gnovel Chapter 221 The Principal's Decision: Deploying Elite Central Army Troops to Reinforce the Fron
Chapter 221 The Principal's Decision: Deploying Elite Central Army Troops to Reinforce the Fron
Previously, when the west gate was breached, he was able to fight street battles using the buildings in the city, gradually delaying the inevitable.
But now the north gate has also fallen, and the enemy is attacking from two directions. How long can his troops hold out?
The answer is already right in front of us.
But as an Imperial soldier, before receiving the order to retreat, he could only use the lives of the soldiers of the 47th Regiment to buy time.
"Hold on! We have no other choice! Even if we fight to the last man, we must hold on!"
Nobuaki Ohno gritted his teeth and squeezed out the words, his hand already gripping the military knife at his waist.
But no sooner had he finished speaking than a deafening roar came from outside.
"Boom!!!"
The barrage of shells landed precisely on the block where his command post was located.
The walls of the house collapsed instantly, with debris and dust flying everywhere, and the whole house shook violently.
As the sun gradually set, it dyed Huainan City a blood red.
The Japanese flag that had been hanging on the city wall had long been cut by the soldiers of the Third Column, who then slammed it to the ground.
Countless pairs of military boots trampled over it, burying the flag deep in the mud.
Huainan, the most important logistical reserve base for the Japanese army on the northern front, was completely captured by Li Jianghe's Third Column after only one day and one night of fierce attack.
During the battle, some warehouses were damaged by artillery fire, and a few were destroyed by the Japanese army before their retreat.
However, most of the war supplies fell into the hands of the Third Column intact.
Without the slightest hesitation, Li Jianghe immediately ordered a telegram to be drafted and sent to the Fifth War Zone Command.
The news of the great victory in Huainan was reported immediately.
At the Wuhan headquarters, thousands of miles away, the principal had not received any accurate news from Huainan for a whole day.
He paced back and forth in his office, his face filled with anxiety, not even noticing that the tea in his hand had gone cold.
He knew all too well what it would mean if the Third Column were to be defeated in Huainan.
Not only did the counter-offensive plan on the northern slopes of the Dabie Mountains completely fail, but the entire southern Henan region could also fall into the hands of the Japanese army.
Even more seriously, the Japanese army would take advantage of the situation to advance westward, directly threatening the safety of Wuhan.
This was an outcome he could not accept no matter what.
Just as he was feeling uneasy, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door.
Commander He even forgot to knock, and pushed the door open and rushed in, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"Chairman! We've got it! We've got it!"
The principal abruptly stopped, leaned forward, and asked urgently:
"What? You've captured it? Is it Huainan? Huainan has been captured?"
As soon as he said it, he himself thought it was unlikely.
Only a day and a night have passed. Even if the other side has three thousand pigs, they might not be able to catch them all in a day.
But what Commander He said next left him stunned.
"That's Huainan! It's been completely taken over by the Third Column!"
"They not only annihilated the Japanese troops inside the city, but also captured and destroyed a large amount of Japanese military supplies!"
"Chairman, can we move our troops west of the Shi River?"
The principal strode to the huge battle map, his chest heaving slightly with excitement.
He took several deep breaths before he could barely suppress his surging emotions and calm himself down.
He pointed his finger heavily on the highway north of Gushi on the map and slowly began to speak:
"No rush."
"It depends on whether Li Jianghe's Third Column can take this highway and cut off the Japanese army's retreat route."
"Otherwise, it would still be very difficult to completely encircle this Japanese force."
The principal knew very well that once the 10th and 6th Divisions were allowed to march south along the highway...
Once they join forces with the Imperial Guard Division and the 13th Division, it will be almost impossible to encircle and annihilate them.
Officer He, standing to the side, naturally understood the principal's concerns.
But he also knew that if Hu Zongnan's troops remained inactive, it would inevitably discourage the local troops at the front.
Even if they don't immediately engage in combat, they should at least head to the front lines and make a show of it.
It can also give the troops at the front line more confidence to fight to the end.
"It would be better to let Hu Zongnan's main force advance to the west of Gushi first."
Commander He cautiously offered his suggestion.
"As for whether to commit to the subsequent encirclement and annihilation operations, we will decide based on the progress of Li Jianghe's Third Column."
The office fell silent again, with only the clock on the wall ticking away.
The principal looked at the map, tapped the mark on Gushi lightly with his finger, and finally nodded slowly.
"You just said that Hu Zongnan's main force should be deployed west of Gushi, without engaging in combat immediately, and the decision should be made based on the situation?"
The principal looked up at Commander He, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
Commander He immediately nodded, stepped forward, pointed to the location of Gushi on the map, and explained again.
"Yes, Chairman. The troops should advance first. This will boost the morale of the troops in the Fifth War Zone and encourage them to fight more freely."
"Secondly, it also allows us to keep an eye on the movements of the Japanese troops at the Gushi front. Once Li Jianghe succeeds, it will cut off the Japanese troops' retreat route."
"Yes, Chairman. The troops should advance first. This will boost the morale of the troops in the Fifth War Zone and encourage them to fight more freely."
"Secondly, it also allows us to keep an eye on the movements of the Japanese troops at the Gushi front. Once Li Jianghe succeeds, it will cut off the Japanese troops' retreat route."
"Our troops can immediately move in and complete the encirclement, without missing the opportunity."
"Even if the situation changes, the main force is west of Gushi and can withdraw at any time to hold the outer defense line of Wuhan."
"It can attack or defend, and will not be put on the defensive."
Commander He spoke very cautiously, clearly explaining both the advantages and disadvantages.
Having served the principal for many years, he knew all too well what the chairman was thinking.
They wanted to take advantage of Li Jianghe's momentum to fight a comeback battle on the northern slopes of the Dabie Mountains and reverse the decline of the Battle of Wuhan.
They were also afraid of losing their last remaining core assets and ending up with a complete loss.
The principal didn't speak immediately, but tapped his fingers lightly on the table, once, then again.
The atmosphere in the office grew increasingly heavy with each knock.
He was acutely aware of how passive the current battle situation was.
On the southern front, the Japanese army continuously reinforced its troops in Jiujiang and Huangmei, pressing forward step by step. Madang and Hukou fell one after another, and Jiujiang was also lost.
On the northern front, the fighting along the Fujinshan line was fierce. Song Xilian's 71st Army was wiped out, but it was still struggling to hold on.
The entire Fifth War Zone's troops were tied up at the front lines by the Japanese army, their manpower was stretched thin, and even their reserves were almost wiped out.
Li Jianghe's capture of Huainan was like throwing a huge rock into a stagnant pool.
This completely shattered the Japanese army's entire plan for the northern front, and also gave the National Revolutionary Army a rare opportunity to turn the tide.
He didn't want to give up this opportunity, nor could he afford to.
By now, the Nationalist government had nowhere left to retreat in the Battle of Wuhan; any further retreat would mean Chongqing.
But he didn't dare to gamble.
No matter how capable Li Jianghe's Third Column was, it was still an isolated force, deep in Japanese territory, surrounded by enemies on all sides.
No one can say for sure whether this unit, which has created countless miracles, can hold on this time.
Could we hold Huainan and cut off the Japanese army's retreat route in the face of a counterattack from two main Japanese divisions?
He had seen far too many instances where frontline commanders would confidently assure him of victory, only to suffer a crushing defeat in the end.
I've seen far too many times how a hard-won fighter jet can turn into a catastrophe because of a single wrong step.
Commander He stood aside without saying anything more, simply waiting quietly for his final decision.
He knew that only the principal could make this decision, and only he dared to make it.
When the cigarette burned out, the principal stubbed it out in the ashtray.
He finally raised his head, looked at Commander He, and slowly began to speak.
"Okay, let's do it this way."
The moment those words were spoken, the tense atmosphere in the office instantly eased considerably.
The weight that had been hanging over Commander He's heart finally lifted.
He was about to speak when he heard the principal continue.
"Send a telegram to Hu Zongnan, ordering him to immediately lead the main force to deploy defenses west of Gushi."
"Without my order, not a single soldier is to be deployed to the front lines. Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to military law."
"Yes, Chairman! I'll arrange it immediately!"
Commander He immediately stood at attention and responded, his tone filled with barely concealed excitement.
The principal waved his hand, signaling him not to rush, and his gaze returned to the location of Huainan on the map.
His eyes held a mixture of complex emotions: anticipation, unease, and a hint of nervousness that even he himself was unaware of.
"Next, we'll see if Li Jianghe's third column can create this miracle again."
He spoke softly, his fingers gently tracing the mark of Li Jianghe's tribe on the map, his tone tinged with a hint of melancholy.
Commander He stood aside without saying a word.
He knew in his heart that the key to this battle was never whether Hu Zongnan's troops advanced or not.
The question is whether Li Jianghe can hold Huainan.
Could we hold onto this hard-won opening firmly amidst the fierce counterattacks of the two main Japanese divisions?
The principal leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, but the same question kept churning in his mind.
Li Jianghe, can you still act according to that wildly imaginative battle plan?
Can you still accomplish the almost impossible combat objectives outlined in that plan?
From ambushing the Japanese fleet in Zhanghu Town to destroying four Japanese logistics warehouses in one night, and then rushing a hundred miles to capture Huainan.
This young man has created too many miracles that everyone thought were impossible.
But this time, it's different.
This time, he was facing the Japanese army's 6th and 10th elite Class A divisions.
These were the two most capable main forces of the Japanese army in the Central China battlefield. With the addition of extra troops, their total strength was nearly 100,000.
Li Jianghe's third column, at most, had less than 40,000 men.
The principal opened his eyes, looked at the chandelier on the ceiling, and gently shook his head.
Reason told him that Li Jianghe was unlikely to succeed this time.
Throughout history, it has always been a major taboo for military strategists to venture deep into enemy territory alone, only to be attacked from both sides.
Li Jianghe's Third Column, a list that had just been compiled was on the table.
Those were captured Japanese weapons and ammunition, as well as a large amount of military supplies.
Most importantly, there is also a large amount of fuel available inside.
Yang Ruifu plopped down and said:
"Captain, this time we've had quite a haul, more than any of our previous captures."
Li Jianghe opened the list, glanced at it briefly, and raised his eyebrows involuntarily.
As Yang Ruifu said, the list of supplies was indeed extensive.
The country has over ten million rounds of ammunition in its reserves, along with twenty thousand artillery shells of various calibers.
This is assuming that some of the ammunition depots were destroyed by the Japanese army; otherwise, there would have been even more.
For Li Jianghe, however, the most important thing is fuel.
Tens of thousands of barrels of gasoline were enough to sustain two Japanese divisions for a month of combat operations.
Even though Li Jianghe's armored forces are more mechanized and consume a lot of fuel, this amount of fuel is enough for them to use for a period of time.
As for provisions, they were also stockpiled based on the consumption of two reinforced divisions in a month of high-intensity combat.
He composed himself, slightly agitated, and immediately issued the order:
"Leave two battalions in Huainan, and the rest of the troops will rest for a day before advancing towards Gushi tomorrow."
He paused here, then said:
"At the same time, orders were given to the main force of Wang Dayong's Third Motorized Infantry Detachment to lead his troops out of the mountains and attack along the Yaoli Town and Longtan Town line to cut off the Japanese army's transportation line between Lu'an and Gushi."
According to Li Jianghe's deduction, if the Sixth and Tenth Divisions do not retreat immediately, they will need to obtain supplies from the Lu'an and Hefei areas to make up for the disruption in their logistical support.
Wang Dayong's third detachment was tasked with cutting off this supply line and simultaneously preventing the Japanese 6th and 10th Divisions from escaping south.
In the very center of the Japanese operations room, Nishio Toshizo stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a crisp general's uniform, with a sword bestowed upon him by the Emperor at his waist.
His face was expressionless, but his eyes were churning with a fury that seemed about to burst forth.
Naosaburo Okabe stood beside him, holding a newly translated telegram in his hand, his fingers trembling slightly.
Just ten minutes ago, news of the complete fall of Huainan reached the headquarters.
The 47th Regiment was completely wiped out, and its commander, Nobuaki Ohno, was killed in action. All the logistical supplies of the two divisions stockpiled in Huainan City fell into the hands of the enemy.
The news struck like a thunderbolt in the operations room.
Only one day and one night had passed between the attack on Huainan and the complete fall of the city.
A full-strength infantry regiment, relying on the fortified city's defenses, couldn't even hold out for two days.
Everyone knows what the fall of Huainan means.
The 6th and 10th Divisions, which were fighting on the front lines of Fujinshan and Gushi, were effectively cut off from their retreat and had their necks strangled.
The two divisions, totaling nearly 100,000 troops, had their entire month's worth of food, ammunition, and fuel stockpiled in Huainan.
Now that their logistics base has been destroyed, this army of 100,000 has instantly become an isolated force.
Without ammunition, food, and fuel, even the best equipment and the fiercest soldiers cannot last more than a few days.
Even more seriously, the loss of Huainan threw the entire Japanese troop deployment along the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains into chaos.
The previously formulated plan to encircle the main forces of the five war zones and directly attack Wuhan has become a dead letter.
Naosaburo Okabe took a deep breath, steeled himself, and walked up to Toshizo Nishio.
He bowed slightly and gently placed the telegram in his hand on the table in front of Nishio Toshizo.
"Commander, Huainan has been completely captured."
"Li Jianghe's Third Column is too powerful. The 47th Regiment... was completely wiped out. We must consider the retreat of the Sixth and Tenth Divisions."
Naosaburo Okabe's voice was low and somewhat strained.
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