Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

For half a month, the intensive artillery fire of the Northwestern Revolutionary Army resounded throughout the southern part of Linzhou Province.

What surprised Su Zhengyang was that the troops of the Guo warlord actually began to shrink across the board, directly giving up the territories of Anxiang City, Yulin City, Weizhou City, and the southern part of Linzhou Province, a total of 3 cities and 18 counties.

Stockpiling heavy troops in Nanguan City in the central part of Linzhou Province was tantamount to handing over the entire southern part of Linzhou to the Northwestern Revolutionary Army.

In addition, a large defensive position stretching over 10 miles was built outside Nanguan City, as well as various giant underground caves for large artillery, in an attempt to delay the offensive of the Northwest Revolutionary Army.

The Second Combat Division and the Third Combat Division of the Northwest Revolutionary Army advanced northward in parallel, winning battles one after another and annihilating the Guo warlords. The combat troops of the two divisions captured more than 8000 prisoners.

After retreating outside Nanguan City, the Guo faction warlords made a desperate move. The only two remaining divisions of the Guo faction's Second Army and the Guo faction's First Army, which was Guo Qicheng's direct subordinate, totaling more than 6 troops, were all stationed on the defense line of Nanguan City.

In the northern part of Linzhou Province, the 3rd Army of Guo's faction was also ready to go into battle at any time.

The old fox Guo Qicheng has now made up his mind. The entire army has gathered together and will do its best to delay the offensive of the Northwest Revolutionary Army even at the cost of human lives. Once the military aid from the Fuso Empire arrives, they will launch a full-scale counterattack together with the three divisions of the Fuso Empire.

In front of the defensive position of Guo’s troops in Nanguan City.

Su Zhengyang's brother-in-law Wang Xiangdong was holding a telescope and observing the specific situation of the enemy's defensive position.

"The commander of the Guo faction is really good. This is a typical Loess Plateau with hills and mountains. There are crisscrossing gullies everywhere. We can't bring in our 150mm heavy howitzers and 203mm Thor's Hammer. In addition, they have built a total of 12 extremely sturdy machine gun bunkers around the position. The 75mm mountain cannons we have brought here cannot destroy these heavy bunkers at all."

"Once the troops below launch a full-scale charge, we will not be able to withstand the heavy firepower points and 12 machine gun bunkers in the enemy's position, which will cause heavy losses to the Northwest Revolutionary Army."

The commander of the Second Division, Zheng Zeyu, frowned and said, "Can we directly open up the battle line and send a part of the troops to bypass Nanguang City and go straight to Huanglong, first attacking the Guo faction's base Yong'an City."

Wang Xiangdong shook his head and said, "I don't know what benefits the Fuso people promised to the Zhao warlords. The 72nd Army of the Zhao warlords has set up multiple interception and defense positions on the main roads around Lan Guang. With the strength of an entire army, if we want to forcefully break through the blockade, I'm afraid the losses will be very heavy. In addition, the 71st Army of the Zhao warlords can also be deployed to the battlefield at any time."

This war of the Northwest Revolutionary Army was equivalent to facing two major warlord forces alone.

In the Northwest Revolutionary Army headquarters, facing the current difficulties faced by the 2nd and rd Divisions, Tang Zhengqi, an experienced Northwest Revolutionary Army consultant who has fought all his life, said: "Now we have to shoot the arrow on the string. The daily consumption of the front-line troops is an astronomical figure. We must break the predicament as soon as possible, otherwise we will be completely dragged to death on the battlefield."

"My opinion is that since the Zhao warlords have gotten involved, we should attack them first."

Su Zhengyang frowned and remained silent. He didn't expect that the Zhao faction and the Guo faction were birds of a feather. After the Japanese promised some benefits, the Zhao warlord found an excuse that he didn't even believe in and forcibly participated in the war between the Northwest Revolutionary Army and the Guo warlord.

"I think what General Tang said is very right. Since the Zhao warlord dares to interfere easily, we must fight them and beat them until they are afraid of it and retreat. Only then can we solve the dilemma we are facing now."

Originally, if the Zhao warlords had not intervened, the Northwest Revolutionary Army could have left behind a division to contain the Guo warlords' troops in Nanguan City.

The main forces of the other two divisions directly bypassed and attacked the stronghold of the Guo faction warlord.

"Commander, what I mean is that we can fully mobilize the troops of the 1st Division, directly use Zhonghai County, which is closest to Sanjiang County, as a breakthrough point, and fight all the way to Ganzhou, and forcibly seize Tongshan City of the Zhao warlord."

"As long as their base is threatened by the Northwest Revolutionary Army, the Zhao warlord troops that are now on the battlefield in Linzhou will definitely return to defend, and this will solve the current dilemma we are facing."

Su Zhengyang made a prompt decision and said, "Liu Chengxu, I will give you 10 days. You will lead the First Division to attack Ganzhou and take down the entire Tongshan City."

"Yes, Commander! I will ensure that the mission is completed."

In the Governor's Mansion of Yong'an City, Guo Qicheng personally met with the senior general of the Zhao warlord, the commander of the 72nd Army, Wang Xiaonan.

"Governor Guo, rest assured. With the 72nd Army here, the Northwest Revolutionary Army can only be dragged down by you on the battlefield in Nanguang City. If you want to bypass Nanguang City, the defensive position you carefully built will not even have a door."

Guo Qicheng nodded and responded politely, "Then I'll leave it to you, the 72nd Army. I'll express my gratitude to Governor Zhao later."

"As long as you promise us that our military aid will be in place, we, the Zhao warlords, will definitely become the most steadfast allies of the Guo faction. Can a mere Northwest Revolutionary Army with less than 10 troops defeat the combined forces of our two old warlords?"

Wang Xiaonan had just returned to his military headquarters after attending a dinner hosted by Guo Qichen when he received an urgent telegram from the Zhao warlord.

The First Combat Division of the Northwest Revolutionary Army had successively captured Zhonghai and Yinshan, two important county towns under the jurisdiction of Tongshan City, in less than 5 days.

In Yinshan County, the former headquarters of the 28th Regiment of the Zhao warlords.

Liu Chengxu sneered and said to Gu Chenghai who was sitting next to him: "The southern part of Ganzhou Province is mostly plains. For our Northwest Revolutionary Army, it is simply a flat land. Artillery of various calibers can be deployed on the battlefield without any hindrance. We can also use our mobility to continuously replenish supplies to the front-line troops. Tomorrow we will attack Tongshan City."

"Let our Thor's hammer resound throughout the sky of Tongshan City!"

Gu Chenghai also grinned and said, "This is the same as a fight. We don't care about anyone else and just grab the one who comes to help and beat him to death. I think the Zhao warlords will soon be unable to bear it."

The southern part of Ganzhou Province has a flat terrain and fertile land.

Half of the Zhao warlords' annual grain is produced here. As long as the First Combat Division can cause chaos in the entire southern part of Ganzhou, it will be like driving a nail into the heart of the Zhao warlords.

On the morning of the second day, the giant Thor's hammer, whose barrel was more than ten meters long, blew up the thick city wall of Tongshan City with a loud bang.

The artillery regiment of the First Combat Division, with twenty-five 105mm mountain guns, ten 4mm howitzers, and four 150mm heavy guns, under continuous artillery bombardment, almost turned the entire wall of Tongshan City into ruins. Even the rat nests under the ground were blown down, and the defenders in the city were scared out of their wits.

After the artillery fire, the 1st Combat Division and the 1st Reinforced Regiment took the lead and launched the final attack on Tongshan City.