Chapter 378: Republic of China: Starting from Whampoa Phase 1 Chapter 388 Openly Attack Lanfeng, Secretly Cross the Yellow River

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The task of attacking Lanfeng was entrusted to Liao Yaoxiang, Sun Liren, and Zhou Weiguo.

Each led a division of the Youth Second Army to launch an offensive against the Japanese troops at Lanfeng. Zhang Fei held Kaifeng, coordinating the frontline offensive and providing security for frontline combat.

Lv Muzhi and Qiu Qingquan held the rear, focusing on the construction of the Yellow River floating bridge.

The work of building the floating bridge was entrusted by Lv Muzhi to Qiu Qingquan.

Qiu Qingquan graduated from the Whampoa Second Phase Engineer Department, and his first position in the Revolutionary Army in his early years was engineer platoon leader.

During the Eastern Expedition and Northern Expedition, the floating bridges I walked across back then were all built by Qiu Qingquan leading men.

With him personally on site to command the Yellow River floating bridge construction work, Lv Muzhi felt much more reassured.

As for Lv Muzhi himself, he directly commanded the Air Force, needing both to support the Lanfeng battlefield and to ensure air safety at the floating bridge construction site.

At the same time, inside the North China Area Army Headquarters in Beiping, General Sugiyama Moto wore a worried expression, completely lacking the air of pointing out the land and rivers he had when he was Army Minister.

The situation in North China had become extremely critical.

It could be said that 1939 was the worst year in terms of situation in the past few years, but it would absolutely be the best year in terms of situation in the coming few years.

After a while, who knows whether the North China Area Army would still be in North China?

Everyone could see that Lv Muzhi, stationed in Henan South, was like a resting male lion, ready to erupt and bite at any time.

If not for the Yellow River natural barrier blocking him, his tanks would probably have already approached the walls of Beiping City, right?

Not only Lv Muzhi, but the situation in Shanxi was equally troubling.

Xia Guo's various forces were entrenched in the mountains—Taihang Mountains, Taiyue Mountain, Zhongtiao Mountain, Lv Liangshan—with guerrilla warfare erupting incessantly.

Especially the Eighth Route Army, the more they were suppressed, the more there were.

The wildfire cannot be burned out; the spring breeze blows and they grow again.

To deal with Lv Muzhi, General Sugiyama Moto had to draw troops from the Shanxi First Army, simply tearing down the east wall to patch the west wall.

Even more fatal was that Lv Muzhi directly sent Chu Yunfei across the Yellow River, specifically to make him sick.

Chu Yunfei successively recovered Jiyuan, Qinyang, and Meng County, taking root in Henan North, making him sit on pins and needles.

During the Wuhan Campaign, I had already borrowed the 18th and 116th Divisions from the Central China Expeditionary Army, preparing to encircle and annihilate Chu Yunfei.

But that Tatsuta Toshiroku actually transferred the troops to Huangchuan to participate in the battle, causing the encirclement plan to fail.

Now forces were stretched thin; Chu Yunfei, on the recovered land, together with friendly forces, had built a tight defense system, becoming a hard bone difficult to gnaw.

Thinking of this, General Sugiyama Moto's thoughts fell on the Lanfeng region.

Stationed there were the 21st Division used to monitor Lv Muzhi, as well as the Kwantung Army Independent Mixed Brigades 3 and 13.

"Monitoring is no longer meaningful. Originally it was to find Lv Muzhi's weakness, but now it seems I don't have the strength at all to overthrow Lv Muzhi.

Lv Muzhi grows stronger by the day; these three forces instead look like fat meat delivered to his mouth."

The Chief of Staff beside him, Yamashita Tomoyuki, understood his mind and spoke at the right time: "General, the monitoring mission at Lanfeng can indeed be terminated.

According to the latest strategy from Imperial General Headquarters, we should concentrate forces to maintain security in the occupied areas."

"I suggest transferring the 21st Division away from Lanfeng, and simply leaving Henan South to Lv Muzhi.

The two Kwantung Army Independent Mixed Brigades can be expanded into two triangular-system divisions.

All transferred north of the Yellow River, specifically to deal with Chu Yunfei."

General Sugiyama Moto nodded slightly; this Chief of Staff's idea coincided with his own.

Right now Chu Yunfei was the confidant great trouble.

If reinforcements of two newly organized divisions could be obtained, driving Chu Yunfei back south of the Yellow River was not impossible.

"You're right. I will immediately apply to Imperial General Headquarters to transfer away the troops guarding Lanfeng, and expand those two Kwantung Army brigades into divisions, as new forces of our army."

Yamashita Tomoyuki reminded: "Right now is a good opportunity for transfer. Xia Guo's Lunar New Year is approaching; they are going to celebrate the New Year, and presumably won't have any major military actions.

Our army can use this time to withdraw from Lanfeng, complete reorganization, and after the Lunar New Year go all out to suppress Chu Yunfei."

"Good!" General Sugiyama slapped the table. "Let's do it."

Inside Lanfeng City, Lieutenant General Sakai Matsudaira, commander of the 21st Division, received the transfer order and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

He had long wanted to leave this ghostly place of Lanfeng.

Back when the Youth Corps only had two armies, he relied on one division plus two mixed brigades to hold Lanfeng, barely managing.

But as Lv Muzhi's strength surged, he felt increasingly uneasy.

During the Wuhan Campaign, the Youth Corps crossed the Yellow River north and fought south, having no time to bother with him, which once made him feel much more at ease.

But now that the campaign was over, the other side grew ever stronger, while he himself had not made a bit of progress.

If he didn't leave soon, he would probably truly become Lv Muzhi's dish on the plate.

Fortunately, the order to retreat finally came!

"Congratulations to both of you." Sakai Matsudaira said to the two Independent Mixed Brigade commanders. "The Independent Mixed Brigades 3 and 13 will be expanded into divisions, and you will both be promoted to Lieutenant General division commanders.

This is truly a generous New Year's gift."

Major General Yoshizawa Tadanao, commander of the 13th Mixed Brigade, however stared at the map, his eyes full of the desire for battle:

"Promotion is certainly welcome, but I look forward even more to marching north to annihilate Chu Yunfei.

With the force of three divisions launching a fierce attack, I will definitely make the Youth Army taste defeat."

However, the relaxed atmosphere did not last long.

"Report! The Youth Corps Second Army shows abnormal troop movements, supplies are gathering, troops are moving frequently; it seems there are signs of a large-scale military operation!"

Sakai Matsudaira immediately grew alert; from his experience, this was a sign that a great battle was imminent!

"Lv Muzhi is about to make his move! He wants to eat us up at Lanfeng!"

Major General Yoshizawa Tadanao broke into a cold sweat; the sharpness he had previously boasted about using to devour Chu Yunfei vanished in an instant, and he said:

"A hard fight is not advisable; Xia Guo has an old saying: those who know the times are the outstanding ones."

Major General Yanagi Shita Juushi, commander of the 3rd Mixed Brigade, also concurred: "Quite right. Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, walking away is the best."

"We should immediately turn and retreat!"

"Good!" Sakai Matsudaira ordered, "Leave a rear guard, the main force withdraws from Lanfeng immediately, do not hard fight the Youth Army!"

The problem followed: who should bear the task of the rear guard?

As the Japanese Army detected movement, the Youth Corps also discovered signs of the Lanfeng garrison's retreat.

The two sides had confronted each other for over half a year, and each side's overall troop deployments were long clear to both.

On this Great Plain, exactly how many troops were where was perfectly clear.

Seeing the Japanese Army about to flee, Lv Muzhi made a swift decision.

"There is no time to prepare a full offensive."

"The Second Army launches attack immediately! The primary target is to expel the Japanese Army at Lanfeng; next, pursue relentlessly and expand the battle results!"

Once the orders were issued, the fighters of the Youth Corps Air Force took off one after another, monitoring Japanese movements and launching strikes.

Ground troops followed closely, striking out quickly, absolutely not letting the Japanese Army escape intact.

Once the Youth Army moved, the Japanese Army panicked.

The newly formed Fleet Air Group of the North China Area Army hurriedly took off, attempting to cover the withdrawal.

General Sugiyama Moto commanded remotely from Beiping, urgently ordering the Lanfeng troops to maintain order, use alternating cover to withdraw, and preserve combat strength.

But at this time, the Japanese Army at Lanfeng actually suffered a collapse of discipline.

The order was to retreat, but describing it as a rout would be more appropriate.

Lieutenant General Sakai Matsudaira, commander of the 21st Division, threw the rear guard task onto Yoshizawa Tadanao's Independent Mixed 13th Brigade, then rubbed foot oil on his soles and ran off directly.

"I know Lv Muzhi's troops too well; if we are slow by another step, his armored units will cut off our rear. Abandon unnecessary baggage, preserve our useful selves and return to the rear!!!"

Even the household belongings Sakai Matsudaira had managed at Lanfeng for over half a year, he had no time to take away; the entire army marched with light equipment and began running away.

Upon learning of the arrangement, Yoshizawa Tadanao was filled with resentment: "Damn it! I am about to be promoted to Lieutenant General division commander; isn't this letting me die here!"

"Notify the blocking force; fire a few shots in the heat of battle to get by, and that can count as accounting to Emperor Tenghuang!"

How could that Emperor Tenghuang, far away on the mainland, have imagined that not long after the outbreak of full-scale war...

His own Locust Army, facing the Youth Corps, had already been scared out of its wits, completely fearing the enemy like a tiger!