On the afternoon of February 18th, Shanghai Zhenru Town.
Zhang Zhizhong and An Yi left the Fifth Army's frontline headquarters at Sihuqiao in a car covered with camouflage nets and filled with tree branches, entered the north of Zhenru Town, and drove to the 19th Route Army Headquarters.
After seeing off Chairman Chiang and his entourage yesterday, the remnants of the 24th Army, led by Yin Jinan and his division commanders, drove to Kunshan, transferred to a train to Nanjing, and then returned to southern Sichuan via waterway.
Hu Jialin, deputy commander of the Fifth Army, commanded the independent division to fight the Japanese army on Chongming Island and along the Jiangbei estuary. He has not been able to come back to see Zhang Zhizhong. Naturally, An Yi was called by his mentor Zhang Zhizhong to temporarily serve as chief of staff. An Yi could not refuse.
Ye Cheng was also roped in to help with the Fifth Army's combat deployment and other important tasks.
After 16 days of fierce fighting, the Songhu battlefield entered a state of truce. Only gunshots and explosions could be heard from time to time on Chongming Island. Although the newly built airport oil depot was completely abandoned, the operation of more than 1,200 Japanese troops to suppress the special brigade of the Independent Division continued.
, but it is simply unrealistic to search for 500 special warfare elites in an area of thousands of square kilometers surrounded by vast forests and reeds.
The Japanese army has been suffering from headaches for the past few days. Not to mention the precise cold shooting of snipers, just the weird traps and landmines, the searching Japanese army paid a heavy price of more than 200 casualties and casualties. As a result, the angry and arrogant Japanese army had to quietly let go.
Walking slowly and being extra careful with every step, it is too difficult to complete the clearing mission under such circumstances.
However, it was impossible not to send troops to clear it up. The outposts along the Yangtze River were attacked day and night by the Special Brigade of the Independent Division. Not a single one of them survived. In the early morning of the 17th, another patrol gunboat was injured by six mortar shells fired from the island. On the deck
The main gun was destroyed, and the ammunition almost exploded due to a fire. The gunboat with only half of the crew left stopped and barely returned, but its combat power was lost, and the hull was cracked and was on the verge of being scrapped.
What makes the Japanese army even more uneasy is that the main force of the Independent Division is still missing. This division poses a great threat to the waterway and passing warships, and there is even the possibility of a sudden cross-river raid. This makes the Japanese army feel uneasy and restless - the Japanese army must defeat the growing number of defenders.
At present, the only way to detour through the Liuhekou and Yanglinkou lines, force a landing, occupy Wusong, and flank the Baoshan line defenders is to finally drive the defenders out of the Songhu battlefield and then completely occupy Shanghai. However, the line from Liuhekou to Yanglinkou must be
When landing, we must ensure that we are not bombarded and harassed by the independent divisions on the Jiangbei front line. In particular, we must completely control Chongming Island, which guards the waterway, otherwise the hidden dangers and possible losses will be unpredictable.
Zhang Zhizhong admires An Yi's plan very much. As the number of European and American countries' notices to the Republic of China government not to accidentally damage their passing merchant ships and personnel safety increases, Zhang Zhizhong can better appreciate An Yi's good intentions in placing the powerful independent division in Jiangbei.
, especially the effect brought about by the continuous fighting of the five hundred elites on Chongming Island, is enough to make Zhang Zhizhong feel proud. The generals who originally did not understand or even scorned An Yi's use of independent divisions also had a deep understanding of it, and finally understood the relationship between themselves and An Yi
How far is the distance between existence? The resourcefulness of "General Flying Fox" was once again praised.
The car stopped in front of the 19th Route Military Academy. An Yi followed Zhang Zhizhong into the headquarters. More than ten meters away from the entrance of the lobby, he heard Tan Qixiu's familiar curses and a series of table-slapping sounds. Zhang Zhizhong and An Yi looked at each other.
Without stopping for a moment, he walked straight towards Jiang Guangding, Cai Tingkai and others who were waiting at the door. After saluting, he entered the hall and saw the commanders of the divisions of the 19th Route Army. They were all filled with indignation and blushed. They knew that Cai Tingkai, who had just returned from the negotiations, had not brought back any of them.
What good news.
Sitting down with each other, Jiang Guangding shook his head and informed: "Yesterday's negotiation was still calm. The ministers from Britain, the United States, France and other countries also asked Japan to stop large-scale military operations against Shanghai at the meeting. The Japanese ignored him, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Today is a good day. The Japanese commander Kenkichi Ueda suddenly made six demands to our commander. Our army must retreat 20 kilometers from the existing defense line to the east and west of the public concession before 5 pm on the 20th, and will
Military facilities in the area were permanently dismantled; they threatened us to immediately release the Japanese officers, soldiers, nationals and warships captured in the Yangtze River Basin since the war began, and to compensate for all losses caused; Wu Changtiecheng also called and said that the Japanese Consul General had the same
I asked him to give him a note, and it seems that the Japanese army is preparing for a decisive battle."
"Absurd! It is absolutely impossible to accept these conditions. No wonder you guys reacted so strongly. On the way here, General An and I also talked about the possible results of the negotiations. I didn't expect it to be like this. It seems that we can't do it without fighting, and it will be a big deal.
Fight hard until every last drop of blood is shed by the Japanese! I have no objection, I will stick with you until the end."
Zhang Zhizhong still speaks slowly and calmly.
Cai Tingkai said with a look of sorrow and indignation: "The generals in the army really couldn't stand the Japanese army being so arrogant, and they all requested to take the initiative to attack the Japanese army's arrogance. We are now very headache and difficult to make a decision. Do we have to wait until the time limit requested by the Japanese army before passively responding?
If our army takes the initiative to attack, will it cause criticism from all parties?"
Zhang Zhizhong put down his tea cup and smiled without answering. He knew how the central government and the foreign ministry faction would react. He knew that the differences between the two factions within the Military Commission had not been eliminated. If the 19th Route Army and his own Fifth Army were to
This time, taking the initiative during the so-called "armistice negotiations" hosted by European and American powers brought a lot of political trouble and pressure from all parties. The moderate and steady Zhang Zhizhong did not express his views, but looked at An Yi beside him
, Jiang Guangding and other generals also looked at An Yi when they saw this.
"Why are you looking at me? Isn't this bad?" An Yi asked inexplicably.
Everyone couldn't help but laugh softly, and the solemn atmosphere became much more relaxed. Ou Shounian and Dai Ji became more and more familiar with An Yi and called them brothers all day long. When they saw An Yi acting stupid, they immediately started laughing and scolding.
An Yi then chuckled and suggested: "Fight! Take the initiative and immediately announce the fight at any time! Aren't there more and more eager journalists from all walks of life gathered under the big tree outside the yard? They probably rushed after receiving the news that the negotiations had broken down.
Satisfy those who came to find out the rumors, and let the whole world see our army's tough response and firm determination. We also responded in a high-profile manner, threatening the arrogant Japanese, saying that all of our army could not bear the arrogance of the Japanese, and they were all filled with righteous indignation.
All the ministries were ready to attack the barbaric and despicable Japanese army at any time, which also caused a headache for the Japanese.
Today is different from before. After twenty days of fighting, the Japanese army suffered heavy losses. They repeatedly used the excuse of negotiation to take a breather and recuperate. They certainly did not dare to underestimate the words, deeds and attitude of our army. We also made them angry and nervous, otherwise we would not
A good deal.”
Zhang Zhizhong, Jiang Guangding and Cai Tingkai immediately understood the meaning of An Yi's words. The other generals did not react so quickly. Jiang Guangding stood up with a knowing smile and ordered his adjutant to immediately lead the reporters into the courtyard to arrange seats and serve tea. An Yi
Zhang Zhizhong and Zhang Zhizhong also went to the side hall for a brief discussion at the invitation of Jiang Guangding to unify the caliber.
Ou Shounian walked up behind Cai Tingkai in confusion and asked in a low voice: "What's going on? Just shouting a few slogans and that's it? Can it work?"
Cai Tingkai frowned, stopped, turned to Ou Shounian, and cursed in a low voice: "Why don't you have any brains? We shouted to kill, can the big guys from the Central Committee and the Military Commission not be in a hurry? They will definitely send an emergency call to stop us.
We took the initiative during this bullshit armistice negotiation, and the responsibility for passively avoiding the war does not fall on us. Who should the soldiers and civilians across the country blame? Do you understand?"
"But, in the final analysis, isn't it just passive waiting?" Ou Shounian was still unwilling.
Cai Tingkai glared at him: "Idiot! Do you think Xiao Yi can bear this arrogance? Don't look at him pretending to be stupid. Just now he said that the Japanese army threatened him to send back all the prisoners of war and his Anjia army.
The flash of anger in his eyes could not be concealed from me when he captured the warships and merchant ships that he had worked so hard to capture. If I expected correctly, he already had a revenge plan, and it is very likely that he is still working with the Japanese on Chongming Island.
The independent division's special agents are here to fight for life and death!
If you think about it, the original 24th Army and the current 5th Army, including Xia Jian's 39th Division on the edge of the battlefield, all fought under the name of the 19th Route Army. Any unit that launched an attack on the Japanese army would be
It can show the clear attitude of all participating soldiers, represented by the 19th Route Army, and setting fire to Chongming Island and Jiangbei will not have much impact. Hasn't the Japanese army been increasing troops to encircle and suppress friendly forces on the islands in recent days?
Why didn't they take the initiative to cease the war? Although Chongming Island is not the Songhu battlefield that attracts everyone's attention, it is still our sacred land. The fault lies with the Japanese. Even if all the Japanese troops on the island are wiped out, the Japanese can only swallow their anger, but we can publicize it.
Boost the fighting spirit of the people."
Ou Shounian suddenly realized: "Xiao Yi, this brother-in-law is really insidious! It turned out that he was pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, and he didn't let anyone catch him. He put the blame on the cowards of the Lord Harmony faction. No wonder he was known as Little Zhuge.
General Jiansheng gave him the nickname 'General Flying Fox', he is indeed cunning..."
"Understood? In comparison, the gap between you and him is not small! This person is not only talented in the military, but his political progress can also be described as rapid. He will definitely make further progress in the future, and his future is limitless. Fortunately,
Xiaoyi is a friend rather than an enemy, and he has always gotten along well with our Guangdong army. This time he has established a deep friendship with various departments of our army. What a blessing! Take advantage of it..." Cai Tingkai sighed and walked to the side hall.
Fifteen minutes later, Jiang Guangding, Cai Tingkai, and Zhang Zhizhong on the steps launched a tit-for-tat attack on the Japanese army's unreasonable and tyrannical attitude. They politely stated all the atrocities and dishonest and ugly acts of the Japanese army since the beginning of the war, showing that in the 19th century
The Route Army was determined to fight to the end.
When Cai Tingkai announced the anger of the soldiers of the 19th Route Army and the tough stance they would take, the reporters in the audience were inexplicably excited and cheered.
Sensitive beautiful reporter Kaplan then loudly asked General Zhang Zhizhong about his identity and position. Zhang Zhizhong politely replied that he had just been sent to supervise the military staff operations, and his temporary position was the commander-in-chief of the former enemy.
British journalist Bowers, who had become an old friend with An Yi, immediately stood up and asked loudly: "General An, what is your position now? Has there been any change?"
An Yi smiled slightly: "I am still the Chief of Staff of the former enemy in the Songhu Theater. Mr. Bowers is familiar with the situation of the Chinese army and should know that under the Songhu Theater Command of our 19th Route Army, there is the former enemy's General Command and
Each division has its own headquarters. The former enemy general headquarters has the positions of former enemy general commander and chief of general staff, which exercise operational command authority under the jurisdiction of the theater general headquarters. General Zhang came in response to the needs of the Songhu battlefield to strengthen
The command and coordination of all combat departments of our 19th Route Army will enable us to better eliminate the Japanese invaders."
Powers scratched his head and sat down. He seemed to understand but couldn't figure it out. The complicated and unfamiliar names of the Chinese army's command system really made many reporters confused about what was going on. An Yi was also happy to see such a scene. Anyway, he
As long as it is clear, the more confused outsiders are, the better.
German reporter Frank seized the opportunity and asked An Yi a more pointed question: "Excuse me, General An. General Ueda, the supreme commander of the Japanese military in Shanghai, issued a warning at noon, asking the Chinese army to withdraw 20 kilometers from the Songhu battlefield and demolish it.
All military facilities, and instruct the Chinese army to immediately release the Japanese warships, merchant ships, personnel and large amounts of property confiscated along the Yangtze River since the war began, and demand double compensation for the damage and losses caused to the Japanese army and overseas residents, otherwise it will
To escalate the war, we will increase our troops again and launch an all-round retaliatory attack on China. General An, what is your comment on this?"
An Yi was very angry. He exchanged glances with Jiang Guangding and Zhang Zhizhong, and stood up slowly: "Mr. Frank, you asked a good question! Ueda's words once again aroused strong indignation among all Chinese soldiers. Here, I would like to express my gratitude to all reporters through
My friend would like to thank Commander Ueda. His arrogant and ignorant words have greatly benefited the generals of our 19th Route Army. We commanders only need to convey his words to our own soldiers, and there is no need to
With any pre-war mobilization, all the officers and soldiers in the army will pour out all their anger on the brutal and rampant invaders when the war resumes."
The reporters laughed lowly, and An Yi continued: "Ueda's request is ridiculous and rude. His arrogance has made people all over the world and the Chinese military and civilians see the face of a rogue! Just imagine, the robbers will destroy you
The courtyard wall of your home rushed into your yard, set fire to it, destroyed it, and made threats. The victim fought back to protect his life and poor property, and withstood the robber's violence, which blocked the robber's attack and prevented him from continuing to kill, set fire, and rob wildly.
At this time, the robber brandished a machete and shouted shamelessly: "Tear down the obstacles you blocked in front of me, stop resisting and retreat to the backyard, and take away all the weapons and weapons that you accidentally picked up while I was killing you."
I will give you a gift from my accomplice in the crime and double the compensation for all the losses I incurred as a result of breaking into your yard!
I would like to ask all the journalists here to ask themselves, which country and nation in the world would be stupid enough to submit in the face of the threats of bandits? Which country and nation can endure such naked threats and aggression? What’s more, the Chinese nation has endured thousands of years of
Standing tall, how could it be possible to retreat in the face of the crazy clamor of the bandits? In my eyes, Ueda is like a mad dog, a mad dog infected with rabies and losing its mind and grinning. To deal with mad dogs, the Chinese people usually use dog beating sticks to greet them.
.”
The reporters were amazed at An Yi's merciless attitude. The Chinese reporters cheered loudly. Seeing the famous General An Yi's anger, they only felt happy and extremely comfortable in their hearts.