HCB Chapter 319: Ningji Okamura is dumbfounded
Chapter 319: Ningji Okamura is dumbfounded
Night falls.
The fierce battle in Hequan Village also ended. After a day of fierce fighting, the soldiers of the 358th Regiment finally had a chance to breathe, but their tense nerves did not relax. Everyone knew that this was just the calm before the storm.
In this battle, the 358th Regiment showed amazing resilience and courage. They faced the well-equipped and well-trained 116th Regiment, but they did not retreat, and every attack was blocked by their flesh and blood.
Nishimura, the commander of the 116th Regiment, had never seen any Shanxi-Suiyuan Army unit with such a strong fighting will as the 358th Regiment.
He recalled the battles of the Central Army. Although those soldiers were well-trained, they seemed to lack the indomitable spirit of the 358th Regiment. This was enough to show that Chu Yunfei's ability to lead troops was indeed extraordinary.
The 116th Regiment suffered heavy losses in several attacks, losing a total of seven or eight hundred people, but failed to capture a position in Hequan Village.
The 358th Regiment also suffered heavy losses, with casualties reaching more than 800. In this battle, they fought a 116:1 record with the 1th Regiment, which is extremely rare in the history of war.
The 358th Regiment was able to hold on largely due to the favorable terrain they occupied. If it were any other Central Army or Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, they would have been defeated by the fierce offensive of the 116th Regiment.
Chu Yunfei stood in the command center, staring at the map, waiting for the report on casualties. Although he was prepared for the upcoming numbers, when Fang Ligong walked into the command center with the report, his heart involuntarily tightened.
"Commander, the battlefield situation has been counted."
Fang Ligong handed the report to Chu Yunfei and continued, "In this afternoon's battle, 358 soldiers of the 613th Regiment died and 314 were injured. We eliminated 746 enemies."
Chu Yunfei took the report and read it carefully.
His brows relaxed slightly, and he felt satisfied with this result.
"Give orders immediately and let the soldiers have a good rest. Tomorrow's battle will be more difficult, and we need to stay in the best condition."
"Yes, Commander."
Fang Ligong quickly turned around and left the command center.
In every corner of Hequan Village, soldiers began to get busy.
They cleaned up the battlefield, bandaged the wounds of the wounded, and took the time to rest and replenish their strength. Some soldiers sat around the campfire and talked in low voices.
...........
Taiyuan First Army Headquarters.
Ningji Okamura stood in front of the sand table in the command center with a frown on his face, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, which was his habitual action when thinking.
On the sand table, the troops represented by the various colored flags are distributed in a complex manner.
The 65th and 66th Divisions in the center were surrounded by the Independent Column in the Majiapo area. Although Ningji Okamura believed in the combat effectiveness of these two divisions, he also knew that they were facing tremendous pressure.
His eyes swept back and forth on the sand table, thinking about how to mobilize troops in order to form a counter-encirclement of the independent column.
He knew very well that as long as he could eliminate the Independent Column, the Yangquan area would be firmly in his hands, and he would no longer have to worry about the security of this area in the future.
Ningji Okamura agreed with Yamamoto's center-blooming tactics, which was a bold and risky tactic that required precise timing and strong execution.
He believed that if it could be implemented successfully, the main force of the independent column could be defeated in one fell swoop, thus changing the entire situation of the battle.
At this moment, the chief of staff hurriedly walked into the command center and went straight to Ningji Okamura with a serious expression on his face.
"Report to the commander. The battle situation of the 67th Division, the 60th Division, and the 20th Independent Brigade has been counted."
Ningji Okamura turned around.
"Read quickly."
The chief of staff took a deep breath and then hesitantly said, "Commander, the 67th Division was blocked by other main forces of the Eighth Route Army in the Yu County area. Today, the 67th Division only advanced less than 5 kilometers."
Ningji Okamura frowned even more tightly. He knew that this meant that the 67th Division's attack was not going smoothly and the Eighth Route Army's resistance was much stronger than he had expected.
"Go on." There was a hint of impatience in his voice.
The chief of staff continued to report: "The 60th Division and the 20th Independent Brigade were blocked by the Central Army and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army in the mountainous area outside Yangquan and could no longer advance.
The chief of staff's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting his heart hard.
"How is this possible?" Okamura Neiji murmured.
He could still understand the slow progress of the 67th Division in Yu County.
The combat effectiveness of the Eighth Route Army should not be underestimated, especially in complex terrain such as mountainous areas, where their guerrilla tactics are even more troublesome.
However, he was shocked to find that the 60th Division and the 20th Independent Brigade were blocked by the Central Army and the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army.
He remembered that there were not many Central Army and Shanxi Suiyuan Army troops outside Yangquan, only 6 at most, but they blocked the 3 imperial troops, which was simply incredible.
A feeling of uneasiness surged in Okamura Neiji's heart. He realized that the Central Army, the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army and the Eighth Route Army might want to wipe out the 65th and 66th Divisions in the middle in one fell swoop.
Otherwise, they would not have fought so hard, which was not like their usual style. It seemed that the two divisions in the middle were really in danger.
Although he was confident in the combat effectiveness of the 65th and 66th Divisions, he couldn't help but worry about the joint offensive of the three parties.
He knew that once the two divisions in the center were destroyed, the entire battle situation would completely collapse.
"Chief of Staff, send a telegram to the 60th Division, 67th Division, and 20th Brigade immediately."
"Order them to break through the enemy's blockade at all costs and rush to the center to reinforce the 65th and 66th Divisions. Also, have all air forces dispatched to launch an air attack on the enemy."
"Hai."
The chief of staff accepted the order and turned to leave the office.
"and many more."
Okamura Neiji stopped him and said, "Chief of Staff, send a secret message to Yamamoto in my name, telling him to lead the two divisions to break out immediately if the battlefield situation changes uncontrollably. We must not let the independent column destroy us."
The chief of staff nodded heavily, then turned and left the office.
Neiji Okamura stood up and walked to the window, looking at the dark night sky outside.
His heart was filled with worries; the fate of the two divisions weighed on his heart like a heavy stone.
The Independent Column is definitely the strongest Chinese army he has ever encountered on the Chinese battlefield. He must treat it with caution. If he is not careful, the battle will fail, and he will not be able to explain to the base camp.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
He knew that as a commander, he had to remain calm and make the most correct decision.