Canteen System Assistance Notes

The staff officer beside him diligently compiled these information and marked the position of the Japanese army on the map. The entire Pinghan Railway was surrounded by densely packed Japanese army flags, some of which were used more than a dozen times. Didn't the Japanese just finish the battle at Zhongtiao Mountain? How did they regain the ability to attack so quickly? And fight so fiercely?

Soon, before Commander Tang could remain surprised for long, a day later, a new wave of telegrams arrived, like the evening rush hour. This time, the Nationalist generals who had previously bravely resisted the Japanese, fighting to the death but being refused to retreat, sent new telegrams, stating that through their brilliant strategies and bloody battles, they had basically defeated or forced back the Japanese forces in front of them, achieving a great victory at the beginning of the 30th year of the Republic of China.

"Our troops advanced first, then, under cover of darkness, turned back and launched a counterattack, routing the pursuing Japanese troops, annihilating over 2,000 of them and seizing countless firearms." ... The soldiers of each unit fought bravely and bravely, waiting to close in on the enemy and engage them in hand-to-hand combat, killing over a thousand...

"Don't read it anymore. So, is it a win or a loss?"

Commander Tang slammed his head. This jumble of truth and falsehood, conjecture and imaginary information severely clouded his judgment. Even with accurate information, Tang Keqin wouldn't necessarily be able to discern the Japanese's intentions. But this chaotic and dense intelligence gathering, coupled with the yawning discrepancy between the Japanese reports of "a powerful offensive driving our troops back" and "being defeated by various counterattacks," still left Mr. Tang with a throbbing headache and a churning stomach.

"Explore again! Report again! All units must resolutely defend this position and not give up an inch of land!"

After much deliberation, Tang Keqin could only issue an infallible order, then lamented pretentiously, "The generals of the Communist Party and the country can't even clearly tell how many enemies are in front of them. They are all useless!" "Report to the Commander! Telegram from the First War Zone Headquarters Inspectorate of the Seventh Section..."

"I'm not looking! What commander's headquarters? I'm just the commander of a war zone, so why would I be inspecting the Seventh Section?" He yelled in anger, but soon realized the problem. "Wait a minute, the Seventh... Military Control Commission? Where did they go?"

"Report, the telegram was sent from Zheng County..."

"Hurry and bring it over!" Upon hearing this, Tang Keqin's expression changed drastically. He quickly stepped forward to grab the telegram, glanced through it hastily, and immediately broke out in a cold sweat. "What the hell, 8 divisions?"

Chapter 376: "Fortifying the Walls and Clearing the Fields"

The Japanese army's recent campaign of Central Henan was incredibly impressive, judging solely by its numbers. With six divisions in the north and seven in the south, the total number of divisions was over 13. If you add in the individually designated detachments, supply trains, and artillery units, the force would be even larger, creating the illusion of a million-strong army.

However, this does not mean that all of these units would attack. Each unit would need to leave behind garrison units and separate troops to defend the remaining defense areas. It was rare for all of them to be fully equipped and fully staffed. Therefore, the actual number of troops deployed by these 13 divisions in this operation was only a little over 9. In addition, after the Battle of Jiangcheng, in order to maintain secrecy and combat effectiveness, the Japanese army rarely allowed the puppet army to directly participate in offensive operations, so the actual number of Japanese troops in this operation was still insufficient.

Due to the poor reconnaissance and intelligence transmission capabilities of the various units of the Nationalist Army, as well as their traditional art of exaggerating enemy situations during escapes and defeats, commanders often found it difficult to immediately grasp the detailed situation of the enemy in front of them. Therefore, at this time, the intelligence from the Military Control Commission's Zhengxian Station was quite a timely help.

“经搜寻铁道情报，日本本次南侵部队共有36师团，17师团、106师团、27师团、21师团、65师团、第4师团、骑兵师团.

While this intelligence originated simply because the Military Control Commission's Zhengxian station was trapped by fleeing troops in the chaos, leaving them unable to evacuate and forced to remain in hiding, and its source was third-hand information relayed by railway bridge workers, it contained numerous misinterpretations and speculations (including the repeated counting of several divisions), it was ultimately superior to the completely chaotic Nationalist intelligence and played a positive role.

Looking at the string of numbers in the telegram, Commander Tang felt cold sweat breaking out.

By integrating the existing, credible and unreliable intelligence, the staff of Commander Tang's headquarters were finally able to sort out a rough outline.

First, on the northern front, although no official news had been received, the fall of Zhengxian within a day of the Japanese attack was essentially a foregone conclusion. Sun Yinting's 12th Army, deployed in Episode 3 to defend Zhengxian, comprised three divisions: the 20th Division responsible for city defense, the 22nd Division for river defense, and the 81st Division stationed in the Xinzheng area as reinforcement. With Zhengxian now underway, the 20th Division was clearly doomed; with the Japanese crossing the river, the 22nd Division, defending the river, was also likely in imminent danger.

The only good news was that the 81st Division, which was responsible for the reserve, worked diligently and diligently to take in the defeated soldiers of two friendly divisions and retreated towards Yanshi and Luoyi. Miraculously, the various units of the 12th Army still maintained their organization and covered each other with friendly forces, and did not retreat.

Secondly, on the southern front, the 33rd and 2nd Armies, stationed north of Yiyang, relayed intelligence through the Fifth War Zone that "the bulk of the Japanese 11th Army, with over five divisions, was attacking northward under artillery cover." They clearly stated that the 11th Army, which had swept through several provinces in central China with overwhelming force, was withdrawing troops and attacking northward along the Pinghan Line.

Now that Queshan had fallen, other troops from the Fifth War Zone were constructing fortifications in Zhumadian while blocking the Japanese attack. Meanwhile, Biyang, located west of the railway, was under attack from the Japanese, presumably to secure their flanks.

Overall, the Japanese attack was fierce, and they were clearly advancing from north to south along the Pinghan Line. They attacked on both wings to ensure the safety of the troops' flanks, and there was a high probability that they were going to open up the Pinghan Line.

So, how should we respond?

Commander Tang didn't know. As previously mentioned, even if he knew reliable intelligence, Tang Keqin had only three strategies for dealing with the Japanese: hold out, flee, and "gradually retreat, buying time while the Japanese attack is exhausted before launching a counterattack." With the Japanese now under attack from both sides, it would be difficult to wait until their logistics were insufficient and they retreated.

"Pass on my order. The 13th Army will move eastward and station east of Luoyi. Strengthen the defense and do not let the Japanese army break through Luoyi!" Commander Tang then issued his first combat order, betraying Sun Yinting's troops. Since he was the commander of a war zone, Luoyi could not be lost. "Let the 13th Army lead the troops of the 12th Army in the front and serve as a good supervisory team. Let them station on the spot and dig trenches and build barriers. With a powerful enemy at the gate, how can we resist if everyone does not make sacrifices? Anyone who is afraid of fighting will be shot on the spot!"

"The rest of the departments..."

What about the rest of the departments?

"The rest of the troops must hold firm. Have the 13th Army's 110th Division and the newly formed 1st Division organize the rearguard defense. Units of the 89th Division muster and prepare to advance westward."

After much deliberation, Tang Keqin decisively decided to flee. Although the Japanese troops to the north seemed to have just broken through Zhengxian County, and the Japanese troops to the south seemed to have just broken through Queshan, and there were no new Japanese troops entering the battle area, he still decided that fleeing was the best strategy, and he had to take the 89th Division's most trusted troops with him.

The battlefield began to quiet down again. Soon, at Commander Tang's command, the 89th Division stationed in Luohe began packing up and preparing to evacuate along the road towards Pingdingshan. However, even without the enemy, the march and evacuation of a large force was always a troublesome matter. Commander Tang would need to stay in Luohe for a few more days.

One day, two days, three days. During these few days, the Japanese troops that had broken through Zhengxian and Queshan seemed to have vanished. Instead of pursuing the fleeing Nationalist troops as usual, they simply stayed put. This puzzled Commander Tang. In the past, the Japanese could chase down the Nationalist troops with a small force, turning even large units into a flurry of runaways. Why had they suddenly changed their ways this time?

But now, the Japanese had already established defenses on the perimeter of the occupied area, preventing ordinary troops from approaching. The military intelligence station's telegrams had also fallen silent, leaving no one alive or dead. Besides the increasingly frequent telegrams announcing victory from various units—these battle reports, replete with martial arts and storytelling, were pouring into Commander Tang's headquarters like spam.

Among them, there was a unit that launched a charge at a certain place, and attacked continuously for a day, breaking the Japanese defense line several times and gaining victory, but when reporting its position at night, it had not moved at all; there was a unit that attacked from both wings, like two fists hitting the eyes, two dragons coming out of the cave, and took advantage of the Japanese invaders' slackness to rush into the formation, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the devils, and defeated the Japanese army; there were even some that shot down Japanese planes and destroyed dozens of Japanese tanks.

The battle reports from various units swept away the embarrassment and crisis caused by the overwhelming Japanese troops, and began to become complacent and high-spirited, as if the previously "thousands of invincible" Japanese troops had suddenly become hairless pheasants.

-—-——---

At this moment, the adjutants who were assembling the troops brought in a strange man. He was not wearing a military uniform, but a long silk gown embroidered with floral patterns and brown leather shoes. However, such exquisite clothes were covered with dust and even had a hole in it, making him look exhausted.

Don't ask why such a person could enter the headquarters. As soon as he saw Tang Keqin, he burst into tears and bowed down. While crying, he took out a

-A heavy letter came and was presented with both hands.

"Commander Tang! I am Shopkeeper Tang, and I am reporting to you.

"A few days ago, Zheng County fell. From the moment the Japanese entered the city, they sealed off the four main gates and the train station outside, and began their assault. From top to bottom, officials and civilians were rounded up and extorted for their lives. Those who paid were spared, while those who refused were thrown into prison or beheaded in the streets, leaving rivers of blood flowing everywhere!"

"They also divided into several teams, specifically to search the warehouses of officials and merchants, imitating the torture and looting methods of the rebels. They only stopped after five days. My store, which had accumulated years of money, salt, cotton, and cloth, was completely wiped out. To transport the looted money and food, the Japanese invaders organized convoys to transport food and supplies north. I used half my life savings to bribe a Japanese squad leader, and was able to escape from the city through a low line. I sneaked out for several days and came to ask the general for help."

He sobbed bitterly as he spoke, each word a tear of blood, his emotion real. After he finished talking about the Japanese army's focus on looting Zheng County, his tone suddenly changed, becoming more naked.

"The Japanese invaders are not thinking of attacking, but are only focused on looting. They are definitely not prepared! I hope that the general will take advantage of the Japanese army's delay in retreating north to pursue them and seize the faltering Japanese army convoy, saving the people of Zheng from danger and preserving the friendship between teachers and students!"

The teacher-student relationship naturally referred to Tang Keqin and his teacher, Liu Jingfu. Liu Jingfu had served as Commander-in-Chief of the Second Army Group of the First War Zone, Director of the Henan-Anhui Pacification Office, and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the First War Zone. He was both Commander Tang's teacher and a senior figure. Manager Tang, invoking this relationship, was naturally to emphasize his status as an "agent" and increase his leverage.

"I see, I see. Manager Tang, don't worry... Let me think about it."

Teacher Liu's business must be taken care of, and naturally his own business and that of his subordinates must be taken care of even more. However, what Mr. Tang said made Commander Tang consciously capture some details that he had not noticed before: the Japanese army was systematically looting food, grain and property in Zheng County, thereby delaying subsequent attacks. It must be similar in the Queshan area: this is most likely the reason why the Japanese army stagnated.

Combined with the telegrams reporting the successive victories of our army, a brilliant and ingenious plan emerged in Tang Keqin's mind, which made him extremely excited.

"So that's how it is! The Japanese army has run out of tricks!" Commander Tang touched his chin and suddenly stood still with his hands on his hips. "Okamura Yasuji and Sonobe Kazuichiro are no better than this!" "Commander, you're brilliant!" The adjutant and Manager Tang beside him said nothing else but flattered him, "Commander, look at this..."

"Although the Japanese army is fierce, how can they march and fight without food? This time, the Japanese army must be short of food, intending to conquer various places and plunder food and treasure!" Commander Tang, accustomed to making independent judgments, decisively concluded, "Ever since the beginning of the war, the enemy has had sufficient food and ammunition, so our army cannot withstand them. Now that the Japanese are short of food, they can only live in the city, persecuting the gentry and extorting donations to feed the army. The Japanese army has run out of tricks!"

Tang Keqin, who thought he had seen through the Japanese army's weakness, turned around and issued a new order.

"Pass the order down. The Japanese invaders are plundering the people's wealth. How can we let them succeed? All units must first do a good job of clearing the countryside and not let any supplies fall into the hands of the Japanese!" How did Tang Keqin implement the "clearing the countryside" strategy?

Chapter 377: Food and Soup

...All units must first do a good job of fortifying the city and clearing the countryside, and not let any supplies fall into the hands of the Japanese! "Secondly, each unit should seize the opportunity, find the enemy's weak points, launch a surprise attack, and force them to retreat.

"Again, if our elite troops are fully deployed, we will defeat the enemy while they are short of food and we will achieve a great victory!"

This is an excellent plan. So, Commander Tang, how should we clear the fields and fortify our defenses during the enemy's raids to prevent our supplies from reaching the enemy?

The normal approach is to formulate a thorough retreat plan, mobilize transportation resources or widely mobilize the masses, pack up and take away all the supplies that can be taken away, and transport them to the rear according to an effective transportation plan. At the same time, such an operation requires a determined force to carry out the rearguard mission and a disciplined personnel to ensure the collection and transportation of supplies and the resolute implementation of the plan. The difficulty is no less than that of making a unit retreat in an organized manner before the enemy.

But Tang Keqin naturally didn't know how to do that. As a theater commander and group army commander, he didn't have a staff or even a radio with him. He usually commanded directly from the front lines, accompanied by a few adjutants and pistol guards, commanding directly from a division or corps headquarters. He had a more convenient method for "fortifying the city and clearing the countryside":

Let's just let our men rob it first, and that'll be enough, right? If that doesn't work, we can just set it on fire. I'm good at that. The army usually does a lot of that!

Thus began the nightmare for the people of Henan Province. Soon, following an order issued from Luohe, the 31st Group Army of the Tang Army, deployed along the Pinghan Railway, began assisting villages and towns across the province with a "fortification and clearing of fields" campaign with unprecedented enthusiasm and initiative, a level of zeal never before seen in warfare. From top to bottom, officers and soldiers at all levels demonstrated tremendous initiative, sweeping away every village near their garrisons and along their route.

Soon, the old-fashioned army, already craving for something, could resist the allure of legal, zero-yuan purchases. This "fortification and clearing of the countryside" campaign quickly expanded, even targeting the landlords and local tyrants who usually sided with the Central Army. For a time, vast swathes of Henan Province were in turmoil, with the sound of the wind and the cry of panic unfolding, a blood-pumping drama.

You have to know that under the rule of Commander Tang, the tax levy in Henan Province was already very heavy. In addition, it was January, a lean period between the harvests, so even the rich peasants had little food in their homes, let alone the poor and middle peasants.

Perhaps this aligns with Okamura Yasuji's assertion that "no matter how poor a place is, as long as people can survive, there's bound to be something to gain." Even in the already devastated Henan Province, in 1941 alone, the Nationalist government collected 188 million shi of land tax, a figure that gradually rose to 302 million shi over the years of alternating floods, droughts, and locust plagues. Cases of overcollection, embezzlement, and corruption were innumerable, with some regions even postponing tax payments by more than 30 years. It's a case of "squeezing the land from every inch, sucking the marrow out of every bone!"

During several days of crazy and brutal "fortification and clearing of the fields", the troops at all levels of the Tang army racked their brains to take away the last bit of oil and water, the last bowl of food rations of the small and medium-sized landlords and the rich and poor peasants, and even set them on fire before leaving, under the pretext of "not providing food to the enemy".

Oh, what a "resistance to Japan" this is. But this is not even the end.

Soon, even before the revelry of the Lian Tang army had ended, the people of Henan Province, who were crawling and searching among the broken walls and charred ruins, trying to find the last grain of rice and a mouthful of food, were soon met by the Japanese troops, bayonets raised, lined up in an orderly manner, ready to seize food and sweep away the enemy. The Battle of Central Henan, in the records of the Japanese army in this time and space, has another name, "the Pinghan Road Raid Operation". Ah...

Under the command and coordination of General Okamura Yasuji, the Japanese forces in North and Central China were much more measured and controlled compared to the chaotic and chaotic style of fighting in history. Opening up the Pinghan Line and annihilating Chiang Kai-shek's effective forces were secondary objectives, ideally accomplished, but failing to do so was irrelevant. However, seizing food was a different matter; it was a mission that had to be accomplished.

As a result, the Japanese army's attack pattern underwent a significant change. After capturing an area, they no longer organized deep pursuits to expand their gains. Instead, they established defensive lines and digested the occupied territory. This led to the "strange situation" that Tang Keqin witnessed. This method of warfare was utterly foolish, a pointless act against any opponent capable of organizing an effective defensive counterattack. However, it proved highly effective against Tang's army. Even if the Nationalist army, which had been corroded by years of war, reorganized its defenses, it was unable to stop the attacking Japanese army.

Based on the intelligence data left by Itagaki Seishirō, Okamura Yasuji carefully investigated the total amount of food and wages stockpiled by the various units of Tang's army along the entire Pinghan Railway. He believed that based on the public tax level of preserved fruits, Tang's army could stockpile at least 10 tons of various grains along the railway lines in Zhengxian, Xudu, Luohe, Runing and Queshan.

As long as they could capture this, after dividing it proportionally with the Central China Army, they would be able to at least survive the spring famine of 41; if they were lucky, there would even be a surplus to serve as combat rations for the Eighth Route Red Army in North China. However, when his subordinates reported the preliminary figures for the grain seized in Zheng County, he still felt a dizzying sense of unreality.

In Zheng County alone, the Japanese army had already plundered over 8 tons of various grains, simply by looting the railway station, grain bureau, military supply department, and the granaries of wealthy merchants and landlords! "What? They've already plundered so much grain in Zheng County alone!"

"Hey, Commander!" the staff officer stood at attention, closed the folder, and said proudly, "These are only preliminary results. We'll see more after the statistics are collected!" "Excellent!"

Okamura suddenly felt that he was surrounded by happiness, and the deep worry he had felt when he took inventory and figured out the current situation in North China suddenly dissipated a lot.

He immediately ordered a portion of the 65th Division (16th Independent Mixed Division), which was responsible for the reserve, to remain in Zheng County and lead the troops to the countryside to implement a "grab everything" strategy, sweeping up small and medium-sized villages and organizing the transportation of food. The 36th Division, responsible for the main attack, marched south to attack Xudu, and the 4th Cavalry Brigade sent a mobile force to bypass Xudu and make a test attack on the Luohe area. If successful, the follow-up troops would immediately follow.

"We must speed up, capture Xudu, threaten Luohe, and plunder the food stored by Tang's army!"

"We must speed up the process of clearing the countryside and fortifying the city! Then, while the Japanese are short of food and supplies and their forces are weakened, we will pursue them and crush them!"

The commanders of both sides issued the latest orders based on their own judgment, causing the situation of the Battle of Central Henan to develop in an absurd and ridiculous way.

Because the Japanese army had previously, uncharacteristically, withdrawn its forces after breaking through the city, displaying a "dejected look" of not pursuing an offensive, and coupled with a tearful plea from a certain Manager Tang, Commander Tang concluded that the Japanese army was "short of food, weakened by the offensive, and therefore needed to plunder for food." To this end, he not only dispersed part of the 31st Group Army to the countryside to plunder food, but also gathered his own 89th Division in preparation for the attack.

Since the Japanese would rest and defend after capturing a territory, why not use this time to feign an offensive and "recover lost territory"? Tang Keqin never had the guts to engage in a direct offensive against the Japanese. However, he had the audacity to exploit the Japanese "weaknesses," repel a few of their vanguard units, and thereby fabricate a "great victory."

Commander Tang not only wanted to defend the city and clear the countryside, but also wanted to defeat the Japanese invaders.

Chapter 378 Human Tragedy

On January 15, 1941, almost five days after the battle began, the Japanese army finally began to move again.

They left Queshan and Zhengxian, which had been looted. Except for leaving some troops to mop up the countryside, the Japanese 11th Army on the southern front began to attack the Runing area, and the North China Front Army on the northern front launched an attack on the Xudu area.

The 33rd and 2nd Armies of the National Army in the south fought tenaciously and cleverly, using the tactics of staged resistance to delay the advance of the Japanese army. The "sheep dung-shaped" defense line built by the 31st Army of the Tang Army in the north, which relied on villages, was quickly defeated by the Japanese army. The Japanese army blasted open the defenses of Xu Du and entered the city.

Soon after, as Commander Tang had predicted, the attacking Japanese invaders set up defenses outside Xudu and appeared to be making no further advances. Using the cavalry regiment as a guard, they continued their rampage within the city and raided the countryside outside. Tang Keqin's troops, on guard duty, fortified their positions, and "cleared the countryside." They loaded food and supplies from the Luohe area onto carts and slowly moved them toward Jiaxian, allowing the Japanese to continue their looting of Xudu.

A few days later, the Japanese troops on the northern and southern fronts plundered Xudu and Runing and began to attack Luohe. At this time, the Japanese army had already seized a large amount of food and supplies, and the troops were short of transportation, so they only sent cavalry units to conduct a tentative attack on Luohe.

Unexpectedly, Commander Tang had already fled with his troops. These Japanese cavalry, numbering less than 2,000, successfully captured Luohe without firing a single shot. Soon after, the two Japanese armies from central and northern China entered the city, raised the plaster flag in Luohe, and held a grand meeting ceremony.

They used the rice, flour, grain, oil and meat left by Tang Jun to make a hearty meal, which was a good reward for their tight stomachs during this period. Although Tang Jun's looting efficiency was good, its transportation efficiency was very low. Only the gold and silver jewelry could be taken away. Luohe, known as the "Little Wanzai of Henan Province", still had a lot of food and livestock left. These remaining supplies were seized and taken away by the Japanese army under the more rigorous and effective looting.

Became the spoils of the Japanese army.

The two Japanese armies in the north and south even divided the profits according to the previously agreed ratio, packed all kinds of supplies into different categories, and began to transport them back.

Commander! In this operation, our army has captured several territories and plundered countless grains!" Inside the North China Front Army headquarters, the staff officer could hardly conceal his eagerness to maneuver. Holding the battle report, he reported the news with a slight tremor, "General, not only did you achieve a great victory at the beginning of 16, but you also opened up the Pinghan Line, resolving our army's food crisis..."

"Okay! Don't say any more of that."

Despite saying this, Okamura Neiji couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Before this battle, I explained at the combat meeting that our army's overall strength was still insufficient to occupy the entire railway. If we forcibly divide our forces to occupy it, it would only benefit the Eighth Route Red Army in North China. I didn't expect the Tang army to be so vulnerable and actually scared away by the cavalry brigade. It really exceeded my best expectations."

"However, now that our objective of seizing the food supply has been achieved, it's time to retreat. Please formulate a retreat plan. Our army's transportation capacity is currently limited, and our movements are slow. You must coordinate the deployment of railcars and motor vehicles to safely transport the food back to our base."

"Hey! Commander, I will definitely complete the mission!"

"Wait..." Suddenly, Okamura Yasuji raised his hand and stopped the staff officer who was about to leave. "Have the rearguard troops prepare. Well, if it's Tang's army... if we seize the opportunity when our army retreats, perhaps we can achieve some more results."

On January 23, 1941, almost 13 days after the Battle of Central Henan began, the Japanese army began to withdraw from Luohe and retreat to the north and south along the Pinghan Line.

On the southern front, the 11th Army in Central China was moving in a hurry. The surrounding Nationalist units were aggressively attacking and threatening their flanks. Even Mo Jianqing's 84th Army in episode 31 was attacking the Japanese flanks, forcing them to retreat. However, on the northern front, which was under the personal command of Commander Tang, the divisions in North China moved with relative ease. They successfully left Luohe and headed north without encountering much resistance.

"Report to Commander Tang! The Japanese troops have left Luohe and are retreating north!"

When intelligence of the Japanese retreat arrived, Tang Keqin had been waiting for this very moment. He slammed the table and thundered with overwhelming force, "The time for a counterattack has arrived! I order all units to march forth immediately! With the 89th Division as the vanguard, all units should maintain a distance of 20 miles from the Japanese invaders. While they are still struggling to gain a foothold, we must seize the opportunity and launch a fierce attack to reclaim our homeland!"

After a satisfying plunder and a swift escape, the unharmed Tang army, at a speed rarely seen in the Nationalist army, pursued the retreating Japanese rearguard. Maintaining a safe distance, they launched an incredibly swift and aggressive pursuit. Our army recaptured Luohe! A 40-mile pursuit in one day!

Our army broke through the Japanese defenses and annihilated several enemy battalions. The Japanese invaders were thrown into disarray and were completely routed! Our army broke through the defenses of Xudu City. Several Japanese divisions fought hard but were defeated and had to retreat!

On the map, the Nationalist offensive was as fierce as a storm and as swift as lightning. Under Commander Tang's wise command, the arrogant Japanese invaders were forced to retreat step by step, being pushed back dozens of kilometers in a single day, suffering an unprecedented defeat. Not only had they lost the Pinghan Line, they were also fleeing northward towards the Yellow River. It seemed that if our army could make another effort, we could drive these Japanese invaders across the Yellow River and completely annihilate them!

The most remarkable achievements naturally belonged to the most loyal troops. The unit responsible for these miracles was, of course, the 89th Division of the 13th Corps of the Tang Army, the true "Tang Family Army," the unit Commander Tang held in his lap. Although its commander, Shu Rong, was a capable warrior, he felt something was amiss with the smooth pursuit. However, his desire for military merit and advancement finally overcame his rationality. He decided to have all the infantry lightly armed, while the elite pistol team rode on horseback, accelerating their pace and ensuring they surpassed the other troops.

On January 24, January 25, and January 2.6... one afternoon, the 89th Division, advancing rapidly, encountered a small Japanese cavalry unit. Driven by the high morale and adrenaline of their victories, they bravely attacked the Japanese. After a fierce battle, they actually repelled the unit and achieved real military merit.

The 89th Division immediately sent a telegram, reporting that it had won a "great victory", annihilating more than a thousand Japanese soldiers and killing and capturing hundreds of war horses.

But the next morning, the 89th Division found a complete battle line in front of it. It tried to attack, but was beaten dizzy by the Japanese. At noon, when the 89th Division was still confused, a mixed force of Japanese troops appeared on its flank and surrounded the 89th Division on three sides.

That afternoon, the Japanese 36th Division launched an artillery assault followed by an infantry charge. The 89th Division hastily went on the defensive, but then collapsed and began to flee.

Immediately, the previously "completely annihilated" Japanese cavalry reappeared, fiercely pursuing the disjointed Nationalist infantry. With sabers and rifles in hand, they harvested the lives of the Nationalist soldiers one by one and quickly surrounded the 89th Division's headquarters. With the exception of Division Commander Shu Rong, who, thanks to his impressive makeup skills, managed to escape in the chaos, the rest were captured by the Japanese or died for their country.

In less than a day, the 89th Division, the most elite unit of Tang's army, was wiped out.

Because the "attack" was too deep and too fierce, most of the 89th Division of the 13th Army of the Tang Army was wiped out by the joint efforts of the Japanese 36th Division and the 1th Cavalry Brigade. Afterwards, all units of the Tang Army slammed on the brakes, and no one dared to launch a pursuit. A few days later, the Japanese troops in North China retreated to Zhengxian County, and the Japanese troops in Central China retreated to Yiyang. The Battle of Central Henan in January 1941, which the Japanese called the "Pinghan Road Raid Operation," ended here.

The entire land of Henan Province was struck by disaster at the beginning of the year. Food was robbed, hunger was widespread, and there were wars and Japanese slaughters. The vast land of the Central Plains was filled with bleak winds.

Thousands of miles of barren land, under the dual pressure of Tang Jun and the Japanese army, countless

The tragedy unfolded here. Even the work team of the New Fourth Army's Fifth Division, after completing the defense of the base area, sadly discovered that the entire Henan Province was filled with fences and bandits. In such an environment, the people had almost no other way to survive.

What is a tragedy in the world? Perhaps this is the situation.

The working groups of the New Fourth Army were filled with grief and indignation. Over the years, the New Fourth Army's strength had expanded rapidly and its power had greatly increased, but it was still not strong enough to be able to descend from the sky like a divine force. They could only bury this emotion deep in their hearts and work harder and harder.

After all, this absolute disaster was at best a nightmare in the 30th year of the Republic of China. And for Henan Province, the real despair had not even arrived yet.