Chapter 362: Intercepting the 17th Brigade

Jiujiang.

In the temporary command post of the Japanese Army's 11th Army, A Naganuma slammed the telegram onto the table in anger.

"Bagega Road! Yichang has fallen, the 13th Division shattered."

A Naganuma's voice filled the entire operations room.

A Class A Division had actually reached the point of shattering.

Mu Xia Yong, Chief of Staff of the 11th Army.

"Nani!" He only glanced once, still uncertain, but he examined the telegram carefully.

He was also very puzzled: from receiving the 13th Division's tactical guidance report yesterday afternoon to today's shattering was less than twelve hours—what had happened in between?

"Commander, have you confirmed the authenticity of this telegram?" Mu Xia Yong said, still unsure.

A Naganuma shook his head. "The operations section has confirmed repeatedly that it came from the 13th Division's radio; at the same time, the 39th Division retreated to Jingzhou after being hit by Chinese air force attacks."

"So our earlier guess that the Chinese forces would attack Yichang was correct," Mu Xia Yong said.

But whether that was correct no longer mattered, because they could no longer assess what the Chinese would do next.

A Naganuma immediately said, "Deploy forces toward Dangyang, Jingmen, Zhijiang, and Jingzhou to strengthen defenses and rally their spirits."

"Commander, are you worried that the Chinese will launch attacks on these cities?" Mu Xia Yong asked.

A Naganuma looked at the operations map and said, "At present, it's not impossible!"

"When did the Chinese launch such a strong offensive?"

The most crucial reason that made A Naganuma doubt was that Yichang had been occupied for two years, with so many bunkers and numerous hidden forts, yet this fortified city fell to the Chinese in less than twelve hours.

In fact, it wasn't that the Japanese Army was weak, but that its opponent was too powerful.

Jiang Anguo's Yichang battle annihilated over twenty thousand Japanese troops, effectively wiping out the Japanese 13th Division in a single engagement.

His own losses plus those of the 11th Division exceeded three thousand five hundred men.

As for Jiang Anguo's Independent Regiment, losses exceeded two thousand; one could say the three thousand he brought to Yichang were completely replaced.

With a 1-to-7 casualty ratio, Jiang Anguo relied on a system that endlessly supplied frontline troops with soldiers; it was the constant influx of troops into Yichang that allowed its smooth capture.

The Japanese Army's will to resist remained very strong; it was not that the Huaxia army laid down arms after entering Yichang.

On the contrary, under the leadership of officers at all levels, the Japanese launched a counterattack against the Huaxia army.

Even Jiang Anguo and Hu Lian led a pursuit of the 13th Division's remnants; fighting continued inside the city, and gunfire had not ceased.

Can we say these losses are controllable?

Certainly. By exploiting absolute air superiority to conduct indiscriminate bombing of Yichang, not only can we kill more of the 13th Division's Little Devils, but also raze the entire city, including its civilians.

A soldier from the Reconnaissance Company ran back from the front and stood before Jiang Anguo.

"Commander, we have spotted a large Japanese force ahead, roughly over a thousand men," the Reconnaissance Company soldier said.

Jiang Anguo could not believe it, "What does that mean, Little Devils are blocking us up ahead!"

He thought the Japanese had detected their movement and were blocking them.

The scout shook his head, "Commander, no. This group of Japanese appears to be coming from Xiaoting, they carry no heavy weapons, and some are being helped—looks like they are wounded."

"Brother Xu, are there any Japanese units still in the Xiaoting direction?" Jiang Anguo turned to ask Xu Guozhang.

"No Japanese attacked Xiaoting," Xu Guozhang seemed to recall, "Oh, right, brother, the attack toward Huyashan yesterday was quite strong; it looks like the Japanese main force."

"But after your aircraft bombed them once, they quieted down. Do you think it could be that unit?"

Jiang Anguo recalled that yesterday the Japanese sent a reinforcement to Xiaoting, numbering three to four thousand, and now they seemed to be preparing to retreat.

Today's battle report from the entire corps also mentioned that the attack on Huyashan was carried out by the Japanese Nanshan Xiuji's Independent Mixed 17th Brigade, moving south to support Xiaoting, but they did not expect the 104th Regiment at Xiaoting to collapse so quickly.

Along the way they were swept by twenty‑four low‑altitude P‑38 runs, suffering heavy casualties and the offensive collapsed.

"Since we've seen them, we won't let them go. Let's tally up and eat these Little Devils; perhaps there's a big fish among them," Jiang Anguo said with a mysterious smile.

"Two division commanders, what do you think!"

"Got it, brother, let's eat these Little Devils," Xu Guozhang replied.

Hu Lian also nodded, "Their morale has collapsed, equipment abandoned; it's their most vulnerable moment."

It turned out this Japanese force was the retreating Independent Mixed 17th Brigade from Xiaoting, led by Major General Nanshan Xiuji, preparing to withdraw to Dangyang.

He also heard gunfire ahead, but it stopped quickly; however, Nanshan Xiuji did not order support for that gunfire and instead continued north toward Dangyang.

Yichang collapsed, and Division Commander Nei Shan Ying Tai Lang's whereabouts are unknown.

It wasn't that Nanshan Xiuji failed to rescue; the Chinese artillery was simply terrifying, and even now recalling that firepower fills him with dread.

Jiang Anguo quickly surveyed Xu Guozhang and Hu Lian, then said in a firm voice, "Listen to my orders. First, Brother Xu, lead the main force of the 150th Division from the north to encircle these Little Devils; they must not escape to Dangyang. Do not rush in; suppress them with mortars and machine‑gun fire."

"Second, Hu Lian, take the 33rd Regiment, the 34th Regiment's 1st Battalion, and the Division Guard Company, and pursue northward from the south, biting down on these Little Devils from behind."

Hu Lian's 33rd Regiment, under Deputy Division Commander Luo Xianda, has already linked up with the main force.

Yichang was left to the Independent Regiment to clean up the battlefield.

"Third, I will lead the Guard Company along the western ridge, sprint forward, seize the high ground, and directly attack the Little Devils."

Xu Guozhang said with some worry, "Brother, let me handle the main assault; you only have a Guard Company, and attacking a whole brigade of Little Devils head‑on is too much."

"Indeed, Anguo, perhaps we should let my 33rd Regiment make the frontal attack," Hu Lian also thought Jiang Anguo was being careless; even a defeated Little Devil force still numbered over a thousand.

Jiang Anguo said firmly, "You two need not worry; I have other forces en route. Follow my deployment directly. This meat is at our mouths; there's no reason not to eat it."

"Understood!" the two replied in unison.

Seeing Jiang Anguo so confident, Xu Guozhang and Hu Lian no longer objected.

They did not realize that after capturing Yichang, Jiang Anguo had gained an additional four thousand troops; thus, whether facing a remnant of a thousand Japanese or an entire Japanese Division, he would dare to break through head‑on.