Chapter 294: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 294: Isogai Division: Capture Taierzhuang, I Want to

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

North bank of the Huai River, gunpowder smoke had yet to fully dissipate, and the air was thick with the stench of explosives, blood, and murky river water.

Sun Liren stood atop the ruined bridgehead high ground, and through his binoculars, his support force had arrived.

"Division Commander! Division Commander! Our men are here!" came the excited shout of the signalman from behind.

Sun Liren continued to look out, only to see thick dust rising on the road extending from the north side.

First entering his field of vision were several armored reconnaissance vehicles, their bodies painted with blue-and-white insignias, the gunners on the roof-mounted machine gun turrets vigilantly scanning the surroundings,

along with sturdy warhorses galloping back and forth, bicycles and motorcycles traveling on the road—this was the reconnaissance battalion convoy of the Youth Army Fifth Division.

Following closely behind were military trucks lined up like a long dragon, their carriages tightly covered with canvas, loaded with artillery parts or ammunition boxes inside.

Even more lifting Sun Liren's spirits were the steel silhouettes mixed among the truck columns: T Light Tanks, and larger Type 97 medium tanks with long gun barrels!

The remaining regiment of soldiers of the Fifth Division, transported by the convoy, rushed to support Sun Liren's vanguard force.

The convoy halted at the temporarily designated assembly area, and the soldiers, like tigers released from a gate, swiftly and orderly deployed.

Engineers began constructing temporary artillery positions and command posts; soldiers of the anti-aircraft battalion jumped off the trucks and skillfully unloaded one 20mm dual-mount Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun and 37mm anti-aircraft gun after another from the trailers, deploying them around the positions with muzzles pointed to the sky.

There were also self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles modified on T chassis, their dual-mount 20mm cannons looking down upon the sky.

However, the most prized weapon of the anti-aircraft battalion was those few 88mm dual-purpose high-angle guns.

At the same time, the 105mm howitzers of the Fifth Division's artillery regiment also entered the field; once those black muzzles were raised, they were enough to reduce any Japanese vessel attempting to cross the Huai River to powder.

"Report to the Division Commander! The artillery regiment, tank battalion, anti-aircraft battalion, reconnaissance battalion... and the main force of the Third Infantry Regiment of the Fifth Division, have arrived by order!"

A staff officer came running and saluted Sun Liren, his face bearing the fatigue of a long march and the excitement of imminent combat.

Sun Liren returned the salute, his gaze sweeping over this fully equipped, well-armed fresh force, and heroic spirit surged in his heart.

Thus, his Youth Army Fifth Division was now in complete form.

The railway bridge and other bridges and ferry crossings on the Huai River had been destroyed; under the defense of the Fifth Division, the Japanese Ninth Division's reinforcements would never cross the Huai River to support Dizhou Libing's Thirteenth Division on the north side!

Xuzhou, Fifth War Zone Headquarters.

The telegraph operator delivered the translated telegram to Li Zongren and the old man.

"Sun Liren's telegram: The Jinpu Railway Bridge has been completely destroyed; the main force of my Fifth Division has all arrived at the preset positions on the north bank of the Huai River, and the riverbank defense system has been initially established.

The Thirteenth Division's land retreat route is confirmed severed, and the Ninth Division's reinforcements on the south bank are blocked."

"Good! Good! Good!" the old man said three times in a row, the hand holding the telegram trembling slightly, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out, "This Sun Liren, Wei Yue recommended him well, and he's used well! Thus, Dizhou Libing will find it hard to escape even with wings!"

Li Zongren was also beaming, pointing to the area between Su County and the Huai River on the map: "Commander-in-Chief, the situation on the Southern Front has been completely opened! The main force of the Thirteenth Division is compressed by my Guangxi clique's two group armies and Wei Yue's Youth Army Second Army main force in the area centered on Guzhen, and now their retreat is completely sealed off by Sun Liren. I think as long as we add some effort, the annihilation of the entire Thirteenth Division is only a matter of time!

This is an unprecedented great victory since the start of the war in North China!"

The old man paced excitedly indoors: "Wei Yue, tell them not to be stingy with shells, not to fear casualties, and to destroy the Thirteenth Division at the fastest speed, cleanly and thoroughly! I want to use Dizhou Libing's head to pay tribute to the heroic spirits of the hundreds of thousands of officers and men from my Songhu and Jinling!"

Lv Muzhi nodded and said: "The overall situation on the Southern Front is basically settled; now it depends on how Isogai Rensuke's Tenth Division on the north side chooses. The plan to attack from both left and right is already half complete."

Li Zongren nodded: "Isogai Rensuke is ambitious and has won consecutive victories. Seeing our fierce battle on the Southern Front, the Youth Army Second Army moving south, and Xuzhou appearing empty, he will definitely not let this opportunity pass.

Taierzhuang is the true key that determines the course of the Xuzhou Campaign."

Yi County, Tenth Division Command Post.

Isogai Rensuke looked at the telegram in his hand: The main force of the Youth Army Second Army has been confirmed to have left Xuzhou, moving south toward Su County, and the defenses within Xuzhou city have been greatly weakened.

After the initial shock, Isogai Rensuke instead felt a sense of relief and relaxation in his heart.

"Yoshi... Lv Muzhi ultimately chose to save the Southern Front first."

Division Commander Isogai Rensuke put down the telegram and said to Chief of Staff Tei Bujakuki, "The Thirteenth Division's attack has clashed with the Youth Army Second Army. Thus, north of Xuzhou, facing our army, the greatest variable no longer exists."

Chief of Staff Tei Bujakuki expressed some concern: "Your Excellency Division Commander, if the Thirteenth Division is annihilated, the blow to our army's morale will be huge, and the pressure on the Southern Front will all shift to the Ninth Division..."

"That is a problem for General Hata Shunroku and the Central China Expeditionary Army to consider!" Isogai Rensuke interrupted him, walked to the map, and pointed heavily at Taierzhuang, "Our task is to take Taierzhuang, open the Jinpu Road, and further pressure Xuzhou from the north! Now, the greatest enemy mobile force blocking us has already moved south. If not to launch a full-scale attack now, when else?"

"Order! The Infantry Brigade 10 holding Yi County, except for necessary garrison forces, the main force will immediately advance and rendezvous with the Seto Detachment!

Concentrate all artillery and tank strength of my Tenth Division; at dawn tomorrow, launch a general attack on Taierzhuang! I want to crush the Taierzhuang garrison in one blow, exposing Xuzhou city directly under my cannon muzzle! Let Lv Muzhi see that even if he can save the Southern Front, he cannot hold the Northern Front!"

Isogai Rensuke's ambition was completely ignited.

The string of victories like a bamboo splitter all the way in Shandong made him full of contempt for the Taierzhuang garrison.

In his battles in Shandong, fighting from north to south, he had never suffered a defeat!

Taierzhuang is a small town on the southern border of Shandong; as long as Taierzhuang is taken, Isogai Rensuke's Tenth Division will achieve a complete victory in the Shandong region!

At this time, a telegram also arrived from the North China Area Army Headquarters, sent by General Terauchi Hisaichi.

General Terauchi Hisaichi likewise demanded that Isogai Rensuke's Tenth Division fiercely attack Xuzhou. In Terauchi Hisaichi's view, the Youth Army Second Army's move south had placed the Thirteenth Division on the Southern Front at a disadvantage.

To seek strategic balance, the Tenth Division on the north side must increase pressure, fiercely attack Taierzhuang, and if necessary, send reinforcements to directly take Xuzhou, forcing the Youth Army Second Army to give up encircling and annihilating Dizhou Libing's Thirteenth Division!

Isogai Rensuke had no more reservations; the order from the Area Army was like a shot of cardiotonic.

He seemed to already see the Sun Flag planted on the walls of Taierzhuang and himself leading his troops straight to take Xuzhou.

Perhaps next month, the newspapers of the Island Nation would publish the myth of Isogai Rensuke's Tenth Division speed-running Shandong!