Chapter 237: All the ammunition, no help, no one left
Ru County, 57th Division Headquarters of the 74th Army.
When Yue Weihan was busy preparing for a surprise attack on Shimen (Shijiazhuang), the battle for Ru County also entered the final moment.
After four days of fierce fighting, the 57th Division was reduced sharply from its full strength of more than 8,000 men to less than 2,000. All the outer positions were lost, and the remaining troops retreated to the city and continued to resist relying on the city wall fortifications.
The atmosphere in the division war room was solemn.
The chief of staff said solemnly to General Yu Chengwan, the commander of the 57th Division: "Master, our troops have been reduced by more than two-thirds. There are less than 2,000 people capable of fighting. All the ammunition has been exhausted. There is also a shortage of food and drinking water in the city. The officers and soldiers
We are hungry and thirsty, and we can only fight the enemy with bayonets and broadswords. Master, this battle can no longer be fought. Let’s break out!"
"Yes, Master, give the order to break out, right?"
"If the fight continues, will all the brothers have to answer here?"
"We are not afraid of death, but we cannot die in vain. We must leave a few brothers behind to avenge the brothers who died in the battle, right?"
Several senior staff officers and brigade commanders in the war room suddenly became furious and asked General Yu Chengwan to order a retreat.
"Boom!" General Yu Chengwan suddenly pulled out his Browning pistol and slapped it heavily on the table. Everyone immediately fell silent. Then General Yu Chengwan said with murderous intent: "Anyone who withdraws will be killed without mercy!
"
The chief of staff choked up and said: "Master, I..."
"Chief of Staff!" General Yu Chengwan suddenly turned around and said coldly, "You and I have worked together for ten years and have always said that we will never rebel. However, military law is ruthless. If you dare to make false statements about retreat and disturb the morale of the army again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
The chief of staff and all the officers looked miserable and closed their mouths.
General Yu Chengwan suddenly sighed and his tone became softer: "Brothers, why would I want to do this? But we are the Huben Division! The order from the top is for our Huben Division to defend Ru County until every soldier is killed.
Soldiers, as soldiers, receiving military pay and eating military rations, should fight for the country and the nation, and the only thing is to die!"
"Teacher!" General Yu Chengwan had just finished speaking, and several regiment commanders rushed in in a hurry.
After entering the war room, the leader of the 1st regiment, who was covered in blood, fell to his knees and said sadly: "Master, the east gate has been lost, and the little Japs have already entered the city!"
"The east gate is lost?" General Yu Chengwan said solemnly, "Where are the other gates?"
The other regiment leaders immediately lowered their heads in shame, and the 2nd regiment leader even cried loudly: "Master, the stupid little devil used gas bombs, and the brothers didn't even have a chance to fight with the bayonet. Ouch!
…”
"Where are the troops?" the chief of staff asked anxiously, "How many troops are left in your regiments?"
"The whole army is fucking gone." Captain 3 stared with blood-red eyes, like a beast with a seriously injured head, and roared with great grief and anger from the depths of his throat, "It's all gone, it's all gone."
! All the brothers died in battle at the gunpoint of the little Japs, there is not a single coward in our Tiger Ben division!"
"Thud, tug, tug, tug..."
Suddenly, the sound of Japanese machine guns rang out outside the division headquarters.
"Divisional headquarters!" the guard battalion commander rushed in covered in blood and shouted, "The division headquarters is surrounded!"
The entire war room suddenly fell silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on the face of General Yu Chengwan. General Yu pulled the general on his body and said to the chief of staff: "Mimic electricity."
The chief of staff quickly picked up the folder and spread out the copy paper.
General Yu Chengwan paced back and forth in the war room with his hands behind his back. Then he paused and said in a solemn tone: "The ammunition is gone, the reinforcements are exhausted, there are no people, the city has been destroyed, the chief of staff, the division deputy, the political department
The director, chief of staff and others stick to the division headquarters, and the commanders of each regiment divide areas, guard each wall, make the final resistance, fight to the death, and wish victory, 57th Division of the 74th Army, Yu Chengwan, June 29, 2017, 10 am
hour."
…………
Dengfeng County, Xue Yue Corps Headquarters.
General Xue Yue slumped down the telegram in his hand, his face becoming extremely solemn.
In the war room, all the senior staff officers looked at each other, and the air was filled with suffocating depression.
More than a dozen field divisions of the three major Japanese army groups are squeezing in from all directions. The space left for the Xue Yue Corps to move has become smaller and smaller. Originally, there was still the only retreat channel in Ru County, but now Ru County has
After falling, the entire Xue Yue Corps was trapped in a tight siege, almost like a turtle in the urn!
"Order!" General Xue Yue gritted his teeth and suddenly ordered, "Each division immediately turned around and headed north to attack Zhengzhou!"
The senior staff officers in the war room were confused at first, but soon understood General Xue Yue's plan. Obviously, the total destruction of Xue Yue's regiment was inevitable, but even if the entire army was destroyed, they should try their best to
It effectively held back the three major Japanese army groups and bought time for the main force of the national army to shrink and redefine its defenses.
…………
Wuhan, General Staff Headquarters.
The message, as white as snow, fell from the hands of General He, Chief of General Staff and Minister of Military Affairs of the National Revolutionary Army. Immediately, General He's legs slumped into a chair.
It's over, everything is over!
The Huben Division's entire army was destroyed, Ru County fell, and Xue Yue's regiment was probably doomed!
Once the Xue Yue Corps is completely wiped out by the Japanese army, it will not only lose more than a dozen elite divisions, but also the morale and morale of all the national troops in the entire Wuhan battlefield will suffer a heavy blow! Under the chain reaction, the defeat of the Wuhan battle was already inevitable.
It is inevitable that if the Battle of Wuhan is defeated, the Japanese army will take advantage of the situation and sweep across Huguang!
It’s dangerous. The Republic of China and the Chinese nation are really in danger this time!
…………
Wuhan, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's official residence.
Seeing the telegram sent by General Yu Chengwan to the headquarters of the theater commander, Chairman Chiang suddenly burst into tears.
The Huben Division became famous in the battle at Pingding Mountain, and was awarded the honorary battle flag by Chairman Chiang Kai-shek. In Chairman Chiang's heart, he actually hoped that the Huben Division could carry the heroic banner from the Baoshan Brigade. However, now, because of him, Jiang
The people's willful behavior and wrong command directly led to the complete destruction of the Huben Division in Ru County.
It would be fine if it was just a Huben division, but the problem now is that the Xue Yue Corps cannot come back either!
Due to the chain reaction, the Battle of Wuhan could only end in failure. Chairman Chiang had said harsh words at the beginning, vowing to live and die with Wuhan. If Wuhan really fell, he didn't know how he would have the face to face it.
People in the world? Li Zongren and Bai Chongqi are probably going to say weird things behind their backs again.
At this moment, Chairman Chiang really felt regretful.
Chairman Chiang took out the sealed message that Yue Weihan sent to him in his own name from the drawer: Commissioner, although Japan is only a small country, its national power is strong and its industrial base is even more solid. Its sustained combat capability is far beyond what our country can achieve.
Look! Today, our army has the remaining power of the victory at Pingdingshan, and the war situation may be able to maintain the situation. If we counterattack suddenly, it will be unsightly. I hope the commission will give you a clear warning.
…………
Zhengzhou, headquarters of the Japanese Third Army.
Major General Satoshi Tetsuda, Chief of Staff of the Third Army, strode into the office of Lieutenant General Naosaburo Okabe, Commander of the Third Army. He immediately put his feet back and stood at attention and said: "General, we just received the battle report. The 5th Division has been deployed in ten minutes.
When Ru County was captured, the Chinese defenders of the Huben Division, from commander Yu Chengwan down to the commander, were all killed, and no one escaped the trap!"
"Hey," Naosaburo Okabe said happily, "The 5th Division has finally regained its 'Steel Army' style again!"
"General." Teng Tianzhi said again, "There is another situation. The Xue Yue Corps of the Chinese Army has turned around and headed north."
"Well, the Xue Yue Corps turned around and headed north?" Naosaburo Okabe immediately frowned and asked, "What is their goal?"
Teng Tianzhi strode to the map hanging on the wall, picked up the command pole and pointed at the map and said: "I judge that the target of Xue Yue Corps should be Zhengzhou! Its purpose should be to hold back the three major military groups of the imperial army and provide
The Chinese troops in Henan and Wuhan battlefields are re-adjusting their deployment to buy time."
Naosaburo Okabe's face suddenly darkened.
This move by the Xue Yue Corps completely exceeded the expectations of the front army!
In fact, the Central China Front Army only put up a posture to encircle and annihilate Xue Yue Corps. Although more than a dozen field divisions of the three major group armies put up a posture to encircle them on all sides, they did not press too hard and ordered the 5th Division to seize Ru County.
It was just to intensify the panic of Xue Yue's regiment, causing them to lose their fighting spirit and flee south in a hurry.
If Xue Yue's regiment fled, the Japanese army would be able to pursue them one after another and win the greatest victory at the smallest cost.
Because once the Xue Yue Corps was defeated, all the Chinese troops in Henan and Wuhan battlefields were bound to be defeated across the board. In this way, the Japanese army could not only capture Wuhan effortlessly, but also take advantage of the situation to sweep through Jingchu and Sanxiang, seizing the National Government's largest
granary, thereby strategically seriously weakening the Chinese nation's ability to resist.
But now, Xue Yue's regiment chose to turn around and head north, immediately causing the Japanese army's plan to completely fail.
Teng Tianzhi sighed and said: "General, for the current plan, we can only deal with the Xue Yue Corps first!"
…………
Peiping, Japanese North China Front Headquarters.
Sasaki walked into Juichi's office in Teruchi with an excited look, stood upright and said: "Your Excellency, General, we have just received an urgent war report from the Central China Front Army. The 5th Division captured Ru County half an hour ago and completely annihilated the Huben Division of the China Army.
There are more than 8,000 people, but the casualties are less than 2,000!"
"Oh?" Juichi Terauchi said happily, "Yoshio Shinozuka has lived up to His Majesty the Emperor's expectations of him."
The 5th Division is only temporarily seconded to the Central China Front Army. After the Wuhan Battle is over, the 5th Division will still be assigned to the North China Front Army. As the commander of the North China Front Army, the better the performance of the 5th Division, the happier he will naturally be.
, it would be great if the 5th Division could restore the glory of the "Steel Army".
"Hai." Sasaki suddenly lowered his head and said, "General, there is another situation."
After saying this, Sasaki said again: "The commander of the Shimen (Shijiazhuang) Army Secret Service, Colonel Susumu Mizo, reported that starting yesterday afternoon, a large number of unknown people suddenly appeared in various towns, townships, and villages within 20 miles of Shimen.
A rough estimate of the identity of the armed personnel is that there are tens of thousands of them, and their behavior is extremely suspicious."