In the middle of the night, on the Taihu Lake, dozens of small assault boats full of devil soldiers were moving forward rapidly, and behind the small assault boats were hundreds of various fishing boats and wooden boats.

There is also a large sailboat in the group of assault boats, and dozens of assault boats are clustering around the sailboat like stars holding the moon at full speed. The distance between it and the fishing boats and wooden boats behind it is getting farther and farther away.

On the deck of the sailing ship, the commander of the 18th Division, Nakajima Sadao, stood solemnly with a saber on his shoulder, looking ahead, Nakajima Sadao never thought that the squadron that slipped away from under his nose was finally able to capture Suzhou and Shanghai successively, causing immeasurable heavy losses to the imperial army.

At this time, Nakajima Sadao was extremely guilty and blamed himself, and he hated Qiao Anbang's tiger brigade even more to the bone marrow, and he hated that he couldn't fly to Huzhou immediately to wipe out this hateful tiger brigade.

Therefore, just after receiving an urgent telegram from the headquarters of the Central China Front, he ordered the troops to collect most of the fishing boats and wooden boats around Wuxi, and personally led the troops to quickly cross the Taihu Lake by boat and rush to Huzhou.

Suddenly, the chief of staff, Megumi Koto, had already walked out of the cabin with a saber on his shoulder, and saluted Nakajima Sadao and said, "Your Excellency, the air here is cold, you better go back to the cabin." ”

Hearing this, Sadao Nakajima turned his head, waved his hand and shook his head: "No, the cold wind can make people sober, Koto-kun, I never expected that our momentary negligence would cause such a painful loss to the imperial army, His Royal Highness Prince Hatohiko and Commander Matsui of Asaka Palace, as well as the command of the Third Fleet of the Navy, I will be held responsible for their accidents." ”

"General, victory and defeat are common things in soldiers, please don't blame yourself too much!" Koto Megumi said with a flat face: "As long as we can rush to Huzhou in time and cut off the retreat of the Chinese army, the imperial army will definitely be able to wipe it out in one fell swoop and avenge His Royal Highness Prince Asaka and Commander Matsui and other imperial warriors!" ”

"Hmm!" Nakajima Sadao nodded thoughtfully, and then said coldly: "Order, all wings are moving forward at full speed, and they must rush to Huzhou before dawn!" ”

"Hay!" Koto Megumi hurriedly bowed his head sharply in response, and immediately turned around and found a herald to convey the order

On the highway, the convoy of the Tiger Brigade was speeding northward, and the armored company, as the top soldier company of the whole brigade, opened the road in front of the head, and when the armored fighting vehicle group of the armored company rumbled past the road outside Songjiang County, dozens of devil remnants in the city were frightened and turned into a mess, and they began to call for help.

The news that Shanghai was recaptured by the [***] team in Songjiang County naturally knew that although Songjiang only had a few dozen devil soldiers, it was difficult to do anything, but the army had never taken the initiative to give up the precedent and habit of the territory it had conquered, so the top level of the army did not order these dozens to be evacuated from Songjiang County.

Just when the devils in Songjiang City were panicked and ready to fight desperately, they were surprised to find that the huge squadron outside the city did not stop at all, let alone attack Songjiang County, but rushed north around the city.

The leader of the devil squad, who was frightened into a cold sweat, hurriedly called and reported the situation to the Jiaxing Garrison Brigade, and the garrison brigade quickly reported the information to the Hangzhou Front Headquarters.

Hangzhou, Central China Front Army Headquarters.

Yanagawa Heisuke hurriedly read the urgent telegram sent by the Jiaxing Garrison Brigade, and immediately raised his head and said to Tanabe Moribu in front of him: "Tanabe-kun, the people of China did not capture Songjiang, but directly bypassed Songjiang and went north, what is going on?" Could it be that the people of China knew about the strategic deployment of the imperial army? ”

Tanabe Shengwu also looked incredulous, and said incomprehensibly: "I can't figure it out, we just ordered the 6th, 114th and other divisions to advance to the west of Taihu Lake, and the Tiger Brigade immediately withdrew from Shanghai, and came all the way to the north, if this is said to be a coincidence or the military commander of the Tiger Brigade is cunning, but this time they desperately advanced in the direction of Huzhou, it can't be explained." ”

"Could it be that there is annihilation within the imperial army? Otherwise, how could the Chinese army move so quickly? Yanagawa Heisuke said with a look of surprise.

"It is not possible that there is a division within the Imperial Army, and it is very likely that the people of China intercepted and deciphered our telegrams." Tanabe Moritake pondered for a while and analyzed.

"Deciphering our message?" Yanagawa Heisuke's face was full of disbelief: "Just with the backward radio technology and equipment of the despicable Shina people? ”

"General, this is just a hypothesis, but China is a vast country with a large population, and it is normal for some talented geniuses to appear, and it is entirely possible for these people to decipher the messages of the imperial army with backward communication technology and equipment." Moritake Tanabe explained thoughtfully.

Yanagawa Heisuke couldn't help but gasp when he heard this, and said in a deep voice: "Tanabe-kun, if you think about it carefully, what you said is very reasonable, if the Tiger Brigade can really learn about the strategic deployment of the imperial army, then the fiasco in Suzhou and Shanghai is reasonable. ”

Tanabe Moritake nodded solemnly and said: "Well, what the general said is very true, now it seems that the reason why the imperial army will lose the battle is that it is too arrogant to underestimate the enemy. ”

After saying this, Tanabe Moritake said to Yanagawa Heisuke again: "Your Excellency, General, I suggest that the Imperial Army must immediately change all radio station passwords, in addition to the top-secret secret code used in the future communication between various ministries, and all secret codes must be changed frequently in the future, in case the people of China steal the content of the Imperial Army's message again!" ”

"Yo Xi! That's it. Yanagawa Heisuke nodded happily, and then said in a deep voice: "Send a telegram to the 18th Division and order them to rush to Huzhou as soon as possible to prevent being preempted by the China Tiger Brigade." ”

"Hay!" Tanabe Moritake hurriedly stepped forward and immediately turned to leave

At four o'clock in the morning, the fleet of the 18th Division had already entered the port and docked at Changdou Port on the shore of Taihu Lake, and the next moment thousands of soldiers of the Yue Army went ashore one after another.

The commander of the division, Sadao Nakajima, also stepped down from the sailboat surrounded by the chief of staff Koto and several adjutants, and the captain of the Huzhou Garrison Brigade who came to greet him, Izumi Nakamura, hurriedly greeted him: "Your Excellency, commander, you have worked hard all the way. ”

The garrison brigade left behind in Huzhou was transferred from the 18th Division some time ago, and Nakajima Sadao nodded coldly and immediately asked: "Nakamura Shaoza, have you found any traces of the Chinese Army?" ”

"General Hui, not for the time being." Izumi Nakamura stepped forward and replied.

However, just as his words fell, a side three-wheeled motorcycle came speeding from a distance, and a ghost soldier sitting in the back seat in front of him immediately jumped down, and suddenly stood up and saluted Nakajima Sadao and the others: "Report to the general, a large number of Zhina troops have been found in the direction of Qingyun Town, and they are hurrying towards Huzhou!" ”

"Yaga, the despicable people of China came so fast!" Nakajima Sadao was shocked when he heard this, and hurriedly said: "Order, the 55.56th Infantry Wing immediately enters the defensive position outside the city and prepares to attack!" The headquarters of the division was stationed in Huzhou County, and the fleet immediately returned to Wuxi to pick up the wings of the 35th Brigade. Hurry up and drop! ”

"Hay!" The devil officers present bowed their heads and answered in unison, and then turned around and took orders to leave

Qiao Anbang's car was speeding with the convoy, and a side three-wheeled motorcycle belonging to the armored company came in the opposite direction, and a second lieutenant officer sitting on the motorcycle was pulling his throat and saying loudly: "Brigade seat, brigade seat, emergency." ”

"Huh?!" Qiao Anbang was stunned when he heard this, then ordered to stop, stood up and asked the second lieutenant who had just arrived, "What's the matter?" ”

The second lieutenant officer replied breathlessly: "Devil, my armored company has been strongly blocked by devils!" ”

"Devils?" Qiao Anbang's expression was stunned when he heard this.

"Yes, at least more than one wing, they have built a large number of anti-tank fortifications outside the position, and our armored vehicles cannot rush forward!" The second lieutenant officer nodded repeatedly.

"The devil is coming so fast!" Qiao Anbang sighed secretly, although the Tiger Brigade marched at full speed, but I didn't expect to be preempted by the devil, but I was relieved to think about it, the devil took the waterway from Wuxi to Huzhou is a straight march of more than 100 miles, although the Tiger Brigade is a fully mechanized march, but the road is winding along the way, coupled with the terrain of the water network in the south of the Yangtze River, the highway at this time is not the kind of reinforced concrete highway in later generations, and the roadbed of the dirt road built by the national political axe is extremely poor, which has caused a lot of trouble to the marching speed of the Tiger Brigade.

After calming down his mood, Qiao Anbang said calmly: "Order the troops to stop advancing, the artillery battalion immediately build artillery positions, the armored company to stop attacking, cover the infantry regiments to build sortie positions on the spot, and prepare to attack!" ”

"Yes!" The second lieutenant officer hurriedly stepped forward and immediately took the order on a motorcycle

In Huzhou County, the division headquarters of Sadao Nakajima has been stationed in the city, and the original headquarters of the garrison brigade has now directly become the headquarters of the 18th Division.

The map had just been laid down, and Sadao Nakajima was looking around the map as if thinking about something, when suddenly, a rush of footsteps sounded outside.

The chief of staff, Megumi Koto, walked in with a saber on his shoulder, and suddenly retracted his feet and reported to Nakajima Sadao: "Your Excellency, General, the 55th Wing reports that they have just repelled the attack of the armored fighting vehicle group of the Shina Tiger Brigade, and now the enemy has stopped advancing and is building fortifications on the spot. The 55th Infantry Wing asked for instructions, whether to carry out a counter-assault on the people while they were not firmly on the ground? ”

"No, our task is to hold on, not to attack! If we abandon our strong fortifications and take the initiative, we will be hit hard by the armored tank groups of the Chinese army! Tell the 55th Infantry Wing that it is only allowed to hold out, not to attack! "Nakajima Sadao decisively vetoed and waved his hand." Hail! The general is wise, because we have built anti-tank trenches, the power of the armored assault force of the Chinese army will be greatly reduced, and without a strong armored assault force as the forerunner, it will be absolutely impossible for the Tiger Brigade to break through the defense line of the imperial army in a short period of time! Megumi Koto hurriedly lowered her head and patted her ass.

Nakajima Sadao shook his head with a solemn expression and said: "Xiao Fuji-kun, you can't be too optimistic now, don't forget, our opponent has a powerful heavy artillery group in addition to the armored combat vehicle group, and our artillery wing is still far away in Wuxi, so the next thing is the real battle!" ”

(To be continued)