Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 193 The Tank Battalion That Suddenly Appeared

The retreat of a large army could not be like a street brawl where everyone retreated in a rush. Under the command of Ushijima Sanetsugu, the two brigades of the 20th Division began to retreat alternately.

Several times, Su Yaoyang led his troops to launch proactive pursuit and attacks, but they were all driven back, and some casualties were even incurred.

"Commander, let me lead the charge again. This time I'm sure I can break through the Japanese lines." Huang Guantao once again volunteered to Su Yaoyang, but Su Yaoyang refused.

"No... The Japanese are on the defensive and we are on the offensive right now. They have the advantage of terrain, so you can't act recklessly. We don't have the right to waste our brothers' lives. If we want to launch an attack, we have to wait for the artillery regiments to come up from behind."

After saying this, Su Yaoyang said to the communications officer behind him, "Send a telegram to John immediately to ask where he is and order him to launch an attack on the flank and rear of the 20th Division to interrupt the Japanese retreat."

"Yes!"

…………

The overcast sky was particularly gloomy, with a light drizzle falling from it. A long column of soldiers was retreating in the northwest direction. They were the Japanese 20th Division, which had just withdrawn from Wolf Valley.

Unlike when they arrived, the 20th Division's marching column now appeared somewhat disorganized, especially since a brief rain shower had just occurred the day before, making the roads somewhat muddy.

Ushijima Minoru often sat in the car, his face gloomy and his eyes closed, it was hard to tell whether he was asleep or resting.

Ushijima Sanetsu naturally ignored the drizzle outside. Since he was sitting in the car, he couldn't feel the rain at all. As for the soldiers outside... what harm could a little drizzle do to the brave soldiers of the Empire?

Now he's thinking about how to explain this to Yoshijiro Umezu.

As a seasoned division commander, he knew all too well that without a powerful backer, after such a major defeat, being forced to retire was almost a certainty, and he might even face a military court.

Now he no longer hopes to escape this calamity, he only hopes to return to his homeland safely. Even if he is relegated to the reserves, it doesn't matter, as long as he is safe.

But he couldn't find anyone he knew who was influential enough to help him.

"Sigh..." You only realize how little you know when you need it most.

Ushijima Minoru sighed deeply and leaned heavily back in his chair.

"boom……"

A loud explosion jolted Ushijima Minoru awake; he was still half asleep when he was suddenly jolted awake.

He practically jumped up from his seat. "What's going on...where's that firing?"

"Your Excellency, Division Commander... It's the Shanxi militia... We've been ambushed by the Shanxi militia?" Soon, his staff officer ran over in a panic to report.

"Baka... How is this possible? The Chinese are still behind us. How did they get ahead of us to ambush us?" Ushijima Sanetsu didn't believe the staff officer's words at all.

“It’s true…look for yourself!” the staff officer shouted, pointing into the distance.

“Hmm…” Ushijima Minoru looked in the direction the staff officer was pointing, and his heart instantly turned cold.

The distant hills and dust blurred the horizon as dozens of tanks, accompanied by countless soldiers in stone-gray uniforms, charged toward them.

The tracks rolled over the mud and scorched earth, producing a deafening roar, like the howl of a steel behemoth.

That unit was none other than the assault group led by John. The backup plan that Su Yaoyang had specially left behind before the battle had finally been put into action. John leaned halfway out of the command tower of the leading Sherman tank. The cold morning wind filled his uniform and blew a few strands of golden-brown hair across his forehead.

His binoculars were fixed on what lay ahead... It was the routed corps of the Japanese 20th Division, like a startled serpent, retreating hastily along the muddy road.

"Now! Everyone, form a cone formation, charge in! Crush them!"

John's voice, clear and tinged with a bloodthirsty excitement, was transmitted through the microphone to the communication channels of every tank.

The drivers of the twenty-seven Sherman tanks that were slowly approaching instantly stepped on the gas pedal. Amidst the roar of the engines, thick plumes of black smoke billowed from the exhaust pipes. The thirty-three-ton tanks shot out like arrows from an inconspicuous path beside the Japanese army's marching route, suddenly appearing in an unexpected direction!
Their towering figures loomed over a sloping hill, the 75mm main gun on the turret gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, while the coaxial machine gun and the M2HB 12.7 caliber heavy machine gun on the turret began to spew angry tongues of fire.

"Boom boom..." The 75mm main gun on the Sherman tank opened fire!

The shells whistled as they slammed into the crowded retreating Japanese ranks with the precision of death's scythe. A Japanese truck struggling uphill was hit instantly.

The orange-red fireball exploded with a roar, and the huge shockwave sent more than a dozen Japanese soldiers flying into the air like rag dolls. Limbs and twisted metal parts were mixed together, and the scene was extremely horrific!

The flashes of the explosion illuminated John's grinning face, revealing a cruel smile.

“Enemy attack! Tank! Right rear, tank! Fire!” In the Japanese ranks, an experienced sergeant screamed hoarsely, his voice distorted with fear.

However, it was too late.

John's tank battalion, like a red-hot blade, sliced ​​fiercely into the butter.

The Japanese retreat column was instantly cut in half, and the previously orderly ranks immediately erupted into chaos.

"They're Chinese!"

"Fire...fire now!"

"Blow up the Chinese tanks!"

The screams of terror, the officers' futile shouts, the cries of the wounded, and the creaking of tank tracks crushing everything intertwined with the chaotic scene, creating a truly explosive spectacle.

With a creak, the car that Ushijima Minoru was riding in came to a stop. Looking at the tank formation raging on the highway not far away, he rolled down the window and shouted to the soldiers around him.

"Stop immediately... Organize the troops for a counterattack!"

Although his voice was loud, the Japanese soldiers were already in a state of chaos, and no one stopped to listen to his commands.

Ushijima Minoru was so angry that his eyes widened. He was about to open the car door when his adjutant in the passenger seat stopped him.

"Division Commander, it's not safe here right now. It's too chaotic. Let's leave here as soon as possible."

"leave here……"

Ushijima Minoru gave a bitter laugh, pointing to the chaotic scene around him: "Do you think I'll have a chance to clean up this mess once I leave here?"

The adjutant fell silent. A commander who deserted the battlefield and abandoned his troops, leading to defeat, was a serious crime in the army of any country. If Ushijima Sanetsu really dared to do that, he would probably be facing military police forcing him to commit seppuku tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)