binnovel Chapter 404 Don't Think of Leaving Alive
Chapter 404 Don't Think of Leaving Alive
After hearing the news, the anger of the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, which had just subsided, became angry again. He looked at the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio, and his meaning was obviously to say: Look at what you have done.
Several people knew very well that the 20th Regiment was gone this time, and the one who caused this result was Colonel Mamoru Katagiri, the commander of the 9th Regiment who was standing in the command center.
"Okay, Colonel Katagiri Morio, you lead the officers and soldiers of the 9th Regiment to take a rest first. Chief of Staff Nakazawa will tell you the specific defensive positions when the time comes." The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, also suppressed his anger and waved his hand to speak quickly to the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morio.
The division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, really doesn't want to see the regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Morioh, now. He just wants Colonel Katagiri Morioh to disappear from his sight as soon as possible. This is the most important thing.
The regiment commander, Colonel Katagiri Mamoru, also very tactfully withdrew from the division headquarters. This time his problems had been completely resolved, so there was no need for Colonel Katagiri Mamoru to stay any longer.
After Colonel Katagiri Moruro left the division headquarters, the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, slowly said to the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsufu, "Mr. Nakazawa, thanks for your reminder just now. You will personally arrange the defensive position of the 9th Regiment in a while. Do you understand?"
The Chief of Staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsufu, looked at the cold eyes of the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, and understood what was going on. He quickly said, "Yes, Your Excellency, the 9th Regiment, as a unit with a glorious tradition, will definitely do a good job in the defense of key areas in the subsequent defensive operations. Please rest assured, Your Excellency, I will make arrangements for the 9th Regiment."
Chief of Staff Major General Mitsuo Nakazawa knew what the division commander meant. This time it was impossible to let the commander of the 9th Regiment, Colonel Morio Katagiri, leave the battlefield alive because he had posed a serious threat to the division commander. This would be a very big bomb after the war, and even he himself might be affected.
When the division commander, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke, saw that the chief of staff, Major General Nakazawa Mitsuo, understood his intention, he nodded and said, "Mr. Nakazawa, send a telegram to Commander Okamura Yasuji of the 11th Army and report our situation to him. Tomorrow we will face a full-scale attack by the Chinese army. With our current strength, we can only hold out for two days at most. The reinforcements must arrive as soon as possible."
Inside the 11th Army Headquarters, Commander Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura watched as the staff officers slowly took down the flag that originally represented the Japanese army on the sand table, which originally represented the defensive position. Just now, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto had reported on the situation of the 16th Division.
"Mr. Yoshimoto, the situation over there with the 16th Division has reached the final critical moment. With their current strength, Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke believes that they can only hold out for another two days. When will the reinforcements on the Xiangzao Highway be able to make a breakthrough?" Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji asked Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi with a worried look on his face.
The current terrible situation is really torturous. The defense circle of the 16th Division is getting smaller and smaller, and the troops are almost exhausted. However, the reinforcements on the Xiangzao Highway are attacking fiercely every day, but the result is the same every day, not advancing even one meter.
Seeing that the 16th Division's troops and controlled areas were decreasing every day, the commander, Lieutenant General Yasuji Okamura, was getting very angry, but there was nothing he could do but keep urging Lieutenant General Ryuhei Ogisu to increase the intensity of the attack.
"Your Excellency the Commander, according to the troop situation report sent by Lieutenant General Fujie Keisuke of the 16th Division, the surrounded 16th Division now has 3,728 combat troops remaining. However, most of these troops are composed of the remaining troops of the division's engineering regiment and the logistics regiment. In addition, the two artillery battalions that remained in the 16th Division have been reorganized into infantry to participate in defensive operations as their artillery shells have been used up." Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto immediately explained in detail the current troop situation and composition of the 16th Division.
As for the question asked by Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji about how long they could hold out, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi also considered it for a while before continuing: "Commander, according to the deduction of the headquarters staff office, the 16th Division should be able to hold out for two to three days under normal circumstances. If the Chinese army increases its attack intensity, it will be hard to say."
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi's words were already very clear. Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji understood what normal conditions were, but was this normal? Obviously not. Now the commander of the Chinese army would definitely use all means to quickly eliminate the 16th Division's troops. In other words, the 16th Division might not even last two days.
"Mr. Yoshimoto, please get ready. If Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuhei is unable to lead the reinforcements to achieve a breakthrough before 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, then you will have to take a plane to the Xiangzao Highway to assist Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuhei in commanding the battle." Commander Lieutenant General Okamura Yasuji also made up his mind and prepared to continue to put pressure on the reinforcements led by Lieutenant General Ogisu Rikuhei.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto felt that his supervision of the battle would not play any significant role. On the Xiang-Zao Highway, the commander of the 13th Division, Lieutenant General Ogisu Rippei, had led reinforcements to attack for so many days and fired so many artillery shells, but still had not made any progress. This showed that the number of Chinese army blocking troops on the Xiang-Zao Highway battlefield was very large.
I am not a god who can lead the attacking troops to break through the blocking positions of the Chinese army. Chief of Staff Yoshimoto Sadakazu actually had a strong feeling in his heart that the commander-in-chief sent me to supervise the battle just to show it to the headquarters and the expeditionary forces. Doesn't the commander understand that it is useless to just send me to supervise the battle?
No, the Commander knows this better than anyone else. Sending me over to supervise the battle actually just shows how much importance the 11th Army Headquarters and the Commander attach to this matter. This is paving the way for post-war accountability. It seems that the Commander is very pessimistic about the prospects of the 16th Division.
"Commander, please rest assured. If you need me tomorrow afternoon, I can set off for the Xiangzao Highway at any time to assist Lieutenant General Ogisu Tachibe in commanding the operation." Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi also expressed his attitude respectfully.