Quartermasters can also fight the devils

Chapter 455 The Faster You Chase, the More You Get

When Chief of Staff Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki heard the order from the division commander Lieutenant General Inaba Shiro, he was also shocked. It seemed that the division commander was very pessimistic about the upcoming battle.

You have to know that of the attacking troops that were assigned here before, at least half of them have not yet withdrawn. If they start placing explosives on the pontoon bridge now, it means they are ready to blow up the bridge at any time. As long as the Chinese army breaks through any line of defense, the division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, will order the engineering corps to blow up the pontoon bridge without hesitation. As for the officers and soldiers who have not crossed the bridge by then, they will become the Chinese army's meal.

However, Chief of Staff Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki understood the approach of the division commander Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba. This is the cruelty of war. People die every moment, and mercy cannot win the war. Now it all depends on the troops that have not yet withdrawn.

All the orders that should be given have been given, and the heavy weapons that should be abandoned have been abandoned. The division commander and I have done everything we can. The rest depends on the luck of these officers and soldiers.

The troops of the Ninth War Zone that launched an attack on the Japanese defensive positions on both wings also launched a full-scale attack right from the start. Each attacking unit had already organized an attack suicide squad before setting off. The order given by the Ninth War Zone to each attacking unit was to occupy the Japanese defensive positions on the Xinqiang River in the shortest time possible at all costs and block the only route for the Japanese army to retreat to the north.

What was in the Ninth War Zone's favor was that the Japanese army did not have heavy firepower deployed in its defensive positions on both wings. This was also because the Japanese army had previously prepared to concentrate all its heavy firepower on the front attack and quickly capture Changsha, so as to complete the combat objectives before the supplies were used up.

Who knew that the Ninth War Zone of the Chinese government would make the road in the middle so muddy, making the movement of heavy equipment so difficult? Now at least half of all the heavy equipment originally assigned to the offensive forces are still struggling in the mud, and some heavy equipment that was withdrawn with great difficulty is queuing up to withdraw to the north bank via pontoon bridge. At least for a period of time, it is impossible to provide any help to the Japanese army's defense on the Xinqiang River.

In the headquarters of the Ninth War Zone, everyone was paying close attention to the progress of the flanking forces on both wings. How many Japanese troops could be destroyed in this battle depended on when the flanking forces on both wings could block the Xinqiang River, the Japanese army's retreat route.

Commander Xue was in a relatively relaxed mood now. In this battle, his Ninth War Zone won a great victory. Not only did it completely shatter the Japanese army's attempt to occupy Changsha, it also eliminated a large number of Japanese troops, and also prevented the Japanese army from realizing their dream of occupying Hunan Province and opening up the Guangdong-Hankou Railway.

Commander Xue himself was also very proud for a while. After all, before the war, most people were not optimistic about being able to hold Changsha and Hunan Province. If it were not for his persistence, he would not have achieved such a victory that boosted the confidence of the people. At the same time, Commander Xue also severely beat those traitors who shouted for surrender.

However, Commander Xue still felt somewhat regretful. He had been planning for such a long time, but he did not expect that the commander of the Japanese 11th Army, General Okamura Yasuji, would actually discover his arrangement. He was indeed a shrewd and tough opponent. If he could fully implement his plan, the result of this battle would be very satisfactory.

Commander Xue looked at the large military map on the wall. He knew in his heart that it was impossible to retain the Japanese 6th Division and its attached attacking forces this time. However, this battle also accumulated valuable experience for facing the Japanese invasion again in the future. If the Japanese dared to come again next time, he would definitely continue to teach them a profound lesson.

After destroying the 24th Regiment of the Japanese Army that was responsible for blocking the enemy, the pursuit troops of the New 22nd Army continued to attack rapidly along the road. For the New 22nd Army, the order they received before the war was to pursue the Japanese Army's retreating northward.

As for where or to what extent the Japanese troops retreating northward should be pursued, the order did not provide any detailed requirements. This led Commander Huang of the New 22nd Army to believe that as long as there were still Japanese troops ahead, his troops would just keep pursuing them until they reached the Xinqiang River line.

The fierce pursuit of the New 22nd Army directly frightened some Japanese heavy weapons units that were still struggling in the mud. They did not expect that the Chinese army's pursuit troops would attack so quickly, and now there were no infantry around them to provide defense and protection. Under the sudden attack of the Chinese army, these technical officers and soldiers of the Japanese army were forced to abandon their heavy weapons and flee northward. They were completely unable to organize any resistance.

The pursuit troops of the New 22nd Army were so happy that they chased the Japanese troops wildly in the mud and kept harvesting the lives of Japanese officers and soldiers. Looking from the air, the troops of the New 22nd Army were running behind, and not far ahead were the Japanese officers and soldiers running in all directions, as if the officers and soldiers of the New 22nd Army were hunting.

Along the way, there were all kinds of heavy weapons and equipment abandoned by the Japanese army. Seeing so many heavy equipment, the pursuit troops of the New 22nd Army chased more vigorously. The officers and soldiers of the New 22nd Army also had an illusion that the faster they chased, the more spoils they would get.

"Your Excellency the division commander, among the troops that just passed the pontoon bridge, some officers and soldiers reported that they heard gunshots coming from far behind them. The officers and soldiers thought that it might be the Chinese army's pursuit troops that have caught up with them." Chief of Staff Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki quickly walked up to the division commander, Lieutenant General Inaba Shiro, and said nervously.

"What? The Chinese army's pursuit force has caught up with our troops? The 24th Regiment was unable to hold on so quickly? Where is their commander, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu?" Upon hearing the words of the chief of staff, Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki, the division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, stood up from his chair in surprise.

"Sir, we haven't had any news about the 24th Regiment for a long time. As for the commander of the regiment, Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu, um, no one has seen him yet. I estimate that Colonel Ikuro Kawakatsu and the 24th Regiment are in danger." Chief of Staff Major General Sadatsumi Nozaki also told the division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, the news about the 24th Regiment.

The division commander, Lieutenant General Shiro Inaba, walked out of the field command post on the north bank of the Xinqiang River with a telescope, stood on a small mound outside the command post, and looked carefully to the south through the telescope.