HCB Chapter 346 Attack on Xinye
Chapter 346 Attack on Xinye
Zhang Wenwu felt that defending the defensive positions in the south and the north were similar for him. The only difference was that if the 31st Army in Zaoyang wanted to retreat westward, it could only pass through the wilderness behind him, and could not pass through the Xiangzao Highway in a swagger.
This was no psychological burden for Zhang Wenwu. Having a retreat channel was already good enough for the 31st Army Group. He had to use his limited manpower at the most critical moment. Who knew how many Japanese troops would attack from the south by then?
At the end of this battle, one more person means one more hope of victory. We cannot waste our limited manpower on meaningless attacks.
"Also, Deputy Ying Hao, I will lead the division headquarters to set up a command post in the field north of the position. I think this command post is built very solidly, so it will serve as the front-line command post. You and the soldiers of the suicide squad will rest for twenty minutes and then search northward. The Japanese defense positions near Xinye are no threat to the troops led by the chief of staff. By then, the remnants of the Japanese army will surely retreat to the south. You and the soldiers of the suicide squad must eliminate these retreating Japanese troops in the field and cannot let them get close to the defense positions here. Do you understand?" Zhang Wenwu also gave Hao Jian a new task.
When Hao Jian heard that the division commander had given him a new combat mission, he immediately felt happy. The soldiers of the suicide squad were very happy to do this kind of thing of beating a drowned dog in the wild, and they would definitely do it perfectly.
"Yes, I will ensure that the task is completed." Hao Jian happily took over the task.
Before Hao Jian walked out of the command center, intensive explosions were heard from the north of the position. Zhang Wenwu looked at the time and knew that the troops of the Second Army and the new 22nd Army had begun a full-scale attack on Xinye.
He could judge from the method he used that there would be no problem for Chief of Staff Ouyang Heng to capture the Japanese defensive positions. After all, the Japanese would not shoot at their own people.
The Second Army suddenly launched a fierce attack on the Japanese army from the north and west of Xinye, which scared Colonel Kototo Kurabayashi, the commander of the 58th Regiment of the 13th Division stationed in Xinye.
Until the Chinese army launched the attack, Kunito Kurayashi did not receive any intelligence about the presence of a large-scale Chinese army near Xinye, which led him to misjudge the fierce fighting in the north and west.
He felt that this was most likely a counterattack launched by the Chinese army that had previously retreated from Xinye. From the Chinese army's previous withdrawal actions, it can be seen that the Chinese army suffered very heavy casualties. Colonel Kurabayashi Kototo felt that the Chinese army's idea of relying on this already crippled army to capture Xinye was a bit unrealistic.
But as the sounds of gunfire and explosions became more and more frequent, Colonel Kurabayashi Kototo became uncertain about his judgment. This did not seem like the Chinese troops that had previously withdrawn from Xinye. The frequent gunfire and explosions meant that the scale of the Chinese army's attack force must be quite large.
However, there is no intelligence indicating that the Chinese army has assembled so many troops in Xinye. Isn't it said that the Chinese government's Fifth War Zone does not have many mobile forces left?
Even if the Fifth War Zone of the Chinese government sent the New 22nd Army stationed in Xiangyang to attack, the attack should have been launched from the south of Xinye. But now the south is very quiet, so the direction of the battle is wrong.
"Ring, ring, ring...Ring, ring, ring"
Colonel Canglin Gongren picked up the phone in the command center. He knew that it must be a call from the front line.
"What? A large number of Chinese troops launched a sudden attack? Have they rushed into your defense line? Baga, stop these Chinese troops for me. I will send you reinforcements immediately. You must not let the Chinese troops rush into the city." Colonel Canglin Gongren hung up the phone in a rage.
He had just received news from the commander at the front that the Chinese army's attacking force was large in scale and was definitely not the Chinese army that had retreated from Xinye before.
Damn, are all the people in the intelligence department dead? The Chinese army is mobilizing on such a large scale, but they didn't even send any news of any movement. And are the pilots of the air force blind? How do they do aerial reconnaissance?
Colonel Kuranbayashi Koto knew that the north and west had been disrupted by the sudden attack of the Chinese army, and he had to send troops to reinforce in order to stabilize the front line. If the Chinese army was allowed to rush into the city, he would have no choice but to retreat with his troops.
Therefore, Colonel Kunin sent the regiment's guard squadron to reinforce the defense force in the north, and transferred a squadron from the southern defense line to reinforce the defense force in the west. There was no other way, he had no one to send to reinforce.
After Colonel Canglin Gongren arranged the deployment of the troops, he was secretly delighted in his heart: Fortunately, the Chinese army did not launch an attack from the south, otherwise, he would only have one squadron of mobile forces, which would not be enough no matter which side he reinforced.
Before Colonel Canglin Koren could be happy for ten minutes, fierce gunfire suddenly broke out from the south of Xinye City, which shocked Colonel Canglin Koren in the command center.
It's over. The Chinese army has played a trick on itself. Now there is only one squadron of troops defending the southern defense line. If the Chinese army's offensive force reaches a certain scale, the officers and soldiers of this squadron will find it difficult to even make a wave.
"Hurry, report the situation here to Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, commander of the 16th Division. Tell him that a large number of Chinese troops are launching a surprise attack on Shinno Castle and we can't resist. Request tactical guidance." Colonel Kurayashi Konin glared at the communications staff with bloodshot eyes and shouted angrily at the communications staff.
When the communications staff went to send the telegram, Colonel Koren Canglin discovered that the gunfire and explosions in the south had almost stopped. He was immediately shocked, thinking that all the officers and soldiers of his squadron over there had been completely wiped out by the Chinese army.
How many Chinese troops attacked from the south? Even a squadron of officers and soldiers couldn't hold out for ten minutes.
The new 22nd Army of the Chinese government in Xiangyang must be the new 22nd Army of the Chinese government. Only this army can launch an attack on Xinye from the south. Then which army of the Chinese army is attacking from the north and west?
"Hurry, everyone follow me and retreat northward to join the troops guarding the north." Colonel Kunito Kurabayashi, commander of the 58th Regiment, immediately shouted to everyone in the regiment to retreat quickly. Now the only way was to quickly join the defensive forces in the north, withdraw from Xinye City, and head southeast to find the troops of the 16th Division.
(Thanks to the gift support from the unique Kazu Manabe, the director of Shenlong Library, the Duke of Wei who only eats dumplings without vinegar and loves beef jerky! Thank you all for your support and encouragement!)