SWDnovel Chapter 92 Still chasing? Then let's lure you into a trap, so you can't escape.
Chapter 92 Still chasing? Then let's lure you into a trap, so you can't escape.
After conducting a reconnaissance, it was discovered that landmines had been found on the main roads in the surrounding area.
Saburo Isoda looked at the Japanese troops lying on the ground, trying to clear the mines, and thought that if they cleared the mines little by little, it might take forever.
"Take a detour."
Saburo Isoda made a decisive statement.
However, this wastes a lot of time.
The area in the direction of Wuhu was originally garrisoned by the 18th Division of the Japanese Army.
Later, this unit received orders to go to the Hangzhou area for a troop rotation, leaving only one Japanese company behind.
However, Li Jianghe's breakout team did not stop there, but continued to move forward.
He didn't have time to take Wuhu, so he bypassed that area and continued towards Tongling.
By the afternoon of that day, Long Wenzhang's troops, who were bringing up the rear, had caught up.
"The Japanese pursuit force is still behind us. There are quite a few of them, including cavalry and infantry, who are mostly traveling in trucks."
Upon hearing this, Li Jianghe knew that these Japanese soldiers hated them to the bone and would not easily give up their pursuit.
As darkness fell, Li Jianghe opened the map again, an idea forming in his mind.
He found Chief of Staff Xiao Shen, Zhu Chi, Xu Dingguo, Gao Zhisong, and several others.
"The Japanese troops behind us number at least seven or eight thousand. The key is that they march very fast. Even though we tried to delay them with anti-tank mines, we still got caught up with them."
Li Jianghe explained their current situation.
"So I had an idea to ambush this pursuing Japanese force in the northeast direction of Fanchang."
Even if we can't annihilate them all, we should at least render them completely incapable of fighting and unable to continue the pursuit.
The reason they were overtaken by the Japanese army was mainly because many civilians were with them, which prevented them from maximizing their marching speed.
Chief of Staff Xiao Shen was the first to raise a question.
"If we get bogged down by this Japanese force, and the main Japanese force arrives later, it will be even harder for us to escape."
Zhu Chi also had the same doubts. Those of them who were formally trained in combat paid more attention to tactics and methods.
Xu Dingguo, however, expressed his support.
"This Japanese unit was deep in enemy territory and was traveling by truck, horse-drawn carriage, and cavalry. It would take the Japanese forces in Nanjing at least two days to get their support."
I think it's feasible. As long as we fight quickly and finish the battle overnight, it won't affect our army's retreat.
These words served as a reminder to Xiao Shanling and Zhu Chi.
The Japanese army was not a fully mechanized force; to be precise, the Japanese army had only achieved the transformation of its troops into mules and horses.
This time, the Japanese army assembled two divisions' trucks and motorcycles, as well as a cavalry regiment, to gather such a large force capable of rapid movement by truck.
The follow-up troops didn't have many trucks available, and there were no railways along the way, so the speed of the Japanese reinforcements would inevitably be affected.
"Alright, I support this operation."
Xiao Shanling changed his mind, "Just the ambush location, where exactly?"
After saying that, he looked at the map.
Li Jianghe pointed to the northeastern part of Fanchang, around Zhushan, and said:
"To the west of this place is Zhushan, to the north are large ponds, and to the east is the Exi River. The only places where mechanized troops can pass are Yuefang Village to the north and Houzhou Village to the southwest."
Our army only needs to place its main force in Zhushan, a part in the northern pond area, and the Yuefang Village area, and block the exit at Houzhou Village. At the same time, we need to deploy defensive forces on the east bank of the Exi River to prevent the Japanese army from crossing the river.
Those Japanese soldiers are like turtles in a jar; they can't escape.
Upon hearing Li Jianghe's battle plan, Xiao Shanling, Zhu Chi, and the others nodded in agreement.
This area looks vast, but in reality, there are only two places where trucks can pass.
The ponds and rivers were only passable by infantry.
However, the speed would be greatly delayed. By simply deploying machine gun positions on the opposite bank, they could turn the Japanese troops who wanted to cross the pond and the E'xi River into live targets.
After everyone agreed, they discussed and came up with a more specific battle plan.
The reason they were so determined to wipe out this Japanese army was partly because they didn't want to be bogged down.
Another aspect is that Li Jianghe is severely lacking in merit points. Ambushing this group of Japanese soldiers and achieving a quick victory would greatly increase his chances of success and allow him to earn a considerable amount of merit points, which would be helpful for replenishing his subsequent troops.
More than ten minutes later, the breakout team continued their journey, and it wasn't until nightfall that they passed through Yuefang Village.
From this point onward, large numbers of infantrymen disembarked from the trucks behind, carrying weapons and ammunition, and hid north of the paddy fields or west of Yuefang Village, while the trucks continued to move forward.
When they passed Zhushan, more troops disembarked and set up machine gun positions on the western side of Zhushan.
Meanwhile, artillery units were also deployed to an open area near Houzhou Village in Zhushan, where the firing range was wide and the artillery range could cover the entire battlefield.
After the entire army passed through Houzhou Village, the last batch of infantry disembarked, while the trucks and horse-drawn carts continued their journey.
The infantry unit that disembarked set up defenses in Houzhou Village, while another part waded through the icy river to the east bank of the Exi River to build defensive positions and prevent the Japanese army from crossing the river and escaping.
In this way, a vast net in the darkness has been fully laid out, just waiting for the Japanese pursuing troops to enter.
Three hours after the Nationalist army completed its deployment, Saburo Isoda led his troops to approach Yuefang Village.
The cavalry have returned from their reconnaissance and reported that numerous tire tracks can be clearly seen on the road near Yuefang Village, indicating a route towards Tongling.
By the light of the lamp, Saburo Isoda glanced at the map before speaking:
"Get through this area quickly."
Looking at the map, the surrounding terrain is suitable for an ambush.
However, considering that the enemy had been fleeing in silence, Saburo Isoda believed that the probability of the enemy ambushing them here was not high.
A more cautious approach would be to send search teams to the surrounding area, but that would waste at least several hours.
The enemy troops fled quickly, and Saburo Isoda didn't have the time.
At a command, the Japanese mechanized pursuit force quickly passed through Yuefang Village, and the column stretched out on the road, with hundreds of trucks lined up for two or three kilometers.
Seeing the headlights of the Japanese trucks stretching across the road like a long dragon, Li Jianghe stared intently at the front of the trucks.
Once the locomotive reaches Houzhou Village, a signal flare can be fired to cut off the Japanese army's only retreat route—Yuefang Village.
A few minutes later, on the outskirts of Houzhou Village, the leading Japanese vehicle arrived, and Li Jianghe decisively fired a signal flare.
A red signal flare soared into the sky, and behind it, Zhu Chi led more than a thousand soldiers out of the hidden rice paddies and rushed frantically toward Yuefang Village.
Upon seeing the red signal flare, Saburo Isoda immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Cavalry, immediately seize Yuefang Village in the rear!!!"
Saburo Isoda made a decisive statement.