Chapter fifty-seven battle to one soldier and one soldier
As the vanguard of the 11th Division, due to the unclear situation, and most importantly, the unknown enemy situation, the division commander, Lieutenant General Ushijima Mitsuru, entrusted him with the important task of personally commanding a mixed infantry and cavalry brigade as the vanguard of the entire division with the honor of Captain of the Colonel-General.
Colonel Asakawa Tetsuo, captain of the 44th Regiment, had taken off his bulky riding boots and was comfortably stretching his legs to soak in a basin of hot water heated by the orderlies, scalding his feet comfortably.
Since setting off, we have not stopped all the way. After riding a horse for almost half a day and all night, and climbing the mountain road for most of the day, we rushed to Baoqing County without daring to stop. However, the captain of the regiment was exhausted.
broken.
What makes it even more difficult for him, who is picky to accept, is that he can only eat the so-called grain essence, those dry and hard biscuits along the way, which makes it difficult for Colonel Asakawa, who has become accustomed to enjoying it after becoming the captain of the team, to swallow it. He sees that he is closer to the final goal.
Baoqing County was not far away, and Colonel Asakawa, who finally felt a little relieved, immediately ordered a rest for an hour.
Since the target is about to be reached and the division commander's strategic goal is about to be achieved, he naturally wants to comfort his bruised stomach that has been tormented by those damn, unpalatable military biscuits.
Just when Colonel Asakawa was about to eat the delicious and sumptuous eel rice, a burst of gunfire suddenly came. Along with the sudden burst of gunfire, several vehicles braved dense flames and headed towards both sides of the road.
The Japanese soldiers who were resting threw grenades wildly, and the speeding car broke through his brigade and drove away in front of him.
He never expected that the Japanese army would suddenly rush out of a convoy before his eyes, and he would be thrown into a panic by this burst of firepower.
As for Colonel Asakawa, who was excitedly preparing to taste his favorite eel rice, his head was almost blown open by a grenade dropped from the car that exploded next to him. Colonel Asakawa was caught off guard by the sudden attack.
I almost choked on the eel rice I just stuffed into my mouth.
When Colonel Asakawa finally regained his composure after being slapped and beaten by the guards, he saw that he didn't even say hello, but rushed past him, and even threw them to a bunch of convoys that he couldn't accept gifts. Look again
Because he was eating, he was unprepared and was hit by bullets mixed with grenades, causing him to stagger and kill all his subordinates.
Angrily, he first gave Major Kasugosone, the captain of the cavalry squadron next to him, a big mouthful, and said angrily: "Baga, are the vigilant eyes of your cavalry used to vent your anger? Where did these cars come from? You cavalry
They are just a bunch of losers, why don't you chase them after me?"
Seeing the furious Colonel, his face was numb. Major Kasugosone pointed to a place not far away where the cavalry horses should have been tied up, but now there were only horse corpses. He said tremblingly: "Your Excellency, the Cavalry Squadron
I'm afraid we no longer have combat effectiveness. Let alone pursuit, the rest of the march can only serve as temporary infantry."
"The opponent's convoy focused its main firepower on the cavalry squadron. Just now, more than thirty grenades fell on the war horses. You have seen the result now. Our war horses have been put together and there are less than 30 grenades left.
Ten horses are impossible to pursue."
"The opponent's convoy appeared too suddenly and very fast. Before our sentry could issue an alarm, they rushed over. Not only did our sentry fail to send out the alarm in time, he was killed and suffered many injuries.
people."
Colonel Asakawa was not mediocre in being able to climb up to the position of Captain of the Colonel Alliance. The direction in which this sudden convoy was heading was towards Baoqing County. No matter how stupid he was, he still knew the tactics of the division commander. All the intentions have been exposed. If the delay continues and the opponent completes preparations, it will really turn from a surprise attack into a strong attack.
Knowing that as soon as the convoy passed by, his whereabouts had definitely been exposed, Colonel Asakawa, who did not dare to delay any longer, left a small number of troops to cover the wounded, commanded the rest of the troops to stop resting, and marched towards Baoqing County at a rapid march. If If he fails to complete the mission of surprise attack on Baoqing County as assigned by the division commander, the division commander will not be able to spare himself.
Yang Zhen naturally did not think about Colonel Asakawa's thoughts. When the convoy rushed through the Japanese army formation and arrived directly at Baoqing County without making any stops along the way, Yang Zhen saw Peng Shilu waiting for him at the city gate and did not bother to exchange greetings. , after calling him into the car, he asked directly: "How are you, are you ready for battle?"
Peng Shilu said quickly: "No. 1, after receiving the telegram from No. 3 last night, we have shrunk all our troops to the county seat, and have begun to use the original defenses to prepare for street fighting. At the same time, , I have ordered all the houses facing the street to be opened to each other, holes have been drilled into the walls, and in accordance with wartime standards, ammunition has been stored at each support point for five days."
In response to Peng Shilu's deployment, Yang Zhen shook his head and opened the map and said: "This won't work. Both regiments cannot be placed in the city. Only two battalions can be left in the city at most. Baoqing County is not big and can only accommodate more than one regiment at most. Troops, concentrate all the troops in the county town, the density is so high, how many people will be left after the Japanese artillery fire."
"The total strength of your two regiments is actually only four and a half battalions. Even if you add one of my guard battalions, it is only five and a half battalions. Although the strength is not large, they are all concentrated in a small county town as big as a palm. , this density is also quite high. Without taking advantage of firepower, how long can it last even if the entire army is exhausted?"
"Only one regiment is left in the county to defend, and the other regiment relies on the county to fight step by step. You put two companies in Xinzi and Dongguan each, and put the rest of the troops between them as a mobile force. You two Except for a few infantry artillery companies and the 90th mortar company, the regiment did not have large-caliber artillery. If all the troops were gathered together, the Japanese army would be wasted little by little with artillery fire."
"In addition, doesn't the headquarters store a batch of landmines in Baoqing? You want to use all the mines. I remember that Du Kaishan built a lot of defenses outside Baoqing County before the war. You must use them all. , rely on existing fortifications as much as possible.”
"On the way here, I have already encountered the Japanese advance troops at the Hongshan front line. I don't have much time left for you. You should prepare immediately. You must complete the deployment adjustment before the Japanese advance troops arrive. No matter what, You must also hold on for at least three days. This is a task assigned to you by the headquarters."
"You have to face the main force of the 11th Division this time. The pressure is great. Both the troops and the firepower are at an absolute disadvantage. I don't want any promises from you. I can only hope that you can complete the tasks assigned by the headquarters and give The main force will create fighter opportunities for the next battle."
Having said this, Yang Zhen raised his head from the map and said with a serious expression: "Let me tell you the truth, your burden this time is quite heavy. You have to be prepared to sacrifice the entire army if necessary. This The 11th Division did not go as we expected, but took a sideways approach and invaded Baoqing territory alone. To be honest, we were caught off guard."
"Originally, according to the headquarters' battle plan, Baoqing County was prepared to abandon it when necessary in order to disperse the Japanese forces. If in the first stage, the Japanese army divided its troops and went north to capture Baoqing County, not only would we not get angry, but we would be I'm very happy, because the more dispersed the Japanese troops are, the better it will be for our army."
"But the current situation is different. The main force of our army is now concentrated on the southern front, and the base area is empty of troops. Once the Japanese army crosses Baoqing County and goes north to penetrate into our base area, it will bring us unimaginable passivity. The first stage was different. After the 11th Division chose to go north instead of heading west, Baoqing County has now become the center point of the next overall operation."
"By guarding Baoqing County and holding back the main force of the 11th Division from heading north, our army's next battle plan can be launched smoothly. Before the main force adjusts its deployment, once Baoqing County is lost, not only will the door to our base be wide open, And our army will be passive on all fronts."
"Although I do not advocate fighting a hard-fought battle to defend the enemy from outside the country, but under the current situation of empty troops in the base area, once the 11th Division is placed inside the base area, our losses will be too great. The most important thing is that our army will hand over all the initiative gained from the previous bloody battles. In future combat operations, it can only be led by the Japanese army and follow their intentions."
"Under the circumstances that other troops have been unable to arrive in time to replace you, and the initiative to maintain the battle must not change hands, we can only pull you up who have been resting and have no combat missions. This is a no-brainer. I hope You can understand."
"Sacrifice the local area for the overall situation. Although the headquarters is unwilling to do it, there is no other way at the moment. But don't worry, I will be sitting here these days and will not go there. I will accompany you to stick to these three sky."
Hearing Yang Zhen's desperate words and looking at Yang Zhen's serious expression, Peng Shilu said without any hesitation: "No. 1, please rest assured and the head of the headquarters, I will fight to the death at all costs, even if I fight to the death of one soldier. A single soldier will also complete the tasks assigned by the headquarters."
"But one thing is, you must not stay here. The situation is critical and you must leave. Even if we shed the last drop of blood, we will drag the Japanese army in Baoqing County for three days. But No. 1, you are the highest ranking officer in the entire army. Military commander, your battlefield is not only in Baoqing, I ask you to rest assured that we will resolutely complete the mission, but on the 1st, you really cannot stay here."
Hearing Peng Shilu's eager tone, Yang Zhen waved his hand and said: "As I said, I won't go there and will just wait here. You should seize the time to prepare. There won't be too much time left for you. Pay attention to keeping it constant. We have a reserve team and a good grasp of the rhythm of the battle. If the troops are at a disadvantage, the initiative in the battle can be given to the Japanese army, but the rhythm on the battlefield must be controlled in our hands."
Yang Zhen was resolute, knowing that he could not be persuaded, and Peng Shilu, who had little time left to prepare, had to hurriedly explain to the company commander of Yang Zhen's personal guard company and driver Lao Lin, do not wait for the city defense to be breached, as long as
Once the two forward positions of Jia Xinzi and the backer on the outside are lost, No. 1 will be forcibly sent out even if he is knocked unconscious, and he will rush over to adjust the deployment.