"Toyoda-kun, since our 36th Regiment landed in September, your unit has been fully staffed with 1,100 men. We have been fighting fiercely with the Chinese for nearly two months. How many casualties have there been? What are the results?"
Wakiitajiro's face was filled with frost.
"Reporting to your Excellency, Captain, our troops have killed 210 people and suffered 242 minor and serious injuries. A total of 452 casualties. Eleven positions were captured and the enemy was killed. It's useless!" The Japanese major trembled slightly, with a red and swollen face and a nosebleed.
Stand at attention and answer.
"Very good. All the more than 3,000 imperial officers and soldiers of our 36th Infantry Regiment have been fighting bloody battles with nearly 10,000 Chinese elites for nearly two months. Your 1st Infantry Brigade, led by Major Hide Toyoda, suffered nearly half casualties and refused to retreat. It is useless even if the enemy is killed or injured.
There are at least thousands of them, and they are truly a model for our Imperial Japanese Army."
Although the Japanese colonel was praising him, the fierce light in his eyes was so hot that it could melt the Japanese major.
"Then let me ask you again, how many battles has your 1st Infantry Brigade fought since yesterday evening? How many casualties were there, and what were the results?"
"Reporting to your Excellency, Captain, our unit came from Zhabei and had more than ten sporadic battles with the Chinese, with 197 casualties. The results of the battle..." Toyoda's swollen pig-headed face could only continue to lower his voice.
It is also getting smaller and smaller.
He wanted to compile some data like before, but the results were really not there.
The Chinese stayed in that building all the time. Even if they were dead or injured, they couldn't see it.
"Pah!" Another loudmouth slammed into Toyota's face.
His head shook violently, his nose was bleeding, and his nose hairs almost came out.
Blood was spilled on the faces of the surrounding Japanese officers who had their heads lowered and their crotches held tightly in silence, but no one dared to touch their bodies.
The captain's attitude at this moment is very obvious. He needs someone to vent his anger. The major captain may only have a few nosebleeds, but if it were someone else, he might have to be full of passion.
You are not stupid! You must not go out and be sacrificed.
"It's been a dozen or so battles. You Toyoda Show must have included all the defeated soldiers in the ruins of the battlefield!"
The sound that Wakibajiro gnashed his teeth and spat out word after word was colder and bone-chilling than the wind that blew in the early morning hours of winter in northern China.
If possible, the Japanese commander who had carefully read all the battle reports really wanted to kill this guy in front of him who was telling lies with his eyes open.
197 casualties? What about the more than 100 battle losses of the 1st Infantry Squadron of the 3rd Infantry Group, which came to support under his orders? More than 100 dead pigs?
"Please give me another chance, your Excellency, the commander, and I will personally lead the entire 1st Infantry Battalion to wash away the shame." Toyoda bowed his head and expressed his stance.
It must be said that Toyoda Hide is a smart man. If he doesn't express his stance, it is very likely that he will not have the opportunity to express his stance from today on.
Naturally, the Japanese major knew that his boss, who was known for his ruthlessness, might not actually chop off his dog's head with a knife, but he would throw out his command knife and order himself to have a disembowelment or take off his uniform and lead a charge with his troops in order to repay the favor.
Your Majesty, this kind of thing is absolutely possible.
However, the Japanese colonel ignored his subordinate's statement. He stretched out his hand, took the telescope handed over by his subordinate and looked across the way. It took five or six minutes to go from Sihang Warehouse to the concession on the other side of the river.
Without looking back, his voice was still cold: "Toyoda-kun, tell me, can I still trust you again?"
"Your Excellency, Captain, Toyoda Hide is willing to shed the last drop of his blood for the empire!" Toyoda Hide has just come close to saying that he can charge shirtless.
It's just that he is not so irrational after all. He can't give people the chance to climb along the pole, and neither can your Excellency Colonel.
The Japanese colonel put down his telescope and looked back at his subordinate who was still bleeding from his nose. His eyes were sinister. After a while, his expression softened slightly. He reached for a towel and handed it to Toyoda Hide:
"Okay, Toyoda-kun, I will trust you again."
"This time, I brought the rest of the 3rd Infantry Group. They will still be responsible for the left and right flanks of the enemy's location. Your 1st Infantry Group will mainly attack the frontal position.
At the same time, I have requested the support of the tank group from the division headquarters, and the 1st tank squadron under its command is rushing here.
By then, there will be a total of ten tanks to cooperate with you in the battle."
Although his face softened, his voice still sounded cold. The Japanese commander reached out and took out a gold watch from his arms: "You have about one hour to prepare for battle."
"Also, let me remind you, Toyoda-kun, that this time, the 1st Infantry Brigade and the 3rd Infantry Brigade are both the main attack and the secondary attack, regardless of the main attack. If before the sun sets today, I haven't seen the flag of our regiment flying there.
On top of a building, Toyota-kun, you’d better not appear in front of me.”
"Hi!" Toyota Hide trembled all over, but he bowed his head and received the military order.
This is a military order to the death. Either the Chinese defenders in the building will die, or he, the infantry brigade leader, will die.
However, in one day, can he really take down the fortress opposite with its impressive firepower and tenacity?
If he still had a lot of confidence before this morning, after the battle just now, that indestructible confidence had already been shaken.
He even had the illusion that, let alone his infantry brigade, even if the three infantry brigade of the entire regiment gathered together, they would not be able to easily capture the silent fortress.
In fact, that is not an illusion, but the intuition of a veteran who has been in the army for more than fifteen years.
In the past time and space, the 36th Infantry Regiment gathered in the Sihang Warehouse Building and attacked from three sides. They still could not break through for three days and three nights, but they themselves were injured and bloody.
The 3rd Division lost all face, but Four Elements Eight Hundred was shocked at home and abroad.
The Japanese army is mobilizing troops intensively to prepare for the next decisive battle. The lieutenant colonel in the warehouse is also issuing military orders:
"Order, all officers and soldiers are not allowed to enter the battle position before receiving the order!"
"Order, all firepower points on the roof withdraw into the building!"
"Order, the communications troops notify all the people on the other side to evacuate!"
...
"Regimental deputy, without the deterrent of machine guns and mortars, the Japanese infantry would have surrounded us from three sides unscrupulously." Lei Xiong, commander of the machine gun company, jumped out to object with some excitement.
Of course, Lei Xiong was not blind. Without artillery strikes, the Japanese infantry could approach the warehouse building more calmly under the cover of its machine guns.
The fortress is actually a bit like a tank. It is very powerful at medium and long range, but once it is approached, the shooting range of the machine gun and rifle is limited, and it can only be slaughtered by others.
Maintaining a sufficient distance and preventing the enemy from entering the blind spot is the key point of fortress defense.
"Idiot! You don't know what the Japanese are like?" the Army Lieutenant Colonel scolded.
A stern look flashed in his eyes: "The tactics of attacking pure infantry without artillery have proven to be ineffective. In the next round of war, they will inevitably return to their old tactics, with artillery clearing the heavy firepower points on the roof of my building as the main target.
No matter how bad it is, just as you said, suppress our heavy firepower to cover the approach of the infantry.
Since this is the case, what’s the harm if we follow their wishes first?”
Sure enough, thirty minutes later when heavy firepower such as machine guns and mortars on the roof of the building were withdrawn from the building.
The four mountain artillery pieces of the Japanese army spoke from east to west.
The Japanese army selected the shooting angle for nearly an hour and it was very accurate. It almost perfectly avoided the concession area which was only 40 meters away. Even if there was a slight deviation, it would still land on the ground in front and flanks of the warehouse.
After firing seven or eight consecutive rounds of artillery shells, at least half of the cannon shells either landed on the thick walls or on the roof of the building, exploding into bright fireworks.
From the perspective of the Chinese people who had retreated more than 100 meters from the shore, the huge Sihang Warehouse building was completely shrouded in smoke, and the flames that burst out from time to time were extremely heart-pounding.
The Suzhou River adjacent to the warehouse building seemed to be trembling. The water waves on the river, which is more than 40 meters wide, and the thousands of ripples that are constantly being stirred up form a strange picture.
The Western soldiers on the shore had already left the fortifications and ran away.
The Chinese are crazy, and the Japanese are not good birds.
Even if no shells fall here, if you are hit by shrapnel and flying rocks, you will still go to see God!
........
ps: It’s Monday, please give me some recommendation votes and rewards! If you like the book friends, please also help the book club to promote it. Writing about military affairs is difficult, but writing about the Anti-Japanese War is even more difficult! Needless to say, military books are poignant in them.
Friends also understand. Fengyue is not only about wonderful stories, but also various lines to avoid.
This chapter has been completed!