A thin, middle-aged man wearing a robe has been looking out the window for a long time.
This position is maintained for several minutes.
Behind him stood a soldier wearing the uniform of an army general. Although the soldier was standing, he was sitting in meditation like an old monk, with his eyebrows lowered and not at all impatient because of the middle-aged man's silence.
"Jingzhi, what do you think of this message from the front line?" The middle-aged man who had not said a word for a long time finally came with a soft voice.
"This time, the 67 and 43 armies made a great contribution to blocking the Japanese invaders in Songjiang and resolving the difficulties of retreating from western Shanghai. Otherwise, the Songhu Theater Command would not have handed this message over to me for decision-making." The Army General seemed to say.
He had already expected that the middle-aged man would ask this question, so he lowered his head slightly and answered.
"Songjiang held back the enemy's 10th Army for four days and nights, which was indeed a great achievement. But according to what the message said, wouldn't it be too much to let the country's air force cover its retreat? This is a mutual effort. Our air force warriors fought hard in the sky above Songhu.
Two months have already been lost. If we can still fight, how can we let the Japanese fighter planes wreak havoc!" The middle-aged man turned around and spoke harshly.
The Army General lowered his eyebrows again and stopped talking.
The atmosphere in the room was slightly solemn.
"Respectfully, tell me what you think. This war is different from the past. It is a national war. You and I should work together. Even if you disagree with me, I will never blame you." The middle-aged man tried to soften his tone.
.
The army general raised his head slightly, his eyes showing the tenacity of a soldier, "67,43 The two armies blocked the 100,000 Japanese invaders in Songjiang. Major newspapers and periodicals have already vigorously publicized it under the instruction of the Propaganda Department, especially the declaration of war correspondent Tantai
Mingyue serialized it in the form of a battlefield diary, and the spirit of more than 30,000 people from the lieutenant general on down to fight against the enemy has spread throughout the country. If our high command sat back and allowed the Japanese air force to bomb them during the retreat, I am afraid that the people from all walks of life will have a negative opinion of me.
dissatisfied.
What's more, the Sixings Battalion, which was appointed by the Supreme Command, is also among them and has made extraordinary achievements in this Songjiang battle."
"Sihang Battalion? Is that the infantry battalion that fought in the blocking battle at Sihang Warehouse?"
"yes!"
"They actually participated in the defense of Songjiang? Shouldn't their entire army be annihilated in that building?" The middle-aged man was slightly startled. It was obviously the first time he heard the news.
Given his current status, he would naturally not pay too much attention to the whereabouts of a mere troop of less than a hundred men, and no one thought he should pay attention.
"Yes, they should first hide in a secret room in the building, detonate the building to interrupt the Japanese pursuit, and then sneak out of the Japanese-occupied area of Songhu, just as they will enter the Songjiang War Zone, their new battalion commander Tang Dao was originally under the 43rd Army
, was recruited into Songjiang City by the 43rd Army." The Army General replied.
It can only be said that this person is indeed a talented person. Although no one specifically reported to him the whereabouts and route of the Si Xing Battalion's escape from difficulties, he did work backwards based on the final results, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.
"Very good! The Sixing Battalion is indeed the leader of our 88th Division. I say that the result of this Songjiang defense battle is far beyond my expectation. It turns out that such an elite team has joined us." A smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face.
The expression on the Army General's face remained unchanged, but his eyes flickered slightly under his lowered eyelids.
Come to think of it, I am somewhat disdainful of the double standards of middle-aged people. No matter how elite the Si Xing Battalion affiliated to the Royal Forest Army is, it only has a hundred people. How can it influence the situation of the battle on the battlefield with nearly 100,000 troops deployed by both warring parties?
The reason why the Four Elements Battalion can receive this praise is simply that they are the direct descendants of the people in front of them, and both the 67 and 43 armies are a mixed bag.
However, he knew that the emergence of the Four Elements Camp might have brought about a slight change in the matter. The middle-aged man didn't care about other people, but he was very concerned about his direct relations. Now he only needed to light the fire again.
“Although the Japanese aggressors were unable to prevent our western Shanghai army from retreating towards Wufu, Xicheng and other defense lines on the ground, their air force bombed our army unscrupulously on its march, causing a large number of refugees, officers and soldiers to be killed and injured, and corpses littering the fields for dozens of kilometers along the way.
, the cries shook the sky, the husband lost his wife, and the children lost their parents. It was horrific and extremely hateful. Even if Songjiang’s 20,000 officers and soldiers were not to retreat, our country should counterattack its air force, otherwise such tragedies would continue. Songhu retreated
The number of refugees can reach millions." Pain flashed in the Army General's eyes.
"Oh? Jingzhi, do you think so?" The middle-aged man's eyes flashed with anger.
However, it is obviously not because I heard that refugees and soldiers were bombed by Japanese planes on their way back. This kind of news has been reported to them by many people.
His anger was directed at the admiral in front of him. Using this reason to talk about things at this time was not only exposing his scars, but also forcing him to make a decision.
However, the army general in front of him is no ordinary general. Even the middle-aged man today cannot express his anger at him on this matter.
Not only the middle-aged man knows this, the general should also know this, otherwise, he would not express his position so straightforwardly.
As the head of the Military and Political Department, he believes that this battle must be fought, even if it means destroying the last remaining assets of the Chinese Air Force.
"As you respect me, you also know that there are very few air forces left." The middle-aged man showed struggle in his eyes.
At this moment, he also needs to make a choice.
Undoubtedly, this was extremely difficult, especially since he didn't like the army that was about to be destroyed.
When I think about the difficulties he suffered because of this army a year ago, he still has to use his last precious strength to save them today. This is really a terrible thing.
"If the planes are gone, we can still buy them again. If the pilots are gone, we can still train them, but if the people's hearts are gone, it will be difficult." The army general was obviously very aware of the middle-aged man's hesitation and replied firmly.
a long time!
"Forget it, let's handle this matter according to your opinion! At the same time, send a telegram to the Songhu Theater Command that this kind of thing can only be done once. The air force is the most important weapon of the country and should never be used unless it is absolutely necessary." The middle-aged man dropped it.
With these words, he turned around and left.
"Yes!" The Army General nodded slightly.
But I couldn't help but feel relieved.
He knew that the middle-aged man who left was unhappy, but he finally lived up to his expectations. He not only accomplished the goal he wanted to achieve, but also gained several favors.
The big shots of the faction to which the 67th Army belongs are now behind bars, making them motherless children. Grandma does not love their uncles, but that is not the case with the 43rd Army.
The general commander-in-chief of the Sichuan Army in Hankou sent him three urgent telegrams at about six o'clock in the morning, asking him to rescue the 43rd Army no matter what.
The reason is also very simple. After all, it was only one-tenth of the heroic army that survived the seven-day and night bloody battle in Songhu. If the entire army was wiped out on the way back, it would be difficult for him to explain to the 60 million elders in Sichuan Province.
The reason seems simple, but it is very powerful. Sichuan Province, located in southwest China and surrounded by high mountains, is a province with a large source of food and troops. Their future contribution to the country's needs is almost decisive.
The army general, who was worried about the war situation, naturally found it difficult to refuse the request of the commander-in-chief of the Sichuan Army.
In addition to the Sichuan Army, he also received two other messages asking for help, one from the 88th Division Headquarters. It was understandable that they wanted to keep the Sixing Camp, after all, it was the army that earned them face; but the Hunan Army actually also sent a request to him
Come forward, this is a bit unexpected.
Perhaps, that is because of Tantai Mingyue, a war correspondent! Her battlefield diary about the defense of Jinshan, not to mention the people in Hunan Province were moved to tears by reading it, even he, a general who has commanded hundreds of thousands of troops, also
Eyes full of moisture.
After calling his military secretary to convey the order, the army general turned his attention to the southeast.
Publicly and privately, he accomplished this extremely difficult task of persuasion.
However, this is only the first step. As for whether Songjiang's army, which is still in the wilderness, can finally escape, it mainly depends on themselves.
After all, in addition to the Japanese air force, they also had to face a ground pursuit of 80,000 Japanese troops.
And Songjiang's army, which marched entirely on two legs, was still fifty or sixty kilometers away from Kunshan.
