diymy Chapter 279 The Principal Gets a Slap in the Face: Is This Still the 11th Army?
Chapter 279 The Principal Gets a Slap in the Face: Is This Still the 11th Army?
Book lovers are all in the discussion area, chatting about the charm of military novels.
Because the tank detachment from Baicheng Mountain remained in western Anhui and had not been transferred over.
This means that the Third Column's strength is not complete; it is at least missing an important mobile force.
The Japanese army must have already obtained this information.
That's why Okamura Neiji felt that now was the best time to eliminate the third column.
Meanwhile, in the Japanese military headquarters in Jiujiang, Okamura Yasuji was sitting at his desk with a large military map spread out in front of him, covered with dense symbols marked in red and blue pencils.
Just then, a rather ominous telegram was placed on his desk.
Chief of Staff Kawabe Torashiro stood to the side, his gaze as cold as the river water in winter.
"What are the Jiamu Regiment doing?" Kawabe Torashiro's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger. "They were caught off guard by this rabble and had to flee in a sorry state."
"An entire regiment, crippled like that?" he said, his fists clenching unconsciously.
Okamura Neiji didn't get angry. He was always calm and composed, and he became even more so when faced with unexpected situations.
His eyes were fixed on the map, as if he were re-examining something, and after a moment he slowly spoke:
"However, judging from the contents of the telegram, the main force participating in this counterattack is probably not the 11th Army, but Li Jianghe's 3rd Column."
As he spoke, he pointed to a spot on the map with his finger. "Putting everything else aside, the heavy artillery bombardment they suffered at the beginning was not the kind of weaponry the 11th Army could be equipped with."
Furthermore, during subsequent close-quarters combat, the enemy was generally equipped with submachine guns—weapons that were also widely used by Li Jianghe's Third Column.
The main force of the 11th Army was ultimately composed of riflemen; it couldn't possibly have that much automatic firepower.
Kawabe Torashiro's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze like that of a wolf that had smelled blood.
"The Third Column?" he murmured, repeating it over and over, his mind racing. "So, Li Jianghe's troops are fighting on two fronts right now?"
"On one hand, we need to defend against our main force in the direction of Minshan Township, and on the other hand, we also need to spare troops to support the 11th Army?"
"That's right." There was a hint of excitement in Okamura Neiji's voice, but he suppressed it very little.
"I think the opportunity has arisen. The chances of winning the annihilation operation against the Third Column have increased significantly."
As he spoke, he stood up, walked to the map, picked up a red pencil, and drew a large circle around the area where the Third Column was located.
"The troops in the Wanjialing direction can enter the Wutailing area by dawn tomorrow," he said, drawing arrows on the map, "and launch a counterattack from there."
Meanwhile, our troops in Chaisang have completed their assembly and are ready to launch a frontal attack on the main force of the Third Column.
After he finished speaking, he threw the pencil on the table, put his hands on the edge of the table, and stared at the circle on the map, looking like he had victory in his grasp.
Under such encirclement, how could Li Jianghe's third column possibly break through? Impossible, right?
Okamura Neiji silently shook his head in his heart.
He didn't believe that an army could possibly cause any trouble when it was surrounded on all sides.
Even if the Third Column had better equipment and stronger combat capabilities, it could not withstand the absolute disadvantage in troop numbers.
This is an ironclad rule on the battlefield, and no one can change it.
Meanwhile, in the Wuhan headquarters office, the principal was sitting at his desk, holding a telegram that had just arrived from the Ninth War Zone.
His brows were slightly furrowed, and his face was expressionless, but those who knew him well knew that the more silent he was, the greater the turmoil in his heart.
Commander He stood to the side, holding the same telegram in his hand, his expression also not very good.
"The main force of the Japanese army is gathering in the Chaisang direction," Commander He said in a low voice, pointing to the battle area on the map. "The 7th Division and the 106th Division have suddenly changed direction and are marching towards Wutai Ridge."
Judging from the current situation, it seems that the enemy now facing an encirclement and annihilation operation is not just us—it's the Japanese army.
After he finished speaking, he looked up and glanced at the principal.
The principal took a deep breath, as if he was trying to suppress something.
The solemnity on his face lingered, like a layer of hazy mist that couldn't be blown away.
He remained silent for a moment before speaking, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of worry: "The location of Li Jianghe's third column this time is far too risky."
"We are currently surrounded by the enemy, and our troops at the front lines are unable to provide them with support."
As he spoke, he gestured with his finger back and forth across several locations on the map, as if searching for a way to break through, but he couldn't find one.
"Chairman Chiang can't just ignore Li Jianghe's third column, can he?"
He spoke with a hint of urgency, after all, the Third Column was one of the few elite forces they had.
If we were to be wiped out by the Japanese army, the situation on the entire battlefield would become even more passive.
The principal looked at the map, his gaze lingering among the dense markings for a long time, before finally speaking slowly: "We can only let Xue Yue's army launch a counterattack on the front as soon as possible."
If they could achieve a breakthrough and tie down the Japanese forces, then Li Jianghe's Third Column would still have a glimmer of hope.
He said this, but he knew very well that breaking through the defenses of the Japanese 7th and 106th Divisions would be no easy task.
Those two divisions were the elite of the Japanese army, well-equipped and with formidable combat power. Although Xue Yue's army was also fighting desperately, it was almost impossible for them to achieve a decisive breakthrough in a short period of time.
Moreover, the 11th Army was the one assisting Li Jianghe's Third Column in its defense.
The principal recalled the battle reports he had received during the day—the 11th Army was being driven back by a Japanese regiment along the Wutai Ridge line, losing several defensive positions, and the fleeing soldiers were running away like a tide, without even putting up any decent resistance.
Could such a force be used to support the Third Column? The principal sighed inwardly, feeling that the hope was even more remote.
He was already mentally calculating how to adjust the subsequent battle plan if the Third Column was really encircled and annihilated.
Just then, a communications soldier ran in.
The young soldier, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, his voice trembling with excitement, cried out, "Report!"
The 11th Army launched a counterattack against the Japanese Kagi Regiment at night and won a great victory!
They have recaptured all the lost positions and even advanced three kilometers!
After he finished speaking, he handed over the telegram with both hands, which were still trembling slightly—not from fear, but from excitement.
"What?" The principal and Commander He were both stunned and exclaimed almost in unison.
Their eyes all turned to the communications soldier, their expressions filled with disbelief.
The principal reached out and took the telegram, and Officer He also came over. The two of them read the telegram over and over again, word by word, afraid of missing any important information.
They recognized every single word on the telegram, but when put together, it seemed so unreal.
The principal's hand holding the telegram froze in mid-air, his expression momentarily complex.
He had just said that the 11th Army was unreliable, and now he has received news of the 11th Army's great victory. This is a slap in the face that came too quickly and too loudly.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.
The awkward feeling in my heart was like swallowing a fly; I couldn't swallow it down or spit it out.
He was somewhat embarrassed, especially with Commander He standing next to him. If word got out, where would he put his face as the principal?
Commander He, standing nearby, was quite astute; he immediately noticed the principal's embarrassment.
He immediately smiled and smoothed things over, his voice filled with genuine admiration: "This Xiao Shanling lured the enemy deep into his territory, and then launched a thunderous counterattack at the end. Even we were fooled by him!"
They acted so convincingly during the day that even we believed them, let alone the Japanese devils!
As he spoke, he shook his head with a smile, as if lamenting that he too had been completely fooled.
Upon hearing this, the principal's expression finally relaxed somewhat.
He chuckled along, his laughter carrying a hint of relief and a touch of pride—after all, Xiao Shanling was a general from the Whampoa Military Academy, and ultimately, he was still a student under his principal.
"Yes, yes," the principal nodded repeatedly, his voice filled with undisguised joy, "As expected of our Whampoa Military Academy graduates, brave and resourceful, well done!"
Immediately issue a commendation order to the 11th Army!