At 4 pm on June 12, the Chinese defenders withdrew to nearby mountainous areas and the city of Yichang fell.
Among the ruins of ruins, there are cheering Japanese soldiers everywhere.
They held high the weapons and military flags in their hands and shouted loudly, long live, celebrating another victory.
"Our army has captured Yichang. Please ask for instructions whether to pursue the retreating Chongqing army."
After capturing Yichang, the commander of the Japanese 13th Division immediately sent a telegram to the commander of the 11th Army to report the war situation as soon as possible.
For the fanatical Japanese frontline troops, they could not wait to go up the river and capture Chongqing now.
But the commander of the Japanese 11th Army knew very well that it would be easy for them to capture Yichang with the help of aircraft, tanks and the powerful combat power of three field divisions, but it would be very difficult to hold it.
The mountainous areas around Yichang are full of Chinese troops. With their current strength, it is quite difficult to consolidate such a large occupied area.
Therefore, the commander of the 11th Army immediately gave the three divisions that captured Yichang the task of preparing to retreat at any time.
"The purpose of this operation has been achieved. Immediately organize the troops and prepare for subsequent maneuvers."
While the Japanese were looting loot and destroying Yichang's military facilities, the Chinese troops who had retreated from Yichang to nearby mountains gathered again.
The 18th Army troops responsible for guarding Yichang faced the siege of three Japanese divisions. Although they withdrew in time, they suffered heavy losses and basically lost their combat effectiveness in a short period of time.
In the mountainous areas, there are Chinese officers and soldiers covered in gunpowder smoke and demoralized everywhere, and there are countless wounded. In the temporary rest camp, there is a low atmosphere of pessimism and despair.
"This battle was fought in vain..."
When the staff officer sent a long list of scarlet-colored death lists to Army Commander Peng Shan, he couldn't help but sigh.
The battle in Yichang not only failed to defend Yichang, but caused heavy losses to their 18th Army, and even made them lose face. It can be said to be an unprecedented defeat.
"Military seat, our brothers have tried their best, but the disparity in strength is really huge. If our reinforcements could arrive in time, the fight wouldn't be like this." Luo Wenyuan, the commander of the 18th Division, was also full of grievances.
They resisted the attacks of three Japanese field divisions with only a meager force, but the reinforcements were nowhere to be seen. It would be strange if they could hold on.
"Alas, it's too late to say all this now. If Yichang is lost, it will be hard for you and me to refuse."
Their 18th Army is a direct descendant of the Central Army, and it is also one of the attacking armies. Its soldiers have always been prioritized for recruitment, and its weapons and equipment are also the best.
But this time, they suffered such a big defeat. Not only did they embarrass Commander Hu, but other troops may have begun to laugh at their jokes. Thinking of this, they felt extremely depressed.
"Report, telegram from Chief Hu!"
Just when everyone in the temporary command post of the 18th Army was feeling low in morale due to the defeat, a communications staff officer strode into the tent.
Upon hearing the telegram from Commander Hu, Army Commander Peng Shan suddenly had a bitter look on his face, knowing that whatever was supposed to come would come and there was no way to avoid it.
After all, the 18th Army is Commander Hu's direct unit. This time, he suffered a disgraceful defeat. It's strange that he is not angry.
Army Commander Peng Shan took the message and read it, and sure enough, Hu Zongnan scolded them and threatened to hold them responsible for the defeat.
Seeing this, Commander Peng Shan knew that he might not be able to serve as commander for much longer. After all, someone has to bear the responsibility for losing a battle, and he, the commander, would be the first to bear the brunt. He could be dismissed from his post, or face a military court in the worst case.
"Organize troops to counterattack immediately! Retake Yichang!"
After all, the 18th Army was his direct force, and Hu Zongnan didn't want others to laugh at him, so while scolding and warning, he still gave Army Commander Peng Shan a chance. As long as Yichang could be recaptured, things would turn around.
Seeing Chief Hu's order for them to immediately gather their troops to counterattack Yichang, Army Commander Peng Shan had a bitter look on his face. They were trying to attack the Japanese who were several times their size with their meager soldiers, but they couldn't even defend them, let alone fight a tough battle.
Isn't it like hitting an egg with a stone?
"Military seat, what should we do?"
The chief of staff also had a problem after taking the telegram and looking through it.
Their 18th Army has been fighting hard against the Japanese until now. The officers have suffered heavy losses and the soldiers are also very tired. They are in urgent need of military rest and replenishment. It can be said that it is a bit overwhelming to ask them to fight back.
"Our troops are now in low morale and lack weapons and ammunition. If we launch a forced counterattack, they are likely to collapse once they are blocked by the Japanese's powerful troops." Faced with the order to counterattack, the division commander Luo Wenyuan also had a sad face.
"But if we don't counterattack, what's so difficult for Chief Hu to do?" You Gao Shen said.
Everyone was in a dilemma about the order to counterattack Yichang. Let's continue fighting. We can't win, but it would be hard to explain if we don't.
"Military seat, Yang Ling's Lieyan Special Forces Brigade is very powerful. Why don't we let them guide us to form a group of elite small troops and let them infiltrate back to Yichang to attack the Japs. Even if they can't recapture Yichang, they can still disgust the Japs. If they can kill them
A few senior Japanese officers would be great."
After hearing this, the eyes of the officers in the tent lit up.
Let the 18th Army immediately launch a counterattack against the Japanese. Now that they have just lost the battle, their morale is low and they have insufficient weapons and ammunition. If they are not sure, they may have to suffer another defeat.
However, if a small elite force is sent to fight back against the Japanese, it will not only give instructions to the superiors, but may also achieve unexpected results.
But soon someone raised doubts: "Although the Lieyan Special Warfare Brigade has a very famous name, its performance in this Yichang defense battle was mediocre. I doubt their real combat effectiveness. Don't fight back against the Japanese. Instead, they will let the Japanese invaders fight back."
Our brother lost his life."
"What are you talking about? What do you mean by mediocre performance? I think you are jealous." Upon hearing this, Luo Wenyuan, the commander of the 18th Division, immediately snorted and spoke dissatisfied.
"What the Flame Special Warfare Brigade is good at is performing special combat missions, such as beheadings, infiltration and sabotage behind enemy lines, etc. But isn't it a waste if we force them to engage in positional warfare? Besides, when they are defending area three
, many little Japs were annihilated. If they had not been there, Area 3 would have been broken through by the Japs long ago..."
After hearing the words of the division commander Luo Wenyuan, the senior counselor who questioned the combat effectiveness of the Lieyan Special Warfare Brigade was speechless. He had seen the battle report. The Lieyan Special Warfare Brigade had indeed wiped out many enemies, and among the Japanese troops they fought against, there were also
It is indeed not easy for an elite group equipped with submachine guns to defend until they retreat.
"Commander Luo, then you should start making arrangements. Form a few death squads to infiltrate back and launch attacks on the Japs' command posts, material warehouses, etc. Our main force will cooperate on the periphery to create a sign for the Japs that we are launching a massive counterattack.
It would be great if we could tactically confuse the enemy and defeat the enemy without fighting to scare the Japanese away."
"That's all we can do now. It's too risky to counterattack with our current meager strength. If the death squads can make a difference, we can get back a win."