Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 254 A battle of wits and courage
Yingshan, the headquarters of the Japanese 11th Army.

While the front lines of Pumpkin Shop were being relentlessly plowed by Su Yaoyang's steel storm, far behind, Commander Sonobe Ichiro was enjoying his dinner in his spacious and bright office.

On the exquisite porcelain plates were fresh sashimi and miso soup flown in from Japan, a stark contrast to the miserable sight of soldiers on the front lines gnawing on cold rice balls.

A communications staff officer rushed in, knocking on the door in a flustered manner, and respectfully handed a newly deciphered telegram to Chief of Staff Aoki Shigenari.

Aoki Shigenari took the telegram, glanced at it, and his expression instantly turned serious. He didn't dare to delay and quickly walked to Sonobe Kazuichiro, who was having a meal, and quietly reported the contents of the telegram.

This telegram came from Masataka Yamawaki, the commander of the 13th Division.

The telegram was extremely brief, yet it was filled with a suffocating sense of despair.

The above describes them as being subjected to "unprecedented and irresistible" air and ground fire, with their positions completely collapsed, their troops suffering heavy casualties, and their organization on the verge of disintegration. They request an immediate tactical retreat, otherwise they will face the danger of suffering unbearable losses.

Sonobe Kazuo put down his chopsticks and took the thin telegram.

He stared at the shocking words above and fell into a long silence. The only sound in the room was the soft crackling of the burning charcoal in the fireplace.

After a long while, he finally raised his head, his usually sharp eyes now filled with deep confusion and bewilderment. He looked at his chief of staff, Aoki Shigenari, and asked in an almost dreamlike tone:

"Aoki-kun, has the Chinese army become this powerful? With less than 50,000 troops, they can withstand our 30,000 elite imperial troops, and even... turn the tables and beat us like this?"

This question stumped even the battle-hardened Aoki Shigenari. He stammered for a long time, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, before finally managing to say, "Commander... logically speaking, this... this is absolutely impossible! I estimate the biggest variable lies in that suddenly appearing... Shanxi militia!"

"Shanxi militia..."

Sonobe Kazuo pondered the name, a name that had recently appeared frequently in the battle reports of the North China Area Army, but only today did he truly grasp the weight it represented.

The mysterious air power and the terrifying ground artillery fire were all directed at this armed force that he had originally regarded as a local ragtag group.

He pondered for a very long time, so long that the sashimi on his plate lost its luster. Finally, he let out a long, deep sigh, a sigh that contained shock, frustration, and a hint of... indescribable admiration.

"I suddenly... admire Shinotsuka-kun a little."

Sonobe Kazuo spoke slowly, his gaze drifting to the huge map of China on the wall, landing on the location of Shanxi.

"He actually managed to withstand the Shanxi militia in such a barren place as Shanxi for more than a year without suffering too much loss himself..."

He paused, as if asking Aoki Shigenari, or perhaps asking himself.

"How did he do that?"

Aoki Shigenari could not answer this question. No one in the entire 11th Army headquarters could answer it either.

Their understanding of the Shanxi militia was still limited to a vague concept of "well-equipped and highly combat-effective." They simply could not imagine what kind of terrifying opponent the First Army Commander Yoshio Shinotsuka was facing in Shanxi.

What they didn't know was that the reason Yoshio Shinotsuka "didn't suffer too much damage" wasn't because he was particularly clever, but because Su Yaoyang had been focusing on development and integration and hadn't really gone all out against him.

Now, this fierce tiger has finally bared its fangs at the Japanese army for the first time on the battlefield of the Zaoyi Campaign.

As a lieutenant general in the Japanese Army and commander of the 11th Army, Sonobe would not be discouraged by a single tactical defeat.

On the contrary, the horrific scene described in Masataka Yamawaki's telegram, and the terrifying strength displayed by the "Shanxi militia," stirred up the ferocity in his bones.

He abruptly stood up from his seat, and a flame reignited in his hawk-like eyes, only this time, the flame was mixed with a trace of reckless madness.

"Aoki-kun!" he shouted in an unquestionable tone.

"Hai!"

Aoki Shigenari immediately straightened his back.

Sonobe and Ichiro walked up to the huge battle map, picked up a red marker, and slammed it into the location of "Yichang".

"Immediately send a telegram to the 6th Division! Order them to intensify their attack on Yichang at all costs! I want them to take Yichang as quickly as possible and completely cut off the Chinese army's access to Sichuan!"

"Once we take Yichang, the Shanxi militia will be powerless; no matter how powerful they are, they'll be at our mercy."

Then, his marker moved quickly, drawing a circle around the pumpkin shop.

"At the same time, order the 14th Independent Mixed Brigade and the 40th Division to immediately turn around and move towards Nanguadian at full speed! Form an encirclement! I don't care what methods they use, whether they run or crawl, they must pin this damned Shanxi militia down in Nanguadian within two days!"

His voice grew louder and louder, tinged with hysteria.

"And the air force! Order the army air force to send out every flyable plane! Bomb Nanguadian! I want to turn that place into a sea of ​​fire! I don't care about fuel, ammunition, or losses! We must completely cripple the Shanxi militia at Nanguadian!"

The series of orders sent chills down Aoki Shigenari's spine. It was an extremely risky plan, practically gambling with the entire eleventh army's resources. But looking into the commander's bloodshot eyes, he dared not voice any objections and could only bow deeply: "Hai!"

Sonobe and Ichiro's intentions were clear. The Shanxi militia were supposed to be formidable, weren't they? Fine, then he'd use them as a thorn in the side to draw all the hammers away! He intended to trade space for time, using pressure from other fronts and overwhelming numerical superiority to starve and wear down Su Yaoyang's isolated force, which had ventured deep into enemy territory, on the small piece of land of Nanguadian.

……

Meanwhile, in the command center of Nanguadian Town, the joy of victory was rapidly fading, replaced by a heavy, unsettling silence.

Su Yaoyang stood in the temporary command post, holding several telegrams he had just received, his brows furrowed tightly.

Just now, he took some time to exchange battle information with several friendly army generals, including Feng Zhian, the acting commander-in-chief of the 33rd Army Group, Huang Weigang, the commander of the 59th Army, and Cao Fulin, the commander of the 77th Army, via telegram.

But the result he received made his heart sink.

The contents of the telegram were sharp as needles.

"Our troops have suffered heavy casualties, nearly two-thirds of them have been wiped out..."

"Ammunition is running out, and the soldiers are utterly exhausted..."

"The Japanese follow-up troops are pressing in from the flank..."

"If we don't retreat now, there is a risk of total collapse..."

The 33rd Army Group, a force that fought valiantly to defend its homeland, has given its last drop of blood.

On the main battlefield, they withstood the fierce attacks of several Japanese divisions, creating crucial conditions for Su Yaoyang's surprise attack at Nanguadian. But now, they have reached their limit.

Su Yaoyang looked at the map and saw that the blue arrow representing the 33rd Army Group had become tattered and was slowly moving backward.

He was at a loss for words for a moment.

He won the battle of Nanguadian, annihilating a large number of Japanese troops from two divisions. It was an indisputable great victory.

However, from the perspective of the entire campaign, although he was able to drive his thorn in, he also completely exposed himself.

With the 33rd Army Group on the verge of collapse, this powerful force will become completely isolated, facing the frenzied counterattacks and encirclement by the follow-up troops of the Japanese 11th Army.

The fruits of victory that had just been in hand instantly became incredibly hot to handle.

Almost at the same time that Su Yaoyang was caught in a dilemma, far away in Yichang City, the temporary command post of the Fifth War Zone was brightly lit.

As the supreme commander of the entire war zone, Li Zongren stood before a larger and more detailed battle map, with intelligence gathered from various fronts laid out before him.

The great victory at Nanguadian, the heavy casualties of the 33rd Army Group, the Japanese 6th Division's frenzied attack on Yichang, and the unusual mobilization of the Japanese 14th Brigade and 40th Division...

Seemingly scattered pieces of information were quickly connected and combined in his mind, eventually forming a clear yet sinister picture.

His deep, all-seeing eyes were fixed on the lone red arrow on the map that represented the "Shanxi Militia".

He understood Sonobe Kazuichiro's intentions almost immediately.

This cunning and mad opponent is trying to swallow Su Yaoyang's surprise force, along with the remnants of the entire 33rd Army Group, in one gulp with a huge pincer attack!
Pumpkin Shop, the site of victory just stained with blood, instantly transformed from a strategic stronghold into a deadly trap.

"What a brilliant plan by Sonobe Kazuichiro!"

A cold, stern smile appeared on Li Zongren's lips.

He did not panic because of the enemy's conspiracy. As an outstanding commander who had been through many battles, he made the most rational and correct judgment in an instant.

The pumpkin shop has lost its purpose in being held. Staying there is tantamount to waiting for death.

"Chief of Staff!" he called out without turning his head.

"Here!" A senior staff officer immediately stepped forward.

"Immediately send a telegram in my name to Su Yaoyang's Shanxi militia and Feng Zhian's 33rd Army Group!" Li Zongren's voice was steady and powerful, echoing in the quiet command post.

"Order: Shanxi militia, immediately abandon Nanguadian and move towards Yichang at full speed! 33rd Army Group, abandon the enemy in front of you and immediately retreat to a safe rear area to preserve your strength!"

He paused, his tone becoming more serious.

"Tell them that they must break out of this encirclement before the Japanese army can completely surround them! Be quick! Don't hesitate, don't linger!"

"Yes, sir!" The chief of staff accepted the order and left. Soon, the ticking of telegrams echoed in the command post, transmitting Li Zongren's orders to the eye of the storm at top speed.

(End of this chapter)