in2ebook Chapter 674 Depressed Hu Lian
Chapter 674 Depressed Hu Lian
Li Yunlong and Wang Meng, who were at the Pingshun Military Fortress, stamped their feet at the snail-like movements of the 1st Division, the 110th Division and the rd Tank Division.
Now all that's left is for the three of them to cross the Yellow River. As long as these three groups cross the Yellow River Bridge, they can start the closed-door combat mode. In addition, if the earth is not destroyed, the Central Army will invite them to cross the Yellow River and support the battle.
"Old Li, there's no need to rush. At their speed, they will cross the Yellow River tomorrow morning. I guess Jiang Dingwen and the guy from Chongqing won't be able to hold on by tomorrow night at the latest!"
"Well, then let's just get ready and leave the rest to the devils! Mengzi, why do I feel like we are doing something bad?"
Wang Meng shook his head helplessly. If Chongqing had listened to the advice, they would not have resorted to such a desperate measure. After all, if they were one minute late in annihilating the enemy, the number of Chinese soldiers killed would increase!
"There is nothing we can do during this special period. We can only consider the overall situation! Let's kill more devils in the future!"
"Well, get the Third and Fourth Armies ready. Don't let them down!"
Night falls and the stars are shining.
The First Division had just begun to set up camp and was very busy. They were about to escape, and everyone was wielding their engineering shovels.
They would rather face a central army that is ten times their size than face the same number of independent columns!
"Chirp!"
A sharp whistle sounded, and all the Japanese soldiers waving their engineering shovels stopped, looked at each other, and asked what had happened.
"Stop setting up camp and move towards the Yellow River Bridge immediately?"
"Nani? We just set up camp!"
"Baga, don't ask why, just get going now!"
Nakaike Sanfu looked proudly at the First Division that was back on the road and nodded with satisfaction.
"Yoshi! This way, even if the independent column wants to launch a final attack, it will not be able to catch up with our team! In addition, we can also launch a surprise attack on the Chinese defenders in Zheng County!"
Sure enough, the Japanese successfully deceived the independent column because they only left a small number of troops to camp and make fire on the spot, while the main force marched quickly towards the Yellow River Bridge.
At five o'clock the next morning, the 1st Division of the Kwantung Army had successfully crossed the Yellow River Bridge and, in accordance with Okamura Yasuji's orders, joined the battle sequence to attack Zheng County.
Suddenly, the offensive force against Zheng County was greatly strengthened, and the losses and frustrations suffered by the First Division at the hands of the Independent Column were completely transferred to Jiang Dingwen of the First War Zone.
"There's something wrong with these little Japanese devils. Why are they attacking like crazy? They don't follow any rules or strategies!"
"Commander-in-Chief Jiang, they have been given a death order. And according to my intelligence analysis, this group of newly joined devils are from the 1st Division of the Kwantung Army. They must have suffered a defeat in Jiyuan, so they turned around and launched a rampant attack on us!"
Jiang Dingwen walked to the sand table and saw that the fortifications around Zheng County were constantly being removed, and he felt very disappointed.
Judging from the current combat situation, it is only a matter of time before Zheng County falls.
"How many planes are left to be transferred to the First Theater?"
"Commander-in-Chief Jiang, we sent out a lot of planes to bomb the Yellow River Bridge yesterday, but many were shot down by the Japanese anti-aircraft firepower..."
"I'm asking you how many you have left. How many have been shot down? Are you asking me to guess?"
"The Ministry of Military Affairs allocated a total of 153 aircraft to participate in the Battle of Central Henan. 40 of them were shot down yesterday, a loss of more than a quarter!"
Jiang Dingwen's face turned green. He didn't expect that after only one day of fighting, he would have lost a quarter of his planes? If this continued, would the Ministry of Military Affairs be able to defeat all the planes it had squeezed out of its teeth in four days?
Four days? Jiang Dingwen was still too optimistic. Without the independent column's aircraft to hold them back, the Central Army's old aircraft and training level would not last more than four days!
"Order, all planes are not allowed to attack without my order, to conserve strength?"
At this time, a senior military officer in a general's uniform was shocked to hear that Chiang Dingwen actually issued such an order.
This person was none other than Hu Lian, the senior advisor from the attendant office sent from Chongqing to supervise the war!
"What? Commander-in-Chief Jiang, I believe that the battle in Zheng County has reached a life-or-death moment. At this time, we should do our best to hurt the Japanese at one point! Make them retreat in the face of difficulty!"
"No, if I put all my wealth in the First War Zone on the line this time, and if it all comes to nothing, how can I explain this to the people of Henan Province, and how can I explain this to Chongqing!"
"But Commander-in-Chief Jiang, I believe that only by holding the determination to die can we have the possibility of defeating the enemy. If we still consider personal gains and losses, then this battle will be dangerous!"
Jiang Dingwen shook his head. He knew the style of the old man in Chongqing. The outcome of the war was not important. What was important was whether the strength was damaged!
Hu Lian shook his head helplessly and said bluntly:
"If Commander-in-Chief Jiang insists on doing this, I will report the truth to the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Secretariat!"
Hu Lian's words were exactly what Chiang Dingwen wanted. He wanted Hu Lian, who was supervising the war, to report the situation to Chongqing. It would be best if the person in Chongqing made the decision, so that he would not have any responsibility.
"General Junru, although you hold a staff position here, you and I both know your position and the purpose of your visit, so please explain it to Chongqing truthfully, so that we won't be in a difficult position later."
Hu Lian also nodded. He sent a telegram to the attendant room in Chongqing and waited anxiously for a response.
He thought that the person in the Secretariat and Chongqing would strictly order Chiang Ting-wen to go all out to defend the central Henan Plain, but he never expected that the order from Chongqing was very simple, asking him to continue to perform his supervisory duties, but not to interfere with any of Chiang Ting-wen's orders!
"Why? Although the Chongqing guy's usual style is to preserve his strength, this battle in central Henan is related to the overall combat situation of our country. It can be said to be a crucial battle. Why..."
Hu Lian was puzzled, but military orders could not be disobeyed, so he could only suppress all his doubts and watch the development of the battle situation quietly.
By daybreak, seven or eight out of ten outposts outside Zheng County had been eliminated.
Without any interference from the independent column, the Japanese planes wreaked havoc in the sky over Zheng County, overwhelming the already disadvantaged Central Army and causing it to lose positions one after another.
Jiang Dingwen was overwhelmed. He thought he could hold on for a few days, but he never expected that Zheng County was on the verge of falling in less than 24 hours.
"Everyone, what should we do now?"
"Commander-in-Chief Jiang, I think all troops should be withdrawn from the south bank of the Yellow River and concentrated in Zheng County to resist the attack of the Japanese with an absolute advantage in force!"
Hu Lian couldn't help but speak and told him everything he was thinking.
"Junru, the order I received is not just to resist the Japanese attack."