Cherev simply couldn't imagine how this battle was fought?

According to the information fed back from all sides, the remnants of the provisional 79th Division that broke through from Wuxi were only 500 people at full strength, and after several successive fierce battles, there were at most two or three hundred people left, and even if some of the defeated troops from the Songhu battlefield were contained on the way, it would be difficult to exceed 1,000 people. 【】

With less than 1,000 remnants of the army, he completely annihilated a detachment of the Japanese army, and captured the detachment leader Chiaki Shigeto and his two wing captains. Although Cherev was a KGB, he also served as a soldier and knew that defeat and total annihilation were completely two different concepts.

In the history of the world, there are not unheard of cases in which absolutely superior forces have been defeated with absolutely inferior forces, but there is no such thing as completely annihilating absolutely superior forces with absolutely inferior forces!

Therefore, the provisional 79th Division can be said to have created an unprecedented miracle!

Cherev was very curious, how did the provisional 79th Division fight this battle?

Cherev couldn't believe it, and so did Stilwell.

"My friend, could you be mistaken?" Stilwell swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said with difficulty.

"Frankly, I can't believe it's true." Cherev shrugged his shoulders and said, "But facts are facts after all, and this news is true, absolutely true and reliable." ”

Cherev would not have told Stilwell that the KGB had undercover agents in the Japanese military police in Shanghai.

In recent years, as Japan and Germany have become closer, the Soviet Union has also intensified its penetration into Japan.

Although the Soviet Union had a vast territory and great strategic depth, at the same time, the Soviet Union was also facing the military threat of fascist countries on both the eastern and western fronts, Germany on the western front and Japan on the eastern front.

So, almost at the same time that the Japanese military police in Shanghai received the telegram, the Soviet legation in Shanghai also learned the news.

"So, is all this true?" Stilwell said awe-inspiringly, "It's unbelievable, I can't imagine how the remnants of the provisional 79th Division did all this?" With less than 300 people, the total annihilation of a detachment of the Japanese army can no longer be simply called a miracle, but a miracle! ”

"Miracles?" Cherev was dumbfounded, only gods can send down miracles, Stilwell's implication is that the commander of this remnant of the provisional 79th Division is a god-like existence?

However, from the battle of Nantong alone, the performance of the remnants of the provisional 79th Division is indeed a miracle!

There has never been such a case in the history of world military warfare, at least not in the case of Cherev.

"I must meet this commander of the provisional 79th Division, I must meet him!" "It's crazy, it's crazy, it's crazy, it's crazy, I can't believe it!" ”

While the two were talking, the grand banquet hall suddenly fell into S chaos.

When Stilwell and Cherev looked back anxiously, they saw that the dozen or so Western reporters who had been allowed to enter the Grand Ballroom for impromptu interviews had already surrounded Tsukada Tsukada, chief of staff of the Japanese Central China Front, and Mamoru Iinuma, chief of staff of the Central China Dispatch Army, including Selina, a reporter from the New York Times, who were eagerly asking questions.

"General Tsukada, why hasn't His Excellency General Sugi Mototo?"

"General Iinuma, I seem to have heard General Sugimoto's roar just now, is something wrong?"

"General Tsukada, is it possible that the provisional 79th Division has broken through from Nantong City again? Did the Shigeto detachment, which was responsible for sweeping up the remnants of the provisional 79th Division, suffer a defeat? ”

"General Iinuma, how many casualties did the Shigeto detachment suffer?"

In the face of more than a dozen reporters' continuous questions, Tsukada and Iinuma Mamoru looked embarrassed, and they didn't know how to answer at all. Now it's a joke, right? You're good enough to leave us here.

Seeing Tsukada Tsukashi and Iinuma Mamoru sweating there to deal with reporters, the corners of Cherev's mouth couldn't help but bloom a slight sneer, these reporters are already so crazy just by hearing some rumors, if they let them know the truth, they can't tear Tsukada and Iinuma Mamoru apart?

Shaking his head, Cherev turned to Stilwell again and said, "Colonel Stilwell, do you remember what you told me at the Navy Pier during the day?" ”

Stilwell said: "I said, the provisional 79th Division will not collapse so easily, and they will give Shanshan Yuan a big gift." ”

Chelev said: "I must admit that you have amazing judgment, the provisional 79th Division has indeed not been defeated, and the great gift they gave to Shanshan Yuan is really not ordinary. ”

As he spoke, the roar of a car engine suddenly came from outside the balcony.

When the two looked back, they saw a motorcade slowly coming out of the foyer of the Navy Club.

This is a convoy of Japanese troops, starting with two side three-wheeled motorcycles, followed by three armored fighting vehicles, then two Type 94 trucks, and finally about a squadron of infantry running to follow.

Cherev said: "It seems that Shanshan Yuan will not come back to attend the dinner. ”

"It's strange that he dared to come back." Stilwell said, "The news of the total annihilation of the Shigeto detachment will soon spread at the dinner party, and when the time comes, how will Shanshan Yuan explain it to reporters from various countries?" However, even if he leaves, he can't escape, and it is conceivable that tomorrow the front pages of the major newspapers in Shanghai will definitely be the news about the temporary formation of the 79th Division's total annihilation of the Shigeto detachment. ”

Cherev smiled and said, "But if you have a choice, Shanshan Yuan will definitely not be willing to make this name, right?" I really want to see what kind of expressions will be on the faces of Emperor Hirohito and the bureaucrats of the Japanese War Department when they learn of this terrible news. Astound? Disappointed? Or anger? ”

After a pause, Chelev said again: "Will the Japanese imperial family change the commander again?" ”

"It shouldn't be a change of commander, after all, Shanshanyuan just arrived in Shanghai today." Stilwell shook his head and said, "However, I am afraid that a reprimand will not be escaped. ”

Chelev nodded, and said: "Although Shanshanyuan can't escape this admonition, but in the future, Shanshanyuan is afraid that he will vent his anger on the remnants of the provisional 79th Division, and one detachment is not enough, Shanshanyuan may transfer an entire infantry brigade or even an entire division to encircle and suppress the remnants of the provisional 79th Division." ”

Stilwell said thoughtfully: "You are right, the Japanese army has suffered such a big loss and lost such a big face, it will definitely find a way to retaliate back, and it is completely possible to dispatch a brigade or even an entire division, and it is difficult to survive the remnants of the 79th Division alone, so we should provide them with help within our ability." ”

"You mean to put pressure on the National Government again through the embassy?" Cherev shook his head, frowned, and said, "I heard that the Nationalist Government sent several divisions to pick up the remnants of the Provisional 79th Division, but the liaison personnel sent by the Third Theater to contact the Provisional 79th Division had a very unpleasant quarrel, and the two sides seemed to have broken down. ”

Cherev was very subtle, but he knew much more than that.

In fact, Cherev not only knew that the remnants of the Provisional 79th Division and the Third Theater of Operations were in a very unpleasant situation, but he also knew that the Provisional 79th Division had already shown obvious signs of an independent war of resistance, and to put it more bluntly, the remnants of the Provisional 79th Division had in fact broken away from the battle sequence of the Nationalist Army.

Under such circumstances, how could the Nationalist Government send troops to take over the remnants of the provisional 79th Division?

"The remnants of the provisional 79th Division have collapsed with the Chinese Third Theater Command?" Stilwell was surprised.

"I've only heard about it." Cherev shrugged his shoulders and explained in a way that wanted to cover up, "You know, there have always been factions within the Chinese* army, and since the Beiyang government overthrew the Manchu Dynasty, there has been a war and peace between the various factions, and it has never stopped, and we foreigners don't know the situation at all. ”

Stilwell was silent when he heard this, and although he had not been in China for a long time, he still had a considerable understanding of the situation within the Chinese* army.

There are many factions within the Chinese army, including the Central Army, the Jin Sui Army, the Northwest Army, the Northeast Army, the Sichuan Army, the Gui Army, the Yunnan Army, the Guangdong Army, and the Hunan Army, as well as the Eighth Route Army of the Communist Party.

For example, within the Central Army, there are Hu factions, Chen factions, Tang factions, and so on.

The predecessor of the provisional 79th Division was the 79th Route Army, which belonged to the first part of the Guangdong Army.

However, in the Fujian Incident, the 79th Route Army was dismembered by the Central Army and was reduced to the Provisional 79th Division, the two armies should have formed a grudge from there, and now the main force of the Provisional 79th Division is exhausted in Wuxi, and the small number of remnants of the breakthrough army are trying to get rid of the control of the Central Army, which is completely reasonable.

It's just that in this way, Stilwell can't help the remnants of the provisional 79th Division.

At that moment, Stilwell sighed: "Frankly speaking, I really admire this remnant of the provisional 79th Division, and I admire the commander of this remnant even more, if possible, I really want to meet the commander of the provisional 79th Division and see how he commands the war?" I really want to know, how did he break through the siege of Wuxi with the remnants of the defeated soldiers? And how did you ambush Toshihiko Fushimiya's special train? And how did you get rid of the encirclement and interception of the three infantry wings? And this time, how did he wipe out the entire detachment? ”

Cherev said: "If there is such a day, remember to take me with you." ”

Stilwell said, "Heh, if there is such a day, I will definitely take you with me." ”