Chapter 379: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 389: One Log Crossing the Yellow River

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Inside Lanfeng City, the main force of the Japanese Army had already withdrawn.

Only Yoshizawa Tadanao's Independent Mixed 13th Brigade remained to cover the rear.

Inside the brigade headquarters, a staff officer hurriedly reported holding a freshly decoded telegram: "Brigade Commander, the vanguard units have exchanged fire with Youth Army tanks and request support!"

Yoshizawa Tadanao didn't even look, crumpled the telegram into a ball and threw it on the ground: "What support is there? Abandon the baggage, everyone immediately turn around!"

"Also send a report to the Area Army: my brigade fought fiercely with the Youth Army at Lanfeng, outnumbered by the enemy, the city fell, and we are now retreating to the rear."

Major General Yoshizawa Tadanao understood clearly in his heart.

The Youth Army made such a grand show this time; staying behind to cover the rear was tantamount to sending themselves to death.

Even the commander of the 21st Division ran away, so what's the point of me, a major general, sticking around!

The Youth Army's prestige at Huangchuan had already echoed internationally.

Thus, among the three Japanese Army units originally stationed at Lanfeng, Sakai Matsudaira's 21st Division and Yanagi Shita Juushi's Independent Mixed Third Brigade fled east first.

And Yoshizawa Tadanao's Thirteenth Brigade, after making only slight resistance, also closely followed them in a desperate flight for their lives.

Due to insufficient train locomotives, out of nearly thirty thousand Japanese soldiers, only officers could ride vehicles to evacuate.

Ordinary soldiers could only rely on their legs to flee east along the Longhai Railway, targeting Xuzhou.

To support the retreat, the Japanese Army positioned the 26th and 27th Divisions near Dangshan to provide cover, preventing the Youth Army from taking advantage to attack Xuzhou.

A rare sight appeared on the Longhai Line: Japanese trains belching white steam fled east at full speed, automobiles raced wildly along both sides of the railway, infantrymen carried rifles and ran desperately, abandoning baggage strewn along the way.

Worth noting is that, regarding fleeing, Independent Mixed 13th Brigade Commander Yoshizawa Tadanao was quite original.

The Yellow River ferry crossing to the north had already been bombed by Youth Army airstrikes, but Yoshizawa Tadanao still chose to cross the Yellow River northward, rather than fleeing along the railway line or riding in automobiles.

As for his own brigade's subordinates, they retreated along the Longhai Railway line.

Yoshizawa Tadanao and several close adjutants came to the wharf; all the ferry boats were indeed bombed, and supply boxes riddled with holes piled up on the shore.

"Brigade Commander, what do we do now?" The adjutant's face was ashen.

Yoshizawa Tadanao stared at the surging Yellow River and directly found a piece of wood.

Not caring about dignity, he hugged the wood and went straight into the water.

The adjutant was stunned by this scene: "No, Brigade Commander, you'll drown like that!"

"That's right! You'll disappear like that, Brigade Commander!"

Several adjutants desperately tried to stop him, but Yoshizawa Tadanao was unmoved, hugging a round log and paddling wretchedly toward the north bank of the Yellow River.

Only a few adjutants remained standing stupidly on the shore.

Inside Lanfeng City, Liao Yaoxiang's troops charged in with almost no resistance.

This small city by the Yellow River was declared liberated after paying an extremely small price.

Several months ago, the Youth Army had annihilated the Doihara Division here, then was forced to retreat.

Now less than a year later, the Youth Army's soldiers and tanks once again set foot on this land.

"Commander, several Japanese Army officers were caught at the Yellow River ferry crossing!" Several guards brought Major General Yoshizawa Tadanao's adjutant over.

Liao Yaoxiang frowned: "The Yellow River ferry crossing has already been destroyed by my Air Force, so why are Japanese soldiers still running to the crossing? Getting caught serves them right!"

The guards looked at each other, and finally said: "According to their confession, Independent Mixed 13th Brigade Commander Major General Yoshizawa Tadanao, hugging a log, directly crossed the Yellow River...

Leaving only them a few behind, without boats they dare not easily cross the river."

Liao Yaoxiang was stunned: "You mean, a Japanese devil, abandoned his own troops, hugging a log? He did a one-log crossing of the Yellow River?!"

The guards nodded.

Zhou Weiguo touched his chin: "Not only do I not believe it, reporting it to Lu Commander, Lu Commander wouldn't believe it either!"

Sun Liren looked at the map: "This won't do; we went out once and didn't even catch a Japanese devil major general."

Liao Yaoxiang made up his mind: "Letting a major general run away doesn't matter; count him lucky this time. As long as he doesn't withdraw from the North China Area Army, there will still be a chance to fight him.

There are many Japanese troops on the Longhai Railway line; catching the 21st Division is also possible!

Right now Major General Yoshizawa Tadanao directly abandoned his own troops; tomorrow the Japanese Army will become routed troops, and we must tighten the pursuit!

If we don't kill several thousand of them, this trip will have been in vain!"

Zhou Weiguo and Sun Liren both deeply agreed, immediately deploying armored units to pursue along the railway line, while requesting air support to bomb Japanese military trains.

On the Longhai Line, a chase battle fully unfolded.

21st Division Commander Lieutenant General Sakai Matsudaira sat on the first train fleeing east, his right eyelid kept twitching. "Where are we?" he asked the staff officer.

"The next stop is Mamujie; we still have eighty kilometers to reach Dangshan Fortress, where the 26th and 27th Divisions will provide cover."

Sakai Matsudaira worriedly said: "I'm worried the Youth Army will catch up, and even more afraid they'll break through Dangshan Fortress and strike straight at Xuzhou along the railway."

The staff officer shook his head, comforting him: "Dangshan Fortress has been operated for over half a year, with anti-tank trenches and anti-tank obstacles everywhere, plus bunkers and blockhouses, specifically prepared against the Youth Army; their tanks can't break through."

"We still need to worry about ourselves; as long as we haven't reached Dangshan Fortress, we are still in great danger."

Sakai Matsudaira nodded: "Just these eighty kilometers left! Send a telegram to the Dangshan garrison, asking them to send troops forward to meet us. Tell the train driver to keep going at full speed!"

Sakai Matsudaira wanted to escape, but the Youth Army's Air Force wouldn't agree.

Fighter planes continuously searched along the Longhai Line, and upon finding marching Japanese troops, they dove to strafe.

Bombers directly blew up the railway, stopping a military train.

The Japanese soldiers on the train had to jump off and flee east on foot.

The BF109 fighter planes in the sky overlooked the railway line, seeing the Japanese soldiers like a cluster of ants; strafing them would surely yield rich results.

Under these circumstances, not a single pilot could resist opening fire.

The Youth Army pilots launched a dive attack without hesitation.

Cannon and machine-gun fire poured down, sending Japanese soldiers flying in pieces, their screams unceasing.

The Japanese Army was forced to slow down and disperse to take cover on both sides of the railway.

A Japanese sergeant lay on the ground, watching helplessly as a comrade nearby was sliced in two by a fighter.

He was caught in a dilemma: running would make him a target for the fighter, but lying motionless he feared the pursuers would catch up.

However, his worries soon ended, as his ears pressed to the ground heard the tremors coming from Xifang.

It was the sound of a large-scale armored force advancing.

They're here~!

"The Youth Army's tanks are catching up!" someone among the Japanese shrieked.

These words exploded like thunder among the routed troops.

Everyone no longer cared about the threat from the air, scrambling to their feet to continue fleeing for their lives.

On the Western Front, the Youth Army had assembled a total of one hundred T26, 38T, and Sanhao tanks.

Plus armored vehicles, anti-aircraft vehicles, and so on, about one hundred and fifty tanks, with dozens of supply trucks carrying fuel following along, marching mightily along the railway line in pursuit.

Behind the Armored Pursuit Force, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles carrying thousands of Youth Army Infantry followed closely behind.

On the railway line, the Youth Army also dispatched a military train, fully loaded with soldiers, pursuing eastward, striving to annihilate more Japanese soldiers on the earth of Henan South.