Chapter 280: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 280: Shooting Left and Right

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Li Zongren looked at the Major General division commander standing before him, Liao Yaoxiang, and said: "I know you. You earned a nickname among the Japanese, didn't you? Something like Empire's Ultimate Fierce Tiger?"

"Yes!"

Lv Muzhi smiled and asked: "De Gong, do you think Liao Yaoxiang's troops deserve the title of Empire's Ultimate Fierce Tiger?"

Li Zongren clapped his hands and said: "Naturally they do. Now that my Fifth War Zone has this Empire's Ultimate Fierce Tiger holding the fort, the Japanese will surely come and never return!"

Lv Muzhi added: "Divisions like Liao Yaoxiang's—I have six of them, which I spent nearly a month hurriedly organizing in Wuhan. Every division's infantry, artillery, and tanks are at full strength, guaranteed to be of the same standard."

Li Zongren was even happier: "So that means my Fifth War Zone has six such Empire's Ultimate Fierce Tigers?!"

"Exactly. Once the troops are all assembled, taking Xuzhou as the center, we'll strike left and right—north to crush Isogai Rensuke's Tenth Division, south to capture Dizhou Libing's Thirteenth Division. It's as good as done!"

A few days later, south bank of the Huai River, Thirteenth Division headquarters.

Outside Fengyang City on the south bank of the Huai River, gunpowder smoke had not yet cleared. At the gap in the collapsed city wall, Japanese soldiers carried the Rising Sun flag, stepping over rubble as they advanced into the city.

Several Type 95 light tanks rolled over barbed wire overturned by artillery fire. Behind them, infantry in formation carried Type 38 rifles with bayonets fixed, their steps showing a long-absent ease.

Division Commander Dizhou Libing, Lieutenant General, stood on a slightly higher dirt ridge, holding binoculars to observe the battle.

"Report to the Division Commander! The remaining enemies within Fengyang City have been basically cleared out. The remnants of Xia Guo's Thirty-First Army are retreating toward Bengbu!" A staff officer ran up quickly, his excitement impossible to suppress.

"Very good." Dizhou Libing lowered his binoculars, hands behind his back. "Haha, the Thirty-First Army... Li Pingxian's troops are nothing special."

He turned around, looking at the staff officers and regimental commanders behind him: "Still, we must be careful. To our west is the Gui clique's Twenty-First Group Army. We must guard against them attacking from the side!"

"Overall, since crossing the Yangtze River, my Thirteenth Division has captured multiple key towns along the southern section of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, fighting from the Yangtze to the Huai River. The enemy fled at the sight of us!"

"Now Bengbu is within sight. Once we take Bengbu, our army can establish a solid bridgehead on the north bank of the Huai River, forming a pincer movement with the North China Area Army to the north!"

"Division Commander, your military strategy is divine!" the Chief of Staff flattered from the side. "The Chinese troops have no will to fight under our army's blade."

Dizhou Libing waved his hand, but the smile on his face grew deeper.

He recalled not long ago, in Songhu and Jinling, the fear of being dominated by Lv Muzhi.

Those memories had been like a thorn, pricking his and the entire Thirteenth Division's honor.

But what about now? Even if Lv Muzhi came to Xuzhou, with the North China Area Army to the north and the Central China Expeditionary Army to the south, the Xuzhou battlefield spanned over ten thousand square kilometers north, south, east, and west—could he be in several places at once?

Anyway, the current Thirteenth Division, as the vanguard of the Central China Expeditionary Army, fighting from the Yangtze to the Huai River, was invincible.

"Order all units," Dizhou Libing put away his smile: "Rest for one day. At dawn tomorrow, advance toward Bengbu! I want to see the Rising Sun flag planted at Bengbu Train Station within three days!"

"Hai!"

At this time in Xuzhou, at the Ninth Group Army headquarters, all division commanders had arrived.

The Central Government had already agreed to incorporate the Sichuan Army's Twenty-Second Group Army into the Fifth War Zone. Once the Twenty-Second Group Army arrived in Xuzhou, they took trains north to Teng County, coordinating north and south with Tang Enbo's Twentieth Army Group stationed in Jining City, supporting each other.

In the Linyi area to the east, Sun Tongxuan's Third Group Army and Zhang Zizhong's Fifty-Ninth Army were on alert.

On the Huai River defense line to the south, the Gui clique's Eleventh and Twenty-First Group Armies were defending.

Li Zongren, as Commander-in-Chief of the Fifth War Zone, came to the Ninth Group Army headquarters to sit in on the meeting.

Judging by his expression, Li Zongren was very satisfied. He had never fought such a prosperous battle before. Since the Sichuan Army and the Ninth Group Army advanced into Xuzhou, the forces at Li Zongren's disposal had become much more ample.

It truly lived up to that saying: Han Xin mustering troops—the more the better.

Lv Muzhi stood at the head of the table, Li Zongren seated beside him, and the main officers of the Ninth Group Army seated under the table.

Commander of the Youth Second Army Qiu Qingquan (acting commander of the Sixth Division), and all six division commanders of the Youth Army stood in two rows—on the left were the three division commanders of the Youth First Army (Lv Muzhi serving as army commander): Liao Yaoxiang, Chu Yunfei, Chen Minren;

on the right were the three division commanders of the Youth Second Army: Zhang Fei (Deputy Commander of the Second Army), Sun Liren, Zhou Weiguo (Deputy Commander of the Sixth Division).

Also present were Seventy-First Army Commander Song Xilian and his division commanders.

Everyone wore crisp military uniforms, quietly waiting for the commander to issue orders.

"Everyone is here." Lv Muzhi finally spoke: "I need not say much about the situation. On the northern section of the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, Isogai Rensuke's Tenth Division is eyeing Jining, sharpening its blade against Tang Enbo's Twentieth Army Group;

to the south, Dizhou Libing's Thirteenth Division has broken through Fengyang and should reach Bengbu tomorrow."

Lv Muzhi picked up the pointer on the table and pointed at Bengbu's location: "The Gui clique's Eleventh Group Army under Li Pingxian, garrisoning the Fengyang-Bengbu area, is using a tactic of luring the enemy deep in. The two Gui clique group armies on the Huai River defense line will lure the entire Thirteenth Division to the north bank of the Huai River;

the Thirteenth Division is also an old opponent of ours. They took a beating from us in the Battle of Songhu; during the Defense of Jinling, they shrank behind and dared not show their heads. Now, taking advantage of our absence, they've become arrogant again."

Lv Muzhi's pointer drew a line north again, stopping at Jining: "The Isogaya Division in the north, thanks to Han Fuqu, has gained some advantage. We can let Tang Enbo drag them on for ten days or half a month. The performance must be convincing. Similarly luring the enemy deep in, finally we'll swallow the entire Isogaya Division."

"Liao Yaoxiang, Chu Yunfei, Chen Minren."

"Present!" the three responded in unison, straightening their backs.

"The Youth First Army is under my direct command. Your final mission is to annihilate Isogai's Tenth Division. Effective immediately, move your troops eastward and advance toward Linyi!"

Li Zongren sensed something was off and asked: "Isogai's Tenth Division is in the north. Why go east? Linyi is where the Japanese Itagaki's Fifth Division is."

Lv Muzhi smiled: "I'm sending troops to feint east, causing Tang Enbo's Twentieth Army Group on the northern line and the Sichuan Army's Twenty-Second Group Army to draw the Isogaya Division south. Then I'll use the Armored Cluster to quickly return west, cutting off the Isogaya Division's retreat. Finally, the Fifth War Zone will commit heavy troops to annihilate the entire Isogaya Division."

Li Zongren, hearing this, was overjoyed: "Good! As for the southern Huai River direction, just as you said before, I'll have Li Pingxian lure the Thirteenth Division to the north bank of the Huai River, then use the Air Force to bomb all bridges over the Huai River, cutting off the Thirteenth Division's retreat!"

Lv Muzhi nodded, turning to the other side: "Qiu Qingquan, Zhang Fei, Sun Liren, Zhou Weiguo."

"Here!"

"The Youth Second Army is led by Qiu Qingquan. Your mission is to smash the Thirteenth Division, coordinating with the two Gui clique group armies there, to annihilate as many Japanese troops as possible on the north bank of the Huai River!"

"Yes!"

Lv Muzhi finally looked at Song Xilian: "Army Commander Song."

"Present!"

"Your Seventy-First Army will remain in Xuzhou as the War Zone Strategic Reserve Force, mobilized and commanded by the War Zone Headquarters."

"Rest assured, Lu Commander!" Song Xilian said solemnly. "The Seventy-First Army will never drag down the Ninth Group Army."

Li Zongren finally stood up, clenching his fist: "Fine tactic of attacking on two fronts—whether or not we can take these two divisions and regiments, breaking their spirit is a must!"