I am Jiang Weiguo in World War II

Chiang Kai-shek is studying the battle situation day and night with He Yingqin, Cheng Qian, Bai Chongxi, Xu Yongchang and other senior generals. At this time, the hot spot of the war is not only Shanghai, but even Nanjing is the front line.

In Shanghai and Nanjing, these two battlefields, relatively speaking, Chiang Kai-shek and others are more concerned about the latter, regardless of the significance of military, politics, diplomacy, propaganda, etc. It is closely related, which naturally made Chiang Kai-shek and others more concerned about the Nanjing War.

In fact, after the Japanese army approached the city of Nanjing, high-level officials had persuaded Chiang Kai-shek to leave Nanjing many times (those who persuaded Chiang Kai-shek to leave mainly wanted to leave by themselves. If Chiang Kai-shek, the supreme leader, did not leave, they would not dare to leave), but Chiang Kai-shek categorically refused, but only allowed some civil servants of the government to start retreating to Wuhan. Kong Xiangxi, Song Ziwen and other relatives of the emperor had already left or were about to leave. Chiang Kai-shek himself "unswervingly sat in the capital."

Chiang Kai-shek did this, on the one hand, he couldn’t leave, he was the supreme leader after all, and when the Japanese army arrived, he fled the capital in panic, and if word spread, what face would there be for the leader?Where is the prestige?On the other hand, he didn't want to leave. Shanghai hadn't achieved a "complete victory", but he wanted to leave Nanjing. This was also unacceptable to his self-esteem.

"Commissioner, the second son is going to counterattack the 6th Division of the Japanese Army tonight, and the 182nd Division of the Dian Army is quietly crossing the river!" He Yingqin handed over a report, "This is the battle plan sent by the 918th Regiment!"

Chiang Kai-shek flipped through it, then looked at Bai Chongxi and the others: "What do you think?"

Cheng Qian praised again and again: "The second son is really a 'tiger father has no dog son'! Facing the strongest sixth division of the Japanese army, he has no fear, and dares to actively launch an active attack. He is courageous! He is courageous! During the day, Hisao Gu took it lightly and was careless, and was hit hard by the 918th regiment. Right now is indeed a good opportunity to take the initiative to attack. The 182nd Division of the Dian Army is strong and well-equipped. After being invested, it can be called the icing on the cake. There will be great gains on the Jiangbei battlefield tonight!"

Chiang Kai-shek nodded slightly, Cheng Qian's words were very appetizing to him, not only outlined the prospect of victory, but also praised his precious son, which had to make him feel at ease.

"Commissioner, I think the group of Japanese soldiers approaching the city of Nanjing is a bit abnormal!" Bai Chongxi frowned and looked at the map, "Since the Japanese Army's Tani Hisao Division has suffered heavy losses, the Japanese army should have understood that they did not take things out of their pockets when they captured Nanjing. Immediately increase the number of troops, with the speed of the Japanese troop movement, there should have been follow-up troops landing in Jiangbei again at this time, but we have not received any information on this, and the Second Division has not actively responded to the Sixth Division!"

"It's really strange!" Xu Yongchang agreed. "Could it be that the Japanese army is playing some trick of 'striking from the east to attack the west'?"

"Huh?" Chiang Kai-shek frowned, "Jiansheng, Cichen, what do you think?"

Bai Chongxi said: "The two divisions of the Japanese army arrived in Nanjing. According to common sense, they should join forces and attack together, but they are obviously spreading their forces. The sixth division fought fiercely all day long, while the second division watched from the sidelines. Isn't it very suspicious?"

Xu Yongchang looked at Chiang Kai-shek: "Committee, at first we thought that the Japanese army's strategy of attacking the east and attacking the west was 'sound to attack Nanjing from Shanghai', but is there another possibility? The Japanese army was actually 'striking Nanjing to attack Shanghai'?"

"Oh?" Chiang Kai-shek frowned and thought over the possibility, "It is indeed possible! It seems that the Japanese army did not try their best to attack Nanjing. Could it be..." His thoughts turned.

He Yingqin said: "No matter what the [-]nd and [-]th Divisions are doing, since they spread out their forces, they have provided our army with the opportunity to defeat them one by one! If we can defeat one of them, the other will naturally be unable to support the other, and the situation in Nanjing will improve! "

This sentence "the speaker has no intention, but the listener intends", Chiang Kai-shek's heart was violently turbulent: Nanjing is in danger, so troops must be transferred from Shanghai. The 101st Division is really close, lacking in troops, so Shanghai and Nanjing will be passive together. If... If Nanjing does not need reinforcements, it will only rely on the existing troops in Nanjing to repel the invading Japanese army , so the good situation in Shanghai can continue?At the same time, Nanjing can turn the crisis into safety!Kill two birds with one stone!At that time, the situation will be great!Shanghai continued to win battles, and Nanking also won battles. As a result, international public opinion was bound to swing heavily in favor of the Nationalist government.

So, how to repel the invading Japanese army only by the existing troops in Nanjing?The only way is to break down one by one!Since the second and sixth divisions do not cooperate with each other, no matter what the reason is, this situation is very beneficial to the national army, so we must seize the opportunity!Relying on Wei'er's 918th Regiment and the Dian Army's 182nd Division alone, the results must be great, but it is not the greatest. We must continue to increase troops on the Jiangbei battlefield!Defeat the Sixth Division in one fell swoop!At that time, the Second Division will be alone, and Nanjing will be safe!The troops in Shanghai don't need to be transferred anymore!Total victory!

After making up his mind, Chiang Kai-shek looked at He Yingqin and the others with piercing eyes, "Look, can we dispatch powerful troops from the three divisions of the Sichuan Army to go to Jiangbei? In this way, we will be able to achieve maximum results tonight!"

He Yingqin, Cheng Qian, Bai Chongxi, Xu Yongchang and others looked at each other, and the four of them immediately agreed: "Oops! The old man has committed another old problem!"

Shijiaao Village, about 6 kilometers away from Jiangpu Town, is the headquarters of the [-]th Division.

The Japanese army preparing to participate in the night attack was ready, because the 11th Brigade was paralyzed during the daytime battle, so the night attack force consisted of the 36rd Wing of the 23th Brigade as the main force, with a total of more than 3500 elite soldiers.

"Your Excellency, Head of the Division! Your Excellency, Head of the Brigade!" The commander of the regiment, Okamoto Zhenchen, said with a firm expression, "I'm going!"

"Okamoto-kun!" Lieutenant General Tani Hisao strode up and saluted Okamoto, "Please!"

"Hai!" Colonel Okamoto was full of enthusiasm, "Okamoto and the Kumamoto athletes of the 23rd Regiment will surely avenge the Sixth Division!"

Shimono Yihuo, the chief of staff of the division who was also at the scene, did not feel too excited. He looked very uneasy at the 36th brigade commander, Major General Ushishima Mitsuru, and whispered: "Ushishima-sama, Are you really going to attack?"

"The arrow is on the string, and we have to fire it!" Major General Ushishima's face was tense and murderous, and he was puzzled at the same time, "Could it be that your Excellency, Chief of Staff, wants to object?"

Colonel Shimono's face turned pale slightly: "Ushishima-kun, I feel that your Excellency, Division Commander, is a little... a little impulsive right now. Our division has already suffered a great loss. At this time, we should stop in time, and we should not continue to fight hard..."

Although Major General Ushijima's face was still tense, he didn't fly into a rage, and he didn't scold Shimono as a coward. Li has been bruised like never before, we have to fight back! Otherwise, what face will the Sixth Division have? If they retreat after failure, will the Sixth Division still have the unstoppable spirit of killing and fighting in the future? ?”

"This is acting on your own will!" Colonel Shimono was completely anxious, "We will cause the division to suffer even greater losses!"

"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff..." Major General Ushishima's face was like a stone, "I have already said, the arrow is on the string, and we have to fire!"

"Ah!" Colonel Shimono let out a helpless but unwilling sigh.

"Your Excellency, Chief of the Division! Your Excellency, Chief of Staff!" A major staff officer hurried over from the communication room, holding a piece of paper in his hand, "An urgent call from Lieutenant General Okamura, the commander of the Second Division! He said he A new plan has been drawn up! It can not only achieve great results, but also help the Sixth Division to avenge its shame!"

"Oh?" Lieutenant General Tani Hisao frowned, and at the same time his heart moved. He knew that Lieutenant General Neji Okamura was a "smart general" (he self-assessed that he was a "brave general"). There are many tricks in the bag", the Sixth Division may not be able to change its plan.

"Bring it here!" Lieutenant General Gu Hisao ordered the major staff officer.

After receiving the telegram from Lieutenant General Okamura and reading it, the expression on Lieutenant General Hisao Tani's face changed.

Chapter 227 Defending Nanjing (7)

The "prestige" of the Second Division in the Japanese Army is comparable to that of the Sixth Division, but there are some differences in the styles of the two troops. The fighting style of the Sixth Division is brutal, fierce and cruel, while the main The fighting style of the Second Division, composed of lumberjacks in the Sendai area, is tenacity, endurance, bravery and tenacity. The famous battle of the division was a large-scale night attack hand-to-hand battle in Gongchangling during the Russo-Japanese War. With bayonets, the Russian army, which was three times the number of the Japanese army, was forcibly defeated; in addition to the different fighting styles of the two units, the command styles of the two division heads were also completely different. Vice Lieutenant General Cunning is much calmer and wiser, and he is determined and decisive in his actions.

When Lieutenant General Tani Hisao recklessly led the 6th Division to launch a strong attack on Nanjing, Lieutenant General Okamura knew that he could not stop Lieutenant General Tani Hisao, who was already in a daze. On the one hand, he kept calm and did not move. To put it bluntly, he used the 6th Division to "test the depth of the water", and at the same time did not take the 6nd Division into it, and used the 2nd Division to contain the rest of the Chinese defenders in Nanjing. The army indirectly assisted the 2th Division, which caused Chiang Kai-shek, Bai Chongxi and others to be puzzled by the strange situation of "why the 6th Division stormed Nanjing, while the 2nd Division watched the fire from the other side". In order to guard against the [-]nd Division, three Sichuan Army The division has been waiting in full force in the north and east of Nanjing.

After one day, although the result of the battle was not what Lieutenant General Okamura expected, "The Sixth Division really suffered a loss", but it still shocked Lieutenant General Okamura, "The Sixth Division has suffered such a big loss. ".

"Although the national government's troops in Nanjing are insufficient and the defense is empty at this time, Nanjing has an extremely complete city defense project and extremely powerful three-dimensional firepower, not only the Zijinshan land artillery group and the aviation force of the Dajiaochang Airport, but also the Yangtze River Fleet Lieutenant General Okamura quickly came to this conclusion, and because of this, he completely opposed the unfeasible plan of "relying on the 2nd, 6th, and 16th divisions alone to storm Nanjing".

In fact, Lieutenant General Okamura's position on the strategy of the war against China is quite different from that of the "expansionists" and "non-expansionists" in Japan. Avoid letting Japan fall into it", instead of killing the national government, but to overthrow Chiang Kai-shek's national government and establish an "absolutely pro-Japanese new national government" composed entirely of pro-Japanese elements. On the one hand, Japan’s overall control over China prevents Japan from falling into the quagmire of the Chinese battlefield (in the original history, Lieutenant General Okamura strongly opposed the establishment of Wang Jingwei’s puppet regime, thinking that this would completely force the national government to take the road of desperate resistance against Japan. He also believed that , cannot eliminate the National Government or replace it with a pseudo-regime, because the National Government is a legitimate Chinese government, so Chiang Kai-shek’s National Government should be overthrown—this is similar to the practice of Americans in later generations), he uniquely proposed the "challenge to Chiang Kai-shek" Love the people" slogan, trying to dress up the Japanese invaders as Chinese liberators who "struggle the people and save the Chinese people".

Who is the enemy of Japan's full-scale invasion of China?The vast majority of Japanese high-level officials think that it is China (these people advocate the complete destruction and annexation of China), while some Japanese high-level leaders with unique vision and shrewd minds think that it is the National Government (such people advocate the establishment of a puppet regime to replace the National Government), Okamura The lieutenant general took another approach, targeting Chiang Kai-shek alone as the enemy, propagandizing and smearing Chiang Kai-shek as a "dictatorial tyrant" and "a lone husband and a traitor" who caused China to suffer. The purpose of overthrowing the Nationalist Government is to eradicate the "small group of thieves who have harmed China" headed by Chiang Kai-shek, and to help the Nationalist Government achieve self-purification", so as to achieve a more brilliant use of China to control China.

As for how to treat the Chinese in the war, Lieutenant General Okamura and Lieutenant General Tani Hisao are completely different. Lieutenant General Tani Hisao advocated "killing so much that the Chinese people dare not resist again", while Lieutenant General Okamura advocated " We must give the Chinese people dignity, and let them know that the Imperial Japanese Army is the army of justice and the army of civilization that liberated them from suffering."

Naturally, Lieutenant General Okamura actually looked down on Lieutenant General Hisao Tani in his heart, "this kind of short-sighted warrior who only has bravery but no brains."

"It's good to let him suffer a little, so that he will be a little self-aware!" Lieutenant General Okamura said this when he learned that the 6th Division was in fierce battle in Dongmen Town. Will's contempt and contempt.

After the 6th Division was beaten to death, Lieutenant General Okamura secretly regretted his "indifference" (Lieutenant General Tani Hisao did not ask Lieutenant General Okamura for help during the day because he told Lieutenant General Okamura Big talk, I asked for help at the beginning of the fight, and I will definitely lose face), after all, if the loss of the 6th Division is too serious, it will affect the strength of the Japanese army as a whole, but this is the case, regretting is useless. A new battle plan was drawn up.

Lieutenant General Okamura and Lieutenant General Hisao Tani who arrived at the same time held an emergency military meeting in Kuah Township between Shijiaao Village occupied by the 6th Division and Qingshan Town occupied by the 2nd Division.

"Gu Jun, you are..." Lieutenant General Okamura was taken aback when the two met, because Lieutenant General Gu Hisao lost four fingers on his left hand, "Oh! Why bother? Victory and defeat are commonplace in military affairs, Gu Jun , You are too impulsive!" Lieutenant General Okamura said regretfully.

"A defeated general, you should be ashamed!" Lieutenant General Tani Hisao's facial features were distorted due to pain, full of embarrassment.

"Mr. Gu, although your department suffered a small loss in the daytime battle, it has also achieved great success!" Lieutenant General Okamura did not sneer or criticize, but seemed very confiding, "The Nanjing troops of the Chinese Army have been killed. This is very beneficial to our next actions! It can be said that the blood of your soldiers has not been shed in vain!" Lieutenant General Tani Hisao's violent attacks during the day were completely stealing chickens and losing money, but Lieutenant General Okamura is very talkative, and he took care of Lieutenant General Gu Hisao's self-esteem.

"Okamura-kun..." Lieutenant General Tani Hisao heard Lieutenant General Okamura's comfort to him, and couldn't help being greatly moved.

"Mr. Gu..." Lieutenant General Okamura said very sincerely, "The Sixth Division's attack during the day today is part of our overall plan. The Sixth Division's heroic fighting and heavy casualties laid the foundation for the success of our plan. foundation, so the contributions and credits of the Sixth Division are much greater than those of the Second Division.

In addition..." He whispered, "Part of the casualties of your department can be 'properly transferred' to my division!"

"Okamura-kun!" Lieutenant General Hisao Tani looked at Lieutenant General Okamura in disbelief, and then he was moved to tears. He could tell that Lieutenant General Okamura was helping to cover up his mistake.

Lieutenant General Tani Hisao obviously disobeyed orders and attacked without authorization, which resulted in heavy losses to the 6th Division. "Not only is there no fault, but it has merit." The Tokyo base camp saw Lieutenant General Okamura's combat report, so naturally he would not pursue Lieutenant General Hisao Tani's act of disobedience.

"Okamura-kun!" Lieutenant General Hisao Tani saluted Lieutenant General Okamura, "In the upcoming battle, the Sixth Division will definitely cooperate with the Second Division!"

"Mr. Gu, you and I are both imperial soldiers, so we should cooperate sincerely and work together!" Lieutenant General Okamura's expression became more and more sincere, and Lieutenant General Gu Hisao was further moved to "tears on the verge of falling."

In fact, Lieutenant General Okamura was just doing favors. The 2nd and 6th Divisions were equal troops, and they all obeyed the orders of Lieutenant General Yanagawa, the commander of the 3rd Army. Lieutenant General Okamura had no authority to command the 6th Division. He also has no right to stop Lieutenant General Hisao Tani from doing stupid things. Lieutenant General Okamura did not add insult to injury when Lieutenant General Gu Hisao had already done stupid things. In this way, Lieutenant General Okamura obtained the power to indirectly command the 6th Division. On the one hand, it can make up for the lack of unified command of the three divisions of the Japanese army, and on the other hand, it can also prevent Lieutenant General Tani Hisao. Keep doing stupid things.

"What the hell does the Second Division want to do? What the hell is Ningji Okamura doing?" In the conference hall of the Nanjing Military Commission, Chiang Kai-shek, who was not sleepy, kept staring at the map and repeated this sentence within half an hour. A full twenty times.

"Appointment!" Bai Chongxi couldn't bear it anymore. Among the many high-level decision-makers, he belonged to the local powerful faction. It’s not wrong for the regiment to be alone, but the hidden danger is too great! The defense forces of Zhenjiang, Changzhou, and Jiangyin between Nanjing and Shanghai are very empty! And the three cities are located on the south bank of the river along the river. If the second division really doesn’t care If the Sixth Division brazenly crosses the river and captures one or several of the three cities, won’t the railway line between Nanjing and Shanghai be cut off? This is too dangerous!”

Chiang Kai-shek frowned: "Jiansheng, in your opinion, what should I do?"

"Quickly withdraw troops from Shanghai!" Bai Chongxi said bluntly, "According to our original plan, three divisions from Hudong will be withdrawn tonight. These troops can be used not only to strengthen the defense of Nanjing, but also to strengthen the defense between Nanjing and Shanghai... "

"Can't withdraw!" Chiang Kai-shek shook his head again and again, "The situation in Shanghai is very good, it's a pity to withdraw at this time!"

"Appointment!" Bai Chongxi raised his voice, "Excuse me, you are taking a risk!"

"Adventure?" Chiang Kai-shek was not happy, "War itself is an adventure! There is no such thing as a sure battle!"

"But! These three divisions between Ninghu and Ninghu by the Japanese army are too harmful! They should not be underestimated!" Bai Chongxi argued, "These three divisions can intimidate the capital if they enter, and they can cut off the traffic between Ninghu and Shanghai if they retreat. Wire!"

"Jiansheng, don't worry too much!" He Yingqin smoothed things over, "The three divisions of the Japanese army are all in Jiangbei after all, and they won't cross the river easily.

I have just sent a telegram to Zeng Yiding, the commander of the Yangtze River Fleet, ordering him to lead the fleet to the section of the river where the Second Division is located, and strictly prevent the Second Division from crossing the river.

The power to control the river is in our hands!The Japanese fleet is all in the lower reaches of Jiangyin, and the river section in Jiangyin has been blocked by hundreds of sunken ships, tens of thousands of tons of stones, and thousands of mines, so the Japanese Jiangbei troops cannot cross the river!"

"Only rely on the five warships of the Yangtze River Fleet?" Bai Chongxi sarcastically said, "Mr. He, do you think our fleet can compare with the Japanese fleet? Not only are the numbers small, but the firepower is not very strong. Those so-called Cruisers are at best equivalent to Japanese destroyers. Even the most powerful Ninghai and Pinghai have a main gun with a caliber of only 140mm, while the Japanese artillery wing is equipped with a maximum caliber of 150mm.

Based on a comprehensive calculation, the firepower of the five warships is equivalent to an artillery wing of the Japanese army!How to stop the Japanese army? "

Chiang Kai-shek became more and more unhappy when he heard it. Although loyal words are harsh, those in high positions should accept advice with an open mind, but if there are too many harsh words, it is really easy to offend people.

"Jiansheng, you can't do the left one and the right one, what should you do?" Chiang Kai-shek asked with a displeased expression.

"Withdraw troops from Shanghai!" Bai Chongxi's tone remained firm. "In addition, too many troops should not be sent to Jiangbei. Nanjing is too dangerous after all! The Nanjing-Shanghai communication line is too dangerous! I do not approve of sending the 182nd Division of the Dian Army to Jiangbei , the three divisions of the Sichuan Army can’t even move at all! At least one division must be dispatched to be on alert at any time along the south bank of the river to prevent the 2nd Division from really crossing the river!”

"If you don't strengthen Jiangbei's military strength, how can you severely damage the 6th Division?" Chiang Kai-shek's tone remained firm.

"Appointment! Our troops in the rear are too weak! Passive defense is too late, let alone an active attack? Even if we take the initiative to attack, it should be a partial attack, and our already weak overall defense line cannot be shaken!"

"The 918 Regiment fought well in Jiangbei! What's wrong with making persistent efforts and achieving greater results?"

"Since the 918th Regiment can stand alone, why continue to increase troops in Jiangbei?"

"If you don't increase troops in Jiangbei, how can you make persistent efforts and achieve greater results?"

"What about Jiangnan? Nanjing and Nanjing-Shanghai transportation lines are all in Jiangnan! You can't lose sight of one!"

"The Japanese army cannot cross the Yangtze River!"

"Commissioner, you are too stubborn! Just five warships want to stop a Type-A division of the Japanese army from crossing the river? If it is a battleship or a heavy cruiser, it is fine, but those five warships are gunboats at all!"

"Jiansheng! You are a bit fearful of the enemy! The Japanese are indeed tyrannical, but they are not invulnerable! Didn't we succeed in inflicting heavy losses on the Japanese army many times!"

"Committee! You say that I fear the enemy like a tiger, but I think you are committing the taboo of a military strategist who is bound to lose! Yes, we have won a few beautiful battles, but either we have the right time, place and many advantages, or It was filled by countless human lives! Right now, do we have the right time, place and people and advantages, or do we have sufficient troops?"

"Appointment!" Liu Fei, who is in charge of analyzing and handling the enemy's situation, strode into the conference hall, "The 2nd Division has just made a move! It is moving at full speed to Dongmen Town and Jiangpu Town! It looks like it will join forces with the 6th Division. Soldiers!"

"Okay!" Chiang Kai-shek beamed with joy. He looked at Bai Chongxi and said in a teasing tone, "Jiansheng, it seems that the old saying is true. A wise man is bound to make a mistake if he thinks a lot. You 'Little Zhuge' also made a mistake!"

Bai Chongxi didn't bother to pay attention to Chiang Kai-shek's ridicule. He asked Liu Fei eagerly: "The 2nd Division is joining forces with the 6th Division? How many troops? How much equipment? Are they going out in full force?"

Liu Fei looked at the latest information in his hand, and said with some embarrassment: "Secretary Bai, it's night and the reconnaissance planes can't be dispatched. We can only rely on some scouts to conduct reconnaissance and spying. The information we get is of course a glimpse of the leopard, and we can't see the whole situation at a glance. .

All I know is that the troops from the 2nd Division to reinforce the 6th Division took cars all the way, the lights of the convoy were like torches, the night was like day, winding and stretching like a dragon!"

"Needless to say!" Chiang Kai-shek waved his hand violently, "Sure enough, the focus of the Japanese army's attack is still from Pukou District!"

"If the 2nd Division also joins the battle group, then the 6th Division's next attack on Jiangpu Town will not be a night attack, but a strong night attack!" He Yingqin said anxiously, "Although the 918th Regiment is strong and powerful, the two divisions If the group presses up, it will indeed be irresistible!"

"Order Wang Mingzhang, Rao Guohua, and Guo Xunqi!" Chiang Kai-shek said in a calm and authentic tone, "Each one will draw a powerful unit from the division to strengthen the regiment and join the battle in Jiangbei!"

"Seat!" Bai Chongxi urged anxiously, "The three divisions of the Sichuan Army can't move! Nanjing still depends on them to defend!"

"The two divisions of the Japanese army are pressing up. How can the 918th regiment and the 182nd division alone be able to stop it?" Chiang Kai-shek said irritably.

"Appointment! Jiangnan is the key point! Even if Jiangbei is lost, it is worth abandoning the car to keep the handsome man!"