Chapter 43: Seeking Help

  After assigning the combat mission, Liu Hua returned to his own room, thinking of Zhang Zhenhan in history. He knew that Zhang Zhenhan had helped the Red Army in history and was a graduate of the 2nd artillery class of Baoding Military Academy. After the Red Army marched into Yan'an, he served as a military tactics instructor at the Red Army University, making great contributions to the Chinese revolution. For such a person, Liu Hua really didn't know how to treat him, he was a talented artilleryman!

  At this time, Liu Hua thought of Zhang Zhenhan's teacher, a mountain artillery regiment, and finally decided to capture Zhang Zhenhan, hoping that he could help the Red Army as in history.

  After that, Liu Hua lay in bed and fell asleep quietly, with Qiaoling's pretty face appearing in his mind. He smiled and fell asleep like this.

  The next day, Liu Hua got up very early, had breakfast, and brought with him the political commissar, Li Qing and others to the headquarters of the Second Division. The troops had already assembled according to plan and were waiting for the commander's orders. Seeing the commander arrive, Gao Yuan went forward to greet him.

  "Commander, Commissar, Director Li, you've arrived. The troops have assembled and are waiting for the order to depart," said Gao Yuan with a smile.

  "Then let's set off," Liu Hua ordered, not dismounting his horse, and directly followed the troops forward. The vanguard was the Second Division's reconnaissance company, with the rest of the troops following behind them, advancing slowly. In this way, after a day and night of marching, the troops finally quietly bypassed Yujiaping and arrived at Taozi Creek to hide and await orders.

  As the troops arrived, Sun Xingbang of the First Division also received the order from the Corps Commander and began to attack Yujiaping. With a loud command from General Sun, the 12 mortars of the artillery company fired with a dull sound. In less than a few seconds, the 12 shells accurately landed on the enemy's military camp, which had been previously scouted by the reconnaissance company. The camp was instantly blown up, and soldiers couldn't find their officers, while officers couldn't find their soldiers. They all ran around desperately, with some clever ones starting to run towards the outside of Yujiaping. However, as soon as they reached the city gate, they were shot down by the heavy machine guns of the incoming company, falling into a pool of blood.

  Soon, Sun Xingbang's superior issued the order for the first feint, and a regiment and a battalion slowly approached Yujiaping under the cover of artillery and heavy machine guns. As they got closer to the town, the battalion commander issued an attack order, and in an instant, all the firepower of the battalion began to pour out ammunition onto the enemy's position, causing massive casualties among the enemy troops. Very soon, a company of the Hubei army stationed on the outermost periphery suffered heavy casualties, and the enemy company commander, unable to withstand the dense firepower of the battalion, finally couldn't help but lead his men in retreat.

  It is said that when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Even the company commander ran away, and naturally, the soldiers at the bottom did not want to die, so they also scattered. The company commander occupied the outer perimeter after sacrificing a few soldiers, but just as he was about to launch another attack, he suddenly came under intense fire, and several of his soldiers fell instantly. Looking at the fallen comrades, the company commander suppressed the urge to charge forward and led his troops to hold their ground on the enemy's front line.

  At the same time that the First Regiment captured the enemy's first line of positions, the other directions at Yujiaping were also taken with minimal casualties to the First Division.

  At this time, the defender at Yujiaping was a division commander under Zhang Zhenhan's command, and also Zhang Zhenhan's cousin. When he received that his own troops had lost all of the first line positions and had lost nearly a regiment of men, he immediately became anxious. He ordered the troops to strengthen the defense of the second line position and issued a death order "Whoever loses the position will be shot."

  While issuing orders, he ordered the telegraph operator to quickly seek help from his cousin, and as the explosions got closer and closer, he became more and more anxious. He sent out telegram after telegram seeking help, while at this time, except for the artillery of the division continuing to fire, the three heavy machine gun companies saw the enemy's exposed head and fired their machine guns, and other troops were dragging their feet, waiting for the final order from the army commander to launch a general attack.

  "Something's wrong, sir! Something's happened!" The voice of the deputy officer interrupted Zhang Zhenhan who was having his breakfast.

  "What's the hurry? It's not the end of the world. Look at you, so flustered. Speak slowly." As expected from a graduate of Baoding Military Academy, he remains calm in the face of events.

  "Reporting to the commander, Zhang's troops were attacked by the Communist army at Yujiaping, and the entire front line has been lost. The troops have already suffered losses of nearly a regiment, and are now besieged in their positions, requesting reinforcements." The deputy officer who had just been reprimanded by the division commander stood at attention and said.

  "Ah, this is what a soldier looks like? Let's go to the combat room." Zhang Zhenhan wasn't in a hurry because he was too familiar with his cousin. Losing the position shouldn't be a problem, but casualties of an entire regiment must have been exaggerated. There was also some underestimation of the Communist Army in this. In his eyes, how could the Communist Army's ragtag troops possibly annihilate one of his regiments so quickly?

  "Chief of Staff, how's the situation now?" Zhang Zhenhan asked slowly.

  "Report to the superior, the defending troops in Yujiaping are confronting the Communist Army at the second line of defense. From the phone call, it can be heard that the attacking Communist Army has mortars and should be He Long's main force." The chief of staff replied affirmatively.

  "Ah, good, this time I finally caught He Long's main force, haha, order: Leave one regiment of the third division to defend Taoyuan County City, and the second and third regiments, mountain artillery battalion immediately exit the city with me to reinforce the first regiment. This time we must eliminate He Long's main force." Zhang Zhenhan confidently ordered, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

  Immediately, Zhang Zhenhan's command center began to bustle. The entire Taoyuan County was mobilized, and such a big movement could not be concealed from the scouts of the 7th Army Corps who had infiltrated Taoyuan. Soon, the intelligence was quickly transmitted to Liu Hua's face.

  "Report to the Legion Commander, according to the scouts in the city, Zhang Zhenhan's division has made a move and is gathering troops, it should be reinforcing Yujiaping. The number of enemy reinforcements and their marching order are being investigated."

  "Alright, very well. Let the reconnaissance battalion continue to reconnoiter. Order the troops to stop resting and check their weapons and ammunition. The artillery battalion and all artillery companies, heavy machine gun companies, and heavy machine gun battalions can now build defensive positions. Send a telegram to General Sun, telling him to reduce the intensity of his attack and avoid causing too many casualties." Liu Huahad given the orders in an orderly manner.

  "Commissar, how's it going? Are you ready to lead the troops in an ambush soon?" Liu Hua looked at Commissar Guan Xiangying with a sly gaze.

  "Alright, Legion Commander, I'll have the troops set up an ambush," said the Political Commissar without hesitation. "No, Legion Commander, I'm in charge of the ambush, what are you going to do?" The Political Commissar finally reacted and asked hastily.

  "Hehe, nothing." As he said that, he raised a sniper rifle in his hand that had been modified beyond recognition.

  "No way, Commander, you're a commander and can't go to the front line, that's our army's rule." The political commissar immediately objected.

  "Commissar, just this once, I guarantee it. I'm telling you, I've taken a liking to Zhang Zhenhan's mountain artillery battalion and Zhang Zhenhan, the artillery expert. I must take complete control of them, I guarantee it, just this once." Before the commissar could object, he set off with the guard battalion.

  "I told you, Comrade, don't call him, haha, even if he comes back, it's hard to control him, haha, he often does this, got used to it." Li Qing next to him quickly helped his old partner out of the situation.

  At this time, Zhang Zhenhan's troops had gathered, with a total of six regiments and an artillery battalion, totaling over 11,000 people. They marched out of Taoyuan County in grand style, with his Second Brigade leading the way, followed by his Third Brigade, and the artillery battalion bringing up the rear. Zhang Zhenhan rode on horseback, chatting with the commander of the Third Brigade as they left the county seat.

  This intelligence was immediately summarized to the political commissar, who saw that Zhang Zhenhan had actually gathered his troops into a ball, only dispatching a single vanguard company. The political commissar couldn't help but laugh - this was truly heaven helping the Red Army! He immediately ordered the 2nd Division, 3rd Division, and Logistics Department Combat Regiment to set up an ambush in sequence, waiting for Zhang Zhenhan's arrival.

  At this time, Liu Hua concentrated the sniper company and two brigades' sniper platoons to start arranging tasks.

  "Two sniper teams, follow me. Our mission is to take out the enemy's mountain artillery battalion. Once the battle starts, we must take out all enemies approaching the cannons at the first opportunity, then the cannonballs. You must hold your positions well. The sniper company's mission is still to take out the enemy officers and heavy firepower personnel. And one more thing, you must remember that in the marching column there is an officer wearing a major general uniform who cannot be killed, he must be captured. Got it?" Liu Hua ordered.

  "Got it."

  "Alright, go set up your own camp immediately." With Liu Hua's order, all the personnel started running towards their own camps.