Chapter 190

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The deed was done; the commanders of the left, center, and right route armies on the Songhu Battlefield all had their own ideas, and Jinling could no longer press the matter too much.

After all, no one is punished when all are guilty; if the Principal removed them all, there would be no one left to work below, so he could only temporarily delegate moderate authority, while Gu Zhutong still telegraphed daily reports on every unit's movements on the Songhu Battlefield.

At the same time, regarding the enemy's movements toward Hangzhou Bay, the Principal attached great importance and reminded Zhang Fakui to make sure he was prepared.

Pudong Area, south bank of the Huangpu River, Shigetō Detachment Headquarters.

The Shigetō Detachment had under its command two Japanese Infantry Groups, one Mountain Artillery Regiment, plus auxiliary communications, automobile, supply, and cavalry squadrons; the Shanghai Expeditionary Army Headquarters had also reinforced him with one Engineer Regiment, one battalion each of mortars and machine guns, bringing total strength to thirteen thousand men.

Shigetō Detachment Commander Major General Shigenaga Chishu was deeply troubled; four days had passed since the troops landed, but Zhang Fakui's Right Wing Army seemed not to notice, its main force still unmoving around Hangzhou Bay.

"How can this be? We have a force of over ten thousand men here—isn't Zhang Fakui going to take any measures?" Shigenaga Chishu said with dissatisfaction.

Takahashi Regimental Commander replied: "Actually, measures have been taken; Zhang Fakui has deployed his troops around Zhangjiabang, seemingly waiting for us to come over."

Zhangjiabang is a river running east-west across Pudong; Zhang Fakui had originally deployed one division and four Independent Brigades to guard it, and subsequently had also brought in Wu Keren's Sixty-Seventh Army to keep a close watch on the Shigetō Detachment.

With the Sixty-Seventh Army's addition, Zhang Fakui felt much more relieved, and his main force could rest easy defending the Hangzhou Bay region.

"This Zhang Fakui is too cunning; could he have seen through our plan to lure his main force over?" Shigenaga Chishu asked in confusion.

"Hard to say," Takahashi Regimental Commander interjected.

Shigenaga Chishu was very puzzled: "At Luodian and Yanghang, the Chinese troops knew they would be blown to pieces by naval gunfire, yet they still charged forward fearlessly, but here in Pudong, Zhang Fakui just lets us land directly?"

"I think our actions were simply not aggressive enough, and we underestimated the enemy too much; after landing in Pudong at the time, we should have taken an aggressive posture advancing south, so that the enemy's main force at Hangzhou Bay would be lured over by us."

Hearing his subordinate's words, Shigenaga Chishu shook his head: "Pudong is over a thousand square kilometers, just a big rural area, not a single valuable town; the nearest Chuansha County seat is over twenty kilometers away, and ordinary naval gunfire can hardly support us anymore; moreover, Pudong here has too much depth, the Locust Army's main force at the Shanghai Main Battlefield won't come over, and we are an isolated army that cannot advance too deeply..."

Takahashi Regimental Commander suggested: "Why not first try attacking Chuansha Town twenty kilometers away? See what reaction Zhang Fakui has?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a Communications Staff Officer ran in: "Report to Detachment Commander, the enemy's Sixty-Seventh Army has also joined the Zhangjiabang defense line; currently the enemy has over forty thousand men deployed in the south bank area of Zhangjiabang!"

"What?!" Shigenaga Chishu was stunned; how had a Sixty-Seventh Army suddenly popped up to block Zhangjiabang.

"Looking at it this way, the enemy never intended to destroy us at all; rather, their main force is focused on defending the Hangzhou Bay region, while additionally drawing troops to guard our Shigetō Detachment!"

"Detachment Commander, should we still attack Chuansha?" Takahashi Regimental Commander asked tentatively.

"This... we can't do nothing in Pudong; Prince Asaka Yasuhiko and Commander Matsui Iwane are both watching us; this way, Takahashi Regiment will coordinate with the Mountain Artillery Regiment to launch an attack on the Zhangjiabang defense line!" After speaking, Major General Shigenaga Chishu couldn't help but add: "Note, don't go all out; test the enemy's combat strength first."

"This... we can't do nothing in Pudong; Prince Asaka Yasuhiko and Commander Matsui Iwane are watching us. Like this, the Takahashi Regiment will coordinate with the Mountain Artillery Regiment to launch an attack on the Zhangjiabang defensive line!" After saying this, Major General Shigenaga Chishu couldn't help but remind him: "Note, don't go all out; test the enemy's combat strength first."

At the Zhangjiabang direction, Wu Keren brought his Northeast Army Sixty-Seventh Army, which had just moved from Songjiang to Pudong.

The Sixty-Seventh Army had under its command the 107th and 108th Divisions, totaling around twenty thousand men.

"Welcome, Commander Wu, to assist in defending the Zhangjiabang defense line!" A division commander of the Zhangjiabang garrison stepped forward to welcome him.

"Hahaha, I came to Zhangjiabang precisely because I heard there were little devils here; where are the little devils?" Wu Keren laughed heartily.

"Commander Wu, the enemy now has a vanguard force right on the north bank of Zhangjiabang! Look, over there you can vaguely see their fortifications and flags." The garrison division commander pointed across the river and said, "They landed and haven't made much movement, but recently scouts discovered they are moving troops; they probably intend to attack."

Wu Keren raised his binoculars to carefully observe the opposite bank, excitement on his face: "Good! Finally I've caught a little devil!

Pass the order down: the 107th Division takes over the eastern sector positions, the 108th Division takes over the western sector; move all our mountain gun companies to forward concealed positions! If the little devils dare cross the river, let them taste the might of our Northeast Army... no, of our German-equipped Sixty-Seventh Army!"

Wu Keren was very confident, because his Sixty-Seventh Army had undergone a major equipment update at the beginning of the year; the source of the equipment was Lv Muzhi's arsenal in the Southwest.

The reason was simple: Lv Muzhi's arsenal had received a large quantity of machines and workers transported from the Fengtian Arsenal from Young Marshal Zhang's hands, and had previously promised Young Marshal Zhang to look after the Northeast Army in terms of equipment; Wu Keren's Sixty-Seventh Army was one of the units that had received Lv Muzhi's help.

At the same time, regarding General Wu Keren himself, Lv Muzhi also held him in high esteem; in the official timeline, Wu Keren was the highest-ranking officer to die in battle in the Battle of Songhu, and when he sacrificed himself his remains were washed into the river, his bones never recovered.

Therefore, besides regular light weapons, Lv Muzhi gave each of the Sixty-Seventh Army's two divisions an additional mountain gun company, which made Wu Keren's Sixty-Seventh Army transform overnight into what could be counted as an elite unit.

In other respects, the most conspicuous equipment Lv Muzhi gave Wu Keren was the M35 Steel Helmets produced by himself; as for Zhongzheng-made 【weapons】, bullets, Czech-style 【weapons】, Maxim Machine Guns, hand grenades, and so on, Lv Muzhi, through his own channels or by coordinating with other arsenals, had all equipped Wu Keren's Sixty-Seventh Army by the beginning of the year.

Although Wu Keren's Sixty-Seventh Army's equipment was considered decent within the Right Wing Army, given that the enemy was coming with great force, the division commander originally stationed there still asked: "Commander Wu, our division originally had two regiments deployed here; they can assist in combat together."

"No need!" Wu Keren waved his hand, "Your brothers have worked hard; withdraw first to rest and refit; this place is handed over to our Sixty-Seventh Army! Damn it, ever since the Northeast was lost, our Northeast Army has carried a black pot; today we must show the spirit of our Northeast men right here at Zhangjiabang!"

"No need!" Wu Keren waved a hand. "Your brothers have worked hard—pull them back down for rest and reorganization; leave this place to our 67th Army! Damn it, ever since the Northeast was lost, our Northeast Army has carried a black pot on our backs. Today, right here at Zhangjiabang, we'll show the spirit of our Northeast men!"