Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Nanjing, the headquarters of the China Expeditionary Army.

Commander-in-Chief General Shunroku Hata stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, clutching a top-secret telegram that had just been sent from the Tokyo headquarters.

"Your Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief."

Lieutenant General Masazo Kawabe, the Chief of the General Staff, walked up behind him and said in a low voice, "The General Headquarters' intentions are very clear."

"Given the fact that the 11th Army was disbanded, the defense of Central China was weak, and the Chinese army demonstrated unprecedented offensive power in North and South China."

Headquarters determined that the Central China defense line could not be held for long.

"The order to our army is: 'Resolutely abandon strategic locations such as Wuchang and Hanyang, and rapidly consolidate our forces, making the preservation of our manpower the top priority.'"

"in addition."

He paused for a moment, then said, “The headquarters has emphasized that we must do everything possible to transport all industrial equipment, raw materials, and plundered precious metals from the Wuhan area back to the mainland. We must not leave them to the Chinese.”

"Huh, that's natural."

Hata Shunroku sneered, turned around and walked to his desk, casually tossing the telegram into the wastepaper basket: "I knew this day would come the day the Eleventh Army became history."

"Central China today is nothing more than an empty shell barely maintained by the remnants of the 3rd and 116th Divisions."

He pointed to the location of the Yangtze River waterway on the map: "The machine tools from the Hanyang Arsenal, the equipment from the Wuchang Cotton Mill, and the thousands of tons of non-ferrous metals that we have stockpiled over the years have all been loaded onto the ships."

"But, Mr. Kawabe."

Hata Shunroku's eyes turned sinister: "Want to leave? Not so easy."

"Those two mad dogs, Xue Yue and Sun Lianzhong, will pounce on us soon. This is very likely not a retreat, but a dance on the edge of a knife."

At this point, Hata Shunroku gestured for Kawabe to pick up the phone on the table: "Connect to Beiping."

"I want to hear Okamura's opinion."

……

Peking, North China Front Army Headquarters.

The once lifeless and anxious command center suddenly fell silent.

All the staff officers and adjutants stopped what they were doing, stood up straight, and looked toward the door with awe.

There, a thin, pale but still upright figure was walking in step by step, leaning on a command sword.

It's Okamura Yasuji.

He has been discharged from the hospital.

Despite repeated warnings from doctors that his heart could not withstand any further stimulation, and despite looking like a dead man, he still pulled out the IV drip and forced himself to return to this place that symbolized the brain of the Japanese army in North China.

"Your Excellency Commander!"

Chief of Staff Major General Shinichi Kitajima was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes, and he quickly stepped forward to help him up.

"Get out of the way!"

Okamura Neiji gave a low shout, his voice not loud, but it carried a chilling pressure.

He pushed Shinichi Kitajima aside and walked to the head seat to sit down.

At this moment, the decadence and despair that had permeated the command center seemed to have largely dissipated with the return of this old man.

No matter how bad the situation gets, as long as this pillar of strength remains, the spirit of the North China Front Army will not be lost!

"Jingle Bell--"

Soon, the phone rang.

Okamura Neiji took a deep breath and picked up the microphone: "I am Okamura Neiji."

The voice of Hata Shunroku came from the other end of the phone, tinged with anxiety and inquiry: "Okamura-kun, how are you feeling?"

"The headquarters ordered that Wuhan be abandoned and the withdrawal be halted."

"Since the 11th Army was disbanded, each division has been fighting independently. Even with me coordinating from the center, it's difficult to coordinate. I'd like to hear your opinion."

Okamura Neiji narrowed his eyes slightly, not answering directly, but instead asking, "Commander-in-Chief, do you think the main force of the Chinese army will allow us to withdraw safely?"

Hata Shunroku was silent for a moment: "It will be difficult. The Chinese army has ample resources and high morale for this major counter-offensive. It won't be able to withdraw in such a short time."

"Therefore, if we were to evacuate or retreat normally, it would inevitably lead to a dead end."

At this moment, Okamura Yasuji remained extremely calm: "There is no unified command of any army in Central China. If the divisions keep retreating, they will inevitably be torn to pieces by the Chinese air force and interception forces on the Yangtze River."

"To survive, you have to cut off your tail!"

How to determine the outcome?

"Abandon all large equipment that cannot be taken with you and blow it up."

Okamura Neiji slammed his fingers on the table: "Abandon all heavy equipment that would hinder troop evacuation, prioritizing the preservation of manpower."

"The main forces of each division should not cross the Yangtze River, but instead take the land route!"

"Taking advantage of the complex terrain on the southern slopes of the Dabie Mountains, we will break up into smaller groups and advance towards Anhui and Jiangsu."

“These facilities are the tools for our country’s self-sufficiency. If we destroy them directly, the headquarters will not agree to our opinion.”

A ruthless glint flashed in Okamura Neiji's eyes: "Then transport as much as you can. As for what you can't transport, blow it all up. At the very least, we should turn the three towns of Wuchang into ruins for the Chinese!"

Hata Shunroku, on the other end of the phone, felt a chill run down his spine, but he had to admit that this was currently the only viable "way to survive."

“I understand, Okamura-kun.”

Hata Shunroku sighed: "North China."

"The Commander-in-Chief need not worry about North China."

Okamura Neiji raised his head, glanced at the staff officers before him who had regained their fighting spirit, and a sinister smile appeared on his pale face:

"We will turn central Shandong and the Shandong-Beijing region into a giant meat grinder, a millstone that devours the flesh and blood of the Chinese!"

"If Chu Yunfei wants to devour our main force, we'll have to see if he has the teeth to do so."

"I understand. I will personally explain this to headquarters."

After hanging up the phone, Okamura Neiji slowly scanned the entire room.

"Gentlemen!"

He forced himself to stand up, his voice hoarse but full of fervor: "I know the current situation is very difficult."

"The Kwantung Army's reinforcements were blocked, and the 32nd Division was completely annihilated."

"but!"

"The Japanese army's military fortune is long-lasting and will never end here!"

"We still have the strong defenses of Jinan, and our unwavering loyalty to His Majesty the Heavenly Locust!"

"The enemy's attack speed is slowing down, which means that their casualties are also very high."

"While I was recuperating in the hospital, I had already formulated a new 'Strike No. 1' operation plan."

Okamura Yasuji drew his command sword, the tip pointing directly at Jinan on the map: "From now on, the North China Area Army will not retreat, but will instead advance to find an opportunity to launch a swift attack."

"Hai!!!"

All the staff officers roared in unison. Their morale, which had been low, was miraculously rekindled under the frenzied encouragement of this sick old man, turning into a near-desperate fervor.

However, they did not know that at the very moment they swore allegiance...

Outside Jinan.

The dozens of heavy cannons in the eighty-eight episodes have raised their dark muzzles, aiming at the lonely city that is about to become hell.
-
In western Shandong, above Jinan, the sun shines unhindered over the North China Plain.

9:00 am.

The roar of massive engines echoed through the clouds as a formation of B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, painted with the Kuomintang emblem and shark mouth markings, swaggered over the city of Jinan in a neat triangular formation.

Inside the cockpit of the lead aircraft, Liu Zhenting, the squadron leader of the 1st Squadron of the Air Force, leisurely adjusted his flight sunglasses and turned to look at the co-pilot: "Old Zhang, what time is it?"

"9:05." The co-pilot glanced at the instrument panel, then yawned somewhat boredly, and looked around at the empty blue sky through the porthole: "Squadron Leader, we're already flying right above Tuqiao, how come we still haven't seen a single bird?"

"I remember the intelligence said that there was a Japanese air squadron at Quancheng Airport, right?"

Liu Zhenting chuckled dismissively, gripping the control stick firmly: "Which flight squadron?"

"Back when we blew up the bridge, the escort fleet stopped by Quancheng Airport on their way back."

"I heard that the Japanese planes had just taxied out of the hangar when they were shot down on the runway and riddled with bullets. Those American pilots even received tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses for it, which made the bastards in the escort squadron extremely envious."

"I heard that Sister-in-law Chu (Song Wenying) went to visit the militia?"

"Yes, he also brought a shadow puppet troupe and a drama troupe."

at this time.

The machine gunner in the back seat chimed in via radio, his tone filled with the regret of a hero whose talents have been wasted:

"Captain, I'm getting less and less work as a machine gunner." "I feel like my twin-mounted Browning heavy machine gun is about to rust."

"I just saw two Japanese Type 97 fighters try to take off, but they had barely pulled up two hundred meters when our escorting Mustangs caught up with them and shot them down in mid-air. It was all over in the blink of an eye, and I didn't even bother to report it."

The crew members burst into lighthearted laughter.

For a long time, Japanese warplanes were the sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of Chinese soldiers and civilians.

And now, in the skies above Jinan.

The Chinese Air Force moved through unmanned territory!

Japanese air force aircraft either ran out of fuel to take off or were shot down as soon as they appeared, having completely lost air superiority.

"Alright, stop joking around."

Liu Zhenting's smile faded, and his gaze locked onto the besieged, isolated city below: "Although we haven't encountered any resistance, we can't be careless with the mission."

"This time we're not carrying bombs, we're carrying a death warrant for the Japanese devils."

"Open the bomb bay!"

"Bombers, prepare!"

"Don't aim at any bunkers or fortifications, just scatter them where there are lots of people, scatter them on top of that Japanese headquarters building!"

"Yes!"

With a mechanical creak of hydraulic levers, the bomb bay door on the belly of the B-25 bomber slowly opened.

No dark, lumps of iron fell down.

"bomb!"

Bundles of specially made "bombs," whose straps had already been untied, roared out and scattered instantly under the impact of the airflow.

In an instant, it seemed as if a blizzard was falling from the sky.

Millions of leaflets, gleaming brightly in the sunlight, fluttered and covered the streets and alleys of Jinan, as well as every inch of the Japanese army's positions.

……

The headquarters of the 12th Army in Jinan.

The piercing air raid siren, though mournful, carried a sense of powerless despair.

Lieutenant General Tuqiao stood by the window but did not take refuge in the underground air-raid shelter.

He looked up at the few bombers with the Kuomintang emblem flying low overhead, his face ashen, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh.

"Why didn't you fight back?!"

"Where are our anti-aircraft guns?!"

"Where are our air force?!"

The chief of staff behind him bowed his head, his voice filled with bitterness: "Commander, the anti-aircraft artillery units are running low on ammunition. In order to deal with possible urban warfare, the remaining shells have been strictly ordered to be used for direct fire against tanks."

As for the air force

"In order to support the war effort in North China, the Central China region is carrying out emergency evacuation and relocation work, and the few land-based air forces have been transferred and deployed to the Wuchang area."

"Now, the skies over North China belong to the Chinese."

Just then, a fluttering piece of paper landed at Tuqiao's feet.

Tuqiao instinctively bent down and picked it up.

It was printed with high-resolution photos that were visually striking:

On the left are the steel bridge broken in the turbid Yellow River and the wreckage of a Japanese train;
On the right are Japanese commander's swords that were seized after the fall of Yanzhou and piled up like firewood.

The bold, large characters in the middle are like a sword piercing the heart:

"The Yellow River Bridge is broken, northern reinforcements are cut off, and the 32nd Division in Yanzhou is annihilated!"

"Baka, baka yarou!"

Tsuchibashi stared at the flyer, his whole body trembling violently: "Confiscate it! Go confiscate it now!"

The "paper bullets" flew everywhere like snowflakes, landing in the hands of every terrified Japanese soldier and in the hearts of this isolated city on the verge of collapse.

Similarly, the Japanese military did not lack good news.

From the perspective of the Japanese army in North China, at least, the Sixth Army under Qian Bojun had already suffered heavy losses and was no longer able to stop them from advancing south.

Southern part of the Hebei Plain, the front line of the horse farm.

The air here is thick with the suffocating smell of blood and scorched earth.

The incessant roar of heavy artillery plowed the earth again and again.

The forward command post of the Sixth Army Group was located in a reinforced semi-underground bunker, with sand constantly falling from above and covering the map.

"Commander!"

"The 138th Division has called; the position cannot be held!"

A staff officer covered in blood stumbled in, roaring, "The Kwantung Army has concentrated its tanks and is using them as direct-fire artillery. We've run out of anti-tank ammunition and still can't stop them. Everyone below suspects that the Japanese have deployed all of their few heavy artillery regiments here."

"And the remnants of the Fifth Division!"

"They are crossing the river from the flank and trying to outflank us from the rear; our forces are too scattered."

Bad news kept coming in.

Qian Bojun's face was covered in soot, his eyes were sunken, and the cigarette in his hand had burned his fingers, but he was completely unaware.

"withstand!"

"Hold on for me!"

Qian Bojun stubbed out his cigarette and roared hoarsely, "Tell all the division commanders that anyone who dares to retreat even half a step will be killed by me!"

"Your Excellency's order is to hold the line to the death; we must not allow the Japanese to advance south and reinforce Jinan!"

However, Qian Bojun's loss of composure could not mask the harsh reality.

The Sixth Army faced the remnants of the Japanese Fifth Division, the most elite unit in the army, as well as two well-equipped and fully manned main force divisions of the Kwantung Army that had just entered the pass.

Three times their own strength, with almost equal firepower.

The offensive operation has been going on for a full ten days since it turned into a defensive battle.

In these ten days, the Sixth Army Group has suffered more than one-third of its casualties.

Many companies were reduced to just a few men, barely clinging on by sheer willpower.

Chief of Staff Qian Zhaoyou gritted his teeth, strode over to Qian Bojun, grabbed him as he was about to order a desperate defense, and said urgently and solemnly, "Commander-in-Chief, listen to my advice, we can't keep pushing like this!"

"The casualties among our brothers have been too heavy these past few days!"

"If this continues, our Sixth Army Group will be wiped out before we even take Quancheng!"

Qian Bojun's eyes were red: "We have to fight even if we lose all our troops. If we send tens of thousands of fresh troops down and something goes wrong in Quancheng, we can't afford the responsibility!"

"Commander, you're being foolish!"

"Currently, the 36th, 19th, and 15th Group Armies have been deployed to the battle in central Shandong, and Your Excellency has ample troops at your disposal."

"The commander is in Liaocheng. If we don't report to him, he won't know our situation. We can't grit our teeth and bear it any longer!"

Qian Bojun paused for a moment, the mania in his eyes gradually subsiding, and reason returning: "Brother Wu Guan, but before the battle, I used my collective honor from the sixth episode as..."

"Oh dear, why bring this up now? You've followed the Lord for almost twenty years. Do you think the Lord would get angry over a single boast from you?"

"Makes sense."

Qian Bojun was a man who listened to advice, so he immediately stroked his chin, pondering how to start the conversation.

Seeing this, Qian Zhaoyou continued to persuade, "Chief, since they want to go south, then let them go south!"

"We'll clear the main road and move our main force to the flanks, creating an opening!"

"We call this 'luring the enemy into a trap'!"

"What difference would it make if we let them rush to the north bank of the Yellow River?"

"There's no bridge there, so the Japanese can only travel by boat. Our air force bombers are waiting for them!"

"Then we'll cut off their supplies from the flanks and rear, and slowly take them down!"

"If we don't open a breach soon, and our momentum is broken, our defenses will collapse completely, and that will really cause a huge mess!"

Qian Bojun stared at the map, remaining silent for a long time.

He's a tough guy, but not a fool.

He knew Qian Zhaoyou was right; a direct confrontation now was like throwing an egg against a rock—utterly pointless. "In that case," he said, "let's send a telegram to Your Excellency, explaining our unit's operational strategy." (End of Chapter)