Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

South China, bordering Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces, north of Pingjiang.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the 27th Group Army.

The sweltering, humid air enveloped the hilly area, and mosquitoes swarmed around the dim lantern.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Ou Zhenzheng frowned as he stared at the line from Linxiang to Tongcheng on the map.

As the battle drew closer, based on past experience in fighting the Japanese, the Japanese army would inevitably launch a preemptive surprise attack.

As for how the Japanese army learned of their battle plans...
For these high-ranking commanders of the National Revolutionary Army, this matter had become almost commonplace.

Before long, a staff officer came running over, sweating profusely, and handed him an urgent telegram: "Sir, it's a telegram from Commander Xue."

Ou Zhen took the telegram, his eyes quickly scanning it, his pupils suddenly contracting.

The telegram was extremely brief.

"Your unit is ordered to launch a full-scale attack on the enemy in front of you immediately, and must break through the Japanese 40th Division's defenses before dawn tomorrow and advance towards the Yangtze River."

"Xue Yue".

"Fight now?"

Ou Zhen looked up in disbelief, gesturing on the map with his finger: "Has Commander Xue gone mad?"

"Our friendly forces on the flanks are still on their way to assemble, and Wang Yaowu's main force of the 24th Army Group has not yet arrived. If we launch an attack now, what if that old Japanese devil Aoki Seiichi turns on us?"

Lieutenant General Seiichi Aoki, commander of the Japanese 40th Division, was known as a tough nut to crack in the Ninth War Zone.

Although it was not a regular division of the Japanese army, its combat effectiveness was by no means inferior.

Mountain warfare, in particular, was not something the National Revolutionary Army was good at.

"Could the telegram have been mistranslated?"

The chief of staff next to him hesitated, "According to the original plan, the general offensive should have started in three days."

"Send a power to Li Yutang's army corps!"

Ou Zhen made a quick decision. At this critical juncture, he needed to find someone who could get information: "Ask him if he has received the same order, or if Commander-in-Chief Yang Sen has made any new arrangements?"

For the next two hours, radio communication between Pingjiang and Xiushui continued uninterrupted.

The telegraph operator's fingers almost sparked as he typed until two telegrams with nearly identical contents were placed on Ou Zhen and Li Yutang's desks.

Only then did both parties confirm it.

Xiushui, the headquarters of Li Yutang's army corps.

Li Yutang slammed the telegram on the table, a fierce look of desperation on his face: "Since the superior has given a death order, there's nothing more to say!"

"Fang Xianjue, please!"

The call connected, and Li Yutang's voice boomed so loudly it made the receiver vibrate: "I've spoken with Commander Ou, and you'll be leading the charge in this attack!"

"Commander Ou's 37th Army under Roch will cooperate with our attack. I need you to break through Aoki Seiichi's defenses!"

……

At dawn, south of Linxiang, the forward positions of the Japanese 40th Division.

A thin mist shrouded the mountains and forests, and in the deathly silence, a deafening roar suddenly erupted.

Shells rained down on the defensive positions that the Japanese had previously built.

Fang Xianjue personally supervised the battle, and the 10th Reserve Division, as the vanguard, launched a desperate charge towards the Japanese high ground under the leadership of Division Commander Sun Mingjin, like a tiger released from its cage.

Meanwhile, the 37th Army on the left flank, under Roach's command, also launched an offensive.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Mortar shells exploded on the Japanese positions, sending up plumes of smoke and dust.

The Nationalist soldiers charging forward had bloodshot eyes, gripped their rifles and grenades tightly, and were ready to face the Japanese machine gun fire and hand-to-hand combat.

However, something strange happened.

The expected intense machine gun fire did not occur.

Even the chilling sound of a grenade launcher exploding did not ring out.

"Kill them all!!!"

The vanguard company of soldiers charged up to the first Japanese trench.
“No one?!”

A platoon leader kicked open the bunker door, only to find it empty except for some scattered cans and a few sheets of toilet paper on the ground.

"Company commander!"

"The devils ran away!"

Just then, a white flag suddenly appeared on a distant hilltop.

Several hundred puppet soldiers, dressed in yellow uniforms, marched out in neat rows, some even with their rifle bolts removed, their hands raised high.

The leader of the puppet army regiment, upon seeing the Nationalist soldiers charging at him, knelt down with a thud and shouted, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Nationalist brothers! We're defecting! We're revolting!"

after an hour.

"Commander!"

Sun Mingjin rode up at breakneck speed, his expression extremely strange: "This is bizarre! This is really bizarre!"

When Fang Xianjue received the report from the front, he was looking through his binoculars, puzzled: "Where are those Japanese devils?"

"The Japanese troops right in front of us have vanished overnight!"

"According to the surrendered puppet troops, the Japanese devils quietly withdrew last night, abandoning their supplies and running faster than rabbits!"

"What about those bunkers and positions at the front?"

"Commander, there really is no one here!" The voice of Sun Mingjin, commander of the 10th Reserve Division, was filled with absurdity and disbelief: "My vanguard regiment has already occupied the Japanese second-line positions. These little devils have left not a single hair behind, except for a few broken steel helmets and scarecrows used to deceive people."

"Have you gotten any more information from the puppet troops?"

"According to the confessions of the puppet troops, the Japanese army's retreat was extremely secretive; they didn't even use any vehicles, seemingly afraid of making any noise. After realizing something was wrong, they surrendered to our army immediately."

"Let's send electricity to the higher-ups..."

"Yes!"

At the same time that Li Yutang received the telegram.

Roach on the flank also sent an urgent telegram to Ou Zhen.

"Deputy Commander-in-Chief Ou: Our troops have occupied the high ground outside Tongcheng and have not encountered any resistance from the Japanese army!"

"The outposts along the way were deserted, with only barracks that had not yet been burned down remaining."

"Weird things"

Three more hours passed.

Inside the front-line command post, Ou Zhen and Li Yutang, who had just arrived, looked at each other in bewilderment.

Ou Zhen frowned and said, "Is Aoki Seiichi playing the empty city stratagem?"

"No, it's completely a ghost town."

Li Yutang shook his head and pointed to the main road leading to the Yangtze River on the map: "The Japanese retreated in a hurry, leaving only a small unit to detonate heavy weapons and burn combat supplies that they could not take with them."

Ou Zhen guessed, "Could it be that the fighting in North China was so fierce that even the Japanese here have been scared out of their wits, and can only continue to shrink their defensive lines?"

Not long after.

Fang Xianjue's voice came through the phone line shortly after it was connected.

"General Li, the Japanese army has retreated across the entire front!"

"Our attacking forces are now advancing as if they were in an empty field, and are rapidly penetrating deep into enemy territory!"

"At the current pace of advance, as long as we can run fast, let alone break through the defense line, we are fully confident that we can occupy the entire line from Linxiang to Tongcheng without firing a shot before sunset today."

Li Yutang was clearly shocked, his eyes wide open. After thinking for a moment, he continued, "Alright, but don't be rash. Let me consult with Commander Xue first."

Fang Xianjue: "Yes!"

Ou Zhen smiled and praised Li Yutang: "Brother Yaojie is really calm. Before we understand the specific situation, it is always better to be cautious. I suggest that the air force take off to investigate and confirm that this is not a conspiracy by the Japanese army."

"Well, that's all we can do."

Although that's what they said, the actual arrangements were not like that.

Not long after.

Roach's troops received the order immediately.

A trusted staff officer of Ou Zhen issued an order via telephone to Luo Qi's troops: switch to an offensive advance, disregard flank cover and rear support; move forward as far as possible, ideally reaching the Yangtze River.
Changsha.

Ninth War Zone Command Headquarters.

"What did you say?!"

Xue Yue abruptly turned around from in front of the battle map, his hawk-like eyes fixed on Chief of Staff Wu Yizhi, who had come to report, and he almost dropped the baton in his hand.

"You mean, before the fighting even started, the 40th, 116th, 68th, and 37th Divisions all withdrew?"

"Yes, Brother Boling."

Wu Yizhi wiped the sweat from his forehead and spread several urgent telegrams on the table: "Not only are the intelligence reports from Ou Zhen and Li Yutang on the front lines coming in, but intelligence from the flanks is also gradually arriving."

"The 20th Army in Tongcheng and the 58th Army in southern Hubei both reported that the Japanese defenses were weak and that they had not even taken away the heavy machine guns from the core strongholds, but had deliberately damaged the gun barrels."

"It seems that the Japanese army is making a full-scale retreat. It's really unbelievable."

Xue Yue walked quickly to the window, opened it, and the stuffy wind rushed in, calming him down a bit.

He had fought half his life, battling the Japanese for so many years, and had never seen the Japanese retreat without a fight.

Even during the Battle of Western Hubei, when they were badly defeated, the Japanese army still chose to counterattack and hold their ground.

Only a few months have passed. The avalanche effect has already manifested itself; the Japanese army is undergoing a comprehensive strategic retreat and has lost its will to fight.

Xue Yue asked in a deep voice, "Has the Air Force's reconnaissance report come out yet?"

As a commander-in-chief, he was responsible for the hundreds of thousands of officers and soldiers in the combat force, and he had to be cautious.

Instead of like Ou Zhen and Li Yutang, who, in their pursuit of merit, ordered their generals to chase after the enemy at full speed.

"It shouldn't be yet..."

Before Wu Yizhi could finish speaking,

"Out!"

Just then, an Air Force liaison officer rushed into the operations room, carrying a stack of reconnaissance photos that still smelled of chemicals.

"Commander Xue, there's a huge commotion, an enormous commotion!"

The liaison officer spread the photos out on the table one by one, pointing to the plumes of black smoke and the long convoy of vehicles: "This is Yueyang Railway Station, this is Chenglingji Wharf, and this is the highway leading to Wuchang!"

"It was all fire and smoke. After our attack began, the Japanese devils were burning down the warehouse."

"They are burning supplies they can't take with them!"

"The Japanese army trucks and mule caravans formed long lines on the highway, frantically heading north and east, even causing traffic jams."

Xue Yue picked up a magnifying glass and stared intently at the photo of Yueyang Wharf.

He was very familiar with Yueyang.

That place was once the Japanese army's forward base for attacking Changsha, where countless grains and ammunition were stockpiled, but now it is a sea of ​​fire.

"OK."

Xue Yue's hand trembled slightly, then he clenched his fist and slammed it hard on the table: "I understand! I understand everything!"

"It is obvious that Hata Shunroku is terrified by the situation in the north. He is worried that the Japanese army in central China may follow the same path as in northern China."

Wu Yizhi added from the side: "We did receive a notification from the Second Department at noon today that North China has launched a general offensive against Jinan."

"The Japanese General Headquarters probably felt that Central China could not be defended, so they decided to sacrifice the pawns to save the king, and withdrew their troops back to the old stronghold of the Wang Jingwei regime to build the so-called capital defense perimeter."

"Trying to run away isn't that easy."

He was initially worried that this would be a tough battle and that the troops would suffer heavy casualties.

But now that his opponent has exposed his back, he will not be polite.

"Send the order!"

Xue Yue strode to the center of the map, his baton like a sharp sword plunging into the soil of Xiangbei:
"All previously drafted battle plans are hereby scrapped, and all units will now engage in a full-scale pursuit!"

"Especially for formidable combat units like the 10th and 74th Armies, throw away all your armor and equipment and advance lightly. I want them to be like a pack of wolves, relentlessly biting the enemy's tail! Every piece of flesh they can take is a piece of flesh!"

"Note that although we are advancing lightly equipped, we must allocate all trucks and transport vehicles to these two excellent combat units to ensure that their heavy weapons can accompany them in combat as much as possible."

"Yes!"

Xue Yue turned to Wu Yizhi: "Also, send a telegram to Wang Yaowu, who is on his way!"

"Let him lead the remaining combat troops eastward directly, striking straight at Yangxin and Daye!"

"Make sure to drive a nail into my path on the Japanese army's inevitable retreat route!"

"Hata Shunroku wants to bring these hundreds of thousands of Japanese soldiers back to Nanjing, but I'll make sure he leaves his life on the shores of Poyang Lake!"

"Yes!"

It was foreseeable.

Upon receiving the order, each department naturally unleashed its potential and showcased its strengths (competing for credit).

On the highways and mountain paths of northern Hunan, at least tens of thousands of Nationalist soldiers shed their heavy backpacks, carried light machine guns and mortars, and launched a serious pursuit of the retreating Japanese army amidst the whistles and shouts of their officers.

"Furthermore, draft a telegram to the General Staff informing them of today's battle situation."

"Yes!"
-
Mountain City, the operations room of the Supreme Military Commission.

It was already late at night, but the lights in the operations room were still on.

The sound of rain outside the window did not bring peace to the people inside; instead, it added to their anxiety and unease.

The air was filled with a strong smell of tobacco.

Several key figures in the Nationalist Army stood around a huge military map, their faces etched with solemnity.

Although Xue Yue's temporary change of the battle plan was approved by Chang Ruiyuan, they were actually not confident about the final outcome of the battle.

"Chairman, gentlemen."

Chief of the General Staff Bai Jiansheng broke the silence first, and the baton in his hand first fell on the point in the north where the red and blue were most densely intertwined—Jinan.

"The North China side has just compiled the last battle report before midnight."

Bai Jiansheng spoke in a calm tone, but with a chilling air: "The street fighting in Quancheng has entered a fierce stage. The 88th Group Army under Fang Ligong's command, the 34th Group Army under Li Yannian, and the various friendly forces that have come to reinforce are carrying out a final annihilation of the remnants of the 12th Army in Tuqiao."

"The Japanese army used ruins, sewers, and sturdy buildings to carry out what they called 'gyokusai' (honorable death) resistance."

"Every step we take forward comes at a bloody price."

He Jingzhi interjected, his brow furrowed: "The casualty figures are very high?"

"It's big."

Bai Jiansheng nodded. "But it's still within a controllable range. The key is that the Japanese army shows no signs of adjusting its deployment. The Kwantung Army is blocked on the north bank of the Yellow River and can't get through. The Japanese soldiers in the city are like turtles in a jar. No matter how much they struggle, their annihilation is only a matter of time."

Chang Ruiyuan sat upright in his leather chair, nodded slightly, and remained relatively calm: "Now that Quancheng is completely surrounded, it's like a cooked duck that can't fly away. But what about Central China?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to say."

Bai Jiansheng swung his baton sharply eastward along the Yangtze River channel, his tone filled with doubt and shock: "Chairman, the situation in Central China is too bizarre."

"According to the urgent telegrams sent by Xue Boling and Sun Fanglu, it is a foregone conclusion that the Japanese army has abandoned the three towns of Wuhan, abandoned Nanchang, and abandoned Jiujiang."

"However, they retreated too quickly and too decisively!"

"Hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops did not even organize a decent blocking battle. They simply abandoned the core control area they had cultivated for several years and rushed towards Nanjing at full speed."

Looking at the long string of red dotted lines on the map representing the retreat of the Japanese army, Chen Cixiu said worriedly, "Chairman, could this be Hata Shunroku's 'dragging sword' tactic?"

"Lure the enemy deep into our territory?" He Jingzhi echoed, "We like to use this tactic, and the Japanese have used it quite often too. What if our troops pursue too aggressively, stretching our supply lines, and the Japanese suddenly turn around and take a bite?"

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became tense.

This feeling of "happiness coming too suddenly" gave these high-ranking Nationalist soldiers, who had fought and suffered defeats against the Japanese for several years, a sense of unreality, and even an instinctive fear.

after all.

Although the Japanese 11th Army was disbanded, those more than 200,000 Japanese soldiers were still a formidable fighting force, not made of clay.

"It doesn't seem like a trap."

Bai Jiansheng stared at the map for a long time, then shook his head and said with certainty, "Look, during the retreat, the Japanese army frantically destroyed railways and bridges, and even burned the food and supplies they couldn't take with them."

"If it's a trap, they need to preserve these facilities for use after a counterattack."

"This scorched-earth policy clearly shows they don't want to come back!"

"and"

Bai Jiansheng pointed to Jinan in the north, "The collapse of the war situation in North China is the root cause of this series of chain reactions."

“By crippling Okamura Yasuji and blocking the Kwantung Army, it’s like hanging a sword over Hata Shunroku’s head.”

"If he doesn't withdraw, he'll be surrounded and annihilated once the Nationalist army in North China is free to move south."

Chang Ruiyuan listened to everyone's analysis, his fingers lightly tapping on the table: "So that means..."

Under everyone's gaze, Chang Ruiyuan slowly stood up, his eyes flashing with a complex light: "Is this a major rout? Is this a total strategic retreat?"

"Yes!"

Bai Jiansheng answered decisively: "Chairman, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"The Japanese army has lost the confidence and ability to continue fighting in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River."

"If we hesitate and shrink back now, and Hata Shunroku manages to bring these main forces back to Nanjing and Shanghai intact, and builds a new defensive line relying on the water network of Jiangnan, then it will be difficult to fight again!"

"concern.."

Chang Ruiyuan muttered to himself, "I do have concerns."

His concerns extended beyond military pitfalls; he also considered political factors.

If the army penetrates deep into enemy territory, will it give some "friendly forces" an opportunity to take advantage of the situation?
If the pursuit fails, will our newly established international prestige be damaged?
But looking at the vast expanse of land on the map that was about to be liberated, and Wuchang, a city symbolizing the thoroughfare connecting nine provinces.

The hesitation in Chang Ruiyuan's eyes was finally replaced by ambition.
He suddenly waved his hand and made a decision: "Since Hata Shunroku wants to run away, then let's send him on his way!"

"Send a telegram to Xue Yue and Sun Lianzhong!"

"Tell them that the High Command has approved their pursuit plan!"

Be bolder and quicker!

"There is no need to worry about logistics. The war zone is allowed to requisition all manpower, animal power, and ships within the operational area."

"We must annihilate them to the greatest extent possible!"

"Also, since North China is attacking Quancheng, Central China is pursuing them."

"We can't just stand by and watch."

"Taking this great victory as an opportunity, order the propaganda department to immediately broadcast it to the world!"

"Let me tell you, the National Army of the Republic of China has launched a strategic counter-offensive across the entire front!"

"The restoration of the nation is just around the corner!" (End of Chapter)