Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Chapter 183 Chu Yunfei offers advice on the Battle of Xuzhou: urgently dispatch Tang Enbo to fill in the gaps (Subscription required)
North China Expeditionary Army Headquarters.

Terauchi Juichi has not been in a good mood since he received the call from the Tokyo headquarters.

Because the attack of the Central China Front Army on the Jinpu South Road was blocked.

This caused the headquarters to become even more pessimistic about the prospects of the Battle of Xuzhou.

original.

When Mizu Umejiro was the Vice Minister of the Army in Tokyo.

There is also Mizu Umejiro who supported the combat operations of the North China Expeditionary Army from the perspective of the merger of the North and the South and political considerations.

however.

It was because Mizu Umejiro was transferred to become the commander of the Shanxi First Army.

Officers in Tokyo who could support the North China Expeditionary Army's march southward.

The positions and powers are relatively less.

According to the discussion results of the Tokyo headquarters.

Conquer Xuzhou and maintain local public order, ensure the existence in Henan region, and maintain long-term suppression in Shanxi region.

At least four divisions of troops are needed, at least 80,000 people.

According to the current conscription, organization and corresponding reorganization plan.

It would take until July of 38 to complete the project in Japan.

during this process.

The headquarters needs to adopt a defensive strategy on the Xuzhou front.

Even the offensive operations of the Central China Front Army, which occupied Songhu, Nanjing, and parts of Anhui, were called off.

The Tokyo headquarters immediately launched a plan to form an expeditionary force in Central China.

The former Central China Front Army and Shanghai Expeditionary Army were reorganized.

The reason why the Japanese army stopped the action was actually related to the international public opinion pressure at that time.

In his book "Japanese Atrocities Witnessed by Foreigners", Timberly, a reporter for the British Manchester Herald, called the Japanese atrocities in Nanjing "an unprecedented record of brutality in modern history" and "the darkest page in the history of modern civilization."

Even the representative of Germany, Japan's ally at the time, reported to his own government: "It is not this or that Japanese who committed the crime, but the brutal criminal behavior of the entire Japanese Imperial Army. They are a beast machine in operation, a group of beasts."

No one likes an inhuman beast.

Even the Germans at this time.

At this time, most of the Japanese troops were no different from animals.

Especially those Japanese soldiers who participated in the Battle of Nanjing, Chu Yunfei will not let any of them go.

The attack was not going well, and there was also a need to eliminate the impact of the Battle of Nanjing.

February 1938, 2. (Note ①)
The Japanese military headquarters issued an order to dissolve the combat sequence of the Central China Front Army, the Shanghai Expeditionary Army and the 10th Army, and summoned the commanders and headquarters of the Central China Front Army, the Shanghai Expeditionary Army and the 10th Army to return to the country.

At the same time, an order was issued to organize the battle sequence of the Central China Expeditionary Force, with General Hata Shunroku as commander and the headquarters located in Nanjing.

下辖第3、第6、第9、第13、第18、第101师团，步兵第10旅团（天谷支队），第3飞行团。

According to the original offensive plan, the North China Expeditionary Army's offensive would have to begin as early as April.

However, the situation did not develop according to the judgment and prediction of the old devils.

As General Zhang Zizhong's 59th Army arrived at the front line.

Chief of Staff Xu Yan Mou had also arrived in Linyi to supervise the battle.

Although he kept calling him Brother Pang.

But it was impossible for Li Zongren to completely trust someone like Pang Bingxun.

The Japanese attacked for such a long time and captured quite a few places.

But to be honest, the Third Corps has been fighting with the Fifth Division for fifteen days.

But in reality, their casualties had not yet exceeded one thousand.

Although Pang Bingxun was determined to fight the Japanese to the end.

The lower middle classes are still fighting a slippery battle.
The Japanese did not use their full strength in the attack; instead, the one who contributed the most was the Imperial Army Commander Liu Heizi.

It is precisely because of this that we can maintain the situation on the battlefield.

With the formation of the Sakamoto Detachment, the Japanese invaders launched another attack, which was different from the previous attack force of the Imperial Army mixed with a small number of Japanese troops.

The firepower is not just a little bit strong.

Especially since they were protected by airplanes, artillery, and even armored vehicles and tanks as soon as they moved, the officers and soldiers of the Third Corps suffered terribly for a while.

The Japanese army launched a general offensive.

The two sides began to fight back and forth for each village.

Pang Bingxun's brows were furrowed since the fierce battle was escalating.

There were at least three to four hundred casualties every day.

At most, the number of casualties exceeded a thousand (self-reported, actually there were no casualties, just for Xu Yanmou to see.)
Pang Bingxun's combat deployment was: to use the 231st and 232nd Regiments of the 116th Brigade, equipped with two mountain cannons, as the frontal defense force of Linyi, commanded by Brigade Commander Li Yuntong.

The 115th Brigade (minus the 229th Regiment) was used as the right-wing covering force, commanded by Brigade Commander Zhu Jiaqi (who was dismissed from his post but retained his position to make up for his crime while serving his sentence).

The 229th Regiment, the Supplementary Regiment, the Special Service Battalion and the Engineer Battalion serve as the general reserve.

It was commanded by Li Zhenqing, commander of the supplementary regiment, and Ma Fawu, commander of the 39th Division, was the commander-in-chief of the front line.

After the Japanese general attack.

Pang Bingxun immediately sought reinforcements from Li Zongren.

But instead of reinforcements, a telegram came.

"Linyi is the barrier of Xuzhou. We must defend it to the death to stop the enemy from advancing."

After putting down the telegram in his hand, Pang Bingxun felt a little disappointed.

Staff Chief Xu took a puff of his cigarette and said soothingly, "Don't worry, Commander Pang. When I set out, Chu Yunfei's troops had already headed north to Xuzhou. They will surely be able to reinforce us at any time."

Pang Bingxun's eyes lit up when he heard this: "But is it the ace unit that was awarded the Flying Tiger Honor Flag?"

"Exactly."

Chief of Staff Xu nodded and said, "Ten days ago, they led a battle against the 26th Brigade of the Japanese invaders on the north bank of the Huai River, successfully killing more than 5,000 enemies and completely wiping out these Japanese beasts who committed heinous crimes in Nanjing."

"According to the report of Yu Xuezhong, commander of the 51st Army, the soldiers spontaneously built a memorial with the corpses of the Japanese invaders and left them on their original positions to deter the Japanese invaders from continuing their invasion to the north."

"To date, the Japanese invaders have not continued to attack the Huaihe River position for twelve days."

Pang Bingxun didn't care about the Huai River or not.

He is under a lot of pressure now.

Every attack by the Japanese invaders was accompanied by bombing and strafing by aircraft.

These little Japanese devils would also throw incendiary bombs on the positions.

A raging fire broke out, affecting the soldiers' combat operations.

On the front battlefield, the cavalry was the first wave of attack by the Japanese army. After the artillery and bombing ended, they would shout and launch a charge.

Just after the cavalry was repelled, the Japanese infantry would continue to attack under the cover of tanks.

If there is any obstacle in the wave attack, artillery fire or even air force will be used to clear the way.

Tactical offense is always the same old thing..
The two sides fought repeatedly for the frontline positions. Often when the Japanese invaders had just captured a position, they would try to repair it at night.

Then the organized suicide squad will charge forward.

The Japanese troops were defeated using a combination of machetes and grenades.

The Japanese attack and occupation were basically carried out in small teams.

In fact, Shun Sakamoto did not take this group of ragtag troops seriously, which was why he maintained a relatively "low-intensity" continuous offensive.

This is also because the Tokyo headquarters and even the Second Army Commander Nishio Toshizo have never been able to make up their minds.

Otherwise, part of the main force of the 10th Division would have continued its attack southward along the Jinpu Railway.

Instead of staying in Zou County area for rest and replenishment.

"Reporting to Commander Li, the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 229th Regiment, Wang Dazhang, was killed in action."

"Got it, choose another battalion commander!"

"Yes!"

Li Zhenqing sighed and answered the call from the headquarters: "Report to Commander Pang."

"whats the matter?"

"Wang Dazhang, the commander of the third battalion of the 229th Regiment, was killed in the battle. His troops suffered more than 300 casualties. The casualties of the troops were quite heavy."

"When all the soldiers are killed, the officers will take over the battle. No matter what, we cannot hand over the position to the Japanese."

"Yes, the people are at the position."

Pang Bingxun hung up the phone.

He continued to sigh in front of Xu Yanmou. The head of the 229th Regiment, Shao Ensan, had already been injured and sent to the hospital.

Not only did Li Zhenqing command two regiments alone, he also had other directly subordinate troops.

The reserve force sounds good, but it will be used when the Japanese really attack.

There was no such thing as a reserve force; all positions would be hit at almost the same time.

After Chief of Staff Xu finished smoking the cigarette, he walked towards the confidential room.

Ma Fawu, who was standing by, whispered, "Sir, has Chief of Staff Xu gone to report the situation?"

Pang Bingxun frowned slightly, he couldn't figure out what was going on.
But the Japanese invaders had obviously already started the general offensive and it was impossible for reinforcements to arrive at this time.

Pang Bingxun obviously still had hope for reinforcements.

"Commander, the Japanese army has a tendency to send more troops to Zou County. Commander Li has determined that the Japanese invaders are likely to move south to Teng County in the near future and attack the defense zone of the 22nd Army Group. Commander Sun has decided to attack instead of defend and launch an attack on the Japanese troops in the direction of Liangxiadian and Shimapo."

After Qian Dajun finished his report, he stood obediently in front of Chiang Kai-shek's right.

"The 22nd Army Group...Jin Kang has already set off to return to Sichuan?"

"Yes, we are already on our way back to Sichuan."

After Deng Jinkang left, Sun Zhen took over as acting commander-in-chief of the 22nd Army.

The reason why he returned to Sichuan was because Sichuan King Liu Xiang was seriously ill.

He needs to go back and take charge of the situation.

"Attack instead of defense. Yes, attack is also for better defense. If we keep defending Teng County, we will definitely not be able to hold it with the combat effectiveness of the 22nd Sichuan Army Group."

"What the chairman said is true."

Chiang Kai-shek was silent for a moment, then said, "Did Yunfei ask for another fight?"

"Their trains have not yet been successfully dispatched."

Chiang Kai-shek's brows knitted together instantly, and he asked, suppressing his anger, "What's the reason?"

"The Japanese bombing had a significant impact on transportation along the Jinpu Railway."

"A few days?"

"It is estimated that it will take another two days for Chu Yunfei's troops to arrive in Xuzhou..."

Qian Dajun then added: "It will take at least two days to support Linyi from Xuzhou. Even if it is a forced march, it will take a day and a night. If something happens in Linyi, Chu Yunfei's troops will not be able to make it in time. However, the 59th Army has already arrived at the outskirts of Linyi..."

Chiang Kai-shek's frown remained on his face. "Order the Fifth War Zone to quickly coordinate the transfer work. If necessary, issue a direct order in my name. Even if it is a special train for wounded soldiers, it must make way for the transfer of Chu Yunfei's troops."

"Yes!"

Although the main force has not arrived.

But Chu Yunfei and his guard company had already arrived in Xuzhou by this time.

Subsequent troops will arrive in Tongcheng one after another and follow the original combat orders.

Go to Zaozhuang to be on standby and ready to provide reinforcements to Linyi or Tengxian areas at any time.

At this time, inside the headquarters of the commander of the Fifth War Zone.

Chu Yunfei met Li Zongren again.

On the one hand, in order to express gratitude, Li Zongren provided them with a lot of supplies according to Chang Kaishen's orders.

There are only so many supplies of all kinds.

To whom is it not given?
Moreover, the fighting on the front line was fierce, and it was obvious that the 22nd Army of the Sichuan Army, the 3rd Army, and the 3rd Corps under Pang Bingxun's command all needed these supplies.

But Li Zongren still resolutely carried out the orders given by Chang Kai-shen.

In addition, some of the guns and ammunition came from the World War II zone.

The fact that it was able to arrive in Xuzhou so quickly actually proves a point.

At least at this point in time, Li Zongren had no intention of cheating him.

But if Li Zongren had a little more careful thoughts.

It is not so easy to transport these things to Xuzhou so quickly.

Chu Yunfei naturally respected him, even though they couldn't pee in the same pot.

In the Battle of Taierzhuang, apart from the final misjudgment due to intelligence issues, the performance of Tang Enbo's troops did not meet expectations.

Throughout the early stage of the Battle of Xuzhou, Li Zongren's command could be described as excellent.

Change the commander.

Even though there was a Kaifeng Conference to rectify military discipline, Chiang Kai-shek even commended the generals of the miscellaneous troops in person.

That does not necessarily mean that they are capable of integrating these ragtag forces.

And let those who are sincere give their best.

"Captain Li, according to Yunfei's opinion, the Japanese Fifth Division and the Tenth Division are like two iron pincers, attacking Xuzhou from both sides."

"The best strategy is to use the elite 59th Army to cooperate with our troops, together with the main force of the 3rd Army Corps, to attack the 5th Division's Sakamoto Detachment, defeat them, even crush them, annihilate them, and break their iron pincers."

"Then, we will draw fresh troops to defend Linyi to prevent the main force of the Fifth Division from counterattacking. At the same time, we will use the strength of five divisions to fight against the main force of the Tenth Division. This will greatly increase our chances of winning."

Li Zongren shook his head and immediately denied it, saying, "This way of fighting is too risky. If there is even a slight mistake, the Fifth War Zone will run out of troops to mobilize."

When playing cards, if you play the trump card first, it will naturally confuse the opponent.

But if it cannot lay the foundation for victory, then this trump card will naturally be of little significance.

"Although I am not optimistic about the prospect of defeating and annihilating part of the main force of the Fifth Division, it is the best option for the current strategic situation."

"The middle strategy is to send the 59th Army to reinforce Linyi, use offensive operations to tie down some of the Japanese invaders' attacking forces, and reduce the pressure on the Third Army's frontal defense. Judging from the current intelligence and strategic situation, the Japanese invaders do not seem to have any plans for a large-scale attack.

Even if it means making considerable sacrifices, we can still achieve the goal of delaying the situation.”

Li Zongren nodded repeatedly when he heard this: "Yes, what's the next step?"

“The worst option is to sit back and watch the Third Corps and the 22nd Army Group being crushed and annihilated by the Japanese invaders.

Although the purpose of buying time can also be achieved, the troops in the fifth war zone will inevitably become divided after this battle.

Not only will they disobey Commander Li’s orders, they will no longer have the slightest trust in the central government.”

Li Zongren was filled with emotion and nodded.

He sat on a chair beside him and motioned Chu Yunfei to sit beside him.

"Yun Fei, you're right. Although the chairman has changed his mind about consuming the miscellaneous troops, trust cannot be established overnight."

Li Zongren spoke in a calm tone and slowly. Although his voice was low, it was very powerful and went straight to people's hearts.

“I admit that the Central Army is relatively strong in terms of training and fighting spirit, but the miscellaneous army is also part of the National Revolutionary Army’s combat sequence and China’s national defense force.

We must not sit idly by and watch them being wiped out by the Japanese army... Otherwise, the Chairman and I will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history, become sinners, and be cursed."

Chu Yunfei remained silent and did not express his opinion directly. He nodded slightly and continued: "If Linyi is in danger, Yunfei will lead his troops to provide support."

"Aren't you worried that if all your troops are killed, you won't be able to explain to Brother Baichuan or even the Chairman?"

Chu Yunfei shook his head: "As a soldier, I am not afraid of death. Since we are willing to go out to fight, we are naturally mentally prepared."

"We should strive to bring honor to the people of Shanxi and bring glory to the Chinese soldiers. This is the mission and task of the 358th Brigade."

He shoulders the expectations of the people of Shanxi and the entire five war zones.

They are an elite, ace force.

If we don’t rely on the 358th Brigade, can we rely on others?
If such issues were discussed in a teahouse.

Some people wondered why they would rely on a brigade-level combat force.

Everyone would tell him in unison: "The 358th Brigade is a combat unit directly under the theater of operations. It is an ace unit. It is the first and only combat unit in the combat sequence of the National Government and the National Revolutionary Army to be awarded the Flying Tiger Honor Flag!"

In fact, this is enough to explain everything.

After completely annihilating the 118th Regiment, Chiang Kai-shek not only rewarded them, but also provided them with troops and equipment.

No other statement..
Did they play badly?
No.

But Chiang Kai-shek was unwilling to express his opinion.

Otherwise, the war has been going on for twelve days, and at least there should be a set of rules.

"It would be great if all generals had the same awareness as you, Yun Fei."

He is selfless and has sufficient command ability and integrity, as well as personal charm.

The most important thing is youth.

Li Zongren seemed to see the future of Chu Yunfei, who was shouldering the national cause.

After a moment, he stood up and said, "Yun Fei, go back and wait for the news. I will report the situation to the chairman immediately..."

"If the 10th Division launches an attack, we can directly dispatch Corps Commander Tang's troops to provide support."

Chu Yunfei suggested loudly: "Before this, I was in Yangquan with Commander Tang. The strength of his one division was enough to resist the attack of the 40th Brigade of the Japanese invaders. The combat effectiveness of his troops was also at the forefront of the Central Army. If we have the help of Tang's troops, our army will surely win the battle of Teng County or Linyi!"

①: The Central China Expeditionary Army was established on February 2, which is slightly later than the book says.

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(End of this chapter)