Chapter Seven: Man Jianghong (Part I)

When it was almost dawn, the commander of the 20th Division of the Japanese Army, Kawagishi Fumizaburo, searched and gave feedback in all directions through radio waves and discovered the true intentions of the Chinese army. However, it was too late at this moment, and the Walnut Orchard camp had completely cut off contact after sending a "jade shattered" message at around 2:30 p.m. Another important node on the way forward, the Tiger Mountain camp, is also quiet. The Guangou, which is close to the Tiger Mountain camp, can still receive and receive telegrams. But judging from the angry tone of the captain of the Liden Wing, it is clear that he is under the attack of the Chinese army at this moment.

The 20th Division, which was invincible before, was actually cut into three major pieces by Chinese soldiers overnight. The tail and head can no longer take care of each other, and the most critical line of the waist and abdomen has also completely fallen into the encirclement of the Chinese army. Only after the Chinese army swallows up the Lideng Wing, it can mobilize superior forces and completely regain the initiative on the Niangziguan battlefield.

Standing in front of the huge map that had just been marked by the staff officers in light of the latest situation, the commander of the 20th Division, Lieutenant General Bunzaburo Kawagishi, was speechless for a long time. Since graduating from the Army University in 1911, he has never encountered such an embarrassing situation. In particular, in the past two months or so, whether it is in the North China Battlefield or the Northeast Battlefield, the Chinese army has been on the verge of collapse at the touch of a button. It is rare to be able to hold out on to one position for more than three days, let alone have the courage to launch a counteroffensive!

The staff officers and other civilian personnel who came in and out were careful not to make any noise, lest they become a punching bag for Lieutenant General Kawagishi. Even so, there are people who have not escaped the order to be scapegoated. At a moment that no one could have imagined, Kawagishi Bunzaburo, who had been silent for a long time, turned around and shouted at a big sa: "Sasaki, aren't you boasting that every move of the Chinese army is under control?" Why is it that with such a big tactical move, the intelligence officers under your command have not sent back any news at all?! ”

"Sasaki has betrayed your trust, please forgive me, sir! Please forgive Sasaki and give Sasaki a chance to explain! Sasaki knows it's wrong, and Sasaki will definitely try his best to remedy it! Sasaki Akitoku, who was in charge of intelligence gathering, bowed more than a dozen times one after another, and at the same time mourned loudly, not daring to have the slightest sense of grievance on his face.

Other staff officers and civilians felt the same way, and they lowered their heads one after another, pretending to look at the various messages in front of them. The fact that the 20th Division fell from a broken ground to a passive beating situation overnight was entirely due to the carelessness of the division commander Kawagishi Bunzaburo to underestimate the enemy. However, if Kawagishi Bunzaburo made up his mind to let one of them carry the black pot, they would have to grit their teeth and stand up, not only did they not have any ability to resist, but they must not shout wronged later. Otherwise, even if Kawagishi Bunzaburo doesn't use wartime regulations to deal with everyone now, he can let everyone go to a remote island in the Pacific Ocean to count the stars!

"What's the use of just admitting mistakes! As an Imperial soldier, you have to learn to take responsibility. What to do with you, I'll make a decision later. But now, you have to find out as soon as possible, what has changed on the side of the Chinese defenders?! Seeing that Akihiro Sasaki was very rational and put on a low posture of being slaughtered, Kawagishi Bunzaburo quietly breathed a sigh of relief, frowned, and continued to "instruct" loudly.

"Hey!" Akira Sasaki immediately respectfully saluted his superior. Then he turned around and ran as fast as he could, leaving only a wet back in everyone's eyes.

Seeing the back of the scapegoat disappear, Kawagishi Fumizaburo frowned a few more times and whispered the order: "Record, order the captain of the Liden Wing, and bring the entire wing back." For the time being, he gave up the outflanking of the Chinese army's retreat and turned back to attack Tiger Mountain. Strive to reopen the connection with the direction of the old customs before noon! ”

"Hey!" An operations staff officer trotted forward and took notes on Kawagishi Bunzaburo's orders.

"Order Captain Takeshita to lead his wing and Captain Liden to attack Tiger Mountain and join as soon as possible. Don't care about his back road, over there in the walnut orchard, I will naturally arrange someone else to take it back! ”

"Hey!" The combat staff officer replied with another shout, then took the recorded tactical adjustment measures to Kawagishi Fumizaburo for review and signed, and trotted to the communications squadron to send the message.

Each Japanese division has a communications squadron directly under it. It is equipped with up to 24 radio stations, which can send orders to the front-line commanders and mid-line commanders who are specifically implementing tactical deployments at any time, and can also receive feedback on the latest situation on the front line at any time. Not long after the combat staff officer ran out, he quickly ran back to the command room sweating profusely. Seeing Kawagishi Bunzaburo, he didn't wait for him to ask, and immediately gasped and reported: "General, general, Takeshita Daisa called back!" ”

"Read!" Kawagishi Bunzaburo was satisfied with the due diligence of his subordinates and ordered loudly.

The tactical staff officer of "Hi Yi" secretly glanced at Kawagishi Fumizaburo's face again, and summoned up all his courage to recite the message. "The ministry has been ordered to take action. However, the amount of ammunition carried by the staff was no longer enough to support a medium-intensity battle. Your Excellency, General.......

Before he could finish the first paragraph of the message, Kawagishi Fumizaburo had already jumped. The splitter snatched the message and slapped it the table, "Oyama Nakasa, what's going on?!" ”

"It's a dereliction of duty on a subordinate, it's a dereliction of duty on a subordinate!" Ichiro Nakasa, who was in charge of the transport wing, hurriedly bowed 90 degrees and expressed his admitting punishment to his immediate superior. "The subordinates arranged for a transport team to replenish ammunition and dry food to the old pass yesterday, but the mountain road in this area of Niangzi Pass was too rough, and the transport team only sent a small part of the supplies to the old pass where the Takeshita Wing Captain was located. Most of the supplies ....."

Saying this, he raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, and continued to replenish in an extremely small voice, "Most of the supplies are temporarily stored in the walnut orchard......

"Yaga!" In front of a large number of mid-level officers, Kawagishi Bunzaburo slapped him and slapped Ichiro Oyama to the point that his mouth was full of blood. "Who told you to store your supplies in the walnut orchard? Have you already contacted the Chinese side beforehand? Knowing that they are poorly equipped, he deliberately sent supplies to the front-line soldiers to them! ”

If this charge is confirmed, I'm afraid Ichiro Oyama will have to cut his stomach immediately. The staff officers and civilian personnel all felt cold as ice, and turned their sympathetic eyes to Ichiro Oyama.

Ichiro Oyama, who had already stepped into the Hades Hall with one foot, had no way to retreat, and had to make a final struggle on the verge of death, "The subordinates are derelict in their duties, and the subordinates admit to their dereliction of duty." But Your Excellency, the Walnut Orchard camp was established by your orders. You once said that it was the only place on the way to the Guguan position, which was relatively wide and gentle, suitable as a transit camp. All the gentlemen here heard it clearly at that time! ”

"I said something like that?!" Unexpectedly, Ichiro Oyama dared to hit a rake, Kawagishi Bunzaburo laughed angrily, "Oyama-kun, you really have a good memory, you are really wronged not to be an intelligence officer!" Indeed, I said that Walnut Grove is suitable as a transit camp, but did I order you to hoard supplies there? Ito, go check the record, if I really gave a similar order to Oyama-kun, just bring it to me! ”

"Hey!" Mitsuo Ito, the combat staff officer, said yes loudly, but his steps did not move. Looking at Ichiro Oyama's eyes, he was full of sadness for the dead rabbit and fox.

At this time, it is already early autumn in October, and the cool breeze is blowing at the foot of the mountain in the early morning. However, all the middle- and low-ranking officers and civilians present were dripping with sweat. None of them dared to wipe it with their hands, and looked at Ichiro Oyama, the captain of the transportation wing, with extremely sad eyes, as if the latter had been "broken" for the empire, and what was shaking in front of everyone's eyes at the moment was just an unwilling corpse.

Ichiro Oyama's face was full of grief and indignation, and while wiping the cold sweat on his forehead with the palm of his hand, he continued to protest in a low voice, "It is true that His Excellency the General did not give me specific orders, but His Excellency the General gave me enough hints. If His Excellency the General asks me to take responsibility, I certainly cannot make excuses to evade it. But the reputation of His Excellency the General will probably be greatly damaged by this! ”

"Sato, go find the military order record! Find out all the records of sending supplies to the front line! Kawagishi Bunzaburo glanced at Ichiro Oyama, who was still unwilling to come to his senses when he was dying, and emphasized coldly, "Oyama-kun, if someone present can testify to you, I will not evade any responsibility!" ”

Before Mitsuo Sato, the combat staff officer, could not support it at first, shook his head with a miserable smile, and responded in a low voice: "I can't find a witness!" Sato-kun, you don't have to be busy, the general really hasn't given a similar order! I admit my mistakes and am willing to accept any punishment! ”

Of course, Kawagishi Bunzaburo knew that the staff officers could not produce a record of their orders to hoard supplies in the Walnut Garden camp, and no one present would risk offending a lieutenant general to rescue a Nakasa, who was usually not welcomed. He coldly glanced at Ichiro Oyama, who was already paralyzed on the ground, and said with a smile: "Oyama-kun, I remember that you also graduated from the Imperial Army University, right?" ”

"Yes! Dashan is a graduate of the Imperial Army University, three years later than the general! Ichiro Oyama, who was already in a dead heart, didn't know what Kawagishi Bunzaburo's question meant, thought about it, and replied with some hope.

The seniors will take care of the juniors, of course. The staff officers and civilians secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at General Kawagishi Bunzaburo's gaze, and a few traces of respect reappeared. Unexpectedly, Kawagishi Bunzaburo had already made up his mind to find a few scapegoats to take responsibility, and he wouldn't recite any incense at all. He just smiled, and continued to ask in a very flat tone: "Since Dashan-kun is a graduate of Lu University, you should know what Marshal Rinchi had for the fifteenth batch of graduates back then, right?!" ”

During his tenure, Terauchi Masayi annexed Korea, intervened in northeast China, and even sent troops to Siberia, once snatching several important Russian cities in East Asia. Although he was forced to go into the wild in his later years due to the turmoil in Japan, the war maniacs in the Japanese army regarded him as an idol of life. Especially the graduates of the Army University, who are always proud to have such a president at their alma mater, regard almost every word he says as a golden rule!

Since Ichiro Oyama graduated from the Army University, he naturally remembered what Masaki Terauchi had said to the 15th graduates. He smiled miserably, stood upright, and shouted with all his strength: "Honor is higher than life!" Then he shook his head and said in a low voice: "I understand what to do, please ask Your Excellency the General to order someone to prepare a quiet room for me!" ”

"Don't worry, I'll report your loyal and brave behavior to the military department!" Kawagishi Bunzaburo smiled and patted Ichiro Oyama on the shoulder, and then ordered someone to lead him down to "defend the honor".

The staff officers and civilians dared not speak out, bowing their heads, lest Ichiro Oyama's fate would fall on their heads. Kawagishi Bunzaburo smiled very kindly and said loudly, "What's wrong? Feel sad in your heart, don't you?! As a senior of Dashan-kun, I feel sadder than any of you in my heart! Gentlemen, raise your heads for me, we must do everything in our power to regain the initiative on the battlefield! ”

"Hey!" Succumbing to his coldness, the officers responded in unison.

"Captain Ono!" Kawagishi Bunzaburo glanced at everyone and greeted in a deep voice.

"Hey!" Shinji Ono, the commander of the reconnaissance wing directly under the division, trembled in his heart, and hurriedly strode forward to listen to the dispatch. Kawagishi Bunzaburo looked him up and down with great satisfaction, and asked with a smile, "How is the morale of the reconnaissance wing?" ”

"Wait for you! Just wait for the general's order! Shinji Ono didn't hesitate to slap his boss's ass. Kawagishi Bunzaburo was photographed very comfortably, nodded with a smile, and continued to order: "You immediately lead your troops to the walnut orchard, and before tonight, you must take the camp back for me." Kill all the Chinese defenders! I want to use the blood of Chinese soldiers to give Dashan Jun a strong line! ”

"Hey!" Shinoji Ono saluted, turned around and trotted out. Kawagishi Fumizaburo watched his back disappear at the door, frowned, and ordered in a deep voice: "Captain Tanaka, divide half of your mountain artillery and transport it to the vicinity of the walnut orchard as quickly as possible." Support Captain Ono at any time! ”

"Hey!" Yoshinori Tanaka, the commander of the artillery wing who was called by name, agreed loudly, and then bowed down half of his body and discussed in a pleading tone, "But China's road is really too bad. Field artillery in one day's time, it is difficult to transport to the vicinity of the walnut orchard! ”

"If you can transport a few guns, count a few, pull all the North Korean volunteers up to push the cannons, don't be afraid of them being reduced!" Kawagishi Bunzaburo also cleared the road conditions near Niangzi Pass, thought about it, smiled and gave Tanaka Yoshinori an idea, "If it's not enough, go to the nearby village to catch the Chinese peasants and let them help push the cannon." Remember to ask your people to pay attention to their image, don't shoot and kill people indiscriminately, and if you have to, don't leave any Chinese witnesses behind! ”

The commander of the artillery wing nodded knowingly, and hurried out to arrange for the manpower to transport the mountain artillery. Kawagishi Bunzaburo glanced back at the map and fell into deep thought again. If you want to regain the initiative on the battlefield as soon as possible, it is better to ask for aircraft to assist. However, the flying wing was under the direct command of the North China Front Command, and as the supreme commander of the 20th Division, he could only give advice on where to focus on bombing next, but could not give orders to the pilots.

If we had taken the initiative to communicate with the North China Front Command and asked them to arrange for planes to shift the focus of the bombing to the areas around Walnut Garden and Laohushan, instead of the previous targets, I am afraid that the mistake made last night would have been immediately known to the headquarters. In this way, Oyama Nakasa died in vain, and the responsibility for his unfavorable command could not be concealed.

Just as he was hesitating, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the door. Immediately after, Akihiro Sasaki, who was in charge of collecting and sorting out information, ran in sweating profusely and reported loudly: "Report to Your Excellency General, the situation has been clarified." The day before yesterday, several young Zhuang Chinese soldiers took advantage of General Huang Shaohong's return to Taiyuan to discuss countermeasures, overstepped their authority to formulate a new plan of action, and put all the personnel of China's Second Theater Command who remained on the front line under house arrest. Our old friend was also under house arrest yesterday and could not be updated on the situation. But ......"

"Below grams?" Including Kawagishi Bunzaburo, all the Japanese generals present felt their heads buzz and blurted out words of surprise. "Another two-two-six? Chinese soldiers, when did they become so bloody?! ”

On 26 February last year, some Japanese officers of the Young Zhuang faction staged a mutiny in Tokyo, demanding that the military have more weight in the cabinet and thus conquer Asia and the world. Although the mutiny was eventually suppressed, the Japanese Empire officially entered the orbit of war and no longer deliberately hid its sharp fangs.

If the Chinese side also replaces those dying and decrepit with a group of young and enthusiastic soldiers, I am afraid that the plan to conquer the whole of China within three months to six months will meet with fierce resistance! If those bold Chinese young Zhuang soldiers became famous for defending the Niangzi Pass, I am afraid that the opponents of the imperial army will no longer be such old as Huang Shaohong and Liu Zhi.

No, in any case, it is necessary to avoid the situation from becoming worse! After quickly weighing the pros and cons, Kawagishi Bunzaburo immediately decided to put his personal future aside for the time being, "Sasaki-kun, you go directly to the North China Commandery-kun headquarters and report the difficulties and setbacks we have encountered truthfully." Request for bomber support from the military department. In addition, he sent a telegram to his friends in Taiyuan, asking them to uphold justice for General Huang. ”

Without waiting for Sasaki Akihiro to agree, after a pause, he turned his gaze to all the subordinates present: "For the sake of the empire, for the undefeated name of the 20th Division, all monarchs, please cheer up." We will prepare in one morning, and at one o'clock in the afternoon, we will launch an all-round attack on Niangzi Pass, and we must beat down the arrogance of the Chinese! ”

"All for the Empire!" The devil officers echoed in unison, like a pack of wild wolves that had gone mad.