Chapter 130: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 129 Defense Zone Division

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

With Luo Zhuoying urging the troops to withdraw behind the Lion Lin Fortification Position, Huang Wei dared not act recklessly, and at the same time was cowed by the powerful offensive of the Japanese army's air, land, and sea forces, knowing he could not match them.

The main force of the Sixty-Seventh Division, under Huang Wei's leadership, retreated toward the Luodian Position.

Luodian Town is a strategic point on the Hu Tai Highway.

Passing through the Hu Tai Highway, one can also enter Jiangsu Province; if the enemy breaks through Luodian, they can continue westward to threaten Jiading, and the Ninghu Railway Line located in Jiading will also be threatened.

The Ninghu Railway is an important channel for troop and supply transport; whether it is Lv Muzhi's troops or other friendly forces, they all rely on this railway for supplies.

To ensure the safety of the railway line, Luodian must be defended.

Huang Wei and Luo Zhuoying came to Luodian and saw that Chen Cheng, commander of the Fifteenth Group Army, and the newly appointed commander of the Ninth Group Army, Lv Muzhi, had already arrived here.

Luo Zhuoying and Huang Wei both stood at attention and saluted.

"How is it? Have the frontline troops all withdrawn?" Chen Cheng asked with concern.

Luo Zhuoying nodded: "They have all withdrawn; the Fifty-Sixth Division is defending Liujiang Town, the Sixth-Seventh Division is retreating to defend Luodian, the Eleventh Division is northwest of Luodian, the Ninety-Eighth Division is withdrawing in an orderly fashion around Yuepu, and other divisions are deploying in places like Yanghang."

Chen Cheng let out a long sigh of relief after hearing this: "Finally out! Wei Yue, fortunately Commander Feng Yuxiang issued the retreat order, of course also thanks to your active guidance, which can be considered giving my Fifteenth Group Army a way out."

"This is just the beginning; this great war has only just started. Far away is the Japanese navy; our true opponent is the Japanese army. The battles behind are what we should worry about."

Chen Cheng nodded: "That's right, but I still want to congratulate you first on your promotion to Group Army Commander. Within Shanghai City, there are currently only our two group armies, and we must cooperate closely."

Chen Cheng said this because Zhang Fakui's Eighth Group Army is currently in the Pudong Area across the Huangpu River, while also guarding Hangzhou Bay, separated from Chen Cheng and Lv Muzhi's Fifteenth and Ninth Group Army stationed in Shanghai City Urban Area and the suburbs by a Huangpu River, unable to effectively coordinate, so the Eighth Group Army is currently performing security and support tasks on the flank.

The Japanese main force must be dealt with by Lv Muzhi and Chen Cheng's two group armies.

"Let's do this: taking Wunaozham as the boundary, Liujiang Town, Luodian Town, Yuepu, Yanghang, and other places west of Wunaozham will be defended by the Fifteenth Group Army;

Jiangwan Town, Miaoxing Town, Dachang Town, Hongkou Town, and the Zhabei Area east of Wunaozham will be defended by my Ninth Group Army.

Further east, the Pudong area up to the Hangzhou Bay region will be guarded by the Eighth Group Army on the flank."

Liu River is a river, running from southwest to northeast, emptying into the Yangtze River.

Wunaozham is also a river, running from southwest to northeast, finally emptying into the Huangpu River.

The three rivers of Liu River, Wunaozham, and Huangpu River, generally running from west to east, can be seen as a 'three' character, arranged from north to south in sequence.

It can be said that Chen Cheng's Fifteenth Group Army's defense zone is between Liu River and Wunaozham; Lv Muzhi's Ninth Group Army's defense zone is between Wunaozham and Huangpu River, and Zhang Fakui's Eighth Group Army is on the Right Bank of Huangpu River.

After listening, Chen Cheng nodded in agreement, but still rubbed his hands and looked at Lv Muzhi: "Using the river as a boundary, arranging the defense zones like this indeed has no problem, but I'll be honest: the strength of the Fifteenth Group Army should be below that of the Ninth Group Army, for no other reason than the Ninth Group Army has an extra Youth First Army of yours, and the problematic part is......

The Japanese main attack direction is in the vast area between Liu River and Wunaozham where my Fifteenth Group Army is stationed, while in the Wunaozham to Huangpu River area where the Ninth Group Army is located, there are currently only two thousand Japanese Marine Corps troops; my Fifteenth Group Army is under great pressure!"

Where the enemy is strong, the Fifteenth Group Army is weak; where the enemy is weak, the Ninth Group Army is strong. Lv Muzhi naturally saw this situation.

Lv Muzhi smiled: "Commander Chen, do not worry. The fortifications in the Luodian area were built by my subordinate Liao Yaoxiang's brigade. His Second Brigade can stand by in your defense zone and support you at any time."

Chen Cheng was overjoyed: "If I get the help of Liao Yaoxiang's Second Brigade, I can deal with the Japanese more calmly. Wei Yue, you've helped me greatly; I won't forget you, and I will report it truthfully in the telegram."

"Haha, it's all just to fight the Japanese. My subordinate Zhang Fei's Fourth Brigade is currently in the Jinshanwei area, which is still Zhang Fakui's Eighth Group Army's defense zone. I supported Zhang Fakui with a brigade, and supporting you with a brigade is also reasonable."

Lv Muzhi and Chen Cheng chatted in the Luo Shop Command Post. Huang Wei stood to the side, called his guards over, and whispered a few words.

Chen Cheng noticed this scene and looked at Huang Wei: "Huang Wei, Wei Yue and I are right here. What secret words do you have that we cannot hear?"

Huang Wei licked his dry lips: "Commander Chen, Brother Wei Yue, I still have a battalion at the Shore Beach Position on Lion Lin. I'll send people to pick them up and withdraw them."

Chen Cheng frowned: "The Japanese artillery fire is so fierce. I'm afraid not many people are left from that battalion of the Sixty-Seventh Division. Of course, if they can escape, sending people to pick them up is appropriate."

Luo Zhuoying also agreed at this time: "Since the main force has already withdrawn safely, if that battalion is still alive, we should also try to pick them up. After all, there are several hundred people; we cannot chill the fighters' hearts. Moreover, it is already dark now, which is a good time to pick them up and withdraw."

Lv Muzhi asked Huang Wei: "Huang young brother, how are those four shore defense cannons I placed in the battery? They cannot be brought back, nor can they be left for the little Japanese devils."

Huang Wei was somewhat embarrassed: "Brother Wei Yue, the Japanese offensive was too fierce. When I withdrew, where could I have cared for the shore defense cannons? There is a battalion of soldiers guarding the scene. If they died, they probably turned into debris along with the shore defense cannons."

Lv Muzhi called Liao Yaoxiang in: "Liao Yaoxiang, your Second Brigade will temporarily stay with the Fifteenth Group Army to cooperate in combat. Now I give you your first combat mission: send people to pick up the friendly forces on the Lion Lin Fortification Position, and by the way use automobiles to transport my shore defense cannons back, delivering them to Baimaokou Fortress. The Baimaokou Fortress on the Yangtze River still lacks firepower; this will just add to its firepower!"

"Yes!"

Seeing Lv Muzhi so enthusiastic, Chen Cheng looked at Huang Wei: "Huang Wei, Muzhi is not like before now. When working, this is not the Military Academy; when working, you must still use titles."

Huang Wei smiled: "Yes! Both commanders!"

On the Lion Lin Fortification Position, it was now a scorched earth.

After holding out for several days, the Japanese left only several hundred corpses at Lion Lin, and nothing else.

The Japanese joint air, land, and sea offensive launched in the afternoon was actually repelled again by dusk.

The battalion left by Huang Wei of the Sixty-Seventh Division, with over four hundred defenders, although both flanks of the position were lost, still held the core position of the Lion Lin Fortification Position.