A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

On the southern front of Wenzaobang, four main Japanese divisions advanced in unison, making steady progress.

Matsui Iwane hadn't had a full night's sleep for several days, anxiously monitoring the stalemate in the battle. To achieve a "breakthrough in the center," he was almost going all in, deploying five divisions and one Shigetō Brigade, with all the mobile forces of the Shanghai Expeditionary Army committed.

Matsui Iwane mobilized a large number of heavy artillery pieces and dispatched more than 200 aircraft sorties every day to carry out indiscriminate carpet bombing of the Zoumatang and Dachang lines.

This battle also marked the first deployment of the Type 7 "Special Twenty-Four Howitzer" heavy howitzer, with a caliber of 305 mm and a shell weighing 400 kg, capable of penetrating more than 2 meters of concrete. Simultaneously, 24 Type 38 150 mm howitzers from the 12th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment also concentrated their fire, unleashing a terrifying barrage that shook the earth.

Within a radius of several miles around Zoumatang and Dachang, not a single tile remained; the area was almost entirely scorched earth.

狂轰滥炸过后，日军投入101师团、第3师团第6联队、第34联队、第9师团第7联队，以100多辆94式轻装甲车、89式战车为前导掩护步兵冲击，从东、北、西三面猛攻国军沪西防御的中枢大场。

On the eastern front, the Japanese troops along the Huangpu River and Jungong Road also crossed the Qiujiang River and Yangshupu River to the west, launching attacks on the new urban area, Jiangwan, and Zhabei.

The Nationalist army's rudimentary fortifications were no match for the overwhelming and relentless bombardment by the Japanese army. The positions were almost completely destroyed, and they could only build a Great Wall of Steel with their own flesh and blood.

Regardless of whether it was the Central Army, the Guangxi Army, the Sichuan Army, the Hunan Army, the Northeast Army, the Northwest Army, the Guangdong Army, or the Hubei Army, regardless of where they were from or what faction they belonged to, they all faced death without fear, defended the front line to the death, and refused to yield an inch. They relied on their flesh and blood to wear down the elite Japanese troops bit by bit.

"Killing one is enough for me, killing two is a bonus!"

The veterans of the National Revolutionary Army chatted and laughed as if nothing had happened. They were determined to die and had long since lost all fear of death, because the hope of returning alive was too slim for them after the battle had gone this far!

On the ravaged battlefield, the fortifications had long been destroyed by enemy fire, and the bodies of fallen soldiers lay piled high, making it impossible to move them further. The surviving soldiers used their comrades' bodies as cover, setting up machine guns on top of them, and continuing to unleash flames of revenge against the Japanese invaders!

"This is our Great Wall of flesh and blood!"

The surviving officer watched silently. He did not stop this behavior. He even hoped that after he died in battle, he could be included in the fortifications. In his view, that would be the highest honor!

The Nationalist troops, who had long since disregarded life and death, silently endured and fought under the overwhelming artillery fire of the Japanese army until they were all killed in action.

Many Nationalist soldiers, blinded by rage, charged at the Japanese troops and tanks that had broken into the battle line, like desperate criminals, carrying cluster grenades and Molotov cocktails, and perished together with them!

The two armies clashed, resulting in bloodshed and carnage.

Everywhere, there were shouts and cries of battle in two different languages. Blood was splattering everywhere, and pieces of flesh and limbs were flying everywhere, representing the fierce clash of the national souls of two different peoples.

When their ammunition ran out, the Nationalist soldiers used everything they could as weapons—bayonet, rifle butt, entrenching tool, stones, fists, teeth—to fight hand-to-hand with the enemy until their deaths, for the life and death of the nation and for the honor of the soldiers.

Some wounded soldiers who were unable to move calmly smiled as they faced the surging enemy and pulled the fuse of the explosive packs attached to their bodies!

The battle was extremely tragic. Division after division of the National Revolutionary Army poured in, one after another, and countless soldiers were overwhelmed by the fierce artillery fire of the Japanese army before they even saw what the enemy looked like.

Many of the newly recruited soldiers were killed or wounded by enemy artillery fire before they even reached the front lines, and they didn't even know their unit number until they were sent to the hospital.

The two sides fought fiercely for days, resulting in mountains of corpses and seas of blood, a truly horrific scene.

Relying on mechanized equipment and superior firepower from land, sea, and air, the Japanese army launched a fierce offensive with all its might, but the advance of the front line remained extremely difficult, with progress measured in meters. They even had to resort to trench warfare, and since the launch of the Yunzaobang Offensive, they had only advanced an average of a few hundred meters per day.

Matsui Iwane only felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the battle report that the 101st Division had finally captured Ōba after more than ten days of bloody fighting.

"It was truly difficult and tragic."

The battle was so difficult that Matsui Iwane had not anticipated it, and the Chinese soldiers' tenacious and resilient fighting spirit far exceeded his expectations.

The Chinese army was poorly equipped, lacked heavy weapons, and was also lacking in training and support. They actually managed to withstand the imperial army's planes and cannons with just their flesh and blood.

Matsui Iwane stared intently at the battle map, remaining silent. No one in the entire headquarters knew what he was thinking.

"Your Excellency Commander—"

Chief of Staff of the Shanghai Expeditionary Army, Mamoru Iinuma, walked in with a battle report. He paused for a moment, then said, “The main force of the Huaxia Army has withdrawn from the Xinshi District, Jiangwan, Zhenru, and Zhabei areas and retreated to the Wusong River line. Now, in the entire Zhabei area, only a part of its 88th Division is still occupying the Sihang Warehouse and putting up a stubborn resistance. It’s like a cornered beast fighting, but it’s like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.”

"After many days of fierce fighting, we have finally achieved victory." Matsui Iwane nodded and said, "Issue an order to commend the frontline troops for their valiant fighting. I hope that the Imperial soldiers will continue to break through and achieve victory, and make further contributions for His Majesty the Emperor."

Matsui Iwane was well aware that the various units had been embroiled in a bitter struggle for a long time, and that morale needed to be boosted and the troops' spirits urgently needed to be encouraged.

"Hi!"

Staff officers immediately began drafting a commendation order.

Deputy Chief of Staff Colonel Toshimichi Uemura directed the operations staff to conduct map work, marking the latest battle situation on the situation map.

The huge battle map almost took up an entire wall, clearly presenting the latest situation of the Shanghai-Nanjing battlefield to Matsui Iwane.

After capturing Dachang and Zhenru, the 3rd, 9th and 101st Divisions crossed the Beijing-Shanghai Railway and advanced to the north bank of the Wusong River, where they confronted the Chinese National Army across the river.

Meanwhile, the 11th and 13th Divisions on the western front advanced westward along the Yunzaobang River, maintaining a posture of continuous and fierce attacks on Nanxiang.

Meanwhile, the main force of the Huaxia Army, the 9th Group Army, had already constructed defenses on the south bank of the Wusong River. Although the Zhabei area had been abandoned, a part of its 88th Division remained at the Sihang Warehouse to hold the area in check, and fierce fighting continued for days.

The 19th Army Group held its ground along the west bank of the Wusong River to the front of Nanxiang, forming a semi-circular defensive line. Some remnants of the Huaxia Army remained at Laoluzhai on the east bank of the Yangjing River, posing a significant threat to the flanks and rear.

Matsui Iwane was well aware that although the Chinese army had been forced to shrink its defensive line, its own battle lines were getting longer and longer, its manpower was becoming increasingly scarce, its logistical supplies were becoming increasingly difficult, and the morale of its troops was constantly declining.

The shocking casualty reports left Matsui Iwane speechless for a long time.

最早投入淞沪战场的第3师团到10月底已战死5千多人。虽然已经进行了7次兵员补充，总共补充了后备兵力7千多人，但由于伤亡实在太大，第3师团目前仍然缺员4千余人。

The 11th Division, which was also among the first to join the battle, suffered more than 1 casualties, a loss not much better than that of the 3rd Division.

The other divisions and Shigetō Detachment also suffered heavy casualties.

"The Verdun battlefield, known as the meat grinder, was no more brutal and cruel than this." Matsui Iwane trembled as he read it.

The soldiers on the front lines are suffering unprecedented casualties and are exhausted. Their eyes are vacant, their expressions are numb, and their spirits are low.

What demoralized the Japanese troops the most was the question of when this hellish situation would end. They were trapped in it, with no hope of ever ending it.

Many frontline troops were becoming increasingly passive and uncooperative, with more and more soldiers using illness or injury as excuses to avoid combat. As a result, the regimental commanders at the front had to issue strict orders to each battalion to control their troops. Except for those with confirmed injuries, no one was allowed to return to the rear without a special certificate from the company commander. Those who disobeyed were deemed deserters and executed.

"Who would have thought that the mighty 'Imperial Army of the Great Empire' would actually need a supervisory team?!"

The dispatched army headquarters, including Matsui Iwane, were all lamenting that this was something unprecedented!

Matsui Iwane was well aware that although his plan to concentrate forces and firepower to achieve a "central breakthrough" on the southern front had yielded some results, he also understood that the Chinese army had not collapsed despite defeat and had not broken down in retreat. The goal of encircling and annihilating the main force of the Chinese army in the western Shanghai area had not been achieved.

He also had to admit that his original plan, which he had confidently boasted to the military headquarters, to take Shanghai with five divisions, was now impossible to realize and had completely failed, which made him very depressed.

"With our current forces, it's impossible to achieve a decisive victory, nor can we stop the hundreds of thousands of Chinese Nationalist troops in Shanghai from retreating," Matsui Iwane sighed inwardly.

At this time, what he was looking forward to was that since the implementation of the "Central Breakthrough", the military and Tianhuang were well aware of the difficulty and ferocity of the Battle of Shanghai and decided to transfer troops from the country and North China to shift the main combat direction to Shanghai, in order to defeat the main force of the Chinese army in front of them, end the difficult situation as soon as possible, and force the Chinese government to surrender.

The General Staff conducted its 11th mobilization. The newly formed 10th Army, comprising the 6th, 18th, 114th, and Kunisaki Detachment of the 5th Division, was en route to Shanghai aboard ships of the newly formed 4th Fleet. The plan was to land at Hangzhou Bay and, together with the Shanghai Expeditionary Army, launch a pincer attack on the Chinese forces in the Shanghai area.

What comforted and excited Matsui Iwane even more was that, in accordance with Hirohito's decree to "quickly achieve the desired results in the Shanghai-Nanjing area," the General Staff had decided to transfer the 16th Division from North China to his Shanghai Expeditionary Army in order to alleviate the shortage of troops in the Expeditionary Army.

This was nothing short of a shot in the arm for Matsui Iwane, who was short of manpower.

The newly formed Fourth Fleet of the Navy, together with the Third Fleet, formed the China Area Fleet, with Kiyoshi Hasegawa as its commander and continuing to serve as the commander of the Third Fleet.

Matsui Iwane couldn't help but feel smug. This was also a very clear signal that Yanagawa Heisuke's 10th Army and the Shanghai Expeditionary Army would be brought under his command, since Yanagawa was a lieutenant general and he himself was a senior general.

The thought that he would be in command of a powerful force consisting of nine divisions and two brigades, along with a large number of support and service units, and that the naval fleet would also be under his coordination and deployment, with a total strength of 300,000 men, filled Matsui Iwane with a sense of pride.

“Iinuma-kun,” Matsui Iwane’s tone was much more relaxed, “Lieutenant General Yanagawa’s 10th Army will arrive soon and land at Hangzhou Bay to cooperate with the Expeditionary Army. The 16th Division of North China is also on its way to Shanghai and will land on the Yangtze River and be transferred to our Expeditionary Army. At that time, our attacking forces will be much more abundant.”

Upon hearing this, both Iinuma Mori and his deputy chief of staff, Uemura Toshimichi, became excited, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

"Commander-in-Chief, should the 16th Division be used to reinforce the offensive towards the south bank of the Suzhou Creek?" Iinuma asked.

“No,” Matsui Iwane said calmly, “Since the stalemate has been fruitless, I plan to use this fresh force to land here and launch a deep flanking attack!”

As he spoke, Matsui Iwane picked up his baton and drew some lines on the map.

Everyone in the headquarters looked at the battle map. The 10th Army, which was landing at Hangzhou Bay, and the dispatched army, which was landing on the Yangtze River and attacking southward, formed a pincer movement, like two giant pincers, flanking from both sides!

Simultaneously, the Marine Corps and the advance landing forces, attacking westward from the Huangpu River and the city, coordinated their attack to cut off the connection between Shanghai and the surrounding areas, annihilate the main force of the Chinese army, which consisted of nearly 70 divisions, gathered on the Shanghai battlefield, and completely resolve the "Chinese Incident," thus making an unparalleled contribution to the empire!

"I have made the following deployment adjustments—" Matsui Iwane solemnly announced, "The main attack will remain in the area on both sides of the Beixinjing-Chenjiaqiao highway, with the 3rd and 9th Divisions launching a river-crossing attack. The 101st Division will assemble on the northwest flank to provide support, preparing to follow the 3rd Division in its forced crossing of the Suzhou River. The 11th and 13th Divisions will continue their attack on the Xuhang, Jiading, and Nanxiang line to cover the right flank of the main force of the dispatched army. The Shigetō Detachment will serve as a reserve force and protect our army's logistical supply lines."

"We must draw as many Chinese troops as possible from the Pudong and Hangzhou Bay areas to our side, creating a vacuum in their defenses, so as to support the landing operation of the 10th Army and the 16th Division!"

"Hi!"

Everyone felt as if Matsui Iwane had given them a shot of adrenaline.

At the same time, everyone was well aware that the battle was still long and arduous, and the blood and flesh that had to be paid would be equally staggering.

Matsui Iwane turned to Chief of Staff Iinuma Mamoru and said, "Iinuma-kun, have you noticed any differences between the Chinese army at this stage and the one at the beginning of the Battle of Shanghai?"

Iinuma was slightly taken aback by the question, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "The tactics of the Chinese army are completely different from the initial defensive line. They are fighting with more discipline and targeting. Their defensive deployment is very deep, with multiple layers of positions and fortifications, making their operations extremely resilient. Unlike before, when a single breakthrough would cause the entire front to crumble and create great difficulties for our army. According to feedback from the front-line troops, the morale of the Chinese soldiers seems to have been completely renewed."

Matsui Iwane nodded and sighed softly, "The Chinese army learns warfare through warfare, and they are constantly improving. The Imperial Army must take them seriously. Although they were defeated by our army's fierce attack, they did not collapse and their battle line remained intact. Our army was unable to annihilate the main force of the Chinese army."

Mamoru Iinuma shared this sentiment, adding, "All of this is related to the 'reorganization and training' plan that their troops subsequently deployed to the Shanghai-Nanjing battlefield were conducting in Nanjing, and the person in charge of implementing the reorganization and training was Song Hongfei. This person only returned from the United States last summer and entered the military, and is currently serving as the colonel commander of the 3rd Regiment of the Chinese Army Training Corps."

After thinking for a moment, Iinuma Mamoru continued, "Song Hongfei was also the designer of the new heavy machine gun for the Chinese army. It was this kind of heavy machine gun that was extremely mobile and concealed, making it difficult for our direct-fire artillery to detect and destroy it, causing great casualties to our army."

Hearing this, the deputy chief of staff, Toshimichi Uemura, said with some resentment and regret, "The Chinese army is extremely tenacious. Even if they die to the last man, they will not lose a single one of these heavy machine guns. According to intelligence, the Nanjing authorities have given a strict order to the troops equipped with these machine guns that they must not fall into our hands."

Matsui Iwane said somewhat sullenly, "Our intelligence department only has some fragmented information about this Song Hongfei. This is a dereliction of duty on the part of our intelligence department!"

What Matsui Iwane didn't know was that the island nation's intelligence agencies were also feeling frustrated and troubled. In fact, the intelligence agencies had been paying attention to Song Hongfei for several years when he rose to fame at West Point Military Academy, and had conducted a detailed investigation into his life, study experience and personal circumstances since childhood.

However, ever since his world-shaking achievements at West Point, Song Hongfei has been extremely low-key. Despite his illustrious family background, he has none of the arrogance and debauchery typical of spoiled brats. Moreover, his actions, words, and behavior are all extremely cautious in preventing intelligence gathering from various countries, seemingly possessing an inexplicable foresight and mysterious insight. The Chinese government also provides him with extremely tight protection, making it impossible for intelligence agencies to get to him.

The military's intelligence agencies also felt somewhat aggrieved, as regulations stipulated that they should only collect detailed personal information on major generals or officers of division or brigade level or above from enemy or hypothetical enemy forces before the war.

"Song Hongfei—what kind of person is he?" Matsui Iwane wondered to himself.