Songhu: Never Give Up

Chapter 260 Battle of Huaihe River (1)

At the Second Brigade Headquarters, the 2nd Battalion Commander He Shixian walked in with a face full of gunpowder. He was obviously not very satisfied with the results of the battle. He did not expect that the frenzied Japanese would use indiscriminate artillery fire, and the assault battalion suffered many casualties.
These were all veterans brought from Jinling City, and he would feel sad if any one of them was lost.

Gao Zhisong roughly guessed what was going on when he saw his expression, and comforted him:
"Old He, you are still so sullen after winning the battle. Although the attacking troops suffered heavy casualties due to the indiscriminate bombardment of the Japanese, the goal of the battle has been achieved.

It doesn't matter if there are 2,000 or 1,500 Japanese soldiers left. The battlefield is changing rapidly and some emergencies are inevitable. Encircling the Japanese soldiers by the river is the greatest victory."

He Shixian thought about it and realized that this was a regiment of devils. How could they be annihilated so easily? So he raised his eyebrows and said:
"The ferry is still on the riverbank. The remnants of the 68th Regiment can slip away at any time. Should we concentrate our artillery fire to blow them up?"

Gao Zhisong waved his hand and said:
"There's no need. If we really bomb the enemy's ship, it would be like forcing the enemy to fight to the death. If we want to annihilate 2 enemy soldiers who have no way to retreat, the casualties will be huge.
We have to give them hope, then the Japanese will continue to send reinforcements. The more they come, the less pressure there will be on Bengbu City.

It is best not to fight street battles in the North City!"

He Shixian's face looked better now. At least the sacrifice of his brothers was valuable. He came here to ask Gao Zhisong for instructions.

Now he had a clear idea in his mind. After discussing the follow-up countermeasures with Gao Zhisong, he turned and left the brigade headquarters. He also had to convey the brigade's instructions to Commander Gao Jian.

Gao Jian was the former commander of the 523rd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment. After the training in Wuhu, he became the commander of the 88rd Battalion of the nd Detachment. They were both old brothers from the former th Division.

After Gao Zhisong sent He Shixian away, he reported the battle report and his strategy for the next stage to Yue Qianli;

Even though he is Yue Qianli's old brigade commander, he is still the best when it comes to requesting instructions and reporting. After experiencing the bloody battle in Jinling City, he now supports Yue Qianli unconditionally and has become a die-hard fan.

At the headquarters of the 6rd Division, Fujita Susumu's face was much uglier. The attack of the 34th and th Regiments on the railway bridge was not going well, and their attempt to cross the river from both sides of the bridge was also driven back by the defenders.

After several days of fierce attack, they suffered heavy casualties and made no progress, which made him feel embarrassed. They were the Third Division with the strongest offensive power in the empire!

The Chief of Staff Colonel Toshio Tajiri walked in with a beaming look on his face, holding a telegram in his hand, and excitedly reported:
"Your Excellency, the 68th Regiment called and said they have successfully crossed the Huai River and wiped out thousands of enemies!"

Fujita Susumu's expression changed instantly. He took the message with anticipation, and after reading it, he smiled and said:

“Yoshi, Ying Xiaojun did a great job this time. Although he failed to attack the defenders’ position, it was quite important to capture a bridge fort.

Since we can't make any progress in the direction of the railway bridge, we will order the 6th Regiment to quickly reinforce the 68th Regiment, and the 34th Regiment to continue to exert pressure on the front. "

Colonel Tajiri saw that the division commander looked much better and suggested:
"Your Excellency, the 6th and 34th Regiments suffered heavy casualties in the early stages and are in urgent need of reinforcements. The 68th Regiment also suffered many casualties when it broke through the Huaihe River defense line. Can we give them some reinforcements?"

In war, casualties are inevitable. Fujita Susumu did not refuse this request. He nodded and said, "Then we will draw 1 men from the baggage regiment and transfer them to them along with the remaining 2 reinforcements from the division. One regiment has men.
Telegraph to Ying Xiaojun, when the reinforcements arrive, defeat the enemy immediately, then flank the north city, assist the 34th Regiment in breaking through the railway bridge, and occupy Bengbu City! "

Colonel Tajiri finally saw the hope of victory and excitedly took the order and left. Fujita Susumu's mood also improved. He placed high hopes on the right-wing troops, and everything would be easy as long as they crossed the river.

In order to support the operations of the three regiments, Fujita Susumu ordered the 2nd and 3rd Regiments of the Field Heavy Artillery to fire at the North City. He wanted to put enough pressure on the defenders.

The range of the Japanese Type 105 10mm heavy howitzer exceeded kilometers. If they wanted, the shells could reach the north bank of the railway bridge, but that was also the limit.

If they want to attack deep into the northern city area, they have to advance several kilometers.

The Type 105 10800mm heavy howitzer was specially developed by the Japanese for the Chinese battlefield. It has excellent performance, a range of 1750 meters, and a combat weight of only kilograms, less than two tons.

It can be pulled by a few draft horses and does not require a lot of roads, making it very practical as a division-level support firepower.

Now that progress has been made on the Huaihe River front, he is already considering pushing the artillery positions forward a few kilometers so that he can bombard the depths of the northern city. The heavy artillery brigade is a strategic-level weapon on the Chinese battlefield.

North of the Huai River, Shanghai-Nanjing Guerrilla Column Headquarters
Gao Zhisong's call made the atmosphere in the headquarters very good. Yue Qianli couldn't help but praise:
“Lao Gao played very well this time, and had ideas!

When fighting a war, you have to use your brain and lead the enemy by the nose. If the enemy fights the enemy, we fight ours!

I think his steps are not big enough. If the enemy reinforcements come, we should clear the way and let them attack the north city from the side. We still have three detachments watching the show. Wang Jianfei and Duan Yulin are bored to death."

Everyone laughed after hearing this, and Wang Jianfei took over and said:

"I agree with Lao Yue's idea. The biggest killer of the Third Division is its heavy artillery unit. Without the protection of the heavy artillery brigade, it is feasible to concentrate three detachments to annihilate one or two regiments that have crossed the river. One battle will determine the southern line!"

Others expressed their agreement. After all, no one wanted to fight under the fire of the heavy artillery brigade.

Seeing that everyone had no objection, Yue Qianli made up his mind to fight. He ordered Gao Zhisong to clear the road at the right time to let the enemy enter the deep position or flank the north city. He only needed to protect the eastern line and not let friendly forces suffer.

Then a few big heads gathered together to set up a net, preparing a big pocket for the Japanese, and then saw whether the Japanese would take the bait.

(End of this chapter)