Chapter 169

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

On the Jiangwan Position, after the Japanese discovered that Chu Yunfei's Brigade and Sun Yuanlang's 88th Division had withdrawn from their positions, they sent troops to launch a probing attack on Jiangwan.

Upon probing, they indeed found that some people were still stubbornly resisting in the position, though their firepower was much weaker than before.

After hearing the frontline report, the 101st Division Commander Ito Masanishi was overjoyed: "Excellent, our firepower probe has shown that the enemy's main force has already retreated, and the troops remaining in the position are merely there to cover their withdrawal!"

The 11th Division Commander Yamamuro Sōbu also breathed a sigh of relief: "This way, our troops can gain a foothold in Jiangwan, and afterward we can attack Miaohang and Dachang to the west, or attack Hongkou to the south, and root out Lv Muzhi's old nest!"

The 11th Division had previously sent its Tianya Brigade to Huishan Wharf for a surprise attack; currently, there were still two Japanese Infantry Groups available for use in Jiangwan.

The 101st Division's Kana Regiment was still engaged in a melee at Yanghang, and the forces available for use in Jiangwan were still three regiments.

Excluding the rear Artillery Regiment, Cavalry Battalion, and Armor Platoon, the available forces reached five infantry regiments, totaling over ten thousand men.

Ito Masanishi dispatched his 101st Division's 157th Fukui Regiment to attack Jiangwan, under the command of Colonel Fukui Kotaro, launching a new round of attacks on Jiangwan Town.

Against the Guangxi Army's 173rd Division still defending the position, the Japanese adopted a wave-like attack tactic.

The first wave consisted of a company of infantry forming a skirmish line, advancing rapidly under machine gun cover, attempting to draw out and exhaust the defenders' firepower.

"Brothers, hold your fire! Wait until the little devils get close before firing!" a regimental commander of the 173rd Division shouted loudly in the trench.

The Guangxi Army soldiers gripped their rifles and light machine guns tightly, using the ruined walls and fortifications of Jiangwan Town as cover, waiting quietly, each one very calm and composed.

When the Japanese first wave attack force entered a distance of about one hundred meters, the commander gave the order, and gunfire erupted instantly on the position.

The Guangxi Army's Czech light machine guns and various rifles sounded in response, and the Japanese soldiers charging at the front fell like wheat being cut.

"Second wave, go!" Colonel Fukui observed the battle through binoculars and threw in the second company without hesitation.

The Japanese grenade launchers and mortars also opened fire, shells landing on the Guangxi Army's position, causing some casualties.

"Damn it, the little devils' grenade launchers are pretty accurate!" a Guangxi Army company commander spat out a mouthful of dirt-tainted saliva, "I've got grenade launchers too, grenade launcher teams, blow them back for me!"

"Machine gun teams, change positions! Don't let the little devils zero in on you!"

Although the Guangxi Army's equipment was inferior to the previous German-equipped Division and Youth Army, their fighting will remained very tenacious, using the remaining fortifications to maneuver with the Japanese.

Some soldiers even launched small-scale counterattacks, using hand grenades and bayonets to drive out the Japanese squads that had broken into the position.

"Third wave, continue! Artillery strengthen cover!" Colonel Fukui, seeing that the first two waves had failed to break through, continued to commit the third wave of troops.

More Japanese soldiers surged toward the 173rd Division's position like a tide.

"Hold on! All of you hold on!" the Guangxi Army officers shouted hoarsely to encourage morale.

Ammunition bearers desperately fed ammunition to the machine guns, and the machine gunners fired continuously toward the shadowy front.

Hand grenades flew back and forth between the two sides' positions like hail, with explosions ringing out incessantly.

After nearly an hour of fierce fighting, the battlefield was littered with many corpses, but the Japanese wave offensive did not diminish in the slightest.

"Division Commander, the devils have fallen back! Our casualties are not small either, shouldn't we withdraw?" a dust-covered regimental commander ran to the division commander to ask for instructions.

The 173rd Division Commander looked at his wristwatch, then at the gradually quieting front line, and nodded: "Order all units, according to the predetermined plan, alternate covering fire, and retreat to the rendezvous point set by Brigade Commander Chu! Move quickly, don't let the little devils bite us!"

The Guangxi Army soldiers quickly gathered the weapons they could take, helped up the wounded, and withdrew in an orderly fashion from the Jiangwan Town position, riddled with holes.

Miaohang, Zhou Weiguo sat on a Panzer III Medium Tank, having already received news that the Japanese had occupied Jiangwan ahead.

Zhou Weiguo climbed out of the tank and looked at the troops he would use this time to assault the Japanese Artillery Regiment.

This attack plan had long been discussed between Lv Muzhi and Zhou Weiguo.

It was just that there had been no opportunity before, because the Japanese heavy artillery had been hiding too far back.

But this time was different; the Japanese actively attacked Jiangwan and moved their heavy artillery forward, so he had to seize this opportunity.

One Type 38 Tank Company, one Panzer III Medium Tank Company, one Light Anti-Aircraft Company, twelve tanks per company, totaling thirty-six tanks.

Additionally, four hundred infantrymen, equipped with many motorcycles and bicycles for mobility.

Of these four hundred infantrymen, some sat directly on top of the tanks, while others clung directly to racks on the tanks' rear or flanks.

The Armored Tank Regiment's tanks had special handles and foot racks welded to the rear and flanks to facilitate accompanying infantry clinging to the vehicles.

"Regimental Commander, when will we launch the attack?" a company commander of a Type 38 Tank Company ran over to ask.

Zhou Weiguo replied: "No rush, let the bullets fly a while longer."

Jiangwan Town was finally occupied by the Japanese; despite paying a price of over eight hundred casualties, the 101st Division Commander Ito Masanishi and the 11th Division Commander Yamamuro Sōbu both showed relieved smiles.

This could count as a victory worth writing into a battle report, at least a good start.

Ito Masanishi was high-spirited, pointing at the map and impatiently making a suggestion: "Your Excellency Yamamuro, the fighter is fleeting! I suggest our army should immediately split into two routes and pursue the victory! My 101st Division's main force will head west, straight for Miaohang, cutting off the rear of the Xia State Army at Yanghang, ending the melee at Yanghang, and at the same time compressing the space of Chen Cheng's Left Wing Army;

I request your division cooperate with my forces to attack Hongkou to the south, and with the Tianya Brigade attacking from front and rear, we will surely crush Qiu Qingquan's defensive line in one blow!"

After listening, Yamamuro Sōbu did not immediately agree, stroking his beard as he said: "Ito-kun, an aggressive attack is necessary, but we cannot ignore the follow-up of the Heavy Artillery Regiment; we were able to get here entirely thanks to them.

Our infantry advanced too fast; the artillery, especially those heavy pieces like the Special No. 24 Howitzer, moved slowly and have lost contact; we must wait for them in Jiangwan Town."

Ito Masanishi waved his hand dismissively: "Your Excellency Yamamuro is being too cautious! Lv Muzhi's troops are retreating; where do they still have the ability to organize a counterattack? Moreover, hasn't their main force always been guarding against the Tianya Brigade in the Hongkou direction?"

"Better safe than sorry," Yamamuro Sōbu insisted, "This way, to ensure absolute safety, we will dispatch all the cavalry battalions under our division, and I will add an Armored Vehicle Squadron and an infantry battalion, specifically responsible for escorting and covering the advance of the Heavy Artillery Force;

We must ensure the safety of these heavy artillery pieces; once the artillery position moves forward to Jiangwan, we can launch a full-scale attack then."