Bright Sword: Leading the Special Operations Squadron to Fight the Japs

Chapter 693 1 word?

Hu Lian followed Wang Meng into the city and randomly found a kitchen team in the army and walked in.

The soldiers who were having breakfast inside stood up when they saw Chief of Staff Wang coming.

"Morning, Chief of Staff!"

"What's so early? It's already late. Keep eating!"

"Yes!"

Wang Meng walked to the stove in the kitchen, served Hu Lian a bowl of porridge, put some pickles in it, and then took two steamed buns.

"General Hu, please eat something special."

Hu Lian took the bowl, chopsticks and steamed buns, looked at the small pickles with chili oil floating on them, his appetite was so tempted that he couldn't help but drink two mouthfuls of porridge.

"Chief of Staff Wang, do your soldiers usually eat so well? Or did you prepare this specially for me because you knew I was coming today?"

"Haha, General Hu, you worry too much. This is our basic standard during wartime. Not to mention you, even if the guy from Chongqing comes, we still follow this standard. When it comes to eating, our independent column requires officers and soldiers to be the same, but it doesn't count if you pay for extra meals yourself!"

Although Hu Lian had some doubts, he believed it a little bit when he saw Wang Meng was so frank.

Hu Lian carried the bowl and ate while walking around the room. He found that it was indeed the case, and some questions arose in his mind:

"As far as I know, people all over the country are short of food. Where does your food come from?"

Wang Meng chuckled and said that some of this food was bought from the Japanese-occupied areas with "forged" military notes, and some was captured, some was purchased by himself, and so on.

"General Hu, our independent column and the government directly run many factories in Shanxi. These factories provide our independent column with a large amount of banknotes, and we use these banknotes to buy from the people.

In addition, there are also captured food and so on. "

"Hmm? No military rations?"

"A small part, maybe. Before we collect military rations, we always calculate the harvest of the year to ensure that the people have enough. We will collect it only after we have done so. It's not that we are kind-hearted, but we can't drain the pond to catch more fish."

Hu Lian nodded, feeling somewhat ashamed. The common people in the Kuomintang-controlled areas not only had to pay grain to the government, but also military rations, in addition to various other heavy taxes, making life difficult for the people.

Hu Lian quickly finished the porridge and steamed buns, wiped his mouth casually, and urged Wang Meng to go to the battlefield.

Wang Meng put down his bowl and chopsticks, clapped his hands, and invited Hu Lian to get in the same car with him, driving through the city of Luoyang and heading east.

Hu Lian looked at the field hospitals and medical points everywhere along the way and couldn't help but sigh: The independent column's logistical support is indeed perfect. Without any worries, the soldiers will naturally fight to the death.

Teams of neatly-dressed soldiers sang war songs and passed by the jeeps, and occasionally there were a few tanks, armored vehicles, artillery tractors, etc.

Hu Lian was dazzled. In the past, he had only seen the equipment details of the independent column from internal notices, but those were just numbers.

But the huge guys in front of him were all placed in front of him, especially the fifty or sixty ton Tiger tanks, which shocked him so much that he was speechless for a long time.

"General Hu, do you know which troop this is in front of you?"

Hu Lian shook his head. After all, he had fought in the southwest region before and didn't know much about the independent column.

"Please enlighten me, Chief of Staff Wang."

"The commander of this unit is General Li Jiayu. It was originally the 36th Army Group of the First War Zone, the Sichuan Army!"

When it comes to Li Jiayu and the 36th Army, Hu Lian naturally knows what's going on. After all, the Sichuan Army's combat effectiveness, appearance and discipline were not very good in the past.

But what about now?

There is simply a difference between cloud and mud!

"Chief of Staff Wang, you are not kidding, are you?"

"Of course not. General Li Jiayu is at the Lion Bridge position. You will see him later!"

Half an hour later, Wang Meng and Hu Lian's jeep passed through the city of Luoyang and arrived at the Lion Bridge position of the 123rd Armored Division.

Hu Lian stood on the jeep, looking at the endless tank wreckage, which seemed like endless small graves on the plain.

"Chief of Staff Wang, is this a Japanese tank?"

"Well, the tanks we lost have been towed back for repair or scrapping. These were also going to be towed back to the steel mill, but the photos haven't been taken yet. They will be towed away after the photos are taken!"

Hu Lian was stunned. His original unit was Chang Guangzhou's direct subordinate. They had some anti-tank guns, so they had destroyed some of the Japanese's tiny tanks.

However, because there were so few anti-tank guns, it was considered good if five or six were destroyed in a battle, but of course this came at a heavy price.

So! He had never seen so many wreckages of Japanese tanks.

"Chief of Staff Wang, can I take a few photos?"

"Of course, please do it!"

Hu Lian waved to his big-headed adjutant and asked him to take a dozen photos.

"General Hu, I'll take you to see General Jiayu."

Hu Lian was still immersed in shock. He followed Wang Meng in a daze and found Li Jiayu who was counting the spoils.

"General Jiayu, are you busy?"

Li Jiayu raised his head and saw that it was his immediate superior. He hurried over and saluted.

"Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Fourth Army of the Independent Column is counting the spoils at the Lion Bridge position. Please give us your instructions!"

Wang Meng returned the salute, then moved aside and turned towards Hu Lian.

"General Jiayu, you should know General Hu Lian, right? Please introduce him to the situation at the Lion Bridge position!"

Li Jiayu nodded to Hu Lian, then said to Wang Meng:

"Reporting to the Chief of Staff, of course I know General Hu, a famous man."

Hu Lian felt a little embarrassed. It was true that he was promoted by Chang Guangzhou, but he was also suspected of fawning on him.

"The Sichuan Army led by General Li Jiayu fought very bravely. I saw that the Japanese tanks were destroyed in large numbers on this battlefield. How about introducing the battle situation?"

"Then I will brag about myself! The Lion Bridge position is the position of the 123rd Armored Division of the Eighth Army of our Fourth Army Group, and the one we are attacking is the 3rd Tank Division of the Japanese.

After a night of fighting, a total of 256 tanks of various types were destroyed, more than vehicles, and nearly enemies were killed! "

Hu Lian's mouth turned into an O shape, and his face was full of shock.

"How many were destroyed?"

"256 tanks of various types!"

Hu Lian was now convinced. He had originally thought that there would be at most sixty or seventy tanks. He never expected that so many tanks could be destroyed overnight.

"General Jiayu, forgive me for being blunt, but your combat effectiveness in the First War Zone was far from this level before. In just a few months, you have reached this terrifying level. Can you tell me why? I'm afraid it's not just as simple as weapons and equipment, right?"

"Of course not. To be honest, there is training and command, but the most important thing is just one word!"

"Which one?"