Chapter 28: The Battle of Xinkou, The Curtain Rises

“Regimental Commander, my suggestion is that while sustaining ourselves through combat, we must secure more logistical supplies. Only then can the 358th Regiment maintain its high fighting spirit.”

Chu Yunfei nodded.

Fang Ligong sighed and continued, “According to the 772nd Regiment, all main forces of the 129th Division have crossed the Yellow River. Our 358th Regiment has also completed training and should have received orders by now.”

Sun Ming, somewhat puzzled, spoke up directly, “Yes, Commander, the enemy has already occupied Fanshi County. Why haven’t we received any orders yet?”

To the northwest of Fanshi lies Yuanping, and directly south is Xinkou.

This was the predetermined decisive battleground set by Commander Yan Laoxi of the Second War Zone.

Nearly all elite Jin-Sui forces were rushing toward the Xinkou area.

Yet, the 358th Regiment remained without orders.

Either Yan Laoxi had other plans.

From Chu Yunfei’s understanding of Yan Laoxi, his command skills were not yet sufficient to employ the 358th Regiment as a surprise force on the battlefield.

At this moment, Yan Laoxi was likely thinking of preserving strength and deliberately keeping the 358th Regiment out of the fight.

This was directly opposed to Chu Yunfei’s own thinking.

Naturally, Chu Yunfei could not accept others fighting fiercely up front while the 358th Regiment sat idly in the rear!

The 358th Regiment should be engaging the enemy.

Not standing guard at some meaningless Yellow River crossing!

Chu Yunfei and Fang Ligong shared the same view.

To maintain the principle of sustaining the fight through continuous combat, frequent battles were necessary.

Only then could Yan Laoxi, and the Nanjing command, truly recognize the value of the 358th Regiment.

If a unit was treated as a mere miscellaneous force with no chance to fight, it would be worn out and ultimately disbanded by Chiang Kai-shek.

There would be no chance for it to be absorbed or centralized under the command.

At present, the 358th Regiment needed numerous battles to rapidly train new recruits.

A fine blade needs tempering in fire; soldiers require the crucible of battle.

Only then could the 358th Regiment genuinely be called an elite force.

“Brother Ligong, help me draft a telegram to the Second War Zone Headquarters, inquiring if any combat orders have been issued recently...” Chu Yunfei’s impatience was evident as he added, “Also, where are those people from Nanjing? Why has there been no news for so long?”

“Commander, a telegram arrived last night. They reached Taiyuan the day before yesterday, so they should arrive at Xing County within a couple of days.”

“Hmm, this matter must be handled carefully. It’s a prime opportunity to showcase the spirit of the 358th Regiment to Nanjing and the entire nation.”

Chu Yunfei placed great emphasis on this display and opportunity.

Fang Ligong, being a smart man, understood Chu Yunfei’s intentions immediately.

He nodded at once. “Rest assured, Commander, I will arrange everything to ensure Nanjing’s satisfaction.”

“Sun Ming, work hard these next two days. Keep a tight rein on the troops—there must be no mistakes.”

“Yes, sir!”

Though Sun Ming was only a captain and adjutant, under Chu Yunfei’s direction he maintained excellent relations with the mid- and lower-level officers.

Entrusting this task to him put Chu Yunfei at ease.

The attitudes of these three men effectively represented three forces within the 358th Regiment: Chu Yunfei and his loyal core, Yan Laoxi’s command, and the mid- and lower-ranking officers and soldiers.

They had now united as one.

The vast majority of the 358th Regiment were from Shanxi; how could they not exert themselves against the Japanese?

After the two left, Chu Yunfei stroked his chin thoughtfully, muttering, “Yan Laoxi, Yan Laoxi, what exactly are you hesitating about?”

...

Meanwhile, the elite Central Army’s 14th Group Army quickly disengaged from the Jinpu Road battles.

They regrouped in the rear, boarded trains, and headed for Shanxi.

Wei Lihuang’s 14th Group Army was a first-rate elite unit.

Composed mostly of soldiers from Anhui and Guangdong provinces, they wore uniform dark gray military attire and carried standard 7.9mm rifles.

They boasted numerous machine guns, generally assigned down to the squad level.

More importantly, they possessed one of the few 37mm anti-tank guns available domestically.

These soldiers were well-trained.

Even during rest stops, no one chatted.

When marching, they preferred to sing military songs.

One such song was penned by Wei Lihuang himself, the anthem of the 14th Group Army:

“This is our land, this is our home.

Our 14th Group Army, brave and strong.

Fighting for the survival of the motherland!

United as steel,

Obey orders, defend the frontier,

Join with the people, resist the oppressors,

Offer our strength to the nation,

Achieve the liberation of the Chinese people!”

Their clear voices echoed along the Zhengtai Railway.

These elite soldiers marched resolutely forward, bound for the Shanxi battlefield.

...

As their commander, General Wei Lihuang had already arrived ahead of the troops in Taiyuan.

At the Second War Zone Headquarters, representatives of the Jin-Sui Army included Yan Laoxi.

The newly appointed deputy commander, Huang Shaohong.

Wei Lihuang, recently named the forward commander of the Second War Zone.

Also present were General Fu Zuoyi and Mr. Zou, representing the Eighth Route Army.

Their presence was politically delicate.

Chiang Kai-shek seemed to have invested much of his wisdom in maintaining political balance.

Yan Laoxi and Fu Zuoyi needed no introduction.

Huang Shaohong was one of the three giants of the Guangxi clique.

Wei Lihuang represented the Central Army, and Mr. Zou the Eighth Route Army.

Together, they discussed the defense of Xinkou.

Everyone surprisingly agreed on the enemy situation.

They believed the Japanese main force would continue south from Fanshi toward Yuanping and Xinkou.

Another attacking force would advance along the Datong-Yanmen Pass highway to divert defenders.

A third force would attack northwest Shanxi via Yangfangkou, engaging the northwest Shanxi garrison to assist the main attack on Xinkou.

Though unspoken, all understood this tactic as the Japanese command’s habitual three-pronged assault.

The flanking forces were primarily to contain and encircle.

The central force concentrated strength to break through a single point and trigger a collapse along the entire line.

After brief discussion:

The right flank defense at Xinkou would rely on the mountain range from Wutai County to Ningwu.

Using key positions north of Xinkou as operational bases to shorten the front line.

Concentrating forces for resistance.

Deployment specifics were:

The 18th Group Army—the Eighth Route Army—was responsible for the right flank defense along the Wutai Mountain line.

Yang Aiyuan’s 6th Group Army—the Jin-Sui Army—would hold the left flank, conducting defensive operations in northwest Shanxi.

The 14th Group Army under Wei Lihuang, the Central Army elite, was the main force confronting the enemy.

Fu Zuoyi’s 7th Group Army, due to prior losses, was reserved as the general reserve.

With these deployments, the entire Xinkou front was set.

The Battle of Xinkou was officially underway.