lovenovelstory Chapter 223 The Japanese Army's High-Stakes Gamble, Li Jianghe's Battle Plan
Chapter 223 The Japanese Army's High-Stakes Gamble, Li Jianghe's Battle Plan
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On a summer night in western Anhui, the sweltering heat has permeated the land on both banks of the Huai River.
In the pitch-black night, only sporadic flashes of artillery fire could be seen in the distance, occasionally tearing through the heavy darkness before being quickly swallowed up by the darkness again.
The highway connecting Lu'an and Gushi was eerily silent.
Only the low rumble of engines could be faintly heard in the night as Wang Dayong's Third Motorized Infantry Detachment sped north under the cover of darkness.
The trucks and armored vehicles in the convoy turned off their lights and sped along the familiar route, relying only on the faint glow of the night.
Their objective was clear: to block the Japanese army's retreat route to the south, and at the same time, to cut off the Japanese army's supply lifeline between Lu'an and Gushi.
While at his headquarters in Hefei, Nishio Toshizo was still dreaming of a counterattack on Huainan and the annihilation of the Third Column.
He had no idea that a sharp knife had silently stabbed into the lower back of the Japanese soldier.
The lights stayed on all night in the joint command post of the Japanese 6th and 10th Divisions.
The smell of smoke in the room was so strong that it was hard to open one's eyes, and the ashtray on the floor was already full of cigarette butts.
Ogisu Rippei and Tani Hisao stood side by side at the table, looking at the military order sent by Nishio Toshizo, both with a hint of surprise on their faces.
The telegram was crumpled into a ball by Tani Hisao, and the edges were white.
In their original plan, after Huainan fell completely, the most urgent task was not to launch a counterattack.
Instead, they immediately consolidated their forces and retreated along the entire front towards Hefei, breaking out of the encirclement that the enemy might have formed.
But this military order has prompted them to immediately turn around and launch a counterattack on Huainan.
The telegram also promised to urgently transfer supplies and ammunition from Lu'an and Hefei to replenish their supplies.
Ogishu Rippei put down the telegram, turned to look at Tani Hisao beside him, and said with a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"It seems our commander is planning to take a huge gamble and try to wipe out Li Jianghe's Third Column."
Unlike Ogishu Rippei's composure and caution, Tani Hisao's eyes gleamed with a fierce light as he looked at the telegram.
Far from opposing the plan, he was secretly excited and completely agreed with this crazy idea.
"In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with this high-stakes gamble."
Hisao Tani slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup jump.
"I refuse to believe that our two Class A divisions can lose to Li Jianghe's Third Column in a head-on confrontation!"
"Don't forget, we just replenished our supply with a large number of anti-tank guns, specifically designed to counter his armored vehicles!"
"The tanks of the Third Column are never unlimited, and together with the Imperial Army's air force, they can provide absolute air superiority."
"It's still uncertain who will win this battle!"
Upon hearing this, Ogishu Ritsuhei frowned even more deeply, his tone filled with lingering worry.
"Don't be too optimistic. Even with air superiority, the enemy's anti-aircraft firepower is not to be underestimated."
"In previous air battles, the air force suffered heavy losses, and it remains to be seen whether it can provide sustained and effective air support."
"Once the air force can't hold out, we'll have to face the steel torrent of the Third Column on the ground."
The smile on Tani Hisao's face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of disdain and mockery in his eyes.
"What? Ogisu-kun, are you scared? Planning to desert the battlefield?"
Ogizu Rippei shook his head violently, his face darkening.
"Of course I'm not afraid. It's just that as a division commander, I have to see the current battle situation clearly, as well as the difference in strength between the enemy and ourselves."
"Although Li Jianghe's Third Column was deep in enemy territory, we have both witnessed how ferocious their attack capabilities were in the plains."
"The safest and most correct choice right now is to retreat or adopt a defensive posture and wait for reinforcements to arrive."
The two had a fundamental disagreement on this matter and could not reach an agreement.
However, since Nishio Toshizo's order had already been issued in black and white, even if Ogisu Tatehei objected, he could not openly disobey the military order.
Seeing this, Tani Hisao became even more enthusiastic and immediately expressed his opinion.
His 6th Division was willing to be the first wave of attacking forces to launch a counterattack against Huainan.
"I want to see for myself whether these enemies are really as powerful as the legends say in a direct confrontation!"
As Tani Hisao spoke fiercely, he immediately picked up the phone and issued an attack order to his troops.
At the same time that Hisao Tani issued the order.
The town of Changji, located between Lu'an and Gushi, has been quietly surrounded by the armored vehicle detachment of Baicheng Mountain.
Changji Town is a vital passage on the highway from Lu'an to Gushi. Although the town is small, it tightly controls this transportation lifeline.
Controlling this area would cut off the Japanese troops in Hefei and Lu'an from the 6th and 10th Divisions on the front line in Gushi.
Bai Chengshan received orders from the column headquarters long before he completed the mission of ambushing and intercepting reinforcements from Ushijima Manchukuo's brigade.
He was instructed to immediately lead his tank detachment to attack Changji Town and capture this crucial point.
He was instructed to immediately lead his tank detachment to attack Changji Town and capture this crucial point.
Meanwhile, the highways north of Yeji were now completely under the control of Wang Dayong's Third Motorized Infantry Detachment.
The two teams, one to the east and one to the west, were like two pairs of pincers, gradually tightening the Japanese army's retreat route.
The Japanese troops stationed in Changji Town consisted of only one infantry company, plus a local puppet security regiment.
The total strength was less than a thousand men, and the only ones who could actually fight were the Japanese company of less than two hundred soldiers.
On the watchtower at the entrance of the town, a Japanese sentry, holding his gun, huddled in a corner and dozing off.
The autumn night wind was too cold, so he tucked his neck into his collar and had no interest in staring at the distant wilderness.
As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, a cloud of dust suddenly billowed up on the eastern horizon.
Amidst the smoke and dust, the outlines of armored vehicles became increasingly clear, rolling towards the town.
The Japanese sentry on the pillbox instantly snapped to attention, his eyes wide as he watched the approaching convoy.
When he saw that the flag of the Republic of China was hanging on the chariot instead of the familiar Japanese flag, his face instantly lost all color, leaving only despair.
They had previously received orders to be on guard against surprise attacks by enemy armored forces.
But they never expected the enemy to arrive so quickly and so suddenly.
The Japanese company commander stationed in the town reacted quickly and immediately blew the assembly whistle.
While organizing troops to deploy defenses around the town, he frantically sent telegrams to the command headquarters in Lu'an requesting reinforcements.
The person on the phone kept repeating the same sentence: "A large number of enemy tank units have been discovered; Changji Town has been attacked!"
But just two minutes after the telegram was sent, a deafening roar of engines came from the outskirts of the town.
The Japanese troops had just rushed into the outer positions and hadn't even had time to set up their machine guns when Bai Chengshan's tanks had already run them over.
The barbed wire was smashed to pieces by the tanks, and the makeshift anti-tank trenches were instantly blasted open by sappers using explosive charges.