infantry battalion.

After a brief welcome ceremony, Tang Dao, who had just returned, immediately convened a military meeting at the company commander level. In addition to announcing the plan to form the fourth infantry battalion, he also notified everyone that within the next week, the artillery battalion will be fully equipped, and the infantry battalion-level fire support company will also usher in new heavy firepower equipment.

20mm machine guns, 12.7mm heavy machine guns and double-caliber artillery will become the heavy firepower to support battalion-level combat units.

60mm mortars will completely replace the firepower support position of grenade launchers at the infantry platoon level. After the replacement is completed, a large number of Japanese grenade launchers will be withdrawn from the front-line infantry squads. In principle, each infantry platoon will only retain two for use.

In addition, the additional 40 MG34 machine guns collected from the Krupp warehouse will also become the heavy firepower configuration option for the 12 infantry companies, basically one for each infantry platoon, and the remaining 4 plus the original 2 will basically be left for the reconnaissance company and the guard company.

In addition, there was a problem of insufficient Czech semi-automatic rifles used by the infantry squad. There were exactly 600 Czech semi-automatic rifles in the equipment of the German-equipped division that was transported back. Even if a part was reserved for the 80th Army and the 17th Division, 300 rifles were enough to increase the number of rifles by 2 per infantry squad, and one more MP28 submachine gun per infantry squad.

The instantaneous output firepower intensity of a 15-man infantry squad increased by 30% compared to before, and this was not even after the grenade launcher was replaced with a 60 mortar.

If it was expanded to the entire infantry battalion, all the light and heavy firepower were added together, and it was fully confident that it could withstand a Japanese infantry regiment.

After all, the infantry battalion-level heavy firepower indirect-fire artillery planned by Tang Dao has not only 3 double-caliber artillery, but also a large number of 82mm mortars and 60 mortars, flat-fire artillery and 20mm machine guns. Not counting the US Browning heavy machine guns with a range of 1,500 meters, these alone are not inferior to the Japanese infantry regiment equipped with 4 mountain guns and 10 infantry guns.

If the heavy firepower cannot form a complete advantage over the Japanese infantry regiment-level troops, then in terms of light firepower, the addition of a large number of semi-automatic rifles and submachine guns, as well as the addition of German MG34 machine guns, against the Japanese Type 38 and Type 96 light machine guns, and 500-meter range grenade launchers, is simply a complete crushing.

This short meeting was absolutely dazzling for the soldiers present, and several officers of the 542nd Regiment headed by Shangguan Yun were dumbfounded.

Only then did they know that in 9 months, the Four-Line Regiment had grown into such a terrible war machine.

If what Tang Dao said was true, I'm afraid its strength is no longer comparable to the former 542nd Regiment. It is completely at a different level and has no comparability, but comparable to the entire 88th Division.

This is because they didn't know that the Four-Line Regiment Artillery Battalion was about to be equipped with 12 Bofors 75 mountain guns, 12 150mm heavy mortars, 24 Suloton 20mm machines, and 32 Browning 12.7mm machine guns.

As for these heavy equipment, not to mention the 24 artillery pieces for ground attack, the former Imperial Guards 88th Division could not catch up, and the air defense equipment that can be divided into 8 combat groups to defend more than ten square kilometers of airspace is something that many group armies have never had.

It was with this luxurious air defense company that Tang Dao really had the confidence to fight the Japanese army in a "field battle" without relying on fortifications.

Of course, this is just the intermediate version in Tang Dao's mind. When Lou Dehua gets the German 40mm anti-aircraft gun that he dreams of owning, the Japanese Type 96 fighter dares to fly below 2,000 meters. The anti-aircraft company of the Fourth Regiment will definitely make them deeply understand why the flowers are so red.

That's all dyed red!

"Fuck, it has to be you, sir. We are all impressed! The kind that can't be ignored." Li Jiujin, who was smiling from ear to ear at the dazzling list of weapons narrated by Tang Dao, flattered without any moral integrity.

But soon, the old soldier will pay the price for his lack of moral integrity.

That was because of the "tragedy" caused by the appearance of a pig!