HCB Chapter 450 How long can this last?
Chapter 450 How long can this last?
The commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, saw that the 1st Battalion was rushed into the defense line in the first attack of the Chinese army, and now the officers and soldiers of the 1st Battalion had begun to fight with the attacking forces of the Chinese army with bayonets. This made the commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, know that the defense line of his 1st Battalion would collapse soon.
They only have one battalion of troops on the first line of defense, and the Chinese army's attacking force now seems to be at least the size of two regiments. How can the First Battalion win a bayonet fight with the Chinese army when they are completely outnumbered? It is completely unequal.
Besides, the attacking force of the Chinese army is increasing all the time. The intelligence given to him by the division commander, Lieutenant General Inaba Shiro, made it very clear that the pursuit force of the Chinese army is as large as two divisions. Now he can only see two regiments of Chinese soldiers. It is easy to imagine how many people are behind the Chinese army.
However, the regiment commander, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, couldn't withdraw the First Battalion even if he wanted to. The attacking force of the Chinese Army was already completely engaged in a melee with the First Battalion. Even if he sent someone to notify the First Battalion to retreat, the First Battalion would not be able to organize the troops for a smooth retreat.
Besides, in such a chaotic hand-to-hand combat, it would be a big problem for the messenger to find the commander of the First Battalion. The Chinese army would not let the First Battalion concentrate its troops. If the First Battalion retreated in a scattered manner, it would be easier for the Chinese army to eliminate these retreating officers and soldiers one by one.
The commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, knew that his First Battalion was probably finished and there was no way he could retreat. Now the First Battalion could only delay the Chinese army for a little longer. However, no matter how long the First Battalion could delay, it would not be possible for the one hour he had estimated. According to the current situation, it would be very impressive if the First Battalion could hold off the Chinese army for thirty minutes.
The commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, held up a telescope and watched the number of officers and soldiers of the First Battalion in front of him decrease. In his heart, he was silently cheering for the officers and soldiers of the First Battalion, hoping that the officers and soldiers of the First Battalion would fight for their morale and delay the Chinese army for some more time.
However, the hopes of the regiment commander, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, were doomed to fail. Almost thirty minutes later, not a single officer and soldier of the 210st Battalion could stand on the first line of defense that originally belonged to them. The offensive forces of the new th Division had completely wiped out the st Battalion of the th Regiment of the Japanese Army from the Japanese Army's combat sequence.
The commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, put down the telescope in his hand and silently observed three seconds of silence for the officers and soldiers of the First Battalion. Then, the commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, led his men to the defense line of the Third Battalion behind him.
The regiment commander, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, knew that it would not be long before the Chinese army would reorganize their attack formation and begin attacking the second line of defense defended by the second battalion. It was too dangerous for him to stay on the second line of defense. In order to command the smooth operation of the entire regiment, the regiment commander, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, believed that it was necessary to ensure his own safety.
At the same time, before leaving, the regiment commander Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu also gave instructions to the captain of the second battalion, Major Haruno Okubo, that if the Chinese army's assault troops were too close to the second line of defense, they must not engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Chinese army. If they could not repel the Chinese army's charge, the battalion commander, Major Haruno Okubo, could lead the troops to retreat to the third line of defense in order to preserve the strength of the troops.
The regiment commander, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, also understood very well that they must not compete with the Chinese army in terms of numbers, as there was no comparison at all. The task given to him by the division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, was to delay the pursuit speed of the Chinese army, not to have the 24th Regiment fight to the death with the Chinese army here to consume their resources.
If we fight with the Chinese army with bayonets, we will fall into their trap. The number of our own troops will become fewer and fewer, while the strength of the Chinese army will increase with the arrival of their follow-up troops.
Therefore, the commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, immediately changed his mind. That was to slowly fight with the Chinese army. After the Chinese army rushed to the front of our defense line, if we could not repel the attack of the Chinese army, we would retreat directly. If the troops of our two battalions took turns fighting and retreating, we could also delay the attack speed of the Chinese army.
As for the plan he had made before that each battalion needed to hold out on the defense line for an hour, it became an unrealistic fantasy with the destruction of the First Battalion. He only had two battalions of troops left. If the speed at which the First Battalion was destroyed was calculated, even if his 24th Regiment was wiped out, he could only delay the Chinese army for two hours.
Two hours was not enough time for the division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, to lead his troops out of the muddy land. If the Chinese army's pursuit troops were allowed to catch up with the retreating troops led by Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, the Sixth Division would suffer great losses.
At that time, not only would the heavy weapons units be wiped out by the Chinese army, even the Sixth Division would suffer huge losses, and I would be the biggest sinner of the Sixth Division.
Thinking about the loss of the 6th Division and other units due to his inability to stop the Chinese army's pursuit, the regiment commander, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, felt very anxious. This battle was really too difficult to fight.
Sure enough, after only twenty minutes of adjustment, the attacking force of the new 210th Division launched a charge against the Japanese second line of defense, and the mortars of the new 210th Division also began to provide artillery cover for the attack on the Japanese second line of defense. For a time, the second line of defense defended by the Japanese Second Battalion was drowned out by the constant sound of artillery explosions.
The commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, felt extremely aggrieved when he saw that the Chinese army had launched an attack again with the same old tactics. If it were not for the muddy road, he would have the overwhelming artillery advantage over the Chinese army. How could he allow these small cannons of the Chinese army to fire here without restraint?
But what can we do now? All the artillery pieces previously assigned to the attacking troops are now moving slowly on the road of retreat. Our own regiment now has no artillery pieces except for two infantry guns brought over.
The commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, can only hope that the commander of the Second Battalion, Major Haruno Okubo, can be smarter and prevent the Second Battalion from being wiped out like the First Battalion. If so, his side, with only one battalion of troops, will not be able to delay the advance of the Chinese army.