Chapter 454: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa Chapter 464 Under the Walls of Beiping, the Xubeng Battlefie

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, Army Minister Hideki Tojo Lieutenant General urgently convened a military meeting.

The North China situation is critical, and command of North China's military forces has been directly transferred to the Imperial General Headquarters.

The Army Vice-Minister stepped forward, opened the document in his hand, and loudly reported the current situation: "The Garrison Mongolia Army's subordinate 1st Division, 11th Division, 26th Division, Independent Mixed 2nd Brigade, and Independent Mixed 9th Brigade have already arrived at Beiping City, jointly commanded by North China Area Army Commander Lieutenant General Tada Toshin and Garrison Mongolia Army Commander Okabe Naosaburo!"

"On the Xubeng Battlefield, North China Area Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Yamashita Tomonobu leads seven divisions and four brigades, pinned down by the Support China hundreds of thousands strong army, unable to move."

"The Kwantung Army and Navy have already blockaded Shanhaiguan!"

Hideki Tojo listened quietly; before him, a sand table of North China had already been set up.

He wanted to personally command the North China army and measure himself against Lv Muzhi.

He thought in his heart that if he could use the North China Japanese army to weaken Lv Muzhi as much as possible, then risk sending out the Kwantung Army to harvest the Youth Army's strength as much as possible, was not out of the question!

"Order the 1st Division and 11th Division to immediately station at Baoding, threatening Zhengding County where the Youth Army is stationed; the Xingtai 20th Division and Independent Mixed 1st Brigade should restrain Chu Yunfei's Guerrilla Corps as much as possible!"

"The 26th Division must hold the line at Juyong Pass and Nankou to block Qiu Qingquan's Second Army from entering the Pingjin Plain!"

"The Mixed 1st Brigade and Cavalry Group will hold Beiping; the 9th Brigade will retreat to Tianjin to ensure the safety of the sea transport line!"

"The Kwantung Army prepares three infantry divisions to board trains; the only Tank Division is also ready, prepared to leave the pass at any time depending on the situation."

The Japanese great army began to move.

Hideki Tojo hoped that at this final moment, he could find a single flaw in Lv Muzhi, so that the Kwantung Army could strike and deal a heavy blow to the Youth Army.

Lv Muzhi was inside Zhengding County, similarly having set up a sand table, watching the Japanese army's movements.

"Sun Liren leads the Youth Third Division, bringing two Armored Battalions, immediately south from Zhengding County, cooperating with Chu Yunfei to encircle the Xingtai Japanese army, and link up with Chu Yunfei's Guerrilla Corps as soon as possible!"

"The Youth First and Second Divisions will hold Zhengding County with me, steady and solid; the Army-affiliated 155 Heavy Artillery Regiment will deploy on the spot to prevent the Baoding Japanese army's two divisions from southward sneak attack!"

"The Garrison Mongolia Army has already withdrawn west of Juyong Pass, allowing Qiu Qingquan's Youth Second Army to travel at full speed by railway and road to Zhang Jia Kou."

Inside Zhengding County, the Youth First Army's three divisions, split into two routes, began to move.

Qiu Qingquan likewise set out from Datong, advancing east along the Pingsui Railway.

Inside Tokyo's Imperial General Headquarters, a group of Japanese senior staff officers had bloodshot eyes; everyone had stayed up three straight nights before the sand table.

Hideki Tojo stood with hands on hips, staring fixedly at the sand table.

In three days' time, the battlefield situation collapsed like a rolling snowball.

On the sand table, the red flag representing the Xingtai Japanese army was surrounded front and rear by Chu Yunfei's Guerrilla Corps and the Youth Third Division.

The Xingtai city Japanese 20th Division and Mixed 1st Brigade were attacked front and rear by the Youth Army.

On the battered city head of Xingtai, the Japanese remnant troops were exhausted but still resisted stubbornly.

The 20th Division's Sergeant Major Watanabe Saburō leaned against the city wall, writing his last battle diary with the pencil in his hand:

【This may be the last words I can write; the pencil tip is worn down so it can't be held, just like the fate of our unit.

My small squad has only three people left; Squad Leader Second Lieutenant Uchii died an hour ago.

To the north is the Support China's Youth Third Division; to the south is Chu Yunfei's guerrilla force.

Where is Commander Tada's reinforcement? Where is the Garrison Mongolia Army's cavalry?

Lieutenant Mizoguchi said there would be reinforcements, but I understand in my heart......】

"Sergeant Major Watanabe! The Youth Army is climbing the city wall!" a Japanese rifleman on the city head shouted.

Sergeant Major Watanabe gripped the pencil, as if not hearing, and wrote the last few words on the battle diary:

【They're coming up!】

——————

With the 20th Division and Mixed 1st Brigade defending Xingtai annihilated, Xingtai was smoothly liberated.

The Youth Army First Army and Chu Yunfei's Guerrilla Corps smoothly linked up; one hundred thousand elite troops gathered as one at Zhengding County.

The news of Xingtai's fall reached Tokyo; Hideki Tojo rubbed his dark circles, clenched his fist, and issued the order:

"Have the Baoding 1st Division and 11th Division prepare to meet the enemy; Lv Muzhi is going north to attack!"

"The Juyong Pass 26th Division must use the geographical advantage to delay Qiu Qingquan for several more days; wait and see, perhaps a turning point will appear."

Lv Muzhi once again stood before his sand table, fiercely planting a blue triangular flag at the position of Zhang Jia Kou.

"Qiu Qingquan's Second Army has already arrived at Zhang Jia Kou in Chanan, and is advancing east from Zhang Jia Kou straight at Juyong Pass!"

"The First Army and Guerrilla Corps will all advance north, repelling the Baoding Japanese army!"

"Our army's two routes advance together, attacking into Beiping City!"

In the sand table's planning, the First Army and Guerrilla Corps' tanks and one hundred thousand soldiers were marching boldly toward Baoding to the north.

Qiu Qingquan's Second Army, fewer than fifty thousand men, set out from Zhang Jia Kou and launched an attack toward Juyong Pass to the east.

The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters' wargame also reached its most tense moment; Hideki Tojo's command baton moved frequently on the sand table.

"Transfer the Heavy Artillery Brigade to Baoding!"

"Draw the Japanese 4th Cavalry Brigade from the Cavalry Group to reinforce Baoding!"

Tada Toshin played two more cards; he wanted to build two defensive lines at Baoding and Juyong Pass to wear down the Youth Army.

Lv Muzhi watched the red fortress the Japanese army built at Baoding on the sand table and issued the order.

"Urge our army's Heavy Artillery Regiment to arrive as soon as possible to support; the Armored Cluster will attack both flanks and forcibly break through!"

On the sand table, Lv Muzhi seemed to see the Youth Army's Armored Cluster's iron flow advancing irresistibly, shattering Baoding's Japanese defensive line.

The tank cluster, tempered by a hundred battles, under heavy artillery cover, directly smashed the defensive line of the Japanese 1st and 11th Divisions to pieces.

Inside the Tokyo Imperial General Headquarters, the staff officers, who had not rested properly for half a month, fell into despair as their flags were swept away one by one on the sand table.

"Report! The First and Eleventh Divisions have been defeated and are advancing toward Beiping City! The Fourth Cavalry Brigade is left to block them!"

Hideki Tojo's lips turned pale and his hair cracked; his beard and hair were filthy, and he had already seen the scene of the entire Fourth Cavalry Brigade dying to the last man.

On the sand table, warhorses neighed under the tracks of Youth Army tanks, and the swords and spears of the cavalry were futile against armored troops.

By the Qinghe River in Baoding, Colonel Sato Kenichi of the Fourth Cavalry Brigade sent a final telegram to the North China Area Army:

"Commander Tada, the brigade commander has died to the last man in enemy artillery fire.

My unit continues to block the Youth Army by the Qinghe River, covering the retreat of friendly forces to Beiping City.

The era of the samurai is over; we have failed.

My entire unit will apologize to Emperor Tenghuang by dying to the last man!"

As the blocking cavalry brigade was annihilated, the Youth Army occupied Baoding, and the Japanese First and Eleventh Divisions retreated in defeat toward Beiping City.

Inside the Tokyo Imperial General Headquarters, Hideki Tojo's hair was a mess, and he had not washed it for twenty days.

He pointed at the sand table and said:

"Order North China Area Army Commander Tada Toshin to gather his retreating troops and continue defending! I am considering sending reinforcements to deal a heavy blow to Lv Muzhi!"

"Inform the Third Fleet to arrive at Lian Yun Gang before dawn tomorrow to prepare to evacuate Yamashita Tomonobu's forces from the Xubeng Battlefield!"

Meanwhile, at Lv Muzhi's headquarters, Qiu Qingquan sent an urgent telegram.

"The terrain at Juyong Pass is treacherous, and the 26th Division is resisting stubbornly; it will likely be difficult to capture in a short time. Commander Lu may first attack into Beiping City!"

Lv Muzhi stared toward Shanhaiguan, where there were three hundred thousand Kwantung Army troops like wolves and tigers!

"To be safe, Qiu Qingquan must first break through Juyong Pass and join forces with us!"

"With the First Army, Second Army, and Guerrilla Corps totaling 150,000 men, huddle together to prevent the Kwantung Army from leaving the pass to attack us!"

"Order Lv Ziqing's First Airborne Brigade to assemble 1,500 paratroopers and immediately airdrop behind Juyong Pass! Coordinate inside and outside to help Qiu Qingquan take Juyong Pass!"

After 12 hours passed, dozens of DC-3 Transport Aircraft flew over the northernmost end of the Taihang Mountains, and more than fifty Bf 109 Fighters took off to escort them.

Countless pure white parachute blossoms bloomed in the sky, and the paratroopers attacked Qiu Qingquan's armored corps from inside and outside......

The Japanese 26th Division stationed there thus fell into a situation of being surrounded on all sides.

26th Division Captain Kondo Masao wrote his family letter at Nankou:

"O-tan! By the time you read this letter, I have probably become a wisp of dust in the mountains of Juyong Pass.

The battle completely exceeded the teachings of the Army Officer School.

The sky suddenly filled with white flowers; they were the Youth Army's paratrooper units.

They landed directly behind us, and atop the treacherous pass, we were actually attacked from front and rear.

We are being forced to retreat to Nankou...... I can only write this much; the signalman is leaving soon, I must immediately hand the letter to him to take away...... Farewell, Father!"

As the Japanese signalman took Captain Kondo's letter away, Qiu Qingquan's Second Army and Lv Ziqing's paratrooper units advanced toward Changping through Juyong Pass.

Juyong Pass fell! The western gate of Beiping was completely open, and Qiu Qingquan's Youth Second Army reached Changping north of Beiping City.

Lv Muzhi's First Army reached the Yongding River south of Beiping City.

Chu Yunfei's Guerrilla Corps advanced to attack Tianjin.

At the Tokyo Imperial General Headquarters, Hideki Tojo slumped in a chair; after more than twenty days of desperate struggle, even his personal command was of no avail.

"We have failed; Beiping cannot be held, and North China cannot be preserved!"

"Tell Tada Toshin and Lieutenant General Okabe Naosaburo inside the city that such a great disgrace requires them to commit seppuku to apologize inside the city!"

"Except for the main commanders, the Locust Army troops in the Pingjin Area may withdraw from combat, using the railway to Shanhaiguan and the port of Tianjin as the two main retreat routes!"

"Inform Lieutenant General Yamashita Tomonobu, on standby at Lian Yun Gang, to immediately lead his seven divisions and four brigades aboard Navy transport ships, withdraw from the Xubeng Battlefield, and have the troops sail to the Shanhaiguan area to stand by!"

At Lian Yun Gang, the Third Fleet dispatched many warships and transport ships to receive Yamashita Tomonobu's forces retreating from the Xubeng Battlefield.

A Navy lieutenant commander wrote in his logbook:

"March 29, Year 15 of Showa, cloudy weather, waters off Lian Yun Gang, Shina.

The evacuation is proceeding extremely slowly and chaotically; Lieutenant General Yamashita Tomonobu brought over 100,000 defeated troops to the port, and he himself has already flown back to the country to report.

To evacuate these 100,000 men as quickly as possible, we have requisitioned all fishing boats from Hokkaido.

The transport ships have docked, but the Army on the wharf has lost command.

I saw an Army lieutenant push a private into the sea in order to board first.

In Year 12 of Showa I once sent them to Shanghai; how proud the Imperial Japanese Army was then, but what is it like now?

The air battle in the sky continues; that is the Imperial Japanese Navy's Zero Fighters fighting with Xia Guo's fighter planes.

The enemy's artillery fire is drawing ever closer to the port, and I am very worried this great evacuation will turn into a rout......"

——————

As the North China Area Army on the Xubeng Battlefield withdrew toward Lian Yun Gang, other troops not subordinate to the North China Area Army, such as the Japanese 11th Army and 13th Army, gradually retreated to defend Jinling, Shanghai, and other places; the Xubeng Campaign gradually drew to a close, and this great battle lasting several months finally ended.

Beneath Beiping City, the night was extremely dark, and the Youth Army's assault forces were assaulting rapidly.

The paratrooper units coming down from Juyong Pass were advancing in the pitch-black night.

The flares carried by the troops were nearly exhausted in the fierce fighting.

Lv Ziqing sat in a jeep borrowed from Qiu Qingquan, identifying directions under the car lights.

A paratrooper ran toward him from the front: "Report, a Landlord Manor has been discovered ahead; the Bailey is too high to climb, and explosives cannot blast it open!"

Lv Ziqing looked puzzled; what kind of Landlord Manor could stop his First Airborne Brigade?

"Fire flares!"

Boom—whoosh!

As a flare rose into the sky, Lv Ziqing widened his eyes.

What met his eyes was not some Landlord Manor, but clearly the City Gate Tower of Beiping City!

Most of the Cheng Nei garrison had already fled toward Shanhaiguan and Tianjin Port!

Seeing this, the signalman carrying the radio stepped forward two paces and connected to headquarters.

Lv Ziqing took the communication device in stride: "Reporting to Lu Commander, reporting to Lu Commander!"

"The First Airborne Brigade has arrived beneath Beiping City!"

"The First Airborne Brigade has arrived beneath Beiping City!"

The Youth Army's movement trajectory in this chapter is shown in the diagram; Lian Yun Gang was apparently called Haizhou back then, no time to verify, just take a look.