Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 344 He shouted loudly
The roaring sounds came one after another, as if the mountains of Niangziguan were about to be torn apart by heavy artillery and airplanes.

Dust filled the air, and the air itself was scorching hot from the explosion. Yamagawa Masataka huddled in the deepest tunnel, clutching a Nambu pistol in his hand. Although the chamber was long empty, he held it tightly, as if holding it meant carrying the last shred of "soldier's dignity."

The tunnel was already cramped and damp, and now it was filled with smoke. The tremors caused the roof beams to collapse, and lime and dust rushed down, crushing the already weakened soldiers so badly that they couldn't even scream.

Someone waved in vain, trying to shout "counterattack," but was hit on the forehead by a flying rock in the next instant, and blood splattered all over Yamashiro Masahiro's face.

"Click."

He raised the Nambu pistol, which was now out of bullets, and gestured as if he wanted to aim it at the cave entrance, but at this moment his body was too unsteady to even lift the gun, and his filthy face was filled with despair.

“Jade…shattered…” His cracked lips could barely utter syllables, only managing to spew out these two indistinct words.

The next moment... "Boom!"

Several shells, mixed with incendiary bombs, hit the tunnel entrance directly. The explosive flames rushed in through the air, instantly igniting the wooden beams. Flames danced everywhere, and the entire tunnel instantly became a giant oven.

The already dying Japanese soldiers turned into dust and charred remains amidst screams and groans.

With the tunnels completely destroyed, the Third Division was essentially wiped out.

Apart from the chief of staff who led the remaining thousand or so soldiers and a few regimental flags in a desperate attempt to break through the encirclement via a side path, almost all the rest were buried in the scorched earth of Niangziguan.

In the front-line command post, Su Yaoyang breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the battle report. Niangziguan had finally been captured, and now it was the turn of the 4th and 27th Divisions at Xinkou.

…………

Xinkou Front, Headquarters of the 129th Central Division in Shanxi
The sturdy wooden table was piled high with telegrams, intelligence notes, and a rudimentary sand table model.

A few lanterns flickered in the corner, and in this dim light, several operations staff officers were discussing the map in hushed tones.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open with a thud, and a young staff officer practically rushed in, panting heavily, his voice booming like a cannon shot in the otherwise dull room.

"Chief of Staff... Division Commander, good news... Niangziguan Pass has been captured!"

Commander Liu, sitting at the table, suddenly looked up, his eyes wide, still clutching a pencil in his hand.

The deputy chief of staff was stunned, then jumped to his feet, his voice rising sharply: "What? Niangziguan... has it really been taken?"

The communications officer, beaming with excitement, slammed the telegram onto the table, his voice almost trembling with emotion:
"It's absolutely true, this is an urgent telegram just sent by the Shanxi militia."

The telegram clearly stated that they had captured Niangziguan Pass by noon today.

Except for a few survivors who fled, the rest of the Third Division were killed in battle.

The militia is currently clearing the battlefield and will be able to regroup and advance eastward before nightfall today. They are expected to arrive at Xinkou the day after tomorrow morning to fight alongside us!

With a loud "smack," the deputy chief of staff slammed his hand on the table, his face beaming with excitement and a long-lost sense of pride.

He crossed his arms, his eyebrows raised, and excitedly circled the map table twice, breathing heavily: "Old Liu! Did you hear that?"
With the liberation of Niangziguan and the annihilation of the Third Division, the Shanxi militia can now focus their efforts. Now we finally have a formidable ally!

Commander Liu couldn't help but burst into laughter. He patted the table and straightened his back: "Not only are there reinforcements from the Shanxi militia, but yesterday headquarters also agreed to send us six regiments of reinforcements. This will make our forces much more abundant."

Especially the two armored regiments under Commander Su's command. Why were the Japanese able to run rampant in China? It was all thanks to their heavy artillery and armor.

Once the armored forces brought by Commander Su join the battlefield, the situation at Xinkou will be fundamentally reversed. I want to see what the Japanese have to offer us.
The atmosphere in the command post was ignited when the term "armored forces" was mentioned.

Several staff officers, who were already exhausted, all sat up straight, their eyes shining.

They had endured for far too long the days when they could only rely on millet and rifles to fight off the Japanese onslaught.

If armored units were to join the battle, combined with heavy artillery and air support, it would truly be the first time that the Japanese army could be overwhelmed in terms of equipment and manpower.

Datong, the headquarters of the Japanese First Army.

The heavy wooden doors were tightly shut, and the air inside the command building seemed to freeze.

A huge map of North China was placed in the center of the room, and the floor was covered with gray-white gauze. The "beep beep beep beep" sound from several radios was unusually jarring in the silence.

None of the staff officers in the command post dared to speak.

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to the two people sitting on the other side of the sand table: Yoshio Iwamatsu and Shun Tada.

Tada Shun's face was ashen, as if ink had been spilled on it. He stared intently at the battle record sheet on the table, his eyes bloodshot.

They had originally planned to hold out for another fifteen days so that reinforcements could arrive and the Niangziguan Pass could maintain its front line.

But reality slapped him hard in the face.

"The Third Division... wiped out?!"

His voice was low and deep, yet it was like a stone thrown into ice, chilling everyone in the room to the bone.

Yoshio Iwamatsu remained expressionless; he knew that as the commander of the First Army, he couldn't escape the primary responsibility.

Although his back remained ramrod straight, he couldn't hide the slight trembling in the corners of his eyes.

The staff officers lowered their heads and stood silently, trembling with fear.

They knew very well that the annihilation of the Third Division was not simply a matter of numerical losses.

That was one of the highest-ranking standing combat forces in the Japanese Army. There were only 17 standing divisions in the entire country, and the 3rd Division was recognized as the "ace" within the system.

The fact that such a unit was almost completely wiped out left no room for explanation from headquarters.

The autumn wind howled outside, and the junior officer who pushed open the door did not dare to look up. He hurriedly put down a piece of paper with the words "transcription of the radio station" printed on it and went out.

The words written in red on the paper were clear: "Niangziguan Pass has fallen, most of the Third Division has been annihilated, and its commander, Lieutenant General Yamashiro Masataka, has been killed in action..."

Time seemed to stretch out, and the only sounds in the cramped command room were the clicking of the telephone and the rustling of the wind through the window paper.

Yoshio Iwamatsu slowly raised his head, a bitter smile appearing on his stiff face. He muttered, "It seems I'll become... the shortest-lived commander of the First Army." Tada Shun, standing beside him, narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips tightly together.

His heart was also heavy. This crushing defeat at Niangziguan not only meant that the defense line at Xinkou was in danger, but also that the strategic balance of the entire North China region had been broken.

The Tokyo headquarters will not let him off the hook... and what awaits them will not be a lenient ultimatum, but a reckoning that will follow.

Tada Shun raised his head, his gaze gloomy, yet tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Across from them, Yoshio Iwamatsu also looked over. Their eyes met, and they remained silent, their eyes revealing an undisguised helplessness and resentment.

A moment later, Tada Shun let out a long sigh, as if he were being crushed by a thousand pounds of stones.

"That's enough, that's enough."

The Third Division has already been defeated, and no matter how unwilling we are to admit it, we have ultimately lost.

With Niangziguan Pass fallen, continuing the battle at Xinkou is futile. Before the Chinese encirclement is completely sealed, order a swift retreat from Xinkou. At least, this will preserve some of the empire's fighting strength.

Several staff officers in the room looked up, but none of them dared to interrupt.

They knew very well what these words meant: it was easy to give up Xinkou voluntarily, but if the headquarters wanted to investigate, the person who made the suggestion would have to take the blame.

Yoshio Iwamatsu pondered for a long time, his eyes flickering, before finally nodding slowly: "You are right. But if we are to retreat... the 4th Division can still be extricated, but what about the 27th Division..." His voice suddenly deepened as he finished speaking.

"They were ordered to flank and break in from the rear, and are now entangled with several Chinese troops, fighting fiercely. If they retreat now, the Chinese army will surely pursue them relentlessly."

The staff officers exchanged glances, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.

Everyone knew that the 27th Division's flanking maneuver a few days prior was a "surprise attack" that the Empire had high hopes for, intended to cut off enemy supplies. But now, with the main battlefield setbacks, the surprise attack had instantly become an isolated and unfortunate force. Retreating was practically tantamount to suicide.

Tada Shun coughed softly, his voice hoarse as he said, "If even the 27th Division is completely wiped out, then even if we cut open our stomachs, it still won't be enough to repay the debt."

A long silence once again weighed on the entire headquarters. The ticking of the radio sounded like a death knell, sending chills down everyone's spine.

Yoshio Iwamatsu clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead.

He knew perfectly well that they were not choosing whether or not to win, but rather how to die and who would die more cleanly.

Outside the window, the north wind howled. Inside, everyone stared precariously at the arrows on the map; each red-marked number seemed especially heavy at that moment.

The night was pitch black, and thick clouds hung low over the sky like a giant curtain.

Not a single star could be seen; the air was damp and humid; a light rain fell, splashing against the metal chariot with a "pitter-patter" sound.

The highway from Xinkou to the front line was unusually noisy.

The deafening roar of engines as a column of armored vehicles stretching for miles carved through the mud and rain in the darkness.

The enormous headlights illuminated the road like blades, casting a stark white light on the rain-soaked ditches, fields, and crops on both sides.

The Sherman tanks marched in formation, their guns raised high, their tracks grinding through the mud, sending waves of mud flying and splashing onto the helmets and raincoats of the accompanying infantry.

Rainwater flowed down my raincoat and into my collar and neck, mixing with my sweat, and a chill crept up my spine.

John leaned half his body out of the hatch on the turret, scanning the road by the light of the headlights.

As a veteran of the Shanxi militia and the first regimental commander of the armored forces, this guy had considerable prestige in the armored forces. Rain streamed down his forehead, but he didn't care at all. He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead while shouting loudly.

"Hurry up, you bastards! You think you can just eat and then go to sleep? Get yourselves moving faster!"

The roar was louder than the engine, practically exploding in the darkness. The communications soldiers of several tanks all looked up at their superiors, their responses mingling with the rumble, creating a chaotic yet orderly scene.

Inside the driver's seat, Qiao Erdan stuck half his head out, squinting as raindrops pelted his eyes, but he still kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

With both hands forcefully twisting the control lever, the more than 30-ton Sherman tank roared and spun around in the mud, its body almost sliding into the ditch beside it.

His whole body stiffened, his palms were wet and trembling, but he still desperately held the control stick steady. He cursed inwardly, "If this behemoth really falls into the ditch, I'll really be hung on the cannon barrel by that John guy and displayed to everyone!"

As a tank soldier personally trained by John, he knew very well that John wasn't just talking; he was actually willing to put him on display like a crane.

In the convoy behind, every tracked vehicle and supply truck followed closely.

The car headlights formed a long, fiery dragon, resembling a magnificent Milky Way in the pitch-black night.

For an armored force that has been established for more than two years, marching at night in bad weather is not an easy task.

Fortunately, Su Yaoyang's troops were always well-funded and powerful, and night blindness was a rare occurrence among the Shanxi militia, which is why they were able to carry out a forced march at night.

Although the soldiers on foot were exhausted, they were still deeply moved when they saw these metal behemoths rumbling forward beside them.

Some even laughed and cursed as they ran, saying, "If the Japanese devils heard us making this noise in the middle of the night, they'd probably wet their pants!"

Su Yaoyang rode in an armored command vehicle alongside the column. Although the armor was being pounded by raindrops, he was fast asleep on a narrow cot, as if the noise around him had no effect on him at all.

Su Yaoyang, as Lao An, could slack off and sleep, but Pi Ruoyu, as the chief of staff, could not. Even when the convoy was on the move, he was still in another command vehicle, constantly communicating with various units through the vehicle radio. Things such as troop movements and the replenishment of supplies and ammunition all required his approval as the chief of staff.

Just as he was busy reviewing documents, a radio operator suddenly stood up and stammered, "Chief of Staff, a call from Wutai County Hospital: Madam has just given birth. Mother and child are safe and sound, everything is normal!"

"What...the First Madam has given birth? And it's a boy? That's wonderful!"

Upon hearing this, Pi Ruoyu, who had long since mastered the art of remaining calm even when Mount Tai collapsed before him, couldn't help but shout out loud.

"Great...great...that's wonderful!"

If they weren't in a command vehicle, Pi Ruoyu would have jumped up; this scene seemed even more exciting than his wife giving birth.

"Quickly...send someone to tell the commander-in-chief this news immediately!" he shouted.

(End of this chapter)