Chapter 28: Ambushing the Convoy and Encountering Kong Jie

Zhang Yun saw Commander Kong walking down and hurried forward with Liu Changqing. They stood at attention and saluted: "Good day, Battalion Commander Kong! Zhang Yun, Platoon Leader of the 3rd Platoon, 1st Company, 3rd Battalion of the 386th Brigade's Reinforcement Regiment, and Deputy Platoon Leader Liu Changqing, salute you."

Back when Brigade Commander Chen personally came to the Training Regiment (the Reinforcement Regiment) to see off the company and platoon leaders being sent out to expand the forces, Commander Kong was still a battalion commander, following right behind Brigade Commander Chen.

Although Zhang Yun's predecessor was not particularly close with Commander Kong, they had met several times and were familiar faces to each other. On the other hand, Old Zhang from the platoon was a veteran of the Red Fourth Front Army and was much more familiar with Kong Jie. Indeed, Old Zhang recognized Commander Kong, quickly signaled to lift the alert, and hurried back, calling out happily, "Battalion Commander Kong! Battalion Commander Kong! It's me, Zhang Daquan!"

"I was wondering why that voice sounded so familiar—it’s you, Old Zhang!" Kong Jie said, giving Old Zhang a friendly punch in the chest. "You have to call me Regiment Commander Kong now. I’m the commander of the Independent Regiment of our 386th Brigade."

Old Zhang laughed and agreed.

Kong Jie then finally looked closely at Zhang Yun and Liu Changqing and said, "I remember you two. You are both veteran Red Army soldiers who transferred from the Red First Front Army to our 129th Division. I saw you when the Brigade Commander was seeing off the officers heading out for development."

He turned to look at the new recruits who were climbing up from the ground one after another, observing the Type 38 and Liaoning Type 13 rifles in their hands, and the three mortars held by the artillery squad. With a mix of envy and admiration, he remarked, "It’s been less than two months, and you two have struck it rich! You have over three hundred men and rifles, and you even have mortars!"

In truth, Kong Jie had only just been appointed commander of the Independent Regiment. Due to the frequent major battles at this stage, weapons were in short supply. As a newly formed unit of the 386th Brigade, the regiment had been assigned 1,200 men, but the brigade could only provide fewer than 500 rifles and two machine guns; he was left to find a way to secure the rest.

Kong Jie was a "model soldier" who stayed close to headquarters and the main forces, leaving him little opportunity to engage in "sideline" operations.

During this counter-offensive against the nine-way siege, considering the importance of disrupting enemy logistics, newly formed units had gathered around Liao County and its surrounding areas under headquarters' orders to conduct ambushes, intercept reinforcements, and harass the enemy.

The brigade felt the Independent Regiment was too weak, with too many raw recruits and too little equipment, so they simply assigned them to the Heshun to Liao County road section, where combat was expected to be less intense.

A veteran commander with rich battlefield experience, Kong Jie knew his regiment lacked the firepower for a direct confrontation. He had concentrated most of his armed soldiers into the 1st Battalion, while the others were assigned to the 2nd and 3rd. He was currently leading the 1st Battalion on patrol in the southern Heshun area looking for opportunities, while Political Commissar Li Wenying led the 2nd and 3rd to guard their base.

Last night, Captain Tian of the Heshun County guerrilla force had sought him out to report on the enemy’s mule and horse transport team. Thinking it was a good opportunity, he led his troops north to set an ambush at Lijiawan.

Knowing the location was close to the county seat and that enemy reinforcements would arrive quickly, he feared being caught in a pincer movement between the transport team and reinforcements from Heshun. He had already planned for a guerrilla-style hit-and-run, never expecting to capture any supplies.

"Platoon Leader Zhang, things are looking up now. With your addition, we have over 600 regular troops and 200 militiamen. Let’s ambush them together. When the enemy arrives, we’ll launch a concentrated burst of fire and then charge with bayonets; we should be able to reap some good rewards." Kong Jie seriously discussed the plan with Zhang Yun. Although Kong’s rank was much higher, they belonged to different units, and he had no authority to command Zhang Yun, so they had to cooperate.

Zhang Yun assessed the Independent Regiment's equipment and thought carefully. Although they had 800 men including the new recruits and militiamen—a 3:1 ratio against the Japanese transport team—the new recruits were too green, the Independent Regiment lacked heavy weaponry, and the militia could only serve to bolster their numbers. The Japanese were excellent shots and formidable in hand-to-hand combat. If they followed Kong Jie’s plan, they would likely win, but at the cost of half their force.

No, that wouldn’t leverage the firepower and artillery advantage of his platoon!

Thinking this, Zhang Yun checked the map page in his mind and suggested to Commander Kong, "Commander Kong, the Independent Regiment is currently short on guns and ammo; our firepower density is insufficient, making an ambush risky if the enemy counter-attacks. My platoon has too many new recruits who aren't skilled in chaotic close-quarters fighting, so we wouldn't be able to utilize our firepower effectively."

"Moreover, we must consider the enemy's reinforcements. If we get tangled up with the transport team and the Japanese reinforcements suddenly arrive, we’ll be in grave danger."

"According to my scouts, there is a rocky outcrop over a kilometer to the south. It’s easy to defend and hard to attack, making it perfect for blocking reinforcements from the county seat. If I had enough manpower, I would have sent someone there to establish a blocking position already."

"How about this: you take your Independent Regiment troops there to establish a position. I will send my artillery squad with two mortars and 200 shells to support you. Relying on that firepower, we can firmly hold the enemy back."

"I will ambush the enemy here using machine-gun fire, and once we’ve eliminated them, I’ll come to support you. Commander Kong, what do you think?"

"How many shells?" Commander Kong was stunned. "You actually have that many shells? When our entire division was first reorganized, we only had 69 mortar shells in total!"

"200 rounds. For this battle, I’ll have my artillery squad put two mortars under your command and fire all 200 shells. I only ask that you hold them off for two hours," Zhang Yun said generously.

"If I have two mortars and 200 shells and still can't hold the enemy back, I’ll chop off my own fingers to compensate you!" Kong Jie was so excited by the prospect that he immediately offered to put his own fingers on the line!

Well, Commander Kong’s fingers were the most famous form of compensation in "Drawing Sword," and Zhang Yun was getting a taste of it even before Commander Li Yunlong did.

"(｡･∀･)ﾉ, Commander Kong, please don't say that. War is war, and we are all the Eighth Route Army; there's no distinction between us! We’ll split any spoils from the Japanese transport team evenly," Zhang Yun and Liu Changqing quickly tried to soothe him.

"Shen Quan, did you hear Platoon Leader Zhang? Do exactly as he says! We are heading to the gully one kilometer to the south to intercept the enemy. Remember to help the comrades from the new recruits' artillery squad move the shells—make sure you move enough of them, as this is our firepower support," Kong Jie said, showing the cunning side of an honest man, deploying tasks while pressuring Zhang Yun to ensure he wouldn't back out at the last minute. After all, the Eighth Route Army was poor; 200 mortar shells were enough for division-level fire support.

At this moment, Zhang Yun spotted another "acquaintance," Shen Quan, who would later become a battalion commander in Li Yunlong’s Independent Regiment. He was a man who could fight Li’s favorite, Zhang Dabiao, to a standstill and was an outstanding battalion-level commander, though he unfortunately died in the Japanese "mopping-up" campaign.

Suppressing his surprise at seeing another "familiar face," Zhang Yun signaled Liu Changqing to arrange the artillery squad's work and had Old Zhang take the reconnaissance detachment over to coordinate between the artillery squad and the Independent Regiment, ensuring the artillery's safety.

...

Following Shen Quan's orders, the soldiers of the 1st Battalion left their ambush positions and moved rapidly toward the south. Although some complained about the new recruits "usurping their nest," they strictly followed discipline and obeyed their superiors.

Shen Quan said nothing, only offering a few words of comfort to his men. As an experienced soldier and commander of the 1st Battalion, he knew his unit's firepower well: they had no heavy machine guns, too few light machine guns, and not enough ammunition.

With such a setup, guerrilla warfare was fine, but an ambush was dangerous, as the enemy could easily counter-charge. In particular, the enemy's grenade launchers would cause heavy casualties.

Furthermore, it was highly likely the Japanese transport team would have reinforcements from the county seat.

Therefore, the tactic Kong Jie had previously discussed with him was indeed guerrilla warfare—a choice made to minimize casualties while fulfilling the mission of disruption.

But guerrilla warfare could not capture supplies; ammunition would only dwindle, and the unit’s combat effectiveness would weaken.

The ambush was already a losing proposition, so acting as a blocking force was actually a good deal. If the new recruits succeeded in their ambush, they would get half the spoils, ensuring they wouldn't return empty-handed.

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion didn't consider these factors, but Battalion Commander Shen understood them perfectly—this was the kind of strategic thinking a senior commander needed.

On the way, he had his men help the artillery squad carry the shell crates, even carrying one himself as he led the way.

After a while, Commander Kong Jie caught up. Shen Quan said to him with envy, "Commander, look at these artillerymen from the new recruits' platoon. Every one of them carries an imported C96 pistol—better than your sidearm. And look at these crates of shells; two shells weigh nearly 20 pounds, and a single shot will definitely blast a huge area. With such strong firepower, why should we fear the Japanese in the county seat? How did this platoon get such good equipment?"

Kong Jie replied, "I asked Old Zhang about the platoon's development in detail. According to him, two months ago, they only had a dozen people and a dozen broken rifles. But in these two months, they’ve fought five or six battles, each time with massive hauls. Now, they have nearly 500 men, over 400 rifles, 13 light machine guns, one heavy machine gun, and three mortars. They are wealthier than our entire regiment."

"However, they didn't develop here in the base area, but over in Xiyang County. That’s behind enemy lines. It really wasn't easy for them to get a foothold and grow."

Shen Quan opened his mouth to speak but eventually said nothing. The Eighth Route Army was not the Kuomintang; they wouldn't steal supplies from brother units. Aside from envy, he could only hope the Independent Regiment would have such opportunities for success in the future.