Chapter 224: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 224 The Third Division Loses Its Combat Capability

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Lv Ziqing hurriedly followed the sound out, discovering that a gunfight was breaking out on the road out of the village, where dozens of Japanese were attempting a breakout, only to be blocked by the Youth Army soldiers.

The old Japanese Fujita Susumu, seeing his retreat cut off, could only run back under the cover of several soldiers, and just happened to run into Lv Ziqing, who had caught up, and a 20mm anti-aircraft machine gun vehicle.

Lv Ziqing raised his submachine gun and fired several shots into the sky, warning: "Surrender your weapons and you won't be killed!"

However, Fujita Susumu obviously did not want to be a prisoner and tried to dive into a paddy field on the side.

"Fine, fine, fine, if you don't want to die with dignity, don't blame me for helping you die with dignity—kill them all!"

Lv Ziqing shouted loudly, everyone raised their weapons, and opened full fire on the ten-plus Japanese sprinting desperately for their lives in the paddy field.

The self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle also rotated its cannon muzzle, its two twin-mounted 20mm cannons booming at the flickering black shadows in the paddy field, afraid that Fujita Susumu would escape.

After a burst of sparks and lightning, only some shredded body parts remained in the paddy field.

Lv Ziqing stepped forward to identify the remains, not feeling it was a pity anyway, since Lv Muzhi hadn't said he needed him alive.

Searching through the pile of rotten meat for two minutes, he found only a general's sword and a damaged Army Lieutenant General insignia.

Lv Ziqing had no more patience, and had everyone put away the general's sword and the lieutenant general insignia, preparing to withdraw from the battle.

Zhou Weiguo also poked his head out of the tank: "Time to go; the enemy's Ninth Division will be reinforcing soon, and the outer perimeter troops still need to resist several reinforcements from the 13th and 16th Divisions—let's call it a day!"

Lv Ziqing shook the general's sword in his hand and shouted: "Received! Withdraw from battle immediately!"

That night, Fujita Susumu's Third Division was shattered; of the more than twenty-two thousand who had set out for the expedition, now adding up all those missing arms and legs, fewer than five thousand could still breathe.

Three of the four regimental commanders were dead; the Sixth Infantry Regiment commander Cangyong Chengzhi died in Shanghai, and the 68th Infantry Regiment commander Ying Sen Xiao and the 18th Infantry Regiment commander Ishii Kaei also died in battle last night.

Commander Matsui Iwane would replace the Third Division with the Ninth Division as a mobile force to prevent Lv Muzhi from counterattacking on the opposite side: "Even the division commander Fujita Susumu died in his own camp! Simply intolerable!"

The only surviving colonel of the Third Division's 34th Infantry Regiment, Asahara Hachiro, had gauze wrapped around his head and said: "Fortunately, friendly reinforcements arrived in time, otherwise the Third Division would have been completely devoured by the enemy's Liao Yaoxiang Brigade and armored forces!"

The Third Division has now almost lost its combat capability; even after gathering the routed soldiers, the infantry that can be committed to combat is less than a full-strength infantry regiment.

Commander Matsui Iwane felt more and more heartbroken as he listened; these were all his elite forces, just written off like that!

Prince Asaka Yasuhiko was very dissatisfied at this moment; this member of the Imperial Family was very concerned about one question, and asked: "I heard that in last night's battle, yet another regimental flag went missing?!"

Colonel Asahara Hachiro shook his head: "Hai, the regimental flag of the 18th Infantry Regiment... seems to have been taken by the Chinese army!"

But the 68th Infantry Regiment commander Colonel Ying Sen Xiao, before dying, destroyed the chrysanthemum emblem on the flag crown of the regimental flag, and then died in battle together!"

Prince Asaka Yasuhiko was very displeased: "Stop talking about these things; I have ordered again and again to protect the regimental flags well, these are bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor, how can there be a situation where regimental flags are captured? You people......"

Commander Matsui Iwane raised his hand to stop Prince Asaka Yasuhiko: "It's come to this, the people are dead, blaming anyone is useless!"

Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, we need to have a good talk with Navy Commander Gu Qingchuan; their advance speed must be increased. Relying only on our army, we cannot face these powerful and solid Yongbei National Defense Works alone.

While the Japanese were flustered and exasperated, the Ninth Group Army was overjoyed; Lv Muzhi's office desk was covered with spoils of war, all kinds of officer's swords and general's swords, and even an intact regimental flag.

Liao Yaoxiang said with a smile: "Commander Lv, last night's raid operation, my troops achieved a complete victory."

Chu Yunfei unfolded the regimental flag of the 18th Infantry Regiment, clicking his tongue: "This is the second regimental flag we've captured; the Third Division can't stand up now!"

Zhou Weiguo slapped his thigh: "Still a pity; if we could have fought a bit longer back then, I estimate we could have broken through the position of that remaining Japanese regiment!"

Chu Yunfei put the regimental flag back on the table and said: "That's not quite right, but according to news from the frontline, the Ninth Division is less than five kilometers from you; if you don't withdraw now, it'll be too late. The Ninth Division's combat strength is still relatively intact."

Moreover, at that time beside you, Commander Lv, although you arranged harassment of the 13th and 16th Divisions, these two divisions also boldly sent reinforcements to the Third Division behind them; if you don't retreat immediately, your situation is hard to say.

Zhou Weiguo laughed: "Hey, just sighing a bit; leaving a seed for the Third Division is truly regrettable."

Lv Muzhi said: "Don't rush; there will be opportunities to fight in the future. At least for now, the Third Division is no longer fit to sit at the table, and last night's victory shows that our step-by-step blocking is effective."

Everyone nodded, and then someone said: "Commander Lv, I heard that regarding Jinling, they have already given up illusions about the Nine-Power Treaty."

Lv Muzhi nodded: "According to my information, the international community has issued condemnations of the Japanese, but that's all it is—condemnation. The little Japanese weren't affected at all. The old man has been furious recently too; I think he's about to figure it out."

"Commander Lv, you fought a good battle on the frontline!" Qiu Qingquan strode in from outside the door at this time.

Chu Yunfei's eyes lit up: "Commander Qiu is back; did you just return from Jinling?"

Qiu Qingquan nodded: "Yes, I've been sounding things out in Jinling these past few days. The Nine-Power Treaty has brought the old man no small sense of defeat. But this morning, after the telegram about our rout of the Third Division was sent to Jinling, at this critical juncture, the old man is overjoyed."

Everyone laughed heartily.

Lv Muzhi asked: "Don't just talk about that; how did the matter I asked you to handle in Jinling go?"

Qiu Qingquan sat down in his seat, took off his hat, and said: "All arranged. You concurrently serve as Commander of the Yangtze River Defense; I have already established the Yangtze River Defense Command for you in Jinling."

Under the command, besides directly controlling the various batteries and the Torpedo Boat Flotilla, we also used over a thousand reservists transferred from the Southwest to form a Military Police Regiment, used to coordinate transportation and transfer work on the Yangtze waterway. Currently, everything is going smoothly.