SWDnovel Chapter 267: Four Japanese Divisions Provide Support, Okamura Neiji's High-Stakes Gamble
Chapter 267: Four Japanese Divisions Provide Support, Okamura Neiji's High-Stakes Gamble
Author Wuyun's Twilight Years Personally Recommends: I hope you enjoy the story of "You Were Asked to Guard the Sihang Warehouse, and You Developed a German-Style Division".
The place name was inconspicuous on the map, like a small chess piece, but when Okamura Neiji pressed his finger on it, it was as if he had pressed the key point of the entire game.
Is there any special significance to this place?
He took a sip of tea, which swirled in the cup, reflecting half of his face.
Okamura Yasuji pointed to Wanjialing and said with a burning gaze:
"After continuous fierce fighting, cracks have appeared in the enemy's frontal defenses. And these cracks are in the Wanjialing area."
His voice was unhurried, yet carried an undeniable certainty.
"If our army can outflank Wanjialing and capture De'an, which is currently undefended, and encircle and annihilate twenty enemy divisions along the Jiujiang-De'an line, the stalemate on the front will be completely broken."
He paused here, as if giving his plan a final review.
"Previously, we lacked sufficient troops, with only the 106th Division available. Now, with the arrival of four more divisions, I can completely eliminate this concern and worry."
Kawabe Torashiro couldn't help but stand up, walk to the window, pick up his binoculars, and gaze into the distance.
He carefully observed the terrain from Wanjialing to De'an. The mountains were undulating and the forests were dense, making it a dangerous place for military operations.
The Nationalist army's troop deployment here was indeed weak, like a wall with a few bricks removed, which could collapse with a push.
"I see. One division is indeed not enough, but two divisions will suffice."
"Kawabe Torashiro said confidently, putting down his binoculars and turning to look at Okamura Neiji."
His face held a confident expression, as if he were stating something that was set in stone.
"What's more... we still have four divisions of troops."
He spoke as if victory was already assured, and the tea in his cup tasted like a celebratory drink.
Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, the smile on Kawabe Torashiro's face faded a bit.
He turned to Okamura Neiji and said, "Oh, right, there's one more thing I need to remind you of."
"What news?"
Okamura Neiji asked with some surprise, his finger still hovering over the spot at Wanjialing.
Kawabe Torashiro pointed to Futu Town on the map, his voice lowering slightly:
"Latest intelligence. Li Jianghe's main force of the Third Column has reached the vicinity of Futu Town and is hiding in the surrounding mountains and forests. It won't be long before they are deployed to the main battlefield."
"The Third Column..."
Okamura Neiji chewed on these four words, as if he were tasting a dish he had never eaten before.
He had never fought against Li Jianghe, but his achievements were outstanding, and every Japanese soldier knew of him.
The densely packed numbers on those battle reports, the annihilated Imperial Army units, the lists of fallen generals—every single one was linked to this name.
"Nishio Toshizo suffered a great loss at his hands, and Tani Hisao was killed on the battlefield. It was all done by Li Jianghe's Third Column."
Kawabe Torashiro looked somewhat nostalgic, as if he were flipping through an old account.
"Back in Shanghai, he caused us a lot of trouble. At that time, Yoshizumi Ryosuke's 9th Division suffered considerable losses at the Sihang Warehouse, and we hadn't completely annihilated them. Even now, when we talk about it, Yoshizumi Ryosuke still grits his teeth."
He paused, as if recalling the details of that battle.
"The Sihang Warehouse was attacked for days and nights without being captured, and in the end, Li Jianghe's troops were able to withdraw right under their noses. Yoshizumi Ryosuke regarded this as a great disgrace."
Okamura Neiji smiled calmly, a smile that carried a hint of indifference.
"It sounds like Li Jianghe's Third Column is indeed powerful. But without exception, the terrain in which he has won battles is basically suitable for large-scale maneuvering and infiltration by mechanized troops."
At this point, he tapped the map lightly with his knuckles, making a dull "thump" sound.
"But the surrounding terrain from Jiujiang to De'an, and then to Ruichang, is mostly mountains and rivers. How could it possibly be like the North China Plain, allowing this person's armored forces to roam freely without hindrance?"
His tone carried the confidence of a wise man, like a chess player analyzing his opponent's pieces—no matter how powerful a piece is, if it's placed in the wrong position, it's nothing but a useless piece.
Kawabe Torashiro still had reservations, his brows furrowing slightly:
"That being said, even in mountain warfare, the firepower of this unit is far superior to that of the ordinary National Army, so we still need to be extremely careful."
His caution was not without reason—even the worst cavalryman, once dismounted, still had an extra sword compared to an infantryman.
"Don't worry, I won't underestimate them, especially when facing Li Jianghe's third column."
Although Okamura Yasuji said this, in reality, he still did not regard Li Jianghe's Third Column as the key change that turned the tide of the war for the National Army.
In his judgment, the most suitable battlefield for this unit was not the rolling hills and dense waterways of the south.
Those mountains and waterways would greatly limit the mobility of mechanized troops, like putting a cheetah in a cage.
This force should be deployed on the North China Plain, where it can unleash its full power on that boundless plain.
"It seems that the high command of the Nationalist army on the other side has run out of troops to deploy, and has even dragged this unit to fight in the mountains and waterways of the south."
He thought to himself, turning his gaze from the map to the night outside the window.
That night, the moon was mostly obscured by clouds, and the earth was shrouded in darkness.
That very evening, Okamura Yasuji issued a military order to the 106th Division to outflank the Wanjialing line and attack De'an.
When the order was given, he stood by the window, looking at the deep night outside, the smile on his lips never fading.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense in De'an's forward command post the following evening.
An urgent telegram from Ouyang Zhen was placed on Xue Yue's desk.
Xue Yue picked up the telegram, his eyes scanning the text, a gleam of excitement in them, like a hunter finally spotting the footprints of his prey.
"The fighter jets are coming."
He said this with considerable excitement, his voice filled with barely suppressed exhilaration.
"The Japanese 106th Division suddenly penetrated deep into our territory, broke through the Wutailing and Liujialing lines in succession, and marched rapidly toward Wanjialing."
Upon hearing this, Chen Cheng, who had been staring at the map, hurriedly stood up, took a few steps to Xue Yue's side, and examined the telegram repeatedly.
He looked at it twice to make sure he wasn't mistaken before he spoke:
"Great, you've come at the right time."
His voice carried a sense of relief, as if something he had been waiting for for a long time had finally been delivered to him.
Xue Yue gave a cold laugh, a laugh that carried a hint of disdain and a touch of murderous intent:
"I think Okamura Yasuji has lost his mind. He thinks he can take De'an seriously with just one division? He really doesn't respect us at all."
His fingers gripped the edge of the telegram tightly, the paper making a slight rustling sound.
As they were talking, another communications soldier strode into the command post, his boots clicking rapidly on the floor.
"Report! Urgent! A large number of Japanese troops have landed in the direction of Jiujiang, at least one full division!"
Upon hearing this news, Chen Cheng and Xue Yue exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes.