Chapter 480: Appetizer

Xue Yue looked at Sun Zhen and grinned: "What if I insist on sticking my foot in!"

"You Sichuan Army folks are never willing to share the spoils of war!" Xue Yue wore an expression that said he saw right through him: "You have to know, whether it was the Anqing battle or the Taihu campaign before, whenever you Sichuan Army troops could swallow up the Japanese Army."

"You've always kept quiet and made a fortune; this time, no matter what you say, you must let my 1st Army Corps participate."

Sun Zhen patted Xue Yue on the shoulder: "Old Xue, if you want to come, I welcome you; I still trust you, Xue."

Sun Zhen was very at ease regarding Xue Yue's temperament; one had to know that Xue Yue was famous in the military for his explosive temper, and sometimes he would even give Chang Kaishen a cold shoulder.

Xue Yue laughed out loud, then turned his gaze toward Yu Hua: "Kid Yu, how do you plan to do this?"

Yu Hua also indicated it was no bother; even if Chen Cixiu came, he wouldn't be like Chang Kaishen, who liked to overstep his authority to mobilize troops.

For instance, Xue Yue had prepared 3 million rounds of machine gun ammunition, 500,000 rounds of various artillery shells, 10 million rounds of rifle ammunition, and 3 million hand grenades.

Of course, on the Sichuan Army side, Yu Hua had long since prepared supplies for the 22nd Group Army; the light and heavy machine gun ammunition and various artillery shells were enough for the entire group army to fight a campaign for a month.

The intelligence staff officer must be sent back to the hospital in Jiujiang for treatment, otherwise, if it dragged on for a few more days, the intelligence staff officer would only be able to Jade Shatter for the Imperial Army's Holy War.

In order to complete the plan to encircle and annihilate the 106th Division, Xue Yue also replenished the troops with a large amount of weapons and ammunition, especially now that the Sichuan Army Arsenal could mass-produce many Japanese-style artillery pieces.

"If we can achieve a major victory in the Mahuiling area this time, it can greatly alleviate our exhausted state on the Wuhan Battlefield."

"I will look at your Sichuan Army's ideas; if they are feasible and have no loopholes, I will assemble the troops and execute them according to the Sichuan Army's operational plan."

Chen Cheng had already experienced the Sichuan Army's way of doing things during the Taihu campaign.

Originally, on the Eastern Battlefield, the Japanese Army's specialty was conducting intelligence work, so Okamura Yasuji had no choice but to send his capable subordinate, 11th Army Staff Officer Sakurai Ryozo, to the 106th Division.

Xue Yue mobilizing so many supplies and weapons and ammunition naturally also attracted Chen Cheng's attention, and Chen Cheng also spoke with Xue Yue over the phone.

If he hadn't never revealed this battle plan to anyone else, he would have suspected that there was a Sichuan Army spy by his side who had secretly given his battle plan to the Sichuan Army.

Each regiment was equipped with 12 82mm mortars, and each battalion was equipped with six 60mm mortars!

Xue Yue believed that by committing the 74th Army and Ou Zhen's 4th Army, he was already fully capable of handling the Japanese 106th Division.

Nowadays, on the entire Wuhan Battlefield, with the Japanese Army's continuous reinforcements, the entire battle had fallen into a stalemate.

"Brother Yu, tell me, how shall we fight this battle!" Sun Zhen came to Yu Hua's side.

Especially the 4th Army in Ou Zhen's hands; this army was the ace among the Guangdong Army, and its combat effectiveness was not bad at all!

He had no choice but to select shrewd intelligence personnel from the entire army; regarding the 106th Division being in a passive position during several battles, Okamura Yasuji believed that, apart from the 106th Division's soldiers not having undergone restorative training before entering the battle.

After speaking with Chang Kaishen on the phone, Chen Cheng spoke with Xue Yue again, indicating that he wanted to make a trip to Wanjialing in the near future.

Chen Cheng spoke with Chang Kaishen on the phone, stating that the mobilization of his 1st Army Corps' supplies was his own idea, and that Xue Yue's army corps was in a bitter fight with the Japanese Army, suffering heavy losses and in urgent need of replenishment.

"Sigh... the current war situation is unclear, Xue Yue must have his reasons for doing this; I will explain it well to the Principal and say it was my idea."

The Sichuan Army 22nd Group Army had five divisions under its command, plus an Independent Brigade, so it still held an advantage in troop strength, not to mention that the Sichuan Army's combat effectiveness was famously powerful.

"In order to encircle and annihilate the Japanese 106th Division, I plan to bring in Ou Zhen's 4th Army; now that the 74th Army is already engaged with the Japanese 9th Division, once Wang Lingji's 30th Group Army plugs the gap."

Chen Cheng reckoned that Sun Zhen and Xue Yue must be hiding something from him, and he had to go see for himself.

Xue Yue equipped the three divisions under the 4th Army of Ou Zhen, who arrived first, with a Mountain Artillery Battalion, all Type 41 Mountain Guns, and each brigade was equipped with a Type 92 Infantry Gun battalion.

Sun Zhen now believed in Yu Hua's battle deployment without a shadow of a doubt.

Because his division's intelligence staff officer had fallen ill after entering the mountains, and now the military doctor in the division told him that the intelligence staff officer's condition was very serious.

After Okamura Yasuji received the telegram from Matsuura Junrokuro, he had no choice but to take on the job of a nanny once again.

While the Sichuan Army was working on a battle plan, Matsuura Junrokuro of the 106th Division began to worry.

Seeing Xue Yue's expression, Yu Hua could only say to himself: General Xue, I am sorry, I copied your battle deployment plan.

Xue Yue had no choice but to agree; Chen Cheng wanted to run to Wanjialing to take a look, and Xue Yue and the Sichuan Army's Sun Zhen were mixed up together, so there must be a major operational plan.

Immediately, the three of them began to discuss the operational plan again.

"Here, I intend to use the Reverse Eight-Character Formation to first give Matsuura Junrokuro's 106th Division a little appetizer."

"If he wants to come, let him come!" Sun Zhen said: "He is the Commander of the 9th War Zone, we have no power to stop him."

Xue Yue was afraid the plan would leak, so he did not tell Chen Cheng the truth.

Immediately, Yu Hua came to the map: "Two Commanders, here is Mahuiling, here is Baiyun Mountain, Daijia Mountain, Lushan Western Foothills, and Wushimen; in this terrain, we can adopt a plan to lure the enemy deep."

Xue Yue clapped his hands and said: "I am very satisfied with this battle plan; I have nothing to add, let's just follow your Sichuan Army's plan."

Afterward, Yu Hua added some other battle plans regarding how to execute them specifically.

At Mahuiling!

"I will also bring in the 74th Army; these two armies are currently the ace armies in my hands."

Matsuura Junrokuro had no choice but to send a telegram to his superior, Commander Okamura Yasuji, stating that the intelligence staff officer had left his post and the 106th Division was in urgent need of a staff officer familiar with intelligence work.

Xue Yue, who was on the side, listened to Yu Hua's battle deployment, his eyes widening with a look of great shock.

"Old Xue!" Sun Zhen called out to Xue Yue: "What do you think of this battle plan?"

Moreover, the matter of the Sichuan Army's Adjutant Yu betting with Xue Yue last time had also been circulating in the ears of several Division Commanders in the 9th War Zone for a long time.

Inside the 9th War Zone headquarters, Chen Cheng's brows were slightly furrowed: "This Xue Laohu is even guarding against me now!"

After Chang Kaishen said something noncommittal, he told Chen Cheng to save ammunition; now the entire Wuhan war situation was unclear and ammunition was tight, so he had to be frugal, and then he hung up the phone.

After Xue Yue hung up the phone, he glanced at Sun Zhen beside him: "Old Sun, Chen Cixiu is coming."

There was another important reason, which was that Matsuura Junrokuro had not handled the intelligence work carefully.

This battle plan of Yu Hua's was almost exactly the same as what he had in his mind; the degree of similarity between the two was no less than eighty percent.

The Japanese Army suddenly stopped advancing and switched to resting; this phenomenon was quickly reported to the Sichuan Army 22nd Group Army headquarters.

When Xue Yue, Sun Zhen, and Yu Hua received this intelligence, they also gathered together to discuss what was going on.

(End of chapter)