Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 244 My department is unimpeded, unimpeded!
One column and two battalions.

Yuan Yelin rode on his horse, his clothes soaked with sweat.

"drive!"

"Hurry up and don't stop! Whoever captures the Japanese division commander alive first will be rewarded with five thousand yuan!"

The road beneath his feet was difficult to traverse. In order to save time, Yuan Yelin did not take the normal country road, but instead chose to cross the grassland directly and head straight for the location marked on the map.

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from behind.

"Sir! Sir!" A operations staff officer galloped up on horseback. "Sir, there's a telegram from the corps command post, please take a look!"

Yuan Yelin took the telegram and glanced at it.

Operations staff officer: "Sir, the higher-ups have requested to establish direct contact with you. There must be something important going on, perhaps related to this operation."

Yuan Yelin carefully put away the telegram: "Is that even a question?"
"I reckon the Japanese smelled the scent and ran away with their tails between their legs. The headquarters is going to directly order us to go and pursue them."

Operations staff officer: "Are the Japanese devils trying to escape?"

"That makes sense. An infantry battalion, nearly a thousand brothers, crossing the grassland made quite a commotion. Just now, several Japanese reconnaissance planes flew overhead, and they seemed to be glued to us, no matter what we did, we couldn't shake them off. There aren't any mountains nearby to hide in."

Yuan Yelin sighed: "Let's speed things up. Report any orders from above to me immediately; not a second can be wasted!"

"In addition, I sent a telegram back to the headquarters, reporting that my unit's advance is proceeding smoothly and without hindrance!"

Operations Staff: “Yes!”

After saying that, he tightened the reins and charged directly toward the communications company behind him.

------

Inside the headquarters.

Wang Feng received a telegram from the Second Battalion of the First Column, and the four large characters on it—"Unimpeded"—caught his attention.

He learned the name of the infantry battalion commander from the information on the soldier's badge: "Yuan Yelin".

This man is also a veteran from the 414th Regiment of the Jin-Sui Army. Back when the First Column was still called the First Mountain Tactical Corps, Yuan Yelin served as the battalion commander.

I remember when we were fighting in Teng County.

This is the man who led his troops across a hundred miles, marching at full speed to support Wang Mingzhang's division.

It has an iron foot.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Hu was quite good at choosing people and sent him out.

Zhao Fangyuan: "Sir, the deployment and troop movements of the Japanese army along the Qianshan line have been ascertained!"

After taking the document, Wang Feng glanced at it symbolically and then put it down: "Hmm, the 84th Army needs to speed up its actions and cross the gap in the battle line before the Japanese army completely tightens its defenses."

Zhao Fangyuan noted in his mind: "Sir, news has come from the 189th Division that the Japanese 6th Division, taking advantage of its air superiority, is launching an increasingly fierce offensive. Jiangxinzhou has been completely lost. The remaining troops have retreated to the Jiangnan defense line and are preparing to continue resisting the Japanese army."

Wang Feng nodded; this result was entirely within his expectations.

The 6th Division's fighting strength is no joke.

The only victory on the entire front was won by the First Column – in a very short time, they broke through the Japanese Kuroda Battalion's defenses from the front with overwhelming force.

Besides, everywhere was filled with the cries of devastation. The troops that could barely manage a draw were all considered to have strong willpower and outstanding combat power.

Wang Feng: "Losing Jiangxinzhou is not a big deal. As long as we can prevent the Japanese army from crossing the Yangtze River, there is still room for recovery."

Zhao Fangyuan nodded: "Sir, if the First Column's operation goes smoothly, can we annihilate the Japanese Sixth Division in this battle?"

Wang Feng frowned: "Difficult!"

"We are no longer in the era of cold weapons like swords, arrows, and spears. Surprise attacks can bring victory, but they cannot completely reverse the overall course of the war. In other words, even if the First Column can take down the Sixth Division's command post, strategically speaking, it can only delay the Japanese offensive at most. To completely annihilate them, we still need to focus on the main battlefield."

"After all, even if the divisions are gone, there are still brigades. You have to understand that with the current combat strength of our army, even if the Japanese regiments fight individually, as long as they are not divided and surrounded, they can remain invincible!"

Zhao Fangyuan sighed, "Alas, in the end, these beasts are just too lucky."

Wang Feng smiled and said, "Let's not talk about that now. Go and send a telegram to the Second Battalion of the First Column, telling them to change direction and move this way!"

As he spoke, he picked up his baton and drew a small circle on the map again.

Zhao Fangyuan: "Yes!"

—————— The Sixth Division.

Inaba Shiro rode at the head of the procession, glancing back every now and then, as if afraid someone would catch up with him.

Kamei Tatsusuke brandished his riding whip and charged forward: "General, the island in the middle of the river controlled by the Chinese has fallen! The 36th Brigade is about to reach the south bank of the Yangtze River!"

Inaba Shiro tried hard to recall the map in his mind: "Yoshi!"
"Tell them that the Chinese are very cunning, and our enemy's commander is particularly fond of using underhanded tactics. Don't underestimate them!"

Kamei Tatsusuke had heard these words countless times and knew them by heart: "Hai!"
"Sir, shall we stop and rest for a while?"

The team consisted of only a small number of guards, with most being staff officers, communications personnel, and logistics staff. They had received relatively low-intensity military physical training, and their bodies might not be able to withstand a long march.

After all, not everyone can own a warhorse like Tatsusuke Kamei.

Most of the time, I can only rely on my own two feet.

Inaba Shiro looked around, hesitated for a long time, and then said: "Stop!"

"Take a 15-minute break!"

Not only did the staff need rest, but he also had to stop and carefully process the telegrams sent from the front.

Kamei Tatsusuke jumped off his horse and followed beside him: "Sir, we changed our route at the last minute. Even if the Chinese had known in advance, they would probably be confused by now."

An hour ago, the "mobile command post" had advanced two kilometers, but Inaba Shiro still felt uneasy. After thinking it over, he ordered the main force to change direction.

They left a small group of guards behind as decoys and continued along the original route.

It was getting dark, and with this "deceptive trap" added to the mix, dragging things out overnight wouldn't be a big problem. As long as the frontline troops could completely seal off the gaps in the battle line before dawn, they could immediately turn the tide and reverse the situation.

Inaba Shiro looked up at the sky; the sun was about to set.
"After dark, the troops will continue to advance five kilometers to ensure absolute safety!"

Tatsusuke Kamei nodded: "Hai!"

------

Yuan Yelin sat on his horse, holding the reins in one hand and tightly clutching a deformed white steamed bun in the other.

"Quick! Eat as you go, nobody stop!" the operations staff officer shouted to the infantry as he swallowed his food.

Yuan Yelin glanced down at his watch.

There were less than 30 minutes left until the two-and-a-half-hour deadline set by Zhang Hu.

After the intense march, almost every soldier showed signs of fatigue.

But this is the military, not a game.

Military orders are absolute, and military law is merciless. No matter how difficult the situation, it must be overcome. Everyone is tired and wants to rest, but no one can bear the guilt of missing a battle opportunity.

Yuan Yelin stuffed the remaining half of the steamed bun into his mouth and beckoned to his operations staff:
"What exactly is this 6th Division command post we're looking for? Who is the division commander?"

Without hesitation, the operations staff officer blurted out: "The division commander is Shiro Inaba, a cavalryman and a lieutenant general in the Japanese army. He is a high-ranking officer. After the Japanese broke through Nanjing, it was this beast who allowed his men to burn, kill, and loot. At least half of the hundreds of thousands of compatriots who died in Nanjing were killed by the 6th Division!"

Yuan Yelin shouted loudly, "Brothers, did you all hear that? This Inaba Shiro is no good. But let me make this clear: if anyone captures this old devil alive, you're not allowed to kill him. The higher-ups said to spare his life and take him back to the mines to work in the coal mines!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers in the marching column exchanged smiles.

This is a long-standing tradition of the garrison: captured Japanese officers are not imprisoned, but sent to coal mines to do dirty and tiring work. They work in the mines during the day and dump swill at night.

Even when I'm sleeping, I can't get any rest.

The captured Japanese officers did not enjoy single rooms at all, but instead took turns living with ordinary workers.

In places like coal mines, several burly men could squeeze into a single dormitory room.

The Japanese prisoners of war, wearing shackles and handcuffs at night, and being quite old, were often bullied and humiliated in the dormitory.

Being forced to sleep standing up has become commonplace.

According to the brothers who had stood guard in the coal mine, a new trick has been devised inside. At night, when they sleep, the swill is deliberately left unemptied and placed against the wall. The Japanese prisoners are then forced to stand upside down with their hands on the ground, their heads less than five centimeters away from the swill.

If you can't hold on any longer, you'll end up upside down in the swill bucket.

Just sleep like that for one night.

Pure torture of will.

(End of this chapter)