"I now order all troops to immediately withdraw to Gaoyou and abandon the areas they have occupied."
Soon, the new Japs detachment leader Watanabe Juichi announced an important decision, and after the decision was read out, the Japs captains were in an uproar.
He had vowed to lead them to wash away their shame before, but the next moment they were told to withdraw their troops. Even though the heads of the Japanese captains were spinning so fast, they could not keep up with the leaping thinking of the new detachment leader Watanabe Shouichi.
"Your Excellency, detachment leader, I think what we need to do now is not to retreat, but to concentrate our forces to launch a large-scale attack on the China Army to wash away our shame!" Nishihara Tengxiong, the Japanese artillery battalion captain, refuted the detachment leader Touichi Watanabe.
decision.
"Are you refusing to carry out my order?" Japanese detachment leader Watanabe Shouichi stared at Nishihara Tengxiong with his beastly eyes and asked coldly.
"I am an Imperial man. I only know that Imperial men should be brave and fearless, rather than cowardly and fearful of death."
"I ask you, do you want to refuse to carry out my order? Answer me!" Detachment Captain Watanabe Shouichi suddenly raised his voice, his eyes full of murderous intent.
Although Captain Nishihara Tengxiong was very unwilling to do so, he finally chose to bow his head in the face of the strong oppressive force emanating from the Japanese detachment leader Watanabe Juichi.
"I don't dare." Nishihara Tengxiong, captain of the Japanese artillery battalion, replied with a heavy bow.
Seeing the artillery battalion captain Nishihara Tengxiong lowering his head, the Japanese detachment captain Watanabe Juichi looked around at the brigade-level officers with murderous eyes, and said slowly: "Who has a different opinion?"
Faced with the question of Japanese detachment leader Watanabe Shouichi, the Japanese captains did not dare to look at him and answered in unison: "Resolutely execute the order!"
"Okay, very good." Seeing the captains surrendering, detachment leader Shouichi Watanabe's face was full of pride, he regained his momentum and returned to his seat to sit down.
Just now facing the oppressive majesty of the detachment leader Watanabe Juichi, the captains all felt as if they were suffocating. At this moment, they all couldn't help but feel that their backs were soaked.
If they had spoken out against it just now, this madman might have dared to remove them from their posts on the spot and send them to a military court for desertion.
"Your Excellency, Captain, I have a doubt. Can you tell me?"
Seeing that detachment leader Touichi Watanabe was no longer murderous, captain Takahashi spoke cautiously.
"speak--"
"Your Excellency, Captain, why don't we attack, but retreat to Gaoyou?" Captain Takahashi's face was full of doubts.
Detachment leader Touichi Watanabe looked around at the staff and captains, and sneered: "If we don't withdraw to Gaoyou, I'm afraid your troops will be cannibalized bit by bit by the Chinese, and then not a single scrap will be left!"
"But now that we have withdrawn all of Gaoyou, our previous efforts will be in vain, and a large amount of area will be given to the Chinese in vain. This is really unacceptable." Another Japanese captain also said unwillingly.
.
"You are too short-sighted." Detachment leader Touichi Watanabe criticized the captains mercilessly.
"Right now, the morale of the Chinese people is high thanks to the victory in the Jieshou battle, but the morale of our army is low and scattered everywhere. If we continue to hold on, not only will the towns we have occupied not be able to hold on, but we will also be cannibalized by the Chinese army.
, it is only a matter of time before we suffer heavy losses."
Japanese detachment leader Shouichi Watanabe walked to the hanging map, pointed at the map with his baton and said: "If we take the initiative to give up the occupied areas now, we can avoid the attack of the Chinese army and concentrate our superior forces on Gaoyou. Then
It won’t be so easy for the Chinese to cannibalize us again, and as long as they dare to attack Gaoyou, I don’t mind annihilating them under the walls of Gaoyou City!”
"But in this way, we will lose a large number of occupied areas. The China Army can rely on these occupied areas to continue to develop and grow. Then it will become more difficult to occupy these areas." A Japanese staff officer said worriedly.
"No, no, no, you don't understand the Chinese people." Detachment leader Touichi Watanabe shook his head.
"When we occupied these areas, their main enemy was us, and they would unite to deal with us. But after we withdraw from these areas, the Sulu Guerrilla Corps, various local armed forces, the 89th Army, and the Northern Jiangsu Corps, and so many more
The so-called Anti-Japanese War Alliance will enter these areas. With the character of the Chinese people, they will definitely have conflicts over the competition for territory and resources."
"And we can also take the opportunity to add fuel to their fire, sow discord between them and the local people, and intensify their conflicts. What we need to do is wait, wait for them to fight, be driven away by public opposition, and then reap the benefits.
I can guarantee that within March, the China Army will fall apart due to various contradictions." Detachment leader Touichi Watanabe vowed.
After hearing the words of detachment leader Juichi Watanabe, the captains and staff suddenly realized that this is a strategy of retreat in order to advance.
"The detachment leader is wise!"
The captains were previously dissatisfied with Watanabe Juichi, but now they have turned into admiration. If they really continue to develop like this, they will soon be able to occupy these areas again without any effort.
"Our troops lack coordination with each other, and while we are waiting for the internal strife of the China Army, we need to strengthen training and enhance the combat effectiveness of the troops in order to completely eliminate the China Army in this area!"
"Hiyi!"
In front of the blueprint drawn by the Japanese detachment leader Watanabe Shouichi, these frustrated Japanese captains rekindled their fighting spirit.
"This retreat is not a defeat. You must explain it clearly to the soldiers." Watanabe Shouichi said fiercely: "When you retreat, I don't want you to leave any bricks or tiles to the China Army!"
"Hiyi!"
The Japanese captains naturally understood the meaning of leaving no stone untouched, and their eyes all had a fierce light.
After receiving the order, the Japanese captains returned to their respective units one after another and thoroughly implemented the plan of the new detachment leader Watanabe Juichi.
The Japanese soldiers who had been defending various towns were retreating, but as they retreated, they set fire to the houses in the villages along the way.
For a time, there was thick smoke billowing in various areas, and many villages were burned to ruins by fire.
When they learned that the Japs were retreating, the troops thought it was a conspiracy by the Japs. But when they sent out scouts and discovered that the Japs had actually retreated, they could hardly believe that the Japs had actually withdrawn.
"Assemble troops immediately and seize towns everywhere!"
Li Changjiang, the deputy captain of the Sulu Guerrilla Corps, was also very excited. They had been fighting the Japanese for a week, but they had not taken advantage at all. Now they did not expect that the Japanese had withdrawn.
No matter what conspiracy the Japs have now, it is a top priority to seize the deserted towns where the Japs have retreated as soon as possible. If they arrive late, other troops will be able to get there first.
For a time, the messengers were running around, and the troops followed the Japanese retreating pace and stationed themselves in the burning towns with thick smoke billowing from them.
"You bastard little devils, I curse them to have no descendants!"
Seeing the villages and towns that had been burned to ashes, the vanguard of the land-occupying troops jumped in anger.
Many places were still burning, and the troops had no time to chase the retreating Japanese, so they had to immediately join the fight to put out the fire.