Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Nanjing, the headquarters of the China Expeditionary Army.

The air inside the operations room was cold and damp, seeping into the bones, due to the continuous plum rains outside.

The huge glass windows were blurred by the rain, shrouding Nanjing in a gray, damp mist, much like the oppressive mood of the officers present, where not a ray of light could be seen.

The swirling smoke blurred the solemn faces of the officers.

Commander-in-Chief General Shunroku Hata stood silently before the enormous battle map, like a statue.

His back was ramrod straight, but his brows were furrowed.

The retaliatory mopping-up operations against the New Fourth Army have ended. Although they achieved numerous "victories," whether they truly curbed the New Fourth Army's momentum is another matter.

In addition, the "divine punishment" holy war plan has also been launched.

So far, there has been no good news.

In front of the enormous battle map, a vast battlefield stretching for thousands of miles was marked.

On the map, the red arrow representing the 11th Army's offensive stretched for nearly 800 miles.

The main force of the 11th Army, representing the "snakehead," has firmly secured the outer perimeter of the Shipai Fortress.

They appear aggressive, but in reality, they are trapped with no way to advance or retreat.

First of all, the attacking troops did not want to attack Shipai Fortress.

All frontline commanders, including Yokoyama Isamu, Sumita of the 39th Division, Noji Yoshihira, commander of the Noji Detachment, and Akashika Benshiro, commander of the 13th Division, advised against continuing the attack on the Shipai area.

Even he, the commander of the Chinese Expeditionary Army, knew that Shipai was not a suitable direction for attack.

"Your Excellency, Commander."

Chief of the General Staff Masazo Kawabe's voice was hoarse and filled with worry.

The baton in his hand slid hesitantly along the long red arrow on the map.

"Our battle lines are stretched too thin."

"Although the main force of the Chinese army is retreating steadily, it has not shown any signs of collapse, which makes me somewhat worried."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the core generals present all understood what he meant by leaving it unsaid.

This fragile supply line was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of the 11th Army.

at this time.

A confidential staff officer strode in and handed over a report from the Navy.

Hata Shunroku took the telegram, unfolded it, glanced at it only once, and then slammed it heavily on the table with a dull thud.

"Captain Kinji Satomi of the Navy has arrived in Hankou with his fleet." His voice was filled with barely suppressed anger. "He even sent a congratulatory telegram wishing us 'good fortune in war'!"

The word "congratulations" now sounds incredibly ironic.

Inside the operations room, several young staff officers, unaware of what was going on, wore puzzled expressions.

They couldn't understand why the commander-in-chief was even more furious when the navy's mission was successfully completed.

Kawabe Masashi noticed their confusion and let out a long sigh.

He knew it was time for more people to understand certain things.

"Gentlemen."

He spoke slowly by the river, his voice filled with weariness, "Do you really think that mobilizing the Empire's most elite eleventh army and sacrificing the lives of thousands of warriors was just to escort a few dozen wrecked ships?"

The young staff officers looked at each other, not daring to utter a sound.

Hata Shunroku picked up the conversation: "Our real goal is to severely damage or even annihilate the main force of the field army of the Sixth War Zone in China!"

He turned around, his cloudy old eyes sweeping over every shocked face in the room.

"The headquarters' intentions are very clear!"

"The Empire is no longer capable of continuing this war indefinitely."

"We need a dignified peace."

"We need to have enough leverage at the negotiating table in the future!"

"And the stakes are the annihilation of the hundreds of thousands of field troops in the Sixth War Zone!"

"Only by completely crippling and frightening them can we succeed!"

"Completely destroy their last barrier in protecting the secondary capital!"

"Only then will Chang Ruiyuan have a chance to return to the negotiating table!"

The entire operations room was completely silent.

However, at this point, a deep sense of powerlessness appeared on Hata Shunroku's face.

It's a feeling of helplessness, like a plan falling through and a punch hitting cotton.

"But."

He pointed to the blue arrows on the map that kept shrinking backward but remained resilient, his voice filled with frustration.

"The Chinese army has no intention of engaging us in a decisive battle!"

"They resisted step by step, wearing us down layer by layer, as slippery as an eel!"

"They simply refuse to commit their main force to a decisive battle that we have prepared for them!"

His original plan was to use the illusion of an offensive along the river to force the Sixth War Zone to commit all its main forces to this meat grinder.

The Navy's "ship-seizure" operation was nothing more than a performance to persuade headquarters.

The opponents, however, seemed to have understood their intentions from the very beginning.

We never gave them the opportunity to annihilate the main force of the Sixth War Zone.

nowadays.

Apart from the 10th Group Army, which suffered heavy casualties, the casualties of the River Defense Army and the 29th Group Army in the Sixth War Zone, and the 21st Group Army in the Fifth War Zone, were not particularly high.

Their opponents seemed to have seen through all their cards from the very beginning and knew their ultimate goal.

The entire operations room fell into a suffocating silence once again.

They discovered that the 11th Army was like a burly man wielding a heavy hammer.

But when faced with a ball of cotton, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get any strength out of it. Instead, he almost strained his back because he used too much force.

This feeling of powerlessness is far more despairing than a crushing defeat.

Kawabe Masazo looked at Hata Shunroku, who was deep in thought, and asked in a low voice, "Commander, Yokoyama-kun also asked whether we should stop the attack."

He believed that continuing the attack on Shipai was pointless and would only increase unnecessary casualties. It would be better to retreat and choose suitable terrain to strike the pursuing enemy forces.

Hata Shunroku did not answer immediately.

He slowly closed his eyes, and the names of his opponents, such as Chu Yunfei and Sun Lianzhong, floated into his mind.

Everyone knows.

This game has reached a crucial juncture.

retreat?

Are they just going to slink away like that?

Then this "annihilation battle," which consumed enormous resources and placed the hopes of the headquarters, will become a complete joke!
Not withdrawing?

Are we going to keep filling bottomless pits like the Shipai Fortress with lives?

No matter what choice you make, you've already fallen into your opponent's trap.

If they continue fighting, their casualties will be even higher, and they may not even see any hope of victory.

But if they retreat in disgrace.

That battle failed to achieve its intended strategic objectives and was a complete waste of resources.

Every time the Japanese army launched a large-scale battle, it faced this dilemma.

Whether to fight it out or give up now.

They all need to bear the corresponding costs. How can they quickly abandon their initial investments and accept their failures?
Even though Hata Shunroku and other high-ranking Japanese military officers were very clear-headed.

But they still couldn't make quick decisions.

If a high-ranking general were to publicly advocate surrendering to the United States at this time, he would likely be killed by angry citizens on the streets of Tokyo, even if he wasn't arrested by the military police.

"Gentlemen, we have no way to retreat, we can only move forward."

"learn!"

As new orders were issued, the expeditionary force headquarters allocated all of its special ammunition reserves to the front lines and mobilized all available combat forces to support the front-line battlefield.

Behind them were only the security forces and the Wang Jingwei regime's combat troops.
-
Japanese 11th Army, forward command post.

The sky remained overcast, with leaden-gray clouds hanging low over the rolling mountains.

At this moment, Commander Yokoyama Isamu was wiping the cold hilt of his sword repeatedly with a white handkerchief.

His movements were slow and focused.

The operations room was completely silent.

They were mentally prepared the moment they received the order from the Chinese Expeditionary Army Command.

There was no way to retreat; the only option was to move forward.

This was not merely an order from General Hata Shunroku, but the final battle for the entire Japanese Empire, a battle that staked the fate of the nation.

If this operation fails, they will never be able to organize a large-scale battle again, let alone launch an offensive.

That's pure wishful thinking.

Chief of Staff Takeji Shimano's voice rang out: "Your Excellency, Commander."

"The Expeditionary Force Command has allocated all special munitions to our army."

"Reinforcements from all directions are already on their way."

"We must win this battle."

Yokoyama Isamu didn't speak, but simply sheathed his command sword with a clang.

That crisp sound.

He turned around, his hawk-like eyes filled with determination.

“Since there is no way to retreat,” Yokoyama Isamu’s voice was icy and devoid of any emotion, “then we will tear apart the enemy before us, along with this damned Yangtze River fortress defense line.”

He walked to the huge battle map and picked up the command baton that he had been holding so tightly that it was stained with sweat.

"Although the Chinese army units withdrew in time, they were not without losses."

"Our offensive is far from being exhausted!"

Yokoyama Isamu's baton drew sharp attack arrows on the map, pointing directly at the Shipai Fortress: "The reinforcements from the Sixth War Zone are still on their way. How far away are they?"

"According to intelligence, they will need at least four more days to reach the battlefield, and the 10th Army Group also seems to be making a detour towards Yuyang Pass." "Four days."

Yokoyama Isamu's command baton slammed heavily on the stone tablet: "Order the Koshiba Detachment and the Toda Detachment to hold back the advance of the 10th Army Group."

"Within four days, we will raise the victory flag atop Wufeng Mountain!"

"Order!" His voice echoed in the operations room like thunder. "The 13th Division, the 39th Division, and the Field Detachment, launch a full-scale offensive immediately. At all costs, you must completely crush the main force of the enemy's river defense army in the shortest possible time!"

"Hai!"

……

With this desperate order issued, the mountains and fields of western Hubei were instantly engulfed in flames of war!
Like ferocious beasts released from their cages, the various Japanese units advanced from all directions towards the outer defenses and fortifications of the Shipai Fortress.

They launched the most frenzied and reckless attack!

Originally, the Japanese support was only a few sorties per day, but now it is at full capacity. They are even willing to send a large number of air force units to fight the Nationalist Air Force so that the few bombers can provide low-altitude support for the front-line offensive.

Eight squares, the position of the Fifth Division.

Division Commander Liu Yunhan was holding binoculars, standing on a ridge that had been half-shaved off by artillery fire, personally overseeing the battle.

Down the mountain, the officers and soldiers of the Fifth Division were engaged in the fiercest hand-to-hand combat with the surging Japanese troops.

The gleaming of bayonets and the blood-red shadows of broadswords intertwined on the narrow battlefield, creating a blood-red tapestry.

"withstand!"

"Hold on for me!"

Liu Yunhan roared, his voice already hoarse.

His military uniform was blackened by gunpowder smoke, and his face was covered with dried blood and dirt.

Just then, a stray bullet, seemingly out of nowhere, flew in with a piercing whistle and pierced his shoulder with a "thud"!

"Master's seat!"

The guards around him gasped and rushed forward to support his swaying body.

"I'm fine. Send my guard company to provide support. We absolutely cannot lose this position!"

Liu Yunhan gritted his teeth, pushed the guard away, and was about to say something more when everything went black before his eyes, and he collapsed to the ground.

After the Fifth Division's defenses were breached...

Sun Dingchao's 139th Division of the River Defense Army was also attacked from both sides by the main force of the Japanese army.

Caught off guard by the enemy's sudden appearance from their flanks, they were quickly routed by the Japanese. The defending troops along the Changyang and Duzhenwan lines engaged in battle with Japanese scouts.
……

Headquarters of the Acting Commander-in-Chief of the Sixth War Zone.

"What?! Liu Yunhan is injured?!"

Sun Lianzhong suddenly stood up from his seat.

The Fifth Division is key to the outer defense!

Once it collapses, the entire flank of the Shipai Fortress will be completely exposed to the Japanese army!
PS: At this time, the flank defense line had been breached by the Japanese army, but the Sixth War Zone was unaware of this.

"Commander-in-Chief!" Chief of Staff Guo Chan strode forward, his voice urgent: "The Fifth Division is leaderless, and its morale has been affected."

Sun Lianzhong paced back and forth in front of the map, his mind racing.

A moment later, he suddenly stopped, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Urgent order!" He issued the command to the telegraph operator beside him, "Have Qiu Xingxiang, the director of the political department, take over command and rush to the front line at Badoufang immediately. At all costs, stabilize the situation!"

However, although the order was issued, an even more serious problem was placed before everyone.

"Commander-in-Chief," Guo Chan's voice carried a hint of despair, "the Fifth Division has lost contact with the Eighteenth Army and the headquarters of the 32nd Army."

"We can only communicate with them through the theater command's radio station now."

The Fifth Division had become a de facto isolated force.

All command, coordination, and support will become incredibly difficult.

The entire war situation is developing in the worst possible direction.

"Can we get in touch with Commander Song?"

"It's possible, but their main force is still defending Lixian County and they simply cannot spare any troops to go north and provide support..."

Just when Sun Lianzhong had no troops to mobilize.

The Sixth War Zone Command then received the latest battle report.

"Report, the 18th Division's Qin Department has sent a telegram reporting that the main force of the Japanese army has broken through to the Ziqiu and Caojiafan line. They are leading their troops in a desperate resistance and are asking why Japanese troops have broken into their positions so early."

Sun Lianzhong was also completely bewildered at this point, as the well-preserved defensive line was once again breached by the Japanese army.

There must be something fishy going on here.

Unable to understand, Sun Lianzhong sent a telegram directly to the forward command post in northern Hubei.

He wanted Chu Yunfei, the war general, to answer his questions.
When Chu Yunfei received the telegram, he couldn't help but feel a little helpless and put it aside.

Pang Junming and Zhao Pengcheng took the telegram.

For a moment, they felt somewhat helpless.

Sun Lianzhong's deployment was adjusted in a timely manner, and the tactics of each unit were also sound.

Why does this defense line feel like it's made of clay?
Chu Yunfei fell into deep thought.

In his memory, although the Battle of Western Hubei was said to have annihilated 40,000 Japanese troops, the actual number of Japanese casualties was only 2,500.

The casualties among the participating troops in the Battle of Western Hubei reached as high as 40,000, with more than 7,000 missing.

Can be imagined.

What exactly is the nature of the main forces of the participating units?

Of course, many of these so-called disappearances were actually "ghost employees," and the issue of escape did indeed exist.

There are also clear records in the "military and military history" materials on the other side of the strait.

In addition, the widely circulated story of a massive hand-to-hand battle involving tens of thousands of men during the defense of Shipai Fortress did indeed involve large-scale hand-to-hand combat.

However, it was not a so-called "battle of ten thousand men in hand-to-hand combat."
This battle resulted in approximately two thousand casualties for the Japanese army (from the perspective of Chinese war history).

Hu Lian's command was flawless; it was just that the disparity in combat strength made the battle between the two sides quite "intense."

Hu Lian is now under even greater pressure than during the "Battle of Shipai".

All of this is thanks to the reliable allied forces of the river defense army.

If the main combat troops are in this state under conditions of material shortage, it goes without saying that the other combat troops in the Sixth Theater Command are in such a state.

Based on Chu Yunfei's current assessment of the 10th Army Group's detour, it will take at least six more days.

Within six days, the 74th and 79th Armies will be fully deployed.

The reason for taking six days is closely related to Wang Jingjiu's desire to preserve his strength.

Having already suffered heavy losses, they naturally did not want to be the main characters in this "counter-offensive."

If we can "delay it for one more day," then we'll do it for one more day.

Anyway, if Shipai is really lost, the responsibility can't be blamed on the 10th Army Group!

It was precisely this despicable mentality, coupled with the constant sabotage among the senior commanders, that made the Battle of Western Hubei such an ugly affair.

The battle did not unfold as Chu Yunfei had anticipated.

The various units in South China exposed numerous problems during this battle.

Based on his observations of the battle, Chu Yunfei summarized ten simple questions.

as follows:

First, they lacked the spirit to hold their ground and easily abandoned their positions.

Second, they lack the ability to coordinate operations and are unaware of the need for mutual reinforcement.

Third, junior and mid-level officers lack the ability to utilize terrain to reduce casualties, wasting manpower, and are unable to control the use of reserves!

Fourth, exaggerating casualties and combat strength, failing to truly control the troops.

Fifth, they lack initiative in counter-attacking during offensive and defensive transitions, are unable to complete the established defensive tasks, and lack a proactive combat mindset.

Sixth, the lack of a core of small, elite combat units prevents the achievement of objectives such as adapting to local conditions and defeating the enemy.

[Seventh, communication is extremely difficult; telephone lines between command posts are not working properly!]

8. Junior officers lack the spirit and ability to operate independently.

[Nine, Senior officers are unable to effectively take responsibility and maintain discipline]

[10. Lack of initiative at the strategic level. In previous operations, the Japanese army had taken the initiative to open up bridgeheads for attacking places such as Shipai. The Sixth War Area did not take the initiative to attack and tacitly allowed their actions, which led to a passive situation from the very beginning of the operation.]

It may seem like they're avoiding the most important issues, but these are the most fundamental questions.

The root cause is still disobeying orders.

However, Chu Yunfei was unable to provide direct feedback on this point.

After all, he was the commander of the North China Joint Command.

He was not the commander of the South China Joint Command.

Sun Lianzhong's attempt to rely on him to command the battle is fine; the suggestion can be given.

However, these troops failed to effectively carry out Sun Lianzhong's military orders.

What can Chu Yunfei do?

He's not some bastard; he can't possibly court-martial all these officers and soldiers.

To put it another way, if all these officers were executed, these troops would completely collapse.

It was barely maintaining the organizational form of a "military force".

Apart from the 18th Army, which was directly under the command of the Civil Engineering Corps and performed relatively well, the rest of the troops were fighting utterly worthless.

This "rotten army" was given to him to command.

Chu Yunfei was somewhat disgusted.

The so-called auxiliary combat units of the Central Army performed worse than the Northwest Army under Sun Lianzhong, and even worse than the reorganized Fifth Army Group of the Yunnan Army.

When the battle was over and the debriefing was done, I really didn't know where Chen Cixiu, the commander of the war zone, would put his face.
that's it.

A telegram was quickly sent from the Hubei-North Front Command to the Sixth War Zone and then to the General Headquarters.

Chu Yunfei wrote at the end of the telegram.

It is recommended to continue with the previously proposed battle plan, as the time for a decisive battle has not yet arrived.

As for the lost positions, they should retake them on their own and should not expect the war zone to send reinforcements.

If the enemy cannot recapture the enemy's stronghold, thus missing a crucial opportunity, all high-ranking commanders will be subject to military law. (End of Chapter)