Chapter 173: A Heavy Hammer Blow

Marshal Liu and his party, led by Deng Xihou, entered the headquarters of the 22nd Group Army.

Tonight, the Sichuan Army is preparing to launch an offensive against the 20th Division and 108th Division stationed at Niangziguan.

Upon hearing this, Marshal Liu said with some concern: "De Cao, Jinkang!"

"The 22nd Group Army currently only has five divisions; this troop strength is not quite enough."

"The devils' 20th Division and 108th Division have a total of over fifty thousand men."

"What if the Pingjin Area Army sends reinforcements?"

"Everyone, please look at the map!"

Before this, everyone had also assumed it was Liu Zhi's troops who had begun to exert their strength and blocked the devils' offensive.

After Yu Hua finished speaking, he clarified again that units from the Itagaki Division on the Xinkou Battlefield had also been drawn away.

Seeing Marshal Liu speak this way, Deng Xihou and Sun Zhen both smiled and said.

Deng Xihou patted his chest and said: "Marshal, you said when you returned from attending the National Defense Conference back then."

"They are the Imperial Guard Division, the 7th Division, the 18th Division, and the 114th Division."

Likewise, Yu Hua also said that Nakajima Kesago's 16th Division has now also ceased its pursuit.

Marshal Liu and his party were invigorated; Chu Yunfei and Sun Ming also widened their eyes.

"This still gives us, the Sichuan Army, the advantage."

"The 18th Group Army will also have troops participating to fight the devils alongside us."

They all agreed that Jin Province must be held, otherwise it would be too disadvantageous for our side.

Yu Hua nodded; this was what he wanted to say.

"For this matter, let this kid Yu Hua explain it."

Nakajima Kesago is currently leading his troops and is also rushing toward Tianjin.

However, there was no lack of clever people on the scene.

Seeing Yu Hua finish his analysis, everyone's minds became active.

The current Songhu Battlefield has exhausted both sides, almost the same as during the First World War.

This division is currently assembling toward Tianjin.

"Marshal, tonight, we will launch a Night Raid."

The devils in the Pingjin Region are now weak in strength to the extreme.

Marshal Liu also knows the importance of Jin Province; the devils' strength in the Pingjin Region is currently weak.

This situation is favorable for the Republic of China troops.

Chu Yunfei widened his eyes, "Brother Yu, your mind is truly meticulous!"

Upon hearing this, everyone recalled that Liu Zhi had previously reported this news: the pursuing devil troops were missing one division.

It is precisely a good opportunity to strike, to give the devils a good slap in the face.

On the Jin Province Battlefield, one could fully launch a counterattack against the Pingjin Area Army.

"They are gathering in Tianjin now; what does this mean?!"

Yu Hua called for someone to bring the intelligence he had collected.

Plus, the Sichuan Army 22nd Group Army previously annihilated one devil division and one brigade in the direction of Niangziguan.

"We can have a go at the devils."

Hearing this, Marshal Liu laughed happily: "Fight!"

"The devils on the Songhu Battlefield are now also deadlocked with our side, unable to continue their offensive forward."

"Your basis, Brother Yu!"

"From the devils' troop movements and the few words in the newspapers, one can infer so much information."

And by providing some intelligence, it is easy to conclude that the devils' army has major operations underway.

"Chang Kaishen's plan to fight a major battle in Songhu to attract the devils' forces to Shanghai can also be considered complete."

His troops, after resting, have temporarily blocked the devils' offensive along the Zhengding line.

Right now, the fighting on the Xinkou Battlefield is intense, and the Pingjin Area Army has drawn away Itagaki Seishiro's 5th Division.

"They are currently pursuing Liu Zhi's army along the Zhengding line."

After all, since ancient times, most wars of unification for dynasties have been from north to south.

"Gentlemen!"

"The 6th Division and the 16th Division, they have now stopped their pursuit."

"You can take a look!"

Sun Zhen grinned and said: "Marshal, the devils' strength in the Pingjin Region is weak now."

Neither side can do anything to the other!

"We are clear on the situation of the Songhu Battlefield; what can this explain?"

"The devils' General Staff Headquarters will certainly agree."

At the time of the National Defense Conference, the participating generals were all afraid that the devils would follow Kublai's path.

Upon hearing this, Marshal Liu nodded repeatedly, "The devils' troop movements in the Pingjin Region are to reinforce the Songhu Battlefield."

Sun Ming, as Huang Shaohong's Adjutant, grinned and said: "The basis!"

"Moreover, the Pingjin Area Army currently has very little mobile force in its hands."

Chu Yunfei was such a person; he stood up.

"We must hurt the devils in the Pingjin Region."

"Li Jiayu's remaining troops are about to enter the war zone; my Sichuan Army has sufficient troop strength."

"Reinforcing the Songhu Battlefield, the devils certainly won't pull all their Divisions out of their home country."

"But, just two days ago, Liu Zhi's troops discovered that the attacking devils were missing one Division."

"This greatly relieved the pressure on Liu Zhi."

As the group watched, Yu Hua said: "As the saying goes!"

"Reinforce the Songhu Battlefield?"

Yu Hua's tone suddenly grew louder.

"Chang Kaishen must protect Jin Province; he fears the devils will follow the path Kublai took to destroy the Southern Song."

"According to intelligence, there are currently a total of four Divisions in the devils' home country."

Whether it was the Sichuan Army or the Jin-Sui Army, everyone was clear about this information.

After being prompted by Yu Hua, they all thought of what Yu Hua intended to express.

If Yu Hua hadn't reminded them, no one would have thought in this direction.

"I infer that the devils' General Staff Headquarters will pull at most two Divisions, and then, the remaining forces will be drawn from the Pingjin Area Army."

"This is some intelligence that our Sichuan Army collected in the Pingjin Region."

And Tani Hisao's 6th Division assembling in Tianjin is just a normal rest and reorganization.

However, with Yu Hua analyzing it this way right now.

"Brother Yu, do you mean that the devils of the Pingjin Area Army will be pulled south?"

Fu Chang spoke up: "Is there no news of reinforcements for the Pingjin Area Army?"

The Pingjin Area Army is now pulling two and a half Divisions south.

"Then our Sichuan Army should take this opportunity to land a heavy blow on the devils in the Pingjin Region."

"If it were just for rest, there would be no need to all head to Tianjin."

"Where did you get this from?"

Everyone looked at him, and Yu Hua walked forward, picking up the Command Stick in his hand.

"This is very obvious; the devils' forces in the Pingjin Region are about to be pulled to the Songhu Battlefield."

"We must fight, fight them hard!"

"That would cause the front-line troops to suffer heavy losses."

Now that Yu Hua has reminded them, the unit that stopped its pursuit is Tani Hisao's 6th Division, this very Division.

"In the Songhu Region, there are now over 700,000 of our troops gathered, and the devils have over 200,000."

"Given that the Pingjin Area Army has won consecutive victories in the north, they have basically encountered no obstacles."

This is the home turf of the Sichuan Army; Chu Yunfei wanted to speak, and Liu Dashuai gave his nod of approval.

Everyone's gaze was now entirely focused on Yu Hua.

"After the Shanghai Expeditionary Army and that old devil Matsui Iwane failed in their Central Breakthrough tactic."

"That old devil Matsui Iwane requested reinforcements from his home country."

"If we attack the Chuan'an Corps, Terauchi Hisaichi will certainly not send reinforcements."

"Otherwise, why would they pull out two Divisions?"

Fu Chang responded; he really hadn't expected that there would be any connection between the Pingjin war situation and the Songhu war situation.

"In the Pingjin Region, Tani Hisao's 6th Division and Doihara Kenji's 14th Division."

"Would the defensive line that our Sichuan Army worked so hard to establish be easily pierced by the devils?"

This is very obviously the devils preparing to resolve the Songhu Battlefield in one fell swoop.

"Just inferring like this won't do; after all, if any of our judgments are inaccurate..."

Everyone understood what Yu Hua was saying.

Sun Zhen looked at Yu Hua, then looked at Liu Dashuai: "Marshal!"

"As they say, troops and horses move, but provisions and fodder go first."

Liu Dashuai also knew that once the devils attacked from north to south, the harm caused to the Republic of China would be quite immense.

Take advantage of the devils' illness to take their lives!

(End of this chapter)