Chapter 404: The Third Army Corps

After the train arrived in Xuzhou, Yu Hua saw many old acquaintances at the station entrance!

For example, Sun Lianzhong of the Northwest Army, who had dealt with the Sichuan Army during the battle at Niangziguan in Jin Province, as well as Zhang Zizhong, Pang Bingxun, and others who had greeted the Sichuan Army warmly at previous military conferences.

Pang Bingxun, in particular, walked over quickly upon seeing the Sichuan Army!

Before he even arrived, Pang Bingxun's voice reached them: "Hahaha..."

Sun Zhen of the Sichuan Army 22nd Group Army was someone Pang Bingxun knew; his purpose in coming now was to befriend the Sichuan Army's "little god of wealth," Yu Hua!

"Yu Hua... Brother Yu, I have really missed you!"

Currently, the weaponry of the Sichuan Army could be considered first-class within the ranks of the Republic of China Army, all thanks to Yu Hua's efforts.

Last time, the Sichuan Army contacted the units of Pang Bingxun and Zhang Zizhong to ambush the Japanese Army 5th Division as it withdrew from Langye, and they gifted both armies a batch of ammunition.

The units of Zhang Zizhong and Pang Bingxun drew elite troops from their ranks to harass the Japanese from the flanks, striking the 5th Division's Supply Troops.

Pang Bingxun was the Army Corps Commander of the 3rd Army Corps; although the name of the 3rd Army Corps sounded impressive, it only had one army under it, which was the 40th Army, and the 40th Army only had one Division!

Regarding the Military Statistics Bureau's attempt to turn him, Pang Bingxun naturally accepted it gladly; he contacted the Military Statistics Bureau in secret and expressed that while his body was in the Cao camp, his heart remained with the Han.

At the time, Pang Bingxun actually had the opportunity to lead his troops to break away from the Japanese Army's surveillance and cross the Yellow River south into Henan Province under the guise of military exercises;

However, because the preparations were insufficient, the Japanese Army discovered clues when Pang Bingxun's unit's exercise plan was carried out.

It was fine at the beginning, but long-term suppression had left the morale of many units somewhat lacking.

Yu Hua saluted Pang Bingxun; this man was also a fierce general among the Local Army. Not to mention the events of 1943, Pang Bingxun had been quite effective in his battles against the Japanese Army in the previous campaigns.

Both armies had captured a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition, and the morale of the troops had also risen considerably, as the Japanese Army had been suppressing the defenders throughout the previous siege.

After thinking it over several times, Chang Kaishen felt that Dai Chunfeng's analysis made a lot of sense, so he had the Military Statistics Bureau's personnel in enemy-occupied areas contact Pang Bingxun to turn him!

After finding Pang Bingxun's hiding place, Sun Dianying immediately reported it to the Japanese Army. The Japanese then sent people to contact Pang Bingxun, and with Sun Dianying fanning the flames on the side, Pang Bingxun finally surrendered to the Japanese!

Afterwards, Dean Wang's Puppet Government appointed Pang Bingxun as the Commander-in-Chief of the Puppet Temporarily Organized 24th Group Army!

The Japanese Army publicized Pang Bingxun's surrender extensively, which immediately caused a huge public outcry in the Republic of China at the time.

Seeing Yu Hua say this, Pang Bingxun also nodded and said: "Brother Yu, what you say is also true!"

According to the recollections of Li Shouwu, Chief Advisor of the 40th Army after the war, Pang Bingxun's unit possessed over 13,000 men, 8,000 Rifles, over 900 pistols, 60 Heavy Machine Guns, 600 Light Machine Guns, over 200 Grenade Launchers, 4 Mountain Guns, and over 60 light and heavy Mortars.

"During this process of relocation, once you engage in a firefight with the Japanese Army, any situation can arise on the battlefield. If you are trapped in the mountains by the Japanese Army, you won't be able to smoke Opium."

Ordinary farmers dealt with the soil their whole lives; how could they come into contact with this stuff? So, the farmer had to ask others for help, and it just so happened that Sun Dianying found out about this.

Yu Hua waved his hand and said: "Brother Pang, you must quit your addiction. If our troops end up fighting in the mountains later and the Japanese Army sends troops to encircle and suppress us, you will definitely have to disperse and relocate."

Especially in the Battle of Langye, the units of Pang Bingxun and Zhang Zizhong directly blocked the Japanese Army's Sakamoto Detachment for over a month, buying time for the Taierzhuang Victory.

Hearing this, Pang Bingxun nodded: "Alright!"

However, Dai Chunfeng analyzed for Principal Chang that Pang Bingxun could be turned, and it didn't necessarily have to be an assassination; a mole inside the Japanese camp would be more beneficial to the War of Resistance.

Now that the frontal campaign in Shandong Province had ended, it would surely turn to behind-enemy-lines warfare just like in Jin Province. Once his unit, Old Pang's, was chosen for behind-enemy-lines operations, the situation Yu Hua described would truly occur.

"This Battalion Commander Wu was a heavy smoker, and he has now quit. Brother, you must quit this stuff, otherwise, you will be the one to suffer during behind-enemy-lines operations!"

"When my addiction hits, if I don't smoke, my whole body feels miserable."

Because, during the 1938 Taierzhuang Campaign, Pang Bingxun was a famous hero of the time, a great man of valor, and a renowned meritorious official of the War of Resistance.

After fighting a few small-scale Ambushes and annihilating the Japanese Army's Supply Troops, the spirit and morale of Zhang Zizhong's and Pang Bingxun's units had also recovered somewhat.

As a high-ranking general, he also knew that after the Japanese Army in Jin Province occupied Jinyang, many of Yan Laoxi's troops were also developing in enemy-occupied areas, and the Sichuan Army's 36th Group Army, Li Jiayu's unit, was also entangled with the Japanese Army in Southern Shanxi.

Added to the directly subordinate Special Service Battalion, one battalion each of artillery, engineers, supply troops, and communications soldiers, as well as a cavalry company and a pistol company, it totaled 5 regiments, with over ten thousand soldiers.

Seeing Pang Bingxun lost in thought, Yu Hua spoke up: "Brother Pang, my Sichuan Army units also had people who smoked Opium before, but this stuff can be quit. It was Battalion Commander Wu of the 122nd Division, Jin Jizhong's Brigade!"

Principal Chang also ordered Dai Chunfeng to prepare to assassinate Pang Bingxun to save some face for the National Government.

Yu Hua thought of the news he had seen on the internet before: in 1943, during an anti-encirclement campaign, Pang Bingxun's unit was surrounded by tens of thousands of Japanese troops. When they dispersed to relocate, they had an encounter with the Japanese Army;

After the battle ended, Pang Bingxun, his son, and a few guards were hidden in a mountain cave by a farmer. Originally, as long as they stayed hidden, Pang Bingxun could have safely relocated after the Japanese search ended.

"If you have an addiction attack and send someone to get it for you, isn't it very easy for the Japanese Army to discover you? Once that happens, the Japanese Army will be able to find your hiding place, and won't you be in trouble then, brother?"

From then on, the Japanese intensified their surveillance of Pang Bingxun!

However, Pang Bingxun had a bit of an Opium addiction; once it flared up, he couldn't help himself and asked the farmer to get him Opium.

Yu Hua asked: "Army Corps Commander Pang! I think you need to quit this Opium!?"

Therefore, Pang Bingxun's unit was organized as a Type B Reorganization Division. Although Pang Bingxun's unit had a division-level establishment, its weaponry far exceeded that of a standard Type B Reorganization Division.

Sun Dianying had had contact with Pang Bingxun before. He guessed that it must be that Pang Quezi's addiction had flared up and he couldn't control himself now, so Sun Dianying secretly scouted around and finally found the cave where Pang Bingxun was hiding.

"Army Commander Pang, how are you!"

The fact that even such a meritorious official surrendered to the Japanese really made the National Government lose face and left them unable to step down. Moreover, many ordinary people also denounced Pang Bingxun and demanded severe punishment.

Seeing Yu Hua ask him to quit his Opium addiction, Pang Bingxun frowned slightly: "Brother!"

"Brother Yu, I have made up my mind to quit this stuff. If you hadn't said anything, I really wouldn't have foreseen such a situation."

Seeing Pang Bingxun say this, Yu Hua hoped he could truly do it; he didn't want this famous anti-Japanese general to sink into depravity because of opium.

(End of chapter)