Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

"Commander-in-Chief, an urgent telegram from Jining!"

Kawabe Masazo strode over, holding a newly translated telegram in his hand: "Report by Okada Eiji, commander of the 26th Independent Mixed Brigade: This afternoon, the Third Army of the Chinese Army broke into the city, but was met with a head-on attack by our army relying on underground fortifications and disguised firing points."

"The enemy has suffered heavy casualties and has now ceased its offensive across the board, retreating to the city walls and surrounding areas, where it appears to be regrouping."

"Yoshi."

Hata Shunroku breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems that Okamura-kun's judgment was correct."

Hata Shunroku wiped his forehead. "Although the firepower of the Chinese Fifth Army is fierce, it is not good at this kind of complex urban street fighting and tunnel warfare. As long as we rely on our solid underground fortifications to hold our ground, we can deplete their manpower and morale to the maximum extent."

"Order Okada Eiji to continue!"

"Not only must we hold Jining, but we must also attract the main force of the Chinese army like a magnet, buying time for reinforcements."

"Hai!"

Just as Kawabe Masazo was about to turn around and give the order, Hata Shunroku suddenly called out to him.

"Wait!"

Hata Shunroku walked a few steps to the northern end of the map, pressing his baton firmly against the huge blue arrow pointing south of Tianjin and north of Cangzhou.

This blue arrow represents Qian Bojun's Sixth Army Group, which stands like a giant rock across the northern section of the Jinpu Railway.

Hata Shunroku asked urgently, "Has Kitajima-kun reported anything?"

"With the 15th Independent Mixed Brigade in Beiping as their base, and the main force of the Kwantung Army, which is now like a trapped beast, can they form a pincer movement against the Sixth Army Group in China?"

"The key is"

Hata Shunroku's knuckles turned white from the strain. "Can they break through Qian Bojun's blocking line?! Can they re-establish communication between Beiping and Jinan?!"

Upon hearing this, Kawabe Masashi's brows, which had relaxed slightly, furrowed again instantly. He looked troubled and shook his head with difficulty.
"Commander-in-Chief, the situation is not optimistic."

"Qian Bojun's Sixth Army Group has demonstrated astonishing combat effectiveness."

"They not only cut off the railway, but also built deep defensive fortifications along the Machang and Qingxian lines."

"According to aerial reconnaissance reports, the Chinese even used a large number of anti-tank weapons."

"The 29th Division of the Kwantung Army launched several attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy, but was unable to break through their core positions."

"As for the mixed brigade heading towards Beiping..."

He Tianzheng smiled bitterly, "Their forces are barely enough to protect themselves, let alone the Fifth Division. They have no chance of moving south to provide support."

"Qian Bojun's troops were like a nail, firmly nailed there, completely cutting our North China Front Army in two."

"That bastard Chu Yunfei!"

Hata Shunroku slumped down, his hand holding the baton hanging limply, the flame of hope in his eyes quickly fading.

If the northern front cannot be breached, the Kwantung Army will be unable to advance south.

If the Kwantung Army could not advance south, Jinan would be a dead city.

"It seems we can only hope for a decisive battle in central Shandong."

Hata Shunroku glanced at the gloomy sky outside the window, his tone becoming somewhat hesitant: "How is Okamura-kun doing in Beiping? At this point, I'm afraid only he can come up with a way to break this deadlock."

“He’s still in the intensive care unit.” Kawabe Masazo sighed. “The doctor said that the news of the bombing of the Yellow River Iron Bridge was a huge blow to him, and he’s now relying on medication to keep his spirits up.”

Beiping, Japanese Army General Hospital.

Inside the special care ward, the blinds were drawn tightly shut, letting in only a few dim rays of light.

Okamura Neiji lay half-reclined on the hospital bed, his face sallow, his cheekbones high, and he looked as if he had shrunk even more.

"Your Excellency, Commander."

Major General Shinichi Kitajima tiptoed in and reported in a low voice, "I just received a battle report from Nanjing. The Chinese army's offensive in the Jining direction has been thwarted."

"Cough cough."

Okamura Neiji coughed violently a few times, a sickly flush rising to his pale face. His lips twitched as if he wanted to laugh: "I knew it. I knew our carefully constructed defenses would be effective."

"Our Great Japanese Locust Army's civil engineering capabilities are world-class."

"Whether it's Jining or Jinan, we've been digging for so long that the underground has long become a maze."

"It's easy for Chinese people to get in, but hard for them to get out!"

"As long as Jining has not fallen, the flank of the central Shandong defense line is safe."

Okamura Neiji shakily stretched out his hand and pointed to the mountainous area on the map: "As long as we drag the Chinese into this quagmire, we will have a chance. We must hold on. Two divisions are enough to break through the defenses of a Chinese army group."

Seeing Okamura Neiji's self-hypnotic appearance, Kitajima Shinichi felt a pang of sadness and could only nod and agree.

However, the cruelty of the battlefield often does not depend on the commander's will.

Just as the Japanese high command was catching their breath after the Jining offensive was halted, another extremely fierce battle was breaking out on the outskirts of Pei County, not far from Jining.

This was a crucial point in preventing the Japanese army from advancing north from Xuzhou.

The newly formed 35th Division, a unit reorganized from the puppet army, is facing the most severe test since its formation.

In order to open up a passage to the north, the Japanese 65th Division amassed a large force and launched a fierce counterattack on the Woniugang position on the outskirts of Peixian County.

"Hold on! Hold on for me!"

Division Commander Kong Congzhou had already rushed to the front line to supervise the battle.

His military cap was nowhere to be found, his forehead was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, and he was carrying a Mauser pistol as he ran back and forth in the trenches.

At the front lines, Japanese troops launched wave after wave of attacks.

Although the newly formed 35th Division had new equipment, many of its soldiers had not yet fully adapted their tactical skills and mental fortitude. Faced with such a frenzied Japanese army, the defense line was once in grave danger.

"Commander!"

"They can't hold out much longer! The Japanese tanks are coming!"

Kong Congzhou peeked out and saw several Japanese Type 97 tanks leading infantry, about to break through the gap on the left flank.

"Oh shit!"

Kong Congzhou's eyes turned red. He knew that if this place was lost, not only would the 38th Army's flank be exposed, but the entire army would become a laughingstock!
He still has a reserve team, but its composition isn't very good.

Apart from the officers, two-thirds of the personnel were previously reorganized puppet troops, whose combat effectiveness was relatively weak.

Even when walking around the camp, these people always keep their heads down and dare not look their friendly troops in the eye.

The situation is critical, and the responsibility of providing support can only be placed in their hands.

"brothers!"

"In the past, when I took the wrong path and was criticized behind my back, it was because I didn't have a good leader or a good time!"

"This is our last chance to be upright people!"

"The Japanese tanks are right in front of us, and we don't have any anti-tank guns. What should we do?!"

From the crowd, a man with a fierce face, who had once been a puppet army commander, stepped forward. His name was Zhao Daye.

Without saying a word, he took off his shirt, revealing his scars all over his body, and grabbed two bundles of cluster grenades to wrap around himself.

"Commander! No need to say anything more!"

Zhao Daye grinned, a somewhat desolate smile, yet revealing a resolute and heroic spirit: "I was given this life by chance; I should have returned it to the King of Hell long ago."

"Today, we'll risk our lives to shed the dog skin we once wore and fight for a place as a martyr's family member for our children."

"Those who aren't afraid to die, follow me!"

"on!"

"Fight the devils!"

Dozens of soldiers, their bodies strapped with grenades and explosive charges, charged out of the trenches, shouting as they went.

Without any particularly clever tactical maneuvers or cover, they launched a desperate charge directly into the face of Japanese machine guns and tank cannons.

"Da da da da——"

The Japanese machine guns fired wildly, and the soldiers at the forefront fell like wheat being harvested.

Zhao Daye was hit by several bullets, his intestines spilling out, but he didn't utter a sound. With one hand clutching his stomach and the other holding a bomb, he crawled forward in the pool of blood, still ten meters away from the Japanese tank!
Five meters!

"You little devil! Your grandfather is Chinese!!"

With his last bit of strength, Zhao Daye rolled sideways under the tracks of the Japanese tank and detonated the fuse.

"Boom!!!"

Amidst the deafening explosion, the tracks of that once-invincible Japanese tank were blown off, leaving it stranded on the spot, billowing black smoke.

Zhao Daye's figure instantly turned into a bloody mist.

Then, the second, the third
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

These soldiers, who were once considered "spineless" and "traitors," used the most brutal and primitive methods, with their own flesh and blood, to forcefully stop the Japanese offensive!
The position has been held.

The Japanese troops retreated, and reinforcements arrived. When the advance troops that followed saw this scene, everyone fell silent.

Looking at the mangled flesh scattered on the ground, and at the "former puppet army" soldiers who were still charging even in death, the Shaanxi veterans who usually had reservations about this unit all took off their military caps and solemnly saluted.

After winning the battle of Pei County, this unit gained a soul.

They are no longer looked down upon as "ragtag" soldiers, but truly upright and honorable Chinese soldiers!
Meanwhile, outside Jining city.

The battlefield here exudes an eerie tranquility.

Although the gunfire had temporarily ceased, the tension in the air remained undiminished.

Beneath the riverbank, out of the Japanese army's sight, the Third Army's engineering battalion and some infantrymen were shirtless, wielding picks and shovels, working frantically in the mud and water.

"Faster! Move faster!"

"Is the explosives planted?"

"Pay attention to evacuation, and make sure safety is ensured!"

Zhou Tiren stood on a secluded high ground, looking at the murky canal water, his heart filled with anticipation.
Night falls quickly.

In the villages and towns surrounding Jining, long lines of people, supporting the elderly and carrying children, pushing wheelbarrows and carrying loads, silently moved towards safe areas away from low-lying areas under the guidance of Nationalist soldiers.

"Auntie, please keep these eggs for yourself. We have rules; we can't take even a needle or thread from the people!"

A young platoon leader was somewhat at a loss as he declined a basket of boiled eggs that an elderly woman with white hair was trying to give him.

The old woman's hands were trembling, and her eyes were filled with tears: "Child, take it! Take it!"

“We all know that you went to great lengths to bring us out in order to fight the Japanese and to prevent us from suffering.”

“In previous years, when the Japanese invaders entered the village, they burned, killed, and looted. They killed anyone they saw. Unlike you, you even protected us as we walked.”

"Eat up, child, you'll have the strength to kill the Japanese devils!"

The surrounding people chimed in, "Yes, sir, please accept it!"

"As long as we can drive the Japanese devils away and take back our homes, we don't care if we get flooded. We can rebuild our houses, but if we are slaves of a conquered nation, then we have nothing left!"

Zhou Tiren stood beside the jeep.

Seeing this scene, the army commander, who was usually fond of taking credit and somewhat domineering, felt as if something was blocking his throat.

He took off his military cap, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and said to his adjutant beside him, "Remember this, tell the quartermaster to put all the losses the villagers have suffered these past few days on my tab."

"If Your Excellency is unable to issue this compensation after the war, I, Zhou Tiren, will sell my ancestral property in Yunnan to make up for it for the people of Jining!"

"Yes!"

After seeing off the last group of civilians, Zhou Tiren, accompanied by several trusted officers, arrived at the embankment of the Grand Canal.

The river water beneath our feet was surging and roaring, its level so high that it occasionally lapped against the edge of the embankment.

The recent torrential rains that disrupted the logistics of the Fifth Army Group and caused widespread suffering not only blocked roads but also flooded the waterways around Jining.

Not only the Grand Canal in front of us, but also Weishan Lake (South Four Lakes) to the south has seen its water level break the highest record in nearly ten years.

"Commander, look at the water level."

The chief of staff pointed to the murky river and clicked his tongue, saying, "If it rains heavily for another two days, the dike will collapse on its own without us even having to blow it up."

"yes."

Zhou Tiren stood with his hands behind his back, took a deep breath of the humid air, and a sarcastic sigh appeared on his face:

"I was cursing under my breath, hating that the heavens were blind to send down such heavy rain, which delayed our logistics and affected our offensive."

He turned his head, looked at the officers behind him, and sneered, "But who could have imagined it?"

"This very rainstorm that caused us so much trouble has now become our most powerful card!"

"It is truly a matter of timing and fate."

"If it weren't for this torrential rain, and if the water level of Weishan Lake hadn't risen, the water from this canal alone would have been enough to wash the Japanese devils' feet, and wouldn't have been able to flood Jining City at all."

"Now it's all good, even God is helping us kill the Japanese devils!"

"This is what they call the cycle of karma!"

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Tiren's eyes, and he abruptly flicked the cigarette butt into the rolling river.

The next day, early morning.

As dawn broke and the first hint of light appeared in the east, the city of Jining seemed eerily silent, like a giant tomb.

"Reporting to the commander, all preparations are complete. Two companies have also occupied one of the few high points in the city. Shall we detonate it immediately?"

"Detonation!"

With Zhou Tiren's command.

"Boom——!!!"

"Boom——!!!"

Two muffled and enormous explosions rang out almost simultaneously on the north and south sides of Jining City, shaking the earth.

Immediately following was a deafening roar, like a thousand horses galloping.

To the north, the turbid waves of the Grand Canal roared and broke through the gap, like a yellow dragon emerging from the abyss.

To the south, the long-accumulated waters of Weishan Lake flowed back into the blasted ditches, resembling a tiger descending the mountain.

Two torrents, carrying mud, sand, trees, and rocks, rushed towards the low-lying urban area of ​​Jining from two directions with tremendous force.
The Japanese army's underground command post inside Jining City.

Major General Eiji Okada, the brigade commander, was lying on his cot.

Two days ago, they repelled the Third Army's attack.

This allowed him to dream of holding out for a long time and wearing down the Nationalist army.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock."

The strange sound of water woke him up.

"What happened? Where is it leaking?"

Eiji Okada sat up abruptly, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he noticed that a layer of murky mud had accumulated on the ground, and it was rising at a visible speed.

"not good!"

"It's a water attack!"

"The Chinese have breached their dam!"

A terrified and shrill scream came from outside.

Before Okada Eiji could react...

A huge torrent of water has rushed in.

"Quick! Get to the ground!"

however.

It's not just the water from the canal, but also the surging waves that flow back from Weishan Lake.

The sheer volume and force of the water flow far exceeded the Japanese army's expectations.

This scene unfolded in every corner beneath the city of Jining.

Those bunkers, trenches, and hidden troop shelters that the Japanese army was so proud of and had meticulously constructed became their graves at this moment.

Countless Japanese soldiers were drowned in their sleep by the icy river.

They struggled, choked on water, and screamed in the darkness.

However, they could not find an exit due to the intricate tunnel structure.

Or rather, their exit had long been blocked by the flood.

"Grumpy"

The suffocating pain drove the Japanese soldiers to frantically scratch at the wall, their fingernails falling off and blood spilling out, until their lungs were filled with mud and water, and their bodies gradually stiffened.

Those Japanese soldiers who reacted faster and managed to crawl out of the ground were not met with a way out either.

on the street.

The two floods merged, and the water level rose rapidly, quickly reaching above the knees and even the waist.

One by one, the Japanese soldiers, soaked to the bone, crawled out of the sewer manholes and cellar entrances, panting heavily, their faces filled with terror and despair.

"They're coming out! The Japanese devils are coming out!"

The officers and soldiers who had already occupied the high ground saw the Japanese soldiers lying like drowning dogs and quickly pulled the trigger!
"Da da da da da-"

"Avenge our fallen brothers!"

"beat"

P.S.: Wishing my godparents good health, all the best, and peace and happiness every day and year!
P.S.: Currently, the estimated number of chapters needed is 15. Two chapters have already been added, meaning 13 more chapters will be needed next month. (End of Chapter)