Chapter 355: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 365 Organize a Huangchuan Campaign Battle!

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Lv Muzhi chose to personally lead the Third Army south to Huangchuan based on considerations of both the Huangchuan and Zhengzhou situations.

Great changes had occurred on the Huangchuan battlefield; six divisions suddenly appeared, no longer the previously favorable situation, and men like Hu Gongnan might start having divided loyalties, so Lv Muzhi had to reach the frontline to supervise the battle.

As for Zhengzhou, the Youth Second Army had already repelled the invading 21st Division and two Kwantung Army brigades, and with the Youth Second Army holding Xuzhou, Lv Muzhi was not worried about the safety of Zhengzhou headquarters;

moreover, with Chu Yunfei on the opposite bank of the Yellow River, the North China Area Army could not spare too many troops to attack Zhengzhou.

Lv Muzhi picked up his pen, writing and saying: "I will now request instructions from the old man to organize a pitched battle in the Huangchuan region!"

At the Huangchuan Frontline Summer Command, Hu Gongnan, Qiu Qingquan, and others had learned of the changes in Japanese troop strength, and fierce arguments broke out within the command post.

"The Japanese have actually deployed six divisions at Huangchuan; this is completely beyond our ability to handle," Hu Gongnan said straightforwardly. "Capturing Huangchuan is actually impossible; we might as well retreat to Xinyang and observe the Japanese next move."

Qiu Qingquan disagreed: "If we retreat to Xinyang, we won't be able to put enough pressure on Prince Tōgū, and he will be free to attack Wuhan!"

Hu Gongnan analyzed: "Are we supposed to just hard-attack Huangchuan City? There are tens of thousands of soldiers from the Imperial Guard Division and the Fifth Division inside Huangchuan City; how could it be taken just by saying so;

Prince Tōgū's 16th Division and 108th Division are watching from south of the city, and the 18th and 116th Divisions to the east are rushing toward Huangchuan;

the current situation is that we are the mantis, Huangchuan City is the cicada, and the 16th, 108th, 18th, and 116th Divisions outside are the oriole;

once we attack Huangchuan, it will be the mantis catching the cicada, and the four divisions outside will immediately be the oriole waiting behind!"

"We can temporarily not attack Huangchuan, but we absolutely cannot retreat; at least hold our current positions. Whether the devils are cicadas or orioles, we must keep them all in Huangchuan! This will greatly benefit the Wuhan campaign!"

"It's too dangerous; we must withdraw to Xinyang, otherwise we might be encircled and annihilated by the Japanese!"

"What are you rushing for? I am requesting instructions from Lu Commander and the Military Commission; can't you wait a moment?"

"Who's rushing? A general in the field need not obey the sovereign's orders. Our troops have finished fighting, so what war is there left to fight? Fighting all the way from last year, our tactics have always been to wear down the enemy's manpower. Why not this time be like before and stop while ahead?"

Hu Gongnan and Qiu Qingquan argued back and forth; when crisis came, Hu Gongnan was no longer polite to Qiu Qingquan, for his rank and position were both greater than Qiu Qingquan's.

Qiu Qingquan looked at the silent Song Xilian: "Commander Ji, say something?"

Song Xilian mediated from the side: "Soldiers take orders as their heavenly duty; let's wait for instructions from above. If above says withdraw, we withdraw; if above says hold, we hold."

The command post finally fell silent.

A staff officer outside heard the commotion inside had died down, walked in, and reported: "Report, General Du Yuming, division commander of the 200th Division, has arrived!"

Qiu Qingquan hurriedly stood up and asked: "Why didn't you say so earlier! Has the 200th Division arrived?"

Staff officer: "It seems... they have arrived..."

Hu Gongnan flew into a rage: "What nonsense, quickly invite Division Commander Du in!"

Du Yuming soon arrived at the command post; Hu, Song, and Qiu immediately surrounded him, leaving Du Yuming at a loss.

The 200th Division was the Central Government's only so-called mechanized unit, and the arrival of Division Commander Du Yuming surely brought the latest Central Government orders.

"Has the 200th Division arrived?!" Qiu Qingquan asked directly.

Du Yuming said: "Arrived! The main force can arrive tomorrow morning; I brought my attendants ahead to you first."

Qiu Qingquan wore an expression of great relief.

Hu Gongnan asked: "Did the old man send you? What did he say?"

"The news I received is that Lu Commander sent a telegram to the Central Government, deciding to launch a major battle at Huangchuan to pin down the Japanese six divisions and support the Wuhan campaign.

The Huangchuan campaign will be under Lu Commander's full command." After speaking, Du Yuming took out the old man's personal letter.

Hu Gongnan hurriedly took it to examine, confirming without doubt it was the old man's handwriting; no one would dare forge this.

Du Yuming roughly summarized the letter's contents:

"The order of battle for the Huangchuan campaign includes two Youth Armies with five divisions 【these two armies are the Youth First Army and Second Army, originally six divisions, but one division of the First Army was taken by Chu Yunfei north to the Yellow River, recovering three counties in North China】;

Hu Gongnan's two armies with four divisions, Song Xilian's one army with two divisions, Du Yuming's one division, totaling twelve divisions of about 180,000 men.

Lu Commander is personally leading the Youth Third Army south; at that time he will serve as Frontline Commander-in-Chief at Huangchuan, pinning down the enemy's six divisions in the Huangchuan region."

Hu Gongnan was somewhat uneasy: "The troops are too few; the Japanese have at least 150,000 men, and our forces don't even reach 200,000;

In the regions on both banks of the Yangtze River, why not transfer Tang Enbo's forces from the Fifth War Zone and Huang Wei's 18th Army from the Ninth War Zone to support?"

Du Yuming smiled wryly: "Old friend, you don't know how fierce the fighting is now on the north bank of the Yangtze River; Gangcun Ningci's 11th Army's five divisions are attacking like madmen, and I am the only unit the old man can spare to support Huangchuan;

On this Huangchuan battlefield, we can only rely more on Lu Commander's Youth Army."

South of Huangchuan City, Prince Tōgū led two divisions and was still arguing with each other.

"Your Highness Prince, the 18th Division and 116th Division are rushing to support Huangchuan; there is nothing more for us here. General Hata Shunroku requests we turn back and continue crossing the Dabie Mountains to attack Wuhan."

Prince Tōgū Toshihiko said: "Haven't you discovered that Du Yuming's 200th Division has already entered the Huangchuan battlefield?

How can you guarantee Xia Guo won't continue to reinforce Huangchuan?

Without eliminating a large group of enemies at Huangchuan, how can we possibly cross the Dabie Mountains with peace of mind?"

Lieutenant General Nakajima was very dissatisfied: "Forgive my frankness, Your Highness Prince, you are truly too timid and shrinking."

Lieutenant General Shimomoto Kumaya also said: "The enemy's attention is now drawn by Lieutenant General Gangcun Ningci to the north bank of the Yangtze River; if we cross the Dabie Mountains now, perhaps we can achieve surprise, decide the world in one battle, and pincer the main forces of the Fifth War Zone on the north bank of the Yangtze River."

Several people were still arguing when the roar of aircraft came from the sky.

It was Japanese aircraft; the planes flew over Prince Tōgū's troops and scattered a large number of leaflets.

Leaflets drifted down before the three men; Prince Tōgū picked one up to look at, and it was an order personally signed by General Hata Shunroku, Commander of the China Expeditionary Army.

The wording was extremely severe, directly naming the Sixteenth Division and the 108th Division, accusing them of hesitating and not advancing, delaying the fighter opportunity, and openly disobeying military orders.

And it declared: "Among the Sixteenth Division and the 108th Division, anyone who does not execute the order to cross the Dabie Mountains will be regarded as a Rebel Commander, subject to military law, with absolutely no leniency!"

These leaflets fell like snowflakes onto the various regimental and battalion stations of the Japanese Sixteenth and 108th Divisions.

Soldiers and grassroots officers picked up the leaflets; seeing the word "Rebel Commander" above, they were all shocked and clamorous.

We came all this way to fight in Xia Guo, so how did we suddenly become rebels?

Panic and unease spread rapidly through Tōgū Toshihiko's forces.

Nakajima and Shimomoto Kumaya also saw the leaflet's contents, and the two division commanders' expressions instantly turned extremely grim.

Using airdropped leaflets to announce orders to the troops was an ultimatum issued by Hata Shunroku in his capacity as Commander of the Central China Expeditionary Army.

"Your Highness..." Nakajima said, "You can't hesitate any longer—give the order quickly!"

Shimomoto Kumaya also lowered his head: "Please, Your Highness, make a decision at once."

Tōgū Toshihiko held the leaflet, looked up at his own planes still circling and dropping leaflets, then glanced at the frightened staff officers and guards around him.

If this goes on, morale will be gone before the battle even begins.

Hata Shunroku is pressing step by step; there's no other choice, we have to take a gamble!

"Order the entire army... turn around, return to the Dabie Mountains."

"According to the original plan, continue executing the mission of crossing the Dabie Mountains and outflanking Wuhan."

"Hai!" Nakajima and Shimomoto, as if pardoned, immediately stood at attention and saluted; right now they only wanted to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

"Also, gather all the airdropped leaflets and destroy them; General Hata Shunroku is disrupting military morale!"

Soon, the camps of the Sixteenth Division and the 108th Division rang with urgent whistles and officers' shouts.

The massive column writhed into motion again, heading back toward the Dabie Mountains they had just left.

In the marching Japanese ranks, resentment ran high, and the little devils chattered endlessly.

"What exactly are the commanders doing?"

"One moment they send us into the mountains, the next they pull us out—are they treating us like monkeys?!"

Tōgū Toshihiko taking the two divisions from the South Side away surprised Hu Gongnan, Qiu Qingquan, and the others greatly.

Hu Gongnan: "What exactly are the little devils up to? There were six divisions just now, and suddenly two of them left?"

Qiu Qingquan: "Tōgū Toshihiko came lightly and left lightly, dusted off his hands without firing a shot—quickly send a telegraph to Lu Commander for instructions!"