After being scolded by Gu Shoufu, Chief of Staff Tian Jiu Lixiong stubbornly suggested: "General, in view of the annihilation of the artillery wing and the heavy losses of the tank wing, our army has attacked the available heavy weapons.

It is recommended to immediately request reinforcements from the Dispatch Corps Command, especially the heavy artillery units, and it is best to transfer the heavy artillery brigades assigned to our 10th Army! With the heavy artillery brigade, no matter how strong the tanks of the Chinese army are, they will not be able to stop the attack of the imperial army's artillery fire! ”

Major General Ushijima of the 36th Brigade also nodded and said: "General, the chief of staff is right, the Chinese defenders in Wuxi are not only stubborn in battle, but also have a lot of automatic firearms, as well as incredibly powerful tank and combat vehicle units.

Now it seems that it will be difficult for our 6th Division to defeat it on its own, so we must call for reinforcements, and the sooner the better. ”

Gu Shoufu fell into hesitation, and he was naturally very reluctant at this moment, because the same strength of the same division, the 5th Division, under the leadership of Itagaki Seishiro, had swept most of Shanxi.

In contrast, the performance of his own 6th Division was much worse.

However, the total annihilation of the artillery wing did cause great losses to the strength of the 6th Division, and without artillery, the attack of the 6th Division would have become even more difficult.

Therefore, although his face was a little unbearable, Gu Shoufu finally adopted the advice of two subordinates and sent a message for help.

……

Shanghai, the headquarters of the Japanese army.

When the telegram for help from the 6th Division came, it was already early in the morning, and Matsui Ishone, who was then the commander of the Central China Dispatch Army, had already fallen asleep, because this old devil had contracted a cold since he entered Shanghai, and his fever continued to become more and more serious.

At this time, the main operational command of the Japanese army in Central China had been transferred to Prince Hatohiko Asakanomiya, who had rushed from the mainland and was about to serve as the commander of the Shanghai Dispatch Army.

This Prince Hatohiko of Asakanomiya was the uncle of the Japanese emperor at that time, and it goes without saying that the status of the Japanese orthodox imperial family is noble.

As mentioned earlier, after the Japanese army established the Central China Dispatch Army, this Central China Dispatch Army was under the jurisdiction of two major group armies, namely the former Shanghai Dispatch Army and the Yanagawa Heisuke Department of the 10th Army that landed from Hangzhou Bay.

Matsui Ishine was the commander-in-chief of the Central China Dispatch Army, and Prince Hatohiko of Asakanomiya was the commander of the Shanghai Dispatch Army, with the rank of lieutenant general, and theoretically on the same level as the commander of the 10th Army, Yanagawa Heisuke.

However, after Matsui Ishine fell ill, the Japanese high-ranking Japanese army led by Lieutenant General Tsukada Tsukashi, chief of staff of the front army, and Major General Muto Akira, deputy chief of staff, always proposed to him that Prince Hatohiko Asakanomiya should be the commander-in-chief of the front line for the attack on Nanjing.

In fact, it is to replace Matsui Ishine and exercise the functions and powers of the commander-in-chief.

For the noble-born Prince Hatohiko of the Asaka Palace, Matsui Ishine naturally did not dare to offend, and he had to remain respectful, so he agreed to the request of Tsukada Tsukashi, Muto Akira and others.

He also instructed the deputy chief of staff, Major General Muto Akira, to lead a group of staff officers to assist Prince Hatohiko of Asakanomiya and command the attack on Nanjing.

In this way, as soon as Prince Hatohiko of Asakanomiya arrived in Shanghai, he became the supreme commander of the Japanese army's attack on Nanjing.

Therefore, the telegram for help of the 6th Division was sent to Prince Hatohiko of Asakanomiya by Deputy Chief of Staff Muto Akira.

At that time, Prince Hatohiko of Asaka Palace had also fallen asleep and was woken up by Muto Akira knocking directly on the door.

Therefore, when he opened the door and walked out of the bedroom, Hatohiko Asahamiya was full of displeasure, last night he hugged two beautiful Japanese students, tossed for half a night, exhausted This will just fall asleep, it is the most sleepy time.

Frowning, he looked at Muto Akira standing outside the door and asked, "Muto-kun, what's the matter?" ”

Muto Zhang noticed the displeasure on Hatohiko's face in the Asaka Palace, and immediately saluted and apologized first: "Your Royal Highness, I'm very sorry to disturb your rest, that's the case, I just received an urgent telegram from the front line from the commander of the 6th Division, Gu Shoufu.

His troops suffered heavy losses in the battle to attack Wuxi, especially the artillery force had been exhausted and was unable to attack the fortification.

So please send him some more artillery units! ”

Prince Hatohiko of the Asaka Palace was furious when he heard this: "Ga! The 6th Division has not captured Wuxi so far? How did this idiot command Gu Shoufu? ”

Muto Zhang hurriedly bowed his head and replied: "The general is angry, according to the report of the 6th Division, the defenders of Wuxi are equipped with a large number of automatic firearms, the firepower is very fierce, and they also have a very powerful tank armored force, and the resistance is very tenacious.

That's why the 6th Division's attack today was unsuccessful. ”

Muto Akira's words reminded Prince Hatohiko of Asakanomiya that the 6th Division had only arrived in Wuxi for a day to attack.

Prince Hatohiko of Asakanomiya stretched out his hand and snatched the message from Muto Zhang's hand, looked at it and said even more angrily: "Ga, stupid, stupid pig!" If you can't beat Wuxi, forget it, and the artillery position and the baggage wing were killed by the opponent's sneak attack, which is really a shame! ”

Muto Akira had the courage to explain for the 6th Division: "His Royal Highness the Prince is angry, and the middle ** guarding Wuxi is the Zhu Ziming department who defeated the 16th Division before and attacked and killed the division commander Nakajima Imasago before.

There are also Fujita Shin, the commander of the 3rd Division, and the Imperial Navy battleship Izumo, who were all attacked by this person! ”

"Zhu Ziming?" Prince Hatohiko of Asaka Palace gritted his teeth and roared: "I will break his body into ten thousand pieces!" ”

"Your Royal Highness, do we want to send troops to reinforce the 6th Division?"

Prince Hatohiko of Chaoxiang Palace snorted coldly and said: "Gu Shoufu, this idiot's command ability is too poor, I want to personally go to the front line in Wuxi to command the attack!"

The order went down, the 9th Division, the 11th Division, and the 5th Independent Heavy Artillery Brigade immediately marched to Wuxi! After dawn, our headquarters will also rush to Wuxi.

With me personally in command, three divisions and a heavy artillery brigade, I don't believe that I can't destroy just one Zhu Ziming! ”

"His Royal Highness is wise!" Muto Zhang hurriedly patted a sycophant, as the deputy chief of general staff of the Japanese army in Central China, he also hated Zhu Ziming and the Independent Brigade, which had repeatedly caused trouble and shame to the Japanese army in Central China.

Hate can't get rid of it quickly, and now Prince Hatohiko of the Asaka Palace wants to mobilize heavy troops to encircle and annihilate him, and he naturally raises his hands in favor.

……

Wuxi, headquarters of the 6th Division.

Knowing that Prince Hatohiko of Asaka Palace was going to personally lead two divisions and a heavy artillery brigade to reinforcements, Gu Shoufu and others were overjoyed.

Tian Jiu Toshio said to Gu Shoufu: "General, with so many reinforcements this time, we will definitely be able to break through the Wuxi defense line and annihilate the enemy in front of us!" ”

Gu Shoufu gritted his teeth with an expectant look and said: "After the city is broken, I will personally cut off the heads of Zhu Ziming and Zhou Weiguo to pay tribute to the heroic souls of the martyrs of our department!" ”