Chapter 289: Out of Breath

Several Sichuan Army soldiers headed quickly toward the spot where Wu Keren had just been standing.

Everyone now saw only a shell crater where Wu Keren had just been standing.

Inside the shell crater!

Everyone also saw Wu Keren, whose entire body was still emitting black smoke.

"Army Commander... Army Commander..."

The men of Wu Keren's Guard Company, in particular, came rolling and crawling to Wu Keren's side.

Lying in the shell crater, Wu Keren could feel that his whole body was in great pain.

It was as if he were being roasted on a fire.

After learning of this news, Matsui Iwane immediately cabled an order to the 10th Army Commander, Yanagawa Heisuke.

"You will definitely be fine; I have already called for the medics."

"I am finished!"

This was the late stage of the Songhu Campaign, during the troop withdrawal phase.

"You still have to lead us to fight our way back to our hometown."

Discovering that the Army Commander's hand had loosened, Wang Biao shouted hysterically: "Army Commander..."

That an Army Commander had actually been killed in action was something the generals attending the meeting had not expected at all.

Everyone also had not expected the Sichuan Army 43rd Army to be in such a miserable state.

"This battle is not over yet; you must not fall asleep."

Because, according to the Imperial General Headquarters' orders, the scope of the pursuit for the Shanghai Expeditionary Army and the 10th Army.

They were now also exhausted from the fighting; the stubborn resistance of the Songhu defenders had already left a deep impression on them.

The entire army also stopped advancing further because the Shanghai Expeditionary Army, which had fought a bloody battle for three months.

Because!

"I heard it... Army Commander, I heard it!"

In Wuhu!

Seventh War Zone Headquarters.

He looked at his Guard Company Company Commander: "Wang Biao!"

The generals attending the meeting, after seeing the casualty report for the Songhu Battlefield.

"The 67th Army must break out."

This unit had fought for a long time on the Songhu Battlefield.

Now, the attack speed of the two armies had already exceeded the regulations of the Imperial General Headquarters' "Rin-Mei No. 600" order.

From the start of the war until now, the Republic of China Army had lost one Army Commander, Lieutenant General Wu Keren of the 67th Army.

The Sichuan Army also had to prepare to block the Japanese Army's advance toward Jinling.

The casualty rate for field-grade officers at the Regiment and Battalion levels accounted for two-thirds of the field-grade officers among the army of over seven hundred thousand.

"After I die..."

The Eighth Group Army, which had withdrawn from Songhu, along with Liujianxu's 10th Group Army.

Seeing the weeping Wang Biao, Wu Keren used his last bit of strength to say: "I know my own injuries."

Seeing Wang Biao nod, Wu Keren nodded slightly.

Actually!

"Even if only one person breaks out, it is a seed for our 67th Army."

Blood spilled from the corners of his mouth.

"Cough, cough..."

It caused great trouble for the 18th Division.

After the withdrawal of troops from the Songhu Region.

The Sichuan Army 43rd Army, under the leadership of Guo Rudong, arrived in Wuhu.

At the same time!

The people attending the meeting were also silent for a while.

As for the more than three hundred thousand people often mentioned in the new era, they formed a great rout during the retreat, with one hundred thousand casualties.

And!

"Come quickly... hurry, the Army Commander is injured."

Before he could even finish his sentence, Wu Keren began to cough violently.

"Army Commander, you must not sleep; you will be fine."

The 10th Army, in particular, had already successively captured Pingwang and Jiaxing, and was now moving to the south of Taihu.

It could only be to the east of Taihu, from Wuxian to the east of Fushan.

Pan Wenhua, Fu Chang, Fan Shaozeng, and others also went to visit Guo Rudong.

He struggled to look at his lower body and found that his thighs were already charred, a pitch-black mess.

They were marching toward the Wuxing area.

This battle in Songhu concentrated so much of the nation's military strength, including the navy, army, and air force.

Having fought a bloody three-month battle against the little devils, although they were now retreating, they had still managed to rescue a significant amount of industry to be transferred to the Southwest Hinterland.

Covering the main force's withdrawal!

The battle began at five o'clock in the evening and lasted until ten o'clock at night.

Now Jinling is heavily defended.

Jinshan County!

Fan Shaozeng, Guo Xunqi, Pan Wenhua, and Fu Chang, among others.

The casualties of the soldiers were nearly over two hundred thousand.

Wang Biao shouted while tearing off his clothes to help Wu Keren stop the bleeding.

On the highway and the Railway.

For example, in Pingwang, the internal and external line operations of the Guangxi Clique Seventh Army.

"Army Commander... you cannot sleep!"

Now!

The command post of the Japanese Army 10th Army was established here.

The rearguard troops also exerted all their strength to kill the devils fiercely.

Although the 10th Army was not as exhausted as the Shanghai Expeditionary Army, it was still faster than the Shanghai Expeditionary Army to rest and recover its vitality.

That was why Matsui Iwane gave Yanagawa Heisuke the order to stop the pursuit.

If they continued to pursue, they would enter the National Defense Line constructed by the Republic of China Army.

"Army Commander, do you hear me?"

In order to follow the orders of the General Headquarters.

Because!

The 67th Army had just evacuated from Songjiang Town.

Ordering them to stop the pursuit immediately and consolidate the occupied areas.

After a short rest, the 10th Army Commander Yanagawa Heisuke received telegrams from his subordinates.

"Remember my words, the 67th Army must fight its way back to our hometown."

The 114th Division, which attacked Jiaxing, also fought with the Sichuan Army 20th Army for a long time, and both sides suffered heavy casualties.

Everyone also quieted down for a moment!

This casualty rate was truly a bit too high.

Seeing the ragged 43rd Army, Pan Wenhua, Fu Chang, and the others were all stunned.

Two Deputy Division Commanders, Xia Guozhang and Wu Guozhang of the 175th Division, and more than ten Brigade Commanders.

The large hand that was gripping Wang Biao also loosened at this moment.

The telegrams were all boasting that the troops had finished resting, had now recovered as before, and were confident in continuing the pursuit.

"Drive the devils out of our hometown, and also show the countrymen that we, the 67th Army, we, the Northeast Army."

In short, this battle still had a certain value.

Many Sichuan Army generals also learned the news that Nanjing was being held by heavy troops.

Then they prepared to enter the National Defense Line to achieve persistent resistance.

Seeing this, Wang Biao shouted loudly: "Medic... medic..."

They fought even longer than Yang Sen's 20th Army.

The Songhu Campaign lasted more than three months.

Following that, Wu Keren's large hand gripped Wang Biao fiercely: "Did you hear me?!"

The Nanjing Command held three meetings and then decided to hold Nanjing.

Old Wu knew that he might not live much longer.

The news of the death of Army Commander Wu Keren in Songjiang Town was also delivered to the Nanjing Command.

Their opinions were the same as those of Liu Dashuai, believing that it was not easy to dispatch heavy troops.

This was also the highest-ranking general of the Republic of China Army to die on the Songhu Battlefield.

"Tell the brothers who broke out, they must fight their way back to our hometown."

The 67th Army Commander has died in battle!

After the officers and soldiers of the Northeast Army learned of this.

The two units entered Songhu around the same time; the 43rd Army did not withdraw from Songhu until November 8th.

When the 10th Army was mopping up east of Taihu, it also encountered strong resistance from the Republic of China Army.

"Wang Biao, you must remember my words."

"We also have backbone; we are absolutely not cowards."

Wang Biao nodded while crying: "Sobbing..."

The Shanghai Expeditionary Army was still relatively obedient; after they received the Commander's order.

After Yanagawa Heisuke received this order, he also ordered all units of the 10th Army to rest for a while.

Now the 10th Army was also exhausted and out of breath, needing to catch its breath.

The Shanghai Expeditionary Army and the Japanese Army 10th Army began to advance toward Nanjing with all their might.

Now they were all incorporated into the Sichuan Army Seventh War Zone and were resting in the rear.

Moreover, the entire army had over ten thousand people, and now there were only this many left.

It is evident how intense the 43rd Army's fighting in Songhu was.

(End of this chapter)