Chapter 36: Rearguard Turned Vanguard, The Battle of the Encircled Seat

Chapter 36: From Rearguard to Vanguard—The Battle of Baozuo

Inside the makeshift regimental headquarters in Banyou, the light of an oil lamp flickered across several stern and anxious faces. Key commanders of the Independent Regiment, including Wang Lin, Wang Guangdao, Li Yunlong, Chen Ahai, Huang Musheng, Zhou Zhiming, Liu Gensheng, Zhang Hongtu, and Zhong Guangbang, gathered around a sketch map of the Baozuo terrain, which had become increasingly mottled from repeated marking.

"That is the situation," Wang Lin said, breaking the silence as he tapped his finger heavily on the positions of Qiuji Temple and Dajie Temple. "These are two hard nuts to crack! They are Hu Zongnan's elite troops, well-equipped, with cunningly constructed fortifications. What’s worse, the 49th Division is racing here with everything they’ve got. If we don’t break through Baozuo quickly, once the enemy reinforcements arrive, we’ll be caught in a pincer movement and crushed like a dumpling!"

Li Yunlong was the first to chime in: "No need for more talk! Leave the main assault to my New Recruit Battalion! We’ll use earthworks to get close and hammer them with grenades, then concentrate the mortar company under my command. I don't believe we can't crack their turtle shell!"

Chen Ahai, more composed, shook his head. "Throwing lives away isn't the solution. The high ground behind Qiuji Temple is fatal. If we don't take it out or suppress it, sending waves of men to the front is just suicide. I suggest we try to flank them or use artillery to wipe it out!"

Huang Musheng added, "The river in front of Dajie Temple is also a barrier. A frontal assault will be costly. We need to find a way around or sneak across at night."

Liu Gensheng stared at the map, his brows furrowed. "The artillery is ready—my men and equipment are set! But we have limited shells; they must be used where they count, and we must be precise. It would be best if we knew the exact locations of the enemy command post and their heavy machine guns to take them out in one go."

Zhang Hongtu immediately replied, "The reconnaissance company has already identified several key points: the shift-change times for the back hill, the approximate location of the command post, and the firing sectors of the main weapon emplacements. But the details need further confirmation, especially regarding the bunkers."

Zhong Guangbang expressed concern for logistics: "I’ve finished the ammunition inventory. It will be tight for a high-intensity battle, so we must be frugal. How we transport the wounded back is also a headache."

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, but the core issue remained thorny: how to crack the "turtle shell" quickly with minimal loss.

Wang Lin listened carefully to every commander, his brain racing as he integrated their suggestions, intelligence from the scouts, his assessment of both sides' strength, and the optimal solutions provided by his internalized tactical simulation system.

[System simulation in progress... Integrating advice: Li Yunlong’s assault spirit (needs guidance), Chen Ahai’s focus on high ground, Huang Musheng’s flanking strategy, Liu Gensheng’s precision fire, Zhang Hongtu’s intelligence, Zhong Guangbang’s logistics warnings... Combining with optimal 'besiege the point to strike the reinforcements' strategy... Generating comprehensive plan...]

A moment later, Wang Lin looked up, his eyes flashing with insight and determination. He pressed his hands down, signaling for silence.

"Enough! Everyone’s points are valid, but we cannot act recklessly." His voice was steady and powerful, carrying a convincing weight. "We are not just taking Baozuo; we are supporting General Xu’s overall strategy. We are going to swallow the 49th Division—the big fish—whole!"

He walked to the map and began his deployment. His plan synthesized everyone’s wisdom but was more systematic and refined, as if he had already seen through every detail of the battlefield:

"Phase One: Feint to confuse, precision to break!"

"Psychological warfare first!" Wang Lin looked at Wang Guangdao. "Commissar, organize soldiers and locals who speak Tibetan to shout at the front lines under the cover of night, 'The Red Army treats captives well, throw down your guns and you won't be killed!' Also, have the soldiers in Old Li's New Recruit Battalion who speak Sichuan and Shaanxi dialects mimic their accents and shout things like 'We can't hold on!' and 'When will reinforcements arrive?' to create chaos and shake their morale!"

"As for Dajie Temple, Zhou Zhiming’s Third Battalion takes the lead!" He pointed to the Yinge River. "Your task is not a direct assault, but a 'performance'! Use mortars to shell their front, and let the heavy machine guns roar—the louder, the better. Attract all their attention and reserves to your side! Meanwhile, send small groups to feign a river crossing. Part of the New Recruit Battalion will move secretly along the west bank to create the appearance of a flanking maneuver and apply further pressure!"

"The Qiuji Temple direction is the real kill shot!" Wang Lin’s gaze turned sharp. "Liu Gensheng! Your mortar company, all 20 guns, concentrate your fire! At exactly 5:40 AM, during the enemy’s shift change, open fire! There is only one target—the command post on the high ground behind the temple and the core bunker cluster! Hit them hard and true! Smash their heads in!"

"Chen Ahai, Huang Musheng! During the artillery barrage, use light machine guns to suppress the temple’s fire. The reconnaissance company will lead the assault teams to sneak up and use cluster grenades and satchel charges to take out the outer bunkers, barbed wire, and obstacles. Mark the demolition points well to open a path for the general assault!"

"Phase Two: The main assault, besiege the point to strike reinforcements!"

"Once the artillery range extends to cover remaining fortifications, Chen Ahai, your First Battalion will launch a frontal 'three-three' formation assault to draw the remaining fire!"

"Huang Musheng, your Second Battalion will scale the cliff from the side and rear, clear the remaining enemy on the back hill, secure the high ground, and attack from above!"

"Old Li," Wang Lin looked at the wide-eyed Li Yunlong, "You wanted to lead the main assault? Here is your chance! Once the First and Second Battalions tear a hole, you take your men through that western gap and charge! Close-quarters combat, urban warfare! Use grenades and bayonets to finish it! But remember, this is for mopping up after the breakthrough—I’m not sending you to run headfirst into a wall!"

"I..."

"Old Li, you have to know when you have the strength for a frontal assault. A new recruit battalion is still a new recruit battalion. You and I are both commanders; no need for explanations. Once your battalion matures, that will be the time for you to lead the main assault," Wang Lin interrupted.

"Meanwhile, at Dajie Temple, Zhou Zhiming’s feint becomes the main attack! The rest of the New Recruit Battalion and the logistics unit’s fire team will strike from the flank and rear! Finish the battle quickly!"

"Phase Three: Consolidate positions, lure the enemy into the trap!"

"Taking Baozuo is not the end! Immediately repair the fortifications, resupply, and treat the wounded. Zhong Guangbang, your logistics battalion must ensure full support! Zhang Hongtu, keep your reconnaissance company’s eyes peeled and watch the direction of the 49th Division! We must stand here like a nail to lure the 49th Division into attacking!"

"At that point, the brother units of the 30th Army will close in from the outside, and we will work from the inside and out to completely wipe out these reinforcements!"

Wang Lin’s deployment was clear and methodical, with every step interlocking. He accounted for the difficulty of the assault while perfectly embedding it into the higher-level strategy of attacking reinforcements. The commanders were convinced, their eyes bright. The difficulties they had discussed earlier seemed to have been resolved by their commander.

"Are your tasks clear?"

"Clear!" everyone responded in unison, their morale high.

The battle began as scheduled.

***

On the first night, the psychological warfare and feints successfully deceived the enemy. The sound of gunfire at Dajie Temple was deafening, keeping the defenders in a state of high tension. Meanwhile, the back hill of Qiuji Temple was engulfed in flames under precise artillery fire, leaving the enemy’s command system paralyzed.

Assault teams took advantage of the darkness and the artillery to clear obstacles effectively, albeit with casualties, successfully carving out a path.

The soldiers, denying themselves rest, immediately shifted to defensive positions under Wang Lin’s strict orders.

Indeed, the vanguard of the enemy’s 49th Division rushed over in a panic, attempting to retake Baozuo. They crashed headlong into the large pocket General Xu had prepared for them.

Just as the 49th Division’s attack faltered and they prepared to retreat amidst the stalemate, even more intense gunfire erupted from the perimeter—the elite 264th and 268th regiments of the 30th Army had arrived in time, launching a fierce attack on the 49th Division from the flank and rear!

News of the 49th Division being surrounded reached Wang Lin, who seized the moment and ordered: "Sound the charge! All-out counterattack!"

Bullets rained down like a downpour on the rocks and soil, and mortar shells exploded among the Red Army soldiers.

"Machine guns! Suppress that bunker on the left!"

"Demolition team! Second group up! The first group has sacrificed themselves!"

"Medics! We need bandages here!"

Blood soaked every meter of the path forward. The soldiers utilized the "three-three" formation, providing cover for one another as they stubbornly pressed toward the temple walls. But the enemy’s fire was relentless, especially from several heavy machine gun nests that hadn't been destroyed by the initial barrage, creating a deadly crossfire that stalled the charge time and again.

Wang Lin, watching through his binoculars as soldiers fell, felt his heart ache, but he knew he couldn't hesitate. "Order Huang Musheng—his Second Battalion doesn't need to wait for the front anymore! Scale the cliff from the rear immediately and take out those remaining machine gun nests! The frontal pressure is too great!"

"Order the artillery company, don't hold back the shells! Fire! Aim at those bunkers still spitting fire, and provide cover for the Second Battalion and Huang Musheng!"

Liu Gensheng’s guns roared again. Despite the rapidly dwindling supply of shells, the precision strikes effectively suppressed the enemy’s fire. Huang Musheng led his men, braving the hail of bullets and shrapnel, using ropes and hooks to climb the treacherous back hill once more. They engaged in close-quarters bayonet combat with the remaining defenders, clearing out the lethal machine gun nests one by one.

With the pressure on the front reduced, Chen Ahai seized the opportunity and roared, "Comrades! Charge!" Leading the First Battalion, they launched a death-defying assault. The soldiers charged like tigers descending a mountain, clearing the way with grenades and using bayonets and broadswords to finish off the stubborn resistance, finally reaching the thick walls of Qiuji Temple.

However, the sturdy walls and the bullets firing from the internal embrasures blocked their path once more.

"Blow it up!" Chen Ahai roared, his eyes bloodshot.

The demolitionists, braving the rain of lead, pressed a massive satchel charge against the base of the wall.

"BOOM!!!" With a deafening roar and billowing smoke, a gaping hole was blown in the wall, though it didn't collapse entirely.

"Not enough! Again!"

At that moment, Li Yunlong charged up with his New Recruit Battalion, shouting, "First Battalion brothers, take a rest! It’s our turn!" He hugged a Czech ZB-26, firing wildly into the gap to suppress the enemy’s counterattack. "New Recruit Battalion! Use your grenades! Throw them in! Charge!"

Seeing the courage of their battalion commander and the veterans, the recruits’ fear was replaced by burning adrenaline. They howled as they tossed bundles of grenades into the courtyard, then rushed through the breach with bayonets fixed. A brutal, close-quarters urban battle erupted inside the temple. The sounds of gunfire, explosions, war cries, and screams merged into one.

The fierce fighting at Qiuji Temple tied up the majority of the Baozuo defenders' strength and attention. When the battle at Qiuji Temple was at its peak and the outcome was clear, Zhou Zhiming’s Third Battalion, which had been feinting at Dajie Temple, instantly switched to a full-scale assault!

Simultaneously, the detached units of Li Yunlong’s New Recruit Battalion (led by veterans) and the "second-line fire teams" organized by Zhong Guangbang (using light machine guns set up in civilian houses) launched a lethal strike on Dajie Temple from the flanks and rear.

The defenders, already exhausted by the prolonged feint and the frontal attacks, found themselves besieged from all sides. Hearing that Qiuji Temple had already fallen, their morale collapsed, and their resistance crumbled.

After two days and a night of brutal, bloody combat, as the sunset once again illuminated Baozuo, red flags riddled with bullet holes flew over both Qiuji Temple and Dajie Temple.

The soldiers had no time to celebrate; under the calls of their commanders, they immediately set to work treating the wounded, extinguishing remaining fires, counting spoils, repairing fortifications, and deploying defenses.

Wang Lin stepped through the rubble-strewn, scorched courtyard of Qiuji Temple. Watching the bodies of fallen soldiers being carried away and seeing his exhausted but bright-eyed troops, his mood was heavy yet stirred.

Soon, a communications officer ran over to report: "Regimental Commander! A telegram from the Military Commission—the vanguard of the enemy 49th Division has been routed by our encircling forces and has suffered heavy losses!"

Good news! The final threat had been neutralized!

Wang Lin let out a long breath and said to Wang Guangdao, "Commissar, send the telegram to the Central Committee."

A report of victory, condensed with the blood and lives of the Independent Regiment, flew toward the Military Commission:

"With the powerful support of brother units, after day and night of bloody combat, our unit has captured the core strongholds of Baozuo—Dajie Temple and Qiuji Temple. We have killed or wounded [number pending detailed count] of the enemy and captured a large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and supplies. The path northward is completely open! We are currently consolidating positions and resting our troops. Wang Lin, Wang Guangdao."

Not long after, a reply arrived, containing only eight short but heavy words:

"Well fought! A model for the entire army! Zhu, Zhou, Xu."

***

According to the preliminary battlefield cleanup and statistics:

Enemy casualties: Over 1,000 killed or wounded.
Enemy prisoners: 628 captured.
Dispersed: Remaining remnants lost their organizational structure and fled into the mountains, unable to form a fighting force.

Total regimental casualties were 207, composed of:
Killed in action: 89.
Seriously wounded: 65.
Lightly wounded: 53.

The regiment captured nearly all the weapons and equipment of the enemy’s Independent Brigade’s 2nd Regiment, along with a massive amount of military supplies stored at the stronghold, significantly replenishing their losses.

(I) Weapons and Equipment:
Rifles: Over 750 Hanyang-made and Zhongzheng-style rifles (including some damaged ones awaiting repair).
Light Machine Guns: 28 Czech ZB-26 light machine guns.
Heavy Machine Guns: 9 Republic-era Type 24 (Maxim-copy) heavy machine guns.
Mortars: 4 82mm mortars.
Pistols/Submachine Guns: Over 40 Mauser C96s, MP18s, etc.
Ammunition: Approximately 500,000 rounds of rifle/machine gun ammunition, over 400 mortar shells, and over 800 hand grenades.

(II) Military Supplies:
Grain: Approximately 30,000 jin of rice and flour, plus a large batch of canned food and cured meat. (Analysis: This was a full month's worth of food for an enemy regiment; the amount is vast.)
Clothing and Gear: 1,600 sets of brand-new gray cotton uniforms, 800 military blankets, and over 2,000 pairs of rubber-soled and cloth shoes. (Analysis: Enough to equip an entire regiment, mostly brought in just before the battle.)
Medicine: A batch of army-specific medicines such as sulfonamides, hemostatic powders, and bandages. (Extremely precious)
Others: Over 60 mules and horses, one radio set, dozens of rolls of telephone wire, and various military items like binoculars, shovels, and steel helmets.

After reporting the spoils, the Military Commission specially approved the Independent Regiment to keep the weapons and equipment (the 49th Division had captured plenty, so they didn't care for the stock at Baozuo). The regiment kept some of the supplies and handed over the majority.

Wang Lin then arranged:
The 28 Czech ZB-26 light machine guns, 9 heavy machine guns, and 4 82mm mortars were assigned to Li Yunlong’s New Recruit Battalion. Personnel were drawn from the logistics battalion to supplement them. The New Recruit Battalion was renamed the Independent Regiment's 4th Battalion, with nearly 800 men, matching the configuration of the main battalions. Through the "speak bitterness" movement, 500 men were kept from the prisoners to replenish losses, and the rest were assigned to the logistics battalion.

Reporting to the Left Route Army Military Commission, based on this achievement, Li Yunlong was appointed Deputy Regimental Commander concurrently serving as the 4th Battalion Commander, which was approved.

From this point on, Wang Lin’s unit commanded 4 main battalions (3,200 men) and one logistics battalion (500 men), plus direct regimental units (guard company, reconnaissance company, etc.), totaling over 4,200 men. After replenishing ammunition, they were undeniably a reinforced regiment.