I really came here to fight against Japan

This time, Division Commander Takahashi's guess was correct. After a while, the people below brought back the news.

Division Commander Mishima has already fled with his Third Division.

The division commander didn't even wait for the search team ahead to come back, he just ran away.

Takahashi was not afraid that he would run away, as they had long been accustomed to the style of this Division Commander Mishima.

Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune is also in line with the art of war and military law. Mishima also has his point, but nowadays he is not as good as before.

There are two divisions, and the distance between them is no more than 20 kilometers.

You, Mishima, just patted your butt and ran away with your division.

But the morale of my 40th Division was also taken away by you, a traitor.

This time Takahashi was really angry and immediately dictated a telegram.

A summary of the situation of the Third Division during the attack on Changsha was given.

Therefore, all the disgusting actions of the Mishima Division Commander were reported back to the headquarters of the 11th Army in Hankou.

Anan was filled with rage because of the heavy losses he suffered in the past two days.

A main Type A 6th Division and a 9th Independent Mixed Brigade.

It has been unilaterally announced by China's Ninth War Zone on the radio that they have been completely wiped out by the Chinese army!

Although Anan tried his best to deny it, he really couldn't contact the two troops near Changsha.

The Japanese headquarters was extremely angry about this matter.

I have sent three consecutive telegrams to his 11th Army Command, asking him to investigate the truth of the matter.

The commander, who was in a state of panic, had no way of venting his anger.

This time, the matter of Division Commander Mishima happened to fall into his hands.

He immediately sent a telegram to the two division commanders, Mishima and Takahashi.

Mishima was dismissed from his post as commander of the 3rd Division and replaced by Takahashi, who commanded two divisions to break out immediately.

Division Commander Takahashi was overjoyed because his 40th Division now had only about 15,000 people.

Looking at the density of defense in the opposing Kuomintang fortifications, it would be difficult for him to break through with such a small number of troops.

It’s different now. The two divisions together have almost 30,000 people.

Once the fighting breaks out, the Chinese army might become timid and give up the ferry crossing on the Miluo River to him.

Unfortunately, happiness only lasted for a moment, and he didn't have time to notify the Third Division to move closer to him.

The counterattack of the First Division of the Jiangnan Militia has quietly arrived.

"Boom boom boom..."

Takahashi: "Operation Staff, what's going on? What was that sound just now..."

Takahashi stopped talking halfway because anyone with eyes can see it.

Their division was attacking the ferry, and smoke and dust were already billowing in the sky above the first and second battalions.

Now there was no whistling sound of artillery shells, only fire and black smoke with flying sand and rocks, covering a large area.

Mishima: "It's over, my two battalions are finished.

These damned nationalist soldiers, how much explosives did they bury in the field ahead?

If I had known this, I would not have let the Second Infantry Battalion run to the front to provide support!"

The loss of these two infantry battalions was heartbreaking for Takahashi.

Their division's already stretched thin was suddenly reduced by another two thousand troops.

Including non-combat personnel, there are only more than 13,000 people left in their division.

The two infantry battalions that attacked the ferry should not expect many of their soldiers to survive.

Even if those soldiers were not killed by the explosion, the shock waves from the explosion would cause their internal organs to rupture and become irreparable.

It’s not the end yet, as the opposing nationalist army did not come out to pursue us.

But this does not mean that these Chinese troops will let Takahashi's 40th Division go.

A 105mm shell fell into the Japanese army.

More and more large-caliber artillery shells began to explode in the area where the 40th Division of the Japanese Army was staying.

Division Commander Takahashi: "Retreat, retreat, quickly retreat to the back to avoid the shelling."

The number of soldiers under his command who can fight is dwindling.

If we allow the Kuomintang’s large-caliber artillery shells to continue bombing.

Is there any need for the 40th Division, which was bombed and had no organization, to exist?

Fortunately, they retreated quickly enough, and Wen Yiduo did not kill them in order to keep Yoshida's detachment company busy.

This meant that Takahashi's 40th Division's losses in personnel and equipment were not too great.

The 30th and 40th Divisions finally came together.

Because Division Commander Mishima has already received Anan's order to resign.

So after Division Commander Mishima met with Takahashi, he handed over the command.

Being free from official duties brings relief. Anyway, Division Commander Mishima knew that there was no problem with his command.

And Anan, the commander-in-chief, could not produce any actual evidence of his dereliction of duty.

At worst, I could go back to the Kwantung Army, where my fellow villagers were in the Kwantung Army’s headquarters.

As long as he waits there for a few more years, he can still be reinstated and become a division commander.

He was in the 3rd Division, the oldest of Japan's 17 standing divisions.

Without certain connections and qualifications, you cannot become the commander of this division.

Would he be afraid of a "pretty boy" from the 11th Airborne Army?

Humph, maybe others don’t know the true face of this Anan Weiji.

However, relying on his relationship with the Kwantung Army, it was still easy to find out.

The 3rd and 40th divisions were temporarily merged together.

They immediately convened a joint military meeting to discuss what to do next.

Takahashi said in a deep voice: "I just took inventory, and our 40th Division has about 13,000 people left.

There was a fully equipped brigade of 10,000 men and an artillery battalion.

The remaining 1,000-plus people are all non-combatants of our division."

Yamashita said to everyone sheepishly: "I am the chief of staff of the 3rd Division, Major General Yamashita Fengzi.

Our Third Division has just encountered an ambush by the Chinese army and suffered heavy losses.

All artillery and light and heavy machine guns were destroyed (abandoned) during the retreat.

There are more than 9,000 people left in the entire division, and fortunately they are all combatants.

The soldiers in our division each have a Type 38 rifle, but each has less than five rounds of ammunition. "

After he finished speaking, he gave a brief introduction to the situation of their division.

It was only then that the people of the 40th Division realized why the 3rd Division was short of bullets.

And why were all their heavy weapons destroyed and abandoned?

Division Commander Takahashi already knew that the soldiers of the 3rd Division were generally short of ammunition.

He immediately ordered his logistics and supply troops to deliver 250,000 rounds of ammunition to the soldiers of the Third Division.

For the Japanese soldiers with good marksmanship, thirty bullets per person are enough to maintain their combat effectiveness.

Takahashi said: "Mishima-kun and Yamashita-kun, let's discuss now what we should do next.

Since the Chinese army now has a large number of artillery pieces, artillery shells are also very sufficient.

Whether we attack forward or backward, it is not easy to break out of the encirclement.

Or we can wait until dark and then try to find a way to break out.

Or we can wait until the Yoshida detachment can rush over and attack us from both inside and outside, then we may be able to break out."

Chief of Staff Yamashita: "Mr. Takahashi, can the Hankou Air Force send bombers to bomb the Nationalist troops here?"