Episode 34
Hurry, hurry
All right
Stop here
Dig three holes here
Hurry
What the hell is this? It’s so big
What are you doing there? Take it
Easy, easy
Yes, sir
Let’s go
Company commander, the Jasp are here
Take cover
Fire
Keep moving and firing, get the tank here
Yes, sir
Fire
March!
Their tank is almost here
Let’s pull out
No, they are not close enough
It won’t work
I’ll stay, you go
No, chief of staff
It’s too close to the mine, it’s too dangerous
It’s an order, go. – Chief of staff
Enough, go!
Pull out
Now
Fire
Captain, we are ready
Where is Chu Zhang?
Chief of staff Zhang said it’s not close enough
Afraid of that won’t work,
he insisted to stay there
what if the mine hurt him?
- Get him back – Yes, sir
Fire
Covering fire
March!
Oh, mother!
What the hell is that? It’s awesome
Jie Zhao
Take your men to clean the field
Yes,sir. Let’s go
Dali, find Chu Zhang
Chu Zhang
Chu Zhang, help him
Chu Zhang, wake up
- Chief of staff - Chu Zhang – Chief of the staff
Good job
What do you say?
I said good job
Speak louder, I can’t hear you
Good job. Look
I did it, I did it
Here
Have more
Comrades, it’s quite
a beautiful fight today
right, nice
The weakest part of the Japs’ tortoise
is their belly
Chief of staff Zhang
used our 105 howitzers shell
as a mine
which give them a ride
to the heaven, that’s brilliant! I have to say
even a bumpkin like me admire him so much
Dali, stop that
What are you laughing at?
Stop laughing
Brother, tell you a funny thing
You are all in front today
You don’t know that..
Know what? Tell me
Here I go, promise, don’t tell anyone else
All right, right, promise, promise, say it
It’s chief of staff Zhang
He is too close to the mine
When the tank blew up
He is gone too
So platoon commander and I rushed there
and pull him up
You know what?
Chief of staff
is all black and smoking
shaking
and swinging
his beady white eyes on his black face
- like a – Like what?
He just like a kitchen god
came out of the kitchen stove.
Our chief of staff Zhang
No, our kitchen god Zhang
He is shaking and swinging
beady eyes winking
finally get on his feet, guess
what’s his first word?
Dali, what are you saying
Stop, I’m not finished
He
What? What did you say?
I can’t hear you, louder
Why you are not laughing?
Mother of god!
Chief of staff, you, you heard that?
Chief of staff, here, sit here
We are all waiting for you
Chief of staff ask us to drink
Chief of staff, your ear is okay now?
Much better
Chief of staff, I’m so curious
What made you think of using this
105 howitzer shell against these tanks?
Right, right, right, tell us
We got several boxes of howitzer, right?
I opened most of them,
took the explosive out and made some bomb
but
I saved some
under my bed
Last time when you back
you said words are saying
the Japs got tank?
So I got an idea last night
I took the fuze
and connect it with wire, battery and exploder
Then it became a new mine against their tank
That’s brilliant! Chief of staff Zhang
You’re the best! All right
I want to learn from you
- Welcome, anytime –I want to learn something
about the artillery technology
All right, let’s …
All right, Jie Zhao, it’s late
- Take them to rest- Yes,sir
Time to go, move, move, move
You’re looking for me?
Right
Let’s go inside and talk
Please
Chu Zhang, what’s this all about?
Forget that
I finally understand something today
Life will ends
But some words
I can’t bury it inside forever
You know
Why I came to you today
Weiguo Zhou, I am telling you
I want to beat you
I know
I am not
as good as you
But even that
I want to have a try
I want to have a fight
Stand up
I asked Yi Chen
You know?
She turned me down
She said
She have someone in heart
His name is Weiguo Zhou
Not Chu Zhang
Weiguo, what’s wrong about you
She is a girl
And she can say it
What are you doing?
Why you didn’t have any response?
But you can beat me like this
I guess no one can bully her
Weiguo
I don’t have anything to say
Please be nice to her
We are brothers forever
That’s all. I will leave now
Chu Zhang
Weiguo Zhou can
be your classmates
be your comrade-in-war
be your brother
It’s my honor
Me too
After this 6 month
Now the Japs and puppets
are all pulled out.
The Anti- mop up in Shangdong base
- have won. Applause! - Nice！
Although the Japs are gone
But it’s still not so good for us
Now we are suffering a hard time
not only in economic but also military
We are lacking of
clothes, food and military supplies
So we need to keep on fighting
and break their block
This is from comrade Ming Qiu
Let me see
Weiguo, come on
Read it
Yeah, right
As from today, our anti- Janpanese guerrilla
Become an independent regiment!
Great
And he also said
Our superior will send an agent here
to tell us their appointment
Great, now we are an independent regiment
That means we can get more men
Chu Zhang
Why you seem so surprise?
Right, considering your outcome
and the troops under command
Of course we should
get this upgrade
But since it’s an easy thing
They can tell us all in that telegram
Why they bother send us an agent?
We got so many victories here
Our superior was afraid we are bluffing
So they send an agent to see if it is true
That’s easy to understand
December 7, 1941, Japan surprise attacked
the U.S. naval base in Pacific, the United States
declared war on Japan the day after that
the Pacific War started
Report commander officer
These are the unfinished files
ex commander officer Hayao Tada left
Leave there
Yes, sir
Mr. Tada, it’s easy for you to leave here
Commander officer
Mr. Takahashi
Why is that we have already put an imperial
independent brigade in Laiyang, such a
small town, and they still need reinforcement?
Tell me
Commander officer
The army there have fighting with
the 8th Route in this so-called
Mount Hutou area
everyday since this year
No stronghold there
can last for a month
Even Laiyang
and the other town near that
are lacking defense forces
Among these fights
are all have something to do
with one 8th Route officer
called Weiguo Zhou
This Weiguo Zhou
has got our 1000 imperial soldier killed
in 6 month
Who the hell is this Weiguo Zhou?
How can he push a brigade commander
to come to this far?
Sir,
Here is a report about Weiguo Zhou
Read it
Yes, sir
Weiguo Zhou 28-years –old
We don’t find his family background
But he is likely from an scholarly family
Educational background
1932-1935
China central military academy infantry division
Likely got some higher education before that
1935-1937
Berlin, Germany military academy alpha division
Fighting experience: Battle of Shanghai, Nanjing
Highest rank, colonel
Personal ability, language
Proficient in Janpanese, English, German
three kind of language
Smart and open-minded
Have an exceptional grasp of new things
At least lever 6 in Kendo
Takeshita Jun
Born in Oct. 24, 1941
Takeshita Jun
Yes, sir
An young officer from University of imperial army
Just came few days ago from inland,Now is
our staff officer of Northern China Area Army
And not just a normal guy
He is the current Beichen sword master
Really?
Is that the reason
why they choose him
to infantry division
and send him to Northern China Area Army staff?
I’m afraid not, sir
He has any special experience?
Takeshita Jun
Was born in 1916, Takeshita family in Tokyo
Takeshita family in Tokyo, that’s quite famous
1932-1935
Learning in the imperial army officer school
Wait
Born in 1916,1932…
You mean he is learning in that school
when he is only 16-years-old?
Right
Go on
July, 1935 – July, 1937
Learning in Berlin military school in Germany
How is his performance there
All A plus
In July, 1937,was transferred to
1st division of imperial infantry
as a military staff
The same year, transferred into 11th division
as an infantry chief
Participated in battle of Nanjing
November
He was recommended in imperial infantry university
July, 1939
Went to 1st tank company of Guandong army
the 3rd wing to do a summer trainee
Which just met the battle of Nomanhan
In the east line
He took over the wing captain
who died in that battle
And take his men broke the Enemy’s tank company
When they were pulling off
He took cover of the whole 3rd wing
Nomanhan, Nomanhan
Sep. 16 night, 1941
The former Beichen sword master Chiba died
The next day, Takeshita became their new master
Oct,graduated from Imperial infantry university
With all A plus performance
His graduation thesis’s name is
The role of small task force in a modern war
I’d like to meet
this young man
Yes, sir
Major Takeshita
Commander wants to see you in his office
I know it
You’re right, the truth is
Report
Military staff Takeshita came to meet commander
Please come in, Sir Takeshita
Yes, sir
Please sit
I dare not
It’s an order
Yes, sir
I’m the 16th graduate of imperial army officer
You’re the 49th
Then the infantry university
I’m the 25th, you’re the 53th
So you’re my school brother anyway
It’s my horror
Sir Takeshita
You have an overall intelligence
about that 8th Route officer named Weiguo Zhou
He is my classmates in Berlin
In this intelligence
You pointed that his outstanding language ability
in particular,
is that so?
Yes, when I met him
He is good at English and German
They he have learned Japanese from me for
two years, the time we separated
His Japanese is better than a person born in Tokyo
You taught him Japanese?
Yes, because we are good friends at that time
And I also taught him kendo
As far as I know
You are the current Beichen Sword master
You taught him that?
He is a good student and I’m not a bad teacher
So as we part
He is at least lever 6
Have an exceptional grasp of new things
Seems you speak positively about him
He is the best Chinese military officers
I have ever seen
Even General Guderian in Germany likes him
Weiguo Zhou came back and participate in battle
Of Shanghai, and became a company commander
After battle of Nanjing
I lose information about him
I never have thought, after 4 years
He appears in Shandong
According to what you said
Are you sure this Weiguo Zhou
Is your classmates Weiguo Zhou?
Yes
Why are you so sure?
It’s my instinct
Your instinct? How can you…
Sir Takeshita
What do you think of
the security of the North China?
I agree part of commander’s opinion
Is that so? Which part?
And why you said “part of my opion”?
Tell me that
Once you said in the Peiping radio broadcast
The communists bandits are the
rats as we are the lion
Lion is so powerful, but he can’t catch the rats
I agree that
But you also said, we need to find a cat
The cats are people
I disagree that
This people isn’t civilians in Peiping
They always have some
connection with the 8th Route
I mean the soldiers
who have already surrendered to us
and people who are serving us
I have always thought
the best way to control China
is give the power to the Chinese
That’s why I disagree with you
Why?
These Chinese who have surrendered or
serving us are dogs, not cats
How can we let the dogs hunt these rats?
So how do you think are those cats?
The strategy of the 8th Route
is the typical guerrilla
They barely assembled their troops
and confront us directly
They split themselves into squads
and find our weakness
Once they find a attack point
they will strike a deadly blow all of sudden
Although every time,it seems not a big loss
But when we put it together
It will make us shocked
So I think, it’s necessary to build
some task force team outside our regular army
against their squads
And these elite task force are our cats
I heard you graduation thesis
in imperial infantry university
is about the role of task force
in modern war
Yes
Sir Takeshita, if I authorize you
to build a shock troops like that
How long do you need
At least one month to pick my men
Weapons and actual combat training
for 6 month
That long?
As a commando, their weapon, training, fighting
strategy and even their target are different
If we want to build a strong team
It’s necessary
If you want it
to be an invincible commando
Sir Takeshita
When can you give me your specific plan
Today
Today?
Of course it sounds a little hasty
But this plan
has lying in my head for a long time
Sir Takeshita, you’re exactly the one we need
Our empire need a commander
with strategic-minded like you more
That’s strange. Hearing this from you
Is not like a smarmy compliments
All right
Go back and organize your thoughts
I want this building plan
on my desk
today
Yes, sir
Comrade agent
This is our commander of anti-Japanese
guerrilla detachment in Mount Hutou
Comrade Weiguo Zhou
I have heard your name
since I was on the border of Shandong
I’m agent Renjie Zhang, please take care of me
You ‘re just being polite
Let me introduce them
This is our political commissar
Comrade Yong Li
Nice to meet you
Chief of staff, comrade Chu Zhang
- Nice to meet you- Glad to meet you
Deputy detachment leader, comrade Hu Xu
- Nice to meet you – Nice to meet you
And our affiliate task force captain
Comrade Jie Zhao
Nice to meet you
Comrade Weiguo Zhou
I heard the county government and party committee
of Laiyang are all in Viliage Zhuaozhuang
Let’s go there now
It’s been a long trip, do you need some rest?
There’s no need
All right, Village Zhaozhuang
- You first - Please
Here, agent Zhang
It’s been a long day
- Thanks – Have some water
Comrade agent, please wait a moment
County magistrate Chen is in class
Really? She is teaching too?
Yeah
Our county magistrate Chen build a
primary school in our base
She taught them herself
This
We have to thank Weiguo Zhou
Because this school
is all his idea
After we built this school
We have found that we are lacking
of teachers to teach them
But county magistrate Chen is willing
to be a teacher, and if Weiguo Zhou’s free
Even him will come to teach these children
I've never thought you are versed in both polite
- letters and martial arts – Not at all
Just teaching them occasionally
remind me things
I have learned before
I’m sorry, I’m late
I heard the correspondent said
the agent has arrived
You’re that agent Zhang, right?
Nice to meet you. I’m Yi Chen
the county magistrate and clerk of Laiyang
County magistrate Chen, you’ve working too hard
- Please sit down – here
Since we are all here
Now I will read you the appointment letter
I hereby approve Mount Hutou Anti-Japanese
detachment expand to an independent regiment
The ex detachment captain, comrade Weiguo Zhou
as the regimental commander
The ex detachment political commissar, comrade
Yong LI as regimental political commissar
Special agent, comrade Renjie Zhang
as director of the political department
The ex chief of staff, comrade Chu Zhang
as regimental chief of staff
The ex deputy detachment captain, comrade Hu Xu
as deputy regimental commander
The 18th group army, national Revolutionary Army
115 division
Great! Comrades!
This is really a great news
Right, this also represents
the superior’s affirmation and support
of our Mount Hutou base
Thanks for trusting us
Please rest assured that
We’ll never let the superior down
Mont Hutou independent regiment
will work harder
From now on, Renjie Zhang
will be one of our Mount Hutou area
Please accept me as one of yours
Since you are staying with us
We are a family now
Let’s pass the polite words
I can tell you with in my name
You’ll never regret
to join us
Great!
It’s late
Let’s go back to village Yangcun
Wei
Weiguo Zhou
Actually, you can stay here for some days
while officer Zhang is here
I’m the commander of the unit
our HQ is in Village Yangcun
I must go back
Sorry, officer Zhang
our HQ is in Village Yangcun
So I must go back there
I will go with our troops together
Director Zhang, you had to follow us
from here to there, it’s really too hard
How about this? You can rest in Villiage
Zhuangzhuang for a couple days
Regimental commander Zhang, I’m the director
of the political department,
I can’t be that special person
All right, let’s go
Our generalissimo is the most brilliant person
I think our brigade commander Tang is better
Right, right
Guys
- Let’s got drunk tonight- Cheers
Cheers
Zhuihui, have one, here
Come on, one more
Generalissimo is so brilliant!
- Here, have this – Let’s drink
- Here, drink it, drink it – All right
Cheers
Come on, full it up, fill it
Have some food
Brigade commander, I don’t feeling well
Could I be excused?
I’ll drink this for that
If you don’t feeling well, you can go
Thank you, brigade commander
Battalion commander Liu, nice
Even brigade commander can’t make you stay
Zhuihui is poor in drinking, and don’t feel well today
That’s all right, that’s all right. Here
Let’s drink and have fun
Here, Cheers
Battalion commander
You finished so early?
A bunch of scallywags
They think the war is over?
Let’s go
Comrades, this time
The superior not only send me the appointment letter
The more important thing is
They want me to treat you the current circumstance
Director Zhang, the thing is
Actually, we have a Japanese radio
Got from the enemy
We often listen to that radio
So have a rough idea of
the international situation
Like the German fascist invasion of Soviet
the Pearl Harbor
America declared war on Japan
And the battle of Moscow, etc
We have known all of these
Political commissar Li, you misunderstood
I mean when I was studying in Soviet
Mikhailovskoye Artillery School
Director Zhang, Are you saying you have
studied in Mikhailovskoye Artillery School?
Not officially
Just as a auditor
and sometimes join their discussion
Studying in Mikhailovskoye Artillery School
is always my dream
Since you have learned there
You must learn a lot from there
How about this
Can you teach us a lesson about the situation
between our enemies and our own?
No problem
It’s a pity that we don’t have a sand table here
Otherwise…
Sand table? We have that
You do?
Right, director Zhang, this way
Here, let me show you the way
This way, director Zhang
Director Zhang, please
All right, this is nice
But what I have learned in there
is not mountain warfare
Not mountain warfare?
So what’s that?
It’s deep operation, three-dimensional warfare
Deep operation, three-dimensional warfare?
three-dimensional
That’s great
Director Zhang, what we learnt
in training unit are all mountain warfare
Even on the plains we use guerrilla strategy
Now we can learn something new
And see what is this so-called
deep operation, three-dimensional warfare
This deep operation, three-dimensional warfare
means large formation mechanized warfare
- Large formation – Right – Mechanized
For example
Report
Report, battalion commander Liu is here
Political commissar, I have to see Xiaohui
Please accompany him have fun
and learn something
Weiguo, Weiguo
That’s okay, that’s okay
Commissar Li, who is this battalion commander?
He is a senior school brother of him, Zhihui Liu
battalion commander in Qingyuan
- battalion commander of the national army ?- Yes
And he can come and leave
here so easily?
Here is the thing, this battalion commander Liu
Is a very good man, and very generous
He have sent us lots of weapons and ammos
And we can go in and leave
his area as well
A good and generous person?
We are working for the revolution!
You said battalion commander Liu
is Weiguo Zhou’s younger school brother
How is that?
Zhihui Liu is the 13th graduate from Huangpu
Weiguo Zhou is the 9th graduate
So Zhihui Liu is calling him senior
Weiguo Zhou is from Huanpu?
Yes, after that, he have also studied in
Germany military school for two years
After he got back
he was a regimental commander
of 87th division, KMT central army
After Nanjing was occupied
Laozhou came to out 8th Route
All right, let’s see them
All right
Sorry
I can’t give you 6 month for taining
Because the Pacific war broke out
We need some troops detached from our unit
The security of North China need to be recovered soon
I need your commando to make an example