Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 231 Soldiers must have backbone!
Liao Zhen fell to the ground, and a yellowish-white substance gushed out from his forehead.

The soldiers of the 44th Army beside him were startled and turned to run away.

Wang Feng raised his arm, pointed the gun at the sky, and pulled the trigger.

"boom--!"

Another shot rang out, and all the soldiers immediately stopped. Jin Lei, holding a Thompson submachine gun, led a group of guards forward.

Wang Feng: "I can let bygones be bygones. Now I'm giving you one chance: go and gather all officers of platoon rank and above in the entire army and bring them before me. I'll only give you half an hour. Anyone who doesn't come will be dealt with according to military law, just like him!"

As the saying goes, "The law does not punish the masses."

The mass retreat of one army corps triggered the unauthorized withdrawal of another army group. The number of people involved was too large to be executed on the spot like Liao Zhen. If that were to happen, it would likely cause a mutiny in the entire army.

Wang Feng yelled, "Did you all hear that clearly?!"

The soldiers quickly nodded in agreement: "Yes, sir!"

"Understood, sir!"

After he finished speaking, the crowd immediately dispersed.

Wang Feng turned around and wiped the blood from his hands onto the horse's belly: "What did Duke De say?"

The 27th Army Group belongs to the Fifth War Zone. Even if I am the garrison commander, I cannot execute an officer of Liao Zhen's rank on the battlefield without giving him prior notice.

However, the telegram transmission was delayed, and Li Zongren's formal reply had not been received before the shooting was launched.

This is tantamount to acting first and informing later.

Zhao Fangyuan handed over a telegram: "The Fifth War Zone Command replied that fleeing in fear of battle is a disgrace to soldiers. Commander Li wants you to make a decision at an opportune time. If necessary, to boost morale, military law can be enforced on the spot!"

Wang Feng responded, "Yes, by the way, have you contacted the navy?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "The telegram has been sent, ordering all naval vessels to sail to Madang Fortress immediately."

Wang Feng nodded.

He could clearly see the power of the Japanese naval warships from his overhead view. Although they were just river gunboats, their suppressive firepower was ridiculously strong for the army.

With Zheng Zhenzhong's artillery column not by his side and without a large-caliber heavy artillery cluster, the 75mm field guns equipped by the First Column posed no threat to these inland river gunboats.

Wang Feng: "Any news from the Dabie Mountains battlefield?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "The Japanese army in North China has already assembled in Hefei and is eager to make a move. It is estimated that they will head towards Xinyang in the next two days!"
"Sir, according to information obtained by the Ministry of the Interior, the overall commander of the Japanese forces in the Battle of Wuhan is not Terauchi Hisaichi, but Hata Shunroku, the commander of the Central China Expeditionary Army."

"It seems that Terauchi Hisaichi has gone missing."

Wang Feng raised an eyebrow: "Disappeared? How is that possible?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "I also think there is a problem. Terauchi Hisaichi suddenly disappeared from the public eye and has not participated in a single public military meeting in the past month."

"I reckon they've gone on some special mission!"

Wang Feng thought for a moment and said, "I guess they went to Europe."

In his previous life, he had read various autobiographies and historical materials. Terauchi Hisaichi was not a low-key person. His attendance at public military conferences was seen by others as nothing more than a formality, mostly just going through the motions.

In Terauchi Hisahi's eyes, this was an excellent opportunity to build up his reputation.

Zhao Fangyuan frowned: "Europe?"

Wang Feng: "Japan is eager to form an alliance with Germany. The political landscape in Europe is now clouded with uncertainty. It is foreseeable that a war of unprecedented scale is about to take place."

Zhao Fangyuan: "Should we do the same?"

Wang Feng: "Alright, we can talk about these things later. Let's take care of the things at hand first!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, Liao Zhen is dead. Who should take command of the 44th Army?"

Wang Feng: "Just hand it over to the 27th Army Group. This is not a problem for us to think about."

Currently, the number of Nationalist troops participating in the Battle of Wuhan has reached 127 divisions. He doesn't have any penchant for micromanagement. If he had to personally command every battle with so many troops, even working 48 hours a day wouldn't be enough.

Strategic command is not the same as operational command.

A single word can make a world of difference in meaning.

In layman's terms, strategic command does not value the process. As long as the subordinate troops can complete the specific tasks within the specified time, that is fine. How they execute the tasks is not a consideration.

Battle command, on the other hand, is quite the opposite.

Zhao Fangyuan saluted: "Yes!"

—————— Half an hour later.

On the threshing floor.

The officers were quickly assembled. Before Wang Feng arrived, Liao Zhen had been gathering the defeated soldiers here. The soldiers were also very coordinated, as if they had rehearsed in advance. The first thing they did after leaving the battlefield was to find their unit.

Most of the soldiers from the two subordinate divisions had arrived.

Wang Feng stood on the platform, looking down at the sea of ​​officers below:
"Gentlemen, you must all know very well what just happened. As the saying goes, 'There are precedents for what is done, and courtesy should precede force.' Before the battle, I already told your Commander-in-Chief Yang Sen that anyone who retreats without authorization or deserts in the face of the enemy will be shot on the spot. Military law is merciless!"

"I will not pursue your past," Wang Feng shouted, "but from now on, I want to see a fierce and powerful army, not frightened birds!"

Why do we fight?

"On my way from Wuhan to Anqing, I saw many villages destroyed by war, and everywhere there were corpses of people who could not be buried in time, as well as pitiful children who had lost their parents and had no one to take care of them."

"Your family members and your closest friends may be among them. Their heads are hanging over the Japanese invaders' butcher's knife, and they could be slaughtered at any time. Deserters, deserters, Shanghai retreat, Nanjing retreat, should Wuhan also retreat?"
"Do you expect us to wait until the Japanese devils are at your doorstep before you pick up a gun to fight back?"

"By then, it will be too late!"

"As soldiers, we must have backbone! Only by shedding blood and sacrificing ourselves can we protect the people behind us and your families!"

"Perhaps many of us, including myself and you, may not live to see the aftermath of the victory against Japan, but that doesn't matter. Future generations will remember us and every soldier who sacrificed their lives for the country!"

Most of the soldiers in the 44th Army were from Hunan, and a small number were from Hubei. The flames of war were burning in their hometowns, and no one was suffering more than them.

"Sir! What do you say we should do? I'll fight the Japanese with you!"

"No more running, no more running!"

"."

The officers lowered their heads, their faces showing shame.

Wang Feng waved his hand, and the guards came up carrying several heavy wooden boxes.

"Gentlemen, take this money back and distribute it to the brothers in your platoon. If you don't want it, you can leave your hometown address and I will send someone to deliver it to you."

"I have only one request: take back Anqing!"

Speeches alone cannot maintain the enthusiasm of these officers and soldiers. Many of them are seasoned veterans, and in critical moments, we still need to do something practical.

Wang Feng waved his hand and said, "Each platoon should receive the number of soldiers according to their current numbers. I will count the numbers later. If any discrepancies are found, then I will have to take you to the military court."

Having just executed Liao Zhen, the effect of making an example of him has been achieved. At this critical juncture, even if Chen Cheng were to come, he probably wouldn't dare to go against us.

Not to mention the lower and middle-ranking officers and soldiers.

After the money was distributed, the officers scattered.

Wang Fenggang turned around and saw Zhao Fangyuan leading a person, walking towards him.

From his vantage point overlooking the area, he recognized the man before him as Yang Sen, the commander of the 27th Army Group and a warlord from Sichuan.

When Yang Sen saw Wang Feng looking in their direction, he immediately jogged over and said, "Commander Wang, please forgive me for being late in providing support!"

Wang Feng frowned: "Commander Yang, did you come alone this time? Didn't you bring your beautiful wives and concubines with you?"

Yang Sen's face stiffened: "Commander Wang is joking. I am stationed alone in Anqing, while my wife, children and elderly parents are all in Sichuan. Where would I have a beautiful wife and concubines?"

Wang Feng smiled.

Is your whole family in Sichuan?

So, none of those eleven concubines were the principal wife!
Even though he's an old man, he can still really get going.

Yang Sen noticed something was wrong: "Commander Wang, what's going on?"

"What people do is seen by Heaven." Wang Feng said coldly, "Some things can be hidden from others, but they can't be hidden from God."

Yang Sen looked up and asked, "What does Commander Wang mean by this?"

Wang Feng: "Where is your unit currently stationed?"

Yang Sen: "I lead the 20th Army and am stationed in a village about 15 miles away from here."

Wang Feng: "I killed Liao Zhen right at the village entrance. You should have seen him when you came. I now order your unit to immediately reorganize and launch a counterattack on Anqing, prioritizing the destruction of the military airfield!"

The Japanese arrived very quickly, and the 27th Army Group's actions were ridiculously slow. Before the explosives were even ready, Anqing City had already fallen.

Yang Sen: "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)