gnovel Chapter 253 The order to pursue; we don't need prisoners.
Chapter 253 The order to pursue; we don't need prisoners.
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His 6th and 10th Divisions will then receive support and will not be surrounded and left to die.
The results of it?
Neither of the two goals was achieved.
"idiot."
Tani Hisao squeezed out those two words through gritted teeth.
"They're a bunch of idiots who could be in a museum."
His eyes were bloodshot, it was hard to tell whether it was from staying up all night or from being consumed by anger.
Just then, a sharp whistling sound came from the sky.
That was the sound of artillery shells tearing through the air, growing louder and louder as it approached.
Hundreds of artillery pieces in the Third Column, including the 88mm guns originally intended for air defense, roared simultaneously.
Shells rained down on Huoqiu County and the Japanese positions.
"Boom!!!"
The explosion ripped through the city walls, sending rubble and dust flying everywhere.
Tani Hisao and Ogishu Rippei instinctively squatted down.
At the same time, troops on both the eastern and western fronts launched a general offensive.
Hundreds of tanks roared forward, their tracks crushing the earth that had been churned up countless times by artillery shells, raising clouds of dust.
The infantrymen following behind the tanks crouched low, holding their rifles, their steps quick and firm.
Like a pack of wolves that have smelled blood, they viciously attacked the Japanese 6th and 10th Divisions.
In Nishio Toshizo's command post, the air was as heavy as an overturned iron pot, making it hard to breathe.
He stood with his hands behind his back in front of the huge military map, his gaze fixed somberly on the area around Huoqiu County.
There were two heavily surrounded blue markers, representing the 6th and 10th Divisions.
They have been completely confined to the narrow area around Huoqiu County, like two wild beasts trapped in a cage, with less and less room to struggle, and even turning around has become a luxury.
Nishio Toshizo's brows furrowed into a tight knot; he hadn't felt this anxious in a long time.
"Have the 13th Division and the Guards Division not made a breakthrough yet?"
"I can't help but ask," Nishio Toshizo asked in a cold voice, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible anxiety, as if something was stuck in his throat.
This is his only hope of turning things around right now.
If the two reinforcements cannot break through the Northwest Army's defenses in the south before the outer defenses are completely torn apart, then the battle on the northern front will be a complete failure.
Whether the 6th and 10th Divisions chose to break out or fought to the bitter end and were all killed in action, it was an unacceptable outcome for Nishio Toshizo.
Chief of Staff Naosaburo Okabe lowered his voice, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness:
"I'm sorry. The Northwest Army on the other side is much stronger than we imagined."
He paused, as if choosing his words carefully: "Iida Sadaharu said in the telegram that those guys were on fire and were still launching a counterattack against them, like a bunch of undead demons."
Upon hearing the words "Northwest Army," Nishio Toshizo couldn't help but recall some unpleasant memories.
At the time, Commander Terauchi Hisaichi directed the 10th, 20th, and 5th Divisions in fierce battles against the enemy in the Taierzhuang area.
At that time, besides the troublesome Third Column, the only other force remaining in Taierzhuang was the Northwest Army under Sun Lianzhong.
Those Northwest Army soldiers fought recklessly, holding off the Imperial Army's elite troops outside the city for several days, but ultimately failed to capture it.
Those who are now guarding the front line in Gushi and Fenshuiting Township are all familiar faces.
They are Zhang Zizhong and Chi Fengcheng.
The former held Linyi during the Battle of Taierzhuang, causing serious losses to the Fifth Division and rendering Itagaki Seishiro ill. It is said that Itagaki lay in the hospital for more than a month before recovering.
The latter, however, held Taierzhuang to the death, fighting the main force of the 10th Division for several days and nights. The position was lost and recaptured, then lost again, back and forth, like a tug-of-war.
"It's them again."
Nishio Toshizo said something in a low voice, as if he were talking to himself.
He turned around, his gaze falling on the sky outside the window, a hint of emotion in his voice.
"These Chinese troops are truly unpredictable. Many times they appear to be extremely vulnerable, yet at other times they become fearless and as strong as steel."
Just then, a messenger rushed into the command post, his boots making a rapid thud on the floor.
He stood at attention and reported, his voice urgent and clear:
"Report! The 6th and 10th Divisions have sent telegrams simultaneously, indicating that the defense lines on the east and west sides have completely collapsed and enemy troops are successively rushing into the city."
The messenger swallowed hard and continued, "Their main force will break out to the south before dark. We hope to use the air force to provide them with some cover."
Hearing this, Nishio Hisazo wasn't too surprised.
There was no surprise on his face, only a kind of expected weariness.
He knew very well that it was only a matter of time.
Having fought alone for many days, surrounded by armored forces, and with their logistical supplies cut off, it is already quite remarkable that the 6th and 10th Divisions have managed to hold out until now.
If it were an ordinary army, it probably would have collapsed a few days ago.
After a long silence, Nishio Toshizo finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth:
"Okay, got it."
Naosaburo Okabe chimed in, "That would be tantamount to admitting that our offensive on the northern front has completely failed."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word felt like a needle piercing Nishio Toshizo's heart.
Nishio Toshizo waved his hand weakly, as if trying to drive away something unseen.
He turned and sat back down in the chair, the wood of which groaned softly.
"We can't force it any further."
Nishio Toshizo raised his head, his eyes showing some fatigue, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were much deeper than usual.
"We can't just watch them all perish."
After saying this, he agreed to the Japanese army's request to break out of the encirclement on the northern front.
At the same time, the air force also received orders to launch an attack on enemy positions in the southern part of Huoqiu County to open a passage for the breakout troops.
It was 5 p.m., two hours before dark.
The setting sun hung on the western horizon, like a bleeding eye, coldly watching the earth.
Using the cover of night to break through would have been the safest option.
However, both Tani Hisao and Ogisu Rikihei believed that such a method would actually hinder the main force's operations.
Because it becomes difficult for air forces to provide effective fire support after dark.
When faced with the frenzied attacks of the enemy's mechanized forces, they don't know how many corpses they will leave behind on their breakout journey.
Those corpses will serve as road signs, marking the route of their defeat.
Rather than being chased and beaten in the dark, it's better to take a chance while it's light.
This is their last shred of dignity, and their last chance.
In the command post of Li Jianghe's Third Column.
Lin Yongzhi handed over the latest intelligence he had received, his voice tinged with excitement, like a hunter smelling the scent of his prey:
"Reporting to the corps commander, it has now been confirmed that the Japanese troops on the other side have begun to concentrate their breakout to the south. Enemy bomber groups are continuously bombing our blocking positions from the south."
Li Jianghe was not at all surprised by this result.
The 6th and 10th Divisions, with tens of thousands of troops, were compressed into this narrow area no more than ten kilometers wide and long. If they did not break out, they would most likely be annihilated.
Like a mouse trapped in a dead end, even though it knows there's a cat guarding the outside, it can only grit its teeth and try to break out.
Charging out means death, staying behind also means death, so we might as well take a gamble.
Li Jianghe did not hesitate at all:
"Order all units to immediately launch a pursuit. The forward blocking forces must stop these Japanese devils at all costs—kill as many as you can; we don't need prisoners."
He spoke the last few words slowly, each word distinct and deliberate, as if they were nails driven into the ears of everyone present.
"Yes! We don't need prisoners!"
Lin Yongzhi answered in a strong and resonant voice, his blood rushing to his head, and even his eyes felt hot.
He thought of Nanjing, and of one of the perpetrators of that tragedy—the Japanese 6th Division.
That blood debt wasn't just remembered by him alone. Every soldier in the Third Column had the word "Nanjing" etched into their bones and hearts.
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