In the forward headquarters of the 5th Front of the Kwantung General Army, General Shizuo Yokoyama was pacing back and forth anxiously in the war room, while Chief of Staff Makino Shiro stood quietly beside him, not even daring to take a breath, and the air was filled with solemn
The breath was so heavy that a dozen combat staff officers could not breathe.
Suddenly, a major staff officer strode in, immediately put his feet back and stood at attention and said: "Your Excellency, General, all the drainage channels have been dug, and all 36 high-power water pumps and 18 tons of ammonium nitrate have been put in place!"
"Did the Chinese army on the opposite side notice any movement?" Makino Shiro asked urgently.
"No." The major staff officer shook his head and said, "Everything is normal at the China Army position opposite."
"Hey!" Shizuo Yokoyama gave a high-five and then said to Shiro Makino, "Order that each water pump squadron immediately start filling the anti-tank trenches of the China Army with water!"
"Hai." Makino Shiro suddenly lowered his head and took the order.
Shizuo Yokoyama then turned around and bowed heavily to Lieutenant General Kita Takeki, commander of the 10th Tank Division, and Major General Hideo Matsuda, commander of the 1st Independent Tank Brigade, who were standing in front of him, and then said with great sincerity:
"Kitatake-kun, Matsuda-kun, please do everything!"
"Hai!" Kitaki and Matsuda Hideo suddenly lowered their heads at the same time.
Before leaving, Major General Matsuda Hideo turned back to Yokoyama Shizuo and said: "General, please rest assured that as long as the engineering troops can fill in the anti-tank trenches of the China Army, the armed heavy tanks of our 1st Independent Tank Brigade can rush to the opposite side.
China position, there will no longer be any suspense in this battle."
8th Army Forward Headquarters, War Room.
Mr. Li was standing in front of the window smoking silently. The cold wind outside the window was biting and the dripping water turned into ice. Mr. Li seemed to have no feeling at all. It was not until Chief of Staff Chen Dao put his coat on his body that Mr. Li woke up as if from a dream and turned around with a gentle smile.
He said: "Old Chen, it's only around four o'clock in the morning, why are you up already?"
Chief of Staff Chen did not answer but asked: "Then why did you get up?"
Mr. Li smiled slightly and said nonchalantly: "It's windy outside again, and it looks like it's going to snow again tomorrow."
"Commander, you are really..." Chief of Staff Chen shook his head and said with a wry smile, "I have been here for a while, and I am still in the mood to pay attention to the weather changes."
As he was talking, a staff major came forward and reported: "Commander, political commissar, and forward observation posts reported that the Japanese engineering troops have begun to inject water into our anti-tank trenches!"
Mr. Li looked calm, as if he didn't hear anything.
Chief of Staff Chen looked at General Li, waved his hand to the major staff officer and said: "Order the forward observation post to continue observation."
The major staff officer went to take the order, and then Chief of Staff Chen said to General Li with some concern: "Commander, you haven't slept much for several days, why don't you go and take a nap first?"
"Okay." Mr. Li nodded happily, "I'm going to take a nap right now."
Deep in the dense forest, the armored group of the 5th Front is in attack position.
More than 300 Type IV tanks of the 10th Tank Division and more than 100 Tiger heavy tanks of the 1st Independent Tank Brigade have begun to warm up. Along with the low roar of the tank engines, clouds of black smoke erupted from the tanks.
When it is discharged from the exhaust port, the ice layer condensed on the nearby car body gradually begins to melt.
"Company commander, the Japs' tanks are coming!" Senior Private Lao Niu turned around and shouted.
"I see, I'm not blind." Captain Liu snorted, immediately cocked the bolt of his Browning pistol, and shouted to the nearby *** officers and soldiers, "Brothers, prepare to fight!"
Before he finished speaking, a cannonball suddenly landed next to Captain Liu.
Just hearing a loud bang, Captain Liu was lifted to the bottom of the trench like a sack by the air wave generated by the explosion. When the guards and the superior soldier Lao Niu rushed up to help Captain Liu, they found that Captain Liu's abdomen was
The shrapnel created a huge gash, and the intestines and internal organs were already flowing all over the floor. Even the gods could not save him.
"Company commander!" Xiao Mao, the security guard, burst into tears as if he were mourning a concubine.
"Don't, leave me alone, kill, kill the Japanese..." Before Captain Liu could finish his words, he died for his country heroically.
8th Army Forward Headquarters, War Room.
The communications staff members walked into the war room in a hurry and reported to General Manager Li the latest battle situation on the front line.
"The Air Force reported that the clouds were too thick and the field of vision was seriously affected, making it impossible to take off normally."
"The Navy reported that the fog on the sea is very heavy, and the naval gun group cannot fire until the fog dissipates."
"Report, the Army Aviation Force is ready!"
"Report, the armored division and the heavy artillery division are on standby at any time!"
"Report, the 82nd and 86th Infantry Divisions are on standby!"
After the latest preparations from all parties were reported, battle reports from the front lines were also streamed back.
Five minutes later, Chief of Staff Chen hurriedly walked up to General Li and said urgently: "Commander, a Japanese tank regiment of more than 80 Type IV tanks has crossed the anti-tank trench and broke into the position of our 88th Division! 88th Division
The defense line is already quite severe, can we order it in advance so that the Army Aviation Force can launch a counterattack?"
"No rush." Mr. Li waved his hand and said calmly, "Wait a moment."
Ten minutes later, Chief of Staff Chen came to General Li again and gasped: "Commander, more than a hundred Tiger heavy tanks from a Japanese tank brigade have all passed through the anti-tank trenches, and our 88th Division's defense line has been attacked.
When we break through, the Japanese tank clusters are tearing apart our 88th Division's defense line from both sides, and the situation is already quite dangerous!"
"No rush." Mr. Li waved his hand and still said, "Wait a moment."
Fifteen minutes later, Chief of Staff Chen came to General Li sweating profusely and said anxiously: "Commander, the Japanese army has a tank division and a tank brigade that have all broken into our army's deep positions. The 88th Division's defense line
It has collapsed, and the second line of defense built by the 87th Division is also in danger!"
"There's no rush." Mr. Li said calmly, "Wait a moment."
Half an hour later, Chief of Staff Chen came to General Li with a pale face and said with a sad expression: "Commander, the Japanese tank cluster has continuously broken through the second line of defense of our 87th Division and the third line of defense of our 85th Division.
The headquarters is already less than five kilometers away, and you can already hear the sound of Japanese tanks firing outside!"
"No rush." Mr. Li gently put out the cigarette butt in his hand and said calmly, "Wait a while."