Age of Conquest Reborn

Chapter 484 The war is urgent

The Second Battle of Songhu launched by the Japanese temporarily came to an end after suffering heavy losses, and the remaining troops retreated to the East China Sea, waiting for an opportunity to make another move.

The senior officials of the Nanjing government were congratulating each other, and Chairman Chiang had a new assessment of Sino-Japanese relations. He used almost equal forces to repel the Japanese army that had been prepared for a long time without being prepared.

Any doubt about whether it could withstand a full-scale Japanese attack was gone.

The slightest illusion I had before was shattered by the ruthless facts. I lost even the last bit of trust in the Japanese and the Japanese government. I no longer had any illusions about the League of Nations and the Nine-Nation Alliance participating in the mediation of the Sino-Japanese war.

In fact, from the "August 13" Shanghai Incident to the two Songhu Battles provoked by the Japanese, the League of Nations has not said a word, even a hypocritical statement, let alone sanctioning Japan.

To put it bluntly, the League of Nations and the Nine-Nation Alliance at that time were spoil-sharing conferences controlled by the great powers. It is not an exaggeration to describe them as a gangster cooperative. During the first Songhu Battle, Japan’s permanent representative to the League of Nations Taro Kumano lobbied the United States and Britain respectively.

, France and other countries, promised to protect the interests of the great powers in China, and on this condition, turned a blind eye to the Sino-Japanese war.

As for Japan, a ferocious and arrogant, fat and young bandit, the big powers hate and cannot afford to offend Japan. They cannot offend Japan for a China that has been weak for hundreds of years. This is the fundamental reason why the Japanese can provoke war wantonly.

Japan is facing a shortage of domestic resources and relies on imports for most of its strategic supplies. The foreign powers have a clearer attitude and the Japanese do not dare to take action rashly.

This incident also alerted the Chinese people to no longer have any illusions about protecting the Japanese. At the same time, the country was extremely indignant at the Japanese's treachery. The whole country gradually unified its consciousness and shifted the focus of the military and economy to national defense. The people's

This attitude, in turn, inspired Chairman Chiang and strengthened his determination to resist Japanese aggression.

The Military Commission vigorously reorganized the Eighth Group Army guarding Hangzhou Bay. Those division commanders and army commanders who abandoned their positions, abandoned their soldiers, and just fled for their own lives on November 5, the day of the Japanese attack, were removed from their villas by the military police.

They took them out one by one and sent them to prison.

The designation of the Eighth Army was revoked. Considering that Zhang Fakui was an old man of the Republic of China and a senior member of the military, Chairman Chiang Kai-shek ignored him and did not investigate his dereliction of duty. He just gave you the false title of General Counselor of the Military Commission and sent him back.

After leaving his family to support his old age, Zhang Fakui, who had been a soldier for most of his life, bid farewell to his military career and faded out of the sight of the Chinese people.

Gao Zhihang, who was leisurely and leisurely in the solitary room, was not only exempted from punishment because of the special summons by Chairman Chiang Kai-shek, but was also awarded the first-class Yunhui Medal and served as the vice-principal and chief instructor of Jianqiao Central Aviation School. He suddenly attracted national attention.

A man of great influence, he was regarded as the ace among the aces of the Chinese Air Force, which made Zhou Zhirou feel uncertain. This guy would be even more difficult to control in the future, and he might cause big trouble at some point.

The order of operations in the Songhu area was readjusted, and the Songhu Theater was established. Zhang Zhizhong was the commander, who also served as the Shanghai garrison commander. Six divisions of the Central Army's elite troops with all their weapons and equipment were mobilized and stationed in Shanghai. The fifth group army was newly established to

Xue Yue was the commander-in-chief, with twelve elite divisions under his jurisdiction, which were under the jurisdiction of the Songhu Theater. They immediately went to the Hangzhou Bay area to take over the defense of the Sulu Mobile Corps of the North China First Division.

In this way, twenty-two divisions of the elite troops of the Central Army gathered in Songhu and surrounding areas, with an unprecedented strength of 400,000. The Sulu Mobile Corps was quickly reorganized. Chairman Chiang personally ordered to mobilize all available forces.

The vehicles were used to deliver the Sulu Mobile Corps to the battlefield in North China as quickly as possible.

From the battle report sent by Tang Qiuli to the Military Commission, he learned that the Yellow River Basin war zone was under great pressure. Tang Qiuli was currently short of troops. Compared with the major victory achieved on the southern front, the situation in North China on the northern front was very poor.

There was no optimism. Chairman Chiang was grateful that Tang Qiuli had withstood the pressure and left 140,000 troops in the south of the Yangtze River, thus ensuring the security of the Songhu area.

At first, he disagreed with them staying in the Hangzhou Bay area, but now that he thinks about it, Qiu Li has the foresight. Fortunately, he was not moved by the rumors. Otherwise, Jiangnan would be in danger. Thinking of this, Chairman Chiang felt guilty and felt sorry for Sulu, who was about to go north.

Mobile corps, multi-party photos

Gu, not counting the three-month advance military salary for Tang Qiuli, also placed a reinforced heavy artillery regiment equipped with pure German artillery under the command of Tang Qiusheng, and clearly told him that this heavy artillery regiment did not need to be reorganized in the future.

They are the troops of the Sulu Mobile Corps.

Brother Qiu Sheng's troops were being mobilized, but water could not quench their thirst. On November 5, just as the Japanese troops on the southern front launched a three-pronged attack on the Songhu area, the Japanese troops in North China also took action.

The 200,000 Japanese troops gathered in Zhangjiakou, with the cooperation of tanks, entered Shanxi along the Huai'an line, seizing cities and territories along the way, as if they were in an uninhabited country. Their target was Datong, an important town in northeastern Shanxi, on the south bank of the Nanyang River northeast of Datong.

In the Tianzhen area, they met the main force of the Jin army, Zhao Chengshou's troops, who had been deployed here in advance.

Zhao Chengshou, who had received strict orders from Commander Yan, commanded his troops to resist desperately. The two sides fought hard to separate each other. The Jin troops, whose strength was superior to that of the Japanese army, with their flesh and blood and relying on the built fortifications, withstood the Japanese army's entire regiment-sized attack for a whole day.

They continued to attack and fought fiercely for only one day. The Jin army suffered more than 30,000 casualties, and the Japanese army also suffered more than 20,000 casualties.

At the same time, 400,000 Japanese troops from Baoding poured out to besiege Shijiazhuang, an important town in southern Hebei. In Boye and Anguo areas between Shijiazhuang and Baoding, they were fiercely blocked by five brigades of the *** Division. After a day of fierce fighting, the Japanese troops suffered casualties.

There were more than 10,000 people. In the evening, the Japanese division troops, which had caused heavy casualties to the Japanese army, abandoned their positions and retreated towards Shijiazhuang.

While the Japanese troops in western Hebei and southern Hebei launched attacks, the 300,000 Japanese troops in Cangzhou attacked Dezhou along Botou, Dongguang, and Wuqiao. Liu Tiehan's East Point troops launched a fierce battle with the Japanese vanguard on the outskirts of Dezhou.

There were injuries to each other, with the Japanese casualties being the most serious. Liu Tiehan fought a tough battle. Jinan was behind him and he could not retreat.

Throughout the day on November 5th, large-scale battles took place in various key points in North China. The fighting was fierce. Tang Qiuli's Yellow River defense line faced great pressure from the superior Japanese army.

Among the three directions of the Japanese attack, two of them were fought by the troops of the ** Division. In both directions, Tang Qiuli's troops were far weaker than the Japanese army. The purpose of the Japanese army was obvious, which was to attack

To annihilate or defeat the ** division troops in North China, we must at least drive them out of the areas around Pingjin and Tianjin to clear the way for a large-scale march south.

On the second day, the Japanese army attacking in the direction of Datong launched an even more fierce attack. Fierce artillery fire enveloped the Jin Army's defensive positions. After the bombardment, three regiments of troops were simultaneously deployed to attack the Jin Army's frontline positions and once broke through two defenses.

Position, under Japanese artillery fire, the two regiments of the Jin Army defending here suffered all casualties, and the Datong front line was in emergency.

Zhao Chengshou was shocked when he heard the news. He immediately put his reserves, the 81st Division and the 35th Division of the Jin Army into the battlefield and launched a counterattack against the Japanese troops who occupied the position. His order to the two division commanders was that even if one was left

People, we have to take back the position. The old man wants my head, and I want your heads. Let’s all die together.

Zhao Chengshou still had a good military vision and knew that the small number of troops invested would not help at all. All the troops he had on hand had been used. In Zhao Chengshou's telescope, the plaster flag flying on his position stung his heart. The Japanese army had broken through.

And occupied three positions. Next, the Japanese army will follow these gaps and rush towards Datong crazily. However, Datong has no defenders at all, only a few local troops, and all the main forces are already on the front line.

Once Datong was lost, the northern gate of Taiyuan would be opened. The terrible consequences made Zhao Chengshou have a cold war. At that time, without the old man asking for his own head, he and the 270,000 troops would be made dumplings by the Japanese army. I'm afraid

He himself died without a burial place.

The sun gradually sets over the mountains, and the Great Wall gradually disappears into the darkness. The cold wind blowing from the Mongolian plateau is biting. Zhao Chengshou's heart is as cold as this winter night. There is no trace of heating. The Japanese army has stopped attacking and consolidated the occupied areas.

Position, he knew very well that the chance was only one night. If the lost position could not be regained when the sun rose tomorrow, then his death would come, as well as the more than 200,000 troops.

Success or failure depends on this. In the past, Zhao Chengshou had never fought such a cruel battle. Whether it was the Central Plains War or following the old man to conquer the world, he had never experienced such a battle that killed and injured tens of thousands of people in one day. The night was as heavy as a millstone, weighing on his heart.

.

More than 30,000 Jin soldiers from two divisions stood in the cold wind. In the night, every pair of eyes was shining. To be honest, although Commander Yan is good at calculations, the Jin soldiers are good.

Yes, there is no lack of martial spirit in the land of the Three Jin Dynasties. Because it is close to the Mongolian Plateau, it has always been plundered by the Mongolian cavalry going south from time to time. The martial arts of Shanxi people has become a common trend.

Zhao Chengshou stood in front of the soldiers and felt their fighting spirit. He felt a lot relieved. Behind him were baskets of white flowers. Each soldier who participated in the war was divided into five pieces. This was Zhao Chengshou's personal property. He understood a truth. Territory

If you lose it, you will lose everything. As long as you have land, you will not have to worry about finding the ocean.

Zhao Chengshou concentrated most of his artillery in the direction of counterattack. During the day, the fierce Japanese artillery fire suppressed the Jin artillery and caused great losses. The Japanese attack did not suffer a greater blow and fought with the Japanese artillery.

, the Jin army's artillery suffered a lot, mainly in terms of range and accuracy. Now that the Japanese have taken a rest, it is time for their own artillery to speak.

Groups of soldiers disappeared into the darkness, and each artillery piece raised its muzzle silently. Zhao Chengshou stood in the darkness for a long time, the strong cold wind blew up the corner of his cloak, staring closely at his hands.

The luminous pocket watch, watching the second hand "tick" constantly pointing to that time, my heart rose to my throat.

(To be continued)