Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 239 "Traitors to the Han" and "Traitors to the Japanese"

July 15, 10:30 AM.

On the hills along the river.

Standing here, even without using an overhead map, Wang Feng could observe the general situation along the Yangtze River by simply looking down through his binoculars.

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, look over there! The main artillery barrage of the Sixth Division is concentrated there!"

Wang Feng: "Which unit's defense zone is that?"

Zhao Fangyuan quickly replied while looking at the map: "The position of the 174th Division of the 84th Army!"

Wang Feng: "The 174th Division?"

He muttered to himself, and immediately switched the view to the overhead view, quickly locking onto the target unit under the guidance of the unit sign.

Click to view details.

The progress bar representing "organization level" has turned dark yellow.

"Om-!"

Upon faintly hearing the sound, Zhao Fangyuan immediately raised his binoculars and observed the sky: "Sir, the Japanese have sent planes to bomb us again. This is the third time since this morning."

Wang Feng clicked his tongue: "Have the Japanese devils gone mad?"
"How is Zhanggufeng doing lately? Have you heard any news?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "The scale of the military conflict between Japan and the Soviet Union has expanded, but the exact number of troops involved is currently unknown."

Wang Feng sighed.

Under his strong encouragement, the Japanese army's advance finally slowed down, thus achieving its expected goal.

Unexpectedly, the Japanese Navy became quite enthusiastic.

The 84th Army originated from the Guangxi Army and has considerable combat strength. It should be able to hold out for a week against the 6th Division without regard to casualties.

But under such a massive bombing, even holding out for three days would be a challenge.

Wang Feng: "Is there something wrong with their army commander?"

Zhao Fangyuan shook his head: "No, in the few days since the start of the war, apart from routine reports, I haven't made any demands to the General Command."

Wang Feng nodded: "Hmm, not bad, he's quite a man!"

"Order Zhang Hu to hold out for one more day, then we can withdraw!"

With the troop movements in the rear basically completed, there's no point in continuing to hold the Anqing-Qianshan defense line.

There's no need to fight the Japanese to the death here.

Zhao Fangyuan: "Yes, I'll go right away!"

Wang Feng waved his hand to stop him: "Don't rush. After the two artillery battalions of the First Column arrive at the battlefield, they should be stationed in the rear first. Don't put them into the battlefield immediately!"

Zhao Fangyuan saluted: "Yes!"

------

Zhang Hu crouched low, weaving through a hail of bullets.

Behind him, a staff officer followed closely. Japanese shells landed in front of the trench, and the mud kicked up by the explosions covered him. He stumbled and almost fell into the trench.

"Sir! Sir!"

"It's too dangerous here. Why don't you go back to the rear command post?"

Zhang Hu turned his head and said, "Stop arguing with me! I used to follow our Commander Wang and fought my way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. What kind of scene haven't I seen?"

"What do those Japanese artillery shells matter!"

The staff officer was speechless: "But..."

His voice was very soft, and as soon as he spoke, it was drowned out by the booming sound of cannons.

Zhang Hu stopped, lay prone on the trench, and raised his binoculars: "Damn those Japanese devils, their offensive is really fierce!"

The staff officer quickly followed: "Sir, judging from this firepower, the Sixth Division's main attack direction doesn't seem to be on our side!"

Zhang Hu: "Do you even need to tell me? Of course I know!"

"If I'm not mistaken, the 84th Army's attack was just a feint. The Japanese's real intention is to bypass our flank and launch a flanking maneuver!"

The staff officer frowned: "Huh? But... the Yangtze River is right behind us. Even if the Japanese wanted to outflank us, they wouldn't have anywhere to go."

Zhang Hu: "Then let's bypass the Yangtze River and launch a surprise attack from behind!"

The staff officer was even more bewildered.

Bypass the Yangtze River?

This is the Yangtze River!
Unlike other rivers they had previously garrisoned, these rivers were often three or four hundred meters wide. Unless the Japanese had evolved gills, how could they possibly get around them?

Zhang Hu: "Do you remember that village or town we just passed by?"

The staff officer scratched his head: "Villages and towns?"

Zhang Hu: "Yes, I always felt something was wrong along the way. How come a village that makes a living by fishing can't even collect a wooden boat?"
"Besides, after I entered the village, the village chief deliberately avoided me, speaking to me as if he was afraid I would ask too many questions!"

The staff officer recalled: "As soon as the war started, almost half of the people fled. Didn't their village chief say that all the boats had been taken away by the refugees?"
"I remember when the army first arrived, they tightened their belts and donated a lot of food to us."

Zhang Hu frowned: "Going upstream may not be faster than traveling by land. Besides, the Madang Fortress is upstream. Could it be that they took a boat there?"
"Donating food might be a ploy to mislead us!"

Staff Officer: "Sir, do you mean there are traitors in that village?"

Zhang Hu: "I'm afraid it's not just that one village!"
As he spoke, he handed over Wang Yuanjia's army: "Look, the Japanese army has gathered a lot of soldiers on the position, but their offensive is not fierce, which is very suspicious!"

"The Yangtze River is wide, but if the Japanese army crosses it under cover of night and establishes a bridgehead on the south bank, we will not have the advantage in artillery or manpower. Even if we discover them, it will be difficult to drive the Japanese army back!"

The staff officer's expression changed: "Sir, should we report this situation to the headquarters?"

If the Japanese army really tried to sneak across the Yangtze River under cover of night, the situation would be troublesome.

If a small number of troops are diverted to defend, it will probably not be enough to stop the Japanese army. If the focus of defense is shifted, the defensive line on the main battlefield will be breached.

This is a difficult choice.

Zhang Hu nodded: "Let's go back to the command post!"

------

Just as Wang Fenggang got into the jeep, Zhao Fangyuan rushed over: "Sir, urgent telegram from the Anqing defense line! The Ministry of the Interior has discovered numerous traces of suspected Japanese espionage activities in villages and towns along the Yangtze River!"

Wang Feng frowned.

spy?

He immediately switched to the overhead view, quickly surveying the Yangtze River bank. The people were all "blue dots," and no warning was issued.

Wang Feng: "What's going on? Speak slowly!"

Zhao Fangyuan swallowed hard: "According to the investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs' special agents, some suspicious individuals have appeared in these villages and towns, who are very likely to be subordinates of Japanese spies."

Wang Feng: "Is the news reliable?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "It's reliable. Before the war even started, these suspicious individuals had already begun buying fishing boats from civilians with large sums of money!"

Wang Feng frowned.

Before the war began?
No wonder there was nothing displayed in the overhead view.

"Have you asked the Military Intelligence Bureau? Didn't they find any clues beforehand?"

Zhao Fangyuan shook his head: "No."
"After our unit arrived at Madang Fortress, the General Staff took over all defenses in the area. According to the Military Intelligence Bureau, there were no traces of Japanese espionage activities in this area."

Wang Feng: "These useless bastards who hold positions without doing any work!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, what should we do now?"

Wang Feng: "Order the Ministry of the Interior to continue the investigation along the clues. Also, write this up in a telegram and send it directly to Dai Li. I want to ask him how he trains his men!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "The Hata Detachment has landing craft and naval support, so I'm afraid they won't need so many civilian ships. I'm worried that the 6th Division might launch a river-crossing operation!"

According to the original strategic plan.

After delaying the Japanese army in the Anqing and Qianshan areas for several days, the main force immediately moved to the south bank of the Yangtze River.

If the 6th Division were to secretly cross the river, wouldn't that be like cutting off our own rear?

At that point, it might really turn into a counter-encirclement and annihilation war.

Zhao Fangyuan: "From Qianshan to Madang, the riverbank is at least a hundred kilometers long. If we don't know the exact landing point of the Japanese army, it will be difficult to effectively defend with our current forces." Wang Feng: "If the Japanese army wants to cross the river, they will definitely take advantage of the cover of night. In addition, they will choose a bend in the river where the current is the calmest. We should focus on observing places that meet these conditions!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Understood!"

After saying that, he immediately turned around and walked towards the temporary communications station.

(With the soft top attached, it becomes a canopy. On sunny days, we mostly ride in this Mercedes-Benz TYP-320WK jeep.)
Wang Feng sat alone in the jeep, quickly switching to an overhead view.

They then carefully searched the positions of the 6th Division.

You wouldn't believe it until you see it: within just a few hours, hundreds of civilian fishing boats were haphazardly placed on an open ground behind the right flank of the 6th Division's position, with a group of Japanese soldiers standing guard around them.

Among them were several Japanese technical soldiers wearing glasses who looked quite knowledgeable at first glance, gathered together, chattering away over a map.

Let's take a closer look.

Unlike ordinary military maps, this map not only clearly marks contour lines, but also clearly shows the water level of the Yangtze River.

Wang Feng immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.

In previous battles, the maps used by the Japanese army were mostly maps drawn by the Nationalist government and the Beiyang government several years or even decades ago.

The quality goes without saying.

Decades have passed, and the terrain must have changed.

Given the technological limitations at the time, it seems quite good now that it's "70% true and 30% false".

I remember there was a Japanese army unit that fought using a map drawn during the Qing Dynasty. As a result, due to misjudging the terrain, they suffered a defeat.

However, the map that appears from an overhead view looks very clear, with Japanese labels even appearing on the edges and corners.

It is clearly a new type of map drawn by the Japanese themselves.

"What the hell is the Military Intelligence Bureau doing!" Wang Feng was furious. Drawing a map is no easy task. At least six months before the war started, there were already Japanese spies operating along the Yangtze River.

After all this time, they still haven't found a single clue.

I really don't know if it's because they're not capable enough, or if a mid-level officer secretly betrayed them and defected to the enemy.

------

Inaba Shiro sat in a chair, stroking the tassels on the military uniform in his hand.

Division Chief of Staff Tatsusuke Kamei stood to the side, bowing: "General, preparations for the river crossing operation have begun, and the operation is scheduled to commence tomorrow night!"

Inaba Shiro: "Tomorrow night is too slow!"
"You must remember that our opponent is Wang Feng. He can always obtain any information about our army without anyone noticing. The longer we prepare, the greater the risk of being exposed!"
"Speed ​​up the pace and make sure the river-crossing offensive is launched before dawn tomorrow!"

Being cautious is not being cowardly.

Compared to having the plan exposed and falling into the trap of the Chinese army after crossing the river, executing the plan quickly and catching the enemy off guard would definitely be more effective.

Tatsusuke Kamei: "Hai!"
"General, there is one more thing."

Inaba Shiro: "Hmm? What is it? Please speak freely!"

Tatsusuke Kamei: "This morning, the Chinese deployed their air force to conduct precision bombing raids on several of our logistics supply depots. The casualty figures have not yet been tallied."

Inaba Shiro jumped to his feet: "What?!"
"Has the location of the later supply depot been leaked?"

Kamei Tatsusuke looked troubled: "That's probably true. The Chinese Air Force's bombing targets were very clear."

Inaba Shiro: "Where is our air force? Why didn't they send out fighter jets to intercept them!"

Tatsusuke Kamei: "The Chinese Air Force acted too quickly. They didn't stop after the bombing. By the time our fighters arrived, they had already flown away."

Inaba Shiro flew into a rage: "Baka!"
"What about the naval aviation? Didn't the Chinese air force encounter them?"

Tatsusuke Kamei shook his head.

Inaba Shiro threw his most cherished military sword onto the table.

The 6th Division was able to maintain such a rapid offensive partly due to the continuous air support from the naval aviation, but the main reason was the ample logistical support and the constant supply of artillery shells to the front line. Since the start of the war, the artillery regiments had hardly stopped.

However, if too much of the combat supplies are lost in the bombing, the subsequent high-intensity offensive will be difficult to maintain, giving the Chinese army a chance to breathe, and all the previous efforts will be in vain.

Inaba Shiro: "Immediately take inventory of the remaining supplies and report the news to Lord Hata Shunroku. We must thoroughly investigate spies within the army!"

Tatsusuke Kamei: "Hai!"

————July 15th.

23:45 minutes.

Zhao Fangyuan strode in: "Sir, we have received definite information that the Japanese army is very likely to cross the river in this area, which is less than ten kilometers away from the hill we visited during the day!"

As he spoke, he pointed to the map and drew a large area.

"However, the exact location is still unknown."

Wang Feng glanced at it symbolically; from his vantage point overlooking the enemy, he had already obtained detailed information about the Japanese army's movements.

He pointed to a point on the map:

"It will most likely be here."

It's not a matter of probability, it's a certainty that it will be here!
Zhao Fangyuan looked in the direction Wang Feng was pointing.

This is a bend in the river where the current is relatively gentle. There is also an island in the river formed by the deposition of silt.

From a terrain perspective, it was an opportune time to cross the river for combat.

Wang Feng: "Have you sent troops to garrison that Jiangxinzhou?"

Zhao Fangyuan quickly said, "The 189th Division has already passed through, sir. Should we send more defensive forces?"

The 189th Division was a subordinate unit of the 84th Army.

After Qin Lianfang led his troops to the battlefield, he only took two divisions to the Qianshan defense line, leaving one division near the general command post as a reserve force.

Wang Feng: "One division is enough. We are short of troops and can't spare many more."

"Tell them to hurry, it's getting late, and the Japanese might arrive at the battlefield before us!"

He ordered his troops to advance into the area ahead of schedule, but they were unable to obtain the specific location.

Even with an overhead view, one could observe all the actions of the Japanese army in real time.

However, lacking predictive capabilities, the Japanese army likely laid many deceptive traps and deployed numerous feints to protect intelligence. It wasn't until ten minutes ago that he was able to ascertain the Japanese army's movement trajectory.

After all, there are many places suitable for launching river-crossing operations within the "circle" drawn by Zhao Fangyuan.

The Japanese army concentrated its forces in this area; they could be anywhere.

Zhao Fangyuan's expression was grave: "I'll go and urge them again!"

Wang Feng: "The Sixth Division is highly mechanized. Our soldiers' legs may not be able to outrun the wheels."

When it comes to the critical moment, the importance of speed in warfare is fully demonstrated.

Zhao Fangyuan: "Routine report from the Anqing defense line: After the 20th Army retreated to the second line of defense, it temporarily withstood the attack of the Hata Detachment. However, it is currently in dire need of ammunition supplies. The batch sent from Wuhan a few days ago is almost half used up."

Wang Feng: "Allocate another batch over there. Don't hesitate to use them; when it's needed, don't be stingy!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Understood!"

Wang Feng looked at the battle map.

The Japanese army chose an extremely cunning location to cross the river.

It was located right in the middle of the area between the general command post and the front-line troops.

Although the Hata Detachment was classified as an army unit in the Japanese military's order of battle, it was clearly a naval corps unit, equipped with a large number of landing craft and supported by naval vessels.

Faced with such an enemy, it is impossible to hold out on one side of the river.

Therefore, in episode 27, the defense line of the 31st Army spanned both sides of the Yangtze River.

If the 6th Division is allowed to cross the river, it can directly attack the two army groups on the front lines to the northeast.

Heading southwest would allow for a direct surprise attack on the command post.

Wang Feng rubbed his forehead: "How's the defense line construction going in episode 26? Can we continue to participate in the battle?"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Nearly half of the troops have been scattered, and we are currently downsizing. We are afraid we are powerless to continue fighting."

(End of this chapter)