freenovelworld Chapter 453 Some Effect
Chapter 453 Some Effect
"Commander, judging from the current retreat speed of the 6th Division and its attached troops, if all heavy weapons are abandoned, all the troops should be able to reach the south bank of the Xinqiang River in about three hours." Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto was familiar with the current retreat speed and situation of the troops. After hearing the question from Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura, he immediately answered.
When Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura heard that it would only take three hours for the troops to reach the south bank of the Xinqiang River, his expression became relaxed.
The Sixth Division had relatively complete defensive positions in front of the south bank of the Xinqiang River. The Chinese troops encircling the area from both wings could reach the Xinqiang River in about two hours and then launch an attack on the Sixth Division's defensive positions on both sides of the Xinqiang River.
The defense line of the Sixth Division could hold out for at least one to two hours. It seemed that the plan of Commander Xue of the Ninth War Zone of the Chinese Government to destroy his attacking force would not be realized in the end. Thinking of Commander Xue's dark face after the war, Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji was very happy in his heart and completely forgot how great the losses of his Sixth Division and its attached troops were this time.
"Well, yes, Mr. Yoshimoto, send a telegram to ask the commander of the 6th Division, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, to return to the north bank of the Shinkei River as soon as possible and command the troops' combat matters on the north bank of the Shinkei River. Tell him to pay more attention to his own safety." After thinking about it, the commander, Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura, issued a very caring retreat order to the commander of the 6th Division, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto understood that at this time, Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura had already begun preparing for post-war events. The most important thing was to ensure that the commander of the 6th Division, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, came back alive, so that during the post-war summary, the division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, could also speak for the commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura.
"By the way, Mr. Yoshimoto, tell Lieutenant General Inaba Shiro, commander of the Sixth Division, about the imminent arrival of the Chinese troops on both wings. Ask him to ensure the safety of the floating bridge on the Xinqiang River and withdraw as many troops as possible from the encirclement of the Chinese army." Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji also added to his order.
After Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto recorded the new order, he bowed respectfully and left. Although Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura was relatively optimistic about the withdrawal of the troops, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto did have a different opinion in his heart.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto believed that judging from the current development of the war situation, the most likely variables would be the Chinese pursuing troops from the two divisions behind the 6th Division. Although the commander of the 6th Division, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, placed the 24th Regiment behind him as a force to block the Chinese army's pursuit, it would be difficult to stop the Chinese army's pursuit forces with only one exhausted regiment.
You know, from the previous telegram sent by Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, commander of the 6th Division, it was learned that the area from the Xinqiang River to the Miluo River was full of mud and water. The 24th Regiment could not even build trenches and defensive positions in such a short time. The officers and soldiers could only block the attack of the Chinese army on the flat ground. This undoubtedly posed a big problem for the officers and soldiers of the 24th Regiment.
Moreover, the 24th Regiment was unable to provide support for its blocking operations with even a single artillery piece, and could only rely on the weapons in the hands of the officers and soldiers to organize blocking firepower. This was not a big threat in the face of the two divisions of the Chinese army.
Under the attack of the Chinese army, no matter how good the 24th Regiment was at fighting, no matter how hard the officers and soldiers fought, they could not be a match for an army that was several times their number. Moreover, the troops could not get any reinforcement or replenishment. Under the attack of the Chinese army, their numbers could only get smaller and smaller, until they were eventually completely consumed by the Chinese army.
But the commander, Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji, has already issued the order, and the content of the order is relatively reasonable. Now we can only hope that the 6th Division and the attached offensive forces can withdraw smoothly. As for the 24th Regiment, don't count on it. From the moment this unit was sent to block the Chinese army, the outcome was already doomed. The 24th Regiment cannot be withdrawn.
Just as Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto had expected, the current situation of the 210th Regiment was already quite dangerous. The new 210th Division was slowly consuming some of its strength during its continuous advancement. Commander Huang of the New nd Army, who was supervising the battle from behind, also discovered that the offensive momentum of the new th Division was slowly fading.
Therefore, Commander Huang decisively ordered the New 211th Division, which had already arrived, to bypass the New 210th's attack force and take over the New 210th Division to continue attacking the Japanese blocking force, trying to eliminate this Japanese force in the shortest time possible without delaying the task of continuing to pursue the main force of the Japanese army.
The commander of the 24th Regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, led his troops to continuously organize new lines of defense and retreat. This tactic did indeed delay the Chinese army's pursuit speed, but the 24th Regiment itself also suffered heavy casualties.
The commander of the 2nd Battalion, Major Haruno Okubo, was killed by a mortar shell from the Chinese army at the previous temporary defense line. The number of officers and soldiers capable of fighting in the 24th Regiment is now only more than 1,300.
However, what made the commander of the 24th Regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, happy was that the Chinese army's pursuit and attacking forces were already a little tired, and the intensity and speed of the previous two attacks had obviously declined.
The commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, felt that this was the normal combat performance of the Chinese army. How could they possibly maintain that high-intensity combat mode? The officers and soldiers of the Chinese army were also human beings and they would also get tired. It seemed that his adjustment of tactics was a very wise decision. As long as the intensity of the Chinese army's attack continued to decrease, he would be able to delay longer.
The commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, looked at the exhausted faces of the officers and soldiers in his unit and felt fortunate in his heart. Fortunately, the Chinese army was also tired. If the Chinese army was still as brave as before, these tired officers and soldiers would not be able to continue to stop the Chinese army's attack.
Before the regiment commander, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, could take a moment to rest and sigh, the new 211th Division that took over the attack launched a full-scale attack. In order to deal the final blow to the Japanese army, Commander Huang also transferred all the army's mortars to the front and placed them under the unified command of the new 211th Division.