Chapter 306

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

"So what do we do now? We haven't even fully swallowed the Tenth Division and the Thirteenth Division yet! If we get surrounded by the devils, it'll be a disaster—we can't be too greedy!" Li Zongren said.

To preserve Xia Guo's last main force, Li Zongren could give up the great victory of completely annihilating these two divisions.

Lv Muzhi insisted: "We should completely swallow the Tenth Division and the Thirteenth Division before leaving. I remind De Gong that his original intention was to plan early;

The Japanese plan aims to completely annihilate our six hundred thousand main force troops—the ideal is full, but there are many loopholes;

The biggest loophole is where the Japanese would gather enough troops? Speaking only of the Central China Expeditionary Army, that is the biggest flaw;

The Ninth Division and the 101st Division of the Central China Expeditionary Army still haven't crossed the Huai River. After we've eaten our fill, the Central China Expeditionary Army also won't be able to complete the encirclement. By then, if we break out toward the southwest, we can escape the Xuzhou battlefield!"

Li Zongren rubbed his hands; what Lv Muzhi said wasn't without reason. The Central China Expeditionary Army had suffered heavy losses and was now temporarily blocked on the opposite bank of the Huai River. The Central China Expeditionary Army to the south had already become the biggest flaw in this plan.

"Actually, even the North China Area Army couldn't surround us. Even if they did, I'm confident I can smash the Fourteenth Division on the western Longhai Line and open a breakout route for the main force. De Gong, rest assured."

Li Zongren nodded: "Thanks to you, I feel much more at ease. What do we do now?"

Lv Muzhi said: "Launch the general attack! Isogai Rensuke probably realizes by now that reinforcements are unreliable. We can't give him a chance to stall—quick battle, quick decision!"

Lv Muzhi looked at the Communications Staff Officer, speaking faster: "Record the order! Rocket Artillery Battalion, move forward and fire at close range at the core position of the Tenth Division. All forces on the front, attack the Tenth Division with full strength!"

"Wire Liao Yaoxiang! The Youth First Army will send armored forces as the vanguard, with the strength of one division attached, launching a strong attack on the Tenth Division from the north!

At the same time, pay attention to blocking the Japanese Twentieth Division coming south to support. Leave two divisions' worth of troops at Yi County, coordinating with artillery to ensure we stop the Japanese reinforcements!"

The orders quickly spread in all directions via radio waves.

Having just completed a salvo, the Rocket Artillery Battalion, tense and reloading, moved again, preparing to launch a rocket artillery salvo at the Tenth Division's positions.

Meanwhile, on the Yi County front, the Youth First Army, long standing ready, heard the roar of engines rumbling.

Liao Yaoxiang received the order and smiled at Chu Yunfei and Chen Minren: "We've waited so long. Unexpectedly, the Fourteenth Division is just putting on a show, completely disregarding the life and death of the Tenth Division. Since that's the case, we'll execute Commander Lu's order: with one division attached to tanks, attack south at the Tenth Division!

Two divisions attached to main artillery, turn back against the Tianjin-Pukou Railway Line to prevent the Japanese Twentieth Division from sneaking in!"

In an instant, south of Yi County, over seventy tanks and armored vehicles deployed, forming an assault formation, kicking up dust across the sky like a steel torrent, slamming into the Japanese positions that had been baptized by artillery fire countless times.

At the same time, toward Taierzhuang to the south, the rocket shell whistling that made the Japanese lose their souls once again came from far to near, becoming denser and more piercing, like the Grim Reaper's sickle accelerating toward the Tenth Division's last foothold.

Under Lv Muzhi's decision, the two powerful forces from north and south no longer held back, simultaneously launching a final fierce attack on Isogai Rensuke's troops, already reduced to pawns.

Above the Rocket Artillery Battalion's position, the sky was once again dyed dark red by gunpowder smoke. The unique, air-rending whistling continued unceasingly. Swarms of rocket shells, like angry rain of fire, slammed heavily onto the core positions of Isogai Rensuke's Tenth Division.

The earth groaned, firelight shot into the sky, completely tearing apart the darkness before dawn.

Toward Yi County, the Youth First Army's steel torrent began to surge.

Liao Yaoxiang half his body sticking out of the Sanhao Tank's turret, his gaze penetrating the dust and smoke, pointing straight south.

Tenth Division Isogai Rensuke Command Headquarters.

The earth beneath their feet never stopped trembling. Every rocket shell salvo's howl and explosion made the Tenth Division's positions like a small boat in stormy waves.

The telegraph machine ticked away nonstop, but the news it brought was all despairing news for the Japanese.

"Report! High Ground No. 3 on the Eastern Front has fallen! The Guard Squadron has all died an honorable death!"

"Report! The Field Artillery Third Brigade's position was assaulted by the Youth Army's armored forces. All guns destroyed! The brigade commander died for the country!"

"Southern Front Seto Detachment's last transmission... Detachment Commander Seiya Kei died an honorable death, can no longer hold the line..."

Chief of Staff Tei Bujakuki's face was gray: "Division Commander, the core positions have been breached in multiple places. The Youth Army's infantry-tank coordinated forces are dividing our division's units! If this continues, we can't hold on..."

Isogai Rensuke was wiping his general's sword with a piece of white cloth, completely ignoring his chief of staff.

The battle had reached this point; it was no longer something he could control. As long as his subordinates didn't surrender to the Xia State Army, anything that happened was acceptable.

After wiping the long sword, Isogai Rensuke began wiping a short sword. This was for his own seppuku.

"Chief of Staff, I'll use this knife for seppuku. You be my second when the time comes. You also need to find your own second. You absolutely cannot be humiliated by the enemy!"

Chief of Staff Tei Bujakuki turned his head to one side, wondering how the once-mighty Tenth Division had come to this.

"Have all the units' regimental flags been destroyed? They absolutely cannot fall into enemy hands!" Isogai Rensuke asked after wiping the short knife for seppuku.

Chief of Staff Tei Bujakuki said: "Except for the 40th Regiment's regimental flag, all other regimental flags have been destroyed!"

"Damn it! What's going on? How could this happen to our Tenth Division!" Isogai Rensuke cursed loudly.

"The 40th Regiment's position was penetrated by the Youth Army First Army's armored forces. They moved too fast. The regimental flag couldn't be destroyed in time, and the Guard Flag Squad was wiped out."

Isogai Rensuke sighed, then calmly closed his eyes, no longer concerning himself too much. He had fully seen through the fate of the decoy.

The Fourteenth Division's failure to show up, and General Terauchi Hisaichi's cold calculation, made the Tenth Division's destruction a settled matter.

"Division Commander! The Twentieth Division! The Twentieth Division's vanguard has already reached Yi County!"

"Division Commander Kawakishi Bunsaburo reports that his tank battalion and elite infantry are rushing south along the Jinpu Road aboard an armored train! Expected to reach the edge of the battlefield within an hour to attack Liao Yaoxiang's rear!"

"Aerial reconnaissance report: several fighters are already escorting them!"

"What?!" Isogai Rensuke straightened up, threw the short knife in his hand aside, and a glimmer of hope returned to his eyes.

"General Terauchi Hisaichi of the North China Area Army Headquarters is calling!" The Communications Staff Officer delivered another telegram.

Isogai Rensuke immediately pounced on the telegram and read: "Isogai, the brave Tenth Division has completed its mission. The enemy's main forces have gathered at Xuzhou, waiting for me to annihilate them all. I have already sent the Twentieth Division to fully support you. Please bring the Tenth Division back!"

After reading the telegram, Isogai Rensuke threw back his head and laughed heartily: "The Twentieth Division has finally come! General Terauchi Hisaichi finally has some humanity!

We're getting an armored train as reinforcements?!

Heaven will not let my Tenth Division perish! Order all remaining forces to break out in one hour. Life or death, it all comes down to this final moment!"