Chapter 436: When the Soldiers are Weak, the General is Weak; When the General is Weak, the Whole Army is Weak

Yu Hua looked at Zhang Yungang, "Regimental Commander Zhang, this time my Sichuan Army will annihilate the Japanese Army!"

"Your regiment has many new recruits, and the Japanese 6th Division is one of the more combat-effective armies among the seventeen Permanent Divisions."

"I am afraid that if I pull your regiment up, it will be wiped out by the Japanese Army very quickly."

After Yu Hua said this, Zhang Yungang understood; his own regiment's combat effectiveness was poor, and this time, with the Sichuan Army surrounding and annihilating the 6th Division, he feared his regiment would have lapses just like the last training exercise.

"Adjutant Yu, although our regiment's combat effectiveness is a bit poor, this time, surrounding and annihilating the..."

"I am willing to have the Sichuan Army use our regiment in a dispersed manner; to fight the 6th Division, our regiment must go up."

Indeed! In these times of war, adopting extraordinary measures—it's not as if the Group Army Commander hasn't killed before, so what harm is there in adding one more of his own?

Everyone's gaze fell upon Sun Zhen, and even Commander Chen came to Sun Zhen's side, "Old Sun."

After experiencing several battles, Xu Yuanquan now had a fear of the Japanese; he became terrified whenever he saw the devils.

As well as the 11th Army newly formed by the Imperial General Headquarters, Commander Okamura Yasuji mobilized new divisions to move closer to the Pinghan Railway Line.

After the Wuhan Battle ended, the Military Affairs Commission began to assign blame; the 26th Group Army had its designation revoked, and he himself became a prisoner.

In his early years, when Zhang Zhenhan was suppressing the Red Army in the Soviet areas, he was captured by the Red Army; after staying in the Soviet area for a while, he was moved by the series of changes in the Soviet area and recognized the practices of the Soviet area.

This time, the Japanese 6th Division and the Hada Detachment attacked the defensive line of Xu Yuanquan's troops; facing the powerful Japanese offensive, Xu Yuanquan's troops collapsed very quickly.

"Communications Soldier, connect me to the 27th Group Army; I want to speak with Yang Sen on the phone personally."

And the news of the fall of Anqing City soon reached the hands of other commanders as well.

Xu Yuanquan heard that three divisions of the Sichuan Army were rushing to reinforce the Anqing City area, plus the one Independent Brigade that was already there; in terms of troop strength, that was nearly fifty or sixty thousand men.

Zhang Yungang felt this was a good opportunity, and he prepared to contact Group Army Commander Xu Yuanquan.

Yu Hua thought for a moment; since Zhang Yungang dared to break up his own troops and distribute them into the Sichuan Army units, he could let the 26th Group Army troops participate in the battle.

This time, Zhang Yungang intended to send a telegram to the Group Army Headquarters to urge Xu Yuanquan to send troops to attack the Hada Detachment in Anqing City, or to follow the Sichuan Army to fight the 6th Division.

"During the battle in the Taihu Region, I had heard that later, after the 6th Division landed from Hangzhou Bay, they burned, killed, and looted along the coast, committing every evil."

Many Division Commanders and Brigade Commanders also led their troops to retreat all the way; the Japanese Army received the defensive zone of the 26th Group Army while sending small squads of troops to pursue the 26th Group Army.

In a small mountain village, the 26th Group Army Command.

The usually gentle and refined Commander Chen had his face turn rigid, as if every muscle were tensed.

Zhang Yungang's gaze was burning, and his tone was extremely firm.

"Absurd!" Xu Yuanquan shouted: "A Japanese division, and a Permanent Division at that, plus a Detachment—asking us to cooperate with the Sichuan Army to attack? Isn't this just asking for death?"

"Urgent telegram from the Zhang Yungang Regiment!"

Chen Cheng saw Sun Zhen: "Old Sun, Anqing City has fallen while in the hands of the Sichuan Army. Doesn't your Sichuan Army have Special Smoke? Use it to greet those little devils and poison these beasts to death."

There was also the Japanese fleet mobilizing a large number of ships; these pieces of information all revealed that the Japanese Army would definitely launch a strong attack on Wuhan next.

"No!" Zhang Biao waved his hand, "Commander, Zhang Yungang wants our 26th Group Army to send troops to assist the Sichuan Army in fighting the 6th Division and the Hada Detachment."

"How can our 26th Group Army be absent from surrounding and annihilating it this time?!"

The 26th Group Army absolutely must not let such an opportunity pass; winning another victory in the Anqing City area would be conducive to the Group Army atoning for its crimes with merit.

"Fine!" Yu Hua nodded, "Regimental Commander Zhang, go find Brigade Commander Liu Zhangqing and have your regiment broken up and distributed into the Independent Brigade."

"Send a telegram to Commander Chen Cheng, briefly stating that our army will be fighting the Japanese tonight."

Upon hearing the three words "Han Fuqu," Xu Yuanquan was struck as if by lightning and stood stunned for a short while.

Watching Zhang Biao leave, Xu Yuanquan felt quite fearful; if it weren't for Zhang Biao's reminder, he really wouldn't have wanted to fight this time.

In the original timeline, because of the collapse of the defensive line, Xu Yuanquan caused the disadvantage in the early stages of the Wuhan Battle.

The 26th Group Army now consisted of four divisions and one reinforced regiment. Among them, troop strength was severely insufficient, with each division having seven thousand men, and the entire Group Army having only a little over thirty thousand.

The several Division Commanders and Brigade Commanders of the 26th Group Army, seeing the Commander-in-Chief finally show some backbone, all applauded happily.

One very important reason for this, aside from the poor combat effectiveness of the 26th Group Army, was that Xu Yuanquan himself had been scared by the Japanese Army.

If it hadn't been for the Inspector General of Military Law He Chengjun helping Xu Yuanquan and making arrangements everywhere, Xu Yuanquan would have spent his whole life in prison.

After Zhang Biao notified the various Division Commanders and Brigade Commanders to attend the meeting, Xu Yuanquan looked at everyone.

The bigwigs of the Military Affairs Commission were also dissatisfied with Xu Yuanquan; some even suggested revoking the designation of the 26th Group Army and seizing Xu Yuanquan's military power.

This is just like when soldiers are fighting a bloody battle, why would the main general "surrender first"? How cold the hearts of the soldiers below must be!

Although Xu Yuanquan was afraid of battle, Zhang Yungang's Brigade Commanders and Division Commanders treated him well; one must learn to be grateful, and he still wanted to work in the 26th Group Army for a while longer.

However, compared to the Japanese Army's sea and water transport, the speed on the Chinese side was still much slower.

"Previously, the Nanjing Command also sent us a letter of inquiry as to why the defensive line collapsed so rapidly and a large amount of territory was lost; although we managed to get past it, the Military Affairs Commission will definitely investigate thoroughly."

With the little devils mobilizing troops, the Chinese side was also mobilizing troops; both sides now needed time.

"Say what?" Xu Yuanquan pressed: "Could it be that the Sichuan Army was crippled by the Japanese Army?!"

"Yes... Commander!"

At present, Anqing City had become the focus of China and Japan.

"Draft a telegram, have the 27th Group Army organize troops to retake Anqing City."

Zhang Biao hurriedly explained: "Commander, the Sichuan Army has sent reinforcements. Three divisions are rushing to the Anqing City area."

Liu Yinggu spoke up: "Commander, our Group Army is mobilizing so many people to attack the Japanese 6th Division and the Hada Detachment."

Plus the collapse on the road, many soldiers were swept up by the Japanese Army like rabbits in the grass; the total troop strength of the entire Group Army was only twenty thousand.

"The defenders of Anqing City were attacked by Japanese poison gas and all died in battle; Anqing City has fallen."

After all, the Japanese 6th Division and the Hada Detachment had completely crushed the defensive line of the 26th Group Army in just over a day.

After the July 7th Incident, Zhang Zhenhan returned to serve under Xu Yuanquan, carrying a heavy responsibility.

"Report to the Commander, the telephone line may have been blown apart."

"Especially after the fall of Anqing City, the Sichuan Army decided to surround and annihilate the 6th Division tonight."

"Hurry and go repair it!"

Just as Sun Zhen was about to speak, a Communication Staff Officer ran over quickly, "Commander Chen, an urgent telegram has arrived from Xu Yuanquan's troops."

In Hankou, at the War Zone Command, Chen Cheng was observing the strategic situation on the map.

Because the troops were the foundation of his own survival; once he lost the troops, he would lose his voice.

Thinking of the fates of Han Fuqu, Long Muhan, and others, Xu Yuanquan still decided that this time he would send troops to fight a battle with the Sichuan Army.

"Gentlemen, I have decided that today, our Group Army and the Sichuan Army will together encircle and annihilate the 6th Division and the Hada Detachment."

"Hmm!" Xu Yuanquan nodded, "Lao Liu, what you said is correct; we should also inform the higher-ups."

In any case, Zhang Yungang had also said that the Sichuan Army was reliable, and after the battle ended, a large batch of Japanese-style weapons would be distributed.

And he would let the Sichuan Army Old Soldiers properly train the soldiers of the Zhang Yungang Regiment.

"I understand what you mean. Previously, I was blinded by greed, but from now on, I, Xu Yuanquan, will definitely start anew and fight for the country."

If one also counted his own 26th Group Army, the total strength would be eighty or ninety thousand men, which was completely enough to give the little devils a sound thrashing.

Although the commander of the Japanese Central China Area Army, Hata Shunroku, had high-profile propaganda that the Japanese Army would not attack Wuhan next, however, the Military Statistics Bureau agents lurking in the enemy-occupied areas...

This caused the 26th Group Army's defensive line to be mostly captured by the Japanese Army in just over a day.

"Moreover, every division of the Sichuan Army is configured as a Class A Adjusted German-equipped Division, with a full division strength of fourteen thousand men."

"What?!" As soon as Chen Cheng heard this news, he widened his eyes.

The Division Commander of the 198th Division was Wang Yuying, and the 199th Division Commander was Luo Shujia.

However, Xu Yuanquan prioritized preserving his strength and rejected Zhang Zhenhan's proposal, and furthermore, he ordered Zhang Zhenhan to strictly execute his military orders; without an order, he was not to attack on his own initiative.

The 198th Division and the 199th Division were also organized and trained from the Security Regiments of Hunan Province, with each division formed from four Security Regiments.

Because the 26th Group Army's Old Soldiers had fought bloody battles in Songhu and Jinling, and fought bloody battles in Wuhan again, the combat effectiveness of the troops had declined very quickly.

"Commander, just watch! This time we will definitely teach the little devils a good lesson," the 41st Division's Division Commander Zhang Zhenhan said loudly.

The Communication Staff Officer's words were like a volcanic eruption, and everyone in the command post was instantly stunned.

Speaking of this, Zhang Biao whispered a reminder, "Commander, you must not forget Han Fuqu!"

Within the 10th Army, Zhang Zhenhan was a staunch pro-war advocate; he had repeatedly urged Xu Yuanquan to concentrate his troops to fight a bloody battle with the Japanese Army.

"As long as the main general fights a bloody battle, the backbone of my 26th Group Army will not break."

After finding Liu Zhangqing, Zhang Yungang stated his words, and Liu Zhangqing immediately arranged his regiment.

Xu Yuanquan looked at Zhang Zhenhan, "Lao Zhang, you are also an old man who has followed me for many years."

Zhang Biao was also on the side counseling Xu Yuanquan, "Commander, I think we should take the initiative to attack."

The 10th Army had participated in the Central Plains War under Xu Yuanquan and several encirclement campaigns against the Red Army in the Soviet areas, so it could be considered an army with rich combat experience.

This made Zhang Zhenhan very sad; he was very disappointed in Xu Yuanquan, and if he were not shouldering a heavy responsibility, he would have long wanted to leave the 26th Group Army.

Xu Yuanquan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and patted Zhang Biao on the shoulder: "Call a military meeting for me."

"The documents on the table are the force configurations of both sides for this battle. Overall, we occupy the advantage. The Japanese Army only has one division and a detachment, and furthermore, the Sichuan Army has already wiped out one regiment and two and a half battalions."

Twenty thousand men facing one Japanese division was just sending heads to the little devils; it was purely like an egg hitting a rock.

The Communications Soldier cranked the telephone, but after cranking several times, he still could not get through. Chen Cheng's eyes narrowed, "What is going on? Why hasn't the phone connected yet!?"

The 26th Group Army had jurisdiction over the 10th Army and the 87th Army; the 10th Army Commander was Xu Yuanquan, and the 87th Army Commander was Liu Yinggu.

The Communications Soldier Xiao Liu received the telegram from the Zhang Yungang Regiment and handed the telegram to the Communication Staff Officer Zhang Biao.

After Xu Yuanquan's troops made contact with the Japanese Army, before Old Xu himself had even issued a retreat order, he had already taken his guard unit and run away first.

Each army had jurisdiction over two divisions; among them, the 10th Army had jurisdiction over the 41st Division and the 48th Division. The 10th Army was Xu Yuanquan's original force, and these two divisions were both Xu Yuanquan's direct subordinates, organized and trained in Hankou.

Even, the Chinese side needed time more urgently to mobilize troops, even though the Golden Decade of construction had allowed the Chinese side's various railways and highways to have a certain development, and troop transport efficiency had improved quite a bit.

Coupled with the Xuzhou Battle where Principal Chiang executed the Central Army's direct subordinate general Long Muhan, and the non-direct subordinate general, the Lu Army's Third Group Army Commander Han Fuqu.

For this reason, Zhang Zhenhan took the initiative to serve as an instructor within the Red Army ranks, teaching the Red Army tactics on how to resist the enemy's encirclement. After the Red Army's anti-encirclement failed, Zhang Zhenhan even followed the Red Army on the Long March to arrive in Yanan.

"The little devils' combat effectiveness is so strong, and they have airplanes, artillery, Armored Vehicles, and Tanks. With our one Group Army's strength, plus the Sichuan Army's one Independent Brigade, such a small number of people is not even enough for the Japanese Army to fill their teeth!"

The 87th Army had jurisdiction over the 198th Division and the 199th Division. This army was organized and trained in Hunan Province, and the soldiers and officers were basically people from Hunan Province.

After Zhang Biao finished reading the telegram, he immediately came to Xu Yuanquan's side, "Commander!"

Especially after the slogan of defending Great Wuhan was shouted out, the fighting will of the people across the country rose high.

"Report to the Commander, received an urgent telegram from the Sichuan Army's 27th Group Army."

The Sichuan Army's three divisions and one Independent Brigade were preparing to encircle and annihilate the Japanese 6th Division, and plus, there was only one detachment of devils in Anqing City.

"Here!" Seeing Xu Yuanquan call his name, Zhang Biao immediately stood forward.

"Yes!"

The 41st Division's Division Commander was Zhang Zhenhan, and the 48th Division Commander was Xu Yuanquan.

"Yes!" Zhang Yungang nodded happily.

"The 26th Group Army and the Sichuan Army are cooperating, organizing eighty or ninety thousand troops tonight, preparing to encircle and annihilate the Japanese 6th Division and the Hada Detachment."

The frontline troops were fighting a bloody battle, and suddenly discovered that the Group Army Commander had abandoned them and run away; this made the soldiers and officers feel cold-hearted.

As the saying goes, a weak soldier means one weak person, but a weak general means a whole nest of weaklings! If Xu Yuanquan himself still had some backbone and dared to fight and struggle, the 26th Group Army would not have collapsed in such a short time.

"Zhang Biao!"

This made Zhang Yungang very worried about his commander's future!

Chen Cheng gritted his teeth tightly and clenched his fists; his pace became heavy, and every step made a huge sound, as if he were venting the anger in his heart through his footsteps.

"This matter should still be reported to the 9th War Zone, and also let Commander Chen Cheng know that my 26th Group Army, having been defeated repeatedly, is actively making up for the mistakes committed previously."

"Yes!" Zhang Biao saluted, then left the command post.

Sun Zhen, Zhang Fakui, Xue Laohu, and others had also arrived at the command post.

Coupled with some intelligence provided by the Sichuan Army, the little devils' troop movements, especially the Pingjin Area Army's 2nd Army moving south.

The first reaction was that Xu Yuanquan believed the Sichuan Army's Independent Brigade had suffered a devastating blow from the Japanese Army, and the one regiment he had sent out had now suffered heavy losses.

"With a force of eighty or ninety thousand men to surround and annihilate the Japanese 6th Division and the Hada Detachment, how could I, as the Commander, not know about such a massive campaign?"

"You could at least have notified me, let me know what the troops under my command are doing! Otherwise, like last time when a major victory occurred, everyone knew about it, and I, the theater Commander, was the only one kept in the dark."

(End of chapter)