Chapter 206: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa, Chapter 206: Water and Land Advance Together

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Compared to the busy Xia Guo Army, the Japanese command, having tasted success, was now full of elation; compared to the heavy price paid on the Songhu Battlefield earlier, capturing the Xia Guo defensive line around Kunshan to Taicang was simply too easy.

In early November, within Shanghai City, Central China Expeditionary Army Commander General Matsui Iwane stood in the bleak autumn wind, sniffing his nose.

"Yoishi! There is an ancient Chinese poem: since ancient times, autumn brings sorrow and desolation, but I say autumn days surpass spring mornings!"

Shanghai Expeditionary Army Commander Lieutenant General Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko laughed: "The enemy's Fifteenth Group Army defensive line around Kunshan to Taicang collapsed after just one day of resistance; our great Locust Army sweeps like autumn wind clearing fallen leaves, unstoppable, hahaha!"

Matsui Iwane nodded and stomped hard on the solid ground beneath his feet.

Even a colossus like the Mutsu Battleship gave Matsui Iwane less than one-tenth the sense of security that the earth beneath his feet did.

"Three months, nearly three months! Do you know how I've spent these three months?!"

For nearly three months past, I've been watching Gu Qingchuan's brat's face aboard the Mutsu Battleship; today I've finally firmly planted my feet on land!"

Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko nodded: "That's right, the Army belongs on land!"

"Correct, but I believe we won't be able to stay in this Shanghai City for much longer?"

Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko was puzzled and asked: "Why do you say that?"

"The enemy is routing so fast; we'll soon be able to march into the enemy's capital!"

"Hahaha!"

Just as the two were immersed in joy, a staff officer brought up the Third Division's battle report again.

It was the Sihang Warehouse again!

Matsui Iwane flew into a rage: "Baka, why hasn't the Sihang Warehouse been taken yet?! We won battles at the front, but Fujita Susumu isn't giving me any peace in the rear?"

Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko asked: "I think it's simply that the Sihang Warehouse's position is too tricky; how are the Third Division's casualties at the Sihang Warehouse?"

The Japanese staff officer replied: "As of now, the Xian Bing have suffered over twelve hundred casualties, three aircraft lost, seven tanks lost, cannons..."

"Enough!" Matsui Iwane interrupted directly: "A tiny Sihang Warehouse cannot continue to cause needless sacrifices for our Army; hand the Sihang Warehouse over to the Marine Corps. Gu Qingchuan has two thousand Marines at the wharf; let the Marine Corps surround the Sihang Warehouse for me. The Third Division will immediately rush to the frontline to attack Suzhou, the key town on the Wufu Line!"

"Hai!" The staff officer received the order and left.

Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko gave a thumbs-up: "Excellent. Anyway, the Marine Corps is responsible for guarding Shanghai City, so just hand this hot potato, the Sihang Warehouse, over to Gu Qingchuan. Our Army will focus on frontline combat; capture the enemy's capital one day earlier, end the fighting one day earlier!"

"Correct. Also, make Gu Qingchuan's Navy more aggressive. The Navy's advance speed on the Yangtze River waterway should match our Army's combat progress on land—water and land advancing together. Let's see how the enemy defends!"

At the Yangtze River Estuary, inside the Mutsu Battleship command room, Gu Qingchuan looked at the telegram just received, his expression very displeased.

"The Army is becoming more and more impolite; requests for support are getting out of hand!"

"That old fox Matsui Iwane, riding on Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko's prestige!" Gu Qingchuan slammed the telegram onto the table. "Can't crack the hard bone themselves, so they throw it to our Navy? That hot potato, the Sihang Warehouse—whoever takes it gets unlucky!"

The adjutant cautiously asked: "Commander, should we accept or not? After all, this is a telegram personally sent by Prince Asaka-no-miya..."

Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko, as a relative of the Tian Huang, now as Shanghai Expeditionary Army Commander requested his assistance, and he really couldn't shirk it. Matsui Iwane, now as Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko's superior officer, had matters directly handled by this imperial relative to greet him.

Gu Qingchuan waved his hand impatiently: "Accept! How could we not accept? We must give the Prince face. Tell the Marine Corps: just surround the Sihang Warehouse, don't be like those stupid Army fools charging in head-on. Our main focus must be on the Yangtze River waterway!"

Gu Qingchuan walked to the chart, brow furrowed: "The biggest trouble now is here. The Harukaze Destroyer struck a mine and sank at Baimaokou, and the Yubari Light Cruiser was also hit by shore defense cannons. At this rate, when will we ever open the Yangtze River waterway?"

The Chief of Staff said worriedly: "Commander, the enemy has obviously laid dense minefields in the lower Yangtze River, coordinating with shore defense batteries to form a solid blockade line. Our minesweepers are working slowly and are frequently attacked by shore batteries."

Gu Qingchuan stared at the marked minefields and battery positions on the chart, his expression growing uglier: "It seems the enemy is determined to lock down the Yangtze River. If this continues, when the Army advances along the river, they won't get timely and effective naval gunfire support, and those Army idiots will send telegrams urging us again."

Just then, the Communications Staff Officer delivered another telegram: "Commander, urgent telegram from the Army's 101st Division, asking why the promised naval gunfire support hasn't arrived yet during their attack on Changshu."

"See, I told you those idiots would come urging us!"

Gu Qingchuan snatched the telegram; after reading it, he was even more furious. The 101st Division Commander's tone in the telegram was extremely unfriendly, as if demanding payment, as though the Navy owed the Army.

"Reply to the 101st Division: The Yangtze River waterway is densely mined; warships cannot advance. Either they capture Changshu on their own, or they obediently wait for the minesweeping to finish!"

The adjutant hesitated: "Commander, is such a reply too..."

"Too what?" Gu Qingchuan interrupted angrily. "Are we supposed to risk our warships hitting mines to support them? I've already lost one destroyer. Do they know how many tanks one warship can build?!"

"Tell them: the Navy is already sweeping mines with all its might, but before the waterway is cleared, no warship will risk advancing. As long as the Army along the Yangtze is willing to wait, naval gunfire support will arrive at any time!"

Gu Qingchuan then turned to the Chief of Staff: "Order the Minesweeping Fleet to speed up, and simultaneously request air support to prioritize bombing and destroying the shore defense batteries along the river. I don't believe this Yangtze River can forever block us!"

The Chief of Staff stood at attention and replied: "Hai! However, Commander, according to aerial reconnaissance, the enemy's batteries seem to be quite numerous. Also, according to previous battle reports, the enemy seems to have a not-small Torpedo Boat Flotilla..."

Gu Qingchuan waved his hand: "Take it slow, caution first. Anyway, the Army is more anxious than us Navy."

East of Changshu, at the 101st Division's offensive position, Division Commander Ito Masanishi simply couldn't understand. His troops were right by the Yangtze River, so why could those Navy colossi advance so slowly?

"Wasn't it agreed that water and land would advance together? Thirty kilometers—even if the Navy crawled, they should have crawled over by now. Why? I don't understand!"