"Commander, the soldiers have achieved good results... If the fight continues at this speed, it will be a matter of time before the Japs are wiped out by us?" Staff Officer Wang Degui said with a smile after glancing at the battle report in his hand.
"Read it to me..." Sun Xingbang said without putting down the telescope in his hand.
"Yes, Commander, according to reports from various armies, in the battle just now: our army killed a total of 348 Japanese soldiers, seized more than 240 rifles, four light machine guns, and a batch of ammunition. Among them, 101 of our soldiers were killed.
, 24 people were seriously injured and more than 100 people were slightly injured, but it does not affect the combat effectiveness... All that is left is to report the current progress of the troops, which we can already see from here." Staff Wang put down the list and replied.
"Okay, good fight. In less than an hour, two squadrons of Japs were wiped out. That's one-fifth of their total strength. I guess the Japanese commander at this time must have been so anxious that he jumped over the wall."
, is sending a request for help report to his superior." Sun Xingbang said excitedly.
However, Sun Xingbang really guessed it right. At this time, Nagano Yuichiro's request for help report had been transmitted to the temporary headquarters of the Fifth Division through radio waves. At this time, although the Fifth Division stayed in Gong Village
There were enough mules and horses left in the heavy artillery brigade, allowing the baggage artillery to finally keep up with the marching speed of the troops.
However, the speed of guerrilla warfare by troops in various places along the way, as well as the completely destroyed roads and the ubiquitous mines, can be said to have made the division commander Seishiro Itagaki extremely annoyed. Under these ubiquitous attacks, not only did he suffer
Once again, a squadron of elite imperial troops was lost. More importantly, the marching speed of his own division. In three days, his fifth division only traveled less than 180 miles, and averaged less than 60 miles per day.
inside.
"Baga...Chief of Staff, we must speed up the march of the troops today no matter what. According to the order of the Commander, we have been delayed for at least one day." Early in the morning, the division commander had eaten the march breakfast.
, Itagaki Seishiro ordered to the chief of staff beside him.
"Hi, Your Excellency, Captain. But the road ahead is basically destroyed by these Tubal roads, and there may be mines everywhere... Plus we don't have enough mules and horses to detonate the mines in front...
Our marching speed cannot be increased at all." The chief of staff nodded and said.
"Baga, the excellent imperial army of the Japanese Empire will never bow its head in front of these mines. Order all the wounded soldiers in the army to walk at the front of the army to clear the way for the main force..." Seishiro Itagaki was cruel.
Cruelly ordered. You must know that the more than a hundred wounded soldiers in the army now not only need people to take care of them, but also affect the morale of the army. It is better to let them go to the mines and make their last contribution to the empire.
.
"Hi, your Excellency, the division commander is wise..." Even the chief of staff, after hearing Itagaki Seishiro's attention, secretly applauded. It can be said that this method is currently the best strategy.
"Yoshi, go and convey the order immediately. Let these wounded soldiers, for the sake of His Majesty the Emperor and for the great cause of the Empire of Japan, show their courage and make their last contribution. The Empire of Japan will never forget their great achievements.
Yes." The division commander nodded and said.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, telegram, urgent telegram from the 11th Infantry Regiment..." Just when the chief of staff was about to turn around to deliver the order, a burst of exclamation came from outside the headquarters tent.
"Baga...what are you talking about? Is it Nagano-kun's 11th Infantry Regiment?" Seeing a communications staff officer running into the headquarters in a hurry, division commander Seishiro Itagaki asked angrily.
"Hi, Your Excellency, Division Commander, this is an urgent telegram from Colonel Nagano Yuichiro..." the communications staff officer replied quickly.
"Did Bagama encounter any trouble with Nagano-kun? I thought..."
"Hi, division commander. The 11th Infantry Regiment called: The army was besieged by a large number of Eighth Route Army around 12 o'clock last night. After several hours of bloody fighting, the army has lost a quarter of its strength. Now we are the enemy.
The two armies are in a stalemate stage. According to preliminary statistics, the Eighth Route Army surrounding our unit exceeds 10,000 people and carries a large number of artillery. It can definitely be the main force of the Eighth Route Army's independent division. Today, the defensive position of our 11th Regiment is in danger, and at most it can only
Can hold on for three days. Please, the division commander, please quickly return reinforcements, surround the main force of the Eighth Route Army Independent Division around, and annihilate them in one fell swoop... Regiment Captain, Nagano Yuichiro..." The communications staff officer quickly finished reading in his hand.
telegraph.
However, after reading the telegram, the entire headquarters became silent. Because everyone could not believe that the Independent Division of the Eighth Route Army, which they had worked so hard to encircle and suppress with heavy troops, actually jumped to the outside of their encirclement in an instant. If the situation
As the telegram said, the Japanese Empire's encirclement and suppression plan, which consumes a lot of troops and material resources, is about to fail again.
"Your Excellency, Division Commander, I request the main force of the division to return to Gong Village immediately. Gong Village stores the only heavy artillery brigade of our fifth division and must not be lost. In addition, according to Nagano-kun's report, the main force of the Eighth Route Army Independent Division
The troops must have jumped out of our encirclement a long time ago and set their sights on our heavy artillery brigade. Otherwise, with the combat effectiveness of the local forces of the Eighth Route Army, it would be absolutely impossible to defeat the 11th Infantry Regiment with the help of the heavy artillery brigade in defense like this." Finally.
, the chief of staff broke the silence at the headquarters and reminded the division commander who looked surprised.
"Baga... the cunning Eighth Route Army. Quick, send a report to the Commander in Taiyuan immediately, requesting the Commander to send planes to support the 11th Infantry Regiment in Gongcun. Also, send a report to the Commander to request
Change the battle plan. Our fifth division will immediately return to Gongcun to help the main force of the independent division attacking Gongcun, and will counter-encircle the main force of the independent division attacking Gongcun, and wipe out the main force of the independent division in Gongcun in one fell swoop..." Division commander Seishiro Itagaki cursed.
He ordered to the chief of staff in front of him.
"Hi, division commander..." Soon, the chief of staff left the headquarters. But less than ten minutes passed before the chief of staff hurried into the headquarters with a telegram.
"The division commander, Your Excellency the Commander, called back and agreed to our change of combat plan, and ordered our fifth division to concentrate all troops and eliminate the main force of the independent division in Gongcun. In addition, Your Excellency the Commander has ordered a bomber squadron
, at your disposal at any time." The chief of staff said excitedly, holding the telegram in his hand.
"Yo Xi, your Excellency the Commander is wise. Call Nagano-kun right away and ask him to hold on for at least two days. Our main force will rush to Gong Village day and night to surround the main force of the Independent Division. When the time comes, we will attack from both inside and outside, and in one fell swoop
Eliminate the main force of the Independent Division of the Eighth Route Army. In addition, send a report to the aviation force in Taiyuan and ask them to immediately send aircraft to provide air support to our army in Gong Village. Quickly..." Division commander Seishiro Itagaki gave an excited order to the communications staff in front of him.
road.
"Hi, Your Excellency, Division Commander..." The communications staff officer turned around and left the headquarters to send a telegram.
"Chief of Staff, order the troops immediately, change the front team to the rear team, and return to Gongcun immediately... Set off now..." Itagaki Seishiro ordered excitedly. At the same time, with the help of the orderly, he tidied up his military uniform.
, picked up the general's command knife placed on the table and walked towards the entrance of the command department.
However, the good times did not last long. After the entire Fifth Division walked back less than five miles along the marching road, countless large potholes once again appeared on the road that had been smoothed by the own engineering team.
.The other thing is the landmines, more densely packed mines, which were buried in these big pits by Zhao Dahe, the political commissar of the first division, and his soldiers.
"Baghaya Road, why did the troops stop advancing..." Seishiro Itagaki, who was in a hurry to return to Gong Village to aid Gong Village, couldn't help but cursed when he saw the troops marching in a hurry suddenly stopped.
"Your Excellency, the commander of the division, the road ahead has been damaged again by Tubal Road. In addition, a large number of mines have been laid on the road. Without the engineering team to repair and clear mines, I will not be able to move forward at all." At this moment, the vanguard squadron
The squadron leader rode a war horse and came to him and said.
"Bagaya Road, weren't these roads already repaired when we came here? Why were they destroyed again? Baga, the cunning Eighth Route Army... ordered that the engineering team must smooth the road in the shortest possible time, quickly...
.." After listening to the report of the former squadron leader, Itagaki Seishiro cursed again and ordered to the engineer captain beside him.
"Hi, your Excellency, Captain..." Although the Captain of the Engineer Wing was very dissatisfied with this arrangement, facing the anger of the division commander, he had no choice but to lead his troops and angrily run towards the vanguard of the troops.
"Division commander, please don't be angry. In fact, it is not necessarily a bad thing if the road was damaged by the Eighth Route Army?" Seeing the leaving engineering regiment, the chief of staff quickly consoled him.
"Nani... it's not a bad thing... Chief of Staff, don't be ridiculous. Now the 11th Infantry Regiment is being besieged by more than 10,000 people from the Eighth Route Army. If we can't get to the battlefield in time, the 11th Infantry Regiment will have
The jade may break at any time. How could it not be a bad thing?" Division Commander Seishiro Itagaki responded unhappily.
"Division commander, just because the road was destroyed, we are even more sure that our decision is correct. The road we used to reinforce Gongcun was completely destroyed, which can only mean one thing. That is, the main force that Tubal Road wants to give them
The troops will buy enough time to surround and annihilate our 11th Infantry Regiment," the chief of staff replied.
"I understand what the Chief of Staff said. However, the road in front of us is completely destroyed by Tubal Road. How can we reinforce Gongcun in the shortest possible time?" The division commander nodded, agreed with the Chief of Staff's analysis, and then continued.
asked rhetorically.
"Division commander, the main force of the independent division is now besieging our 11th Infantry Regiment. In other words, there are not many Eighth Route Army troops around us. Therefore, we can give up taking the road and go directly from both sides of the road.
Carry on the march, quickly reinforce Gongcun, and surround the main force of the independent division." the chief of staff suggested.
"Nani? Chief of Staff, although this can speed up the march, what should we do with our artillery and baggage? We can't give up!" The division commander nodded and continued to ask.
"Division Commander, there is basically no main force of the Eighth Route Army around us. We can leave the baggage regiment, field artillery regiment, engineer regiment and part of the infantry to march slowly along the road. The main force of our division only carries
Use light weapons to quickly reinforce Gongcun. I think our more than 10,000 elite infantry, relying on Gongcun's heavy artillery brigade and our air support, are enough to destroy the more than 10,000 Eighth Route Army in Gongcun." the chief of staff affirmed.
"Hey, the main force of the independent division is gathered in Gongcun. Our artillery and transport troops will not encounter any danger at all. But we can get the support of the heavy artillery brigade and aviation in Gongcun. It is really a very good idea. Staff
Commander, very good. If our Fifth Division can wipe out the main force of the Independent Division in one fell swoop this time, I will definitely personally ask for your credit, Commander." Division Commander Seishiro Itagaki thought about the proposal of the Chief of Staff,
He nodded with satisfaction.
"Hi, thank you, Your Excellency, Division Commander. It is a humble honor to be able to share your worries with Your Excellency, Division Commander..." After hearing the praise from the Division Commander, the Chief of Staff also chuckled and said excitedly.
"Yo Xi, Chief of Staff, don't be polite. This is what you deserve. Now I order to leave the baggage regiment, field artillery regiment, and engineer regiment. All of them will be commanded by the Chief of Staff, and we will slowly move along the highway.
Move forward. The remaining three infantry regiments, carrying enough ammunition, will be under my personal command. They will quickly reinforce Gong Village along both sides of the road and eliminate the main force of the independent division in Gong Village in one fell swoop." Division Commander Seishiro Itagaki gave the excited order
road.
"Hi, Your Excellency, Division Commander, I will bring all three regiments to Gongcun and meet up with Your Excellency, the Division Commander." Hearing that the Division Commander actually asked himself to be the supreme commander, the Chief of Staff was surprised and excited.
answer.
"Yoshi, Chief of Staff, I believe in your ability. These three regiments will be left to you. We must bring them back to Gongcun successfully..." Division Commander Itagaki Seishiro encouraged.
"Hi, sir, division commander, I will definitely complete the mission." the chief of staff replied excitedly.
"Yo Xi, it's not too late. Now the 11th Infantry Regiment is fighting a bloody battle, and we don't have much time to waste. Chief of Staff, this is farewell, and we will see you in Gongcun..." The division commander patted the chief of staff on the shoulder.
Encouragement.
"Hi, division commander, I wish you immediate success in wiping out the main force of the independent division in Gongcun..." the chief of staff nodded in reply.
"Yoshi, Mr. Yamada, order the three infantry regiments to immediately carry enough ammunition along the fields on both sides of the road and march quickly into Gong Village..." The division commander nodded with satisfaction at the chief of staff's answer.
He ordered to the captain of the 41st Infantry Regiment.
"Hi, your Excellency, the division commander..." Soon, the three infantry regiments who received the order gave up their heavy weapons and only carried three days of dry food and a large amount of ammunition. Under the personal supervision of the division commander Seishiro Itagaki,
Under the leadership of the police, we walked off the road and began a rapid march along the road towards Gong Village.
The remaining three regiments, more than 3,000 little Japs, under the leadership of the chief of staff, were marching while repairing the completely destroyed highway. More importantly, they had to guard against the cornfields on both sides of the highway.
The cold shots from time to time...
"Bang bang bang...ta da da..." There was another messy sound of rifles, followed by a burst of light machine gun fire from the cornfield 300 meters away. More than a dozen baggage regiments
The soldiers were caught off guard and fell into a pool of blood.
Hearing these gunshots and looking at the imperial soldiers lying in a pool of blood, the soldiers next to them could not do anything except lie on the ground and start to fight back. Because as a technical branch, they did not have much at all.
Combat power allows them to launch an attack.
Because just now, the chief of staff really couldn't bear the feeling of being beaten passively. He ordered a squadron of more than 100 artillery personnel to fight back with light weapons. As a result, not only did they not achieve any results, but the Eighth Route Army was also in chaos.
Amidst the gunshots, corpses were left on the ground and they retreated in embarrassment.
At this time, faced with the harassment and guerrilla tactics of the Tuba Road, the artillery, baggage, and engineers who were usually proud of them no longer had their usual arrogance. They kept their heads down as much as possible and marched deeply.
I was afraid that if I was not careful, I would be hit by bullets that appeared at any time on both sides of the road.
"Baga...Tubal Road, I'm going to kill you..." It looked like the corpses of ten more imperial soldiers were carried by the soldiers onto the heavy baggage truck that had already piled up several corpses. The chief of staff faced
The cornfields on both sides of the road could not help but curse...
"Chief of Staff, now that the division commander has left, less than four hours have passed, and 84 of our Imperial Army soldiers have fallen under the guns of China Tubal Road. Chief of Staff, we must think now.
Come up with a way. Otherwise, the three regiments will be wiped out by the cold guns of these Tuba Road before they reach Gong Village." Looking at the corpses of the imperial army in several carts behind him, Captain Harada of the baggage regiment
The real captain said anxiously.
"Takeda-kun, I also know that continuing like this is not an option. However, you also saw our counterattack just now. More than 100 imperial soldiers suffered heavy losses under the attack of less than one company of the opponent's troops and retreated in embarrassment.
...Are we going to let these soldiers launch another counterattack and make unnecessary sacrifices..." the chief of staff also said in a depressed tone.
"Hi, Chief of Staff. What the Chief of Staff said is very correct. We cannot waste the limited military resources we have. However, Chief of Staff, before we think of a solution, I think we should stop advancing and stick to the spot..."
The commander of the 5th Engineer Regiment, Colonel Wada Kaoji, immediately agreed.