Quartermasters can also fight the devils

At the headquarters of the new 100th Division in Sanshui City, the communications officer handed a telegram to Ouyang Heng, who was looking at a map, saying that the Japanese army had reached the last line of defense.

"Division Commander, we have already engaged the Japanese army on our last line of defense, and the time is about the same as we expected." Ouyang Heng also quickly reported the news to Zhang Wenwu.

Zhang Wenwu looked at the map, then at the time and said, "The time is good. It's already five o'clock in the afternoon and it will be dark soon. The two positions ahead should have consumed about a battalion of Japanese troops. Send a telegram to Li Zhengying and ask him to start the action. We must cut off the Japanese army's retreat tonight and try to destroy their artillery units. We must surround the Japanese army before dawn. In the remaining two days, we must destroy this Japanese force. Success or failure depends on tonight."

Ouyang Heng nodded. The Japanese army's marching speed today was similar to the plan they had made before the war. Tonight's action was the most critical part of this operation. Only by cutting off the Japanese army's retreat and destroying their artillery units tonight, could they surround and destroy this Japanese army in the remaining two days.

If tonight's operation does not go smoothly, the new 100th Division will cancel its previous combat plan and instead focus on holding the defensive positions outside Sanshui City to ensure that the new nd Army troops in the South China Sea can retreat from Sanshui and must not be entangled in Sanshui by the Japanese army.

Li Zhengying is now resting with the suicide squad and the special forces battalion in a place seven kilometers west of the Japanese attacking force. He and his troops have been waiting here for more than a day. Li Zhengying is lying on the ground with a piece of wild grass in his mouth, looking bored at the sky that is about to darken.

"Deputy Captain Hao, according to the plan, the Japanese army should be attacking our last line of defense by now. Why haven't the division commander and the chief of staff sent a telegram yet? If we stay here any longer, grass will grow on our bodies." Li Zhengying looked at the sky with lifeless eyes, but muttered to Hao Jian who was lying beside him.

Hao Jian was also lying on the grass looking at the sky. After hearing Li Zhengying's muttering, Hao Jian said unhappily, "Captain Li, you have been asking this question since this morning. It's almost dark now. If you really can't bear it any more, just send a telegram to the division headquarters and ask the chief of staff. I don't have any eyes, so how can I know what the Japanese army is like now?"

Just as Li Zhengying was about to blow the whistle on his prediction of the current Japanese military action, he heard the pleasant voice of the communications staff in charge of the radio station: "Battalion Commander, the division headquarters sent a telegram, and the division commander ordered us to start the action. We must cut off the Japanese military's logistics and retreat routes tonight and try to destroy the Japanese artillery unit."

After hearing the words of the communications staff officer, Li Zhengying and Hao Jian immediately got up from the ground. They had finally received the order from the division headquarters and they no longer had to count ants and pull weeds here.

"Deputy Ying Hao, assemble the team, it's our turn to go on stage. We must complete the combat mission assigned by the division commander tonight, and no one can slack off." Li Zhengying ordered Hao Jian excitedly.

In order to complete the mission tonight, he and Hao Jian personally inspected the mission site several times, and asked all the officers and soldiers to familiarize themselves with the surrounding terrain and formulate a detailed combat plan. He believed that his troops would be able to successfully complete the combat mission formulated before the war this time.

Major Kato Maogong is very depressed now. The exploratory attack launched by his first squadron in accordance with the orders of the division commander and the regiment commander has suffered a disastrous defeat.

He had seen through the telescope that his First Squadron had suffered heavy casualties under the attack of the Chinese army, but what made him even more uncomfortable was that his First Squadron was currently being pressed in front of the position by the Chinese army and was constantly being rubbed, and it couldn't even retreat.

Lieutenant Colonel Kato Maogong wanted to send the rest of his troops, hoping to bring down the remaining officers and soldiers of the First Squadron, but after weighing the pros and cons, he felt that the firepower of his current troops did not seem to be enough to suppress the firing intensity of the Chinese army's defensive positions, and it was very likely to increase the casualties of the troops.

As for asking the 3rd Battalion of the 11th Regiment, which had already arrived, to help, Major Kato Maogong didn't even think about it. Not to mention whether the 3rd Battalion was willing to come and help, it was impossible for him to even ask for it. This would be an act that would bring shame to the 21st Regiment. If the regiment commander knew after the war that he had actively asked other troops for help, he would most likely be arranged by the regiment commander to serve in the regiment headquarters, and then when the opportunity came, he would be sent to some temporary division troops to serve, and his future would be completely ruined.

"All officers and soldiers, follow me. Don't rush towards the Chinese army's positions. Just provide fire support to the First Squadron from a distance. Use heavy machine guns to suppress the firepower of the Chinese army's positions and bring the First Squadron back to me." Major Kato Maogong decided to let the troops go forward to provide fire support, otherwise there would be no hope for the First Squadron to withdraw on its own.

After Major Kato Maogong led all the officers and soldiers of the 100st Battalion to move forward, they fired frantically at the defensive positions of the New 100th Division. The momentum of the Japanese army's shooting immediately increased a lot, but because the distance was too far, the Japanese army's firepower output was more of a boost and deterrent effect, and actually did not cause any substantial damage to the defensive positions of the New th Division.

The soldiers of the First Squadron who were still alive in front of the defensive position of the New 100th Division also wanted to take this opportunity to withdraw quickly. It was very painful for them to persist here, but the officers and soldiers of the New 100th Division were very dissatisfied with the Japanese army's behavior of not even firing artillery before the attack. This was a naked contempt for them. How could they let the Japanese army withdraw so comfortably?

Therefore, the retreat route of the First Squadron also became a hunting route for the sharpshooters of the New 100th Division. As long as the Japanese dared to expose a little bit of their bodies, they would be immediately shot by the sharpshooters of the New 100th Division. Only a few experienced and shameless soldiers crawled and rolled while moving backwards from the position, but even so, the sharpshooters of the New 100th Division did not let them go.

Twenty minutes later, Major Kato Maogong finally waited for the retreating soldiers of his first squadron. He saw that their uniforms were torn and their faces had obvious scratches. This was mainly because their uniforms were scratched by small stones or the like when they were climbing down or rolling down.

These apparent embarrassments are nothing. The key point is that only fifty-three people were evacuated from the First Squadron, and four of them were seriously injured. They were dragged away by others. Moreover, among these fifty-three people, there was not a single officer. In other words, all the officers of the First Squadron died, and almost all the soldiers were also lost.

Major Kato Maogong was very worried. This was just a tentative attack, and his battalion had almost lost one-third of its combat power. What would happen in the subsequent attacks? According to the combat power of the Chinese army's defensive position, it would be difficult to break through this defensive position even if his battalion was defeated.

Major Kato Maogong even thought that even if the 3rd Battalion of the 11th Regiment was added, if everyone launched an attack together, it would probably be difficult to break through the Chinese army's defensive positions. Who knew that the firepower on the Chinese army's positions just now was all their strength? What if the Chinese army hid a part of its forces? After all, he only sent a squadron of officers and soldiers to attack.

Major Kato Maogong led his troops back to the previous starting position. He asked everyone to prepare for defense. At the same time, he sent someone to report the offensive situation here to the regiment commander and the division commander. He instructed the signalman to tell the two superiors that he judged that this position should be the last defensive position of the Chinese army in Sanshui City.

When it was almost dark, the division commander, Lieutenant General Anriyoshi, and the commander of the 11th Regiment, Colonel Watanabe Tsunahiko, also arrived here with their troops. They had already learned about the situation here from the report of the signalman sent by Major Kato Maogong.

The division commander, Lieutenant General Anriyoshi, was a little surprised at the losses of the 1st Battalion. After hearing the battalion commander, Major Kato Maogong, judged that this was the last defensive position of the Chinese army in Sanshui City, he was a little happy. As long as they defeated the Chinese army on this position and then occupied this position, Sanshui City would be theirs, and the combat mission set by the headquarters could be successfully completed.

As for the losses of the First Battalion, that didn't matter anymore. His own troops were enough to occupy the Chinese army's position. As long as he occupied Sanshui City, he would be the number one hero in destroying the New 22nd Army. The frontal attack would also be carried out by his own troops.

It can be said that it was the Fifth Division that led the entire operation. When rewards are given out after the war, they will definitely be ranked first. At the same time, the victory in this operation will also increase their prestige and status in the hearts of the commanders of all levels of the Fifth Division.

"Mr. Watanabe, let the troops rest here tonight and transfer all the combat troops. Tomorrow we will launch a full-scale attack on this last defensive position of the Chinese army. We will try to defeat the Chinese army here tomorrow, and then Sanshui City will be within our grasp." Lieutenant General Anriyoshi ordered the regiment commander, Colonel Watanabe Tsunahiko.

Colonel Tsunahiko Watanabe, the commander of the regiment, understood that the division commander wanted to quickly occupy Sanshui City in order to complete the combat mission assigned by the headquarters, so he quickly asked the signalman to notify all the troops to prepare for tomorrow's attack. Then he said a little worriedly: "Your Excellency the division commander, the field artillery regiment is still marching behind. Should we let the troops protect their march first to avoid a surprise attack by the Chinese army?"

Now the field artillery regiment has not yet reached the second line of defense of the Chinese army. The distance between them and the troops here is not too large, but not too close either. If the Chinese army launches a surprise attack on the field artillery regiment, the artillery support for tomorrow's attack may not be enough.

(Thanks to the gifts from Weiguogong who loves beef jerky, Yifeng Fangxi, Wuya who loves assorted seafood soup, Mingdi 1981, Xiaoju who likes terror birds, Lei Shi who loves beauty porridge, I love pumpkin seeds, Yifeng Fangxi, Dongdong, etc.! Thank you all for your support and encouragement!)