Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Mountain City, U.S. military headquarters.

The damp air was filled with a musty smell that never seemed to dissipate.

General Stilwell had just returned from the front lines in northern Hubei.

He stood there by the office window, quietly watching the mountain city shrouded in thick fog outside, his face as gloomy as the weather outside.

The battle situation at the front lines was repeatedly replayed in his mind.

"General."

Lieutenant Captain Bradley gently placed a telegram on his desk, his voice tinged with concern: "An inquiry from Washington."

Stilwell did not turn around.

He knew what was written in that telegram.

US-aided landing ships and escort fleets have also assembled and are ready to go in Yangon port.

Everything was ready, and they were just waiting for the order to be deployed to the Pacific theater to contribute the strength of the Republic of China to the Allied counter-offensive.

But now.

This elite force is now unable to launch an attack due to insufficient logistical support.

As for the few remaining weapons and equipment from the Republic of China era, they have all been used in the great battle in western Hubei.

What could Stilwell possibly do?
This was the result of his efforts to intercept weapons, equipment, ammunition, and supplies for use by the expeditionary force.

Otherwise, it will look even worse!

"Bradley."

Stilwell slowly turned around, his deep blue eyes filled with weariness and frustration: "What do you think of Chu's strategic thinking?"

Bradley paused for a moment, then said carefully, "General, I think Chu Yunfei may have his own considerations."

"If the battles in northern and western Hubei can be won, it will indeed greatly dampen the arrogance of the Japanese army, stabilize the situation in central China, and even achieve a decisive victory."

"I now feel that they have no intention of keeping their promises!"

Stilwell's voice was filled with anger at being deceived: "Chairman, Chu Yunfei."

“They are all just using us!”

“Use our aid to fight their own war and solve their own internal problems.”

Bradley lowered his head, not daring to say anything more.

Fighting their own war was also fighting the Japanese army, as the vast majority of the Japanese army's forces were tied down on the Far East battlefield.

Isn't this exactly what the US wants to see?

Stilwell was only upset that his own dream of achieving great things had been put on hold.

“Reply truthfully.” His voice was cold and devoid of emotion. “Tell General Marshall, tell the President, that the ‘Y’ force is unable to withdraw in the short term due to shortages of supplies.”

"The island-seizing and amphibious landing operation plan has been indefinitely postponed."

……

Washington, White House, Oval Office.

The warm fireplace was ablaze with flames, illuminating the room brightly.

Army Chief of Staff General Marshall felt as if a Siberian cold front had swept through his heart, leaving him feeling utterly cold.

He had just finished reading the telegram from Stilwell.

President Roosevelt leaned back in his wheelchair, listening quietly. His face, which always wore a gentle smile, was devoid of any warmth at that moment.

"Indefinitely postponed?"

The president repeated those words slowly and softly, yet they put immense pressure on Marshall.

“George,” Roosevelt looked up at his most trusted general, “my people are bleeding on the islands of the Pacific.”

Our factories are working day and night to produce weapons and ammunition, a significant portion of which is being shipped across the globe to our Chinese allies.

His voice paused, carrying a hint of barely perceptible coldness.

"And now, our allies, armed with our best weapons, are telling us they can't keep their promises?"

"Mr. President" Marshall attempted to explain.

“I feel offended, George,” Roosevelt interrupted him, his tone hardening. “My people, too, have been offended.”

He turned his wheelchair and came to the huge globe, his finger gently landing on the vast land of China.

"Telegram," his voice was firm and resolute, "urge Stilwell to immediately ensure that the expeditionary force fulfills its duties and obligations!"

"Or, let them come up with a concrete counter-offensive plan that can convince Congress and the American people!"

"Your Excellency, I must explain that if the Chinese are to win this battle, they will annihilate one of the most threatening Japanese army groups to the greatest extent possible, and may even change the strategic situation on the Far East battlefield, shifting from a strategic balance to a strategic counter-offensive."

"Furthermore, Your Excellency, if the Japanese army wins this battle, it will directly threaten the wartime capital of the Yamashiro government."

"I don't want to hear this kind of news anymore. What I need is someone who can reduce our soldiers' casualties!"

"Yes, Your Excellency."

……

This strongly worded telegram was like the last straw, completely crushing the Chongqing side's diplomatic strategy of "delaying" and "ambiguity."

Holding the "ultimatum" from the president, Stilwell barged into the chairman's residence.

This time, he wasn't making a request, but a demand.

As a result, the General Staff convened a top-level military meeting overnight.

The atmosphere inside the meeting room was extremely tense.

“The Americans’ attitude is very clear,” He Yingqin said first, his voice dry. “They will either send troops, or they will have to reconsider their aid to us.”

"Send troops? How?"

Bai Jiansheng sneered: "The main force of the National Revolutionary Army in North China is facing off against the enemy on the front line, while the combat troops in South China are deeply involved in the Hubei and Hubei battlefields, fighting against hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops."

At this time, the Expeditionary Force opened a new front in the Pacific theater. What about Central China?

He Yingqin, however, offered a different perspective: "Jiansheng is mistaken."

"Precisely because the war in Central China is so intense, we should put even more pressure on the Japanese army in other directions!"

"If the expeditionary force could open a second front on the islands of Southeast Asia, or even in the Pacific Ocean at this time."

"This will undoubtedly greatly deter the Japanese invaders and force them to withdraw troops from Central China. This can be considered a true example of relieving the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao!"

He Yingqin was not given important positions, and now he saw an opportunity to trip up Chu Yunfei, Chen Cixiu and others.

He certainly wouldn't let it go.

Soon, as more people voiced their opinions...

In an instant, the situation escalated into a heated debate with each side sticking to their own version of events.

All eyes were on them.

Ultimately, all the blame fell on the leader who remained silent throughout.

Chang Ruiyuan listened quietly without saying a word.

Military issues

No matter how fierce the argument gets, it's just a discussion in name only.

Ultimately, the decision will be made by him.

However, at this very moment, Chang Ruiyuan was also engaged in a battle of wits with heaven and man.

Why abandon a potential victory in the Central China campaign to fulfill a seemingly distant "international obligation"?
He was not reconciled.

But he dared not offend the Americans.

The entire conference room fell into a suffocating silence.

A difficult choice is now before everyone.

Xu Cichen, who had remained silent until now, spoke up: "Perhaps we should consider asking the opinions of the frontline generals. After all, the significance of this battle is extraordinary, and even the Americans should be aware of that."

"Moreover, if this battle is lost, the Japanese army is very likely to advance unimpeded and even threaten the mountain city, which I believe the United States would not want to see either."

"Chairman, Mr. Stilwell, and President Roosevelt may simply want to see an attitude."

"Ok?"

Chang Ruiyuan was clearly intrigued and then asked, "Does Cichen mean that the Americans need a new commitment?"

Xu Cichen nodded slowly: "Yes." "In that case, let's talk to them. Jiansheng, you are the Chief of the General Staff, so I'll leave this matter to you."

"Yes, Chairman."
-
The front line in northern Hubei.

Unaware of the chaos that had ensued in the rear due to Stilwell, he was still reviewing the telegrams sent by various units.

In addition, there was a corresponding battle report and summary submitted by the North China Military Officers Observation Group.

in short.

The number of cases where different units falsely reported their battle results varied to varying degrees.

The troops from the Guangxi clique, as well as those from the Jin-Sui Army and the Northwest Army, were relatively restrained.

The Central Army's reports of battle results were even more outrageous than those of local armies.

Similarly, the number of people receiving salaries without working in local armies, as well as the number of casualties without real personnel, has increased significantly.

The casualty ratio, which should have been around 2:1, was somehow turned into 5:1 by the number of casualties in the void.

Anyone who didn't know better would think that Chu Yunfei was using his troops recklessly and giving orders blindly!

"Your Excellency, breaking news."

"whats the matter?"

"The Japanese army has sent more aircraft, and the number of aircraft they have deployed in areas such as Hankou and Jingmen is estimated to be more than 300."

Chu Yunfei nodded slowly: "Did the U.S. 14th Air Force participate in the operation?"

"They participated, but their kill count is a bit exaggerated; they seem to have lied about quite a bit."

Chu Yunfei looked slightly helpless. These cunning Americans: "Forget it, let them carry out more combat missions. In the end, the Americans will pay for it anyway."

"Yes."

Early this morning, the Japanese army launched another attack.

However, they still failed to make any progress.

The appearance of a unit on the battlefield caught Chu Yunfei's attention.

Among the Japanese troops, he stood out conspicuously, bearing the flag of the Wang Jingwei regime.

This unit was the 29th Division of the Wang Jingwei regime.

Chu Yunfei sent a telegram to the Sixth War Zone.

Soon, Commander-in-Chief Sun Lianzhong began issuing new operational orders and added a division to the Changyang line, demanding a protracted resistance against the Japanese offensive.

Furthermore, the 10th Army was ordered to continue fighting in the area south of the Qingjiang River. Even if the Japanese army broke through, they were not allowed to retreat but instead had to switch to guerrilla warfare.

As for the Shipai Fortress, Sun Lianzhong directly named Fang Tian of the 18th Army to lead his troops to defend it.

Two more days of fierce fighting ensued.

It was also the thirteenth day of the Battle of Western Hubei and the thirty-second day of the Battle of Northern Hubei.

The continuous rain that lasted for two days finally stopped.

A pale ray of sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, shining obliquely on the ravaged land.

Inside the Hubei-North Front Command Headquarters, Chu Yunfei had just put down his binoculars.

The second round of bombing by the B-25 bomber group has just ended.

Thick smoke billowed from the walls of Xinyang, and flames soared into the sky.

Zhao Pengcheng strode in, holding an encrypted telegram, his expression serious: "Sir, this is an inquiry telegram personally sent by Commander Xu of the Military Command."

Chu Yunfei took the telegram and unfolded it.

The telegram was worded tactfully, making no mention of the dispute with Stilwell. Instead, it inquired about his views on the current war situation, especially the "deployment of the expeditionary force," under the guise of "discussing subsequent strategies."

The ball eventually landed on his side.

A cold smile appeared on Chu Yunfei's face.

He had anticipated this would happen.

Stilwell exerted pressure on the mountain town with his consent.

Only in this way.

Only then will the General Staff temporarily set aside past grievances and hand over full command of the battle to the generals at the front.

Instead of micro-managing the battlefield and dragging the warriors back.

Without the slightest hesitation or even consulting anyone around him, Chu Yunfei went directly to the telegraph machine and personally drafted the document.

The telegram was more direct and sharper in its wording.

"The Battle of Western Hubei concerns the safety of the wartime capital and the very lifeline of the nation; it is by no means a local conflict!"

"Shipai is the gateway to the nation; one man can hold it against ten thousand!"

"This place must be defended to the death, and we must shed the last drop of blood of the Japanese invaders here!"

"Our army should exert all its strength to continuously deplete the Japanese army's manpower here."

"When their strength is exhausted, their morale is low, and their momentum is depleted, that will be the decisive moment to finish them off in one battle and annihilate them on the banks of the Yangtze River!"

"As for Xinyang, our army should surround it but not attack it at all costs."

"The less determined the Japanese army is to return to defend their territory, the greater our chance of expanding our gains will be."

At the end of the telegram, he responded to the pressure from across the ocean with an almost forceful stance.

"The fighter jet is not yet ready, and the US's urging can be postponed for the time being."

"The fate of the nation and the survival of the people must ultimately be won by our blood and flesh, not by relying on the breath of others."

"If we win this battle, the main force of the Japanese invaders in China will be wiped out, Guo Ce will be able to turn the tide, and all diplomatic predicaments will be easily resolved!"

After sending the telegram, Chu Yunfei stood up and let out a long breath.

Once the telegram is sent, it's like revealing your hand.

Next, it depends on what choice the mountain city makes.

……

Beiping.

North China Front Army Headquarters.

Unlike the bustling battlefields of Central China, here, there is a deathly silence.

Okamura Yasuji sat upright in his office, with a strongly worded telegram from Tokyo headquarters in front of him.

There was only a short sentence on it, yet it made his fingertips feel icy cold.

"As decided by the Imperial Council, the 'Divine Punishment' Holy War plan shall be launched immediately."

It’s coming, it’s coming after all.

Okamura Neiji slowly closed his eyes.

He recalled the commando team that had been "completely wiped out" in Nanjing.

I recalled Hata Shunroku's report, which was filled with lingering fear and vigilance.

Everyone knows that the "divine punishment" plan has likely already been exposed.

Starting it now is nothing short of a crazy gamble, risking the fate of the entire nation.

If we fail, Great Japan will be forever nailed to the pillar of historical shame, never to rise again.

Okamura Yasuji wanted to object and offer advice.

But he knew it was no use.

When this order was issued from headquarters, there was no room for maneuver.

Okamura Neiji hesitated for a long time, so long that the sky outside the window gradually darkened.

Finally, he opened his eyes, and in those cloudy eyes, there was only a deathly calm.

He picked up the phone on the table: "Pass down the order."

"The small-scale combat units directly under the Army and selected by each Divine Punishment Holy War Plan shall immediately begin infiltration according to the original plan."

With the issuance of this order.

Late that night, small teams carrying special equipment and devilish containers left various county towns and military camps.

Their target was the vast land of North China, the Nationalist army's defense zone, the Eighth Route Army's base area, and the millions of unarmed Chinese civilians. (End of Chapter)